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(This is the fifteenth entry in The Modern Library Nonfiction Challenge, an ambitious project to read and write about the Modern Library Nonfiction books from #100 to #1. There is also The Modern Library Reading Challenge, a fiction-based counterpart to this list. Previous entry: A Mathematician's Apology.)
It is worth recalling that the Boy Scout, that putative paragon of American boyhood virtue, originated in 1909 with a man lost in the foggy haze of a mazy London byway. W.D. Boyce was a recently divorced newspaperman cast adrift in the English mist, until he was guided by a uniformed lad known only as the Unknown Scout. This young whippersnapper, who was no soldier and had no tomb (unless you count a mangy Silver Buffalo memorial that presently stands in Gilwell Park), steered Boyce to his destination and refused Boyce's tip after that gent hoped to consummate his gratitude. The boy did so not because he was a well-paid German stevedore or a terrified Uber driver hoping to hold onto his job, but because he was merely doing his duty and this was enough recompense, thank you very much. From here, Boyce asked the boy about his coterie, was allegedly led to Boy Scouts HQ like a starry-eyed drifter seeking a new easy access religion, and encountered Chief Scout Robert Baden-Powell, an irrepressible do-gooder who intoxicated Boyce with tales of uniforms and valor and decency and truth and justice and many other nouns etched with ostentatious pedigree and scant subtlety that were later memorialized in a handbook published in six fortnightly parts called Scouting for Boys. Four months later, Boyce returned to the States to found the Boy Scouts of America. He had found his calling. Shortly after this, presumably emboldened by the new youthful virtues flooding through his veins, Boyce would marry a well-connected woman twenty-three years younger. But Boyce's brio was not enough to preserve this second marriage, which dissolved within two years. The Boy Scouts, on the other hand, have continued to endure, albeit with plentiful dissimulation saddled to the "Be prepared" credo.
This legend, which isn't nearly as imaginative or as thrilling as Robert Johnson signing away his soul to the devil in exchange for spangling guitar chops, has nevertheless become as accepted and as apocryphal as the birth of the blues or any story of rugged outliers founding tech startups in their garages or, for that matter, the cloying cherry tree myth associated with George Washington, a shrewd political operator who claimed that he could not tell a lie despite deceiving many over a lifetime about his professed lack of political expertise. Boy Scout booster (and sex therapist!) Edward Rowan has pointed out that Boyce outed himself in a February 27, 1928 letter, claiming that he was not floating in the Dickensian murk, but merely standing before the Savoy Hotel while contemplating the question of whether he should cross a street. Moreover, others have suggested that there was no fog during that evening. As one excavates further into W.D. Boyce's history, one learns that this sanctimonious founder was a racist, even denying African-Americans entry into the hallowed organization. (Boyce also published a journal called The White Boy's Magazine.) By the late 1980s, the Boy Scouts were forced to establish protective measures in response to countless sex abuse cases later documented by reporter Patrick Boyle in 1991. The Boy Scouts of America, a seemingly sacred institution, had been little more than a seductive shawl disguising the ugly American id. It is thus the perfect metaphor for Tobias Wolff's This Boy's Life, a moving memoir about a boy wrestling with the lies, the duplicities, and the hypocrisies of growing up in America. It is an especially cogent volume in an epoch of fake news, covfefe, and thundering Republican men casually asphyxiating the weak and the vulnerable in the name of old school virtue.
For young Tobias (aka Jack, a sobriquet inspired by an altogether different London), the deceptive pose was a way of being and coping through a rough-and-tumble existence. This Boy's Life opens with Toby and his mother retreating from an abusive man in Florida by way of a dodgy Nash Rambler with an overboiling engine. Their hope was to find fortune through a desperate uranium hunt by way of a poor man's Geiger counter. Like many Americans before, the westward journey here is one of escape and, as one pores through the memoir's crisply paced pages, increasingly about assuming roles that bear no resemblance to reality. The cooing pop songs crooning from the radio provide voices for Toby to emulate, perhaps serving as a staging area for transformation. Yet Catholicism, itself a practice just as fraught with frangible self-abengation as the Boy Scouts, also represents the new terrain from which to launch an identity. Toby's father, telephoning from Connecticut, claims that the family line has always been Protestant or Episcopalian, but Wolff informs us that he learned of his true Jewish heritage ten years after this revelation. Names, identities, veneers, and backgrounds are the melting pot from which to sprout a respectable soul, yet Toby scoffs at the purported innocence of this problematic chrysalis. "Power," writes Wolff, placing his budding irritation within the context of his later experience in Vietnam, "can only be enjoyed when it is recognized and feared. Fearlessness in those without power is maddening to those who have it."
Woolf's Vietnam memoir, In Pharaoh's Army, would chronicle similar tensions between patriotic duty and survival, and one must observe that the two memoirs are united by Wolff possessing a gun, that priapic symbol of American manhood that has caused so much recent and needless terror. This Boy's Life sees these uncertain seeds planted in loam long before basic training. I once had the good fortune to interview Wolff in 2008 and he revealed that he was dead set against narcissism's pathology overtaking any story. Which leads me to believe that Wolff understands, as William Gass has observed in a notable essay on narcissism and writing, that autobiographers turn themselves into monsters, often hiding deceit behind their confessions. To reckon poignantly with a life, a memoirist must never cover up his shame or settle scores with self-serving vigor, for he invites a dishonesty in which the professed act of soul-bearing smudges the more important ink needed for corrupted but authentic memory.
What is most striking about This Boy's Life is that Wolff never sugarcoats his life. Nor does he beckon the reader to feel sympathy for him, even as he succumbs to abuse from Dwight, the abominable man whom his mother Rosemary eventually tries to forge a family with. It is the shakiest of new beginnings following an uncertain stint at a West Seattle boardinghouse. There are men who hit on Rosemary, ascribing athleticism to Toby and pledging bicycle gifts that never materialize, and we see only Rosemary's tears from unseen boorishness. Toby steals and breaks windows with his pals. He puts forth lies. And as Dwight enters Toby's life, Wolff observes that this minuscule mechanic tries too hard: "No eye is quicker to detect that kind of effort than the eye of a competitor who also happens to be a child." But Dwight does have a family, including a daughter named Pearl with a prominent bald spot. And just as Rosemary sees possibility in volunteering for idealistic Democratic candidates, she sees an opportunity in Dwight. Much as W.D. Boyce being bowled over by a Boy Scout, effort is enough to plant an acorn for a dubious family tree. Meanwhile, Toby lets loose several "Fuck yous," memorializing the message into a wall, and gets in trouble with the vice principal. When the vice principal meets with Rosemary, Toby is convinced of his innocence, not unlike Dwight, and the vice principal reveals his own systematic and sanctimonious story of how he quit smoking to buy a Nash Rambler, the very same rickety vehicle that brought Toby and Rosemary to the west.
It is here that the kernel for Dwight's autocratic adoption of Toby begins to pop with a frenzy of fragile male ego: the belief that laborious effort, even on the most inconsequential acts, somehow makes one a respectable hard-working American. Toby is asked to pick up roadkill. He is asked to wait in a car as Dwight gets plastered in a bar. He is watched as Dwight fuels himself on tugs of Old Crow and Camels. He delivers newspapers and his earnings are pilfered by Dwight. He paints an old Baldwin piano to cover up its chintz. And he is commanded to pluck hard husks of horse chestnuts — a tyrannical tilling with some unspecified life lesson attached in which the product of all this hard labor is never actually used. When Toby gets into a fight with a kid named Arthur Gayle, Dwight coaches him on pugilism, claiming that any defeat is his fault. And throughout all this, there are the weekly Boy Scout meetings. Toby's plan is to run away from Dwight's home in Concrete, a Washington hamlet built on shaky slopes that Wolff describes as a graying and dusty landscape with cracking cement banks. It is, like many parts of America even today, a fraying tableau where too much effort gets in the way of existence, disguising the fissures of easily broken lives. One can almost imagine Dwight using the hashtag #MAGA on Twitter had he materialized decades later.
Whether this subjective truth-telling represents a kind of fearlessness or power in its own right is subject to the degree to which you are willing to embrace Wolff's life story. But it does represent a refreshing alternative to the Horatio Alger grandstanding that too many personal essays wallow in today. (See, for example, most of the material published on Thought Catalog.) David Plotz once chided Dave Pelzer for turning child abuse into entertainment. This Boy's Life avoids such petty voyeurism, in large part because it nestles Toby's life and Dwight's stark assaults by Dwight within the larger American dilemma of how to contend with fakery. And in an epoch where narcissistic dishonesty and "alternative facts" and social media outrage are increasingly the norm, there is a beautiful grace in putting your life out there and not giving a damn how others judge it.
Next Up: Beryl Markham's West with the Night!


