text:
"Sustainable Childhood" Symposium
This symposium will examine how unsustainable lifestyles are passed on from one generation to the next by the influence of media, marketers and others. How do we raise up our children so that they no longer grow up learning to be consumers but instead learn to become guardians of sustainable living?
Worldwatch Institute Europe looks at a combination of data highlighting the facts behind the main issues that affect childhood in Europe: family structures, education, consumerism, advertising, education, and the urban environment. Which is the central force in shaping children's values, thoughts and ambitions? This synthesis is supplemented by an on-the-ground research proving the actual picture behind the data. How do families in Denmark, Serbia and Spain view sustainable childhood? Read: From Consumer Kids to Sustainable Childhood
When: Sunday 24th February 2013, from 10 am
Where: Ecological Cultural Centre Leof. Ionias 315, Ano Patissia, Athens, Greece (very close to the electric railway station).
Hosted by: Worldwatch Institute Europe and the Green Party of Greece
Supported by: The Velux Foundation
10:00 Welcome and openings notes
Nikos Chrysogelos, Eurodeputy of the European Green Party
Session 1 – From Consumer Kids to Sustainable Childhood
Moderator: Katerina Batzaki, Press Officer Worldwatch Institute Europe
10:10 Messages from Children Engaging in Sustainability
Felix Finkbeiner, Founder, Climate Justice Ambassadors, Plant-for-the-Planet Initiative Presenting Plant-for-the-Planet Children's Initiative for Worldwatch (video message)
10:30 From Consumer Kids to Sustainable Childhood – new research from Worldwatch Institute Europe
Eirini Glyki Research Co-ordinator, Worldwatch Institute Europe
10:50 What are the Challenges for raising today's children
EADAP-The Society for the Development and Creative Occupation of Children
11:10 Questions from the audience
11:20 Coffee break
Session 2 – Workshops and Panel Debate
11:45 – 13.15 Workshops
Workshop 1: Creative Children Workshop
Workshop 2: Creative adults workshop : Living Economy-Sustainable Childhood
How can we ensure the well-being of our children? How do we raise citizens and not consumers?
Co-ordinator: Eirini Glyki, Reseach Coordinator Worldwatch Institute Europe
13:15-13:45 Summary of the event - Workshop findings – Discussions
Reporter/moderator: Katerina Batzaki, Press Officer Worldwatch Institute Europe
The symposium is free of charge but registration is required by February 20th 2013. Please register by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Video: Rooftop Farms in China
I'm a big fan of rooftop films and have made a point of sharing them in videos in order to share what rooftop amazingness is possible. It may be old hat in America, but in China, where food scares and the dangers of pesticides and pollution are only beginning to show their true colors, the new farming movement is just blossoming.
The rooftop farms we visited in Beijing and Hong Kong were on the forefront of the movement. It just so happens that the characters behind these farms make for great video stars, too.
Watch the Video
For more videos and recipes visit www.theperennialplate.com. Video created in partnership with Intrepid Travel
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Virginia blame game begins
National Republicans agree on this much about the 2013 campaign in Virginia: It wasn't supposed to go like this.
Well before the last votes are cast in the state's off-year governor's race, GOP leaders are already engaged in a spirited debate over why, exactly, a fight against a Democrat as flawed as Terry McAuliffe has turned into such a painful slog of a campaign. Even Republicans who haven't yet counted out their nominee, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, view the governor's race as a profile in frustration for the GOP – an election that should have leaned toward the Republicans, but where Democrats have held a persistent lead in polling, money and tactical prowess.
Story Continued Below
The GOP's internal discussion about the race mirrors much of the broader national tug of war within the conservative coalition, between officials and strategists who want the party to trim back some of its most confrontational tactics and hard-edged rhetoric, and activists bent on drawing the starkest possible lines of contrast with the Democratic party of President Barack Obama.
( PHOTOS: Ken Cuccinelli's career)
The clearest battle lines will emerge after Tuesday; but the Washington community has groused for months about Cuccinelli's history of incendiary, ultra-ideological stances, while rank-and-file activists have watched with horror as well-tailored GOP donors have defected to McAuliffe. Everyone in the party – establishment and tea party alike – has fumed over the ongoing ethics controversies that have rocked outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell's administration and undercut Cuccinelli's anticipated advantage over McAuliffe on personal integrity.
A Cuccinelli defeat, in other words, would have a thousand fathers. But this much is already clear: the GOP's accumulated problems in Virginia have brought the party to the edge of a historic defeat in a nationally pivotal swing state, potentially producing a Republican shutout of all five statewide offices (governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor and two U.S. senators) for the first time since the Nixon administration.
Republican Governors Association executive director Phil Cox, whose group has spent nearly $8 million boosting Cuccinelli, firmly rejected the idea that the Virginia race reflected any limitations of conservative ideas. But he allowed that there may be lessons to learn about how you go about delivering a conservative message.
( Also on POLITICO: The demise of the Republican surrogate)
"It's not about nominating less conservative candidates, moderating our messaging or changing our principles. It's about effectively connecting with voters on issues they care about," Cox said.
Cox, who managed McDonnell's landslide 2009 victory, added that the Virginia GOP's decision to select its nominees in a convention this year meant that candidates were courting rank-and-file activists well into the spring, rather than focusing on donors and voters statewide.
"I prefer primaries over conventions because I think they force candidates and campaigns to be more oriented toward a general election audience earlier, to go out and solicit support from the business community and raise money, rather than spending all your time talking to a very small sub-set of your party's base," Cox said. "It's not that we have to nominate more moderate candidates – the fact is, the more conservative candidate tends to win in a primary as well."
( WATCH: Ken Cuccinelli 'happy' to bring the focus to Obamacare)
One Republican donor who has watched the Virginia race closely said the conclusion was even simpler: "You can't win with a hard-right candidacy."
"There's just a lot of people that don't like [Cuccinelli's] harsh tone and don't want to give him money," the donor said. "He doesn't do a great job with donors and he doesn't have a great organization and a lot of people were turned off from the get-go."
To GOP elites, the likely outcomes in Tuesday's two gubernatorial elections looks like an instructive contrast: in Virginia, where the party nominated an uncompromising ideologue, Republicans face seemingly likely defeat; in New Jersey, where they have maverick Gov. Chris Christie at the top of the ticket, the GOP will hold the governorship easily.
Virginia strikes party elites as a particularly clear example of the base getting its way: the state GOP picked Cuccinelli and firebrand lieutenant governor nominee E.W. Jackson in a convention dominated by grassroots conservatives, paying little heed to questions of electability, and look where they are now.


text:
Matters of Scale: Pricey Names
Fee paid by entertainment mogul David Geffen to the University of California/Los Angeles
to name its new medical school after him
$200 million
Fee paid by Las Vegas casino GoldenPalace.com for the right to name a Virginia woman's
unborn triplets
Fee the company paid to name a previously unknown species of monkey found in Bolivia
in 2005 (Callicebus aureipalatii; "of the golden palace")
Highest bid offered during an auction sponsored by U.S. Marine Sergeant Cody Baker
for the right to rename him (as "FreebeeStore.com")
Fee proposed by New Berlin, Wisconsin, district schools to buy the right
to name their football fieldhouse
To name a school conference room
To name an auditorium seat
Fee paid annually by Coca-Cola Corporation for naming rights to Minute Maid Park
(football stadium) in Houston, Texas
Total estimated value of current major sports naming rights deals in the United States
$4.3 billion
Number of times the former Boston Garden (now the TD Banknorth Garden) has been
renamed for a fee since 1993 (including, for two days, "Yankees Suck Center")
* "I would to God thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought." William Shakespeare, King John.
SOURCES: Geffen School: Dig In Research, Inc. GoldenPalace.com fees and Boston Garden: Wikipedia. Cody Baker: OnTheCommons.org/David Bollier. New Berlin schools: NPR/WUWM radio, Milwaukee. Coca-Cola: ESPN.com Sports Business. Naming rights deals: Naming Rights Online.


