text:
Huge news this morning for shale-gas drilling skeptics: the highest court in New York state ruled that towns have the authority to ban oil and gas companies from operating within city limits. Deborah Goldberg, the lawyer who argued on behalf of the town of Dryden, New York, tells the Voice, will h ... More >>
Sometime very soon, the Environmental Protection Agency will release its final plan on how to clean up the incredibly polluted Gowanus Canal, a process that's expected to take years and cost $550 million. In the meantime, stop fishing there. No, seriously, that's something that people are still doin ... More >>
A Bloomberg story blew the lid on one state senator's ties to the fracking industry yesterday. Turns out state Senator Tom Libous (R-Binghamton), who said in March that he'd "make sure no [fracking moratorium] bill passes the Senate," has deep ties to a real-estate company leasing underground natura ... More >>
One neighborhood in the contentious battle over the location of the city's temporary garbage dumps is looking to up the stakes. This week, an Upper East Side community organization, Residents for Sane Trash Solutions, released a study highlighting the adverse impacts of putting a waste transfer stat ... More >>
Update: See statement from the DEC, and a letter from E&E explaining its relationship to IOGANY, at the bottom. New York State might just have to scrap the latest draft of its environmental impact study on hydraulic fracturing. The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and state lawmake ... More >>
For Matt Damon and company, the message is the message
New Yorkers believe that the economic benefits of drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale outweigh the risk of potentially harmful environmental repercussions, according to today's Quinnipiac University Poll. The poll finds that 44 percent of New Yorkers think the economic pros of hydrauli ... More >>
As you know, weather happened in New York City this week, leaving dozens dead, millions without power, and pundits arguing about whether "Global Warming" is an actual thing.Mayor Mike Bloomberg appears to be on the side of Al Gore and the Inconvenient Truth-ers -- yesterday, the mayor endorsed Presi ... More >>
The Global Warming crowd is claiming that climate change is part of the reason that a hurricane is about absolutely crush New York City."Substantial evidence indicates that global warming may be responsible for the recent increasing intensity of Atlantic hurricanes, including increasing their size a ... More >>
America's hydraulic fracturing gold rush portends the greatest environmental disaster of a generation
In the late 1980s, George Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation with a degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M, wanted a method that could find and extract formerly unseen deposits of natural gas. With a combination of horizontal drilling and something ... More >>
Does fracking make people sick? The jury is largely still out on that one. However, new info indicates that some claims about hydraulic fracturing's reportedly significant health risks appear to have been based on bad science.
Can New York's environmental regulators keep up with fracking? This is the question raised in a report recently published by Earthworks, a group that monitors the petroleum and mining industries. Earthworks' new accountability project charges that New York's Department of Environmental Conservati ... More >>
The Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute is one of the country's leading preservers of the organic flame - a think-tank and advocacy group that benefits the small, family-owned farms that were once in the vanguard of the organic movement. Of course, big agribusiness has long since infiltrated (some ... More >>
As the fracking debate rages on in New York, Barack Obama's administration hasn't hidden the fact that it's pro-fracking, and widely publicized its decision to release environmental guidelines for the practice. Indeed, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's announcement Tuesday that his department had OK ... More >>
There's so much fracking news across the country, it's hard to keep up with! As the debate over hydraulic fracturing in New York continues, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar just OKd a major gas drilling project in Utah, The Associated Press reports. Though some fracking is already taking plac ... More >>
The Prez has hardly made it a secret that he supports fracking as part of his push for domestic oil and natural gas development, with the Obama administration announcing last week that it plans on setting environmental standards for hydraulic fracturing. And what happens in D.C. does not stay in D ... More >>
The Post is a bit beside itself this morning, unable to process the position of fracking opponents. It's not simply that the editorial board disagrees with them and published an opinion piece explaining why -- the board can't wrap its head around the fact that dissenting opinion should have weight ... More >>
As Albany pols weigh the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing, it seems like full disclosure of fracking practices remains iffy. Shortly after reports surfaced that physicians in Pennsylvania couldn't publicly discuss info about fracking chemicals, some New Yorkers have started to begging Departm ... More >>
The health risks of hydraulic fracturing have been key in policymaking debates, with health advocates calling on legislators to assess fracking chemicals before allowing the polemic practice to take place. Friends of fracking, however, have pushed back against full disclosure: in Pennsylvania, for ... More >>
The pros and cons of the practice
The Times reports today on the "slow boil" over water issues now playing out between Upstate communities and New York City. Ulster County, for example, has been pissed at the City for years. The county says that it's unfairly had to endure "development bans, flooded basements and ruined crops" just ... More >>
From a report earlier today, it looks like Woodstock might try outlawing hydraulic fracturing -- the highly controversial natural gas extraction method that many fear will pollute New York's water supply with carcinogenic chemicals and radiation. The Town Board has decided to consider a proposal t ... More >>
A court decided yesterday that the upstate town of Dryden -- located in Tompkins county -- can bar hydrofracking -- marking a major win for fracking opponents. The New York Times reports that Dryden's battle began in August, when the town's board passed a zoning law that bans gas drilling w ... More >>
In an unprecedented move, House Republicans had a filmmaker arrested yesterday after he showed up to a public congressional hearing. The House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment was meeting to discuss the controversial topic of hydraulic fracturing, colloquially known as "fracking." When Joshua ... More >>
Mayor Mike Bloomberg has had his share of public reservations about hydrofracking, urging government honchos to keep drilling far from NYC's water. The City's environmental agency is on board, too. But a strange little newsletter released this afternoon from the Department of Environmental Protect ... More >>
Remember how New York's citizens, many of them not too keen on having chemicals blasted into underground rock to extract natural gas, recently submitted 40,000 comments to the state's environmental agency? That public comment period on highly polemic hydraulic fracturing came to a close earlier th ... More >>
The Environmental Protection Agency says that New York should set limits to the amount of radiation that can be in fracking wastewater before the drilling starts, according to The Associated Press [via The Wall Street Journal]. The EPA announcement comes just as the state's Department of Environme ... More >>
Eat this choucroute to show you oppose fracking. Actually, it's choucroute against fracking. Bark Hot Dogs, in Park Slope, has teamed with the makers of the film Gasland and the anti-fracking group United for Action for a dinner and screening next Wednesday, November 9.
When Governor Cuomo signed the landmark same sex marriage bill into law last week, you probably thought, "There's no way the 'gov is topping this." Guess again! The New York Times reports his administration will announce their attempt to lift what is effectively a statewide ban on hydraulic f ... More >>
Because untreated grease gives us all something to smile about!Here's yet another reason we find ourselves weary of the continuing existence of T.G.I. Friday's.
Sunday's New York Times includes a somewhat original, overlooked take on the most infamous terrorist in the world, the still-not-caught Osama bin Laden, who released two new audio recordings over the weekend. The article, instead of the standard "Where's Waldo?", focuses on bin Laden's "wide- ... More >>
The ongoing pissing match over Sarah Palin's inked-up gimme cap has a new combatant, now that John McCain has taken a stand. If you managed to miss this earth-shaking controversy, the Senator's former running mate was photographed in Hawaii wearing a McCain campaign sun visor with the logo bl ... More >>
It's good to know that in these times of crisis, our elected officials maintain a healthy sense of perspective. Governor Paterson proclaims today, October 1, "Change a Light Day New York," and with the York State Energy Research and Development Authority encourages you to switch to compact fluoresc ... More >>
Bloomberg's man Dan Doctoroff has an answer for rising seas: more coastal condos!
"Our political system has something in common with the earth's climate," Al Gore is saying to wild applause. "It is non-linear. Change can seem to be happening slowly, and then it can shift to a completely new path." The former vice president and current star of the documentary An Inconvenient T ... More >>
The man who would've been president warns of an imminent deep impact
Raw sewage continues to pour into the city's waterways
Enviros hope 'The Day After Tomorrow' will change the climate regarding climate
New EPA Rule Threatens to Increase Local Pollution
Prez Not All Bad on Environment. Just Mostly.
Gale Norton Rings in an America Where Polluters Police Themselves and Environmentalists Go Extinct
Polluters Fight Global Warmingand Government RegulationWith a New Market in Emissions Credits
A Bitter Struggle in New York City Splits the Sierra Club
Eco-Friendly Leo Rises Above Beach Accusations
Pataki Wrestles Spitzer for Eco-Laurels
How Humans Are Behind the Weather Weirdness


