text:
AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market is providing shoppers with a new level of transparency about how farm animals are raised by now offering beef, pork and chicken certified under 5-Step animal welfare rating system (bit.ly/fawOft).
The rating system is the signature program of Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit organization that facilitates and encourages continuous improvement in animal agriculture. Independent, third-party certifiers audit farms and rate animal welfare practices and conditions using a tiered system that ranges from Step 1 (no crates, no cages, no crowding) to Step 5+ (animals spend their entire lives on one farm).
The system provides a way to engage and reward producers by promoting continuous improvement in farm animal welfare. For shoppers, the rating system provides a way to make more informed choices at the meat counter.
Step 1: no cages, no crates, no crowding; Step 2: enriched environment; Step 3: enhanced outdoor access; Step 4: pasture centered; Step 5: animal centered; no physical alterations; Step 5+: animal centered; entire life on the same farm.
More than 1,200 farms and ranches providing the company's 291 U.S. locations with products have received Step certification through independent, third-party certifiers. Color-coded signs and stickers throughout Whole Foods Market meat departments identify these ratings.
Step-rated options are now available at all U.S. Whole Foods Market stores and by May 9, all beef, pork and chicken carried in the fresh and pre-packaged cases will be rated according to 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating standards. Additional species will be rated as Global Animal Partnership standards are completed.
Up-to-date agriculture news in your inbox!


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Love is love, man.
—Joe Hart, Heart
Joseph "Joe" Hart, is a recurring character on Glee. He is an alumnus of William McKinley High School, and he made his debut appearance in Heart, the thirteenth episode of the Season Three. He was a part of The God Squad and New Directions.
He developed a close friendship and crush/possible relationship with Quinn, as he accompanies her to physical therapy and assists her in regaining the feelings in her legs, after the car accident in On My Way. He was introduced by Quinn into the New Directions. However, Joe left after All or Nothing and did not make another appearance until The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester.
He is portrayed by The Glee Project season one co-winner, Samuel Larsen.
Joe is introduced as a home-schooled teen, who is joining McKinley High School in his sophomore year because he realized that his mom was his best friend. His father is a door-to-door Bible salesman. Joe is the newest member of The God Squad, the other members being Mercedes, Quinn and Sam. He plays guitar and sings, but thus far in his life he has not learned any songs that weren't Christian songs. After being asked by Sam Evans about his tattoos he states that they are Bible verses and also that each of his locks are named after each book in the Bible.
Along with the rest of the God Squad, he performs a "singing telegram" of Stereo Hearts to Rachel, from Finn. Santana asks them to do a singing telegram from her to Brittany. The God Squad is unsure whether or not they should, especially Joe as he has never met a gay person before, but says he'll think about it. Later, at Sugar's party at Breadstix, he agrees and declares that "Love is love, man," and he and the rest of the God Squad sing Cherish/Cherish for Brittany. In Love Shack, he is seen sitting with Finn before Quinn takes him to dance with her.
Joe takes part in a meeting of The God Squad where Dave Karofsky's condition is discussed and they express concern for his well-being. He also invites Kurt to the meeting. Joe is later seen in the audience at Regionals cheering for both the Warblers and the New Directions.
Joe walks down the hallway barefoot when Finn nearly steps on his toes. Later, he and Quinn talk after her return to McKinley. Joe tells her that he prayed for her and she says she looks up to him and knows some people that he could inspire. He helps to push her wheelchair down the hallway while they talk. Quinn invites Joe to join New Directions and he joins at the end of the episode, taking part in the Booty Camp.
Joe has a solo in Night Fever after rehearsing it earlier with Will, Sue and Blaine. He dances happily in the choir room during Disco Inferno. He participates with the rest of New Directions in Stayin' Alive.
After seeing the I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) performance and Brittany telling her that she dreamt of her dancing (and flying and breathing fire), Quinn seems hurt, so Joe confronts her about it and then convinces her to allow him to help her with physical therapy. Joe and Quinn perform Saving All My Love for You and the club watches, blushing at the chemistry between the two. In physical therapy, Joe is about to kiss her, but doesn't due to his religious beliefs.
In the gym, Joe talks to Sam about his feelings for Quinn, saying he couldn't control those for her. He feels confused about his religion conflicting his physical needs. During physical therapy Quinn notices that Joe is a little excited. He feels embarrassed, but she assures him that it's fine. He tells her that he thinks she is beautiful and feels like he doesn't have to do what God says for him to feel closer to him, wanting to be with Quinn. She tells him she wouldn't ask him to give up his faith because it's nice to know there's something that can't be lost. Joe asks what they have and she replies with "something new".
During the School's Out performance, when Puck enters the choir room, Joe seems shocked by Puck and the dancers behind him, with the rest of the club. The next day, when Finn enters the boys locker room expressing that he is worried about Puck, Joe looks concerned. Later that day, in the choir room, he and the rest of the boys help Puck study for his final Geography exam. Joe asks Finn how Rachel was doing after she choke at her NYADA audition and Finn tells him the situation is bad. A few minutes later, the New Direction boys start performing The Rain in Spain and Joe plays the guitar in the number. He jumps everywhere and does major head banging with his dreads swinging back and forth, enjoying himself immensely. After Puck finishes his test Joe and the rest of the boys meet Puck outside of the Geography class. Puck thanks them for being there for him and helping him, and they share a group hug.
At Quinn's physical therapy session he is seen supporting Quinn and giving her a few encouraging words. In the hallway, at school, while he is leaving class with Rory, he sees Quinn and Finn at the lockers. Although he's going in the opposite direction, he turns around and looks at them for a second. Rory sees this and turns him back around and they walk away. At prom, he stands up for Quinn when Finn confronts her and demands she stands up. Joe and Finn are about to get in a fight, but luckily Sue intervenes and stops them. Later, he performs What Makes You Beautiful with the guys, and then is seen helping Quinn getting on stage and enjoying her performance of Take My Breath Away. At the end of prom Joe, Artie and Rory take a picture together.
When Mr. Schuester announces that they are doing Flashdance... What a Feeling for Nationals with props, Sam is seen joking around with his mask, doing impressions of Darth Vader, and Joe asks him about it wondering if it's from a movie. During Tina's dream, Joe was portrayed by Mike and vice versa. Later he is seen with Tina, Sugar and Rory sewing the dresses and suits for Nationals. He and New Directions depart to Nationals together.
Joe is seen practicing his dance moves at the hotel. When Sam and Puck end up fighting, he helps to split them up by pulling Sam away from Puck. When Quinn struggles in a dance move, he is seen worried whilst standing by her. He performs at Nationals with New Directions. He dances and sings backing vocals during Paradise by the Dashboard Light. While waiting for the results, Joe can be seen praying alongside the New Directions and then cheering once they are awarded first place. After the victory, he heads back to Lima with the club and celebrates when they return. During the Teacher of the Year event, they all sing We Are the Champions for Will.Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat and Forever Young. When the seniors sing You Get What You Give to the underclassmen, Quinn sits on his lap and hugs him, but then she does something similar with Artie. He, with the rest of the undergrads of New Directions, sings In My Life. Joe is later seen with the underclassmen, parents and faculty cheering on the graduates. He is last seen waving goodbye to Rachel at the train station along with the rest of New Directions during Roots Before Branches.
