text: The ER102 was designed to be the perfect severe weather survival tool. The Dynamo crank allows you to recharge the radio and flashlight during a power outage or when away from a power source so you can stay informed with NOAA All Hazard Weather Alerts or local AM/FM broadcasts. ****7 Preset Weather Channels, Alert Override automatically switches from AM/FM to warn you of hazardous conditions, 3 Alert Types- Display, Voice or Flashlight, Flashlight Visual Alert perfect for the hearing impaired, AM/FM Radio allows you to stay informed, 4 Sources of Power- Alkaline Batteries, AC Adapter, Crank or Rechargeable Battery, Alarm Clock - Wake to local Weather, AM/FM or Buzz, Thermometer with Freeze Alert, Telescoping Antenna provides crystal clear reception, Water Resistant, USB Connector- Allows you to charge your cell phone in an emergency, Uses 3 AA alkaline batteries (not included) ****All Hazards Alert - in addition to important weather announcements your radio will also receive other emergency announcement such as: Child Abduction Emergency (Amber Alert), Nuclear Power Plant Warning, Biological Hazard Warning, Civil Emergency Message, Fire Warning, Landslide Warning


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Campus Corner
KU linebacker cited for misdemeanor battery
Ben Heeney, a sophomore linebacker at Kansas, was cited for misdemeanor battery in an early morning incident last Sunday in Lawrence.
The incident, according to the Lawrence Journal-World, involved a dispute with employees at Tonic, a bar at 728 Massachusetts St. Heeney is scheduled to appear in Lawrence Municipal Court on Feb. 8.
"We are fully aware of the situation involving Ben," KU coach Charlie Weis said in a statement released Saturday morning. "We have discussed this with all of the parties involved and believe we know what truly happened. We are handling it internally with appropriate measures."
Heeney, from Hutchinson, Kan., was selected second-team all-Big 12 by the league's coaches during his sophomore year. He finished the season with a team-leading 112 tackles, the third most in the Big 12. He also had 12 tackles for loss and a sack.
Heeney was arrested in July 2011 and charged with driving while intoxicated, according to records from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. He was later granted diversion in the DUI case. KU football players are set to return to campus Sunday in advance of the start of spring classes Tuesday. The first day of spring practice is March 5.

subset: commoncrawl


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MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- Kids who shop at the corner store before or after school purchase nearly 360 calories worth of food and beverage, on average, during each visit, according to a study of Philadelphia students.
Junk food is the most popular purchase, including chips, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, the study found. Results are in the November issue of Pediatrics.
For the study, researchers conducted more than 800 surveys of students in grades 4 through 6 in urban areas of Philadelphia. They talked to kids outside corner stores immediately after they made purchases and looked at what they bought in order to collect nutritional data.
More than eight in 10 students surveyed were from families with incomes that were low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school, the surveys showed.
More than 50 percent of the kids said they shopped at corner stores once a day, five days a week, and nearly 30 percent visited the stores twice a day -- before and after school.
The kids spent a bit more than a dollar, on average, and purchased 356 calories worth of food. Chips made up a third of all purchases, the study authors noted. But with a dollar, they said, the kids could buy an 8-ounce drink, a small bag of chips, candy, gum and a popsicle.
"This is the first study to show what children purchase from corner stores before and after school," lead researcher Kelley Borradaile, of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, said in a news release from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "It is troubling that so little money buys so many calories. Corner stores are an important part of the urban landscape, and they have a significant impact on the amount and quality of calories children consume."
What should be done? "Promoting items like water, single-serving snacks and fresh fruits are small changes that could yield a significant impact on the quantity and quality of children's food intake," Sandy Sherman, director of nutrition education at the Food Trust, suggested in the news release.
The study was part of an initiative aimed at boosting the amount of fresh fruit and other healthy snacks on store shelves in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Oakland, Calif.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more on healthy snacks for kids.


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Next Episode of Four Corners (AU) is
Four Corners is Australia's premier television current affairs program.
It has been part of the national story since August 1961, exposing scandals, triggering inquiries, firing debate, confronting taboos and interpreting fads, trends and sub-cultures.
Looks like something went completely wrong!
But don't worry - it can happen to the best of us,
- and it just happened to you.
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This new series will look at a range of jobs which may be suitable for people with Asperger's Syndrome and will discuss the positive qualities they could bring and the challenges they could face.
Project Management is a field which requires both good time management and meticulous attention to detail. These are qualities that some people with Asperger's syndrome possess in abundance.
Of course, if you have an ADHD co-condition, then project management is not going to be a suitable career choice because good organisation is critical.
There are many different types of project management roles and many of these are in common "special interest areas" such as computing, engineering, transport, law and even simply in documentation such as standards and compliance. Provided that you join a project management team in an area close to your special interests, you should have no difficulty maintaining attention to detail.
Most project management roles will require tertiary education (a degree) and a bit of experience in the field, so it's not really an ideal first job unless you can find an internship.
Project management often involves high-level thinking and the ability to see both detail and the big picture at the same time. This is an area where people with Asperger's syndrome have a distinct advantage. There is also quite a bit of logic and procedure in project management - and charting too.
The hardest part of project management for people with Asperger's syndrome tends to be on the social front. It's quite common for project managers to need to attend lots of meetings and to deal with a lot of people. Don't give up though because depending upon the types of projects you're engaged on, you may find that someone else in the team is more willing to take on that part of the role or that much of the project can be accomplished via other means of communication such as email and collaborative writing solutions.
Project management is not for everyone but it is a role in which many people with Asperger's syndrome can excel.


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Economic and market views
Get all the information, insights and expert opinions on a variety of economic and financial issues, tax views - in addition to up-to-date information on changes impacting our industry, and ultimately your business. Our global presence and strategic relationships offer you ideas and insights from our experts around the world, providing you with a truly global perspective.
Economic views
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The Market Intelligence Report is designed to help advisors be successful when they are investing with their clients, by providing an outlook into market opportunities and risks.
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Everything But The House
Need to Sell Some of Your Possessions?
Preparing your home for sale always results in the need to "purge" those items that you no longer need or no longer have room for. Previously your options included garage sales, consignment shops or donation venues.
Now, you have a BETTER choice!
John R. Wood Properties has partnered with Everything But The House – an online auction firm that literally sells "everything but the house" (EBTH).
EBTH has revolutionized the online personal property sale process. Whether you are moving, downsizing or dealing with the estate of a loved one, EBTH specializes in selling
- Furniture
- Home décor
- Jewelry
- Artwork
- Sports memorabilia
- Tableware
- Automobiles
- Garden equipment
- Literally, "everything but the house"
To see the brochure describing the details, click here!
To get started:


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Life onboard Louis Olympia is fun, friendly and relaxed. Louis Olympia is your gateway to a world of relaxing and fun choices.
Her facilities are the following; dining room, 2 lounges, 5 bars, cinema, kids' area, Duty-Free & Travel Value Shop, boutique, library, barbershop and beauty salon, conference & meeting center, 2 swimming pools, whirlpool, fitness center & spa.
The vessel is fully air-conditioned, has stabilizers, telephone, fax, satellite telephone and physician on board. Louis Olympia, fully refurbished in 2005, is one of the largest ships of Louis Cruises.
Louis Olympia Ship Information
- Gross Tonnage: 37,584
- Length: 214.88m
- Breadth: 28.4m
- Draught: 7m
- Speed: 19 knots
- Decks: 10
- Elevators: 7
- Cabins: 724
- Crew Members: 540
Category IC – Inside Superior Stateroom
2 lower beds, 3rd/4th berth, bathroom with shower
Located on the 3 deck
Category XD – Outside Superior Stateroom
2 lower beds, 3rd berth, bathroom with shower
Located on the 4 deck
Deck Plans


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OAK CREEK, Wis., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Thousands of people filled a high school gymnasium Friday in Oak Creek, Wis., to mourn the deaths of six Sikhs killed by an alleged white supremacist.
"Today we mourn with you, we pray with you and we support you," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told people who gathered to honor the victims of Sunday's massacre at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee. Walker praised the community for its response to the violence, ABC News reported.
"This week our friends and neighbors in the Sikh community have shown us that the best way to respond is with love," Walker said.
Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Prakash Singh, Paramjit Kaur, Suveg Singh and Satwant Singh Kaleka were killed Sunday when Wade Michael Page allegedly opened fire in the temple. Three other people were wounded, including a responding police officer. Page also died in the rampage.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told mourners violence against members of the Sikh community must stop.
"In the recent past, too many Sikhs have been targeted and victimized simply because of who they are, how they look and what they believe," Holder said. "This is wrong. It is unacceptable. And it will not be tolerated. We must ask necessary questions of ourselves: What kind of nation do we truly want to have?"
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Holder spoke eloquently of those who were killed, particularly temple founder Satwant Singh Kaleka. Holder said Kaleka put his own body between the killer and fellow worshipers.
"We will never know how many lives he saved last Sunday," Holder said.
Members of the temple have begun cleaning the site of the rampage, polishing the tile floor and replacing carpet in an effort to return the temple to its former condition, CNN reported.
Two members of the temple wounded by the gunman remained hospitalized, including one who is listed in critical condition. A police officer was listed in satisfactory condition.
One of Wade's friends says he regrets covering up a suicide scare by Page when they were in the U.S. Army.
Christopher Robillard said he and friends broke into Page's apartment in 1997 because they were afraid he might commit suicide over a breakup with a girlfriend, the Journal Sentinel reported. Page was found passed out drunk on the floor.
Robillard and his friends didn't report the incident, a decision Robillard said he "deeply regrets."
Jennifer Dunn, a psychiatric nurse who lived downstairs from Page, said "a gazillion red flags would have gone off" if Page had been evaluated.


