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NCIS: Los Angeles Review: The White Ghost Lieby Carla Day at . Updated at . Comments
The truth about the White Ghost and why Kensi was sent to Afghanistan to hunt him down were both revealed in NCIS: Los Angeles Season 5 Episode 19.
Once again, Hetty kept secrets and it ended up to the detriment of her agent. When will she learn that sometimes knowledge is much more important than secrecy? She's repeatedly put her agents in harm's way without providing them important details about their mission.
The White Ghost that Kensi was sent to kill never existed; instead, the CIA pegged Jack Simon as the White Ghost as a cover to kill him.
Jack was working for them and knew many of the CIA assets in the area, but when he decided to stay and live among the locals he became a liability.
I'm not sure why Hetty thought it was a good idea to send Kensi to assassinate the White Ghost, aka her ex-fiance. What did Hetty expect Kensi to do? Hetty's decision would have made more sense if was Kensi was briefed on the true nature of her mission and given guidance about how to proceed once she found the "White Ghost."
Also, it's still not clear who killed the previous sniper assigned to the case or why he was killed.
While I found "Spoils of War" to be an intense episode that was action packed, while pushing the characters to new limits, I have an issue with the storyline as a whole now that it's been revealed. I hope we get more answers when Kensi and the team return to Los Angeles.
Hetty shouldn't be let off easily by any of them. I doubt Granger will let it go. Could this be the move that does Hetty in?
In Afghanistan, the team members were forced to examine their humanity with crucial decisions. Deeks held strong at first. He wasn't going to cross the line to get answers from the Cleric. He withheld sleep and food, but didn't resort to torture initially.
As someone who was tortured, it was uncomfortable to see him turn into someone who would harm another like that. He didn't pull teeth or cause unbearable pain, but he did water board the Cleric. He was emotionally broken by the picture of a "dead" Kensi and reacted from that pain.
It was good to see that he quickly gave up that method of questioning. It wasn't in him to do it. He crossed a line, but never to the point of no return. His humanity was intact and that ended up allowing him to see the answer to their problem.
Meanwhile, Sam and Callen showed their own humanity by protecting the young girl helping the Taliban. They saved her and brought her with them as they followed the Taliban. It could have been costly decision, but ultimately it worked in their favor.
Callen went against Granger and used the girl to keep the Taliban group from heading into Pakistan. Instead, it was a face off and the Americans almost lost. Deeks came to the rescue with a hostage exchange: the Cleric for Kensi and Jack. While the NCIS team made the exchange in good faith, the military saw an opportunity to take out their enemy. And, once again their humanity succeeded and they saved the girl from death.
The lesson of the hour seemed to be that humanity is lost during war. The NCIS team maintained their own, but it almost cost them their lives. Was the CIA right in wanting Jack dead to protect their assets? Or, were they wrong? Based on the short amount of time we saw him, I'm not sure. Kensi believed in him, but she doesn't really know him now. He thought he found freedom in the Afghan village, but he would always be a threat.
I'd like to see more of this story and find out what ends up happening with Jack. Will the CIA let him be? Or, will he be forced back to the US where he can't hurt them? And what does that mean for Kensi?
The reunion between Kensi and Deeks was heartfelt, yet Jack was there between them. She couldn't stop looking at her ex even as she hugged her partner. Just as Deeks had recover from being tortured, she will likely have to do the same.
Kensi was Deeks' salvation after his horrific experience. For Kensi's sake, I hope he will be her's as well.
Will Kensi and Deeks stay together?
Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.Tags: NCIS: Los Angeles, Reviews
I hope that the Jack Simon character has not been introduced for the purpose of putting him between Deeks and Kensi. We keep hearing that Daniela Ruah may be leaving the show to be a fulltime mom and, if that is the case, the writers will need an exit strategy and maybe Simon has something to do with it. Hope not because if Kensi goes, I go.
I don't think Daniela Rush is leaving she said she's happy they kept her during her maternity leave she said I definitely felt wonderful that he did that because I am very active naturally and, if I were to stay home for the most part of my maternity leave, I would have gone crazy. Daniela Rush did a Interview: NCIS: LA star Daniela Ruah talks Kensi's rescue, motherhood & more. http://www.examiner.com/articl...
According to things I've read elsewhere, the actor playing Jack was contracted for just two episodes this season.
Supposedly, a cast member is leaving at the end of the season.
Vontrapp, I first heard that rumor in the middle of July or August. I think, if I'm remembering this correctly, that Shane Brennan said someone was leaving.
Where did you hear this? I heard that she was coming back next year.
I never said it was Kensi leaving. It could be anyone. If you want to find it, google NCIS LA cast member leaving.
There was an article that came out around mid-October, I believe for the 100th episode, where LL and Daniela Ruah speculated that a cast member might not make it into next season.
Does anyone think Nate could return to help Kensi recover?
Interesting idea. I do like having Nate pop up now and then. But considering how fast they had Deeks recover from the PTSD of being tortured, I doubt it.
Good idea - but I think that Deeks' PTSD will come back and they both will go through it together - isn't it ironic how Deeks went through the torture then now Kensi? Hmmmm. I really am curious on where they are going with this storyline, etc. I've been loving NCIS L.A this season!
A very intense episode. Really good. I understood Deeks' actions. He loves Kensi and the thought that they may have killed her sent him over the edge. Fortunately he regained his senses before he killed the man. I was amazed at how well the actors did on this episode. Not to say they aren't always good, but this time, I think they excelled. I was sad for Deeks when he saw Kensi with her ex., but she partially redeemed herself when she kept holding onto Deeks.
Carla Day needs to rewatch the episode. Hetty's reason for sending Kensi was discussed in the episode.
That 13 year old girl look like a mini Ziva
I think that Hetty wasn't 100% sure that the White Ghost was Jack. If he wasn't, then Kensi would do her job and take him out. If he was, then Hetty trusted that Kensi would do the right thing and give Jack a chance. I thought it was odd, too, that Callen and Sam relied on the interpreter to communicate with the girl when they both speak Pashto. I hated the scene where Deeks waterboarded the cleric. I kept saying, "No, Deeks, no!" I felt bad that he was going to die in that airstrike that Granger ordered.
The whole White Ghost story was made up by the CIA, so they would have an excuse to kill Jack. Hetty knew that, and sent Kensi as the shooter, because she knew that Kensi wouldn't kill Jack.
If Deeks came to the rescue, is he a NCIS agent… or still a LAPD liaison to the team? Oy. I honestly think that if Deeks & Kensi get together - it'll be fine. Not a disaster.
Best dialog of the ep, hands down: Granger pickin' at Hetty for not telling him the truth about the mission....and Hetty reminding him that he's done that too many times to count. I'm back to thinking that wherever Granger goes, mess follows. I suppose that's logical given that he's the Assoc Dir and if he's directly involved, things MUST be bad. Still, Hetty's point is valid--he messes with the team's heads and well-being when he should have their backs.
What did Hetty expect Kensi to do? -- Exactly what she did. Not take the shot.
This episode was really full of action and I'm really glad that Kensi is safe. At the beginning I got a weird but strong feeling that Nell would be a good Directer of OSP (if Hetty would retire someday)...
It was nice to see Sam saying Allahu Akbar, it has never been directly shown...
I also wondered about the languages. In Afghanistan there is spoken Pashto and Persian. Callen speaks Pashto. Why did he need a translator? (In one episode he was arguing with Sam, which ended with Sam saying that his Pashto is definitely better than Callen's but still...
And last note: this review unsettled me. You really think Jack "would always be a threat"? And you don't know whether "the CIA was right in wanting Jack dead to protect their assets? Or, were they wrong?" You can't be serious, right? I know it is only a TV show, but the principles should be the same. I think they have no, absolutely no right to kill Jack!


