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|Safety & Rescue Courses
Skills Courses
A skills course can cover all or part of the course outline and are tailored to fit the needs of the participants. Skills courses do not have to be taken in a successive order. At the conclusion of a skills course, participants may receive a participation card.
Safety & Rescue
Assessment Courses
ACA Assessment courses have been developed as a tool to allow paddlers a clear progression of skill development. Courses provide progression in skills and paddling venues associated with specific disciplines and paddlecraft. Upon successful completion of each Skills Assessment checklist, your Instructor will submit the paperwork and you will receive official documentation of your level of skill from the ACA National Office.
Note: to receive Skills Assessment documentation, you must be a current ACA member.
Safety & Rescue
Instructor Certification Courses
ACA Instructor Certification Workshops (ICWs) are the next step for individuals wishing to teach paddling technique and skill refinement to students. An ACA instructor certification course consists of both an Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and an Instructor Certification Exam (ICE). These two parts may be offered back-to-back or they may be separated by a length of time to allow for further development and practice. Instructor Certification Workshops are offered in all paddlesports disciplines; the criteria upon which an instructor candidate will be evaluated can be found here:
Other Information
ACA River Safety & Rescue Terminology Handbook (PDF)
Whitewater & River Rescue Field Guide (eStore)
Rescue for River Runners - R3 (YouTube)
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[For more current news on GD Agrawal and his fast please click on this new post, published Thursday, March 22.]
G.D. Agrawal is determined to die.
"At the moment I am quite resigned to my fate," Agrawal, the 80-year-old dean of India's environmental engineers, tells me by phone from his hospital bed in the holy city of Varanasi.
Agrawal hasn't eaten since February 8. He hasn't taken a drink of water since March 8; an intravenous drip of dextrose and vitamins keeps him lucid.
At 5 pm Saturday, Agrawal says, he will pull those tubes from his arms, his next – and maybe last – escalation in a years-long battle to force the Indian government to honor its promises to protect the Ganges River.
The 1,569-mile holy river is increasingly choked by dams, drained by irrigation canals, and fouled by industrial, agricultural, and human waste. Since 2008, Agrawal has engaged in four hunger strikes seeking to prevent the construction of hydroelectric dams on the Ganges' Himalayan source rivers.
His devotion to the river is more than scientific. Last summer, Agrawal, a former chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, renounced the material world and became a swami. He is now known by his disciples as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand.
Agrawal is a national figure, and he's won concessions in the past. In July 2010, when the Indian government decided to resume work on several hydroelectric plants on the Bhagirathi River, Agrawal went without food for 34 days before the government, represented by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, agreed to cancel dam projects on the river's upper reaches.
Despite these and other successes, the condition of the river continues to deteriorate. An estimated 90 percent of its flow is diverted into irrigation canals and to meeting the water needs of the fast-growing New Delhi capital region.
Agrawal and his supporters say a national body created in 2008 to safeguard Hinduism's holiest river has been a sham. The National Ganga River Basin Authority has met only twice in three years, and not at all since November 2010.
On March 9, board members Rajendra Singh, a Magsaysay Award winner for his work on protecting freshwater resources, Ravi Chopra of the People's Science Institute, and environmentalist Rashid Hayat Siddiqui resigned from the authority in solidarity with Agrawal. Singh told The Hindu newspaper that the government body has cost $1.19 billion during its short life, "but we do not have any details about how the money is being used…There is no accountability."
Agrawal and the others want a real commitment from the government to protect the Ganges. So far, they say, they've received nothing but half-promises. This week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dispatched the coal minister, Sriprakash Jaiswal, to ask Agrawal to stop his fast. Jaiswal left empty handed.
"There are a few options that I am willing to give them," Agrawal told me: Call an immediate meeting of the river authority to formulate plans for effective regulations, or call an immediate halt to upstream dam projects. "So far, there's been no significant response," he says.
If Agrawal goes through with his promise to remove his intravenous line, it's almost certain police will restrain and feed him through an IV drip or a nasal feeding tube. "It depends on how much force they want to use," he says. "I am not willing to go on like this."
Last year a young swami called Nigamanand died after an epic fast to stop illegal mining of the Ganges riverbed in the northern city of Haridwar. (His comrades insist, somewhat persuasively, that he died not of malnutrition but that he was poisoned by local mining interests.) Nigamanand's leader, Swami Shivanand, has also engaged in several fasts to protect the river.
This activism isn't taking place in a vacuum of good deeds (or bad ones). Bolstered by a $1 billion loan from the World Bank, the Indian government recently started a new Ganges clean-up plan. As I mentioned in this piece, this good faith plan teems with expensive lessons learned.
It's obvious that it will take more than a few men starving themselves to death to preserve the Ganges. The question is, why should it require any?
[UPDATE, 9:45 pm Saturday, Indian Standard Time: According to Govind Sharma, secretary of the Ganga Mahasabha organization in Varanasi, Professor Agrawal has removed his intravenous line against the advice of his doctors and is now resting in his hospital bed and reading Hindu scriptures. He has not as of this writing been forced to re-insert the intravenous line, although there is still a possibility that the Varanasi district administration could apply for a court's permission to force feed him.]
[UPDATE 2: According to the website Espirito Kashi, Professor Agrawal was moved by government order to Banaras Hindu University medical center on Sunday afternoon.]
[UPDATE 3: Professor Agrawal has suffered a "minor heart attack," Govind Sharma told me, and on Monday morning was en route from Varanasi to New Delhi on an air ambulance. Agrawal was conscious, speaking, and in good spirits, Sharma said. He still hasn't eaten or taken water, but is once again being fed by an intravenous drip. He is in state custody.]
[UPDATE 4: Agrawal has been admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, Samay Live reports, adding that "close aides of Agrawal have alleged that he has been shifted unnecessarily and that in a recent letter sent to them, the activist had claimed to be in sound health."]
[UPDATE 5: The #SaveGanga hashtag is now trending among Twitter users in India, as word of Professor Agrawal's hunger strike spreads across social media.]
[UPDATE 6: Context: For some more background on Agrawal's history of activism against dams and excessive diversion of the Ganges waters, see this recent piece from the muckraking Tehelka magazine. Here's a taste of Agrawal's writing on upstream Ganges dams, with a melding of the technical and spiritual arguments against. Here's a brief history of Indians fasting for the environment. And for a look at the deadly struggle against illegal mining on the Ganges riverbed in Uttarkhand state, here are pieces I wrote for the New York Times and here at National Geographic.]
[UPDATE 7: Anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare, whose agitations this summer shook, but did not topple, the Indian government, paid a hospital visit to Dr. Agrawal on Monday afternoon, and has expressed support for his fast. Hazare's top aide and organizer, Arvind Kejriwal, has been posting messages on Twitter to spread the word about Dr. Agrawal's hunger strike.]
[UPDATE 8: In what could be an important development, on Tuesday evening the Indian government agreed to convene a meeting of the National River Ganges Basin Authority next month, and may it also temporarily suspend work on several Ganges dam projects, the IANS news wire reports.
Tarun Agarwal, GD Agarwal's nephew who is accompanying him, said the activist demanded that a meeting of the NRRBA be called immediately and the government has agreed to convene a meeting in April.
"We are also demanding that till the meeting is held, work on four under construction projects on the river should be temporarily stopped. But the government is agreeing to three projects. The ministers have assured us that they will convey our concerns to prime minister and will let us know by Wednesday," Tarun told IANS.
We'll keep you posted. ]


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
Franz Oppenheimer, in his analysis of the origin of the state, argues that there are two fundamentally opposed ways of acquiring wealth: the "political means" through coercion, and the "economic means" through peaceful trade:
There are two fundamentally opposed means whereby man, requiring sustenance, is impelled to obtain the necessary means for satisfying his desires. These are work and robbery, one's own labor and the forcible appropriation of the labor of others… I propose in the following discussion to call one's own labor and the equivalent exchange of one's own labor for the labor of others, the "economic means" for the satisfaction of needs, while the unrequited appropriation of the labor of others will be called the "political means."
About this Quotation:
Oppenheimer picks up a theory of the state which was common among early 19th century French liberals such as Jean-Baptiste Say, Charles Comte, Charles Dunoyer, Frédéric Bastiat, and Augustin Thierry. As Oppenheimer correctly notes, Karl Marx got himself horribly confused on this matter, seeing slavery as an economic category and seeing economics as driven by "force". We have been paying the price for this confusion every since.


