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Office of Student Conduct
The Office of Student Conduct (OSC) is responsible for acting on behalf of the University in matters of student discipline. OSC deals with alleged instances of academic dishonesty and other student misconduct, in order to determine how best to resolve these allegations consistent with the goals and mission of the University as an educational and intellectual community.
As of January 2015, all alleged violations of the University's Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence and Stalking Policy are handled by the Sexual Violence Investigative Officer
Our Mission
It is the purpose of the student disciplinary system to further the educational mission of the University by resolving alleged violations of the Code of Student Conduct, the Code of Academic Integrity and other applicable policies regarding student behavior. There are numerous ways complaints about alleged student misconduct can be resolved. These include the formal disciplinary process as outlined in the Charter of the Student Disciplinary System, referral to the University Mediation Program, and referral to other University resource offices.
The Office of Student Conduct at Penn has twin goals: to help create a safe environment where academic life can flourish; and to promote the development of students.
Our student disciplinary process is meant to set the standard for behavior on our campus and to determine a student's standing in the community. It is not meant to replace or substitute for the criminal justice system or other legal avenues. However, the student disciplinary process provides an important additional forum to respond to the interests of the Penn community. Our processes are designed to educate and, where appropriate, sanction those students who violate our rules. We seek both to promote a student's sense of responsibility by enforcing accountability, and to protect our community by, where necessary, removing or restricting those who may pose a threat to others.
Finally, our Mediation Program is available to everyone in the Penn community to facilitate the constructive resolution of disputes (excluding academic integrity complaints). Our intention is to emphasize the peaceful and productive handling of conflict when possible and where appropriate.
The Office of Student Conduct encourages your feedback, input and consultation. We strive to be a safe, helpful and professional resource for the entire Penn community.
NEW: 2015 Annual Data Report:
The Office of Student Conduct is committed to issuing case-related data reports on an annual basis each summer. As in past years, the following report combines academic integrity and student conduct cases. This year the data for complaints of sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking include data for cases handled by OSC prior to February 1, 2015 with data for cases filed subsequent to that date being provided by the Sexual Violence Investigative Officer.
.—Julie Nettleton, Director, Office of Student Conduct
How to Reach Us
Call Us
Phone: 215-898-5651


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A popular drug pharmaceutical company recently added a new drug formulation to its series of nutritional supplements. Private Label Nutraceutical recently announced the addition of White mulberry extract 1000 as one of its leading health supplement products.
White Mulberry is an herb that can be eaten raw or cooked. Its health benefits include regulating cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and even common illness like colds and muscle and joint pains. In general, this food supplement is able to promote cardiovascular wellbeing and overall health because of the high level of antioxidants present.
The Super White Mulberry Extract 1000 which is also dubbed as a "Superfood" was recently launched in a health new program in television. It immediately became a worldwide sensation that had every one interested.
Even if the market is bombarded with several health and wellness supplements, White Mulberry Extract 1000 is a great deal. The Private Label Nutraceuticals assured its consumers of quality products that had undergone a meticulous medical process. Therefore, its products are sure to benefit the consumers.
But with a great demand for weight loss treatment, White mulberry has joined in the line-up of effective solutions. A plant native to China, White mulberry was originally a food given to silkworms to enhance their silk production. However, advances to medical science have discovered its weight loss properties.
Private Label Nutraceuticals representative said in an interview that there is an increasing demand for diet and health supplements. The company known for its effective health supplements rose to the challenge and formulated an effective weight loss supplement in the form of White Mulberry Extract 1000.
Today, as Dr. Oz puts it, White Mulberry is a "superfood" that not only promotes healthy well-being but an effective diet pill supplement. White mulberry is available in multiple market segments, in a variety of nutritional product distributors or as an in house supplement for Private Label Nutraceutical. White Mulberry Extract 1000 has reached its full potential and earned multiple target markets that are still looking forward for more improved white mulberry products in the future.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most Recent Articles In Fashion Scoops
Latest Fashion Scoops Articles
- Kawaii's Comedown: Japan's Culture of Cute Sports Up
- Hillary Clinton Shows Her True Colors in Historic DNC Acceptance Speech
- Ralph Lauren Changes Spring 2016 Runway Show Time and Date
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U.S. WOOLMARK WINNER: Joseph Altuzarra, the designer behind Altuzarra, is the U.S. selection for the 2013-14 International Woolmark Prize, which will be awarded during Milan Fashion Week in February.
Altuzarra, whose selection was revealed Tuesday night at Industria Superstudio in New York, will be awarded $100,000 toward his next collection, and have the opportunity to participate in the international competition, representing the U.S. during the final event.
RELATED STORY: U.S. Finalists Compete for International Woolmark Prize >>
This story first appeared in the July 10, 2013 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
The son of a French-Basque father and an American mother, Altuzarra grew up in Paris' 7th arrondissement, where he attended a traditional French lycée before moving Stateside to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Following internships at Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra struck out on his own in 2008.
For the next six months, Altuzarra will be asked to develop a capsule collection in merino wool to be showcased along those of the other four finalists from Europe, India, Asia and Australia. The designers will compete for an international prize of 100,000 Australian dollars, or $91,441 at current exchange. The winner's collection will be carried in top retailers globally such as Harvey Nichols, Saks Fifth Avenue, 10 Corso Como, Joyce and David Jones.


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i'm having trouble understanding the Proca equation
where $g_{\mu\nu}$ is the metric and $\mu$ is a parameter. Where is the wrong assumption?
$$(g_{\mu\nu}(\partial_{\mu}\partial^{\mu}+\mu^2)-\partial_{\mu}\partial_{\nu})\varphi^{\nu}=0$$ $$((\partial_{\mu}g_{\mu\nu}\partial^{\mu}+g_{\mu\nu}\mu^2)-\partial_{\mu}\partial_{\nu})\varphi^{\nu}=0$$ $$((\partial_{\mu}\partial_{\nu}+g_{\mu\nu}\mu^2)-\partial_{\mu}\partial_{\nu})\varphi^{\nu}=0$$
which implies $$\mu^2=0 $$ not the case. The problem is using $\Box =\partial_{\mu}\partial^{\mu}$ instead of other index, say $\alpha$?. In that case how can I show that
$$\partial_{\nu}\varphi^{\nu}=0 $$
Any hit will be appreciated.
-Edit- Reference Bjorken et.al Relativistic Quantum Fields page 23