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Database Trends & Applications: ScaleBase Enhances Distributed Database Platform with Version 3.0 and Unveils 'Analysis Genie'
ScaleBase has announced the 3.0 release of its Distributed Database Platform, which enables users to move from a single MySQL instance to a distributed platform. The company also introduced a beta program for a new product called Analysis Genie.
ScaleBase version 3.0 is a cloud-optimized database platform built primarily for virtual environments. The database is horizontally scalable, built on MySQL and allows customers to keep and maintain their MySQL infrastructure. By logically distributing data across public, private, and geo-distributed cloud environments, this database functionally optimizes workload for greater efficiency.
According to the vendor, ScaleBase version 3.0 simplifies the deployment and management of the software, providing automatic analysis, migration, configuration and schema change; dynamic data optimization and balancing; and transparent failover. The new version also offers enhanced cross-shard joins and is cloud agnostic.
The new Analysis Genie is designed to guide organizations in determining the best way to scale out a database by analyzing a company's schema and queries. "The Analysis Genie allows users to quickly assess how their application uses the data, what type of command they use, how the schema is built and it allows the relationships that data has to be viewed and then maintained as you move from one instance to many instances," said Ram Metser, CEO at ScaleBase.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
ScaleBase interviewed at Amazon re:Invent
Forbes: ScaleBase Helps Your Business Grow Fast
Let's say you run a company and you're trying to get more people to visit your Web site. Your advertising agency comes up with an idea for a YouTube video with a tiny pig pulling your company's product in a tiny wooden wheelbarrow. The video ends with a screen shot of your company's logo and web site.
Before the YouTube video is posted, your web site functions nicely handling 100,000 visits a day. But the little pig YouTube video goes viral and suddenly your web site is getting two million daily hits. Your web site crashes since it can't handle all the volume — instead of getting more potential customers to learn about your company, you get embarrassment.
ScaleBase's products are built to make sure that if your company uses a database such as MySQL, it will automatically scale to meet the spikes in user demand, so that your company can turn that increased traffic into new customers.
ScaleBase does this by "scaling-out" the database so that businesses — such as customers Autodesk, AppDynamics and Mozilla – get the benefits of scaling their databases to meet increased demand — without adding hardware to their existing infrastructure and or re-writing their applications.
To read the rest of the article click here
Forbes: Outrunning The Tidal Wave: How Dangerous Is Big Data?
Apple did it. Amazon did. So did Pinterest.
In the past six months, all three sites went down – at the wrong time – because their databases couldn't keep up with consumer demand. In every case, unplanned peaks in user traffic pounded the site, and brought performance to a screeching halt.
In this new world of immediate experience and gratification, the database is rapidly becoming the company. Consider Amazon and Pinterest: There's no storefront, no customer service – they live and die based on each user's experience. More than ever, that experience is backed every step of the way by data, which means that the dark corners of data performance risk are becoming a bet-the-company vulnerability.
If your data isn't killing your database today, it will. Maybe next month; maybe next year.
To add a little perspective, one of the largest wireless providers in the UK – O2 – is currently spending close to $20 million in an effort to replace its database following two recent outages that impacted millions of customers. Derek McManus, COO of O2 UK wrote in a blog post that the company is, "…extremely disappointed to have let our customers down again." He adds that O2 UK is "…not prepared to risk this happening to our customers for a third time and are implementing a proven alternative solution."
On the flip side, you can get ahead of this chase for big data. It may mean rethinking how big databases are built for growth, because the underlying assumptions of predictable behavior are obsolete.
For just about every company, managing and exploiting the potential of 'big data' will be the #1 business opportunity before 2013 is out. Even if your database doesn't seem like an under-performing asset today, it could easily become one within two or three quarters.
The biggest issue is performance – and staying ahead of the tidal wave of transactions. That's especially challenging when the 'conventional wisdom' about big data points to the importance of analysis. Indeed, it's the analysis that can be mined for sentiment, patterns, and, once you can decode it, predictability, new opportunities and money.
But it's the transactions that underlie this intelligence. And it was the breathtaking volume of transactions that caused Amazon, Pinterest and Apple to go dark. Simply too much unexpected activity, likes, posts and uploads. And that – like it or not – is the future of big data. Peaks. Valleys. And not always when you expect them.
Avoiding this mineshaft is, surprisingly, possible. It's not expensive, either. But it does mean toppling a few sacred cows.
For example, companies like Mozilla – which recently launched an online app store – are putting database scalability and performance systems and solutions in place before they build or launch new apps – in order to guarantee the company will be able to support its anticipated transaction volumes.
Size matters. But not the way you think.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Solution Providers for Retail: How to Prevent Data Bottlenecks
During last weekend's frenzied holiday shopping, online retailers pushed the limits of their databases. The strain looks likely to continue during the next four weeks, as retailers continue to promote discounts and incentives in virtually every combination possible.
One way online retailers can prepare for those stressful traffic loads, and handle seasonal jumps in activity, is to optimize their databases. I spoke with Paul Campaniello, vice president of global marketing at ScaleBase, to discuss how the implementation of practices, including distributed databases, can help prevent ecommerce disaster.
SPfR: The holiday season is in full swing. Cybersales were up this year. Have performance expectations changed in recent years?
Campaniello: Performance is critical. So much of what we do is making sure [performance goals are met]. Today, there are many next-gen apps out there — not the traditional Oracle, SAP, and PeopleSoft — but apps like Facebook and Twitter, which are Web based. Our solution is built on MySQL DB, just like Facebook.
SPfR: What do solution providers need to be mindful of when working with retail customers?
Campaniello: What happens when everyone, for example, goes to Zappos and clicks on the same pair of $400 Jimmy Choo shoes? You click into or out of the cart, and you "get the hourglass." If you "get the hourglass," that's a database issue. When you try and optimize a transaction, what you're really trying to manage is the scale and flow, power and speed of the communication between the application and the database.
SPfR: Some might wonder, why not over-provision? Better safe than sorry, no?
Campaniello: We just did a Webinar and talked about SPRAIN pain: Scalability, Performance, Relaxed consistency, Agility, Intricacy, and Necessity. The idea is that when you stretch a database beyond its normal capacity, SPRAIN will stretch the database. You can solve the problem by throwing hardware at it. But if you don't look at ways to scale your database, you're not fixing the underlying problem. You want to find a way to scale your database.