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When you brace up to appear for your NAHQ CPHQ exam, you should get the right study materials. Often, the lack of high-quality study materials results in failures. Therefore, you need to reach out to the right platform, where you can get the CPHQ CPHQ course materials.
IT aspirants strive to obtain the CPHQ certificate, which adds value to their resume. It is necessary to get the certification in order to make an early entry into the profession. As an IT student, you must realize the challenge that lies ahead of you. Competition in the industry is raging high. You need to clear the CPHQ CPHQ exam and obtain the certificate when you seek a job. Opportunities in the industry are plenty. However, you need to get the certification in order to tap the lucrative opportunities.
At Dumpskey, you with l get the refined quality of study materials for your NAHQ CPHQ exam. We have developed these course materials, providing a detailed coverage of the syllabus to the students. You are assured of success when you read these study materials for your CPHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality exam. We warrant success for every student, who adhere to our instructions. Students failing to make their way to success will get their money back. However, you should comply with the guidelines that we provide for success. We have developed these CPHQ study materials after consulting concerned professionals in the IT industry. The high-quality study materials will help you to pass the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality exam on the first try.
Students can get a number of benefits when they buy the study materials in the PDF version:
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We keep you abreast about any changes in the syllabus, CPHQ exam pattern, or question, etc. You get regular updates via email. Additionally, Dumpskey sends you free 90 days updates. That too without any additional charges. Isn't it a great deal?
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Technical Paper
A 3D User and Maintenance Manual for UAVs and Commercial Aircrafts Based on Augmented Reality
Traditional User/Maintenance Manuals provide useful information when dealing with simple machines. However, when dealing with complex systems of systems and highly miniaturized technologies, like UAVs, or with machines with millions of parts, a commercial aircraft is a case in point, new technologies taking advantage of Augmented Reality can rapidly and effectively support the maintenance operations. This paper presents a User/Maintenance Manual based on Augmented Reality to help the operator in the detection of parts and in the sequence to be followed to assemble/disassemble systems and subsystems. The proposed system includes a handheld device and/or an head mounted display or special goggles, to be used by on-site operators, with software management providing data fusion and overlaying traditional 2D user/maintenance manual information with an augmented reality software and appropriate interface.


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Disappointed that Ryan Reynolds was named People's Sexiest Man Alive? It's time to vote for your personal favorite!
We combed through your suggestions and came up with the shortlist of the most popular names. You only have one vote, so make it count! Write-in votes are accepted, and yes, you are encouraged to post shirtless images of your chosen candidate in the comments. Democracy is messy business! Good luck and God bless America.


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Penobscot Theatre Company (PTC) and the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) have an array of special activities on tap to celebrate the first official day of summer, June 21. The theatre's second annual RACE TO THE STAGE, a costume 5K, will start at 9:00 am at the corner of Union and Main Streets, followed by Bangor's Beer Festival, "Tap Into Summer," on the Bangor Waterfront. The festival will wind-down just as the theatre heats up again with two performances of The Rocky Horror Show at 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
"Fun will be the order of the day," said PTC's Artistic Director Bari Newport. "Folks can hit the ground running with our costume 5K, while away the afternoon sampling Maine's best brews, then come do the time warp again!" Enjoying The Rocky Horror Show in costume is part of the tradition for many devotees, so Newport expects some ensembles will serve double-duty on the 21st. "With Rocky and our race coinciding, we may see more runners in corsets and fishnet stockings this year. We certainly hope so!"
To encourage event hopping, the theatre and the CVB are extending discounts to participants of the Race to the Stage and Bangor's Beer Festival. Registered racers will be eligible for $5 off the price of festival admission. A link to the special offer will be sent to race participants with their registration confirmation. Those with Beer Fest tickets may register for the race at the specially discounted price of $17 through race day. Interested parties may register in advance online or by calling 207-942-3333. Paper registration forms and route information are available on PTC's website.
PTC's mission is to produce high-quality, professional theatre works and programs that inspire the imagination and cultivate a lifelong passion for the art form. For 40 years, PTC has served as the cultural cornerstone of downtown Bangor, an engine of creativity, intellectual stimulation, economic growth, and fun. The theatre's diverse educational and outreach programming serves more than 5,000 students. Proceeds from the race will help fund these offerings.
Bangor's Beer Festival, Tap Into Summer, will feature selections from some of Maine's most notable breweries, including Geaghan Brothers Brewing Company, Sea Dog Brewing Company, and Penobscot Bay Brewery. In addition to providing samples of their offerings, brewers will present and speak about special new brews and suggested pairings. Race to the Stage participants may purchase tickets for the general session for $20, which includes admission from 1:00-5:00 pm and ten 4-oz. beer tastings with the festival's signature Paul Bunyan sample glass. VIP tickets, available to race registrants for $45 each, include advance entry to the festival and lunch.


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The Friends of Markham Museum is a "not for profit" registered charity established by The Town of Markham to be an advocate of the Museum within the community; to provide advice and recommendations to the Museum and to take a leadership role in developing a fund for the maintenance and enhancement of the Museum and Museum services and programs.
The directors of the Foundation are appointed from within the community and serve without remuneration.
The role of The Friends is as follows:
Please visit the Friends of Markham Museum website at http://friendsofmarkhammuseum.ca


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Hi, I am new in club. I have been restoring Nimbus motorcycles for over 40 year. If anybody have any questions about Nimbus, feel free to write me. Only 13.000 was made between 1934 and 1958 so only a few, is to be found in the US.
I can help with any technical questions - and can also get you spares, if you are the lucky owner of a Nimbus motorcycle.
The link below will show some of the bikes i have done.


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Car Spa
Face of Auto Detailing
Car Spa
MEET WENDELL BURNS - Wendell Burns has been detailing vehicles full time for over 26 years but his passion for it has been accruing upwards of 45. Since he was 10 years old, Wendell has been hand washing and detailing cars in the Savannah area, refining his practice and turning Car Spa into the best detailing business in the city. "I've always had a passion for cars," says Wendell, "and having clients that share that passion and truly appreciate a well detailed car, is the best part about going to work every day." With a detail center located in the Savannah historic district, and a second location recently opened at the Savannah/ Hiltonhead international airport, it seems as though Car Spa is rightly being recognized as the place where auto detailing is in a league of its own. 421 Jefferson St, Savannah, GA & 13 Ida J. Gadsden Drive, Pooler, GA carspa.com 912.401.7264


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Pack your bags
The Bisons and Chiefs were rained out for the second straight day at Coca-Cola Field. The two teams are now faced with back-to-back doubleheaders August 20 and 21 when Syracuse returns.
Buffalo hits the road and travels south to take on Charlotte over the next four days prior to meeting Gwinnett.
Fans holding tickets to Wednesday or Thursday's game can exchange them for a comparable ticket to any future 2009 Bisons games (excluding special events). All ticket exchanges must be made at the Coca-Cola Field box office. Please note that these exchanges do not have to be made June 17 or June 18. Fans with tickets can exchange them throughout the remainder of the 2009 season.
For more information regarding the exchange policy, fans can contact the Bisons at THE-HERD (843-4373).


text: Join us on our photographic journey through the exhibition hall of this year's edition of Tent London, a juried event and one of the more creative hubs that anchor the London Design Festival. In the following Facebook album we have published no less than 44 images taken on the show floor. Enjoy!