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Broadway's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' closes Sunday
Posted at: 04/15/2013 1:05 PM
By MARK KENNEDY
(AP) NEW YORK - There'll be no more breakfast on Broadway.
Producers of the latest stage adaptation of Truman Capote's classic 1958 story "Breakfast at Tiffany's" said Monday they will close the show after Sunday's matinee.
It will have played 17 preview and 38 regular performances. It joins "The Anarchist" by David Mamet and "The Performers," a play set in the porn industry, with quick exits on Broadway this season.
Starring Emilia Clarke of HBO's "Game of Thrones" as the doomed eccentric party girl Holly Golightly, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" opened to poor reviews and weak box office grosses.
For the week ending April 7, the show managed to take in just $337,621, or 38 percent of its $896,290 potential. The theater was also half full.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Couples start having problems in their sex lives when the job of raising the children becomes so overwhelming that there is no time to be alone and no energy, even if you find the time. Or when one of you starts avoiding sex as a (misguided) means of coping with other problems in the relationship.
Communication is not always the easiest thing in a relationship, and communication difficulties usually find their way into the bedroom. If you don't have time to talk about things except after the children are asleep you are going to bring your problems and conflicts to bed with you. Don't do it. Your bed is for lovemaking, not negotiations.
One way to avoid bringing conflicts into the bedroom is to set aside time to talk about things during other times and in other locations. Make appointments if you have to. Try to pick times when neither one of you is too tired or grouchy to discuss things like money matters or day-to-day problems. True, if you're having trouble finding the time to make love, you'll probably find it hard to find time for family meetings, but it's crucial that you try. Even if all you can manage are a few minutes here and a few minutes there, at least you're talking things out.
When you're trying to reestablish your sexual relationship with your partner, it's important to have one place that isn't baby-oriented. Let the toys, bottles, and baby things mount up everywhere else if you must, but keep your bedroom as a place for you and your partner—you want to be able to set a sexy mood and scene when you're alone together.
You know you need to set up a childcare plan to cover you when you're off at work or running errands. Having back-up baby-sitters is equally important for the health of your relationship. If you can find relatives or friends to watch your children—even for just a few hours at a time—it can go a long way toward keeping the two of you connected on many levels. You can use this time alone to work out problems together. But best of all, you can use this time to talk about how you used to make love before the children were born and what you would like to do when you get home after the children are asleep. It can build some romantic excitement that can work wonders in your relationship.
It is so important not to take your relationship for granted. Couples drift apart for what can seem like the most trivial of reasons, and the stress of a new baby in the house is hardly a trivial pressure. Even without a baby, you know that a good relationship needs constant nourishment and care, so don't let these new pressures make you forget to take that care. Keep those lines of communication open, keep expressing your feelings and lavishing love on one another as much as possible.
Many couples get into a dangerous syndrome of emotional competition—trying to overcome each other instead of pulling together as a team. This does nothing but breed mistrust, and it can be exacerbated when a new baby enters the household with its own set of needs. But this is precisely the time when cooperation and mutual support are most needed, so it's worth your while to spend some time and energy to strengthen your bonds of love and trust as a couple.
If you consciously try to work together, there is no reason not to find mutually satisfying solutions to most of the problems you face. What's key is that you strive to build your relationship on a solid foundation of trust, respect, and compromise. And there's an added benefit: By building a strong relationship with your partner, you are setting the best possible example for your children. The crucial lesson to learn is how to compromise—you're doing no one a favor if you go the totally self-sacrificing martyr route, and you gain nothing by forcing your will on everyone, either. The first breeds disrespect, the second is a recipe for resentment. Compromise means seeing to it that everyone's needs are at least partially met, and you can all feel like you're working together.
Don't make your partner guess why you're too tired lately for a little romance. Tell him, even if you think it should be obvious. He's got his own insecurities now that he's a new dad, so he may not see that you're just feeling overworked—he may take your temporary lack of interest as a more permanent kind of rejection.
Making your sex life a priority in the scheme of things will make a positive difference in the harmony of your home. Men and women need to join with each other on a regular basis to maintain intimacy. This does not necessarily mean intercourse, but it does mean that you need time to focus on each other as lovers, and not as simply fellow travelers in the great childrearing enterprise.
Now, this does not mean that every sexual encounter you have with each other must be spiritual and transcendent. If you can find the time for some fun with each other, grab it—sometimes, even being a little bit naughty can be pretty nice.
You can rekindle romance without risking your life in many very simple ways:
But most of all, remember to be loving to each other and think of one thing in your relationship to be grateful for each day.
When our kids were small, I once tried a little too hard to rekindle the old flames. I bought the cutest pair of red fur handcuffs at a novelty lingerie store and, while the kids were at school, I made a date with my husband to sneak home for lunch. When his car pulled into the drive, I was all set, handcuffed to the bedposts, with the key on my chest. But my husband had a surprise of his own—a rambunctious golden retriever pup pounced onto our bed and knocked the key to the floor. I had a hard time avoiding his attentions, while my husband spent some serious time on his hands and knees until he finally located the tiny key to free me.
Stay sensitive and aware of your partner's emotions. If he's feeling unloved or displaced, a little tender, loving care can make him feel less isolated. And don't be shy about letting him know when you're feeling the need for a little nurturing, too.
Finding the time does not mean finding the time for sex only. A couple also needs to find the time to allow their relationship to grow. You can't put all of your energy into raising a family and into your separate interests and expect your relationship to grow along with everything else. You need to make a special effort to know what is really going on with each other. You need to talk, or sometimes you just need to spend some time together not saying a word.
The relationship between you and your partner needs to be given the same kind of energy you give to your children. A relationship is headed for trouble if the energy is focused too one-sidedly: either entirely on the children or exclusively on the couple. In this, as in all things, what you seek is a balance—one that recognizes the needs of everyone in the family.
But when children are small, it's easy for a mother to bury herself so thoroughly in her children's demands that she misses the warning signs of trouble with the adult relationship. You need to carve out several different kinds of time: family time, alone time, children time, and partner time. Sounds like you need a lot of time, doesn't it? But remember that the amount of time spent in each area is less important than the quality of the time you put into it. If you find that things are not working well at home, chances are there is something out of balance in one or more of those relationships.
When you become a mom, you're taking on a bigger task than you might have guessed. You are central to the happiness and well-being of everyone in your family. It is important to them to feel close to you and to feel sure of your interest in them. Look at these relationships as plants that need lots of water and sunlight to grow. Loving your family and telling them so is like that water and sunlight—love and reassurance are the nutrients they need.
You need the support of your partner. Do not be shy about demanding some time for your relationship with him, if that's what you need. Single moms may have to cope with childcare on their own, but if you've got a partner, it's simply not acceptable for you to have to do without his support in coping with your children and their needs.
If your husband is not willing to connect emotionally with you or refuses to participate in the raising of your children, you may need to get some professional counseling. Don't dismiss the idea out of hand. If you're worried about the cost, you needn't be: Many organizations offer family counseling at an affordable rate. And this is not an area in which to make false economies. It's better to do without a few extras than to let problems in your relationship escalate to unresolvable proportions.
Relationships evolve over several distinct stages:
When the dissatisfaction blues strike, don't just ignore them and hope they'll go away on their own. Find a way to structure rewarding things into your life. Otherwise, you risk expressing your resentments in ways that can damage your relationship with the people around you who love you the most.
If you are a person who is used to crises or a lot of excitement, that third stage of a relationship may make you restless and frustrated. You might not know what is actually bothering you, but you know that something seems to be missing from your relationship and your family life. If this is the case, it's time to start an honest reappraisal of your relationship and what you expect from it. Unless you do this you will have trouble overcoming your sense of dissatisfaction, and that could very well strain your relationship.
Familiarity and routine are not the most romantic concepts in the world. The media presents such a glamorized vision of life that it's easy to judge our own fairly "normal" existence as being somehow inadequate. But simplicity, familiarity and routine create security. And security is really what most of us want in our lives. We do not need the constant stimulation that crisis mode gives us.
We get so used to stress that we often do not know how to sit back and enjoy our lives for exactly what they are. We always seem to want something more that we think the next woman has. Many women sabotage perfectly good relationships because they get caught up in the "is this all there is?" attitude. But the sense of dissatisfaction we feel comes from within us and is not necessarily the fault of our relationship.
It is therefore important to learn to accept your relationships with your family members for what they are, and come to terms with your own needs, instead of blindly expecting your partner or your children to fulfill your needs for you. That means getting to know who you are, and ceasing to define yourself by the roles you play. And it means recognizing the natural flow of your relationships within your family.
Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own happiness. To maximize your satisfaction with your relationships and with your life, you need to find out what you really want out of life and be willing to work at making it happen within the context of your family. After all, your family is a part of that vision—and it can provide the foundation of love and security you need to achieve the rest of your goals.
The key to a strong relationship is for both partners to work together toward a common goal. That's best done if each of you is clear about your individual goals and can communicate them to one another. Your task, then, is to discover your life's purpose. I'm not talking about anything big, like saving the world or earning millions of dollars. I'm talking about the day-to-day things that spell satisfaction—the things that make your life fulfilling and happy.
The greatest satisfaction comes from the smallest things—sharing a few quiet moments with your partner, seeing the joy in your child's eyes when she learns something new. Attend to these, and you'll discover that your life is very rich.
When you accept yourself with your limitations you will be able to accept your mate with his limitations. When you have acceptance of each other you can go about the business of enjoying your life together. You'll recognize the need to negotiate certain aspects of your life and delegate responsibilities in ways you perceive as fair, but you will stop trying to change one another to suit what you think you need in a partner and begin instead to enjoy each other for who you really are.
The best way to redefine your relationship with your partner, when it comes to your romantic life and raising children together, is to always have a sense of humor. Your life will never be as you expect it to be—just when you're beginning to enjoy the perfect romantic evening, the baby will wake up and start crying or your toddler will decide she needs another drink of water. These little frustrations can seem huge at the time, but if you can laugh at the unexpected, you'll find it easier to keep them in their true perspective.
Recently I broke my heel bone and was laid up for months. I felt very sorry for myself and for all the plans that were now out the window, but when I stopped brooding I realized that there was a positive side to my injury. My children were overjoyed to have me available to color with them and just sit and talk. And because I needed their help, they learned a valuable lesson about sympathy for others. And they learned to do for themselves some things that they once expected me to do for them. My accident gave us all an opportunity to grow closer.
It isn't the amount of time you spend with your family, but how present you are when you are together. You can learn to be more present, in much the same way people learn to meditate. When you are with your children, try to separate from all the noise and the chatter and focus on just being with them.
And this is important in your relationship with your partner, as well. When you are together, especially when you are going to be intimate, savor every moment and be mentally and emotionally present. Turn off the television, light a candle if you want to, but mostly just concentrate on your love.
The relationship between you and your partner forms the foundation for your children's lives. If you are able to create a strong base for them, they will be able to go out into the world with confidence and love. So even if you are too pooped to pop, you need to make love, sex, and emotional intimacy a priority in your life. You can have beautifully folded laundry, great meals, and a spotless house but without intimacy in your relationship you'll find that all the rest is unfulfilling.
Life is to be enjoyed, and if you are fortunate enough to find love, treat it as the precious gift it truly is. Children are far more important than laundry and husbands are far more important than clean houses. So if, in all the competing demands for your attention, some things have to slide, let it be the housework, not the humans.
When you strengthen your relationship with your partner through love and compromise, you are not the only ones to benefit. Your children will be much better off as well, growing up in a home without conflict. So even when you are tired, remember to fan the flames of your love as often as you can. Make romance a priority, and your home will be a much happier place.
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motherhood © 1999 by Deborah Levine Herman. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit Amazon's web site or call 1-800-253-6476.
© 2000-2016 Sandbox Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Dorothy Helen Owens
Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8:05 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8:05 a.m.
SPARTANBURG, SC-- Dorothy Helen Owens, 91, of Country Club Road, Spartanburg, and formerly of Neighborhood Drive in Wellford, passed away Wednesday, March 27, at Mary Black Memorial Hospital. She was born in Greenville on April 30, 1921 and was a daughter of the late Leola and William Burch. She was the widow of Arthur Grady Owens. She retired from Firestone Steel Products and was a member of Inman First Baptist Church.
She is survived by two sons, Larry Owens of Pacolet, Marvin Owens of Duncan, one sister, Shirley Loshure of Aiken, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens at 1:00 PM on Friday, March 29, with Rev. Stephen Owens and Rev. Ralph Jett officiating. The family is at their respective homes and will receive friends Friday following the graveside service
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice in her memory.
