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The most inspirational movies? And the winners are ...
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published: April 26, 2012 12:52PM
Updated: April 26, 2012 12:52PM
Looking for a movie to give you a good cry and warm your heart?
Beliefnet can help. The multi-faith website has produced a list of "Top 100 Inspirational Movies." The tally spans a range of genres and offers something for every taste — whether you're a religious moviegoer seeking to lift your spirit or a secular film buff hoping to soothe your soul.
Breaking the tape at No. 1, "Chariots of Fire," the Oscar-winning film about an Olympic runner/Presbyterian preacher who refuses to go for the gold on Sunday.
The silver medal goes to another perennial crowd-pleaser: the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life."
The top 10 list also includes children's films such as "Toy Story" and "E.T.," sports films like "Field of Dreams," "Rocky" and "Rudy," and dramas and biographies ("Gandhi," "The Shawshank Redemption").
"Movies play a huge role in our culture and affect the way people feel about themselves, other people in their lives and life in general," Beliefnet President and CEO Steve Halliday said in a release. "This list is particularly useful for parents who want their families to be entertained through movies that reflect positive themes of perseverance, inspiration and faith, while having fun along the way."
Before you click on the DVD, check out the
. What do you think? What's missing? What shouldn't be there?
Now fire up the popcorn and grab the Kleenex.
Peggy Fletcher Stack
© Copyright 2014 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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First, let's get past the flaws.
The Falcons are thin on the offensive line, sporadic in the secondary. Passes have been dropped. Tackles have been missed. Dunta Robinson, Ray Edwards – sorry, no rebates.
But every NFL playoff team has flaws, even the best one. Ask the Green Bay Packers about their 32nd-ranked defense.
The playoffs open this week. This is a good time for the Falcons to remind themselves of the one absolute truth in football that's never changed, regardless of any second-guessing of the offensive coordinator or the quarterback's Tramon Williams' blind –spot: A punch in the mouth is the great equalizer.
The Falcons have talent. But they are 0-2 in the playoffs under this regime and they've struggled against good teams this season. To succeed in this postseason, they'll need to win on the road, in the cold and/or difficult surroundings — New York this week, potentially Green Bay and New Orleans thereafter. That will require a mental and physical toughness they've consistently lacked this season and certainly in playoff losses to Arizona in 2008 and Green Bay last season.
Coach Mike Smith acknowledged, "I understand we'll be scrutinized in the playoffs. That's a natural. But it shouldn't take away from what we've accomplished so far."
It doesn't take away. But it does leave some with thoughts of an imaginary ceiling.
Smith realizes bragging rights associated with his 43-21 regular-season record, as great as it is, carries a limited freshness date. At some point, the Falcons need to win a playoff game, and that point might very well be now.
One common theme in the two playoff losses: turnovers. The Falcons committed seven. But it's not that simple.
The former linebacker and noted philosopher, Dick Butkus, once said, "When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately — unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something."
Now, this shouldn't be viewed as a rallying cry for the Falcons to take the New York Giants out at the knees Sunday (notwithstanding the comical ramblings of Justin Tuck, who already views the Falcons as cheaters and "dirtbags"). It's more about what Atlanta hasn't been for much of this season and in the postseason: a physically and mentally tough team.
That's odd, given, as Smith said, "A team takes on the personality of its coach."
He coached smart, tough, physical defenses in Jacksonville (as coordinator) and Baltimore (linemen and linebackers). His Jaguars beat Pittsburgh in the 2007 playoffs before losing to unbeaten New England. His Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000. He knows what it takes to be successful in the postseason and has tried to instill that in the Falcons. To this point he's 0-for-2.
"When you're in the playoffs, you know it's win or go home — there's a finality to it," Smith said. "Everything is heightened in terms of your preparation, mentally and physically. You can't look past what's going on on that play, at that moment. The teams I've been on that have won postseason games, they've had that focus. They were prepared for the ebbs and flows in a game."
Smith wouldn't divulge what he'll tell his team the night before the game in New York. But I'm guessing he just touched on elements of it. The Falcons weren't prepared last season before the Green Bay playoff game. Smith acknowledges now that he botched the bye week, giving players "too much down time." He wanted them to be fresh, but by game day they had lost their edge.
The way Aaron Rodgers was playing, maybe it wouldn't have made a difference. But neither would it have been 42-14 in the third quarter.
If the Falcons win Sunday in New York, it will be because they were the smarter, tougher team. That wasn't the case earlier this season against Green Bay, and it also wasn't the case in losses to Houston, New Orleans (twice) and Chicago.
The Falcons have flaws, but those flaws aren't going to keep this team from going anywhere.
"We have talent," Smith said. "We have to play at a higher level than we've played all season to win in the playoffs."
It's the next step this team needs to take.
By Jeff Schultz
January 3rd, 2012
2:48 pm
That Detroit game saved us.
January 3rd, 2012
2:49 pm
Which has little to do with this article, more so I was reflecting after read about these terrible losses. I believe both wild card teams out of the NFC win this week. Detroit rebounds and Atlanta wins narrowly.
January 3rd, 2012
2:50 pm
Also, define 'dirtbag'
January 3rd, 2012
2:59 pm
I think it is good that the Giants just had a big emotional win over their rival Cowboys b/c the Giants have been up and down all season.
Hopefully the "up" last Sunday follows with a "down" this Sunday
January 3rd, 2012
2:59 pm
Our two playoff losses came to eventual Super Bowl bound teams. Hopefully we'll have better luck this year, and make our way to the Super Bowl with a win!
January 3rd, 2012
3:02 pm
C'mon – really? This is not a team know for toughness of any kind, hell just look at our QB. This is the kind of game that we need to go out, smack them in the mouth on both sides of the ball – yes this means you'll have to show up Ray Edwards – and our DB's and WR's (Roddy) will have to play a physical tough game. No drops on 3rd downs, no stupid penalties, just mean smash-mouth I'm gonna whip your a** football.
We do that, let the chips fall where they may. You can be NY will be sorry they ever drew us in the first round. 4 quarters for once…I for one and am sick and tired of one and done.
January 3rd, 2012
3:06 pm
He needs to see what Dan Reeves did
before the NFC championship
game in 1998. Whatever it was, it
worked. That was the best game the
Falcons have played in their entire
history. An away game before a
deafening crowd. Per my recollection
the Falcons had no penalties.
January 3rd, 2012
3:06 pm
If the Falcons lose will they have reached,dare I say it,a plateau?
January 3rd, 2012
3:09 pm
Isn't it a little too late to install ANY type of "toughness" in a team at this point in the season? You are either tough or you are not. Toughness is not something you instill in a person's DNA sort to speak. You either have it or you don't.
January 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm
Have to give a slight edge to the Giants for playing at home, but I think this Falcon team will make it close and easily the best playoff performance in the Smith era.
27-23 Giants…and here's hoping it's the Falcons with the 27 points!
January 3rd, 2012
3:16 pm
I would also add this……
I think the Falcons 6 losses are more indicative of where this team is than their 10 wins. Especially when you gauge the horrendous nature of their losses with the impressiveness of their wins.
With the exception of the two blow out wins (Jaguars and Bucs), the rest of their victories against bad and mediocre team speaks volumes about their ability to handle a team like the Giants team coming up.
Our best chance of winning this game is running the ball effective. Our line is NOT capable of giving Matt Ryan the time to throw anything but 5-yard passes. So this will be Check-Down Sunday and Michael Turner 2-yards and a cloud of mud.
January 3rd, 2012
3:20 pm
I wish the Falcons the best, but I have no confidence in them. I'm looking at another lopsided loss. Sorry,
but after watching them for years I see nothing that has really changed. They are always going come up short
no matter who the players or coaches are.
January 3rd, 2012
3:20 pm
@ Jeff –
" . . . Dunta Robinson, Ray Edwards – sorry, no rebates."
I would also like to add to that line of thought: Peria Jerry and Sam Baker
January 3rd, 2012
3:25 pm
…in his DC to have the cohonees to be more aggressive and less passive in his play calling? And, how about having toughness during the year rather than just the playoffs…
January 3rd, 2012
3:28 pm
Mike Smith: "Coach Mike Smith acknowledged, "I understand we'll be scrutinized in the playoffs. That's a natural. But it shouldn't take away from what we've accomplished so far."
Tell me if that does not sound like a man already conceding defeat? At the very least, he's already patting himself (and the team) on the back and accepting that as a big accomplishment and no reason to "be disappointed" if we don't win another game (1st playoffs).
Although is statement is true, I just believe that in his heart of heart, he don't feel he and his staff can out coach/game plan against the other 3 coaches he will be facing on their way to the Superbowl –all of whom have ALREADY won a superbowl – Tom Coughlin-Giants, Sean Payton-Saints and Mike McCarthy-Packers.
January 3rd, 2012
3:28 pm
…Falcons equal UGA… neither team knows HOW to win when the other team smacks them in the face – they just turn the other cheek and say "shoulda, woulda, if only… bunch of cowards all the way around at both UGA and in Flowery Branch…
January 3rd, 2012
3:30 pm
Hopefully, Smith has learned that when they have extended time off, you can't let up… look at the New Orleans Beatdown. Smith gave them 3 days off before that practice week and they looked pathetic… This team has the talent to win, just need the coaching to facilitate!