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Joseph and business partner Lakai Worrell are the co-executive artistic directors and founders of Purelements An Evolution in Dance, a performing arts organization known for its dance company and arts outreach in East New York and other struggling Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Joseph and Worrell were promising dancers when they met at the ages of 11 and nine at an East New York community center in 1981. They struck up a lifelong friendship, and founded a dance company in Brooklyn in the mid-1990's.
Joseph said the venture highlighted a lack of performance arts education in inner-city schools, and pushed the pair to return to their roots.
"We felt a new need to [return] to East New York," Joseph said. The neighborhood had improved over the ensuring decades, he said, "but in terms of performance arts enrichment it didn't really exist."
Joseph and Worrell changed that in 2006 by launching Purelements.
The non-profit organization is based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but works in a dozen public schools across East New York, Brownsville and Bushwick through an in-school and after-school arts enrichment program known as Project AIRE.
Purelements also runs a performing arts class for aspiring dancers interested in West African, Hip-Hop, Ballet and other dance forms out of the Waverly School for the Arts in Brownsville.
In addition, Purelements runs a professional dance company that has performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and other local venues, and around the world. But it's the work in city schools that is most inspiring, said Joseph, who estimated his organization serves roughly 2,000 students per month.
Dance is a creative outlet that can make a difference in children's lives, Joseph and Worrell being the prime examples.
"If you didn't get trapped by the community you would leave and not come back," Joseph said of his childhood in East New York. "We chose to come back home and put knowledge into the community."
Purelements will celebrate its fifth-year anniversary at the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts in Downtown Brooklyn May 14-15, 2011. For more information visit their website.


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Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Imitation = Flattery? Chloe and ModCloth
Anyways, here's the latest. These are the original Chloe wedge lace-up boots. A big favorite this past season.
These are not "inspired by" and they aren't evolutions of the design, they are rip-offs with cheaper materials.
And that is my main issue.
ModCloth, I'm disappointed in you.
17 comments:
- WendyB said...
Waiting for all the commenters who whine "But we DESERVE to have that look at a cheaper price." Because everyone's entitled to a certain type of boot, you know. It's a matter of life or death!
- August 4, 2010 at 2:59 PM
- Lara said...
God, isn't "fighting the good fight" exhausting?
Glad you pointed those out. Everyone is so enraptured by ModCloth and they're great relationship bloggers but, this isn't the first time they've done this.
- August 4, 2010 at 3:02 PM
- amy said...
Thank you! I totally agree.
- August 4, 2010 at 3:24 PM
- grechen said...
agree with you totally. especially coming from modcloth. i feel like too many people think it's okay to knockoff big design houses in the name of making the designs more "accessible" (cheaper), but there's a fine line. now, even small designers are getting knocked off by urban outfitters, etc. and ppl who claim to champion independent design would never stand for a little guy/girl being copied, so why allow support it happening to a big designer? it's never okay to blatantly copy someone else's design
- August 4, 2010 at 3:30 PM
- Aire said...
Hi Poochie,
We're sorry to hear about this mix up!
ModCloth does not produce or design our own clothing, shoes and accessories. Susan Gregg Koger, our founder, and her buying team travel the globe looking for unique clothing, shoes and accessories from independent designers at a wide range of price points.
We began by selling one of a kind vintage items (and still do offer one true vintage item daily!) and our mission remains to offer unique clothing for young women that differs from what she might find in the mall. However, it is impossible for our buyers to keep track of every item/design that is on the market. So from time to time they do fall in love with a style and it happens to be similar to one found from another designer. Please know that is never our intention to steal a style. If our buyers had known that this boot was inspired by the Chole boot, they would have never bought them.
I hope that helps clear some things up. Please feel free to e-mail me directly if you have any other questions.
Thank you,
Aire @ModCloth
- August 4, 2010 at 4:08 PM
- Lara said...
I agree. Makes me upset. :(
- August 4, 2010 at 5:06 PM
HA. Those Chloe boots where EVERYWHERE. There's no way they couldn't have recognized them.
Modcloth has sold multiple knock offs of the iconic Chanel bag (with the gold chain) and it really disgusts me, considering I've been a fan of Modcloth for years and they only recently started doing this crap.
- August 4, 2010 at 5:54 PM
- Pearl Westwood said...
I am fine with 'in the style of' and influenced by but exact copies like I HATE. It spoils the original, I would never want to wear something thats such a blatant rip off. Harvey Nics have started stocking this random new brand amongst the designer shoes I for get the exact name but some like Victoriana I dont know, but they are excat rips offs the of Alaia and Wang they have on the same shelves I must sneek a phone photo I coulnd believe it LOL!
- August 4, 2010 at 6:49 PM
- kristophine said...
Aren't those the ones Jane of Sea of Shoes knocked off?
- August 5, 2010 at 9:35 PM
- Vyque said...
This isn't the first time ModCloth has sold "inspired by" pieces, but I'm glad they noted people's complaints - maybe they'll start being more careful in the future?
- August 6, 2010 at 9:48 AM
- Tony Wang said...
This is a great post! I am so glad we have bloggers like you out there keeping watch!
Copying designs is always a tricky line for us fashion critics. For mass market consumers who obviously don't care much for fashion and are simply looking to look good and save money - they probably don't even know it's a Chloe knockoff - it's understandable why they might not care about this fight. However, for people within the industry who uphold values such as artistic integrity, this is something we need to be vigilant about. Keep up the awesome work, and we support you 100% that brands like Modcloth should be more careful about these issues!
- August 6, 2010 at 8:17 PM
- liz said...
This has been my issue with Jeffrey Campbell forever. I have no issue with a designer doing something similar, I even applaud that, giving the public something beautiful and affordable at the same time. BUT when something is such a rip off, I just can't deal, it's gross and highly unethical and geez why would I want to wear a rip of something when I can go to an amazing underground designer and get a pair of shoes that are affordable and original
- August 10, 2010 at 2:46 PM
- Suze (Miss Vinyl Ahoy) said...
I feel that way about a lot of Modcloth's shoes.
I admit, I purchased a knockoff of Ann Demeulemeester buckle boots, but not from Modcloth. Did I feel bad purchasing them? Maybe, since they were a knockoff, but my wallet cannot afford the actual retail price.
It's one of those things that is really hard to chose a side about. Because, as a fashion blogger (and a graphic designer!) I understand why designs shouldn't be knocked off (hello integrity!). But as someone who's poor, I also want fashion to be accessible. So it's really a lose-win situation.
Most people can't afford such expensive items. I can't remember the last time I spent more than $40 on ONE item.
I do agree with you that it's interesting that Modcloth is selling such obvious knockoffs when they promote how they're "unique" and "vintage inspired." Not so much. They also crank up their prices and have turned so many decent bloggers into Modcloth zombies... but that's another topic...
Great post.
- August 17, 2010 at 9:37 AM
- Plami said...
I find this very very very annoying as well! Inspiration is ok.... evolution is ok... may be even some sort of similarity... but this is way too much!
- August 18, 2010 at 5:45 PM
- Meg! said...
I don't see what the problem is. I would never in my entire life buy that Chloe boot, because I can't afford it. And that sucks, because what if I wanted a boot like that? Well, if somebody knocks it off, I can get that boot! Fact: I like knockoffs.
Thing is, it's not like Chloe is losing money over this. I'm pretty sure the people who would actually buy Chloe boots are not the kind of people who would stoop to buying knockoffs. They'll spend the money to get the real product. I highly doubt that Jane Aldridge is gonna buy some cheapo Forever21 knockoff version of Chanel shoes she could have her parents buy for her instead. I mean, seriously.
If this is an ethical issue, then I can see why it's viewed as problematic. The knockoffs aren't just stealing money from the original designers, they're stealing the IDEA behind it. Which is understandably problematic. However, I feel like in the fashion world, everything in the mainstream, affordable stores derives from something else no matter how you look at it. And maybe one thing looks exactly like another thing. Kind of awkward for the one doing the knockoff, but so? It's not like they're taking credit for it. They're not claiming to be the original designer. They're just presenting a boot that's affordable to normal people. Fashion is mass market, it's shallow, it's catering to people who want to look cool based on what they wear. If you think fashion is all about the art, then you're deluded.
I would have no qualms with buying those boots, nor would I hesitate to buy any other knockoff, as long as it wasn't claiming to be an original. I guess I just haven't quite heard a compelling enough argument to change my mind about this.
- August 19, 2010 at 12:14 AM
Ummm...... I'm sorry, but get over it. Some of us live in the real world, where knock offs are not on our list of serious crimes and concerns. Shame on you people, you make me sick.
- November 17, 2010 at 12:18 AM
- Poochie said...
Hello ANONYMOUS,
I do live in the real world. However, on this site the topic is focused on fashion and shoes. This topic actually straddles both, as I work in a creative field where intellectual theft is a huge concern and a problem for those of us who work in a field where we are judged and paid for our ideas. As I'm sure it is for the original designers and those like them.
I don't put this up there with many other issues such as animal cruelty and rights, world poverty and hunger and environmental issues, but I have other outlets for those discussions. If you want to go over to The Daily Coop, my other site, we can talk heavier concerns there.
If you are so disgusted by this conversation (although apparently no so much to put your name against it), you are welcome to direct us to your site or whereever you go to discuss the important issues of the day.
Thank you,
- November 22, 2010 at 12:08 PM