text:
Most Common Occupational Injuries Covered by Workers' Comp
A work-related injury is also known as an occupational injury. If you have suffered an occupational injury, you may file a workers' compensation claim with your employer to seek benefits to compensate you for your medical bills and loss of wages. If your employer denies you workers' comp coverage, you may appeal to your state workers' compensation bureau to attempt to force your employer to pay you benefits.
Some occupational injuries occur more frequently than others. In many cases, these occupational injuries are unique to a specific industry, such as the mining or construction. In other cases, these injuries are very common and occur in many different types of lines of work. Regardless of what industry you work in, it is best to practice proper workplace safety to prevent any occupational injuries from occurring.
Occupational Injury Statistics
According to the history of workers' compensation, states are in charge of implementing and enforcing workers' compensation laws. However, the federal government does keep track of annual incidents of occupational injuries, both fatal and non-fatal.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 3.69 million cases of nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported within the private sector in 2008. Of these injuries and illnesses, more than one million involved workers missing days of work.
In addition, some of the most common types of nonfatal occupational injuries were sprains, strains, and tears, which made up 416,620 injuries in 2008. Meanwhile, there were 234,840 injuries involving falls and 222,290 injuries to the back in 2008.
There were also 4,670 fatal injuries in 2008 within the private sector. Of these, 1,044 occurred on the highway, 658 involved falls, and 453 involved homicides.
Top Workplace Hazards
Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which workplace hazards present the most danger to workers as a whole, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has outlined some of the most common workplace hazards, which frequently result in workers' compensation claims.
According to the CDC, the following are some of the most common hazards and exposures, which could lead to various types of occupational injuries and illnesses. If you believe you have suffered an occupational injury due to one of these hazards, you should speak to your employer or a workers' comp attorney about filing for workers' comp.
- Aerosols
- Asphalt fumes
- Carbonless copy paper
- Cold and heat stress
- Explosions and explosives in mining
- Poisonous plants and animals
- Drug exposure for health care practitioners
- Fires
- Ultraviolet radiation
Workplace Safety
To minimize the occurrence of occupational injury, it is important to practice workplace safety. Although specific safety procedures will vary from industry to industry and worksite to worksite, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. Many of these guidelines were developed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
These OSHA guidelines include information pertaining to:
- Protection from fires including emergency plans
- Storage of hazardous materials
- target="_blank">Protective equipment and clothing
- The placement of first aid equipment in places where injuries are likely to occur
- Equipment maintenance
- Workers Compensation Attorney - Find Local Worker Comp Lawyers
- Workers' Compensation Exemptions
- How to Appeal a Workers' Compensation Denied Claim
- What Independent Contractors Need to Know
- How Much Work Can You Miss With a Workers Compensation Claim?
- Are There Statutes of Limitations in Workers Compensation Cases?
- More Workers Compensation Articles
- California Leads the Nation in Pedestrian Accidents
- The Top Ten States for Car-Train Collisions - Attorney.com
- Congress to Pass Bill Requiring Safety Inspections on Fishing Boats
- North Dakota Motor Vehicle Accidents Strains Resources
- What To Do If Injured While Working on the Railroad
- More Accident Law Articles
- Types of Spinal Cord Injuries and How They Can Affect Your Settlement
- Personal Injury Case Against Resident of Another State: Must Lawyers File in Federal Court?
- How Do I Open a Personal Injury Claim
- Negotiating a Fair Pain and Suffering Accident Settlement
- Personal Injury Claim After Bike Accident: How Much Can I Expect?
- More Personal Injury Articles

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rectrix Commercial Aviation Services Acquires AirFlyte
Rectrix Commercial Aviation Services (Recas) announced the acquisition of Westfield, Mass.-based AirFlyte, an FBO with maintenance and hangar facilities. "An important factor in this acquisition was the agreement of Gary Potts to stay on as president, thus assuring a seamless continuity of business," said Richard Cawley, president and CEO of Recas. "By joining Rectrix, AirFlyte now has access to resources that will allow it to expand the quality services for which the company is known."
Please Register
In order to leave comments you will now need to be a registered user. This change in policy is to protect our site from an increased number of spam comments. Additionally, in the near future you will be able to better manage your AIN subscriptions via this registration system. If you already have an account, click here to log in. Otherwise, click here to register.


text:
If you'll be taking a long trip this Thanksgiving, we highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and its risk factors. (DVT) -- a clot in the leg that can break off and travel to the lung where it becomes a pulmonary embolism (PE) -- during long airplane flights.
In a New Zealand study published in The Lancet medical journal, 1% of 878 travelers tested who had flown 10-hour flights in a six-week period developed blood clots. Five developed a DVT, but four others had a pulmonary embolism (PE). Although 1% sounds small, given the millions of people who travel today, it represents a significant number of people who are potentially at risk.
The single most important risk factor is if you have had a previous DVT or PE or if any first-degree relative has had one. The reason is that this indicates an inherited blood factor imbalance that causes increased susceptibility to clotting.
Additional risk factors: Recent surgery, a malignancy, taking synthetic hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, and/or being obese or pregnant. Post-surgery patients continue to be at risk for several months after surgery, as do women after delivery of their baby. One study also found that people with varicose veins and older people were at risk. (The average age of travelers with clots was 66.) The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of clotting.
This problem doesn't relate just to air travel but to any travel mode that involves long hours (more than six or so), a cramped position and immobility.
You need to move your legs regularly. Luckily "moving" does not mean running a marathon -- shuffling and tapping to real or imaginary music qualifies. If you are an airline traveler in a high-risk group, ask to be seated in the more spacious exit rows. On car trips, stop every few hours to walk around.
If you are at high risk, discuss the problem with your doctor before you travel. In particular, he/she may suggest delaying travel soon after surgery, or if you have a family history of clotting, he may give you an anti-coagulant to take shortly before the flight.
Compression stockings may be helpful if they are fitted correctly from the base of the heel to the mid-point behind the knee. Simple common-sense measures to follow when you fly include rotating your ankles, walking around as often as possible and drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. Aspirin has not been shown to be effective in helping reduce DVT, however.
The Flexing Foot Rest from ActiveForever provides an outstanding defense against DVT. The patented Flexing Foot Rest provides an dynamic motion that stimulates your your feet and legs relaxing your muscles and helps maintain good blood circulation. If you'll be taking a long flight sometime soon, the Flexing Footrestis something you shouldn't be without.
After your flight, be on the alert for sharp pain and swelling in one calf -- a common symptom of DVT. In the month after traveling, if you experience shortness of breath that gets worse and is painful, coughing with blood or chest pain when you take a deep breath, you may have a pulmonary embolism. Get to an emergency room immediately!
This article was provided by Bottom Line's Daily Health News. Bottom Line's vast network of leading mainstream, alternative, and complementary practitioners brings you the information you need to make informed decisions about your health. Sign up now for their FREE electronic newsletter.
Reprinted with permission of:
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
Boardroom, Inc.
281 Tresser Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06901
Leverage our buying power. We serve GOV/EDU/MIL, employers, facilities & inventors.
Account set up & astute solutions guidance.
Free edu catalogs for your staff & community.
Engage in our innovative medical & health care, sales, education & marketing programs.
Publishing, marketing & lead gen programs.
Vendors/Investors: full-service solutions.
Get Discovery Digest e-news updates, discounts, and exclusive offers.
Start receiving e-discoveries & specials.
EZ Publish our Discovery Digest free.


text:
My only concern is maintaining friendships, both you and my sister as well as you and me. I don't see myself in a relationship any time soon so if we can keep this up without messing up those friendships then I'm all for it. I'm just scared cuz that hasn't ended up that way in the past.
Well all I know is I am not in the market for a relationship anytime soon and I am not ever prepared for a long distance relationship.
I'm fine with either outcome. Do as you please. I certainly don't wanna blow our cover but I'm not gonna act like I'm uninterested.
Drake feat. Jhene - July
black beauty
The L word
I'm no where close to feeling it and I feel very guilty about it. What if it takes a year before I feel it? What kind of person does it make me if I never do? I refuse to be that person to hurt someone again, but to turn away at this point would be walking away from a possibility that this feeling may or may not occur. I feel bad that I can't muster the courage to say it back - and mean it… I could tell him I love him, but to me, it is worse to lie than to not say it at all. He says it doesn't bother him, but is he telling the truth? I know he wouldn't intentionally lie to me, but he could be potentially lying to himself. I feel like he's going too fast; his emotions tend to flood in rushes of waves, while mine trickles in like a leaky faucet. So how do I tell him to slow down without hurting his feelings? I have a strong feeling he'll take it the wrong way if this request is presented to him, so until then, I will remain quiet with fear… but how long can I even do that?
It is currently 4:47AM, my roommate still isnt home because she is studying…and I'm studying for finals…