Seawright Funeral Home and Crematory
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Additions to Bestsellers Collection, just in time for summer reading
Here is a list of new additions to the Bestsellers Collection. Remember you can browse the bestsellers in the reading area of the library's second floor. Fiction titles:
- Christopher Bohjalian has published his 12th novel: Skeletons at the Feast. This time, he is writing about German refugees during World War II fleeing West as the Russian army advances on them. Marvin Minkler of The North Star Daily writes about this book, "Chris Bohjalian has written his finest novel to date, set against the brutal, waning days of World War Two in Eastern Germany....Skeletons at the Feast is Bohjalian's masterpiece. The power of the narrative will stay with the reader long after it is put down. Inspired by an actual World War II diary the author read, it will stand as one of the best novels ever written about one of the most brutal periods in history." The book's call number is PS 3552 .O495 S58 2008.
- Dean R. Koontz is back with Odd Hours. The New York Times said of the book: "The nice young fry cook with the occult powers is Koontz's most likable creation." This book has the call number PS 3561 .O55 O3 2008.
- If you are in the mood for a love story, Jude Deveraux offers Secrets: A Novel. Cassandra Madden becomes the nanny for widower Jefferson Ames. Things become chaotic when shots ring out of Althea Fairmont's house, the actress. What are the secrets keeping Cassandra and Jeff apart? Find out in this book with the call number PS 3554 .E9273 S43 2008. This is what Booklist had to say about the book: "Deveraux gives her fans a sweet love story filled with twists and turns as her heroine changes from victim to a woman in charge of her own destiny."
- Maybe you feel like some short fiction. How about some short fiction with cops and criminals? Michael Connelly edits Mystery Writers of America Presents The Blue Religion: New Stories about Cops, Criminals and the Chase. This anthology features 19 new tales by various writers in settings from Hawaii to L.A. to the Civil War to the present day. Call number for this book is PS 648 .D4 M97 2008.
- If you want a global thriller, David Baldacci's The Whole Truth may be what you seek. Nicolas Creel is the head of the Ares Corporation, the world's biggest defense contractor. Dick Pender is the man in charge of managing Ares Corporation's image. And that is just for openers. The book is listed under call number PS 3552 .A446 W48 2008.
- Jeffrey Archer pays homage to The Count of Montecristo in his new novel A Prisoner of Birth. Four high class friends decide to frame Danny Cartwright, a poor and illiterate fellow, for a murder he did not commit. Danny gets a 22 year sentence, but with some help he manages to escape to get his revenge. Time Magazine has praised Archer as "a master entertainer." Find this book under call number PR 6051 .R285 P66 2008.
- Jodi Picault brings us Change of Heart: A Novel. When a convicted murderer wishes to donate his heart, it creates complications for the execution. Add to this that the person needing the organ donation is the sister of the victim he killed eleven years ago. Call number for this book is PS 3566 .I372 C47 2008.
- Renowned author Kenneth C. Davis takes us on a new tour of American history in America's Hidden History: untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation. Did you know the story of the first real Pilgrims in America, who were wine-making French Huguenots, not dour English Separatists? Read about it here. Find Davis's book under call number E 178 .D26 2008.
- Learn about one of the most famous movie companies of all time in The Pixar Touch: the making of a company by David A. Price. This is the company behind such hits as Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Even Alvy Ray Smith, co-founder of Pixar, praises this book when he says, "It's quite a story, and David Price has finally got it right, it's details and the players. This is the definitive history of Pixar." Find it under call number NC 1766 .U52 P75 2008.
- Bestselling science writer Mary Roach looks at the science behind sex in Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Roach, author of books like Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers has been called "the funniest science writer in the country" by Burkhard Bilger of The New Yorker. Find Bonk under call number QP 251 .R568 2008.
- Arthur Herman writes about two of the greatest men of the 20th century and their rivalry, a rivalry that led to the end of an Empire and the birth of two new nations. Read all about it in Gandhi & Churchill : the epic rivalry that destroyed an empire and forged our age. According to The Wall Street Journal, "the rivalry between Winston Churchill and Mohandas Gandhi could hardly have been played for higher stakes. The future of British India hung upon the outcome of their 20-year struggle…. As one might expect from the author of To Rule the Waves, a fine history … Mr. Herman has researched Gandhi & Churchill meticulously and written it fluently." Find this book under call number DA 47.9 .I4 H47 2008.
- Cokie Roberts, political commentator for ABC News, brings us the stories of American influential women in her new book Ladies of liberty : the women who shaped our nation. Find this book under call number E 176 .R65 2008.
- If you are a music fan, or you just want to read a biography, former Texas Monthly writer Joe Nick Patoski looks at the life of an American icon in Willie Nelson : an epic life. Library Journal's review states that "Patoski infuses his biography of Willie Nelson with an encyclopedic knowledge of Texas history that deftly illuminates the depth of influence the land and people of Texas had in shaping Nelson." This book's call number is ML 420 .N4 P38 2008.
- Learn about the highest court in the land in The nine : inside the secret world of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. The book surveys the court from the Reagan Presidency forward. Find it under call number KF 8748 .T66 2007.
- Finally, if you want a real life crime case that reads like a fictional thriller, then you may want to read Twisted triangle : a famous crime writer, a lesbian love affair, and the FBI husband's violent revenge by Caitlin Rother. The book tells "the compelling true story of Margo Bennett, a married FBI agent whose jealous, vengeful husband, Gene Bennett, a former undercover FBI agent, kidnapped and attempted to murder her after she had a secret love affair with best-selling crime novelist Patricia Cornwell." Pulitzer-winning journalist Marcus Stern praises it as follows: "Hitchcock wishes he'd dreamed it up. Capote wishes he'd written it." Find this thriller under the call number HV 6250 .W65 R68 2008.
Tue, 10/06/08
I like the new website! Any chance of getting in these new books: Maggie Jackson, "Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age" (Prometheus Books) Rick Shenkman, "Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter" (Basic Books) George Soros: "The New Paradigm For Financial Markets"
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Tue, 10/06/08
Thank you for stopping by. I will pass your suggestions to our Acquisitions Librarian and see what we can do. Happy reading. Best.
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- Destinations
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Offers valid on new bookings only. Prices shown are per-person, land only based upon double occupancy, except if expressly noted otherwise. Offers are subject to availability at time of booking and may be changed or discontinued at any time without notice. Blackout dates, minimum night stays, minimum stay requirements on air, seasonal surcharges, resort fees (if any), and other restrictions may also apply. Individual offers may require purchase of Travel Smart Plan or travel waiver. Offers are not valid for Group Travel. Some booking and travel dates may vary. Other promotions and departure dates available which may result in a different rate and/or hotel inclusion. Customer is responsible for hotel taxes and fees on the free night offers, where applicable. For those properties where Classic Vacations has access to dynamic pricing rates, those rates will likely fluctuate from time to time based on market conditions and other factors beyond Classic Vacations control. Classic Vacations CST# 2079429-20.
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- The elegant hotel features contemporary Mexican architecture, including one of the largest and most impressive thatched-roof "palapas" in the entire country. There are cultural activities, arts & crafts and sports programs to keep you constantly entertained, plus time to relax and soak up the Mayan culture, enjoy the Caribbean sunshine and groove to the international ambiance that settles in after the sun goes down.
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- Shower/tub combination
- Smoking rooms
- Television
- Video-game console
- Voice mail
- Wake-up calls
Property Amenities
Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun All Inclusive is centrally located in Cancun, where guests can enjoy snorkeling and diving at the largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere, or day trips exploring the nearby Mayan ruins. Amenities at this beachfront resort include 6 Restaurants, 4 Bars, 24 hrs Room Service, a full service Miiluma SPA, car-rental service, shopping arcade, jewelry store, medical assistance (surcharges may apply), kid's club, teen´s club, an arcade/game room, theater and movie theater, billiards/pool table, a convenience store and snack bar/deli, beach umbrellas, 275 yards of beach front, swimming pools, 3 outdoor Jacuzzis, tropical gardens and waterfalls. Parking during the guest's stay is complimentary.
- 24-hour front desk
- Air-conditioned public areas
- ATM/banking
- Audio-visual equipment
- Ballroom(s)
- Banquet facilities
- Bar/lounge
- Beauty services
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Concierge desk
- Currency exchange
- Doorman/doorwoman
- Dry cleaning service
- Elevator/lift
- Exhibit space
- Fitness equipment
- Full-service health spa
- Gift shop or newsstand
- Hair salon
- Internet access in public areas - complimentary
- Internet access in public areas - high speed
- Massage - treatment room(s)
- Meeting room(s) (small groups)
- Multilingual staff
- Poolside bar
- Porter/bellhop
- Restaurant(s) in hotel
- Room service (24 hours)
- Sauna
- Security guard
- Shoe shine
- Shopping on site
- Spa tub
- Steam room
- Supervised child care/activities
- Swimming pool - children's
- Swimming pool - outdoor
- Tour assistance
- Wedding services
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Guests must show current government-issued proof of identity at the time of check-in.
Photo identification and credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Pets not allowed
Check-in time:
Check-out time:
- Noon
Kambu RestaurantGet your body ready for a day of fun with a healthy and delicious a la carte breakfast or stop by at lunchtime for Tex-Mex classics, barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs and a variety of snacks and light meals. At night, the colors, lights and ambiance transform Kambú into an upscale restaurant with the flavors and music of Asia, perfect for a romantic candlelit meal. Three times of day, three different atmospheres, three chances to win a place in your heart
Kalmia RestaurantIf you wake up hungry for the flavors of Mexico, head to Kalmia Restaurant for the full Mexican buffet experience, with traditional dishes, fresh pastries and tropical fruits that will get your day going strong. For lunch, Kalmia turns into a lounge restaurant, with Mexican favorites served from the buffet line. And at night, each day of the week features decor, live music and food with a different theme – Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, Mexican, Caribbean, Seafood and Gala Night. It's the perfect way to end a day with new flavors, aromas and even a few surprises.
Rosato RestaurantThere's nothing like a good meal to bring a family together and there's no better place to do it than at the hotel's El Rosato Italian restaurant. Traditional oversized tables are perfect for sharing pizzas, pastas, salads and more than 70 gourmet dishes with your family and friends, while you're surrounded with the cheerful ambiance of Italy and the Mediterranean. It's like stepping into Europe for a mini vacation, except the Caribbean is just steps away!
Mexicano RestaurantUnder a giant palapa (only the hotel's main palapa is larger!), this patio restaurant offers a culinary tour through all the regions of Mexico. Let flavor be your guide as you sample the authentic cuisine from across the country. Contemporary decor includes amber-colored stained-glass windows and glass cases filled with regional art, blown glass, and traditional talavera pottery. Dinner features elegant Mexican cuisine, like Chiles en Nogada, Lime Soup, Chicken Breast With Huitlacoche, fresh fish and more, plus live regional music, including mariachis, trios and traditional songs of the Caribbean and Riviera Maya. Classic Mexican drinks and top-shelf international cocktails are served at the on-site Herradura Bar.
CevicheríaServes snacks, salsas, and beer, set to salsa and merengue music in an open-air palapa among the swimming pools and the Caribbean. Share stories and make plans for your next adventure with your friends as you enjoy the view of the ocean and sample an endless variety of seafood options, plus the coldest beers in the Caribbean. Open daily from midday until late.
Tapas BarSpanish folk art, passion and the sounds of Flamenco music create the perfect atmosphere for sampling a variety of authentic Spanish tapas. Located next to the hotel lobby, this lively restaurant is ideal for couples and groups of friends. A menu of 10 to 14 tapas dishes is served each day.
DeliCoffee lovers will want to head to this cozy coffee bar next to the front desk for the rich aroma of your favorite brew, plus sandwiches, scrumptious desserts and the company of friends. It's open all day, so step in any time to take a break and refuel for your next adventure.
At the Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun All Inclusive, it's all about the guest experience. You can fill up your vacation with as much fun as you can handle, as you try new things and create new memories to take home with you. Every member of your family will find something they enjoy. Take a dip in the ocean, snorkel with tropical fish, go swimming in the hotel pool, play soccer or volleyball on the beach or just take a well-deserved nap and soak up the tropical breezes.
At night, astronomy experts are on-hand to lead you and your family in a star-gazing expedition, where you'll learn to identify stars, constellations, planets and even learn about the ancient astronomy of the Maya people who have called this region home for hundreds and hundreds of years.
You can learn something new at one of our special classes. Discover how to make guacamole and other local dishes and even find out how to make your favorite tequila, vodka and rum drinks from our expert bartenders. Piña colada, anyone? Or how about a margarita? And sign up for one of the Environmental Programs, where you will explore the local flora and fauna and if you're lucky, even witness local sea turtles break out of their shells and help them find their way back to the ocean. It's an amazing experience that you'll remember forever.
When the sun goes down, the fun is just beginning. You can watch a movie in our open-air theater, where the canopy of stars and tropical breezes create an ambiance that's much more enjoyable than a traditional cinema. Theater lovers will want to attend one of our live shows, with popular plays, musicals, cultural shows and theme shows, like Maya Night and Aztec Night, create a magical and mystical experience that anyone can appreciate. You can even head to our Gala Night party for dancing and romance or end your night relaxing on the beach or in one of hotel's spaces created especially for night-owls.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the resort; fees may apply.
- Aerobics
- Fishing
- Golf - miniature
- Golfing
- Helicopter/airplane sightseeing
- Motor boating
- Parasailing
- Playground
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Snorkeling
- Surfing/boogie boarding
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Windsurfing
- Yoga classes/instruction
Special Offer Details
Manager's Specials3 nights from $659 per person
Save up to $298 per couple
What's Included?
- Save 40 percent
- A reduced room rate. Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
- 24 Hour Room Service
- Domestic and International alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages by the glass (Premium brands and bottles may incur a charge to be paid direct)
- Mini-bar including soft drinks, juices, flavored milk, bottled water, beer and selection of snacks (suites include premium bottled brands) replenished once a day
Available Room Types:Superior Garden View Room
Deluxe Ocean View Room
Deluxe Ocean Front Room
Master Suite
Deluxe Sunset Lagoon View Room
Important Dates:Book from 07/15/2013 through 07/22/2013
Travel from 07/15/2013 through 12/19/2013
Blackout Dates: May Apply
Minimum Night Stay: 3 Nights