Unique walks into the choir room in make up, he says "Girl, I thought we said you'd wear make up onstage." In the cafeteria, after Marley reveals that the lunch lady they have been teasing was her mom, he becomes suddenly uncomfortable with what happened. He is a part of the group apology to Marley, and gets called 'Tarantula Head' by Kitty, before two high school jocks slushie Marley and Unique. He is then seen dancing and doing back-up vocals for Marley with the other New Directions in Chasing Pavements.
When Mr. Schuester announces the assignment of the week, Britney 2.0, he seems very happy with the assignment. When Artie and Blaine give a 'taste' of Britney Spears through Boys/Boyfriend, he likes the performance, and also does the back vocals. He joins Tina and Sam in the song 3, and at the near end of their performance as Brittany is about to shave her hair, he starts to get worried. He is then part of the talk the glee club members have with Brittany about her recent issues. As she lip syncs to Gimme More, Joe is a background dancer. Finally, in welcoming Jake Puckerman he is happy and says "Welcome bro. God made you, and God never makes mistakes" as a welcome greeting.
He is first seen in a meeting of the Left Behind Club with Jake, Marley, Brittany, Sam, and Santana with other fellow McKinley students and with Kitty as their leader at Breadstix. When he is listening to Kitty's speech on her interpretation of the Bible, there is obvious confusion and disagreement on his face. He then participates in the "fake rapture" Kitty organized.
The Role You Were Born to PlayJoe is first featured when Finn, Artie, Mike, and Mercedes try to look for a person who can play Danny Zuko (Blaine refuses to take the role because he is still heartbroken from his recent break-up with Kurt). Artie explains to Finn that Joe won't cut his dreads. In the cut scene used to explain the situation, Joe is seated and looking at himself in a mirror with a pompadour wig on (which still exposes his dreads). He is horrified by how it looks on him: "I look like Erykah Badu!"
At the callbacks for all those who auditioned for Sandy and Danny, he is seen enjoying the performance (Born to Hand Jive), and later follows the other New Directions onto the stage and dances along. After Finn posts the results of who's playing who, he seems happy when he is casted for the role of Doody. But when Kitty is angered by her role (Patty Simcox) since she does not know who she is, when she mentions she prayed all night for it, Joe suggests that at the moment she prayed "Maybe God was helping people with cancer", causing him to be shushed and named "Avatar" by Kitty.
When Mr. Schue announces that he is part of the Blue Ribbon Committee, he ,along with the New Directions, is thrilled about it. But when Mr. Schue follows it with a goodbye, he becomes sad, but is not part of the uproar when it is announced that Finn will take over the Glee Club. Later he is with the boys of Grease in 'Hummel Tires & Lube' (the Hummel-Hudson company), and asks "Are we supposed to rehearse here?" When Finn announces they will rehearse in the shop, Joe voices his confusion about performing when there is no stage. He is then part of the performance of Greased Lightning. When Santana accepts the offer replacing Unique for the role of Rizzo, he asks why she is in town. In the Grease production of McKinley, he is part of You're The One That I Want. After their performance, all go backstage (the choir room), and when Artie reads the reviews from The Muckraker, he is thrilled about all the positive comments.Hunter) has left a laptop with a message.
Later on, during Glee practice, he agrees with Kitty's comment: "God is the only superhero," in which she responds with "Nobody asked you." He is also smiling during Kitty's and Marley's rendition of Holding Out for a Hero, and taken by surprise to find Kitty's whip around his neck hidden in his dreads. During Sam and Blaine's duet, Heroes, he helps New Directions paint over some graffiti on the side of the school building, and takes part in the little paint fight.
In a lunch room scene, he comes in Jake's defense, along with Becky, Artie, and Ryder. It was also mentioned that he took part with New Directions in making the pouch for Finn. At the end of the episode, Joe has a solo part in Some Nights, and cheers with the rest of New Directions.
Joe is seen first having fun with the New Directions while Marley has her voiceover. When Finn presents last year's alumni to the New Directions' newbies, he looks pleased. After that, he is seen chatting with Blaine in the background. When Finn presents the song of choice for Sectionals, Gangnam Style, he doesn't seem content and asks if there was any way Mr. Schue could come back, only to be interrupted by Finn.
As he dances led by Mike with the other New Direction boys in dance rehearsals, Sam tells him to wear shoes so he wouldn't step on his toes. Before Sectionals, he leads a prayer circle with a verse from Isaiah dedicated to the new members of the New Directions: "So do not fear, for I am with you, Do not be dismayed, I will strengthen you I will uphold you with my righteous hand.." At Sectionals, he performs Gangnam Style with the rest of the club, and is seen rushing to Marley as she faints on stage.
When Marley faints during the competition number Gangnam Style, she is quickly rushed into the choir room, and Joe says he'll go get her mom. When Finn and Mr. Schue announce the secondary plans of the New Directions, he is disappointed because they have no more competitions. Like almost everyone in the Glee Club, he has moved on, and has joined the William McKinley High School's Interfaith Paintball league - "Where Christians, Jews, and Muslims can shoot at each other safely." After he says this, a scene appears where paintballs are being shot at him repeatedly by a Jew and a Muslim, and after, they hug. He is later seen when Finn announces that Glee is not over, and that they have another rehearsal. He is one of the last few to leave the auditorium. At the end, he is seen singing in Don't Dream It's Over with the other New Directions members.
When Artie has his dream, as he tries to reunite the Glee Club, he presents 'glee' with the number Feliz Navidad. As he sings it, he stumbles upon Joe, and plays with his dreads, which bothers Joe a bit.He is then seen with fellow New Directions members at the first and last meeting of the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse Club held and lead by Brittany and Sam. Brittany also says what she thinks of Joe which is "You haven't made much of an impression to me and I don't really know what your deal is," wherein Joe is quite hurt.
He is then part of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. During the number, he is delighted once Becky releases the fake snow, and he carries Kitty around. He is part of the group hug at the end of the number with Kitty, Ryder, and Marley.
Joe is first seen in the episode watching Tina sing I Don't Know How to Love Him. As the number progresses to Tina going to Blaine, he along with the other glee club members seems to be puzzled. When Blaine rejects her, like everyone else, he seems a bit taken aback. He is also seen watching the girls perform Tell Him.
During the Sadie Hawkins dance, he sings No Scrubs with Artie, Sam, Blaine, Ryder, and Jake. He does not take a date with him to the dance, meaning no one has asked. But when the Too Young to be Bitter club is encouraged by Coach Beiste to go ask their dates out, Joe is asked by Lauren, and surprisingly he says yes. They dance during Locked Out of Heaven. He is then seen on the stage again as a back up vocalist for Ryder's rendition of I Only Have Eyes for You.
He is first seen in the choir room, and when Finn announces that they are back and okay to perform at Regionals this year thanks to the efforts of Blaine and Sam, he claps with the whole Glee Club. When Finn also announces that they need to raise money for Regionals, Joe makes an offer saying he could cut off his hair and sell it for extra cash. Kitty retorts, disliking the idea. Once a Twilight reference is raised in the choir room, Wade asks Joe "Team Jacob?" and Joe replies happily with a high-five to Wade. When Tina mentions her idea to raise money by making a Men of McKinley calendar, he is amused by it. He also attends Sam's seminar for "bro-ga." He is then part of the number Centerfold/Hot in Herre.He then poses for Mr. April and Mr. May for the Men of McKinley calendar. When Tina suggests to bring in more people for one shot in the calendar, Joe volunteers, but then Sam says he doesn't want Joe in the picture, and Joe is taken aback and says, "I'm as God made me, dude." He then performs This Is The New Year alongside the New Directions.
