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Might Gates' case have cost us health care reform?
It would be ironic--and tragic--if Barack Obama's momentary lapse into frankness on the Henry Louis Gates-James Crowley episode ended up costing the nation meaningful reform of the health insurance/access system. But that looks more and more as if it could end up being the case.Remember, Obama's comment--that the Cambridge police behaved "stupidly" in arresting Gates--came at the very end of a press conference in which he had tried to counter the worst of the Republican distortions about the effort to legislate reform. Particularly effective, I thought, was his assertion that the status quo, if it were dressed up as a legislative proposal to be voted on by Congress and polled on by the public, would have prohibitive negatives.But none of that effort counted after the president's Gates-Crowley-racial profiling remarks. All the focus the next day was on the fact that the first black president had responded like...well, like a black man. I wonder if Obama's reaction stemmed from a personal experience during his high school or college or law school years, or whether he became familiar with the black man-confronting-cops phenomenon during his time as a community organizer in Chicago or, perhaps, while he was practicing civil rights law.Whatever the source, Obama's inability to stifle his true feelings has been costly in terms of public support. The latest poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed wide disapproval of Obama's remark and a sharp loss of support for the president among whites, specifically as a result of the Gates-Crowley controversy. The truth is, Obama has been "on probation" with a substantial number of whites, who were willing to take a chance on and tolerate him as long as he didn't act black. When he violated that condition with his remarks on Gates-Crowley, those people yanked his probation. Everything's going to be tougher from now on.Nothing amazes me more than the ability of the GOP to continually sell the American people on the notion that anything run by the government is going to be a disaster. Millions of elderly Americans live in relative decency because of Social Security and don't die on the streets because of Medicare. Every year, millions of Americans ride over the best-maintained public highways in the world to national parks operated by government employees and thank God for the privilege. And I could go on. Meanwhile, I am wrestling for the second time in two years with a giant private human resources outfit--call it All Thumbs, Inc.--to try to collect the pension they administer on behalf of a previous employer.The fact is that Obama was going to need every ounce of public support he could muster to achieve even modest health care reform. The sad fact is that the Gates-Crowley distraction has deprived him of a measurable degree of support. I hope the nation doesn't pay the price in the form of a lost opportunity at health care reform.
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If it's true (and I suspect it is) that many whites put Obama "on probation" post election - then maybe the affair Gates is not just a distraction but in indication of how far we have to go in framing issues.Of course the GOP will use this matter (as any other straw to grasp at) to undermine the president.But the elephant in the healthcare room may well be how we follow the money and are serious about how it influences p[olicy.
Paul Krugman has hit the nail on the head today re: healthcare: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/opinion/31krugman.html?_r=1But, when dealing with huge sections of the US voting public, logic has nothing to do with things. Hence, the continuing popularity of "birther" and "deather" idiocies being perpetrated by the bigoted few on the ignorant many. Maybe there should be a simple test of an understanding of logical arguments prior to being eligible to vote.
The president isn't some kind of martyr for race. If he was on "probation" with white people, it was because of his unbelievable explanations about his relationship with Wright. The impending failure of health care reform, of course, has nothing to do with his. If anything is to blame for sinking that ship, it's math. Blame the Congressional Budget Office, not Crowley-Gate(s).
Easy... It's convenient for Dems to blame Repubs and vice versa. But the healthcare debate has been very complicated, with much having to do with debates among Democrats. While the Gates/Crowley/Obama affair has received plenty of media coverage, let not lose sight of other and more substantial factors. One is below, having little to do with Republicans. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25646.htmlThe targets in most cases are House Democrats, who over the past few months have tackled controversial legislation including a $787 billion economic stimulus package, a landmark energy proposal and an overhaul of the nations health care system.Democrats, acknowledging the increasing unruliness of the town-hall-style events, say the hot-button issues they are taking on have a lot to do with it...
Speaking of Democrats, let's not forget either that Nancy Pelosi's approval rating is very low lately, even less than Dick Cheney's. No matter what side of the aisle one is on the healthcare debate, I think it can be agreed upon that her "I don't care" comment certainly didn't help Obama's cause.http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25445.html
The latest poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed wide disapproval of Obamas remark and a sharp loss of support for the president among whites, specifically as a result of the Gates-Crowley controversy.I thought Obama's initial statement at the press conference was really quite careful. He noted that he was a friend of Gates and could be biased. He admitted to not having all the facts. He did not characterize the incident as racial.If the American people are so stupid as to be swayed by this minor incident that the let the opportunity for health care reform go by, even though it is in their own interest and the country's interest, then it's their own dumb fault. The American people elected Richard Nixon twice and George W. Bush twice. And, much as I didn't care for him, they booted the much superior George H. W. Bush out of office after one term. "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." (Still, I am a strong supporter of American democracy.)
I think this outlook is needlessly dire. The recess between sessions of congress is a political eternity. Why, just about a year ago people were clutching their heads with the paralyzing fear that Sarah Palin was going to prove the nail in the Democratic coffin.The fact of the matter is, Democrats have control of the congress. The media, who prefer to ignore the actual means by which legislation is created, have manufactured the controversy over the healthcare debate, and Republicans are using it to stock up on votes they'd already have had in the next election. People will froth and rant for a month, everyone will wring their hands, whichever side they're on, and then we'll get a healthcare bill through both houses come fall. It will be budget neutral, satisfy Obama's conditions, etc.And ten, fifteen, twenty years from now, we'll have a national single payer health plan. Bank on it. If, as seems to be the case, it is the only way to make coverage universal & affordable, it will become politically meaningless to oppose such a system.Besides, to be blunt, the people who are bitching about healthcare worries don't know what they're talking about. I work in policy and I can barely scrape through the conversation - so I find it hard to believe that politicians are taking their constituents' worries seriously to heart on this. This is one of those occasions where the politicians are going to have to ignore the objections of those who don't know what's good for them. My guess is they will. There are enough level-headed Republicans (Grassley, for example) who are too smart to let this issue get away from them now.
Wise words, Mr. Jacobs. I work in the healthcare industry and interface with numerous Fortune 100 companies. We can not continue as is....yes, for a few more years but then the Fortune 100 will all look like GM.We are in the middle innings of a nine inning game that will go into extra innings. Stay tuned.
What is ironic and tragic about the Louis Gates- James Crowley episode is that although both men profess the desire to improve race-relations and appear to have spent much of their Life working towards that goal, they allowed their pride to dictate the outcome of this encounter doing more harm than Good. There is no correlation between Health-Care and the lack of professionalism in the Louis Gates-James Crowley episode. They should both apologize and work together towards their desired goal.
Thomas Jacobs said,This is one of those occasions where the politicians are going to have to ignore the objections of those who dont know whats good for them.Perfect. I could not have enunciated the liberals' contempt for the great unwashed better if I had tried. We are so superior to the lumpen_proletariat, aren't we?
Bob Schwartz,No, we're not better than anyone. I would never say that under any circumstances. Ever. I cannot enunciate my objection to such a judgment strongly enough. Nor do I think that's a clear or fair implication of my phrasing, about which I could have been more careful, but wasn't because this is a blog post (an inherently glib form of communication).So, I repeat: I don't have any contempt whatsoever for people who lack either the experience or the education to make critical judgments about complex policy problems. Nor do I believe that my capacity to distinguish between myself & my experience and those who have not had the fortune I have is an inherently judgmental statement.Nor, for that matter, do I believe that all opinions are created equal, or that objections to policy founded on misinformation or ignorance should be given equal voice to those which are attempting to work towards a public good with information that more or less clearly points towards a solution to which many would object.I would go far as to say that we live in a system that has failed those "who don't know what's good for them" to such an extent that it has co-opted their better instincts in the service of a crass capitalism which does nothing to serve their needs. Health care is one of the most flagrant examples of this. WHen I say I work in policy, I should be more clear and say that my work attempts to find solutions to problems of systemic urban policy, specifically in education. Of course, this too may be construed as more liberal intellectual self-aggrandizement, but I hope, having chosen my words more carefully this time around, that it's clear I'm coming from what I believe is an honest place, and not some lofty tower of contempt for those whom I know to be fundamentally and unequivocally my equals.Sorry for the rantish tone, but I feel very strongly about this, and don't like to be misunderstood - especially on a blog.
Don Wycliff may be correct in his dire projections; I hope not. Obama's best line at the press conference, re: Gates-Crowley, was the observation that if he tried to break into the White House, he'd be shot! Listening Secret Service? I thought that had a nice touch of irony and possibility that signaled Obama's astute scanning of his digs.Mark Shields, on the Newhour, said that August is a president's month vis a vis the media; I think we'll see Obama and the Democrats out there explaining and selling; they'll win the vote.Nancy Pelosi: I loved this: "I don't care whether people like me or not." Exactly! This is not a popularity contest. It's a serious legislative process.
