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Dissident Austrian priest's U.S. speaking tour begins
Father Helmut Schüller, whose "Call to Disobedience" attracted the support of many of his fellow Austrian priests, has begun a speaking tour of 15 U.S. cities in an attempt to build a network of support for church reform. He spoke tonight in a Protestant church in Manhattan, Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square. Earlier in the day, I listened in as a group of advocates for church reform asked him over lunch in Brooklyn about his plans for the Catholic Tipping Point tour.
Schüller was queried about his own "tipping point" – how he came to the decision to disobey the church hierarchy and advocate an agenda that includes having women and married priests to reduce the priest shortage; reforming church governance and emphasizing the role of the laity.
He traced his tipping point to the mid-1990s, when he became vicar general of the Archdiocese of Vienna. At the time, he requested that he also be appointed a pastor. He'd served in various administrative posts, such as directing Caritas in Austria, but had always wanted to be a pastor, he said.
From that vantage, he said, he saw the future of a church without enough priests – a future of downsizing and merging parishes. So he began to advocate reforms, and gathered other priests to the cause. "We are the ones who can do it because we are part of the hierarchy" and not dismissed as easily as the laity, he said.
As vicar general, Schuller also had to pick up the pieces of the clergy sex abuse scandal revolving around Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who succeeded Groër in 1995, appointed Schüller vicar general. In 1999, Schüller was removed from the post.
He said the "Call to Disobedience" that the Austrian Priests' Initiative issued in 2011 was "a very provocative step," and acknowledged that a good number of Austrian priests who agree with him on reform were put off by the idea of being deliberately disobedient. "Did you get anything for your obedience?" he said he responded. "Any piece of church reform?" (Some 430 Austrian priests and deacons are members of the initiative, about 15 percent, according to the group.)
What he has proposed may be provocative, he said, but was a necessary response to "the totalitarian character of these structures" of the church. (The response from U.S. church authorities to his speaking tour has been chilly.)
One purpose of his trip is to build another kind of structure – a network of reform-minded priests interacting with laity. On Monday night, he met with 10 New York priests. His trip was taken in part to prepare for an October 10-11 meeting in Austria of organizations of dissident priests from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and the United States, he said.
It is important "to get the system nervous, and they are very nervous," Schüller said.
In the meantime, he expressed hope in Pope Francis. "My hope is the gestures become someday systematic changes."
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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He is not the first to take on the Empire. Usually the hierarchy manages to minimize the reformers. But the climate may be ripe. Even people who attend church know the church is in trouble. More importantly all those neocons who pushed the outrageous change in the liturgy, realize now that they are losing people every day. Sister Sara Butler, former progressive turned Empire praiser, gave a speech in Dunwoodie NY lamenting that Pentecostals are attracting former Catholics. So the JP II crowd knows they have failed and know their approach has to change. Maybe renewal priests who know the problems but have been fearful will find courage. The enormous amount of Indian Priests here remains a scandal while India is in the news as an oppresor of the poor. But Empire money attracted them here. Same with Africa. Especially NIgeria. And the clergy who are getting ordained here leave a lot to be desired.
We are not talking anarachy. We are talking renewal led by the gospel. Jesus was not obedient to the Scribes and Pharisees. Yet The RCC Empire has ruled by obedience not the Spirit.
We will see where movements like this leads.
In Philly, he will be hosted by Chestnut Hill College (Sisters of St Joseph). The archdiocese asked them not to host Father, but Chestnut Hill said that, while, it respects the Archdiocese' decision, it will host Fr Schuller as part of its mission to encourage dialogue on important issues. (The Archdiocese is a little bummed; it said hosting the event on a college campus undermines church unity).
Is characterizing a priest as "dissident" sort of pejorative?
The Second Vatican Council envisioned and stipulated that the Church is all of us, the community of believers. This means that there should be dialogue within the church-------two-way communication---- between the laity and the hierarchy. It seems that the Catholic Church must either shrink to become the church of the chosen few, or ways must be found to alleviate the shortage of priests. How else to relieve the priest shortage except to have married priests and and women priests? The nuns seem to be more true to Christ's teachings than the bishops. Is there any reason why women should not be deacons immediately?
It isn't only doctrinal issues that some bishops and other clerics do not wish discussed. When our diocese of Rockville Centre replaced the weekly diocesan newspaper (a narrow house organ) with a magazine printed ten times yearly, they said it was done for economy. Maybe our leaders do not wish the faithful to learn even the administrative details of diocesan life: which parishes spend x amount of cash on renovations; which parishes collect x amount of money for Peter's Pence; how many Pence the diocese sent to whoever next gets the bundle, etc.; which parishes have to pair up on religious education staff.
Even the priestly assignments showed up on the diocesan website a month late, after local media had announced several.
Bill Mazella,
Catholics have been joining Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal churches in huge numbers for 50 years. The numbers in Latin America probably exceed the raw numbers who left the Church during the first 100 years of the Reformation. Pentecostalism offers them a transcendent spirituality based upon the crucified Christ, the bodily Resurrection and the active agency of the Holy Spirit in the daily lives of believers. They put limits on demythologizing the scriptures and are generally conservative in their theology. They are adamantly against abortion, same-sex marriage, and strongly believe in the nuclear family. In other words, they would not be attracted to "progressive" (your word) theology or spirituality. I've been to several web sites of small charismatic churches where they plainly say in their mission statement ("What We Believe") that they subscribe to the Nicene Creed. Alas, they don't have the Real Presence, are susceptible to "Blessing Plan" theology and are without unifying, apostolic leadership.
I don't think it's pejorative to refer to Helmut as a dissident. His "Call to Disobedience" invites the term.
There's nothing shameful about sitting apart (dis sedere) -- "disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief." (Merriam-Webster)
Where would Jesus sit? On the Moses seat? On a cathedra? Who's more like Jesus, Helmut or the bishops who seek to silence him?
Frank, the "apostolic leadership" of the last 35+ years has been anything but "unifying". The "leadership" of the Roman Catholic during this era has been to try to return the church to the past, and has resulted in the greatest outflow of cradle Catholics in the church since the Reformation, The more Rome pushed the barque in reverse, the faster people jumped ship.
There is never a call to disobedience. Nowhere in scripture or tradition is such a call. To me it is a call to negative energy and I do not need (more of) that in my life.
It should be framed as a call to obedience. Obedience having its etymology in "to listen". If in his listening to God, he, or a community discern that certain practices should change, he is obliged to articlute that and authenticate through dialogue and further listening.
The pope, bishops (the magisterium) believe that they too are listening. Together, we are all listening and obeying. That should be the starting point.
Included in that is humility. The humility to say, I may not be hearing it right (from everyone).
Speaking for myself, I am hearing negativity and bad medicine (to use a native phrase) in his choice of words.
"Dissenter" is a perjorative term only to people who think the Church hierarchy is beyond criticism.
Unless my perception is off, I do not see RC clergy in the U.S. publicly coming out in support of Pastor Schuller. Vocational careers are at stake. Church pensions are at stake --- especially for the Vatican II-types at or close to retirement. Let's not overlook, too, the so-called "JPII priests" who revere "tradition", "orthodoxy", and "obedience to authority"; these fellas have been in the ascendancy since the 1980s.
And forget the bishops!
If there's any way to promote renewal, it'll be largely if not solely via the churchgoing laity. As long as folks continue to toss their shekels into weekly collection plates, some of that money will be turned over to the local hierarch, who will in turn send money to the Vatican. This behavior is known as "enabling", i.e., subsidizing continued ecclesial and ecclesiastical dysfunction.
I tip my hat to Schuller and clerics like him. In the end, however, it must fall on the shoulders of the U.S. laity to force our hierarchs to behave like *true* bishops by not shirking their rightful authority in liturgy and local church governance. Any institutional or organizational discomfort notwithstanding, the solution really is that simple.
Money talks; the hierarchs know it.
Laity must make its absence talk louder.
It's time to put up or shut up.
With respect, Joe McMahon, none of the issues over which we are at such loggerheads are doctrinal. We had a baptism at Mass this past Sunday and as usual in our parish all the congregants were invited to respond to the baptismal questions asked of the parents and godparents on behalf of the infant. Those questions are none of them concerned with the issues to which Father Schuller speaks. I for one could respond I do with the same enthusiasm I felt when I answered those same questions as an adult convert 50 years ago. I do not in any way vitiate the rich tradition of theological scholarship that distinguishes us as a church by pointing this out. But who can be a priest, artificial birth control, women's rights or lack of same - none of that comes into the Nicean creed to which we say Amen. The rest is largely a matter of discussion with a very few additional dogmas. Disobedience to what is a good question to ask at the moment.
Beverly Swerling Martin (Not WF - my husband - whatever it says on the comment)!
People who join Pentecostal, Charismatic and Fundamentalist churches do not share the theological outlook, spirituality or sexual ethics of, say, the readership of the National Catholic Reporter (no insult intended) or theologians like Richard McBrien. The majority of Catholics who join other Christian churches are going to conservative ones. These people don't join these churches because they don't like the magesterium (although many develop anti-papist sentiments once in these churches). They gravitate toward them because they have a profound hunger for the transcendent God who revealed Himself in Jesus. They don't want to hear that Jesus is one revelation of God or is a symbol of God -- they believe unequivocally that He is God. They believe in the bodily resurrection of this Jesus (and let's stop insulting people who believe in the bodily resurrection by implying that they are simpletons who merely believe in a resuscitated corpse). They find no comfort in hearing that Christ merely became "alive" in the minds of His disciples. They unabashedly praise God's unsurpassable majesty and glory. They're keenly aware of supernatural realities. While some are guilty of biblicism and fideism others embrace a thoughtful exegesis that nonetheless doesn't feel compelled to explain away miracles or to assert that the scriptures are completely devoid of historicity. And while the rank and file of these conservative churches sometimes displays anti-Catholic sentiment, their leadership often expresses praise of Catholic leaders. Billy Graham called JPII "one of the greatest moral and spiritual leaders of the [20th] century." Kathryn Kuhlmann (yes, a controversial figure) was effusive in her praise of Paul VI.
Year after year, the commentors in Commonweal have almost universally blamed the hierarchy for all the woes of the Church. Don't you think that just once that self-identifying progressive Catholics could examine where they may have fallen short in sharing the richness of the Gospel? Might that not be a more effective place to start? Peace.
Many thanks, Beverly, for the clarification. I also attended a baptism the past Sunday and did not hear any credal statement against the ordination of women. In some issues, some of the "top clerics" try to move a debatable point into the realm of Major Doctrinal Belief, Nicene Creed, or de fide definita, and by making that move, they tell other believers to "shut up."