text:
Reports › Business Person of the Year
'Running Right'
Executive builds a global coal leader based on a culture of safety
- November 30, 2011
- |
The call to Mike Quillen's home came late in the afternoon on April 5, 2010. He had just pulled in the driveway from work when his wife called him to the phone. "It's Don Blankenship," she said. Quillen, chairman of Alpha Natural Resources Inc. in Abingdon, had known Blankenship, then CEO and chairman of Richmond-based Massey Energy Co., for years.
"Have you heard what happened?" Blankenship asked.
"We had an explosion at Upper Big Branch, and we need your rescue teams."
"When you get that call, " Quillen says in recalling the conversation, "you don't ask a lot of questions. You just say, 'Where's the location?'"
Within the hour, five of Alpha's rescue teams were headed to the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W.Va. Sadly, the search for survivors proved fruitless. Twenty-nine coal miners died, and two suffered injuries in the catastrophic blast — the worst U.S. mining disaster in 40 years. Quillen and Alpha CEO Kevin Crutchfield visited their rescue teams at the mine. "We were there when they brought the last of the bodies out," says Quillen. "It's not something you easily forget."
Typically, the image associated with Appalachian coal mining has been of a dirty, dangerous business. Upper Big Branch is a stark reminder of what can go wrong. The mine remains closed as federal regulators continue to investigate ventilation systems and other factors that may have contributed to the lethal blast. A final report, from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), is expected by the end of the year.
Quillen says coal mining doesn't have to be a dangerous occupation. The executive, who started at the bottom working coal, has created a business model that gives coal miners a voice in reporting unsafe conditions. Alpha's approach? Safety translates into strong employee morale, low turnover and profits. "They don't work for us; we work for them," Quillen likes to say of miners.
The lack of an "us vs. them" mentality between operator and coal miner is the culture Alpha is incubating at Massey's former mines, which it absorbed in a $7.1 billion takeover on June 1.
Safety is so important, says Quillen, that he keeps a reminder close by. After nearly four decades in the business, "There have been seven fatalities at companies where I was in charge as the operating officer," he confides. "I get frustrated because some of them are so senseless … I keep a list in my wallet of the date, name and incident as a reminder of how important safety is."
Quillen, the Virginia Business 2011 Business Person of the Year, champions the coal mining industry and its significance to Southwest Virginia as an economic lifeline. In 2002 the Gate City native started a company with seven people. Through acquisitions it has grown into a global industry leader. After the Massey deal, Alpha more than doubled its work force to 14,000, 2,150 of whom work in Virginia. It operates 34 mines and five coal preparation plants in the state.
The Massey deal transformed Alpha — already America's third largest coal producer — into the world's fifth-largest supplier. The combination also made Alpha a global player in high-demand metallurgical coal, a key ingredient used in making steel. Still, taking over Massey was viewed as a bold and risky move. While St. Louis-based Arch Coal also made a bid, other coal operators shied away from taking on Massey's dismal safety record.
In a preliminary report on the Upper Big Branch accident, the MSHA noted that in 2009 it issued 515 citations and orders at the mine and another 124 in 2010.
An independent investigation, done at the request of Joe Manchin, then governor of West Virginia, found 64 safety violations at Upper Big Branch for ventilation problems alone in 2009. In that report issued in May, safety expert J. Davitt McAteer — a former top federal mine safety regulator — said that the explosion "could have been prevented" and termed it the result of "failures of basic safety systems." He also faulted federal mine safety officials for not using their enforcement authority to rein in the mine's safety problems. Massey contends that the explosion was caused by an unpreventable surge of natural gas and not a buildup of coal dust, a theory that contradicts the findings of federal regulators and the independent investigation.
McAteer also cited an American University study that showed Massey had one of the worst safety records in the industry, with a higher rate of fatalities than other coal operators. From 2000 to 2010, Massey piled up 62,923 violations, including 25,612 serious ones. During that time, MSHA proposed $49.9 million in fines — $15 million more than any other company — with many of them contested by Massey.
The change from Massey to Alpha has been embraced in West Virginia, a state known for its storied coal miners, and Blankenship's home for many years. "Alpha is on the leading edge of the industry," says Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. "Mike Quillen is a major part of that, having established the theme and the basis for how it's going forward, and Kevin Crutchfield is clearly following that lead." Raney adds that Alpha has "a credible and full of integrity approach to the way they mine and the treatment of people. It's gotten a positive response here all around."
The Massey deal
Besides Massey's notorious safety record, there also was the liability of legal exposure, with ongoing criminal and civil investigations surrounding the mine accident. On the plus side of the ledger were Massey's rich assets in metallurgical coal. "Met" coal fetches top dollar on the market — as much as $255 a ton recently — because of its demand in developing countries such as China and India. That price compares with $10 to $12 per ton for thermal coal used in the production of electricity.
Massey and Alpha had explored some form of alliance in 2006 and 2007. After Upper Big Branch, a serious bid for a buyout began when Quillen called on Blankenship at his Kentucky office about three weeks after the explosion. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Quillen began by expressing Alpha's sympathies about the mine accident. After discussing some coal industry issues, Quillen came to the point: A merger would be best for everyone involved. Blankenship balked, saying a deal wouldn't be good for his shareholders because of the depressed price of Massey shares since the accident.
The deal didn't begin to take final shape until after Blankenship retired, under pressure, as CEO in December 2010. By then, increased regulatory enforcement in Massey mines had reduced productivity, and the company was looking at a net loss of $166.6 million for the year.
"It's something Mike and I talked about for a long time, along with our board. Can we handle this?" recalls Crutchfield. "But at the end of the day — and this cuts to Mike's strength — we think it's going to be a story about people, and our ability to cause people to see things our way."
Crutchfield is referring to Alpha's "Running Right" program. Started in 2004, the program was designed to improve Alpha's record on mine fatalities, which at that time was about average for the industry. The program allows miners to have a say on safety by submitting anonymous observation cards to point out unsafe conditions or practices. Cards are picked up daily in the mines. About 15,000 cards are turned in each month for review by the company's safety staff, and potential safety problems are discussed during meetings at the mine. "Most accidents are behavior based," says Quillen. "What we teach is 'Look out for one another. Think before you act.'"
During a recent conference call with analysts Crutchfield began the discussion the way Alpha always does, with an update on safety performance, which, he said, "has never been more important as we integrate with Massey." Alpha has invested 55,000 hours training Massey's hourly employees in the nuances of Running Right. "Probably the most rewarding thing we have seen so far is how receptive 7,300 people have been to this Running Right system," he told analysts.
In 2009, Alpha achieved one of its best safety records. Its operations received more than 40 state and federal safety awards. In addition, many affiliates completed the year without a lost-time accident. For 2010, the company's total reportable incident rate was below the industry average as well. However, one affiliate, Kingston Mining Inc., had a fatality on Oct. 11, 2010, when a 56-year-old roof-bolting machine operator sustained fatal injuries from a roof fall in an underground mine in West Virginia. The accident provoked two citations from the MSHA for failure to follow an approved roof plan. Alpha also reported a fatality this year when a 26-year-old sustained fatal head injuries in July at a former Massey mine in Kentucky while hauling supplies. In that case, no citations were issued.
Alpha's goal — of reducing injuries to zero — seems ambitious considering that coal miners work with and around heavy, dangerous machinery in a dark environment, hundreds of feet below the earth. So far this year, 18 miners have died in fatal accidents in the U.S., down from 48 in 2010, which included the 29 deaths at Upper Big Branch.
Still, Crutchfield asserts that "It's not an unreasonable expectation for a man to come to work in a safe environment, make a living and return home safely to his family." Alpha's No. 1 goal, he adds, is "to do our level best to understand what happened [at Upper Big Branch] so we can ensure it doesn't happen again." Alpha has hired its own experts and is doing its own analysis of what caused the explosion. "Nor," he says, "will we ever produce another pound from that portal sight. We just don't think it would be appropriate for the obvious reasons."
World-ranked producer
Aside from the massive undertaking of safety training, Crutchfield says the overall merger is going "reasonably well. … I know this will sound a little hokey," he continues, "but a part of the thinking in acquiring Massey is that the industry needed Alpha to do this. There's the whole shareholder strategic piece, but there's also the human side, the need for hope and redemption. What we have found is that there are a great number of high-quality people [at Massey] who want to do the right thing and just needed the leadership to reinforce them that the right thing is expected …"
The merger turned Alpha into the country's largest producer of met coal. On the world stage, it now ranks as the third-largest producer of met. With 150 mines, it has the second largest coal reserve in the U.S. (5 billion tons), behind Peabody Energy. "The Massey deal puts them in rarified air in the U.S.," notes Brian Gamble, an analyst who covers the coal industry for Simmons & Co. International in Houston. Yet how the merger plays out, he adds, will depend on demand in the global met market and how Alpha manages its lower-price, thermal coal assets in a climate of increased federal regulation at home.
After suffering a deflating second-quarter loss of $56.4 million, Alpha was in much better shape by the third quarter. The first full quarter of results from the former Massey mines and higher prices for met coal more than doubled its profit to $66 million. Revenue also more than doubled to $2.3 billion. The company said it spent more than $1 billion in the quarter on merger-related costs, including $10.6 million on charges related to the Upper Big Branch explosion.
World rankings must be heady stuff for a company started with a handful of people who brought lawn chairs and card tables to work. Quillen says that in the beginning money was so tight that Alpha once tacked a bed sheet on the wall to serve as a projection screen while pitching a local bank for a loan.
Last month, Alpha moved into a new "green" corporate headquarters. The $20 million, 130,000-square-foot building has a green rooftop and a light-harvesting system that automatically decreases artificial lighting on sunny days. How far Alpha has come in nine years surprises even Quillen. "It's been a team effort since day one," he says, and "a lot of luck and timing." But even he admits, "I never would have dreamed that Massey, a company that had been around for nearly 100 years, would no longer exist and that Alpha would still be here."
Quillen, 62, didn't start out in coal mining. After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1970 with a degree in civil engineering, he worked a short time for Southern Railway before returning to Tech for a master's degree. Then he went to work for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
He got his start in the coal industry in 1974 when his father, H.B. "Jack" Quillen, and a couple of business partners hired him as the foreman/engineer at a small surface mine in Gate City. After nine months, his father — who had worked previously in insurance — sold his interest. But Quillen stayed in the business, rising to leadership positions at several coal companies, including Pittston Coal Co. and Amvest Corp.
By 2002, Quillen saw an opportunity to buy the coal operations of some mines owned by Pittston (now The Brink's Co.), but needed investment money. A private-equity company, First Reserve Corp. in Greenwich, Conn., agreed to put up $85 million. That backing also helped pay for other acquisitions, including the mining operations of American Metals and Coal International and El Paso Corp. As these core assets were being put in place, Quillen formed a team of executives, and ANR was born.
Alpha went public in 2005 and four years later merged with Baltimore-based Foundation Coal, another First Reserve-financed company. That deal put Alpha on the map as a major U.S. producer, with nearly 6,000 workers and annual revenues of more than $2 billion. When the Foundation acquisition closed on July 31, 2009, Quillen moved up to chairman, and Crutchfield, who had been president, became CEO.
Throughout Alpha's rapid growth, Quillen fought investors to keep the company in Southwest Virginia. In fact, Alpha is the only Fortune 500 company in Virginia west of Roanoke. Originally based in Abingdon, Alpha moved a few miles away last month to the Sugar Hollow Business Complex in Bristol, Va.
Locals revere Quillen's dedication to Southwest Virginia. "For years, the Appalachian model was people who made their money here typically went elsewhere. Michael has made a point of keeping the business in the region, keeping the money in the region and improving the community. It has really inspired other businesses," says Richard Rose, artistic director for the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, where Quillen chairs an $8 million capital campaign.
Quillen isn't one to play the role of wealthy coal baron. Crutchfield has known Quillen since 1986 and has worked under him at three companies. In all that time, "Mike never forgot his roots, never forgot who signs his paycheck — the coal miner. It didn't matter if we were standing in a room in New York with hedge-fund billionaires. Mike never played to that. He never tried to be anything but himself."
According to Crutchfield, success also hasn't changed Quillen's frugality. "One night — and this was in the early days — we were going to Connecticut for a board meeting. We pull up to the hotel and it was raining cats and dogs. A sign out front said they would valet park for $5. Mike said, '$5 is ridiculous. We won't get that wet.' So we parked in the rain and walked."
Quillen's greatest strength, Crutchfield says, is his people skills. "He has the innate ability to pull out the best in people under any set of circumstances. What he does well is manage to people's strengths. Mike doesn't focus on weaknesses."
Political leaders are tapping his executive skills. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell recently appointed Quillen chairman of the Virginia Port Authority after replacing every member except him on the 11-person board. The governor also named Quillen to the board of visitors at Virginia Tech where earlier this year Quillen and his family pledged $3 million for a new engineering building.
"Mike gets people to work," says McDonnell. "He has a great sense of humor, but when it comes to making decisions, he's no nonsense and all business. He knows how to get things done."
Jerry Kilgore, a former Virginia attorney general now with Richmond-based McGuireWoods Consulting, grew up in Gate City. His family and the Quillens have known each other for years, and attended the same Gate City United Methodist Church. "He's known in Southwest Virginia as the great turnaround expert," Kilgore says. "He knows who to hire, who to trust and, more importantly, how to make a deal. There is that hard-nose business side, but he's such a nice guy that a lot of people underestimate him, and that works to his advantage in a lot of ways."
Recently remarried, Quillen and his wife, Debbie, have 12 grandchildren between them. Besides the time he spends on boards, including the board of directors of Martin Marietta Materials, the big family keeps him busy. "There's a ball game, a dance recital, something nearly every night," he says.
His oldest son, Chris, works for Alpha, purchasing coal produced by others for blending. With a second generation of his family involved in coal, Quillen considers the future and recognizes challenges ahead. "There's the issue with coal being a fossil fuel and the reality of where the environment is heading," he says, namely toward more renewable forms of energy.
Coal is increasingly under attack because of carbon emissions that many scientists claim contribute to global warming. Nonetheless, it continues to fuel about 45 percent of this country's and 41 percent of the world's electricity. "My philosophy is that technology will take care of a lot of things going forward," says Quillen. He's referring to clean-coal technologies, which are making progress, though slowly, in terms of commercialization.
Alpha and other coal companies also face growing criticism and, in some cases, lawsuits from environmental groups for surface mining that destroys mountaintops. Quillen says Alpha restores the land, and that the new, flat terrain frequently leads to economic development that would not occur if the land remained hilly.
As for a legacy, Quillen says he wants nothing more than the respect of the coal miners. "My real reward is having some small part in these guys having a good-paying job for 35 years and providing opportunities for their kids."
About Alpha Natural Resources:
Location: Bristol, Va.
Market cap: $6.4 billion
Employees: 14,000
Mines: 150 in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wyoming
Annual coal production capacity: More than 120 million tons