This is putting way too much emphasis on the Gates incident. Here's an account from Slate of a polling session by pollster Pter Hart: http://www.slate.com/id/2223909/There's a lot of worry about healthcare and the efforts to right the economy, but the Gates matter is insignificant:"But just because they like to hear from Obama doesn't mean they like everything he says. They were irritated when the president inserted himself in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates. It wasn't because Obama seemed to pick a side but because he shot his mouth off and meddled (though everyone seemed to like that Obama tried to improve his remarks later). If there was a more general warning sign in this, it was that later in the session a few in the groupall of them Obama voterstalked about the president's lack of humility."
Tom Jacob:Thank you for your gracious reply to my sarcastic comment.
"Nancy Pelosi: I loved this: I dont care whether people like me or not. As far as Nancy Pelosi's popularity goes, she has about 80 % of her San Franciscan's vote. 20% think she is too conservative!We will see if the 33 'registered to vote' SF Republicans can afford to put up a candidate and run on no health care for working class and tax payer funded bonuses for the 'suits'.
Nancy Pelosi: (I didn't like this) regarding Government funding of contraception including the act of abortion, "It cuts cost."Health Care is a serious legislative process. The purpose of Health Care from the beginning is to preserve Human Life.
Bob Schwartz,No worries. I get so over-worried about the ease of miscommunication (and glibness) of blog posts. They're really not a medium for deep communication, which is too bad, because it tends to bring in a larger audience with whom to engage. Cheers.
I almost never like a Frank Rich op=ed, but todaty he was right about white fear in the changing country/world we live in.Hence, I return to the 'Obama on probation" attitude which underscores the race problem.Do the Dems have problems on heath care? Of course, but that's irrelevant to using subtle race stuff and what's perpetrated by Fox Prop-aganda (I refuse to call them Fox News) is indicative as well as the Lou Dobbs stuff.Fear is an extremely powerful emotion and it's unfortunate that race fear should color this vital legislative process.
Gerald Seib's column today in the WSJ discusses what he calls the "Post Office factor" - the disconnect between government achievements and the people's distrust of government. He lists the Post Office Factor as one of five reasons that people aren't ready psychologically for health care reform."The Post Office Factor. Americans are deeply cynical about government's ability to do anything right. Putting a man on the moon, building an interstate-highway system, fielding history's most lethal army -- nothing has changed that. Even Mr. Obama makes jokes about how standing in line at the post office has convinced him he doesn't want the government running private firms."Yet a health overhaul inevitably involves a bigger role for government in, if nothing else, setting standards and policing the market. And that's where lots of Americans fall off the reform bandwagon. A survey this summer by the Gallup polling organization, which regularly tests confidence in American institutions, illustrates the problem. Some 36% expressed confidence in the medical system, ranking it in the middle of the broad range of American institutions that were tested. But a mere 17% said they have confidence in Congress, which is where any health overhaul would be created, putting lawmakers second from the bottom on Gallup's list (just a whisker above big business)."http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124932874752202137.html
Obama's involvement in the incident with Henry Louis Gates, Jr....I don't know if it necessarily cost us health care. I firmly believe that we will have a single payer i.e. public health care system in this country within 20 years. However, my opposition to it at this point is that the costs of health care need to be reduced, and the best way to do that is to threaten the insurance companies - which is what the current discussion over the issue is doing. The only thing that large companies pay attention to is whether or not something is going to interfere with the revenue stream - and a public health care option certainly would fall into that category, even talking about it has them willing to cooperate with the Obama administration so that they can keep the gravy train rolling in. What I'm driving at is the idea that the private sector needs to be allowed to innovate on their own to reduce the costs of their services. Medicine is a large industry, and I don't know if we want the industry that demonstrated their own incompetence in creating the Iraq War (1 and 2) and so many other famous blunders (that being the government) doesn't read $787 billion spending bills, and also doesn't read 1000 page plus documents that compromise the Constitution to necessarily be allowed to touch the medical industry, because that's giving an even larger scope of Power of Life and Death to an organization with a track record that is...spotty, to say the least. Secondly, the services that Social Security and also Medicare and Medicaid provide are obviously invaluable. You cannot discount them on those merits. However, they are disputable in that everyone who works contributes, but since people are living longer, eventually more funds will be due for disbursement than due for collection, and that is 10 years or less in the future. The private sector is where the power for a person to achieve security lies, through properly managed retirement accounts - but for medical coverage, perhaps we should begin a program for a pre-tax medical savings account, akin to the Libertarian platform, which would be far more effective, and same for retirement. Heck, anyone can get a 401(k), all you need to do is find a bank, and cut a monthly check, or start a deduction every month through the payroll department. It isn't THAT difficult. Also, at what point do we declare that everyone has some sort of de facto responsibility to each other? We have a a definitive responsibility not to infringe upon the liberties of our fellow man, to be certain. Through my own office window, I can see people who are obviously "not as well off" as I, though the amount I make at the present is almost at the poverty line. What I'm getting at is that at what point is it be demanded of me that I, or anyone else actively engaged in employment for the purposes of providing for themselves or their families, provide for those that have chosen not to produce for themselves? Those that are unable to by disability - well, perhaps they deserve it. But those able but unwilling to take responsibility for themselves are owed nothing - they have chosen to be unproductive and a drain. If we are going to wind up with a public health system, it should only be available to those who are legal adults and employed beyond a certain number of hours per week, or month, or per annum,. If a person is not working, they are not contributing, and if they aren't contributing, they don't deserve the help as much as someone who is.


text: At CCSJ, service and justice are inextricably linked, with the questions of justice taking a broader, more systemic view. Our hope is that through service, students develop critical thinking skills and ask why structural injustice and inequality persist, resulting in a motivation to work for social change. But the learning should not end there. CCSJ sponsors various programs and activities that are designed to inform and heighten the awareness of Loyola community members to the issues of social justice. Some programs even offer opportunities for involvement with people experiencing these justice related issues.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home › 220 Water Street › 1HB
220 Water Street › 1HB
$4,6001 Bedroom, 1 Bath
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Brooklyn, NY 11201
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I really got to thinking about this. The speed of sound is measured at 761.2 MPH at sea level. But how does this number change as air density decreases? The lack of air density is what allowed his terminal velocity to much lower than say a jump at 5k feet high. I am not disputing his maximum velocity (800+ MPH), but did Felix Baumgartner actually produce a sonic boom in the process? I mean, I beleive most people subconsioulsy associate "sonic boom" and "faster than the speed of sound".
Sonic boom refers to the explosive sound caused by the shock wave from an object traveling faster than the velocity of sound. Yes, It's actually spoken out as breaking the sound barrier.
Felix jumped from an altitude of 39,044 km (which is 128,097 ft.) and reached a peak speed of 833 mph. Yes, He did produce the Sonic boom. Most likely, we use the term Breaking the sound barrier while considering air-crafts like "Concorde" because they could be easily sensed. But in case of Felix, he produced
That "Mach 1.24" reading is comparable to the shock waves produced by Space shuttles...
Velocity variation of Sound: Indeed, Sound varies with Temperature and also with Density. Also, the state of matter (which refers again to density). It travels faster in liquids and even more faster in solids (like 5120 m/s in Iron)
In general, the speed of sound in a gas is given by Laplace correction of Newton's formula. For solids, see Wiki ('cause it's not necessary now...) $$v=\sqrt{\frac{\gamma P}{\rho}}$$
Applying Ideal gas law and using density of air ($\rho=1.293$ $kgm^{-3}$), we could find that the velocity of sound increases by 0.61 per degree celsius rise in temperature in air. Also, the velocity of sound in a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its density. But, it's independent on Pressure (Don't believe in appearance of the formula). This is because increase in pressure, also increases the density of gas. This could be achieved by using different gas densities (at same volume & pressure).
Also, See the Atmospheric variation of sound's velocity.


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In the movie Tombstone, Val Kilmer gives a brilliant delivery of the line
"I'll be your huckleberry."
I cannot remember any dialogue leading up to it that explained this retort. Was there any or is it a symbolic phrase?
The Dictionary of American Slang defines this, and supplies just this line from Val Kilmer in Tombstone as an example of its usage.


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While designing an android desktop widget is there as UX guidelines to be followed? what are the steps to be taken care while designing an widget?
UPDATE: We've published new guidelines for App Widgets for Android 4.0:
These include a PSD template package.
Although this isn't comprehensive, I have some PSD and PNG templates that may help with the visual design of app widgets:
Also, most design guidelines remain true for app widgets. I've put together some slides on design tips that can help.