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Harris – Not A Bay Lover
I grew up around the water. My Mom called me her "little fish" because I never wanted to stop swimming or playing in the sand. I eventually bought my first boat 15 years ago. I loved the Bay so much that I made a life-changing decision: Sell everything and live on a boat, year-round! Some thought I was nuts (well, maybe), but some thought it was a wonderful idea, confiding that they were jealous.
In mid-2003, I sold my house, big-screen TV, knick-knacks, furniture, drum set (my band opened up for Hootie & the Blowfish in the '90s) and gym equipment. I bought a 15-year-old 50-ft boat, with about 350 sq ft of living space, and started living a dream. I traveled from one end of the Bay to the other, including the small and not-so-small rivers and streams.
I lived aboard through hurricanes (Isabel '03) and snowstorms ('06), and enjoyed it so much that I pledged that I would stay aboard 'til the day I died. 'She' was my home until 2008. Sadly, my arthritis was getting the best of me, but, on the bright side, I met a wonderful woman from Parsonsburg that I married in 2010. One door closes and another opens.
Why did I tell you this story? With happy memories living on the Bay, I also experienced the decline of the Bay. In 11 years, I saw the results of work by anti-Bay, Baltimore legislators, like Andy Harris. During his Senate tenure, I watched the Bay's garbage and dumping increase; I saw the algae and muck accumulate along the Bay's rivers and streams. I went from swimming in the Bay, to being afraid I'd step on a used syringe or other pharmaceutical trash.
I had some keys that fell overboard in 2008. I tried to 'fish' them out, but all I came up with was seaweed, held together by algae and sticky black muck, along with other trash. Needless to say, I never retrieved them.
Harris is a Baltimore-based politician; not a lover of our sick Bay, its suffering wildlife or its dying tributaries. How do I know that? During his years in the Senate, he had a pitiful environmental record. He hasn't learned anything since then, still fighting those who care about, and love, the Bay. Now, his passion is for "fracking", since visiting Pennsylvania. Does it matter that PA shut down their program because residents had flames spouting from water pipes and chemicals polluting their water and air? Crabs, anyone?


