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If you live in the United States, you're probably used to being bombarded with drug ads, which show up on television, public transit, magazines, and other media. While there are legitimate worries that these ads could have negative consequences—medicalizing issues that aren't serious conditions and enhancing hypochondria to name just two—there's a chance that they could do some good as well.
That possibility is suggested by a new study that shows that drug ads actually enhance the activity of the drug they're promoting. But the effect was only apparent in a subset of patients, making the interpretation of the results rather complicated.
The issue in focus is the allergic response, which is triggered by a variety of environmental factors including pollen and dust. Regardless of the source, however, the allergic response funnels through a single signaling molecule called histamine. As a result, a variety of drugs have been developed that block this signal. The drugs are collectively termed antihistamines, and a variety are available both over-the-counter and via prescriptions. Since allergies are so common, most of them are heavily advertised.
The authors of the current paper (who are faculty at a business school, a medical school, and a law school—not a combination you see often) decided to test whether any of this advertising altered people's response to the drugs. Participants started out with a standard allergy test, which measures their response to a number of common allergens. The subjects were then divided into two groups based on whether they were allergic or not. Then, they were given a histamine injection, which will inevitably create an allergic response. The size of the raised red patch of skin was measured to provide a baseline for later experiments.
All of the subjects went through the same experimental procedure, which involved getting a dose of Claritin and watching a movie that had advertisements. Some of these were for the antihistamine Claritin, others for its competitor Zyrtec. Both one and two hours after the dose of Claritin, the subjects were asked whether they believed the drug was effective then given another histamine challenge to determine their response.
In general, subjects with allergies never believed that Claritin would be very effective against their allergies (perhaps because they had tried antihistamines before and were disappointed). This was true whether they saw ads for Claritin or Zyrtec. For those without allergies, there was a dramatic difference. Those who saw Zyrtec ads had the lowest confidence in Claritin of all the subjects, while those who saw Claritin ads had the highest confidence.
Apparently, confidence paid off. By 60 minutes after the Claritin treatment, the welts on those without allergies were smaller if they'd seen Claritin ads. By 120 minutes, the size difference had become statistically significant.
If that was the only result, then interpreting this would seem pretty straightforward, with a placebo-like effect enhancing the effectiveness of the actual drug. But something strange happened with those who suffered from allergies and had little confidence that Claritin would help them. In this group, at the 60 minute mark, Claritin was significantly less effective at toning down the response to histamine in those who had seen ads for it. By two hours, there was no difference between the two. The authors don't really seem to have a solid explanation for that difference.
They do say that they would like to expand their study to include a control group that saw no advertisements. But, even with they data they have, they think their study shows that advertising can alter a drug's efficacy at least within some groups. The problem is that it may be the least relevant group. As they put it, "Our focus on the subjects without allergies somewhat diminishes the policy relevance of our findings." Nevertheless, they suggest that it could still have an impact among people who are recently diagnosed as having allergies.
PNAS, 2013. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1012818110 (About DOIs).


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U.S. Consumer Spending Declines 0.1% in July
Personal Spending Falls for First Month Since January
WASHINGTON—Constrained American consumers are threatening to weigh on U.S. growth just after the economy regained its footing following a pullback early in the year.
Hamstrung by weak income gains, consumers are struggling to step up spending. That is providing perhaps the biggest challenge to a second-half economic breakout that already is at risk due to global unrest and persistent slack in the labor market.

subset: commoncrawl


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Eckstrom Consulting Blog
Stay Up-To-Date With The Latest Technology News in Montana
August, 2017Switch to calendar view
Latest Blog Entry
Virtualization has opened a world of opportunity for businesses seeking a more flexible business computing system, rather than a disparate and occasionally wasteful collection of computing components....
Latest News
Our Site Has Launched!
Welcome to Our New Site!
We are proud to announce the unveiling of our new website at Eckstrom Consulting!
Contact Us
Learn more about what Eckstrom Consulting can do for your business.
Call us today: 406-730-5105
100 E Second St Suite 304
Whitefish, Montana 59937


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Property deed transfers in Roane County:
April 28 — From Wallace J. McAfee and Nelda A. McAfee to William M. Morris by warranty deed, Dist. 2, Oak Hills Estate, Lot 48, $223,500.
• From Ronald H. Thompson and Doris Thompson to Matthew R. Jones and Mitzi D. Jones by warranty deed, Dist. 5, Lakemont Heights Addition to Rockwood, Lots 2 and PT3, $107,900.
• From Leigh Ann Collins to Kenneth D. Collins III by quit-claim deed, Dist. 4, 2 tracts Evans Road, $0.
Editor's Note: Readers are cautioned that some names may be the same as, or similar to, other members of the community.
Sept. 10 — Barbara Rachel Abston, 19, 244 W. Vanderbilt, Oak Ridge: domestic assault. No bond listed; court date Oct. 27.
• Stephanie Marie Armstrong, 29, 225, Kelly Lane, Lenoir City: court/hold only. No bond or court date listed.
• Adam Clint Baker, 32, two counts violation of probation. Total bond $3,000; court date Nov. 3.
April 28 — Bobby D. Dagley, failure to appear, probation violation: dismissed.
• Gill Thomas, driving while license suspended: guilty; amended to driving without license.
• Jason Masengil, failure to appear: dismissed; cost to defendant. Two counts failure to appear: dismissed. Driving while license suspended: guilty; amended to driving without license.
Sept. 9 — Angela Marie McKamey, 33, 914 Sewanee St., Harriman: public intoxication. Bond $800; court date Oct. 27.
• Jerry Thomas Lee Cook, 27, 146 Davis Hollow Road, Harriman: violation of probation. Bond $15,000; court date Oct. 20.
• Antwon Clifton Hall, 24, 2913 Roane State Hwy., Harriman: driving on revoked/suspended license. Bond $1,000; court date Oct. 6.
April 22 — Reggie Davison, probation violation: guilty.
• Dexter Alan Birmley, probation violation: dismissed.
• Reggie D. Davidson, two counts probation violation: guilty.
• Robert W. Christmas, registration expired: dismissed.
• Lois Jean Moore, seat belt 18 and older: guilty; traffic ticket paid in full.
Property deed transfers in Roane County:
April 21 — From United Community Bank to Kevin C. Raymond and Terry A. Raymond by quit-claim deed, Dist. 1, city of Harriman, Lots 301 and 303, $65,000.
• From Tammy S. Abston to Jeffery A. Abston by quit-claim deed, Dist. 3, 6.39 acres, Howard Road, $10.
• From Greg Leffew, John Paul Kennedy and Janet S. Kennedy to Edna E. Gibson by trustee's deed, Dist. 2, Southwood subdivision, Lot 5, Phase 2, $200,000.
Sept. 1 — Tara Alexis Kalnasy, 20, 209 Franklin St., Kingston: illegal possession of alcohol. Bond $1,000; court date Nov. 10.
• Jonny Dexter Key, 11265C C Road, Pikeville: failure to appear. Bond $30,000; court date Oct. 20.
• David Lynn Kilby, 45, 1307 Airport Road, Oakdale: attachment. Bond $1,500; court date Sept. 24.
April 21 — Samuel I Lee, driving while license revoked: guilty; amended to driving without license. Driving
while license revoked second or subsequent offense: guilty; amended to driving without license. Possession unlawful drug paraphernalia-attempt: dismissed.
Editor's Note: Readers are cautioned that some names may be the same as, or similar to, other members of the community.
Aug. 26 — Brandon Ross Monroe, 31, 829B Patton Ferry Road, Kingston: pretrial. No bond or court date listed.
• Shana Kay Burum, 36, 2741 Harriman Hwy., Harriman: failure to appear. Bond $3,000; court date Sept. 29.
• Ralpheal Cameron Coffey, 24, 119 Jonathan Lane, Oak Ridge: failure to appear. Bond $15,000; court date Sept. 5.
Copyright © 2019
The Roane County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Roane County and Kingston, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.