text:
Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites!
Refine or narrow your results by clicking any term in the gray boxes below.
Expand your results by removing any breadcrumb in a gray outlined box above. Click on the blue "X" to remove the term.
Narrow your results by entering a keyword into the search box above. Then click the "Search Within" checkbox, then click on the orange "Search" button.
If you did not find what you are looking for or you did not get any results, try changing your search term(s). See our Search Help page for more tips.
Date: 1945 ca.
Description: A threshing scene in a field. One man pitches grain into a threshing machine while standing on the load of grain in the wagon pulled by two horses. A secon...
Date: 1873
Description: Exterior view of the W.P. Storms residence with a horse-drawn wagon in front of it.
Description: The home of Mrs. Doc P. Maxwell, settled in 1857.
Description: Detail from atlas of the home of Z. Short who settled in 1842.
Description: A man sits on a stool while hand milking a Holstein cow in a stall in a red barn. He is wearing work clothes and a hat. A golden cow and a spotted brown co...
Description: Two boys sled down a snow covered hillside at the farm. Two leafless trees are on the right. Along the horizon is a red building on the left with a fence s...
Description: An elevated view of a man on a tractor harrowing a field on a hillside. A road and field run along the left side and a small field and trees appear on the...
Description: The Lake Geneva Seminary, founded June 10, 1869 and was chartered by an act of legislature on March 1871.
Description: View of a farm house, with fences around it, a cowboy on horseback overseeing cattle, and a horse-drawn carriage on the street in front of the estate. Re...
Description: View of the J.M. Bailey Jr. Marble Works storefront. From the "Combination Atlas-Map of Walworth Co.", Chicago
Description: Detail from atlas of the home of James Child who settled in 1847.
Description: Detail from atlas of the home of Almon Jewell who settled in 1845.
Description: Three boys play ice hockey on a frozen pond. One boy has fallen and is sitting on the ice. Snow covers the ground, with some grass peeking through. A fence...
Description: The Whiting House with assorted traffic and people.
Description: Four children ride in the box of a horse-drawn sled along with four milk cans. The driver holds the reins of the two horses. One child is perched on a can....
Description: The home of Charles Wales, who settled in 1845.
Description: View of a farmstead with multiple pine trees. A road is in foreground with a carriage driven by two horses, and a man in the carriage. A dog runs in fron...
Description: The hotel of S.H. Stafford, who settled about 1845.
Date: 1873 ca.
Description: H.S. Winsor residence, with a stagecoach in the foreground.
Description: D.L. Fairchild residence from the street, with a stagecoach and pedestrian in the foreground.
If you didn't find the material you searched for, our Library Reference Staff can help.
Call our reference desk at 608-264-6535 or email us at:
© 1996-2014 Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706


text:
Archive for the 'Planned Obsolescence' Category
- January 10, 2013 Americans Are Targeted for Planned Obsolescence | A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal. – Ted Turner posted in 1. All Articles, Government, Planned Obsolescence, Population Reduction / Eugenics tagged controlled economic collapse, News, planned obsolescence, Population control
- January 25, 2011 Zeitgeist Moving Forward Full Movie | And Truth11's Review posted in 1. All Articles, 3. Truth Documentaries, Anti-Economy, Derivatives, Economics = Slavery System, Efficiency, Employee > Employer > Consumer: Loop, Global Resource Management System, Government, Health, Healthcare, Income Tax, Income | Equality + Inequality, Infrastructure, Investing, Life Sequence Of Value, Markets, Money Sequence Of Value, New World Order, Planned Obsolescence, Prisons, Resource Based Economy, Resources, Science, Starvation, Structural Classism, Systems Theory, Taxation, Waste, Zeitgeist, Zeitgeist Movement tagged freedoms, G20, Government, News, Police State, Politics, Rights, toronto g20
About the archives
Welcome to the archives here at Truth11. Have a look around.


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Squeaksbcod said...
Actually no they are not the same.
Rewarding people the same means (from where I am comeing from) that you get X item for doing Y. Right now everyone gets X number of points for doing a random. However; someone who has a full set of gear better than what they can purchase with their points has less incentive run than someone for who all the gear is an upgrade. Perhaps saying that they view the points as more valuble than the well geared person. Another example could be a recipe. If X recipe has a chance to drop in Y instance, everyone has an equal chance to get it as a reward, but it certainly is going to be more attractive to someone who has the profession and can actually use, so they likely have much more incentive to grind for it than someone who just gets to vendor it.
So with the tank shortage, I would look for ways to offer rewards to everyone, but for whatever reason are more desirable to a tank. The Satchel of Helpful goods might be a good way to help with this. Set it up that everyone gets the Satchel, it has a chance to drop various things for various classes including some rare purples. Then, make some/one of the purples very attractive to tanks. Everyone still gets the reward, and a melee DPS might still be able to use the purple as an upgrade, so the rewards are as equal as random can be. But with some luck and balance the Tanks will hopefully have more incentive to run the random as the drops are just much more useful to them.
It does not have to be gear, it could maybe be a special new flask that you can only get from randoms. Everyone can get the item, for some it will be an ok item and get used, others will vendor it, but if it is good for tanks and that is the only source Tanks might be more inclined to run more often as it is more useful to them.
Or to put it really shorter put things in random heroics that Tanks really want. Give everyone the same chance to get it so the reward is the same, but since Tanks actively want the item, with some luck they will run more often to get said item they want.
Not everyone wants mounts. Every Tank that answers the CTA will get the same reward and chance for a mount, but how much of an incentive it is to run the CTA will very a fair amount form one tank to another. For some it will be a huge incentive, for some, not one at all. Same reward, different incentive.
I hope that makes a little more sense.


text:
Shop Our Store
More Ways To Shop
More Ways To Save
Select your preferred location and we'll note which parts are ready to be picked up TODAY.
Rapid Dent Removal System, Raditap, Kit
Order this item and get free delivery and handling on your entire order! Offer excludes truck freight fees. Valid on orders shipped in the contiguous United States.
Estimated Ship Date: Today Would you rather pick it up? Select Location
View Similar Products
These Malco Raditap rapid dent removal systems are air-actuated. They are a long-reach pick solution for painless dent removal and auto-body restoration. They are able to access dents that your hammer and other large dent removal tools can't, such as door and latch openings, engine compartments, and wheelwells. These systems offer various air power speeds and intensities to quietly and effectively work out dents. These dent removal systems have four user-defined configurations, as well as interchangeable driveshaft lengths, for multiple combinations. Allow yourself the best possible fit for the dent removal task at hand with these Malco Raditap rapid dent removal systems.
Some parts are not legal for sale or use in California on any pollution-controlled motor vehiclesBack To Results


text:
Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara Gets Pranked By Her Fellow Castmates
As Lisa Stanley just reported, actress Sofia Vergara was the victim of a prank pulled by her fellow "Modern Family" cast members.
Check out the photos!
Sofia Vergara Opens Up About Battle With Cancer
When you think of Sofia Vergara, many think of the sexy, funny Colombian from the hit ABC comedy Modern Family. However, Vergara recently opened up about something from her past that wasn't so funny – […]
Sofia Vergara Gets Personal To 'Vogue'
The Modern Family star says that she's thinking about expanding her family and reveals her bra size in an interview with Vogue.
Sofia Vergara: Madonna is a 'Freak'
¡Ay caramba! Colombian actress and Modern Family star Sofia Vergara recently alluded that pop queen [lastfm]Madonna[/lastfm] is a "freak." What lead the actress to label the singer with the eye-raising word and under what context?


text:
Home > Post > Post 11 > Post 11 News Release > 2012 News Releases > News Release
News Release
TPR Lloyd Cochran
Public Affairs Officer
Kentucky State Police
Post 11, London
(606) 878-6622
Click here to e-mail TPR Lloyd Cochran
ATF recognizes Kentucky State Police Troopers for efforts in the arrest of former Sheriff of Whitley County
Date of News Release: 04/18/2012
(LONDON, KY.) On April 18, 2012 ATF Special Agent Todd Tremaine and Resident Agent In-Charge Matt White recognized the Kentucky State Police, Post 11, Troopers who played an avid role in the arrest of former Sheriff Lawrence Hodge and other criminal associates of Whitley County. The Troopers given commendations were as follows: SR TPR Scott Bunch, TFC David Lassiter, Detective Don Sivils, and SR TPR Mike Witt. Other Troopers who played a vital role in this long term investigation are as follows: Sgt. Tracy Woods, SR TPR Tony Dingess, SR TPR Duane Foley, SR TPR Les Moses, and SR TPR Staci Walker.


text:
On Jan. one, 2014, marijuana dispensaries in Colorado providing recreational cannabis will open up their doors for the initial time in U.S. historical past -- and in accordance to recent information from the point out regulators, additional than 100 stores statewide are expected to make background that working day.
The Denver Publish documented that the state's Marijuana Enforcement Division acknowledged 136 programs from from recreational cannabis outlets in October. People today who submitted purposes in the thirty day period of Oct are confirmed a final decision on their software by the stop of the year and, if accepted, can open doors on Jan. one.
"If you obtained your software in, anything finished in the month of October, you're however heading to have the reward of a start out date of Oct. 1 and have a final decision by that Jan. 1 date," Julie Postlethwait, spokesperson for the cannabis regulatory business office, advised The Huffington Post.
The condition regulators also approved virtually thirty programs for cannabis-infused products companies and virtually 180 purposes for recreational pot cultivation amenities, according to The Denver Put up.
Point out legislation needs that only companies who are now certified for health care marijuana income and are in "good standing" with the point out can use for a recreational license. Postlethwait said that there is a pool of about 550 professional medical cannabis dispensaries in Colorado that can implement for leisure product sales licenses.
In September, when investor group ArcView came to Colorado and poured in a lot more than $one million into marijuana startup corporations, ArcView CEO Troy Dayton identified as the hashish small business "the subsequent excellent American market."
"Colorado has an option to declare a -- if not the -- major function in the cannabis marketplace, if it is properly financed," ArcView's president Steve DeAngelo lately explained to Bloomberg Businessweek. "It's an prospect to make the very first significant companies and the to start with massive brands."
While it has been a lot less than three months because Legal professional Standard Eric Holder created the historic announcement that the Department of Justice will allow for both of those Colorado and Washington" title="Washington" class="klink">Washington's new marijuana legal guidelines to go into impact, legal marijuana is currently a person of the quickest-developing marketplaces in the U.S., increasing at a level poised to outpace the enlargement of the world smartphone industry.
"Hashish is one of the speediest-increasing industries," stated Steve Berg, a former running director of Wells Fargo Bank and editor of the report, the 2nd version of the Condition of Lawful Marijuana Marketplaces. "Domestically, we were not in a position to obtain any market place that is rising as rapidly."
"Entrepreneurs and non-public traders are flocking to cannabis marketplaces," Berg claimed. "People who really fully grasp sector dynamics will enjoy massive rewards."
Read More: Article Source


text:
Any organism in the Kingdom Mychota. These organisms
are incapable of photosynthesis, so they derive all their food from
either dead or living plants and animals (i.e., they are saprophytes).
Some fungal species are parasitic. Most are essential detritivores for
the freestone rivers, and in terrestrial ecosystems, the rain forests.
Many aquatic fungi or water molds (hyphomycetes) participate in the
breakdown of leaf and other plant materials. They are essential, along
with bacteria, for making the decaying vegetation palatable for the
macro invertebrate shredder species.


