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Last night was one of those nights. Getting into a touchy subject. Abortion. I was asked if I would ever have an abortion. I don't know if others think the way I think but here was my response:
No I wouldn't just have an abortion. If I was told I was certainly going to die then yes I would. Why? Because I couldn't leave my three soon to be 4 children without a mother. Call it what you will.
My thoughts on abortion:
You go out, have sex, get pregnant because you are too stupid to use protection, then NO you are not entitled to get one. Tough shit, suck it up and grow up. I don't think an innocent child should die because you wanted to get your rocks off without being an adult and protecting yourself.
Now the other side the fence. I don't think a woman that was raped should have to carry that child. If a man rapes a woman and she gets pregnant I think she should have that choice. So many women get raped and they resent that child. Why should she sacrifice her body for this man that took what he wanted? If a woman was told this baby will kill you I think she should have that choice especially if she has other children.
During a protest outside an abortion clinic in New Orleans in 2004 that I just so happen to walk by. I saw these men and women holding signs calling these women baby killers. Now I got on the defensive because these people didn't know their story on WHY they were getting an abortion.
I calmly walked up to the men and asked them, "What gives you any right to hold a sign when you aren't the one sacrificing your body, time, health, energy?" What gives a man any right to say what a woman should and should not do to their bodies. The woman gives her whole body to this child. What does the man do, gets an orgasm. They don't go though the pain, morning sickness, labor, child birth.
Anyways, they ended up leaving and the women followed them. If it wasn't for a woman nobody would be here. Just food for thought there. So in conclusion. What are your thoughts about abortion?
Views: 705
You go out, have sex, get pregnant because you are too stupid to use protection, then NO you are not entitled to get one. Tough shit, suck it up and grow up. I don't think an innocent child should die because you wanted to get your rocks off without being an adult and protecting yourself.
Suppose the protection failed you? Suppose you aren't good mother material? Suppose you just don't want children at this time or ever?
Some women, I will admit, need to be fixed like a damn cat. I know one women that I went to school with that has had 7 abortions. That to me is highly uncalled for.
While you're entitled to have an opinion and express it, at what point did this become your concern? If she regards getting pregnant and aborting as a recreation of sorts, who are we to judge her?
You sound like you're arguing from a moral basis of some sort. Clarify.
If you are basing your opinion on your set of moral standards then YOU ARE JUDGING. Whenever you use the words "my opinion," you are not only the judge, but the the jury and executioner. As mom used to say, "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink."
Your "opinion" is nevertheless based on a moral judgment. What morality is this? Is it based on God's approval?
There really is no "well I accidently got pregnant because...."
Actually, there is. A lot of people, especially young people aren't aware that these things are available to them, or are afraid of getting them because of the negative image these things carry. And in quite a few places around the world these things are unavailable, or too expensive, or illegal.
If the protections are used properly then there won't be a pregnancy.
Not really. These things aren't 100% effective, even when combined. You always have that chance of it not working.
Some women, I will admit, need to be fixed like a damn cat.
What about men? It takes at least two to fuck, you can't put the blame solely on the woman, no matter how much she gets around.
I know one women that I went to school with that has had 7 abortions. That to me is highly uncalled for. And her excuse, she is allergic to the latex.
You can't take a stance on a complicated issue like abortion based on the actions of one moron, Savannah.
As Belle said in her reply here,
There are many legitimate reasons for women to have abortions. It's nobody's business and we should not judge.
If they made a birth control for men. But then who would actually take it?
I would.
If they made a birth control for men. But then who would actually take it?
ME! For the love of lard cheeses! ME! Been waiting sooooo long for non-condom, reversible contraceptions for men. Personally, I'm hanging out for RISUG... Once it clears FDA approval I may even look into taking a holiday to the US or India and having it done.
P.S. Pun unintentional (and subtle).
I got clipped and tied one afternoon. Drove home right afterwards. No big deal, compared to what my wife would have had to do, instead. Testosterone wasn't blocked, just the poor little spermies. (They would always be doomed, anyway.)
What happens to them? Do they turn into condensed milk and your nuts get bigger and bigger? I need to know this.
That means that the problem isn't women, or sex, or contraceptives, or abortion itself. The problem is education and clinging to idiotic notions of tradition.
"There are many legitimate reasons for women to have abortions. It's nobody's business and we should not judge." Thank you, Belle. Imagine a world where no one felt the need to make their "opinion" superior to others.
You were (apparently, if we are to believe) asked, "...if (you) would ever have an abortion." You say you're not judgmental, but I think the rest of us can see that you have gone way beyond yes and no into discussing values, and when someone is discussing values they are, intentionally or not, dividing the world into those who make good and those who make bad decisions.
Your reply is all about people who fuck wantonly without using birth control and then don't have the moral fortitude (fiber?) to do a salute and say "And thus I change from Polly Knickersdown to Polly Parent.


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MILAN/MADRID (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund called on the eve of a European Union summit for both Spain and Italy to seek euro zone assistance to draw a line under the bloc's debt crisis, but Rome has rebuffed the idea and Madrid seems likely to apply alone.
The two-day Brussels summit will debate steps towards a single banking supervisor and proposals for closer euro zone integration, including German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble's idea of a super-commissioner with veto powers over national budgets.
No decisions are expected this week and there is no certainty as to when Spain will come off the fence.
Spain dodged a bullet on Tuesday when Moody's maintained its credit rating at investment grade, with a negative outlook, on the assumption that Madrid will trigger European Central Bank intervention soon to lower its borrowing costs.
Spanish and Italian bond yields fell in response, while the euro strengthened to a one-month high against the dollar. <GVD/EUR>
IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard told an Italian daily that the euro area was close to having all necessary measures in place to ensure Spain and Italy can keep borrowing in the markets while they implement painful economic reforms.
"In the short-term it would be crucial to have a plan for the two countries of the (euro zone) periphery," Blanchard told Il Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Wednesday.
"This would include not only an ongoing process of adjustment inside the countries but also a guarantee they can fund themselves. This would be conditional on them sticking to their commitments.
"We are almost there but not quite at that point yet," he said.
Senior Spanish and euro zone sources have indicated Madrid is preparing to request a precautionary credit line from the euro zone rescue fund in the coming weeks — a move that could start ECB bond-buying once Spain agreed on policy conditions.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said last week a Spanish request could be enough to calm markets. He has repeatedly said Rome does not need assistance for itself.
Resistance from EU paymaster Germany to a credit line for Spain is waning, sources in contact with top German policymakers said, although any decision is likely to come at the earliest at a November 12 finance ministers' meeting and perhaps later.
By then, EU and IMF officials should have completed a report on Greece's compliance with its second international bailout, paving the way for an urgently needed 31 billion euro ($40.4 billion) aid tranche to keep Athens afloat.
The longer-term outlook for Greece remains clouded, with German leaders rejecting any write-down of its debt to official lenders or any additional euro zone funding while softening to the idea of giving Athens more time to meet its fiscal targets.
Spain has said it should have to meet no new conditions to receive a credit line, seen at around 50 billion euros, since it is fulfilling all the EU's policy recommendations for deficit-cutting and economic reforms.
However, a senior euro zone source involved in high-level negotiations on the debt crisis said Madrid might be asked to reform its pensions system and break the link with inflation, which economists say is an unsustainable fiscal burden.
"Technical preparations are being made. Germany and Spain still have dilemmas but we need to move on and stabilize the euro zone," the source said.
Conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said pensions are the last thing he would touch, but his government has held off until next month a final decision on whether to pay an inflation catch-up of some 3 percent due in January.
Separately, the government has also said it would revise the sustainability factor of the pension system, which may lead to accelerating a planned increase in the retirement age to 67 from 65.
Debate about the future shape of the EU intensified ahead of the summit, for which the heads of four European institutions have drafted guidelines on future integration including a possible separate euro zone budget and binding contracts on policy reforms with euro zone countries.
A senior German official told reporters that Chancellor Angela Merkel fully shared Schaeuble's call for a new currency commissioner with powers to enforce budget discipline on euro states.
French President Francois Hollande appealed for more efforts to boost growth across the euro area, warning that recession was as big a threat as budget deficits.
Hollande, loath to change the EU's treaty for fear of a risky referendum, called instead for monthly summits of euro zone leaders to coordinate economic policy.
In what sounded like a plea to Germany, Hollande told the daily Le Monde that euro zone states should have the leeway to stimulate internal demand with salary rises and tax cuts, adding that a longer-term goal must be to reduce the big differences in borrowing costs in the bloc.
"If we don't breathe some life into Europe's economy, budget discipline measures won't work," Hollande was quoted as saying.
Germany, Europe's biggest economy, is increasingly feeling the pinch of the euro zone crisis at home, and the government cut its 2013 growth forecast to 1 percent from 1.6 percent.
"Germany is navigating stormy waters because of the European sovereign debt crisis and an economic weakening in emerging nations in Asia and Latin America," Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said in a statement.
Additional reporting by Noah Barkin in Berlin, Catherine Bremer in Paris, Jan Strupczewski in Brussels. Writing by Paul Taylor, editing by Mike Peacock