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CONWAY, Ark.—Rallying back with five straight elimination game wins, the Birmingham-Southern softball team won the 2014 Southern Athletic Association championship tonight in Conway, Ark., with two late-night wins against Berry College.
The Panthers, who move to 29-18 with today's victories, won four games today to clinch the SAA crown, defeating host Hendrix, 4-0, Millsaps, 10-1 in six innings, and then Berry, 6-5 and 6-3. The tournament schedule was compressed to two days instead of three due to the threat of severe weather on Sunday, but the second-seeded Panthers battled from the loser's bracket after losing to Millsaps yesterday to defeat the top-seeded Vikings.
BSC used its all-star pitching duo of junior Bethany Fronk and freshman Taylor Harkins, the 2014 SAA Pitcher of the Year, for all 27 innings of softball today. The duo split time in the final game this evening, with Harkins starting and going 3.1 innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs with one strikeout, before Fronk came in for the final 3.2 and shut the Vikings down offensively, striking out three batters in the process.
In the first game today, BSC eliminated fifth-seeded Hendrix from the tournament with a 4-0 shutout. Junior Hannah Harris RBI singled in the top of the second to plate junior Alyssa Statham, and the lead was increased to 2-0 in the top of the fifth when BSC scored on a dropped fly ball in the outfield. The Panthers scored their final runs of the game in the top of the sixth on a Harris sacrifice fly-out and an RBI single from freshman Alex Skene. Harkins threw the complete game, allowing eight hits in the shutout. Statham was 2-4 at the plate, and Harris led with two RBI.
Third-seeded Millsaps was the next team to fall as the Panthers won 10-1 against the Majors, retaliating for yesterday's loss which sent BSC into the elimination bracket. Although the Majors scored the first run of the game in the top of the second, the Panthers took over after that, scoring four in the bottom of the third courtesy of a Statham two-RBI single and a two-RBI double by Harris. Harris was responsible for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when she sent the ball over the left-center field fence, putting BSC up 6-1. In the bottom of the sixth, with two outs on the board, Fronk RBI doubled and freshman Maddie Ridgway RBI singled to push the lead to 8-1, followed by a two-run walk-off home run by Statham to end the game early. Fronk pitched the complete game and allowed six hits, one earned run, and three walks with one strikeout. Ridgway and Statham were both 3-4 at the dish, and Statham and Harris each had a game-high four RBI.
In a replay of the battle for the regular season title, the Panthers found themselves facing two games against Berry once again, and needing to win both to clinch the championship. In the first game between the two teams this evening, BSC struck early, scoring in the top of the first on an RBI fielder's choice by Harris to plate Ridgway. Harris picked up another RBI in the top of the third on a double to bring freshman Torrie Garner home, but the lead was short-lived as Berry scored three in the bottom of the fourth to pull up 3-2. The Panthers answered with a big fifth inning, scoring four runs courtesy of yet another Harris RBI single, a two-RBI single from junior Taylor Bassett, and a Skene RBI single. The Vikings rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring twice to cut the BSC lead to 6-5 before the Panthers turned a double play to end the inning. After a scoreless top of the seventh, the Vikings put runners on second and third before an infield pop fly gave BSC the win to force another game. Fronk threw her second-straight complete game, giving up 13 hits and four earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts. Skene was 2-3 and Harris was 2-4, and Harris led with three RBI.
In the final deciding game of the championship, the Panthers pulled out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second off a two-RBI single from freshman Taylor Brewer, a Fronk RBI single, and a run scored on a Berry error. A Bassett RBI ground-out in the top of the third put BSC up 5-0, and a Ridgway RBI single in the top of the fourth expanded the lead to 6-0 in what would be BSC's final run of the game. Berry was able to score three in the bottom of the fourth, but the Panthers went on to retire nine of the next 10 Viking batters to clinch the championship. Fronk picked up the win in the final game, and now stands at 17-11 on the season, while Harkins stands at 11-7.
Fronk, Statham, Harris, and Harkins were all named to the All-Tournament Team Saturday evening after the conclusion of the final game.


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Newtown gun advocacy group better known in Washington
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is quietly influential. Neighbors in Newtown don't even know it's there.
NEWTOWN, Conn. — An influential gun-rights advocacy group sits just 3 miles from Sandy Hook Elementary School but remains largely unknown to people who live here even as it has become increasingly vocal about gun rights.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group of gun manufacturers, has raised its voice in Washington, spending more than four times as much on lobbying in 2012 as it spent in 2008, records show.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says the foundation has "repeatedly rejected" proposals that the Brady Campaign says would keep guns away from criminals.
FULL COVERAGE: Connecticut school shooting
NRA: Releases statement on Conn. shooting
OBAMA: Backs new assault weapons ban
Yet the foundation, with 47 employees and a $25 million annual budget, has almost no presence in Newtown and has remained quiet since the massacre of 20 schoolchildren and six adults at the Sandy Hook school on Friday.
Anthony Paravalos, owner of Anthony's Shoe Service around the corner from the foundation, was surprised to hear about it.
"I've been here 25 years, and I never noticed a gun group," he said.
The group's headquarters are off South Main Street, tucked behind a Walgreens store, with a small sign that says "NSSF."
"I haven't heard of them," said Andy Sachs, whose real estate office is next to Paravalos' shop. He is an elected member of the Newtown Police Commission, which oversees the town police department.
Cindi Kromberg, who was getting her hair done Tuesday at Shear Image near the foundation, also hadn't heard of the group but wasn't surprised that it's in Connecticut, home to gunmaker Colt.
Kromberg isn't sure how she feels about the foundation and gunmakers, but she has become passionate about gun control.
"Assault weapons and weapons like this kid had, they've got to stop," she said, referring to Adam Lanza, who killed people using a semiautomatic rifle. "They're weapons of war. They're not for hunting or self-protection."
The foundation says on its tax return that it "protects the firearms industry" in Washington, D.C., and "guards against attacks in state capitals throughout the country." Those efforts have steadily increased. So far this year, the foundation has spent $500,000 lobbying Congress and federal officials. By contrast, it spent $120,000 every year from 2001 through 2008.
The foundation sponsors the annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show that draws 60,000 people from more than 100 countries.
It says it has helped stop cities, counties and states from enacting "ballistics imaging" — databases of markings on shell casings to determine what kind of gun was used in a crime. The foundation calls such programs flawed and "an unnecessary and burdensome mandate on law-abiding citizens and law enforcement."
This year the foundation endorsed a measure to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating ammunition as a potentially toxic substance and another bill that would allow people to carry firearms at water projects run by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The foundation is much smaller than the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), whose political action committee has spent $16 million in the past two years, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Jonathan Lowy, legal action director at the Brady Campaign, said the foundation and the NRA work together and are funded by some of the same gun manufacturers.
In 1999, amid concern that criminals were buying guns from licensed sellers, the foundation staff drafted a letter that it planned to send to gun dealers encouraging them to delay selling a gun for two or three days if police made such a request, the Brady Campaign says. But the foundation "never actually got around to sending any version of the letters it drafted," the Brady Campaign said in a 2003 report.
"They have been protecting the bottom line," Lowy says.
The foundation has not commented since Friday except on its website. An initial two-sentence statement expressing sympathy for the families of victims was replaced with a longer statement saying the group has been "deeply shaken and saddened by the horrible events" of Friday.
"We had family, friends and acquaintances that were affected," the statement said. "We are weighed down by their heartbreaking stories and the sorrow that has blanketed our community."
Although the foundation's employees live in the Newtown area, its board members live in places such as Phoenix; Fort Lauderdale; Portland, Ore.; Baton Rouge, La.; Grand Island, Neb.; and Smyrna, Ga., according to records of campaign contributions.
On Tuesday, the parking lot surrounding the foundation's two-story 21,000-square-foot building was monitored by a security guard, who would not let visitors in. A phone message left for the foundation seeking comment was not returned.


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Do you do anything that makes you unique from other people? If so, share it with your fellow Scholars!
For me, I make chain maille (no, not email, armor made from metal links).
I also initial everything (gov. papers, legal documents, etc, etc) in Elvish.
Now tell me something about you.


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An Antique Land
- Recover Soil Survey 01.
- Recover Soil Survey 02.
- Recover Soil Survey 03.
- Enter data aboard the survey vessel.
- Soil Survey Tape #1
- Soil Survey Tape #2
- Soil Survey Tape #3
- Fission Battery (x3)
- Stimpak (x5)
- Rad-X (x2)
- Bio-Gas Canister (x17)
- Purified Water (x2)
- Advanced Radiation Suit (x2)
- Shovel, Med-X (x2)
- Pre-War Money (M)
- RadAway
- Radiation Suit (x2).
Part 1[edit]
To begin this particular obscure side quest, you're going to have to find a location well off the beaten path. The location in question is a destroyed American Naval vessel called the USS Ozymandias (a purely fictional vessel, if you're curious). The USS Ozymandias can be found off of the eastern coast of the Point Lookout map. The easiest way to find it if your map is barren is to head to the Ark & Dove Cathedral, and work your way far to the south and slightly to the east of it. The small ship is sticking out of the water at this location, and you can access it by swimming up to it. Once you do, simply head on inside via the manhole on the exposed section of the ship. Within, you can immediately find some items, including some Fission Batteries, Stimpaks and Rad-X, but it's the computer terminal and the safe next to it that's of real interest.
Just a word of warning -- even though the ship seems to be sinking and is all out of whack, there's no rush getting through it, so you can explore the small hold of the ship all you want. When you find the computer, read everything on it, and you'll get this side quest thereafter. It seems that the members of this ship were a scientific team doing soil research nearby, looking for something, perhaps, called "Bio-Gas." On your map, you'll find three markers deep into the swamp that dominates the western portion of the area. Each location on the map is an excavated site where you can find what you're looking for - the three soil samples that will allow you to open up the safe next to the computer back on the ship. So without further ado, it's time to get going. To reach the first site (which is in fact site #2), teleport to Marguerite's Shack and begin walking westward.
The first site, as well as the other two, are all well-guarded by the strong swamp inhabitants in the form of Ghouls. Treat these guys delicately and be sure to kill them quickly, because some of the stronger Point Lookout-exclusive swamp dwellers are powerful adversaries, indeed. When you finally reach the hole in the ground designated on your map and have defeated all enemies guarding it, climb down the ladder. The small excavated area below will reveal not only Soil Survey Tape #2, but some Bio-Gas Containers, Purified Water, and a Fission Battery as well. Hereafter, head back to the surface and teleport further west, to the Trapper's Shack. Here, you can travel northwest and northeast of the shack's location to find Soil Survey Tape #1 and Soil Survey Tape #3 as well. More items will accompany them in similar hovels, including an Advanced Radiation Suit, Stimpaks, a Shovel, more Fission Batteries, and of course, more Bio-Gas Canisters.
When you've retrieved all three Soil Survey Tapes, it's time to head back to the USS Ozymandias. Remember that you can do so via your Pip-Boy's map instantaneously, so long as you're on the surface and aren't immediately surrounded by enemies. Once back at the ship, head below deck and access the computer once more. Use the soil samples to unlock all three locks on the nearby safe, and then crack it open. You'll find another Advanced Radiation Suit, as well as two Radiation Suits, ten more Bio-Gas Canisters, Med-X, Rad-X, RadAway and a Stimpak. And just like that, the side quest concludes.
Was this guide helpful?