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This newly-opened hostel is perfectly located in the very centre of Bangkok. It is close to many tourist attractions, including the Grand Palace, Khao San Road, the Temple of Dawn, Wat Pho, and the famous nightlife and shopping of Bangkok. Our hostel was specially designed for backpackers looking to experience a real Thai home styled with a colourful, friendly attitude, fun and a sociable atmosphere. Surrounded by a garden, our hostel sleeps under a magnificent 150-year-old tamarind tree, giving us our name – NapPark. There are special Thai cushions and handicrafts in all communal areas. We want you to feel comfortable in this unique traveller's home. We offer the highest standard of amenities and commodities. You can relax in our comfortable beds with clean and stylish shower rooms. Wi-Fi is also accessible throughout the building. Our standard and economy 'NapSpace' is actually the same type of dorm but the position of economy beds are more easy to be disturbed by guest entering the room. So we discount those beds for very budget travellers. Our friendly English-speaking staff are ready to welcome all guests and provide 24-hour service. Our features include free individual lockers and locks; free linens, towels, duvets, and luggage storage; free internet access and access to computers; free library of books, including travel guides; free maps and travelling advice; free satellite TV and movies and free office supplies and facilities. Do not miss your opportunity to stay at NapPark Hostel, the perfect base from which to explore Bangkok and beyond! Please note that our dorms are not suitable for children under 12 years of age. Teenagers aged 13-16 years old should be accompanied by a parent.
- Internet
- In public areas: free
- 24 hours Front Desk Service
- Bar
- Restaurant/cafe
- Laundry service
- Concierge service
- Air conditioning
- Safe box
- Shared Bathroom


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Federal authorities have given the thumbs-up to Colorado's plan to cut down on haze and harmful emissions.
It's a good step forward in addressing health, environment and quality of life issues.
The state's congressional delegation had urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve the state plan to significantly reduce the emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other pollutants. The move is intended to clear up skies in natural areas such as Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde, Maroon Bells and the Great Sand Dunes.
We love our wild lands in Colorado, and taking steps to ensure they are enveloped in clean, crisp air is a positive move indeed.


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March: Quilting Bee Block
Back in the swing of things for the Sew New to Me Virtual Quilting Bee, March was Corey at Little Miss Shabby's month. (If you are a fan of Flea Market Fancy, you *must* go check out the header on her blog!) Corey sent us a beautiful palette of fabrics - blue, green, gray, white. She asked us to make blocks using triangles and squares. Pinwheels, stars, whatever we wanted. She wanted attention to small details and piecing.
I've never made a block like this and it was really fun. It is certainly a lesson in precision and patience. I have a lot of respect for those that make entire quilts like this!
I added in a little Dolce fabric, as it matched perfectly! And you wouldn't believe I used to be good at math. Heck, 1/3 of my degree is math...but I calculated wrong and ended up needing to add a border to make the square 12.5". I think it looks cute though. :) I told Corey she could take it off if it's not her vision though!


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The TV in my flat has disappeared! We haven't been burgled, though. Our big, boxy old cathode ray goggle box is actually gathering dust on the floor of the spare room, unused. We moved it out of the way in preparation for a party back in August, and it hasn't been moved back since. We'll probably recycle it back onto Freecycle before long, which is where we got it in the first place. Or maybe we'll have a ritual smashing.
And now there's not only a big space in the corner of the living room – there's a big free space opened up in our heads, too. It's been liberating.
It's not that we don't veg out on the sofa any more, I'm afraid. There are, these days, the temptations of iPlayer, 4OD and all the rest – unlike the last time I went telly-free, when I ended up doing a lot more reading and going out (and fielding baffled questions along the lines of 'But what do you do if you don't have a TV?' Which I always thought was a question, on escaping their lips, that ought to bring the questioner up short and cause them to look at their own life, but never mind. If I'd known about it at the time, I'd have simply sent them to this lovely project.
So we still veg more than we should, really (no one will lie on their death beds wishing they'd spent more time watching screens).
But what good has happened is that we're exposed to many, many fewer advertisements, to the extent that when we come across them now they have a weird, alien, even surreal feel. Do advertisers really speak to people in these strange tones? Do they really think the bland and airbrushed lifestyles they depict is what we aspire to, or identify with, and so will cause us to buy their product?
The problem is that it takes a prolonged period of not being exposed to ads in order to see their inherent weirdness. Yes, even if you think you're not affected by ads, there's good evidence to suggest that you are. Not only that, but that it is capable of chipping away at the values that you and others hold dear – and that are vital to social, economic and environmental justice.
WWF and the Public Interest Research Centre produced a fascinating report recently, Think of me as evil?, pulling together the available academic evidence on the effects of advertising. It will have made pretty excruciating reading for advertisers who claim that criticisms of their 'trade' are overblown.
One by one it pulls apart the defences put up by the advertising industry: that it doesn't increase people's overall consumption but simply persuades them to switch between brands; that it doesn't create an acquisitive culture but simply reflects our society's existing values. The report not only shows that these arguments are almost certainly nonsense, but points up still more alarming effects of saturation advertising. Such as?
- Exposure to TV advertising increases the tendency to take on household debt and work longer hours in order to meet increased expectations
- Advertising undermines people's 'intrinsic values' such as community, affiliation to friends and family and self-development and boosts 'extrinsic values' such as envy of higher social classes and admiration of greater wealth or power – and this really matters, because extrinsic values are associated with "higher levels of prejudice, less concern about the environment and lower motivation to engage in corresponding behaviours, and weak (or absent) concern about human rights"
- It makes us cynical: because advertisers sometimes appeal to intrinsic values – see Dove's ads assuring us that all body shapes are legitimate – the fact that we know they are doing so in order to hawk a product makes us less trusting of other appeals to intrinsic values, such as, I don't know, fighting environmental degradation or sweatshop labour
Great. So we know what to do, right? Junk the telly, don't buy magazines. But that's not so easy for most, and even if it were, you only need to step outside to be bombarded by billboards, logos, ads on buses, ads on taxis, giant screens in public places, funky viral ads on pavements. Every surface is covered.
So is it a losing game to fight this apparently unstoppable tide of shilling and mental pollution? Most of the time it seems that way. So it's time for some inspiring examples to show that we should make a stink and that we can fight back.
- Check out how Sao Paulo changed when that fine city said enough is enough and banned most outdoor advertising. Even better, surveys found that at least 70% of city residents liked the change.
- Or see this brilliant project in Vienna when every ad and logo in one street was swathed in yellow in order to make truly visible the sheer ubiquity of the hard sell we're subjected to.
But never, never underestimate the cynicism and stubbornness of the corporate world to turn anything into a marketing and selling opportunity – even Sao Paolo's anti-advertising revolution made one company see an opportunity to make a buck. This one's up there in the pantheon of cynical opportunism!
This issue really matters. It's a question of rights – our right not to have our community spaces colonised by corporate occupiers for the very shallowest and most damaging of motives.
And as the WWF/PIRC report eloquently showed, it matters to movements like ours because it chips away at people's sense that they can and should make positive change. It is a kind of negative magic, working changes in our consciousness without our consent and making the insane and the polluting appear to be desirable choices.
"To complete the task of breaking away from the murky thinking and the tangled nonrational drives that dominate contemporary life … it's necessary to break away from the lifestyles and everyday choices that are produced by that thinking and those drives.
"Mind you, the same equation works the other way around: to make the break away from lifestyles that demand energy and resource flows we can't count on getting for much longer—and making that break is perhaps the most essential task of the decade or so immediately before us—it's going to be necessary to turn away from the thinking patterns and the unmentioned and usually unnoticed passions that make those lifestyles seem to make sense"