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NAACP Points Journey Advisory For Missouri
Sanders reportedly suffered from psychological sickness and asked police to see a counselor. In 2015 (October) authorities reported an increase in cases of scrub typhus, with numerous deaths, in a number of districts in Nepal. See what makes MSU Denver particular by evaluating us to other universities in Colorado and beyond. Yellow Fever Outbreaks in Brazil – New Areas Concerned.
In July 2015, authorities advised of a case of Chikungunya virus in a 60 year outdated male from Gardia Valencia with no history of travel to an endemic space. Travellers to Angola must be in date for yellow fever vaccination except there are contraindications. Cholera outbreaks have been increasingly reported in Kenya in many areas of Kenya since late 2016.
The Missouri journey advisory is the first time an NAACP convention has ever made one state the topic of a warning about discrimination and racist assaults, a spokesman for the nationwide organization mentioned Tuesday. As at 27 March 2017, Yellow Fever outbreaks remain a problem in Brazil. The concern is that the an infection is now becoming widespread within the South Pacific Islands.
With over 500 million candid traveler evaluations, we can assist you make the right choice if you store for resorts, restaurants, and sights. A big outbreak of MERS-CoV (Center East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) commenced in South Korea following return of an contaminated traveller to South Korea from the Center East. There was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake within the Mexican state of Puebla on 19 September 2017, with experiences of serious damage in several areas and Mexico Metropolis.
Our new outsider Republican Governor Eric Greitens can save himself and our state an incredible quantity of shame by vetoing Senate Bill 43, which weakens workplace protections for girls and minorities. The Missouri convention initially revealed the advisory in June, and it was recognized nationally at the NAACP's annual conference final week.

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While these aren't full-blown tests, the short drives do give us a chance to get a feel for the newest cars and the progress (or lack thereof) we see from the automakers. Imagine it like a visit to an ice cream shop, where you get a big dollop of each of the newest flavors. In some cases, you'll want to come back for more. In other cases? Not so much.
Here are the flavors we sampled:
BMW 430i convertible – Combine sloppy steering, a chassis that feels loosely bolted to the body and a sticker price well north of $50K, and you get the feeling that the vaunted and much-admired BMW has lost its way. And we're not alone. On these past drives, our fellow auto writers would often let the Japanese brands sit on the lot while they jostled to drive the Bimmers. But now that Lexus and Infiniti have gained some German-style soul, the tables are turned.
Cadillac CTS Vsport – This was one of many drives we've had in Cadillac's V-cars, both on street and track, and it was still sublime. At $75K well-equipped, the 420-horsepower Vsport is the one to go for if the CTS-V's 650 Corvette horses are too much for you. Attention, Mercedes and BMW loyalists! Break from the crowd and take any of the V Caddies for a test drive. You'll thank us.
Dodge Challenger GT AWD -- The Hellcat and the other Hemi Challengers make us feel 18 again. This one makes us feel retired. Oh, it's a nice car alright. But it drives like a Buick LaCrosse in a muscle car costume. If you want an AWD car, get a Subaru. If you want a muscle car, buy a real one.
Genesis G90 -- Genesis is clearly nipping at the heels of the German and Japanese luxury marques, but they still have a way to go. This big sedan gives you all of the interior amenities you could want, as well as a nice stance. But the floaty ride reminds us of granddad's Electra 225. The folks who build Mercedes' S-class don't have much to worry about . . . yet.
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell – After a hot, noisy day of driving, this hushed, well-appointed hydrogen-powered sedan was a delight. We would lease one (it's lease-only for now) if only we could find enough hydrogen stations and if the fuel cell economic proposition would work for daily drivers (it doesn't yet). We had a similar plus/minus experience last year in Toyota's Mirai.
Infiniti Q60 Red Sport AWD – This stunning coupe delivers more-than-ample luxury, not to mention solid power and sports-car handling. And you can drive it in the snow to boot. Both Infiniti and Lexus have finally found the way to dial some Teutonic goodness into their chassis. The writers are beginning to notice and they kept this car on the road for most of the day.
Jaguar F Type SVR roadster – Oh, yeah, baby! What else can you say? You're driving a 575-horsepower, all-wheel-drive roadster through the twisties on a gloriously warm day in the forest. While we love the Corvette and consider it a bargain, think about this Jag as a significant step up if you can stretch to the $128,800 base price. Believe us. It's worth the difference.
Land Rover Discovery – Land Rover has done a great job with its downscale lineup and the Discovery is no exception. We loved the torque of the 340-horsepower V-6 and the decent handling (except for the body roll) of this large SUV. We also liked the exceptional fit and finish of the interior. It was a typical Land Rover job well-done.
Lexus LC500h – Watch out, BMW i8. Lexus is delivering a hybrid sport coupe that looks and drives as well or better for a sticker price that's about $40,000 less. In terms of design, execution and feeling, this was the star of the day and the waiting list was long. The 354 horses tied to two transmissions made us feel like we had more than 500. This is a fantastic alternative if you can forgo the i8's scissor doors and sales exclusivity. You will definitely stand out in the country club parking lot with this new Lexus and you'll do so with a green conscience.
Mazda CX-5 -- Mazda's luxurious mid-sized crossover sends a strong message to the luxury brands: you don't need a three-pointed star on the hood or a $40,000-plus price tag to get a sumptuous interior and solid ride. We've driven the similar Mercedes crossovers, for example, and we see no reason to go upscale when you can get the high-value Mazda for the mid-30s or less. This ride is a good example of the narrowing technology between the mainstream and luxury brands.
Mazda Miata RF – As with the regular convertible, this targa version was still a whole barrel of fun. Great engine. Great manual transmission. Wonderful handling. A cockpit that fit like a glove. Unfortunately, the solid top also delivers a whole barrel of wind noise. We don't see its benefit. Put us down for the standard soft-top roadster, which looks just as good and is a little easier on the wallet.
MINI Clubman John Cooper Works All4 manual – You never leave a MINI without a smile on your face. And this Clubman was no exception. We love the way it scats around the corners with a blaaat of exhaust as you hit the pedal. And we love the usual excellent interior execution. Unfortunately, the $35,000+ price tag takes a little bloom off the rose.
Subaru Impreza – We were impressed with the way Subaru has moved its compact model upscale. Handling was tight and the interior was whisper quiet on the Limited 5-door we drove. There are touches of luxury throughout the interior. This was no economy car. Unfortunately, someone at Subaru decided to replace the formerly comfortable seats with something that resembled a plywood bench. These new seats would be a deal-killer for us.
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack – Speaking of Subaru, VW has set its sights on the Outback with this new all-wheel-drive wagon. The interior has plenty of luxury, the drive is definitely Germanic and the engine offers good power. It's a really nice ride, if a little pricey. But it's gonna take an awful lot of lovin' to pull people out of their Subarus. And the VW diesel scandal doesn't help.M