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Both historical and 60-year trend show Dutch winters are warming – these graphs tell you how, why – and what to expect
Falling snow flakes are humbling. Not just because of their beauty, but also because of their gentle ability to completely paralyse a developed and overpopulated country with traffic jams, clogged railroad switches and closed runways. But although that (together with … Continue reading


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ATM Locations
For ATM Safety Tips Click Here.
Hartsville ATM's
SPC Credit Union (Main Office)
204 N. Fifth Street
Hartsville, SC
SPC Credit Union
(Sonoco Office)
448 Novelty Avenue
Hartsville, SC
Coker College Student Center (Inside Post Office)
300 E. College Avenue
Hartsville, SC
Hartsville Crossing (across from Walmart)
416 Hartsville Crossing Boulevard
Hartsville, SC
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (Inside, Near the Gift Shop)
1304 W. Bobo Newsom Highway
Hartsville, SC
Darlington ATMs
SPC Credit Union
(Darlington Office)
609 N. Main Street
Darlington, SC
Bennettsville ATM's
SPC Credit Union
(Bennettsville Office)
204 15/401 By-Pass East
Bennettsville, SC
North Point Shopping Center
1115 Cottingham Blvd.
Bennettsville, SC
Florence ATM's
SPC Credit Union
(Florence Office)
1312 Celebration Blvd.
Florence, SC 29501
Additional ATM
134 W. McIver Road
Florence, SC
Advantage ATM
2106 South Irby Street
Florence, SC
For a complete listing of CO-OP®, CIRRUS® or VISA® ATM locations follow the links below.
All CO-OP® ATMs are Surcharge Free.
ATMs on the CO-OP Network
For all other ATM locations (surcharges may apply), follow the links below:


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Ryder Cup 2016 Preview: Four Wasserman Clients Compete For The Coveted Ryder Cup Trophy
09 ThuThu, 20162016
Considered one of the world's great sporting events, The Ryder Cup sees 24 of the best players from the United States and Europe compete in match play competition every two years. Team Wass clients Rickie Fowler, J.B. Holmes and Zach Johnson are representing the U.S., while Andy Sullivan is representing Europe in the 2016 Ryder Cup. Play is from September 30-October 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.
Rickie Fowler: Marking his 3rd Ryder Cup appearance (2010, 2014), Fowler had eight top-10 finishes in 23 starts this season. He was selected as a Captain's Pick by Davis Love III on September 12.
J.B. Holmes: Representing the US in 2008 with a 2-0-1 record, Holmes swung through 2016 with a T4 at the Masters and a third-place showing at the Open Championship, not to mention earning a T4 at the BMW Championship and an invitation to the season-ending TOUR Championship. Holmes was also named a Captain's Pick on September 12.
Zach Johnson: Ryder Cup 2016 is Johnson's 5th appearance with a 6-6-2 record in those prior starts. With 12 PGA TOUR victories, including the 2007 Masters and last year's Open Championship, Johnson's abilities are a tremendous asset in the match play format.
Andy Sullivan: This is Sullivan's first Ryder Cup. Playing for the European team, Sullivan had an eventful 2016, winning all three matches and playing a great role in leading Europe to victory in the EurAsia Cup.
Europe is the reigning cup holder, winning from Scotland in 2014 for their third consecutive win. Since 1979, the US team has won 7 matches and Europe has won 10 matches, while retaining the Ryder Cup once with a tie.
The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The competition format will be as follows:
Day 1 (Friday) – 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches and 4 fourball (better ball) matches
Day 2 (Saturday) – 4 foursome matches and 4 fourball matches
Day 3 (Sunday) – 12 singles matches
On the first two days there are 4 foursome matches and 4 fourball matches with the home captain choosing which are played in the morning and which in the afternoon.
With a total of 28 points available, 14½ points are required to win the Cup and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes.
You can find the full schedule HERE.


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The Presidential debate on foreign policy recently discussed much about the tax dollars spent on defense. The question of how much to spend on the defense of the United States is always a huge debate. Democrats tend to lean to the side of "Peace Through Diplomacy" and believe that too much is spent on defense. Conversely, Republicans tend to foster the idea of "Peace Through Strength" and want to continue to increase advances in military strength.
However, the conversation of how much we spend on defense brings up another question. Exactly where do all of our tax dollars go? The chart below is the 2011 Budget year of expenditures as a percentage of the total budget.
It is clear that more than 50% of current budget expenditures go to Social Security, Medicare and Defense expenditures. However, before those that believe in "Peace Through Diplomacy" start pointing out that we spend too much on defense it is important to put the current levels spending into context. The next chart shows the historical percentages of the budget that each of the four main components make up.
We have continuously reduced defense spending at every turn to try and find "cuts" in the budget. You can see where defense spending increased during the Vietnam War, the Reagan Administration spending was done to bring the economy back online, and the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet following each period of increased spending - the defense budget was cut and now stands at the lowest level of spending in history as a percentage of the total budget. However, Medicare and Social Security have continued to consume greater portions of every tax dollar raised.
When putting the current level of defense spending into context it now brings us to a different conversation. There is more that comes out of defense spending than just being the "biggest stick" on the planet. The GPS on your phone, blue tooth technology, digital storage, advances in the speed of wireless communications, etc. all came from defense related research. Furthermore, we have killed our space exploration program which also fostered enormous growth in technology, innovation and medicine. NASA, is such a small percentage of the total budget that the savings are insignificant, however, the losses of future advances is likely to be far more costly. The following video by Neil deGrasse Tyson should make you stop and think.
While both sides can certainly make valid arguments about defense spending - here is something else to think about. How much is too much? How much is not enough? That question, unfortunately, won't be known until its too late. In a world today where there are global threats not spending enough on defense could yield unintended weaknesses in national security. While it is in the best interest to always exhaust diplomacy in solving global issues - it is not in the best interest of the nation to be at a military disadvantage as a result of neglect should diplomacy fail.


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Son Sent To School With Stun Gun, An Indiana mother who sent her gay son to school with a stun gun after administrators apparently didn't do enough to stop the bullying against him said she would do it again -- even though the teen now faces expulsion.
"I do not promote violence -- not at all -- but what is a parent to do when she has done everything that she felt she was supposed to do ... at the school?" the mother, Chelisa Grimes, told CNN's Don Lemon on Sunday. "I did feel like there was nothing else left for me to do, but protect my child."
The school district held an expulsion hearing last week but no decision has been announced.
Grimes sent her son, Darnell "Dynasty" Young, to Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis with the stun gun after he said he was taunted and bullied for months.
"I brought the stun gun 'cause I wasn't safe," the 17-year-old said.
After six other students surrounded him at school on April 16, calling him names and threatening to beat him up, Young pulled the stun gun from his backpack. He raised it in the air, setting off an electric charge, and sending the group scurrying, Young said.
Unlike a Taser, which fire barbs attached to long wires at a target, a stun gun has to be near or pressed against a person to shock them.
"I got kicked out of school for me bringing the weapon to school, but I honestly don't think that that was fair," Young said. "I didn't use it on nobody. ... All I did was raise it up in the air and went back to my class."
School police officers arrested him a short time later and took him away in handcuffs, The Indianapolis Star reported. School officials are investigating the incident, but none of the students who allegedly surrounded Young has been positively identified.
Young is known as a flamboyant dresser and Larry Yarrell, the Tech principal, said school staff had been trying to get him to "tone down" his accessories.
"If you wear female apparel, then kids are kids and they're going to say whatever it is that they want to say," Yarrell told The Star. "Because you want to be different and because you choose to wear female apparel, it may happen. In the idealistic society, it shouldn't matter. People should be able to wear what they want to wear."
CNN could not immediately reach school officials for comment.
Grimes contends that school officials haven't done enough to protect all students on campus.
"I think that the self-protection device is what's making the news, but the big picture is that my child is not the only one who does not feel safe at our school," she said.
It a common complaint among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
A 2009 survey of 7,261 middle and high school students found that nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students had experienced harassment at school over the previous year and nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation.
Young said rumors around campus suggested he was "doing nasty stuff" with teachers. The rumors took their toll.
"I was at my wit's end. I didn't know what to do and I thought about suicide," Young said. "I hate saying that word because God blessed me with this life. I love life. I love my education. I would never ... but this bullying got so bad that I thought about that."


