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Credit: Los Angeles Police Dept. newsletter via NBCLosAngeles
Christopher Jordan Dorner is seen in a photo from a 2006 LAPD newsletter. Dorner was on the force until 2008, and he was a reservist in the U.S. Navy.
Updated at 3:50 a.m. ET -- An ex-cop suspected of killing three people including a policeman and threatening to kill others — as laid out in a chilling online manifesto — continued to elude a massive manhunt early Friday despite local, state and federal agents following leads throughout Southern California.
Speaking to a packed press conference, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck chronicled the bloody events and called on the alleged gunman, 33-year-old Christopher Dorner, to turn himself in.
More coverage from NBCLosAngeles.com
"This has gone far enough," Beck added. "No one else needs to die."
Police conducted door-to-door searches in the ski area of Big Bear Mountain after discovering Dorner's burned-out 2005 Nissan Titan truck in the area, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.
The FBI and Las Vegas police were at Dorner's Las Vegas home earlier Thursday. According to a statement released by the FBI, the surrounding neighborhood was cleared for safety reasons while a "law enforcement action" was completed.
Early Friday, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said it had received a call saying Dorner was at a home in the area. Units were at the scene but as at midnight local time (3 a.m. ET), officials said they had not taken any suspects into custody.
Dorner, a 270-pound former Navy reservist who was tossed off the police force in 2008, was acting out of revenge, according his 11,300-word treatise — a cached version of which was obtained by NBCLosAngeles.com — and was targeting not only perceived enemies, but their families as well.
Described as 'one of the more dangerous shooters we've seen in a long time,' police say 33-year-old Christopher Dorner has already killed three people and is gunning for more. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
"I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I'm terminating yours," Dorner wrote in his rambling manifesto, addressing LAPD officials he blamed for ruining his career.
"Look your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead."
Dorner has an arsenal of weapons, including assault rifles, police said. Citizens were told to call 911 if they saw his truck, but warned not to approach him, describing him as "extremely dangerous."
Dorner is a 2001 graduate of Southern Utah University, where he majored in political science and minored in psychology and played football for at least two of those years, the university confirmed.
He was a lieutenant in the Navy Reserves from 2002 until this week, and earned a ribbon for rifle marksmanship and a medal for pistol expertise. He was honorably discharged.
He joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 2005 and was fired for making false statements in 2008.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck provides a briefing on the case of Christopher Dorner, the fired LAPD officer wanted in revenge slayings in Irvine, California.
Police say Dorner began his killing spree on Sunday.
Monica Quan, 28, and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence, 27, were fatally shot while parking their car at their apartment complex after a Super Bowl party. Quan is the daughter of retired LAPD Capt. Randy Quan, who represented Dorner at the internal review that led to his ouster.
On Wednesday, Dorner tried and failed to steal a boat in San Diego, Beck said. No one was hurt in that incident.
Hours later, he began targeting cops, they said.
At 1:25 a.m., in Chino, LAPD cops assigned to protect someone named in the manifesto came under fire. One cop suffered a graze wound to his head, "literally inches from killing him," Beck said.
Twenty minutes later, in Riverside, he ambushed two cops stopped at a red light. One officer was killed and the other is in stable condition.
Police in Riverside said that they had notified the family of the slain policeman, but did not reveal his identity out of concern that it might endanger his family members.
Tensions were high across the region, where cops on protection details wound up injuring innocent civilians.
At 5:15 a.m. in Torrance, police assigned to watch the home of a potential target got a report of a vehicle like Dorner's in the area, and then spotted it driving with the lights off.
Police fired at the vehicle and wounded two women who were out delivering newspapers. The Los Angeles Times reported that one was shot in the back and one in the hand and both were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The back of their blue pickup was riddled with bullet holes, the report said.
Related: Women shot by cops were just delivering papers
"Tragically we believe this was a case of mistaken identity by the officers," said Chief Beck.
Later in the day, dozens of cops surrounded a motel in San Diego where a man matching Dorner's description was reported to be holed up. KNSD said police eventually confirmed the man inside was not the suspect.
"It's extremely intense," Sgt. Rudy Lopez said of the dragnet to capture the suspect before anyone else is killed.
"We're trying to identify where he's been, where he's going. In this case, we are the targets. He's brazen. He's on a hunt to do whatever havoc he can."
Dorner's manifesto, titled "Last Resort," is a road map of his rage over being tossed off the force. He claims that he was punished for accusing his field training officer of brutalizing a mentally disabled man.
"The attacks will stop when the department states the truth about my innocence, PUBLICLY!!!" he wrote.
Half of it chronicles the wrongs Dorner says he suffered, stretching all the way back to a racial slur used against him in the first grade. He portrays the LAPD as rife with racism, corruption and abuse.
There is a long passage in which he expresses support for an assault-weapons ban, and a plea that his brain be preserved for scientific research on the effects of depression.
The document also contains page after page of praise for friends, political figures, journalists and celebrities and opinions on issues of the day — from women in combat to the boycott of Chick-fil-A.
Mostly, though, he talks about his bloodthirsty plans. He claims his arsenal includes "Bushmaster firearms, Remington precision rifles" and silencers and boasts that his knowledge of police tactics will allow him to elude capture.
"I know I will be villified (sic) by the LAPD and the media," he wrote. "Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name."
In addition to posting his manifesto online, Dorner also reached out directly to CNN, mailing a package to anchor Anderson Cooper's New York office, according to CNN. The package contained a hand-labeled DVD, a yellow Post-it note reading, in part, "I never lied," and a coin wrapped in duct-tape.
According to CNN, the tape was inscribed with the words "Thanks, but no thanks, Will Bratton," and the letters "IMOA." The coin is a souvenir medallion from former L.A.P.D. Chief William Bratton, CNN said, but it appears to have been shot-through with bullet holes.
CNN told law enforcement about the parcel.
At an emotional press conference in Riverside, home to the fallen officer, Police Chief Sergio Diaz said that judging by Dorner's manifesto, the fugitive had a "depraved mind and heart."
Diaz, like his counterpart in Los Angeles, said the suspect should turn himself in.
"His grievances will not be further aired by further violence."
View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.


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Wildflower at Fair Hills Resort is the course to play in the lakes area. Open prairie lands and oak-lined fairways make Wildflower a challenging yet enjoyable course to play. Designed by Joel Goldstrand, the course's distinctive "Scottish Prairie Links" design is unique in Minnesota. With over 90 feet in elevation changes and beautiful Pelican Lake in the background, there is no shortage of spectacular views. Wildflower, located near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota features five different tees, with over 7,000 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. In 2016, Wildflower at Fair Hills revamped the Stay and Play packages offering greater flexibility and value for the golfers. With three tiers, golfers can select the package that best fits their golfing desires! You spoke, and we listened-we are now offering weekday and weekend rates, as well as peak-season and off-season rates!Located on the north shore of beautiful Pelican Lake, Fair Hills Resort is the perfect location for a golfing getaway. Nestled on 27 acres, with 27 holes of golf available, 2 swimming pools, a Jacuzzi and 1000 feet of lakeshore with many water activities to enjoy, you and your guests will feel relaxed and invigorated by the ambiance of the northern Minnesota lakes and woods.If you've ever thought about staying and playing at Wildflower, now's the time! Currently accepting 2017 Stay & Play reservations!
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Just north of West Bend, Wisconsin in the heart of the Kettle Moraine resides Hidden Serenity, a family-owned and operated Bed and Breakfast in a picturesque setting. GolfWisconsin.com recently had the chance to interview co-owner Chris Cochran about the property.1) In your opinion why is Hidden Serenity the perfect place to unwind and please discuss the pride your family has in the property?Hidden Serenity is surrounded by 24 acres of wooded hiking trails. Often times you see deer, birds, foxes, and abundance of other wildlife. When we originally built the house we used the trees cleared from the building site for all of the wood floors, trim, crown molding stairs and other projects within the house. We also make our own maple syrup on site to serve to the guests for morning gourmet breakfast. 2) Please discuss how your location in so convenient for Wisconsinite's and Chicagoan's to enjoy?Hidden Serenity is as close as a two hour drive from Chicago's O'Hare airport, yet from our surroundings you would think you are much further north. There is no need to deal with the hassles of airports, taxi's, or rental cars to find hidden treasures that await when you stay at Hidden Serenity. 3) If you were staying at Hidden Serenity for two nights what activities would you recommend enjoying?It's best to stay at least two days at Hidden Serenity. The first thing I would enjoy is the 110 acre wildlife zoo just across the street. Plus, we have incredible famous golf courses such as The Bog and Erin Hills that are just minutes away. We are on the edge of the Northern Kettle Moraine that features many rustic roads, specialty shops, and scenic sensations. We are also positioned closely to the Wisconsin Art Museum, Memories Dinner Theater, the Port Washington Marina, and Historic Downtown Cedarburg that are all within a 25 minute drive. Come enjoy Hidden Serenity and find adventure, come back to luxury, and go away refreshed.