TechCrunch: ScaleBase Lands $10.5M To Help Mozilla, AppDynamics & Others Scale Their Databases
ScaleBase, a Newton, Mass.-based startup that helps companies keep fast-scaling databases up-and-running, today announced that it has landed $10.5 million in series B funding, led by Bain Capital Ventures and Ascent Venture Partners, with participation from its existing investor, Cedar Fund. Having raised $4 million from Cedar in 2010, the investment brings the startup's total funding to just under $15 million.
As scores of new web and mobile apps launch every day, increasingly companies are finding themselves working overtime to manage the intense processing requirements of big data and struggling to preserve up-time. For this reason, ScaleBase sees a big market opportunity for any company offering uninterrupted database performance solutions.
Being able to deliver realtime scalability obviously can have a big effect on application performance and has the benefit of reducing over-provisioning, which has the tendency to eat holes in the company coffers.
While it's an auspicious problem for a company to have, exploding user bases and, in turn, significant increases in data production require companies to move fast to scale their databases. Naturally, processing these transactions can be stressful and ridiculously challenging depending on infrastructure and available resources.
More established players had to create ad hoc, internal solutions to solve these problems, but not every company is fortunate to have the available capital that scaling demands. That's where ScaleBase comes in. As one might expect, high-growth and increasingly active spaces like online gaming and digital media represent big market opportunities for the company.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Xconomy: ScaleBase Adds $10.5M and New CEO in Database Wars
Another day, another database company on my radar. This one's a little different, though.
ScaleBase, a Newton, MA, startup that is trying to enhance the capabilities of existing databases, has raised a $10.5 million Series B funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures and Ascent Venture Partners. Previous investor Cedar Fund also participated in the round, which brings ScaleBase's total funding to about $15 million.
The startup also announced a new CEO as of today, Ram Metser, who joined ScaleBase as executive chairman in June. Metser, the former CEO of Guardium (acquired by IBM in 2009), succeeds Doron Levari, the founder and now chief technology officer of ScaleBase.
In the IT world, it seems everyone and their brother is trying to develop software that makes database systems (such as MySQL) more scalable and able to handle the explosion of queries and transactions coming through new Web and mobile apps. ScaleBase does this by taking a virtualization approach to managing database loads, so that businesses can still use their existing infrastructure and applications. That's the idea, anyway. Its big customers include Autodesk and Mozilla.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Boston Business Journal: Scalebase raises $10.5M, aims to enhance database for 'the next Facebook'
Newton startup Scalebase, whose software aims to enable Web firms to rapidly grow their databases, on Wednesday announced a $10.5 million Series B round that includes new backers Bain Capital Ventures and Ascent Venture Partners. The two Boston-based venture capital firms were joined by existing backer Cedar Fund of Israel and Waltham in the round, the company said.
Scalebase also announced that its new CEO is Ram Metser, formerly chief executive of Waltham database security firm Guardium, acquired by IBM (NYSE: IBM) in 2009 for a reported $225 million. Metser had served as executive chairman at Scalebase since the spring.
The company was founded in 2010 by Doron Levari, who'd held the CEO role and is now the firm's CTO.
In an interview, Metser said Scalebase's middleware is targeted at companies with explosive growth in both their creation of data and the size of their user base. Those companies face challenges around scaling their databases to process all of the transactions, and can see their growth held back as a result, he said.
"Companies like Facebook had to deal with this problem before Scalebase existed, so they solved the problem with internal resources, and invested a lot," Metser said. "We are solving this problem for the next companies that are like that — that have massive data growth, and growth to hundreds of thousands of users very quickly."
To read the rest of the article, click here.
NetworkWorld: How Mozilla keeps its MySQL database tidy
MySQL database management tool ScaleBase virtualizes MySQL database, spreading database load into smaller bite-size chunks
As an open source company, Mozilla developers make a lot of different versions of software code each day, and part of Sheeri Cabral's job to keep track of them all: which ones work, which don't, how many times they've been downloaded, and which have a bug that needs to be fixed.
To do that, the makers of the Firefox browser have a MySQL database, the common open source structured database system, which organizes the information in a table format. A few months ago Cabral, who is a database administrator and architect for Mozilla and a MySQL community contributor, began running into issues as the database grew to over 100GB. "If that database doesn't work, the downloads aren't available," she says, emphasizing the importance of the database.
Typically the solution to such a problem is to throw more compute capacity at the server housing the database, or potentially switching from hard drive spinning disks to solid state drives, says Paul Burns, an analyst at Neovise. But Cabral found a different solution: Instead of having this one single database, Mozilla has in effect virtualized its database by splitting it up into a group of clusters, each holding a portion of the database. Using technology from a company named ScaleBase, now when a query is made the ScaleBase software identifies the cluster where the data is stored so that the entire database doesn't have to be searched. This speeds performance without adding additional hardware. "This is not an easy thing to do," Cabral says, "but they seem to have done it and it's working."
To read the rest of the article, please click here.
ZDNet: Big data and transaction processing
In the News – AppDynamics picks ScaleBase for sharding over Clusterix
AppDynamics picks ScaleBase for sharding over Clusterix
Find out why application performance management company AppDynamics chose ScaleBase over the other scaling/sharding technologies.Read the Full Casestudy Here
All Analytics mentions Scalebase as a Provider of Automated Sharding
Scalebase was recently mentioned in Paul Burns article, 'Shard' Your Database & Speed Analytics Processing, on All Analytics.com
Check around, and you'll see a small but growing number of companies — as well as open-source offerings — that deliver various types of sharding support. Some companies provide automatic sharding, which removes the difficulty of partitioning a database into shards. ScaleBase, for example, provides automated sharding and a platform that isolates applications from any changes. This means analytics applications can take advantage of sharded databases without any code changes.
Read the full article to learn more about database sharding and how this technique can help boost performance of your analytics environment.
ScaleBase featured in Mass High Tech
Take a closer look at Mass High Tech's recent ScaleBase article: ScaleBase ramps up sales, expects new funding
ScaleBase Launch Coverage
Wow. Our launch was picked up by many news sites. Here's just a partial list. Thanks guys.
- BusinessWire
- Diversity
- DowJones (Subscription required)
- DZone
- Finanznachrichten
- Information Week
- ITCode
- SaasChronicles
- Sys-con
- TheRegister
- TMCNet