text:
BWW TV Exclusive: BREAKING DOWN THE RIFFS w/ Natalie Weiss- Future Broadway Boy?
BroadwayWorld.com, the largest, most comprehensive theatre site on the net, recently announced the newest addition to its line-up of original, engaging, star-filled TV programs- YouTube sensation and Broadway vet Natalie Weiss with her hit series that's sure to entertain - BREAKING DOWN THE RIFFS. We are excited to exclusively bring you the latest episode, in which Natalie breaks down the riffs of The Broadway Boys with Shawn Molko. Check out the full episode below!
BREAKING DOWN THE RIFFS features YouTube Sensation, Natalie Weiss, "breaking down" her favorite riffs for singers of all skill levels. From Beyoncé to Smokie Norful, Natalie fearlessly and systematically tackles complicated riffs with her quirky sense of humor and positive attitude, making even the most impossible sounding riffs approachable, fun, and easy to learn. The show's motto: With a little practice and determination, ANYONE CAN RIFF! #BDTR" The series is co-produced, shot and edited by Ben Gunderson.
Natalie recently completed a 2 1/2 year run performing multiple ensemble roles on the Les Mis 25th anniversary tour. In 2010, she made her Broadway debut understudying the Menonettes in Everyday Rapture, starring Sherie Rene Scott. She also performed in the ensemble, and understudied Elphaba in the 2nd national tour of Wicked, was an American Idol season 4 semi-finalist, and has performed the National Anthem at both, Cowboys Stadium, and Shea Stadium, and released a self-titled debut CD in early 2011. She's also been performing sold out solo concerts, and master classes, across the country.