January 3rd, 2012
3:31 pm
Jeff, your comments are spot on. I hope the Falcons play with fire in their bellies…….but I'm afraid they won't. Not that I want to go back to the Glanville era, but at least his teams played nasty if not all that well.
January 3rd, 2012
3:33 pm
Falcons need to get real. Running Turner 30 times is a surefire way to win against…the Lions, Bucs, Seahawks, and Cardinals. When you play an elite-level team, you must become creative and use the talent on the team. By my account, Smith and Mularkey have:
Tony G.
Jeff, we must hold these guys accountable. If Andy Reid, Jon Gruden or Sean Payton had this kind of elite skilled talent, they would score more than 16-20 points in big games. Prediction…the Falcons will roll into Giants Stadium as score no more than 20 points.
Sadly, it will be up to the defenese to keep this team in the tournament.
Hopefully Mularkey gets the Jacksonville job. While his system works to a point, he 1) does not manage an abundance of talent well 2) makes minor in game adjustments and 3) cant coach the team to run a screen to save his life. Remember, the screen slows the pass rush down. If you can run it effectively, DEs peel back.
January 3rd, 2012
3:37 pm
"Fire in their bellies?"
Yeah, I'll stay away from that one…
January 3rd, 2012
3:41 pm
P.S. Watch the Falcons on 2nd down of any game. The most conservative team in the league on 2nd down: Turner up the gut…whether its 2nd and 10 or 2nd and 3.
Mularkey is always "preparing" for a play instead of calling one.
January 3rd, 2012
3:44 pm
Great article! @Can you say… – please do me a favor and never ever compare the Falcons to UGA ever again, thanks.
January 3rd, 2012
3:46 pm
The frustration for me is that for about 15 minutes, they WERE that team against Green Bay. It was when the chess match of adjustments started that the Falcons fell horribly behind. Their were poor individual performances, but it's easy to shoot a moving target if you know exactly where it is moving to.
January 3rd, 2012
3:47 pm
There, not thier.
January 3rd, 2012
3:49 pm
"Falcons4Eva" good point about the toughnes, or lack thereof…
I look back at the game last week, crap, I started getting a little nervous wondering if the Faclons were going to flop and let the Bucs back into the game…I was thinking, the Falcons do not play with hardnose intensity where you get the other guy down and you don't even give him an opportunity to say uncle…
We had it last year on the offensive line and I loved it… but (mean stomp the living life out of the other team), we don't have it, and it is too late to find it. should have beat Tampa by 90 points….
…and I'm not talking about (low life cheap shots) by some girl playing corner that needs a haircut…just saying.
January 3rd, 2012
3:51 pm
maybe Smitty can get MARK RICHT to stop by and give an inspiring speech or go swimming with the players.
January 3rd, 2012
3:53 pm
Sly Boarders
January 3rd, 2012
3:47 pm
There, not thier.
How about There, not thEir.
January 3rd, 2012
3:53 pm
Somewhere between the blow out loss to the Saints and the blow out win over the Bucs is where the real Falcon team stands. Unfortunately, something tells me the true Falcons are the team that was totally dominated by the Saints. I'm not drinking the Falcon Kool-Aid.
January 3rd, 2012
3:53 pm
Simply put – if the Falcons don't win this game, they need MAJOR changes.
This is due to the simple fact that the Giants are a mediocre football team.
They beat ONE team with a winning record this year (sound familiar?)
I see the difference in this game being in yards after the catch. If the Falcon backs & corners allow Cruz to bust 10 yards passes into 40 yard gains like he's done recently, we lose. If they wrap up and make the Giants drive the ball, then NY's 1.5 turnovers a game come in to play much more.
January 3rd, 2012
4:07 pm
The Falcons have flaws, but those flaws aren't going to keep this team from going anywhere.
"We have talent," Smith said. "We have to play at a higher level than we've played all season to win in the playoffs."
You Sir, have flaws & need to coach at a higher level!!!
Great record in the regular season since you have been here, same OC & DC, core personnel been together for three years, but your team has two major flaws that have never been remedied and will cost you games..
1. You can't beat elite teams with FG's…self destruct in the Red Zone.
2. Your team can't get off the field on 3rd down, regardless of distance.
These two things have been present for 3 years, where is the coaching at a higher level, especially in the playoffs…what have you done to prepare your team for these two areas??????
January 3rd, 2012
4:09 pm
I think the Falcons' retooled O-line is starting to get its crap together…takes time to forge that chemistry. Turner's going to run for 160 yds and Falcons will dominate the time of posession in NYC.
January 3rd, 2012
4:17 pm
With Melt @ the helm you wanna get tough! He's already tough…
Hey coach, your 2-4 against the winners which down right stinks. Your team is losing in the trenches..And your QB play is adding fuel to the fire…
Look for the Giants O-line to own the Falcons D-Line.. Game,Set, and Match!
Giants 45 Falcons 17 in another disaster meltdown…
Arthur Blank get your short list out, cause your going to need it….
January 3rd, 2012
4:17 pm
Who Me?
January 3rd, 2012
3:02 pm
C'mon – really? This is not a team know for toughness of any kind, hell just look at our QB. This is the kind of game that we need to go out, smack them in the mouth on both sides of the ball – yes this means you'll have to show up Ray Edwards – and our DB's and WR's (Roddy) will have to play a physical tough game. No drops on 3rd downs, no stupid penalties, just mean smash-mouth I'm gonna whip your a** football.
We do that, let the chips fall where they may. You can be NY will be sorry they ever drew us in the first round. 4 quarters for once…I for one and am sick and tired of one and done.
Jacka** alert. You obviously didn't watch every game this year where Ryan did a split on the field and had his ankle bent into a right angle when Svitex stepped on it. Ryan's toughness is clear and obvious. Find something else to pi** and moan about.
January 3rd, 2012
4:20 pm
This is a MUST win game for this regime! The Falcons caught a break in catching the Giants instead of the Saints again, and they have to break through with a win in this game. No excuses, no next time,no next year……….this is a MUST win for Dimitroff/Smith!
January 3rd, 2012
4:21 pm
Go in and punch the Giants in the mouth plain and simple. Don't sit back in that soft-zone BVG. Shut down the run and make NY one dimensional. Bump/re-route those receivers. Don't give them a free run off the line, especially Cruz. Put your defensive playmakers (Moore and Spoon)in positions to make plays. Move John Abraham around to keep the oline and Manning guessing. Utilize the delayed blitz up the middle (See Moore, Decoud, and Spoon). Be creative with the offensive playcalling. Run out of passing formations and pass out of obvious running formations. Keep the defense off balance. Don't run Turner into the ground. Use Snelling and Rodgers. Get Roddy involved early. Throw in a Julio Jones reverse if and when the Giants start over pursuing. Football is not rocket science!
January 3rd, 2012
4:22 pm
And do not drop any of our defensive lineman into coverage on third and longs. It does not work.
January 3rd, 2012
4:24 pm
Eli= TD maker………..7>3
Melt= FG producer…..3<7
Hey Rosenberg, "the legend" those numbers look right to you Genius?
"Deception is the operative word today" Author unknown
Hey IJ, stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!! LOL
January 3rd, 2012
4:24 pm
Please run the No-Huddle all game…that way you take the play calling out of the hands of the incompetant OC, and…you combat the Giants strength, the front four. IS there even 1 single stinkin' screen pass in the friggin playbook??? There should be at least 5 different ones for Jacquizz…for God's sake!
January 3rd, 2012
4:27 pm
How can you be tough if your qb is todays special at Wongs House of Wuss.
January 3rd, 2012
4:28 pm
Memo to Rich Mckay: Greyhound is ready when you are…..You have orchestrated 8 years of futility when it comes to the playoff matrix…….Keep up the good work…(joke) lol
January 3rd, 2012
4:28 pm
I love the Falcons and am going to be pumped up for the game, but reality tells me V Cruz v. D Robinson will be the difference and that is not good news for the Falcons.
January 3rd, 2012
4:31 pm
Eli will show us real QB play in the money Game!
Melt not so much……..Yawn…..
Victor Cruz= The Blur
Julio needs a hair cut! lol
January 3rd, 2012
4:38 pm
Jeff, you and Smith are right. Unfortunately, getting this team to play better than they have all season isn't like switching on a switch.
It is much more likely that we will get what we have been getting, and be at home after the first round.
January 3rd, 2012
4:41 pm
Like I said, put your hands on Cruz and rough him up.
January 3rd, 2012
4:48 pm
We need Grimes healthy to cover Cruz…………no one else has a chance. I'm hoping Moore lays the wood to him.
The weather prediction for Sundays game is 40 degrees with a 20% chance of cold rain. I hope our boys are practicing in the cold to get some what acclimated.
January 3rd, 2012
4:51 pm
It begins and ends with Michael Turner and his effectiveness.
If we get the "tip-toe-in-place before deciding which hole to hit and be knocked back from" Turner, we're in trouble.
If it's the more decisive "I'm going here I don't care WHO is there" Turner, we can inflict our will. That's the long and short of it. Always has been.
We don't have the type of defense that's going to STOP a good offense; we have a defense that, at best, can slow them down. That, coupled with a strong running game, is what wins games for us.
I believe we have the better run game and as good if not slightly better pass game; we just have to avoid 3rd and long scenarios (honestly, on both ends, the way Brees lit us up on 3rd and forevers a few weeks back).