subset: commoncrawl


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SMF - Just Installed!
And even if I did draw a bunny, it would just be a background element.
Something I've seen in Anime here and there are sudden panels that focus on a portion of the background either to show time passing or to just explore the scenery a bit while the characters are doing some undramatic talking.
I think it just sets the whole scene and feel of the page much better but to be honest I think you've actually done an awesome job of including a lot of background for quite sometime now.
It was a quick but not dramatic rise and I agree the water probably needed a bit more movement but if you were to look at the hair, maybe just her fringe a bit and possibly dip the back of the hair in a bit rather than the straight line down that it has in that panel or having the hair completely rushing over her shoulder.
Every now and then I see an entire page, like page 14 of chapter 26, where there are no backgrounds and the whole thing feels a bit empty. Even if its only a single panel with just a few basic lines, showing a wall, floor of item of furniture, it just seems to give so much more to the entire page.Also, animals. Not enough of them or fantasy animals/creatures/monsters. Seriously, what happened to Maxmillian?
For one thing it's unusual in manga, for another it's a subtle thing to make her face stand out from other character's faces. If I toned down her big lips and drew them at a more realistic size, her lips wouldn't stand out as much anymore. So because of this maybe I have a tendency to make them a bit too big, but I still like the way it looks.
Also, IMO you are jury-rigging your argument a little bit by using that pic... it's not only that that woman's lips are big, but they look like they are injected with something.
Okay then if you wanna do "unusual stuff in manga", why not go all the way and give her an actual mouth?Like, with definition and all.
That was my point.It could be interpreted as such because you used pretty vague lines there to describe the mouth.
It seems practicing "manga style" over the years made you afraid to make bold statements, give anything other than eyes clear definition if the character is supposed to be "cute".That is a shame, really. Unfortunately, you have your "style" established over hundreds of pages by now.It is ingrained in yourself and the audience that might be alienated by the experimentation I try to encourage so I'm actually not really sure what to suggest.You're the first case I've seen in which "it's my style" is an actual, valid excuse. Gotta keep that comic consistent after all.
You have a tendency to make characters cross eyed.Try to avoid that or they look... well, cross eyed.Your eyes won't cross like that unless what you're looking at is very, very close to your face.Like, right in front of it.
I love this comic and I've read it on and off for a long time!I hope I won't offend anyone with my opinions, and I just want to remind people I am but one person and this is a purely subjective view.Okay.... Bern really makes me mad. I'm sorry, she's awesome and caring but... she makes such a poor partner! She's possessive, controlling and typically quite unwilling to 'understand' Maytag or compromise. It seems every time Maytag goes out and tries to have fun or do something interesting Bern has a knee-jerk reaction of a child seeing a toy played with by another child. "No, mine!" And every -single- time it leads in a quasi argument of, "Do you love me?" It's manipulative and shows that she has no trust in Maytag. And it's a scene we have seen over and over again. I thought after that carriage ride something would be different but no... Chapter 27, Page 25 they are right back at it again.Maytag is trying to become a better person, trying to do better and Bern either doesn't notice (Which would be odd considering how Maytag has announced it a few times and they are lovers) or doesn't care. Maytag is always sacrificing for Bern, and Bern still throws her little hissyfits. Bern, it seems, is always dragging Maytag down be it her magic phobia or her possessiveness. The only time when I felt that Bern really was listening and trying to understand Maytag was during the carriage ride. And it really impressed me that we got to see a little of how Bern reacted to Maytag's wandering. But then she went back to being immature. (And I mean immature as in 'not mature enough for the kind of relationship she's in right now')I understand that they are both inherently flawed people, which makes them both interesting. But a loving relationship has to include compromise and understanding. Maybe it's because I identify more with Maytag and find Bern's view restrictive and close minded. We seem to get the same push and pull argument every few chapters. Does anyone else feel that it's starting to grate and become repetitive? Oh and on the lip argument.... the way he does lips reminds me of Flame of Recca's mangaka. http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg64/Rei_Bender/Renge.jpg
I have just one small issue I remember having from a few months back (if you're no longer doing this then disregard my post). I recognize the need for intermissions; they're occasionally informative, occasionally entertaining, and they give you an (I assume) much-needed breather. But could I suggest not using your 'extra donation pages' on intermission strips? Seeing the meter hit $100 and going 'OOH EXTRA PAGE' and realizing it was an intermission strip is somewhat akin to Bern finally meeting Grant and... okay, not that bad, but you get what I mean
First, Kin was killed off.
Second, the Bloody Mary arc was such a big disappointment......I was hoping she'd join the heroes as a designated hero/token evil teammate, even if it meant May having to offer her arm as a chew toy for the rest of the comic.
and my opinion of the series mascot nosedived once she easily tossed aside any concern for Mary's wellbeing.
Throw in how quick Nessy seemed to move from grieving for Kin to coming onto Crest, and it seemed like the comic had taken a turn for the worse.
Apparently, monogamy no longer means having sex with only one person as much as it does simply not having sex with anyone else no matter how pent up a person is from not getting any.
The only quick fix I can think of to immediately improve the comic would be Bern and May splitting up, so that May could actually become a(/the only) fun character again.
Then again, I'm just the vocal minority and not even a regular reader, so it doesn't really matter either way. It's just a shame to start a webcomic with a smile, only to wind up with a frown and wondering when exactly it stopped being a good read.


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[Warning: This story contains major spoilers from Wednesday night's episode of American Horror Story: Asylum. Read at your own risk (of going crazy).]
It's the question that will plague this season of American Horror Story: Who is Bloody Face?
Where Season 1's spook wore a black latex body suit and had sex with the residents of Murder House, Season 2's equally haunting villain is a serial killer who skins his victims (usually women), decapitates them and wears their skin and hair on his (or her!) body. The season premiere raised the question whether Kit Walker (Evan Peters) was actually the infamous murderer.
Get Committed: 5 things we learned from the American Horror Story: Asylum premiere
But Wednesday's episode proved that Kit is no more than a possibly alien-abducted man in search of his wife. That's because while he was stuck behind bars in the asylum, Lana's (Sarah Paulson) partner Wendy (Clea Duvall) was murdered by none other than Bloody Face, becoming this season's first real casualty. So who is Bloody Face? That's just one of the many questions raised in this week's Asylum outing. Let's take a look at the rest:
Who is Bloody Face?
The question of who the serial killer is may be better answered if we ask "what" it is. We've seen B.F. murder women in the past — like poor Wendy, whose plan to free her lover will forever be unsuccessful — but he's also haunting the present (nearly 50 years later!), chasing down Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) within the condemned walls of Briarcliff, and stabbing Leo (Adam Levine) repeatedly in the chest. No normal human can have that much staying power for that many decades (not even Jack LaLanne!).
Will Lana ultimately regret her decision not to escape?
Lana had the chance to flee Briarcliff during a blackout, but it meant letting Kit tag along with her and Grace (Lizzie Brocheré). Instead, she decided to call the guards, which thwarted her own plans in the process. Was that her only chance to get out? Maybe her editor really will realize she's been committed against her will.
Does Sister Jude really believe in God?
It turns out, Jude (Jessica Lange) was quite the town harlot in her day as a lounge singer sleeping with the enlisted men and finding solace in drink, which was her ultimate downfall. On her way home from the bar one night, she was so drunk she accidentally hit a young girl with her car and decided to flee the scene. This was her motivation to turn her life over to God in repentance, but does she actually believe?
What exactly is haunting the woods outside Briarcliff?
Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) has enlisted Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe) to feed whatever horrors are haunting the woods, but we've yet to actually see what they look like. We do know his apparent failed experiments are called Raspers, so we're actually scared of what we'll find once we do see them.
American Horror Story's second season asks: What is sanity?
Why does Grace trust Kit so explicitly?
Grace was the first to befriend the suspected serial killer, but what did he really do to warrant her complete trust? Is she the only sane one, knowing he is really innocent? Or has she already had a run-in with Bloody Face and knows it's definitely not Kit?
Is the devil in the nun?
After the creeptastic exorcism, we're guessing that the demon within Jed jumped into Sister Eunice's body, as she fainted shortly after he died. When she woke up, she seemed much more confident than the hot mess doormat that we saw in the premiere — especially when she made the cross move at the end. Ruh-roh.
Why is Dr. Arden so obsessed with power?
Given the choice between the easy score with Shelley (Chloe Sevigny) and classier fare — in this case, a paid prostitute whom he got to dress up as a nun — Arden appears to want to go the route which helps him to take power from others. We're thinking this is why he was drawn to the medical profession in the first place.
What did you think of this week's American Horror Story? Who do you think is Bloody Face? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
American Horror Story: Asylum airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.