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3113 m² Land available in Bettys Bay
Jenny Crisp
Rawson Property Group-Bettys Bay
John Ferreira
Rawson Property Group-Bettys Bay
3113 m² Land available in Bettys Bay
SOLE MANDATE - Captain and Commander.
The sloping fynbos of this larger property and its view of the shore line in front of the Botanical Gardens, leads onto a panoramic expansion of ocean while danger point light house beckons from over 40 Kilometers away.
Prime property for a substantial home or even that self contained high tech cottage.
Please phone to discuss or view.
Betty's Bay the attractive small seaside town, with a relaxed lifestyle, set in the Kogelberg Biosphere Nature Reserve, is still largely undiscovered. Large stretches of unspoilt fynbos, lagoons, beaches and spectacular mountains, just 50 minutes drive from Cape Town. Clarence Drive is rated as one of the most scenic drives in the world today.
Betty's Bay attracts a wide cross-section of people from all walks of life: apart from its many holiday and retirement home owners, the area is fast becoming popular and well known for quick getaway stays and as an ideal place for professionals and consultants who work from home to settle. This because of its close proximity to Cape Town.
The area also offers a huge range of activities, something for everyone: swimming, surfing, body boarding, fishing, diving, beach and mountain walks and climbing. There is also a wide selection of eateries and many famous wine routes are close by. The local small village shopping centre provides the necessities, but Kleinmond, with its larger retail outlets and other facilities, is only 15km away and is home to doctors, dentists, chemists and schools. The larger, more sophisticated shopping malls of Somerset West and Hermanus are all within 45 to 50 minutes drive. Cape Town airport is just over 1 hour away.
Email the Agents or request the agents Call You Back should you require any further details.
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Toro 52" Floating Deck Hydro Drive Twin-Lever (30489)
52" Floating Deck Hydro Drive Twin-Lever (30489)
Floating Deck Hydro Drive
18.5 hp Kawasaki® 603cc engine with 52" TURBO FORCE cutting deck, Twin-Lever steering controls.
- 52" (132 cm) TURBO FORCE 7-gauge cutting deck
- 18.5 hp* Kawasaki® 603cc engine
- Hydro-Gear 10cc pumps and Parker motors
- Robust 9-3/8" cast iron spindles
- Twin Lever Controls-MD: Twin Lever steering controls reduce operator fatigue and increase productivity. The straight-forward control logic is easy for new operators to learn and master. Steers like a "z" mower. Great for tracking in large open spaces and also maneuvering around obstacles. All around an intuitive control system.
- Exclusive TURBO FORCE Deck - Floating Deck: High-capacity 7/10 guage TURBO FORCE deck delivers unsurpassed strength, a superior cut, and increased productivity in extreme mowing conditions. Easily handles the most demanding conditions and resists damage from impacts and abrasion.
- Rubber Discharge Chute: High performance rubber discharge chute allows for close trimming without damaging chute or landscape structures. Patented design provides exceptional clipping dispersion.
- Premium Hydraulics: Independent, commercial-duty .6 cu. in. (10 cc) displacement pumps and wheel motors provide instant forward and reverse control without shifting.
- Patented Adjustable Baffle: Allows operator to achieve maximum cutting performance by fine-tuning deck to conquer changing conditions, unique job sites or different times of the season. In extreme conditions, the baffle can be opened in order to conserve power and achieve faster mowing speeds. In less demanding conditions, the baffle can be closed to yield micro-sized particles and maximize discharge velocity.
- Commercial-grade Deck Construction:
- Flat-free Caster Tires:
- Engine: 18.5 hp* Kawasaki® 603cc
- Fuel Capacity: 5 gallons (19 L)
- Cutting Width: 52" (132 cm)
- Height of Cut: 1" to 4-1/2" (2.5 cm to 11.5 cm); quick change
- Number of Blades: 3
- Starter: Electric Start
- Drive System: Hydro-Gear 10cc pumps and Parker motors
- Deck Material: 7-gauge steel
- Mulch, Bag, Side Discharge: Side-discharge Standard
- Adjustable Discharge: Standard
- Blade Engagement: Electric clutch
- Blade Tip Speed: 18,300+ ft/min (5,577 m/min)
- Caster Tires: 9" x 3.50 - 4" (23 x 9 - 10 cm); flat free
- Deck Design: 52" (132 cm) 7-gauge TURBO FORCE
- Discharge Chute: Reinforced rubber
- Drive Tires: 16" x 7.50 - 8" (40.6 x 19 - 20.3 cm)
- Ground Speed: 6.2 mph (10 km/h) fwd; 2.5 mph (4 km/h) rev
- Height: 46" (117 cm)
- Hydraulic Drive: Twin Hydro-Gear® Pumps
- Hydraulic Fluid: Premium Synthetic
- Length: 77.8" (197 cm)
- Spindle Housing: 9-3/8" (23.8 cm) diameter cast iron
- Steering Controls: Twin Lever
- Width: 53.7" (136 cm) with chute up
- Weight: 721 lbs (327 kg)
- Walk-Behind Bags: Toro® utility bags add convenience and productivity to everyday mowing. Use them for trash, tools, cell phone - whatever you need to pick up or carry with you.
- Atomic® Mulching Blades: Atomic® mulching blades feature an aggressive "tooth" design that shreds grass and leaves into small particles. The teeth curl upward behind the blade to suspend clippings in the chamber so they are cut and re-cut until they virtually disappear. Turn your Toro Groundsmaster® into an Atomic® mulching machine!
- Soft Baggers: Cloth bag kit available for seasonal clean-up, or small debris collection jobs.
- Recycler® Mulching Kits: Recycler mulching kits deliver the industry's finest mulching performance and reduce mowing time up to 38% vs. bagging*.*Respondents in a Texas A&M University study cut their lawns 38% faster when they didn't bag.
- TRU TRAK® Sulky: Toro's patented TRU TRAK® sulky is the industry's most innovative sulky design. Large, independently pivoting foot plates greatly reduce operator fatigue while the 2-point connection eliminates jack-knifing in turns or reverse. The unit tracks "true" and straight every time. Foot pads pivot into stowed position when operating in conditions not conducive to sulky operation and for trailering convenience.
NOTES:*The gross horsepower of this engine was laboratory rated by the engine manufacturer in accordance with SAE J1940. As configured to meet safety, emission, and operating requirements, the actual engine horsepower on this class of mower will be significantly lower.
- Engine Manufacturer
- Kawasaki®
- Horse Power
- 18.5 hp
- Transmission
- Hydro-Gear 10cc pumps and Parker motors
- Wheel Size
- 16 in. x 7.50 - 8 in. (40.6 x 19 - 20.3 cm)
- Fuel Capacity
- 5 gal. (19 L)
- Deck Size
- 52 in. (132 cm)
- Discharge Type
- Mulch, Bag, Side Discharge


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Help Desk One-on-One Assistance – Lab
June 25, 2018 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
An event every month that begins at 2:00 pm on day First of the month, repeating until January 7, 2019
An event every month that begins at 2:00 pm on day Last of the month, repeating until January 28, 2019
Library staff members will help you set up an email, assist with online applications or with using your ereader/tablet, laptop or phone. Learn how to download ebooks, eaudio and emagazines. Get an introduction to Microsoft Office programs: Word, Publisher, PowerPoint and Excel. We are willing to help troubleshoot and solve computer or tablet problems. Please note: we cannot diagnose or repair computer hardware problems.
Sign up for your appointment for technical help from members of the reference staff on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of the month. Check the events calendar at fairhopelibrary.org or call 251-929-1464 for meeting dates and times.
Telephone # 251.928.7483 for library sponsored events


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December 15, 2011
Sprouted chickpea salad
15 comments:
I love how fresh this looks!ReplyDelete
Yummy! I love sprouts! Your salad looks delicious, especially with almonds - I love their texture after they've soaked for a while. I'll have to start sprouting again, it's so nice to have something fresh from my own garden/home in the winter as it is here already :)ReplyDelete
Snap! I have a sprouted chickpea salad for lunch today too! Yummy :)ReplyDelete
I love sprouted seeds but have gotten out of the habit, thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Looks so delicious!ReplyDelete
Extremely healthy, fresh and pleasant!ReplyDelete
Mmm,ihana salaatti! Olen itselläni huomannut,että saan jonkinlaisia vatsaväänteitä idätetystä kik-herneistä,ja kaadankin hieman kuumaa vettä niiden päälle ennen syöntiä.ReplyDelete
I have never sprouted chickpeas before! This sounds fantastic!ReplyDelete
love how fresh it looks...beautifulReplyDelete
What a fresh and lovely dish! I have a new challenge now... sprouted chickpeas!!ReplyDelete
I have never sprouted chickpeas before! Wonder why i never tried! Salad looks delightful :)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous16 December 2011 at 12:22
I will have to do some research on the health benefits of sprouting. Looks delicious.ReplyDelete
I must have sprouted just about everything but chickpeas: shall surely try! Love the zucchini/avocado addition! Another 'Maria' exclusive :) !ReplyDelete
Wow! Sprouted chickpeas! That's so unusual! I will definitely have to try this :) Thanks for the recipe!ReplyDelete
Your blog is really lovely by the way :)
Salad looks great. I think i will like the crunch of the almonds. Thanks for the receipe.ReplyDelete