Joe is back, and has recovered from bird flu. When Artie introduces his offer on the winners of the assignment roles in his movie, he and the New Directions are wowed. He sings and dances along during the performance of Shout. Then he performs Old Time Rock & Roll/Danger Zone along with the boys. At the end he says "You can't handle the truth!" thinking it was Tom Cruise's line, but is then corrected by Jake that the line was mentioned by Jack Nicholson. He then enjoys the girls' rendition of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend/Material Girl. He later accompanies Mr. Schue when singing In Your Eyes to Emma. When Mr. Schue announces the winners of the mash-up competition to being all of them, he, along with the others, is in disbelief. At the end of the episode we see him performing Footloose with the rest of the club.
When Mr. Schuester asks where Sugar and Joe are, they suddenly enter the room and Sugar says "Present, Mr. Schue!" Right before Regionals, he joins the show circle, and is happy when Brittany says she has an early admission to MIT. When Brittany continues her speech, saying that Mr. Schue is like their dad, he is amused along with the other New Directions members. He corrects Brittany when she calls him Jim.
During Regionals, he sings in Hall of Fame, dances in I Love It, and provides back up in All or Nothing. When the winners are announced, he and the rest of the New Directions seem very happy about their win. After Regionals, he joins the New Directions for Will and Emma's surprise wedding.
Sue mentions how some Glee Club members come and go for weeks without an explanation, and how the school has an abysmal attending record, referring to Sugar and Joe.
When talking to Artie and Tina, Sue once again mentions how some Glee Club members disappear for months without an explanation, referring to Sugar and Joe.
With him, Brittany, and Sugar absent from the team, Sam has recruited three Cheerios to replace them at Nationals. However, Joe is seen in flashbacks of Finn during the New Directions performance of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For at Nationals.
When Will confronts Sue in her office, she mentions how some Glee Club members were neglected by him such as, "that gross kid with the dreadlocks", referring to Joe.
The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester
While Geraldo Rivera is interviewing Sue, he shows her the views of some former McKinley students, and Joe is present. They all say the despicable things she has done to them and Joe mentions how she cut his dreads off, explaining the new haircut.
Joe returned in I Lived performance in 2020 as the re-dedication of the auditorium. He, with Unique and Ryder, shows up last out of the other characters. The three of them enter from the back of the stage. He joins the rest of the cast singing the song.
SongsTotal = 11
- Duets
- Solos (In a Group Number)
|Season One
|Solos with
|Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
|Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
|Finn and Puck
|Stereo Hearts
|Mercedes, Quinn and Sam
|Mercedes, Quinn, and Sam
|Night Fever
|Saturday Night Glee-ver
|Blaine and Will
|What Makes You Beautiful
|Artie, Mike, Rory, and Sam
- Solos (In a Group Number)
|Season Two
|Solos with
|Britney 2.0
|Sam and Tina
|Some Nights
|Dynamic Duets
|Blaine, Jake, Kitty, Marley, Ryder, Sam, and Tina
|No Scrubs
|Sadie Hawkins
|Artie, Blaine, Ryder, and Sam
|Girls (and Boys) on Film
|Artie and Sam
|Hall of Fame
|All or Nothing
|Artie, Jake, Ryder, and Sam
- In the original script for Heart, his name was listed as Apollo. Early reports said he was to be Puck's cousin.
- He's the only character played by a Glee Project winner who didn't get any solos.
- Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen stated that they wanted a storyline with Dianna Agron or Heather Morris. McGinty went on to have a storyline with Morris, and Larsen went on to have one with Agron.
- Joe was written out of the show without explanation at the start of Season Five, however he has returned in Season Six at The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester.
- His dreads were cut off by Sue (The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester).
- Main article: Joe's Quotations
|New Directions
|Emma Pillsbury • Finn Hudson • Holly Holliday • Kurt Hummel • Rachel Berry • Sam Evans • Will Schuester
|Alistair • Jane Hayward • Madison McCarthy • Mason McCarthy • Myron Muskovitz • Spencer Porter
|Artie Abrams • Blaine Anderson • Brittany Pierce • Quinn Fabray • Finn Hudson • Kitty Wilde • Kurt Hummel • Mercedes Jones • Mike Chang • Noah Puckerman • Rachel Berry • Roderick Meeks • Sam Evans • Santana Lopez • Skylar • Tina Cohen-Chang • Unique Adams
|Former Members
|April Rhodes • Joe Hart • Jesse St. James • Lauren Zizes • Matt Rutherford • Rory Flanagan • Sugar Motta • Sunshine Corazon • Marley Rose • Jake Puckerman • Ryder Lynn
|New Directions Boys • New Directions Girls • Dalton Academy Warblers • Sue Sylvester • Dakota Stanley • Bassist • Drummer

subset: commoncrawl


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I treated my credit card as my emergency fund.
In late 2004, the brakes failed (in a nearly catastrophic fashion) on my 1997 Ford F150. For whatever reason, the brake cylinders chose to collapse as I was attempting to stop at a stoplight. I nearly caused a very large accident, but I managed to get stopped after swerving into another lane and running a red light.
The repair bill was pretty significant – about $300 more than I currently had in my checking account. I remember standing there flipping through the four or five credit cards I had at the time, trying to figure out which one had enough available credit to cover that bill.
Avoiding Using Credit Cards Irresponsbly
Personal finance 101 would have kept me out of this situation, but I didn't have enough sense to have planned a bit for this brake problem. Instead, I believed that having some credit available on a credit card was just as good as an emergency fund.
That's just horrible, horrible planning.
Why Using a Credit Card as an Emergency Fund is Poor Planning
Let's say, on average, I have a major emergency that costs $1,000 once a year in my life. A car breaks down. A job is lost. A family member is ill and you need a plane ticket. There are countless emergencies that can happen in life, so I'm just using that $1,000 once a year emergency as an example.
If you sock away $20 a week into a savings account earning 1% interest, you'll have that $1,000 once a year when you need it. The brakes aren't a concern, nor is that emergency flight you have to take. Plus, you'll earn a small amount of interest on that money – $5 to $10.
If you just spend that $20 a week on something unnecessary – and that's what you will spend it on, because almost everyone has $20 worth of fat in their weekly budget – when the emergency comes, you're putting that $1,000 on a credit card. At that point, you're now making $80 a month payments on that credit card instead of socking it away. Even worse, you're paying 20% interest or so on that credit card, meaning that over the course of the year, you'll have to make two or three extra $80 payments just to cover the interest. And while you're making those $80 payments, you're not socking away $20 a week for the next emergency, so when that next one hits, you repeat the cycle. You're giving away $200 a year to the credit card companies and forgoing some savings account interest as well.
We're not even talking about the extra risks of relying on credit cards. What happens if the emergency hits and you've already got a hefty balance on your cards? What if the bank lowers your credit limit and then suddenly your transmission falls apart?
None of these risks – and countless others – apply if you simply have a cash emergency fund.
What I Could Have Done Differently
My first mistake was not having a cash emergency fund, of course. This put me up for all kinds of risks, ones that came to a head with my own financial meltdown in early 2006 when I could no longer pay my bills.
The second mistake, tied directly into this mess, was carrying a balance on my credit cards. Credit cards are a great tool, but they're really only useful if you don't carry a balance forward from month to month on them. If you start carrying a balance, you're going to pay dearly for that balance in the form of very, very high interest rates.