January 3rd, 2012
4:51 pm
If a Falcons' loss in NY would mean that BYG is sent packing then I'd root for the Giants.
January 3rd, 2012
4:52 pm
BVG, not BYG.
January 3rd, 2012
4:57 pm
If we play that soft zone Manning is gonna pick us apart. I'd rather man up, blitz, and go man coverage. Yeah, we might get burned, but I'd prefer that to the wide-open receivers grabbing 10-20 yard passes all the way down the field (like at N.O.). I'd rather die quick than be tortured with BVG's soft zone.
To win, Ryan needs to go with quick, short passes, 3-step drops, and screens (HAHA) and draws. NYG has a great d-line, but their LB's and DB's are average at best.
Why in the hell can't we execute a simple screen pass?
Oh, and why in the hell can't we STOP anybody elses screen pass?
And lastly, just give Julio the damn ball!
January 3rd, 2012
5:18 pm
SOFT is exactly how I'd describe the 2011 Falcons, 'specially the defense and O-Line. Very, very soft indeed. And I'm afraid that it is a result of the team taking on the personality of it's coach. Love the birds, but just don't see them going far in their present incarnation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Categories > Anime/Manga > Yu Yu Hakusho
Kusuri0 Reviews
Kurama comes up with an interesting and effective way to get Kuwabara to take his medicine. KuraKuwa shounen ai, don't like then don't read.
Summary: Kurama comes up with an interesting and effective way of getting Kuwabara to take his medicine.
Warning: Kurama-Kuwabara shounen ai. This is your final warning; if you don't like shounen ai or you just don't like the pairing then DON'T READ IT! I've said this in all of my stories but for you new people here it is again: do not bother flaming me. I am a pyro, it will bounce off of me. Constructive critisism is fine, reviews are welcome. Rating is for brief tongue kissing and fluid exchange.(not that kind you pervs!)
Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all of it's characters belong to Funimation, not me. I'm just borrowing a few of them for entertainment purposes only and I am making no money off this.
Domo Arigato once again to Katzztar for pointing out my misspelling, though I'm a tad late in fixing this one. Gomen!
"Get that away from me!" Kuwabara cringed back beneath his thick sheild of cotton fabric, then broke into a coughing fit.
"Unbelievable. You'll take a punch to the face and hardly flinch, but cough syrup's got you hiding under your covers?" Shizuru scoffed as she tossed the bottle into the air and caught it like a baseball.
"I'd rather take a million punches to the face then go up against Rando, Byakko, the Toguro brothers, the entire Dark Tournament, and Sensui all at once single handedly than go near that disgusting stuff." he retorted. Kurama stifled a chuckle at his lovers adorably childish behavior and patted the young mans head sympatheticlly while silently beckoning Shizuru to him.
"Just leave it with me, I'll see that he takes it." he whispered to her while rubbing Kuwabaras back as he experienced another attack. She nodded and handed it to him before walking out.
"Alright baby brother, I don't feel like cramming it down your throat since it'd make a mess so I'm going out. I'll be back in an hour or so you two. And no sex!" she added before closing the bedroom door, causing her brother to blush scarlet, though it couldn't be seen through the thick comforter.
Kurama placed the medicine on the nightstand for the moment, then scooted closer to his ailing boyrfriend and gathered him up in his arms onto his lap, blanket and all.
"Are you going to come out from under there now?" he asked.
"Are you going to make me take that nasty crap?" Kuwabara counter-asked.
"No, I won't make you take it if you really don't want to, but it would make me happy if you would. I hate to see you suffer so needlessly Kazuma, you know that I feel all of your pain as though it were my own."
"Nice try but I'm not falling for the guilt trip trick." the younger man replied with a sneeze, causing the fox spirit to frown slightly.
'My concern over his illness must be getting to me, that really was quite obvious.'
"I don't know what you're talking about, koi." he said innocently. "I simply asked if you would remove the blanket from your head so that you can get enough air. A sufficient amount of oxygen is important in order for the immune system to function properly."
After a bit of grumbling Kuwabara complied and yanked the covers off of his head, causing a few stray hairs to stick out with static electricity. Kurama gently stroked them back into place and kissed his forehead.
"Thank you. There now, isn't that much better?" he asked. Kuwabara sighed and nuzzled into Kurama's neck.
"I guess." he murmured, enjoying the attention.
"Are you hungry? I know your throat's sore but there's ice cream or pudding if you like." Kurama offered, but Kuwabara shook his head violently.
"Uh uh, I'm still feeling naseous from just thinking about that cough syrup!" he shuddered. "I don't care what the label and commercials say, grapes(1) do NOT taste like that!"
As he was speaking, Kurama continued holding him and stroking his hair to keep him distracted while he had the spider plant next to the bed retrieve the bottle in question, remove the small plastic dosage cup and unscrew the child proof lid. Usually Kuwabara's Spirit Awareness let him know if something was going on, but his cold had drained him of all energy; normal and spirit.
"Is that right?" he asked nonchalantly as the plant poured a tablespoons worth into the cup before re-closing the bottle.
"You wouldn't even have to ask that if you'd taken it. Trust me, it makes you even sicker way before it starts making you better." the oblivious human replied. "No offence but it's just as bad as some of those medicines you made when we were training for the Dark Tournament. I'm having a hard time deciding which is worse."
"None taken. I suppose it's just something I'll have to experience first hand so we can both compare." Kurama replied. With that he allowed the plant to pour the medicine into his own mouth, then grabbed his lovers head and held him in place.
Before Kuwabara even had a chance to ask what he was doing the fox spirits lips were pressed agaisnst his in an instant. He gasped in surprise and the involuntary action caused him to open his mouth, allowing Kurama to open his own and deliver the medicine. As he'd expected there was a struggle against the transaction but the ex-theif held tight, deepening the kiss to distract him from the unpleasant flavor. Since it was the only way to remove the vile fluid from his palate Kuwabara was left with no choice but to swallow. Deciding to make the best of it while he could he returned the kiss for a few seconds before he was forced to pull away for air.
"That was a dirty trick." he pouted when he'd caught his breath again, making a face. Kurama laughed and scrunched up his nose.
"Well it had to be done, koibito. Though I must admit you were right about the taste, it is difficult to tell which is worse."
"Serves you right for not listening to me when I told you how bad it was, and for pulling that stunt." Kuwabara informed him. "And you can't complain anyway, you didn't have to swallow it."
"Well you should have just taken it the first time you were asked, but I am sorry it had to come to that. But now that you know what I'm willing to do when your health is concerned maybe you'll listen next time."
"Yeah, well I don't think Shizuru's going to like that method." the young man said, shakily trying to stand up. In a flash Kurama was up and at his side supporting him.
"She only said no sex, nothing about kissing. And what do you think you're doing trying to get out of bed!"
"I'm going to go get some water to wash the taste out!" Kuwabara said. Kurama simply lifted him up and deposited him carefully back into the bed then tucked him in.
"I'll go and bring you a glass of water and whatever else you like. You stay in bed and get rested. The sooner you get well, the sooner I'll be able to really apologise for decieving you." Kurama purred the last statement in his most seductive voice and kissed Kuwabara's cheek before leaving. The tone caused the young man to blush an even brighter shade of red than earlier, and he thumped his head against the pillow.
'Uh oh, I really had better get some sleep; it sounds like I won't be getting very much when this cold's gone.' he thought before finally closing his eyes.
Anon: Well, there it is.
(1): Despite my utter and absolute hatred of anything cherry, I realised that almost everytime cough syrup's brought into a story it's cherry flavored, so I thought I'd try being original. I think most people would agree that cough syrup tastes bad no matter what flavor it is.
'koi' means love
'koibito' means lover
Title translation: 'Kusuri' is Japanese for medicine, literally 'medical substance'.
Anon: As always, I hope this was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write. Please leave a review, they're very much appreciated. Thank you!


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Wildmind Meditation News
Sep 28, 2013
Mindfulness: Week 8 – Your wild and precious life
John Alex Murphy, The Province: "Week Eight is the rest of your life!"
As I read this bold statement in the last chapter of my Mindfulness book, I was briefly taken aback, but then it made complete sense.
After all, my mindfulness meditation experiences over the past seven weeks have been amazing. I am now able to self-manage my thoughts and spend more time living mindfully in the present moment. As a result, I feel calm and more at peace with my life exactly as it is right now.
I have also discovered that mindfulness meditation is an extremely effective tool for self-managing my…
Wildmind Meditation News
Aug 03, 2013
Mindfulness: Finding peace in a frantic world in 8 weeks!
John Murphy, The Province: There's great joy and peace to be realized if we live our lives mindfully in the present moment, rather than mentally in the past or the future. Awareness is the key to mindfulness, but it doesn't come easily for most of us. It requires commitment, discipline, hard work and daily practice. Meditation is our practice – mindfulness is our reward.
I have certainly been fully committed, disciplined and have worked hard to rehabilitate and self-manage my chronic pain after my accident and head injury.
I have certainly been fully committed, disciplined and have worked hard to rehabilitate and self-manage…


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Tumblr likes to party!