text:
Skurkys Law
Infiltrated the courthouse and accessed the jail.
Skurky's Law is another chapter where to access the Holding Cells area (from the Courthouse), it's easiest if 47 acquires a disguise (especially on Hard). The judge or Tin Foil Hat Man disguises are best for accessing the Courtroom exit without being spotted.
If you want to avoid using disguises, note that the evidence room can be handily entered by timing so as to follow the bailiff, with a thrown distraction in the event the guard is near the vent inside.
One easy way to beat the level: immediately upon appearing in the courtroom, exit, head upstairs, and wait outside the left door to the library. When the guard exits, slip in and take cover on the right. You will hear the footsteps of the approaching usher.
When he opens the door, follow behind him crouched and subdue him near the closet. Quickly stash the body, quickly change clothes, now turn 180 degrees and smile at the guard who just walked in.
Go downstairs and recover the evidence from the Security Room. Go back to Courtroom, crouch and go right behind the last row of seating, go left to the rail and take cover. When the bailiff walks toward the front of courtroom, scale and follow. Enter the evidence room, enter the vent, and you're done.
Another way is to slip into the Tin Foil Hat guy's costume. To do that, disable the evidence TV upstairs (see below how to do it via the courtyard). This will interrupt the proceedings and Tin Foil will go to the bathroom, accompanied by an usher. You can either wait for him in the bathroom by hiding behind the door or in the vent that connects the two restrooms. When tinfoil is in there, subdue him, stash him, and take his clothes. You can now just follow the usher back into the courtroom and get sentenced to jail in the real culprit's stead. Follow the user to the keycard door, wait for him to open it, and walk through. Done!
To complete the run with Suit-Only and Infiltrator, go upstairs and wait until you can disable the TV. If you're having trouble doing this unseen, you can also access the courtyard from the bottom floor via the emergency exit door, walk past the smokers, jump up to the ledge underneath the open window and wait until the guard at the TV turns around to walk away. Climb through the window and diable the TV and quickly climb out unseen.
Once that's done, return to the courtroom and wait for the judge and Tin Foil Hat guy to leave. Crouch against the side of the jury box... the guard won't pay any attention to you. Once he starts walking away, vault over the barrier and follow him. (Make sure you stay crouched, or the guard on the othe side of the room will see you.) Enter the door on your right.
Inside the room, go to your right and around the corner. Wait for the two guards in the room to move, and you'll be able to slip behind them both without being seen, Climb through the vent, then pick the lock and you're done.
|Evidence - Skurkys Law
|Evidence 1
|Courthouse. In the security room behind the front desk.
|Evidence 2
|Holding Cell. On the table in the room with the exit.
|Evidence 3
|Prison. In the dark storage room past the security gate, but before the fight pit.
|Challenges - Skurkys Law
|Conditions and Criteria
|Collect the following Disguises (see Items): Court Security Guard, Court Usher, Tin Foil Hat Man, Judge, Hope Police Officer
|Evidence Collector
|Collect the evidence in Courthouse, Holding Cells, Prison
|Complete the chapter without being spotted. Courthouse, Holding Cells, Prison
|Suit Only
|Complete the chapter without using a disguise. Courthouse, Holding Cells, Prison
|Turn off the video evidence in the courtroom. You will have to wait for the video to start first (about 3 minutes after the stage starts). There are two video stations - one in the courtroom's 2F and one in the judge's private chambers.
|No Collateral Damage
|Clear the mission with no casualties. Subdual is okay (as long as you don't have 47 break necks).
|Take the Fall
|Take the Tin Foil Hat Man disguise and get the judge to sentence 47 to jail. Enter the Holding Cells and walk to your cell.
|Take Office
|Take the judge's disguise and enter the Holding Cells.
|One Man Riot
|Find the glass shiv in the evidence room in Courtroom, then stealth kill 10 enemies. Do not throw the weapon, or the counter may reset.
|So Close Yet So Far
|Clear mission
|Judgment Day Part 1
|While dressed as the judge, you must subdue the court usher in the library, and dump his body in the closet undetected.
|Judgment Day Part 2
|Same as part 1, only now you have to subdue 3 ushers and dump their body unseen.
|Judgment Day Part 3
|Once you have a acquired the judge's uniform, exit through the window and go to the side entrance. Head for the bathroom and kill the tinfoil-hat man with the gavel.
Items Found[edit]
|Items - Skurkys Law
|Disguise - Judge
|The lone judge in the courtroom.
|Disguise - Court Security Guard
|The uniformed security in the courtroom
|Disguise - Court Usher
|The orange vested clerks in the courtroom
|Disguise - Hope Police Officer
|Police in the prison and holding cells
|Disguise - Tin Foil Hat Man
|The crazy defendant
|Zug TMP
|The evidence room next to the exit in the Courtroom
|Z&M Model 60
|Revolver used by police
|STG 58 Elite
|Assault rifle used by back up units
|M590 12Ga
|Found in the Courtroom level in two rooms. Also inside the evidence room by the courtroom exit.
|In the Prison safe. Safe code required from rescuing prisoner at the start of the Prison; otherwise safe remains locked.
|Baseball Bat
|In cell before the Prison exit.
|Courtroom 2F office room by library
|Dummy Arm
|The evidence room next to the exit in the Courtroom
|Fire Extinguisher
|Various places.
|Various places.
|Glass Shiv
|The evidence room next to the exit in the Courtroom
|Golf Club
|In the judge's quarters
|Various places.
|Subdue or kill the judge for item.
|In the keycard locked room with the policeman. You can lure out the policeman, and then follow him through the opened door to the security room and the keycard.
|At the bottom of the stairs just before the room with the evidence in the level, Holding Cell.
|Police Baton
|The police baton is in the security room, on a desk.
|Sledge Hammer
|In Prison. Corner of hallway before the fight pit.
|In the courtroom room opposite the keycard locked door.
|By the prison control booth
|Statue Bust
|On a shelf in the storage room with a court security guard outfit out by the parking lot.
Was this guide helpful?