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In the spirit of Angry Santa, I give you...
"Whoah there, sonny, why don't you put down the knife and let's talk about this?"
Uncle Sam wants YOU...
... to fetch him his binky.
And check under the bed before you leave.
(And buy a Pan-Wow®)
Actually, now he's just looking sad. Geez, Sam, if I want to see a disappointed face at mealtimes I can just go back to cooking, mmkay?
Hang on, lemme see what else I've got here...
Oh, now, don't cry... I'm sorry...
Aaand we're back to terrified. Huh.
Maybe they set it in front of a mirror?
I actually kind of like this guy:
His face says, "Guys, seriously, stop it with the shaving cream already," but his hair is all, "PAR-TAY!!" And then his sideburns are like, "Lookit me, holding up this teensy flag! AMERICA. HECK YEAH." And I'm pretty sure his lips are offering me a fruit roll-up.
So, in conclusion, here's a gingerbread soldier with his head on fire being run over by a tank:
But look how HAPPY he is!
Uncle Sam? Take note.
Tanks to Meghan R., Dimitra S., Gillian H., Amber W., & Lyndi R. for the support.


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Although Scott Fujita had his suspension in the Bountygate scandal reduced from three games to one by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who also acknowledged Fujita never participated in the pay-for-hits scheme, the former New Orleans Saints and current Cleveland Browns linebacker still is not happy.
Before practice Wednesday, Fujita released a statement that ripped Goodell for "abuse of power" and for an alleged inconsistency on player health and safety issues. Fujita also objected to the "condescending" tone of a letter he received from Goodell.
MORE:Goodell pulls rug from under Saints
BOUNTYGATE:Commish alters some suspensions
The commissioner wrote in the letter that he was "surprised and disappointed by the fact that you, a former defensive captain and a passionate advocate for player safety, ignored such a program and permitted it to continue ... if you had spoken up, perhaps other players would have refused to participate and the consequences with which we are now dealing could have been avoided."
Fujita said the letter was "neither accurate nor productive."
He added: "Additionally, I am now purportedly being suspended for failing to confront my former defensive coordinator for his inappropriate use of language. This seems like an extremely desperate attempt to punish me. I also think it sets a dangerous precedent when players can be disciplined for not challenging the behavior of their superiors. This is an absolute abuse of the power that's been afforded to the Commissioner."
Fujita did not say if he will appeal his one-game suspension.
The Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
A member of the NFL Players Association executive committee, Fujita criticized Goodell's commitment to safety issues.
"For me, the issue of player health (and) safety is personal,'' Fujita said. "For the league and the Commissioner, it's about perception (and) liability. The Commissioner says he is disappointed in me. The truth is, I'm disappointed in him. His positions on player health and safety since a 2009 congressional hearing on concussions have been inconsistent at best.
"He failed to acknowledge a link between concussions (and) post-career brain disease, pushed for an 18-game regular season, committed to a full season of Thursday night games, has continually challenged players' rights to file workers' compensation claims for on-the-job injuries, and he employed incompetent replacement officials for the start of the 2012 season. His actions or lack thereof are by the league's own definition, 'conduct detrimental.'
"My track record on the issue of player health (and) safety speaks for itself. And clearly, as I just listed, the Commissioner's does, too."
Appeals must be filed with the league office within 72 hours of receiving the letters from Goodell.
The commissioner re-issued his rulings after a three-man CBA appeals panel last month asked him to clarify that the players were guilty of conduct detrimental to the game and not salary-cap infractions.


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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — USGS research geologist Kyle House has been recognized by the Geological Society of America for work that helps explain how and when the Grand Canyon and the lower Colorado River took their present form, a scientific problem that has vexed geologists for more than a century.
House is lead author on a paper, "Stratigraphic evidence for the role of lake spillover in the inception of the lower Colorado River in southern Nevada and western Arizona," by P. Kyle House with Phil A. Pearthree and Michael E. Perkins, that was recently announced as the GSA's 2013 recipient of the prestigious Kirk Bryan Award for Research Excellence.
The paper, written while House was with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and supported in part by USGS, describes geologic evidence supporting a model of lake spillover as a primary mechanism in the origin of the course of the lower Colorado downstream of the Grand Canyon. By unraveling key details in the geologic record of the river's first arrival downstream from the canyon, House and his co-authors provided new and strong support for previous arguments for a 5- to 6-million-year age of the modern course of the lower Colorado River and presented evidence for a downstream river integration process involving a stair-stepping series of filling and spilling lakes.
"The Colorado River has left geologists a with a long trail of clues to understanding the chain of events leading to its present course and form. Our mapping efforts demonstrate that many of these clues lie well beyond the Grand Canyon and into the low desert downstream," House said.
"Discovering, interpreting, and assembling those clues is the goal of geologic mapping and, in effect, the essence of geology. We are deeply honored to receive this award from the Geological Society of America in recognition of our carrying out fundamental geologic science in the interest of understanding one of the world's great rivers," he said.
This new evidence for the nature of the river's origin downstream from the Grand Canyon has revitalized interest in developing a more complete understanding of the complete geologic history of the lower Colorado River, and its linkage to climatic and geologic change. It has led to a new regional geologic mapping project being led by House and the USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center that will focus on this iconic national resource. More information is available online.
USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit USGS.gov, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels.
Subscribe to our news releases via e-mail, RSS or Twitter.
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.


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Some Stock-Redemption Considerations in Estate Planning
BY HENRY J. SEBASTIAN Partner, Honolulu Office
Presented before monthly meeting of Hawaii Estate Planning Council, Honolulu—November 1959
THE consideration of stock redemptions, as in the case of other phases of estate planning, should be a team effort. Stock redemptions
can affect many other features of estate planning and can likewise
be affected by many other features. Those features run the gamut from legal effects to fiduciary duties to insurance needs to accounting aspects. This discussion will not cover all of them, but perhaps it will give some idea of the scope. It will touch upon many things outside the responsibility of the accountant, because it is hard to get a perspective of any one group's responsibilities separately.
In the interest of avoiding too much technical discussion in a necessarily technical subject, I have oversimplified the points involved
in some cases. To those of you who recognize the technical shortcomings, as well as to those of you who may dislike the remaining
technicalities, I beg your indulgence.
The stigma that attaches generally to stock redemptions by closely held companies can be traced to the actions of taxpayers in the past. In their zeal to lighten the onus of taxation on corporate income distributed to stockholders, they sometimes were guilty of withdrawing the equivalent of cash dividends in the guise of stock redemptions. After straight-forward stock redemptions thus became tainted, even they, as a substitute for dividends, were disguised as something else. Instead of having a corporation redeem its own stock, the ever hopeful stockholders caused a related corporation—either a Sister company or a subsidiary—to buy the stock. Still others, in their pursuit of the elusive capital gains rainbow, attempted to attain their goal via another more devious route.
Since the object of the game is to get cash without surrendering control, or preferably without giving any voting power at all to outsiders, the simple expedient of selling voting stock is automatically disqualified in most cases. Accordingly, schemes were devised to get non-voting stock into shareholders' hands in some sort of tax-free


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service is integral to what clemson — and the people that make up the clemson family — stands for. this university was founded out of an act of service to the state of south carolina, and we continue that tradition in our classes, our labs and our offices across the state. from statewide research, extension and regulatory programs to student organizations, undergraduate research, class projects, service-learning, alternative breaks, mission trips and faculty efforts, clemson is focused on serving others and identifying and solving current community needs. no matter what.