subset: commoncrawl


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♡ anchors iphone wallpapers ♡
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Hipster Royalty Redo #shoppedtattoos
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God's gift to mankind.
If Disney Princesses went to High School.
The Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki.
Elihu Thomson looking through a telescope. Thomson was chief engineer of General Electric in the 1890s and an early pioneer in dynamo design.


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Putting that SEO keyword list together is important part of any website optimization effort. Of course the keyword list, while forming the foundation for your SEO efforts is critical it should never be a static list. It should evolve and morph over time as you see ranking success (or no ranking success), measure keyword site traffic, or adjust to meet changing client products and solutions. That said you should obviously put your best foot forward, which isn't always easy!
If you're a digital marketing agency that uses Google AdWords for your clients, and specifically My Client Center (MCC) to manage those accounts, you'll be interested to know that you can now manage AdWords Express accounts through your MCC account.
I just got through reading Nick Stamoulis' blog on ramping up SEO during slow business periods. Loved it! Not just because Nick is a Boston-guy and that's my old turf (although that's one reason perhaps), but because he makes great sense!
The weeks are piling on now as we slowly head into fall – at least it feels that way. It was 45 at my house this morning and back to school shopping is in full swing. Here are some stories this week that caught our eye…
Let's get right to it…Are you underestimating the value of organic traffic conversions from SEO? While you focus on your paid advertising campaign, measuring and managing its ROI through smart keyword bidding and goal conversion management, your organic traffic is quite (and quietly) possibly giving you 2 or 3 times as many conversions, or 5 times more as in the case below, than that of your ads.
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- Kirsten Gotting
- Eugene, OR
- United States
This conversation is closed.
Should shark fishing be banned?
Exploitation has led to the threat of extinction for many shark species. In Chinese culture shark fins are used in the popular shark fin soup, as well as in traditional medicinal remedies, both of which are centuries old and hold significant cultural importance. Demand for shark fins kills 73 million sharks each year. One third of the shark species that swim in the open ocean have been classified as threatened, with some populations being reduced to 10% of their former size.
The European Union (EU) has been responsible for supplying 14% of the shark fins to the global market. In 2003, the EU placed a ban on shark finning, which is the practice of cutting off shark fins at sea and discarding the potentially still living body to the ocean. However a loop hole currently exists that allows fins to comprise a considerable part of any given catch. This year a new ban has been proposed to the European Parliament to remove this loophole and make it illegal to shore shark fins without the bodies. Will placing a new ban on shark finning be enough to prevent sharks from going extinct? Or, should the proposed ban on shark finning be extended to ban fishing sharks in general?
Closing Statement from Kirsten Gotting
Hello Contributors!
I have to say that every comment held great insight into this topic. Everyone helped open my mind to many of the possible avenues that this question could take. At this point in time I think that the most realistic way to help reestablish shark populations would be to enforce quotas and regulations regarding how many full sharks, fins still attached each fishing vessel would be able to bring in. This could change the availability of shark fins, but they would still be available for cultural traditions. I think that education will come with time, especially considering the example Jayant gave about young couples choosing not to serve the delicacy at their weddings for the sake of biodiversity. I'm not convinced that shark fisheries could be accomplished because of the tons of fish that would be required to feed the sharks. Additionally, farmed shark meat probably wouldn't taste the same as wild shark, kind of like how grass fed cow meat tastes different than grain.
Thank you everyone for your comments! I really enjoyed reading them and I hope everyone keeps sharks on their mind in the future! Lets preserve this ancient and majestic predator of the ocean, as they have helped preserve the biodiversity of the oceans that so many of us enjoy.
Kirsten Gotting
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
May 28 2012: Yes, it should be banned. While shark fin soup may have important cultural significance, that does not justify mass slaughter of sharks. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that shark fins have any medicinal value. This is a case of culture being used as a justification for an unsustainable and harmful practice and that needs to stop. Just because something has been practiced for hundreds of years does mean it should automatically have validity today. An extreme example is human slavery, which has a long history and has been practiced since the beginning of civilization. However, as a society humans examined that practice and decided to change.
Practices of the past need to be examined with today's values and priorities, not simply upheld because it is what has always been done. In terms of shark fining, these are important organisms for the ocean ecosystem and there are plenty of other foods people can and do eat. Shark fin soup is optional and the practice should stop.
May 29 2012: Though I do agree that regulations on commercial shark fishing should be increased, I don't think we need to abolish a cultural tradition. Instead we should help these countries maintain healthy watersheds. Over fishing has devastated fish hatcheries (especially sharks), but education, not termination is the key to success. By eliminating commercial fishing of sharks, local fisherman (non commercial) will benefit by having healthier fish populations and not have to give up a thousand year old tradition. If done correctly on a smaller scale, the fishing of sharks would not devastate the watershed, much like the US wildlife regulations on fishing in the U.S.
Trying to abolish a cultural tradition is something that I find unethical. By stating that our way is "right" and theirs is "wrong," we are effectively dismissing thousands of years of tradition. With the aid of technology, cultures are mingling, quickly becoming homogenized. What about cultural diversity? The same Ideals of culture homogenization has led to some pretty awful things (aborigines, native american reservations). Though very dramatic examples, my point is that once a culture is lost, we can not retrieve it. I guess my question is, Should we dismiss a cultural tradition based on our western beliefs, or should we embrace the worlds cultural diversity? More importantly, where do we draw the line?
May 29 2012: I was not saying that we should get rid of their culture or that their culture is bad or wrong (and western society is certainly not perfect), but I was trying to say that using culture as the sole reason for an unsustainable practice seems shortsighted. I think that culture is very important and should be remembered and preserved as much as it can, but cultures also evolve and change. Certain parts of culture are held distinctly in the past (such as slavery in most parts of the world) and that is not seen as a bad thing. It is something we have moved past. I am not saying that shark fining is the moral equivalent of slavery, but it is often inhumanly carried out and is not sustainably practiced so it needs to be considered in modern terms.
Just because something has been done for thousands of years, does that mean it is right? Should we not stop and question cultural practices from our modern lens and adjust them to fit the modern world? Cultural diversity can flourish in the modern world with some aspects being continued and some being left in the past. In many countries, child brides are common and this is a part of their cultural tradition, is that okay? Is it more or less okay than overfishing an area because your ancestors fished there, but now there are 50 times more people to feed so you have to remove 50 times the amount of fish?
I am not advocating that cultural tradition be abolished, just that it be examined and rationalized, not continued solely based on tradition with no thought to current circumstances.
May 30 2012: What a great point to make with slavery. Now there's a cultural tradition! I agree with you Beatrix. I don't believe removing a food item that is considered a luxury meal will abolish Chinese culture in the least. In fact, I am fairly confident that their culture hinges on more than just a bowl of soup. Over exploitation of sharks may have profound effects on the marine ecosystem, and if we react as quickly as we are with global warming, we are likely to lose an important link in the marine food web. Putting a cap on shark catches will probably work as well as making a quota for bluefin tuna. Illegal fishing operations and under reporting of catches is a common problem in the industry and is decimating the already critically endangered bluefin tuna...all because it is a luxury food item. There are no longer "plenty of fish in the sea." If we want to maintain our massive consumption of sea food, sustainable practices need to be set in place, including bans if necessary.
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Posts Tagged 'China'
WTF, and Other News
September 24, 2013 | by Sadie Stein
Chicken Poetry, and Other News
March 15, 2013 | by Sadie Stein
- Sheryl Sandberg: "I probably shouldn't admit this since I work in the tech industry, but I still prefer reading paper books."
- Perhaps this explains why January bookstore sales were up 5.5 percent ($2.1 billion)!
- KFC is recovering from a Chinese chicken scandal with a Twitter poetry contest. "KFC kicked off a poetry contest on social media. The company asked fans to pen poems that include the phrase, 'The chickens are innocent,' laying the blame on illicit drug use at the farms. Best poem wins an iPad mini." Yes, you just read that correctly.
- We can't get enough of Nina Katchadourian and her "Sorted Books" project.
Chatterley Sex Advice, and Other News
January 30, 2013 | by Sadie Stein
Street Scene
January 3, 2013 | by Jiayang Fan
Well into my adolescence, New York City began and ended with a single street. For a long time, it did not even seem important that I learn the name of the street; everyone simply called it the Street of the People of Tang. The Tang, of course, were the Chinese, and Americans, foreigners to the street, named it Chinatown.
Of course, strictly speaking, I was a foreigner too. Because my mother worked in a suburban Connecticut town, all colonnaded colonials and frosty-haired WASPs, and spoke halting English, we boarded the Metro-North only when desperation over the last can of aoki mushrooms made it imperative. Later, when I grew to speak better English than she, I became the navigator. "So when we take the downtown green line, where is it that we get off again?" my mother would ask, eyes squinting nervously over the teeming throngs we would soon join at the mouth of Grand Central. Canal, I answered, always the same answer. We get off at Canal Street.
Mo Yan Wins the Nobel Prize for Literature
October 11, 2012 | by Sadie Stein
Chinese author Mo Yan—whose pen name translates to Do Not Speak—has won the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature. A short-story writer and essayist who, says the Nobel citation, "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary," Mo Yan said he was overjoyed and scared by the honor.
Continued the citation, "Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel García Márquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition."
I Am the Artwork: Ai Weiwei on Film
August 2, 2012 | by Jillian Steinhauer
In November 2010, ArtReview magazine published its annual Power 100, a list of the most powerful people in the art world. The highest-ranked living artist, coming in at number thirteen, was the Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Two months later, the Chinese government demolished Ai's brand new, two-thousand-square-foot studio in Shanghai in one day—this despite the fact that officials had approved (and by some accounts invited) Ai's plans for the studio, which took a year and almost a million dollars to build. Then, in April 2011, Chinese authorities took Ai into custody. Without announcing charges against him or when he would be released, they held him in detention for eighty-one days, during which time guards watched him constantly, even when he went to the bathroom or slept. He was released in June and, a few months later, charged with "economic crimes" and an accompanying bill of $2.4 million.
Last year, ArtReview ranked Ai Weiwei number one on its Power 100 list. Read More »


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Girls Gone Geek has the distinct pleasure of being guest judges over at Super Hero of the Month for the Starfire redesign contest. E. and I both agree that few characters could use a fashion makeover as much as Starfire. She has been rendered many ways over the years, but almost always wearing very little. Her most recent incarnation in Red Hood and the Outlaws might be the most ridiculous version to date. Continue reading
Category Archives: Art
Squee! of the Week: Bobby Rubio's Got Talent – and Jokes
It's obvious that Bobby Rubio (aka Barry Presh) is a gifted illustrator, but it's his cheeky sense of humor that quickly grabbed my attention. Check the cred: He's a story artist for Pixar who has worked at Nickelodeon and Disney, and his comics resume includes Wildstorm and Dark Horse. You might be familiar with his creator-owned books Alcatraz High and 4 Gun Conclusion. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Charles Holbert Jr.'s Gallery
When an artist can do a Golden Age parody/tribute cover so well that it makes you do a double-take, s/he is pretty damned talented. Charles Holbert Jr. is a gifted illustrator who can do that and a whole lot more. I'm crushing on his gallery right now. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Martin Koza's Gallery
Digital artist Martin Koza does the kind of deceptively simple work that grabs you without a lot of bells and whistles. His work ranges from painterly to cartoony, but everything in his DeviantArt gallery is a pleasure to behold. The first image that hooked me was his Amanda Waller, below. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Ann U.'s Sketchbook
Ann U.'s illustrations caught my eye the instant I spotted them on DeviantArt, and it led me to even more of her striking art posted on her Live Journal. I cannot resist the work of an artist with a gift for facial expressions and body language, and Ann's drawings radiate personality. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Lukico's Gallery
The offerings on Deviant Art are all over the map, but some of them are breathtakingly fresh and creative. That's where I found the work of artist Lukico, and I am completely in love with her elegant comics-inspired illustrations. While some of the pieces show characters in costume, many of them are beautifully subtle. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Nuno Plati's Art
Stuff so awesome, it made us squeal.
We tend to hear the same names over and over when it comes to top-notch illustrators. But fortunately for comic book fans, there's a seemingly endless supply of talented artists who are turning out stunning work. Nuno Plati's art bowled me over with its stylish, modern edge. The above portrait of Misty Knight is a eye-popping homage to Iron Fist, and it's just one of several in the Lisbon, Portugal-based artist's online gallery. Continue reading