Some more widget-related tips:


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Pistorius's Defense Cites Fear of Burglar
Statement Says He Fired Into Closed Bathroom Door Out of Fear
PRETORIA, South Africa— Oscar Pistorius believed there was a burglar in his bathroom when he fired four shots through the closed door, killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the Olympic runner's lawyer told a court during a bail hearing Tuesday.
Mr. Pistorius said through his lawyer that he woke up in the early hours of Thursday, went to the balcony to get a fan and then heard noises in the bathroom. Filled with "horror and fear," Mr. Pistorius said he thought a burglar was in his bathroom and that he fired shots because he feared for his and Ms. Steenkamp's life.
It was only after he fired the shots through the closed bathroom door that he realized it could be Ms. Steenkamp in the bathroom, at which point he broke down the door with a cricket bat, he continued. He then found Ms. Steenkamp hunched over, according to the statement.
"I had no intention to kill my girlfriend….I deny the allegation in the strongest terms," Mr. Pistorius said in a statement read by his lawyer, Barry Roux, during Tuesday's court appearance.
Earlier Coverage
- Pistorius Denies Murder (2/16/2013)
- Pistorius Faces Murder Charge (2/14/2013)
Mr. Pistorius, a double amputee who became the first disabled runner to compete against able-bodied athletes at the London Olympics, recounted that on the night of Ms. Steenkamp's death the couple was having a quiet night at home. He was watching television and she was doing yoga, before they went to sleep.
"There is case after case where husbands have accidentally shot their wives," Mr. Roux said earlier in the hearings.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel said at the bail hearing that Mr. Pistorius "shot and killed an unarmed woman" and that he would argue the track star committed the premeditated murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend.
The state said last week it would oppose bail and no decision was reached Tuesday. Mr. Pistorius, 26, will remain in custody at least until the hearing resumes on Wednesday.
Mr. Pistorius cried as the prosecutor read out his argument. His brother leaned into the holding area and kept his hand on the shoulder of the athlete known as "Blade Runner" for the J-shaped carbon-fiber prostheses he used on the track. Mr. Pistorius had both his legs amputated when he was an infant.
At one point Tuesday, the judge paused proceedings and told a sobbing Mr. Pistorius to compose himself.
The death of Ms. Steenkamp has ensnared one of South Africa's best-known athletes in a legal drama, opening to public scrutiny his love of fast cars, beautiful women and high-powered guns. In his statement to argue for bail, he said he earns 5.6 million rand ($630,000) a year.
Mr. Nel, the state prosecutor, said he disputes Mr. Pistorius's account that he mistook Ms. Steenkamp for a thief.
The prosecutor argued Mr. Pistorius walked from his bedroom to a locked bathroom where he believed Ms. Steenkamp was hiding after a possible argument. Mr. Nel said Mr. Pistorius then fired four shots from a 9mm handgun through the closed bathroom door, before forcing his way into the bathroom. The prosecutor said Mr. Pistorius then carried Ms. Steenkamp downstairs, where he encountered a security guard.
Witness statements from friends of Mr. Pistorius read by the athlete's lawyer said the couple were in love and considering looking for a house in Johannesburg. One said Ms. Steenkamp's only concern was that Mr. Pistorius was moving a little fast.
Write to Devon Maylie at email@example.com
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Morsi grabs dictatorial powers in Egypt; Update: Protests, clashes erupt in Egypt
posted at 9:46 am on November 23, 2012 by Ed Morrissey
Say, how has Barack Obama's Arab Spring policy worked out for us so far? Well, we bombed one dictator out of power in Libya, which set that nation free … to have terrorist networks openly operate and control the eastern part of the country, which resulted in the sacking of our consulate in Benghazi, and four American deaths. In Egypt, we pushed our longtime ally out of power after just eight days of peaceful protests, and then insisted on immediate elections in which only the radical Muslim Brotherhood could organize effectively — and they took over the government and the military.
But at least Egypt transitioned to democracy, right? Right? Er … didn't The Who warn us about not getting fooled again?
Egypt's president on Thursday issued constitutional amendments that placed him above judicial oversight and ordered the retrial of Hosni Mubarak for the killing of protesters in last year's uprising.
Mohammed Morsi also decreed immunity for the Islamist-dominated panel drafting a new constitution from any possible court decisions to dissolve it, a threat that had been hanging over the controversial assembly. …
The Egyptian leader also decreed that all decisions he has made since taking office in June and until a new constitution is adopted and a new parliament is elected — which is not expected before next spring — are not subject to appeal in court or by any other authority. He also barred any court from dissolving the Islamist-led upper house of parliament, a largely toothless body that has also faced court cases.
But hey, these are just window-dressing issues, right? Morsi is still accountable under the law, unlike that monster Hosni Mubarak, who only represented US interests and defended peace with Israel for over thirty years. He's still constrained by the new democratic law that the Muslim Brotherhood ushered into Cairo in the Arab Spring.
Actually … no:
The moves effectively remove any oversight on Morsi, the longtime Muslim Brotherhood figure who became Egypt's first freely elected president last summer after the Feb. 11, 2011 fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. They come as Morsi is riding high on lavish praise from President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for mediating an end to eight days of fighting between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Morsi not only holds executive power, he also has legislative authority after a previous court ruling just before he took office on June 30 dissolved the powerful lower house of parliament, which was led by the Brotherhood. With two branches of power in his hands, Morsi has had repeated frictions with the third, the judiciary, over recent months.
"Morsi today usurped all state powers & appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh," pro-reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account. "A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences."
So we went from having a US-friendly dictator who managed to keep a lid on the Muslim Brotherhood and enforced the peace treaty with Israel, to having a dictator from the Muslim Brotherhood in charge of the Suez Canal. And the only people who couldn't apparently predict this very outcome were the people in the White House proclaiming their foreign policy as "smart power."
Update: Looks like the Egyptian people just figured out what The Who meant:
Opponents and supporters of Mohammed Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted himself sweeping new powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. At least 15 were reported injured.
In a sign of deepening polarization, state TV reported that protesters burned offices of the political arm of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group on several cities on the Suez Canal east of Cairo and in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, while Islamists engaged with fistfights with Morsi opponents in southern Egypt.
Tens of thousands of pro-democracy activists meanwhile converged on Cairo's Tahrir Square, angered at the decisions by Morsi. The decrees include exempting himself from judicial review, as well as a panel writing the new constitution and the upper house of parliament, and the power to enact any other measure he deemed necessary to deal with a "threat" to Egypt's "revolution."
Morsi's powers are supposed to be temporary — until a new constitution and new parliamentary elections take place — and feed on the belief among the public that judicial officials appointed under ousted President Hosni Mubarak are blocking the reform of state institutions.
Yes, because temporary dictatorships always end well. If I recall correctly, Mubarak himself similarly used emergency decrees to rule Egypt for decades. Meet the new boss, etc etc etc.
Update: Fox has some video of the clashes in Tahrir Square:
Looks like either smoke or teargas on the street.
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Donald McNeely Center presents entrepreneur awards to outstanding graduates
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University will present its second Entrepreneur of the Year awards to outstanding graduates at a luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 6, at Saint Anthony Main Event Center in Minneapolis. The CSB Entrepreneur of the Year award will be presented to Margaret Murphy, president and chief operating officer of Olson. The SJU Entrepreneur of the Year award will be presented to Cary Musech, founder and managing principal of Tonka Bay Equity Partners. The CSB/SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year award will be presented to Joe Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of Youth Frontiers.
Journalist Tom Brokaw to deliver Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture
Tom Brokaw, NBC News television journalist and author, will deliver the sixth annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture titled "Conscience and Courage in Public Life" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the Saint John's Abbey and University Church. The lecture is co-sponsored by The Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Saint John's University, the University Chair in Critical Thinking at Saint John's University and the Diamond Certificate in Civic Leadership through the Inspiring Leaders Certificate Program at CSB and SJU.
CSB and SJU graduates find success
For the CSB and SJU classes of 2011, the data confirms our graduates are continuing to find success, despite economic challenges and high unemployment rates. Of the 96.9 percent respondents the classes of 2011, 98.7 percent of graduates report being employed full time (70.7 percent), continuing their education (15.3 percent), engaged in full-time volunteer service (7.8 percent), in the military (1.7 percent) or working part time (3.2 percent).
New townhome-style housing opens for CSB seniors
Abby Roche was as excited as someone holding a winning lottery ticket as she moved into Centennial Commons. "This is amazing," Abby said as she and her mom, Nancy, made their way through her townhome for the first time Aug. 22. "I can't believe this is college housing."
Please don't miss this costly deadline
All CSB and SJU students are required to have medical insurance while attending college. Failure to provide medical insurance information will result in an automatic, non-refundable enrollment in the Student Assurance Services and Sickness Policy, and the annual premium either has been or will be billed to your son or daughter's tuition account.