Add the two together and you're running on pure borrowed time, hoping that you don't ever have more than one or two emergencies at once. Because when that happens, you're going to find yourself in a bad place, with damaged credit, banks harassing you for their money, and a big helping of added stress in your life.
How You Can Avoid Falling Into this Trap
First, don't carry a credit card balance. I think credit cards are a fine tool to have if you can use them responsibly, and responsible credit card use means never carrying a balance. How do you do that? Never put anything on that card that you don't have the money in your checking or savings account to cover.
Second, start building a cash emergency fund. The easiest way to do that is to set up an automatic savings plan. Open a savings account at a particular bank of your choice, then set up an automatic transfer from your checking account to that savings account. $20 a week is a healthy place to start because after a year, you'll have $1,040 in your account (plus some more thanks to interest). Use that cash when something unexpected gobsmacks you.
The biggest thing, though, is to recognize that emergencies happen – and they happen more often than most people think. Our minds do a fantastic job of making our crazy disorderly lives seem pleasant and ordered. The biggest crisis in the world seems like nothing more than a speed bump after a little bit of time. Allowing yourself to be comforted by this and thus using that comfort as a reason not to build an emergency fund is one of the biggest personal finance mistakes that people make.


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Splash Brewster,NY Customers Speak up on the Patch
Winter is here, and even though we haven't seen many flurries beyond the freak October storm, it's only a matter of time before salt and gray snow cover the roads.
So the question was, Brewster and Southeast residents, where do you go to get a car wash when your vehicle needs a break from winter? Do you frequent Mt. Maya, Splash or someplace else (maybe a spot in Mahopac, or Danbury) entirely?
This was the ninth installment of our Rivals feature, where Patch asks readers to visit Patch Places and share their thoughts on which featured business they like best.
We're were not asking you to be professional critics. Just vote and share a thought or two on what you like (or don't like) about the selected places — and maybe even tell us which service is your favorite.
Here are the results:
Splash Car Wash 35 (68%)
Mt. Maya Car Wash & Quick Lube 12 (23%)
Other 4 (7%)
Total votes: 51
And here are some of the nice things you said about us:
CK - Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Splash Car Wash is fast and easy to get to. Never had a problem there. Very clean and professional.
buttons - Wednesday, January 11, 2012
splash guys are always on top of things
maura carranza - Friday, January 13, 2012
i love the Splash crew they re very profesional and so is the job that they do!!!! great customer service.... splash carwash in brewster is just the BEST any where you go!!!!!!!


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Recommendation: Vigorous efforts to track terrorist financing must remain front and center in U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The government has recognized that information about terrorist money helps us to understand their networks, search them out, and disrupt their operations. Intelligence and law enforcement have targeted the relatively small number of financial facilitators�individuals al Qaeda relied on for their ability to raise and deliver money�at the core of al Qaeda�s revenue stream. These efforts have worked. The death or capture of several important facilitators has decreased the amount of money available to al Qaeda and has increased its costs and difficulty in raising and moving that money. Captures have additionally provided a windfall of intelligence that can be used to continue the cycle of disruption.
Recommendation: Targeting travel is at least as powerful a weapon against terrorists as targeting their money. The United States should combine terrorist travel intelligence, operations, and law enforcement in a strategy to intercept terrorists, find terrorist travel facilitators, and constrain terrorist mobility.


text:
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — The wildest week in NFL history had one more twist at the end and it means football is off limits again.
The NFL locked out its players Friday night after its first legal victory in the fight with the players over the future of the $9 billion business.
The players who showed up smiling and relieved to be back at work Friday morning are now cooling their heels. The ups and downs of the day — and the weeks and months of this labor dispute — may be taking their toll with the first preseason game little more than three months away.
"It's crazy and it's really, really making it difficult to plan," Bengals quarterback Jordan Palmer said. "It's just really hectic. Everybody I've talked to is very thrown off by the situation."
Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski vented on Twitter: "Gosh I just wanna get back to work and play! I feel bad for our fans having to put up with this."
The day began with dozens, if not hundreds, of players reporting to team facilities all over the league. They met with coaches, picked up playbooks and went through workouts for the first time since they were locked out after talks for a new collective bargaining agreement broke down March 11.
"From the players' standpoint I think everybody is pleased we're not locked out anymore, especially the rookies," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said on CNBC in his first public comments about the dispute since he became a plaintiff in the still-pending federal antitrust lawsuit filed against the owners.
Not so fast, Tom.
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's order lifting the 45-day lockout on Monday was temporarily stayed by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. The NFL made its decision a few hours later.
Teams "have been told that the prior lockout rules are reinstated effective immediately," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told The Associated Press.
Agent Peter Schaffer said he has advised his clients to abide by the court's ruling.
"You can't have convenient justice," Schaffer said. "Whatever the ruling of the day is, it must be followed. So I have told my players to stay away from the facilities."
The appeals court is expected to rule next week on the NFL's request for a more permanent stay that would last through its appeal of Nelson's injunction, a process expected to take 6-8 weeks.
"Nobody's happy about any of this," Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "But it is what it is. The lockout is back into effect."
Teams had announced plans for organized practices and camps as early as next week, but those have again been put on hold.
"Chaotic," Vikings receiver Bernard Berrian wrote on Twitter. "I dunno where to go."
Coaches and general managers scrambled to bring their first-round picks in on Friday during what proved to be a brief window of time. They started to give the youngsters crash courses in what they wanted them to work on in the event that the lockout does drag on into the summer.
Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said teams had no choice but to "go with the flow."
"It was good to see the players today, great to see some of those guys, and wish it would have lasted a little longer," Ireland said.
The NFL's victory came in a venue considered more favorable to businesses than the federal courts in Minnesota, though it was a narrow one. The 2-1 decision from a panel of the 8th Circuit included a lengthy dissent from Judge Kermit Bye, who suggested temporary stays should be issued only in emergencies.
"The NFL has not persuaded me this is the type of emergency situation which justifies the grant of a temporary stay," Bye wrote.
Jim Quinn, the lead attorney for the players, downplayed Friday's order and was heartened by the dissent.
"Routine grant of stay and totally expected," he said. "The only surprise is that Judge Bye is so strongly against giving them even a tiny stay because the league obviously can't show it is necessary."
Agents were concerned with how undrafted rookies will find work with teams unable to sign free agents after the draft concludes on Saturday.
"The owners will create a huge injustice to their own GMs and personnel departments if they don't allow the signing of undrafted free agents," said agent Joe Linta, whose clients include Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. "They may not care about the players, but they should at least help their own scouts, coaches and personnel people who have worked so hard in the scouting process."
The volatile atmosphere is rocking a league that thrives on routine and stability, and it doesn't figure to settle down soon.
"It seems like you hear something different almost hourly," Lions defensive end and player rep Kyle Vanden Bosch said. "This is a difficult situation for everybody involved."
Attorneys for the players had argued against a stay of Nelson's order, suggesting that the public and the players, with their short careers, are at far more risk when the business is stalled.
"Professional football is part of the fabric of American life," the attorneys wrote. "Because the uncontroverted record of evidence shows that the 2011 season could be canceled or significantly curtailed without an injunction in place, a stay may deprive the public of professional football altogether."
Said Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver: "It'd be great to have everybody back in the building, but the real thing is we've got to get back to the negotiating table and get a CBA."