Schüller's call to disobedience is an "Aufruf zum Ungehorsam," which pretty clearly is "a call to disobedience." Thus saith my dictionary. Not the word I would have chosen. But "dissent" is translated as "abweichen." Does that make a difference? My German isn't good enough to know. I would think that denying or questioning, say, the Resurrection or the Incarnation would make one a true dissenter. Raising the question of whether Rome always has the right answers to all conundrums, and that some ought to be open to discussion, at least, strikes me as somewhat less than true dissent, and once again that there are those in Rome who have a somewhat less than firm belief in what they proclaim, and thus hurry to cut off discussion before it starts (or before Rome has had a chance to claim the new doctrine as its own, e.g., religious liberty).
George D:
I think it's unjust to accuse Helmut of "bad medicine." Who is being hurt by his words? Those who agree that women are unclean and therefore unqualified to be ordained or to be married to the ordained?
Liberal Catholics, by opposing the anti-women and anti-intellectual prejudices of the hierarchy and its toadies ARE "sharing the richness of the Gospel". (And of the epistles: In Christ there is no male nor female; no Jew nor Greek; etc.) A shame the "Catholics" who pretend to be traditional have forgotten/discarded those old teachings.
Frank, I am a "progressive" Catholic, currently among those who no longer sit in a Roman Catholic pew on Sunday. I do not know who Kathryn Kuhlmann is (I will google her name shortly) and disagree that John Paul II was a "great" moral and spiritual teacher. He said and did some positive things. He said and did many negative things as well (that contributed to the outflow of millions), especially in his gathering of all power to his own office, demanding absolute obedience of all, and appointing bishops who for the most part were not men notable for qualities of moral and spiritual leadership. In addition, as a woman I came to feel that the church's teachings on women are not only "misguided" but sometimes lead to literal harm. John Paul II was a leading promulgator of these church's teachings. After many years I gave up on the "leadership" and decided to no longer enable a culture and structure that created a clericalism that permitted tens of thousands of children to be sexually abused.
The tens of millions who have left the Roman Catholic church during the last several decades are not a monolithic group as you seem to imply. I did not join a Pentecostal or evangelical or fundamentalist church but an Episcopal church. The more conservative churches appeal to some, primarily because of the warmth and welcome and sense of community many find there, along with a path to a "personal relationship" with Jesus. Many believe that this kind of relationship is not possible in the Catholic church, which seems to try to keep laity at a distance from Jesus, insisting that there must be a clerical caste that are necessary intermediaries between laity and God. Some decide that these intermediaries can be dispensed with, and others see the hierarchy and the "teachings of the magisterium" as an obstacle in the path to God.
But the majority of the former Catholics in the US and Europe have not joined any other church denomination - they are identified as "nones" or as "spiritual but not religious". Of those who do join another christian church, a majority do choose the conservative Protestant churches, but the Episcopal church has also welcomed many former Catholics, including, in the last few years, several dozen Roman Catholic priests. Most who leave the RCC believe in God, most also believe in what Jesus taught, but not in the institution and its "leadership". They pray, they often find spiritual companionship in some way - small groups usually, outside the institutional structure. This widespread failure in trust in the "apostolic leadership" and in the need for a clerical class as intermediaries between the laity and God may be a short-term phenomenon in the church's long history, or it may signal a permanent and long term change, or at least an evolution toward a less hierarchical and authoritarian church, I don't know. But it is clear to most that the "leadership" of the church at the top since the late 1960s (Humanae Vitae) has been a very divisive force in the Roman Catholic church, rather than a unifying one.
Thanks for your response. There has also been significant attrition in the Episcopal Church over the last five decades. And some ex-Episcopalians / Anglicans make the journey to the RCC.
I know many Catholics who have a "personal relationship" with Christ and are happy in their faith walk as Catholics. Of course, they're summarily dismissed by some here as "anti-intellectual" or "toadies."
To be sure, there are problems in the "institutional", "hierarchical", "traditional" Church. But I don't see an antidote in the "progressive" wing of the Church. What I see, at least in many of the comments on Commonweal, America and NCR, is an abiding lack of charity toward the hierarchy and "conservative" Catholics. How can people be so right in their ecclesiology if their comments are incessantly marked by anger, snark, sarcasm, etc.? (I'm not saying this about your comments above.) Where is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit -- "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23)? When these hallmarks are evident in a believer's life we say that they have put on the character and mind of Christ. When criticisms against the Church are delivered in a charitable voice then they merit consideration.
I cited above some conservative Protestants who admired recent popes but supplied no reference for Benedict. Let me instead provide a comment from Mario Vargas Llosa, an atheist and a Noble Prize winner for literature, concerning Benedict XVI:
The Peruvian author observed that the Holy Father's "profound and unique reflections were based on his enormous theological, philosophical, historical and literary knowledge, acquired in the dozen classic and modern languages he commanded."
While they were "always conceived within Christian orthodoxy," the Pope's "books and encyclicals often went beyond the strictly dogmatic and contained novel and bold reflections on the moral, cultural and existential problems of our times," Vargas Llosa reflected.
Frank G. --
My response was ony about the meaning of the word "dissenter" and who finds the term to be derogatory. Your reply to me concerned why people were leaving the Church for pentacostal and other Protestant bodies. I mentioned none of those topics, and you make no connection with what I did say.
Your response is a perfect example of the sort of pseudo-counter arguments offered much too often by Conservatives -- when they don't or can't deny something a liberal has said, they change the subject loudly as if what they are saying is germane.
Frank --
I apologize for my response a 4:48. Somehow I missed Anne Chapman's earlier post, and thought you were responding to me. Youd didn't deseve my response. (But some conservatives would qualify!)
"What I see, at least in many of the comments on Commonweal, America and NCR, is an abiding lack of charity toward the hierarchy and "conservative" Catholics. How can people be so right in their ecclesiology if their comments are incessantly marked by anger, snark, sarcasm, etc.?"
I think you're overestimating the influence of Commonweal, America, and NCR.
Q: What do you think their combined circulations amount to?
A: Under 80,000. With 75,000,000 million Catholics in the USA, about one in a million reads them. Of that tiny number, how many care enough about what they read to comment or write letters to the editors? (Easy to count the few commenters here on Commonweal's blog.)
As to anger and snark and sarcasm, etc.? I hope you'll point out a comment or article on one of the publications you dislike that comes CLOSE to the vitriol with which Z, EWTN, the "life" sites, etc., nourish their gulls.
A former editor of the St. Louis diocesan paper wrote an op-ed in the Post-Dispatch the other day about homophobia. He managed to bring into it the idea of marrying pets. Do the commenters you accuse of the capital sin of anger do that? http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/civil-religion/jim-r...
Gerelyn ==
Yes, it is fairly typical for the super conservatives to not only disagree but to volunteer complaints about views that liberals do not espouse. Talk about escalating disagreements! I go to the ESTN New Advent site everday to check out what conservatives are up to. I read enough of the articles to recognize the pattern in too many writers there -- accuse your opponents of thoughts they've never entertained, much less expressed.
One good thing about the site, besides an occasional informative article, is that it often presents articles on science. They're better than the liberal sites on that score. Wonder why the difference. How much about scientific matters does CWL cover?
"Where is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit -- "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-2Frank Gibbons, Jesus called Herod a Fox. The hierarchy has manipulated the people of God for centuries. The distaste for the antics of the hierarchy is not a 21s century phenomenon. Boniface VIII noted that the people felt this way about the hierarchy "from antiquity." People are not killed for this opinion nowadays as happened in the past. The embrace of the anointing of Jeus is the essence of our faith. Not apostolic succession.
"Pope Francis "is not a conservative or a progressive. He wants a poor church and (a church) of the poor," and he is keenly aware that a large part of the world lives in extreme poverty, the cardinal said. From America magazine.
The words quoted are from Cardinal Casper. Francis is truly something. With his leadership we may not need people like Schuller. The pope is giving us some true lessons and direction in the true mission of Jesus. This is truly a revolution. Stay tuned.
On Pope Francis, I think you are correct Bill. He has so far been amazing, and I (and I think most Catholics) truly look forward to seeing how he will tackle the problems the Church faces today.
Frank, you comments and remarks are interesting, but I'm not sure the opinion of a Peruvian author about Benedict's writings are relevant to the issue. You have claimed that those who join Pentecostal/evangelical/fundamentalist churches lack the "unifying apostolic leadership." I posted to voice my personal opinion (but one shared by many) that the leadership has been more divisive than unifying in recent decades. Nothing Billy Graham or Protestant nobel prize winners for literature say about various recent posts has anything at all to do with whether or not the leadership of the RCC over the last 40 or so years has been either unifying or divisive. Their opinions of popes are irrelevant to the issue - the church has lost tens of millions and it really doesn't matter where they went - they're gone. T
The actions of the "leadership" over a period of decades have not been the sole reason so many have left, but they have been among the most important reasons in the decisions of many (not all) to leave the Roman Catholic church. The divide within the church is often, as you and others have noted in this thread, so severe as to produce high levels of vitriol in "communications" between progressive and conservative Catholics. Perhaps you see this situation as the result of "unifying leadership". If so, one must wonder what would happen with "divisive" leadership. Could it be much worse?
I do wish there were an "edit" feature. I meant to say "recent popes" rather than "recent posts" in regard to the opinions of Billy Graham and other Protestant leaders and writers.
There is something seriously ludicrous about a coalition of Catholic organizations having to hold a discussion about a strictly internal Catholic matter in a Protestant church in Manhattan and a Unitarian Universalist church in Massachusetts because the leaders of their own church will not permit them to use facilities that their own donations built and maintain. They are not planning to revisit the Nicene Creed and revise several of its tenets. They want to talk about practical matters of church governance that affect lay Catholics directly, like the closing of so many parishes because current Vatican policies are not producing enough priests, and possible alternatives to those policies. The answer they are given is the same as always, "Shut up or go away!" Sadly, totalitarian is the exactly right word.
When people resort to authority, and sometimes to outright force, to close down a discussion, it is a pretty sure sign that they have lost the argument.
Ann O: here's a great addition to your daily walk with dyspepsia: http://cal-catholic.com/wordpress/
Today, you can learn to get your knickers in a total twist about this: Open lesbian still teaching at Pleasanton parish (I have yet to meet or know a "closed" lesbian, but am prepared to be enlightened.)
I wish there were more threads on page 1. I would have commented on this, but now that it's been moved to a remote location (namely, page 2 of dotC), it's not worth the bother. In fact I am guessing that no one will be reading this.
Is it an editorial decision to keep few threads on page 1, so that there are fewer active discussions at any one time, and so that comments don't keep going on and on into the hundreds?