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Posted by McRen on Jul 4, 2012 in Alex Karev, Amusement, Justin Chambers, Polls | Comments Off
Hey Gabblers!
Look what we have here: a just for fun poll with another Grey's character involved. This time its Alex, one character that doesn't really get as much recognition as he should.
Click HERE to vote for Alex in the first round, who is up against Derek Wills from Smash.
The good news is, right now Alex is winning! Here's a look at the poll from when I voted:
(Source | TV Line)
What are you waiting for? Let's make sure Karev wins!
xoxo McRen


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MPTV Events
MPTV Community Cinema: WONDER WOMEN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES
Thursday, March 7, 2013 / 6:30 pm
Discovery World-Innovation Theater
500 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee
Join us for a free preview that compares the evolution of the 1940's comic book heroine to society's changing view of women. WONDER WOMEN looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society's anxieties about women's liberation. The documentary goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines.
Following the screening, a panel of experts will be available for questions and discussion. The panel includes Dr. Amy Shapiro, Philosophy professor and co-director of the Women's and Gender Studies program at Alverno College; Lara Stache, a PhD student in communication at UW-Milwaukee, and Phil Rippke, a lecturer with a Master's degree in Communication from UW-Milwaukee.
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Make This, Not That! Your Guide to Eating Naturally Green Food on St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays that brings out the best and worst in food. There's a lot of delicious beer drinking (a good thing), and Irish soda bread (another good thing), but then there's that whole trend of using green food dye to turn everything you eat green (the bad thing). But if you are tempted to go all out on St.Patrick's Day, have no fear! You can put away your green food coloring, and try these green things instead.
1. Instead of consuming green-dyed beer, make this cocktail with green chartreuse.
2. Instead of eating green-dyed deviled eggs, make these avocado eggs.
3. Instead of buying green-dyed bagels with cream cheese, make a green goddess grilled cheese.
4. Instead of making dyed green eggs and ham, put your eggs in a green pepper and eat some grapes.
5. Instead of dying your pizza crust green, make your own green veggie pizza.
6. Instead of dying regular pasta green, try cucumber noodles.
7. Instead of using green food coloring for cookies, try matcha green tea cookies.
(Image credits: Radar Online, Maureen Petrosky; heck fridays, preventionrd; Food Republic, Once Upon a Cutting Board; Smosh, Foodtastic Mom ; TheFW; Emily Ho; One More Moore, A House in the Hills ; Cookin' Cowgirl; Two Red Bowls )
5 Comments
On the green eggs: I dye eggs like easter eggs, in green food color. Leave them in nice and long so they are really green. They look beautiful on the table, offer some protein for the kidlets who turn up their noses at corned beef, and you don't actually eat the dyed part!
The entire concept of making food green is just so much silliness regardless if it is McCormick's Green Food Color or some veggies or herbs that do it!
The Chartreuse cocktail really looks interesting. The glass alone would get me interested. Pricey, though to stock up on Chartreuse and Maraschino.
I was going to get ranty about drunken st Patricks day hoopla, but then I read chartreuse and got distracted. Mmmm chartreuse
@Oh Jell, love the glass too, but that's a drink that's meant to be served in a cocktail glass, not a highball. A serving is probably only 3 ounces shaken and strained, so that's probably 3 servings. Your maraschino and chartreuse will go longer than the picture implies.
As an Irish person I don't understand this? Just don't dye your food green, no one in Ireland does that anyway!


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153 Hancock Street
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Located amidst beautiful townhouses, on a soon-to-be-landmarked tree-lined block in Bedford Stuyvesant, rests your two family home. This classic brownstone boasts gorgeous original details such as marble fireplace mantles, original mouldings, pocket doors, original hardwood floors, wonderfully high ceilings, and more. The house consists of four bedrooms and four full bathrooms it has an upgraded kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, and a new boiler. The property is also conveniently located within three blocks of the A/C train.
View full listing information on rutenbergrealtyny.com
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Occupy Wall Street or Black Friday?
Friday, November 25th, 2011
In honor of this apocalyptic shopping day appropriately dubbed "Black Friday," let's play a little game.
Did these pictures of unruly crowds come from an Occupy movement or Black Friday?
More Funny Stuff at www.thecomedycouple.com
I'll post the answers tomorrow. Let's see how you do.


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Scarlett Johansson sues author of novel that 'stole her image'
Scarlett Johansson is suing for €50,000 (£41,000) in damages the author and publisher of a novel that features a character who closely resembles her.
The American actress claims that La Première Chose qu'On Regarde (The First Thing We Look At) violates her privacy and constitutes a "fraudulent and illicit use of her name, her fame and her image" for commercial gain – allegations the book's publisher has dismissed as "crazy".
According to Vincent Toledano, the 28-year old actress's lawyer, the bestselling work by Grégoire Delacourt, published in March last year, also contains "defamatory claims about her private life".
I really like the work that Scarlett Johansson does. Just her voice alone in the movie Her was brilliant.
But this lawsuit shows that she has zero understanding of creative rights, a greed beyond bounds, and is destined to be a transient footnote in what could have otherwise been a lasting career.
Because she is a rank amateur at heart.
What's the difference between a shitty little child amateur and an adult professional who lasts?


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Warehouse twist back maxi dress
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This chic maxi dress features a high neck, defined waist and crossover back; finished with a concealed zip fastening. Height of model shown: 5ft 10 inches/178cm. Model wears: UK size 10.
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So I'm sick.
I caught a bug that my wife caught and now I'm feeling drained, achy, and coughing.
I don't really have right to complain – this is the first time in probably a decade that I have caught anything that lasted more then 24 hrs but still, I hate the dry, hacking cough and the inability to really think clearly. Perhaps I hate that last bit because it is too reminiscent of when my cycles get really bad and I can make my brain string coherent thoughts together.
What is bugging the most though is that yesterday I went to continue beta-reading a novel for a fellow writer and I just couldn't focus enough to finish a chapter. I know the writer of this novel doesn't expect it back immediately and is very grateful for my input so the only one I'm disappointing is myself but it still bothered me. I'm going to try again today as I feel better(ish) as long as I'm sitting down not doing anything.
It feels good to be helping out this writer with his work. Over the years I have been lucky enough to have people help me and to be able to return the favour just feels right.
I have my work out with people who are essentially strangers and now I am working on the novel of someone who is essentially a stranger, yet we are all part of a strange brother/sister hood. I don't know if it is true of other arts (for example music) but for the most part I have found that writers, be they beginners or professionals, are a giving, welcoming, and friendly lot. It's true some are suspicious, mean and spiteful but those individuals are easy to spot and avoid.
Well there you have it, a rambling post from a man on flu medications. Gee, the tabs on this post are going to be erratic.


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Dredd takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot - if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Peter Travis bring Dredd to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's revered comic strip.
Dredd 3D was released September 21st, 2012 and stars Karl Urban, Rachel Wood, Andile Mngadi, Porteus Xandau Steenkamp, Jason Cope, Emma Breschi, Olivia Thirlby, Rakie Ayola. The film is directed by Pete Travis.


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(Source: thefrogman, via ajfdkjfghk)
(Source: mindofthedamned)
valientwreck asked: whats the sexist piece of underwear you own?
a nappy
kilnsons asked: hey there
strangely-wonderful asked: Hello lovely :) HOw're you <3
hello :)
im good thank you how are you
fuckingbrighteyes asked: love your blog gorgeous xxx
i love yours too!
Anonymous asked: Can you post a picture of Your Boobs ?
how bout a photo of my middle finger instead?


