text:
Step 169: Laying in bed is not a solution to feeling overwhelmed
This morning was a Terrible, No-Good, Very Bad Morning. I'm not going to go into the boring and depressing whys, but they include things like medical bills, the DMV and a rebelliously incontinent cat.
The problem with feeling depressed and out of control is that it is so, so easy to wrap those feelings around you like the world's least comforting blanket and then stay in bed until you're covered in emotional and physical bedsores. This is usually exactly what my brain suggests in these situation, and did this morning. But instead, I tried to think of small things I could do, and then did them.
There will never be a time in my life where everything is under control, when there are no swirling scary difficulties making me feel small and powerless. But there will also never be a time when there isn't something I can do to improve things, or at least my outlook on them. I can get out of bed, put on a cute outfit, tidy my house, write a thank-you letter to my wonderful uncle, go work out, plug my amazing little sister's new magazine, call the DMV and try to sort things out, and so on.
And even though they don't necessarily solve the problems that I'm worried about, they solve a larger problem by reminding me that I have control over some things, and can make decisions to make my life a more orderly and happy place.


text:
Your take: Bush tax cuts
Should we let all of the tax cuts sunset, or just part of them? Or should we keep them in place?
This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.
No matter what you think about President Obama, you have to appreciate the sheer amount of work he's managed to get Congress to do in the few years he's been in office. Whether or not they're the right things to do will remain to be seen. But one topic that is sure to take center stage within the next few months, if not weeks, is what we should be doing about the soon-to-be-expiring Bush-era tax cuts.
A little history for those of us who weren't paying taxes before 2001 (that includes myself, at least on any meaningful level): President George W. Bush signed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and made one of the largest tax cuts we've seen in quite some time. Among other things, the EGTRRA (quite an acronym) lowered every tax bracket, lowered capital gains tax, and effectively lowered the tax burden on every single American. If you remember, this was the boom years of the Internet dot-coms, and the economy was doing great. As a way to make the debt and deficit math look more palatable, the cuts were given a sunset provision of Dec. 31, 2010. Post continues after video.
There is no question that the "rich" benefited the most from these tax cuts. Lowering the 36% bracket to 33% does far more than lowering the 28% to 25%. It's just how the math of tax brackets works.
Dec. 31 is not too far away, and the debate is growing louder by the day as the November mid-term elections draw closer. Some Democrats and President Obama would like to continue the tax cuts for the lowest four brackets while letting the top two return to 2001 levels. Republicans would like to keep the cuts as they are.
I personally think that raising the top two and maintaining the bottom floor, as I tried to predict for 2011 tax brackets, makes the most sense. I think that if you earn $250,000 or more, you aren't significantly impacted by increasing your taxes a few percentage points.
Since I have an understanding of how taxes work for individually owned small businesses, I can assure you that this will not affect small business because the tax is on profits, not revenue (you deduct expenses from revenue to arrive at profit, or loss). All that talk about how this will kill small business is inaccurate.
The one thing that seems to be overlooked is the fact that keeping the cuts will cost us $3.8 trillion over 10 years, with $700 billion of that attributable to cuts for the top 2% of income earners. So 18.4% of the cost will benefit 2% of earners, the 2% who don't need it. I'm not a class warfare type of guy but let's take a page from Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world.
Update: Here's a graphic comparing the two tax proposals.
I'm curious about what you think. Should we let it all sunset? Partially? Keep it as is? Dump it for a flat tax? Let's hear it!
More from Bargaineering and MNS Money:
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Nearly half of family caregivers spend more than $5,000 a year, plus caregiving affects their jobs and retirement plans.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mr. Hilario, a native of the Philippines, was born June 23, 1963. He was a general contractor and had lived in Tracy the past three years. He was a deacon at Church of Christ-Iglesia Ni Cristo in Tracy.
Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Sylvette Hilario of Tracy; three children, Kenzi, Jayden and Saedy Hilario, all of Tracy; mother, Lolita (Olarte) Hilario of the Philippines; and four siblings, Delia de Leon, Andres Hilario, Leila Garlit and Wilma Garfin, all of the Philippines.
His father, Felipe Hilario, preceded him in death.
Saturday's graveside services will begin at 10 a.m. at Tracy Cemetery, 501 E. Schulte Road. Visitation will be observed from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday at Fry Memorial Chapel, 550 S. Central Ave. An online guest book can be found at www.frymemorialchapel.com.
• The Tracy Press runs death notices as a free service to its readers, formatted according to Press style. To qualify, the deceased must have lived or worked in Tracy or Mountain House. Contact the Tracy Press copy desk at 835-3030 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Questions concerning paid obituaries should be directed to the retail advertising department at 830-4260.


text:
Mel Gibson caused a minor traffic accident yesterday, when his front bumper met somebody's back bumper in Phoenix, Arizona.
We're told no one was injured -- a cop came to the scene but no one was cited. Both vehicles sustained minor damage. After exchanging insurance information, both parties went their separate ways.
We're told Mel is in town to visit his father, who is hospitalized in Phoenix.
Mel hasn't had the best luck on the road, just last year he crashed his 2008 Maserati in L.A. But cops say he acted like a total gentleman after the wreck.
Always the gentleman :-))) Hang in there Mel!
Really TMZ? You have become so lame lately.
Of course he acted like a total gentleman.
Because he IS one!!!!!!!
Don't forget Mel/Ox story, ripped off from Radaronline, put TMZ on the internet gossip map. Harvey Levin said he was going to miss gibson/ox. TMZ still has never had the hits on their website that gibson got. Downhill ever since.
he acted, he's an actor and a phony, and on drugs
Hey, ask me if I give a flying ****! Who cares.
Mel needs to stop drinking and driving.
After an extremely stressful period in my life I had two accidents in two months. Let's see... Gibson's dad is sick. His psycho baby mom is on a mission to destroy him AND get him back at the same time and holding his baby hostage. I would have had a few accidents under those cir****tances without the help of booze or drugs. Stress does that to a person.
TMZ can only pray that Gibson goes on DWTS and has a nip slip and cuts a massive air biscuit like Nancy Grace. That will bring a few clicks.
I hope H.G. is doing well
may the peace love brings
calm the worried heart
yo: 35 minutes ago
he acted, he's an actor and a phony, and on drugs
Hey Yo! With you, you do not have to be on drugs to act phony, dude. It comes natually to you, doesn't it? Everyone knows your post stinks as bad as your attitude does.
michelle: 12 minutes ago
I hope H.G. is doing well
may the peace love brings
calm the worried heart
What a nice thing to say. I am sure his mind was on his father's health, not on drugs, like the lane azz yo yo wants you all to believe.
Would I get that lucky???:)
beachgal: 29 minutes ago
Mel needs to stop drinking and driving.
You need to stay far away from that bleach, gal. Not everytime Mel Gibson is driving he is drinking or drunk, you idiot. Give him a break, the man's father is in the Hospital for God sake!
kim: 6 minutes ago
Would I get that lucky???:)
If Mel hit me in the back. I would act like I am hurt.. hehehe. Not to sue or to get a dime of his money. I would like him to nurse me back to health. Ok, I am not that lucky, so I will settle for dinner, or laugh about it later over a cup of coffee. LOL
Is these photos the new accident pictures? It look like the ones from his other accident he had.