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I am surprised by how many people automatically put on a cheesy smile when I point a camera in their direction.
How can I encourage them to act more naturally, and what can I do to get better, more natural-looking portraits?
I find the cheesy smile comes out when the subject is uncomfortable.
Depending on the style of photo you're after your options fall into distinct groups:
The "When did you take that?" photo
Sometimes referred as the paparazzi style (although the circumstances are generally more favourable), but the method is very similar -- long lens, wide aperture, and generally from distance, so the subject has no chance to get uncomfortable.
You can also get some closer candids by pointing and hoping for the best (or taking a crafty look at live view) - practice will improve the ratio of good to bad.
Formal portraiture
So things like the family shot at the wedding, it can be beneficial to build rapport with the models, with the odd joke, but maintain the position of authority as a director too. Kids tend to photograph best when they're amused, so a similar idea can work.
The most natural looking portraits is usually taken when the subject is not aware of it. To consiously look natural isn't very easy, and untrained people generally can't do it.
One method is to simply "wear them out". After a while they will become accustomed to the camera and stop making a face, either because they grow tired of it, or because they simply don't care. It might however take days or weeks to get there...
Using a long lens can help, as that allows you to take pictures from a bit of a distance so that you are not so obvious.
Another method, although not as predictable and reliable but much faster, would be to just waste a frame on the face that the subject wants to show up, and then wait for them to relax and show the face that you want to catch before taking a second picture. Just don't expect this to work more than once for each subject.
People like to see smiles in photos because that implies that the subjects were happy at the time. But getting photographed does not always make people happy. So getting better photos often means helping people relax, get used to the camera (or forget about the camera if necessary), and actually enjoy themselves. Different techniques will work with different people.
Here's just one idea to add to the others'. If they're physically able, ask them to jump in the air. A jumping shot can turn out well, but even if it doesn't, take another shot after they land. At that point they are probably laughing about how silly it felt and have forgotten to be uptight about getting their photo taken.
If you are taking a fairly formal portrait and are using a tripod, stand a bit away from the camera, carry on a conversation, and trigger the shutter with a cable release or a remote. As the subject relaxes, you will be able to get more natural seeming shots.
I use this technique and so do several events photography friends of mine. When we are doing group shots we often invite everyone to close their eyes and think of a beautiful memory and happy thought. And then we tell them that we'll count to three and have them open their eyes, and smile for the camera--on three.
What happens is the smile is more natural, less forced. And with a little practice you can explain the instructions without flaw, everyone can do it and everyone is curious to try it out. So it's an easy sell.
Bed-side manner is very important as a portraiture or events photographer (to say nothing of other equally challenging specialities), rapport is important as many of the previous entries have made. Get over the idea that you are in the peripheral and you aren't 'part of the celebration or event'. You are very much a part of it. It's embarassing perhaps, might bring on anxiety, but acknowledge your role to play early on and direct. The results will make it all worth while.
Be kind, use tact, always take every opportunity to practice your bed-side manner with your subjects on easy or hard situations. It gets easier, more fun, and less stressing each time with every practice--and the results are well worth it. It's also ultimately a really good life-skill to have, that can pay off dividends in other aspects of life and work.
I have a relative who behaves like that. The only methods I have found so far basically try to catch him unprepared by:
Of course, none of that works for staged portraits.
I always tell people to make the ugliest frowning face possible and make them hold it for a while. After about 30 seconds I say "ok, now you can smile" and the smiles that come out are usually great. But you have to be quick, the smiles will revert back to the fake smiles within seconds. This works on almost anyone, it must be the novelty of frowning in front of a camera, I don't know.
If it's for a staged portrait, just shoot and keep giving directions. In order to not embarrass the subject, snap a picture with the cheesy smile, say "Great!" and then follow up with "Now let's try a soft smile" or similar.
If they get a serious look because they're uptight or trying to figure out your instructions, just say "Try to look like you don't hate me", that should loosen them up.
Keep it light, keep affirming what you like, and if you don't like something, don't point it out. Just shoot and move on to something different. Your subject should have fun and if you keep your cool you'll end up with usable shots.
A trick I've had used against me (I hate being infront of the camera) was to shoot a shot, then say, "ok, let's see how that came out..." and trigger another shot mid sentence with a remote. It didn't bypass the cheesy smile, because I didn't have one on my face to begin with... but it did capture a much more relaxed image.
I've started to use that against my toddler, who DOES ham it up as soon as you point a camera at him, fire off a shot, then immediately fire another one when he relaxes thinking you're done. Lately I've had to take that second shot without looking through the view finder, as he doesn't relax until I start to take the camera down from my eye.
Which leads me into a trick I've used a number of times to get a candid shot of my wife. I call it "shooting from the hip". Basically any shot that's snapped when the camera is not at my eye. A perfect case in point from last year, we were out geocaching on a bike trial with her parents, I was 10 yards or so up the trail... set the focus for about that distance, set exposure, holding the camera by my side (I use a hand strap, so it's literally the same position as if I wasn't using it at all.) I called over to them to ask a question and fired off a handful of shots as they were turning to answer.
I agree with Rowland. When people feel uncomfortable they try to put on a happy face or "cheesy smile". When I am doing portraits, especially with kids is I say something funny but something to break the ice. If you continue to talk and have a conversation that always helps.
Also, if you you are in an open environment it relaxes the subjects as well.
I find that adults that don't want to have their portrait taken are the most difficult. I tell them a funny story from my past that give them an opportunity to laugh at me a little bit so that I am not just a someone taking a picture, I am after all human as well.
I'm shooting a lot with unexperienced models, and to get them more used to a shooting, I try to focus them on something else than the actual shooting. Of course, not every person reacts the same, but talking with them about whatever comes up to your mind and taking shoots while doing that can help them to ease up.
Getting them to laugh because something is funny and then take the picture makes them more relaxed and seems to take away a lot of pressure regarding their 'I must shine, I must be perfect for this'-mindset. And after a while, the model starts (hopefully) to enjoy the shooting, and a model that has fun is in my opinion the best kind of model ;-)
Assuming this is PORTRAIT photography (where you have one on one time with no event distractions):
For very natural expressions, the thing I do is aim to make the subject feel SAFE (always). I mean: EMOTIONALLY SAFE. You must demonstrate that you are not judging them and make an effort to understand and appreciate their issues around taking photos. People are more open around people who they feel safe with. Make this a priority. People smile in an unnatural way or pose unnaturally because they haven't created a relaxed relationship with you yet. I also coach them on being present with their body (more on this later).
I tell my subjects/clients exactly how the shoot is going to go so there's more certainty. More certainty creates confidence and the feeling of being safe. They know how it's going to play out. I also ask them some questions that I find super important (because I wish people who photographed me were more sensitive to these topics). As a photographer, I try my best to be a good listener.
Some questions I ask (helps build rapport and helps you know your subject):
No matter how beautiful I think they are, I promise them that I will not force them to do anything they aren't comfortable doing. And sometimes they become so relaxed during the shoot (after we agree on the boundaries of our shoot), I actually do get their beautiful smile.
Here's an example of what I tell my clients:
"The shoot will take about 2 hours. And it usually happens in three phases. The first phase is where you and I are going to get to know each other. We'll get some practice shots out of the way. It might be weird because there will be a lot of times where I'm mostly going to be staring at you and not saying anything. If I'm not giving you any direction, don't worry, it's because I'm thinking or trying to focus my lens. I'm totally going to be staring at you A LOT. I might get really close with my camera and it's gonna feel weird. About 45 minutes in, we're probably going to get our money shots and then if we feel like it, we can be playful and we can even try weird things."
SO now that I've told them how the shoot it going to go, I tell them to pay extra attention to their body. I actually talk to them as if this were a job. "Your job is to chill out. When I'm not giving you direction, just keep doing what you're doing because I probably really like it. Also, you might be used to smiling or sitting or standing a certain way in front of the camera, I might give you different directions. So your job is to focus: chin down because I want your eyes closer to my lens. People sometimes tilt their head so I may repeatedly tell you 'head straight'." Just clue your subjects in on the trappings of unnatural expressions and create the expectation that you may give them repeat instructions.
Create confident clients/subjects and make them feel emotionally safe.
I hope this is helpful.