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Retrieving hostages is always a difficult task.
Even when you get your hostages back, there can be serious repercussions–as President Barack Obama learned firsthand.
Several Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate believe that Obama broke the law by exchanging five Taliban leaders for captured U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.
And they are urging Congress to investigate whether this is grounds for impeachment.
A Federal law requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress 30 days before releasing any detainees from prison. He must also explain why they are not expected to again pose a threat to the United States.
"I think in the eyes of many, he broke the law by not informing Congress 30 days before that," California Rep. Buck McKeon, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC Monday.
"[National Security Advisor Susan] Rice said Congress has been informed of this along the way. I don't know who they were talking to. I have not been a part of this, and I'm the chairman of the committee."
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is highly concerned that the five released Taliban prisoners could will return to wage war against Americans.
Senator Lindsey Graham
In a letter he recently sent to Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Graham stated:
"The five terrorists released were the hardest of the hard-core. They have American blood on their hands and surely as night follows day they will return to the fight.
"In effect, we released the 'Taliban Dream Team.' The United States is less safe because of these actions."
Graham predicted that the release will "inevitably lead to more Americans being kidnapped and held hostage throughout the world."
Meanwhile, in Israel, tensions are high over the kidnapping, on June 12, of three teenagers in the West Bank. They were hitchhiking home near the Palestinian city of Hebron. Two of the teens are Israelis; the third is an American.
Their kidnappers are presumed to be Palestinian militants.
Israeli soldiers scoured the West Bank but, so far, no signs of the missing teens have turned up. And, so far, no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, warned his countrymen in a televised statement: "We are in the midst of a complex operation. We need to be prepared for the possibility that it will take time."
Usually, political kidnappings trigger ransom demands and agonizing decisions by high-ranking government officials as to whether they should be met.
But there is another way governments can respond to such terroristic blackmail. It might be called, "The KGB Method."
On September 30 1985, four attaches from the Soviet Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, were kidnapped by men linked to Hizbollah ("Party of God"), the Iranian-supported terrorist group.
The kidnappers sent photos of the four men to Western news agencies. Each captive was shown with an automatic pistol pressed to his head.
The militants demanded that Moscow pressure pro-Syrian militiamen to stop shelling the pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli.
And they threatened to execute the four Soviet captives, one by one, unless this demand was met.
The Soviet Union began negotiations with the kidnappers, but could not secure a halt to the shelling of Tripoli.
Only two days after the kidnappings, the body of Arkady Katov, a 30-year-old consular secretary, was found in a Beirut trash dump. He had been shot through the head.
That was when the KGB took over negotiations.
Insignia of the KGB
They kidnapped a man known to be a close relative of a prominent Hizbollah leader. Then they castrated him, stuffed his testicles in his mouth, shot him in the head, and sent the body back to Hizbollah.
The KGB then informed the Hizbollah leader: We know the names of other close relatives of yours, and the same will happen to them if our diplomats are not released immediately.
Soon afterward, the remaining three Soviet attaches were released only 150 yards from the Soviet Embassy.
Hizbollah telephoned a statement to news agencies claiming that the release was a gesture of "goodwill."
In Washington, D.C., then-CIA Director William Casey decided that the Soviets knew the language of Hizbollah.
Click here: Hostages? No Problem Soviets Offer 'How-to' Lesson In Kidnapping – Philly.com
Both the United States and Israel–the two nations most commonly targeted for terrorist kidnappings–have elite Special Forces units.
These could be ordered to similarly kidnap the relatives of whichever Islamic terrorist leaders are responsible for the latest outrages.
Ordering such action would instantly send an unmistakable message to Islamic terrorist grouops: Screw with us at your own immediate peril.
As Niccolo Machiavelli warned more than 500 years ago: "Men have less scruple in offending one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared.
"For love is held by a chain of obligations which, men being selfish, is broken whenever it serves their purpose; but fear is maintained by a dread of punishment which never fails."
In the United States, the U.S. Navy SEALS, Green Berets and Delta Force stand ready. They require only the orders.