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South of Red Wing, Minnesota is one of the most scenic golf courses with most stunning of views. This hidden gem of a course is surrounded by rolling plains and beautiful woodlands as it sits 500 feet above the Mississippi River on the bluffs overlooking Lake Pepin and the Hiawatha Valley. With a majestic blend of scenery, history and challenge, Mount Frontenac Golf Course could very well be one of the Midwest's best kept secrets. Mount Frontenac was designed by George Emerson and opened in 1985. The 18-holes play short at 6,160 yards from the tips with a course rating of 68.6 and a 119 slope. The course plays at par 71 and 6,003 from the white tees and 6,226 from the blue tees. A few tight fairways and relatively small greens make for an exciting and challenging game for golfers of all playing abilities, for both tournament and individual play. Mount Frontenac offers a remarkably playable course, with some of the most spectacular, awe-inspiring views in the Midwest and amenities on par with that of many private clubs, at an extremely reasonable rate. A comprehensive practice facility gives players the option to work on individual improvement away from the 18 holes. Stay & Play packages are available in conjunction with Treasure Island Resort & Casino throughout the season. Only a short drive from Mount Frontenac, guests can enjoy all the amenities of the resort property after a game of golf. In addition to the state-of-the-art gaming options, Treasure Island offers a 500-room hotel with The Lagoon Water Park, The Wave Spa and exercise facility. Guests can also relax and enjoy a lunch or dinner cruise on Spirit of the Water, the 100-passenger cruise yacht, have a meal in one of several restaurants, take in a show, or see free weekend entertainment in Parlay Lounge. For more information contact Mount Frontenac at 1-800-488-5826.
The Tournament Club of Iowa is a premier public golf course and residential community. Golf is available for daily fee play and open for limited private and corporate golf outings.The Arnold Palmer Signature Course is challenging, yet appealing to a wide cross-section of golfers. The championship layout winds through hills, dramatic bluffs and timberland surrounding beautiful Big Creek and two major lakes. TCI has also hosted Champions Tour Qualifying, PGA Tour Qualifying, 4A Boys State and numerous Iowa PGA and Iowa Golf Association events. TCI is also Central Iowa's most exciting residential golf community. A wide selection of home sites are available to meet the needs of a variety of families and lifestyles, from executive single-family homes to multi-family townhomes. Located minutes from Saylorville Lake and Big Creek State Park, residents enjoy unsurpassed area amenities along with premier golf and dining at TCI's magnificent club house.The Tournament Club of Iowa also offers affordable Stay and Play Packages thanks to theBoulders Inn & Suites , a beautiful 44 room hotel sitting high above the finishing holes at TCI. With comfortable furnishings, plasma TV's, microwaves, and refrigerators in each room, it will be hard to leave the room to enjoy all of what TCI and this great recreational area has to offer. Whether taking advantage of golf & stay packages, at the club for a wedding, or simply taking in the endless activities offered by Saylorville and Big Creek Lake; Boulders will surely become a favorite staying destination in the greater Des Moines area. The hotel is connected to the TCI clubhouse and restaurant by a cart path. Great food and drink is only a three minute walk or seconds by way of golf cart. See why TCI is one of the premiere Iowa golf destinations!Starting October 3rd stay & play Sunday - Thursday for $119 for 2 rounds and a night's stay (based on double occupancy). More package options available just call the club 515-984-9440 or email @ firstname.lastname@example.com
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subset: commoncrawl


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New Saivite World: Mr. Poddar, you have spoken with us about the reluctance among many Indians in America to speak of or bring forward their Hindu heritage. Why this apparent shyness?
Mr. Poddar. Well, you have heard me mention a person by the name of Lord Macaulay, who was sent to India [around 1830] to figure out a way to subdue the population. He was put in charge of the education policy of India and after a great deal of study he came to the conclusion that the Indian culture was vastly superior to the British culture. And he said the only way the British are going to be successful in ruling over India is to educate a class of people who would look down on their own religion and their own tradition. And that is exactly what he set out to do in his education policies, and he didn't make any secret about it. He wrote it down and it is available for anybody to read it.
Q: Did He succeed?
A: I think he succeeded marvelously. Having been educated in that tradition, I had to overcome my own negativism about orthodoxy, Hindu religion and Hindu culture. And it was a struggle.
Q: Having come through the Macaulay system, how did you overcome it?
A: I was born in an orthodox Vaishnavite family. We had bhajans and daily pujas, and everybody in the family had personal deity worship daily. As a child, I did worship as early as I can remember, maybe as early as five or six years old, until 12 or 14 when I was just getting into my middle grades in school. And with that influence we just spoke of, I just dropped it and kind of looked down on it. So, I didn't start our with that negativism. It slowly came-imperceptibly, without anybody saying so-though the school process...
At eighteen I came to the United States, so I got even further steeped in the Western ideas. Everything that was Western I took as automatically good, and anything that was Indian, I looked down on and criticized. I found that most of my Indian friends who were new to the United States were in about the same boat, but the people who had been settled here said, "Wait a minute, don't be so quick." I would vehemently argue with them about the good things. Slowly, as I started living and I started making American friends and saw the conflicts they were going through-whether with their parents or with their girlfriends or boyfriends and their divorces and what happened to their children-I began questioning. As a matter of fact, one of the aspects of rediscovering my Indianness or my Hinduness was my American friends who started asking me questions. I realized that I didn't know! I was ignorant. But I think the fundamental thing has to be the samskaras I got in early childhood. I talked to a number of Hindu parents, and they say they are not going to impose their beliefs on the children-of course, they have no beliefs they can articulate anyway-and they will let their children decide. But the question is, if the child is not exposed to these things in his early, formative years, how is he ever going to discover them?
Q: Could you comment on the Hindu organizations in America that you feel are effectively serving the Hindus?
A: There are very few truly Hindu organizations who address the needs of the Hindu community on a national level. For example, Ramakrishna Mission does not use the term "Hindu" to identify themselves at all and they are not here to primarily serve the Hindu community...Exceptions to this are such groups as the Chinmaya Mission, Sri Rajarajeshwari Peetham Holy Shankarachariya Order, or Gurudeva's efforts and the Saiva Siddhanta Church, and others.
Now, we have a lot of local groups, and most of the Hindu activities can be broadly clubbed under the umbrella of temples. But they are limited in the sense that they provide the ritualistic atmosphere without the content of the philosophy or even going further beyond the worship to the actual practice of Hinduism, because Hinduism is not limited to temple worship.
Q: I think you are familiar with the Livermore Hindu temple project of building a temple with two main sanctums. What is your view on the plan?
A: I simply know that in temples where they have not established a single deity and either they have no deity and they bring in a photograph or they have a multiplicity of deities, sooner or later things just simply break down. On issues such as this, even if you may not be able to intellectually contradict the objectives of one particular group up wanting to do that, you almost have to fall back on tradition. Can you think of any temple in India where there are two presiding deities? It's like having two kings in one kingdom. I know why it is done. It is done to unite people of different views. It is done to unite Vaishnavites and Saivites and to bring in everybody else.
Q: For you and for your fellow Indians who may also be Vaishnava, what does the Hare Krishna group and movement represent?
A: I don't think they necessarily represent all the Vaishnavites in the world, and to me the Hare Krishna movement is attempting to assimilate and adopt the Vaishnava ways, but they have quite a ways to go...The devotees of Hare Krishna movement would be the first to admit that they are waiting for the next generation that is growing up in gurukulams to come up to really be true Vaishnavites...
I support the Hare Krishnas' efforts. I think they have been partly misunderstood, and partly they are responsible for that misunderstanding also. They have had a very aggressive policy of airport solicitation which often has bordered on being unethical. Whenever I have tried to discuss it with their followers, they said anything that is in Krishna's service is justified. I am not sure that's what Prabupada's teaching was, but how it has been practiced has certainly given them a negative public image. But I have seen a lot of change in attitude both on the part of the Indian community towards Hare Krishnas in the last decade, and also in the American community-positive change.
Q: Do you feel the Rajarajeshwari Peetham's identification with the Sri Sharada Shankarachariya Peetham in India gives them greater strength in their work here?...
A: I shared the thought with then that their identification of themselves with the Jagadguru of Sringeri has led in the minds of people the idea that they are part of Jagadguru's mission in the West, which is not correct. They are an independent order, [although] they have the blessings of Jagadguru. So, I have suggested to them that they should publicly state that they are independent and that they are not part of the Order. First of all, Shankarachariya Order does not accept women Sannyasins-number one. Number two, Jagadguru will have to break tradition to do so, and he has not in any of his written indications even said that "You are part of my order." So, to the extent that that doubt remains, people simply don't have full faith and trust. I think they need to have confidence in their own ability and their own commitment to say that they are willing to stand or fall on their own actions. The fact that the Jagadguru gives then a blessing for their work is a plus, but to the extent that people think that they claim they are a part of Jagadguru's Order and they are not-it creates a tremendous credibility gap...
The amount of dedication that those people have put into their work is just unbelievable. I am very supportive, very much full of admiration for their work. Not only funds-wise, I have spent a great deal of time with them, in helping them. I feel really sad that if this issue is not quickly resolved, it could be their downfall...There are other aspects that also concern me. This is that you don't mix men and women in very close proximity. When the Buddhists did that, you know what happened to Buddhism in India. It is not done in India's Shankarachariya Order. You could have the women's order and you could have men's order, but they have to be kept entirely separate.


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Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler wants three consecutive wins in Mexico
Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi have few fonder memories of a race track than those they have of the course in Mexico: both drivers of the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team have already celebrated victory here and would like to be standing atop the podium during their next appearance again on Saturday (16 February).
The last two competitions in Mexico City were among the most spectacular Formula E races – and on both occasions Audi drivers were the stars: in 2017, Lucas di Grassi pulled off a driving and strategic masterpiece to claim victory despite a collision in the first lap and an additional pit stop which included the exchange of his spoiler. A year later, Daniel Abt started in fifth position and went on to secure his first Formula E victory and thus also the first win for a German driver in the all-electric racing series.