text:
Bush Legacy Examined at Ceremony
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas—Former President George W. Bush, dedicating the library and museum that will house his presidential records, said Thursday he stayed true to his core convictions during his time in the White House by lowering taxes, raising school standards and leaving foreign countries "liberated" from dictators.
During the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University, speakers highlighted the 43rd president's "resolve" in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, his work in Africa and his good humor, with only passing references to the controversial decisions that marked his two terms in office.
Mr. Bush said that as president, his deepest-held conviction was that America must strive to expand the reach of freedom.
"One of the benefits of freedom is that people can disagree," Mr. Bush said, adding that he created plenty of opportunities for people to exercise that right.
The library's opening has prompted an examination of Mr. Bush's administration, with allies saying that many of the Republican's actions would be viewed more objectively and positively over time.
Americans' view of Mr. Bush has been improving. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll this month, 35% had a positive view of him, up from 31% in January 2009, the month he left office. That compares with 47% who view President Barack Obama positively. The proportion holding a negative view of Mr. Bush declined sharply, to 44% in this month's poll from 58% in January 2009.
Andrew Card, who served as Mr. Bush's chief of staff, said the museum provides context for challenges the former president confronted.
"This is really not a tribute to George W. Bush," he said in an interview. "It's trying to put people in the position of being president and facing some phenomenally difficult decisions."
The library invites debate and discussion, with an interactive exhibit that lets visitors walk through key decisions Mr. Bush faced—including on the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina and the financial crisis—and then weigh in with what they would do.
Thursday's library dedication was the rare occasion that brought together all five living U.S. presidents: Mr. Bush; his father, George H.W. Bush; and Democrats Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Mr. Obama. The event also drew leaders from around the world; members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio); several governors, including New Jersey's Chris Christie; and a who's who of Bush administration officials.
It was an emotional event for father and son, the elder Mr. Bush rising from his wheelchair to stand next to his son for a moment. The museum's courtyard features statues of the two standing side by side.
"It is awesome that you are here today," Mr. Bush told his father.
These five presidents had gathered only once before, at the White House in 2009 after Mr. Obama was elected. Their relationships are complicated, but on Thursday, they highlighted the positive and made light of some of their disagreements.
Mr. Obama noted that they belong to an exclusive fraternity, adding that "our club is more like a support group."
He has been among Mr. Bush's most vocal and persistent critics, blaming his predecessor's policies for exacerbating the financial crisis. But on Thursday, he praised Mr. Bush's willingness to reach across the aisle and his work to rewrite immigration laws—an effort that Mr. Obama vowed to complete.
"Every president gains a greater appreciation for all those who served before him, for the leaders from both parties who have taken on the momentous challenges and felt the enormous weight of a nation on their shoulders," Mr. Obama said. "And for me, that appreciation very much extends to President Bush."
Mr. Clinton poked fun at Mr. Bush, joking about his new hobby of painting and his self-portrait in the shower.
Mr. Clinton also nodded in jest to the purpose of presidential libraries, calling the Bush center the "latest, grandest example of the eternal struggle of former presidents to rewrite history."
Southern Methodist was chosen as the site of the Bush library in 2008 after competing with six other schools. Mr. Bush's wife, Laura, is a graduate of the school and the couple lives near the campus.
The renewed focus on Mr. Bush's legacy comes as speculation intensifies about the possibility of another Bush presidential bid.
On Wednesday, Jeb Bush spoke in Dallas, sounding very much like a candidate as he laid out his ideas about immigration and education. His son, George P. Bush, introduced him, touting the former Florida governor's approval ratings and describing his father as a voice of reason and champion for reform.
But on Thursday, former first lady Barbara Bush suggested on NBC's "Today" show that her son shouldn't run. She described Jeb Bush as the best-qualified man for the Republican nomination but expressed little enthusiasm for another campaign for the White House. "We've had enough Bushes," she said.
George W. Bush disagreed in an interview with ABC News, saying that his counsel to his brother was simple: "Run."
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at email@example.com