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ABM Advisor: The ABM Blog.
Showing News Filtered By Date from: 2018-01-01 - 2018-01-31
Food manufacturing companies are going digital in 2018
Food manufacturing companies all over the world are digitising operations in 2018, but what exactly does that look like?This type of transformation manifests itself in a variety of ways, and it largely depends on the needs of specific companies. Here are a few ways your business can get started this year to get a leg up on the competition.1. Automated bookkeepingThe days of using pencil and paper, or even an excel spreadsheet, to maintain the financial side of a business are gone. Organisations can start their digitisation efforts with accounting software, which can bring a variety of benefits to the table.Incorporate accounting software as you digitise the business.Real-time access to financial reports, streamlined job and project costing, integrated stock control and an array of customisation options are just a few of the features businesses get to take advantage of. As enterprises scale, so too does the demand put on financial staff to ensure the general ledger is kept updated. Using a program to manage this cuts out the potential of human error from the equation and makes like a little easier for everyone involved.2. Inventory oversightThe average warehouse has to deal with distribution through retail brick-and-mortar, handle imports and attend to other obligations. In simpler terms, it can be difficult to get a clear picture of what products are available and the associated details.Leveraging structured stock software is a way organisations can cope with increased activity without having to expend an exorbitant amount of resources on the task. Through digitising this process, companies get access to real-time reports that can help curb overstock. Structured stock control makes inventory management simple. 3. Connected ecosystemThe goal of every company investing in digital transformation should be to deploy business management software that can bridge the gap between previously incommunicable aspects of operation. This would be, for example, capturing data on inventory levels to develop insights as to how you can optimise purchasing patterns to support the best profit margins without hurting performance.Programs on their own can be helpful and intuitive, but if they can't effectively transfer data between one another to support analytics, organisations will have a tough time keeping up with competitors that can. Before integrating a new application, evaluate how it fits in with your future plans. Ideally, everything you need should be on one platform. Contact an Advanced Business Manager representative today to learn more.Read Full Story
What does 2018 hold for Australia's food manufacturing sector?
Australia is coming off a record year of growth in its manufacturing sector, but will 2018 bring more of the same?Continued growth is often unsustainable for the entire market without investing in innovative solutions. But with a few adjustments based on potential problems that could crop up, organisations can stay a step ahead of any detrimental disruptions and avoid a slip into regression.Challenges for Australian businessesOperational uncertainty isn't limited to the manufacturing industry; corporations of all types across the country will face many of the same issues in 2018. The first is the arrival of Amazon. This will have far-reaching effects that include controlling consumer shares, purchasing warehouse space and presenting more complex logistical dilemmas.Companies across Australia will face similar issues.It's estimated that the company's revenue will be more than double that of Cole's and Woolworth's beyond this year, according to News.com.au. The troubling part is that it's also cutting operating costs already with the construction of its new plants."The fulfilment centres … with the robotics technology tend to be more capital intensive than prior versions of warehouses and they generally have much better operating efficiencies," Brian Oslavsky, chief financial officer at Amazon, said.Other challenges affecting the vast majority of Australian organisations include the administrative difficulties associated with the switch to single touch payroll, the new roll out of the National Broadband Network and poor financing. The latter may prove to be a major roadblock, as just half of all Australian small enterprises have reported positive cash flow, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.If you add all these problems up it's clear that greater visibility throughout the organisation, a better handle on inventory and corresponding logistics, as well as exceptional control over accounting and the budget will be key to maintaining success. Profitable cash flow has been an issue for smaller Australian enterprises. Specific concerns for food manufacturingOf course, each industry has specific dilemmas it will face over the course of 2018 and food manufacturing is no different. The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) recently released its ninth analysis of the market, and here are some key takeaways:Worth $127.4 billion, largest manufacturing sector in the country.Over 320,000 employed through 2017 and created 3,700 new jobs in 2016.The 4.7 per cent increase in foreign investment reversed the three-year decline it had previously been on.Real value of food, grocery and beverage exports saw a 15.4 per cent drop, but volume rose by 3.6 per cent.Although there was mostly growth across the board besides the real value of exports, the figures themselves could be cause for alarm given the minor improvement they represent. This is because input costs are expected to continue to rise in 2018, which starts the clock on how quickly organisations can boost profit margins that were already slim to begin with."We are expecting these pressures to only increase as energy, especially gas, has seen a doubling and in some cases a tripling of price that is likely to have dire consequence for Australian jobs and investment, with some companies re-assessing their long term future in Australia," Tanya Barden, chief executive officer of the AFGC, said.This could spawn a ripple effect that can send foreign investment back into a downward spiral if it gets out of hand.The AFGC predicts energy costs will be a major factor in 2018."Continuing to stimulate investment in site modernisation is critical particularly in light of mounting input cost pressures. We are now in danger of drifting into a low investment trap, where uncertainty about return on investment flowing from retail price deflation and rising costs is seeing investment decisions deferred or dumped," Barden said.Another important aspect...Read Full Story
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text: The first two weeks of the NBA season have been cancelled and maybe more. We talk about the lockout and list all of the people who are getting screwed. We do some role play and play the parts of Billy Hunter and David Stern. We complain about the Knicks never having a real center. We talk about NBA 2K12. Enjoy. Download Episode 82


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Additional Navigation
February 8, 2013 : By Drew Menard
Liberty University has hired Newton Media to assist in the launch of Liberty Flames Sports Network, a new national TV and radio network to showcase live Liberty University sporting events. LFSN will be offered for a September 2013 launch to broadcast stations in every market, to regional cable networks, and to national satellite platforms. The program lineup will feature live football, basketball, and baseball games, as well as other sporting events, occasionally, on a tape-delayed basis. LFSN will also feature "College Sports Desk," a 30-minute daily program including news and highlights from universities across the country, including other Christian institutions.
Chancellor and President Jerry Falwell, Jr. noted, "As Liberty has gained national prominence as an institution dedicated to a strong evangelical mission, this new network will increase our exposure to an entirely new audience. Athletics have always been important here at the world's largest Christian university, so this is a natural extension for us."
The New York Times recently featured Liberty University football, showing the school's rise to national recognition: "At Liberty, once a tiny Bible college but now a budding giant, the plan is for college football — big-time, always-on-television college football — to do for evangelical Christians in the 21st century what Notre Dame football did for Roman Catholics in the 20th." (Nov. 11, 2012)
Dr. Norman Mintle, dean of the School of Communication, said LFSN will not only provide Liberty with exciting national programming opportunities, "it will add great value to the television and radio affiliates' weekend schedule. To attract a dynamic male audience, we expect, will be a tremendous asset to our network stations."
For nearly 20 years, Newton Media has created and managed integrated television, radio, print, and interactive media campaigns for DRTV, corporate, and charitable and nonprofit organizations. Newton Media has conducted thousands of media campaigns, purchased hundreds of millions of dollars in media time, and licensed programming to outlets in the U.S. and around the globe. For more information, visit www.newtonmedia.com.
Media note: To learn more about the new Liberty Flames Sports Network, please contact Steve Warnecke, Newton Media, 757-547-5700, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Apple comes under the CCI scanner in India when a customer filed a complaint against Apple under The Competition Act 2002 (amended in 2007) stating that Apple is restricting customers from buying apple products (iPhone) by making its availability for only a selected few carriers (Airtel and Aircel). The section 4 specifically deals with Abuse of dominant position.
Apple had announced the iPhone 4 for Airtel and Aircel customers last month, while the iPad is sold through Apple store only.
The complainant has also alleged that a user can only download software from the i-store and the others are not recognised by the device,a senior CCI official said.
The complaint also stated that the phone could be serviced in Apple centers only, which charge high rates for servicing. The Commission will look into the matter for consideration by the end of this week, sources said.
There are a few things the CCI must consider –
First of all, Airtel and Aircel are selling "unlocked" iPhones with optional offer i.e. you're free to use it with any service provider you choose. Second, Apple products are sold not just by Apple Stores, but by various distributors – Croma, Imagine Stores and several others.
Finally, every manufacturer voids the products warranty if the device is serviced at unauthorized centers. Apple has 3rd party centers in India which operate with Apple to help with major issues.
Well, laws can get tricky. It all depends on the interpretation of the law. Apple will sure argue and explain how they operate in India, however they will definitely have a tough time fighting the case.