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Note: if the class is overfilled, then you will be wait-listed. You will be contacted should this occur.
Black Hat Federal Training 2003
The Sheraton Premiere at Tyson's Corner, September 29-30, 2003
All course materials, lunch and two coffee breaks will be provided. A Black Hat Certificate of Completion will be offered.
Course Length: 2 days
Cost: US $2000 on or before September 5, 2003, or US $2200 after September 5, 2003
NOTE: this is a two day course. A Black Hat Certificate of Completion will be offered. All equipment and materials will be provided to you.
Just yourself! All tools and materials will be provided to you.
WetStone Technologies, Inc., Security Horizon and Black Hat are proud to announce the availability of their Steganography Investigator Training Course. This two-day course provides detailed information and hands-on practice for individuals responsible for investigating the suspected use of digital steganography. Upon completion of the course, students can expect to have detailed background information about the latest steganography tools, the knowledge necessary to conduct a thorough investigation and the ability to present their findings in a court of law.
Students will first be given an overview of steganography to include how it is used by criminals and terrorists. They will learn about best-of-breed technologies and how they embed information in both digital image and audio carriers. Unique to this course is that students will have the opportunity to work with a number of these tools, allowing them to become familiar with what is available and how they may be used in the unauthorized transmission of information. Once the foundation is established, the course goes on to teach investigative strategies, techniques and tools that will assist in the discovery and preservation of evidence. Both forensic and web-based investigative methods will be covered. The course ends with an exercise in which students will be required to report their findings in a courtroom presentation.
This course is hands-on and allows students to use tools and techniques employed by criminals to hide information as well as the methods and strategies necessary to discover and present this as evidence. All hardware and software will be provided and students will receive a copy of course materials and steganography tools. Students will also have the option to purchase WetStone Technologies steganography detection products at a special Black Hat conference price. A certificate of completion will be awarded at the end of the course.
Students will be required to have basic computer skills and knowledge of the Windows environment. They will be subject to a background verification prior to final acceptance into the course. Students are not required to provide any materials.
Who should attend?
Cost: US $2000 on or before September 5, 2003, or US $2200 after September 5, 2003
NOTE: this is a two day course. A Black Hat Certificate of Completion will be offered.
Chet Hosmer is a co-founder, and the President and CEO of WetStone Technologies, Inc. He has over 25 years of experience in developing high technology software and hardware products, and during the last 15 years, has focused on research and development of information security technologies. His specialty areas include: secure time, intrusion detection and response, and cyber forensics.
Chet is a co-chair of the Technology Working Group, one of the seven working groups of the National Institute of Justice's Electronic Crime and Terrorism Partnership Initiative. He is also the Director of the Computer Forensics Research and Development Center of Utica College. Chet is a member of the IEEE and the ACM, and holds a B.S. Degree in Computer Science from Syracuse University.


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COVER- The Fast and the furious: New gym says slashing your workout time can make you fitter
When Kwame Burroughs opened Quick Gym on Water Street in 2007, some people laughed at his claims of fitness in just four minutes a day using his specialized equipment, a machine called the ROM that combines elements of rowing and pedaling. After all, anyone with any sense knows that fitness claims that sound too good to be true probably are too good to be true– "Ab Energizer," anyone?
In early July– more than two years after opening with great enthusiasm– a deflated Burroughs packed up his ROM machines and closed up shop, a victim, he says, of tough economic times. But in a painfully ironic twist, less than a week before his closing, the New York Times published an online article suggesting that Burroughs was right all along: new research shows that very high intensity exercise performed for just a few minutes each week confers greater fitness benefit than moderate exercise performed for hours.
While the article came too late to bolster Burroughs' business, it might quiet the naysayers who doubted the concept. It could also provide a powerful boost for another new gym that opened in early July– the same week Burroughs closed– promising huge fitness results in a fraction of the time of a standard workout.
Fast, however, doesn't mean easy, and workouts that are short on time can be long on controversy.
Not just any workout
There are grunts and groans, punctuated by the occasional scream. There's the deep clatter of massive barbells falling to the ground as the Black Eyed Peas blast over the sound system. And above it all are the shouts of trainers, whipping their charges into a fitness frenzy.
"Come on! You can go faster! One more! Keep it going!"
Red-faced participants pant and yowl, some collapse mid-push-up then strain to complete just one more set. It sounds like military training– and there are definite similarities– but there are no uniformed drill sergeants here.
This is CrossFit, a training program that promises body transforming results in workouts as short as six minutes. Since it was founded in California a decade ago by a former gymnast named Greg Glassman, the CrossFit phenomenon has spread across the country building a cult-like devotion among followers, who post videos of themselves performing feats of strength and speed on various CrossFit blogs and YouTube.
There are currently approximately 1,000 affiliates worldwide, and Charlottesville's is among the most recent to open, tucked in a small warehouse space in the old National Linen building at the corner of Market Street and Carlton Avenue.
"We offer workouts, not waterfalls," laughs CrossFit Charlottesville founder Kyle Redinger, referring to the gym's spartan atmosphere as compared to the luxurious ambience at other fitness facilities such as ACAC.
Indeed, it's not hard to believe that no interior designer was consulted before the opening of this gym. Along one white wall of the narrow CrossFit space, a former loading dock, are metal bars for pull-ups and several sets of gymnastics rings hanging from the ceiling. There are barbell bars and massive plates in a front corner, wooden boxes, medicine balls, and kettle balls– weighted metal balls with a handle– in a back room . Several rowing machines stand on end near the rear of the main space. That's about it– and that's no accident.
CrossFit workouts are designed to follow "functional" movements, i.e. those you actually use during the day for tasks like picking up heavy boxes, reaching for something on a high shelf, or even sitting on the toilet. You don't use fancy machines during your regular life, so it follows– at least according to CrossFit theory– that you don't need fancy machines to get in shape. The other key elements of CrossFit: the exercises are constantly varied and performed at a high intensity. Make that very high.
Redinger, who co-founded boutique investment business DeParis Redinger but may be best known as the founder of Charlottesville social gossip site cvillain.com, started CrossFit with three partners after a friend introduced him to the workouts last summer.
"I couldn't believe how fast my strength and conditioning increased," says Redinger, 26, a self-described long time "gym rat," who now thinks back to his days on traditional cardio and weight equipment and wonders how he stood it. "I'd be so bored now!" he exclaims.
Boredom generally isn't a problem in CrossFit, which the New York Times dubbed "God's Workout" in a 2008 article that explored the culture behind it– and the zealotry that often accompanies it.
The program, for instance, has its own language, something that may have helped build its cultish following. CrossFit gyms are known as a "box." And each day, members of any given CrossFit affiliate follow the same WOD (workout of the day). Many of these routines have innocuous sounding female names– Cindy, Mary, Linda. These are not dainty ladies, however. In fact, they're malicious minxes set on causing searing pain.
The Cindy workout, for example, demands as many rounds as possible of five pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats. Over and over again for 20 minutes, no stopping even when your muscles are screaming. Mary demands five handstand push-ups, 10 one-legged squats, and 15 pull-ups, repeated in rounds for 20 minutes.
Other WODs call for a certain number of exercises performed as fast as possible– "burpees" are a common one and involve rapidly going from a standing position to a push-up, then leaping up to finish with an overhead clap. Squats paired with 400-meter sprints leave quadriceps burning and shaking. The deadlift– in which an individual lifts a large weight from the ground to a standing position– also makes frequent appearances in various workouts.