text: I bought the NN3-MKII for my Nikon D90 and Nikon VR ED 24-120 3.5-5.6 lens. The upper arm does not stay in place (it keeps coming down). The camera lens combination weight less than 3 pounds. In selecting the NN3 pano head I followed the product selector page of the website. Can anybody give me advise on what I am doing wrong? Where I can find the right settings for this camera lens combination?


text:
Alumni Achievements > July — December 2012
Laura Farina '88 has become a member of the firm at SmithDehn LLP and head of the firm's new Washington, D.C. office. She had been vice president for legal affairs at Discovery Communications, Inc.
Senior Associate Dean Fran Bouchoux '87 has been appointed co-chair of the Amicus Committee of the National Association of Women Judges.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly named Steven Sheehan '81, a partner in Wistow, Barylick, Sheehan & Lovely, PC, as one of the 2012 Lawyers of the Year.
Gov. Chris Christie has appointed Martin Perez '86, president of the Latino Alliance of New Jersey, to the Rutgers University Board of Governors. His six-year term will begin on July 1.
The Charmer, written by former prosecutors Richard Muti '80 and Charles Buckley, was a finalist for a 2012 USA Best Book Award in the true crime category.
Donna J. Jackson '96 is the author of the new book Not One Second Late.
William S. Greenberg '67, a partner at McCarter & English and retired Brigadier General, has been nominated by President Obama to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Rutgers Magazine has a profile of Donna Lieberman '73, executive director of the New York ACLU, in its Fall 2012 issue.
The corner of Clifton and Bloomfield Avenues in Newark has been named Federico Velez Esq. Place in memory of Federico Velez '75, who died in 2009. Velez, who was a founding member of the Rutgers Association of Latin American Law Students and the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, maintained law offices adjacent to the corner for almost 30 years.
The Bergen County Bar Association has selected Lorraine A. Abraham '74 as the Hon. Peter Ciolino Professional Lawyer of the Year. Abraham is a partner at Schiffman, Abraham, Kaufman & Ritter, P.C.
Donita Judge '03, staff attorney with the Advancement Project, spoke about voting rights as a guest on the Rachel Maddow Show.
Mirtha Ospina '96 has been sworn in as a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Hudson County. Judge Ospina, previously a Middlesex County assistant prosecutor, is temporarily assigned to Union County.
Lurethra Stribling '01 won a unanimous decision before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Geraldine Murray and Odis E. Murray v. Plainfield Rescue Squad and a remand to the trial court.
James A. Goniea '90 has joined Wiggin and Dana LLP as a partner in the firm's Franchise and Distribution Practice Group, resident in the Philadelphia office. He was previously vice president and general counsel of American Driveline Systems, Inc. and its AAMCO and Cottman brands.
Hon. Mary Catherine Cuff '73 has been temporarily assigned to the New Jersey Supreme Court, effective October 1. Judge Cuff has served on the Appellate Division since 1998.
Jessica Goldberg '09 has been named the first Partner in Hope Fellow by Partners for Women and Justice. The goal of the fellowship is to help victims of domestic violence secure restraining orders, safe visitation and custody arrangements, and financial support.
Crowell & Moring LLP has added Walter Nagel '84 to the Washington, DC office of its Tax Group. Nagel focuses his practice on handling tax planning, tax policy and controversies for clients nationwide. He is a past chair of the ABA's Committee on State and Local Taxes and current chair of the Hispanic College Fund.
Carol Marcus '69 has been elected to a two-year term as a vice president of the Jewish Historical Society of New Jersey.
Philip Kwon '94 has been appointed deputy general counsel for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Previously he was New Jersey's first assistant attorney general.
Michael Beggs '10 has joined MTBC, a healthcare IT company serving providers throughout the country, as a director of its client relationship management team.
Louis Freeh '74 won widespread praise for his investigation of Penn State's role in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.
Howard University School of Law has named Professor Okianer Christian Dark '79 as its interim dean. She had served as associate dean for seven years during the tenure of Dean Kurt L. Schmoke.
Martin Cabalar '11 has joined Becker & Poliakoff in its Morristown office as a member of the firm's Community Association Law practice.


text:
TOPEKA -- The summer months are a time when families enjoy doing a variety of activities outdoors; however, it's also when barbecue grills and fireworks cause devastating residential fires and serious injuries to children. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year almost 5,000 Americans are injured by charcoal/wood-burning and propane grill fires.
Fireworks send 3,000 children under the age of 15 to emergency rooms each year in the U.S. And sparklers, which are typically viewed by parents as relatively harmless fireworks for children, cause serious burn injuries, accounting for one-third of the injuries to children under five. In 2011, 77 Kansas children ages 0-14 were injured by fireworks, with five-year-olds sustaining the largest number of injuries, according to the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office. Unfortunately, many fireworks injuries are not even reported.
Statistics show the majority of grill fires on residential properties occur in the four months of May through August. In addition, on Independence Day, far more U.S. fires are reported than any day of the year, with fireworks accounting for more than 22,000 fires in 2008.
Safe Kids Kansas urges parents to practice these safety tips recommended by the U.S. Fire Administration to reduce the risk of a residential fire or a trip to the emergency room and ensure this summer is a safe one for your family.
Grilling Safety:
· Only use the grill outdoors; position the grill well away from siding, deck railings, out from under eaves and overhanging branches and a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
· Keep children and pets away from the grill area by declaring a 3-foot "kid-free zone" around the grill.
· Be careful when using lighter fluid. Do not add fluid to an already lit fire because flames can flashback up into the container and explode.
· Do not wear loose clothing while cooking at a grill.
· When cooking food, use long-handled grilling tools to give plenty of clearance from heat and flames. Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below the grill so it cannot be ignited when the grill is hot.
· Keep all matches and lighters away from children. Teach your children to report any loose matches or lighters to an adult immediately. Supervise children around outdoor grills.
· Dispose of hot coals properly - douse them with plenty of water, and stir them to ensure that the fire is out. Never place them in plastic, paper or wooden containers.
· If you smell gas while cooking on a propane gas grill, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not attempt to move the grill.
· Never store propane cylinders in buildings or garages. If you store a gas grill inside during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and leave it outside.
Fireworks Safety:
· The best way to enjoy fireworks is to visit public fireworks displays hosted by professionals who know how to safely handle fireworks.
· Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.
· Do not carry fireworks in your pocket or hold them close to your face.
· Do not modify fireworks or use homemade fireworks.
· Light fireworks only outdoors on smooth, flat surfaces, and aim them away from spectators, buildings, dry leaves and flammable materials.
· Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.
· Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces and children should watch from a safe distance with plenty of adult supervision.
· Keep a phone handy, and know first aid for burns.
· Sparklers are not "safe" fireworks for children. The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of about 2,000°F, which is hot enough to cause third degree burns. Also, children tend to wave them around, increasing the risk that a flying spark may cause an eye injury.
Gasoline Safety:
· Never use gas to start a fire.
· Keep gas out of reach of children. Out of sight isn't enough, for any age. Store your gasoline where children cannot access it in a well-ventilated area outside your vehicle and living space. Consider a detached garage or outdoor storage shed.
· Use gasoline containers with a spout and automatic shut-off feature that will prevent overfilling of fuel tanks.
· Never use old soda bottles or other makeshift containers to store gas; children may think it's a beverage and drink it.
· Keep gas away from any source of heat, spark or flame. Even common household appliances like water heaters and clothes dryers can ignite gas vapors.
For more information about summer fire safety, call Safe Kids Kansas at 785-296-1223 or 785-296-0351, or visit www.safekids.org.
Visit us at www.safekidskansas.org and on Facebook.