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Two cairns forming part of a cairnfield on Longstone Hill
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1010590
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jan-1995
The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1010590 .pdf
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The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Devon
- District:
- West Devon (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Okehampton Hamlets
- National Park:
- National Grid Reference:
Reasons for Designation
Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and,
because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most
complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The
great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence
for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards.
The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites,
land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later
industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the
pattern of land use through time. Cairnfields are concentrations of three or
more cairns sited within close proximity to one another; they may consist of
burial cairns or cairns built with stone cleared from the land surface
(clearance cairns). Round funerary cairns were constructed during the Bronze
Age (c.2000-700 BC) and consisted of earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes
ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. The
considerable variation in the size of cairnfields and their longevity as a
monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and
social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of
surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
The cairnfield on Longstone Hill survives well and contains archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. It provides a valuable insight into Bronze Age funerary, ritual and agricultural activity on the north western side of the moor. This cairnfield is more extensive and contains more cairns than any other similar site known on the moor, and its association with a standing stone and single stone hut circle is rare.
This monument includes two cairns, aligned NNW-SSE, situated on a west facing
slope of Longstone Hill forming part of a cairnfield, including at least 64
mounds, overlooking the valleys of the Redaven Brook and West Okement River.
Other cairns lie in the immediate vicinity and these are covered by separate
schedulings. Both mounds are sub-circular in shape. The northern mound
measures 6.5m in diameter and stands up to 1m on the downslope side and 0.4m
high on the upslope. A ditch from which material was quarried during the
construction of the mound surrounds the cairn and survives as a 1.5m wide and
0.2m deep hollow on the southern and eastern sides and as a buried feature
elsewhere. The southern mound measures 2.5m in diameter and 0.2m high. Many of
the mounds within the cairnfield are crest sited and are therefore clearly
visible from long distances to the east and west. This situation strongly
suggests that many of the cairns probably contain burials, although the size
and shape of some mounds suggests that some may also be associated with stone
clearance connected with cultivation of the area. The northern cairn within
this monument is likely to be of funerary origin because of the associated
quarry ditch, a feature not known to be associated with clearance cairns.
MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 24184
- Legacy System:
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX59SE39, (1982)
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official listing


text:
Brendan Marrocco sometimes looks down at his arms and can't believe they really exist.
Until six weeks ago, the 26-year-old didn't have arms. He lost both of his, as well as his legs, in the Iraq War when the armored vehicle he was driving ran over a bomb in 2009. He was the first soldier of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to lose all four limbs in combat and survive.
But Marrocco has arms again because of a rare double transplant performed by a team of surgeons at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Dec. 18. Marrocco wheeled himself into a media briefing Tuesday using his new limbs.
He and a team of doctors that helped perform the transplant talked about his recovery and what life will be like when the transplanted arms are fully functional.
"It's given me a lot of hope for the future," Marrocco said about the surgery. "I feel like I've been given a second chance."
Marrocco still doesn't have much feeling in his arms and it could be two to three years before he is able to fully use them again. Nerves regenerate at a pace of about one inch a month, meaning recovery can be lengthy, said the lead surgeon, Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee.
"The progress will be slow, but the outcome will be rewarding," Lee said. "Brendan tells us he is up to the challenge."
Marrocco said the arms, though they once belonged to someone else, already feel like a part of him. He instinctively scratches his head and touches his face with them all the time. Sometimes, he folds his new arms in his lap. The arms make him feel like his old self — like he was before the accident.
"They have truly become a part of my everyday life in the last few weeks," he said. "It's like I went back four years ago and I'm me again."
Marrocco was a machine gunner stationed at Forward Operating Base Summerall in Bayji, Iraq, at the time of the explosion that nearly took his life. About six months into his tour of duty, he was driving an armored vehicle in a convoy on a routine mission heading back to base.
He doesn't remember details of the accident. Four soldiers were in the vehicle at the time. Marrocco would later find out that his best friend in the military died and another soldier was wounded. The fourth somehow was unharmed.
Marrocco's injuries were so extensive that his father, Alex Marrocco, said he didn't recognize his son when he first saw him in a military hospital in Germany. The Army infantryman spent months recovering in Germany and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda before moving to a home in Staten Island, N.Y., built with donations.
He was given prosthetic arms but never fully adjusted to using them. He had become somewhat proficient using the left one, but rarely used the right because it was bulky and hard to maneuver. While he was fairly independent and did many things for himself, his older brother Michael, moved in with him to help out.
Transplanted arms are better for some patients, Lee said, because they allow them to feel sensation. A patient with a prosthesis has to look when he ties his shoes so that his brain will process the activity. However, Lee described a patient with transplanted arms who could tie a ponytail with her hands behind her head out of eyesight.
Transplanted arms allow double amputees to become independent, Lee said. It is hard to perform simple functions with two prosthetic arms, he said. Younger patients also don't always do well with the artificial limbs, he said.
A doctor at Walter Reed first told Marrocco about the possibility of arm transplants and offered to put him in touch with Lee, who was then at the University of Pittsburgh.
After he met with Lee in 2010, Marrocco was on board despite the risks that came with the surgery, including the possibility that it wouldn't work. He decided surgery could be no worse than what he already had endured.
"The worst-case scenario was if I lost the arms I would go back to the way I was," he said.
In the more than two years it took for a pair of suitable donor arms to be found, Lee and his team of doctors moved their program from Pittsburgh to Hopkins. Meanwhile, superstorm Sandy damaged Marrocco's home so badly he had to move out.
Then in mid-December, donor arms became available and Marrocco was bound for Baltimore.
The 13-hour surgery involved a team of 16 surgeons. They came from Hopkins, Walter Reed, the Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, UCLA and Pittsburgh.
The doctors first attached the bone using metal plates and screws, Lee said. Teams of doctors then sutured the muscles and tendons and then the blood vessels using a microscope. Next they repaired the nerves before attaching the skin.
"It is a very complicated procedure," Lee said in a phone interview. "It involves a lot of precision."
Marrocco is only one of seven patients in the United States to have undergone successful double arm transplants, Hopkins said. It is the first such procedure performed at Hopkins, but Lee and a team of doctors performed other double- and single-arm transplants at Pittsburgh.
About 60 arm transplants have been performed around the world, Lee believes. He and his team of doctors have other patients waiting for donors and are consulting with others to see if they would make good candidates.
Doctors also used a new treatment to prevent Marrocco's body from rejecting the new limbs, which sometimes happens in transplant procedures. The treatment involved infusing bone marrow cells from the donor's body. Marrocco now has to take fewer drugs to fight rejection. The anti-rejection drugs can damage organs and cause infections.
Infusing the bone marrow helps balance the immune system of the donor arm and the patient, Lee said.
Michael Marrocco, who quit his job to help with his brother's recovery, said he hopes the surgery will help Brendan become even more independent. He said his brother also was determined not to let lost limbs slow him down.
"This surgery is probably the biggest thing to happen in my brother's life," he said.
Brendan Marrocco, who retired from the Army as a sergeant last year, doesn't have a job but has earned veterans disability benefits.
Marrocco said he asked Lee if he could give him new legs too. Although doctors in Europe are transplanting legs, Lee is not yet comfortable with the procedure and said more testing is needed.
That's all right with Marrocco. Arms are a bigger deal because they are used so much.
Marrocco's recovery will involve intensive hand therapy, first in Baltimore and later at Walter Reed. Doctors are doing the minimum treatment now as they allow his tissues to recover from surgery.
They say Marrocco is an eager patient who already has found ways to start using his arms. Doctors said his positive attitude should help him in recovery.
"Right now we are the ones holding him back to let the tissues heal," said Dr. Jamie Shores, clinical director of hand transplantation at Hopkins. "I don't think there is much we will be able to keep him from doing."
Lee said his previous patients have gained almost full function. One double-transplant patient can tie his shoes and use chopsticks, he said.
For his part, Marrocco said he looks most forward to eventually driving again. He has a black Dodge Charger waiting for him when that time comes. He also plans to take up swimming and hand cycling when he is strong enough.
Mostly, he just wants to push his arms to the limit.
"I just want to get the most out of the arms," he said.


text:
Talk:Main Page
From ForensicsWiki
I am setting up a global directory of computer forensics analysts, and am looking for feedback to the idea. Although the directory is in the UK, I want it to be global. Any thoughts, please put them on Computer Forensics [1] in the forums section. Thanks and regards, Simon
- Given the lack of response I'm not sure this is a viable idea. Jessek 21:13, 26 February 2007 (PST)
Hachoir framework
Hi, I'm the author of Hachoir, a generic framework for binary file manipulation. I don't know if I can add it in your wiki. I prefer to have your review first :-)
Hachoir supports many file formats (more than 60 formats) and have many features:
* Fault tolerant parser (truncated/buggy file or buggy parser) * Smart syntax: you don't have to care about endian or charset, and you can mix byte and bit fields * Few functions to modify files * File recognition using header/footer in a disk image (in any file) with few false positive (each file is checked using the parser) * Written in Python: OS independant and easy to script/extend * curses, wxWidgets and Gtk interfaces * Many programs based on hachoir-core and hachoir-parser: * hachoir-strip: remove metadata and other "useless" informations * hachoir-grep: find substring in a binary file (using hachoir parsers: so search is Unicode aware) * hachoir-subfile: find all subfiles in a file * etc.