text:
Your order must total $99.00 before tax and shipping. Free Shipping on Ground Deliveries only going to one delivery location in the continental U.S. only, additional locations are $8.95 each. May not be combined with other coupons or promotional offers. Coupon not valid on our selection of Tervis or Louisville Slugger products. Offer not valid on previous orders.
Expiration: December 31, 2015 Code: SHIPPING99
Set of 50 foldover notes with matching unprinted envelopes in your choice of double thick stock color. Raised ink in your choice of color. Size is 5" x 4". Typestyle format only as shown. Printed return address and optional envelope linings available.
For a couple, put woman's initial on left, man's initial on right and last name initial in center. For an individual, put first name initial on left, middle name initial on right and last name initial in center.


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"Challenge Hincapie at Paris Mountain
Posted Monday, July 25, 2005 - 10:57 pm
By Justin Chappell
So, you think you can ride with Greenville Tour de France cyclist George Hincapie?
We'll here's a way you can give it a try (and, probably, fail horribly) if you want to test your riding skills. There's a 0.6 mile uphill climb at Paris Mountain State Park that he does in 3 minutes and 3 seconds.
"The percent grade of it averages 11 percent," said Ty Houck, the park's manager. "And that's as steep - if not steeper - than a lot of the stages in the Tour de France."
Officials at that park saw Hincapie there regularly, and they saw him starting at one point, racing up the hill and redoing it over and over again. So they talked with him about it and decided to mark its beginning and end in December 2004 so others could try. Since then, it's been called the "Hincapie Challenge." And it's one of the spots Hincapie trains regularly.
Lots of people give it a whirl, Houck said, but few ever come close. The closest he's heard of was someone doing it in about four minutes - that's only 57 seconds longer than Hincapie, right? Well, think about this:
That's 57 seconds longer over just 3,300 feet - and that's a lifetime in a bicycle race."


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TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW)__The sights, sounds and smells of the 2013 Fiesta Mexicana is just months away, and this years 2013 king and queen candidates have been announced:
(In Slideshow order)
Yiovanna Alvarado, Senior Highland Park
Blaine Thompson, Seaman
Brianna Flores Stamps, Junior Highland Park
Chelsea Garcia Newman, Shawnee Heights
Melissa Gomez, Senior Hayden
Sergio Lopez, Sophomore Topeka High
Royalty food sales begin Monday April 15th and continue through Sunday June 30th. The hours are from 11am to 7pm Monday through Saturday and from 8am to 2pm on Sunday.
Food sales will be located at Marlo Cuevas Balandran Activity Center at 216 NE Branner Street, next to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church of Topeka.
Call 785-232-2368 for more information
Visit www.olg-parish.org/fiesta for a full candidate schedule of food sales.