text:
Rangers, imo. Typically more bigoted than the garden-variety football thugs.
Poll has no option for Everton.
I realised at the last minute that I hadn't used enough poll options. It was them or Exeter City.
I made my decision and I stick by it.
Millwall got to be worth a shout...
Outside the UK it's fairly obviously Liverpool & Man Utd though.
Messi scores on the rebound.
Founder of ESAS - Edgar Schiferli, the best associate bowler
A follower of the schools of Machiavelli, Bentham, Locke, Hobbes, Sutcliffe, Bradman, Lindwall, Miller, Hassett and Benaud
Member of JMAS, DMAS, FRAS and RTDAS
Originally Posted by Adolf Grünbaum
Yeah Millwall worth a shout. Or any fans that think supporting a club that's **** at football makes them in some way ethically superior.
Man united obviously the most detestable club but think Tottenham and Liverpool fans are actually more anoying.
Gone for Spurs because I am exposed to them more often.
Last edited by Pothas; 14-02-2012 at 09:18 AM.
Really tough between cardiff, swansea and wales.
You may notice a theme
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.
Walt Whitman
The funny thing about Man Utd fans, is that the ones who I've met that are actually from Manchester have been alright. It's all of the mockney idiots who support them in the South who are the most annoying in my experience.
Way to kick a man when he's down, ****.
Haha don't worry, no one's judging. It's probably not your fault you're a Rangers fan.
Come to think of it I don't think I've met anyone who supports Northern Ireland in my entire life.
Millwall always used to smash up most of Cambridge when they came up here back in the day.
Been a while since the Mighty U's were in the same division tho.
Stoke fans are ****s too, spent an interesting afternoon being gobbed on by them at the old Victoria Ground. Away fans under home supporters was always fun.
Probz Cardiff for all that tho; neanderthal wuckfits to a man.
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"as much a news event as an actual footballer, a worthy stop-start centre forward, but an all-time hyper-galactico when it comes to doing funny things with cars and hats, a player whose signing proves once again that the Premier League is still undoubtedly the best in the world when it comes to doing things with cars and hats."
- Barney Ronay on Mario Balotelli
Every time they played at Shrewsbury they would travel back to the train station overturning cars on the English bridge and smashing shop windows as they went up the Cop. Wankers of the highest order.
Still voted for Celtic fans though, well balanced with chips on both shoulders.
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text:
41 U.S. Code § 4711 - Linking of award and incentive fees to acquisition outcomes
(a) Definition.— In this section, the term "executive agency" has the same meaning given in section 133 of this title.
(b) Guidance for Executive Agencies on Linking of Award and Incentive Fees to Acquisition Outcomes.— The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall provide executive agencies other than the Department of Defense with instructions, including definitions, on the appropriate use of award and incentive fees in Federal acquisition programs.
(c) Elements.— The regulations under subsection (b) shall—
(1) ensure that all new contracts using award fees link the fees to acquisition outcomes (which shall be defined in terms of program cost, schedule, and performance);
(2) establish standards for identifying the appropriate level of officials authorized to approve the use of award and incentive fees in new contracts;
(3) provide guidance on the circumstances in which contractor performance may be judged to be "excellent" or "superior" and the percentage of the available award fee which contractors should be paid for the performance;
(4) establish standards for determining the percentage of the available award fee, if any, which contractors should be paid for performance that is judged to be "acceptable", "average", "expected", "good", or "satisfactory";
(5) ensure that no award fee may be paid for contractor performance that is judged to be below satisfactory performance or performance that does not meet the basic requirements of the contract;
(6) provide specific direction on the circumstances, if any, in which it may be appropriate to roll over award fees that are not earned in one award fee period to a subsequent award fee period or periods;
(7) ensure consistent use of guidelines and definitions relating to award and incentive fees across the Federal Government;
(8) ensure that each executive agency—
(9) include performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of award and incentive fees as a tool for improving contractor performance and achieving desired program outcomes; and
(d) Guidance for Department of Defense.— The Department of Defense shall continue to be subject to guidance on award and incentive fees issued by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to section 814 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109–364, 10 U.S.C. 2302 note).
Source(Pub. L. 111–350, § 3,Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3800.)
|Revised Section
|Source (U.S. Code)
|Source (Statutes at Large)
|41:251 note.
|Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VIII, § 867, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4551.
In subsection (b), the words "Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act" are omitted because of section 6(f) of the bill. The words "shall provide" are substituted for "shall be amended to provide" to reflect the permanence of the provision.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
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text:
Republican House members have set aside their entire caucus meeting in June to discuss options for responding to the scandal engulfing Attorney General John Swallow.
"It's my responsibility to let our caucus know that, as a leadership team, we are not ignoring what may or may not happen," said House Majority Leader Brad Dee, R-Ogden. "We're not ignoring the situation."
Meantime, the Swallow chatter among House members appears to be growing, with an informal survey of some representatives aimed at gauging the chamber's willingness to move ahead with impeachment of the Republican attorney general.
Rep. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, was one of those calling colleagues to take the temperature of the House.
"We spoke informally to several members in the body. Everyone is concerned and wants to do the right thing for the state, and everyone is taking this issue very seriously," he said. "This is not something we're going to approach haphazardly."
McCay said he shared the information he gathered with House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo.
"The information is valuable to leadership," he said, "to know where the body is on this issue."
Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, received one of the calls asking if he would support impeaching Swallow. Kennedy said he was still gathering information and planned to wait and see how the process unfolds.
"I'd prefer a natural unfolding," he said, "rather than people like me or others trying to get a certain outcome."
But the calls point to a behind-the-scenes push within the House to more assertively address the ballooning scandal.
Impeachment proceedings, if it comes to that, would begin with a resolution filed in the House, an investigation and a vote to impeach. The stage then would shift to the Senate, which would hold a trial and vote on punishment. It would take a two-thirds vote in both chambers to act.
Dee said House leaders are aware the calls are being made, but "not obviously encouraging that."
"I would again prefer that we gather information," he said, "and we don't have our minds made up on any of these issues before we even hear the facts."
Dee said members are also fielding questions from constituents about Swallow and that it makes sense, just in case, for them to discuss the impeachment process or other options.
He doubts the Republican caucus will take a position one way or the other at the June 19 caucus meeting. Most of the gathering will likely be open to the public, he said, but the end may be closed to discuss issues unrelated to Swallow.
"This is uncharted territory for all of us," Dee, Lockhart and their fellow House leaders wrote in an email to GOP members Wednesday evening. "We owe it to our constituents to approach this with as much information as possible, and with an open mind."
Last week, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, became the first legislator from either party to call for Swallow's resignation. Rep. Jeremy Peterson, R-Ogden, said that he believes Swallow should take a leave of absence until the federal and state investigation is completed.
Swallow's spokesman, Paul Murphy, said last week that resignation is off the table and urged lawmakers to wait before acting.
"The attorney general has not broken any laws and has no plans to resign," Murphy said. "We would hope these representatives would put their faith in the justice system instead of a trial by the media."
Swallow's conduct — and that of his predecessor, Mark Shurtleff — has been the subject of a federal investigation since last year. The inquiry is being done in cooperation with the Salt Lake and Davis county attorneys.
The lieutenant governor is in the process of hiring a special counsel to investigate whether Swallow concealed business interests from his personal financial disclosure. And at least two complaints have been filed with the Utah State Bar, alleging Swallow violated attorney ethical standards.
The allegations revolve around Swallow's dealings with indicted businessman Jeremy Johnson, promises of special consideration if businessmen donated to the Attorney General's Office; and using Johnson's houseboat and taking trips to the luxurious home of Marc Sessions Jenson, while Jenson was free on a plea deal with the office.
Jenson says Swallow was also present in 2009 when Shurtleff asked Jenson to pay $2 million to another businessman, Darl McBride, in an attempt by Shurtleff to take down a website critical of Mark Robbins, Jenson's former business partner. In a recording of a meeting with McBride, Shurtleff said he could get the money from Jenson because of his plea deal.
Email ties Swallow to deals
John Swallow tried to broker deals as chief deputy attorney general, according to court documents. › B2


text:
A friend of mine got onto my facebook account after I left it open last night. Then he made me "attend" three family reunions with people I've never met, and posted comments on every single one. Some of the things "I" said were:
"I miss you all, especially Uncle Jeff"
"Best time I ever had"
"See you guys next year!"
And my favorite:
"They say kissing your cousin is ok if they're second or third on the bloodline, right? Oh well ;)"


text:
Press Contacts
Jeff Deneen, Ph.D.
Director, Marketing
Office 205-419-5662
Duane Hyland
+1 703 264 7558
Jeff Deneen, Ph.D.
Director, Marketing
Office 205-419-5662
Duane Hyland
+1 703 264 7558
New eLibrary Site Will Offer Improved User Experience
RESTON, Va. and SANTA CLARA, Calif.—19 July 2011—The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced that it has partnered with Atypon®, a worldwide leader in the digital content industry, for the development and implementation of AIAA's new eLibrary website. The partnership will create an eLibrary that will offer users greatly improved access to all of AIAA's publications and conference proceedings, significantly reducing the length of time necessary to conduct research.
The eLibrary will be designed to appeal to aerospace science and engineering authors, editors, librarians, researchers and students, as well as to members of the general public with an interest in aerospace research and science.
Mike Bragg, AIAA's vice president of publications, stated: "AIAA is pleased to enter into this partnership with Atypon. The AIAA eLibrary will comprise our books, journals, standards and conference proceedings—past and present. This information should form an essential part of every aerospace engineer's education, work and business. With Atypon as AIAA's technology partner, the AIAA eLibrary will be a state-of-the-art technical resource for the student, engineer and business leader, delivering what they need when they need it." Bragg continued: "The new platform guarantees that when the highest quality aerospace technical information is needed, it will always be right at the researcher's fingertips, be it through their desktop, laptop or handheld."
Besides archiving all of AIAA's research assets under one roof, the updated eLibrary, which is expected to be available in the first half of 2012, will offer the ability to save and schedule searches, highlight journal articles, download citations; sign up for alerts on subjects of interest to their research and post links to their research articles on a variety of social networking websites. The website will also be able to suggest other articles that might be of interest to them, greatly enhancing the flow of information and ideas in the collaborative research process.
"Atypon Literatum™ will improve the accessibility of AIAA content," said Audrey Melkin, Atypon's director of business development. Melkin continued: "Using Literatum for Mobile™, AIAA subscribers will be able to access the full text of the latest research and professional information anytime, anywhere."
Atypon is setting new standards for digital content delivery, discovery and monetization. Literatum, the company's flagship publishing platform, is used to host more than 11 million journal articles, more than 25,000 eBooks and many other types of professional and scholarly content. For more information, visit www.Atypon.com.
AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.