text: 5 Tips to Improve Your Succession Plan August 26, 2014 09:51 PM Use these guidelines to transition your farm Succession planning is a lot like adopting precision agriculture, shares Dick Wittman, Idaho farmer and president of Wittman Consulting. "While intimidating at the beginning, you take something extremely complicated and break it down into understandable concepts. It's complex but doable," he says. Wittman and other experts shared laundry lists of actionable items for creating succession plans during the July Legacy Project Workshops, which were held in Omaha, Neb.; Moline, Ill.; and Austin, Minn. Define your farm's structure. How does your farm operate, and who does what tasks? Wittman says while it might seem formal, you need to define shared values, roles and accountability for everyone in the operation. "Have the people in your operation draw an organizational structure," he says. "When you can put this on paper, you can describe what you have today and assess arrangements for how the operation will be organized in the future." Create a Plan A and Plan B. Farmers should have two succession plans, says Tim Moll, attorney with Rembolt Ludtke. One plan for if everything goes as anticipated and one for a disaster. "With both long-term and emergency plans, analyze and update them every five years," he adds. "Also, once your plan is in place, test it." Make sure the plan is fair, feasible and tax-efficient. Have a plan for incapacity. An overlooked aspect of succession planning is preparing for incapacity, says David Wierman, an attorney for Wessels Law Office. "Make sure you have powers of attorney for financial and health care matters in place," he says. "Everyone over the age of 18 needs both of these documents." Also, have family members sign a HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) release, which will allow certain people access to health information. Gift assets. The older generation needs to address estate tax issues. One way to do so is gifting assets, says Paul Neiffer, partner at Clifton LarsonAllen and author of The Farm CPA blog. The annual tax-free exclusion for gifting in 2014 is $14,000 per person. "You can gift cash, machinery, grain or shares of certain farm entities," he says. "This is a great way to help the next generation get skin in the game and reduce your taxable estate." Don't wait on mom and dad. The hardest part of succession planning can be starting. "I often meet young farmers who would like to see older generations put a plan in place," says Minnesota attorney Shawn Vogt Sween. "You can't force anyone else to plan, so start with your own plans." Everyone will be relieved when a plan is in place. "Once you know the options available, the unknown of succession planning is more manageable," Vogt Sween says. Back to news


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I really didn't want to go on the job interview, but my journalism counselor told me it would give me a boost to my career.
I had only worked at the Valley College library for two weeks when professor Leo Garapedian called me into his office down the hall from the Valley Star college newsroom and told me that a copy girl position was available at the Burbank Daily Review — my hometown newspaper.
I sat in the long hallway of the dark, dusty office of the Review, 228 E. Orange Grove Ave., waiting for then-managing editor Denny Duke. The walls were covered in a dark wood paneling and there were no windows, except the huge one facing Orange Grove.
The dark paneling continued throughout Duke's office. I pulled out my stringer book and showed him my college bylines. He said he really didn't judge candidates by their stringer book and closed it. And I said, "But Mr. Duke, I worked very hard on those stories." The next thing I knew, he was showing me the city room. I reported for work the next Monday.
My first assignment was writing obituaries on a small manual typewriter. My desk was across from City Editor Mike Harris. Tough as Sizzler steak, he growled rather than spoke. A pipe drooped from lips hidden somewhere under that villain's mustache. Fortunately, he liked me. Soon he assigned me to retrieve the fire and police calls and municipal court misdemeanors. Then, he gave me my own column — Pets' Pal, listing all the animals residing that week at the animal shelter. One dog had been lost twice, and the owner found him after seeing him listed in the column. I still run into the woman from time to time.
On my first trip to our sister paper, the Glendale News-Press, I remember seeing the Linotype machine, which cast individual letters from molten lead, at work — and the mess of lead scraps all over the floor. A year or two later, during another visit, I walked by the wire room filled floor-to-ceiling with the yellow paper tape the wire machines used.
The first generation of computers came along and we were all issued IBM Selectric typewriters with OCR, or "optical character recognition," type balls. When the office was moved from Orange Grove to Angeleno Avenue, across from the Holiday Inn, the movers dropped my typewriter and from then on, the "ru" was tweaked. One time "By Joyce Dolph" made it into print and I got phone calls asking if there was a new person at the paper.
When we moved from Angeleno to Magnolia Boulevard, the old Thrifty Drug Store attic, I carried the typewriter into the office myself. What I remember most about that location was the view of the infamous "40 acres" that later became the Media City Mall, now Burbank Town Center. Those visiting that office had to walk up eight stairs before reaching the newsroom landing, front counter and the sea of reporters and editors madly trying to make deadline. People would come into the office and shout out to us. It was then that I realized what it must be like to be an animal in a zoo's cage.
Over the years I interviewed or photographed residents, city officials and celebrities. My favorite celebrities to interview were Nancy Reagan, Ron Howard, Victor Borge, Joanne Worley, Micky Dolenz, Angela Cartwright, Pat Boone, Susan Sullivan, Peter Noone, Debbie Reynolds, Tom Hatten, Chubby Checker, Garry Marshall, Toni and Gene Bua, Rick Dees, Stefanie Powers, Betty White and Carol Channing.
My favorite subjects to cover were the symphony concerts, Pasadena Showcase House, Road Kings car show, Fab Four at Starlight Bowl, Taste of Glendale, Cruise Night, Be-bopping in the Park, Come Out and Dance concerts, Woodbury University fashion shows, Brand Art Galleries and the Burbank Creative Arts Center.
My most embarrassing moment while covering a story was having to ask a celebrity to drive her car in front of mine while I was leaving her home because there was a cliff at the bottom of her driveway and I thought my car's brakes would give out.
The most important story of my career was writing the obituary for Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse. It was such an honor and thrill to interview his wife, Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse, and Tony Anselmo, the voice of Donald Duck.
My most touching stories? It's a tie between the annual holiday pageant produced by BCR "a place to grow," and the opening of the Mervyn's store.
Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than watching the clients in the BCR program singing and dancing on stage.
And I'll never forget how the tears clouded my eyes as I peered out of the Mervyn's doors and out into the beautiful indoor mall. That Mervyn's was the first store to open in the then-new Burbank Media Mall, and the first really top-notch retailer in the city. I wrote in my column I had to pinch myself to prove I was awake and still in Burbank.
And now, I have to pinch myself again, this time to prove that I haven't dreamed these past 36 years, and that they're really rolled by so quickly. But I am awake, and they did happen. And now all that's left for me to do is sign off with the traditional journalist's symbol, a symbol that means this story is done and I'm ready for the next one.


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Freddie Prinze, Jr. reprises his role as Mass Effect 3 super-soldier James Vega in this December's animated movie Mass Effect: Paragon Lost. The first trailer hit in July. The new one here intensifies the action.
Paragon Lost tells a story about Vega and his squad of special forces as they fight against the Collectors. The feature-length anime from FUNimation and Production I.G., the studio behind anime ranging from Ghost in the Shell to The Matrix.
Paragon Lost will be out on DVD and Blu-Ray on December 28.
Want more? Here's the premiere trailer from this past July.


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JMU Major: Interior Architecture
Description of the Major | Degrees Offered | Concentrations | Minors
Declaring the Major | Progressing in the Major
Description of the Major
Interior Architecture is a major offered by the School of Art, Design and Art History, within the College of Visual and Performing Arts. As part of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (B.F.A.) Interior Architecture educates leaders in the profession of interior architecture and offers an intensive education in the architecture process. The curriculum instills purpose, craft, technological competence and versatile thinking.
For further information, visit the School of Art, Design and Art History website.
Degrees Offered
Declaring the Major
New Freshmen and Transfer Students
Entering Freshmen
A portfolio review is not required, but highly recommended, for prospective freshmen. The school hosts on-campus Portfolio Review Days in November and January. Faculty members also attend National Portfolio Review Days held off-campus (locations determined each fall).
Incoming freshmen should declare interior architecture as their major when registering for orientation; however, students must apply for full admission into the major once all lower-division prerequisite studio art courses are completed. See section below on "Admission to the Major."
Entering Transfer Students and Currently Enrolled Major Changers
Prospective transfer students and students who are currently enrolled in JMU under another major and wish to declare an Interior Architecture major must submit a portfolio for review to the transfer/change of major portfolio review committee and be admitted into the studio art major.
Transfer and change of major portfolios will be reviewed once each fall and spring semester. Transfer and change of major students who are not recommended for admission to the studio art major may reapply the following semester. Portfolio reviews for transfer and change of major students are held prior to advanced registration.
Currently Enrolled Major Changers
Other Declaring Information
Admission to the Major
Admission to the Interior Architecture major is selective and competitive for a limited number of seats. Completion of all admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the major. Admission to Interior Architecture is based upon completion of all prerequisite art courses and individual merit as determined by a faculty review of your art portfolio submitted in satisfaction of the course IARC 208, Portfolio Review.
To apply, you must be a declared Interior Design or Studio Art major and have completed all lower-division (100 and 200 level) prerequisite studio art courses including the following:
Portfolios developed as part of IARC 208, are reviewed during the spring semester (February) prior to pre-registration. Students should contact area coordinator of Interior Architecture, Professor Ronn Daniel, email@example.com, (540) 568-5850, to determine the exact time and location for each semester's IARC 208 portfolio review.
Students not accepted to the Interior Architecture major will have one opportunity to reapply in the following semester or may choose to continue as a studio art major.
Progressing in the Major