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The Parole Consideration Process
The Michigan Parole Board is the sole paroling authority for prisoners sentenced to the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Corrections. Prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence are subject to the jurisdiction of the Parole Board after serving the minimum sentence imposed by the court less good time and disciplinary credits, if applicable. Prisoners whose crimes were committed since enactment of truth-in-sentencing legislation are not eligible for good time or disciplinary credits. This applies to specified assaultive crimes committed on or after December 15, 1998, and all other crimes committed on or after December 15, 2000.
By statute (MCL 791.233), even after serving the minimum sentence, a prisoner may not be granted parole until the Parole Board has reasonable assurance, after consideration of all of the facts and circumstances, that the prisoner will not become a menace to society or a risk to the public safety. The factors considered by the Parole Board in making parole decisions include the nature of the current offense, the prisoner's criminal history, prison behavior, program performance, age, parole guidelines score, risk as determined by various validated assessment instruments and information obtained during the prisoner's interview, if one is conducted. The Parole Board also considers information from crime victims and other relevant sources.
Most parole decisions are made by three-member panels of the Parole Board. Decisions for prisoners serving a life sentence are made by majority vote of all ten members of the Parole Board.
The Parole Board uses a numerical scoring system called the parole guidelines to apply objective criteria to the decision-making process. This tool is designed to reduce disparity in parole decisions and increase parole decision-making efficiency. The factors used in the parole guidelines are set forth in Administrative Rule 791.7716.
During the period between the Parole Board's decision and the prisoner's release, the prisoner's behavior continues to be monitored. If the prisoner becomes involved in misconduct in the prison or the Parole Board becomes aware of other adverse information, the parole may be suspended. Misconduct which occurs after release to parole may result in revocation of parole at the discretion of the Parole Board.


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Russian forces may have retreated from the areas around Kyiv, but Ukrainian officials are warning residents in the eastern part of the country to evacuate as fighting intensifies there.
Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said what his country needs at NATO headquarters today.
DMYTRO KULEBA: My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. It's weapons, weapons and weapons.
INSKEEP: The U.S. and Europe are promising more of all three. NATO foreign ministers are meeting amid reports of Russians killing civilians in Ukraine.
FADEL: NPR's Michele Kelemen joins us now from NATO headquarters to discuss all this. Hi, Michele.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Hi there, Leila.
FADEL: So you've been traveling with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. What's the U.S. bringing to the table at NATO today? And what's he hoping to get from allies?
KELEMEN: Well, he really just wants to maintain a united front with Europe in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. You know, Blinken's been spending a lot of time here in Brussels coordinating with allies on sanctions and on military aid. And as he arrived here, the U.S. announced another $100 million worth of Javelin anti-tank missiles for Ukraine. That brings the U.S. total, just in recent weeks, to $1.7 billion in security assistance. The Ukrainians say they need more. They need more missiles. They also need air defenses and other heavy weapons. And they say this is urgent. Foreign Minister Kuleba says he believes the only way to prevent more Buchas is to get more military aid, and of course, he's referring to that Kyiv suburb where there are widespread reports of Russian atrocities.
FADEL: So the U.S., Europe and others responded to those horrific scenes in Bucha with another round of sanctions. Is that happening quickly enough for Ukrainians?
KELEMEN: Not from their perspective. Just listen to the Ukrainian foreign minister explain what it took to get to this latest round of sanctions.
KULEBA: Frankly speaking, I hope we will never face a situation again when, to step up the sanctions pressure, you need - we need atrocities like at Bucha to be revealed and to impress and to shock other partners to the extent that they sit down and say, OK, fine, we will introduce new sanctions.
KELEMEN: Yeah, so he wants to see more Russian banks out of the SWIFT messaging system. He wants a full oil and gas embargo on Russia. And, you know, Europe still relies heavily on Russian energy, so it's going to take time to wean them off of that. But some European officials are saying they are headed in that direction.
FADEL: So a lot of talk about sanctions, about military support. What about diplomacy? Is there a diplomatic path to end this war?
KELEMEN: The U.S. has been pretty skeptical about diplomacy. They want to make sure that, however this war ends, there are going to be long-term consequences for Russia and for Russia's actions. But Washington is taking its cues from the Ukrainian government on this. Before Bucha, the Ukrainians put forward some ideas in talks with the Russians. Ukraine could, for instance, give up NATO ambitions if it gets solid security guarantees to remain neutral. The U.S. has been talking to Ukraine about that, and officials say the sanctions and the military aid are really just meant to strengthen Ukraine's hands at the negotiating table. But, you know, the U.S. and NATO have been warning that this war is likely to continue, and the world should be ready for a long haul because as Russians pull back from areas around Kyiv, they're just reinforcing their positions in the east.
FADEL: NPR's Michele Kelemen. Thank you for your reporting.
KELEMEN: Thank you.
FADEL: The Senate is expected to vote today to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the highest court of the land.
INSKEEP: She is expected to be confirmed as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Three Republican senators are joining all 50 Democrats to confirm. The vast majority of Republicans will vote no, including some who voted in her favor for a lower judgeship.
FADEL: Joining us now to discuss all this is NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Hi, Nina.
NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE: Hello there, Leila.
FADEL: So why was there so much opposition from Republicans to Judge Jackson's nomination?
TOTENBERG: The Republicans cited concerns with her judicial philosophy, her sentencing record in a handful of cases related to child pornography - which they've called sympathetic to offenders - and her record as a public defender for a couple of Guantanamo Bay detainees. But let's get down to basics. Republicans were largely going to oppose whoever Biden chose. Senate Republican leaders wouldn't even give Obama nominee Merrick Garland a hearing. Remember that? So for literally more than a decade, they've built a wall of opposition to liberal and moderate judicial nominees, especially at the Supreme Court level but for all levels.
Let me just give you one statistic. According to Russell Wheeler of the Brookings Institution, if you look at the appeals court nominees in the first two years of the Trump administration, 15 out of 30 got at least 10 Democratic votes. And if you compare that to the Biden nominees in the first year, plus a little, only 2 out of 15 got more than 10 Republican votes. So when you get to a Supreme Court nomination, everything is on steroids. And South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham is a prime example.
FADEL: So Senator Graham voted for the two most recent Democratic nominees to the Supreme Court, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, and he voted to confirm Jackson a year ago for the Court of Appeals. But now he's not voting for Judge Jackson. Why?
TOTENBERG: Well, for whatever reason, Graham worked himself into a temper when the potential nominee he was supporting, Judge Michelle Childs from his home state of South Carolina, didn't get nominated. From the get-go at the confirmation hearing, it was clear he would take out that disappointment on Judge Jackson. In fact, Graham even said her nomination should never have been considered by the committee, and if Republicans regain the Senate, he seemed to say, they simply would refuse to consider nominees like her.
FADEL: It's worth noting, though, that three Republican senators have now said they will vote to confirm Judge Jackson - Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, right?
TOTENBERG: Right. For me, the most interesting of the three is Romney because less than a year ago, he voted against Jackson when she was nominated to the D.C. Court of Appeals. My assumption is that back then, Romney was being a good team player in voting the way Mitch McConnell wanted him to. And this time he actually thought about it and decided that while he didn't expect to agree with every decision Judge Jackson might make, she, quote, "more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity." And Lisa Murkowski, who has a tough primary race this year, said something very similar and added that her vote, quote, "also rests on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which on both sides of the aisle is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year."
FADEL: And Senator Collins made a similar point in her statement, right?
TOTENBERG: Yeah, she said that anyone who watched the Jackson confirmation hearings would reach the conclusion that the confirmation process is, quote, "broken."
FADEL: NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Thank you so much.
TOTENBERG: Thank you.
FADEL: About 7 million Americans are in default on their federal student loans.
INSKEEP: But yesterday, those borrowers got some good news. The Education Department announced a plan to restore them all to good standing. That news accompanied yet another extension of the federal student loan payment pause that began in March 2020.
FADEL: Here to tell us more about all of that is NPR's Cory Turner. Hi, Cory.
CORY TURNER, BYLINE: Hey, Leila.
FADEL: So, Cory, let's start with what the Biden administration is calling Fresh Start. What more can you tell us about that?
TURNER: Yeah. Fresh Start basically hits the reset button for those 7 million federal student loan borrowers you mentioned who are currently in default. Now, to be clear, it does not erase their debt. What it does is jump them out of default and return their loans to good standing. Practically, that means when the repayment pause does finally end, these borrowers will no longer be subject to collections. They will also have access to more flexible payment plans. This also presumably means no more negative credit reporting to credit agencies, which could help these borrowers qualify for things like a car loan or a mortgage. I will say, though, Leila, it is surprising how little we know about how this Fresh Start will work because the White House and the Ed Department said next to nothing about it yesterday besides simply announcing it.
FADEL: So let's talk about that extension. You reported several weeks ago that this was essentially inevitable. Anything about the news that did surprise you?
TURNER: Yeah, even though this was the worst-kept secret in Washington, one thing jumped out at me, which is that it is only through August 31. Prominent Democrats had been asking for an extension into 2023 for a few reasons. The obvious one is that pushing it just until September, as Biden has done, raises the possibility of resuming student loan repayments for tens of millions of voters just a matter of weeks before November's midterm election. For political reasons, that seems highly unlikely, which is why most of the experts I've talked with, as well as folks on Capitol Hill, think this is likely to get extended again. The other reason Democrats were hoping for a longer extension is because they're pushing the Biden administration to make some pretty big changes to the student loan program, and these are changes that more than likely just cannot happen by August.
FADEL: So what kind of changes?
TURNER: Well, so NPR reported less than a week ago that the Ed Department's workhorse repayment plans, income-driven repayment plans, have been a bit of a mess. They've been mismanaged for years, NPR found, and the program's really in need of a reckoning. In fact, in response to our reporting, the Ed Department and the White House admitted as much. They said, quote, "the current situation is unacceptable," that they will be making operational changes to get things right moving forward and that they will fix this for the borrowers who have been harmed by past failures with payment counting. That said, industry experts I talked with don't think those changes can be made by August, and they say it doesn't make sense to resume repayments until they are ready. Implementing Fresh Start will mean moving 7 million borrowers to new loan-servicing companies, which will be a huge lift for the department, even if it didn't have anything else to do. So August just seems fairly unrealistic when you consider the logistics of what they're up against.
FADEL: So maybe come August we'll be talking about another extension. NPR education correspondent Cory Turner. Thank you so much.
TURNER: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Plant Finder
Find the perfect plant for your garden.
Height: 8 feet
Spread: 6 feet
Hardiness Zone: 2b
Other Names: Blue Colorado Spruce;Colorado Blue Spruce
A small, dense globe-shaped shrub, very unlike the species, as a mounded form that eventually becomes a compact and dense Christmas tree-like shape, adaptable and hardy; intensely blue needles, an excellent choice for form and color in the garden
Ornamental Features
Globe Blue Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has attractive blue evergreen foliage which emerges silvery blue in spring. The needles are highly ornamental and remain blue throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Globe Blue Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Globe Blue Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Vertical Accent
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Globe Blue Spruce will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.
A NetPS Plant Finder tool