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Pace lines, time trials and sprints
There are so many ways to structure a Spinning® class, and this time of year I love to simulate the racing of the Tour. I create pace lines by establishing a cadence between 80-100RPM, letting each rider find their own pace, but reminding them the will have to maintain it for a specific period of time, usually 3 songs or 15 minutes. Then about every 90-120 seconds, I will ask them to increase their cadence by 10-20RPM and hold it for 45 seconds. It starts off easy, but over time becomes very challenging.
I treat the time trials with a simple but strong cadence building drill. After a good warm-up, ask everyone to bring their cadence back to around 80RPM, reminding them it's not about the speed, but about how much resistance they apply to the wheel that's get them to a challenging intensity. Then add 10RPM to the cadence about every 60 seconds until they reach 110RPM. We may do this for 16-20 minutes, and then on the final drill provide the opportunity to take it one more level to 115-120RPM (without bouncing in the saddle!!)
If you want to go for the sprint points, I use minute 20 and 40 (in a 45 minute class) to give the option of going for it! Follow up the first sprint with a flat road, providing the riders who took the sprint with a little recovery. I encourage everyone to "make their move" in the final sprint by either staying with a seated acceleration or building momentum by adding resistance, then coming out of the saddle quickly to take the lead, and return to the saddle for a strong finish across the line! Enjoy!


text:
J.M. Vargas wrote:Got a little extra money at work. So, predictably, I went a little nuts with OOP Criterions while they're still relatively easy to get.
Melville's ARMY OF SHADOWS (Blu-ray)
Melville's LEON MORIN, PRIEST (Blu-ray)
Melville's LE DOULOS (DVD) - All these purchased through the Verdict's Amazon links.
Melville's LE CIRCLE ROUGE (Blu-ray)
J.M. Vargas wrote:^^^ I already had "Marienbad" on Blu, and I've seen "Mafioso" so I won't lose much sleep over not owning it. But darn, slowly Studio Canal is decimating Criterion's once-unbeatable catalogue of titles.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


text:
Ask many men what they would prefer to do on Fathers Day and the answer is likely to be "play golf." Fifteen 3-man teams agreed with that sentiment on Sunday as they gathered to compete in the annual Fathers Day Tournament sponsored by Green Valley.
In addition to getting to play on the course made lush by recent rains, the gentlemen also got to enjoy a lunch prepared by the Green Valley Ladies Association. There were several father/son combos in the field, which helped capture the spirit of the day.
The conditions were perfect for scoring as the normally robust winds were cooperating, the temperatures were mild, the fairways were providing good lies and the greens were soft and receptive. The field responded by posting good numbers, as it took 12-under to win the scramble format. Chip-offs were required to decide flights as scores were evenly bunched with the favorable conditions.
Winners of the flights and hole prizes are listed below:
Championship flight
1. TJ Watson-Ryan Clark-Josh Wallace 60
2. Kevin Biles-Logan McAllister-Garrett Hixon 61
3. Darrell Stroda-Scott Elliot-Kenton Ladenburger 64
First flight
1. Scott Younie-Mick Talbott-Jason May 65
2. Jason Ruckle-Mark Kumberg-Bob Householder 65
3. Tyler Gates-John Gates-Kevin Becker 65
Second flight
1. Marlin Stotts-Eugene Stotts-Jake Stotts 67
2. Steve Landry-Aaron Landry-Jason Gallagher 67
3. AG Boley-Norm Forssberg-Brandon Forssberg 67
Hole prizes
Closest to #2 Mick Talbott
Closest to #7 Tyler Thimesch
Location, ST | website.com


text:
We have a smtp server for sending email ,but recently we found that when we send hundred of newsletter to *@yahoo.com at a short time, it will blocked them. any one have better solution to solve it ? Thanks in advance!
migrated from stackoverflow.com Aug 26 '09 at 13:18
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
Are you following Yahoo's Best practise guidelines as seen here? Also, have you filled in the form here?
They key here is "within a short time." If the IP you're sending from is unrecognized and doesn't have a "reputation" built up yet, then many of the server providers will throttle the number of messages they will accept from you over time. Some suggestions:
General problems with sending mail (either high or low volume):
I think that is about it - hopefully you are not "spamming" and this is some sort of double opt-in list and also it is CAN-SPAM compliant.
Could be a problem of sending domain authentication
The Problem: Sender Address Forgery
I hate to be the one to tell you this but you are going to run into constant issues with getting email delivered. As time goes on some individuals will mark your emails as spam, which will get your ip address listed as a spam source. You ability to get email delivered will get worse and worse.
I recommend that you outsource email delivery to a company such as Aweber.com or Getresponse.com (there are several more good ones). These companies will manage your deliverability for you and remove this immense headache from your life.
Good Luck
You can setup a feedback loop with yahoo to check your emails are not taken as spam by your recipients.
I have seen this behavior with Yahoo in the past. They do greylisting so when you start sending much email to them it starts getting delayed. I have seen email delayed for up to 72 hours in the past. As Zypher pointed out they have a form to register for bulk email. Probably your best bet is to use a service like mail chimp to do your bulk mailing.
You're likely sending from a residential IP block. Does your ISP have a gateway SMTP server you should be using?
When the users registered for the newsletter, you should have sent an email confirmation to them. This way, as long as people don't mark you as spam, you will be an established contact, so to speak. Since you have already had an email correspondence with these people, Yahoo is less likely to block your mail. If there was no prior communication, Yahoo will assume that a bulk mailer is spam. Also, certain key words in your message will flag the spam-blocker.
If you are legitimately sending bulk email to yahoo the have a form (go to contact at the top they won't let me directly link) you need to fill out so that your email doesn't get blocked by their anti-spam system.
If you have DomainKeys and SPF setup you can get feedback from them on who is marking your newsletter as spam so you can remove them from your mailinglist pro-activly to avoid hitting their spam threshold again.
Consult the Yahoo Postmaster site. http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/postmaster/
If you are using Mailman to deliver your newsletters, you might need to configure your SMTP_MAX_RCPTS setting in the mm_cfg.py file.
At the bottom of the mm_cfg.py file, type:
This will batch the number of messages sent to one domain at a time, if I recall correctly. By default, the number is 500, I believe. We had problems delivering to Hotmail until we knocked this number down.
You can go even further if you like.


text:
spoiler:If you kill Juhani in the grove, Belaya will get quite upset at you and leave, and you can even meet her later in the game where she tries for a little payback. It seems Belaya and Juhani were... well... a little more than freinds.
spoiler:All three died on Katarr, unless if Vandar died on KOTOR