A recent study by Bitly shows a distinct trend in how Internet users tackle their social networking reading each day:
The best time to post to Twitter is in the afternoon, early in the week—from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Bitly. Avoid posting after 8 p.m. and, on Fridays, after 3 p.m… Tumblr is the odd man (or woman) out. Don't bother posting until after 4 pm, with the best times being from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.
Interesting, when you think about the true purposes behind each of these social networks! Twitter is conversational— it's easy to read a few tweets at work when there's an afternoon lull (if that ever happens at your place of business!). Facebook posts are most popular mid-week, from 1 to 3 p.m., as well as on weekend days— but not before 11 a.m., warns Bitly! This seems logical, for those of us who remember our college days a little bit too well…
And then there's Tumblr. A different beast, entirely! More visual than Facebook, more newsy than Twitter— overall, it's best enjoyed "after dark."
Source: ragan.com


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The wants residents to share their thoughts on three possible logos commemorating its 100th birthday in 2013.
Starting Tuesday morning, the logos will be displayed in the lobby of City Hall, 1330 S. Big Bend Blvd. People who want to weigh in can request a sticker to place next to the design of their choice. Attendees of on Saturday will be able to do the same from 4 to 10 p.m. at community center.
(Which logo is your favorite? Visit the
richmondheights.org homepage to vote and share feedback, then continue the fun with Patch's unscientific poll at the end of this article.)
St. Louis marketing agency Twist designed the logos at a cost of $4,000, city communications coordinator Irene Johnson said. Funds were allocated as part of the city's centennial celebration.
Several groups of people already have reviewed the designs:
- Richmond Heights City Council members
- Richmond Heights department directors
- Richmond Heights city employees
- Richmond Heights Citizens Centennial Committee
Feedback collected through Saturday will be compiled early next week and presented to City Manager Amy Hamilton for dissemination to the council.
A final design will be selected no later than Sept. 17 so that the city can begin ordering materials featuring the logo by Oct. 1. Items bearing the new logo will include street signs, city letterhead, select vehicles, the Richmond Heights website and staff T-shirts.
Street signs with words announcing the centennial will be posted during 2013, Johnson said. At the end of the centennial, similar signs without that language will be posted.
A kickoff event for the Richmond Heights centennial is planned this December.
More about the Richmond Heights centennial on Patch:


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|Hello! Everyone! My name's Thumb. I'm Thai people but right now I live in Tokyo, Japan. I'm a graphic design and currently working in pro-wrestling company but my Tumblr will mainly focus on my beloved SKE48!
Since Yagami Kumi, my original oshimen already graduated from the group. From now on my oshimen is Suga Nanako. And I will share everything about her!
Nice to meet all of you guys!
I usually post/reblog things regarding Makiko only but I can make a few exceptions. Especially for these three :D...
Whoa, Holy Nanako!! :D And this Harutamu is just beautiful. HS Trio >*
Reblog again for HaruTamu!!! And NanNan… arggg!!! Nooooooo!!! Why!!!!


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River Cruise News
American Queen Steamboat Company Launches New Website
21 Aug 2014 The American Queen Steamboat Companyhas announce the launch of its new website showcasing sailings through America's heartland and the Pacific Northwest. Highlighting the American Queen and American Empress experience online, the website was designed with digital advertising partner, Fuseidas. The… more
American Cruise Lines Launches New Mississippi Riverboat
04 Jul 2014 American Cruise Lines has successfully launched a new paddlewheeler being built for the Mississippi River at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland. The launching, which occurred on Sunday, went picture perfect. Immediately after being launched into the… more
Steamboating News
Check out our website cruisetricks.de if you're interested in the big and not so big ocean-going cruise ships. Though in German language, you'll find the comprehensive cruise ship picture galleries as interesting as the interactive 360 degree panorama pictures from cruise ship's interiors.
Steamboat Gifts
Check out our compilation of unique and very special gifts for steamboat fans and family. You'll not find these in any regular gift shop. Just added: New highly recommended book - "A Page out of History" by Karen "Toots" Maloy.
Forums & Blogs
steamboat and river news and discussion, with a special forum for the "Save the Delta Queen" campaign.
Steamboat Pictures
Gallery of paddlewheeler and steamboat pictures, includes 360° panoramic pictures of the Delta Queen
Calliope & Whistle
Listen to the amazing sound of a calliope and the impressive roar of historic steam whistles.
Model Building
Find out how to build a true steamboat model from model kits or plans; including a special section for Delta Queen models.
Travel Guide
Learn about steamboat related attractions all along the US inland rivers, from the Upper and Lower Mississippi all the way to the Columbia River. Our online Travel Guide is also available as printed book, "The Steamboat Traveller", for your guidance when travelling.
Steamboats.org Bookstore
Steamboats.org recommends ...
For river cruises, train journeys and other leisure travel, domestic or international, contact our favorite travel agent, Phyllis Dale. She has the experience you need when planning a vacation.
Note: Phyllis does not book day excursions.


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U.S. House of Representatives Passes RAMI Legislation
Late yesterday (September 15, 2014), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Revitalizing American Manufacturing Innovation (RAMI) Act of 2013 (H.R. 2996 in the House; S. 1468 in the Senate). ITIF commends the U.S. House of Representatives for passing this important legislation and calls upon the U.S. Senate to follow suit in quick order. The RAMI legislation calls for one-time funding of $300 million over seven years for the Secretary of Commerce to establish several Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation (IMIs), collectively known as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The IMIs represent unique public-private partnerships between the federal government, local governments, universities, research institutes, and industry designed to accelerate manufacturing innovation in technologies with commercial applications by leveraging resources to bridge the gap between basic research performed at U.S. universities and research laboratories and product development by U.S. manufacturers.
Four IMIs have already been established, including America Makes, focusing on additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D-printing) in Youngstown, Ohio; the Next Generation Power Electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina; the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) at the University of Illinois; and the Lightweight & Modern Metals … Read the rest
Want a world-class workforce? Invest in education
Sometimes statistics just make sense. For instance, the revelation that spending more on education is correlated with a more highly educated workforce is hardly a surprise. To be sure correlation is not causation, but as more states look to cut corners on education spending, it is important to remember the relationship between spending and results.
Using the 2014 State New Economy Index's workforce education score (a weighted score of the educational attainment of the workforce), there is a significant positive correlation of 0.46 between the education levels of a state's workforce and the state's current spending on education per student.
Of course, with a simple correlation it is impossible to attribute any directional causality. Part of the correlation could derive from higher incomes earned by a more educated workforce. Much of education spending comes from property taxes, so wealthy areas where land is more valuable tend to have higher education spending. For instance, education spending is highest in Northeastern states, led by New York ($19,552), where schools spent over three times as much per student as in Utah ($6,206). Resource rich Alaska and Wyoming also spent heavily, though … Read the rest
Will the next Silicon Valley be located in the United States?
In 1956, an American engineer, William Shockley, had an idea that silicon could be used to make transistors, and founded a company in Mountain View, California. The rest is history. The area experienced explosive growth after the invention of the silicon semiconductor sparked waves of innovation. Other firms developed around the Shockley's first company, also developing and improving on the invention. Continual support from nearby Stanford University, along with collaboration between local firms, created an innovative environment ideal for fostering growth. By the 1960s, 31 semiconductor firms had been established in the country, of which only five were located outside the region. Smaller firms providing research, specialized services, and other inputs located nearby the larger companies. Innovation thrived, the local economy boomed, the center of high-tech innovation shifted from the east coast to the west, and the Silicon Valley was born.
The Silicon Valley is a prime example of how advanced R&D tends to focus in clusters- geographically concentrated industries that maximize spillovers from firm to firm and between public and private researchers. Once research concentrates in an area, it is hard to displace, which is why DOE and other … Read the rest
New Government Report Confirms Benefits of Digital Trade
The digital economy has been a major boon to U.S. domestic and international trade, as is documented by a new report by the United States International Trade Commission entitled Digital Trade in the U.S. and Global Economies (summary here). And even though the report shows important benefits from digital trade, those benefits are likely understated. This is because the report limited its analysis to "digitally intensive" sectors, which means that its numbers exclude contributions from firms that only use digital trade as a smaller part of their business.
Still, digital trade has made quite an impact: the report estimates that digital trade has raised real U.S. GDP by $517.1-$710.7 billion (3.4−4.8 percent) by increasing productivity and lowering the costs of trade. By raising GDP, digital trade increased average wages, and the increased wages likely contributed to increased employment by as much as 2.4 million jobs.
Within digitally intensive industries (and likely within many non-digitally intensive industries, although the report focused on the former), the internet has come to play a major role in everyday commerce. Firms in these industries sell nearly a trillion dollars' worth of goods and services … Read the rest
Reshoring optimism, but not much else
You've probably heard the good news. After a decade of being constantly bombarded with news of off-shoring, images of deserted factories, and heart-wrenching tales of laid-off American workers unable to find new employment now that their job is in China, jobs are streaming back into the country, factories are reopening, and we're back to whistling while we work. We've even got a new word for the phenomenon- reshoring.
Just don't look at actual data. Because funny enough, the numbers illustrate that reshoring is a myth.
True, off-shoring has slowed and has maybe even stabilized. But this respite does not mean that manufacturing jobs are reappearing. Yes, there are isolated instances which your local paper can emphatically cite. However, there is no evidence that America's manufacturing woes have magically worked themselves out, or that a significant number of jobs that left for China and Mexico are being shipped back.