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Export 18 results:
Filters: Author is Bier, Nathalie [Clear All Filters]
"Use of smartphones and tablets after acquired brain injury to support cognition.", Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol, pp. 1-9, 2023.
"Improvement in functional vocabulary and generalization to conversation following a self-administered treatment using a smart tablet in primary progressive aphasia.", Neuropsychol Rehabil, pp. 1-31, 2019.
, "Smart Home Technology: A New Approach for Performance Measurements of Activities of Daily Living and Prediction of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults.", J Alzheimers Dis, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 85-96, 2019.
, "Efficacy of a self-administered treatment using a smart tablet to improve functional vocabulary in post-stroke aphasia: a case-series study.", Int J Lang Commun Disord, 2018.
, "Key Factors for the Success of Self-Administered Treatments of Poststroke Aphasia Using Technologies.", Telemed J E Health, 2018.
, "MEMO+: Efficacy, Durability and Effect of Cognitive Training and Psychosocial Intervention in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment.", J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 655-663, 2018.
, "Effectiveness of technologies in the treatment of post-stroke anomia: A systematic review.", J Commun Disord, vol. 65, pp. 43-53, 2017.
, , "Regularity and beyond: Impaired production and comprehension of inflectional morphology in semantic dementia.", Brain Lang, vol. 155-156, pp. 1-11, 2016.
, "The Victoria Stroop Test: Normative Data in Quebec-French Adults and Elderly.", Arch Clin Neuropsychol, 2016.
, "The contrast between cueing and/or observation in therapy for verb retrieval in post-stroke aphasia.", J Commun Disord, vol. 54, pp. 43-55, 2015.
, "Measuring the impact of cognitive and psychosocial interventions in persons with mild cognitive impairment with a randomized single-blind controlled trial: rationale and design of the MEMO+ study.", Int Psychogeriatr, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 511-25, 2015.
, "The impact of semantic dementia on everyday actions: evidence from an ecological study.", J Int Neuropsychol Soc, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 162-72, 2013.
, "Normative data for the Dementia Rating Scale-2 in the French-Quebec population.", Clin Neuropsychol, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 1150-66, 2013.
, "Cooking "shrimp à la créole": a pilot study of an ecological rehabilitation in semantic dementia.", Neuropsychol Rehabil, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 455-83, 2011.
, "The specificity of notation codes in apraxic agraphia: dissociation between Arabic and alphabetical scripts in a patient with severe ideomotor and visuoconstructional apraxia.", Neurocase, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 11-23, 2011.
, "How to make a spaghetti sauce with a dozen small things I cannot name: a review of the impact of semantic-memory deficits on everyday actions.", J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 201-11, 2010.
, "Normative data for the pyramids and palm trees test in the Quebec-French population.", Arch Clin Neuropsychol, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 212-7, 2010.


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Harvard's Wesley Saunders earns honors
Named to 2013 Lou Henson Preseason All-America Team
Harvard junior Wesley Saunders has been named to the 2013 Lou Henson Preseason All-America Team, as announced Wednesday by the award committee.
Saunders was a unanimous first team All-Ivy League selection a year ago after leading the Ancient Eight in scoring at 16.2 ppg. The Los Angeles native was also tops in the league in steals (55), third in field goal percentage (52.2) and minutes (37.3), and was seventh in assists (3.5).
Saunders scored in double-digits in 29 of 30 games while leading the Crimson to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and a third straight Ivy League title. An NABC All-District first team pick, Saunders picked up five Ivy League Player of the Week honors.
The Lou Henson Preseason All-America Team is composed of 25 student-athletes from mid-major conferences. Following the season, the Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top mid-major student-athlete in Division I college basketball. The award is named in honor of Lou Henson, who retired after a spectacular coaching career that lasted 41 years.
For more on Harvard men's basketball, visit gocrimson.com.