In Mexico, the Formula E race is held on part of the Formula 1 track
Formula E will be on the 2,093-kilometer long course at the legendary Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the fourth time. It is the only permanent race track of the season, and the drivers love the course – particularly because of the unique atmosphere in the stadium packed with up to 40,000 spectators.
The Mexican fans are just unbelievable and the atmosphere in the stadium is unparalleled – we can even hear the fans cheering in the stands during the race!


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Recently I was asked by someone from Packt Publishing to review the new book "Oracle APEX 4.2 Reporting" - in exchange for a free e-copy.
When I saw the table of contents, I already thought: "This is covering a lot...". And that turns out to be true - and one of the main points of criticism I have. It starts off with a whole chapter about Installation and Configuration. The title of the chapter doesn't say that, because it's called "Know your horse before you ride it". Thats one of the other points of criticism: The author is now and then to be trying to be funny and entertaining (in his own way). Another example: after a paragraph about installing the APEX Listener he writes: "APEX now has ears". And there are much more examples - to me it's annoying and distracting. But the major part of that chapter is very well covered by the installation documents that come with the different products. Another remarkable note is that the author suggest to use Internet Explorer 9 - something most developers try to keep away from as far as possible (please use Firefox and/or Chrome to develop ... just use IE when you have to do some end-user-like testing).
The second chapter, Conventional Reporting in APEX, is mostly about the Classic Reports. But before he covers that, there are some paragraphs about Authentication, the USERENV namespace and the CGI environment variables. Those paragraphs shouldn't be there (and they only cover those subjects very shallow). Then it immediately jumps into deep - so no easy start and building it up from simple to more complex per paragraph. Searching, Sorting and Grouping of classic reports are next. The author uses some very interesting and powerful SQL features, like "grouping sets", but they could be introduced more gently. Formatting the results, matrix reporting and pivoting are next. Again very nice stuff, but not very well introduced. Templating, hierarchical queries (with and without the recursive with clause), Trees, everything is in there. And apart from that, some JavaScript wizardry to change or style the outcome of the reports. Uploading (not very report-related imho) and different ways of downloading files are discussed. Also deleting records (from within a report) is covered - although the way the author does it, is overly complex (using a Dynamic Action with a JavaScript and PL/SQL part should do the trick as well). For the Ajax calls the author uses the old school, and undocumented, htmldb_get function, instead of the newer and better apex.server.process.
Of course Tabular Forms are covered as well. But instead on how to handle checkboxes (or radio buttons) in a Tabular Form (always a pain) and the use of the APEX_ITEM API, he shows some (nifty) JavaScript function to change the item type (which could be solved more elegantly by using APEX_ITEM in the query itself). Also Master-detail reporting is covered - but too briefly.
Next are time series, using partitioning and some analytic functions. As these functions are so powerful, they deserve way more attention than just the two pages. And one page about the MODEL clause is also very very short....
VPD is also covered - but only the, real, EE-only variant. No mention of "poor man's VPD": sys_context.
All in all, a chapter about Classic Reports that covers more than just that (some parts belong in a separate SQL and/or Analytics chapter) - and doesn't cover all the real important stuff.
Chapter 3, In the APEX Mansion - Interactive Reports, starts out with explaining the features under the Action menu. After explaining all this (and some side steps), the Icon View and Detail View is briefly discussed - I would love to see more about that here! Changing the Action menu with JavaScript and - especially - changing the looks of an IT using CSS are worthwhile to read. Also a good piece on how to get multiple IR's on a page is a good read. Then it goes over to pipelined-table functions (not very IR-related) and into what's seems to be a hobby of the author: the ODCITable interface. Such a very specialised a hardly-ever-used functionality, it should be better of in an appendix.
After that Collections are covered (these are way more important than the obscure ODCI stuff). But also too shallow.
So this chapter does cover some neat IR features, but some of the paragraphs are better of in a different SQL chapter or appendix. And also Collections deserve their own chapter.
Then it goes off with The Fairy Tale Begins - Advanced Reporting (although we already did some fairly advanced stuff). It starts with LDAP Authentication .... what does that have to do with this chapter is totally unclear. The next paragraph is about sparkline reports - so that's quite a change from the LDAP paragraph, but very cool and well written. The same applies to the slider column in a report. HTML charts is next - but what is missing is CSS charts....
Next is how to use XMLTYPE for reporting - not the most obvious choice - and why you would do this is not explained (because you can?). Just a small paragraph on Google Visualisations is next - describing not more than "it's there, you can use it". Some of the Anycharts Flash charts (not the HTML variants) are discussed briefly as well. I would suspect a whole chapter on charting in this kind of book...
A drag and drop calendar gets just a few lines - no examples, no code (apart from in the sample app), no explanation.
How to show images in your report is discussed and how to show a detail report in a modal dialog box (there are more elegant ways doing that, i.e. using a plugin...). A short paragraph about wizards and hierarchical queries and regular expressions concludes this chapter - explaining next to nothing.
Conclusion: The sparkline and slider stuff was relevant to this chapter; Charts deserve more; the rest is so shallow covered it's next to useless.
Chapter 5, with the "exciting" title "Flight to Space Station: Advanced APEX" grabs a lot of (mostly unrelated) stuff into one chapter - all very briefly touched: PSP, Java in the DB, FusionCharts (why here, why not with Google Visualisations and Anycharts e.a. in a separate chapter?) , tag cloud, creating plugins (there is a whole book on that...), websheets (could be covered in depth in a separate chapter), mail configuration, APEXExport utility, OLAP Cubes (interesting, but no explanation how to actually use them in APEX Reporting), Advanced Queueing, "Other APEX Features" (APEX Views, Page locking , Advisor , etc), the APEX API (but you get more info from the documentation), some database API's (also here: you're better off reading the docs).
So this chapter covers a lot of totally unrelated stuff, and so shallow, the book would be better without it.
Next, Using PL/SQL Reporting Packages, Jasper and Eclipse BIRT, makes more sense. PL_PDF is mentioned, FOP and Cocoon as well, but most attention goes to Jasper and BIRT.
So this chapter isn't too bad, although as it's all about printing that might have been in the title - and the most obvious one, BI Publisher, is missing here (but magically returns in a later(!) chapter).
Integrating APEX with OBIEE shows the authors background: he's obviously an OBIEE expert. A lot of information about how to use OBIEE (might be more detailed books out there, but you'll get the hang of it) and how to integrate it with APEX. And then there's the (long awaited) BI Publisher paragraph. Described is how to create a report just using BIP and how to integrate it with APEX using web services - and very briefly using a direct link to the BIP report. Although that last part is useful, the "standard" way of integration (using Report Queries and Templates in APEX) isn't even mentioned....
If you know nothing about OBIEE and want to know more, this is your chapter. IMHO, the BI Publisher stuff should be in the same chapter as the other printing options....
Chapter 8, All About Web Services and Integrations, starts with how to extract data in a readable format from an XML document returned by a web service. Demoing the standard APEX features on using web services might be a better start...
The APEX Listener's Resource Templates is old stuff nowadays (not on the time of writing though), you'd better check out the built-in RESTful web services feature.
A long paragraph bout BPEL (also author's expertise) follows, but without any real connection with APEX - apart from the fact you can call a BPEL web service from within APEX. Next paragraph is about SAP Crystal Reports - very briefly - and this should be in the same chapter as the other printing solutions - if at all...
A few other strange paragraphs, Migrating from MS Access and Migrating from Forms/Reports, are thrown in as well (the relation with the chapter title is missing I think). Integrating with the Google API is an interesting piece and definitely worth a read. Integrating with Oracle R Enterprise concludes this chapter. Also somewhat obscure, but maybe it's interesting to you.
Although the title is promising, I am missing a lot of (web services related) content and I am getting a lot of stuff I didn't expect here - or in this book.
The final chapter, Performance Analysis, does point out some possible "performance bottlenecks", but not deeply. The parts about different indexes is way to shallow to be of any value at all. Performance enhancements on the web server side are also discussed - but not in depth either. The available database tools for performance monitoring are mentioned, but just enough to get into a conversation at coffee-machine-level.
So alas nothing really worthwhile in this chapter.
The appendices contain some info on SQL Injection Cross Site Scripting - which deserve a real chapter in their own - listener configuration and auditing. Nothing mind blowing....
So, it has been quite a long review. And what is my overall conclusion? First of all, the author is very knowledgable: he knows a lot detail stuff about a lot of different subjects. Second, the order of the chapters and paragraphs could be way better. "Printing Reports" should have it's own chapter with all the options in it - and the same holds for Charting. I think that's especially the publisher / editor to blame. And I am missing report-related stuff and getting a lot of stuff I wouldn't expect in a book called "APEX 4.2 Reporting".
All in all, there are some valuable pieces of information in this book, but it's not the best book ever written... In (a combination of) other books you'll find better and more well structured information.


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Rock opera years in the making debuts in February
WINDOM — The story of Paul Lyme was written, for the most part, in John Hile's basement on a quiet, bungalow-lined street in Windom, just a stone's throw away from Oak Hill Cemetery — which is appropriate since, when the story opens, Lyme is dead.
You can't miss Hile's house, not at night when the green bulb blazing above his front door lights up the street like someone left the lid up on the Xerox machine. If power failed at the airport, jet pilots could look for Hile's house, bank west and touch down without a problem.