If the workout "ladies" aren't very nice, neither are the CrossFit mascots– two clowns named Pukey and Uncle Rhabdo, the latter named for Rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous condition that can strike following extreme exercise in which ruptured muscle cells spill their contents into the blood stream, causing kidneys to shut down.
A Times article shares the story of Brian Anderson, a former Navy Seal who suffered the condition after his very first CrossFit workout. After six days in intensive care and months of recuperating, Anderson returned to CrossFit. "I see pushing my body to the point where the muscles destroy themselves as a huge benefit of CrossFit," he told the Times.
These tales of workout-induced near-death coupled with Glassman's unapologetic style–"If you find the notion of falling off the rings and breaking your neck so foreign to you, then we don't want you in our ranks," Glassman told the Times– have created an image of CrossFit that Redinger says he's trying hard to dispel.
"The macho, puking Navy Seal image scares people away," he admits, noting that at the Charlottesville affiliate, there's "a much more democratic view of people who want to get fit."
Indeed, on recent days there have been a variety of people– many of them women– giving CrossFit a try.
Twenty-four-year-old Jocelyn Scherr showed up for one of the free workouts CrossFit is offering on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, then joined with a friend.
"It didn't take a big chunk of my day," says Scherr, "and after doing it once, I could definitely feel it."
A runner who is hoping to complete a half-marathon this winter, Scherr also responded to Redinger's explanation that cross training can improve performance in specific sports in a way that traditional training simply can't, by strengthening all muscles, not just those used in that sport. Runners, for instance, won't build upper body strength logging miles on the road.
Redinger insists even those of moderate fitness level can do CrossFit– although he acknowledges the risk of injury from improperly performed exercises is real, hence the need for supervision by trainers.
"We make sure the workout's attainable," he says, noting that he and all his trainers are certified through CrossFit. "We obviously know that not everyone can do a 95-pound shoulder press or 225-pound deadlift." Anyone who joins CrossFit is put through three one-hour "foundations" classes, during which a trainer teaches proper form for exercises like the deadlift– a move that can be devastating to the lower back if performed improperly.
"Keep your chest up, maintain your lumbar curve!" Redinger instructs as this reporter, a 37-year-old mother of two who accepted Redinger's challenge to complete three-months of CrossFit, tries the move. Following the introductory classes, those just starting out on exercise are given "scaled" workouts until they build up the strength and endurance to complete the prescribed routine.
"Over time, you'll see improvement in that one workout. I guarantee, you'll do better on the second try," says Redinger. "That's the crazy awesome thing about it is it really works."
There's also the competitive nature of the endeavor: the workouts are generally completed in groups of five to eight with a trainer monitoring. Times are written on a white board, and Charlottesville members are encouraged to track their scores online at the gym's blog, Crossfitcharlottesville.com. But while it's competitive, it's not cutthroat. Topping the list of CrossFit rules written on a dry erase board near the entrance: "No Egos."
"We encourage athletes to be competitive," says Redinger, "and if they finish first, we'd prefer to see them cheering on their comrades instead of checking their scores."
There's one non-fitness-related hurdle a would-be CrossFitter must leap: the cost of membership, which– after an introductory special expires– will range from $80 per month for students or public service employees (police, fire, EMTs or military) to $600 for a six-month commitment paid in full. At $100 per month, that's $20 more per month than ACAC, already one of the priciest gyms in town.
And don't all gyms offer some form of cross training anyway?
At ACAC, for example, there are several sports conditioning classes each week– grueling one-hour affairs that have participants sprinting, doing push-ups, squats, jumping rope. That offering is in addition to yoga, pilates, swimming, cardio machines, weights, and countless other classes all included in the monthly membership fee.
"Boot camp style workouts are big right now" says ACAC vice president Amanda Harris, who says she's aware of new research supporting short, intense exercise sessions. "There are people that enjoy it and aren't getting hurt. Others," she says, "are going to find it's too hard if they're not fit enough to handle that kind of load. We're not going to force someone deconditioned to do the hardest workout we have."
Gold's Gym General Manager Daniel Harper says he, too, is familiar with CrossFit, but he believes the variety offered at his club trumps the simplicity of the CrossFit regime. In addition, he says, certified trainers help members design workouts that fit their lifestyles.
"We look at the whole big picture," Harper says. " Before we put a workout program together, we want to look at how active is your job, do you walk your dog? Then we design a workout around that." Recently, Harper says, Gold's trainers designed a workout routine for a local band that incorporated their need for camaraderie and variety. In addition to gym time, "we suggested playing flag football on the weekends," he says.
Redinger, however, points out that a CrossFit membership comes with something that would cost hundreds of dollars per month at either ACAC or Gold's: small group personal training, not just as a one-time sign-up benefit, but at every workout.
It's perhaps the perk that convinced Scherr her money would be well-spent at CrossFit.
"I don't think I would go that hard on my own," Scherr notes two weeks after signing up.
Not for everyone
There's little doubt, according to one local researcher, that if one follows CrossFit to the letter, significant results will follow.
"There is an emerging body of literature that indicates that high intensity exercise provides greater benefit than low intensity exercise," writes Arthur Weltman, director of UVA's exercise physiology program, in an email. He notes that research being conducted at UVA is giving similar results.
The research cited in the New York Times article was conducted at McMaster University in Ontario and involved two groups of healthy college students. One group rode a stationary bike for 90 to 120 minutes at a sustainable pace, three times a week. The other group rode the bike at the highest resistance they could stand for 20-30 seconds, followed by four minutes of rest. They repeated that cycle four to six times, three times a week.
Results of the research, also documented at the McMaster University website, showed that both groups equally improved their cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength even though one group had exercised a total of six minutes a week and the other group a total of six hours.
Extensive research conducted in both Norway and Japan offers similar conclusions. High-intensity interval training gives the best results. Known as Tabata intervals, named for the Japanese researcher who first studied them, they make frequent appearances in CrossFit WODs.
But Weltman points out that saving time might not provide enough impetus for some to trade their traditional moderate workouts for something like CrossFit.
"The exercise intensity used in these studies are supramaximal and very uncomfortable," Weltman notes.
Could the extreme discomfort of truly high intensity workouts– even though they're very brief– have contributed to Quick Gym's closure?
ROM lives on
For Kwame Burroughs, the decision to close Quick Gym wasn't because he lost faith in his ROM machine.
"I saw people who'd come in on a regular basis, work out four minutes and stay in shape," he says. "I think they were pretty darn pleased about that."
But tough economic times didn't translate to a solid membership base.
"I began to notice it last year," he says, "I had members who lost jobs, had to declare bankruptcy, people cutting back on discretionary spending."
Burroughs, charging about $60 a month, wasn't the only ROM act in town, as it turns out. Personal trainer Pat Foy, husband of WINA radio personality Jane Foy, opened up his own ROM workout facility, Fastway Fitness, in the Rio Hill Kroger six months after Burroughs opened his business. While memberships have slowed some, Foy says that demand remains, and he believes it will grow as more people accept that short bursts of high intensity exercise really do the trick.
"I'm 72, and I can do aything I want to do physically," says Foy, who before discovering the ROM, had been exercising six to eight hours a week and working as a personal trainer.
"I have a whole lot of members who are pleased with changes in their bodies, who are generally happier," says Foy, who recommends his clients do both upper and lower body routines– a total of eight minutes– three times a week. Thanks to his location, those clients can multi-task, picking up groceries in the same location as their workouts.