text:
The City of Portland has unanimously adopted a complete streets policy at their last City Council meeting on December 17th, 2012.
"By adopting a Complete Streets policy, the city has taken an important step to assure that each dollar spent on roadways and walkways is done so that all users will benefit now and into the future," Mayor Michael Brennan said in the release.
For those unfamiliar with a Complete Streets Policy it provides for consideration of all transportation users regardless of mode choice. Implementation is however susceptible to interpretation, but is a step in the right direction!
"Congestion is a byproduct of success — it means a lot of people want to be there."
- John Norquist, CEO of the Congress for New Urbanism
Great article in the BDN the other day regarding some things I have already talked about here, regarding the Population and GDP of Maine, where those things are occurring and where the money is flowing. They hint that it isn't flowing into the places where people are moving too, or where economic activity is occurring.
Is the State Giving Money to 'Well-Off' Suburbs at the Expense of Urban Areas?
The big take-away is the cities are back in a big way. Even lowly Waterville and Augusta are growing again, however state funding formulas for schools, roads and other investments aren't flowing into these areas where services, jobs and people in need tend to be. This makes a huge case for increasing the value of our urban places through guided infrastructure investment and promoting projects that pay back big dividends to solidify the ground on which these places stand. Give the article a read.
The census tells us quite a bit about where people are populating and when. What we see in the chart below is a significant (not tested for significance) change in course for population movements. The data examines the population of central cities of each metro area, compared to the surrounding metro area populations. Suburban growth patterns continued to dominate the percent of growth through 2007 (noted by the tall blue bars above the metro area), then abruptly fell for both in 2007-2009. What follows is primarily growth in the central cities (green bars in 2009-2011) with some moderate growth in the surrounding towns.
I continue to believe that when faced with economic uncertainty, due to high fuel prices, sputtering economy, etc., people will choose a more efficient lifestyle. Cities are an opportunity for that, helping to reduce commuter costs and put people closer to the things they want and need. Even in the face of higher housing costs in central cities, the combined cost of transportation and housing is still a better deal. In a flat economy with high fuel prices, that is a choice many are inclined to make.
I have talked about improved rail service as not only a tool to increase mobility, but to build a sustainable development future for the cities and towns where rail is feasible. This Portland Daily Sun article speaks positively about the prospects for studying the link between two of Maine's three metropolitan areas. Here is the link and text below:
Resolution Aims to Document Support for Portland to L/A Commuter Service
Published Date Thursday, 20 December 2012 18:06 Written by Craig Lyons
A plan to explore commuter rail service for Portland, Lewiston and Auburn is on track to get support from the communities' governing bodies.
The Portland City Council's Transportation Sustainability and Energy Committee endorsed a resolution that will be sent to the councils in Portland, Lewiston and Auburn to document the support for a commuter transportation system running between the two metropolitan areas.
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan said there have been some conversations among the cities about a bus commuter service but the decision was made to talk more about a rail service. He said the resolution is straight-forward and will show a joint commitment by the three cities to study a commuter service.
Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said studying a commuter link is an important piece of planning for economic and urban development. He said the service wouldn't only accommodate existing commuters but could open the door for the under-employed population by linking the two job markets.
LaBonte said Auburn is committed to the creation of a commuter system and recently allocated $500,000 for a transportation hub along Route 4.
"We want to see this happen quickly," he said.
The committee endorsed a joint resolution among Portland, Lewiston and Auburn that would support a feasibility study to look at a passenger rail service between the two metropolitan areas. The resolution was requested by the committee to start the process to look at the rail linkage between the communities after hearing a demand for that type of service.
By endorsing the resolution, the cities would seek state and federal grant funding to pay for the evaluation, according to a staff memo, and the study would include pieces on land use, economic development, environmental impacts, congestion mitigation and economic justice.
The study would explore additional topics that weren't addressed by a two-year-old study done by Maine Department of Transportation.
The cities would jointly seek grant funding for the study from the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System and the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center.
Gary Higginbottom, of the Maine Rail Transit Coalition, said the study should look beyond the three cities but incorporate stops in the economic centers along the route. He said places like Falmouth, Yarmouth and New Gloucester could all benefit from a rail connection to the cities.
LaBonte said he's interested in the commuter service having a long life and that's likely going to require some sort of public subsidy. He said having a population density is key to building support for a contribution from the taxpayers.
Trying to serve more areas that might not have the population density could cause a public subsidy to lose its appeal, LaBonte said.
There was mention of commuter bus service, which does increase mobility, but will not inspire good urban development that is sustainable. Nobody ever built TOD around the bus station!
A friend had a letter published in the Portland Press Herald recently, talking about land value taxation. Link and text below:
Land value taxation could bring a surge of new construction
By Bill Basford of Benton
A news article in a recent Portland Press Herald reported on a dramatic 23 percent decline in car ownership – 26 percent per capita! – in the city of Portland over the past seven years.
This great news was followed by a Press Herald editorial on July 30 urging the city to encourage this trend by relaxing minimum parking requirements, providing better walking and cycling access from off peninsula, and maybe even restoring streetcar service.
Another policy change that the city should consider is a change to land value taxation, or LVT.
LVT is a property tax system that dramatically reduces tax rates on buildings and increases land taxes to make up the difference, while keeping total property taxes the same as before.
A dozen or more cities in Pennsylvania have already changed to this system, or are actively working on this change.
Reducing taxes on buildings encourages developers to put up new buildings, including rental apartments and condos, by reducing the long-term costs of owning and operating a building.
At the same time, a higher tax on land discourages speculators from holding empty lots for years or even decades, while waiting for the value to rise enough to make a killing on the land, without ever building anything on it.
The value of vacant land is greatly affected by what is built on other nearby lots.
Land speculators are, in effect, gambling on if and when new buildings go up on nearby lots. By raising the "holding costs" for empty lots, the city can pressure land speculators to either develop their own vacant lots, to bring in enough revenue to cover the higher holding costs, or sell the land to someone else who can and will develop the empty lots.
Under Portland's current property tax system, even ordinary surface parking lots can bring in enough revenue to cover the low taxes on otherwise vacant land, allowing speculators to leave it undeveloped for many years.
Several city blocks of surface parking just south and east of the Cumberland County Civic Center show the undesirable effects of Portland's current low land taxes.
But Portland simply can't afford to have so much of its limited downtown land area tied up in such unproductive uses.
LVT can be introduced gradually, allowing owners of underutilized land time to adjust their plans without suffering sudden unexpected losses.
For example, Altoona, Pa., recently completed a 10-year transition to LVT, from 2002 to 2011, resulting in a significant increase in both the number and value of building permits.
In comparison, Johnstown, Pa., a similar-size city about 40 miles west of Altoona, has not made the change to LVT and is still enduring a decades-long decline in building permits.
Harrisburg, Pa., the state capitol, with a population slightly less than Portland, changed to a graded tax system, taxing land at six times the mil rate of buildings and other improvements.
It has seen a big increase in new construction, despite other financial blunders that may bankrupt the city government.
While the benefits of LVT or a graded tax system will be most evident in the downtown business area, homeowners have little to fear.
Most homeowners will see a small reduction in total property taxes, with the only likely increases being for smaller than average houses on unusually large lots.
Maine state law now requires municipalities to tax all property at the same mil rate.
But this law was probably intended to prevent blatant tax discrimination, such as taxing out-of-town property owners at higher rates than residents, or taxing rental apartment buildings at higher rates than owner-occupied condominiums.
It should easy enough to convince the Legislature to pass enabling legislation for LVT, as long as all land is taxed at the same mil rate citywide, and all buildings are taxed at the same mil rate citywide.
Furthermore, this change can be made at low cost to the city, without requiring an expensive revaluation, since the property tax database already includes separate valuations for land and buildings.
In summary, a change to Land Value Taxation could bring a surge of new construction to downtown Portland, ease the very tight rental housing market, and draw in still more creative people ready to live without money-sucking cars.
When considering where to make investments, I always think of where the return is going be made.
Looks like Maine's 3 metros are increasing their share of the state's GDP.
What is most striking is that the rest of Maine is in decline compared to the 3 metro areas, with Portlandia leading the pack. Bangor and L/A are slowly recovering from the downturn and growing as well. Urbanists rejoice!
This data was sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Let me not mince words….slip lanes are the bane of a pedestrian friendly downtown business district, but they may have a larger impact than that on your cities finances.
From a planning perspective, they facilitate fast travel and are suitable for highway on-ramps, rural highways, and places where there isn't a chance in hell someone is walking or downtown businesses are trying to thrive. I also like to think of things in terms of value and how things build a cities tax base and that is where I intend to head with this post, not the traffic calming rant I seem to have started on.
To illustrate the point I will be making, I am picking on a particular intersection that has four right turn slip lanes, going in each direction and facilitating an effortless cornering maneuver for motorists. As I implied earlier, these are great for places where no one in their right mind would walk, but what are the costs when it is located in what should be a thriving downtown business district?
The marked areas in the map below represents almost 3/4 of an acre of land consumed by the transportation "investment", and is at the south end of a somewhat thriving downtown (getting better by the day I might add). The block south of downtown sits a old mill that is witnessing a resurgence and has been the recipient of significant private investment dollars, yet when navigating this intersection, it may as well be a mile away. Not only is the street network designed for Interstate traffic (5 lanes including turn lanes), but the slip lanes lead you right into the heart of downtown at breakneck speed.
Not that everyone drives this fast when approaching the downtown business district, but the transportation network certainly doesn't prevent it. In other words, it happens frequent enough for me to notice.
In terms of our point about the lost value to the city, these slip lanes represent what could be development opportunities for 'thee' prime location in the City. Not only is it close to the neighboring town across the river, but given the right changes in zoning code, these properties could allow for significant investment, never mind the fact that developing these properties is probably illegal according to the towns (and every other towns) current zoning code.
If I were a good (even remotely decent) graphic designer, I would crank out a sketch-up of these properties as they would look if developed with downtown buildings, with no setback from the street's ROW (right of way). Not only would this add tax paying properties to the City, but would serve as a continuation of the downtown corridor linking the investment in the mill just south of downtown. As one approaches the City coming in from across the river, one would know they were arriving somewhere worthy, a place to arrive to, instead of a place to drive through.