Johnnie's essay selected in national contest
For most people, Christmas Day routines do not include polishing an essay for the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Last Christmas, Matt Syverson put the final touches on an essay and submitted it to a contest sponsored by the NEJM.
Are they studying and going to class? - A note from Academic Advising
At CSB/SJU we believe in a holistic approach to education. We promote learning both in and out of the classroom. We believe in a living a balanced life. The Rule of Saint Benedict (48.9) says, "All things in moderation." We hope you will be partners in helping your daughters and sons achieve the balanced learning they have come here seeking.
Deadline nears for off-campus housing for 2013-14
As the fall semester gets started, students will start to look ahead and considering their housing options for the 2013-2014 academic year. Saint Ben's and Saint John's begin the off-campus request process for next year very soon.


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My employer is looking to purchase an enterprise account in the belief that it will enable us to develop and distribute apps for large clients of ours - however online it clearly states that the Enterprise account should only be used to distribute apps to the employees of the company that own the account.
So my question is this: If we want to distribute in-house apps to "Company X" should we ask them to purchase an Enterprise account to distribute the app we made for them, or do we buy the account under our organisation instead?
Thanks in advance.


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Pasta Sort
- Dried pasta in 2-3 (or more) different shapes
- Bowl or plastic container
- Combine two or three different shapes of dried pasta in a bowl or plastic container.
- Pick out one piece and ask your toddler to find a piece that matches.
- If you like, have several small containers on hand and ask your toddler to sort the pasta into the containers.
More on: Activities for Toddlers
Copyright é 1999 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Toddler's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.
To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press.


text:
I want to buy something that lets me mount my bike on the wall. What's a product I could use? Something sturdy, cheap, and easy to set up.
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closed as not a real question by zenbike♦ Aug 18 '12 at 4:43
It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, visit the help center.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
A floor-to-ceiling bike hanger is one option.
Or a fancier storage rack.
Or a simple wall hook.


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Guidelines for Ride-Along Program1. The participant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
2. Ride-Along participants will not be permitted more than two opportunities to ride-along during a year.
3. Ride-Along applications must be fully completed before submission.
4. The applicant should specify the police district where he or she wishes to ride.
5. The applicant should specify a duty shift and approximate date for participation. Shifts are limited to day shift and afternoon/evening shift. No night shifts are allowed.
6. Once the form has been completed, submitted and approved by the unit Captain, the applicant will be notified of the date, time and shift of the ride-along.
7. Processing takes 10 - 14 days.
8. The applicant must sign a liability release prior to beginning the ride-along.Click here to begin the Application Process


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Which sex is the worst about washing up? Why is it so important? We've got the dirty truth on how and when to wash your hands.
Wolman Disease
It is possible that the main title of the report Wolman Disease is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
- Acid Cholesteryl Ester Hydrolase Deficiency, Wolman Type
- Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency, Wolman Type
Disorder Subdivisions
- None
General Discussion
Wolman disease is a rare genetic disorder characterized by complete absence of an enzyme known as lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA or LAL). This enzyme is required to breakdown (metabolize) certain fats (lipids) in the body. Without the LIPA enzyme, certain fats may abnormally accumulate in the tissues and organs of the body causing a variety of symptoms. Wolman disease may cause bloating or swelling of the stomach (abdominal distention), vomiting, and significant enlargement of the liver or spleen (hepatosplenomegaly). Life-threatening complications often develop during early childhood. Wolman disease is caused by mutations of the lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) gene. The disorder is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.
Wolman disease is the most severe expression of LIPA deficiency. Milder forms of the disorder are known as cholesteryl ester storage deficiency (see the Related Disorders section of this report). Wolman disease belongs to a group of diseases known as lysosomal storage disorders. Lysosomes are particles bound in membranes within cells that break down certain fats and carbohydrates. Defective lysosomal enzymes associated with Wolman disease leads to the accumulation of certain fatty substances (mucolipids) and certain complex carbohydrates (mucopolysaccharides) within the cells of many tissues of the body.
CLIMB (Children Living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases)
Climb Building
176 Nantwich Road
Crewe, CW2 6BG
United Kingdom
Tel: 4408452412173
Fax: 4408452412174
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.CLIMB.org.uk
Vaincre Les Maladies Lysosomales
2 Ter Avenue
Massy, 91300
Tel: 0169754030
Fax: 0160111583
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.vml-asso.org
National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
2001 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02146-4227
Tel: (617)277-4463
Fax: (617)277-0134
Tel: (800)906-8723
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.NTSAD.org
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
Tel: (914)997-4488
Fax: (914)997-4763
Tel: (888)663-4637
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.marchofdimes.com
The Arc
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202)534-3700
Fax: (202)534-3731
Tel: (800)433-5255
Email: email@example.com
Internet: http://www.thearc.org
Children's Liver Disease Foundation
36 Great Charles Street
Birmingham, B3 3JY
United Kingdom
Tel: 01212123839
Fax: 01212124300
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.childliverdisease.org
Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand
16 Woodleigh Place
Tauranga, 6008
New Zealand
Tel: 075448868
Email: email@example.com
Internet: http://www.ldnz.org.nz
Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
Tel: (301)251-4925
Fax: (301)251-4911
Tel: (888)205-2311
Internet: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/
Madisons Foundation
PO Box 241956
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel: (310)264-0826
Fax: (310)264-4766
Email: email@example.com
Internet: http://www.madisonsfoundation.org
Hide & Seek Foundation for Lysosomal Disease Research
6475 East Pacific Coast Highway Suite 466
Long Beach, CA 90803
Tel: (877)621-1122
Fax: (866)215-8850
Email: email@example.com
Internet: http://www.hideandseek.org
LAL Solace, Inc.
191 Barnstable Court
Harvest, AL 35749
Tel: (256)425-2638
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Internet: http://www.lalsolace.org
For a Complete Report:
This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be downloaded free from the NORD website for registered users. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational therapies (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, go to www.rarediseases.org and click on Rare Disease Database under "Rare Disease Information".
The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Last Updated: 1/5/2012
Copyright 2009, 2012 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
WebMD Medical Reference from the National Organization for Rare Disorders
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Generally when you see romanization of Japanese it is in the Hepburn system; however, I recently came across the Nihon-shiki system which seems to be preferable. Why is it that the Hepburn system caught on as opposed to the Nihon-shiki system?
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In answer to this question, I'll give my personal understanding, although I can't fully substantiate it.
The superiority of kunrei-siki
Kunrei-siki is often felt to be a "better" system than Hepburn in representing Japanese. That is because kunrei-shiki mirrors kana usage more closely than Hepburn. This is noticeable in the さ row, the た row, the は row, and those syllables using ゃ, ゅ, and ょ.
さ し す せ そ
た ち つ て と
は ひ ふ へ ほ
じゃ じゅ じょ
Kunrei-siki preserves the regularity of the syllabic system, whereas Hepburn obscures it. By following the kana syllabaries, kunrei-siki arguably comes closer to the intuitive Japanese perception of their own language. This becomes particularly apparent in verb conjugations like:
まつ まちます まてば
Whereas Hepburn obscures the regularity of the conjugation of まつ, kunrei-siki shows it quite clearly. For people who prize the insight into the underlying regularity of the phonetic system, kunrei-siki is felt to be a more elegant system than Hepburn. From that point of view, Hepburn may be felt to be a bastard system that doesn't respect the phonology of Japanese.
Why Hepburn has largely supplanted kunrei-siki in most situations
Despite kunrei-siki's apparent superiority, Hepburn is definitely the more popular system of romanisation (although you might be surprised at how many Japanese mix systems in using romanisations). I would suggest several reasons for the popularity of Hepburn.
First, the two systems are rather different in their target audience. Kunrei-siki is a system that is easily understood by the Japanese, and could be perceived as a plausible writing system for the Japanese language. The days when people seriously suggested abandoning characters and kana are probably long past, but if it came to writing Japanese in romanisation, this would probably be the logical choice.
Hepburn has no such pretensions. It is a system of spelling Japanese for the benefit of non-speakers and nothing more. It is meant to be convenient for foreigners to read, and it does that job well.
Given that Japanese does fine with characters and kana for most purposes, it is probably quite natural that romanisation now largely serves as a script for foreigners. There is little need for the Japanese to resort to romaji in their own language.
My understanding is that this also represents the historical situation. Before World War II, use of kunrei-siki appears to have been more widespread. I believe that this was because it was an era of Japanese nationalism (thus, romanisation is for the Japanese, not for foreigners). (It was also a time when ideas about script reform (reform of characters and kana) were still around. People who proposed kunrei-siki did so because they felt it was a good system for writing Japanese. I should point out that nationalism and ideas of script reform didn't necessarily go together!)