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North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, who seemed to hate all things Western, harbored a secret liking of James Bond movies. It was one of the less heinous oddities attributed to the fearsome leader, who looked less like a Bond villain than a bad guy out of an Austin Powers comedy – more Dr. Evil than Dr. No.
There was nothing, of course, funny about Kim's 17-year reign as a, by most accounts, paranoid, oppressive ruler of 29 million people – and as an international wildcard with a nuclear weapons program. Humor, at times, seemed the best defense against Kim, at least in the popular imagination.
For many Americans, lasting images of Kim, who was reported dead Monday, likely come as much from scenes in "Team America" as from pictures in Time magazine.
Kim offered an easy target for parody – short with big glasses and bigger hair, and a huge penchant for erratic behavior. He showed up on "Family Guy," frolicking with Fidel Castro, Idi Amin and Moammar Gadhafi, among others, at Peter's pool party. "The Simpsons" gave us Kim as a boy with dreams of success in musical theater – and world domination. On "Saturday Night Live," Horatio Sanz portrayed Kim as an admittedly delusional madman – and movie reviewer (he liked "Sweet Home Alabama"). On "Mad TV," Bobby Lee memorably played Kim an "Arsenio"-like talk show host who would have audience members shot for not laughing at his jokes.
But perhaps the most indelible pop culture image of Kim may be his turn as a puppet in "Team America: World Police," the 2004 flick from "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in which the North Korean despot leads a terror plot. Kim crooned in pigeon English about his loneliness as he bounced around his lavish palace – and got his comeuppance from a team of American super-soldier puppets whose gung-ho theme song is unrepeatable here.
Bad guys, no doubt beginning with cave wall caricatures, have inspired mockery – a way of both fighting and trying to grapple with unspeakable evil. The level of satire often speaks to the seriousness of the threat.
Hitler, perhaps he worst villain of the previous century, was lampooned in everything from political cartoons to Bugs Bunny shorts – though the biggest comedic takedown came more than two decades after his death, courtesy of Mel Brooks in "The Producers." More recently, Parker and Stone put Saddam Hussein in hell, portraying him as Satan's manipulative lover in "South Park" in the movies and on TV, long before the Iraqi dictator was hanged.
Kim's death, no doubt, will spur a final round of jokes, from Jon Stewart, et al. The future in unstable North Korea remains unclear – but we can be pretty sure that somewhere, Team America is chuckling. Check out some clips of Kim getting skewered over the years (warning: NSFW in spots) and join in on the last laughs.
U.S. & World
Team America: World Police — MOVIECLIPS.com
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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Whether trying to be ascetic, or trying to find someone who is: An ascetic tries to live outside society; within the Kingdom of God ideally. And after years of demonstrating the screwy impression spirituality sets before him; people assist him, and people need him; through an intervention of heaven and fate. Ascetics were big 1600 years ago. Whether trying to live on a pillar, or eating only basil, Ascetics were so doing what few if any do, that they were genuinely recognized by a metaphysic, and actually prayed to.
At some point the ascetic starts to see the eyes low and calm that unite the kingdom of heaven into units of souls. Because he has thought long and hard, and finally had his mind turned to the breathing that mingles God and Heaven. The quiet calm that absorbs everyone in the house quiet by one soul, that breathes deeply and consoles the kingdom of god.
If he could connect with that quiet good, an entire locality may admit it lied to him; for it is not the ascetic that steps outside society, but society that has long stepped out of the domain of truth the ascetic returns to. And at some point people who want to suceed must work with him, that working with the ascetic, is good karma, and work means work, no shying away from the low denominator issues. And at some point I must wonder would I connect with that house, what obligations would there be?
At some point one must wonder, how does the higher power see, without physical eyes. Surely the sense of God, wonders you. It would seem the kingdom of heaven, relies upon physical eyes out there, becoming small souls and amplifying the magic of the ray of sight for the afterlife breathing alongside the kingdom of god, deeply, to hook up to. I feel my sight, and heart is used by heaven, as are there not places the size of a pinhead angels reside causing congestion? The heart must be used to unite. There are droning units of 120 alligned to particular geometries of sight available. This is why we are right handed. Because the left side is absorbed and used by heaven.
Somehow the closeness to the more obvious groups in eyes, might overcome the Mithras, we see now. By mithras I mean the legacy of world domination by what at least seems stupidity. The prescence of what does not allow the world to better itself. Indeed, aside from an analysis of what these squadrons do, as they probably go back to a house, perpetuate the world or society, blending into written Mithras we must wonder how to invoke higher power, or understand the ways of the world to improve the world.
All the negativities of the world, and of individuals, are a sacrifice. And the ascetic begins to wonder what to do about it; How to combine spirituality, with the world. All the errors and follies in a broad and particular way are sacrifices. The Kingdom of Heaven may be perfect, but it hustles, and the world of man, society, the world, is not nearly so perfect, obviously. There is some deal where things are not to go right, human folly is to prevail. For all we know, that constitutes an appeal to unhappy jaundiced gods.
In more pagan times, it is not so far fetched to imagine, (though we can not simply expect to imagine pagan times, because for all we know, the Kingdom of God, as it is, was a more accepted or evident part of society than it is now) the sacrifice of one thing for the saving of another. The cutting down of an old tree, for the healing of a disease, perhaps. But in advent of christianity, replacing paganism, and paganism in a sense is everything else other than judeo christian nonspecific higher power cited religions, paganism and the greek religion of planetary worship and constellation myths are the same thing. Paganism is the worship of natural phenonom, including its perception outside of earth. But as that worship of higher power in god and goddess form shifted to christianity, with Judeasm being a tail wind or sailing itself on christianity, as the only pagan tribal religion to survive, more distant as it is to actual other gods and goddesses than The Lord, The way to end ailment through sacrifice, seems to have shifted as the ailments of society to constitute a sacrifice: And therefore the ascetic wonders how to end the ailments of the world, even as they may buy a little good from unhappy gods.
For instance ailments would be ended by admiting the lie, which would be a wonderous things causing much happiness. This repentence is nothing sacrificial, but blessed in itself, and put towards a redemption for the here and now. But most are controlled to not be spiritual. This essentially shows how government and power, by the rareness and unapplication of spirituality, is holding back governing, and not governing, rather than governing. So as many are controlled to not be spiritual, so they are not in controll of themselves most essentially, they are not in controll of themselves at weaker levels as well.
And there is a need to discuss this. Everyone should know localities were meant to make decisions as a group with ayes and nays in peaceful assembly. Everyone should know we can work together. Everyone should know there really is the kingdom of god, and that makes our justice system fraudulent. There is a need to discuss what to do to negotiate the end of these sacrifices keeping the deserved redemption from the here and now. If I were to take on the state again, even if I can not force it to deal with these truths I would at least get it to admit the people deserve to know these truths and compel it to disseminate information, in the interests of at least being a public forum, if not a proactive wise force.
There are two levels, Mithras, and the airy head the earth is in all about where the souls that maintain this world are, without being involved in the uglier side of it. Were a closeness of dialogue to prevail between the ascetic and the loftier though subdued side of the afterlife, then maybe a responsibility towards everyone will be shown, the sadness, what the heart is about, will bestow a diametrical order, to the one imposed now.
The eyes are low, there is a lot to reflect on here. In calmness and out of calmness must eyes become self-evident. Paganism, which seems to pitch the afterlife at a lower level than the gods of the universe it focuses, is merely an extension of the Egyptian/Grecian Isis Axis. There is just one other religion on the other side of christian-judeau-budda nature, and it is inclusive of all the creativity out of the known natural world that can be mustered for worship.
People know ascetic types can help, because they pitch themselves forwards against a wind: and are respectful and proper, to a point of purposely going in a truer direction.
One wonders about the party of the people in more pagan times with more ascetics as well. Obviously the fulcrum of politics against the republican and statist order must come from within, within an order of the Kingdom of God, it is obvious to me enough, the more patrician party encouraged and even tried to facilitate for the opposition, as generals wanting a good peace would. But still, how would such harmony in the inner city, from the inner sanctum be achieved, through the worship if Isis, say?
Maybe the quick moving skivers of arms proclaiming the kingdom of god within touch of the human being, will churn up the kingdom of god about more and more. And yet the term the kingdom of God, did not exist through much of Isis'es time of worship, making us wonder the success rate of paganism, or how this was gotten about, and how people were empowered to do so, or if it was all just written. Nevertheless in this vision, Jesus is seen on the pantheon of stars. Indeed paganism, polytheism, shines light on the order of gods and powers, shows their contrasts, even superiorities.
The point is the claim is made in ancient times, that the order of the plebes could be significantly truer than the order of the patricians, because the patricians were controlled not to govern wisely, but not govern and block wisdom, and therefore, if that could controll a patrician, that could controll a plebe to be a patrician when in power, and shows the true power of the people to live out of the limelight, with an effectiveness bestowed by a godly republican power, because the powerful republican is acutely aware of what he may not do, how he is used, how he is the ordained obstacle to wisdom.
So how do democrats, making decisions in peaceful assembly through all assertions of the people, run things in a godly fashion, administrate from beyond history books, and within a great centrality, that rendered government and art mere outer ripples, at best, of this intrinsic harmony within.
One could think Isis, then women, and then some administration of magic, or healing, but the point is the bottom line is that the kingdom of god, what that term refers to, was all about. It is around. Democracy worked around or with it in that, somehow leaders, organizers, existed within the kingdom of god. It may take days of aquainting yourself to the life over days, but at some time, the powers of the people, who must never let their heads shine into the light, for fear of turning into republicans, like so many, all, of the democrats in congress and senate; unable to be the people and a part of a corrupt obstacle now so, must needs at the same time. Thus I and as far as ascetics everywhere can, ask you to start and show the kingdom of god. The light of the ascetic shines a different order; of authority, but not official authority; of protection from the corrupt system, but making inways into it.
Ideally then, does the democratic party have a hand in this? Yes, and it is about time that influence was seen and not pent up. Does this mean all the democrats in congress by virtue of being in power are republican-like? Yes. Senators are powerful for not excercising their power wisely. They are too few, and as blocking what should, controlled, in that office, so I fail to see how men more of the people may stand up to that calcuable controll and system. Ergo at local levels, unseen by media, enshrouded by the kingdom of god, is where the democratic and wise movement rises up. Here the press, even that which promotes the crime statistics and stories, is seen as a republican movement, insofar as it is an obstacle, and to deny wisdom, and create falseness, it is part of a power structure weighted against us, the party of power must take charge of and acknowledge.
However there is no guarentee of walking about the kingdom of god. I may ask people to show me the kingdom of god, but that is no sure thing, you can not assume I have friends and colleagues, period, much less assured to do this kind of deep spiritual work that absolves the world and relegates it as the boring tragic sacrifice it is. The Kingdom of Heaven, its metaphysic may be under no obligation to help me, as it is under the form of deeper less earthly powers upon it.
Therefore paganism, that recognizes what Christianity recognizes, the terminology, is the solution. Paganism, Patriarchy, Fascism, are three ideologies that activate and apply christianity effectively to the goals Christianity implies, but offers poor means to attain. Paganism and Patriarchy asserts the ideas of unity and common goals out of a recognition of how wrong and false things are now.
Paganisn, Patriarchy, is about at some level following orders: that which is following orders to maintain a false world, must shift, in the confidence that there is enough paganism to compell another person to move and act in the same direction. Fascism is implicity about an authority that is worth its authority, because it will honestly justify itself, be focused on goals and not long term authority, a short term necessary authority to overcome with wisdom, falsehood and wrongs.
Thus the more people that understand paganism, the more possible it is for good things to stem from leaders that pagans feel help, aid, and change the situation. But it is very much a form for leaders to assert righteousness through, and very contingent upon a structure ensuing from that concept. It is also open to a diversity of forms and ways and need not be one whole unit at all, but many, each with their own ways.
Thus, paganism is needed to fundamentally reform the world, because Christianity as posited against the government, but merely offering services of truth, can not break out of that fundamental structure without an authoratative political device, which paganism emcompasses, that has unity of understandings, and plies the energy going in the wrong direction with the obvious energy to go in the right direction, because the bonds of pagans are strong enough to overcome the world, whereas the bonds of christianity are mired in the contrast to the state which can not be overcome, without leadership and an understanding of the coupling of the kingdom of god, and energies of the people.
Two notes: A great deal of this commentary of paganism and christianity in contrast and interwoven derives from a history, The Age of Constantine, I read written by the french nobleman Jacob Bruckthard in 1846, I think. I prefer ancient historians so much, that for me to read 345 pages of small type by a historian of such a later century, says a lot about the writer. And two, a great starting point, to see some obvious ascetic principles so obvious we may miss them, is by attending and participating in Rainbow Regionals. The Rainbow Family of Living Light tries to have a two week gathering is a different national forest as many warm months as possible. They just had their famous feburary one in Ocala Fl, and I think are aiming to have one in Alabama in March, as they have many times in the past. These people are truly ascetic. Not everyone can truly and readily have the distaste for society society society often deserves as they. And they praise and try to be proactively for, as the gods smile on them, that which they notice, is honest, difficult and wise. Their understanding of themselves as family, is an unconditional assault on the walls of limiting society, and an attempt to restore tribal understandings in this day and age.