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Snowdon dawn - Any comments would be appreciated
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State College, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Penn State's leaders showed "total disregard" for victims of child sex abuse and failed to protect children, an internal review has found.
In fact, several senior officials "empowered" former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky to attract more victims for child sex abuse, the report found.
In a statement released along with the 267-page report, Louis Freeh, the former FBI director and federal judge who spearheaded the review, blasted several top former officials at the school.
"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," Freeh wrote.


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It'd be pretty painful to type on a Lego keyboard— just imagine all those nubs digging into your fingertips. The solution? $15 worth of decals. Your keyboard will look like Lego heaven and your fingers will remain happy. [Etsy]
A Lego Keyboard That Won't Make Your Fingers Ache
Pending approval Rosa Golijan


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After a long stretch of prayer, emails, phone calls, generous gifts, and a very early morning plane ride, I'm happy to say I returned to Chicago two weeks ago in order to spend a second summer working with The Marin Foundation. (For some background on The Marin Foundation, see the series of posts I wrote last summer chronicling my internship experience, or see the post I wrote in February announcing my plans to return to Chicago. You can also visit The Marin Foundation's website or blog, where I contribute a post each month.)
As I did last summer, I plan to write occasional posts reflecting on my experiences here over the next few months. My hope is that, in addition to giving me space to explore and discuss what I'm seeing and learning, these stories will provide some inspiration and ideas for those of you who want to pursue reconciliation with Christians or LGBT individuals in your own life. The work is difficult and very, very beautiful, and I'm hopeful this might give you ideas on how to start.
Like always, I welcome prayer on my behalf. Thanks for reading about this exciting season of my life!
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text: Monroe County Sheriff's Office photo [ Trial Date Set For Clayton Whittemore By Jim Rondenelli February 13, 2013 The man charged with killing Alexandra Kogut of New Hartford in her dorm room at the College of Brockport last September was in back court today in Rochester. 21-year old Clayton Whittemore is facing a charge of second-degree murder Read More|Comment Category: Utica-Rome News Tags: alexandra kogut, clayton whittemore, trial date Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Students have many opportunities to participate on an athletic team at AACS. We consider the experience to be invaluable. Our coaches and student-athletes are expected to do their best at all times in the true spirit of Christ-centered competition. While winning games and championships are certainly worthy goals, those things do not define our purpose at AACS. Success for teams will not be measured by the number of games or championships we win. Our success will be measured by how much we grow as teams and as individuals, and how well we represent Christ. The coaches purpose is to develop young Christian men and women of character and faith. We take the following Bible verses very seriously at AACS.
Proverbs 27: 'As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.'
1 Corinthians 9:24: 'Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.'
We believe that competition not only builds character, but it also reveals character. We intend to glorify God in all we do, both in and out of competition, through the good times and not so good times, using teachable moments to help sharpen the faith of our student-athletes. Our goal is to equip our student-athletes with a strong sense of faith and a close connection with Jesus Christ so that our boys and girls will become men and women of empathy and integrity, who will lead, be responsible and help change the world for good.
Annapolis Area Christian School 410.519.5300 All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2012 Privacy Policy Site Map Contact Us


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Sign up for Yardbarker's daily Top 10 newsletter, the Morning Bark! Customize to get news on your favorite sports and teams.
Found December 05, 2012 on Football Nation:
PLAYERS: Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashad Jennings, Jalen Parmele, Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Jason Babin, C.J. Mosley, Jeremy Mincey, Tyson Alualu, Paul Posluszny, Derek Cox
TEAMS: Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs
TEAMS: Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 has come and gone, and a couple more cadavers were dropped off at the mortuary. The Chiefs were merely a prelude to the slew of departed souls who would be making their way onto my concrete slabs.They've been inevitably tagged and bagged; now it's merely time to examine what caused these wretched souls to fulfill the destiny that their mortal coil demands.Subject: Jacksonville JaguarsDate of Death: December 2, 2012Record at Time of Death: 2-10Contributing Factors to Death1. Complete Failure of the Running GameYou wouldn't suppose that Jacksonville would struggle here, given that Maurice Jones-Drew was the 2011 Rushing champ (1606 yards).But perhaps MJD brought a rash of bad karma upon his team by holding out all summer, only rejoining the squad with days to go before the season opener.With the exception of a 177 yard, 1 touchdown performance against Indianapolis in Week 3, Jones-Drew looked relatively mortal; not a player whose stout frame and deceptive quickness...
Original Story: http://www.footballnation.com/content...
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To acquire and own fire apparatus of any kind or nature for use by the organization in the protection of persons and property from injury, loss, damage or destruction by fire or other emergency.
To supply suitable quarters for the use of the members of the organization in connection with the housing of fire apparatus and for the provision of a meeting hall for the administration of the company and the social and recreational use of the membership.
To provide fire protection to the territory in which the operation of the organization are principally conducted, which includes the Village and Town of Whitehall and all other areas under legal written contract.
To foster interest in all matters pertaining to the volunteer fire service and the welfare of volunteer firefighters.
To inculcate love of country, good citizenship, civic virtue, self-sacrifice and perpetuate the spirit from which the earliest days have actuated volunteer firefighters in the rendition of service of the highest type in the protection of life and property from fire without hope of fee or reward.Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution and Bylaws – Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company Inc.
About Us
Organized in October of 1957, the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company serves both the village and town of Whitehall, New York. Situated on the southern tip of Lake Champlain, the "Volunteers" maintain an Ice Surface/Cold Water/Swift Water Rescue Team that serves on Lake Champlain, East Bay, South Bay, the Champlain Barge Canal, and the northeast side of Lake George. Whitehall borders the Adirondack Park and maintains a Search and Rescue Team trained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Rangers. The company is housed in two adjoining buildings. The oldest one is the original Whitehall Fire Department building erected in 1913. The firefighters lounge houses the original brass fire pole and Gamewell alarm system Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company Incorporated proudly protects 6200 people living in an area of 83 square miles. We protect a primarily rural area. Our department is a public department whose members are on a volunteer status. Although organized as a village fire company, the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company serves both the Town and Village of Whitehall. Our fire company borders five other departments with whom we have mutual aid agreements, along with the remaining twenty-six fire departments in Washington County and six fire departments in nearby Vermont State (three miles away). From 1981-2000, we have maintained a Fire Explorer Post for high school students, through the Boy Scouts of America. Many of our members and current officers were exposed to firefighting through this program.
Please check out our long term plans on the Public Education page under Fire Company Goals.
Contact UsPO Box 188 161 Main Street Whitehall, NY 12887 (518) 499-0720 email@example.com


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As St. Olaf students, we are lucky to have a strong relationship with Northfield officials and residents. We live in a place where local businesses put signs in their windows to welcome college students. Every year, campus P.O. boxes are filled with coupon booklets offering deals to cash-strapped students. Signs around campus frequently solicit, for baby-sitting or shoveling snow in town.
While we have often heard the cliché "Minnesota nice," Northfield is a place where residents are genuinely interested in the well-being of others. When students venture off campus to The Tavern or The Contented Cow, it is not uncommon for them to be seated across from their professors. The city of Northfield itself is essentially an extension of the campus community.
With this in mind, we would like to offer two suggestions to students who live in off-campus housing, and those students living on campus who attend off-campus parties.
First, be respectful of your neighbors. When it gets to be late at night, take a moment to turn down your speaker system. This will come as a favor to the family who has to put their kids to sleep in time to catch the school bus in the morning. We should not hinder St. Olaf faculty and staff from being well-rested before they come to the Hill. Many of us have asked someone down the hall to quiet down so that we can get sleep; we would like to ask students in off-campus housing to extend the same courtesy to their neighbors.
Second, consider the ramifications of decreased off-campus housing. The present proposal to the Northfield City Council, if passed, would allow no more than two non-relatives to rent housing together. While the proposal has not yet become a reality, we can only imagine the close quarters that would become necessary here on the Hill if it were to be ratified. Would you like to live in a Kildahl triple? We certainly would not.
The recent complaints regarding the behavior of St. Olaf students should not be taken lightly. We are fortunate to attend a school in a place like Northfield, and we encourage students to be mindful of the community. If we do not respect their off-campus living situations, we risk alienating residents and making an already tight housing situation even worse. St. Olaf has long enjoyed a strong relationship with the city of Northfield, and we challenge students, especially those living and attending parties off campus, to continue to build and sustain that relationship.