text:
Gallery Activities
Hands-On Coins
Saturdays, 11.30am-3.30pm
Handle historical coins from different times and places, with the help of our volunteer team.
Free, no booking necessary.
Coin and Archaeological Identification Scheme
A monthly identification service for archaeological objects and coins, run jointly with the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Bring along your finds.
Autumn dates will be announced shortly. Free, no booking necessary.
Sketching in the Cast Gallery
2–5pm on Wednesday 3 September
During these afternoon sessions, the Cast Gallery's lower-ground floor study collection is open for you to do independent sketching. Please bring your own materials.
Free, no booking required but spaces limited to 10 per session.
Access: regrettably, due to the layout of the historic building, the lower ground floor is only accessible by stairs.
Poetry In the Galleries
12.30-1.30pm and 2.30-3.30pm, Gallery 21, on Saturday 20th September
Oxfordshire poets share new work written in response the Ashmolean's collections.
Free, no booking required
Click here to download our current What's On leaflet
How to book for Ashmolean events
Tickets can now be booked through 'Tickets Oxford' at the Oxford Playhouse.
There are 3 ways to book:
1. Online www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford
2. Phone Box Office: 01865 305 305
3. In person at the Box Office Box Office at the Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford (directly opposite the Ashmolean)
Transaction fee: Tickets Oxford charge a small fee of 75p per transaction for charging events. There is no transaction fee for booking free events.
For further enquiries, please contact the Education Department on +44 (0)1865 278 015


text:
It's no secret that Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey's relationship with her now-husband Peter Thomas has been a challenging one, and now the couple is going on the record. In their new book, Carry-On Baggage, the Thomases get personal about their struggles to blend their families and keep their marriage on track. Cynthia and Peter joined us on Monday's Good Day to give us a preview! CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOVE TO WATCH THE INTERIEW!
205 N. Michigan AvenueGround FloorChicago, IL 60601Station Operator: (312) 565-5532Newsroom: (312)565-5533


text:
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Europe 1200 gets ported to Warband. With a bigger map, more factions, and loads of new content. A reallistic mod that takes the player to the Middle Ages, when more than 20 different factions fight for their own expansion and glory.
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text:
seems good havent used yet
Swan® 75'x3/4" Premium Contractor's Hose
Item # WX2-297529
- Google+
- Details & Specs
Swan® 75'x 3/4" Premium Contractor's Hose, pro-grade tough. BIG BUCKS OFF!
This isn't a flimsy "garden hose," it's an industrial strength Contractor's Hose that can stand up to construction sites. But you can use it around the home, for years to come. Swan® has been making things right, in America, for over 60 years.
- Tough vinyl, with heavy-duty 5-ply construction
- Industrial-style reinforcing
- 3/4" diam. for generous, fast flow
- Crush-proof couplings
- 75' long reach.
- Weighs 13 lbs., 2 ozs.
Go with the flow... order now!
!!! Limited Quantities !!!
- Reviews
Customer Reviews
Product seems to have some flaws -- 2 flattened areas, and 2 kinks built in to the construction. Despite that, the hose seems to allow for adequate water flow.
hose kinks very easy....hope it lasts
Good deal... bought 2... they are farm worthy... if you live in GOD'S country you understand the term farm worthy... Bertrand Comparet
Very heavy duty - but so stiff, the coils won't come out. Will be testing on another tap, but 1st attempt has a lot of leakage from the connector (and no I didn't forget the gasket).
Need these at least every two years. Take alot of use.
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Telescoping Anvil Lopper ShearsBuyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99
4-gallon Backpack Tank SprayerBuyer's Club $35.99 Non-Members $39.99


text:
Beth Minardi Signature Color introduces 10 new shades designed to expand colorists' technical options and creative possibilities. Included in the expansion is the introduction of six new demi-permanent liquid shades for color refresh and glazing services.
"Demi-permanent color is an expanding category in the haircolor industry and, even more important, it's an integral part of the Beth Minardi Signature Method of coloring hair," says Minardi.
Beth Minardi and Taryn Manning
Minardi, acclaimed salon colorist, educator and product consultant, recently shared her new color with Taryn Manning, star of the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
Beth Minardi offers her commentary on the new Beth Minardi Signature Demi-Permanent Liquid Shades which include:
• 10BB/In The Buff
"This lightest beige blonde is ideal for Levels 7 through 10 and pre-lightened hair. It provides soft, beige/blonde tonal deposit and gently banishes unwanted warm and yellow tones. It's fabulous as a sheer toner and wonderful when used to refresh faded blonde lengths or to tone blonde highlights or fine, pre-lightened blonde hair."
• 7NB/Praline
"This medium, neutral, balanced blonde is wonderful when used as a mixer to balance and softly cool other shades, or when intermixed as a toner for blonde hair. It gently eliminates unwanted brassy tones and blends gray to an extremely soft, neutral blonde. It's also beautiful when mixed with lighter, warm blonde shades to tone highlights or to tone very fine blonde hair."
• 9NB/Almond Parfait
"I guarantee that this very light, neutral balanced blonde will become colorists' go-to shade for refreshing blonde hair lengths and for softly toning blonde highlights. It's great when used alone, and can also be diluted with Invisible (Clear) or other light or very light blonde shades."
• 10ICE/Hi Ho Silver
"This lightest, icy blonde provides effective "silverizing" when applied to gray hair. It's also ideal for creating a "silver fox" look for men. Intermixed with Invisible, it produces the palest platinum toner or can be used to neutralize yellow tones on very light blonde hair. When applied to damp, shampooed, blonde hair and processed for five minutes at the sink, it behaves like a silver rinse."
• 5CG/Cognac
"This lightest, copper gold brown can be described as a rich, spicy, lightest brown with balanced orange undertones—imagine the color of warm autumn leaves in a bottle! It's wonderful for effective gray blending and for adding lustrous warm tones to flat or ashy deep blonde or brunette hair. It also infuses natural color with believable, balanced warm tones."