After the war the situation changed completely. With the United States in control of Japan, romanisation took on the role of showing foreigners how Japanese was pronounced. The kunrei-siki system did not come off very well for this purpose. Jack Seward in his popular book Japanese in Action described the ludicrous results of using kunrei-siki in post-war Japan, when the 第一ホテル, written 'Dai-iti Hoteru', was inevitably mangled by American servicemen into 'Dai Itty Hotel' and eventually 'Dai Itty-Bitty Hotel'. (I'm quoting this example from memory; I don't have the actual book with me).
That is probably a very practical reason why Hepburn and not kunrei-siki became the most popular romanisation in Japan.
A third reason, I would suggest, is the fact that English has come to be widely studied in Japan and is regarded as a kind of international standard. A system of writing, like Hepburn, that follows English is thus probably regarded as more 'international' and more prestigious by Japanese speakers. I would even suspect that kunrei-siki is regarded as a little ださい by the Japanese.
The superiority of kunrei-siki (revisited)
During the early 20th century, kunrei-siki could probably be described as a better fit for the Japanese language. Those, after all, were the days when words like 'team' and 'diesel' were imported into Japanese as チーム and ヂーゼル.
But the language has moved on since then, and the phonology of Japanese has been penetrated by foreign sounds that didn't exist before. For instance, ヂーゼル is now usually written and pronounced ディーゼル. In other words, the sound 'di' has now entered Japanese where once there was only 'ji'. ティ (as in パーティー) and トゥ (as in トゥトゥ) are now familiar to ordinary Japanese, alongside the old native sounds ち and つ. Katakana struggles to accommodate these pronunciations, coming up with devices like ティ, トォ, フィ, ヴィ etc. to represent them.
With these gradual changes in the sound system, it's now not quite so self-evident that kunrei-siki is the superior system for representing Japanese. Unlike Hepburn, which can easily distinguish 'chi' and 'ti', kunrei-siki has no obvious way of distinguishing these two sounds.
You are looking at this from the perspective of someone with a reasonable knowledge of Japanese, but romaji is wider in application than that. It is often read by people who have no knowledge of the language, perhaps not even a desire to learn it. In fact, those people may be the main readers of romaji.
The advantage of Hepburn over Nihon-shiki is largely that Hepburn is more consistent and intuitive in how it maps letters to pronunciations, particularly for English speakers. Someone with absolutely no knowledge of Japanese will be able to produce a closer approximation to the Japanese original when presented with Hepburn over Nihon-shiki, and it will take them less time to become familiar with the system. There are fewer pronunciation quirks.
For instance, take ち and つ.
In Nihon-shiki, this would be rendered "ti" and "tu". A person with no knowledge of Nihon-shiki or kana may well think that these are pronounced in the same way as "ta", "te", and "to". On the other hand, Hepburn is very explicit in pointing out that ち and つ use a different consonant sound, with its romanizations "chi" and "tsu".
Similarly, not many English speakers would think to produce anything like "sh" or "ch" from the spelling "syatyô".
Neither is superior than the other. They represent different stages of the phonological derivation. Any natural spoken language has a set of phonological rules. In case of Japanese, the rules include those that change /s/ into [sh], /t/ into [ch] or [ts], /p/ into [h], /h/ into [f], /h/ into [w], or delete /w/ under respective conditions. If you are interested in describing the inflection of a Japanese word, it is more convenient to describe the underlying representation:
This is close to the Japanese method (nihon-shiki), but has difference: for example, wu, wi, we would be described u, i, e in Japanese method. In this respect, the Japanese method is actually less consistent/precise than the Heporn system (described below), contrary to what you wrote.
Within the derivation, these forms undergo phonological rules, which change them to their surface representation:
This is the form that is pronounced, and if one wants to transcribe the pronunciation, describing as above would be convenient. This is close to the Hepburn system.
Depending on your needs, you should chose the appropriate one. In the majority of cases when romanization is used, the pronunciation matters, and Hepburn system would be convenient.


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Moderator: JustAnEngineer
dederpedy wrote: I'm not trying to start a fight but once drivers are optimized, how likely is it that the 7950 will outperform the 660ti? Again, I will be playing at 1920x1080. Mostly first person shooters if that means anything (which is why I orignially figured the 660ti was better for the more consistently fluid experience).
vargis14 wrote:I would go with 1866 memory...its seems ti give the best mem bandwidth for the price. plus it is not much more then ddr3 1600.
2000 or higher just does not give the boost in bandwidth that going from 1600 to 1866 does.
DPete27 wrote:**ALSO** The AMD 8xxx series desktop GPUs and Intel Haswell CPUs will be out around June. Keep this in mind. Maybe you could hold off a few more months? Even if you end up going Ivy Bridge and Nvidia, these new product releases are sure to drive prices down on previous-gen stuff.
Voldenuit wrote:June is 5 months away. I have to wonder if it's worth the wait?
Have you checked out the Asus P8Z77-V LK from the system guide or the P8Z77-M Pro?dederpedy wrote: Mobo?
$100 2x8 GiB PC3-14900 G.Skill F3-1866C9D-16GSR (DDR3-1866, CAS 9, 1.5 V)dederpedy wrote: RAM?
JustAnEngineer wrote:Have you checked out the Asus P8Z77-V LK from the system guide or the P8Z77-M Pro?
JustAnEngineer wrote:2x8 GiB PC3-14900 G.Skill F3-1866C9D-16GSR (DDR3-1866, CAS 9, 1.5 V
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text:
Unfortunately, the Defense Department announced furloughs for around 680,000 of its civilian employees for 11 days through the end of this fiscal year, according to The Associated Press.
Specifically, the furloughs will affect all 251 civilian Departent of Defense employees at Vance Air Force Base in Enid. That hits close to home, and our sympathy goes out to those local residents.
Civilians funded in the Military Intelligence Program will be subject to the unpaid days off.
Those would include workers in military intelligence agencies such as the Air Force, Special Operations Command and the Army and Navy intelligence offices.
However, officials expect that civilian intelligence largely in the CIA will be exempt from furloughs.
Other exempt workers include civilians in the war zone and in critical public safety jobs, as well as people whose jobs are not paid for through congressional funding.
Overall, defense officials say about 15 percent of the department's civilian workforce will be exempt from the furloughs.
The furlough notices are expected to begin going out May 28, and workers will have several days to respond or seek appeals, according to AP.
The unpaid days off would begin no sooner than July 8. Officials said the furloughs will save the department about $1.8 billion.
We think the financial burden of furloughs hinders the long-term ability of the department to carry out the national defense mission and harms morale.


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Discover The CTU Experience
The recent Egyptian presidential elections have led to the victory of the country's first Muslim Brotherhood (MB) candidate, Muhammad Mursi. Despite the media's efforts to trumpet the "profound change" in Egypt, it is far from clear what the election of Mursi really means for Egypt and the rest of the world.
If you want to speak like a computer expert, it helps to do your research on computers, Internet trends, and the latest technological advances. To start learning the technical jargon, here's a list of ten terms that you should know.
Attempting to fix your computer is stressful enough, so scrambling around to find backup discs and paperwork only makes it worse. You can improve the situation, however, by assembling the right tools and materials before you start the repairs.
What is all this hype over cloud computing? Is it really something new under the sun? As one who has witnessed the last forty years of computing technology, I say yes and no.
The recent press coverage of the "Flame" computer virus, which computer security experts have purportedly been aware of since 2010, underscores changes that have been occurring in intelligence-gathering and warfare.
If you have ever been to a hospital and received an itemized bill, you've probably questioned many of the charges.
Sometimes our computers act so bizarrely that we can no longer deny that some kind of malware, or malicious software, has caught us off guard. Downloading an antivirus program and using the Internet carefully are great ways to protect your computer, but cluttering your system with unnecessary and even dangerous files and programs is inevitable.
Copyright © 2016 Colorado Technical University (CTU). All rights reserved. No information may be duplicated without CTU's permission. The CTU logo is a registered trademark of Career Education Corporation. CTU cannot guarantee employment or salary. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. Programs vary by location and modality; see catalog for details. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. See the Accreditation & Licensure section for information on the agencies that approve and regulate the school's programs, including relevant complaint procedures here. Find employment rates, financial obligations and other disclosures below.


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A boy that is large in size both big in height and rather husky. Sometimes can be characterized as being a bully but pertains many gental qualities such as clairnet playing, ballet, and the using of nightligts, all which are hidden from friends and school under the "tough" playground bully act.
"Man Samatha did you see Jordan Schieman? He's looking rather Binky-ish today, he was standing at the bus stop holding his clarinet case while puffin a cigg trying to look bad".
by kellsooo October 17, 2009
Trending Now
Top Definition
A brand name of pacifier. It's a registered trade mark of Playtex, but much to the annoyance of their lawyers, it's often used as a generic term for any pacifier.