text:
N.Y. teachers turn on Common Core
The board of the New York state teachers union this weekend unanimously withdrew its support for the Common Core standards as they have been implemented — a major blow for Common Core advocates who have been touting support from teachers as proof that the standards will succeed in classrooms nationwide.
"We'll have to be the first to say it's failed," said Richard Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers.
Story Continued Below
Iannuzzi said he has talked with union leaders in other states who may follow suit. "We've been in conversations where we're all saying our members don't see this going down a path that improves teaching and learning. We're struggling with how to deal with it," he said.
The board also unanimously voted no confidence in New York Education Commissioner John King Jr. and urged the state's Board of Regents to remove him from office.
( POLITICO's full education policy coverage)
The move on Common Core put the New York union at odds with the national teachers unions, which have steadfastly promoted the new academic standards for math and language arts instruction, now rolling out in classrooms nationwide.
Amid fierce and growing opposition to the standards — fanned by conservative political organizations — promoters of Common Core have counted on teachers to be their best ambassadors and to reassure parents and students that the guidelines will lead to more thoughtful, rigorous instruction.
Now, one of the biggest groups of educators in the country is on record saying it's not working.
The NYSUT, which represents about 600,000 teachers, retired teachers and school professionals — and accounts for 15 percent of national teacher union membership — is demanding "major course corrections" before it can consider supporting the standards again.
( Sign up for POLITICO's Morning Education tip sheet)
It wants more time for teachers to review the Common Core lessons the state has been promoting, and it's demanding more input on whether they are grade-appropriate. Parents and teachers have complained that the standards push the youngest kids too fast, demanding so much work from kindergarteners that there's little time for the play that's deemed essential for young children's development. On the other end of the scale, they have complained that the high-school math trajectory laid out by the Common Core leaves out key math concepts and does not push top students to take calculus.
The union is also demanding that all questions on the new Common Core exams be released so teachers can review them and use them to shape instruction.
Students across New York performed miserably on the first round of Common Core exams, given last spring. The NYSUT is insisting on a three-year moratorium on the high-stakes consequences attached to the exams; the union argues that no teachers should lose their jobs and no students should lose their chance at graduation because of poor performance on the tests during a transition period.
( Also on POLITICO: For right, Common Core fight prelude to bigger agenda)
Iannuzzi said the union still believes "the potential is there" for the standards to succeed, but said that won't happen unless the state brings everything to a halt and effectively starts from scratch.
In response, Commissioner King issued a statement suggesting flexibility; he said he would work with the legislature, governor and Board of Regents to "make necessary adjustments and modifications to the implementation of the Common Core." But he did not back away from his staunch support of the guidelines, saying that "now is not the time to weaken standards for teaching and learning." The statement, issued jointly with Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, continued: "Our students are counting on us to help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. The higher standards the Common Core sets will help them do just that."
The Common Core standards are a central plank in President Barack Obama's education agenda.
They were developed by nonprofits and organizations representing states, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, but have been heavily promoted by the White House and by Education Secretary Arne Duncan.


text:
A new generation of high-definition TV and DVD technology heralds the arrival of the digital living room, according to the head of Taiwanese media software maker CyberLink, Alice Chang. Users love high-definition TV because it's like watching a football game from the sidelines, while HD-DVD and Blu-ray, the high-definition video disc formats, put the cinema in your house and offer fun new possibilities. For example, the HD-DVD version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen includes a shoot 'em up game users can play. Bad guys don't die when hit, but the game does keep the score. Tokyo Drift includes a function that puts the story cards used to make the movie in the top left corner of the corresponding scene, giving users a glimpse of the creative process. And that's just the beginning, Chang said. One function her company is working on could one day let users buy items they see in movies on the click of a mouse. So instead of wondering where 007 picked up that suave tuxedo, or Carrie Bradshaw got her new shoes, users can click on them and buy immediately at Amazon.com or eBay. Here's what else Chang had to say.
IDG: The digital home is a buzzword we've been hearing about for years, but it hasn't really happened yet. What has changed that makes you think it's on the way now?
Alice Chang (AC): I think that because Apple Computer has been so successful with the iPod, the rest of the non-Apple world is looking at the Apple story and wondering how to do the same thing, but they're using the Wintel [Windows + Intel] platform to launch from. At the end of last year, we saw a lot more companies start talking about the digital home, and now we have Intel with Viiv, and Microsoft with Vista, and Apple with its iTV, so it's gaining momentum.
IDG: What's your definition of the digital home? What does it include?
AC: When I think of the digital home, I think of myself at home, on my couch, watching TV, watching DVDs and listening to music. As users, that's what we're doing most of the time. In DVD [CyberLink is] already there. In TV, we started investing a few years ago and as time went on, video over PCs became more and more popular, with TV tuners for PCs, and making your PC into a TiVo. These things are all possible now. And now TV has moved from analog to digital, and up to hi-def (high-definition).
For the digital home, the digital entertainment TV and DVD will be essential for entertainment. So [CyberLink] is helping make sure the PC can move from the work ecosystem to the entertainment ecosystem; so we're thinking about sharing, about easy access, home access, the PC as a home media device with all the media files, and a TV tuner.
IDG: What has been the hardest part in CyberLink's software development efforts in HD DVD and Blu-ray?
AC: In the last two-years, we have put a lot of effort into the interactive features in HD-DVD and Blu-ray movies. Investors often ask us, 'Why do you spend so much R&D money? DVD is already mature, why do your R&D expenses keep on growing?' -- because it's a whole new team for HD-DVD, for the digital home. I told investors that the return on investment wouldn't come in two years; maybe by 2007, 2008 it will start to trend up. And finally, finally, this year, we see at least HD-DVD has already shipped. Maybe it's not popular, maybe the format is still in competition with Blu-ray, but finally, the ecosystem, the first version, is ready. And studios are finally ready, releasing the first titles. This is a whole new generation. It's very exciting.
IDG: How long do you think it will take for HD-DVD and Blu-ray to gain a following?
AC: It's just starting now. It's slow -- but it is taking off and it's gaining momentum. I think as prices come down, it will become more popular. When DVD-ROM was first released, it was around $US300, and that was years ago. But HD-DVD and Blu-ray are getting a boost from Microsoft and Sony and other multinationals, and that should speed up Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
We saw DVD in 1998, and at that time it was so premature, it was such a primitive environment compared to now. Now you hardly see video tapes anymore. The rise to maturity for CD, DVD took about 8 years. It won't take that long for Blu-ray and HD-DVD, the new technology is moving fast. In fact, we've already had a look at combo Blu-ray/HD-DVD players.
IDG: CyberLink is often asked to tweak its software to the specific needs of users in different cultures around the world. What kind of differences do you see?
AC: We see a big difference from vendors in different countries. In Japan, for example, users like more advanced functions, very detailed functions. In the US, ease-of-use is the key, so we have to adapt to different requirements of different areas.


text:
Mother's Day Ideas for Wife
Your wife is your closest friend and companion, and Mother's Day is your chance to celebrate everything she does for your family. Here are a few easy gift ideas that are sure to be a hit with her this Mother's Day.
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Your wife is your closest friend and companion, and Mother's Day is your chance to celebrate everything she does for your family. Here are a few easy gift ideas that are sure to be a hit with her this Mother's Day.
Whether she's your wife, your daughter, your sister, or your friend, you can celebrate a mom's first Mother's Day with the perfect gift. If you're not sure what to get her this year, try one of these first Mother's Day gift ideas.
Top 10 Gifts for a 30th Birthday from Overstock.com. From understated tokens to festive gifts, here are the most popular 30th birthday gift ideas.
Best Gifts for Her First Mother's Day from Overstock.com. Celebrate a new mom with these mother's day gift ideas.
Best 16th Birthday Gifts for Girls from Overstock.com. Are you shopping for a soon-to-be 16-year-old girl? Here are our best sweet sixteen gift ideas.
Whether it's their birthday, the holidays, Mother's Day, or Father's Day, shopping for your in-laws will be easier with these gift ideas.
Make her Valentine's Day stand out with a special gift. Whether she's your crush or your wife, we have the perfect gift suggestions for your loved one.
Top 5 Gift Ideas for a Bachelorette Party from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with bachelorette party gift ideas.
Top 5 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for the Working Mom from Overstock.com. Your mom is a busy woman. Show her your appreciation with these Mother's Day gifts for working moms.
Top 5 Parents' Wedding Gift Ideas from Overstock.com. Our guides provide customers with the top 5 parents' wedding gift ideas.
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text:
Be Aware of Carbon Monoxide Emissions While Boating
We go boating to have fun. Whether your passion is relaxation or exhilaration, a boat opens the doors to endless possibility. But boating is not without its hazards, and responsible boaters keep at least a few "what if" scenarios in the back of their heads to stay safe when they leave the docks. Generally, we think of worst case scenarios as man-overboard situations, collision in a crowded waterway or sudden, drastic changes in the weather. But there is an unseen danger threatening you and your family, that most of us might not even consider. Pollution.
On the water, pollution is typically thought of as plastics or oil spilled into the water, right? It is something that kills sea life and makes the environment less beautiful for us to enjoy. But have you thought about the exhaust from your engine? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strictly regulates emissions from engine exhaust. In particular, the EPA is focused on regulating the emissions of specific pollutants like oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and carbon monoxide. While some of those pollutants may not sound familiar, we've all heard of the dangers of carbon monoxide. It is a colorless, odorless gas that can be dangerous when inhaled in large amounts and is released when something is burned. Breathing air with a high concentration of carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported via the bloodstream to critical organs such as the heart and brain. At very high levels, carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness, and death.
Everyone is aware of the dangers of running a car in an enclosed garage. But do you ever worry about carbon monoxide when you go boating? Think about all those times you never gave it a second thought when sitting on your boat at anchor in a calm and windless cove with your engine at idle. How about those evening cocktails sitting at the dock with the generator running down below that vents just outside the cockpit? Think about the wakeboarder in the water right off the back of a boat waiting to take off. What about your family lounging on the swim platform? Sitting on a dock with the stern into the wind can blow the exhaust back indoors or another vessel you are rafted up to running its engine can be just enough to cause a problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even has a section on its website dedicated to "How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on Your Boat" https://www.cdc.gov/co/boating.htm.
The National Park Service, through the Department of the Interior, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Coast Guard evaluated visitor and employee carbon monoxide exposures from generators and propulsion engines on houseboats. After an initial investigation in 2000, the results have been updated several times, and these statistics have been of particular interest to the industry. Since that initial investigation, over 800 boating-related carbon monoxide poisonings in 35 states have been identified with over 140 of these poisonings resulting in death. The updated results have been collected by the Double Angel Foundation which focuses a portion of its resources into providing ongoing awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. http://www.doubleangel.org/documents/NatlCaseListingBoat-RelatedCOPoisoningsMay2007April2008_000.pdf
The industry has made great strides in reducing emissions, particularly in the innovation of the latest outboard engines. One brand that has lead the pack is Evinrude. Significant investment in fuel emissions research resulted in the breakthrough invention of the Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboard engine. Released in 2014, the G2 is the cleanest combustion outboard engine in the world today. These direct-inject two-stroke engines deliver up to 20 percent more torque, up to 15 percent better fuel efficiency and up to 75 percent fewer total regulated emissions than leading competitive four-stroke engines. The engine's CARB Three Star rating is the highest standard attainable for outboard motors, which is even stricter than EPA regulations. Learn more visit www.evinrude.com
While you still have to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, starting with a clean running outboard is a good start. So, next time you go boating, be sure to wear your personal floatation device. Obey the rules of the road. But most importantly, be an informed boater about the hazards of carbon monoxide so that you and your family can safely enjoy your time on the water.
Original Source: Sportsmans Lifestyle.com