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Tuxedo — The town will be significantly scaling down a mulch pile operation in the wake of a report by its consultant that pollution from the facility has impaired the waters adjacent to and downstream of the pile.
Tuxedo — The town will be significantly scaling down a mulch pile operation in the wake of a report by its consultant that pollution from the facility has impaired the waters adjacent to and downstream of the pile.
According to the report by Long Island firm Land Use Ecological Services, waterways between the mulch pile and Four Corners Pond, where a fish kill occurred in March, are "chronically depleted in oxygen, and these exceedingly low levels of dissolved oxygen will prevent the survivorship of fish and invertebrates."
The impaired condition of the water was the "principal contributing factor to the March 2012 fish kill," the report said.
Coupled with another report from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, as well as studies commissioned by Tuxedo Park and others last year, the report provided the push the town needed to acknowledge the negative impacts of the once-50-foot-high waste pile on Long Meadow Road.
"We said that if there were any problems, we'd do what we had to do to make it right," said Deputy Town Supervisor Gary Phelps, just before a Town Board meeting to discuss the report Monday.
Less clear, however, is just how, and when, the town plans to reduce the facility's impact on the marshes, streams and ponds in Sterling Forest, a state park covering some 20,000 acres.
A modified state consent order gives the town about 90 days to reduce the mulching operation, build a buffer between the facility and the marsh, and hire a state monitor to make sure the town is following all the new rules.
Other requirements include additional testing for toxic metals, 25-foot spacing between piles of the yard waste, and the construction of a new retaining wall, which Town of Tuxedo Supervisor Peter Dolan said was partially complete.
All costs, including the $13,000 fee for the state monitor, would be paid for by the operator, Perfect Cut Tree Services, which has yet to decide if it will stay at the site under the new regulations, Dolan said.
Dolan said he hoped the operators would stay to recycle the town's yard waste, perhaps in return for storing its logs and continue operating a wood-chipping operation.
"As good citizens, we should not take the wood from our backyards and send it off to Pennsylvania to be recycled," he said.
Dolan's position drew mixed responses from opponents of the site, who welcomed the decision to limit Perfect Cuts operations, but also demanded a closure of the facility at some point.
"You have told us repeatedly that if it was contaminated, you would shut it down. So, now that you have the report, shut it down," said Alan Heywood, a Tuxedo resident.


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Middletown's Common Council is working on a law under which landlords would be assigned points for code and safety violations and police calls at their buildings, and would lose the rental permit for a building after a certain number of violations. It is inspired by a similar law in Troy.
Middletown's Common Council is working on a law under which landlords would be assigned points for code and safety violations and police calls at their buildings, and would lose the rental permit for a building after a certain number of violations. It is inspired by a similar law in Troy.
Common Council President J. Miguel Rodrigues used a property on West Main Street where the heat didn't work for weeks as an example of the problems they want to address.
"We're going after the landlord that doesn't live in the City of Middletown and owns 20 properties and doesn't care about their properties," he said during a discussion in the council's Legislative Committee.
The details still need to be worked out, including how the appeals process would work, how points would be assigned for police calls and what, if any, impact violations at one property or a record of violations in another community would have on a landlord's permits for other properties or applications for new permits.
Aldermen may visit Troy to see how it works there.
Alderman Joel Sierra was leery about the law, saying he doesn't want to deprive landlords of their incomes.
"People are buying these properties as investments," he said. "They use them as their career, their business. "� This is like telling McDonalds, 'You can't sell hamburgers.'"
Nathan Brown
So far, Middletown has been approved for $3.7 million in federal money for infrastructure work stemming from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
The money won't cover most of the work already done on the flood wall on County Route 78 and the culvert at Fulton Street and East Avenue; Mayor Joe DeStefano said he plans to appeal these denials.
The money that has been approved will help pay for work along part of the Monhagen Brook and repairs to the city's Department of Public Works property on Monhagen Avenue.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied money for work on the brook where it passes through some backyards on West Main Street, saying the drainage problems there existed before those storms.
Alderwoman Kate Ramkissoon disagreed, saying Irene changed the flow of water in that neighborhood and that the city should address it, whether or not FEMA will pay.
"There's a resident back there who literally has their fence suspended over open air," she said.
Nathan Brown
A special meeting of the Town of Deerpark Planning Board will be held on Nov. 28 to discuss Deerpark Village, a proposed 1,518 unit residential retirement community off Wilson Road.
Developers are asking the town for "townhouse-style homes averaging two bedrooms in size for retired persons and other households over 55 years of age" according to a final environmental impact statement. A second option for the 243-acre site, reduced to 900 units, is also on the table.
The community would have its own water and sewage systems, run by the owners at first but eventually turned over to a homeowners association. Amenities would include a swimming pool, tennis courts and a community club.
The saga of Deerpark Village has been on the agendas of Deerpark officials and minds of residents for almost a quarter-century.
Deerpark Village Associates first approached the town with plans for a 2,400 unit development in 1988.
James Nani


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The communist: Questioning embodies patriotism
One spring day, my friend Connie and I rode our bikes down the hill on Oakland Street to Eighth, pedaling hard for a long block, looking for the house that had been described as where a "communist" lived. I didn't really know what a communist was, but I knew that "communist" meant "traitor."
At the house, a driveway wound up the hill to a small knoll on which sat an ordinary brick Cape Cod with small dormer windows peeking from the roof. A communist in our neighborhood and only a block from Arlington Hall, an Army post!
We stopped beside the driveway and stared up the hill waiting for the communist to appear. The house was quiet and empty at this time of day. But we were spooked. Who was this dangerous outsider who lived only a block away, a presence we couldn't see? She was like a "witch," an "enemy," certainly not one of us.
Growing up in the '50s, I feared foreign attacks and often dreamed of bombs exploding at the Washington Monument. Listening for the planes overhead, I learned how to dive beneath my desk in air raid drills.
Do children today dream of the World Trade Center?
Back in the 1950s, I never saw the communist, or anyone resembling a witch. I forgot about her.
Recently, as I fingered the "Black Heritage" postage stamp issued in honor of Paul Robeson, I remembered the house on the hill. Paul Robeson, singer, actor, political activist, used his celebrity to promote civil rights in this country and human rights abroad.
In the late 1940s, Robeson, campaigning for the Progressive Party, drove to the heart of the black community in Atlanta. Halting the car in the middle of the street, he stepped out and began to sing: first a Negro spiritual and then "Old Man River," his signature song. As the sound of this deep rich baritone soared upward, crowds poured into the street, leaned out tenement windows, and crawled out onto fire escapes to hear the unmistakable voice of perhaps the most famous American of his day.
Yet only a few years after this triumphant appearance, the U.S. government denied Robeson the right to travel out of the country and Congress cited him for contempt for refusing to answer the questions of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The issuance of the postage stamp is long overdue for a man who was reviled and dishonored by his government and largely forgotten for half a century.
But today, in this time of unrest over potential terrorist attacks, some Americans appear hostile to any fellow citizens whose opinions differ from theirs.
I remember another witch-hunt- this time in the 1970s. My friends, Al and Margaret McSurely, active in the civil rights movement, moved to eastern Kentucky to help organize poor people to fight for better working conditions. One night, a car drove by their rural house in Pike County, pausing long enough to throw a homemade bomb that damaged the structure but fortunately not the McSurelys or their infant son.
The bombers were never found. Shortly afterwards the local authorities raided their home, confiscated books and personal papers, and charged the McSurelys with conspiring to overthrow the government of Pike County. Investigators from a U.S. senate committee seeking to find "radicals" responsible for the riots occurring after Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination swept into eastern Kentucky to read the booty collected in the raid– an action the courts later declared illegal.
Eventually, the Senate subpoenaed the McSurelys to produce their papers and talk about the "conspiracy" among civil rights and anti-poverty workers that caused the riots. (The McSurelys were deemed a part of this conspiracy even though they lived several hundred miles away from the closest urban area.)
The McSurelys unlike Robeson– were actually cited, prosecuted, and convicted of contempt of Congress. On appeal, though, the convictions were overturned. Al then over 50– used a portion of a substantial settlement award to attend law school, and he currently practices civil rights law in North Carolina.
Ironically, at the same time that the U.S. government posthumously honors Robeson, it also questions the motives, integrity, and truthfulness of citizens like Richard Clark who criticize administration terrorism policies. Even some citizens, invoking loyalty to the U.S., question the loyalty of soldiers who reported the abuse in the Iraqi prison scandal. It seems a short distance from the fear of communism in the '50s and urban riots in the '70s the fear of the other– to the present focus on terrorism.
Yet freedom of speech is ostensibly what separates us from despotic nations that curb liberty and outlaw opinions different from government or from majority views. In the land of the free, we remain entitled to speak our own minds. Contrary to the hyperbolic title of the so-called Patriot Act, the real patriots are those who are willing to speak their opinions even when their views are not popular.
I'm now older than Robeson was when he appeared before Congress, and I have lost contact with the McSurelys. In the aftermath of 9/11, I like other Americans– am scared of terrorists. And just as I didn't know where the communists were in the 1950s, I don't know where the terrorists are today. Potential terrorists need to be identified and caught; but it's a small step from surveillance aimed at terrorists to harassment of people the government suspects for other reasons.
Governmental actions do have a ripple effect not only on those directly affected, but also on all of us– our attitudes and approaches. My own childish encounter with the "communist" Cape Cod house in Arlington reflected the anti-communist witch hunt atmosphere of the '50s. Who knows what were the political views, much less actions, of the person inside the house?
Now that I'm a grandmother, I ponder the effects of the current political atmosphere on my grandchildren. I want them to ask questions, not to parrot the political sound bite of the day. I want them to be independent and speak their minds. I want them to be part of a country that nurtures new and true patriots- people unafraid to break the mold and speak their truth. For me, that's what American patriotism is all about.