Even Foy admits those four to eight minutes aren't fun, something that's deterred some of those who've considered joining.
Getting new members is "always a struggle, particularly in these economic conditions," he says. "There are people who A), don't believe it, and B), find it too difficult."
Those aren't the only reasons the ROM isn't for everyone.
Physician Bill Fox joined Quick Gym when it opened on Water Street back in March 2007, curious, he said at the time, to see if he could maintain his fitness level using the ROM and save hours every week. He remained a member for several months, he now says, then returned to ACAC– but not because the ROM didn't work.
"I maintained my fitness level," he says, praising the machine, "but I missed the variety."
Variety, says Redinger, is perhaps the number one difference between CrossFit and the ROM. And it's not the only one.
The ROM is, by its nature, a solitary exercise. CrossFit, on the other hand, is an intense community in which you compete not only against yourself but against others. Annual CrossFit Games pit members from the various CrossFit gyms across the country against each other in events of strength, speed, and agility. Even regular workouts feel like team training rather than gym sessions. CrossFit members are welcome to drop in for workouts at any affliate across the country without being charged. And those who can't afford to pay the membership can perform the workouts at home and are still welcome to post their results on the message boards.
That sense of community, Redinger believes, sets CrossFit apart and will attract a certain type of individual to its ranks.
At a recent afternoon session at the CrossFit gym a group of athletes (a term used loosely here, since this reporter was a member) gather to warm up.
"I'm always nervous before a workout," admits CrossFit co-owner Francesco DeParis, as others in the group nod their heads in agreement. Butterflies prior to CrossFit workouts are common, like those felt by athletes prior to competition. Less than 15 minutes later, however, the butterflies are gone, and the grueling workout is complete. DeParis and the others are soaked in sweat, their muscles shaking. But all are smiling as they exchange high fives.
"That hurt!" says one with a laugh as she prepares to leave.
But not before promising to return the next day.
Are these the new faces of fitness? CrossFit Charlottesville owners Francesco DeParis, Chris Obenshain, Kyle Redinger, and Landon Perdue.
Could you do a handstand push-up?
Exercising regularly is "as much mental as it is physical," says ACAC vice president Amanda Harris. "If you don't enjoy working out, it's not going to work for you."
We can do crossfit style workouts combined with kickboing, combined with spinning," says Gold's General Manager Daniel Harper.
Two and a half years after opening Quick Gym, Kwame Burroughs shut down his business– the same week research supporting his claims was published in the New York Times.
The ROM is still available in Charlottesville thanks to Pat Foy's Fastway Fitness in the Rio Hill Kroger. Here, Foy instructs Philip Jould on the machine's proper use.
Ultrafit: Sarah Daley does pull-ups at CrossFit. That exercise and others can be modified for those unable complete them.
4 comments
So...I was intrigued by the bit on J's Gym, and went by there today (Monday), and...it's gone! Equipment gone, nobody answering the phone, website not functioning...
So...where'd he go?
J's Gym had a planned move and the new address is 243 Whitewood Rd. across from albemarle high school. Call 923.0497
My God, Sarah Daley! Are you single? Can you put her on the cover every week, please?
i went to nursery school with sarah.. now we both do crossfit.. pretty crazy


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The Department of Anthropology, National University of Mongolia, is one of the first recipients of the Institutional Development Grant. It currently is in the last year of this five year grant. Read about the developments that have taken place in the Department.
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South Western is upgrading its Class 442 trains to AC operation with improved environmental efficiency through regenerative braking.
Kiepe Electric UK has been awarded a contract by First MTR South Western Trains to carry out traction upgrade and refurbishment works on 18 Class 442 trains to be operated on the South Western Railway franchise between London and Portsmouth.
The refurbished units will start to enter service from December 2018. The traction upgrade element will see the existing DC traction equipment replaced with state-of-the-art AC equipment incorporating IGBT (insulated-gate bipolar transistor) technology from Kiepe Electric Düsseldorf. This upgrade will increase the reliability and efficiency of the trains by removing the life expired equipment.
In conjunction with the new traction equipment, a new braking system from Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems will be installed which will improve the environmental performance of the trains and lower operating costs by enabling regenerative braking. The refurbishment will include new seats and carpets with at seat power in all classes and table top charging facilities in 1st Class. The environmental benefits also extend to the vehicle interiors with the installation of LED lighting. Wifi will be provided throughout and disabled passengers will be catered for with universal accessible toilets and seating facilities.
"We are delighted to have been awarded this contract which follows on from other recent turnkey projects, including retraction projects, delivered in the UK", said Tim Jenkins, Managing Director Kiepe Electric UK Ltd. "It is a further testament to Kiepe Electric UK's skill, capability and flexible approach in supporting customers to improve their rolling stock through delivering complex turnkey projects".
Neil Drury, SWR Engineering Director said: "We are delighted to have appointed Kiepe Electric to carry out part of our planned £45m refurbishment and overhaul of our incoming Class 442 fleet of trains. Kiepe Electric has a proven track record in this field and we know that they will produce high quality, as-new trains for our customers which will include fully refurbished interiors, new information systems and improved performance."


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Daylight Backpack
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You can expect your TOM BIHN bag to give you years of hard service. Our bags are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the bag. That means if something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it at no charge.
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|Ultralight 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop exterior — or — 525 denier 2x2 bluesign® Ballistic nylon exterior
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400d Halcyon®/420d nylon ripstop: 12.3 oz / 349 grams
525d Ballistic: 15.4 oz / 436 grams
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1x 8-inch Black Webbing Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
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When it's time to go — to work, on a hike, or on a trip — our Daylight Backpack will be your solid, ultralight, and true companion. With a tablet or laptop and a light sweater/jacket, you're off to work, with room for a few last minute groceries on your way home. Or, pack a bit more clothing, a water bottle, and the other eight essentials: you're set for a hike. And because it's so light and packable (especially in the Halcyon version), you'll have it with you exploring the museums of D.C. or the shops of Paris.
The Daylight Backpack was born from our desire for a pack as light and as utilitarian as the Packing Cube Backpack, but refined to be more pack and less cube.
We initially struggled with wanting to add a padded back panel (we've all grown used to that comfort), but we were reluctant with this ultra-light design to add that additional weight and bulk. First we tried adding a thin pouch against the interior back of the pack in which you could stow a light sweater or other clothing; this would in effect create a padded back panel and protect your back from whatever hard things you might be carrying. When we tested that idea, we found that the soft clothing items drifted to the bottom of that pouch, leaving the top of your load unpadded. Gravity ultimately forced us to get clever, and instead of one tall pouch, the Daylight features two overlapping, open-top, elasticized interior pouches on the back panel. One gets your rain shell or windbreaker, the other a light sweater or down vest, beach towel, or change of socks. We've found that these shingled pouches encourage whatever you've put in there for padding to stay more or less in place, better protecting you from hard or pointy stuff in the rest of the pack.
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The Fascism Reader
Aristotle A. Kallis
Routledge, 2003 - Philosophy - 513 pages
The Fascism Reader is a fascinating and wide-ranging introduction to the complex nature, limits, aspects and dynamics of fascism as both ideology and practice. The book draws together classic and recent interpretations to trace the development of generic fascism.