text: Manokotak 2nd Class City in the Dillingham Census Area Community Details Area Type Community Current Population 492 Population Comment 2013 DCCED Certified Estimate Pronunciation/Other Names (man noh koh' tack) Community's Judicial District 3 Recording District Bristol Bay Census Designated Place (CDP) Yes Borough/Census Area FIPS Code 070 Place FIPS 46890 Geography and Climate Location Manokotak is located 25 miles southwest of Dillingham on the Igushik River. It lies 347 miles southwest of Anchorage. Climate Manokotak is located in a climatic transition zone. The primary influence is maritime, although the arctic climate affects the region. Average summer temperatures range from 40 to 70 °F; winter temperatures average from 4 to 30 °F. Annual precipitation averages 20 to 26 inches. Fog and high winds exist periodically through the year. The river is ice-free from June through mid-November. Community Map Available Yes Map URL http://commerce.alaska.gov/dnn/dcra/PlanningLandManagement/CommunityProfileMaps.aspx Latitude 58.9814 Longitude -159.0583 Sq Mi Land 36.40 Sq Mi Water 0.90 History and Culture History Manokotak is one of the newer villages in the Bristol Bay region. It became a permanent settlement in 1946-47 with the consolidation of the villages of Igushik and Tuklung. People also migrated from Kulukak, Togiak, and Aleknagik. Igushik is now used as a summer fish camp by many of the residents of Manokotak. School was conducted in a church constructed in 1949 until a school was built in 1958-59. A post office was established in 1960. Trapping has been an attractive lure to the area, although it has declined since the 1960s. The city was incorporated in 1970. Manokotak is the fourth most poplulated village in the Dillingham census area. Culture Manokotak is a Yup'ik Eskimo village with a fishing, trapping, and subsistence lifestyle. Federally Recognized Tribe Yes Name of Federally Recognized Tribe Manokotak Village Local Option Restrictions Ban sale, importation, and possession of alcohol. Facilities, Utilities, and Health Care Municipal Facilities & Utilities Piped Water, Watering Point, Piped Sewar, Refuse Collection, Volunteer Fire, Fire Hall, Roads, State Funded Public Safety Officer (VPSO) Economy Subsistence Yes Number of Commercial Fishing Permit Holders 85 Number of Commercial Fishing Permits Issued 105 CDQ Participant Yes Gallon of Heating Fuel Gallon of Gasoline Local Labor Market Info URL http://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/alari/index.cfm?r=6&b=7&p=191&goplace=go Transportation Transportation The City of Manokotak is accessible by both air and water. A state-owned, lighted, gravel airstrip is located one mile north of the village, and a designated seaplane base is also present. Both regularly scheduled and charter flights are available from Dillingham. There are no docking facilities on the Igushik River, and supplies that are lightered each summer must be pulled up to the mud beach. Traveling by boat on the Igushik River can be difficult as the river is made up of meandering loops, which means that many miles must be traveled by water to cover a short distance in air miles. Residents use ATVs, snowmobiles, and some vehicles for transportation. During the winter months, snowmobiles are used to travel on the Manokotak Trail to Dillingham to retrieve fuel. Harbor/Dock No State Ferry No Cargo Barge No Road Connection No Coastal No Legislative Districts Community's Senate District S Community's House District 37 Municipal Powers Incorporation Type 2nd Class City


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Secular Coalition for America - Religion in the Military http://www.secular.org/taxonomy/term/15/0 Atheists and others with no religious affiliation make up 21% of the U.S. Armed Forces, and yet they suffer harassment, discrimination and proselytizing in a military increasingly dominated by a powerful minority of evangelical Christians. The Secular Coalition for America calls for nontheistic service personnel to be extended the same institutional protections and support that traditional faith groups enjoy. en Model Secular Policy Guide for Legislatures http://www.secular.org/content/model-secular-policy-guide-legislatures
The Secular Coalition's Model Secular Policy Guide is a collaboration of the entire nontheistic movement, endorsed by 86 nontheistic, secular and affiliated organizations across the country. The guide covers a multitude of issues affecting secular and nontheistic Americans in public life including health policy, science education, tax exemptions, religiously-based discrimination, and the treatment of nontheists in the military, among others.

The Model Policy Guide is meant to help educate legislators on the views of secular and nontheistic Americans on pertinent issues, and includes historical background and legal precedent. It will be distributed to every office on Capitol Hill, state legislative offices across the country and will also be available on the Coalition's website following the launch events.

Areas of focus include:

Health and Safety

Education

Discrimination

Tax Policy

Military

International

View or download the guide here >>

 "under God" in the Pledge Acknowledging Nontheists Boy Scouts Christian Nation Civil Rights/Religious Discrimination Conscience Clauses Court Stripping Research Creationism/Intelligent Design Faith-Based Programs Judicial Nominations LGBT Civil Rights Marriage Amendment Member Organizations Executive Branch Nontheist Public Officials Official Prayers Our Constituency Privileging Religion Religion in Political Campaigns Religion in the Military Religious Symbols on Gov't Property Reproductive Rights RLUIPA/RFRA Sex Education Stem Cells Vouchers for Religious Schools Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:54:03 +0000 Lauren Youngblood 1800 at http://www.secular.org Atheists Denounce House 'Religion Resolution' http://www.secular.org/news/atheists-denounce-house-religion-resolution
WASHINGTON, DC-- The Secular Coalition for America today denounced a resolution (H. RES. 789) introduced in the U.S. House by Stephen Fincher (TN-8) that attempts to "reaffirm the importance of religion in the lives of United States citizens" and makes reference to the country's "Judeo-Christian heritage."

Fincher's resolution cites a number of cases of religious symbolism or religion being inserted into government, to bolster the resolution's claim that the U.S. is a religious nation. Some examples include the adoption of "In God we Trust" as the national motto in 1956. The resolution also "rejects efforts to remove evidence of Judeo-Christian heritage and references to God from public structures and resources."

"A resolution that 'reaffirms the importance of religion'—specifically a Judeo-Christian religion—in the lives of Americans excludes the many Americans for whom religion is not important, or those who do not identify with a Judeo-Christian religion. This only serves to divide rather than unite Americans," said Edwina Rogers, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America. "This resolution insinuates that because Christianity is the majority religion in the United States, the religion and its followers should be privileged by our government, but this logic is problematic – our Constitution is secular precisely to protect all Americans regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs."

Additionally, the resolution points out that 32 percent of charitable donations went to religious organizations. The overwhelming majority—68 percent of charitable donations—went to charities not classified as religious—including international affairs, health, education, human services, the environment and arts—indicating that secular institutions contribute greatly to the civic character of the U.S.

The resolution cites a 2007 survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey that showed 92 percent of U.S. Citizens believe in God and 78.4 percent identify as Christian. According to more recent statistics released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public life, 16 -19 percent of U.S. citizens do not identify with any religion.

"This resolution attempts to cloud the issue by including statistics that indicate religious Americans are in the majority—in reality, it doesn't matter if one hundred percent of the population is religious, that still does not change our nation's founding principles," Rogers said. "Our Constitution makes no reference to God and instead derives its power from 'we the people', our laws are made by politicians not clergy, and our First Amendment outlines a separation of religion and government that has consistently been upheld by our Supreme Court. Our government is secular—there are no two ways about it."

The resolution also makes reference to the yearly appropriations by Congress for Congressional and military chaplains—an issue that Secular Coalition and member organization, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, takes a stance against. Nontheistic service members do not have a nontheistic chaplain with whom they can discuss their personal values.
 Press Releases Christian Nation Religion in the Military Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:27:58 +0000 Lauren Youngblood 1173 at http://www.secular.org Religious discrimination in the military http://www.secular.org/issues/chaplains/position
Position Paper

For a quick factsheet, click here.

Background

A 2004 report on religious preferences of military personnel conducted by the Population Reference Bureau found that 21% of service members identified as Atheists or as having ―no religion.(1) The report also revealed that 35% identified as Protestants, 22% as Catholic/Orthodox, 11% as ―Other Christian‖ and less than .5% as Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu. Despite data indicating that one-out-of-five U.S. service members identify as ―atheist‖ or as ―having no religion, nontheists serving in the armed services are frequent victims of religious discrimination and coercive proselytizing.

The problem of coercive proselytizing in the military came into public view in 2005 when a report(2) was released showing that officers, faculty and cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs promoted evangelical Christian beliefs and displayed insensitivity towards and harassed cadets who practiced a different religion or who chose to practice no religion at all.(3)

In the last five years, major news outlets have reported at least twenty separate incidents in which military personnel have been harassed, discriminated against and coercively proselytized; The New York Times alone has published seven articles detailing the problem of military proselytizing in various branches of the military, including at military academies. Also widely reported has been the unethical appearance of seven high-ranking, uniformed military officials in a video promoting ―The Christian Embassy, a group that evangelizes among military leaders, politicians and diplomats in Washington. Two of the officers (Gen. Robert Caslen and Col. Lucious Morton), although reprimanded by the Department of Defense's Inspector General for their participation with this evangelical project, were later promoted.(4)

The Rise of Evangelical Associations in the Military

Organizations like the Officers Christian Fellowship (OFC), The Military Ministry of the Campus Crusade for Christ, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and the Christian Military Fellowship (CMF) encourage soldiers to proselytize as their primary mission in the military. A representative mission statement is at the official OFC website. OCF states, "Our purpose is to glorify God by uniting Christian officers for biblical fellowship and outreach, equipping and encouraging them to minister effectively in the military society."

They intend to transform the "entire military society" into one that is a "community of believers with a passion for [a Christian] God and compassion for the entire military society."

They also "call on Christian officers to integrate biblical standards of excellence into their professional responsibilities."

They think that "local or ship-based chapel activities offer prime venues for Christ-centered outreach and service to a military community. OCF acknowledges the chaplain's responsibility for and authority in local Command Religious Programs. Thus, we support chapel-sponsored and workplace ministry activities through prayer, encouragement, and participation. By cooperating with and assisting chaplains and lay leaders, we seek to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the entire military society."