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We stand on the verge of a breakthrough, a triumph of unprecedented magnitude. With the federal court challenge of Prop. 8, the process is set in motion in which the Supreme Court could potentially legalize civil marriage equality for the entire nation. This is the goal, the prize, we have fought for so long, and now, we are at the brink of achieving it!
At least, so goes the conventional narrative. The mainline gay rights (no longer gay liberation, and hardly Queer) movement has come to dedicate itself not exclusively to marriage equality, but certainly primarily so. The objective of the movement has become very narrowly defined, with marriage being held up as the ultimate test, the last and greatest battle to be won, after which we'll all be, if not equal, at least close enough to it that gay people can finally fully assimilate.
For the past two decades, this has been the focus—I would say the obsession—of the modern gay movement. The logic goes: gays are the same as straights in every sphere of life except sex and romance. Therefore, equality means equality in the area of sex and romance. Since the ultimate societal legitimization of a sexual-romantic relationship is marriage (civil or religious), achieving equality must logically mean achieving equal marriage rights.
This logic is good as far as it goes; however, while I fully support marriage equality, I do feel that it's ultimately inadequate as a means to achieve true equality for LGBT people.
There's more to life than sex, and there's more to being gay than dating, partnering, and marrying. The various overlapping subcultures designated "LGBTQIA" or simply "Queer" are far more than a dating scene. Sexuality and gender are facets of identity that pervade one's whole existence—and the larger heterosexual cisgender society recognizes this. Thus, you have Queer alienation from almost every aspect of the social mainstream, whether it's in the field of religion, politics, work, housing, healthcare, or even simple place of residence. Marriage is hardly the only area of society that Queers are excluded from, so why should it be the only one the movement attempts to integrate the community into?
Furthermore, there are, in my opinion, far more pressing needs than marriage for most Queers. Marriage is the main concern primarily of gay people in long-term committed relationships who have established home and professional lives and simply seek to be integrated—or rather, assimilated—into their neighbors' world. Most LGBTQIA people don't fit that description.
I used to live in Houston. Twenty-five percent of that city's substantial homeless youth population identified as LGBTQIA—these are kids who were kicked out by their parents for being Queer, who are now a part of the most disenfranchised group of people in the United States (the homeless) solely because their parents valued their bigotry more than their children. There is only one homeless shelter in Houston that serves youth; it does not allow trans kids to live with others of their psychological sex. Where is the HRC's outrage?
In 2008, there were more than 100 murders of transgender-identified individuals reported to the police as hate crimes in which the bodies were identified in the United States alone. Marriage equality, while undoubtedly a positive thing, won't rectify the danger that many people (such as myself) live in as trans individuals in a profoundly—often violently—transphobic society. Again, where is the HRC's outrage?
These are two issues; there are many, many others. They rarely, if ever make the headlines—certainly not the way that marriage does. Despite that, and despite the comparative lack of resources devoted to them, they are of vital importance, in a very literal sense. Why, then, should we be obsessed with marriage as the ultimate aim of gay rights?
All opinions expressed in Opinion & Editorial pieces are the opinions expressed by the author and not the Megaphone staff in general. Thank you.


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For Educators
What are Quantile measures?
A Quantile measure indicates a child's mathematical achievement level. It describes which mathematical skills and concepts the child has likely learned, new concepts the child is most likely ready to learn with some instruction, and those that will potentially require learning prerequisite skills first. Lessons in mathematics textbooks and other instructional resources also receive Quantile measures, enabling educators to connect their children with appropriate materials that can support their learning needs and help them to better appreciate the mathematics around them.
Quantile measures are reported as either a numerical score of 5-1580 followed by the letter Q (e.g.,650Q) or as EM (Emerging Mathematics Skills). "Emerging Mathematics Skills" is used for any student whose SOL test scale score corresponds to a Quantile measure of zero.
Where do I find a student's Quantile measure?
Quantile measures are included in the SOL score reports that are sent to parents or guardians by school divisions. See a sample of the SOL Student Report (PDF).
How can the Quantile measure help me support my students?
Educators can access an array of educational resources and tools that support differentiated instruction. The Quantile Framework allows educators to place a learner's mathematical knowledge and mathematical content on the same developmental scale so a match can be affected.
Educators can utilize the following free tools:
- Targeted support resources
- Go to Quantiles.com.
- Select Use the Quantile Framework in the blue bar and select Math Skills Database in the drop-down menu.
- Select Keyword Search on the left.
- To target categories in which your child needs additional help, enter the Quantile measure from the SOL Student Report. Next, choose the strand that aligns with a reporting category (e.g., Number and Number Sense, Computation and Estimation) with a lower scaled score. Then, click Search and click the Resources tab. Finally, click any resource in the list for helpful activities.
- To target categories in which your child would benefit from enrichment, enter a Quantile measure that is 100Q higher than your child's Quantile measure from the SOL Student Report. Next, choose the strand that aligns with a reporting category (e.g., Number and Number Sense, Computation and Estimation) with a higher scaled score. Then, click Search and click the Resources tab. Finally, click any resource in the list for enrichment activities.
- Math Skills Database – Math Skill Database (QTaxon Search) enables educators to search QTaxons by Quantile measure, keywords, mathematics strand, or state curricular alignments. QTaxons are mathematical skills and concepts typically taught between kindergarten and precalculus. The knowledge cluster for a QTaxon provides the prerequisite and supplemental QTaxons.
- Quantile Teacher Assistant – Quantile Teacher Assistant supports differentiated instruction by providing access to resources on specific mathematical skills and concepts that are aligned with state and the Common Core standards.
- Lesson Planning Template
- Textbook Search Engine – Textbook Search includes more than 500 textbooks, searchable by publisher, ISBN, author, title, or keyword. Textbook calibrations are at the lesson level, enabling educators to match students with targeted mathematics activities.
- Quantile Map – The Virginia Quantile Map provides a graphic representation of the mathematical skills and concepts aligned with content domains and Quantile measures.
- Free Quantile Webinars – These free Quantile webinars are offered on a monthly basis.
General Resources
- Overview Video of the Quantile Framework for Mathematics (Flash)
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Quantile Framework
- Knowledge Cluster Brochure (PDF) – illustrates and explains the relationship between supplemental and perquisite skills associated with Quantile measure.
- Quantile Measures in the Classroom and at Home (PDF) – summary handout about the Quantile Framework from MetaMetrics
- Quantile Measures: Typical Grade Ranges (PDF)
For more information, visit Quantiles.com.