text: Show Hide image Politics 11 May 2012 Make way for girls at the top Sign-up I couldn't help smiling at the tweet from the spoof @Henry_Wellcome, founder of the Wellcome Trust, which arrived soon after the list of new fellows of the Royal Society (FRSs) was made public at the end of April. "Can't believe women are allowed to join the Royal Society now. Thankfully *hardly any* are. Might pop over and see if my FRS is still valid." In truth, 6 per cent of the fellows are women. There are now 82 living female fellows of the Royal Society, against 24 in 1980. Over the past ten years, the number of women elected is 43 out of 438: just under 10 per cent. Is this a poor show – or is it what might be expected, given historical trends? Election to the Royal Society is widely seen as the most distinguished recognition of scientific excellence in the UK. The first female fellows were admitted in 1945. The historical and social changes since then have been great, but are they reflected in the numbers elected annually? This year, there were only two women and 42 men, plus one woman among eight foreign members. This compares unfavourably to five women plus one in 2011 and five plus one in 2010. There's not much sign of a rise over this most recent period. There has been a steady increase in women scientists' share of professorships at universities in the UK (540 in 2010, 9 per cent of the total). This is comparable with female FRS elections in the past ten years. But the overall proportion is still woefully small. We can look for reasons for this in our culture and in women's expectations of their potential. An interesting phenomenon known as illusory superiority comes into play here. It makes many of us believe, in many matters, that we are better than average – for instance, that we have a better sense of humour and are better drivers than the average person. Rumour has it that 94 per cent of the lecturers at one university rated themselves as better than average. Is such self-illusion more marked in men? Adrian Furnham, a psychologist at University College London, found that men are more likely to think that their IQ is 5 points higher than it actually is, and that women think theirs is 5 points lower. I wonder whether such a difference exists for the perception of intellectual achievements in general and whether this would have a dampening effect. If so, it might well slow the rise in recognition of female scientists at the top level. I am not saying that women should inflate their self-esteem, only to be disappointed. As ever, we all need realistic expectations. Get on the list What should be done? The answer is capacity-building – and the good news here is that the Royal Society has set up a committee to monitor diversity. The data collected by this committee shows that women make up 30 per cent of nominees included in funding programmes of the Royal Society, such as research fellowships. What's more, the unique Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship programme now funds a cohort of young women (90 per cent of the successful applicants) who anticipate career breaks. Already there are stars of science shining brightly on the horizon. Their presence will make for ever more competitive elections in the future and for more female FRSs. An all-male list of candidates for the next chief scientist appeared on Twitter on 26 April. It immediately drew pointed comments. From now on, not including any woman in the lists of candidates for the top science jobs, or for fellow of the Royal Society and other prestigious prizes, will no longer be acceptable in polite society. Uta Frith is emeritus professor of cognitive development at University College London Michael Brooks returns next week Subscribe £1 per month This article first appeared in the 14 May 2012 issue of the New Statesman, Halal: Britain's most feared food SUBSCRIBE More


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94 N. Main Street, Jasper, GA - (706) 253-2457
In the South we may have been taught to shy away from talk about money and religion, but when it comes to the religious views of American presidential candidates their ideas about faith should be front and center.
This November's presidential election will mark the first in American history where there are no white traditional Protestants on the ballot. There are two Catholic candidates for vice president, a Mormon on the republican ticket for president and an African-American mainline Protestant for the democrats. More than being attached to a particular denomination and its platform of beliefs, those seeking elected offices should be candid with voters about their personal religious ideas. If they are sincere about those beliefs and not just giving it lip service for the benefit of wooing voters, it shapes them politically.
Religion matters. And it matters in politics. Our ideas about the world are shaped through our religious beliefs and those aspiring to the Oval Office shape public policy. Before voters cast their ballots we need to know everything we can about a candidate. Just like we should ask whether Obama or Romney are members of private clubs or extremist groups or have particular affections for dog racing, we need to know as much as about their religion as we do their stance on healthcare, the job market, or government spending.
Unlike many countries, the United States has a long history of separation of church and state. In 1802, founding father Thomas Jefferson wrote "religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship".
America is a beacon of religious freedom and the people we elect to high office should uphold those rights at all costs, but their personal religious identity impacts their views on social platforms that we care about.
It's not unconstitutional for citizens to ask to be informed on this aspect of their lives just as we are their marriages, where they went to school and whether they grew up rich, poor or somewhere in between. All these factors mold them into the candidates they've become and have profound influence on their decisions. Before we decide whom to entrust with the highest office in the land we have a right to know about their religious views.
Romney and Obama's views on faith, more than their particular denomination, moved from the private realm into the realm of public scrutiny when they accepted their party's nominations in recent weeks. Both candidates say they are heavily influenced by their faith but they haven't told us how that translates into their politics.
We know Romney is a Mormon but how does that affect his political views? Maybe there is something in particular about his Mormon faith that would make him a stellar president but he needs to tell us what that is.
Obama, who joined the United Church of Christ in his 20s, has said he reads the Bible almost daily, and that his support of policies for the underprivileged stems from the "ethics Jesus Christ taught," but his blend of traditional Christianity and progressive social values still remains a mystery.
A recent study of voting patterns in Congress found that legislators follow ideology and party affiliation, no matter what their religion, and a 2008 Pew study found that 44 percent of Americans have changed faiths at least once. We need to look beyond denominational lines to what a candidate's faith means to them personally.
Anti-Catholicism almost kept John F. Kennedy out of the White House in 1960 and former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were Southern Baptists, but Evangelicals opposed their nominations. It's not about a denomination but about how religion shapes their character and belief system.
Religion is an intensely personal thing but, before a candidate finds himself occupying the West Wing, it should become a part of public domain.


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Clock Changes in La Paz, Bolivia (LaPaz)
Daylight Saving Time (DST) Not Observed in Year 2019
La Paz currently observes Bolivia Time (BOT) all year.
DST is no longer in use.
Clocks do not change in La Paz, Bolivia.
The previous DST change in La Paz was on March 20, 1932.
Try selecting a different year below.
Daylight Saving Time in Other Years
DST changes do not necessarily occur on the same date every year.
|DST End (Clock Backward)
|DST Start (Clock Forward)
|2010 — 2019
|DST not observed
|All times are local for La Paz. Current year is highlighted.


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Iphone 6s Wallpaper Beach with 1080x1920 Resolution
Iphone 6s Wallpaper Beach
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I don't like Girls. Revolutionary thought, right? I know. Since the HBO show's premiere two weeks ago, I've read all types of moaning about the show, the story of four twenty-something brown-haired white women making a way and doing slightly better than Florida Evans in seemingly homogeneous Brooklyn. The prevailing complaint about the show has been about all those people of non-color living, mating, and getting by in America's biggest melting pot of a city. How could it be, many, many (too many) people have wondered, that they couldn't find any color in Brooklyn?! I mean, besides the homeless Black guy that yelled at "Hannah" to "smile!" (There are people of color in Girls' world, they just, well, color the margins life for the people of non-color.) In all the Girls talk, there's emerged a prevailing ideas that New York City proper, with inhabitants that undoubtedly rep every country and city on Earth's face, is this place where people of all cultures gather around the Empire State Building and do some sort of collective kumbaya chant where we express tolerance for every race, religion, and creed. Nightly.
I'm almost certain where this lure of the New York melting pot came from. It's a bunch of people from everywhere, living in close quarters, and so in theory, they would all intermingle on more than public transportation and then find common human interests like, you know, surviving this city and become friends. Surely that can happen, but what's been my experience in application is it doesn't for a lot of people. Of course, there's potential for New York to be a melting pot, if you prefer it that way. But it can also be as segregated as a Jim Crow Mississippi, complete with the crazed police brutality, but without the separate but equal signs.
The crowded streets of Times Square look like the figurative UN (all tourists, so you know) and by convenience and for time efficiency, you'll see people of all colors, including the Mayor, smashed together on the subway come rush hour. But for, dare I say, many New Yorkers, sharing a knowing eye roll across an empty aisle to whomever from wherever when the inevitable kid enters the subway car to sell M&Ms and recite the scripted speech about hustling on the train–"Not for no basketball team, but to have money in my pocket so I won't be robbing you"–can be as meaningful as your NYC encounter with another race gets.
I will have lived here ten years come late August, and I have just one non-Black friend.
Read more: here


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St. Michael to host Lent fish frys
CANNELTON – St. Michael Catholic Church in Cannelton will serve fish dinners during the six Fridays of Lent. There will be no dinners served Good Friday, April 22.
Meals will begin Friday, March 11 at 4:30 p.m. and serving will last until 7 p.m. each Friday.
The meal will include fried fish or cheese pizza, baked beans, slaw, cornbread, dessert and drink.
The price is $7 for adults and $5 for children, six years of age and under.
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text: Celebrate the December traditions of six world cultures with this 40-minute holiday revue for upper elementary and middle school performers. Discover the special preparations for Chinese New Year, Germany's St. Nicholas Day tradition of a hidden pickle in the tree, the seven principles of Kwanzaa from our African ancestors, the miracle and lights of Jewish Hanukkah, the festive atmosphere of Mexico's Las Posadas and Christmas American-style. The revue features seven songs for unison voices with some optional harmony, connecting narration easily adapted to casts of varying sizes, and choreography and production tips. 40 minutes.