On Wednesday nights, the light guides a group of veteran Twin Cities musicians down to MonkeyTown Studios (Hile's basement) where, for more than two years, they've been meeting first as two, then as five and finally as the full 13-member cast of "Dying to Make It," a tale told in that most grandiose of musical traditions: the rock opera.
For a sense of the production debuting next month at the Southern Theater, combine the amplified bombast of The Who's "Tommy," the good-versus-evil story mechanics propelling Rush's "2112" and the dramatic sweep of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Lyme is a striving, cocky young musician whose burgeoning career is cut short in a motorcycle crash and who then lands in Purgatory, where the battle for souls is waged with rock 'n roll.
The germ of the story developed in Robb Schwartz's imagination a few years back, and it grew and changed as first Hile and then other musicians joined in the writing of "Dying to Make It" in beer-fueled jam sessions at MonkeyTown.
"I've always been fascinated with the stories of good versus evil and stories with the devil and signing away your soul — Robert Johnson stuff," Schwartz said, referring to the legend that the bluesman sold his soul down at the crossroads.
The making of "Dying to Make It" is a pretty good story, too, one that begins around the time Schwartz lost his job.
No regrets
Schwartz said he's the "opposite" of Paul Lyme, who he plays in "Dying to Make It."
Like most of his cast mates, Schwartz has spent the past two decades playing in various Twin Cities bands, but he said he never felt that "all-encompassing desire for fame" that drives his character. He married Toni (a cast member and the drummer of their band, Famous Volcanoes), became a father and kept a regular day job through it all — at least until the financial crisis of a few years ago, when his 20-year career at "a generic corporate giant" came to a sudden end.
In the spring of 2008, with a severance package in the bank and a lot of free time on his hands, Schwartz rededicated himself to learning the piano — an instrument he never knew as well as the guitar — and started talking with Hile about forming a new band. That band never played a gig, but he and Hile did write the first song in what would become "Dying to Make It."
Schwartz is now happily re-employed as a technology specialist for Edina Public Schools. Writing the rock opera's script these past few years, he said, has been an interesting look back on a path never taken.
"For me, it's almost a way to become that character that I never really was, and in a sense justify my decisions of 20 years ago," he said.
Not long after Schwartz and Hile got serious about writing a rock opera, they brought in some help: guitarists Chris "Z" Johnson and Ted Martin and drummer Stu Walcott, who all previously played with Schwartz in a band called mini-bike. Dave Berg, the third member of Famous Volcanoes, was a frequent sit-in on acoustic guitar.
The "Dying to Make It" cast is like that; almost everyone is playing or has played in a band with someone else in the cast. Noting several have recorded albums at MonkeyTown, as well, Hile shrugs and adds, "It's a small town."
Hile seems uniquely qualified to see a rock opera through from basement rehearsals to the stage. For 17 years he produced and directed an annual "Jesus Christ Superstar" show at First Avenue, a show Schwartz and several other cast members performed in at one time or another.
Writing "Dying to Make It" soon became a group effort, with everyone crowding into Hile's basement and contributing their own ideas — not just on how the rock opera should sound, but how they might actually be able to get it on stage. It was Martin who suggested Kickstarter, the website that uses crowd-sourcing to fund creative projects.
The rock opera's Kickstarter page went live in early August, and reached its $2,000 fundraising goal Sept. 11. When the campaign ended, they'd raised $3,617.
"I was surprised," Schwartz said. "I looked at a lot of the other Kickstarter campaigns and I knew it was possible. It was just a matter of believing it was possible."
In MonkeyTown
An eccentric collection of doo-dads and decorations line the wood-paneled walls of MonkeyTown: NASCAR collectibles, a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker, American flags, a Batman poster. A Bowflex machine serves as a coat rack; flat surfaces are covered in bottle caps and percussion instruments.
There are 11 people crammed into the room, and all their instruments and amps and mic stands. Every mic stand has a bottle holder, and almost every one has a beer in it.
"On a normal night we have two more bodies in here," Schwartz noted. "It's a full house."
They start from the top, and Greg Nesbitt, a big man with a short Mohawk and a booming, theatrical voice, kicks things off. Nesbitt plays Devin who, in the quirky cosmology of "Dying to Make It," is more or less the devil's A&R man.
From there they tear through the first act, propelled by "Z" and Martin's chugging guitars. When they break around 9 p.m. and the smokers run outside, Schwartz lingers to discuss all the work that's left to do before the debut just over a month away.
"Some of the busiest moments in our lives are so crazy," he said. "But when it's over I'm going to miss it."
Go see it
"Dying to Make It" runs Feb. 17–18 at the Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S. Tickets are $15. dyingtomakeit.com


text:
DescriptionSwap the letters to create words horizontically and vertically. After every swap, you will get points for the words you created.
- Click two letters to make them swap places.
- Words from left to right and top to bottom are counted.
- Only words that are lit up are counted. Light up a column and row by swapping a letter there.


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Stand up for facts and support PolitiFact.
Now is your chance to go on the record as supporting trusted, factual information by joining PolitiFact's Truth Squad. Contributions or gifts to PolitiFact, which is part of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Poynter Institute, are tax deductible.
I would like to contribute
House Republicans held hearings last week on the 2012 attacks on a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya. That's renewed a war of words between members of Congress and President Barack Obama.
Here's the history: Diplomatic workers staffed a temporary residential outpost in the Libyan city after the death of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. On a night the U.S. ambassador was visiting from the capital in Tripoli, armed Islamic terrorists attacked, setting a toxic diesel-fueled fire that killed the ambassador and a colleague. Americans then drove, chased by attackers, to a nearby annex, where a mortar attack in the morning killed two security contractors. By noon, hasty scrambling by the American and Libyan governments got U.S. workers to safety in Tripoli, along with their four dead comrades.
That "annex" was a compound used by the CIA. So, while we've seen unclassified reports from a State Department accountability review board, a Senate committee and some House Republicans, and watched testimony before Rep. Darrell Issa's House committee last week — there's a layer of secrecy that daunts diplomats and lawmakers alike.
We've fact-checked several new claims this week.
On May 6, 2013, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told Fox News that more could have been done that night. "We had people that were getting killed, we had people who are willing to risk their lives to go save them and somebody told them to stand down." Chaffetz said the order was "as sickening and depressing and disgusting as anything I have seen." But the order to keep special forces in Tripoli came after the deaths in Benghazi had already occurred. The mortar attack was over at that point. We rated his statement False.
On May 10, Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney, defended the administration against renewed charges that United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice had downplayed the possibility that extremists were involved in the attacks soon after it happened.
"Susan Rice, when she went out on the Sunday shows using the very talking points that we're discussing now, talked about the possibility that we knew that, or believed based on the intelligence assessment, that extremists were involved ... Ambassador Rice, in those shows, talked about the possibility that al-Qaida might be involved, or other al-Qaida affiliates might be involved, or non-al-Qaida Libyan extremists (might be involved), which I think demonstrates that there was no effort to play that down."
We pulled Rice's comments and found Carney's recollection was not accurate. We found that Rice barely mentioned the potential role of al-Qaida or one of its affiliates, and she urged caution about jumping to conclusions on the one occasion in which she did. We rated Carney's comment Mostly False.
On May 13, President Obama said that the facts behind the attacks had been thoroughly investigated by an independent review board. "Over the last several months, there was a review board headed by two distinguished Americans, Mike Mullen and Tom Pickering, who investigated every element of" the Benghazi incident, he said.
Actually, the review board did not look at every element of the incident. It looked at most of the security matters involved, but it didn't look at who conducted the attacks or at the administration's public comments in the days following. We rated Obama's statement Mostly False.
Finally, we'll look back to an attack made during last year's presidential campaign. Republican candidate Mitt Romney made the charge in a debate that President Obama waited two weeks to call the attack in Libya "terror." We found that Obama did use the word "terror," but that it still took many days for the administration to fully characterize the attack as the work of a terrorist group. We rated the claim Half True.
Our Sources
See individual factchecks for complete sources.


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For much less than the cost of the west LRT line, council committed Friday to build seven new bus transitway and frequent service routes throughout Calgary.
The $889-million network of bus-only lanes and special routes will be complete by around 2021. It will bring the first major crosstown service to a transit system dominated by the downtown, and serve in most places as a low-cost alternative to LRT — or, in the case of the Centre Street and southeast, as a precursor to light rail.
More than half of the money comes from councillors' controversial decision last fall to use a $52-million tax hike to create a 10-year transit fund, rather than giving the money back.
"It's not often that we can actually stand here and say 'the stars have aligned,' " said Coun. Shane Keating, who reversed his opposition to the $52-million tax hike to pursue this funding solution for his southeast ward's transit project.
It's the largest funded plan for Calgary Transit that council has approved since it green-lighted the west LRT in 2007. That project ultimately cost $1.4 billion.
Under the plan council approved Friday, that transit fund will deliver $480 million to the Green Line bus-only lanes and specialized roads up Centre Street and into the deep southeast. Planners expect another $185 million of that to come from the federal government's Building Canada Fund, although most cities are still waiting on details of that program.
"It does appear the Green Line would be a strong candidate for funding," transportation planner Eric McNaughton said.
The other five projects — including bus-only lanes down 17th Avenue S.E. and 14th Street S.W. — cost much less, and the city has past provincial grant dollars set aside for that. It's also banking on $167 million from the provincial Green Trip transit program to finish these projects.