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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Hoarding
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
Although previously considered an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR), in the most recent edition, the DSM-V, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is now in the category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. This new category not only includes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) but also includes Hoarding Disorder. OCD is characterized by either intrusive images or thoughts which are unwanted (obsessions) or particular repetitive behaviors or intentional thoughts (compulsions). Both obsessions and compulsions may be present, but both do not need to be present in order to meet criteria for OCD. Obsessions cause significant distress to the individual and may prompt avoidance behaviors, as well. Compulsions are not typical reassurance-seeking behaviors, because compulsions tend to take up significant amounts of the individual's time and interfere with functioning in multiple areas of the individual's life. Often compulsions develop as a means to alleviate or neutralize obsessions. Despite a possible awareness that the obsessions are not logical and possible knowledge of the interference in daily routine or time consumed by compulsive behaviors, individuals who meet criteria for OCD may find the obsessions impossible to ignore and may find safety or comfort in these compulsive behaviors.
Common obsessions include:
» Customize OCD and Hoarding resource listings for your community
Resource Organizations » OCD and Hoarding
In Massachusetts
Organizations with hotlines
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)- Massachusettes
The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for diverse communities comprising of LGBTQ individuals, veterans, active duty military members, teens, young adults, older adults and families. Local chapters can be found through the main website. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in MA, contact NAMI Massachusetts. NAMI is a great resource for individuals, families, and loved ones facing mental illness and the accompanying challenges.
Organizations without hotlines
Children of Hoarders: Massachusetts
COH provides helpful links to help a family member who hoards. These include links to therapists, professional organizers, cleaning companies, and applicable laws and regulations. The website also has information about hoarding support groups and family support groups.
International OCD Foundation Children
The mission of the International OCD Foundation is to help everyone affected by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders to live full and productive lives. The main aim of OCDF Children is to increase access to effective treatment, end the stigma associated with mental health issues, and foster a community for those affected by OCD and the professionals who treat them. The OCDF provides resources for parents and promotes awareness of OCD in children.
International OCD Foundation Hoarding Center
The IOCDF Hoarding Center is designed to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information about hoarding and its treatment. The Center has five goals, which includes educating the general public about hoarding, Facilitating education and training of human service personnel including mental health, social services, public health and housing as well as police and fire officials, supporting research into the causes of and effective treatments for hoarding, improving access to resources for those with hoarding disorder and their families, as well as clinicians and service personnel, and advocating and lobbying for public policy change as it affects people who hoard, their families and community members.
Mass Housing Hoarding Resources
800-882-1154 (Toll-Free)
The Mass Housing organization provides a comprehensive list of organizations and resources to help address hoarding. This website includes information about hoarding, how to assess it, best practices in trying to help someone struggling with hoarding, and local resources both for the person who is hoarding as well as family members who are being impacted.
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
Emergency/Crisis Line - Available 24 Hours (877) 382-1609
DMH Information and Resource Line Voicemail Box (800) 221-0053
The Department of Mental Health, as the State Mental Health Authority, assures and provides access to services and supports to meet the mental health needs of individuals of all ages, enabling them to live, work and participate in their communities. This critical mission is accomplished by working in partnership with other state agencies, individuals, families, providers and communities.
OCD Massachusetts: An Official Affiliate of the International OCD Foundation
(617) 855-8623
Founded in 1995, OCD Massachusetts is a non-profit affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). OCD Massachusetts is a locally based group made up of people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related disorders, as well as their families, friends, professionals and others. Their website contains helpful information on OCD, it's treatment, and communicating with insurance companies. This website also offers information on local events and resources in Massachusetts, including potential providers and support groups, research studies in the area focused on OCD, lectures, and OCD awareness week.
Outside Massachusetts
Organizations with hotlines
Mental Health America
Office: 703-684-7722
Toll Free: 800-969-6642
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Their work is driven by the commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it; with recovery as the goal.
Organizations without hotlines
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) - formerly The Anxiety Disorders Association of America - is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the prevention, treatment and cure of anxiety disorders and to improve the lives of all people who suffer from them. ADAA is dedicated to informing the public, health care professionals, and media that anxiety disorders are real, serious, and treatable. ADAA promotes professional and public awareness of anxiety and related disorders (such as PTSD, OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety) and their impact on people's lives. The organization also links people who need treatment with the health care professionals who provide it. The ADAA website also provides listings of anxiety disorder support groups offered across the United States.
Children of Hoarders: National
Children of Hoarders, Inc is a not-for profit organization made up of volunteer Children of Hoarders (COH), dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the unique challenges facing children of hoarders while helping them to support themselves and each other. COH, Inc provides extensive resources on what hoarding looks like, various types, suggestions and available support for not only children worried about family members hoarding but also spouses or other loved ones. The website also provides opportunities to connect with others impacted by hoarding through online groups and forums.
Geriatric Mental Health Foundation
(703) 556-9222
The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation was established by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry to raise awareness of psychiatric and mental health disorders affecting the elderly, eliminate the stigma of mental illness and treatment, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly. Explore the site for mental health information for older adults and their families, to find a geriatric psychiatrist, for news of Foundation programs and events, and much more.
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
Main Line: 646-681-4888
Toll Free: 800-829-8289
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) is committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. The BBR Foundation offers news on the research it funds as well as information (documents and videos) about these and other disorders in children and adults. It also provides guidance and resources for families coping with a child or parent with mental illness.
Worry Wise Kids
This site was launched because of the urgent need to address the growing needs of our children to be equipped to cope with and overcome the stress, worry and anxieties in their life. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for anxious children and their families by providing parents, educators and mental health professionals with comprehensive, user-friendly information on the full range of anxiety disorders. Because children may be secretive about their worries and suffer in silence, their goal is to help adults who care about kids to be on the lookout for red flags. They offer information about treatment options, kid-friendly explanations for the mechanisms that create and maintain anxiety, parenting do's and don'ts, how to handle school issues and more.