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Healthy Lunch Recipes for Kids (Slide 15)
(Slide 15 of 21) Start at the beginning | View recipes as list
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Wrap
View as: Thumbnails List
Pizza Roll-Up Bento Lunch
This easy pizza-inspired roll-up is a kid-pleaser. Make crunchy vegetables more appealing by selecti…View slide
BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Toss leftover cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and crunchy carrots for a quick and healthy lunch.…View slide
Strawberry & Cream Cheese S…
Sliced strawberries and reduced-fat cream cheese come together in a sandwich for this quick and heal…View slide
Egg Salad Bento Lunch
This egg salad bento box is a hearty lunch and snack all in one. Spoon the egg salad into a lettuce …View slide
Quick Kebabs
Kids and adults alike will appreciate this skewered snack.…View slide
Turkey Rollups
Satisfy your salty, crunchy and savory cravings in one punch with this quick snack.…View slide
Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad
A great make-ahead entree, this lightened-up pasta salad is loaded with broccoli and peppers. Smoky …View slide
Ravioli & Vegetable Soup
Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look …View slide
Soy-Lime Tofu & Rice Bento …
Tofu, rice and vegetables are classic bento ingredients. Make extra rice for dinner and roll leftove…View slide
Couscous & Fruit Salad
Try this fruit-and-nut-studded couscous salad alongside grilled salmon or chicken for supper or on i…View slide
Creamy Cherry Jello
Here we flavor plain gelatin with 100% cherry juice, and stir in creamy yogurt and fresh cherries to…View slide
Quick Mini Chocolate Cheese…
Here we stir a little melted chocolate into ricotta cheese for a cheesecake-like topping for chocola…View slide
Chocolate Crunch
Crunchy wheat cereal, pretzels and almonds coated in bittersweet chocolate makes an addictive sweet-…View slide
Ranch Dip & Crunchy Vegetables
Adults and kids alike love the tanginess of this ranch-style dip. By using nonfat buttermilk and low…View slide
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Moms and Dads like wraps because they're neat and compact--so beware: ours is messy and spicy. This …View slide
Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Qui…
These crustless mini quiches are like portable omelets. Turkey sausage and sauteed mushrooms keep th…View slide
Peanut Tofu Wrap
Baked tofu tossed with storebought Thai peanut sauce makes a quick and healthy sandwich filling. Fin…View slide
Tijuana Torta
A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll instea…View slide
Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad
This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-coo…View slide
Salmon Salad Bento Lunch
Watercress acts as a tasty divider between the salmon salad and crackers. Multicolored peppers and g…View slide


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Published on Thu, Oct 31, 2013
In a recent op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times titled "How Immigration Reform Would Help Chicago," Stephen Bouman cited the Immigration Policy Center while making the case for the economic benefits of passing immigration reform:
"The Immigration Policy Center's researchers find that Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers already add tens of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs to Illinois's economy. Imagine how Chicago's economy could buzz if all immigrants were buying homes, investing in education, and planning for secure futures."
Published in the Chicago Sun-Times


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I recently got into an oddly heated discussion about whether a specific style of facial hair around a man's mouth is called
Flavor saver, as in "saving the flavor for later"
Flavor savor, as in "enjoying the flavor over time"
Urban dictionary has both spellings. Is there a definitive answer out there? Are both really correct?
Or is it, as someone else suggested, neither of these. Rather, it's
flava sava and the ambiguity "makes it more delicious." (Although when I looked up Flava Sava, I got Flavr Savr, which is apparently a breed of tomato.)


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The Herm Sprenger Flex Control Loose Ring Bit is ideal for sensitive horses. This bit has an Aurigan® mouthpiece with a single joint and soft and flexible rubber over the center joint that protects tender spots in the mouth. Mouthpiece is 18mm and stainless steel rings are 70mm.
The Combo Weymouth Bit by Herm Sprenger has all the benefits of the Aurigan® mouthpiece with the strength and style of stainless steel cheeks. Aurigan is a nickle-free alloy comprised of 85% copper, 4% silicon and 11% zinc. 13cm shanks. 7cm lower shanks. 18mm fixed cheeks.
Designed to accommodate a narrower palate, the KK Ultra Eggbutt Bit by Herm Sprenger has the middle link shortened and rotated by 45°. The exceptional sensitivity of a horse's tongue allows the rider precise communication through the reins. 18mm Aurigan® mouth and cheeks.
Designed to accommodate a narrower palate, the KK Ultra Gag Bit by Herm Sprenger has the middle link shortened and rotated by 45°, resulting in no palate pressure. It features a 16mm Aurigan® mouth. 80mm stainless steel rings.
Ideal for busy horses or those learning new skills, the WH Ultra Loose Ring Bit by Herm Sprenger has a smooth roller disk in the center. The slight up and down motion of the roller encourages the horse to "play" with it. Aurigan® mouth. 55mm stainless steel rings. 16 mm mouth. 70mm stainless steel rings.
The Neue Schule Tranz Angled Lozenge 14mm Full Cheek Bit features a Salox® Gold mouth and stainless steel cheeks. This ergonomically designed bit typically helps reinforce turning aids and helps with straightness and direction. The mouth has a center lozenge set at a 20° angle to activate feel over the tongue and arms that are shaped for comfort.
This Turnado Sensogan® Loose Ring Bit by Herm Sprenger features a 16 mm mouthpiece and 70 mm stainless steel rings. The Turnado mouthpiece is rotated 45 degrees forward to lie comfortably in the horse's mouth. This design promotes soft, yet accurate communication.


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I am unsure of how a padding oracle attack works.
What I am not getting is how changing one bit at one time allows one to exploit(get keys) ASP.NET machines.
Can anyone explain this?
I am unsure of how a padding oracle attack works.
What I am not getting is how changing one bit at one time allows one to exploit(get keys) ASP.NET machines.
Can anyone explain this?
migrated from security.stackexchange.com Sep 4 '12 at 6:01
This question came from our site for information security professionals.
Definitions / Introduction
We define (this is solely for our example):
To explain what $x$ means, here's the decryption again. For each encrypted block $c_i$, we determine $m_i$ by:
$m_i$ = $x_{i-1} \oplus c_{i-1}$,(and the value $dec(c_0)$ is also named $x_0$)
For the very first block, we use the IV as follows:
$m_0$ = $dec(c_0) \oplus iv$
I recommend taking a quick glance at these images for decryption and encryption (It's not gonna hurt to read the whole Wikipedia Article too).
For this attack we need a so called padding oracle, e.g. a web application. This padding oracle accepts arbitrary cipher texts and gives different messages about whether the plain text is invalid or the decryption has failed.
Let's imagine this padding:
For all plain texts the last block is padded to a length of 16 bytes as follows,
After decryption, one might now read the very last byte and cut off the given amount of bytes at the end. A value equals 0 and above 16 is invalid and returns a padding error.
We define the Oracle as follows:
$$ O(c) = \left\{ \begin{array}{l l} 0 & \quad \text{if $c$ has a valid padding and }\\ & \quad \text{decryption yields a well-formed plain text} \\ 1 & \quad \text{if the padding was valid, but the plain text}\\ & \quad \text{was not well-formed (contained \xFF)} \\ 2 & \quad \text{if $c$ has an invalid padding}\\ \end{array} \right. $$
The web application expects plaintext as XML (or JSON or whatever) and will report a different error, when parsing fails. For our simplified scenario, let's just say there exists an evil character the plain text (after removing the padding) must not contain, e.g.
The attack
For this attack to work you need a valid ciphertext $c$, it is not required to know the correct plaintext value $m$.
We will start decrypting block by block, byte by byte. We start with the very first block and it's last byte.
Let's take the very first two cipher text blocks $c_0c_1$, and send them to the oracle. Since $c_0$ is just the IV, the oracle gets the first block (16 bytes) of plain text. Now, this depends on the value but it's pretty likely that the padding will be wrong, so you'll get a padding error.
Now by XORing the value $j$ from
Whatever value $s$ has, we can XOR it with
Now that we have a block with a valid \x01 padding, we have 15 more bytes to find.
We know that whenever we have an invalid byte
Repeat this procedure with block pairs $c_1c_2$, $c_2c_3$, ...
This is a simplified example and I tried to highlight all simplifications where made. I am by no means a crypto expert and my knowledge is limited. If you find any unmentioned simplifications or plain mistakes, please comment/edit :) I can highly recommend reading a good explanation of the XML Encryption padding oracle in this blog. The paper about the attack is a pretty good read too: Breaking XML Encryption
TODO: This post is lacking a good explanation on why the CBC scheme is malleable and I wouldn't mind if there was a good graph to include.
All the details have been published in the paper titled "IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy - Cryptography in the Web: The Case of Cryptographic Design Flaws in ASP.NET" http://netifera.com/research/poet/ieee-aspnetcrypto.pdf


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Read More About
McDonald's Corporation announced that global comparable sales increased 2.4 percent in November, with U.S. sales up 2.5 percent, Europe up 1.4 percent, and Asia/Pacific, Middle East, and Africa up 0.6 percent.
"McDonald's is a destination for more than 69 million customers every day because we offer great-tasting, high-quality food in increasingly modern and appealing restaurants," says McDonald's president and CEO Don Thompson.
"We are strengthening our focus on the global priorities that are most impactful to our customers—optimizing our menu, modernizing the customer experience, and broadening accessibility to our brand to move our business forward amid today's broad-based economic and competitive challenges," he continues. "I am confident that these strategies and the actions we are taking will solidify our foundation and deliver long-term profitable growth in the future."
U.S. comparable sales rose 2.5 percent in November as McDonald's remains a relevant and affordable choice for consumers. Results for the month benefited from the ongoing popularity of McDonald's breakfast, along with balance across everyday-value offerins, premium menu options including the limited-time Cheddar Bacon Onion sandwiches, and the beverage lineup.
In Europe, comparable sales increased 1.4 percent, as positive results in the U.K., Russia, and other markets were partly offset by performance in Germany. Across the segment, enhanced value platforms and meal combinations, promotions featuring premium menu options, and the modernization of Europe's restaurants contributed to November's sales performance.
Is Asia/Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, November's comparable sales increased 0.6 percent, as positive results in Australia and other markets were largely offset by ongoing weakness in Japan.
Throughout the region, expanded value programs, locally relevant menu variety, convenience, and service enhancements continue to be key drivers of the McDonald's experience.
Systemwide sales for the month increased 3.2 percent, of 4.8 percent in constant currencies.
MC Hammer replied on Permalink
When 70 % of your restaurants are open one more day (Thanksgiving) than they were last year, it helps in getting comparables up ! Not rocket science !!