The truth is that even since the recession, more manufacturing firms have been lost than created in the United States. Manufacturing establishments (the number of factories or manufacturing sites), have followed the same trend. In 2011, the United States was home to … Read the rest


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I was totally, TOTALLY stoked for Worgen leading into the Cataclysm launch. I'm primarily an Alliance player, so Goblins were a distant second place in my heart. I mean, come on, playing a green Mini-Me or playing a freaking ninja werewolf... how is there even competition there?!
Unfortunately, the reality of the new races has not met up with my expectations at all! I rolled my Worgen Rogue first. While I loved the atmosphere of the starting area, the quests seemed to drag on by the end, and the Night Elf connection felt as contrived as it sounded when I read about it pre-launch. The Worgen animations seem too cartoony to fit with the dark atmosphere and more-gritty-than-normal design of the Worgen. The male models look like they're in desperate need of a chiropractor, and the female models look like they're trying to decide if they're half wolf or half doe. (Yes, that's a comment on the faces.)
Worse than the aesthetic elements, however, is the significant lack of integration into the game world. I mean, you get to the end of the starting area, then get dumped near Darnassus, where your wolf people live in a weird little wolf tree. How did we go from gritty, London-esque werewolves to tree-dog-people? From this point on, we see the occassional random Worgen NPC, but there is little NPC discussion of bringing the (admittedly monstrous) Worgen into the fold of the Alliance. It's as if somewhere in the background, werewolves that up until this point had been known to mindlessly slaughter folks just showed up (off-camera) in Stormwind and said, "Oh hey Varian, just wanted to let you know, we're cool. Oh, and we're going to start running around your city all wolfy-like, so don't freak, m'kay?"
And the dances pretty much suck. Oh, and the VOICES! Blah.
All things considered, I've found the Worgen to be a pretty major letdown. Their lore has been under-utilized to this point, the models and animations are mediocre, and they're just generally kind of odd, leaving a feeling that they were tacked on as the "Alliance race" for this expansion, rather than given the development time they were due.
And then, you've got the Goblins.
It doesn't take an artistic genius to see that Blizzard clearly spent more time working on the model design of the Goblins than they did working on Worgen design. The Goblins are, in my opinion, the sharpest-looking models in the game. Few, if any, other character models convey the same level of attitude and personality as the Goblins. The animations are also cartoony, but in a way that fits with their aesthetic. I have been particularly impressed that I've been able to enjoy the Goblin animations when Gnomes drive me nuts to the point that I can't play them. Kudos on that.
The Goblin starting quest line, while quite long, does a good job of setting up the character of the race. I found the sometimes over-the-top humor to be a great reminder of my time listening to my Goblin Sappers run gleefully to their explosive deaths in WarCraft 2 and 3. While I can understand why some may not care for the quests, I think they were a faithful representation of the Goblins' history in WarCraft lore.
Since leaving that starting zone and making my way to Orgrimmar, I've felt that the transitional quest that brings you to Grom was far less jarring than the transition of the Worgen into the Alliance. After that point, Goblins have far less of a "sore thumb" effect within the Horde than the Worgen do in the Alliance. The Goblins also have Azshara to serve as a post-intro home base of sorts, right outside Orgrimmar. (The Worgen have a settlement on the very southern edge of the Blasted Lands. Woo?)
The sound design for the Goblins, while sometimes obnoxious, fits with the aesthetic of the race, and is far less annoying than the "let's-see-if-I-can-sound-like-I-smoke-a-carton-a-day-in-the-UK" voices of the Worgen.
The dances are also more fun.
TL;DR version -- The Worgen have been a pretty big disappointment, and clearly suffered from a relative lack of development time (finishing up the female models in the lead-up to launch, Blizzard? Really?), but the Goblins have been a surprisingly awesome addition to the game, and have become this Alliance player's favorite race--and a major temptation to switch to the Horde.
I have not tried a Goblin yet. But the Worgen start is OK. The time line seems cramped as it only seems to petrain to wild worgen and the undead atk on the homeland. So the quest line is more 'focused' but OK. Better than thinning this race/beast and then still have as many after ya kill a hundred running around!
As for animations, they are OK EXCEPT for running wild. With a 1.5 sec cast time (mounting time) the animation really LACKS. You go on all 4's long before the end of cast and I frequnetly interupt it! need to be something like transforming animation where the animation ends when the cast is finishing. However, as said, animations and developement was lacking/falling behind with Worgen compaired to Goblin!
As for the starting zone, it's DEAD after you are dumped in NE area! no mention of the above settlement. It's just a dead zone and as a race/kingdom, I don't think we saved much so it seems as a failure! no real home, few worgen NPC's. Most are inside a heroic and do nothing! I really hope they do something with home area. Or find a place where we can call a home! In Org, each class have an area AND an AH/bank!!


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Okay, I'll admit I should probably "lighten up". I now realize after only a few minutes that my comment could easily be taken as offensive, and it is not my intention to stir up dramatic crap on my favorite website.
It was just a knee-jerk reaction and I apologize, for I was very recently involved in a dramalicious guild affair in which the female was treating her "love" in such a manner seriously (not jokingly), you know, I say "I love you", but I mean "I love having someone who I can take advantage of so easily and often".
So congrats to the happy couple if it really was just a joke and they have an excellent relationship! But my disgust for women who ACTUALLY walk all over their fellas like this stands.


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Probably Not Coming Back
So I made a call to McDonald's and asked them if onion nuggets were available in any location. The representative I talked to told me he had never heard of them before, and so I started to fear that our dream was dying or already dead. He then told me he found a reference to them in the system—some footnote or something. All it said was "text removed from menu in '79". He wasn't sure about the date, but that was his best guess (I guess it was a scanned form or something printed). I asked him if there were any "plans to bring onion nuggets back." He told me if their only mention was a footnote on some page, there were probably no plans to bring them back.
So, loyal fans and want-to-be fans, all we can do is hope…but the outlook, to quote an 8-ball, is not good.


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For most of my career, I've known and respected Grant Heilman, a talented photographer and long-distance business friend. Never in my wildest imagination did I know the "full picture" until reading his obituary. He died at 94 this winter—I would have guessed he was 15 years younger—as a stealth decorated World War II veteran. He was an artistic, pastoral person who I would have never suspected was a decorated counterintelligence operative! I'm humbled by his contributions—and dismayed that I never knew it and thanked him for his courageous service.
Knowing that a disproportionate number of those in the military hail from rural areas, all of us in farm country likely have neighbors or perhaps loved ones who served with valor. If you know someone to honor, let me know.
Submit a photo and overview of his or her military career and we'll include them in a future Farm Journal feature that pays tribute to the sacrifices and service they made on behalf of all of us. Email email@example.com or send a letter to Farm Journal Heroes, P.O. Box 958, Mexico, MO 65265.
Let's do this while we still have time.
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Emergency Preparedness Today
A public safety, emergency management and emergency preparedness journal. Articles cover homeland security, counter terrorism, community resilience and disaster management subject matters.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Moving Towards Smarter Immigration and Border Control
In large measure, the influx of illegal immigrants into the United States is being facilitated by systemic processes fostered by transnational drug cartels and other organized criminal groups that seek to profit from human smuggling. Successful border exploitation is a result of decades of experience through trial and error associated with drug trafficking. In the evolution path to human smuggling, there is the early experience of the "mule". These are illegal aliens encouraged to cross borders with contraband. Enterprising criminality quickly recognized that humans themselves are merely another form of contraband form which to profit. Human smuggling is simply a natural outgrowth of a matured and operationalized illegal drug trafficking phenomena.
In this regard, Illegal immigration bears the hallmarks of a large scale, organized criminal enterprise with hierarchal command, divisions of labor and functions, specialization, communication and transportation systems and money laundering infrastructure. The picture of a poor immigrant family picking up roots on their own and making their way to a new way of life is outdated. Illegal immigration is big business. Criminal syndicates operate across borders through untold numbers of "street soldiers" recruited through gangs operating in the United States and abroad. Beneath the surface, a highly adaptive and effective system exists consisting of recruiters, safe houses, look-outs and counter intelligence, document forgers, identity thieves, chop shops and auto-body repairers, transporters, enforcers, money facilitators, and guides. Drug trafficking, human smuggling and gun smuggling all share the same ecosystem of illicit activities. When we fail to gather information that helps to define the nature and extent of this far reaching system and how it operates, we limit our understanding and deprive ourselves of the ability to effectively combat and defeat these activities.
In many ways, we are currently hindering our ability to discover essential information. Currently, efforts to police illegal immigration are effectively segregated from other law enforcement activities that focus on criminal activities. This is further compounded by numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have different jurisdictional and enforcement mandates rendering day to day cooperation and information sharing among agencies challenging. Local law enforcement is the most effective day to day information gathering agency because it is embedded in the local community and has a more intimidate understanding of what is happening on the street. Yet, as a matter of federal policy, local law enforcement is unable to enforce illegal immigration laws and detain illegal aliens. The best local law enforcement can do is refer the matter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement which, in turn, is overwhelmed and allows individuals to remain free on their own recognizance except in the most egregious cases. Being by nature transient and wishing to evade enforcement, most illegal aliens never report back and melt into the landscape. On the other side of the coin, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has no idea where most illegal immigrants are located at any point in time and the data that is available is often stale or erroneous.