text:
Dear Mom,
Dear Mom of Three at Walmart yesterday,
I saw you. I had turned my cart into your aisle and I saw the busyness of your little family. The older two were being older siblings, provoking each other and moving constantly like a swirling cloud of bodies around you. My eye caught signs that you may be navigating the waters of a behavioral issue.
You were trying to complete your list, I know. I saw your frustration and recognized the feelings of "just let me finish this" on your face for a fleeting moment. Had I been in your shoes at that moment when the siblings began to grab each other, I'm sure my voice would have raised in decibel, yet you kept calm. You quietly reminded them in peaceful tones to leave each other alone and let you finish your shopping.
I think you might have felt like you needed to get out of my way and you quickly moved your brood around the corner. As the cart turned to the right, I saw you smoothly catch a hand before it grabbed an item off the shelf. You kept going.
I didn't hear all your murmured words to your children, but I know there were admonitions of how we should act in a store and how we should act with siblings.
I must admit, I followed you a bit through the store. I was in awe. Your voice continued to calmly speak. When one would be out of line, a gentle touch from you brought order back for the moment. And even when I thought you couldn't possibly have seen what your very active family was doing, you always seemed to know. You could stop a hand or body from doing something it shouldn't, all the while taking care of your business.
You may feel embarrassed about the way your family was behaving. You may feel you didn't have a productive trip to the store. I hope not. It was very productive in my eyes.
Your children feel safe with you. They know that when they misbehave, there will be consistent correction. That correction is not demeaning or humiliating in public. They are learning to respond in love and peace through your example.
Your children were obedient, even though with their difficulties or childish excitement they forgot once in a while. You didn't encourage their behavior, and continued to calmly remind and direct how they should behave.
You have a full plate with your little family, Mom. That's a fact. I don't know if this is at all what you planned for as you thought about life as a parent. Probably not.
I hope you are able to continue walking with the peace and grace you showed that day. I hope you see this note and are encouraged. You are doing it well, Mom.


text:
It's been more than 55 years since Godzilla stomped and bellowed his way into American consciousness and iconhood in the form of "Godzilla, King of Monsters," Terry O. Morse's English-language re-editing of Inoshiro Honda's 1954 "Gojiro." In 2004 — after numerous sequels and a lame American remake — the Japanese original was finally released here. Sony's subsequent home video edition included both versions, as does this new release from Criterion.
The Sony was passable, but had some visual flaws. This new restoration/transfer is much better. The Criterion presentation of the American version has also been substantially cleaned up. A comparison of Honda's and Morse's versions would make a fine film school lesson in the power of editing — both negative and positive.
The Criterion has the usual wealth of extras: audio commentary by historian David Kalat on both films; more than 50 minutes of recent interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects men Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai, plus another 50 minutes with composer Akira Ifukube; a 10-minute look at the film's photographic effects; and a 15-minute appraisal by leading Japanese film critic Tadao Sato. There is also a brief, fascinating look at the real boating disaster that inspired the film.
Godzilla (Criterion, Blu-ray, $39.95; DVD, two discs, $29.95)
-- Andy Klein


text:
Tropical Storm Arthur—centered about 100 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, is intensifying and drifting northward. Further strengthening of Arthur can be expected, and the storm may be a hurricane when it grazes North Carolina's Outer Banks on the 4th of July. Arthur's agricultural impacts are likely to be limited to the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain, but coastal impacts may include heavy rain, high winds, and beach erosion.
Watch AgDay's weather forecast for July 2:
Meanwhile, rainfall totals associated with a cold front could reach 1 to 2 inches across the Gulf and Atlantic Coast States, with higher amounts possible along the Atlantic Seaboard due to interaction with Arthur.
During the Independence Day weekend, generally cool weather will cover the Midwest, but heat will return to portions of the Plains. Hot weather will also persist in much of the West, although monsoon showers should begin to develop in the Four Corners States. Elsewhere, showers will return to parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest during the weekend.
The National Weather Service 6- to 10-day outlook for July 7-11 calls for above-normal temperatures in the eastern and western U.S., while cooler-than-normal conditions will prevail across the nation's mid-section. Meanwhile, near- to above-normal rainfall across the majority of the U.S. will contrast with drier-than-normal weather in the Northwest.
Regional Weather Outlooks
In the West, very hot weather persists, except in the central and southern Rockies. Western irrigation demands remain high, and there is an elevated risk of wildfires in parts of the Great Basin and Intermountain West.
On the Plains, cooler-than-normal weather prevails. Across the southern Plains, showers are slowing late-season winter wheat harvesting but benefiting summer crops and further easing long-term drought. On June 29, topsoil moisture was 45% very short to short in Texas, along with 37% in Oklahoma and 21% in Kansas.
In the Corn Belt, much cooler weather prevails in the wake of a cold front's passage, while a few showers linger across the Great Lakes region. This morning's temperatures dipped below 50°F in the northwestern Corn Belt.
In the South, Tropical Storm Arthur—centered about 100 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, is strengthening and drifting northward. Showers associated with Arthur are grazing the coastal areas of east-central Florida. Elsewhere in the South, hot, humid weather prevails in advance of a cold front, favoring a rapid pace of crop development and allowing winter wheat harvesting and other fieldwork to proceed.
Early Frost And California Relief? Don't Bank On It
American Royal Announces Return of the Steak Competition Event


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Law Enforcement Agencies Continue To Obtain Military Equipment, Claiming The United States Is A 'War Zone'
from the bringing-citizens-the-war-they-never-wanted dept
That law enforcement agencies across the US are swiftly converting themselves into military outfits is hardly a surprise at this point. The problem is that nothing seems to be slowing them down, not even the dismayed reactions of citizens supposedly under their care.
The government's desire to offload its unused military hardware at deeply discounted rates has turned a few outliers into the new normal. Towns as with populations well under the 10,000 mark have secured Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, supposedly in order to keep up with a non-existent arms race between the good guys and the bad guys.
The MRAPs are only the most visible symptom of law enforcement's desire to dress for battle. Along with the vehicles (which normally run from $250,000-$750,000 but are routinely paid for by DHS grants awarded to requests that mention the word "terrorism" or "drugs" in a sufficiently terrified manner), agencies are also picking up military-grade weapons like grenade launchers and automatic weapons. The low prices and large grants make this an opportunity few agencies are able to resist.
The problems with this sort of ad hoc "mobilization" are numerous. The dangers of outfitting police with military gear can best be signaled with a combination of "if all you have is a hammer..." and Chekhov's Gun. If you give police military gear, they're going to want to use it. The very occasional shootout with heavily-armed criminals simply won't satisfy the urge to deploy the new acquisitions. The slightly-more-occasional no-knock warrant served in the dead of night to known drug offenders won't sufficiently scratch the itch. Consequently, this:
Police SWAT teams are now deployed tens of thousands of times each year, increasingly for routine jobs. Masked, heavily armed police officers in Louisiana raided a nightclub in 2006 as part of a liquor inspection. In Florida in 2010, officers in SWAT gear and with guns drawn carried out raids on barbershops that mostly led only to charges of "barbering without a license."All the training and all the equipment obtained over the years to… crack down on unlicensed barbering. (Or check water quality/"rescue" a baby deer from an animal shelter.) Square that with this statement by David Lutz, chief of the Edinburgh (IN) police department:
Lutz fully supports using the MRAP. "Oh, yeah, anything for the safety of officers," he said. "SWAT is after the worst of the worst. It's what they do."Crime, including domestic terrorism -- the fear most commonly cited in equipment requests -- has never been lower. But the nearly universal response has been to escalate. With no data on their sides, defenders of these acquisitions are forced to rely on speculation and worst-case hypotheticals to defend bringing an MRAP into communities where violent crimes like homicide are nearly nonexistent.
"I don't like it. I wish it were the way it was when I was a kid," [Neenah, WI police chief Kevin Wilkinson] said. But he said the possibility of violence, however remote, required taking precautions.Remote possibilities are the stated "goal." The reality is raided barbershops.
Others see it as nothing more than the natural progress of law enforcement, so entirely normal that what citizens perceive as a shift towards a police state is actually something so innocuous it can be taken to local schools to impress the kids.
Capt. Chris Cowan, a department spokesman, said the vehicle "allows the department to stay in step with the criminals who are arming themselves more heavily every day." He said police officers had taken it to schools and community events, where it was a conversation starter.Again, the facts simply don't bear out this statement. Criminals aren't arming themselves more heavily every day. Crime stats don't bear that out. In other nations, this is happening, but the United States is not ground-zero for a drug war -- or even a real war, for that matter. But yet more and more law enforcement agencies are pretending Neenah, WI and Pulaski County, IN (pop. 13,124) are the new Kabul, Afghanistan. [Warning: AUTOPLAY]
"The United States of America has become a war zone," he said. "There's violence in the workplace, there's violence in schools and there's violence in the streets. You are seeing police departments going to a semi-military format because of the threats we have to counteract. If driving a military vehicle is going to protect officers, then that's what I'm going to do." (Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer)The unintentionally irony of this claim (which also happens to be both completely ridiculous and profoundly disturbing) is that these "new war zones" will apparently be populated by US citizens returning from the "old" war zones. This is what's awaiting our nation's military veterans: their old equipment being deployed against them, because if they killed overseas, they'll probably just keep on killing when they get home.
In the Indianapolis suburbs, officers said they needed a mine-resistant vehicle to protect against a possible attack by veterans returning from war.Law enforcement agencies seem to want a war. And if the public fails to give them one, they'll apparently manufacture one themselves by sending heavily-armed men to enforce hairdresser regulations and use MRAPs to break up knife fights. On the bright side, this issue is receiving more and more attention, but so far, the ability of law enforcement agencies to obtain military gear far outpaces efforts directed at tempering this activity.
"You have a lot of people who are coming out of the military that have the ability and knowledge to build I.E.D.'s and to defeat law enforcement techniques," Sgt. Dan Downing of the Morgan County Sheriff's Department told the local Fox affiliate, referring to improvised explosive devices, or homemade bombs. Sergeant Downing did not return a message seeking comment.
Filed Under: military equipment, mrap, police, surplus military equipment, swat teams, war zone