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J.J. Redick was traded by the Orlando Magic to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday afternoon, just minutes before the NBA's annual trade deadline expired.
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan informed Redick, who will become a free agent this summer, over the phone just minutes before the NBA's annual trade deadline expired.
"Rob and the staff had to make decisions about the direction they wanted to go earlier than I had to make that decision," Redick told the Orlando Sentinel.
Along with Redick, the Magic sent third-string point guard Ish Smith and backup big man Gustavo Ayón to Milwaukee for 20-year-old forward Tobias Harris, 21-year-old rookie shooting guard Doron Lamb and 30-year-old point guard Beno Udrih.
Many Magic fans vented afterward. They expressed anger that the team had traded away its most popular player and received a group of unfamiliar, unheralded players in return.
"I guess my message would be that, first and foremost, I understand the emotional shockwave that you can feel when someone you enjoy rooting for gets traded," Hennigan told reporters in Orlando.
"I think that's a natural response. Our job as a management staff is to try to remove that emotion as best we can and focus on decisions that we feel are in the best interests of the organization."
Redick, a 28-year-old shooting guard, will become an unrestricted free agent in July, and Magic officials were leery of tying up millions of dollars long term on a complementary player such as Redick. Hennigan and his colleagues also feared Redick would sign elsewhere and leave the franchise with no assets in return.
The Magic made a second move Thursday afternoon, sending rarely used power forward Josh McRoberts to the Charlotte Bobcats for 30-year-old power forward Hakim Warrick and cash.
Hennigan said the team will waive Warrick. That move, as well as the trades of Ayón and McRoberts, will carve out more playing time for rookie big men Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O'Quinn.
Al Harrington, a veteran power forward who has missed the entire season following a staph infection, could start playing as early as next week.
And the Magic could use the open roster spot to call up a youngster from the NBA Development League.
Hennigan said the Magic spoke with about a dozen teams in recent days, and he said the team had some chances to receive a late first-round pick. But Harris was the 19th overall pick in 2011, and Magic officials believe Harris and Lamb have upside.
They're also inexpensive.
Wherever Redick will play next season, it won't be for Orlando.
Josh Robbins covers the Orlando Magic and the NBA for the Orlando Sentinel. You can reach him via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com and connect with him on Facebook at facebook.com/JoshuaBRobbins. Follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.


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Art in Horror Films is Harder to Find
With the newest installment of The Final Destination coming out (in 3D no less) I was pondering where the art in horror film making has gone to. I had to search and remind myself of the films that have made this genre what it is. Crap be damned, there are good, artful horror flicks out there, you just have to wade through the rest to find them.


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(PREVIEW DMT001-I) Primitik - Pas Stupide3:0013Like Repost SocialAddto Set to Group to Playlist···Suggest Genre3:00
SEND YOUR DEMO TO: email@example.com (15 APRIL DEATHLINE BIG V,A, DMT001 (I-II-III)(3 E.P. IN ONE MORE THAN 60 TRACKS!) SEE THE PREVIEWS IN THIS CHANNEL OF SOUNDCLOUD
Antisocial hardcore label from Spain interested in the most terrorist artists created by angerkill in 2017 has as mission to spread the current hardcore, we want to put in contact artists to share tracks and bizarre sounds
Angerkill - Fuker Nuker - Gabber Cat - Darklime - Jodo Kazt - BazzKiller - KickBreaker - God Gabber - Murmuur -CoreFan@tikzz - Dr.Maniacore - P!XEL - Cyprikore - Del F64.0 -RRRRR - Extratrolls - M.A.X. The disintergrator - Demonic System - Sozio - Radon - Corrat - D.Kush - DjKurara - TerrorBankuh - Hardliner - Kenixx Korzatex- DZKYIN- Vyruss - Kokal - Napkin Terrorizer - Alfathome - Dragonforce - MasteR -Primitik
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Is Humber's Gem Just the Start of Something Big?
As we all know, our White Sox are a team that entered 2012 way, way under the radar, even picked by many to finish in the cellar of the A.L. Central.
In the first 14 games of the season, the Sox have mostly impressed with a respectable 8-6 record. Paul Konerko, Jake Peavy, Chris Sale, Alejandro De Aza and even 2011 disappointments Adam Dunn and Alex Rios have led the way.
Now, Philip Humber, a terrific example of talent, humility and persistence, has pitched the 21st perfect game in major league baseball history in yesterday's 4-0 victory over the Mariners. By itself, it was the ultimate accomplishment for a pitcher and an historic feat by every measure. But I'm hoping for more.
I know that they say momentum is nothing more than the next day's starting pitcher, but I'd like to think Humber's gem can put the Sox in a whole different mindset–a renewed sense of confidence that will fool the experts and create a genuine threat to the Tigers. Am I asking for too much? Maybe, but it can't hurt to think about it.
It will be a while before we can judge if this remarkable event on April 21 was a positive turning point in a season that started with much pessimism in most places outside of the Sox clubhouse. But wouldn't it be something if that celebration pictured above of Humber's teammates toasting his perfecto becomes just one of a series of South Side victory parties.


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verbatim review of Frauenfeld, Knappenberger, Michaels, Journal of Geophysical Research, 2011Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
I below post, for the public record, my anonymous review of a new paper published in Journal of Geophysical Research.
I rank the paper: "Good" because the paper's methods seem solid. Yet, depth with regard to examining causal factors is missing. Further, the paper's main point, as it seems, that recent warming is not without precedent, may already be obsolete because 2010 was such an extreme melt year AND that more warming in Greenland is likely simply for Greenland to be in sync with the northern hemisphere. The paper thus, in the very least, requires a revision that includes consideration of 2010 data. Yet, consideration of causal factors of cooling and warming and treatment of the Box et al. (2009) prediction, which for 2008-2010 has been accurate, would give the paper the depth consistent with JGR's standard.
Major Critique:
As is, the only depth of the paper is the statistical modeling, that is, the regressions to reconstruct melt area and comparison of the recent warming versus past warm episodes. There is theory to explain warming and cooling episodes in Greenland. Yet, the paper does include this important dimension. Therefore, to increase the depth or impact of the work, the paper should elaborate causal factors that explain the ups and downs in the reconstruction.
The paper may already be obsolete without considering the extreme melting in 2010. I would therefore not recommend accepting the paper without a revision that included 2010. the numerous statements throughout the paper, like that in line: 19 "We find that the recent period of high melt extent is similar in magnitude but, thus far, shorter in duration, than a period of high melt lasting from the early 1920s through the early 1960s."
One thing different about the recent warming versus the 1920s warming is that Greenland climate continues to lag the northern hemisphere pattern… The work should therefore reflect on the prediction made in Box et al. (2009) that: simply to be in sync with the northern hemisphere pattern, Greenland climate must warm (after year 2007) by 1.0 – 1.5 C. In the years after 2007, that is, 2008-2010, this prediction has held true. And that still more warming should happen in Greenland in the coming few years is more likely than not. A major volcanic eruption, of course, see relevant literature, would cool Greenland's climate for 1-3 years.
The pre-1840 results should be abandoned because is cannot or at least it has not been demonstrated that there sufficient sampling to compare with the subsequent complete series.
Title: A less ambiguous time frame should be included in the title than: "A Reconstruction of Annual Greenland Ice Melt Extent Going Back to 1784" is needed…Something like: "A Reconstruction of Annual Greenland Ice Melt Extent 1784-2009". Why? If the paper is published, some years down the line, the title would become ambiguous.
Minor Critique:
line 12 "three decades" instead of "several decades"
line 52: the following statement seems not accurate: "Such a comprehensive, annually resolved reconstruction has not previously been undertaken, and will better place current observations of melt extent in a longer-term historical perspective." Box et al. (2009) modelle an annually resolved temperature reconstruction for the Greenland ice sheet.
line 103 define "closely match" quantitatively.
line 124 define "quite similar" quantitatively.
line 140: Does this relationship account for sub-monthly melt frequency? "Our Greenland melt reconstruction therefore focuses on the relationship between monthly average temperatures" I suspect a reduced sensitivity to melt intensity for 2 reasons: 1.) summer variability is minimal; 2.) a summer average of e.g. 0 C still includes periods above melting.
line 162: explain "the direct measure of JJA temperature subsumes the summer NAO influence."
line 166 "winter conditions act to pre-condition summer ice melt through a snow/albedo response" certainly because of thermal erosion of heat content. "snow/albedo response" is vague and does not mention important heat content issue.
line 195: suggest "strong warming trend" instead of "strong positive trend"
line 195: "~1979-2009" instead of "The last ~30 years"
line 211: By the same token as the arguments that the recent warming is not statistically unprecedented, the following statement need be substantiated using probabilities: "several sustained periods can be identified when a greater and/or more prolonged"
line 221-223: a good point: "It is worth noting that the satellite observations of Greenland's total ice melt, which begin in the late 1970s, start during a time that is characterized by the lowest sustained extent of melt during the past century (Figure 2)."
line 248: remove "much", overstatement