Before a controversial tax hike was converted into transit funds, it was unclear how or when the city would find dollars to build those projects. Seven of 14 councillors voted against the transit funds, although the bus routes will pass through at least 11 wards.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi hailed the decision as major news for Calgarians, but he's disappointed that most major projects won't be complete before 2020.
"Surely we can move faster. Tell me what it's going to take," he said. Bus-only lanes down Crowchild and 14th Street S.W. are estimated to cost a relatively modest $40 million, and Nenshi said he'd hate to see that quadrant's ring road completed before this project.
"If I find you 40 million bucks, couldn't you do it tomorrow?" the mayor asked. Planners told him there's still some design and planning work to do, even though the southwest transitway initial plan was done four years ago.
In many cases, the city still lacks the land to fully build these transit upgrades.
Transit officials touted trip time savings on some of the small bus-only projects already completed, including bus-only shoulder lanes on Crowchild Trail and a small stretch of Centre Street at McKnight Boulevard.
"We're going to continue to make the improvements that get the buses running faster where we construct something in the short term," said Chris Jordan, manager of the RouteAhead project that put the seven bus projects at the top of Calgary Transit's priority list.
The seven transit routes council approved Friday:
Southeast "Green line" transit-only roadway and lanes, along the future LRT corridor
Centre Street "Green line" bus-only lanes, though future LRT may go up Edmonton Trail instead
Southwest transitway from downtown to Mount Royal University, Rockyview General Hospital, Woodlands
17th Avenue S.E. transitway
South crosstown BRT, in mixed traffic (Quarry Park to Heritage LRT to MRU to Westbrook)
North crosstown BRT, in mixed traffic (University of Calgary down 16th Avenue to Rundlehorn Drive and Saddletowne LRT)
Northwest "hub" to U of C, Foothills Hospital, Alberta Children's Hospital, future West Campus neighbourhood


text:
American Pipe & Tank Lining Co., Inc. has been serving New York City for over three generations. We install steel water tanks in newly constructed buildings, replace water tanks in existing buildings and provide annual tank cleaning and disinfecting, tank relining, repairs and preventative maintenance. We perform seasonal preparation to make sure you water tank is ready for any weather. American Pipe & Tank also conducts annual cleaning, disinfecting and repairs to hot water storage tanks and maintains, cleans, repairs and replaces fuel oil tanks.
American Contracting Co. offers full service plumbing including new construction installations, plumbing & sprinkler repairs and up-grading steam systems. We also install and maintain steam stations and build steam reclamation systems. In addition, we install water meters, drainage & filtration systems and heating systems. We address and correct NYC Fire Department violations & have them removed from your building's records.
Manhattan Cooling Towers, Inc. provides complete installation, repair and maintenance services for cooling towers. This includes refurbishing, upgrading, design and replacement of existing towers. Our goal is to increase a cooling tower's energy efficiency and reliability and reduce energy costs.
New York Wood Tank specializes in the repair, maintenance and replacement of wood rooftop water tanks for potable water & fire reserve systems. We perform annual tank cleaning and disinfecting according to New York City code and seasonal tank preparation to insure efficient operation and consistent delivery of clean water.


text:
The TreeTop Challenge at Tamborine Mountain is Australia's largest TreeTop Adventure Park with more than 120 TreeTop activities including 10 ziplines! Their courses range from easy to extreme and traverse through nine acres of amazing bushland and rainforest. To complete the entire Adventure Park will take three to four hours where you will have an amazing adventure flying through the trees, conquering your fears and having a whole lot of fun!
You will hang about in the trees, balance on suspended bridges, jump on 10 huge flying foxes with some spanning over 130 metres - it's great fun, it's safe and appeals to the daredevil in everyone!
Their Adventure Park is designed for the entire family aged eight and up, you don't need any experience and it's perfect for all fitness levels! Get ready to experience the rush of flying through the trees and gaining immense satisfaction as your conquer your fears and create unforgettable memories!
|Cost AUD
|Valid From
|$45 - $45
|Full child ticket aged between eight and 14.
|Indicative Prices
|$55 - $55
|Full adult ticket.
|Opening Hours
|All year
|10am - 5pm
|10am - 5pm
|10am - 5pm
|10am - 5pm
|10am - 5pm
|8:30am - 5pm
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Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Talk:Neo 1973 hardware
From Openmoko
(→SDHC Support?)
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== SDHC Support? ==
== SDHC Support? ==
Latest revision as of 10:03, 13 July 2008
Should the debug header information on this page be given its own page, and grouped with the other debugging stuff? I've just spent 10 minutes clicking around looking for this info, after being asked where it was by someone on IRC who couldn't find it.
--Parag0n 21:12, 18 August 2007 (CEST)
[edit] SDHC Support?
From what I have gathered, SDHC requires support for SD 2.0. According to Samsung, the S3C2410 does not support that spec, and that is where the SD controller for the Neo1973 is. Given this, I do not believe the Neo1973 will support >2.0GB microSD cards. See What is SDHC? and 2410UserManual.pdf. I would like to edit this on the main page, unless there is a reason it would.
Sirkha 20:50, 19 March 2007 (CET)
The SD controller can be skipped and the card can be driver through GPIO directly - and this is doable. The problem is I don't know if Linux knows about SDHC at all - or you'd have to teach it all the command set. balrog 14:43, 27 March 2007 (CEST)
Development seems to be coming along in this post about a patch for Kernel 2.6.19. Sirkha 07:45, 10 April 2007 (CEST)


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A spinal fusion is a surgery to weld together 2 or more vertebrae. Vertebrae are the bones that make up the spine.
There are several different types of spinal fusions based on factors, such as the part of the spine involved, placement of the incisions, and the parts of the vertebra that are initially fused. All fusion surgeries include the use of a graft that is made of bone material. It stimulates healing and encourages the 2 bones to heal together into one solid bone. The graft may be a piece of bone from the hip, a piece of bone from a cadaver, or artificial bone material.
Reasons for Procedure
Spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae. Damage to the vertebra and the disc that sits between them can put extra pressure on these nerves. The irritated nerves can cause pain and weakness in the areas of the body affected by the nerve. Spinal fusion may be considered if all other methods of treatment (medication, rest, physical therapy) have not been able to relieve pain or disability. A spinal fusion removes damaged tissue and locks the 2 vertebra in place to prevent irritation of the spinal nerve between the vertebrae.
Medical conditions that may lead to spinal fusion include:
- Spinal stenosis —narrowing of the spinal canal
- Spinal injury, including vertebral fractures
- Spondylolisthesis —vertebra is out of line with the others
- Scoliosis —abnormal curve in the spine
- Weak or unstable spine, usually due to infection or tumors
- Herniated disc
- Scoliosis—curvature of the spine
Possible Complications
Problems from the procedure are rare, but all procedures have some risk. Your doctor will review potential problems, like:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Incomplete fusion of the bones
- Blood clots
- Hematoma—a build-up of blood in the wound
- Nerve damage causing pain, numbness, tingling, or paralysis
- Impaired bowel and/or bladder function
- Reaction to anesthesia
Before your procedure, talk to your doctor about ways to manage factors that may increase your risk of complications such as:
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
Your doctor may do the following:
- Physical exam, especially of the back and neck
- Imaging studies to examine the structures and plan surgery, including:
Before your surgery:
- Talk to your doctor about your medications. You may be asked to stop taking some medications up to one week before the procedure.
- Arrange for a ride home and for help at home.
- Eat a light meal the night before surgery. Avoid eating or drinking anything after midnight.
General or spinal anesthesia may be used. With general anesthesia, you will be asleep. Spinal anesthesia will numb an area of your body, but you will be awake.
Description of Procedure
Spinal fusion can be done by open surgery or using a minimally invasive technique. The exact steps will depend on the type of spinal fusion that is being done. Some examples include:
Interbody fusion uses the surfaces in between the vertebra for fusion. The disc in between the vertebrae is either partially or completely removed. A cage (spacer) will be placed between the vertebra where the disc was removed. The cage may be made of plastic or metal. It may also contain graft material that will help the bones heal and fuse together. Metal screws and plates may then be placed on the outside of the vertebra to help stabilize the bones. There are 3 types of interbody fusion based on the approach to the area:
- Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)—the incision is made in the back. To access the spinal bones, the surgeon must move muscles and nerves out of the way. Part of the spinal bone covering the spinal column, called the lamina, may be removed so the surgeon can access the area between the vertebra. The cage is inserted from the back of the spine.
- Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)—the incision is made from the side. This allows access to the vertebra without a lot of movement to the muscles and nerves. It also does not require removal of any bone covering the spinal column.
- Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)—the incision is made in the lower abdomen. Organs and blood vessels are moved aside so that the surgeon can access the vertebra. The muscles and nerves of the spine do not have to be moved. The cage is inserted through the front part of the spine. No surgery is done on the outside of the vertebra.
Another option called posterolateral fusion starts the fusion on the outer surface of the vertebra. An incision is made in the back. The muscles are pushed aside to access the vertebra. Damaged bone and structures may be removed to relieve pressure on spinal nerves. A graft material will be placed along the outside of the vertebra to encourage bone healing and growth, and stimulate the fusion. Titanium screws and rods may also be used to help stabilize the bones while they heal. This option may also be used to treat scoliosis.
With all surgeries, the incision will be closed with stitches or staples.
|Lumbar Fusion
|A metal cage filled with bone graft is placed between lumbar vertebrae.
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
How Long Will It Take?
4-6 hours (sometimes longer)
How Much Will It Hurt?