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Taking Courses Online
Ithaca College online classes are as close as your computer. Enroll in courses that earn the same credits as classroom courses and that are taught interactively by Ithaca College faculty.
Online courses are delivered asynchronously using Sakai. You will need to have regular Internet access and an ithaca.edu email to participate. Contact the faculty member for specific information about each course.
Refer to HomerConnect for course descriptions. Courses are noted as "online" or "lecture" in the course schedules. A "hybrid" course is one that relies on both online and lecture teaching methods.
Online Class FAQs
Do I have to log-in to the course at a set time?
Online courses are "asynchronous" and allow you to participate at a time that's convenient for you.
Will I get to know other people in my course?
For most online courses, you will never meet in person, but peer and faculty-student relationships develop online.
Will I get to talk?
Many online courses use features such as e-mail and discussion boards to exchange thoughts and questions. Some courses will use voice and video technologies too. This means that if you're used to talking in class, you will still have a voice and if you are usually more reserved in a class, you may find yourself really opening up in an online course now that you have the chance to reflect and then respond to course material.
How much reading is involved?
The amount of reading for an online course varies for each course, but courses taught online traditionally deliver most materials and directions through a written format.
Is online learning right for me?
Are you comfortable making and following a study plan to stay on track? Self-motivated learners are a perfect fit for online courses. Remember that any tendency to fall behind will be multiplied in the summer when classes are only two and five weeks long.


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Hi every body! (H/T: Dr.Nick Riviera)
Yesterday Big Guy hosted his first ever "live" interview via Google+ "hangout". There were live questions from 5 average Americans hand selected from the 227,000 who took the time to submit questions & drop a few shekels in our WTF 2012 stash!
It was 50 minutes of beautifully choreographed give and take that managed to touch on all of Big Guy's priorities: jobs, taxes - lower for the middleclass, higher for the 1% - small businesses, students, jobs, cheap student loans, jobs, education, empowering our kids to be smart consumers, jobs, veterans, jobs. Additionally, it showcased how much Big Guy can relate to average Americans, and really cares about their problems.
Everything went like clockwork except when Big Guy forgot for a moment whether he created 3 million jobs in 22 months or 22 million jobs in 3 months. Don't worry though, he recovered quickly for a nice save.
So today everyone has been dispatched to address those priorities: Joey B will speak at two fundraisers in Texas, Big Guy will attend two swanky fundraisers here in D.C. and Lady M will be on the left coast, hitting up a DNC fundraiser in L.A., followed by an appearance with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show and then another fundraiser tomorrow. So I think we've got all of our bases covered.
Lady M covered one of our
constituencies priorities – veterans - yesterday, when she and Hilda Solis met with members of military families to announce some confusing new rules written by our team assigned to pander to address veterans' issues.
The proposed rules would allow spouses, parents and children of service members to care for their loved ones, attend military functions, or deal with child care and family finances "without fear of losing their jobs,"Solis said.
So we can check that one off our list.
Later yesterday Lady M taped a PSA for NFL Play 60 Super Kid, to be aired on the Super Bowl:
Lady M gives NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid James Gale a tour of the Big White. He can play later.
What, pray tell, is NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid, you ask? Well, it's part of Lady M's No Child's Fat Behind program: the "Get up and play 60 minutes a day" part. Goodness! As many of you have pointed out, it's a sad day when the government has to remind kids to go out and play. Butt this is what it's come to, and somebody has to do it. It might as well be Lady M.
One more brick in the load.
Oh, and one more bit of news that you'll be happy to hear: As it turns out, NOBODY is responsible for Fast and Furious. At least nobody important. Just a couple of flunkies way down the feeding chain who have already been promoted or retired, with phat pensions, out of their positions anyway.
So I'm glad that's settled. Good to know that the guns really did just walk across the border on their own.
And lastly: a big, big R-word primary in Florida today.
I'm calling on all MODs, MOLs, MYDs, MYLs and FOMs located in the sunshine state to be our boots on the ground down there. Keep us apprised as the exit polling rolls in. And remember, if you see something, say something!
Because inquiring minds want to know.


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GameHitZone.com - Games For Free!
English | Русский | Español | Français | العربية | Português | Deutsch
Download Free Game HMS Diptera
Sci-fi first person shooter by Ben Thompson. While beginning your normal patrol route on the HMS Diptera a radiation wave hits the ship and strange things start being uncovered...You play as John Reid, just another security guard placed on the night shift.


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Glorious fun with tiles!
|Example of the Hemstitched placemat.
Another project I thought of using these precious little tiles is a serving tray! I can't wait to make one of these too!!!! LOVE IT!!!
Buy an inexpensive tray, cement the tiles in place and top with a piece of glass! Voila! (I don't grout these projects because you loose that wonderful 3D look and feel.)
Once cured, they are perfect!
My results were best this way:
- have your design laser printed
- have a dry wash cloth handy
- brush a thin layer of ModPodge on the back of the pictures
- position the picture on a tile
- use the cloth to gently press the picture down, absorb any excess ModPodge and move it into perfect placement
UPDATE: I have now made three trays for Christmas gifts and have a tip to help in case you try them.
When I finally found trays that would work with the 2" increments I needed, I ended up needing more than one solid sheet of tiles. This creates an issue of the additional rows of tiles not always aligning perfectly to the main sheet of tile, if I just laid them in the tray as planned. The easiest solution is to cement the tiles to the tray with E-6000. However, I wanted the tiles to be removable in case someone wanted to use just the tray alone = no permanent installation.
I know I could caulk/grout the tiles together and then lay them in the trays as a solid unit, but I LOVE the 3D look and even the little spacer connectors. Just LOVE it and don't want to do anything to loose that 3D. I was sad when I tiled my kitchen backsplash and the dimension disappeared when I grouted. Not again!!! :) I adore the 3D of these little tiles!
I am putting the tiles in black trays, so whatever I did needed to be black, and veeeery thin as the handle openings just accommodate the tiles. I had some black screening left from re-screening my back door. Perfect!
- First I got rid of any little tags of the stuff they stick the tiles together with (to regulate their spacing).
- Then I laid them on their face on foil (to protect my surface).
- I ran a bead of E-6000 around all the outer edges, then a dot in every tile's corners.
- I carefully laid the black screen scrap over them, pressing them into the cement.
- Then I did the same for the loose rows, putting some cement on the connecting spots too.
- I pressed the screen down being sure the loose rows were snug and lined up perfectly.
- Let cure 24 hrs.
Hope this helps!