If the baby cries, give him his binky.
by John Slowata October 11, 2005
A dance performed by rabbits when they are happy and having fun. They jump into the air, throw up their back heels to the side and flip their ears.
Look at Douglas binky!
by rabbit-lady December 31, 2007
The behaviour of a rabbit, especially a pet rabbit, when it runs, jumps and flicks its hind feet into the air. This is almost always a playful gesture.
Towards the evening the buns dash around the garden doing binkies. That's a really good sign!
by Jem Mawson April 12, 2005
A childish comfort. Another term for their "blankey". Something they feel very dear to them. Nothing will tear them apart. In my case a 3-foot long strip of yellow satin. One of two that I ripped off a blankey when I was five.
Johnny, its time to get rid of that aweful thing. You're too old for it now anyway.
by Mel Function September 01, 2003
a person who is awesome in a strange way.
the characteristics for a binky is curly brown hair, brown eyes, and agressive behavior.
the characteristics for a binky is curly brown hair, brown eyes, and agressive behavior.
Dude, Binky looked at me with his brown eyes and then slapped me on the head!
i hit him back in the balls.
i hit him back in the balls.
by Willi the Great May 27, 2009
The word 'Binky' can now be used in place of the term 'eat me' thanks to a loveable polar bear named Binky from the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. In July of 1994 a tourist climbed the fence at the zoo and received multiple bite wounds, hence the term 'BINKY!'.
Mom: Son, why don't you clean your room?
Son: BINKY!
The son doesn't know it yet, but the mom just wants him to stand up to her.
Son: BINKY!
The son doesn't know it yet, but the mom just wants him to stand up to her.
by GLASSPLY May 19, 2010
A main character in "Life in Hell," a 4 panel cartoon drawn by Matt Groening before he became famous. Binky is an angsty, frustrated rabbit and the father of Bongo, an even more angsty, single-eared rabbit who seems to be about 8 years old.
"I thought you weren't seeing Binky anymore."
by in_disbelief March 14, 2010


text:
Monday Sep 20, 2010
Tuesday Jul 20, 2010
Thursday Jun 10, 2010
Monday Mar 08, 2010
PeopleSoft Viewlets
By PeopleTools Strategy on Mar 08, 2010
Tuesday Oct 27, 2009
Oracle VM Template for PeopleSoft HCM 9.1 and PeopleTools 8.50
By Greg Kelly-Oracle on Oct 27, 2009
Wednesday Oct 14, 2009
PeopleSoft Projects Community Development Platform is HERE!
By Greg Kelly-Oracle on Oct 14, 2009
Friday Sep 25, 2009
PeopleSoft HRMS 9.1 is now generally available
By Greg Kelly-Oracle on Sep 25, 2009
Wednesday Jun 04, 2008
Setup Integration Broker for Web Services
By Dave Bain-Oracle on Jun 04, 2008
Wednesday Oct 31, 2007
Dispelling some myths ...
By Greg Kelly-Oracle on Oct 31, 2007
This blog provides information to the PeopleSoft community, about PeopleSoft Technology, otherwise known as PeopleTools.
For the PeopleSoft Applications blog see the PeopleSoft Strategy Blog.
For the Oracle Campus blog see Oracle Campus Blog.
For information about PeopleSoft see the PeopleSoft Information Portal.
For information about PeopleSoft and PeopleTools releases and updates see PeopleSoft Planned Features and Enhancements (login required).
Recent Posts
- PeopleTools CPU analysis and supported versions of PeopleTools (update for April 2016 CPU)
- Enrich Your Fluid Applications with Third-Party Integrations
- Using Elasticsearch with PeopleSoft
- Automated Configuration Management in PeopleSoft
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- Searching in PeopleSoft
- Updated PeopleTools Performance Guidelines Red Paper Available
- Reporting in PeopleSoft Without Crystal Reports
- Tools - Only Upgrades for the Interaction Hub


text:
John Durant – Developing Managed Applications for Office 2010 in Visual Studio 2010
- Posted: Sep 16, 2009 at 9:35AM
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Right click "Save as…"
One of the recent sessions announced for PDC09 is one which will focus on some key advancements in Office 2010 as well as Visual Studio 2010, which will allow developers to take better advantage of the features and capabilities found in Office and SharePoint.
I've invited John Durant to join me in this episode to provide some highlights as to what he'll be showing in his sessions, and some of the new features that developers can look forward to in Office and Visual Studio.
If you're interested in more information about the session that John will be doing at PDC09, you can find it here:
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The Synod Begins
Rocco Palmo has posted the full text of Cardinal Donald Wuerls opening address to the Synod on the New Evangelization. Like much of what Cardinal Wuerl writes, it is thoughtful, well-organized. and covers the terrain well. Any summary is unlikely to do it justice. But let me just highlight a few points.I was particularly interested in Wuerls discussion of the theological foundations of the New Evangelization, where he highlights four important elements. The first is the need for a reassertion of a Christian anthropology, an understanding that human beings are oriented to the transcendent and it is in Jesus Christ that this orientation is fulfilled. The second is a stronger insistence that the Jesus the Church proclaims is the Jesus rooted in the tradition of the Church, not in sociological or historical reconstruction. The third is the need for a reassertion of the necessity of the Church for salvation. Wuerl understands the difficulty of this in light of recent developments in doctrine and argues that the New Evangelization must speak about Gods universal salvific will and at the same time recognize that Jesus has provided a clear and unique path to redemption and salvation. Finally, the fourth element Wuerl highlights is Jesus proclamation of the Kingdom of God.A second--and related--theme in Wuerls address is the qualities of the new evangelists. He identifies four: boldness in their proclamation of the Gospel; connectedness to the Church; a sense of urgency, and joy. Whatever our circumstances, Wuerl writes, our witness should radiate the fruits of the Holy Spirit including love, peace and joy.If I had to summarize this in a sentence, I would say that Wuerl is calling for both clarity and boldness in our preaching of the Gospel. Be clear about what we believe let that clarity be reflected in both our confidence and our joy.There is much in Wuerls address that I agree with. There are a couple of things, however, that I wish he had addressed in a deeper way. I found his discussion of the reasons for the decline in religious practice superficial. Wuerl repeats a widely held view among the bishops that the catechetical crisis of the 60s and 70s played a major role here. I would argue that the decline has much deeper roots in the increasing affluence and mobility of individuals in the West and the decline in the kind of stable, inter-generational communities that played a critical role in passing on the faith.While I agree that a baseline degree of confidence in Church teaching is a prerequisite to effective evangelization, I think we have to be careful that confidence does not slide over into arrogance. Many of the people that the New Evangelization targets tend to be skeptical of institutions. Particularly in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal, the credibility of the bishops and the institutional structures they command is arguably at its lowest level since the 16th century. While the bishops remain the successors to the Apostles, their ability to be effective evangelizers has been seriously compromised for theforeseeablefuture.If clarity and boldness are part of the answer, they need to be expressed first and foremost in the lives of ordinary Catholics. If I were a bishop, I would do everything possible to get myself off the front pages of both my local and diocesan papers and instead hold up the examples of the everyday saints whose lives are the best argument for the truths of our faith.
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Peter, this is a wonderful post.I've probably commented on this before, but I just want to agree strongly with your insight: "I would argue that the decline has much deeper roots in the increasing affluence and mobility of individuals in the West and the decline in the kind of stable, inter-generational communities that played a critical role in passing on the faith."
I found his discussion of the reasons for the decline in religious practice superficial. Wuerl repeats a widely held view among the bishops that the catechetical crisis of the 60s and 70s played a major role here. I would argue that the decline has much deeper roots in the increasing affluence and mobility of individuals in the West and the decline in the kind of stable, inter-generational communities that played a critical role in passing on the faith.---------Imho, the decline in religious practice is the result of education. People who read mythology begin to understand that their myths are like other myths, and their gods are like other gods. People who read history and anthropology begin to understand the origins of religion and the reasons for the development of religion. At the beginning -- and even in the middle -- of the century, high school diplomas were rare, indeed. Back in 1900, for instance, only 6 percent of 17-year-olds graduated from high school. By 1940, 25 percent of people age 25 and over had at least a high school diploma. Today, a diploma is the rule rather than the exception: 83 percent of people age 25 and over had at least a high school diploma in 1998. www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-221.html The number of degrees conferred by the nation's colleges and universities now is more than 70 times higher than it was at the century's start: fewer than 30,000 were awarded in the 1899-1900 school year, compared with 2.2 mil. in 1995-1996. www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html (Should Catholics vote for pro-education candidates or for those opposed to education?)