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I am confused, what happened at the end of The Grey (2011)? Did Ottway die or did he manage to survive?
I think the ending is intentionally ambiguous, so each member of the audience can draw their own conclusion. Even if Ottway kills the Alpha, will the rest of the pack let him survive?
If you watched past the credits, you saw that there was a very short (maybe two seconds) scene where we see Ottway and the Alpha wolf after they fight. They're both alive, but badly injured. Ottway's head is resting on top of the wolf's body. Since both are so badly injured, I think it's unlikely that either one of them will survive.
Its almost certain that after someone or something kills the alpha of a pack, then the other wolves back off, praise, or even make them the new leader of their group. Because the alpha was lying weakly on the bed of snow at the brief scene after the credits, it should be obvious that he was killed or in the middle of dying. Otherwise, he'd undoubtedly be eating John and so would the others. Meanwhile, John is lying and resting his head on the side of the black alpha wolf. We're not certain if he's dead or if he survived, but the one thing we know is that the wolf is dead. One thing I can say about the way the wolf died was by the dagger John held and the broken glasses he wrapped around his hand (which looked to be some sort of medicine tube). John must have known something about the glasses because he was a huntsman after all, maybe containing poison to kill off the wolves. Either way the wolf was dead and as for John, its really up to you to figure that out. Odds are, he was sitting there thinking and praying judging the way the director casted him always in deep thought.
It's symbolic: honor your life and confront your fears. The whole movie was about his ambivalence about living after his wife died. He fought the enemy honoring "life" and symbolically, he won. That's my take.
Live and die on this day... the wolf died, Liam lived.
Otherwise the wolf would have been eating him and his buddies would have joined in.
Either that way, or Liam found the meaning of life on the same day he died.
I think the ending is fairly obvious, if you recall toward the beginning of the film Ottway shoots a wolf trying to attack the drillers. While the injured wolf is dying in the snow Ottway hovers over it and places his hand on the wolfs chest, the entire time we are clearly seeing the final labored breaths of the dying animal which is very similar to the scene at the end of the movie. Its pretty clear they both died, unless Ottway was pooped and decided to spoon with the alpha for a bit before returning to his aimless wandering through the Alaskan wilderness.
Furthermore this scenario would never happen since pack alpha's rarely do any of the killing, however they do in conjunction with the beta's decide who eats first.
Also, wolves are absolutely timid around humans, most documented fatalities have been children during the 18th and 19th century in North America. Although there are circumstances that would cause a wolf to attack, its very rare - I think shark and bear attacks are more common compared to wolves. The idea that these wolves would hunt these men down one by one like velociraptors is far-fetched unto itself but certainly makes for great cinema.
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`Neo-pagans' and global warming
I was admiring the coverage of Hurricane Sandy this morning as I leafed through The Tablet, the newspaper of the Diocese of Brooklyn, until I was stopped by a paragraph in Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio's weekly column. The bishop wrote that "global warming is not something we can believe in" and that those who view it as a cause of the storm are "neo-pagans" because "they seem to have no belief in God."Dealing with the question of why God would allow a tragedy such as the deadly hurricane, he writes:
Truly, if we are looking for causality, any meteorologist would be able to tell us that the high tide, full moon and a perfect storm came together to cause the widespread destruction that Sandy left on our door steps on the Northeast coast. Today, some who may be called neo-pagans, look for other answers, since they seem to have no belief in God. They blame global warming, or, in effect, ourselves for not taking care of the environment. Some blame the reduction of the ozone layer which some say leads to these more violent storms. I will leave that solution of these proposals to scientists who can verify global warming, because it is not something we can believe in, rather it is something that needs to be proven.
There is a substantial movement in many religions to respond to global warming, and the Catholic Church has played an important role in it. Vatican City aimed to become the first carbon-neutral state. And the Vatican has issued many statements calling attention to the danger of global warming. As Archbishop Celestino Migliore told the United Nations in 2007, "The scientific evidence for global warming and for humanitys role in the increase of greenhouse gasses becomes ever more unimpeachable." In Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that "the protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate obliges all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet."No one can say with certainty that global warming is responsible for a specific storm, as Business Week notes in its cover story, "It's Global Warming, Stupid." But to ignore it now is irresponsible. Last year, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences called together a working group of glaciologists, climate scientists, hydrologists, physicists, chemists and others to report on global warming. They found a 90 percent likelihood that greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming and warned that one consequence is that "stronger storm surges" threaten coastal lands. They add: "The time to act is now." The report concludes:
We call on all people and nations to recognize the serious and potentially irreversible impacts of global warming caused by the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and by changes in forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other land uses. We appeal to all nations to develop and implement, without delay, effective and fair policies to reduce the causes and impacts of climate change on communities and ecostystems, including mountain glaciers and their watershed, aware that we all live in the same home. By acting now, in the spirit of common but differentiated responsibility, we accept our duty to one another and to the stewardship of a planet blessed with the gift of life.We are committed to ensuring that all inhabitants of this planet receive their daily bread, fresh air to breathe and clean water to drink, as we are aware that, if we want justice and peace, we must protect the habitat that sustains us.
For those who want to read further on what the church teaches concerning climate change, I recommend the Web site of the Catholic Climate Covenant.
About the Author
Paul Moses, a professor of journalism at Brooklyn College/CUNY, is the author of The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace (Doubleday, 2009) and An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York's Irish and Italians (NYU Press, 2015).
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I am all for responsible environmental treaties. At the same time, this, like everything else involves personal responsibility.I just read a research article (cannot find it at the moment) that cited the increase in energy efficient furnaces, better windows and insulation in the last 10 or so year. However, interestingly, there has not been a corresponding decrease on hydro and natural gas usage.The reason in somewhat ironic. It is because new homes then become proportionally larger. For example, a 5,000 square foot house will now use as much gas and hydro as a 3, 000 square foot house 15 years ago. However, if consumers would simply opt for the 3, 000 square foot house, they would end up saving proportionally less gas and hydro.And don't even get me started on people who drive Hummer trucks. If I see one more yuppie who has never even been on a gravel road and whose idea of being outdoors is jogging around a paved trail, by a man-made lake, driving a Hummer, I am going to have a fit.
Bishop DiMarzio's column is a classic example of someone who tries to be too clever for their own good. It's not even germane to the point he's trying to make, so he decides to invent a phantom argument, insulting non-Christians, plus scientists who, indeed, have demonstrated climate change. Clearly, somebody isn't too concerned about the "new" evangelization.
Looks like Bishop DiMarzio never heard of the problem of evil, or maybe he thinks he has the solution. Amazing.
Oh for heaven's sake.
Climate change cannot be directly linked to any single event, but neither can God.
jbruns --It's a fundamental belief of Christianity that God has created all things and keeps them in existence, and that includes all those natural events that people do not cause, e.g., earthquakes, the big fish eating the little ones, the lions eating the martyrs. By denying that there is a problem of evil you deny that He is the Creator of everything.
This bishop of Brookly echoes the bishops of the century who asserted that for Galileo to say the earth moves is heresy. That makes Galileo a pagan right. But as Galileo uttered the phrase which resounds thereafter as a blatant affront to the absurdity of too many pompous and arrogant religious leaders. "And yet it moves" (Italian: Eppur si muove." Like fighting abortion is more important than to give essential food and medicine to a dying child.
I could laugh this off but it fits into so many post-election comments I heard from Catholics that sounded like perfectly familiar theology -- of the fundamentalist, evangelical variety. Catholics are being infected not only by the secular, hedonistic, etc., etc, of the United States but also by the backwater American fundamentalist theology. And, yeah, bishops are not immune.Anyhow, this is more Catholicism My Mother Never Taught Me.
Thomas Reese, "as a political scientist", urges the bishops to have a plan B. I guess he has not read DiMarzio's remarks. Plan B is to call everyone who voted for Obama as "neo pagans." http://ncronline.org/node/39111
jbruns --It's a fundamental belief of Christianity that God has created all things and keeps them in existence, and that includes all those natural events that people do not cause, including, e.g., earthquakes, the big fish eating the little ones, the lions eating the martyrs. By denying that there is a problem of evil you deny that He is the Creator of everything.
My apologies to the Bishop but dualistic theology gives short shrift to the Creator as if God is only in the heavens but His Presence was not and is not now involved with the making of the Earth and always here. This statement could lead to dreary academic arguments about Immanence, Transcendentalism, Pantheism, Relativism and so forth. However, real Christians dont live in dry theoretical boxes and are not averse to caring for His Creation. The contrary is the case. No fear, come join us, Bishop.
Did Bishop Di M. really say that global warning is not something we can believe in? I had thought that there was now a generally accepted belief that the phenomenon is really happening, and that the only battle was between those who say it is man-made (our carbon emissions, etc.), and those who continue to maintain that it is merely part of a natural cycle, and that we have no responsibility for it and can continue to pollute the atmosphere. Sheer disbelief of the sort expressed here must be pretty rare, fortunately. I wonder if bishops have recourse to any continuing education programs?
Some years ago the French historian Emanuel Leroy Ladurie published an article dealing, among other things, with the so-called "Little Ice Age," meaning the unusual cold that affected Europe from roughly the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. During that time Alpine glaciers advanced, and the inhabitants of Chamonix (not yet a tourist destination!), convinced that the great Mer de Glace, which pours down from Mont Blanc, petitioned the king in Paris to use his royal powers to make the ice turn back before it engulfed their village. I wonder if by any chance they had turned to their bishop to seek his help, and were met with the retort that they were guilty of neo-paganism.Today there are places in the Alps seeing experiments in covering glaciers to prevent their further melting, though none very effective yet, I think. And in any case, I don't think there are any glaciers in the Diocese of Brooklyn. Except the human ones, of course.
Sorry -- meant to writeconvinced that the great Mer de Glace, which pours down from Mont Blanc, was endangering them, petitioned the king in Paris to use his royal powers to make the ice turn back before it engulfed their village.
In reading the original article, the Bishop does not seem to be arguing for or against evidence of global warming; rather, he seems to be pointing out that there are direct ways we can address the "man made" aspects that made Hurricane Sandy so damaging, and what we can do to ameliorate the widespread suffering in its aftermath.What made this storm "historic" was not its existence it was after all a minimal hurricane (although of noteworthy breadth) with the bad manners to have made landfall on the eve of a full moon but rather how it struck at the exact vulnerabilities man had built in its path. Much of what flooded in NYC was low-lying swampland and landfill, hardly secure ground. Much of the loss on Staten Island was, again, where property was particularly vulnerable. We (Society) forgot the devastation in the Northeast by no less than 10 hurricanes with six years in the 1950s, at least half of which, if they occurred today, would have caused as much as or more devastation. (It was an impressive decade, tropical weather-wise.)So, yes, Sandy's destruction was "man made" after all...but not in any way dependent on belief in global warming. Rather, it was our complete dismissal of sound risk-management practices that did us in. More of which is to come, methinks. And, I think, so does the Bishop.This is not suggest that the world shouldn't stop throwing crap into the air. It is to say that while the world figures out how to do that while keeping the lights on, maybe we should deal with the issues that God has placed squarely in front of us.
Tom Blackburn: "Catholics are being infected not only by the secular, hedonistic, etc., etc, of the United States but also by the backwater American fundamentalist theology. And, yeah, bishops are not immune."That sounds about right. Catholics and Evanglicals coming together to oppose abortion has led to some interesting consequences, not all of which have been positive IMHO.
One of his fellow bishops needs to call him: Nick, my man, you really need to think before you speak. You are giving the rest of us a very bad reputation when you prattle on like a mad man. Fraternally speaking, shut your cake hole.Have a very nice day.
Bp. DiMarzio is not alone in his view on global warming. He may informed by Cdl. Pell rather than the Pontifical Academy of Sciences to the detriment of noteworthy Vatican efforts. Cdl. Pell lectured In Oct 2011 to the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) in London. After thoroughly explaining his claim to speak with authority on the subject, he vigorously dismissed most of what is generally accepted by most knowledgeable scientists about global warming as an observable process with some serious predictable consequences. Pell's full speech is offered but Not Found at the GWPF site now; an excerpt conveys his thrust: http://www.thegwpf.org/cardinal-pell-carbon-credits-like-medieval-indulg... Widespread reactions were in a similar vein:http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/10/28/climate-scientists-slam-george-pells...
The Guardian reports confirmation of the rising sea level:"The mystery of the expansion of sea ice around Antarctica, at the same time as global warming is melting swaths of Arctic sea ice, has been solved using data from US military satellites."Two decades of measurements show that changing wind patterns around Antarctica have caused a small increase in sea ice, the result of cold winds off the continent blowing ice away from the coastline."Until now these changes in ice drift were only speculated upon using computer models," said Paul Holland at the British Antarctic Survey. "Our study of direct satellite observations shows the complexity of climate change."The upshot is that now the scientists have definite knowledge of why the seas are rising -- 5m daily measurements over a period of 20 years *show* what is happening.http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/11/poles-scientists-antar...
Was he denying climate change or was he just not expressing himself very well? I had to reread the paragraph a few times to figure out what he was trying to say, but it sounded like he could have been saying, when figuring out the "why" of the devastating hurricane, he'd leave the scientific reasons to the scientists, and was just talking himself about God's part in it.
Paul,I too think that, in the paragraph you cite, the Bishop could have been clearer as to his meaning. But I do not think he was dismissing the thesis of global warning. How else interpret his final sentence: "I will leave that solution of these proposals to scientists who can verify global warming, because it is not something we can believe in, rather it is something that needs to be proven."I would like to call attention to the pastoral intent of the entire article: consolation for the victims, encouragement for the helpers -- from diocesan to parish to individual efforts. The Bishop himself does not seem to have remained ensconced in the chancery, but was out in the field, offering what support he could.