Despite these problems, illegal aliens have been given access to public educational and health and welfare programs without any form of verification as to their stay status, and in many cases stolen social security numbers and other false documentation is presented. Public welfare institutions and healthcare facilities are blocked from verifying identity or reporting the presence of illegal aliens to law enforcement. So, at all levels, the ability to gather information about the whereabouts of illegal immigrants, is either nonexistent or exists in silos.
Therefore, one of the first steps to beginning to solve illegal immigration problem is knowing the nature and extent of the problem, and beginning to unravel the means, methods, persons and organizations behind this phenomena. This can occur with a combined effort among federal, state and local agencies to actively track and record the presence of illegal aliens. Law enforcement, schools, hospitals, and public benefits programs must be enlisted to report the identity and presence of illegal immigrants. Further, the use of social security numbers should be required to be reported to a national database to begin to ferret out identify fraud. Assuming there will be policy towards allowing illegal immigrants to stay under a documented worker program, there should be a requirement that illegal immigrants provide key information that can assist authorities in developing a better understanding of the system they are fighting. This information would include where illegal immigrants came from, how they were recruited, who recruited them, who helped them and how they made their trip, where did they stop, etc. Just like an employment application, truthfulness and accuracy should be required as a condition to stay and any inaccuracy should be grounds for deportation.
Over time, a reservoir of data and associated trends and correlations will begin to emerge. Americans have an uncanny ability to tackle complex problems when they put their minds to it. Being able to track, quantify and analyze illegal immigration should be something that stands above immigration policy. Information collection will empower policy makers and those with the responsibility of enforcement. When we begin to recognize that the border does not stop at the border, and illegal immigration effects every community, we will recognize that border protection is an internal matter that is best addressed by all communities working together, and it starts with gathering and sharing information.
Monday, October 14, 2013
The Global Crime & Sex Syndicates & the Internet
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Kenya Mall Terror Attack Reinforces a Disturbing Pattern
|"Mall Security" Photo Attribution: Creative Commons - Share Alike 2.5
The ongoing terrorist siege of a Kenyan Mall offers another clue in the evolving strategy of radical Islamist terrorists. As I have previously written, the Mumbai Hotel attacks represented an evolutionary step in terror thinking. With the hardening and increased security around air transportation, terrorists have changed tactics and moved to other more vulnerable civilian targets. Generally, places of routine mass public gathering are becoming more alluring targets because of the general ease of access, high concentration of potential victims and relative light security.
While different from the multi-pronged coordinated Mumbai attack, the Kenyan Mall attack bears a similar signature because it was a commando style terror operation with reportedly up to fifteen well-armed terrorists. The attackers are members of Al Shabaab, a Somali terrorist organization linked to al Qaeda. Information is being reported that the attackers are multi-nationals, which includes United States and European persons. At least 62 are confirmed dead, and another 175 injured. As of this writing, Kenyan security forces are entering the fourth day of engagement and have not yet taken full control of the mall. An unknown number of hostages are being held which is undoubtedly complicating matters for security forces.
As this gruesome terror event unfolds, several early key observations can be made. First, the attack carries another commando style signature with a large number of attackers applying overwhelming force to a public place. Any reasonable form of onsite security (whether armed security guards or local police presence) would have been outnumbered and out gunned. Second, the attackers employed a revenge based terror operation where death and mayhem is the aim in itself rather than hostage taking to achieve a worldwide political stage as was the predominant motivation in the last century. Hostage taking in this case, like Mumbai, was a secondary tactic to blunt a security response to the initial attack. Third, security forces again showed themselves unable to muster an effective early tactical response to the attack. The reasons for this remain unknown but we can suspect they are similar to past events where numerous local, regional and federal law enforcement agencies and military and special anti-terror organizations respond en masse but are unable to communicate effectively, lack information and lack command and control to organize and undertake a coordinated response. If anything, it is well understood that in the case of an active shooter scenario, time is of the essence and immediate engagement of attackers is critical to limit loss of life. In the case of active shooters in places of mass public gathering, it is necessary to quickly engage suspects with deadly force to deny freedom of movement and their ability to seek out and target more victims.
In order to maximize quick response tactics, the ability to see and hear inside of the place where the attack is unfolding is crucial. A lack of information as to what is occurring, where is it occurring, and by whom and how many, creates indecision, delays in response and de-leverages response assets and personnel. In the Kenya Mall attack case, like in the Mumbai terror attacks, real time information from inside the mall was and is available from victims via mobile phones and other recording devices. Also, security surveillance cameras inside the mall can provide critical views of the scene inside. Being able to share this video on-demand with first responders is a critical tool in enabling a quick assessment of the situation, identifying potential suspects, assessing their weaponry, and locating and tracking their position and movements. Being able to seamlessly communicate among multiple responding security forces, and also to enabling communications between victims on the inside and first responders on the ground provides invaluable up to the minute intelligence. These capabilities are critical force multipliers and provide security forces with the ability to organize, gain tactical striking advantage and adapt in real time in order to bring maximum force to attackers and quickly size uncontested space and extend protection to those who may come under threat.
The ability to thwart a large scale command style attack on a public space may not always be preventable, but the ability to limit loss of life and subdue attackers more quickly and effectively is achievable. Placing adequate numbers of well-armed security personnel at every public gathering space is neither affordable nor practical. However, ensuring real time interoperable communications and multimedia sharing among security forces, emergency support agencies and critical infrastructure during a crisis can be achieved with minimal cost and can vastly improve response effectiveness. For the United States, we must remain vigilant and prepare for attacks of this nature. It would seem to be only a matter of time before an event similar to the Kenyan Mall attack or Mumbai hotel attack will occur. The ability for a dozen or more foreign terrorists to enter into the country and bring high power, high capacity weapons undetected through our borders remains a serious threat vector. Once inside the country, the ability to plan and organize an attack becomes easier especially in larger metropolitan areas with diverse multi-ethnic and multi-national populations where residents are less likely notice the presence of foreigners as anomalous or unusual. Special attention should be paid to in-door malls and large scale hotels that have limited public access points and create bottleneck environments. One of the surest ways to reduce loss of life is to provide more means of quick egress. This notion is contrary to popular concepts of retail design where physical space and pedestrian flow is designed to keep shoppers inside the shopping space as long as possible before exiting.
Because large scale malls tend to be in suburban metro areas, it is worthy to note that the quick reaction and special tactical units maintained by larger city police forces are not in immediate proximity to the mall and generally lighter armed, local area law enforcement personnel will be the first responders on scene. The ability to quickly gather intelligence from security guards inside the mall and from security cameras will be essential to maximize an effective immediate engagement and also allow for heavier armed and trained anti-terror personnel to respond as soon as they arrive on scene. Coordinating with local hospitals and trauma centers, EMS and emergency transport will also require coordination so that victims are quickly extracted, triaged and moved to the nearest hospitals. Even basic traffic control and securing unimpeded routes becomes a matter of life and death and requires coordination from the mall to medical facilities.
In recalling the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy, it is widely recognized that emergency response was exceptional with marathon route areas quickly secured and bombing victims quickly attended to, stabilized and transported to local trauma facilities. But, we should not be deceived by this extraordinary response. In that case, emergency personnel were pre-deployed for the event. Medical staff was on hand. A large police and fire force was deployed on route, and massive emergency response pre-planning occurred, including event specific communications. The same will not be the case in the event of a large scale attack on a mall or public place of routine mass gathering. There are too many and they are everywhere. In these cases, should an unexpected large scale terror event unfold there will be a massive response that will follow and there will be a need to adapt to the place and events occurring on the ground. Flexible and agile seamless inter-agency communications and information sharing will be essential in organizing an effective response. Effective communications and accurate real time information sharing remains the linchpin to improved safety and security and an enhanced emergency response. The capability exists to enable what is needed to make our communities interoperable. Once again, another tragic incident reinforces the urgency of this need.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Real Time Interoperability for School Safety - Active Shooter Response
|Hartford School Active Shooter Exercise - All rights Reserved. Mutualink, Inc
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Kabul Hotel Attack Reflects Emerging Terror Strategy
As recently as a week ago, Fox News reported that intelligence obtained in Somalia pointed to a potential Mumbai style plot aimed at a luxury hotel in London. Earlier in May, 2011, Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior Al-Qaeda leader threatened Mumbai style attacks on Europe, as reported by The Sun, a U.K. based newspaper. Overall, the gestalt of the Islamic inspired terror network seems to be shifting towards this style of attack.
As noted in past analysis, hotels, particularly luxury-style international hotels, are attractive targets. This is because of their symbolic representation as centers of western business and commercial interests, more affluent clientele and high value targets are present, and there is a cross section of various nationalities and religions peaceably coexisting in contravention of extremist ideals. Most significantly, hotels are soft targets.
For all intents and purposes, hotels have no effective means of resisting or thwarting an armed assault. Further, hotels can be easily surveilled and penetrated, because they are generally open to the public and there are transient visitors. Militants can pose as guests with a minimum of suspicion, especially in international hotel venues where peoples of diverse origin are present. Finally, smuggling weapons into hotels is a low risk exercise because weapons can be concealed wiithin baggage without arousing suspicion, and groups can quietly build by staggering their check-ins, concealing their association.