text:
Top Items:
Washington Post:
U.S. captures Benghazi suspect in secret raid — An armed man waves his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames after being set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi late on Sept. 11, 2012. The alleged ringleader in the attack has been captured by involving Special Operations forces.
Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Times, The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, Liberaland, Guardian, Outside the Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Little Green Footballs, Lawfare, Gawker, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Daily Banter, Business Insider, Hinterland Gazette, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Mashable, AMERICAblog News, Prairie Weather, National Review, defense.gov, Independent Journal Review, The PJ Tatler and Booman Tribune
Dorian De Wind / The Moderate Voice: Breaking: U.S. Special Operations Forces Capture Alleged Ringleader of Benghazi Attack
Cheston Catalano / Liberaland: Benghazi Terror Suspect Captured By U.S. In Secret Raid
Spencer Ackerman / Guardian: US captures Libyan suspect accused in Benghazi embassy attack
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: U.S. Captures Suspect In Benghazi Attack
Ritika Singh / Lawfare: Today's Headlines and Commentary
Adam Weinstein / Gawker: Obama Tries to Distract From Benghazi by Capturing Benghazi Suspect
Keith Brekhus / PoliticusUSA: President Obama Nabs Another Terrorist As US Forces Capture Benghazi Ringleader
Tristyn Bloom / The Daily Caller: US Captures Benghazi Suspect
Tommy Christopher / The Daily Banter: U.S. Captures Benghazi Suspect: Pfff, Thanks Obama!
Brett LoGiurato / Business Insider: US CAPTURES BENGHAZI 'RINGLEADER'
Janet Shan / Hinterland Gazette: Ahmed Abu Khattala, Suspected Benghazi Consulate Attack Ringleader …
Jed Lewison / Daily Kos: Benghazi suspect captured, now in U.S. custody
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Breaking: US captures first suspect in Benghazi attack
John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News: Obama captures Benghazi ringleader
Patrick Brennan / National Review: Benghazi Suspect Captured by U.S. Forces
Soopermexican / Independent Journal Review: Finally: Officials Say U.S. Special Forces Capture Benghazi Suspect in Secret Raid
Bryan Preston / The PJ Tatler: Breaking: US Captures Benghazi Suspect Who Wasn't Hiding
Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Fox News Suggests Obama Captured Benghazi Suspect To Boost Hillary's Book Tour — Hillary Clinton in 2012, at one of her last events as Secretary of State — A Fox News anchor suggested that President Obama captured one of the alleged architects of the September 2012 attack …
Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos and Mediaite
Jed Lewison / Daily Kos: Fox: Political genius Obama gives Hillary book tour huge boost with obviously staged Benghazi arrest
Evan McMurry / Mediaite: U.S. Special Forces Apprehend Benghazi Suspect
Fox News:
Benghazi attack suspect captured by American team, en route to US — A suspected terrorist linked to the 2012 Benghazi terror attack that killed four Americans has been captured inside Libya by U.S. forces and currently is en route to the United States, Fox News has learned.
Discussion: The Raw Story, Poynter and The Gateway Pundit
David Edwards / The Raw Story: Fox News analyst: Benghazi arrest a conspiracy to help Hillary survive tonight's Fox interview
Andrew Beaujon / Poynter: Washington Post gave administration 'abundant time' before publishing Benghazi scoop
Philip Ewing / Politico:
U.S. captures suspect in deadly Benghazi attack
U.S. captures suspect in deadly Benghazi attack
Discussion: Allen B. West
Elianayjohnson / National Review:
IRS Has Lost More Emails... It's not just Lois Lerner's emails. The Internal Revenue Service says it can't produce emails from six more employees involved in the targeting of conservative groups, according to two Republicans investigating the scandal. — The IRS told Ways …
Discussion: Bloomberg View, Hot Air, Washington Times and The Daily Caller
Megan McArdle / Bloomberg View: Missing E-Mail Is the Least of the IRS's Problems
Allahpundit / Hot Air: IRS tells GOP committee: We've lost e-mails from six more employees involved in scandal
Stephen Dinan / Washington Times: Lois Lerner on IRS hard drive crash: 'Sometimes stuff just happens'
Patrick Howley / The Daily Caller: IRS Was Required By Law to Print Out Lois Lerner's Emails
James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:
It's reminiscent of Rose Mary Woods's 18½ minutes of fame.
It's reminiscent of Rose Mary Woods's 18½ minutes of fame.
Discussion: Power Line, Sister Toldjah, Liberal Values, RedState, The Daily Signal, NewsBusters and New York Times
John Hinderaker / Power Line: The Latest on Lois Lerner's "Lost" Emails, With a Bombshell At the End
Ron Chusid / Liberal Values: Cries Over Lois Lerner's Lost Email Look Like Just Another Conservative Conspiracy Theory
Repair Man Jack / RedState: Lois Lerner's Emails Not Lost. They Were Buried.
Melissa Quinn / The Daily Signal: Attkisson: 9 Requests Lawmakers Should Make About Lois Lerner's Missing Emails
Jeffrey Meyer / NewsBusters: ABC, NBC Continue to Ignore IRS Claim That It Lost 2 Years of Lois Lerner Emails
David S. Joachim / New York Times: Tax Agency Says Lois Lerner Emails Were Destroyed in Computer Crash
Scott Johnson / Power Line:
Cleta Mitchell to the IRS: Answer this
Cleta Mitchell to the IRS: Answer this
Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Betsy's Page
Charles Lipson / Chicago Tribune:
Downward spiral of Obama's presidency … "Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job." That was George W. Bush's infamous compliment to Michael Brown, his then-director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It came as New Orleans lay flooded after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 …
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
Barack Obama golfs while the Middle East burns — Last weekend Barack Obama played his 175th and 176th rounds of golf as president. He played first at Sunnylands, the famously private course on the Rancho Mirage, California estate of the late billionaire Walter Annenberg.
Scott Johnson / Power Line:
The great unraveling — In one of the PBS series that engages …
The great unraveling — In one of the PBS series that engages …
Discussion: New York Times
Jason Horowitz / New York Times: Robert Kagan Strikes a Nerve With Article on Obama Policy
David Corn / Mother Jones:
FLASHBACK: Remember When Paul Wolfowitz Said Not to Worry About Sectarian Violence in Iraq? — The former Bush administration official is perhaps the worst person to give advice about the current crisis in Iraq—but that hasn't stopped him from speaking out.
Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite, The Dish, Washington Post and The Huffington Post
Andrew Sullivan / The Dish: Kristol Meth … What do you do with near-clinical fanatics who …
Paul Waldman / Washington Post: No happy talk from the White House on Iraq
Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post: Iraq War Boosters Get Second Chance In Media Spotlight
Iraq conflict: Clashes on approaches to Baghdad
Iraq conflict: Clashes on approaches to Baghdad
Discussion: Reuters, The Long War Journal, CNN, Al Jazeera America, Fox News, ThinkProgress and National Review
Barbara Slavin / Al Jazeera America: US-Iran cooperation on Iraq tricky but will boost nuclear deal incentives
Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:
Iran Offers Iraq 'Everything it Needs' to Fight ISIS
Iran Offers Iraq 'Everything it Needs' to Fight ISIS
Discussion: Business Insider, BillMoyers.com, Hot Air, The Dish and New Yorker
Michael Kelley / Business Insider: This Map Of Religion In The Middle East Shows Why Iraq Is So Crucial
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Quotes of the day — An Iranian soldier from Quds Force …
Dexter Filkins / New Yorker: WIDER WAR — The day after Islamic militants swept into Mosul …
New York Times:
Sunnis and Kurds on Sidelines of Iraqi Leader's Military Plans
Sunnis and Kurds on Sidelines of Iraqi Leader's Military Plans
Discussion: The Independent, Gawker, Outside the Beltway, ParaPundit and Fox News
The Independent: Iraq crisis prompts reconciliation between Iran and the West - from the Great Satan to the great rapprochement
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: Maliki Responding To Iraq Crisis In Worst Possible Way
Randall Parker / ParaPundit: US And Britain Rapprochement With Iran?
Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
NC GOPer: Unlike Blacks Or Hispanics, 'Traditional' Population Isn't Growing (VIDEO) — State House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-NC), the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, said that the "traditional" voting bloc of his home state wasn't growing like as minority populations in an interview he did in 2012.
Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA, Shakesville, Right Wing Watch, Hinterland Gazette and The Raw Story
Philip Bump / Washington Post: Attention, Thom Tillis: North Carolina's "traditional" population is growing, too.
Laura Clawson / Daily Kos: North Carolina Senate candidate wishes there were more 'traditional'—aka 'white'—people
Justin Baragona / PoliticusUSA: GOP Senate Candidate Thinks White People Are The Only 'Traditional' Americans
Melissa McEwan / Shakesville: It Continues to Be a Real Mystery Why Republicans Aren't Connecting with a Majority of Female Voters
Miranda Blue / Right Wing Watch: Tillis Borrowed 'Traditional Population' Phrase From Anti-Immigrant Extremists
Janet Shan / Hinterland Gazette: NC GOP Senate Candidate Thom Tillis Laments Decline of "Traditional Population"
Kendall Breitman / Politico:
D'Souza baffles Megyn Kelly — Conservative author Dinesh D'Souza baffled Megyn Kelly on Monday night with an analogy that compared the United States to a child molesting father. — Appearing on Fox's "The Kelly File" to promote his new book, "America: Imagine a World Without Her," …
Discussion: The Huffington Post
Katherine Fung / The Huffington Post: Megyn Kelly Bewildered By Guest Dinesh D'Souza's Bizarre Comments
Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:
Megyn Kelly Laughs at Dinesh D'Souza: So You're Saying America Is a 'Child Molester'?
Megyn Kelly Laughs at Dinesh D'Souza: So You're Saying America Is a 'Child Molester'?
Discussion: The Raw Story and Liberaland
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Heritage's ugly Benghazi panel — Representatives of prominent conservative groups converged on the Heritage Foundation on Monday afternoon for the umpteenth in a series of gatherings to draw attention to the Benghazi controversy. — But this one took an unexpected turn.
Discussion: BuzzFeed, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Federalist, RedState, Gawker and Hullabaloo
Noah Rothman / Hot Air: Dana Milbank's take on Heritage's 'ugly' Benghazi panel is utterly dishonest
Mollie Hemingway / The Federalist: Friends Don't Let Friends Read Dana Milbank
Erick Erickson / RedState: What Dana Milbank Does Not Tell You
Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
WATCH: Muslim Student Gets Mocked At Heritage Benghazi Panel
WATCH: Muslim Student Gets Mocked At Heritage Benghazi Panel
Discussion: The Jawa Report, Washington Monthly and Mediaite
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: You're Irrelevant!
Matt Wilstein / Mediaite: Heritage's Benghazi Panel Reportedly Taunts Muslim Student
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Rick Perry's 'Groundhog Day' — "Boys, I am going to bless this meal," Rick Perry said, ducking his head and folding his hands under his chin. We were sitting at Nate 'n Al, the Jewish Deli in Beverly Hills, and the governor of Texas was looking every bit the regular customer in a tight black polo shirt and designer glasses.
Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider and The Week
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: The Tangible Value of Being Mentioned
Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo: Rick Perry: 'I'm More Jewish Than You Think I Am'
Colin Campbell / Business Insider: Rick Perry Says He's More Jewish Than You Think He Is
Jon Terbush / The Week: Rick Perry: 'I'm more Jewish than you think I am'
Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Publishing Source: Hillary Book a 'Bomb' — In an email this evening, a veteran publishing source calls the latest Hillary Clinton book, Hard Choices, a memoir of her State Department years, a "bomb." The source is referring to the early but underwhelming sales figures.
Discussion: Hot Air, TheBlaze.com and The Daily Caller
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Is Hard Choices a "bomb"?
Benjamin Weingarten / TheBlaze.com: 'Bomb': Hillary's 'Hard Choices' off to sluggish start
Brendan Bordelon / The Daily Caller: AD OR INTERVIEW? CNN To Hold Hillary Town Hall Called 'Hard Choices' — Just Like Clinton's Book
Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:
Hillary Clinton's Book Tops Barnes & Noble Sales In First Week
Hillary Clinton's Book Tops Barnes & Noble Sales In First Week
Discussion: Fox News, Independent Journal Review, Hot Air and Washington Free Beacon
Justen Charters / Independent Journal Review: MSNBC Liberal Has 70-Second Field Day with Hillary's Bomb of a Book, Disastrous Tour, Bad Interviews
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Hillary: You know, the American political system is the most brutal in the world
Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:
Obama will propose vast expansion of Pacific Ocean marine sanctuary — The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati lies seven feet above sea level, on average. But scientists say it's drowning. PostTV asked Kiribati President Anote Tong how he's planning for a future that might find his entire country submerged in the Pacific Ocean.
Discussion: ThinkProgress, Guardian, Daily Digest News, Shakesville, Fox News, The Lonely Conservative and RTCC
Suzanne Goldenberg / Guardian: Obama to expand marine reserves and crack down on seafood black market
Ryan Johnson / Daily Digest News: Small Pacific Island nation hopes to make big difference in protecting oceans
Melissa McEwan / Shakesville: In the News — Here is some stuff in the news today...
Sophie Yeo / RTCC: John Kerry hosts summit on ocean acidification
Richard Rubin / Bloomberg:
Wealthy Clintons Use Trusts to Limit Estate Tax They Back — Bill and Hillary Clinton have long supported an estate tax to prevent the U.S. from being dominated by inherited wealth. That doesn't mean they want to pay it. — To reduce the tax pinch, the Clintons are using financial …
Discussion: Mediaite, Gawker, The Week, America Rising and Washington Post
Tina Nguyen / Mediaite: The Clintons Attempt to Dodge Estate Taxes They Support
Hamilton Nolan / Gawker: The Clintons Support Estate Taxes, Avoid Estate Taxes
Damon Linker / The Week: Hillary Clinton's authenticity problem
Teampresident / America Rising: 3 Controversial Issues A "Liberated" Hillary Clinton Won't Give An Opinion On
Sean Sullivan / Washington Post: Hillary Clinton has a Keystone XL catch-22
Stuart Dredge / Guardian:
YouTube to block indie labels who don't sign up to new music service — Starting internal tests of subscription service but faces accusation of 'catastrophic error of judgement' — Adele, Arctic Monkeys and Jack White could disappear from YouTube "in a matter of days" …
Jason Abbruzzese / Mashable: YouTube's Subscription Music Service Could Block Some Artists