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Rays drop first Moore start after 'pen falters late
ST. PETERSBURG -- Fernando Rodney didn't hang around to face the music following Saturday afternoon's 4-3 Rays loss at Tropicana Field. Evidently he'd heard the same old song one too many times.
The Rays handed Rodney a 3-1 lead to protect in the ninth inning, and once again, the closer didn't get the job done. Residue of the blown save carried over into extra innings, where the Yankees finished the job when Lyle Overbay homered on a 1-0 pitch from Josh Lueke with two outs in the 11th.View Full Game Coverage
ST. PETERSBURG -- Fernando Rodney didn't hang around to face the music following Saturday afternoon's 4-3 Rays loss at Tropicana Field. Evidently he'd heard the same old song one too many times.
The Rays handed Rodney a 3-1 lead to protect in the ninth inning, and once again, the closer didn't get the job done. Residue of the blown save carried over into extra innings, where the Yankees finished the job when Lyle Overbay homered on a 1-0 pitch from Josh Lueke with two outs in the 11th.View Full Game Coverage
The Rays took their third consecutive loss while falling to 24-24 on the season. Tampa Bay also took its first defeat of the season in a game started by Matt Moore, snapping a streak of 11 straight Rays victories in games started by Moore, dating back to Sept. 16.
Rodney, who blew his fifth save in 14 opportunities this season, departed the Rays' clubhouse without facing reporters. Rays manager Joe Maddon stuck up for his beleaguered closer.
"This has been really awkward to watch," Maddon said. "He's been within one pitch of being almost perfect this season. ... Three of the blown saves, I think, he's come down to the last pitch. I have not lost any patience with that. Honestly, I have not."
Lost in the defeat was the work done by the Rays' offense in a two-run seventh, when Maddon turned to his bench to break a 1-1 tie.
James Loney singled to open the inning, and pinch-hitter Matt Joyce followed with a double to right to put runners at second and third with no outs for pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson.
Left-hander Boone Logan was brought into the game to pitch to the left-handed-hitting Johnson, who singled through the right side to score Loney.
Joyce then scored when Yunel Escobar hit into a fielder's choice that saw Yankees shortstop Jayson Nix throw home on the play. The throw appeared to beat Joyce, but home-plate umpire Jim Reynolds ruled that catcher Austin Romine's tag had been high, thereby allowing Joyce to slide home safely to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.
Jake McGee pitched a scoreless seventh and Joel Peralta a scoreless eighth, leading up to Rodney's entrance.
Rodney compiled the best season by a closer last season when he blew just two saves in 50 chances, and his 96 percent save rate led the Major Leagues. Nobody expected him to repeat what amounted to his immaculate 2012 season. However, believing that he could have some semblance of being that pitcher was reasonable. To date, he has not been.
Command issues have really hurt the hard-throwing right-hander all season, so it seemed appropriate that a two-out walk issued to Overbay opened the door for Saturday's Yankees comeback.
Rodney then fell behind 2-0 to pinch-hitter Brennan Boesch, who laced a double down the left-field line to score Overbay, who had moved to second on a balk. Brett Gardner followed with a single to center to tie the score at 3.
"It's just giving the next guy a chance," Overbay said. "I knew Boesch was coming up, and he could tie it up. It's little things like that. Gardy had a great two-out hit to tie the game. Those are the little things that make us a good team."
The Rays squandered scoring opportunities in the bottom of the ninth, when they had the winning run at second with one out; and in the 10th, when they loaded the bases with one out. They had no such opportunities after Lueke gave up the lead in the 11th, as Mariano Rivera entered the game and nailed down his 18th save in 18 opportunities this season.
"The walk to Overbay is the most important moment in that game, and then furthermore, we're all sad right now because we had bases loaded, one out in the 10th and we got a strikeout and then the last out was made," Maddon said.
Moore remained undefeated at 8-0, but the Rays hurler was unable to become the first left-handed pitcher (since records are available in 1916) to go 9-0 or better in his first 10 starts while being used exclusively as a starter. Moore wasn't about to throw the bullpen under the bus.
"It's something that every pitcher [has gone] through," Moore said. "It goes without saying that that's a tough lineup. ... It's one of those things where we're going to find adjustments to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Despite the five blown ninth-inning leads, Maddon says there will be no adjustments to the bullpen pecking order.
"We're set up to win in a certain way, and you have to continue to utilize people in their appropriate moments and roles," Maddon said. "As long as [Rodney] does not lose confidence in himself, I will not lose confidence in him. It's just one of those moments."
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com.


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The real scandal this week around military sexual violence isn't the release of the latest in a string of Department of Defense (DOD) reports showing stunning levels of sexual assault—hell, even the DOD estimates 26,000 actual incidents compared with the 3,374 reported incidents. It's not the fact that this year marks the third in a row to show an increase in sexual violence (under law, DOD has published them yearly since 2004), or that the latest report "found that among the one-third of women who reported sexual-assault allegations to a military authority, 62 percent suffered retaliation for speaking up." It's not even the arrest, two days before the report came out, of the officer in charge of sexual-assault prevention programs for the Air Force on sexual battery charges.
The real scandal is the degree to which the military has been allowed to continue punting on addressing sexual violence, despite knowing about the widespread sexual abuse of service members, most but certainly not all of them women, for over two decades now, as documented by a staggering number of reports, lawsuits (five since 2011 alone by a single attorney), and scandals.
As early as 1988, researcher Melanie Martindale from the Defense Manpower Data Center in Arlington, Virginia found that 5 percent of female respondents "described attempted or completed sexual assault during military service over an 18-month period," 15 percent reported "pressure for sexual favors," and another 38 percent describing "unwanted touching." As early as 2007, even the Pentagon's own statistics showed that women, at one in three, were at twice the risk for sexual assault in the military as they were in the civilian population.
The military's flagrant negligence has been abetted by a series of leaders, congresses, and administrations that have allowed the military to continue doing almost nothing to protect its service members from sexual assault. That is, unless you count the brass's obsession, until the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," with protecting all of those poor straight guys in the shower from the gaze of suspected perverts in the ranks by discharging gay translators of Arabic in droves.
This culture of allowing the military to "police their own" despite plentiful evidence that this makes about as much sense as
allowing the financial industry to regulate itself appointing Colonel Sanders head of poultry safety is in evidence as early as 1991. That's when the Tailhook scandal broke, bringing the issue of large-scale military sexual violence to public attention. More than 100 Navy and Marine Corps officers at a convention sexually assaulted 83 women and seven men. In response, the Navy led an investigation so weak that that even the Pentagon condemned it. But in the final analysis, acting Navy Secretary Sean O'Keefe, despite having accepted the resignation of two admirals cited in the report for failing to interview senior officials who clearly had witnessed the assaults, and having reassigned a third, said he continued to have "complete confidence" in Navy Undersecretary J. Daniel Howard. In fact, O'Keefe decided to keep Howard on as the Navy's second in command "despite the inspector general's finding that Howard failed to force the two organizations investigating the scandal to coordinate their work."
Unsurprisingly, there's no record of the military making any real effort to reduce sexual violence in the years following Tailhook. A Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) report on Military Sexual Trauma originally due in March 2001 was released in 2005. A year later, the Defense Department's sexual-assault report showed a 73 percent increase from 2004—when 1,700 incidents were filed—to 2006, when 2,947 incidents were reported. Clearly, word was out. The military's interpretation in these situations is always that reporting is up because it's done such a good job of encouraging service members to come forward. It's more likely that numbers were up because any fool could see, from the military's non-response to earlier reports and scandals, that it didn't give a damn on either the individual or institutional level. Although the VA had been authorized since the early '90s to create sexual-trauma counseling centers, the DOD only began calling for proposals around 2007. That same year the VA finally opened its first facility to provide counseling exclusively to female veterans who have been the victims of sexual abuse or assault.
Yet even in treatment settings, the military fails to protect service members from sexual assault. A June 2011 General Accounting Office report nails the VA for failing to take proper precautions to prevent sexual assaults even against women housed in mental-health programs at VA medical facilities. Of the nearly 300 sexual assaults reported to the VA police, most weren't passed up the chain of command to VA leadership officials or the VA Office of the Inspector General, including two-thirds of the rape allegations. Close-circuit cameras intended to actively monitor areas were inadequately monitored, alarm systems malfunctioned, and VA police were understaffed. The just-released annual survey on sexual harassment and violence at military service academies reports that in the 12 months prior to the survey, 12.4 percent of women and 2 percent of men had experienced unwanted sexual contact, while 51 percent of women and 10 percent of men had experienced sexual harassment.
The same military bureaucracy that fails to protect service members even in military academies, let alone in the theater of war, on bases, or in its own treatment facilities may be shafting them later when, as veterans, they file disability compensation claims related to military sexual trauma (MST). How those claims have been assessed and compensated (or denied) has been a mystery until now. The VA is under no obligation to explain its reasoning to veterans, and it only agreed to release previously withheld records of those claims a few weeks ago in response to several years worth of vigorous litigation by the ACLU on behalf of the Service Women's Action Network. The Department of Defense is still stalling on a similar Freedom of Information Act request.
Will the military's culture of virtually unchallenged sexual violence change now, in the wake of this scandal-ridden week, followed by a virtual army of DOD spokeswomen, plus Valerie Jarrett, the Obama administration's public-engagement spokesperson, being waved around like white flags to prove that Something Is Being Done? That doesn't seem likely given the so-called "high-level meeting" Jarrett led earlier this week: It may have included nine women senators but neither Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel nor a single senior member of the DOD or VA felt compelled to attend. (White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was more on target than he may have intended when he said the meeting "reflects the level of concern that you heard from the president.")
Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California who, like Senator Kristin Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has introduced legislation that would move prosecutions out of the hands of the military and end the power of senior commanders to overturn a verdict, doesn't sound hopeful. "I want to believe this is a tipping point," she said, "but I guess I've been around politics too long."