In terms of high impact and low personnel requirements, hotels offer themselves up as good targets as well. Hotels house large numbers of guests that are generally confined to floors with a limited numbers of exits and common egress stairwells. By controlling lower level floors, entire facilities can be effectively controlled with a limited number of militant personnel. Effective control can further be projected by detonating bombs or starting fires and maintaining fire zones at main doorways and entrances covered by shooters. Once control of the premises is achieved, members of the terrorist team are set up to sweep from the bottom to the top of the hotel facility executing guests, taking hostages and/or planting explosives.
Once physical control over the facility and hotel guests is established, the terror group has achieved a position of strength. Efforts to dislodge hostile operators by direct assault become a high risk operation due to concerns about potential collateral losses, the use of human shields, and/or triggering a preplanned mass killing event. This psychological advantage is likely to be more effective in Western countries where both real time news coverage and more open government create intense political pressures not to place hostages and victims at further risk. This situation also plays into the hands of the terrorists by providing a global stage for protracted hysteria and attention.
In both the Mumbai attack and Kabul Hotel attacks, the terrorists were wearing suicide vests and were operating to inflict maximum loss of life. Looking at other prototypical terror attacks such as the Beslan School incident and Moscow Theater attack, Islamic militants also intended to ultimately kill as many hostages as possible. Once they consolidated hostage groups, they extensively wired explosives in holding areas and detonated them.
These behaviors speak to the need for Western police and anti-terror units to quickly respond to any attack and actively engage hostile actors to deny them the ability to establish control over the facility and interrupt or delay planned operations that can further entrench their position and/or gain mass killing opportunities. With regard to hotel facilities, it is nearly impossible to adequately secure these venues. Attentiveness on the part of Hotel personnel in identifying suspicious actors is essential. Hotel personnel must be capable of identifying anomalies such as unusual numbers of younger single men originating from suspect destinations checking in with overlapping stay dates. Persons who are overly protective of their baggage and refuse to allow others near it may be a sign of unusual activity. Persons that are evasive as to the purpose of their stay, that are secretive or avoid public interaction may be a sign of suspect activity.
In addition to being alert, hotels must improve response coordination capabilities with law enforcement. In cases of an emergency, a rapid response aided by real time situational information that can assist a quick reaction force in effectively engaging and contesting militants. Allowing police to view the interior of the hotel through the sharing of security camera feeds would provide a tactical edge over the militants by enabling responders to identify militants, their positions and weaponry, command elements and monitor movements. Similarly enabling direct communication between on-scene responders and hotel staff and guests via cell phones, mobile chat, and even streaming video from smart phones, provides additional "eyes on" capability and situational awareness that can provide responders with a lifesaving edge.
The threat posed by this new mode of terror attack is not insignificant and offers many challenges to homeland security and public safety agencies. While we hope plots can continue to be successfully detected and thwarted before they become real operational threats, we must be prepared to handle and respond to a commando style terror attack. Hotels can be better prepared for these security risk scenarios and should invest in concealed video monitoring systems, interoperable communications and video sharing capabilities so they are equipped to give responders the information they need should the quite thinkable occur.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
School Emergency Preparedness Requires More Focus
What would happen if a major catastrophe like the Tsunami in Japan struck during schools hours in your community? Do you know what would happen? Would you know where your children are, how to get them or what their condition is? Is your school really prepared to really take care of your kids?
These questions came to mind when looking at a picture from NBC news showing a mound of several hundred muddied and torn school backpacks collected in a pile in the midst of a devastated landscape. The caption for this picture read:
"Schoolbags are recovered from Okawa elementary school in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on March 22. Only 24 of 84 schoolchildren and 13 teachers have been found alive so far. After the earthquake hit, all the schoolchildren and teachers prepared for evacuation in the school yard. Some children left for their homes with family members. While the rest of the children were waiting to be collected, the tsunami hit."
What struck me was the matter-of-factness of the numbers. Sixty children from an elementary are missing and presumably dead, but nobody can say with certainty. How many other school children suffered similar fates we do not know either.
But as we contemplate the heap of lifeless school backpacks, each one recently attached to a child, I ask again is your school ready? Are we taking this kind of emergency scenario seriously enough? Here are some basic questions:
- Is your school capable of being an emergency shelter with ample food, water and electricity during a prolonged emergency?
- Is your school earthquake proof? Is it hurricane proof? Is it in a flood zone?
- Where do the children go if they must evacuate the school during an emergency and shelter at another location? Do you know where it is? Would you know if they were moved?
- How will you be able to get information about your children's location and health status? Is there multiple means of communication and information dissemination set-up? Do you know what they are?
- Does your school have real interoperable communications with police, fire, ems and emergency management?
- Who is in charge and what is the chain of command in emergencies? Are they trained to make critical assessments and handle emergencies? Are they certified in NIMS-ICS procedures?
- Does your school have back-up satellite communications? If not, why not?
- Is there an emergency store of critical medications that your child may need for prolonged sheltering? If not why not?
- Is there a full time nurse on staff? If not, why not?
- Is there family disaster assistance plan for teachers and others who must take care of kids, or will they abandon your children if things really get bad because they must take care of their families?
- Is there a system that will enable youngsters to communicate with parents during an emergency or while sheltering away from home?
- Is there a procedure for periodic roll call and status of students? How does the school monitor egress?
- Is your school staff trained to handle and alleviate the psychological stress that young children will feel during an emergency?
- If something happens to you in an emergency, does the school have alternate pick-up plans?
- Can you pick up your children during an emergency or will you be locked out the school and be placed in danger? How does the school communicate that to you?
- Does the school have a policy making sure siblings are reunited and sheltered together?
- What plans are in place to deal with genders if sheltering in place is required? Will male teachers be left along to care for young girls? Should they?
While school budgets always seem to be tight and many priorities must give way to others, there are many reasons why investing in emergency preparedness and resiliency must take a priority at local and state levels. We have seen the consequences of schools involved in major emergencies, whether it was in the China earthquakes, the Japan Tsunami, or the many unspeakable acts of terrorism committed against schools throughout the world. As a society and has parents, we have a duty to protect our children, and the complacency is frightening.
There are few states that seem to be taking some important initiatives. In 2010, New Jersey passed a a law (New Jersey Statutes Section 18A:41-1) requiring that schools coordinate and work with emergency responders to implement and update school safety plans, and implement drill, management and emergency response procedures. The New Jersey law also mandates that full-time school employees receive training on school safety and emergency drills.
In Colorado, a new bill (Colorado Senate Bill No. SB11-173, "Interoperable Communications in Schools") concerning interoperable communications for Colorado schools is pressing forward. Sponsored by Senator Steve King, this bill should serve as a model for action in other states. Without robust interoperable emergency communications and real time information sharing between schools and first responder, emergency management and emergency support function agencies, the framework for ensuring coordinated and effective live saving response is missing. Simply using a public 911 emergency call mechanism during an emergency for a school is woefully inadequate for a myriad of reasons, including the basic fact that a major community resource with hundreds of at-risk children is competing for assistance and call time with the general public and repetitive and possibly flooded call banks. Moreover, a method of constant situational awareness and coordinated effort is required at the beginning, during and after an emergency. This communication capability also serves as a means for important tabletop and field exercises and training, so that the school staff is capable of responding appropriately and effectively during a disaster or emergency.
At the end of the day, schools must be properly equipped, have practiced emergency plans in place, and the school staff must be trained and prepared to deal with large scale emergencies, because they can and do happen. Emergency preparedness and resilience requires an investment in time, focus and resources for unknown or unpredictable events. In many cases emergences are o remote that initiatives often lose their rightful priority until it is too late. Emergency preparedness is not attractive and sexy like sports and other popular school programs, but they are vital to the long term safety of our children.
There is no single greater force for change than parents, and of all the issues confronting schools emergency preparedness and resilience should be front and center, because the lives of our children may depend on it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Resiliency in the Modern Society: The Japan Earthquake Lesson
March 17, 2011
As Japan urgently struggles to combat the predations of a massive earthquake and tsunami, the forces of chaos have offered up another sober warning that societies are fragile. The everyday certainty and reliability experienced by citizens and leaders of modernized nations obscures the inherent vulnerabilities attendant to complex economies and societies functioning in a deeply interconnected and interdependent manner. The paradox that the Japan earthquake lays bare is that the very thing that creates a highly efficient and successful economy may well be the same thing that exposes us to catastrophic ruin.
As the world has witnessed, Japan is suffering enormous devastation from a series of compounding events spawned from an initial large scale natural disaster. These secondary and tertiary events have cascaded like a series of invisible dominos spanning outwards in many directions from a single push of a finger. Japan's emergency response and support infrastructure is being stressed beyond its capability to respond to all needs. From debris fields blocking search and rescue teams, heavy equipment and relief supplies being cut off from communities, to stranded people, trains and impassable roads, limited electricity from rolling blackouts, radiation clouds and evacuations, gas rationing, empty food shelves, insufficient numbers of body bags and decaying corpses due to a lack of refrigeration, and snow and cold freezing adding to the plight of millions of displaced people, the effects of mother nature's wrath seems to know no bounds. As this is being written, the specter of a mass evacuation of Tokyo is not beyond the realm of the thinkable should Japan's nuclear emergencies continue to worsen and become unchecked. The impact of evacuating 18 million people and the ensuing panic it will ignite, couple with overwhelming devastation from the earthquake could result in major collapses in critical sectors of their civil society.