Count me cynical.I agree that folks are oriented to the transcendent, but the current and last papacies with their regressive direction --- not to mention my own appreciation of the sociological and historical facets of Christianity --- make me hiccup (to say the least) at the view that Jesus is rooted in the "tradition of the Church". I have trouble reconciling the belief of God's universal salvific will, a doctrine I fully embrace, with the idea of the Church being necessary for salvation. I think the Church can be --- but isn't always --- an aid toward one's salvation. While on the subject of "Church", I don't equate it with the Church of Rome. I think the Church is much wider. Given today's climate in the Vatican and in too many chanceries, I am suspect about the notion of "boldness" in proclaiming the gospel: Triumphalism and institutional arrogance come to mind. A "sense of urgency"? Why? Is the world coming to an end tomorrow? Will a God of unconditional love not embrace all of God's creation at the end?Credibility of the Church of Rome's institutional leadership suffers not only because of the sexual abuse crisis but also because of the regressive behaviors of JPII, B16, and their lackey bishops. Kowtowing. Careerism. Papal and episcopal arrogance and paternalism. Pompous displays. Threats (a la "your immortal soul" kind). Lack of transparency and accountability. Promotion --- or lack of official opposition to --- "creeping infallibility". Clergy on pedestals. Ad nauseum.I agree with Gerelyn's suggestion that a better educated and informed laity will not accept a lot of incredible teaching simply because "Father says so".To repeat what I've stated on other threads here and elsewhere: I think this synod of crony hierarchs is a farce.
I'd love to hear something about modeling the humility of Christ. Wanna break through my scepticism, that's the route.
In pushing the fundamental concern of the Faith with the transcendent, I think Cardinal Wuerl is right on the mark. But these days It is not easy to make anyone aware that there is a *real* transcendent dimension to human life, that the "other dimensions" written about so enthusiastically in science fiction might not be so unlikely at all. Most often, I'd say, it has been the presence of saints who, who through their obvious charity, have shown forth the religious dimension which is possible in human life. But they are rare. Next, I'd say, that it is in the arts, especially in music, as in much of Bach and some of Mozart, that our minds and hearts are opened at least to the *real possibility* of the transcendent. But, again, Bach and Mozart are not met every day (and those little ear buttons are hardly the way to present them in their fullness and power!).Sometimes in literature, e.g., Hopkins, Bernanos, above all Dante in his paradoxical materiality, the message comes across, but these days the transcendent is not a popular theme among writers. On the contrary, they too are infected by the materialism of the last 400 years. In the plastic arts, for me, Rothko is most powerful in suggesting the transcendent, but you need some spare millions to have your own. It it has been in Church support of the artists in the past that the Church efforts have paid off in immeasurable spiritual dividends. Unfortunately, the languages of the earlier plastic arts have been pretty much lost, I think, though those medieval stained glasses still show many people that maybe, just maybe, the Transcendent might be real.And then there's the contemporary movement to the transcendent found in the contemplative practices encouraged by Merton and Frs. Thomas Keating and John Main, but I think there is still a lot of prejudice against even thinking of these practices -- they're too New Age, even for most Catholics. This is a very promising avenue, I think, and the new evangelists could help people get over their prejudices. However, as I wrote in Fr. Komonchak's recent thread, the prejudice against the purely spiritual is largely due to the idea foisted on the culture by scientism that matter is all there is and can be. Many people need to be shown intellectually that that is a wrong conception before they'll even start to entertain the *possibility* of the transcendent/the spiritual/the religious.But perhaps there are some contemporary artists who would qualify in helping to make the transcendent at least a bit comprehensible. It would be good for the evangelists to make those artists known. I'd like to hear about them myself :-)
Poor Cardinal Wuerl and his fellow bishops. The Beatitudes are the heart of evangelization. Ever new. Ever powerful. Ever redeeming. Yet Wuerl and Co revert to the Empire church.
Even if their ability to be effective evangelizers is compromised as you say, it is still their duty as bishops. They could take the bold, urgent step of repentance for the sexual and social sins that seem so entrenched in their lives. If Finn, convicted of managerial crimes, does not resign and retire to a life of penitence, he should adopt a visible sign of his shame. Perhaps all the current bishops should adopt a common sign of their humiliation.This could be the first step toward communities that can replace the family structures that have been weakened by the isolation of affluence and mobility. Or of teaching solidarity to whoever was taught badly (though I think the bad catechesis was in the 40s and 50s...). It must be bold, it must be honest, but above all it must be loving.
Peter, you note that you find Cardinal Wuerl's interpretation of the decline in religious practice superficial, since he attributes it so thoroughly to shortcomings in catechesis after the Council. Unfortunately I don't think this is an incidental shortcoming on the Cardinal's part: this assumption underlies almost everything I've read about the New Evangelization. This interpretation of history means that what we need above all is confidence and boldness in asserting the truth of what the church teaches on every front, to overcome that era of decline, and the dangerous hermenuetic of discontinuity that was rampant for so long. (A phrase Wuerl repeats several times -- I guess "h of d" is now official Roman code for all that craziness and disorder the Council provoked.)If this is the way our bishops see the history of the past 50 years, then it's no wonder this New Evangelization doesn't need to be so new after all -- they can just preach the truth of the Catechism with the boldness their recent predecessors have lacked. Wuerl: "....We need to overcome the syndrome of embarrassment as some have identified the lack of confidence in the truth of the faith and in the wisdom of the Magisterium that characterizes our age." I also found the focus of Benedict's opening remarks a striking contrast with Wuerl's. I am usually not a big fan of the pope's prose style, but his passionate focus on proclaiming Christ and spreading the "flame of charity" made Wuerl's hints at reasserting the church's triumph seem more pedestrian.
the Jesus the Church proclaims is the Jesus rooted in the tradition of the Church, not in sociological or historical reconstruction.To separate the historical Jesus from the Jesus we pray to makes no sense to me. The Catholic church is all about love, peace and joy? When I look at the news, I see bishops attacking nuns, bishops gathering money to doom same-sex marraige, bishops threatening hell for those who vote democratic, German bishops charging people $ for sacraments, the pope's butler going to prison for leaking a corruption that's itself never addressed, and then there's the sex abuse problem and its cover-up.In the news today, a study (PBS) on why people don't want to belong to a church ...The majority of the religiously unaffiliated are Democrats or lean Democratic, and 67 percent of them believe churches and other religious institutions are too involved with politics.Large majorities of the unaffiliated say religious institutions are too concerned with money and power (70 percent) and focus too much on rules (67 percent). The best evangelism is being a good example to others. The problem isn't with the people who are turning away, it's with what they're turning away from.
Well, I just went through Cdl Wuerl's speech, and here's my brief summary.1. Christian life is defined by an encounter with Jesus. (The central role of Christ is repeated many times throughout the speech.) The joy we experience compels us to share it with others. The Church is the enduring presence of Christ in the world. 2. Resources: Catechism. 3. Current circumstances: Secularization. Religious ignorance. Poor catechesis. Lack of practice of the faith. Loss of sense of mystery. Materialism. Individualism. On the positive side: people realize that they need more than what the secular world has to offer. Catechism now instructs parents at the same time as the kids. Note: Family is The Model. 4. Element of the New Evangelization: deepen our own faith, gain confidence that it's true, be more willing to share it. Do not apologize for what we believe, do not be embarrassed. Be clear, confident in the truth of the Magisterium. Communicate our joy of being capable of loving. Invite, do not scold. 5. Theological foundations. Obstacles: secularism, atheism, rationalism, ideology subjugating faith to reason, egoism. Temptation to avoid confrontation by focusing on sociological priorities. Instead, must speak with conviction about marriage, family, the natural moral order, an objective right and wrong. On the positive, all desire communion with the transcendent. We must emphasize the necessity of the Church as the unique path for salvation. 6. Qualities of the new evangelizers. Boldness, courage, sense of urgency, joy, connectedness with the Church so that we are sure that they are authentic and that the truth of their statements is verified. Catholic colleges, hospitals, social services, should also bear testimony to God's Word. 7. Charisms to assist in the new evangelization. Social justice: for many young people the church teaching on social justice is a revelation and an invitation to a fuller life in the Church. New communities such as Communion and Liberation, Opus Dei, and the Neocatechumenical Way. I can find some pieces here and there that resonate with me, but I reject the overall tone, emphasis, and perspective of this program. I hope you will soon have more inspiring speeches to blog about.
Yes we need the smoothness, mediocrity and hypocrisy of the Empire Church. The Beatitudes are too complex and inspiring. We need the authority and juridicism of the Catechism. Paul of Tarsus would have never made it with bishops. He preached an ardor of love. He did not have the order of Canon Law. At the same time he was a hundred times more effective.