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MicroStrategy Bolsters its BI Platform
MicroStrategy bolstered its business intelligence platform with several key product announcements.
By Ainsley Jones
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Last week at its annual user conference in Las Vegas, MicroStrategy announced Transaction Services, a new product that allows business intelligence users to connect their mobile devices to back-end transactional systems and databases. The platform, which is compatible with the iPad, iPhone and BlackBerry devices, allows mobile apps and Web-based dashboards to be imbued with action-taking features while also enabling companies to build mobile front-ends to existing transactional applications, according to MicroStrategy.This article was originally published on Feb 2, 2011
MicroStrategy also announced Cloud Intelligence, which will make the company's BI software platform available as a service in the cloud, says InformationWeek. In addition, Magic Software announced it will offer MicroStrategy's business intelligence offerings as part of an alliance between the two vendors, reports IT Jungle.


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Long-time Mac peripheral and accessory maker Other World Computing made a number of new product announcements throughout the last week at CES. Ars spoke to company representatives on the show floor about several new products, including SSDs for the MacBook Air, a new enterprise class 2.5" SSD drive, as well as new enterprise storage products using mini-SAS (Serial Attached SCSI).
We were also able to sneak a peek at an unannounced PCI Express-based modular SSD for Mac Pros (as well as Windows PCs), and a look at updated Newer Technology miniStacks designed for the latest Mac mini models.
Mini and maxi SSDs
Adding to OWC's line of replacement MacBook Air SSD modules, the company has announced a 480GB version of its Aura Pro Express 6G SSD module for the 2011 MacBook Air. The newest MacBook Air models support SATA speeds up to 6Gbps, though the drives Apple ships only operate at 3Gbps. OWC recently introduced 120GB and 240GB 6G SSD modules for these newer Air models, but we were shown a new 480GB version at CES.
The 480GB Aura Pro Express SSD offers up to 3x the data throughput of stock Apple drives, as well as 8x the capacity of the stock 64GB drive. The 480GB 6G modules should be available in late January (OWC's website currently shows a five-day lead time), but the speed and storage space will cost you: prepare to fork over $1,149. On the other hand, you can't get a MacBook Air SSD with that speed or capacity at any price from Apple or anyone else.
Thankfully, you'll now be able to repurpose the smaller stock SSD module you pull out of your MacBook Air using OWC's Mecury Aura Envoy enclosure. The all-aluminum enclosure is tapered and finished like a MacBook Air, and the preproduction sample we handled was light and slim. To re-use a factory SSD, slide it into the Envoy, close it up with two screws, and hook it up to your MacBook Air via USB. The Envoy supports UBS 3.0, so when Apple updates to the faster standard (likely with the launch of Ivy Bridge Macs) you'll get data speeds as high as 500MB/s.
The Mercury Aura Envoy is set to ship in late March for $50. If that's too long to wait, however, OWC is now shipping versions of its Mercury On-The-Go USB 3.0 enclosure and Mecury Elite Pro FW/USB/eSATA enclosure that are compatible with MacBook Air SSD modules for $70 and $110, respectively.
OWC is also launching an enterprise-class version of its Mercury SSDs dubbed Mercury Enterprise Pro 6G. These SSDs use the latest SandForce controllers, as do OWC's other solid state storage. The main differences are the use of Toshiba enterprise-class toggle synchronous 10K NAND chips, which offer 3x the reliability compared to standard MLC NAND; Paratus Power Technology, which uses a small battery backup that enables queued data writes to finish in the case of power loss; and a seven-year warranty, which OWC marketing manager Grant Dahlke claims is the longest in the industry. Essentially, OWC is saying this is as "mission critical" as 2.5" SSDs come.
The Mercury Enterprise Pro 6G line starts at $629 for 50GB and goes up to 400GB for $2,199, and the drives will ship by the end of March.
PCI prototype
Sticking with SSDs for a minute, OWC had on the show floor a prototype of an unannounced PCI Express-based SSD drive. The card is built around a Marvell-based hardware RAID controller connected to four mini-PCI Express slots. The slots can be filled with NAND flash modules similar (though not identical) to those used in the MacBook Air. The slots can be filled with between one and four modules as needed, up to 2TB worth. According to OWC CEO Larry O'Connor, the drive is capable of nearly 2GB/s sustained transfer rates.
The unnamed SSD is compatible with both Macs and Windows PCs and, according to O'Connor, will be the first PCI Express SSD solution for Mac Pro users. Pricing and availability have not been determined—the card on the CES show floor is one of the first assembled prototypes—but O'Connor told Ars it will most likely launch around the second half of the year.
From Mercury to Jupiter
Moving on to more enterprise-class storage options, OWC is launching a new Jupiter line of mini-SAS storage options. The Line will consist of 8- and 16-bay rack enclosures as well as 4- and 8-bay desktop tower enclosures. These can be packed with SAS or SATA drives and configured in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD arrangements. Jupiter connects via mini-SAS in a single or double-wide cable configuration for data throughput rates from 24-48Gbps.
Product development specialist Chris Haeffner explained that the Jupiter drive enclosures can connect directly to a Mac Pro using a mini-SAS PCI Express card. However, the drives can also be connected to an upcoming 9-port hub to create a storage area network (SAN). Effectively any combination of Jupiter RAIDs and Macs can be connected, so you could have two RAIDs shared with up to seven Macs, or just one Mac connected to massive amounts of storage in up to eight Jupiter boxes.
Haeffner also said Jupiter-based SANs can also be expanded further using mini-SAS switches from enterprise storage vendor LSI. While LSI focuses on large enterprise deployments, OWC hopes Jupiter will address the needs of SMBs that have growing high-speed and or high-capacity storage demands.
To that end, OWC will soon offer a Thunderbolt to mini-SAS adapter, allowing iMacs, Mac minis, MacBook Pros, and even MacBook Airs to work with Jupiter storage in either direct or SAN connections.
Also, Jupiter offers significant cost-to-performance benefits over competing solutions, such as Fibre Channel. At 24Gbps throughput, a Jupiter mini-SAS setup offers 3x the performance of 8Gbps Fibre Channel. At the same time, though, it can cost up to 5x less for the infrastructure. For example, four workstations with PCI cards, a 9-port hub, and 10 meters each of active cabling costs around $5,000. The same setup in Fibre Channel would run about $25,000, according to Haeffner.
Mac mini to the max
Finally, OWC will offer some useful new storage options for Mac mini users under its NewerTechnology brand. The company has broken its miniStack storage add-on for Mac minis into two separate offerings. The first is a slim miniStack that is sized to match the latest unibody Mac minis. It features FireWire 800, USB 3.0, and eSATA ports, and a single 3.5" hard disk drive storage option up to 4TB. As its name implies, you can stack your Mac mini on top, connect using FireWire or USB, and you've got instant storage expansion.
The new miniStack Max, however, kicks the basic miniStack concept into overdrive. This version adds an optical drive—currently a DVD/CD-R SuperDrive, but Blu-ray will be an option soon, a front-facing SD card reader, and a three-port USB 3.0 hub on the rear. We think the miniStack Max—especially with a Blu-ray-compatible optical drive—would make a really good fit for a Mac mini-based HTPC set up.
A couple interesting features we noted from our conversation with Dahlke is that one of the USB ports on the rear of the miniStack Max can output a full 10W to fully recharge an iPad. Also, both new miniStacks include USB 3.0 and eSATA ports for future-proofing—as we said, Ivy Bridge-based Macs will very likely support USB 3.0—and wide compatibility with PCs. Though the styling and size are designed to match the Mac mini, a miniStack would be a nice complement to SFF Windows or Linux boxes. Also, Dalke told Ars, we can expect Thunderbolt versions as soon as OWC and NewerTech can get its hands on controllers in volume.
Both new miniStacks should be available at the end of March with pricing to be determined. Users will be able to buy empty enclosures and add their own SATA drive, or order one with 500GB to 4TB preinstalled.