text:
And that's just the way Vladimir Putin wants these Winter Games to be.
The world's premier athletes on ice and snow have more to worry about than geopolitics as they plunge into the biggest challenges of their lives on the mountain slopes of the Caucasus and in the wet-paint-fresh arenas on the shores of the Black Sea.
But watch out for those Russians on their home turf. A raucous group of Russian athletes had a message for their nearly 3,000 rivals in Sochi, marching through Fisht Stadium singing that they're "not gonna get us!"
Superlatives abounded and the mood soared as Tchaikovsky met pseudo-lesbian pop duo Tatu. Russian TV presenter Yana Churikova shouted: "Welcome to the centre of the universe!"
Yet no amount of cheering could drown out the real world.
Fears of terrorism, which have dogged these Games since Putin won them amid controversy seven years ago, were stoked during the ceremony itself. A passenger aboard a flight bound for Istanbul said there was a bomb on board and tried to divert the plane to Sochi. Authorities said the plane landed safely in Turkey.
The show opened with an embarrassing hiccup, as one of five snowflakes failed to unfurl as planned into the Olympic rings, forcing organizers to jettison a fireworks display and disrupting one of the most symbolic moments in an opening ceremony.
Some world leaders purposely stayed away, but U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and dozens of others were in Sochi for the ceremony. He didn't mention the very real anger over a Russian law banning gay "propaganda" aimed at minors that is being used to discriminate against gay people.
But IOC President Thomas Bach won cheers for addressing it Friday, telling the crowd it's possible to hold Olympics "with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason."
Also missing from the show: Putin's repression of dissent, and inconsistent security measures at the Olympics, which will take place just a few hundred kilometres away from the sites of a long-running insurgency and routine militant violence.
And the poorly paid migrant workers who helped build up the Sochi site from scratch, the disregard for local residents, the environmental abuse during construction, the pressure on activists, and the huge amounts of Sochi construction money that disappeared to corruption.
For all the criticism, there was no shortage of pride at the ceremony in what Russia has achieved with these Games. The head of the Sochi organizing committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, captured the mood of many Russians present when he said, "We're now at the heart of that dream that became reality."
"The Games in Sochi are our chance to show the whole world the best of what Russia is proud of," he said. "Our hospitality, our achievements, our Russia!"
The ceremony presented Putin's version of today's Russia: a country with a rich and complex history emerging confidently from a rocky two decades and now capable of putting on a major international sports event.
Putin himself was front and centre, declaring the Games open from his box high above the stadium floor. Earlier, he looked down as the real stars of the Games — those athletes, dressed in winter wear of so many national colours to ward off the evening chill and a light dusting of man-made snow — walked onto a satellite image of the earth projected on the floor, the map shifting so the athletes appeared to emerge from their own country.
As always, Greece — the birthplace of Olympic competition — came first in the parade of nations. Five new teams, all from warm weather climates, joined the Winter Olympics for the first time. Togo's flagbearer looked dumbstruck with wonder, but those veterans from the Cayman Islands had the style to arrive in shorts.
Canada entered midway through the march. Women's hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser carried the Maple Leaf to lead representatives from Canada's 220-athlete team. It's Canada's biggest team ever assembled for a Winter Games.
"To represent the best of Canada is such an honour, it's chilling," Wickenheiser said. "There is so much excitement."
Canada looked sharp in outfits designed by Hudson's Bay, featuring a red coat with toggle style buttons and a black stripe adorning the hip line.
The women in the Canadian contingent wore black mock turtlenecks and wool V-neck sweaters, while the men sported a tailored white dress shirt, wool cardigan and red and white striped ties. Black bottoms rounded out the ensembles
"I wish our Olympians the best of luck as they take on the world in Sochi," Prime Minister Stephen Harper posted on his Twitter account.
Canada's target is to finish first overall in the medal count after finishing third with 26 medals at home in 2010.
Not all of Canada's athletes marched into Fisht Olympic Stadium. The men's hockey team hasn't arrived yet, figure skaters are in the middle of the team competition and skiers and sliders are staying too far away from the host city.
The smallest teams often earned the biggest cheers from the crowd of 40,000, with an enthusiastic three-person Venezuelan team winning roars of approval as flag bearer and alpine skier Antonio Pardo danced and jumped along to the electronic music.
Only neighbouring Ukraine, scene of a tense and ongoing standoff between a pro-Russian president and Western-leaning protesters, could compete with those cheers.
That is, until the Russians arrived.
Walking in last to a thundering bass line that struggled to overcome the ovations from the hometown crowd, the Russians reveled in all the attention. Their feeling could perhaps best be summed up by Russian singers Tatu, whose hit "Not Gonna Get Us" accompanied them to their seats.
Russians place huge significance in the Olympics, carefully watching the medal count — their dismal performance in Vancouver four years ago is on the minds of many.
These Games are particularly important, as many Russians are still insecure about their place in the world after the end of the Cold War and the years since that have seen dominance of the United States and China.
International politics were never far beneath the surface. One member of the VIP crowd carrying the Olympic flag was Anastasia Popova, a young televison reporter with the state-owned Rossiya TV channel, best known for her reporting in Syria. Putin and Russian state media have stood strongly behind Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Popova's coverage laid the blame for the Syrian civil war squarely on Syrian rebels.
But back to that Russian pride.
As Churikova rallied the crowd to scream "louder than ever," she told the fans in their cool blue seats their keepsakes from the night would last 1,000 years. When explaining the show would be hosted in English, French and Russian, she joked that it didn't matter, because in Sochi, everyone "speaks every language in the world."
The moment of high pride came at the end, when Russian hockey great Vladislav Tretiak and three-time gold medallist Irina Rodnina joined hands to light the Olympic cauldron. He's often called the greatest goaltender of all time by those who saw him play, she won 10 world pairs figure skating titles in a row.
That was how it ended. At the top, the show — and the Games — easily avoided talking about prickly issues even when the women in Tatu took the stage. The duo, who put on a lesbian act that is largely seen as an attention-getting gimmick, merely held hands during their performance on this night, stopping short of the groping and kissing of their past performances.
This time? Their lead-in act was the Red Army Choir MVD singing Daft Punk's Grammy-winning "Get Lucky."
— With files from AP Sports Writers Stephen Wilson and Jon Krawczynski and The Canadian Press
Also on HuffPost