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Hi everyone! It's almost time for Summer and I'm sharing this cute fun Summer giveaway!
Thank you for stopping by and for your support.
Magical "Fun In The Sun" Educational Giveaway ~ 1 Winner (Ends 6/16)
Deliciously Savvy is hosting a giveaway in which one lucky winner will receive a My Fairy Garden™ Magical Cottage ($30 RV) plus a Num Noms Lights Freezie Pop Maker with Food Playset ($22 RV). This is a super fun and educational giveaway that is perfect for the Summer months! Enter Today To Win and Good Luck To You!
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Hosted By:
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Co-Hosted By:
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Plus a big thank you to all of the amazing blogs helping to promote this giveaway to their amazing readers!
The Details:
1 Lucky Winner Will Receive a My Fairy Garden™ Magical Cottage ($30 RV) + a Num Noms Lights Freezie Pop Maker with Food Playset ($22 RV)!
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Entrants must be 18 years old to enter and giveaway is open to US residents Only
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in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter.
This giveaway will end at 11:59PM (EST) on 06/16/2017.
Good Luck! Enter Below
Also we all "love it if you like us" on Facebook!
By Supporting Our Blogs Via Social Media You Are Helping Us To Provide Fabulous Prizes For Amazing Future Giveaways! Good Luck & Thank You!
Deliciously Savvy did not receive any form of compensation for this giveaway. Once winner is selected via the Giveaway Tools process, the winner will be notified. Winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. No other blog associated with this giveaway is responsible for the product shipment. Play Monster and Num Noms will be providing the prizes above to the winner and please allow up to 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Thank You for stopping by! Any Questions or Concerns email me at mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.


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Dear Lifehacker,
My boss loves to take credit for my ideas and for my work. I recently wrote a published article, and he insisted that he be included as an author, even though he had nothing to do with the work I did, and didn't even see it until it was ready to publish. What should I do? How can I make sure he doesn't take credit for my work after it's finished, or claim my ideas were his before we even start?
Cyrano de Bergerac
Dear Cyrano,
It's natural for a manager to want to share in the glory when one of their team members has a great idea or does something wonderful, but it's definitely inappropriate for them to actually claim your ideas or hard work are theirs unless they contributed something to the effort. You don't have to put up with it, and here are a few ways to approach the situation that should get you the credit you deserve, or make sure it doesn't happen again.
Make Sure This Isn't a Misunderstanding
Before you get angry that your boss is pitching your ideas to management or "forgetting" to mention you when praise is handed out, make sure it's not a genuine mistake, or that your boss doesn't have a legitimate claim. In research institutions, the researcher who directs the lab has the right to be named on a paper because they contributed the resources and supervision for the work that led to the paper. Similarly, your boss could pitch your ideas to upper management on your behalf, working to get them approved so you can take the reins and wow them with your work, or they could soak up praise in order to pass it along to you in the form of a bonus or promotion. You'll know pretty quickly if this is the case or your boss is purposefully slighting you, but if it's once or twice, remember Hanlon's Razor—it may not be malice, just ineptitude. Photo by Wth (Shutterstock).
Document Everything
If you do think that your boss is regularly stealing your ideas and credit for the work you're doing, make sure you take the time to document those ideas and your work so it's clear you're the one behind the scenes. Keep a work diary where you log those ideas, achievements, and mistakes. Make sure to attach your name to your ideas and to your projects, so no one ever doubts that you're the person behind that big initiative, or the go-to person if anyone has questions about it. Don't be afraid to take ownership of it, and talk it up to your coworkers and peers. Say things like "When I came up with this idea, I thought we'd implement it like this..." or "I always figured we would set it up this way..." Photo by Ramunas Geciauskas.
Remember, your boss will likely make you do the work anyway, which puts you in a position of strength. Since you'll actually do the work, your boss will have to defer to you for status updates, reports, and other documents you can put your name to.
Work In a Team, or Work Around Your Boss
The best way to establish that an idea is yours is to make sure everything knows it, and the best way to make sure everyone knows it is to take your work to your team. Save your pitches for team meetings, where everyone can see you're the one with the idea. Work on your projects in teams—your boss will be less likely to take credit if there's a group of people who worked hard on the job instead of one person. Take a leadership role and work directly with your peers. Don't be afraid to let them know how you think your idea should pan out. Even volunteer to report on your project's progress to your boss's management—then you'll have the opportunity to make it clear that you're the brains of the outfit. Also, avoid sharing your ideas and your projects with your boss one-on-one if you can. Photo by marco antonio torres.
Be careful with this approach though—if you press too hard, you risk alienating your boss, and that's never a good thing, even if you're unhappy with them. In the same vein, avoid going right to your boss's boss to take credit unless you're specifically asked (in which case you should definitely take credit.) You want to come off as a team player who's willing to help and share credit—because if your boss has taken credit for your idea or your work, that's really the best you can hope for at this point.
Talk to Your Boss
If you have a good relationship with your boss and this is the only thing that stands out, it's worth bringing it up to them. Let them know you feel like they're taking credit for your hard work in the eyes of people who can help your career advance, and let him or her know that while you know they appreciate your hard work, you want the rest of the organization to as well. Ideally, your boss shouldn't be the competition that your peers are. If your peers steal your ideas, you have a problem, but if your boss does, they may do so to make the department look good, and then reward you another way, like a bonus, raise, or promotion—something you wouldn't know about right away. Your manager shouldn't need to compete with you. If they do, and if it's systemic, sometimes just letting them know that you're aware they're doing it and it makes you uncomfortable is enough to make them stop. Photo by Serp (Shutterstock).
Let It Go
Sometimes you just need to chalk it up to experience and move on. You may not be able to get your due, but there'll always be more work to do and you'll have more brilliant ideas. Take time to brainstorm them, and come up with new ones for the next big project and document them. After all, ideas aren't worth very much if you keep them to yourself, and when they're implemented, they can result in shared benefit for you, your boss, and your whole team. Sure, sometimes you may not get to stand in the limelight—and that can be okay sometimes, as long as it's not always. Photo by SophieSchieli.
Part of any employee's job is to protect their manager when the time is right, and make them look good so the department looks good. It may reflect poorly on all of you if your boss's name is conspicuously left off of your paper. You won't be successful at either of those things if you're distracted by a competition with your manager, or looking out for yourself alone. We're not saying you shouldn't get credit for your work, but pick your battles wisely.
Walk Away
If the problem is systemic and your career is suffering from it, it might be time to look for a new job. Most of us don't have the luxury to just quit and find a new job every time our boss does something annoying, but if your manager takes credit for everyone's ideas and doesn't share the spotlight with his or her team at all, they're probably not keen on promoting you or letting you become their peer. If your boss really didn't contribute anything to the paper, for example, and he/she didn't see it at all until it was ready to publish, make your case. If your boss still still insists on credit, or doesn't have a good reason for the request, it might be time to walk and find a manager that respects you and your ideas. Your work is your own, and good managers will let you represent your work, not just stand behind them.
Good luck,
P.S. Any additional tips for Cyrano? Any other ways he can make sure he gets credit for his work, or is it a lost cause? Whatever you think, share your tips in the comments below.
Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to [email protected].
Photo by Anton Prado PHOTO (Shutterstock).