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I recently attended a financial literacy graduation ceremony for 52 high school seniors at Armijo High School in Fairfield.
The program teaches, assesses and certifies students in critical financial skills. The technology uses virtual worlds, gaming, social media and videos to teach critical skills, from using credit cards wisely to financing higher education. It is used by nearly 5,000 high schools in all 50 states and meets all national and state requirements for financial literacy.
One student commented that before completing the program, he had no idea how a debit card differs from a credit card. Other students expressed how their new skills will benefit them for years to come, including steps they can take to build and maintain good credit, avoid unnecessary debt and save for retirement.
More than one student commented on practices they observed their parents using, such as non-bank check cashing services; they could now educate their parents on other options available at a fraction of the cost.
I've been a California community banker for more than 30 years, and I'm proud of our long-standing commitment to financial education. California's banking community understands how critical a strong financial education foundation is to the future success of our children.
I'm also a mother whose children attend public schools. It is imperative that our children learn how to budget, save and plan for their future.
A recent survey of U.S. teens by EverFi, an education technology company, revealed stark facts about how unprepared graduating high school students are regarding the management of their finances.
For example, on average, students believe a good credit score is about 500, and more than a third believe that a good credit score is 300 or less, when it should be 680 to 850.
And, nearly half of high school students said they do not know how to establish good credit, and more than 25 percent said they will not be prepared to manage their finances upon graduation.
In addition, 83 percent of students believe that personal finance education should be mandatory in schools. However, only four states require at least a semesterlong course devoted to the topic, and less than half of the states require personal financial education to be integrated into other subject matter.
The importance of our youths having a strong foundation in financial education has not gone unnoticed by Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In April, his agency recommended that policymakers incorporate a nationwide financial education program into grade school curriculum, as well as into standardized tests.
In a white paper issued on the subject, Cordray called the current process "utterly unacceptable"; consumers today learn mostly by trial and error. Beyond grade school, the bureau is asking for additional personal financial education in high school, including a state requirement for a stand-alone financial education course to graduate.
Cordray is pressing for the programs to include some form of "practical experience" such as banking simulation or computer gaming on financial education.
California banks are doing their part to support financial education programs among our youths. Bankers have been longtime advocates of programs that help prepare youths to make smart financial decisions; banks offer financial management products and services that can help students learn to save and establish credit responsibly.
That's why California's banking community supports Assembly Bill 166 requiring California's superintendent of public instruction to incorporate financial education instruction into the state's school curriculum, including important topics such as budgeting, managing credit, student loans and managing debt. The Senate has passed the bill; it is now in the Assembly.
At the graduation ceremony at Armijo High School, I was moved to observe how proud the students were from completing the course. Those students are now certified in more than 600 topics related to personal finance, all topics vital to preparing the graduates for the responsibilities that lie ahead.
I hope we can count on the Legislature to make financial education a component of our state's school curriculum.
Louise Walker is president and CEO of First Northern Bank, based in Dixon. She also serves on the board of directors of the California Bankers Association.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.


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This weekend I am at an internet marketing convention, learning lots of helpful stuff and meeting great people. One of the ladies I met is Lain Ehmann who is a scrapbook expert.
I have recently discovered scrapbooking and I think Photography and scrapbooking go hand in hand, the photos capture the story and scrapbooking helps you tell it with more detail.
This is a great article from Lain that talks about why scrapbooking matters, I thought you would enjoy it.
Scrapbooking: Why It Matters
By Lain Ehmann
When you start scrapbooking, it's inevitable. You'll soon run into someone who asks you why in the heck you waste your time scrapbooking your photos when you could just as easily shove them into a photo album and put them on the shelf. Why waste time and money creating "pages" and adding cute stickers? Does it really make your photos look any better?
What these people don't understand is that it's not about the stickers.
Sure, stickers and ribbons and patterned paper and cardstock are all nice. And sure, I love to add them to my scrapbook layouts. But that's not why I scrapbook. I scrapbook because it adds so much to my life that I can't imagine NOT being a scrapbooker. Here are just a few of the ways scrapbooking enriches my life:
1. It makes me appreciate my life. Looking at photos of my kids as little babies reminds me of how fast time flies by, and how much I really have to be thankful for. Even if the only thing that scrapbook brought to me was a feeling of gratitude, that would be enough to make it worthwhile.
2. It makes me more creative. Challenging myself to create new and different embellishments and page designs from the same products makes me think outside the box. I am constantly working to see things in different ways. This creativity carries over in every aspect of my life, from my wardrobe to obstacles at work.
3. It makes me focus on what's right. I do believe that what we focus on, we get more of. By focusing on my favorite memories and moments, I create more of them in my life.
4. It's fun! I just downright enjoy getting my fingers into glue and paper, and scrapbooking is a great excuse to do so. I can pull out a stack of photos and my scrapbook supplies and go to town. It relaxes me in the same way fishing relaxes a die-hard fisherman.
5. It helps me appreciate my story. We think that only big and important people have "stories" that are worth telling. But what we don't realize is that we are ALL big and important in our own lives, and to the people who love us. By taking the time to document my story, I am showing that I am worthy of taking up space on this earth.
Scrapbooking documents my family's stories in a way that no plain photo album can do. I love the people in my life, and I love my life. And scrapbooking is a way of demonstrating that.
Want more simple scrapbooking ideas and inspiration?
Go here: http://www.layoutaday.com. Through scrapbooking videos, tutorials, projects and inspiration, Lain helps her readers make their scrapbooking fun, fast and fabulous!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lain_Ehmann
Don't be afraid to give scrapbooking a try, you don't have to follow all the rules or follow all the latest trends, just try the parts of scrapbooking that appeal to you, maybe journaling is all you are interested in and that is ok.
I am really not much of a scrapbooker and don't want to spend hours decorating a page but here are a few pages I have created that I really like, I try to keep them very simple and I don't use very many supplies.
I also realized I enjoy making digital scrapbook pages even more than paper sometimes, I think I am more creative using the computer plus I have the availability of more embellishments then I have in the paper world.
I totally agree with Lain on the reasons to scrapbook, and I also find it very stress relieving and I think a beautifully enhanced page really adds to my photos. If you are interested in learning more about scrapbooking check out this guide. Click Here!


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I have been licensed since 1970 and hold an Extra class. My interest is DXing, and Ihave been on 50+ DXpeditions, many as leader or co-leader.
I was on the K4M trip to Midway in 2009, and fortunate to be part of the management team. There were 19 hard working, highly skilled operators and I appreciated the experience of knowing and working with each of them. It was an awesome experience, and one of the highlights of my DXpeditions.
My latest trip was in 2012 to Swains Island NH8S, where I was co-leader of the DXpedition. It was another awesome trip with great operators where I made lasting friendships.
I am also part of the management team for Wake Island K9W, which takes place in October 2013. Another great crew of operators.
I am a menber of Southwest Ohio DX Assn. (SWODXA), Greater Cincinnati Amateur Radio Assoc. (GCARA), Dayton Amateur RadioAssoc. (DARA), the ARRL and the ARRL A-1 operator Club.
I received the SWODXA (SouthWest Ohio DX Assn.) DX-pedition of the Year Award twice-once for leading the 4O6DX trip in 2007, and once as a participant of the K4M Midway Island trip.
I have held the following calls or operated under then: J3K, J3A, K4M, ZF2NF, V47NF, WB8GEX/VP5, VP5VDL, WB8GEX/PJ7, VP5N, C6IOTA, C6AJR, A35EX, 3D2EX, TI5A, CY0AA, 4O6DX, WB8GEX/1J4, PJ2/W8GEX, C6DX, VP2EV (Oct.2000), KP2/W8GEX (Nov.2000), N8Z, TO5DX, KH4/W8GEX, KH8/W8GEX, NH8S and K9W Wake island.
I operate all bands and have comfirmed 340 countries for DXCC. Being an avid 60m operator, I send out a 60m DX Newsletter to promote activity on this band.
I QSL 100% with your SASE. PLEASE no IRC's
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5792 MEMORIAL BLV saint george, sc, 29477 USA
email@example.com • 843-563-2300
(Catering Services Available!) Let us put our expertise to work for you. Our catering sales manager will initially assess your event and guide you with your service needs. Book Shugs for Your Next Affair! Chef:Noah Call Him @ 1-843-563-2300 Or 1-843-901-6855
Shugs Up Coming Events & Promo.
Hey Shugs Fans, This Weekend is Seafood nights at Shugs. Friday and Saturday night Shrimp, fish, oysters and Snow Crablegs. Hope to see of you here at SHUGS! Visit Our New Web Site @http://shugssouthernsoulcafe.com/. (Promotion ) 08/9-08/10


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"I'd die for her.."
Do you realize that just last summer you and I were lifeguards at the pool? Everything was so different.
The spirits don't get to tell me what to do anymore. I am done being pushed around by all of you. I did it because I wanted to.
"We could get a triple room."
and love-lost believers.
The Vampire Diaries - May 2013 Sweeps Poster "If the plan involves Katherine, the devil's in the details. "
Bonnie Bennett + dresses