Anesthesia will prevent pain during surgery. Pain and discomfort after the procedure can be managed with medications.
Average Hospital Stay
3-4 days (sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on age, overall health, and extent of surgery)
Post-procedure Care
You may receive the following care at the hospital:
- Pain medication
- Back brace or cast
- Lessons on how to properly move, sit, stand, and walk
- Lessons on how to turn in bed without twisting the spine
- Physical therapy
- Special socks or boots to help prevent blood clots
- You will be shown how to move and exercise your legs while in bed
- You will be encouraged to get up and walk around several times a day
During your stay, the hospital staff will take steps to reduce your chance of infection such as:
- Washing their hands
- Wearing gloves or masks
- Keeping your incisions covered
There are also steps you can take to reduce your chances of infection such as:
- Washing your hands often and reminding visitors and healthcare providers to do the same
- Reminding your healthcare providers to wear gloves or masks
- Not allowing others to touch your incisions
It will take several months to a year for the bones to fully fuse, but symptoms may improve earlier. During recovery, it is important to follow posture and activity recommendation to help the bones stay in proper alignment.
Certain activities like heavy lifting, twisting, or strenuous activities will need to be avoided during recovery. Assistance with daily activities may be needed. Physical and occupational therapists can demonstrate how to do certain activities without placing stress on the back. Some limitations may need to be followed even after recovery. The fusion will limit some flexibility of the spine but the difference should not make a significant impact on daily activities.
Time off from work ranges from 4-6 weeks to 4-6 months. The length of time depends on your age, overall health, and the physical demands of your job.
Rehabilitation may be done in a hospital or at an outpatient clinic. The program will likely include:
- Education on tools or devices to help with daily activities during recovery
- Exercises to strengthen your back
- Low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking or swimming
Following your rehabilitation program will speed your recovery and reduce discomfort.
|Healed Lumbar Fusion
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Call Your Doctor
It is important to monitor your recovery. Alert your doctor to any problems. If any of the following occur, call your doctor:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Pain that you cannot control with the medications you were given
- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Joint pain, fatigue, stiffness, rash, or other new symptoms
- Numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness, especially in the arms, hands, legs, or feet
- Pain, swelling in your feet, legs, or calves
- Loss of bladder or bowel function
- Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent blood in the urine
If you think you have an emergency, call for emergency medical services right away.
Know Your Back—North American Spine Society https://www.knowyourback.org
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons https://www.orthoinfo.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Association http://coa-aco.org
When it Hurts to Move—Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation http://whenithurtstomove.org
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: https://orthoinfo.org/en/treatment/anterior-lumbar-interbody-fusion. Updated January 2016. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Chronic low back pain. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116935/Chronic-low-back-pain . Updated June 30, 2017. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Kim CW, Siemionow K, Anderson DG, Phillips FM. The current state of minimally invasive spine surgery. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2011;93(6):582-596.
Posteriolateral fusion. Laser Spine Institute website. Available at: https://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back%5Fproblems/back%5Fsurgery/types/posterolateral. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Posterior lumbar interbody fusion and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/spinal-fusion-plif-tlif. Updated June 2010. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Spinal fusion. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/spinal-fusion. Updated June 2010. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Spine surgery: Lumbar interbody fusion. Hospital for Special Surgery website. Available at: https://www.hss.edu/conditions%5Fspine-surgery-lumbar-interbody-fusion.asp#.VJMAvsAKA. Updated May 9, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2017.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 11/2018
- Update Date: 12/20/2014


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Greek Cookery ClassGreekfoodlovers' Supper Club
Archive for poem
Efficent at work or not..
It took me a whole day to find a CD. I looked all over and could not find it. Found all the other things I wasn't looking for but the one CD I needed for my radio feature was nowhere. I knew it was in here somewhere, so I wasted a whole day searching until i found it under a cardigan. I think it took something like 20 hours… with breaks of course.
In the meantime I was stressing like crazy thinking that I should be editing and editing and writing my script instead, but oh no, I had to look for the CD and during all this stress I came up with ten ideas for writing blogs and another ten for poems. So I gave in in the end and sat down and scribbled down some poems, they are also somewhere around here now, on pieces of paper, behind receipts, on napkins all being used as book marks. I bet when the time has come to look for these poems, I won't be able to find them either unless I listen to that CD and write a few more poems…
In the end the album Dromoi, by Sokratis Malamas was in my hands. I have listened to it before, but now I needed to focus on the listening and figure out which songs I should use to illustrate the feature with and this music feature I was working on about him. Sometimes you have this favourite song, but for some reason it won't fit in with the purpose of the show, or with the feature or there is some other production/editing reason that makes you leave out a song in favour of another.
This time I think I just decided that as it is a Greek singer to be featured on a radio station in a non-Greek speaking country, the most important thing is the melody and harmonies not the lyrics, as so few people will understand the lyrics. I also got help in getting a selection of his older songs from one of his record label representatives.
I remember one of the first things Sokratis Malamas asked me was who was going to listen to this interview I was about to do? Was it going to be for Greeks in Sweden, or not? I said the show is not a language programme for minorities or immigrants, it is purely a music programme featuring music from all kinds of places in the world, so it is not exclusively a Greek audience, but a Swedish one.
And then he asked me, but how will my music and my lyrics reach these people, if they don't understand the language I'm singing in and I don't understand theirs?
Well, he might have a point. If you do get to listen, you'll find out if his music will reach you. I believe that music is universal and of course you get a better experience when understanding the language a song is sung in, but I have personally listened to many songs in foreign languages and love them, not because I understand the meaning of any of the words, but because I like the sound and the feeling a song sends out. If you would like to listen to the feature it runs on Swedish Radio and here is the link:
It's available for up to a month after the show airs tomorrow Sunday 18th May 2008. You can access it via the link above. I hope you will enjoy listening to it and that it will introduce you to some new music.
Sokratis Malamas, photo Giorgos Vitsaropoulos


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Find out why Kim Kardashian and Kanye West turned down a $3 million deal to sell the first photos of baby North. Plus, a source tells Us that Jessica Simpson's son Ace Knute is "beautiful": See Us Weekly's top stories from Tuesday, July 2, in the roundup!
1. Exclusive: Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Turned Down $3 Million Baby North West Photo Deal
North West isn't ready for her close-up just yet. The first daughter of media mavens Kim Kardashian and Kanye West won't be making her big debut in the spotlight anytime soon — for any price. The couple have yet to share any photos of their tiny bundle of joy since welcoming her into the world on June 15, though they've been offered a whopping $3 million from an Australian magazine to do so.
2. Exclusive: Jessica Simpson's Baby Son Ace Knute Johnson Is "Beautiful"
In the looks department, Jessica Simpson's brand-new little boy, well, aced it! "The baby is beautiful," a pal tells Us Weekly of Ace Knute Johnson, whom Simpson delivered via C-section in L.A. Sunday June 30. "He has Eric's little chin dimple!"
3. Robert Pattinson Attends Beyonce Concert, Kristen Stewart Looks Gorgeous in Paris
Nearly one year after Kristen Stewart was caught cheating, the Twilight star and ex-boyfriend Robert Pattinson seem to be enjoying their time apart. Pattinson attended Beyonce's Mrs. Carter World Tour concert on Monday, July 1, in L.A., while his former love stepped out solo at Paris Fashion Week on July 2.
4. Kris Kross' Chris Kelly Died of Drug Overdose
Chris Kelly's cause of death has been confirmed. The Kris Kross rapper died on May 1 due to a drug overdose, a medical office investigator told The Associated Press on Monday, July 1.
5. Exclusive: Avril Lavigne, Chad Kroeger Officially Wed: All the Ceremony, Party Details!
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Chad Kroeger! Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger are officially wife and husband after marrying in a wedding ceremony in the South of France on Monday, July 1 — and Us Weekly has exclusive details on their wild wedding weekend, which lasted until 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Canon PowerShot ELPH 110HS Digital Camera (Blue)
Product Code: 541167714
Availability:Out of stock
Canon PowerShot ELPH 110HS Digital Camera (Blue)
Product Code: 541167714
Availability:Out of stock
- 16.1 Megapixel high-sensitivity sensor
- DIGIC 5 Image Processor deliver impeccable image quality and high-performance features
- 1080p Full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button
- 5x Optical Zoom with 24mm Wide-Angle lens and Optical Image Stabilizer
- 3.0-inch Pure Color System LCD enables easy viewing.
- Improved Movie Digest records a short 720p HD video clip right before shooting a photo
Slim and curvy, the PowerShot ELPH 110 HS is a natural fit for your hand. Easy
operability and reliable high-quality performance are reason enough to carry it
everywhere, but you'll also love the attention-getting quality of the camera's
distinctly sophisticated modern design. The matte finish in a wide range of vivid,
highly expressive colors projects your taste and style like a fashion accessory,
but the PowerShot ELPH 110 HS has its serious side, too.
A 16.1 Megapixel high-sensitivity sensor plus Canon's DIGIC 5 Image Processor
deliver impeccable image quality and high-performance features never before
possible. Experience Face ID that recognizes and optimizes images of your friends
and family, Intelligent IS that creates sharp, steady shots in a wide variety of
situations, and stunning Full HD Video. Smart AUTO lives up to its name, letting
you shoot anywhere, anytime as the mood strikes, confident that the camera will
automatically make your images the best they can be.
- Canon's HS SYSTEM with a 16.1 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5
Image Processor for exceptional low-light performance up to ISO 3200.