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Reseller & Private Label Inquiries
If you are interested in becoming an MWC reseller please contact us for further information.
We manufacture watches for a large variety of organizations among military units, airlines, department stores and retail establishments such as survival stores, military kit suppliers and fashion outlets.
Whatever your requirements whether its a design based on an existing model or you wish to build a watch range from scratch please contact us and we will be glad to assist you to bring your plan to fruition. To see some examples of private label models you can view them here MWC Private Label Watches


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Dead Iron was recommended to me by a friend who'd very much enjoyed this series and others by Devon Monk. The book is workmanlike and entertaining, but hardly enthralling.
Our hero, Cedar Hunt, has been cursed with lycanthropy. He's interesting enough, though his tortured mien slips into angsty every now and then, and is only saved from whiny by his tight-lipped, Old West tough-guy personae. Mae Lindson bears the double-scarlet letters of being both a witch and the gringa half of a racially mixed marriage. She's widowed pretty early on in the book (before the end of chapter 2), and spends most of the book wrapped in raging grief and the thirst for vengeance. Her husband is slightly more approachable as a character in spite of being dead, in large part because he refuses to admit that "until death do us part" means your marriage ends when your heart stops beating. Rose Small is an orphaned child with a mysterious past even she doesn't suspect, and which is little explored in this book. Still, her determined optimism, open-mindedness, and innocence makes her the most empathetic and interesting or our main characters. They are aided by a trio of subterranean "Welsh" miners and steam-punk tinkerers called the Madder brothers, who provide logistical support, firepower, and much-needed comic relief, though they themselves fall prey to the tight-and-stiff-lipped Old West tough-guy thing themselves.
They are opposed by the excessively ostentatious Shard LeFel, royal exile of a magical world-next-door. Under the guise of a railroad tycoon, LeFel has been working to build an enchanted door that will allow him to return home. He just needs to murder three specific people in order to open that door.
(As an interesting aside, LeFel is written more like a tragic hero than a villain, facing and overcoming obstacles and setbacks at every turn. Except for his eagerness to murder and manipulate, he'd be easy to mistake for a hero whose goals just happen to oppose those of our main characters.)
The action takes place in the small town of Hallelujah, populated by the most backwards, suspicious, small-minded sheeple-hicks you're likely to ever encounter this side of Hester Prynne's Boston. I'm not shocking or spoiling anything for you when I mention that LeFel whips up the townsfolk into a torch-waving mob that marches on Mae Lindson's home, am I? Didn't think so.
LeFel's minions are largely made up of the Strange, and they darn near make up for any shortcomings in the story. Malevolent spirits driven by disturbing appetites, they seek easy entry into the American continent, and the dead iron rails of LeFel's transcontinental railroad are just the sort of gateway that they need. In the meantime, they require the sorcerous-steampunk amalgamation bodies LeFel can provide in order to have any serious presence in the human world, and they use these bodies to further LeFel's interests, though not always eagerly.
I haven't decided if I'm going to pick up the second book in this series. I just don't feel the burning need to know what happens next, as I do with Kim Harrison's books, nor do I find the world quite as intriguing as I do Sarah Hoyt's current foray into multi-world steampunk-and-sorcery (though I'll readily admit Monk's work is far more steampunky, with it's steam-powered mecha and multi-utility brass-and-crystal shooting goggles. Yes, Virginia, in Monk's work, the goggles, they do do something!). That all said, the setting and the Strange are intriguing, and I'm curious to see what sort of trouble Rose finds for herself, so I imagine I'll pick up book two eventually.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
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One of the unexamined dimensions of the history of the School Reform Movement is the role that Civil Rights lawyers played in shaping its guiding assumptions and strategies. I was reminded of this the other day when reading an unpublished manuscript by an Oklahoma City based teacher named John Thompson, who pointed out that civil rights lawyers typically demonstrated the existence of discrimination by documenting statistical disparities between underrepresented and privileged groups, which is precisely the approach School Reformers used in devising remedies for the achievement, or test score gap, between black and white students. Reformers looked at statistical disparities between schools in Black and White neighborhoods and inferred that the lower test scores and graduation rates n the former could best be remedied by removing teachers and administrators in the underperforming institutions and replacing them with more skilled people and/or by closing such schools and replacing them with new schools that had greater flexibility in hiring.
As I read these passages, they struck a chord on multiple levels. First, I thought of my own research on the evolution of affirmative action and how civil rights leaders and federal officials developed a rationale for it. Affirmative action began when policy makers required employers to do statistical analyses of the percentage of underrepresented groups they hired or enrolled, and based remedial action on those statistics, rather than demonstrated discriminatory intent. The main agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination law in employment, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pioneered this approach, When companies complained that under representation of minorities was not the result of intentional discrimination, they complaints were rejected, by both the EEOC and the federal courts, who invoked a doctrine called "disparate impact" (enshrined in a Supreme Court decision Griggs v Duke Power) which stipulated that practices which reinforced historic patterns of discrimination, even when they were neutral in intent, and even in application, were considered discriminatory under federal law, and could be subject to remedies that increased the number of employees from the group in question even if the institutions normal standards for hiring were set aside.
Now let's move ahead 40 years later. Civil rights lawyers began looking at disparities in achievement between Black and White students through a similar lens, treating such disparities as if they were the product of discrimination. But rather than viewing those disparities as the result of discrimination in criminal justice policy, the housing and employment markets, and access to family wealth, they chose to isolate the school from the depressed neighborhood they were located and put continuous pressure on underperforming schools to do a much better job educating Black and Latino students.
One incidental outcome of the application of disparate impact theory to education was the identification of "bad teachers" and the unions which protected
them, as the primary cause of discriminatory outcomes for Black andLatino students. These were factors which policy makers felt they could directly influence, unlike intergenerational poverty and discrimination in housing, employment and criminal justice, and once the schools became isolated from their neighborhood setting as discriminatory institutions, teachers quickly became the main targets of remedial action.
But demonizing teachers was not the only consequence of this style of thinking. Once policy makers began developing statistical models to reliably compare and rate schools, and gauge teacher and administrator performance, they realized that the needed a much more reliable data base upon which to do this and that meant increasing the number of standardized tests, applying them across the board to constituencies which had previously been exempted, such as ELL and special needs
students, and spending huge amounts of money on software to process the
information and consultants to analyze that information
Both results, the demonization of teachers and the proliferation of testing, took place in New York City under the direction of a well known civil rights attorney,' James Leibman from the faculty of Columbia Law School, who was hired by Chancellor Joel Klein, another lawyer who loved to employ civil rights rhetoric, as the Department of Education's first Accountability Officer. Under Leibman' s direction, the DOE created complex statistical models first to grade schools, and later to
evaluate teacher performance, both using criteria that based ratings on complex measures involving variations in student test scores from year to year. On the basis of the models, which were statistically flawed and often defied common sense, schools were closed and teachers were removed and placed in a much stigmatized reserve pool. The consequence was an increase in the number of tests and huge ratcheting up of stress levels associated with them. In New York City, for
example, every third grader must sit through 6 straight days of testing for 90 minutes a day. Those who defend this practice still use the language of equity in explaining why they are doing. But quite frankly, the negatives associated with this level of quantification are far exceeding the benefits.
We now face a situation where school reform policies once descrbed as necessary to achieve educational equity and reduce the racial achievement gap have resulted in uncontrolled testing , profit taking on a grand scale by test companies, and attacks on teacher integrity and collective bargaining rights that have produced the lowest level of teacher morale on record.
Such is the consequence of the misapplication of a once honorable civil rights doctrine to a setting where the most publicized causes of discrimination -teacher apathy and incompetence- are far less significant than environmental factors excluded from the analytical and statistical model, particularly poverty, and societal racism.
The notion that "School Reform is the Civil Rights Cause of the 21st Century has become a cruel joke to teachers and students who find themselves deluged with unnecessary tests and placed under intolerable stress in the name of educational equity.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Disparate Impact Gone Awry:How the Misapplication of Civil Rights Law Encouraged the Demonization of the Nation's Teachers
2 comments:
- rickarcher1959 said...
Excellent post and information, Mark.
rickarcher1959 - April 8, 2012 at 4:55 AM
Pakistan on Wednesday executed a man who rights groups say was tortured into confessing to a murder committed more than two decades ago, when he was still a minor, prison officials said."Aftab Bahadur Masih, a Christian man, was hanged in Kot Lakhpat prison of Lahore Wednesday morning," best civil rights lawyer
- June 10, 2015 at 1:57 AM
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Birthday Gifts for Him
Order indulgent birthday gifts for him when you run out of time and ideas. Proflowers knows guys, and we've lined up fun and sophisticated birthday keepsakes, tools and decadent food baskets. Order today for same day, overnight, two day and scheduled delivery nationwide!
Birthday Gifts for Him
Celebrating another cycle around the sun should be done in style no matter what age the man in your life is turning. Finding a thoughtful gift that embodies the joy he brings into the world may seem like an impossible task, but when you shop Proflowers' sprawling inventory of lush plants and decadent desserts, he'll be smiling from ear to ear. Our collection of timeless birthday gifts for him will impress year after year.
What to Get your Husband for His Birthday?
Finding gifts for husbands should be an easy process, but when the days are ticking and gift-giving crunchtime kicks in, you may find yourself panicking. Ease your woes by browsing through our stock of flowers, plants, gifts and sweet treats that are not only beautiful but equally thoughtful. Some of our most popular birthday gifts for husbands include our:
29-inch Oversized Teak Succulent Centerpiece
Hand-dipped Sports Strawberries
Modern Lucky Bamboo
Lush Tropical Peace Lily
Happy Birthday Chocolate Mousse Torte with Belgian Chocolate Plaque
What are the Best Anniversary Gifts for Him?
An anniversary is the perfect occasion to shower each other with gifts, celebrating the many years you've spent together and the many years you look forward to down the road. Proflowers has a number of special anniversary gifts for him that make the day extra special. Our Simple Beer Snacks Basket gives him something to chew on while he sips on his favorite IPA. Our Timeless Treasure Watch Box is a personalizable present that makes a great home for his collection of watches. For the man with a green thumb, our Deluxe White Dendrobium Orchids beautifully tap into his sensitive side. Whether you're looking for precious birthday flowers or personalizable presents, finding the ultimate gifts for him is easy with Proflowers.
Romantic Birthday Gifts for Him
Finding good birthday gifts for men that speak to his passions while expressing your gratitude can be complicated. However, nothing says "I love everything about you" quite like a bouquet of flowers. Embrace the things that make him the man of your dreams by finding a gift that encompasses his unique vibrancy. From our delicate Hand-dipped Milk and Dark Strawberries to our You Are My Happily Ever After Canvas, you're bound to find a romantic birthday arrangement for him that you'll both fall in love with.