text:
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22 June 2016
Gavi Board Travel Policy
This policy sets out the criteria for travel reimbursement and support for the Board members, Alternate Board members and Committee delegates for Gavi related travel.
01 October 2015
Risk policy results framework
The results framework presents the process by which the objectives of the Risk Policy will be achieved.
Risk policy operational framework
The operational framework describes the structures and processes of Gavi's risk management approach as conceptualised in the Risk Policy.
Risk policy FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Gavi risk policy.
Risk policy
The risk policy forms the overarching framework for Gavi's risk management approach, which is embedded across the Secretariat in various structures and processes for risk monitoring, reporting and mitigation.
Risk appetite statement
The risk appetite statement 'sets the tone' for how much risk the organisation is willing to take, makes explicit any tensions, trade-offs, or contradictions around risk-taking and risk tolerance within an organisation, and provides a platform for discussion to inform decisions on strategies and investments.
13 July 2015
Gavi Co-financing policy
The overall objective of the co-financing policy is to increase country financing of Gavi supported vaccines in order to facilitate the transition out of Gavi support.
07 July 2015
Gavi Eligibility and Transition Policy
The purpose of this policy is to set out the criteria – and related terms, processes and procedures - that determine which countries are eligible, and when, to apply for and receive different forms of Gavi support as they transition along a continuum of economic development to the point that all Gavi support ends.
06 March 2015
Gavi Access to Information Policy
The purpose of this policy is to enhance Gavi's accountability towards Alliance partners and stakeholders, as well as the general public who may be interested in Gavi's work, by providing access to the information that will enable Gavi partners and stakeholders to understand its governance, strategies, policies and activities.
01 December 2014
Gavi Gender Policy FAQ
Gavi Gender Policy Frequently asked questions.
22 April 2014
GAVI Alliance Prioritisation Mechanism
The prioritisation mechanism guides GAVI's funding decisions when resources are restricted by enabling the ranking of country proposals recommended for funding by the Independent Review Committee (IRC) for new and underused vaccine support (NVS).
01 January 2014
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The goal of GAVI's Transparency and Accountability Policy is to ensure that all GAVI support at country level is managed in a transparent and accountable manner through systems that include appropriate oversight mechanisms and that the support is used according to the programme objectives as outlined in individual country agreements.
22 November 2013
GAVI Alliance Gender Policy
The goal of the GAVI Alliance Gender Policy is to increase immunisation coverage by supporting countries to overcome gender-related barriers to accessing immunisation services and to promote equity of access and utilisation for all girls and boys, women and men to immunisation and related health services that respond to their different health needs.
02 April 2013
GAVI Alliance Vaccine introduction grants and operational support for campaigns policy
GAVI provides a cash grant to countries ahead of each new vaccine introduction to facilitate the timely and effective implementation of critical preparation activities in the national vaccine introduction plan. GAVI also provides cash support to cover a share of the delivery cost of vaccination campaigns. These are one-time GAVI investments expected to cover a share of the necessary activities with the remainder being funded by the government and partners, if necessary.
01 April 2013
GAVI Alliance Procurement Policy
This Procurement Policy sets out the policies and practices applicable to the procurement of goods and services necessary to fulfill Alliance Work-plan activities. The objectives are to promote the prudent use of funds through sound business practices that include standard procedures, quality control, contract management, performance reporting and accurate record-keeping and reporting.
18 March 2013
Self procurement FAQ
The self procurement policy aims to ensure quality vaccines and related safety injection supplies for countries that choose to self-procure. The policy requires that only vaccines and related injection safety supplies (auto-disable syringes, syringes and needle disposal boxes) that meet international expectations of assured quality can be procured using GAVI funds. This document provides guidance on frequently asked questions.
05 March 2013
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The aim of GAVI's Fragility and immunisation- a country by country approach is to allow GAVI to work with our partners to strengthen our focus on countries that require more intensive support and attention. Introducing greater flexibility will enable GAVI to better respond to long and short term challenges faced by these countries.
GAVI country focused approach FAQs
The aim of GAVI's Fragility and immunisation- a country by country approach is to allow GAVI to work with our partners to strengthen our focus on countries that require more intensive support and attention. Introducing greater flexibility will enable GAVI to better respond to long and short term challenges faced by these countries. This document provides guidance on frequently asked questions.
21 January 2013
GAVI Alliance Whistleblower Policy
GAVI Alliance Board members and staff must observe high standards of professional and personal ethics and are encouraged to make disclosures to help protect the organisation and donor assets entrusted to GAVI's care. For these reasons, GAVI must maintain an environment where it can receive, retain, and address concerns and complaints. The purpose of this Whistleblower Policy is to provide a mechanism by which these concerns may be raised free of discrimination, retaliation, or harassment.
01 July 2012
GAVI Alliance Evaluation Policy
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12 June 2012
Gavi Ethics policy
The ethics policy ensures standards of ethical conduct for activities of any member of the Secretariat, Board and Advisory Bodies.
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01 January 2011
GAVI Alliance Graduation Policy
The GAVI Alliance graduation policy sets out the process and procedures for "graduation", which outlines the transition from the time a country's per capita income exceeds the GAVI eligibility threshold, and therefore the country is no longer eligible to apply for GAVI support, to the point that existing GAVI support ends.
GAVI Alliance Country Eligibility Policy
The GAVI Alliance country eligibility policy sets out the eligibility criteria that GAVI uses to determine which countries can apply for support at a specific point in time. The policy further outlines the programme filters which determine the requirements for accessing support for certain vaccines.
01 December 2010
GAVI Alliance Revised Co-financing Policy
The GAVI Alliance co-financing policy's objective is to put countries on a trajectory towards financial sustainability in order to prepare them for phasing out of GAVI support for new vaccines. It recognises that the time frame for attaining financial sustainability will vary across countries; therefore the intermediate objective of this policy is to enhance country ownership of vaccine financing.
17 June 2010
GAVI Alliance Document Retention Policy
This policy governs the preservation and, where applicable, permissible destruction of certain GAVI Alliance documents. It is intended to meet recognised practices and accounting standards for retention periods and to provide guidance on the circumstances which could require longer or indefinite periods of document preservation.
01 January 2010
GAVI Alliance Vaccine Donation Policy
The GAVI Alliance vaccine donation policy governs GAVI's position towards in-kind donations of vaccines, and other health products used in the delivery of vaccines (e.g. injection safety equipment, needles).
19 June 2009
GAVI's Transparency & Accountability Policy: Q&A for GAVI-eligible countries
This document answers 19 frequently asked questions about GAVI's Transparency and Accountability Policy, including: why has GAVI introduced the new policy; what will the policy apply to; and what are the objectives of the financial management assessment, etc.
01 June 2008
GAVI Alliance Transparency and Accountability Policy: Implementation Plan
The GAVI Secretariat has worked to develop an implementation plan for the approved Transparency and Accountability Policy (TAP), with extensive feedback from development partners and GAVI eligible countries. The implementation plan for the TAP is based on four core components: strengthened application, reporting and review procedures; the financial management assessment; the early warning systems; protocol to respond to misuse of GAVI funds.
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text:
What if the difference is 90% vs 70%, compared with 50% vs 20%?
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The "rules" I use:
In other words, I will not go to much effort just to help a use with a 0 accept rate, but if answering the question is likely to help other people, I will do so regardless of who asked it.
So if you have a better accept rate, you are more likely to get answers from me, but a low accept rate will not stop you getting any answers from me. (I consider an accept rate of over 70%, to be good.)
Also remember that often the people with a low acceptance rates are the same people that don't put in the effort to write a clear and concise question. So that lack of answers may not be directly related to the acceptance rate, but just due to the person asking not caring about other users of Stack Overflow.
Personally, I never look at accept rate. If I see a question I can answer, then I do.
The most effect the accept rate might have on me, is if I'm running into problems, or need clarification. A low accept rate shows that the questioner might not be one to invest quality time in his questions, so if I start to get frustrated and feel that I'm not going to have the questioner care enough to help, I might move on.
People are INCREDIBLY motivated by rep in this game called Stack Exchange. We want to know that our time is going to be rewarding to us. If your accept rate is 90 or 70, we're probably going to be just as motivated to ask it as if it was 100 (since even answering a question isn't a guarantee of acceptance, our odds are probably the same). If your rep is 20, I'm less likely to invest the time unless I see it something that could be upvoted many times. I may still decide not to answer a question for somebody with a 20% answer rate though as I'd like to help somebody who played by the rules and rewarded good behavior. The ultimate point is that if you don't reward the community, the community won't reward you.
I think you could say the opposite, people will likely ignore your question or not spend much time on it if your accept rate is gray or less than 60%. 30% or 20% makes it likely people won't bother especially if it is a tough question.