The OCF operates in almost all our military bases worldwide and counts 15,000 US military personnel around the world as members.(5) This organization is dedicated to co-opting military resources and personnel to market Christianity, and its president, MG Robert Caslen, was recently reprimanded for inappropriately promoting religion through his participation in the Christian Embassy video.

Subordinate/Superior Relationships

Federal law requires everyone who enlists or re-enlists in the Armed Forces of the United States to take the enlistment oath. In this oath, military personnel pledge ―to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution states that religion cannot be used as a qualification for public service and that our government can neither neither advance nor inhibit religion.

Despite this oath to the Constitution, assignments and promotions based on religious membership rather than merit have occurred,(6) as have endorsements of religion.(7) In addition, there are reports that military leaders have worked in conjunction with the military chaplaincy in coercing soldiers to attend religious services, and encouraging them to abide by religious laws or proselytize to their fellow soldiers.(8)

The military command structure gives officers, including chaplains, wide latitude in defining insubordination, determining punishment and recommending promotions. It is our belief that service members in all branches learn early, from the moment they begin the enlistment process which includes establishing religious affiliation, that open nontheism is discouraged by the military hierarchy. We also know of cases in which attempts to report violations are met with bureaucratic runarounds and top-down pressure to abandon the complaint. Therefore, among our first policy recommendations is the establishment of effective mechanisms for reporting discrimination, harassment and proselytizing.

The Role of Chaplains

Men and women serving in the military have the right to worship or not worship as their conscience demands, and the chaplaincy guarantees the free exercise of that right. The role of the chaplain is both to ensure that service members are able to practice their religion, and to improve the morale of soldiers.(9) More than 3,800 military chaplains serve in the US armed forces. The largest of the services, the Army, recognizes 120 endorsing bodies—religious organizations that sponsor chaplains. Military chaplains are appointed as commissioned officers with rank and uniform but without command. On bases and ships, during deployment and at all times, chaplains are attached to commanders, working as close advisors in terms of morale and the religious climate, which gives them a special status within the chain of command.

According to the only federal court decision directly dealing with the military chaplaincy's constitutionality, Katcoff v Marsh, "the primary function of the military chaplain is to engage in activities designed to meet the religious needs of a pluralistic military community." Army chaplains are hired to serve military personnel "who wish to use them," the Court observed; they are not authorized "to proselytize soldiers or their families."

Given the chaplains' mandate to serve a religiously pluralistic population, it is unacceptable for them to advance any one religion or religious philosophy over any other, including monotheism over other types of theism or nontheism. They are also forbidden to compel a member of the United States Armed Forces to conform to a particular religion or religious philosophy or compel anyone to witness or engage in religious exercises.

Chaplains are first and foremost officers in the U.S. military. Too often, however, chaplains fail to intervene in cases of subordinates being ostracized, harassed, denied promotions or threatened with physical violence by others in their unit for religious reasons,(10) or when those who hold no god-belief are coercively proselytized.(11) Chaplains have reportedly tolerated disparaging remarks about belief systems, including the statement ―there are no atheists in foxholes,(12) and allowed commanding officers to deny privileges to nontheists that are routinely available to religious members of the armed forces, such as meeting passes.(13)

Chaplains' Knowledge and Resources Problem

The military has failed to ensure that chaplains are knowledgeable about religions other than their own; for example, there is no education in religious diversity during the twelve week Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course and it is rarely taught in the seminaries from which chaplains graduate.(14)

Chaplains without insight into beliefs other than their own are ill equipped to counsel service members with other beliefs or to provide materials or referrals to organizations that speak to their beliefs. This is especially discriminatory in the case of nontheistic personnel: in the absence of training in philosophies such as humanism, atheism and agnosticism (or Buddhism, pantheistic religions or Wiccan, for that matter), chaplains may conclude that references to ―God that do not specify a deity such as Allah or Christ, are adequately inclusive – but that is not the case.

The Secular Coalition urges the Pentagon to improve religious accommodation practices in the military by:

vetting new apointments and promotions to ensure that appointees are committed "to fostering a secular military that protects the religious liberty and freedom of conscience of our soldiers."

issuing a new directive that would require all military branches to update their regulations with regard to promoting religion over non-religion, proselytizing, discrimination and the role and training of chaplains.

conducting a Survey of Military Personnel in order to determine the pervasiveness of the problems of religious discrimination and proselytizing.

establishing a Commission for Religious Accommodation charged with, among other things: creating effective channels for reporting failures to accommodate religious and nonreligious service members' beliefs; investigating such failures and ensuring corrective actions are taken; reporting annually to Congress on complaints; recommending improvements in training and regulations; and ensuring diversity among the chaplain corps that represents the diversity of the military.

 (1) Segal, David R. and Mady Weschler Segal, ―America's Military Population,‖ Population Reference Bureau, Vol. 59, No. 4., December 2004.

 (2) Headquarters, United States Air Force. The Report of the Headquarters Review Group Concerning the Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 22 June 2005.

 (3) ibid

 (4) http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/COLUMNISTS32/805050318 ―Controversy in Appointment of New Commander‖ May 5, 2008. Honolulu Advertiser.

 (5) ―US military accused of harboring fundamentalism.‖ 13 Feb 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/Aleqm5hj_WdsuJSD-7xlcenAGMSPeoCslmQ

 (6) Hall v. Welborn, No. 08-2098 (D. Kan. Mar. 5, 2008)

 (7) US military accused of harboring fundamentalism.‖ 13 Feb 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/Aleqm5hj_WdsuJSD-7xlcenAGMSPeoCslmQ

 (8) Headquarters, United States Air Force. The Report of the Headquarters Review Group Concerning the Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 22 June 2005.

 (9) Katcoff v. Marsh (755 F.2d 223, 2nd Cir. 1985)

 (10) Hall v. Welborn, No. 08-2098 (D. Kan. Mar. 5, 2008)

 (11) Headquarters, United States Air Force. The Report of the Headquarters Review Group Concerning the Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 22 June 2005.

 (12) Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers ―Report on Chaplains.‖ http://maaf.info/rptchap.html

 (13) Headquarters, United States Air Force. The Report of the Headquarters Review Group Concerning the Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 22 June 2005.

 (14) Phone interview. 10 October 2008 with staff at Chief of Chaplain Corps.
 Position Papers Religion in the Military Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:57:12 +0000 Lauren Johnson 925 at http://www.secular.org Government Funding of Boys Scouts' Discriminatory Policies Unacceptable http://www.secular.org/news/government-funding-boys-scouts-discriminatory-policies-unacceptable
WASHINGTON, DC-The Secular Coalition for America is disappointed at the recent decision by the Boy Scouts of America to continue its policy of discrimination against nontheists and the LGBT community.

The Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday that after a two year review, it is reaffirming its ban on gay and nontheistic members. While the Boy Scouts claim they can discriminate because they are a private organization, they hold a Congressional Charter and enjoy support and participation from government agencies and officials.

The Secular Coalition for America calls on the United States government to end any taxpayer funding of the organization while it continues its discriminatory practices.

"It is unconscionable that an organization that discriminates against Americans based on religion and sexual orientation is permitted to do so with the support of the taxpayer funding," said Lauren Anderson Youngblood, Secular Coalition for America communications manager. "If the Boy Scouts is determined to continue discriminating, it should be stripped of all public funding and support from public agencies."

Some of the support the BSA receives from the government are:

The US Code authorizes the Secretary of Defense to lend supplies and equipment and transportation for Boy Scout events.

All branches of the military issue a promotion (to E2 or E3) for Eagle Scouts, the highest Boy Scout rank. This constitutes discrimination in hiring by the military as well as government approval of the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policies.

Equal Opportunity regulations in the military explicitly prohibit support of organizations that discriminate. Yet there is a close collaboration between the military and the Scouts. Department of Defense Instruction 1015.9 directs the Secretary of the Army to the Executive Agent for all components of the DoD to promote scouting among military families as directed by the President.

The U.S. President traditionally serves as the honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America, a tradition which President Obama has continued.

In early 2005, Congress passed a resolution expressing a sense of the Congress that the Department of Defense should support BSA activities through the use of military personnel, federal land use, and other assistance for their massive Jamborees. The 2005 Jamboree cost taxpayers approximately $8 million.

In 2008, Congress voted to pass the "Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act" (H.R. 5872). The bill mandated that the U.S. Mint create and sell as many as 350,000 one dollar coins commemorating the Scouts' centennial in the year 2010. A ten dollar surcharge on each coin goes directly to the Boy Scouts of America, who will net as much as $3.5 million in the deal.