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Cub Scouts
8 - 11 years
Can you handle this much fun?
Cub Scouts are boys and girls between the ages of eight and eleven. The objective of the Cub Scout program is to provide a group environment which is intellectually stimulating, physically vital and directed towards satisfying the child's basic need to face and overcome challenges. The activities are based on the natural sense of fun and enthusiasm of the age group and thus the training is achieved largely through games, interaction in small groups and activities.
Cub Scouts comprise a Pack which is limited to 24 Cub Scouts of four Sixes except in special circumstances. Cub Scout Sixes are led by a Sixer.
A Sixer is generally one of the older Cub Scouts and is appointed by the Cub Scout Leader in consultation with other Leaders because of known leadership qualities. The Sixer is liked and respected by others in the Six. A Sixer is identified by a stripe on their pocket with the word 'Sixer' on it. Similarly a Second is identified by the same badge with ' Second' on it.
The Sixer and Second will take a new Cub under their wings and help them learn all they can about being a Cub Scout. They will welcome them into their Group and make sure that your child is comfortable and on the way to making new friends.
Find out more at Scouts SA
To come and try Cub Scouts at Pt Noarlunga Sea Scout Group contact Battams on 0499 499 237 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
We look forward to seeing you there!


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"Black box that makes me feel bad" - Original paper artwork
About this work:
iPhone notifications
About the series:
The idea of a 'meme' was coined in 1976 by Richard Dawkins, in which ideas act as vessels that carry cultural information & symbolism, which spread between people.
Online culture then appropriated & popularised the term 'meme'. The first digital meme went viral in 1996, and since then memes have become an influential part of how cultural ideas, information and humour is spread across the world. Memes & their comment-sections provide endless entertainment, an insight into our psyches and prove to be a good inspiration for art.
For this on-going series, I leaned into online culture for inspiration, then repurposed and remade stories I found online. The work is sarcastic, satirical and crude - just like the internet.
Edition: 1 of 1 (original works)
Stock: 300gsm acid free Hahnemühle
Dimensions: Framed 420 x 594mm
Shipping: Flat packaged - please allow 7-14 days
Materials: Acrylic, enamel and finished with gloss clear-coat.
Authentication: Hand signed & stamp impression certification.


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command selects the layer just underneath the active layer in the layer stack. The command highlights the layer in the Layers Dialog and makes it the new active layer. If the active layer is already at the bottom of the stack, this menu entry is insensitive and grayed out.Nota | |
Note that on a standard Windows-style English keyboard, the default shortcut Page Down does not refer to the key on the numeric keypad, but to the other Page Down key in the group of six keys to the left of the numeric keypad. |


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A Feathered Tyrant
Part of the Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibition.
Part of the Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries exhibition.
Tyrannosaurus rex roamed North America around 66 million years ago. But a small tyrannosaur from the same family lived in the Liaoning forest. This small cousin of T. rex, Dilong paradoxus, was also a fierce predator. Certain features of Dilong resemble those of T. rex. Both have large jaws with small, tightly packed front teeth. But this tyrannosaur has some surprising features--most notably, a thin coat of featherlike fibers. A team of paleontologists led by Xu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the fibers and thinks these "protofeathers" may have helped keep Dilong warm.
Feathered tyrannosaur with short, thin featherlike fibers on body. Relatively long arms with three-fingered hands
A relative of T. rex sporting feathers might seem surprising, but scientists actually expected to find a feathered tyrannosaur one day. Tyrannosaurs are classified as advanced theropods (theropods are two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs). Scientists have found simple feathers on a wide range of advanced theropods, suggesting that feathers were present throughout the entire group.
A feathered T. rex? Probably so--at least when the animals were young. Paleontologists think feathers may have first evolved to keep dinosaurs warm. But while a young T. rex probably had a thin coat of downy feathers, an adult T. rex would not have needed feathers to stay warm. Large warm-blooded animals--like T. rex or modern elephants--generate a great deal of body heat so they usually don't need hair or feathers to keep warm. This is probably why elephants, which are mammals, don't have much hair.
The flying reptiles known as pterosaurs are only distantly related to dinosaurs. Pterosaurs did not have feathers but some were covered in thin fibers sometimes described as "fuzz." The first stages in the evolution of feathers could have taken place in a species that was the ancestor of pterosaurs and dinosaurs.