text:
1. Your new release, Ring Of Desire, is being described as a medieval paranormal novel. Please tell us about your story.
RK: Picture 1072 England in a place called Hafne. Everything is dreary and dry. But it is a land that echos with the sighs of all things magical. Long ago a Norman's hand destroyed Hafne's peace and laid the way for the Ancients' curse that has left the land barren and taken the gift of immortality.
Now the Normans have returned. Vala is drawn to one man, a Norman, and torn between two worlds human and Ancient. With one chance to break the curse and immortality hanging in the balance, will Vala choose the love of a mortal man over the gift of immortality?
2. A strong heroine makes a story worth reading. Please describe your heroine, Vala, in 5 words.
RK: A generous and courageous leader
3. Will Ring of Desire be a stand alone novel or do you anticipate a sequel?
RK: Ring of Desire is a stand alone. My next books are contemporary suspense.
4. This story is set in medieval times. How much research did you have to do for this novel?
RK: I love historical research and like my first book, I got caught up in it. Politics in England at the time were intense – it was just post conquest – a fascinating time. I read an amazing amount of books on the era and those that didn't make it into my research library I got from the library, where I haunted the shelves on everything from English history to medieval magic. And for this book I discovered that if you want good visuals on period dress – the children's section of the library is the place to go.
5. Although you grew up in the beautiful Saskatchewan Prairies (Canada), I discovered you have a passion for traveling to exotic locations. Where are some of your favorite destinations? Do they influence your writing?
RK: I love to travel and with my contemporary suspense stories I will usually set them in a place where I have traveled. I find myself fascinated with differences in cultures and yet the similarities that we all share. It's a theme that recurs in my stories.
Some of my favorite destinations have been; Burma(Myanmar), Borneo, Northern Thailand, Costa Rica and Cambodia to name a few.
6. Are you currently working on any other projects you would like to share with us?
RK: I have a number of contemporary suspense that are mostly set in Asia. One of my favorites is my entomologist with attitude who gets herself lost in the Borneo jungle and caught in the midst of what looks like a murder to boot.
7. Lastly, what is your favorite way to unwind after a hard day of writing? Any guilty pleasures?
RK: A long day of writing is special and only occurs on weekends right now. My guilty pleasure (not really guilty, just a fave) after such a day – sometimes it's a visit to a local microbrewery for a beer and a bite. Other times it's just a glass of wine on a crowded couch – not made for two people and a dog.
Ryshia thank for visiting with us today. Congratulations on your new release and best luck on your future novels.
Click here to read an excerpt from Ring Of Desire.
For more information on Ryshia and her books, please visit her website.
To follow Ryshia on Twitter, click here.
To purchase Ring Of Desire from Amazon, follow this link.
Contest Time...
Ryshia has generously offered to give an E-Copy of Ring of Desire to one lucky commenter.
To enter, simply leave a comment or question for Ryshia.
For extra entries...
+2 Spread the word! (+2 entries for every place you link to-sidebar, post, twitter, facebook, wherever you go.) Please leave me a link for verification!
The contest will begin now and end on December 5th. I will announce the winner on this blog December 6th. If you are not a follower, click the follow button on the left sidebar so you don't miss the winner post. This contest is open to everyone. Good Luck!


text:
The Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
was founded in 1899 by Father Hubert Linckens, a Missionary of the Sacred Heart.
He formed it in the spirit of his own Congregation
whose founder was Father Jules Chevalier.
Father Linckens placed our Congregation at the service of the Church and the world
and gave it a missionary dimension. (Constitutions 1,2)
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!
We are an international Congregation of approximately 900 Catholic women Religious
in 19 countries throughout the world.
MSC SIsters Germany www.msc-hiltrup.de
MSC Sisters Italy www.mscsistershiltrup.org
MSC Sisters Korea www.mscsrk.or.kr
MSC Sisters Mexico www.msc.org.mx
MSC Sisters United States of America www.mscreading.org


text:
Found 7 results
Filters: Author is Klein, P B [Clear All Filters]
Photoluminescence investigation of the indirect band gap and shallow impurities in icosahedral B12As2. Journal of Applied Physics. 112(1) 12-1231-0035.pdf (1.3 MB). 2012.
Recombination processes controlling the carrier lifetime in n(-)4H-SiC epilayers with low Z(1/2) concentrations. Journal of Applied Physics. 108 10-1226-1322.pdf (326.51 KB). 2010.
Cathodolumiensce study of the properties of stacking faults in 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layers. Applied Physics Letters. 94 08-1226-3990.pdf (231.13 KB). 2009.
Identification and carrier dynamics of the dominant lifetime limiting defect in n(-) 4H-SiC epitaxial layers. Phys. Status Solidi A: Applications and Materials Science. 206:2257-2272. 09-1226-0441.pdf (700.78 KB). 2009.
Carrier Lifetime Measurements in n 4H-SiC Epilayers. Journal of Applied Physics. 103 07-1226-3321.pdf (384.81 KB). 2008.
Lifetime limiting defects in n-4H-SiC epilayers. Applied Physics Letters. 88 05-1226-4080.pdf (77.83 KB). 2006.
Photoionization Spectroscopy of deep defects responsible for current collapse in nitride-based FETs. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 15:R1641-R1667. 03-1221.1-2043.pdf (464.06 KB). 2003.


text:
Webcast On Demand
Management insights drawn from breakthroughs in cognitive science
Many studies show a link between high engagement and organizational success, yet until now our understanding of the science of engagement has mostly focused on outcome studies, not on the underlying mechanisms involved.
This session provides fresh insights into our understanding of what engagement is, how to measure it and most important, how to increase it. Drawing from the latest findings in neuroscience, we will explore a series of questions, such as:
- What is the actual neural basis of engagement, in other words, what is engagement made up of, if you were to peer inside the brain?
- What are the factors that drives engagement in the brain? How does engagement affect the brain? What are the various possible 'levels' of engagement?
- And finally, how can we more accurately measure engagement?
What You Will Learn
- Understand why your current engagement strategies do or don't work
- Discover fresh ideas for increasing engagement
- Explore new thinking for measuring engagement


text:
3.(A) Every member of the Bar of Arkansas, except as may be otherwise provided by these rules and, excepting those attorneys granted voluntary inactive status by the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct, shall complete 12 hours of approved continuing legal education during each reporting period as defined by Rule 5.(A) below. Of those 12 hours, at least one hour shall be ethics, which may include professionalism as defined by Regulation 3.02. In addition, an attorney or judge may carry over accredited hours in accord with the provisions of Rule 5.(A), including one hour of ethics which may be carried forward to the succeeding reporting period.
3.(B) This minimum requirement must be met through courses conducted by sponsors approved by the Board, or individual courses that have been approved by the Board, or such other programs, courses, or other educational materials that the Board may approve pursuant to Rule 4.
3.(C) An hour of continuing legal education shall include at least sixty minutes of instruction, exclusive of meals,introductions, or other non-educational activities.
3.(D) The Board is authorized and encouraged to consider the requirement of particular course content, such as professional or judicial ethics, as part of the minimum educational requirement.


text:
Snoop Dogg, the world's most chill weed advocate, is taking on the NFL's desire to have access to guns in a new Instagram video.
Snoop takes issue with the NFL wanting to give football players access to guns but not access to weed. He successfully argues that football is already a violent profession which lends itself to perpetuating a violent environment amongst the players, and that weed would be a panacea to this problem of violence and allow the players some respite from their aggressive environment.
He even reached out the NFL to offer his services as an advocate to make this change happen:
Do it, Snoop.


text:
It's French heritage, uninhibited Mardi gras celebrations, and famous for its distinct Cajun food, and New Orleans, this is the charming state of Louisiana. Come and explore its' rich past found in historical sites, or visit in February when the Mardi Gras celebration happens, do this in your Louisiana charter bus.
Louisiana stretches at 51,843 sq miles and its capital is Baton Rouge. Its' rich past, makes it difficult to define and one has to savor its choicest morsels to come to a better understanding of this state and charms. Whether you come to savor history, its contribution to American's heritage or explore the great outdoors, you should travel in your Louisiana charter bus, and fully explore your interests.
Louisiana generally has a warm and humid climate, and four seasons, and rainfall is an integral part of life in this state. So when's the best time to see the state? Spring, because this is the time of the year, where a lot of annual fairs and festivals happen, and this is saying a lot as Louisiana has 400 annual fairs and festivals – from crawfish to pirates to plantations. Avoid the risk of getting lost and stress, travel in your Louisiana charter bus.
Here are some choice destinations you can explore in your Louisiana charter bus.
Are you a history buff? What period of America's history would you like to explore? You should make it a point to visit some of Louisiana's museums of which there are 200, such as the Cabildo, the Presbytere and the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans and the Old Courthouse Museum in Natchitoches. You can learn about Storyville, New Orleans' notorious red-light district where jazz was born. Or explore exhibits that show artifacts from 130 years of prison life. You can also view Civil War displays created by the actual soldiers. You'll find history and cultural heritage preserved and interpreted by more than 200 museums statewide.
Walk through the pathways of Louisiana's 27 Civil War Discovery Trail sites. You'll find forts, battlegrounds and other important links to the country's Civil War history. Or travel back further in history to the prehistoric Native-American cultures and earthen mounds these tribes left behind.
Explore Louisiana's Ancient Mounds Trail, of which the state has more than 700 known mound sites. These mounds are believed to have been built hundreds to thousands of years ago and served as homes for tribal leaders, ceremonial sites and even burial sites. These mounds' significance lies in the fact that they predate the Colosseum in Rome, the Great Wall of China or Egypt's pyramids, and offer evidence that these cultures were advanced. Travel to all these mound sites in your Louisiana charter bus, and get to them, relaxed and stress free from traffic or the heat.
Another site worth visiting is Poverty Point State Historic Site in West Carroll Parish, where artifacts range from precisely cut arrowheads to clay balls which are thought to have dispersed heat while cooking. The Poverty Point culture has been estimated to be 3,500 years old. Researchers have found that the materials recovered at this historical site, show traces that they traded with people from the entire Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio River valleys, and east into the Appalachians and up to the copper-producing areas of the Great Lakes. These discoveries are exciting and significant, for the artifacts challenges the traditional views of men's origins. You can explore all this and more, as you travel in your Louisiana charter bus.
Another main site also stresses this era of history so vividly. The Marksville State Historic Site is believed to date to AD 50. The site has five mounds that are encircled by a low earthen embankment on what's now an abandoned bed of the Mississippi River. These artifacts bear similar characteristics from the Hopewell culture from the same era in Ohio and Illinois. Louisiana has a lot to offer enthusiastic history buffs. But you don't need to spend most of your vacation exploring historical sites, add a dash of adventure by exploring its outdoors. For instance, try the Creole Nature Trail, and you'll find unspoiled picturesque historic towns.
See it more and experience more, in comfort and safety, when you travel in your Louisiana charter bus.