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Jailbreak: Superintendent Isom counts the days
Ask Superintendent John Isom when he retires as head of the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, and he can tell you to the minute exactly how much longer before he plays his get-out-of-jail-free card.
He retires February 1 after 40 years in law enforcement. It's not that Isom is tired of dealing with criminals; there's a practical consideration. "The state will pay me a nice salary not to work," he explains.
Isom started as a patrol officer in Fairfax in 1963, and calls that his favorite job. "It was very exciting, with never a dull moment," he recalls, sitting at his current desk job where the phone never stops ringing.
After 20 years with Fairfax, he retired as a captain and launched a new career as sheriff in Loudoun County.
During his seven years in Charlottesville, Isom enlarged and remodeled the jail, a five-year construction job that became more controversial the longer it took, especially when the contractor was removed from the job.
And what has he learned about human nature after all those years devoted to catching and keeping lawbreakers?
"A lot of our fellow human beings who are incarcerated have had a lot of bad breaks in their lives," answers the warden.
In many cases, he says, he's observed that people who end up in jail haven't had the advantages or parental guidance that he had. "There, but for the grace of God go I," he says.
He shares other nuggets of jailhouse wisdom: Most women in jail locally are there for writing bad checks or for credit card fraud.
People incarcerated do not like sex offenders. "These people have families, wives, and girlfriends," he says. "A sex offender is way down on the hierarchy scale."
And no, the local jail does not have a cell officially called "The Hole," although he concedes there are some spots the inmates may call that because there's no TV.
As for the return to the classic black-and-white striped jailhouse look, Isom is responsible for that, too. When blue jumpsuits were standard issue, he became concerned that prisoners going to court or to the hospital would be confused with all the doctors and nurses running around town.
"It got to be a worrisome thing that someone would mistake one of these guys for a medical person," he says.
The warden clears up one misperception he's noticed from nervous visitors to the jail: "I think they're more worried about safety than they should be."
But for those who suffer from claustrophobia when the cell door clangs shut, "I can't do anything about that," he says with a shrug.
Age: 61
What brought you here? I was born in Tennessee, but my father, a construction supervisor for the federal government, moved to Virginia in 1947. We lived in Mecklenburg, Fairfax, Portsmouth, and Henrico County over the years.
What's worst about living here? The traffic lights are not synchronized.
Favorite hangout? On the James River in my kayak.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I have five sons, aged from 43 to 16.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I am much too critical of myself.
What accomplishment are you proudest of? I worked my way through college, including a master's degree, going on a part-time basis. It took about 17 years.
What do people find most annoying about you? I can be somewhat stubborn.
Whom do you admire? President Jimmy Carter
Favorite book? I like fiction, and then history books, followed by bird books. Currently I am enjoying The Passenger by Patrick Davis.
What subject causes you to rant? I like to be somewhere about an hour early, and like early-morning challenges. People who are not on time cause me a lot of trouble.
What thrills you about life in the 21st century? I really enjoy the computers and all that related technology. I personally think email is one of the most significant innovations in my lifetime.
What creeps you out about life in the 21st century? The stores that put the sporting goods somewhere in the back where you have to walk through the entire store to get to the sporting goods.
What do you drive? 1984 Ford pickup and a 1992 Ford Explorer, which is running strong at 190,000 miles.
What's in your car tape player right now? A book on tape. I don't even have a music tape in my car.
What's your next journey? Florida early in the spring to go fishing with one of my sons. I also have a couple of hikes planned for the Appalachian Trail in the spring.
What's the most trouble you've ever gotten in? I have had a parking ticket.
What do you regret? I would live exactly as I have, but try to do more physical activity. The desk job I have is very sedentary.
Favorite comfort food? Peanuts
What's always in your refrigerator? Milk
Must-see TV? Fear Factor and Survivor
Favorite cartoon? I enjoy old cartoons and don't even understand most of the newer ones.
Describe a perfect day. One where you and the family get up and all are healthy. Also a fall day, cool but with sunshine.
Most embarrassing moment? I manage to embarrass myself fairly often, so I think the most recent would be the one most remembered.
Best advice you ever got? "Go to college"– from my dad and mom.
Favorite bumper sticker? ISOM for Sheriff. Keep in mind I was sheriff for 12 years.


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Hi all,
I was gone to a different continent and far far away from Myrtle this summer which is why I didn't post on Twitter or the blog then. I was back in the beginning of fall and resumed Twittering (hopefully you noticed!) but not blogging.
Why didn't I post a goodbye note when I left this summer? Because part of me felt very guilty of not being able to Myrtle blog and of letting my beloved readers down. First my excuse was that I needed to concentrate on getting everything ready for my trip and that I'd write the note once in Africa. Then when I got there, internet access was not as regular and I kept prioritizing other things when online. I know, lame. Hopefully you'll take this weird block as a sign of how much I care…
For now I am back and as soon as I figure out how to mobile blog (especially photoblog) from my new iPhone, I will resume mobile blogging. I don't think it will be that long. In the meanwhile I'm a little amused that learning how to mobile photoblog from a Palm Centro came much easier than learning how to do the same from an iPhone! But it could just be me and where I'm at right now.
In any event, Twitter is definitely the best way to get your Myrtle Shuffle on as my Twitter stream features my tweets and any blog posts. See you on Myrtle soon?
Oh and if there are any new Fort Greene/Clinton Hill tweeps that I haven't yet added to the neighborhood tweetroll on the blog, please leave me a note in the comments or tweet me.


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source: The Atlantic Journal-Constitution
Republicans in the Georgia State Congress are leading the charge to bring more solar energy production to the state. McDonald would like Georgia Power's future portfolio...
United States: The Three Best Things Minnesota Did For Solar Energy In The Last WeekPublished at May 29, 2013
source: Climate Progress
Last week, Governor Mark Dayton signed an economic development bill that contained several powerful incentives for solar development. This confirms whatmany have been saying...
United States: Protect renewable energy standardsPublished at May 28, 2013
source: The Times-News
In 2007, North Carolina became a leader in renewable energy development by becoming the first state in the Southeast to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard....
United States: Tracking and Analyzing Energy Legislation Across the USPublished at May 24, 2013
source: Renewable Energy World
A new online database created by Colorado State University's (CSU) Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) aims to serve anyone interested in clean energy...
United States: Poll: 87 Percent of Illinois Voters Want More Renewable EnergyPublished at May 21, 2013
source: Renewable Energy World
Wide majorities of likely Illinois voters believe it is important that the state maintain its commitment to increase its use of renewable energy and support...
United States: Flower Mound man's fight over solar panels prompts review of regulationsPublished at May 20, 2013
source: The Dallas Morning News
Richards noted that the HOA had already given Squyres permission to install 45 panels on the rear roof and 13 panels on the side...
United States: Senate Committee Passes Geothermal Leasing MeasurePublished at May 17, 2013
source: Renewable Energy World
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met Thursday, May 16th, to vote on a series of measures that included S. 363, The Geothermal...
United States: Minnesota pushes solar power; mines, mills off the hookPublished at May 13, 2013
source: Duluth News Tribune
The solar energy mandate will mean cleaner energy, less coal burned and probably higher utility bills for many Minnesotans who get their electricity from large...