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Every once in a while, I'll find myself in an airport or somewhere else where a personal finance or investment program is on television. I'll watch it for a bit and usually find myself frustrated because, every time I watch, I see a bunch of red flags that indicate that I should take what's being said here with a grain of salt and that, if I actually want to utilize any of it, I should do my own extensive research.
Here are the five red flags I see most often with money advice.
Outrageous returns are claimed. People make statements that imply that you're virtually guaranteed a very quick return that surpasses any legal investment. Whenever I hear an investor saying that a stock sitting at 20 is "going to 45 in the next few months," I immediately start getting suspicious.
If someone says that they expect some degree of increase in value in a stock, I might believe that person, but over-the-top claims – particularly anything that beats a rate of about 8% annually – immediately set off warning bells for me.
Cherry-picked hindsight is used as "evidence" for their claim. When someone pulls out a specific investment pick that they made a year ago as evidence for how good they are, I immediately begin to doubt them. Sure, they probably did correctly pick that this one investment would double in price, but I'm also willing to bet that they made dozens of picks that didn't return anything near what they predicted – and they're choosing not to share that.
I have far more respect for investment counselors who share all of their picks and encourage people to judge them based on their whole track record. I'll pay far more attention to someone who made 50 investment picks at the start of a year that earned 10% in a year on the whole versus someone who just points out one pick that made a 100% return. That single pick is basically worthless.
They push specific investments to the moon. This screams "conflict of interest" to me, and it's one of the reasons I'm always wary of anyone pushing me to a specific investment without deeply understanding what I'm looking for and directly relating that to the investments they're showing me.
Anyone who just says, "Man, this investment is hot and you need to buy in now" is welcome to join my "ignored" list.
The evidence they provide for their tip relies on chart analysis. Whenever someone pulls up a chart of the history of a stock and starts drawing vertical and horizontal lines on it to indicate where it's going, I tune it out.
I have seen no evidence that "resistance" or "floors" or "ceilings" mean much of anything going forward. It's easy to find patterns in a lot of old data, but it just doesn't really pan out going forward.
The evidence they provide for their tip relies on hard-to-verify information. Sometimes, people will point to "rumors" and other weak evidence to buy a particular investment. A new building is going in down the road from this piece of land, or this company is about to launch a pretty cool product.
The problem is that most of this type of information is vapor. You can rarely track down a hard source for it. Sure, sometimes a hard source does actually appear eventually, but just because some claims do come true doesn't validate investing your money based on unverifiable whispers.
The shocking thing to me is that investment radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and websites all do these things over and over again. If you start digging into investment news, it only takes a few clicks to start seeing these red flags going off everywhere.
For my investments, I stick to safety. I either buy something tangible (like real estate), something with a very long provable history (like a strong blue-chip stock that pays dividends), or an index fund.
That way, I don't have to pay attention to all of these red flags.
The post Five Red Flags for Bad Financial Advice appeared first on The Simple Dollar.


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In March 2012, I was struggling financially with a part-time library job, a one-year-old bookstore that hadn't got off the ground yet, and growing bills. I was also struggling with a historical novel about my family. My big dream was to finish and publish it, but I'd put it aside for medical reasons. I'd recovered enough to write again, but had trouble getting back into the story.
Somehow I ran across Ana Hoffman's blog, Traffic Generation Cafe. The concept that a real person could make a living from blogging felt like a light turned on in my head. I wanted to write again, and I needed money. I began to hear the siren song of the pro-blogosphere.
In April, Robert Lee Brewer offered a month-long Platform Challenge for writers. I "knew" Robert through his involvement with Writer's Digest, and I'd heard all year that a writer needs a platform — a public face that shows one's expertise — even before the book is finished. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to learn about the world of online marketing while promoting my future book.
10% Off, No Min at Writers Digest Shop. Use coupon code writersdigest10w during checkout. Expires 06/30/2013. --- Look, this is what probloggers do. It's called an affiliate ad.
The whirlwind continued offline in May at the annual Quakers Uniting In Publications conference. Not only did I attend as a representative for a church-affiliated publisher, I co-led the panel on bookselling. My experience as a bookseller? A whopping one year, during one of the most difficult years ever for the printed book. With the help of the other panelists, we all left with a few refreshing drops of optimism.
Meanwhile, the April Platform Challenge participants had formed a community through our guided social media experience. Still thrumming with energy, we started a website (among other endeavours) and called ourselves Wordsmith Studio.
Summer rushed by with a freelance copyediting job, attained through a connection I'd made at the conference. After that I resumed brainstorming, thinking about blogging, reading other people's blogs, and trying to get back into writing through exercises and prompts.
November arrived in a hurry, and with it, National Novel Writing Month. Our local NaNoWriMo group has formed a year-round community through facebook, and I wanted to participate just to see them all in person again. However, my novel had already been through two NaNoWriMos; it needed thoughtful revision, not fast word count. I tried to be a NaNo rebel and wrote anything: blog posts, articles, free writes. I enjoyed the scribbling frenzy at the write-ins, but didn't meet the word count goal. On the bright side, my writing "muscles" warmed up and a few blog posts appeared.
In January 2013, Ana introduced me to Danny Iny. He gave out awesome ideas in his webinar about earning full-time income with an online audience business. The siren song got louder. Soft background music pleaded with me to finish the novel first. As I considered problogging, I made a small goal: just 300 words a day as I completely rewrote the draft novel.
Then, the song turned into a roar. Danny and his helpers launched the Great Online Marketing Scavenger Hunt in March. How could I resist? A list of tasks to improve my online presence, new skills to learn, new people to meet — would it be like the April Platform Challenge?
The Scavenger Hunt was fun; the challenge list could be used as a checklist. Some of the participants were really nice and connected through facebook. We all hated Tumblr. I even learned how to make a video! But no, it wasn't the same. The list was long and the competition high. Plus... I got a great, short-term freelance offer and found myself with FOUR jobs that month.
When Wordsmith Studio called for submissions to celebrate our one-year anniversary, I thought: My blog has about the same followers or traffic as last April. I just had to throw in the towel on the Scavenger Hunt. I simply don't have time to build a new website or all these things that probloggers are supposed to do. What could I possibly write about when I haven't succeeded? The song melted into a screech.
Silly me. I was measuring success by numbers.
Remember that little goal I had, to write every day? Last week, I finished draft number three. I finished the major rewrite of my novel!
Having short, attainable goals, and an incentive, was key.
Now I need new goals for editing: not word count, maybe a certain number of scenes per week, with room for researching historical details and reading writing-craft books. I also need an occasional free day, for when I'm working three jobs or spending the weekend with family.
I think my new mantra for the next couple of months will be:
I'll have to measure what I can do in a week, but the current goal is to do one of those, every day.
Does this mean leaving the blogosphere behind? Not necessarily, just putting priorities in order. Look what I've learned this year!
- Ana taught me that people can and do make money online. If that's the goal, they have to adapt to changing audiences and technology.
- Robert taught us how to walk with babysteps first, like adding "share" buttons to a blog and planning with an editorial calendar.
- Being a speaker at a conference taught me that if you know a little, you'll know a lot more after you teach it.
- NaNoWriMo taught me that sometimes the community you build is worth more than what you did.
- Danny taught me to focus in on my audience. For example, if my readers are romantic history buffs, why would I blog for other writers? (Still working on that one.)
- The Great Online Marketing Scavenger Hunt, combined with FOUR part-time jobs last month, taught me... I can't do it all.
- and I learned from reading Joanna Penn's blog (and talking to a friend) that I'm not in this for the love of money. I've been trying all these things because I've been hungry to create something. The learning itself can be a high.
Best of all, I learned — from bloggers, tweeps, facebook writer buddies, journaling, thinking and reading Bible verses — to keep first things first.
The authorpreneurs that I know and follow, like Joanna Penn and CJ Lyons, already have a slew of published books in addition to their online businesses. Some bestselling, big-name authors (James Patterson, Umberto Eco) don't blog. They're too busy cranking out books. My favorite author, Elizabeth Peters, doesn't even have e-mail.
(sound of crickets chirping)
Thanks for reading this post that ran much longer than I anticipated. It's part of Wordsmith Studio's one-year celebration! Janice Sheridan summed up our April Platform Challenge experience with splashy poetic prose in "Platform Diving." To join the party, follow the confetti and clinking glasses to Wordsmith Studio. Next up: Sopphey Vance invites us home. You can take off your coat and put on your bunny slippers for Living On My Own.