"The Boy Scouts enjoy special privileges from the Department of Defense, including funding, facilities, organization, advertising, and incentives in hiring for their Eagle Scouts," said Jason Torpy, President of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. " The BSA should reject public promotions if they wish to operate as a private organization. If they wish to be quasi-government youth development agency, then the federal government should require they abandon discrimination based on belief and sexual orientation."

Anti-discrimination laws as well as the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment should prohibit federal support of the BSA. The courts have allowed the BSA (as a private membership organization) to discriminate, but the U.S. government must not be permitted to aid in such discriminatory behavior.

"When Congress gives money to the Boy Scouts, it is implicitly endorsing the religious discrimination practiced by the organization," said Youngblood. "They are implying to young boys that only those who believe in god can be good citizens-not only is that immoral, but also unconstitutional."

CONTACT: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA Communications Manager, at 202-299-1091 ext. 205 or email@example.com
 Boy Scouts Press Releases Civil Rights/Religious Discrimination Privileging Religion Religion in the Military Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:45:38 +0000 Lauren Youngblood 890 at http://www.secular.org Secular Coalition Urges Senate to Strike Discriminatory Language from Defense Authorization Act http://www.secular.org/news/secular-coalition-urges-senate-strike-discriminatory-language-defense-authorization-act
Washington, DC—The Secular Coalition for America today urged the U.S. Senate to not include language that protects religiously-based discrimination in its version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 4310, the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2013.

In a press release Tuesday, the Secular Coalition announced its opposition to Sections 537 and 538 which could allow individuals to harass LGBT service members without repercussion and prohibits the use of military facilities for any marriage or commitment ceremonies for gay and lesbian members of the Armed Forces.

The White House released a statement Tuesday in agreement with the Secular Coalition's stance, in which the amendments were referred to as "troublesome" and a "potentially unconstitutional limitation on religious liberty."

"President Obama recognizes that these amendments are potentially unconstitutional, and we hope that the Senate will too–and in turn, snuff out this discriminatory language" said Edwina Rogers, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America. "It's unconscionable that those who claim to defend 'religious liberty' are attempting to redefine that term to excuse homophobic, discriminatory, and harassing actions as well as infringe on the religious liberty of chaplains who support marriage equality and wish to solemnize the commitments of LGBT service members."

The two amendments were offered by U.S. Representatives Todd Akin (R-MO) and Steven Palazzo (R-MS). Akin and Palazzo claim that the amendments were added to the NDAA as a "necessary protection of religious liberty." In a statement released by his office, Akin said that the amendments would protect service members who "are facing recrimination for their sincerely held moral and religious beliefs."

Opponents of this exception have called it a "license to bully" because it carves out a special exemption to protect potential harassment and bullying of LGBT service members, based on religious beliefs. It also opens the door to other types of harassment, including that of nontheistic service members.

CONTACT: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA communications manager …….. 202-299-1091 ext. 205 or email@example.com
 Press Releases Religion in the Military Fri, 18 May 2012 18:10:53 +0000 Lauren Youngblood 678 at http://www.secular.org Secular Coalition Opposes "Religious Liberty" Amendments to National Defense Authorization Act http://www.secular.org/news/secular-coalition-opposes-religious-liberty-amendments-national-defense-authorization-act
Washington, DC—The Secular Coalition for America today announced its opposition to two separate amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that will allow religious discrimination in our nation's military.

The amendments to the bill will allow chaplains and members of the Armed Forces to discriminate against LGBT service members without repercussion and ban the use of military bases to perform marriage or commitment ceremonies for gay and lesbian members of the Armed Forces.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (H.R. 4310), including the amendments, is expected to be voted on tomorrow (Wednesday, May 16, 2012), by the U.S. House of Representatives.

"All American service men and woman deserve to be treated with respect regardless of their personal religious beliefs or sexual orientation," said Edwina Rogers, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America. "It's unacceptable that anyone who has chosen to sacrifice for our country would be discriminated against while doing so."

Chaplains in our nation's military already have the ability to refuse to perform ceremonies or rites that conflict with their religious faith. These amendments, however, allow military personnel to speak out against religiously defined "inappropriate expression(s) of human sexuality" without fear of reprisal. Such harassment of LGBT servicemen and women has no place in our military.

The two amendments—made during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on May 8, 2012—were offered by U.S. Representatives Todd Akin (R-MO) and Steven Palazzo (R-MS).

The language of Palazzo's amendment requires that no military property may be used to "officiate, solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like ceremony, involving anything other than the union of one man with one woman." Akin's amendment prevents chaplains who would wish to perform commitment ceremonies or marriages for same-sex couples from doing so—a direct infringement on their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Akin and Palazzo claim that the amendments were added to the NDAA as a "necessary protection of religious liberty." In a statement released by his office, Akin said that the amendments would protect service members who "are facing recrimination for their sincerely held moral and religious beliefs." Opponents of this exception have called it a "license to bully" because it allows service members to express anti-gay and homophobic views regardless of their impact on the members of their unit as long as they use a religious justification.

The Secular Coalition for America calls for both amendments to be removed from the NDAA before final passage.

 CONTACT: Lauren Anderson Youngblood, SCA communications manager …….. 202-299-1091 ext. 205 or email@example.com
 Press Releases Religion in the Military Tue, 15 May 2012 20:35:35 +0000 Lauren Youngblood 653 at http://www.secular.org Demand That Our Army Supports A Nontheistic Festival http://www.secular.org/content/demand-our-army-supports-nontheistic-festival
Army Garrison Commander Refused to Provide Event Support

 "Rock Beyond Belief," a festival of nontheistic speakers and musicians that was going to be held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on April 2, has been canceled after Fort Bragg's garrison commander refused to provide adequate support for the event – even though Fort Bragg officials had made similar arrangements for a religious event just months ago.

Among those scheduled to appear at the festival were author Richard Dawkins; Dan Barker, copresident of the Freedom From Religion Foundation; "Friendly Atheist" blogger Hemant Mehta; Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation; and musicians Spoonboy and Roy Zimmerman.

Rock Beyond Belief's organizers had asked for lesser or equal amounts of support for their event than the Army and Fort Bragg officials provided for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association's "Rock the Fort" celebration in 2010. You can see a complete comparison of the more than $100,000 in government funds provided to the Rock the Fort event to the funds asked for by the Rock Beyond Belief organizers here.

According to Rock Beyond Belief's chief organizer, Sgt. Justin Griffith, service members without any religious affiliation compose the second-largest "religious" group at Fort Bragg, after Christians. Griffith also points out on the festival's website, rockbeyondbelief.com, that Fort Bragg officially cosponsored the evangelical concert event in 2010 despite calls for the Christian event to be canceled.

He states on the website that Fort Bragg officials explained that "[Fort Bragg] would be willing and able to provide the same support to comparable events." Fort Bragg officials have offered no reasonable explanation for denying a nontheistic festival the same level of support and accommodation that was provided to a Christian festival just months ago. Fort Bragg's actions give all the appearance of discrimination and religious privileging.

The service members at Fort Bragg and all nontheistic service members need your help in being heard now. Please send an email or letter to any or all of the following officials protesting the discriminatory actions of Fort Bragg garrison commander Colonel Stephen J. Sicinski, who has denied equal support and funding for this nonreligious event.

Col. Stephen J. Sicinski
Garrison Commander , XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg
2175 Reilly Road, Stop A
Fort Bragg, NC 28310
Email: email@example.com

Ben Abel
Public Affairs Officer , Fort Bragg
 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
U.S. Congressman Larry Kissell
8th District, North Carolina Member, Armed Forces Committee
 (202) 225-3715
 Email: https://forms.house.gov/kissell/contact-form.shtml

 U.S. Senator Kay Hagan , North Carolina
1-877-852-9462
Email: http://hagan.senate.gov/contact/

Lieutenant General Frank Helmick
XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg
2175 Reilly Road, Stop A Fort Bragg, NC 28310
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com

Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
 1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1400

If you are so inclined, please send SCA a copy of your letter or BCC (blind copy) us at firstname.lastname@example.com on your emails. Thank you for your support of the nontheistic community and for all of our service members.