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Tiffany Pierce has lived on 72nd Road in Forest Hills since May 2011, and now lives in the middle of what she says is a traffic nightmare.
She says when commuters and commercial traffic look for a direct route to the Grand Central Parkway in Forest Hills, they often weave through her block for quick access, bringing the already tight thoroughfare to a standstill.
"We just sit there and watch all this traffic and congestion, people are getting out and directing people," Pierce said. "Because it's coming from the interstate, you also have the tractor trailers and the buses that are coming around the parked cars on those streets and we're trying to get around those cars."
After Pierce was rear-ended on her block with her child in the backseat, she got some advice to start a petition from the local precinct and started to undertake an age-old problem in her neighborhood.
"I called the police and filed a report, but they said that nothing could really be done," she recalled. "The officer said we should just petition to turn it into a one-way."
Pierce has started a petition on Change.org, and plans to reach out to her neighbors.
"We're going to start going door-to-door next weekend," she said. "I'm hoping everyone will get on board, but if not, at least this will start the conversation of what can be done to fix this street."
Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz said while she has fought for traffic-calming measures on the street for the last several years, she has recently taken steps to ignite the conversation once again.
"There is no question that vehicles using 72nd Road do so with great difficulty," Koslowitz said. "Today, my office requested of DOT that they offer recommendations to ameliorate the problems on 72nd Road. My office is awaiting their answer."
Koslowitz requested a feasibility study in 2001 however, "DOT studied the matter and advised against the conversion, citing the effect such a conversion would have on the traffic in the area."
A spokesperson with the Department of Transportation (DOT) said they are always interested in finding new ways of relieving traffic along congested intersections.
"If, after DOT reviews the location and it is determined to be feasible, the agency would reach out to the local community board for its support to make the adjustment," the spokesperson said.


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Learning.com Welcomes SAS
Portland, OR & Cary, NC (PRWEB) January 22, 2013
SAS Curriculum Pathways is the newest product to join the growing digital content library at Learning.com, the celebrated source for connecting educators and students to the right digital content.
SAS Curriculum Pathways online curriculum resources have been proven to increase student learning and teacher effectiveness by targeting higher-order thinking skills. The learner-centered approach integrates varied instructional strategies and incorporates formative and summative assessments. More than 1,100 interactive Web-based curriculum resources include English language arts, math, science, social studies, and Spanish for educators and students in grades 6-12.
Todays students respond best to engaging, interactive resources that promote the skills to succeed in school and beyond, said Scott McQuiggan, Director, SAS Curriculum Pathways. While SAS Curriculum Pathways resources are available at no cost to educators and their students, Learning.com connects thousands more teachers and students with SAS Curriculum Pathways compelling content.
Learning.com, long recognized as a leader in blended learning, helps districts integrate technology into core curriculum. The company provides educators with resources to ensure students meet the new Common Core and state standards, and succeed on computer-based assessments such as PARCC and Smarter Balanced. With more than 60 providers and 300,000 digital learning objects supporting project-based learning and digital readiness, Learning.com is a suitable host for interactive tools and lessons from SAS Curriculum Pathways.
SAS Curriculum Pathways shares our commitment to education and quality content, said Keith Oelrich, CEO of Learning.com. Providing Learning.com users with innovative content from SAS Curriculum Pathways links educators and students with even more resources via a single sign-on.
About Learning.com
Learning.com provides proven content, powerful tools, and practical services to support 21st century learners, align instruction to Common Core standards, and prepare students for Common Core assessments. We offer free and fee-based standards-aligned curriculum and assessments to enhance and differentiate instruction, engage students, and increase test scores. In addition to award-winning content, we provide the implementation, support, and professional development tools and services that educators need to make the most of their resources and improve learning outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.learning.com, and follow us at http://www.facebook.com/learningdotcom and http://www.twitter.com/learningdotcom.
About SAS
In addition to SAS Curriculum Pathways online resources, SAS analytics and business intelligence software is used at more than 3,000 educational institutions worldwide for teaching, research and administration. SAS has more than three decades of experience working with educational institutions.
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions delivered within an integrated framework, SAS helps customers at more than 50,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know


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From MythTV Official Wiki
About XBMC
Xbox Media Center as described by xbmc.org:
- "XBMC media center is a free cross-platform media-player jukebox and entertainment hub. XBMC is open source (GPL) software available for Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows operating-system, and the Xbox game-console. XBMC can play a very complete spectrum of of multimedia formats, and featuring playlist, audio visualizations, slideshow, and weather forecast functions, together with a multitude of third-party plugins."
XBMC as a MythTV frontend
XBMC can be used as a MythTV frontend in several different ways, all of which have been outlined on the Xbox Frontend page.


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"With just a few custom iparts, the experts at ATS unlocked the full capabilities of an out-of-the-box RiSE site for NiUG. Better yet, the entire process was cost-effective and stress free." Michele Morgan, International Executive Director, NiUG
"Working with ATS has truly been a pleasure. We were on a very tight schedule because our old database was being eliminated within six months. ATS got us up and running before our old database was gone and was helpful in setting us up so the new iMIS database is even more useful."
T.J. Cantwell,
Director, Member Engagement
Lutheran Services in America
"ATS understood our needs and was able to meet them right out of the box, centralizing everything in iMIS. Very quickly, with minimal downtime and no real problems, we were up and running with a website we can really be proud of."
Greg Wacker, Director of Information Technology
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
You have members applying to multiple association committees. We have a seamless way to allow them to apply directly from your website using the ATS Committee Application iPart for iMIS, which lets you:
Committee Application iPart Live Demo