Some might argue that the properties are too small for significant investment, but if we look at the property just north of the 0.19 acre property, it is actually only .145 acres and on it sits a very nice building that sadly is suffering from lack of investment. By combining the property that is 0.33 acres with the property (large parking lot along the river with 1.165 acres) to the northeast, you end up with a property large enough to build a great building site and provide some adequate parking. The same is the case with the parcels on the south end of the intersection.
I began this post thinking about tax revenue for the city and how to increase value. So lets play with some numbers… Pretend each corner attracted an average investment of $1M. At our current tax rate, that would represent an additional $96,000/year in tax revenue if my calculations are remotely correct. Considering that the infrastructure (street, water, sewer) is already in place in this area of town, this investment would be gravy for the city. They could either make other strategic investments in attracting business, or over time, reduce the tax burden on each property owner after the changes in the transportation system that led to this are reimbursed.
I keep looking at the places I happen by and see opportunities from strengthening communities everywhere. I won't talk about why there is a 5 lane bridge between the two towns at this time, or the one-way streets that also facilitate fast traffic, but that too should be considered in a holistic fashion along with this. Perhaps the towns comprehensive plan will address these issues or a more narrowly focused downtown master plan could offer some direction? At this point it isn't my place to bring these up, but hope that someone with more clout than myself, might run with it? These are all complicated issues and can't be looked at in isolation, but it is good to start somewhere.
For my planning activism with the Greater Waterville Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, I have been looking into a lot of crash data, trying to learn about the nature of accidents in and around Waterville and how they could be mitigated.
I happened upon a story that I didn't expect to find, but did. Waterville is looking into fixing a 5 way intersection at the corner of Western Ave., Lincoln Ave., and 1st Rangeway. The intersection can be a bit difficult to navigate, but in looking at the crash data for the Waterville area, it appears that the intersection is quite safe compared to other parts of town (Interstate Interchanges & Downtown).
While the perception is that the intersection is unsafe, what generally tends to happen is that people navigating that intersection approach it with some level of hesitation and a heightened awareness. Because everyone knows it is a "bad" intersection, it is made safe because people treat it as if it were a place to be respected. In the list of projects for the City of Waterville and Maine's DOT is a redo of this "unsafe" intersection. While the improvements may in fact change the perception of the intersection as an "unsafe" place, the data suggests that this is a gross miss-allocation of resources.
Waterville has a downtown business environment that is fighting like hell to remain a viable center of business activity. People take economic risks here by opening up businesses, the downtown development group spends considerable energy building up the downtown, but what is clear to me is that the street network that supports downtown isn't doing an adequate job.
By the numbers, a two block section of downtown has had 84 accidents in the last 8 years. Most of those are rear-end/sideswipes between people backing out of diagonal stall parking were rear-ended or parallel parkers were sideswiped. As a planner, I know the value of downtown on-street parking to downtown businesses. People need to get in, conduct a transaction, and leave. Eliminating on-street parking is a looser for these businesses and will make traffic even faster due to greater roadway widths. Stories here and here.
What is needed however is a traffic calmed environment that will be a more inviting place for patrons of downtown businesses, families spending a weekend strolling along the shop lined streets, and as a result will slow traffic down, leading to less crashes.
The Amtrak Downeaster is a vital component to Maine's Transportation System. There have been year over year increases in ridership since its inception. As the Downeaster nears completion of track work to Brunswick, ME a vital connection to car-free travel opportunities will only be enhanced, with passengers being able to connect to the Maine Eastern Railway in Brunswick, with seasonal excursion service to Rockland, ME.
As a former computer network geek, it is shown that the value of a computer network increases with the number of connections that can be made. The simple office networks of the early 1990's allowed limited transactions between other office computers. Fast forward to now, computers can connect to data and information across the globe. No longer are businesses, students, and researchers limited to local resources. Transportation networks operate in the same way. As the network ads more resources, it becomes more valuable and useful. I am sure that there is an upper limit to connectivity for both types of networks, where diminishing returns begins to outweigh expansion. Our inefficient and fiscally unsustainable automobile network is a prime example.
This leads me to the purpose of our discussion. The graph below is a summary of Downeaster ridership between 2002 and 2011, showing an increase in ridership year over year, with a couple blips. As are all transportation networks across the world, there is always a degree of subsidy involved and the Downeaster is no exception. The State of Maine and the Federal Government kick in approximately $7.5M/year in operating subsidy. When we divide the ridership by this cost figure, we see that the subsidy per trip is actually going down considerably from a 2004 high of over $30/trip to a present day subsidy of less than $15/trip.
It will be interesting to see what happens after Brunswick becomes the new Northern Terminus of the Downeaster and connections between the Maine Eastern Railway are established. I would expect to see ridership on both lines go up considerably as the network becomes more functional to people seeking opportunities for car-free travel to experience all that Maine has to offer.
It was predicted that Maine and New Hampshire's Concord Trailways would experience a hit to their ridership due to the Downeaster. They provide bus service between Boston's South Station and Logan Airport with points north in both New Hampshire and Maine. In some ways, they offer a competing service with the Downeaster between Portland and Boston, but ridership figures show that in 2003 they had 216,000 riders and that ridership grew to over 400,000 in 2006. More recent figures are unavailable, but anecdotal evidence suggests that ridership continues to surge on the route.
While there may be other factors involved, I believe that what has happened is the transportation network increased its size and utility, and has added value to the system as a whole. People from Bangor can now reach Portland, and either continue to Boston on comfortable coach, or switch to an equally valuable service to meet their transportation needs.
People are clamoring for more options beyond the automobile. Gas in Maine hovers around $3.65 as of this writing, and we have vast distances to travel between our urban areas, both large and small. Increasing the size of the car-free network will only help keep Maine connected to the rest of the Northeast region and the important economic opportunity it represents.
I had some time to kill before catching a bus back north while in Portland, ME. I decided to head out and explore the Fore River Trail, finding a gem of a place, exploring Thompson's Point, and a place with a historic linkage to its industrial/commercial past. While the land use of long ago is no longer reflected in the activities that are going on there, relics from the past reminded me that not too long ago, this property represented a significant amount of economic activity. Now it looks like people park trucks there and perhaps warehouse some items in the dilapidated buildings peppered about the peninsula.
When you approach the trail, you can head off in a couple directions. Heading westish, leads you parallel to the rail tracks of what I believe is the Mountain Division Rail line. This is also parallel to the Fore River and the Fore River Santuary. Heading south, takes you around Thompson's Point where you get more of a taste of the industrial/commercial side I was describing in the above paragraph.
When I went west on the trail adjacent to the rail line, the corridor is a actually owned by the electric utility. I encourage the building of trails on utility easements because they are essentially an underused resource. Yes, the electricity (magnetic radiation and the electricity actually) in large amounts is bad for you, I hear. Don't build your house under the lines is how it should be stated.
While walking along the trail, I happened upon a number of people, but only one of which was enjoying the trail for its stated purpose. The remainder, had staked out little camps and were either sleeping, smoking, drinking, or some combination of the those. All activities that can be freely enjoyed, but it led me to think about the trail, the users of the space, and how I would feel if I were a young woman, or an elderly couple. I happen to be a large imposing fella and probably view situations quite differently than some others do, but I would be hesitant to recommend the trail to a woman looking for a safe place to run. I am not an expert on homelessness, but know enough to know that they aren't bad people, however there is something disconcerting about running into a handful who are engaged in various stages of intoxication.
Personally however, I appreciate the juxtaposition of the natural world and our industrial past. Seeing nature retake what was taken from it has always been one of my little pleasures. As much damage as we can inflict, our time here is temporary and overgrowing weeds around a former industrial site reminds me of my temporary status. Speaking of temporary, there was a makeshift memorial for someone who I do not know or ever will know. I wonder about his life and who he had an impact on. Somebody found him important enough to construct this tribute.
Rest in peace….Mike Coppersmith.
Misplaced investments abound anywhere you look. Investments whether public or private need to have a purpose and provide some sort of return. The place that I talking about today is in Portland, ME and is located just 1/2 a block north of the Amtrak/Concord Coach Station. The sidewalk is a private investment that facilitates travel between the parking lot of the Clarion Hotel and the hotel itself. Below is a handy Google Map of the site.
What we see is a sidewalk that runs horizontally through the parking lot and abruptly stops nearly 5-6 feet from the public sidewalk leading to the train/bus station. Here are a photo looking out from the private sidewalk to the public sidewalk.
Notice that the fence isn't there for security, but it does block passage through the majority of the parking area to the train station. I wonder if they thought a partial fence would be enough to keep hoodlums and vandals at bay, believing them to only put forth the effort if the fence prevented them from accessing 1/2 the parking area?
I am not sure why I am writing about this. People could in fact just walk around and through the roadway and enter the lot the way cars do. They could trample through the bushes or the hotel could have saved a couple hundred bucks in fence and spent it on completing the sidewalk. Now they have a fence that really doesn't do anything, and an incomplete sidewalk that doesn't facilitate travel to the train and bus station from their establishment.
I am not even sure I would have picked this up as a planner reviewing the site plan. It just seems that creating connections in logical places only improves a transportation system.
* It is noted that the private hotel owned sidewalk was built before the public sidewalk, which is the "only" way to get to the train station if one is on foot, unless you trespass on private property or walk in the roadway. Regardless, the investment should have been made by the city to link the two amenities up. The cost would have been negligible considering the entire cost of the project and reflects a serious lack of concern for how functional networks operate. It could be argued that the hotel wouldn't want the sidewalk to be linked, which may be the case and that is their prerogative, but if an effort wasn't made……
Your welcome! I believe where possible, rails and trails are important pieces of infrastructure if done correctly. They may require a fence or some additional ROW, but they double the mobility options along a corridor.
I was thinking about your question before you actually asked and one of the things I was always concerned about was finding a job. Planning can be contentious and this is an avenue for me to share ideas, think outside the box, and suggest things that make sense, yet are politically unpalatable. I don't worry as much about it since I have found employment, but I still have aspirations of bringing things into the fold that might draw criticism. My name is Scott Workman and I approve this message.