UPDATE: Change.org has organized a petition to protest Fort Bragg's decision. You can sign it here.
 Action Alert Religion in the Military Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:02:12 +0000 Mike Meno 325 at http://www.secular.org Reject Michele Bachmann's Sectarian Prayer Amendment, Says Secular Coalition for America http://www.secular.org/bachmann_prayer
Last night the Secular Coalition for America and its allies discovered that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) had introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill that would allow chaplains in the military to use specifically-Christian prayers at official military events. The Secular Coalition for America unequivocally opposes this measure, and released the following statement:

 * * *

 The Secular Coalition for America strongly believes that prayers of any kind at official military events are harmful to minority rights, but if chaplains do pray for official events, their prayers should be as inclusive as possible-in keeping with the Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Rep. Bachmann's amendment would force the military to change their regulations and allow chaplains to invoke the religious figures of their choice at official military events, including but not limited to graduations and promotion ceremonies.

 "The primary function of the military chaplain is to engage in activities designed to meet the religious needs of a pluralistic military community," wrote the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985, in Katcoff v Marsh. Army chaplains were hired to serve military personnel "who wish to use them," the Court observed; they are not authorized "to proselytize soldiers or their families."

 Given chaplains' mandate to serve a religiously pluralistic population, it is unacceptable for them to advance any one religious viewpoint over any other, including monotheism over other types of theism or nontheism. To change the current policy and permit references to Jesus, for example, is an insult to minority religions and nontheists of all stripes who serve our nation in the United States Armed Forces.

 This kind of legislative effort marks a disturbing trend. Last week a Virginia State Police chaplain invoked Jesus Christ in prayers during the police department's annual memorial service honoring fallen state troopers. Previously, police chaplains were not permitted to invoke religious figures of their choice at government-sanctioned events, but in April Virginia governor Bob McDonnell revoked the ban on sectarian prayers and the invocation of specific religious figures.

 Father of the Constitution James Madison described government chaplains promoting a majority religion as "majority tyranny." It would be wrong if enacted by our federal government just as it is wrong in Virginia-Madison's home state.

 If Rep. Bachmann's amendment moves to the floor of the House, we urge all Members of Congress to vote against changing current military policy to allow for sectarian prayers.

For Immediate Release: May 26, 2010
 Press Releases Christian Nation Official Prayers Privileging Religion Religion in the Military Wed, 26 May 2010 18:33:23 +0000 Paul Fidalgo 265 at http://www.secular.org Secular Coalition for America Calls Upon Pentagon to Cancel 'Christian-Themed' Event http://www.secular.org/node/242
Nontheist Advocacy Group Also Asks Pentagon to End Relationship with Dobson Group

The Pentagon should respect the constitutional separation of church and state and cancel a planned National Day of Prayer event, particularly in light of its recent labeling as a "Christian-themed event" by an Army spokesman, the Secular Coalition for America said today. The Pentagon should also sever all operational ties to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a radical right wing organization headed by the wife of Focus on the Family's James Dobson, and housed in Focus on the Family's headquarters.

"It is bad enough that the administration is going ahead with an observance of the National Day of Prayer, correctly ruled unconstitutional by the courts only last week. But for the Pentagon to hold an explicitly 'Christian-themed event' around the day of prayer is brazenly out of all reasonable bounds, and explicitly exclusionary to U.S. service members of all non-Christian faiths and of no faith," said Secular Coalition for America Executive Director Sean Faircloth, referring to a characterization of the event by Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins, as reported by the Associated Press yesterday. "This event should be cancelled, and the Department of Defense should apologize to all non-Christians who are being rendered second-class by this ill-advised program."

Faircloth also called upon the Pentagon's chaplain's office to end its working relationship with the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a right-wing, theocratic group headed by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family's James Dobson. "It is difficult to imagine a less wise alliance than one between Pentagon officials and anyone working under the Dobson umbrella. The already-dubious military chaplaincy should end once and for all its connections to Mrs. Dobson's radical group."

On Fox News on April 4, Chaplain Terry Brewly asserted that it was "very true" that there is "no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole," a direct affront to the brave men and women of the military who identify as nontheists. The Secular Coalition for America has advocated strongly for an end to religious proselytizing and coercion in the U.S. military. The group pressed its case for equal rights for nontheist military personnel in its historic meeting with administration officials in February, and its founding director, Lori Lipman Brown, appears in a new documentary on the military chaplaincy, Chaplains Under Fire, premiering at the Newseum in D.C. on April 30.

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2010
 Contact: Paul Fidalgo, 202-299-1091 / press(at)secular.org
 Press Releases Civil Rights/Religious Discrimination Official Prayers Religion in the Military Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:57:24 +0000 Paul Fidalgo 242 at http://www.secular.org Secular Coalition for America Makes History with Administration Briefing http://www.secular.org/makes-history On February 26, 2010, the Secular Coalition for America, along with a unified delegation of members of the secular movement from across the country, sat down with White House representatives for an official policy briefing—the first of its kind for American nontheists. The event opened up new channels of dialogue between American nontheists and the Obama administration, serving as the latest indication that we are gaining significant momentum, and that secular Americans, numbering in the tens of millions, are a constituency that must be included in national policy decisions.

Since our meeting, rightwing groups have been telling the media that ours is a "hate-filled" coalition, but the truth is that our message could not have been more compassionate and constructive. We used this historic opportunity to raise issues such as protecting children from religiously-based medical neglect, ending military proselytizing, and curtailing religious discrimination. SCA President Herb Silverman responded to some the far-right's attacks in his Washington Post On Faith column, and outlined the secular movement's struggle for justice on behalf of all Americans, even those with whom we disagree.

To get a better idea of the positive, inclusive agenda we brought to the administration, take a look at the formal testimony of our presenters:

Liz Heywood, who as a child suffered terribly due to religiously-based medical neglect (Ms. Heywood was unable to attend due to weather, so her testimony was read by SCA Legislative Director Sasha Bartolf).

Jason Torpy, President of the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers, and Kathleen Johnson, Vice President of American Atheists, addressed religious coercion and equality for nontheists in the US military.

SCA Executive Director Sean Faircloth outlined the problems of religious discrimination and misuse of taxpayer funds in the Faith-Based Initiatives program.

The news media took note of the significance of the meeting, with coverage by ABC News, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the McClatchy News Service (appearing in the Miami Herald, the Denver Post, the Sacramento Bee and other large papers). All over the blogosphere, the event remains a topic of impassioned discussion. Over at the Christian Broadcasting Network, one rightwing pundit warned that the SCA and its allies are "influential" and "very effective." We're pretty sure he didn't mean it as a compliment, but we agree just the same.

The Secular Coalition for America has big goals for the coming months and years. We're executing a strategy that will see us expanding our base of issues, increasing our lobbying efforts, and generating new and innovative ways for secular Americans to connect, network, and get active throughout America. As Sean Faircloth said in his closing remarks to the administration:

"It is not our disbelief that brings us before you today. Rather it is our deep belief in the light of reason -- and our confidence that the light of reason and justice will lead us all to a better and more compassionate world."

 Acknowledging Nontheists News Story Civil Rights/Religious Discrimination Faith-Based Programs Our Constituency Privileging Religion Religion in the Military Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:51:48 +0000 Paul Fidalgo 218 at http://www.secular.org seo google sıra bulucu kanun script encode decode google sira bulucu google pagerank sorgulama seo google sıra bulucu ukash kanunlar


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Paul is now part of the fourth generation in America that is involved in farming and hopes the next generation will be involved also. Through his blog he provides analysis and insight to farmer tax questions.
I was not sure if I would be able to write this post a month ago, but Congress and the President came through with some very good changes to the estate law. Beginning in 2011, the top rate will fall to 35% from 55% and estate will only be come taxable $5 million up from $1 million.
Another great addition is allowing spouses to transfer their pre-deceased spouse's unused exemptions. This allows couples to easily escape a $10 million estate from being taxed at the federal level. However, in most cases, states will continue to tax some estate tax on estates under these values.
Now for the drawback to the changes. It is only for TWO years. We will most likely be back in the same situation in late 2012 (of course an election year) and who knows what it will look like then.
We will keep you posted.