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U. S. Commission on Civil Rights Must Be Replaced, Rights Leaders Sayby GDN Shared Post August 14, 2009
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The 52-year-old U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, historically a leading force for overturning racist policies and enacting civil rights laws against Jim Crow segregation, has become obsolete and must be replaced, say civil rights leaders who are moving to make it happen.
Largely because of right wing political domination and appointees stacked by the former Bush Administration, rights leaders say the eight-member Commission has done little for civil rights progress lately and over the past several years has done more to turn back the clock.
"There should be a new commission. You need a commission because you need a commission to do what it did when it was doing what it was supposed to do, which is look at all these new problems – the old ones and the new ones," says constitutional law expert Mary Frances Berry, a former member of the commission, who served 11 years as its chair. "Discrimination complaints on the basis of race have increased exponentially at the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]. And most of them are found to be valid. This has just happened over the past few years."
Berry, who resigned from the Commission in late 2004, continues, "People are still having problems on their jobs, we've still got police – community issues and everything. People are getting shot, every kind of issue you can think of.
"The fact that Obama is president doesn't mean that the issues just went away," she said in the interview with the NNPA News Service. "It doesn't matter who the president is. You need an independent watch dog that will investigate and look at civil and human rights issues and try to build consensus and make recommendations, and work to try to get something done."
In her new book, "And Justice for All", an extensively researched history of the Commission and America's "continuing struggle for freedom", Berry says the current commission must be replaced with a U. S. Commission on Civil and Human Rights in order to renew its power against injustice.
"The addition of human rights could make clear a concern with the nexus between race, sex, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, religious discrimination, poverty and civil liberties concerns," Berry writes at the conclusion of the 400-page book. "A civil and human rights commission could also monitor U. S. compliance with the international human rights covenants to which we are a party and encourage adoption of those we have not approved."
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is supposed to be an independent, bi-partisan body that was established by Congress in 1957 under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is primarily a fact-finding body that looks into allegations of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin.
Berry recalls how the Commission worked with civil rights greats Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and others to document facts that led to civil rights laws.
"The impact of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights is sort of an overall missing piece of how we got over," she describes.
While civil rights battles raged in the streets, lunch counters and jail cells, the Commission – which still has an advisory committee in each state – would visit communities; using subpoena power to compel both Blacks and Whites to give often shocking testimony about their personal experiences of injustices as well as those that had witnessed.
"The commission from that time until the Reagan Administration was a force for trying to make change. They would make recommendations. They worked with everybody," Berry recalls.
Then the Reagan politics began.
In 1983, two years after he took office, Reagan fired Berry, Blandina C. Ramirez and Murray Saltzman from the commission after they publicly disagreed with him on his administration's civil rights policies.
"They decided to fire commissioners and appoint those who would be mouth pieces," Berry said.
Rather than accept Reagan's action, Berry and Ramirez sued and won back their seats after the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C. ruled that the commissioners served as watchdogs. Berry chuckles as she recalls the judge's comment, "'You can't fire a watchdog for biting.'"
In her 24 years on the Commission, Berry became known for her fights with presidents, including challenges to Jimmy Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
She resigned from the Commission in late 2004 amidst intense disputes with President Bush and his appointees on the Commission. In the book she states, "President George W. Bush essentially 'fired' me."
Now – though she mentions him by name only three times in the book – she's challenging both President Barack Obama and Congress from the outside. She clearly views his administration as an opportunity to strengthen the Commission and return it to its original mission and purpose.
The movement is growing.
Laura Murphy, a senior consultant for the Campaign for a New Domestic Human Rights Agenda, a coalition of more than 50 civil rights groups that's pushing for a new Commission among other causes, says they're making headway.
"The United States has been cited for its failure to end racial profiling, for its failure to end the high rate of incarceration of juveniles. These are the very issues that a reformed and strengthened U. S. Commission on Civil and Human Rights could give attention to," she says.
Murphy, former director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, says the group is in conversation with members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. She says the Obama Administration has also been receptive.
"I think we will see hearings before the end of the year," she said.
Currently the Commission has eight members, including six Republicans and two Democrats.
A move by Bush in 2004 created the conservative majority. Bush solidified the conservative Commission after two Republicans who had been Republicans when appointed – Russell Redenbaugh (who has since resigned) and Abigail Thernstrom – reregistered as independents. Bush then installed a fifth and sixth Republican.
Democratic President Obama will not get an appointment until 2010. And even then he'll only get one.
Meanwhile, divisive issues such as police profiling and misconduct; affirmative action and same-sex marriage are not being dealt with in fact-finding hearings by the Commission, Berry says. Instead, in recent years, the Commission has been busy opposing civil rights progress, including its opposition to the renewal of the Voting Rights Act, hate crimes laws, and arguing against diversity as a benefit in public education.
Other civil rights leaders agree a new Commission is the answer.
A recent report issued by The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, led by President Wade Henderson, says the current Commission is nearly irreparably flawed.
"Today, the commission is so debilitated as to be considered moribund. With a new administration, there is the opportunity to take a fresh look at this venerable institution and make the necessary changes to restore it to its former status as the 'conscience of the nation,'" states the report.
The report pushes for an "entirely new entity that returns to the commission's original mandate and expands on it to preserve and protect the civil and human rights of all American citizens."
Titled, "Restoring the Conscience of a Nation", the Report includes the following recommendations which essentially mirror those advocated by Berry:
•Creation of a new commission, consisting of seven members. The members would serve four year staggered terms. Each commissioner will be appointed by the president, and be subject to Senate confirmation.
•Authorization of the commission to hold hearings across the country to better understand the landscape of equal opportunity involving various regions and protected groups. Based on these hearings, and other information, the commission would have the responsibility to make policy recommendations to the president and Congress. The commission would retain the authority to subpoena witnesses to participate in such hearings.
•The name of the commission would be the United States Commission on Civil and Human Rights in order to "reflect the human rights dimension of its work" and "make more explicit its authority to examine U.S. compliance with these international treaties as part of its existing mandate to examine compliance with legal obligations that affect civil rights."


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6 injured in knife attack at China rail station
BEIJING — Six people were injured by knife-wielding assailants at South China's Guangzhou Railway Station, local police reported Tuesday, in the country's third violent attack at a train station in just over nine weeks.
Despite a recent increase in armed patrols, the latest incident confirms the challenge of securing China's public places against attacks authorities have blamed on separatists from the northwest.
The assailants used knives to hack passengers around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday local time in the Guangzhou Railway Station square, city police in the Guangdong provincial capital wrote on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog.
Officers on patrol issued a verbal warning, without effect, then shot and caught one male suspect, the statement said. The six people injured were taken to a hospital, police said.
No official information on the attackers, including their number or ethnic group, was immediately released. Witnesses quoted by state media, including the People's Daily, said there were two to four attackers, two of whom may have escaped.
One man, with the last name Yang, sat in shock for two hours after he fled an attacker who chased him as he exited the station, The Southern Metropolitan Daily reported. Yang had just arrived from Kunming, in southwest China, where he had witnessed and survived a similar attack in March.
The incident Tuesday forms the latest and apparently least deadly of a series of attacks against railway users in China. On March 1, a group armed with knives and short swords killed 29 people and injured 143 at Kunming Railway Station. Last week, 79 people were injured and three died at a railway station in Urumqi, capital of the northwest Xinjiang region, after a knife and bomb attack.
Authorities said those incidents were undertaken by religious extremists from Xinjiang, also the alleged home of the suspects in the Kunming terror attack, who sought independence for the desert-bound, resource-rich region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur people. Uighur activists abroad say some Uighurs are driven to violence by repressive state policies that restrict their religion, language and culture.
After Kunming, China's Ministry of Public Security stepped up armed patrols of public places including railway stations, and increased gun training for police, most of whom do not regularly carry firearms. Tuesday's attack shows that assailants still consider stations worthwhile targets, while the continuing use of knives highlights the relative difficulty in accessing guns or other more deadly weapons.
After the attack in Urumqi, China's Communist Party leader Xi Jinping vowed a long-term fight against terror. Some Chinese demand quicker results. "I don't want to hear the words 'verbal warning' again," Fan Xin, a military commentator based in Beijing, wrote on Sina Weibo Tuesday. "Stabbing people in public places, does that need a verbal warning? You can't kill people, if they continue, then the police must open fire!"
Witnesses of the Kunming massacre told USA TODAY they were frustrated that some police officers who arrived at the scene appeared to await orders to fire, even as the attackers continued to spill blood.