text:
Today, I broke out the scraps of muslin and wadding and put it all together! Yay for a quick finish.
I also worked on little envelopes for my kids to keep their allowance money. They each have three envelopes, one for saving, spending, and tithing.
Here's a pic of my little ninja doing one of his chores.
Hope you have a great weekend!
I'm linking up at CrazyMomQuilts.


text:
By now, we should be fairly familiar with pelicans moving through the Arkansas River corridor in Arkansas. Still, sightings of "big white birds" generate considerable conversation and Internet postings.
Pelicans are not new in Arkansas, but their numbers have increased considerably since the McClellan-Kerr Navigation Project on the river was completed roughly 40 years ago.
Pelicans are some of the world's largest birds. White pelicans are larger than brown pelicans which live year-round on the Gulf Coast. White pelicans can weigh as much as 30 pounds, stand 4 feet tall and have a wingspan of 9 feet. They are entirely white except for black-edged wings that are visible when the birds are in flight. Male and female pelicans look alike, and the average male is slightly larger than the average female.
Where do they come from? They nest and breed on lakes in the northern United States and southern Canada, mostly in the Rocky Mountain region. They winter in California, Mexico, and Central America, along the Gulf Coast and in Florida.
In recent times, thousands of pelicans have traveled along the Arkansas River, but smaller numbers are sighted most years along the Mississippi River and in southwestern Arkansas where they follow the Red River corridor.
Several hundred were on the upper end of Lake Conway in recent weeks. Most have moved on, but a few dozen are still on the lake.
Pelicans may be large, but they are graceful fliers, either singly, in flight formations, or soaring on thermals in flocks. The birds fly with their heads pulled back near their bodies. They may come in and out of view as they fly along. Look for them fishing in groups in reservoirs and big rivers.
Fish is their primary food. Sometimes they eat crustaceans, tadpoles and small turtles. The white pelican doesn't dive into the water for its food like the brown pelican. White pelicans float on the water and scoop up fish and water in their pouches.
Remember that rhyme from childhood – "A wonderful bird the pelican. Its beak can hold more than its belly can."
Pelicans hold their heads up and drain out the water and then swallow the fish. They often hunt for food in groups. They form a line and start swimming while flapping their wings and herding their prey towards the shore. Sometimes, one group of pelicans will even drive the prey towards another group of pelicans.
We get pelicans in Arkansas in their traveling seasons, not their breeding seasons.
In breeding season, the birds' crests turn yellow and they grow an odd triangular plate on the upper part of their bill (nuptial tubercle). This falls off when mating season is over, and the crests then turn gray.
A few decades back, white pelican numbers declined, largely through loss of habitat and heavy use of toxic chemicals like DDT. This has changed, and the numbers of the birds appear stable or perhaps increased a little.


text:
Diversity and Engagement
We are the nexus for UC efforts that advance diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the academic pipeline.
The Office of Diversity and Engagement provides vision, direction, leadership and oversight of UC's engagement in public education. We manage programs, initiatives and services that prepare students to succeed academically and to ensure that they advance smoothly throughout the academic pipeline. We focus on students from communities with low college enrollment rates, applying current research and best practices to enhance the teaching-learning process with public school educators. We contribute to developing overarching strategies and approaches for the UC system that advance access, diversity and inclusion for students and faculty.
Vice Provost and Chief Outreach Officer
Reports & Data
Contact Us
Phone: (510) 987-9776
Diversity and Engagement
University of California
Office of the President
1111 Franklin St, 11th floor
Oakland, CA 94607-5201
Transcript Evaluation Service
The University of California's Transcript Evaluation Service (TES) helps California public high schools increase college eligibility by providing UC-certified reports of their students' progress towards completing "a-g" requirements. A newly updated TES is now being made available to schools throughout California to increase access to the UC and CSU systems, especially for low-income, educationally disadvantaged students from diverse backgrounds. Learn more about TES.
Personal Insight Questions Video
Diversity and Engagement has created a video to help students approach the new personal insight questions on the UC application. The video provides writing tips and guidance for students from underrepresented backgrounds who are the first in their families to apply for college, or whose schools have limited college counseling resources.


text:
Where you buy your tickets to Jones Hall performances depends on what performance you would like to attend. Houston Symphony and Society for the Performing Arts have their own box offices and sell tickets to their shows. Tickets for all other performances can be purchased through Houston First Ticketing.
To download high-res images, visit photo gallery.


text:
Want to elevate your beach volleyball skills and learn from an Olympian? As a part... Read More
Session 2 Registration Starts on October 17th at 12pm Links will appear on our Main... Read More
Co-Ed Play with the ProsBrought to you by WeCoBeVo Spectator Pass ... Read More
Playoffs begin. Good luck everyone. Coed 2's League Session Three: March 9th – May 11th... Read More


text:
Flash: Quick Response Limited Damage in Berkeley Hotel Fire
A three-alarm fire at a residential hotel in downtown Berkeley this morning forced a dramatic evacuation and caused several minor injuries, but a quick response by firefighters minimized the damage, a fire official said.
The fire was reported at 7:41 a.m. at the Nash Hotel at 2045 University Ave., near Shattuck Avenue. It was controlled by 8:25 a.m.
Some of the residents of the three-story hotel, which has about 40 units, were "hanging out windows calling for help" but they were able to get out safely by using a fire escape and an aerial ladder set up by firefighters, Berkeley acting Deputy Fire Chief Avery Webb said.
Avery called the evacuation process "intense" because most residents needed assistance due to the heavy smoke.
He said there was "a huge life hazard" because the blaze could have spread to the adjacent University Hotel at 2057 University Ave.
University Hotel residents were also evacuated as a precaution but have since been allowed to return to their rooms, Webb said.
Three or four people were evaluated at the scene by paramedics but no one had to be hospitalized, Webb said.
The cause of the fire hasn't yet been determined, he said.
The flames were mostly contained to a single unit on the second floor of the Nash Hotel but there was also fire damage to the second floor hallway and there could be smoke and water damage to other parts of the hotel, Webb said.
Ed Silva of the Red Cross of Alameda County said his agency is picking up displaced residents to feed them and find housing for them until their rooms are ready.
Silva said he believes the Red Cross only needs to help about 15 residents, as many of the hotel's units appear to have been empty.
Webb said he thinks most of the hotel's residents could be allowed to return to their rooms soon, depending on the condition of the building's utilities.
Hotel resident Scott Prosterman said he was sitting on his bed in his second floor room meditating when he heard a smoke alarm and yelling in the hallway and called 911.
He said the fire was in Room 214, which is next to the hotel's central elevator.
Prosterman said hotel officials told him "get out now" and that he was the first person to leave via the building's fire escape.
Allan Ild, who has lived at the hotel for about two years, said the hotel's proprietor knocked on the door of his third-floor room and told him to get ready to evacuate.
Ild, who uses a walker, said he dressed quickly and then firefighters helped him go down an aerial ladder.
He said he has been told that he won't be able to return to his room until Wednesday.


text:
"Verde" Original Art
"Verde" Original Art
Intensely saturated and luminous, the inks used for these paintings almost seem to have a mind of their own. Ruby shapes vibrant, free flowing colors into imagined landscapes or abstract color and shape studies. What do you see?
Hand painted original artwork.
Ink on paper, unframed.
10" x 13"


text:
It was via Instagram when I first learned of Raymond Gutierrez's (yes, I follow him on IG) radical weight loss. I later learned that Sexy Solutions is the reason behind it. I actually had to stare for a bit, making sure it was not Richard Gutierrez's photo I was looking at. It was just too good to be true.
A fuzzy shot from a beauty event I attended held in White Space, Makati in 2009. I saw for myself how big Mond Gutierrez was and it is just encouraging to know that we can now radically reduce to our ideal weight without invasive procedures.
When Cristalle Belo explained how the Sexy Solutions procedure works, it sounded a lot like the Shape a& Sculpt Treatment I had done at Flawless last year. (more…)