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama dangled the possibility on Tuesday of lowering tax rates in 2013 with a broad U.S. tax code revamp, but he stood firm on insisting rates for the wealthiest must rise as part of a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," a series of budget cuts and tax increases that will begin taking effect on December 31 unless Congress acts.
Congressional Republicans, looking at yet another poll showing most Americans would blame them for going off the cliff, showed more signs of internal stress over how far to go in compromising with Obama's demands on tax rates.
Outside official Washington, concern mounted about how and when - not to mention if - the politicians might put their disagreements behind them in the short time remaining.
Worry about the fiscal cliff is hurting the economy. The manufacturing sector contracted in November and posted its weakest performance in three years, a report showed on Monday. Companies taking part in the survey said uncertainty over the negotiations in Washington was a factor.
Economists warn that unless a deal is reached, the economy could be thrown back into recession.
A bi-partisan delegation of governors met with Obama and congressional leaders and fretted about their own state budgets, roughly 30 percent derived from federal money.
Members of the governors' group, led by Democrat Jack Markell of Delaware and Republican Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, pointedly noted in comments outside the White House that they were able to work together despite party differences.
After meeting with the governors, the president pressed his agenda in an interview with Bloomberg Television. He reiterated his openness to unspecified reforms in entitlement programs such as Medicare, the government health insurance plan for seniors.
He repeated that as part of any deal, low tax rates on 98 percent of taxpayers should be extended, but that taxes on the top 2 percent should rise. "Let's let those go up," Obama said, referring to a "down payment" for future negotiations.
"And then let's set up a process with a time certain, at the end of 2013 or the fall of 2013, where we work on tax reform, we look at what loopholes and deductions both Democrats and Republicans are willing to close, and it's possible that we may be able to lower rates by broadening the base at that point."
In a written offer made Monday by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and signed by the House Republican leadership, Republicans continued to reject increases in tax rates. But they said they would consider $800 billion in revenue increases from overhauling the tax code, along with spending cuts and entitlement revisions, as part of a deficit reduction deal.
That amount, which Boehner informally accepted during previous debt-ceiling negotiations in 2011, is not nearly enough for Obama. But it is too much for U.S. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and a number of other conservatives who have built their political reputation around a low-tax philosophy.
"Speaker Boehner's $800 billion tax hike will destroy American jobs and allow politicians in Washington to spend even more," DeMint said in a statement on Tuesday.
Boehner has had persistent problems keeping his party unified since dozens of Tea Party conservatives arrived after the 2010 midterm elections. While dissent from the right does not necessarily cripple Boehner in negotiations, it does not help.
Democrats use it in their public relations campaign to discredit their opponents' views as those of extremists denying tax cuts to the middle class or risking a government default for ideological purposes, as White House Press Secretary Jay Carney did Tuesday as he denounced "factions."
"It is expected that there would be some grumbling, especially among the likes of DeMint," said Helen Fessenden, an analyst at consultancy Eurasia Group, adding that it is more important for Boehner to cement the support of his key lieutenants for the offer.
"Boehner already knows how the numbers shake out. At the end of the day no matter what he does there will be 60 or 80 who defect, no matter how good a deal he can get for them."
Republicans have 241 House members to 192 for the Democrats.
Boehner was struggling to keep order among anti-tax Tea Party activists on one extreme and moderates more tolerant of new revenues on the other.
In the House, two first-term Republican Tea Party stalwarts - Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Justin Amash of Michigan - were removed by party leadership from the powerful Budget Committee in what Huelskamp called "a vindictive move."
The Republican leadership offered no immediate explanation for the unusual removal.
On the moderate wing, a handful of House Republicans - such as Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve King of Iowa - have said that tax increases on the wealthiest may be tolerable under certain conditions.
Public opinion has held steady since early November, with about half of Americans expecting Obama and the Republicans will be unable to avert a plunge off the cliff, said the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press in a new survey.
About 53 percent of those polled said they would hold Republicans more responsible than Democrats for such an outcome; 27 percent said they would hold Obama responsible.
Washington interest groups are consumed by the cliff, and some are in a bit of a panic about what the talks might bring.
Tensions erupted on Tuesday at a forum convened by a fiscal responsibility group called Fix the Debt, which seeks to cut the government's debt and includes business and political leaders.
Audience members stood and repeatedly interrupted Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio as he attempted to make a speech. They urged protections from cuts for the Social Security and Medicare social safety net programs. Others shouted down the protesters until they marched out of the forum.
Reporting by Thomas Ferraro, David Lawder, Kim Dixon, Fred Barbash, Rachelle Younglai; Writing by Kevin Drawbaugh; Editing by Fred Barbash and Eric Beech


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OHC Environmental Engineering, Inc. (OHC) is a minority owned environmental consulting firm located in Tampa, Florida. OHC's experienced, professional staff's attention to client needs, fast response, cost effective fee schedules, expert troubleshooting abilities and most importantly, dependability enable us to provide quality industrial hygiene and environmental consulting services to clients in the Southeastern United States.
OHC has never received a citation from OSHA, the Florida DEP, or U.S. EPA, or been involved in any litigation regarding its professional practice.
OHC is your firm's best choice to address your compliance and training needs.
James Rizk
Michael Lawn
Vice President
Cristina Jones
Project Manager
Justin Carman
Mark Fohn
Tom Martinelli
Industrial Hygentist
Over the phone or online
(813) 626-8156
101 S Hoover Blvd UNIT 101,
Tampa, FL 33609


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A New Orleans woman who said she was called "too fat to fly" at a Southwest gate last year is now filing a lawsuit demanding the carrier clarify its policies on larger passengers.
Kenlie Tiggeman considered Southwest's "Customers of Size" policy too inconsistent, having been told at least twice that she would be unable to fit in their seats and other times flying on the airline with no problem at all. She said she has not had issues on other airlines.
New Orleans news station WDSU, which was unable to reach Southwest for comment, wrote:
In a petition and application for injunctive relief, she alleges Southwest violated her "constitutional rights" and engages in a practice of "discriminatory actions toward obese customers."
As a consumer, Tiggeman said she has a right to know the rules at the point of purchase.
"We need to know what the rules are," Tiggeman said. "We need to know if we need one seat or two, because this eyeballing happening at the gate is incredibly discriminatory, and it's so unnecessary."
Southwest indicates that "customers who encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s) should proactively book the needed number of seats prior to travel… (to) ensure that all Customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating." The airlines' seats are 17 inches wide, and passengers may not extend beyond the armrest in between seats.
Tiggeman expands on her reasoning behind the lawsuit in her own blog, AlltheWeigh.com. A similar suit was filed by a passenger 20 years ago and was dismissed.
Tiggeman's incident occurred about a year after celebrity director Kevin Smith (aka Silent Bob) was "ejected" by a Southwest pilot for being unable to fit properly in his seat. Southwest apologized to both passengers and offered refunds and vouchers.


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Blue Jays ink three to Minor League deals
Shortstop Diaz and righties Broadway, Walden all have invite to spring camp
The Blue Jays signed three players -- shortstop Jonathan Diaz and right-handers Michael Broadway and Marcus Walden -- to 2014 Minor League contracts, each with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp.
Diaz, 28, returns to Toronto's organization after spending last year in the Boston system. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket but made his Major League debut and appeared in five games for the Red Sox, going 0-for-4 with two runs.
Broadway, 26, spent time with Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse in the Nationals' system last year, going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and six saves in 30 relief appearances. He has a 28-24 record and a 4.36 ERA over nine career Minor League seasons.
The 25-year-old Walden will return for his seventh season with the Blue Jays after being drafted in the ninth round in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He pitched for Double-A New Hampshire in 2013, going 6-14 with a 3.71 ERA in 26 starts.


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Washington, DC — Some aquatics facilities are still scrambling to comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (VGB) as the summer swim season approaches. Additional local and state laws, as well as public pool budget crunches, make compliance complicated for some sites.
"VGB was the first federal regulation on pools," says Tracynda Davis, director of environmental health programs for the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF). "Some of the issues with that is that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is supposed to enforce VGB, but states are coming up with their own legislation. We're really seeing a broad spectrum, and if a state isn't doing something, a county might be, especially around bigger cities. It's often easier to get local ordinances through the local board of health than through the state legislative processes."
The CPSC has said that it's relying on states to co-enforce the law. When states or counties pass their own laws, enforcement essentially becomes a local matter, says Steve Barnes, chair of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) Technical Committee.
"Texas is considering VGB legislation. So is California. Las Vegas has already written some," he says. "The Las Vegas health department wrote rules that pools must comply with VGB, so now it's on the books, and they have the authority to enforce local legislation in VGB compliance."
He said that in Los Angeles County, CA, local officials are requiring that pools be drained before they're inspected, even though the area is experiencing a drought.
"About 80 percent of the retrofits a diver can do under water, so there's no reason to drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool," Barnes says. "So now a $500 upgrade turns into a $20,000 upgrade."
High price tags are causing problems for municipal pool operators during the tight economy, says Davis.
"It's a huge part that's missing from the federal law, and these municipal facilities need to come up with money when their budgets are already tight, and it might mean they have to shut down pools," she says.
The NSPF is advising rec center and city pools to contact their local jurisdictions for guidance on funding retrofits.
"For municipal pools, the act caught people off guard — everyone wants to comply, but they didn't budget and they're asking, 'What do we do?'" says Carvin DiGiovanni, senior director of technical, standards, APSP. "In affluent communities, they are able to sustain, but other communities could suffer from tax dollar shortages and may have to go to their cities for help, or even close the pools."
Public pool operators in cities such as Greenwich, CT, and Toledo, OH, are grappling with closing pools, either temporarily or for the entire summer.
"Some municipal pools are saying they just can't comply," Barnes says. "If something happens at a public pool, will they fine the city?"
Kathleen Reilly, public affairs specialist for the CPSC, says no aquatics facilities have been fined for non-compliance, even though the commission is authorized to issue fines up to $15 million.
Barnes says he doesn't believe the million-dollar fines are aimed at pool operators but rather at parts manufacturers.
"Generally speaking, the big fines are not for your YMCAs or park pools — it's more to get big corporations' attention," Barnes says.
A waiting period for necessary parts also is still preventing some pools from complying with the VGB Act.
"We're doing VGB compliance now — the place where we get our grates is out of the size we need," says Tara Murphy, aquatics director at Genesis Health Clubs in Wichita, KS. "I called the city and said we can't do it because the parts aren't in. I also just read in the local paper that the city is cutting back on people who test the public pool water [because of] budget problems. This couldn't come at a worse time with the economy."
The problem with available parts isn't limited to the Midwest, Davis says. "There's been a nationwide problem with drains being available," she says. "A lot of folks aren't coming forth to admit it if they're not compliant. Now the CPSC is saying that everyone needs to prove due diligence to show that they're trying to comply."
Pool operators can put themselves on back order to document their efforts, Davis notes, although she says some states, such as Massachusetts, won't renew annual pool permits unless the operators can show VGB compliance.
Barnes says he's also seeing problems with new drain covers being incorrectly installed, or the right size covers not being used on existing drain openings. He's also hearing about pool part manufacturers lobbying state legislatures to have their specific parts included in local laws.
"Manufacturers are going into the Texas legislature and trying to get them to require use of certain products," he says. "Those kinds of things make it difficult. I think our industry changed permanently as a result of VGB."