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academia agriculture art books cities commons strategies conferences copyright law digital commons economics education enclosure enclosures environment finance food free culture free software Germany government Great Britain history India international Internet land law localism market culture nature ontology open source software peer production politics videos water
I am an author, activist, blogger and consultant who spends a lot of time exploring the commons as a new paradigm of economics, politics and culture. I've been on this trail for more than ten years, working with a variety of international and domestic partners. In 2010, I co-founded the Commons Strategies Group, a consulting project that works to promote the commons internationally.
My work on the commons takes many forms -- as an author, conference organizer and frequent international speaker; as the host of an educational film, This Land Is Our Land: The Fight to Reclaim the Commons; as the Croxton Lecturer at Amherst College where I taught "The Rise of the Commons" in 2010; and as an expert witness for the "design commons" in a trademark lawsuit; among other initiatives.
I was Founding Editor of Onthecommons.org and a Fellow of On the Commons from 2004 to 2010. I have written, co-authored or co-edited twelve books. My first book on the commons was Silent Theft: The Private Plunder of Our Commons Wealth (2002), a far-ranging survey of market enclosures of shared resources, from public lands and the airwaves to creativity and knowledge. Then I extended this analysis in my 2005 book, Brand Name Bullies: The Quest to Own and Control Culture, which documents the vast expansion of copyright and trademark law over the past generation that has enclosed our cultural commons. In 2009, I published Viral Spiral: How the Commoners Built a Digital Republic of Their Own, which describes the rise of free software, free culture, and the movements behind open business models, open science, open educational resources and new modes of Internet-enabled citizenship.
I recently published two books on the commons: The Wealth of the Commons: A World Beyond Market and State (September 2012, Levellers Press), co-edited with Silke Helfrich; and Green Governance: Ecological Survival, Human Rights and the Commons (early 2013, Cambridge University Press), co-authored with Professor Burns H. Weston.
While on the trail of the commons, I have worked with American television writer/producer Norman Lear, since 1984, on a variety of non-television, public affairs projects. I am also Senior Fellow at the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, and co-founder and board member (2001-2011) of Public Knowledge, a Washington policy advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the information commons. In 2012, I won the Bosch Berlin Prize in Public Policy for my commons work from the American Academy in Berlin. This entailed a residential fellowship and travel in Europe.
I live in Amherst, Massachusetts, a place that knows a lot about commoning and so inspires a passionate hometown loyalty.
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The best thing about visiting the "little" versions of other regions is the food. The second-best thing is that the little versions of grown-up animals still look like baby animals. Today's Groupon muddles the experience with tropical tastes, splashes it with Latin locomotion, and garnishes it with extended metaphors. For $10, you get $25 worth of scrumptious Cuban cuisine and drinks at Little Havana Restaurant y Cantina Cubana, a casual Federal Hill eatery that's been serving authentic cuisine for more than a decade. Little Havana's is open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.), Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.), and Sundays for brunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.).
Marta Ines Quintana, owner and chef at Havana Road Cuban Cafe, hails from Guantánamo, a city that has reached new levels of infamy in recent years. But to Marta, Guantánamo's character and trove of positive attributes far outweigh what it's become known for. "I am everything beautiful that Guantánamo has," she told the Baltimore Sun in the spring of 2012, "from food to culture to music to artists."
With Havana Road Cuban Cafe, Marta has transformed a suburban storefront into a tropical retreat. It's here, through authentic Cuban dishes, music, and artwork, that Marta is attempting to change the unfavorable perception that has cast a shadow over her native city. Inside Havana Road, mango-red and lime walls and snapshots of Cuba surround visitors as they dig into ropa vieja (tender Cuban brisket) and mojo pollo asado (boneless Cuban chicken breast). The Cubano sandwich, with its hunks of slow-roasted pork, ham, and pressed bread, has become particularly popular. In fact, in 2011, Baltimore Magazine honored the Cubano—not by nominating it for mayor, but by selecting it as the best sandwich in the city.
Mexico and Italy are an ocean apart, but at Il Capo di Capitol Hill, the culinary team whips up meals that unite their culinary traditions. Pastas, such as spaghetti with meatballs and seafood linguine, represent the Italian portion of the menu, along with Italian-inspired entrees that range from salmon drizzled in lemon caper sauce to steak crowned with porcini mushrooms. For south-of-the-border flavors, diners can opt for chimichangas, chilies rellenos, and burritos, which can also come in handy in propping up uneven table legs. Margaritas and a slew of classic cocktails stand at the ready to wash down the savory bites.
Cuba de Ayer Restaurant owners Jessica and William Rodriguez ensure their dishes demonstrate what the Washingtonian dubbed "the mandate of the Cuban restaurant: The food should never be too fine or too fussy." Their menu lets the traditional food speak for itself, from the marinated pork that arrives draped in sautéed onions to the hearty black beans and rice that accompany thinly-sliced steaks.
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La Terrazza Phuket
Category: Bars & Pubs, Wine Bars
Location: Nai Harn, South Phuket
La Terrazza Sunset Lounge and Bar is a seafront terrace overlooking the sunset and Nai Harn beach in Southern...
Wine consumption in Thailand is becoming more and more popular and wine bars are quickly becoming the newest fad. Customers are move away from socializing at coffee shops and into the wine bars.
The Thai government imposes high import taxes on wines and therefore an evening on wine imbibing can be expensive. There are some good deals to be found with drinkable wines on offer at many establishments in Phuket.
Several upmarket hotels offer occasional wine tasting events when introducing or promoting new wines on the market. Some restaurants host wine tasting dinners and events or offer free flow wines for a set price on certain evenings.


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Why do physics exist? objects interacting ect..?
by realflow100
Tags: exist, interacting, objects, physics
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Nov20-12, 02:02 PM
like how everything bounces off of each other. or collides.. (a pebble dropped onto the sand at the beach for example.. every single particle of sand including the pebble interact with each other.)
why does the known physics exist?
what if there was no interactions between various materials? (various objects passing through each other like the other isn't there?)
Nov20-12, 04:34 PM
We don't know why anything works the way it does, only HOW they work.
If nothing interacted...well, you wouldn't exist. Atoms wouldn't exist. Everything would simply pass right through everything else.
Nov20-12, 05:16 PM
Wow! That's a very difficult question to answer. I'll give my thoughts on it though.
We have observed that everything in the universe obeys mathematical (i.e. logical) rules, which are the "laws of physics". Quantum physics encapsulates this quite nicely - "objects" have "states", and they are said to have interacted when states have changed. All of this happens in a coordinate space we call "space" and "time".
Now I will speculate:
Why does anything exist at all? I think the universe exists for the same reason logic and mathematics exist - because of itself. They are self generating systems.
Imagine then that the universe began with some sort of self generated chunk of logic. That piece of logic would generate "conclusions", which would then interact through their relationships to each other and their "parent" to generate new "conclusions".
At some point we might expect this system to reach some sort of steady state, with "chunks" being steadily created, destroyed, and modified. Note that logic has embedded in it the notion of causality, since it takes an input and generates an output. Using this we can establish both a direction, and a LOCAL quantization of time. 1 unit of local time would be 1 evaluation of the logic.
Now we look at the overall network of logic. Certain pieces are more connected than others - I will call this their interaction strength. Imagine that each "chunk" has "nodes" that it uses to talk to other "chunks". If all the nodes on one chunk can talk to all the nodes on another chunk, we get an interaction strength of n^2. Distance is fundamentally defined in physics as the inverse of relative interaction strength between objects, so we have just produced the 1/r^2 rule of field forces. By extension we have also generated a LOCAL 3D quantized space.
Seems almost too good to be true, doesn't it? It gets better.
Quantum mechanics gives us the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which basically tells us that trying to constrain certain parameters of a particle causes other parameters to become more uncertain. For example, constraining the position of a particle causes the momentum to go wild. Where would this come from in the system I have given above?
Note that I said space and time are locally quantized in this model. This is not true in general for models of this type. Depending on how you set up the system, different particles will see each other as being in different spatial positions. In other words, a particle doesn't actually have a "globally defined position". This means that the dimensionality of the space is actually a decimal very close to 3, but probably less than 3, like 2.999999999 etc. Applying methods of thermodynamics will give the dimensionality of the space, and just like temperature we expect it to become VERY sharply peaked at 3 when the system becomes large.
(to put this more succinctly, a universe with only 2 particles can only be 1D - a universe with 3 particles can be 1D or 2D - add more particles and you get an asymptote approaching 3 assuming you follow the rule for interaction strength)
The lack of a globally defined position means that the position a particle occupies is dependent on what it's interacting with. So in other words, you get things like electron shells and probability waves, but they do not represent truly undefined parameters. It's just that the result of a test is dependent not only on which atom in your equipment interacted, but also on the target's relationship with everything else in the entire universe. Needless to say, this means that detecting any deviation from the probability waves in quantum mechanics is probably impossible (at least in the near future).
Well, that was my rant. It's very hard to present it without a chalkboard, but I tried. Enjoy.
Nov20-12, 08:02 PM
Why do physics exist? objects interacting ect..?
there is an anthropic principle which tells that, if there is no physics, then you and your question will not be exist, so causality between these two should be clarified.
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