text:
(WHAS11) -- A Louisville man was arrested Friday for allegedly stealing jewelry from Galt House Hotel guests.
According to the police report, Richard Sawaya admitted to police that he made fake work orders in order to go into customer's hotel room. The jewelry stolen was valued at roughly $3,000.
Sawaya did not tell officers what he did with the jewelry after it was stolen.


text:
I haven't posted in awhile as I haven't been traveling much lately, but I felt the need to keep up. I had this dream last night about an old girlfriend. It was odd, and being a dream, it doesn't totally make sense (why was she at prom?) but in trying to keep up with writing, I thought I'd make a story out of it as close to the dream as I could. Enjoy!
Since Then
Across the river, in a gravel parking lot, the limousines pulled up. I stood watching from another gravel parking lot on opposite of them as the doors open and smiling couple after smiling couple exited. The boys in their black tuxes with white shirts and shined shoes, the girls in their dresses with hair done up and corsages pinned to the shoulder straps of their gowns all glowing for the night that every highschooler waits for: the prom.
Her date was a boy about her height, with short red hair, glasses, and neatly kempt beard and mustache. Between their gravel parking lot and my gravel parking lot, between us, the river flowed on, not raging, not sleeping, but working along, agitated, frustrated in an irritated movement, holding back, bottling up, and just trying to continue on.
I felt under dressed for the occasion, though I wasn't a part of it, in my black shirt and shoes, jeans and a green zip up hoodie. I felt like I needed to be dressed better, looking more done up, or dressed down to make a separation between myself and her date. I had my workbooks in my trunk and my old red flannel shirt, the one I can't part with and opted to change. I walked back to the car and kicked off my nice shoes and tied up my dirty, oil and grease stained Wolverines, but kept the green hoodie on. Dickies and Wolverines with Levi jeans. I looked like a construction worker.
The prom kids made their way across the bridge, over the rolling river and the thick green shrubs and trees that make their homes on the steep banks. It was an old railroad bridge that has been converted into a walking trail and bike path, but it was left as much as possible as its former self still with railroad ties and rusted beams and girders. I wanted to meet her at the right moment, so I started across the parking lot, kicking up dust and gravel, running past the concrete support for the bridge and underneath its oil soaked wooden ties. I made it to the other side and ran up the stairs, but just missed her. The prom procession moved on and off to a great dance hall where they could hold each other, laugh, kiss, stand as wallflowers, or dance the night away as friends.
The town had romance in the air and was playing into it for the teenagers.
"Comfort me"/said she,/ "with your conversation. / With the cocktails /and the candlelight in your eyes"* filled the night, echoing from some distant speakers, slow and lovingly for the couples walking hand in hand in their nice clothes, sparkling gowns, and expensive jewelry. I watched them as I made my way to the peak of the bridge. Not the walking path part, but the observation point at the top that one can climb a set of stairs to reach. There I could get a full view, above the tree tops, church steeples, and historic homes, and overlook the town, the postcard perfect image that it is.
I stayed up there for awhile and listened to the music that kept playing from out of nowhere.
Well the last time I remember the train stopping at the depot/ was when me and my aunt Veta/ came a-ridin' back from Waco*
The sunlight faded and electric lights came on, the streets and walking path lit brilliantly like the small town of my childhood at Christmas. As the night crawled along, I stayed where I was until the dance was over and until the dance hall opened its massive doors and the kids made their way out, heading to the backseat of cars, to parties, or to home to sleep alone. I spotted her walking by herself, her date not anywhere in sight and now changed out of her gown. She was wearing jeans, a plain tank top and a light green jacket, but with her hair still done up and her makeup on and her earrings dancing as she moved.
Counting the days/ the sun shone golden on her head/ lyin' on the banks of a bayou's edge/ kickin' up some southeast Texas sand*
I waited for her to get closer to the bridge before I ran down the stairs so I could meet her there, so she'd see me. So she'd know I was still around.
I hurried down and stopped at the bottom step, still divided by the steel frame of the bridge, it's beams crisscrossing between us and she stopped and looked up from the ground, and looked at me, eye level and with blank expression, turned and walked away, against the flow of the crowd, and on back toward the dance hall.
I ran around the beams and after her, but lost her in the masses of prom goers, adults, and strangers.
I'm her lover/, not a man bent on revenge/ hanging out here on the fringe/ of my native border land*
(*indicates lines from "The Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy" by David Rodriguez and "Texas Trilogy: Train Ride" by Steven Fromholz. Both songs were playing during the dream and both versions are from Lyle Lovett's Step Inside This House album. The photo used was one I took on Bourbon St in New Orleans this summer. It was just blurry enough to be ambiguous.)