Exploring fascism in all its diverse manifestations, this book discusses the classic examples of National Socialism in Germany and Fascism in Italy, as well as a series of less familiar movements and regimes, including the Iron Guard in Romania, the British Union of Fascists, Salazar's dictatorship in Portugal and Franco's regime in Spain. The Fascism Reader explores all the key aspects of fascism including:
A must for all students of European history, sociology and politics.
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References to this book
Genocide and Fascism: The Eliminationist Drive in Fascist Europe
Aristotle A. Kallis
No preview available - 2009
The Social Science Jargon Buster: The Key Terms You Need to Know
Zina O'Leary
Limited preview - 2007


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Jean Crump was one of several people involved in a scheme to bilk insurance companies by staging sham funerals while she worked at a Los Angeles mortuary, authorities said.
LOS ANGELES — A 70-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday to 1½ years in prison and ordered to pay more than $315,000 in restitution for defrauding insurers by faking deaths and staging sham funerals while she worked at a Los Angeles mortuary.
Jean Crump, 70, was one of several people involved in the elaborate scheme to bilk insurance companies out of $1.2 million, authorities said.
The group prepared bogus death certificates for at least two fictitious people, bought a burial plot and in one instance buried a casket in a phony funeral, authorities said.
Insurance policies were taken out on those who supposedly died. And when insurers investigated, Crump and her cohorts exhumed a coffin, filled it with a mannequin and cow parts and cremated it.
Crump was convicted last year of multiple counts of wire and mail fraud.
Prosecutors said Crump was responsible for doctoring the documents, including those that went to Los Angeles County stating remains were cremated and scattered at sea, even though no corpse existed.
"She was integral to the scheme," Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gelberg said.
In arguing for probation, defense attorney Stephanie Ames said her client played a small role in the scam and received only about $12,000 in illicit proceeds.
But U.S. District Judge William Keller wasn't swayed and believed Crump should serve some time behind bars for her crimes. He also gave her three years' supervised release.
"She never said, 'I'm sorry,' " Keller said. "She has shown no remorse, zero. To me, that is offensive."
Crump, dressed all in white and walking with a cane, declined to speak at the hearing.
Three others pleaded guilty to their roles in the scam, including phlebotomist Faye Shilling, who received a two-year prison sentence.


text:
IDC Servco to cease doing business in Georgia and pay $150K in restitution
ATLANTA, GA – John Sours, Administrator of the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection ("GOCP"), today announced that California-based office supply company G.N.M. Financial Services, Inc. d/b/a IDC Servco and Mytel International, Inc. ("IDC Servco"), and principal officer Gilbert Michaels, have entered into a settlement requiring them to pay $150,000 in restitution and $20,000 in penalties and investigative expenses to resolve allegations of unfair and deceptive practices in violation of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act.
Georgia customers complained that they received calls from IDC Servco indicating that the company was their normal office supplier and encouraging them to order ink and toner immediately because an imminent price increase was planned. In fact, IDC Servco was not the customers' normal office supplier and the planned "price increase" was allegedly just an attempt to create a false sense of urgency.
The GOCP investigation culminated in a settlement under which IDC Servco is required to refrain from falsely representing, directly or through its employees, agents, affiliated entities, or independent sales companies, to any current or potential Georgia customers that IDC Servco is associated in any way with the office supplier(s) with whom those persons have or have had an established business relationship. The settlement further requires IDC Servco to cease conducting office supply-related business in Georgia and to pay a $10,000 civil penalty and $10,000 in investigative and legal expenses. In addition, it must pay $150,000 to the State as a restitution trust fund for issuing refunds to eligible customers.
"We want our Georgia businesses to thrive and grow," says John Sours, Administrator of the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection. "These types of practices hurt legitimate businesses' bottom line. We hope this action will deter other companies from using deceptive marketing tactics."
Those who believe they may be entitled to compensation under the settlement can fill out a claim form and submit it to GOCP, along with supporting documentation. Claim forms must be postmarked, faxed or hand-delivered no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 12, 2014 in order to be considered for restitution.
In order to be eligible for restitution, the claim must meet the following requirements:
- The claim must involve a transaction with Georgia customers in which IDC Servco and/or others acting on their behalf, at their direction, or under a contractual arrangement with the company either marketed, sold, shipped, invoiced, or collected upon orders for office supplies during all or part of the time period between October 1, 2010 and December 13, 2013;
- the complaint must relate to an office supply transaction in which IDC Servco accepted orders when it knew or should have known that customers were under the false impression that that company was its normal office supplier, and/or continued to ship supplies and/or send invoices after receiving complaints regarding the misrepresentation; and
- the complainant must have suffered a verifiable out-of-pocket (monetary) loss.
Filing a Claim
Merchants or consumers can download a claim form here. Completed claims, along with supporting documentation, should be faxed to the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection at 404-651-9018 or sent via mail or overnight delivery, or hand-delivered, to:
Governor's Office of Consumer Protection
Attn: IDC Servco Restitution Program
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
Suite 356
Atlanta, GA 30334-9077
Claims must be postmarked or faxed no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 12, 2014.


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Syrian army helicopters bombarded the northern rebel-held town of Al-Bab for a second day on Sunday, killing 20 people including four women when they dropped improvised barrel bombs on a market district, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll could rise because many people were severely wounded in the raid, which came a day after 26 people were killed in a similar attack on the same town by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
The British-based Observatory said three rebels from the Tawhid Brigade were killed in Saturday's raid, which appeared to target their headquarters in Al-Bab.
Sunday's attack may have been aimed at another rebel group, it said. However, barrel bombs – explosive-filled cylinders or oil barrels – are usually rolled out of the back of helicopters and are rarely delivered with any accuracy.
The Observatory said 212 people were killed across Syria on Saturday, bringing the death toll since Thursday to over 600.
There is little sign that diplomacy will end the conflict and the fighting has, if anything, escalated since the United Nations announced on Monday that a long-delayed peace conference would be held in Geneva on January 22.
Video uploaded onto the Internet by activists in Al-Bab showed concrete fragments scattered over a street next to a destroyed building. In another, wires hung from the grey remains of a building, spilling onto the road.
The state news agency SANA said the army had destroyed "several terrorist dens" including the headquarters of one Islamist group.
The bombardment of Al-Bab, around 40 km (25 miles) north-east of the divided city of Aleppo, follows gains by Assad's forces on Aleppo's south-east approaches last month and could herald a similar ground offensive in the area.
It comes at a time of heavy fighting across the country, particularly around Aleppo, in the Qalamoun region which overlooks the main highway north from Damascus, and the eastern suburbs of the capital.
More than 100,000 people have been killed in the 2-1/2 year conflict, which has split the Middle East. Sunni Muslim powers such as Gulf Arab states and Turkey support the Sunni rebels, while Shi'ite Iran backs the Alawite president.
Since rebels threatened Damascus late last year, Assad has been consolidating his military power around the capital and in the centre of the country. His forces recaptured the town of Deir Attiyah on Thursday and have been trying to push rebels out of Nabak, which lies on the Damascus-Homs road.
The Observatory said a suicide bomber blew up a car at a police building near Nabak on Saturday night, killing five members of Assad's security forces.
State news agency SANA said rebel attacks on a gas pipeline linking Homs to the eastern energy-producing region of Deir al-Zor, and another attack on a gas field north of Palmyra, had halted a daily supply of 5.5 million cubic meters of gas.
It said the attacks would lead to a drop in fuel supply to electricity generating stations and an increase in electricity consumption rationing.