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Xi's Wake-Up Call to the Nation
By Russell Leigh Moses
Is the Chinese Communist Party in danger of sleepwalking into the future?
Apparently, new Party leader Xi Jinping thinks it could be. And he seems to be looking for ways to wake it up.
In an appearance at the "Road To Revival" exhibit at the National Museum here in Beijing on Thursday, with the other members of the newly-appointed Chinese leadership in attendance, Xi focused on the theme of "rejuvenating the nation."
In a sharp speech delivered without notes, Xi stated that "everyone has ideals and pursuits, and each has their own dreams."
"The Chinese dream," he contended, is "to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation…in modern times." At this point in time, Xi insisted, "we are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and are more confident than any time in history of the ability to achieve the goal" of revitalizing the country.
Despite appearances—all seven Politburo Standing Committee members, including Xi, appeared without ties—there was nothing impromptu about Xi's appearance or his address. Indeed, in referring to China's revival, he's talking about how the Communist Party can make a renaissance happen; that is, how the Party can make itself pertinent to the China of the present-day.
That's not easy or entirely clear. For example, does the new leadership kick-start a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign that would likely be popular among the public and would work to strengthen Xi's political support inside the Party? Taking out lurking enemies and the politically left-behind in the Party is tempting. And there's clearly momentum out in society to lash out at cadres behaving badly.
But that sort of crusade would pull the new leadership's attention away from policy initiatives in education and health care—discussions of which have already started in earnest. Plus, it's doubtful whether there's much appetite in the Party for slipping back into the same old politics of holding onto power and watching from the sidelines while the society races ahead. Anti-corruption sounds to some like the same-old, unconnected Party—interested in its own struggles, instead of those underneath.
So, might it be better for the Party to find relevancy from within, to continue on the path of reforming itself—not cracking the heads of cadres, but changing their minds?
There's something hopeful about that option. Recently, officials have been urged to acquire a "new consciousness"—a trinity of "knowledge, insight, and courage" whereby cadres would look more carefully at local conditions, provide new solutions, and do so on their own initiative. That's inspirational stuff for many Party officials who've wanted to be set loose to address local problems on their own, instead of having to wait for clearance from Beijing.
Still, there's a concern from cadres below that the political heavens will shift direction again, and slap around those who acted too abruptly. Reform-minded officials know that while they might be pushed to be decisive and innovative, hardline conservatives at the top still have established habits of shoving back.
In fact, Xi now seems to be exploring a somewhat different solution, bypassing the standard Party practices by appealing to the nation. He and his associates seem to be looking for a new ideological blueprint, one that connects what the Party does with what the society wants—a new "socialism with Chinese characteristics"
This is not rhetoric; it's the current political reality for many here. More than a few cadres fear that the Communist Party has driven the country forward and yet receives no credit and little popular support. Xi's opening speech noting the anxieties of the governed was a nod to this concern. His comments at the exhibit in Beijing—with the rest of the leadership beside him—hint at a looking for something larger than the usual languid gestures.
There's ample difficulty ahead, of course. Reformers who think that Xi is looking to shake up the system need to be cautious that their expectations do not outrun the ability (or willingness) of the new leadership to elbow aside political opposition to change.
Likewise, conservatives seem to think that even these early murmurings provide an opportunity for them to advance the idea of "socialist core values," a scheme for "social thought that would provide social cohesion and consensus"—code words for getting people in line with the Party, instead of the other way around.
It's far from being a new morning in China. But Xi already seems set on making sure that everyone is wide awake for whatever's next.
Russell Leigh Moses is the Dean of Academics and Faculty at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. He is writing a book on the changing role of power in the Chinese political system.


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Coca-Cola 2014 Super Bowl Commercial Features House of Pain's 'Jump Around'
House of Pain's 'Jump Around' receives some 2014 love in a new Super Bowl commercial, which focuses on Adrian, a kid who doesn't seem to be the star player of his youth football team, but gets put in the game anyway.
Coca-Cola illustrates the ultimate way to celebrate a touchdown in their 'Going All the Way' Superbowl commercial. A fumble allows the scared, but courageous Adrian to grab the ball and take it all the way to the end zone. While the tiny player jets through the field House of Pain's 1992 hit, 'Jump Around,' serves as the soundtrack. After running through streets, backyards and fences in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, Adrian reaches Lambeau Field.
It turns out that Adrian's version of the end zone is the one in the Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field. At the field of the four-time Super Bowl champions, Adrian performs his own victory dance and, of course, drinks a bottle of Coca-Cola to top off the momentous occasion.


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With the sun shining and a crispy spring breeze blowing the University of Southern Maine men's lacrosse team kicked off the 2012 season playing their first game on the newly constructed Hannaford Field in Gorham Tuesday afternoon. In what turned out to be quite a heated contest despite the chilly weather, the Huskies dropped the game 5-7 to the University of New England Nor'Easters, bringing UNE's win streak to three.
The Huskies took off with an early first quarter lead with goals from Steve Ribero, junior midfielder, Jeremy Parmley, senior midfielder, and Nate Prince, senior attack, and held the Nor'Easters to only one score. The Huskies' junior goaltender Kyle Dussault, or "Deuce" as his teammates shouted from the sidelines, was able to hold UNE scoreless throughout the second with some spectacular saves, but UNE's Nate Porter, a senior, accomplished the same feat.
With the scoreless quarter, the game turned into a defensive struggle with both sides chomping at the bit for the next score or chance for a little body contact. The Huskies spent total four minutes in the penalty box during the second quarter compared to UNE's single, one-minute penalty.
The Nor'Easters charged out of the gates in the third period scoring five points while holding the Huskies scoreless. Of the five goals scored, three came against a Huskies' man-down squad — squad who saw the plenty of the field with the five minutes of penalty time the Huskies accrued during the third.
Goals from senior midfielder Willie Joy and junior midfielder Steve Ribero brought the match to 5-6 late in the fourth, and it seemed like the Huskies were poised to tie the game. But UNE nailed the coffin lid shut with a well placed shot from UNE's junior captain Tyler Thomas assisted by senior attack Dylan Thomas.
"We essentially shot ourselves in the foot with all our penalties. It's something we'll be focusing on during our pre-game practice and during in our next game," said Head Coach Sam Lane, who is in his first year coaching at USM.
The Huskies take the field today at Memorial Field in Portland, looking to bring the same energy to every game and sustain it through all four periods.


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Twitter traffic according to Hitwise
Hitwise has published over the last days three posts with interesting information on traffic to the Twitter website. They analysed traffic to twitter.com in three countries : UK, USA and Australia.
Let's start with the UK. Twitter.com is the 291st most visited website in the UK. Internet traffic has increased by 974% over one year, see the graph below.
Hitwise does only taken direct traffic to twitter.com into account. If the people accessing their Twitter accounts via mobile phones and third party applications (such as Twitterrific, Twitterfeed and Tweetdeck) were included, the numbers would be even higher.
There are also a few figures on downstream traffic, on what type of links do Twitter users click on :
17.6% of Twitter's downstream traffic goes to entertainment websites,
10% of goes to News and Media websites,
14.6% goes to social networks,
6.6% to blogs and finally
4.5% to online retailers.
A few days earlier an analysis of Twitter traffic in the USA was also published. According to Hitwise, Twitter.com attracks more visitors than Digg. Twitter is ranked #84 in computers and internet category, one place before Digg, ranked #85.
Traffic to Twitter from Australia has also grown significantly, 517.9% up over one year, as shown on the graph below.