text:
Most Republicans Think Jesus Would Denounce Universal Healthcare
Historic Jesus on the old Prague Cemetery, Czech Republic
Photo Credit: Kajano
Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email.
Do you recall the part in the Bible where Jesus healed the leper, the blind, and raised Lazarus from the dead? I do. Apparently, Republicans remember those three respective biblical stories a little differently. According to a new YouGov poll, Republican Jesus did indeed heal the leper, the blind, and a dead man, but only after he asked each for a co-pay.
The poll was conducted July 1-2 among 1,000 U.S. adults using a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. On a wide range of political issues, from healthcare to gun control, from raising taxes on the rich to climate change, respondents were asked what would Jesus support or oppose.
According to the results of the poll, a majority of Democrats and independents have read the same version of Christianity's Holy Book as I. For Republicans, however, it appears that, once again, they've conflated Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged with the Bible.
Eighty percent of Democrats and 52 percent of independents said Jesus would support universal healthcare. Indeed it's hard to imagine Jesus would deny care to those who lack the financial means to enjoy the comfort of our for-profit capitalist healthcare industry. But that's not the Jesus Republicans know. Only 23 percent of Republicans believe Jesus would support healthcare for all.
"I was sick and you looked after me….I tell you the truth, whatever you do the least of my brothers, you also do for me," Jesus said.
"Whatever," Republicans say.
The Bible makes it clear Jesus was a Marxist before Marxism had a name. He distrusted the rich. "It's easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter Heaven," forewarned Jesus. The credo of the Beatitudes demonstrated Jesus saw the world in terms of class struggle. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth."
But only 18 percent of Republicans believe Jesus would support higher taxes on the rich; taxes that benefit the funding of the common good – schools, hospitals, and safety nets for those the capitalist machine leaves downtrodden. (Sixty-three percent of Democrats believe Jesus would support raising taxes on the rich.)
The decline of the mainstream church has allowed the Christian Right to misuse the Gospel to champion unfettered capitalism. For Republicans, "prosperity theology" has replaced the Beatitudes. In this Ayn Randian philosophy, God rewards the faithful with material wealth. The flip side of this theology is that to be poor means you are of little faith, and, ipso facto, must be a sinner.
On guns, 68 percent of Democrats believe Jesus would support stricter gun laws, whereas only 28 percent of Republicans think likewise. Things that go bang hadn't yet been invented during Jesus' time. But swords of the first century were the guns of today. "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword," said Jesus. (Matthew 26:52)
On other issues, 9 percent of Republicans said Jesus would support gay marriage, and 6 percent of Republicans said he would support legalized abortion. Forty-three percent said he would support the death penalty for murderers.
Clearly, Democrats align themselves more with the values of Jesus than the proclaimed party of Jesus, the GOP. To put Republican values in view, consider Matthew 25:31-46. In this oft-quoted New Testament passage, Jesus says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email


text:
Have You Had the Other "Talk" with Your Kids Yet?
Have you had "the talk" with your kids yet? No, I'm not talking about that talk, not the birds and the bees, but the other talk that I think all Catholic parents need to have with their kids, and at a fairly young age at that. "The talk" to which I am referring is the one about abortion. Yes, you read that correctly. I think all Catholic parents need to make a very great effort to have an open, honest, and of course, Christ-centered discussion with their children about one of the greatest horrors our world has ever known, before they teach them about puberty, sex, and where babies come from. If we leave it until then, the world has already had plenty of time to taint them with the ease of contraception and abortion on demand.
Having grown up the youngest of a rather large Catholic family, the sanctity of human life is a topic that was always considered of the utmost importance. My parents never shied away from telling us the truth about the "big issues", including abortion, and making sure that they explained them to us in a way that both agreed with Church teaching and was understandable to children. It is because of this that I worked in the pro-life movement for many years myself. To me, and to many others, it is not only an issue; it is the issue.
That being said, it's "the" issue that most, even among those who consider themselves to be pro-life, feel squeamish about when discussing it with small children. It's understandable. How does one explain to a little one that some in our world think it perfectly acceptable, even to the point of calling it a "right", to rip another human being limb from limb and destroy them simply because he has the misfortune to still be inside his mother's womb? It's not easy. I know, from personal experience. I've tried myself as a mother of my own little brood to make my children aware of the horrors of abortion. This might seem rather harsh, considering that my oldest is only seven. I don't want to taint their innocence or expose them to the evils of the world too soon. I don't even let them watch cartoons more violent that the 1960s version of Spiderman. If, however, we refuse to expose our children to the sad reality of abortion, in a controlled setting, in a loving environment, where their questions and concerns can be addressed with the love which only parents can provide, then we are only adding to the problem. They will grow up and be as susceptible to the lies of the culture of death as everyone else. Unless we instill in them that "a person's a person, no matter how small" (thank you very much, Dr. Seuss), they may begin to believe that a person's a person only if he or she is big, or important, or convenient. If, on the other hand, we begin, in developmentally appropriate language, from an early age, to mold their understanding of what abortion actually is, rather than marring their innocence, we are protecting it. We are protecting their belief in all that is holy and good in this world. We are protecting in them the intrinsic sense that every new life is wonderful and Willed, and precious, with which each of us is born. If we start at an early age, we stand a chance of making a lifelong impression on our children that may help them choose to work towards the end of this evil.
It's easy to talk about all of this in general terms, but how does one speak to a four year old about murder? For me, it was easiest to start with the simplest truth: abortion is something that hurts babies and mommies. From there, we took it to the next level, and explained that it is something that ends the life of the baby, and that the mothers were still hurt, even though they are involved in it. We always make it clear that the mother is a victim in many cases, even as much as she is a perpetrator, and encourage our children to pray for all involved. We pray as a family for an end to abortion, for the babies, the mothers, the fathers, and, when they're old enough, we'll encourage them to take peaceful action. ("Old enough" is very subjective, and that's why I believe it best for parents to have these discussions with their own children, as we know what they'll be able to comprehend.) For now though, we'll just keep taking baby steps until they fully realize what abortion is and why it is wrong, and hope and pray that by starting early, we're building a solid foundation on which they can build a culture of life.
11 Comments
Well said. I don't have any kids yet, but I often wonder how I'd approach the subject. One certainly doesn't want to frighten their children, but at the same time, as you pointed out, if they don't learn about it at a young age, the risk of being taken in by the empty promises of the culture of death are great. I think you're doing a great job by giving them developmentally appropriate information as they grow.
You are absolutely right. I personally think that the younger the children, the better. They need to hear the truth so that it will be on their minds. I remember my mother having "the talk" with me at a very young age and the words that she said, "Don't ever do anything to disturb the process." I never forgot those words and I always told my children when they were young that this is what my mother had told me. I was never offended by it, I was grateful, and I understood it. She did it in the simplest of terms. Don't disturb God's plans.
Well, I'd like to point out that your Dr. Seuss comment is taken way out of context. Horton Hears a Who is about the American occupation of Japan after World War II. It is an anti-war very liberal message. In fact, Seuss' wife has threatened to sue most major pro-life groups for the misappropriation of the phrase.
Also, instead to teaching your seven year old about abortion perhaps you should be teaching a craft or how to cook or invest in a karate class. I understand your children a very sheltered but think how sheltering them will work out in the end? Slowly introduce them to the world, the good and the bad and they will be able to make their own choices–mature, educated choices.
Shelter them forever and they will see the world in the bubble you created for them.
Well said.
Wonderful article! I don't think I've ever thought of having this "talk" with my kids. They're only two and four years-old. My wife and I do, however, take them to daily mass and we do pray our rosary with them (most) every night. I don't think they're unaware of the things we pray for. But making a conscious effort to ingrain in them the sense of the sacredness of every human life is a very bold move to which I believe (and you are correct) every parent must strive with his or her children. Thanks for the suggestions!
The whole point of the post was simply that if we wish our children to understand the reality of abortion and why it is wrong, we need to carefully and consistently teach them about what it is, what it does, and to whom it does it. I have yet to meet a child over the age of three who didn't know instinctively that a pre-born child is in fact a person. This is why I believe, without going into details about the sexual act, one can, in good conscience, teach a child that because it is, in fact, a separate person growing inside a mother's body, that it is wrong to harm or murder said person. No one is suggesting showing "The Silent Scream" to a four year old, hence the "age-appropriate" aspect of the discussions.
As for the Theo. Geisel quotation, it doesn't need to be in context, as I wasn't speaking about the story, but about the issue of personhood. A person is, in fact, a person, no matter how big or small he is. I doubt there's a pro-life Catholic out there who doesn't know to what despicable things the Geisel's donate their money.
As a product of homeschooling myself, I have to agree with Andrew. Instead of spending eight hours a day in a room full of people my own age and more or less within my own socio-economic and ethnic groups, I was encouraged to spend time with people of all ages and backgrounds and form friendships based on shared interests as opposed to the convenience of proximity. I volunteered, held down two different (non-menial) jobs, and enjoyed time with friends. I was anything but sheltered.
Isn't it a parent's job to attempt to pass down her values to her children? It is not only my right as a parent but something I believe to be my sacred duty as a specifically Catholic parent.
Wow! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly someone's back goes up when the word abortion is mentioned as a bad thing. The insults start flying. You're rigid, over-protective, sheltered, an indoctrinator. I suppose Andrea would applaud you if you sent your child to be indoctrinated in a public school while balancing his upbringing with the all important life lessons taught at karate class? Do you have any idea how many times my physical and spiritual life has depended on smashing 2X4′s with my feet? Seriously, I wonder sometimes if people realize God didn't give your children to the local school board but to you, with all the responsibilities and rewards that that entails? My children know what pregnancy is and what abortion is. I can't very well tell them it's a baby when it's inside Mommy and pretend it's a blob of tissue inside someone else.
These are the same people who don't take children to funerals because it's sad. Wake up! Sometime's life is sad. Sometime's it's scary. Sometime's it's confusing. But a life steeped in faith and hope can endure hard times.
We also tend to talk to our kids about abortion when they're young, but we always wait for them to bring it up. Since we go to the March For Life, it does tend to come up early! I think that kids are naturally pro-life because of their strong sense of justice. After all, the baby in the womb didn't do anything wrong – didn't pull someone's hair, didn't break daddy's lamp, didn't spill paint all over the carpet. So why in the world would we punish a baby because something bad happened to the mommy?
Great article!