Fortunately, Japan has an intangible advantage that may very well be the key to their short and medium term survival, the inherently cooperative, caring and self-restrained nature of the Japanese society. It is the culturally engrained resilience of the average Japanese citizen that will provide a vast network of local human support infrastructure that will enable them to prevail. The simple act of sharing a bottle of drinking water with a neighbor, sharing heat or shelter and food, instead of hoarding resources and closing out those in need may be essential difference between mass suffering occasioned by death and illnesses and great discomfort but survival. And, the reports of this type of behavior are not few or far between.
On the other side of the equation, one can readily observe how the more sophisticated and complex societies become the more fragile they are in terms of their exposure to large scale disasters. As societies become more modernized, economic sectors becomes more specialized along verticals and more concentrated, becoming ever more efficient in production and streamlined in the delivery of services and products. Economies of scale are achieved through great volumes, and this has the practical effect of driving consolidation, cost reduction and lower prices and higher profit margins. Communications and digital information networks drive financial transactions and exchanges set prices and delivery of critical commodities. Electrical and hydrocarbon based energy systems power our communications and information networks as well as our factories, transportation, and nearly every appliance in our households. Food production sources are no longer local, and they crucially depend on transportation and refrigeration. Water and sewage treatment systems depend on power. Medical systems depend on specialized medications and equipment manufactured by a small number of facilities and delivered by transportation systems. Shipping requires fuel and functioning transportation systems and ports, and payment settlement systems. This litany of interlocking dependencies could be continued virtually ad infinitum with increasing granularity, but let the above suffice for sake of argument.
Where the old watch maker may have made his own parts or bought materials from locally produced resources, the new global watch company assembles much, makes little and consumes even less locally, preferring to depend and upon vast supply chains, special parts makers, and sophisticated just in time transportation networks to receive goods and ship them back out to the market. And so it is for a thousand, thousand other niches which make up our vast and complex economy. The same holds true for the individual, where once most households were highly self-sustaining entities, virtually nothing is produced in the household. We are dependent on the delivery of food, electricity, water, and heat to our homes. Whereas at one time nearly all food was produced and sold locally yet a pair of French silk stockings was a rare imported extravagance, today it is just the opposite. One would be more likely to find French made stockings in a grocery store than to find locally produced berries. Modern households are fragile and are deeply dependent on far reaching, often global, supply chains to perform.
Simply put, a vast web of highly dependent connections produces the marvel that is our increasingly productive, specialized and hyper-efficient world. But when one thread frays and breaks, as in the case of a large scale power outage, the fabric can quickly unravel especially when pulled upon and stressed even by the smallest of forces.
Perhaps one of the most astute initiatives of the Department of Homeland Security in regards to emergency preparedness is focusing on strengthening the resilience of communities. The introduction and promotion of this concept is essential to our security. Yet, its true implications may far exceed its intended import. It is one thing to have an all hazards coordinated public safety and emergency response structure that can scale and work with a unified purpose in times of disaster, but it is quite another to achieve a resilient society. In the first instance, much work is being done to plan for and be able to respond and recover from disasters through a better coordinated public emergency response agency structure and this will pay dividends. In the latter case, true community level resilience simply may be at odds with the forces of economic globalization.
Resilience in terms of key infrastructure and critical resources requires more than redundancy. It requires diverse modalities with functional redundancies. By these terms, I mean using many different methods and ways to achieve the same or substantially same functions. On both accounts, global economic forces drive in the opposite direction.
First, at a pure redundancy level, redundancy means necessarily having more of the same thing. By definition, this means having excess capacity. This is squarely at odds with competitive global economic forces that drive the cost of production down by eliminating excess or idle capacity. In the most efficient and productive market ideal, the productive capacity of an asset should be producing at full capacity up to the last marginal profit dollar. At anything less, it is not being used to its highest economic value. So, creating more idle capacity is at odds with market forces even if it is beneficial from a disaster perspective. Worse yet, productive capacity is often dislocated from local areas and moved to more cost efficient places, often in other parts of the world. But, the problem extends even beyond global market forces. In the case of large scale systems that present significant investments such as electrical transport grids, regulated monopolies replicate the same conditions of singular reliance without redundancy. In the United States, our electrical transport system is vulnerable to mass outages because of its spoke and hub topology and lack of real redundancy in transport. It is unlikely that rate payers will be willing to pay the cost for an abstraction called redundancy. So, in most cases the practical reality is most are unwilling to pay more to ensure resilience against a remote event whether it is indirectly through buying behavior or in the form of a direct cost.
Secondly, pure redundancy (or more of the same) is not sufficient in terms of establishing true levels of resiliency. As was demonstrated in the Japan nuclear reactor failures, redundant cooling systems constructed the same way may reduce probability of failure but all are vulnerable to the same type of failure. So, if the causation event spans each system space (i.e., it is sufficiently large to span all redundant systems), the probability of failure is not lower as predicted, it is the same as having one. An analogy can be drawn to airplane hydraulic systems. Three redundant hydraulic lines running through the same harness is not redundant if a turbine blade from an engine breaches the plane and severs all three lines. Again, in the global economy, forces are at work that are driving towards commoditization and pushing against multi-modal diversity. Across virtually all industries the same or similar parts (and underlying designs) are often used by the same vendors. Lower prices attained through scale and volume drive homogenization at the component level and this even dictate similar outcomes at systems levels. Unique approaches in mechanical, operational and even software design are driven out of the system for routine but critical functions.
So what is to be done? Certainly, the substitution of free market mechanisms with old style managed economies is unwise and proven to be a failure over the long term. But what is new is that global market forces are operating in ways that are asymmetric to sovereign interests. Once robust and competitive production assets are removed from the fabric of a nation (whether it is energy resources or raw and processed materials production, food production, core manufacturing capabilities, technological know-how), the overall resilience of that nation becomes dependent upon cooperative forces beyond its borders. Nations become subject to global supply chains and the competing interests and decisions of foreign entities and agnostic market forces. The ability to direct policies that create a robust and healthy production capability across vital domestic infrastructure segments is beyond the grasp. The ability to persuade or direct re-tooling, increased production, or the redirection or concentration of goods and supplies in response to a crisis for the good of the country is lost. Looking at the United States, a strong case can be made that it has become substantially more vulnerable over the past 30 years as its competitive industrial production and infrastructure has been dismantled and shipped overseas. Many of our critical resources, raw materials and finished materials are produced in foreign markets, and little domestic capability remains. While at advent of connected global markets have increased the diversity and supply of goods and services at lower prices under stable conditions, we may well have placed the core of our safety and security during major crisis into the hands of others in that exchange.
We must begin to investigate and understand the vulnerabilities that are being created by complex interdependencies through economic globalization. There is a compelling case to be made that consolidation and elimination of domestic industries create additional vulnerabilities to large scale disasters and hamper recovery. It further can be said, the very nature of advancing economic realities are that all sectors are interdependent with others in one way or another. Resiliency requires investment in diversified redundant capabilities with back-up capacity in key sectors of our economy. Also, restoring and protecting competitive production capabilities across key sectors within domestic markets is vital to a resilient fabric. Perhaps the forces of globalization are so strong that it is impossible to restore local and regional resilience by reestablishing domestic competitive infrastructure. But knowing this fact compels us to seriously understand and evaluate the systems and delicate dependencies that are critical to allowing basic services to continue to function in times of large scale disaster and provide a path for recovery. It may be that basic policies at local, state and federal levels must serve to foster effective surrogate diversified redundancies so that we can achieve a counterbalance to the fragile environment we have constructed.
Our sincere prayers and condolences go out to our friends in Japan


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The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA1) training at Mt. Hood Community College is approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN). The 150-hour course includes lecture material, skills lab experience and clinical site application to help prepare for the state certification exam. MHCC typically offers this training as traditional classroom program, Vocational ESL, and an online-hybrid format. Nursing Assistant trainings are offered each term.
What is a Nursing Assistant?A Certified Nursing Assistant is a valuable member of the health care team. You will be providing direct care and attending to needs of patients/ residents in varying health care settings. As a Nursing Assistant, you will likely be the one with the most interaction with the patient/ resident.
What do I do next?
For more information, please call Business and Industry Workforce Training at 503-491-7235 or email email@example.com.


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Natalie Yoon and William C Anderson
Natalie Yoon is national organizer for United Students for Fair Trade, which has been organizing for fair trade policy through its campaign to "Topple the TPP." Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on on Twitter @natalie_yoon. William C. Anderson is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, currently residing in New York City. He is a regular contributor to the Youngist. Follow him on Twitter @williamcander.
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text: Still, it was not until the devastating crisis of the Great Depression that the states' power over their own futures went into a political tailspin. It is difficult to say which was the major cause, the event itself or President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat. Certainly it was not FDR's predecessor, Republican Herbert Hoover. A man of great personal integrity and compassion, whose post-presidential career was a paragon of public service selflessness, President Hoover was ideologically unprepared to combat the slide into the Depression that began during his term of office with the Wall Street "Crash of '29." In a reversal indicative of the change in conservative thinking since Teddy Roosevelt's presidency two decades earlier, Hoover was a laissez-faire economist in his administrative thi