- Shoot beautiful 1080p Full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie
button; zoom while shooting and play back videos on an HDTV via the HDMI output.
- 5x Optical Zoom with 24mm Wide-Angle lens and Optical Image Stabilizer deliver
stunning images and allow you to capture more in your frame.
- A 3.0-inch Pure Color System LCD enables easy viewing.
- Improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper camera settings based on 58
predefined shooting situations and the new Face ID function adjusts focus and
exposure priority based on pre-registered faces.
- Intelligent IS automatically chooses from six different modes to optimize image
stabilization for the shooting condition.
- High-Speed Burst Mode allows continuous shooting (5.8 fps) and Super Slow Motion
Movie records video at high speeds to allow playback in slow motion.
- Improved Movie Digest records a short 720p HD video clip right before shooting a
photo and then combines one day's worth of clips into one video.
- New Smooth Skin and Soft Focus scene modes allow you to capture more pleasing
- Camera Type: Compact digital camera with built-in flash, 5x Optical, 4x Digital, and 20x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
- Type: 16.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CMOS
- Total Pixels: Approx. 16.8 Megapixels
- Effective Pixels: Approx. 16.1 Megapixels
- Focal Length: 4.3 (W) - 21.5mm (T) (35mm film equivalent: 24 (W) - 120mm (T))
- Digital Zoom: 4x
Focusing Range:
Auto: 1.2 in. (3cm) - infinity (W), 3.0 ft. (90cm) - infinity (T)
Normal: 2.0 in. (5cm) - infinity (W), 3.0 ft. (90cm) - infinity (T)
Macro: 1.2 in. - 1.6 ft. (W), 3-50cm (W)
- Autofocus System: TTL Autofocus
- Optical Viewfinder: N/A
- LCD Monitor: 3.0-inch TFT Color with wide-viewing angle
- LCD Pixels: Approx. 461,000 dots
- LCD Coverage: Approx. 100%
- Maximum Aperture: f/2.7 (W)-f/5.9 (T)
Shutter Speed:
1-1/2000 sec.
15-1/2000 sec. (Total shutter speed range)
- Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 100/200/400/800/1600/3200
Light Metering Method:
Evaluative*, Center weighted average, Spot**
* Facial brightness is evaluated in Face AiAF.
** Fixed to center.
- Exposure Control Method: AE Lock
- Exposure Compensation: +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments
- White Balance Control: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom
- Built-in Flash: Auto, On, Slow Synchro, Off
- Flash Range:: 1.6 - 11 ft. (W), 3.0 - 6.6 ft. (T) (50cm - 3.5m (W), 90cm - 2.0m (T))
- Recycling Time: 10 sec. or less (battery voltage: 3.6 V)
- Flash Exposure Compensation: N/A
Shooting Modes:
Auto*1, P, Movie Digest, Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutter*2, High-speed Burst, Handheld Night Scene, Low Light, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap, Underwater, Snow, Long Shutter, Stitch Assist, iFrame Movie, Super Slow Motion Movie
- Shooting movies are possible with the movie button
*1 Smart Auto also available for movies
*2 Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Self-timer
Photo Effects: My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin, Darker Skin, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color*
*Adjustment of contrast, sharpness, saturation, red, green, blue and skin tone are available
Self Timer: Approx. 10-sec. delay/approx. 2-sec. delay/custom*
*Delay time (0-15 sec. (in one-second increments), 20/25/30 sec.) and number of shots (1-10 shots (in one-shot increments)) can be specified.
- Wireless Control: N/A
Continuous Shooting:
Approx. 2.0 shots/sec. (in P Mode)
Approx. 5.8 shots/sec. (in High-Speed Burst mode)
* Under conditions where the flash does not fire automatically
- Storage Media: SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card
- File Format: Design rule for Camera File system, DPOF (Version 1.1) compliant
- Image Recording Format: Normal, Fine
JPEG Compression Mode:
Still Image: Exif 2.3 (JPEG)
Video: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio data; Linear PCM (2 channel monaural))
Number of Recording Pixels:
Still Images:
Large: 4608 x 2592, Medium 1: 3264 x 1832,
Medium 2: 1920 x 1080, Small: 640 x 360
Large: 4608 x 3072, Medium 1: 3264 x 2176,
Medium 2: 1600 x 1064, Small: 640 x 424
Large: 4608 x 3456, Medium 1: 3264 x 2448,
Medium 2: 1600 x 1200, Small: 640 x 480
Large: 3456 x 3456, Medium 1: 2448 x 2448,
Medium 2: 1200 x 1200, Small: 480 x 480
[iFrame Movie]
1280 x 720 (30 fps*1)
[Super Slow Motion Movie] 640 x 480*2, 320 x 240*3
[Miniature Effect] 1280 x 720*4, 640 x 480*4
[Other than the above]
1920 x 1080 (24 fps*5), 1280 x 720 (30 fps*1), 640 x 480 (30 fps*1)
*1 Actual frame rate is 29.97 fps.
*2 Shooting: 120 fps., Playback: 30 fps*1
*3 Shooting: 240 fps., Playback: 30 fps*1
*4 Shooting: 6 fps, 3 fps, 1.5 fps Playback: 30 fps*1
*5 Actual frame rate is 23.976 fps
Playback Modes File:
- Stills & Videos: Auto Rotate (Automatic vertical/horizontal detection), Image Advance (Operation Tools, Transition effects, Scroll Display), Rotate, Favorites, My Category, Smart Shuffle, Filtered Playback, Slide Show (Playback Interval, Repeat, Effect, Playlist)
- Still Images: Single, Index (4-100 thumbnails), Magnification (2-10x), Information Display, Red-eye Correction, i-Contrast, Trimming, Resize, My Colors, Focus Check, Histogram, Overexposure Warning
- Videos: Normal Playback*, Slow Motion**, Special Playback, Editing, Resume
*Auto settings available in 5 levels
** 5 levels (including normal playback), sound not available.
Erase Modes: Select image, select range, all images (all filtered images)
- The image data in the memory card stored with the Design rule for Camera File systems format can be erased (however, protected images cannot be erased).
- Using the Movie editing function, sections of the movie (1 sec. increments) can be deleted. - Using the Movie editing function, beginning/end sections of the movie (1 sec. increments) can be deleted.
- Video Out: NTSC/PAL (Dedicated connector (female) with unified type of digital, audio and video)?Mini-HDMI connector
- Audio Out: Monaural (Dedicated connector (female) unified type of digital, audio, and video)
- Other: Mini-HDMI cable: connection to high definition monitor; SD Memory card slot; direct connection to Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printers and PictBridge-compatible printers via camera's USB 2.0 Hi-speed cable
Power Source:
1) Rechargeable lithium-ion Battery Pack NB-11L
2) Compact Power Adapter CA-DC10 (included with AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC90
- Shooting Capacity: Approx. 170 shots
- Playback Time: Approx. 3 hours
- Operating Temperature: 32-104°F/0-40°C
- Operating Humidity: 10-90%
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 3.67 x 2.24 x 0.79 in. (93.2 x 57.0 x 20.0mm)
Approx. 4.76 oz. (135g) (Including the battery and memory card)
Approx. 4.23 oz. (120g) (Camera only)
Note: 30 display languages provided
(English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Ukrainian, Farsi, Hindi, Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese.)
All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method. Subject to change without notice.
- PowerShot ELPH 110 HS (black shown here)
- Battery Pack NB-11L
- Battery Charger CB-2LD
- USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
- Wrist Strap WS-800
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method. Subject to change without notice.


text:
Eastside Republican Club
ERC Review
Congressional District News
About Us
The ERC serves Detroit's near eastside, including Grosse Pointe, Michigan, hosting informative
. Read about
early Republicans
in Detroit! Local and State civic/governmental
Michigan's Wrong Turn
Last Chance to Save Detroit
Courts Aren't to Benefit Lawyers
Go Paperless!
To receive meeting reminders via e-mail just
send us a note
, subject: Paperless.
Other ways to connect...
Cartoonist/Columnist Payne
Coming to November 19 Forum
Henry Payne, syndicated newspaper cartoonist featured in
The Detroit News
and other publications nationwide, will be in Grosse Pointe Farms Tuesday, November 19, speaking to the Eastside Republican Club.
The 7:30 p.m. event will be held at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road.
We've appreciated Henry Payne's brilliant in the
Detroit News
, said club chairman Jenny Nolan. His conservative perspective in both his columns and cartoons is refreshing and enlightening.
She added, The Forum is open to the public at no charge, so we invite anyone interested in current events or cartooning to attend.
Labeled "the Thomas Nast of his time" by
National Review
magazine, Payne creates his editorial drawings from a distinctly conservative point of view. More than a cartoonist, Payne also is a skilled and well-informed journalist whose investigative work has garnered national headlines. >>
Learn more about Henry Payne
"Will Detroit Stay Fixed?"
Asks Journalist Nolan Finley
"Bankruptcy does nothing to change the culture," cautioned Nolan Finley, editorial page editor and columnist for The Detroit News speaking October 15 to the ERC Forum.
Finley explained, "For the next mayor, bankruptcy will soon be history, city operations rational, and debt under control."
He warned his War Memorial audience that elected officials who believe that government exists to serve the political class and use it to maintain political status will be counter productive.
If that happens, he said, "We are going to be right back here in five to ten years."
Who said it?
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies."
He continued, "Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren."
"America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." You'll be surprised who said this!