Should we be concerned that there are (though I didn't count them) far more references to Roman documents (catechism, papal documents) in the cardinal's speech than references to Scripture? Should we be concerned that "we" (meaning, I take it, the institutional church with its Roman center) have learned of the problems of the world and its lapses of faith from the world's bishops? Are those bishops really the best observers and reporters on such questions? Should we be concerned that nowhere (unless I missed it) is there a willingness to listen to and to learn from those who have left the Church (or have never been in it) why they take so little interest? Above all, should we be concerned that there is little or no mention of the ways in which Rome (and for that matter, some other Churches as well) should take responsibility for their own actions in helping to drive people away from the church, or at least in discouraging them from taking the Christian message seriously? An examination of conscience is good for all of us, and for institutions like churches and their leaders, as well as for individuals. "Tragically, the sins of a few have encouraged a distrust in some of the very structures of the Church herself. (cf Instrumentum laboris n. 69, n. 95, n. 104)" Might it be that those "very structures" have shown themselves unwilling or unable to del with I am afraid I find little new or hopeful here, and I hope I'm wrong.
sorry, that document got away with me, hence the unfinished para. 2. Should beTragically, the sins of a few have encouraged a distrust in some of the very structures of the Church herself. (cf Instrumentum laboris n. 69, n. 95, n. 104) Might it be that those very structures have shown themselves unwilling or unable to deal with "the sins of the few?"
As the synod discusses bishops' perceptions of their environment, an interesting coincidence struck me. While not among the aspects mentioned above, it deserves attention in characterizing the environment in which any evangelizing would take place, especially in the Christian West identified as the area for primary emphasis. This year, the environment is addressing its perceptions of the Church via government activities explicitly addressing the place, privileges, and components of the Church and its activities in society. - In Italy, property taxes on long-exempt Church property are now in a complex process of being imposed. - In the German church-tax dispute, the distinction between spiritual church and institutional corporate church which levies and receives the church tax is a central issue. The recent German bishops' General Decree declared them absolutely inseparable and one court decision agreed. Others continue to disagree. - In the US, the regulatory definition of religious organizations for purposes of the healthcare insurance mandate is a major bone of contention. The formal, codified defining involved in the above adds complications at least and, potentially, operational constraints the Church has done better without in the past.
"To separate the historical Jesus from the Jesus we pray to makes no sense to me."We can't, and shouldn't, separate the historical Jesus from the other aspects of Jesus. But note that the historical Jesus, considered apart from the church's claims, omits virtually everything that is important about him: that he is the Son of God; that he is the Word made flesh; that his passion, crucifixion and death are of cosmic significance; that he rose from the dead; that he ascended into heaven; and so on. These are the matters that the church should be preaching, both to its own members and to the world at large. Furthermore, they color our interpretation and understanding of what historians are able to tell us about Jesus.
I agree with Thomas Baker that Pope' Benedict's unscripted ("a braccio") remarks spoke far more compellingly to the purpose of the Synod than Cardinal Wuerl's laborious discourse (in Latin).I agree too with Nicholas Clifford and Claire, two of my constant guides on dotC.A little dream. At the end of the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI gave each bishop participant a ring. It was far more modest than the large jeweled rings that had been standard for bishops up till then. Many bishops since the Council have had rings made in the same style. During this Synod the Pope could give to each bishop present a simple wooden cross on a cord, the "Year of Faith" cross to be worn in place of the now at times simpler but still fairly elaborate pectoral crosses. AND, for the remaining time of the Synod the three ranks of prelates could be advised by the Synod secretariat to wear a black or grey suit instead of the precisely color-trimmed cassocks (and skull cap) known in the trade as the "abito filettato." A show of simplicity would, I think, go a long way towards making the event more credible.
John Page --I have had the exact same dream. Then, every one of the countless pictures and videos around the world would instantly identify to everyone, including them, the century they are in and are planning for.
Sure, let's agree that the bishops could be more contrite about their sins and failings. Then, let's all of us - i.e., the church - take more seriously our responsibility to evangelize. It's hard to find the joy around here sometimes. It's worth thinking about.
Jim,If Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, then the historical Jesus doesn't leave out all of the important stuff about him. I agree that an only human Jesus would not be worth worshipping, and I do see Jesus as God, but for me, the fact that he existed as a real person in history makes it even easier for me to believe in him as God too. It's exciting to know that I don't know everything there is to know about him, that more might be revealed. Whe Wuerl says "the Jesus the Church proclaims is the Jesus rooted in the tradition of the Church, not in sociological or historical reconstruction." then to me that says that the church wants Jesus nailed down for all time to a definition they've approved ... he might as well be a well constructed myth. But the living God is one that can surprise us, I think.
Well, I guess I'll give Weurl a whirl ...The notion that a synod of the same hierarchs, the same old men, who have presided over the dismantling of Vatican2 and the mass alienation of millions upon millions of Catholics from the church of their birth have anything interesting to say about "the New Evangelization" is at best quaint, and at worst delusional.Don't Christians have an obligation to hold in tension both the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith?What does Wuerl and his brother hierarchs really fear from "sociological and historical reconstruction?" Are we suppose to suspend all our human ways of knowing and learning in service of the hierarchy's political hegemony?If as Wuerl contends the New Evangelization must speak about Gods universal salvific will and at the same time recognize that Jesus has provided a clear and unique path to redemption and salvation, shouldn't the hierarchs, and indeed Catholics, at least acknowledge [as my sainted sixth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Adelaide would say] that the "royal road of the Cross" has taken, and will take in the future, many turns and bends through time?When you think about all that has happened in the world, all that has transpired in the church, since J23rd first called for aggiornamento in the church, that by now these synods would include at least some token representation from women and married Catholics?The youth of the world is watching Rome, and they don't see or hear anything that is evangelizing them.
Jim, there is joy around here because Christ is risen. Sadly, the joy does not come from the bishops whose acts are mostly about power rather than service and the spirit. Their insistence on themselves as the source of the Sacraments is a power move rather than one of community. While I support their structure as necessary, even though they forget to seek the last place as Jesus commanded, they have to remember that they are not the center of the church.We have to talk more about our light shining before all, rather than the power bishops 24/7.
John Page:"At the end of the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI gave each bishop participant a ring." A bit of trivia which I am sure that you know: When word got out that the bishops were going to receive a commemorative ring from the Pope, some of the bishops worried about how the pope would know their sizes. Lo and behold, the rings were one size fits all and could be adjusted. Last spring one was sold on ebay.
Rocco gives this site for Rowan Williams' speech to the Synod this morning. He emphasized the necessity for contemplation if evangelization is to succeed. The Benedictine influence on Williams shows through. Remarkable man. Karl Rahner must have been pleased :-)http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2012/10/to-be-fully-human-at-syn...
It just amazes me that the bishops and the right wing in the church keep referring to the 60's and 70's as destructive. As a matter of fact it was a great rebirth in the church. The faithful stopped being serfs and realized that it is their church and the bishops have damaged it. The peodphilia crisis did not creat the problem with bishops. It revealed it. The liturgy became more alive as a living proclamation and not as a sole performance of a "holy person" who performed magic. Notice that private masses are rare though stubborn leaders still try to keep them as a source of revenue which they always mainly were. There were certainly bumps in the road as change always is. But there was nothing like the malevolence of the hierarchy which sent fellow Christians to their death made canon law the faith rather than the scripture.
Bill, to pick up on your train of thought ---About a year ago, I scanned microfilm of our archdiocesan newspaper published during and after Vatican II. The contrast between then and now is readily apparent. It's in these old issues where the self-described "orthodox" or "trads" will find the Spirit of Vatican II.If any of you live near a public or school library with microfilm of the local church newspaper published "back in the day", you might want to check the headlines and lead paragraphs of news reports, editorials, and analyses relating to the council.
Joseph J. and all --The Conciliaria blog (of our own Eric Stoltz) offers interesting accounts from back then from all sorts of sources, including newspapers and documents and speeches from the Council. It occasionally recounts other events that were happening at the same time. Factoid: Johnny Carson's first appearance on the Tonight Show was almost simultaneous with the beginning of the Council. A long time ago. http://conciliaria.com/
John Page -- As you imagined, all synodal bishops and cardinals in plain black suits with modest wooden crosses would be extraordinarily eloquent in ways most bishops may not appreciate. Unfortunately, there is a legal precedent opposed: Prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signatura Cardinal Burke himself.
Crystal --As I was taught, Christ "lives in us", and when we act out of true charity we reveal Him. So all of saints and all the not so saintly who also sometimes do good all reveal different aspects of Jesus' life. That's why, I think, that supposedly naive question "What would Jesus do?" is in fact a very profound one.
Ann, thanks for the link. Definitely worth checking out! I've noted it.Jack, while Cardinal Burke may be the chief justice, he certainly dresses the part of a ceremonial court jester, Vatican kind.(i just wish this guy was officially no more than a court jester :-)