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Gluu Server 4.2 Documentation#
The Gluu Server is a container distribution of free open source software (FOSS) for identity and access management (IAM). SaaS, custom, open source and commercial web and mobile applications can leverage a Gluu Server for user authentication, identity information, and policy decisions.
Common use cases include:
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Mobile authentication
- API access management
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Customer identity and access management (CIAM)
- Identity federation
Free Open Source Software#
The Gluu Server is a FOSS platform for IAM. Learn more about software licenses below
Open Web Standards#
The Gluu Server can be deployed to support the following open standards for authentication, authorization, federated identity, and identity management:
- OAuth 2.0
- OpenID Connect
- User Managed Access 2.0 (UMA)
- System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM)
- FIDO Universal 2nd Factor (U2F)
- FIDO 2.0 / WebAuthn
- Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
- Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)
Linux packages are available for Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL and Debian operating systems, as well as Docker and Kubernetes containers. Follow our VM preparation guide to get started.
Directory Service#
All data used and generated by the Gluu Server such as details about OAuth clients, user objects, and more, is stored in the local Gluu LDAP deployed during installation. Gluu ships with a fork of OpenDJ as the default LDAP platform. Other LDAP platforms can be supported as well. Learn more in the user management guide
If existing identities are stored in Active Directory or a backend LDAP V3 server, data can be synced to Gluu using the Cache Refresh process.
The Gluu Server always needs a copy of identity data stored locally.
Identity Management#
Identity and object data such as user profiles, configuration data, tokens and credentials can be managed via the "oxTrust" admin interface or using an LDAP browser, as specified in the user management guide.
The Gluu Server also supports the SCIM protocol which can be used to push data to the Gluu Server from external identity data sources like identity management systems and cloud applications.
The Gluu Server does not include features for delegated administration, role definition, approvals and workflows, etc. In enterprise workflows, Gluu is a consumer of information from identity management and governance systems.
Single Sign-On (SSO)#
The Gluu Server is an identity provider (IDP) in single sign-on (SSO) workflows. Users from web and mobile applications are redirected to Gluu for "sign-on", and are then redirected back to applications with an active session and claims (or attributes) about themselves.
Learn how to configure the Gluu Server's OpenID Connect Provider (OP) and SAML Identity Provider (IDP) in the admin guide.
Learn how to secure and integrate web and mobile apps in the SSO integration guide.
Strong Authentication#
A central authentication system like Gluu enables strong authentication to be enforced for many applications in one place. The Gluu Server was designed to support a wide range of authentication mechanisms and custom business logic for how authentication should be applied during the user sign-in process.
Learn how to configure the Gluu Server's out-of-the-box and custom strong authentication options in the authentication guide.
Access Management#
The Gluu Server supports the User Managed Access (UMA) 2.0 profile of OAuth 2.0, which provides a RESTful, JSON-based approach to coordinating the protection of APIs and web resources. UMA does not standardize a policy expression language, enabling flexibility in policy expression and evaluation through XACML, other declarative policy languages or procedural code as warranted by conditions.
Learn more about using the Gluu Server for access management in the UMA docs.
Gluu offers free and VIP support! Anyone can browse or register and post questions on the Gluu support portal. Tickets opened by the community are public, and we do our best to answer them in a timely manner.
Private support, guaranteed response times and consultative support are available with a paid support contract. For more information, see our website.
We want to keep improving our docs. Please help us improve by submitting any improvements to our Documentation Github. If you're a Github pro, submit a pull request. If not, just open an issue on any typos, bugs, or improvements you'd like to see addressed. We need your help... even if you're not a coder, you can contribute!
The Gluu Server is a container distribution of software written by Gluu and incorporated from other open source projects. Gluu projects are frequently prefixed with our open source handle: ox (e.g. oxAuth, oxTrust).
The license for each software component included in the container is listed below.
Component | License |
oxAuth | Apache2 |
oxTrust | Apache2 |
Shibboleth IDP | Apache2 |
OpenDJ | CDDL |
Passport-JS | Apache2 |
TinyRADIUS | LGPL v2.1 |
UnboundID LDAP SDK | UnboundID LDAP SDK Free Use License |
Jetty / Apache HTTPD | Apache2 |
Amazon Corretto | GNU v2 with the Classpath Exception |


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Just Give Us a Place to Park Our Bikes
Anyone who regularly uses a bicycle for transportation in the United States knows the feeling — the nagging anxiety about what will happen when you arrive at your destination, especially if it's a place you've never been on your bike before. Will there be a place to lock up? Will security guards be helpful or will they hassle you? Will your bike be there when you get back? Or will it be gone — not stolen by a common thief, but clipped by the building management or by the police?
It can be kind of humiliating, frankly, to be treated as if your mode of transportation is something so dirty and dangerous and unsightly that there's no decent place to put it. Not to mention infuriating.
New York City's pending Bicycle Access Law is a big step in the right direction. But this country has a long way to go before it begins to be the kind of placing where rolling up on a bike, locking it and heading about one's business is considered normal — or even acceptable.
To wit, this post from Streetsblog Network member Soapbox LA:
Bicycle-unfriendly in Denver. Photo by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr.On Tuesday night, flush with victory after sitting through hours of LA
Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, several cyclists rode from the
LAPD's Parker Center (a facility that has a new "wave" bike rack which
fails the city's bike plan specifications for adequate bike parking) in
search of sustenance and nutrition. The cyclists rode the deserted
streets of downtown LA and found themselves at 5th and Flower, which
features Weiland Brewery Underground, a wonderful restaurant and pub
that serves great food long after the rest of the downtown dining
opportunities have closed shop. The Weiland website also features
abundant driving instructions and directions to the automobile parking. As for bikes, not a mention.Arriving
at 5th and Flower, the cyclists crossed a fairly deserted and typical
downtown business district courtyard…. With no bike racks near the
entrance, they locked their bike to a rail that surrounded the
courtyard and that already hosted a couple of bikes. They chatted with
a security guard who wore a blazer and carried a clipboard and grew
confident that this was a safe place to lock their bikes.Then
"Gilbert" appeared. With a smile on his face he informed the cyclists,
"If you leave your bikes here, they will be gone when you return."Thinking he was referring to the safety of this area, the cyclists
looked around but it was well lit, it was close to the entrance, it was
in the most traveled area of the entire complex and there were already
bikes there indicating that others also considered it to be a safe
place. Gilbert clarified "If you leave your bike there, we will cut the
locks and take them."Under what authority does a security guard
threaten to impound personal property? …Why
can't they treat those who walk, ride or take mass transit with the
same respect as those who arrive with thousands of pounds of personal
property? If a motorist parked his car illegally would "Gilbert"
and the clipboard team break in and roll the car off into City National
Plaza McGuire impound? I think not!
More from the network: Bike Portland reports record participation in the city's Bike Commute Challenge. Transit Miami has the news on a master plan for bikes there. And M-Bike.org talks about how Michigan stands to lose millions in funding for bike trails.


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The Ball Point Pen Refills 337 have a solid stainless steel tip and a tungsten carbide ball.
Good news for all collectors and pen lovers: the new Collectors' Box is available now. The elegant way to store your favourite pens, clearly arranged with no need for much space.
The frame is made of sturdy MDF and covered with real wood veneer of American walnut which is in turn protected by a layer of clear lacquer. It is equipped with 3 trays and offers overall room for 24 writing instruments and even the large Souverän® M 1000 will fit perfectly.
The interior of every tray is completely covered with cream-coloured faux leather, so that your writing instruments are protected against scratches from the upper part to the end part. The top is made of safety glass (4 mm thick with polished edges) and allows fascinating insights at any time. The small round rubber feet make sure that the Collectors' Box can be placed on nearly every surface.
The Pelikan logo is decorated on the front and the back side. This practical and attractive Collectors' Box doesn't need much space:
Turns a cartridge pen into a plunger fountain pen.
For all Pelikan cartridge fountain pens and many other brands.
View full product detailsRM350.00
This elegant leather case is available in two different versions, either nappa or engrained:
The Ball Point Pen Refills 337 have a solid stainless steel tip and a tungsten carbide ball.


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