Find out
In Finley's opinion, the next mayor will succeed only if he is able to complete what Kevin Orr has put into place, because "what's fixed doesn't necessarily stay fixed."
There's a lot that needs fixing. "The blight is sickening," he said.
"If we don't stop that now, I don't know that we're going to get another chance to save Detroit." >>
Nolan Finley: Will
Detroit stay fixed
Michigan Policy Expert McHugh
Promotes Free Market Health Care
Giving credit where credit is due September 17 at the Eastside Republican Club Forum, Michigan policy expert Jack McHugh of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy said, "The governor and the current legislature did 'heavy lifting' on a number of key issues."
Among tough issues they've tackled are tax reform, freedom to work, and the Detroit financial crisis.
Yet, with Michigan's recent approval of Medicare expansion, "Michigan took a wrong turn, and is adding to the national debt," McHugh said.
Michigan's wrong turn.
Justice David Viviano Explains What It Takes
To Merit a Hearing Before Supreme Court
"We turn down more cases than we accept," exclaimed Michigan Supreme Court Justice David F. Viviano, speaking June 18 to the Eastside Republican Club Forum at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.
He explained that while citizens have an automatic right to trial in the judicial system, not every case appealed to the Supreme Court is accepted at that level.
"The court doesn't even hear every case where the Court of Appeals was believed to be wrong," he said.
Justice Viviano explained, "Cases are accepted when there are broad policy issues, or constitutional implications."
Gov. Rick Snyder appointed the Macomb County jurist to the court in February 2013.
Read more Viviano
Senate Leader Richardville
Avoids Pot Holes to Deliver Good News
Michigan's economic health is vastly improved, yet finding money to pay for needed road projects continues to be a challenge, said State Senator Randy Richardville who trekked from his home in Monroe to speak May 21 to the ERC Forum.
Not long ago, he said, "Michigan was at one of its low points -- a lot of people moved out."
By working together, he said, "We'll have a complete FY2014 budget by June 1 with a projected $702 million surplus."
The largest share of that surplus would go toward road projects, he said.
Selected by fellow-Republicans as Senate Majority Leader, Richardville was first elected to the Michigan Senate in 2006.
Richardville Speaks to Forum
Lt. Governor Brian Calley
Pulls Record Crowd for PAC Dinner
By John Minnis
Legal News
Lt. Governor Brian Calley drew a record crowd to the annual Eastside Republican PAC fundraiser April 24 at Sindbad's Restaurant on the Detroit River.
In the 15 to 20 years we've held these dinners here, this is the most we've ever had, said Eastside Republican Club PAC chairman John Stempfle. He then thanked the nearly two-dozen sponsors of the event, including University of Michigan Regent Andrew Richner, former State Rep. Ed Gaffney, attorney Charles Kennedy, and Butzel Long director Louis Theros.
Others in attendance included Republican stalwart and Grosse Pointe Park Mayor Palmer Heenan, retired Wayne County Chief Judge William Giovan, and past American Bar Association President Wallace Riley.
Many of those present had attended a rare appearance of former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who spoke that afternoon at Grosse Pointe South High School at the invitation of student leaders of Young Americans for Freedom.
We are now $20 billion less in debt than we were in January 2011, Calley said. I realize we've got a long way to go, but I love the trend he (Gov. Snyder) is on, of where we're going. Read more and see event photos at the link.
Calley Speaks in Detroit
New Volunteer Commission
Deploys Veteran Crime Fighters
"I try to have hope every day," said Andrew G. Arena, former agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit office and newly appointed executive director of the
Detroit Crime Commission
, in his March 19 talk to the Eastside Republican Forum in Grosse Pointe Farms.
He said the DCC focus is quality of life, and creation of an "atmosphere of no corruption," including crime investigation, abatement/abandonment issues, public corruption, and witness protection.
He noted, "I was encouraged when the Kwame Kilpatrick jury convicted the former mayor of racketeering, which is tough to prove -- that jury really worked hard."
"Right then and there, I thought, 'there is hope.'"
Arena ticked off some of Detroit's challenges. In mortgage fraud Detroit ranks second in the country, police suffer from a misuse of manpower and lack of leadership, and in one four-square-mile area violators with 600 active arrest warrants live and walk the streets unchallenged.
He described the DCC's work to stop a ring of insurance fraudsters operating "under the radar" in southwest Detroit. Their "business" involved buying 159 foreclosed houses in disrepair, renting them to illegal aliens -- who were afraid to complain -- never repairing the houses, and then torching them after the houses could no longer be rented.
Their final payoff was a claim against their insurance policy for the fire loss. The case uncovered tax evasion and 213 fraudulent house fire insurance claims.
We are privately funded through private donors and grant proposals. We're not costing the taxpayers any money, Arena said. >>
Veteran crime fighters deployed
Move to Draft Young Women
For Ground Combat May Be Next
Young ladies, prepare to be drafted for combat duty! That was one of the warnings issued by Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, in February 19 remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum.
Lauding the thousands of women who have and will continue to serve, Elaine Donnelly nevertheless laid out a strong case for restricting them from any combat role.
Donnelly leads the Center for Military Readiness, an independent, nonpartisan public policy organization specializing in military/social issues. Founded in 1993, CMR advocates high, single standards in all forms of military training, and sound priorities in making military/social policies.
She noted that thus far, the Supreme Court has rejected efforts by the ACLU to force women to register for the draft. She explained that the Court came to that conclusion because conscription was used only during wartime to build combat forces from which women were exempt
That was 1981. Now that women are slated for combat duty, the argument can no longer be made.
"Combat effectiveness is now secondary," Donnelly said, because by his January 24, 2013, announcement Defense Secretary Leon Panetta unilaterally lifted the ban on women serving in combat roles.
She explained that added to victory is now a new priority, "gender diversity metrics." Plans call for "significant cadres" of women in direct ground combat battalions by 2016." >>
Donnelly on Military Readiness
Massive Government Growth
Root Cause of U.S. Fiscal Crisis
Stop digging! insisted Paul Welday in his talk to the Eastside Republican Club Forum January 15 at the War Memorial.
The Republican activist and Oakland businessman explained, that's the first rule when you realize you're trapped in a hole.
Welday's message focused on leadership and the crisis facing our state and our country.
The root fiscal problem, he said, is the massive growth in government.
In laying out the facts, Welday noted that our national debt at $15.6 trillion is now bigger than the entire U.S. economy. By comparison, he said the gross domestic product is just $15.1 trillion.
To help illustrate how fast the debt has grown and how deep the hole is, he pointed out that in 2007 national debt was considered high at $9 trillion.
In another comparison, Welday put the U.S. debt crisis in international context. He said that the annual amount of interest paid to the Chinese on U.S. debt held by them would soon equal China's annual military budget.
New Faces Join ERC Board
Added to the Board at the annual election of ERC officers and board members held January 15 were Dan Follis, of the Farms, and Park residents Ken Chadwell and Michael Vethacke.
Reelected for another term as chairman was Jenny Nolan, of the City.
Serving with her will be vice chairman Susan Gillooly and secretary Marie Hackleman, both of the Park. Treasurer will be Mike Nolan of the City. >>
See Board photo
What do we do now? he asked.
Welday advocated changing course, and stopping endless government spending.
He said taxpayers and our leaders must accept the challenges, endure sacrifice, and realize that responsibility for action belongs to us.
Welday to the Pointes
Analysis of Vote
Sees No National Mandate
This was not a wave election -- there were mixed results, said
Detroit News
editorial page editor Nolan Finley.
He noted, for example, that Republicans picked up 30 of the 50 state houses.
Finley spoke November 20 to the Eastside Republicans at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.
In Michigan, he reminded, Voters defeated union proposals up and down the ballot and voters did a wonderful job on the Supreme Court.
At the federal level, Voters did not give [the President] the votes in Congress to get his agenda passed. Voters returned a Republican House.
Being realistic, he observed, It is extraordinarily hard to beat an incumbent.
Finley encouraged his audience, In 2010, just two years ago, Republicans swept the landscape. Do we really believe that things have so fundamentally changed in two years, and Republicans are no longer relevant?
In the final analysis, Finley recognized a GOP weakness. We got beat on the ground, he opined.
He said that the election outcome was not an affirmation of [Obama's] last four years.
Learn more
Ballenger: Redistricting
A 'Travesty' for Pointes
Echoing the sentiment of his audience, analyst Bill Ballenger told the Eastside Republican Forum October 16 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial that splitting the Pointes into two districts was a travesty.
Noting that the united Pointes have been a bastion of the GOP since the party was founded, Too bad the Republicans [in Lansing] have not seen fit to keep the district together.
Ballenger bluntly told the audience, The GOP threw Grosse Pointe 'under the bus' by splitting the Pointes. As a result, the area is divided between two Michigan House districts.
Pointes divided
Pointing fingers, he said, The news media was so asleep during the primary, looking the other way while a felon won the Democratic nomination for state representative in District 1.
Today, Republicans control everything in Lansing, he said.
That's why Ballenger sees the Michigan Supreme Court as a key battleground. He said the three Supreme Court seats are almost the biggest thing at stake. Because three of seven justices are up for election, including two Republicans.
Though they are non-partisan positions for the Supreme Court, Republicans are supporting Justice Stephen Markman (incumbent), Justice Brian Zahra (incumbent, partial term), and Judge Colleen O'Brien.
ERC endorsements
He pointed out that failure to elect these three could tip the balance from a conservative to a liberal court. >>
More on Ballenger
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