text:
Interview with an Afghan student about the situation for women in Afghanistan
Within the framework of a project aimed at presenting the situation for women in Afghan and in honor of International Women's Day, I conducted an interview with an Afghan female student whom I have been mentoring for the past few months through a program called SOLA (http://www.sola-afghanistan.org/)
Here is the article that is based on her comments and which can be found on a website called Pax Populi (http://www.paxpopuli.org)
Young Afghan female student (anonymous)
Men and women in Afghanistan do not have equal rights. This means that many women have to stay at home and are not given an opportunity to go out and work. There is however, a small minority of women are able to get an education and to work in the field of education, law, and medicine.
While in the past women had no freedom, some changes have occurred: More women are able to go to school and some are given an opportunity to study abroad. There are also women who have become active in women's rights groups and have founded cafes such as the Sahar Gul café where women can meet, discuss topics relating to women's rights and can educate themselves through technology and literature. Now women have the ability to openly protest for their rights and we have now seen women taking to the streets to protest and to demand more equal rights. Hopefully, this trend will continue and will spread as the Afghan society becomes more aware of their impact.
The main challenge for Afghan women is the lack of facilities available to them. Because not all women are able to have access to an education and they are therefore faced with very few options made available to them. Some find themselves being controlled and diminished by family members or some men. In many cases you see the men in their lives forbidding them to study, because they fear that they could become more independent and more vocal about their rights. Some women are faced with being abandoned by their families, insulted, or threatened if they go against their family's expectations.
To ensure equality both men and women need to join together and discuss their feelings and opinions about equality. Men in society should also encourage women to pursue an education.
Support also needs to come from the government they need to sponsor or create programs where men and women can work together and learn how to treat each other with mutual respect and tolerance.
Women need to work hard and demand their right to an education. They also need role models who can show them what it means to be a successful woman and who can provide guidance or mentor them in a certain field of interest. Programs such as SOLA or AIWR (www.aiwr.org/) are an example of this because they offer support through mentoring/teaching, which enable students to gain confidence in themselves and to believe that they can contribute to the future of Afghanistan and that they are a great asset to the development of the country.
This story was written for World Pulse's Girls Transform the World Digital Action Campaign.
World Pulse believes that women's stories, recommendations, and collective rising leadership can—and will—bring girls greater access to education which will transform their lives, their families, and communities. The Girls Transform Campaign elicits insightful content from young women on the ground, strengthens their confidence as women, and ensures that influencers and powerful institutions hear their stories.
Learn more »
Equality is an issue that we have to address daily. There is a woman somewhere always subjected to abuse.
You are right to state that men must join together to improve the situation of women. In a place like Afghanistan men has to be educated to treat women with respect and equality.
I am happy that you have posted this article. We need need more people to express their concerns on this issue.
Wish you all the best and have a good week ahead.
In friendship'
Thank you for sharing this interview. SOLA is a great program and has provided amazing opportunities to its young girls. What I love in reading about the program is that many give back by returning to Afghanistan to mentor the next generation. They become role models and represent the bright future that is possible for the country.
In speaking about men and women working together, I wonder if you have met Ali Shahidy who is conducting workshops to teach men to break the cycle of violence and abuse against women in Afghanistan. You might be interested in his story which you can find at the below link:
Thank you again for sharing the young woman's views.
I compliment ur great efforts and bringing to us enriching stories. luv
coming from a country where men believe that women cannot rule them especially as a president, i do understand in a way how women in Afghan must feel. however, i like the fact that you have looked more on what we can do instead of bashing the culture and the government.
it's true that men never want women to get educated because i think they are scared of how far women can go if they have are empowered.
i also think that as women we too need to stop being so scared and if we feel in our hearts it's good for us and the generation to come, then we ought to face all the challenges and step out. my example is that of the 15 year old Afghan girl who was shot in the head because she was advocating for girls education.
thank you for sharing this piece.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only LOVE can do that. -Martin Luther King Jnr.
Equallity must be promoted
Hello Lea,
Thank you very much for all your personal efforts in trying to bridge the gab of inequality.Your story about Afghan women is pathetic but your recommendations are far-reaching and I'm sure most women and girls will have the opportunity of knowing the challenges others are facing at that part of the world.
Be rest assured that, with your article, you will inspire somebody.
Yvonne Riwuya Gemandze
Chief Administrative Officer and Researcher
Center for Independent Development Research, Cameroon
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Cameroon National Vice President
+237 70212069
je suis heureuse de lire cette article,par courage le sont entre de lutées pour l'équitable droit entre l'homme et la femme
bien à vous et courage dans les luttes


text:
Spring Eggstravaganza
Date: Apr 7, 2012
Time: 11:00 am - 04:00 pm
Spring Eggstravaganza
Visit the Zoo for an egg-stravagant Easter event! Take part in an egg hunt, meet the Easter Bunny and their Flemish giant rabbits, and enjoy a variety of spring-themed activities. Plus, you'll have the chance to enter to win tickets to see Disney's Phineas and Ferb Live Tour. For more info, visit their website.
Cost: Free
Queens Zoo, 53-51 111th Street in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Loading Map....


text:
A spoonful of Fairtrade sugar29 Oct 2012 9:59
By Kate Jones, Schools Campaign Officer, Fairtrade Foundation
I'm a creature of habit. The same coffee each day. Large Fairtrade latte, take away cup, skimmed milk if you've got it, don't worry if you haven't. Half a Fairtrade brown sugar.
Giving the sugar sachet a shake loosens the golden granules; fixing the plastic lid – these are as much part of the ritual as drinking the coffee. There's a recycling bin for cups and I leave only one thing behind. I didn't realise what a wasteful thing I was doing by leaving it, forgotten, on the table, as if it didn't matter at all. I didn't realise what a big deal it was. I won't be doing it any more. Because last week, I was lucky enough to meet the people who grew the Fairtrade sugar in that half sachet I'd left behind. Boy, do they work hard for us.
Each day, Emma and her husband Elliott are on their farm in Malawi, at 5am, working before the searing African sun pushes the temperature past a stifling 40 degrees. It takes a year to grow sugar cane, and the two of them have to weed, bank the soil and tend the plants by hand every day.
After 20 minutes in the field, I'm a wreck. Sweating, skin burning up, head pounding. I'm not even doing anything. I give Emma my hat. She needs it more than me.
Until recently, Emma combined farming with collecting water, cooking, and looking after her children. I ask her how long took to fetch water. 'Three to four hours', she says, 'and I did it twice a day'. Seven or eight hours, the same that many of us in the UK work each day. The plastic canister is so heavy I can't lift it past my knees, let alone carry it all the way up the hill on my head. I guess Emma's happy there's now a borehole nearby, built thanks to the Fairtrade Premium. She smiles. 'I put the dinner on, and go to collect water. When I get back 10 minutes later, dinner is cooked.'
The children arrive home from their school in time for dinner – it opened in January this year thanks to money from the Fairtrade Premium, paid to the Kasinthula Cane Growers Association. Many of the local children would be missing out on school without this one in their village, says their Headteacher, Gasper.
It's wonderful to see Fairtrade in action, having real impact for farmers and their families. The higher Fairtrade price last year meant Emma and Elliott bought new roof for their house and a cow. I ask their eldest son, John, to show me, but I'm out of luck. 'We ate it!'
I ask around what people would like to spend the Fairtrade Premium on next year. Piped water, says Elliott. A shelter for orphaned children, says their 14-year-old, Chifundo. School resources, says Gasper – can I help make it happen? No, I tell him. It's up to the farmers' Association to decide what's most important. Fairtrade means the power is with the community. Quite literally, in this case - electricity has been provided with Fairtrade Premium money.
I missed my Fairtrade latte in Malawi. But now I'm back, it's all the sweeter - with a whole sachet of Fairtrade sugar.
Image of the M'dziweni family, from left to right: Mary, Wilson, Elliott, Kondwani, Chifundo, John and Emma ©Simon Rawles 2012
- sowasred likes this
- speakerforthetrees likes this
- fairtradeblog posted this


text:
Utah public health officials are investigating a few cases of sickness associated with raw or unpasteurized milk.
A few? Is there that many people in Utah?
So far, 45 cases of Campylobacter infection have been confirmed in people who had raw milk in the week they got sick.
Officials said the illness has been reported in Cache, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties.
Two cases have also been confirmed in California and Idaho.
The first case of the infection was reported May 9.
The Utah Dept. of Health said all 45 cases are linked to raw milk or cream purchased at Ropelato Dairy in Weber County.
The Utah Dept. of Agriculture suspended the dairy's license to sell raw milk on Aug. 4 after several tests were positive for Campylobacter.
Larry Lewis with the UDAF said the dairy has been very cooperative in working with the inspectors and it will be allowed to sell raw milk again as soon as it consistently passes safety tests.