Jim McCrea -- sorry for "prattling on." I meant (as I said) simply to raise the question of whether the bishop was denying global warming. It sounded to me as if he was doing so; others have suggested that he simply misspoke himself, and that too may be true. But if so, then I don't understand his reference to "neo-paganism" in the context of global warming. My failure, no doubt.A couple of years ago a German Jesuit, after the great Haiti quake, wrote a brief piece about natural disasters of that sort, and concluded simply that there are some questions theology can't answer. Was he right or wrong? I don't know.
Nicholas Clifford (and Paul Moses), I think the interpretation that the bishop simply put it inelegantly, like Romney talking to big givers, is more strained than the obvious interpretation we gave it. Our interpretation takes off from "neo-pagans, look for other answers."But if the good bishop simply went over the top there, he still has to account for leaving the proposal to scientists who "can" verify global warming. Wouldn't the better verb for the scientists be "have" rather than the ambiguous "can"?"Can" can imply that as far as the bishop is concerned they have a long way to go. It can also imply that they have already done so and can verify it again if asked. But, given the pagans searching for other answers, the more skeptical interpretation seems warranted. Otherwise he would have said the pagans are trying to extend their scientific insight into theological realms where it won't fit. But that is not what he said.
Here's the "neo-pagan" passage:
Today, some who may be called neo-pagans, look for other answers, since they seem to have no belief in God. They blame global warming, or, in effect, ourselves for not taking care of the environment. Some blame the reduction of the ozone layer which some say leads to these more violent storms. I will leave that solution of these proposals to scientists who can verify global warming, because it is not something we can believe in, rather it is something that needs to be proven.
'Tis true, as Robert I. says, that the distinction here is between what is a matter of scientific proof and what is a matter of religious belief, and global warming falls into the former category. And yes, the overwhelming majority of folks who know this stuff think it's been proven, and doesn't "need" to be proven. I'm still puzzled by the invocation of the neopagans, though. I wonder if the bishop's argumentation might be helped by Aristotle's categories of causation? Surely theism does not require that we blame God directly (as, in Aristotle's terminology, the "efficient cause") for things like monster storms? If so, we're left with a theodicy problem that just doesn't quit. Nor, conversely, does trust in the marvelous workings of the human intellect as explaining such efficient causality make us pagans, neo or other.
Not that Aristotelian "final causality" actually SOLVES the theodicy problem, of course, but it doesn't lead so directly to God-as-monster as DiMarzio's approach does. Imagine the pastoral mess that God-as-efficient-cause-of-everything creates: "Gosh, I'm so sorry that your little child has cancer. God must have wanted it that way." Or, of course, there's this year's IN Senate candidate Mourdock...
Though perhaps Bishop DiMarzio's comments in "The Tablet" were inartfully stated, I don't think he is unaware of the perils of climate change. In fact, he co-signed the statement on the environment that was issued by the USCCB as part of its "Climate Change Justice & Health Initiative":"Today, there is a particular and pressing responsibility to examine and act on the growing challenge of global climate change and its implications for God's creation and for the poor and vulnerable. During his angelus address on August 27, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI called for a commitment to care for creation. He said creation is 'exposed to serious risks by life choices and lifestyles that can degrade it.' In particular, he said, 'environmental degradation makes the lives of the poor especially unbearable.' The U.S. Catholic bishops have declared, 'At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both 'the human environment' and the natural environment.' (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001, p.1)." http://old.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate/index.shtml
I do believe that if Bishop DiMarzio believes in global warming (as William Collier and others have pointed out) he needs to write in a less obtuse manner. Everyone who reads his statements are not university professors who are able to research what he means or does not mean.To me----Bishop DiMarzio's article is just another one of many jabs at the Obama Administration. President Obama has warned of global warming, opposed more carbon fuels because of increasing global warming. Mayor Bloomberg agreed with the President, also---and stated that he believed that the reason that Hurricane Sandy was so destructive WAS because of global warming.The truth of the matter is God is not the heavenly weatherman. This earth was given to us by God---to care for it and to be good stewards of it. If we fail in this---because we are careless, complacent, etc. It is OUR fault---not God's. The neo-pagan jab is another angry retort by the GOP Bishops.
Note that the bishop's deliberate excursion into neo-pagans, global warming, and the ozone layer is gratuitous and irrelevant to his well-expressed pastoral concerns and support that follow. It does nothing to resolve Epicurus's paradox for neighbors who might understandably be wrestling with their personal 2012 versions, unaided by the analytical intricacies of philosophy and theology. It was odd in the midst of an extraordinary recovery effort being carried on by pagans, Catholics, and many others, without distinction. Perhaps he will say more as he did last year when he named names and sanctions in the event that led up to him him announcing Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature have deconstructed the single most important institution in human history. He can be very clear when sufficiently moved. http://thetablet.org/?p=1138
It's like "my science is better than your science." DiMarzio listens to meteorologists as long as he wants to, then classes those who have spent their lives studying climate change, and those who accept their findings, as faithless pagans who don't believe in God.
Llisa --I would say that the problem of evil (that sometimes God does seem to be a monster) is still under active consideration by many philosophers and theologians, not to mention earlier considerations beginning with Job. See Alvin Plantinga, Marilyn McCord Adams, Rowan Williams and others, including the head of the Catholic theological society whose name I forget. (Terrence something.)
I will leave that solution of these proposals to scientists who can verify global warming, because it is not something we can believe in, rather it is something that needs to be proven.That is discussed at length on the real climate website. Global warming has actually been "proved" within reasonable doubt for many years. To see a discussion of this phenomenon of unwarranted skepticism, see for examplehttp://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/02/happy-birthday-cha...To what extent is "Global Warming Theory" verified?[...]A theory can never be definitively proved; there is always the possibility that some new observation will overturn it, and most theories are imperfect and fail in one way or another to account for some of the data. The question thus emerges as to the extent to which global warming skeptics are holding the theory up to an "unreasonable standard of proof," much as ID proponents do in the case of Evolution. Given that the intensity of interest in the Theory of Global Warming stems largely from its policy implications, it is fair to ask how the standards of proof to which global warming has been held stack up against other theories that have been used to make policy decisions of enormous consequence. "Supply Side Economics" (the theory that tax cuts pay for themselves by stimulating economic growth) is a telling example that comes to mind (to say nothing of the "theory" that Iraq had WMD).See also http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/12/how-to-be-a-real-s...Much of what passes for debate on climate change in the popular media, is often framed as the scientific consensus vs. the sceptics. A close examination of these arguments (for instance, as outlined in a recent Wall Street Journal editorial) doesnt reveal much that could be described as true scepticism since they often use the fallacious reasoning that we discuss above. However, since scepticism has a (justifiably) long and noble tradition in science, the framing device is quite powerful (despite the lack of connection with any actual scepticism). As with the intelligent design controversy, agenda-driven opposition has often managed to cloak its contrarianism with the mantle of scepticism. So, while many contrarians pay lip service to the legacy of Russell (or even Pyrrho), forgive me if I remain a little sceptical
Pagans in ancient Greece and Rome believed in a multiplicity of gods and goddesses.So what would Greek or Roman pagans say about global warming?Your guess is as good as mine. But my guess is that they would say that global warming is being brought on by one of the gods and goddesses. Warming suggests that the god of the sun may be the culprit.Ancient Greek and Roman pagans would not be inclined to believe modern scientific explanations of global warming, just as the bishop of Brooklyn apparently does not believe modern scientific explanations of global warming.In this respect, the bishop of Brooklyn could aptly be likened to ancient Greek and Roman pagans -- in short, a neo-pagan.
To me-Bishop DiMarzios article is just another one of many jabs at the Obama Administration. -----Agree. It's all about Obama. Just as Morlino included "socialism" on his list of intrinsically evil stuff, and Sheridan said "religious freedom" should be added to the list of non-negotiables, and bishops in general came up with the Fortnight Against Obama, etc., now this man uses "neo-pagans" as a slur against those who fail to swallow the Republican anti-science swill.
"In fact, he co-signed the statement on the environment that was issued by the USCCB as part of its Climate Change Justice & Health Initiative:This proves nothing. William, I am surprised that you would think so. No wonder the Yankees lost with fans like you.
Let's keep in mind the distinction between the *facts* of global warming and the scientific *explanation(s)* of those facts. The facts are no longer in doubt. When the issue of global warming first came up even some fine scientists (e.g., Freeman Dyson) were not convinced by the data that there was something odd going on. Over time he and others became convinced that the measurements of the weather were sound, and they now agree that something odd is going on. Earlier, many scientists explained the phenomena by the obvious fact that use of fuels by humans throws the residue into the atmosphere and, those scientists claimed, this is *the* cause of global warming.As I understand it, most scientists now, including Dyson, admit that *some* but *only some* of the global warming is caused by human activities, and they think that the whole phenomenon has yet to be completely explained. Most, however, think that our activities are a significant portion of the causes, and our use of current fuels must be reduced or we'll eventually make the planet uninhabitable (not even counting the other causes that seem to be involved).Yes, it's complex.None of this has anything whatsoever to do with religion. None of it. Whatsoever.
Claire points out the go-to website for climate change science. Another website recommended is the American Institute of Physics page on the history of CO2http://www.aip.org/history/climate/co2.htmThe science has been in development for almost 200 years. The average temperature of the earth is 66F more than the moon even though the moon absorbs more light.. Both bodies are the same distance from the sun. The earth has an atmosphere and only 0.04% of the gases in our atmosphere are capable of absorbing infrared, being a greenhouse gas. 99.5% of that is CO2. So it is quite possible that doubling the CO2 will have some efffpect on our thermostat setting. The only thing in "dispute" is not that we're changing climate, but how much and in what way that change will progress in the future.
When DeMarzio says, global warming is not something we can believe in, I *think* he means that it is a matter for science, not a matter for religion (that is to say, knowable only by faith). From what I can tell, he doesn't seem to be denying the truth of science, because he also writes, "any meteorologist would be able to tell us that the high tide, full moon and a perfect storm came together to cause the widespread destruction that Sandy left on our door steps." I admit that I'm not completely sure what he means by "neo-pagans", because quite a few people (like me) have no trouble accepting what science tells us without losing religious faith. To my mind, anyway, the openness to accepting the truth provided by scientific discovery, and the openness to accepting the truth provided by revelation and faith, are complementary, albeit not without tension. Also, we know that quite a few people who deny scientific truths are religious people, and so couldn't accurately be described as "neo-pagans". So, in summary - I don't know what he means :-).
The fourth and fifth paragraphs of Bishop DiMarzio's column, although by no means as disastrous as Sandy, seem to be another example of bad things happening to good people. They are plopped down for no sensible reason smack in the middle of a perfectly fine pastoral letter.He says that "any meteorologist" can explain Sandy in natural terms, but that people who have no belief in God are looking for other reasons. Presumably, those would be reasons which have nothing to do with God or nature, so they are striking off in an unnamed third direction.People who don't believe in God at least have a fairly easy answer to the problem of evil. It is attributable either to the indifference of nature or to the shortsightedness of humans, both of which are well enough documented to be beyond dispute, although for the former at least, it might be argued that some natural cataclysms are a kind of creative destruction and not wholly evil in the long run. But that whole line of thought does not explain the existence of the world.The mention of the "pagan philospher Epicurus" is interesting, since he taught that the highest happiness is an inner tranquillity unperturbed by outside occurrences or concerns, and that God created the world and then let it spin away without further thought or care. All done! But there goes divine love and immanence. Whatever, it gives the bishop a chance to say "neo-pagans."
Pagans, as I'm sure everyone knows, were originally people who lived in a pagus, a village, and thus a cultural backwater. They were rustic and traditional, and they held with the old gods, unlike the Christians, who tended to congregate in the cities.Imagine if it had been the other way round. Would we today be calling Christians pagans and unbelievers "urbane" or "civilized"? In one sense we do. We speak of "simple" faith, and we often describe people we think are too sophisticated for their own good as "modern" orheaven help us!"post-modern."
Could it be that the bishop is simply contradicting himself -- saying one thing is one sentence and its opposite in another? The human capacity for self-contradiction is very wide indeed.
I am not too sure if this is apropos, but would bishop DiMazio have considered Teilhard de Chardin a neo pagan? It's a thought that came to me as I was reading this.
I see my post about sending him to Greenland diocese is under threat of modificationI agree it's snarky as Greenland is probalbly not a diocese.However Venice Italy just had it's worst flood in years.So my suggestion ought to be modified . Bishop DiMarzio has the Italian backround, language?, a potential Red Hat, and will have first hand experience of global warming if he goes to Venice. (-:. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/venice-flo...
Anderew --What do you think a neo-pagan is? How do you define the term?
I thought neo-pagans were women with liberal arts degrees, running around naked in the woods, worshipping Gaea and not eating meat. :-)
LOL(Actually, Jim, neo-pagans are men running around the suburbs in dalmatics, 3rd-century women's favorite garb.)
That's just about my meaning, too, Jim. But they're wearing wreaths of wildflowers and chanting "Love the rainbows, Love the bugs . . . "
I'm not sure. An old pagan may be one who believed in false gods, and a new pagan may be one attributes too science more than the church would like too. Maybe Galileo was the first neo pagan.
Gerelyn, I can't say; but I can assure you that in these suburbs, no men run around in dalmatics. Albs and stoles, for sure, but nary a dalmatic to be seen.
Andrew --Good definition in Vaticanese :-) But, of course, tomorrow it might change.


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It has been a while since I wanted to ask this question, but couldn't find a right forum. My question might come across as trivial, but its important to me to find an answer.
Let me give you some background, I was very good in Mathematics until my face off with Calculus. In 11th/12th Std.my Maths Prof. was pathetic, and I ended up bunking all Maths lectures. Hence my Applied Maths base, especially calculus is extremely weak. I am a Computer Science Student and want to catch up in reasonable time but I don't know where to begin as I am unsure about my proficiency in pre-calculus (Linear, Logarithmic, Exponential algebra) stuff as well.
So my first question is where should I begin or In order to understand concepts of calculus what do I need to get hold off first ? And Could anyone suggest a very good book - easy to understand especially for beginners (I have to face the reality that even though I am a Master's Student I am really a beginner as far as Calculus is concerned :D).
Thanks in Advance.