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Recruiting Test Participants for Usability Studies
Summary: Easy test user recruiting is crucial to an effective usability process. The average per-user cost is $171, but varies greatly depending on location and the targeted profession.
By now, most companies accept the need to improve the usability of their websites, intranets, software and hardware designs, and other projects that have a user interface. Many companies also know that user testing is the fastest and easiest method in the usability engineering toolbox. (Unfortunately, many don't know about the other methods in the toolbox or how to effectively combine multiple usability methods throughout the project lifecycle, but that's a story for another day.)
Many people believe in user testing, but in real design projects, not much testing takes place. Why the discrepancy between belief and action? Mainly, it is the company's inability to fire off a quick, small test when faced with a design decision. Few organizations can run such tests within the deadlines required by fast-moving development projects. This lack of test-readiness means that testing becomes a rare and precious event that -- at best -- happens once per project.
Single-test projects invariably defer usability testing until the complete design is available. This practice still occurs despite twenty years of experience uniformly showing that most projects require multiple rounds of testing and redesign to achieve acceptable user-experience quality, and the equally strong finding that it is a hundred times cheaper to fix usability problems discovered early in the project rather than at its end.
Simplifying User Testing
To increase the number of companies that apply usability methods correctly, we must make it easier and cheaper to do the right thing .
The three main rules for simplified user testing are:
- Get representative users
- Ask them to perform representative tasks with the design
- Shut up and let the users do the talking
The third rule is surprisingly difficult, while rule #2 requires some experience to execute well. Still, the main obstacle to quick and frequent user testing is the difficulty of finding warm bodies that satisfy rule #1. Most companies have no procedures for getting five customers to show up at specified times next Wednesday, and yet that's what is required for a successful usability study.
Participant recruiting is the unglamorous foundation for all user testing. Without recruiting, you won't have users. Having a systematic recruiting program in place will make a huge difference in how much usability testing your organization conducts, and the quality of your recruiting will immediately increase the quality of your test results.
Recruiting: The State of the Art
To assess the current state of recruiting usability study participants, Nielsen Norman Group surveyed 201 usability professionals. Because we wanted to report how recruiting actually occurs in today's design projects, we deliberately surveyed a biased sample of respondents who were actively involved in usability testing and recruiting. Of course, because most companies don't currently conduct user testing, they also don't recruit test participants. The findings reported here relate solely to the practices of those companies that run usability tests.
Of the survey respondents, 54% were based in the US, 8% in the UK, 7% in Canada, and 5% in Australia. Continental Europe accounted for 14% of respondents, and Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa were represented as well. Clearly, usability testing, and thus participant recruiting, is a worldwide phenomenon.
Specialized Recruiting Agencies
Most companies recruited their own test participants, possibly because of the cost of engaging a specialized recruiting agency. Only 36% of our respondents used an outside recruiting agency. These companies typically handled some of their own recruiting as well; only 9% of respondents used outside agencies to find all of their test participants.
Recruiting agency costs can be substantial: the average agency fee was $107 per participant. Fees varied significantly based on geography, with the highest fees in the world on the West Coast of the US, where the average was $125 per participant. As I can attest from painful experience, Silicon Valley is not only an expensive place to do business, it's also a place where you must work extra hard to recruit people who have not already been studied to death.
Companies that did their own recruiting reported spending an average of 1.15 hours of staff time for each participant recruited. Still, 24% of respondents reported spending more than two hours per participant. If you don't have a streamlined recruiting process in place, with a skilled recruiting specialist, it might not pay off to handle recruiting in-house.
Recruiting fees also varied dramatically by user profile. It's no big surprise that agencies charge twice as much to recruit high-end professionals ($161 per person) as to recruit average consumers or students (about $84 per person).
Incentives for Test Participants
Companies offered monetary incentives to only 10% of participants in internal studies, such as intranet or MIS system tests. This finding corresponds well with my recommendation that companies not pay their own employees extra money to participate in usability testing, because they're already being paid for their time.
About a third of companies (35%) did offer non-monetary incentives to internal test participants. Typically, this was a small gift, such as a coupon for a free book or lunch in the company cafeteria.
In contrast, companies typically offered cash to participants recruited from outside as incentive to participate in a test: 63% of external users received monetary compensation, 41% received non-monetary incentives, and 9% received nothing. (The numbers total more than 100% because a lucky 13% of external participants were given both monetary and non-monetary incentives.)
The average incentive paid to external users was $64 per hour of test time. Again, the US West Coast was the most expensive, with an average incentive of $81 per hour.
Incentives varied even more by user profile: High-level professionals received almost four times as much as nonprofessional users ($118 vs. $32 per hour, on average).
No-Show Rates
Study participants reported an average no-show rate of 11%, which translates into one in nine users failing to show up as promised. However, because of uncontrollable events like weather, traffic, and random personal events, no-show rates are highly variable from one study to the next. Thus, if you're running a "standard" simple test with five users, you might easily be hit by one or two no-shows.
There are many tricks for minimizing no-shows and alleviating their impact when they do occur, but unfortunately we cannot completely eliminate the problem. No-shows are highly annoying and, therefore, one of the main reasons I recommend paying fairly generous incentives to test participants, even when their normal hourly salary is relatively low.
Initiating Systematic Recruiting
I strongly recommend that you treat participant recruiting as an important component of your user experience process. The more you establish and systematize your recruiting approach, the easier it will be to run studies when you need usability data.
If you're a small company, or if you haven't done much user testing in the past, I recommend that you consider hiring a professional recruiting agency. If you can't afford the agency fee or if you conduct too few studies to employ an in-house recruiting specialist, you can certainly recruit your own test participants, and it will become easier to do so as you gain experience.
In either case, following best practices for recruiting will reduce your usability program's overall cost and increase the validity of your test findings. If you get the wrong users, or if you don't get enough users, your usability studies will not generate the results you deserve, and your credibility could suffer as a result.
Full Report (Free)
The full report on recruiting test users for usability studies is available for free download.
(Update added 2013: Recruiting agency fees and recommended user incentives are now around 20% higher than the numbers reported here, but the relative size of the expenses remains the same.)
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Tether.com is pleased to announce that its award-winning app – which allows simple and affordable internet connection through smartphones -- is available for iPhones, again.
The developers behind Tether.com first released its product for BlackBerry in 2009 so users would no longer experience the frustration of being unable to find a WiFi hotspot when most needed. After a little more than two years, Tether.com now provides 500,000 BlackBerry and Android users with a dependable Internet connection for their laptops and desktops, using their existing smartphone data plans.
"It was clear from our initial application iTether, there was enormous demand within the iPhone ecosystem," says Tim Burke, CEO of Tether. "It was unfortunate that Apple decided to remove our application, only 20 hours after we launched. However, this caused us to innovate. Our underlying patent-pending technology behind Tether for iPhone is unlike anything on the market."
Tether's new version for the iPhone is purely based on HTML5 and creates a completely wireless connection over AdHoc. This circumvents the need of buying the application directly from Apple's App Store and allows any iPhone or iPad with a data connection to allow tethering.
Frequent travelers in particular love Tether because it works all over the world, no matter what network or carrier is available at the time. There's no need to worry about reconfiguring the Internet connection from network to network.
- To Download: http://tether.com/iphone/download
- To Order: http://tether.com/iphone/order


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Fight the elements in O'Neill style with this Quad full zip hoodie! It features four printed brand logos on the chest, each in a different color, along with O'Neill lettering to complete your eye-catching look!
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A projectile is launched over level ground at $35 \frac{m}{s}$ at an angle of $24^{\circ}$ above the horizontal. Friction is negligible. What is the velocity (magnitude and direction) of this projectile $2.5$ s after launch?
For the magnitude do they mean the overall velocity at $2.5$ seconds $(\cos(24)35)$ in or do they mean the magnitude of the displacement: $\cos(24)35 \cdot 2.5$ ?
For the direction part do you assemble a triangle of the the combined velocity and the x and y components. Then use the cos law to solve for cos of the angle? Is this completely wrong? The answer on my homework differs from mine, but maybe thats just cause my math skills are questionable. Can anyone help me out with this and solve it step for step with an answer at the end? Thanks soooooo much :)!!!!!!


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I have an approximate solution for the function
u[x,t] using the semi-discretization method in time step. For example, I have
u[x,ti] for all
x and some
ti. I want to plot a 3D figure for this function and I don't know how to plot it.
I have an approximate solution for the function
If I understand correctly instead of a function defined analytically:
You have a set of curves resulting from a discrete variable, similarly to:
I think the easiest way to plot this is to make 2nd variable discrete too and use
Another way, "preserving" continuous definition of one variable and keeping the other discrete is to use


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Saint Louis University Yellow Ribbon Program
Saint Louis University Yellow Ribbon Criteria:
- Eligible for the Ch33 Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits at the 100% level
- Maintain good academic standing at Saint Louis University
- Be admitted as a degree-seeking student with net tuition and fee charges above the Veteran Affairs' annual maximum rate as posted at www.gibill.va.gov
Saint Louis University is a proud participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and supplies 50% of the remaining unmet tuition and fee charges for up to 75 students.
The amount each student in the Yellow Ribbon Program will receive from SLU will vary according to the cost of their degree program and any tuition specific scholarships or grant they may have been awarded, but cannot exceed the maximum contracted annual amount of $10,000.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is available to students in all degree programs offered at Saint Louis University excluding the School of Medicine.
** Please note that the Yellow Ribbon Program award cannot be combined with other Saint Louis University institutional awards to result in a surplus for the student. **
For more information about the Yellow Ribbon program at Saint Louis University, please see the Veterans Benefits website.
For additional information about the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, please see the GI Bill website at www.gibill.va.gov.
For questions, please contact:
Jennifer Matteson
Veterans Certifying Official
(314) 977-2259
DuBourg Hall 22
One Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103


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N +48º 52' 7.88" / W +2º 16' 58.48"
Tel: (33) 1 56906100Fax: (33) 1 56906101
Check-in after 14:00h
Check-out until 12:00h
Paris is the capital of France and, along with London, is the most important financial city in Europe. Paris is also the most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 42 million visitors a year
It has some of the most famous landmarks in the world: the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs-Elysees Avenue, the Arc de Triomphe, the Basilica of Sacré Cœur, the Hotel National des Invalides, the Pantheon, the Grande Arche, the Palais Garnier and the district of Montmartre, amongst others. It is also home to internationally famous institutions: the Louvre (the most famous and popular museum in the world), the Orsay Museum and the French National Natural History Museum.
Paris has played an important part in western cultural and artistic history. Many of the most famous French people were born, trained or worked here, including René Descartes, Molière, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Degas and Claude Monet, amongst many others.
Paris has many very popular museums


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Fischer Audio Consonance White Earphones, Headphones for New Music Re-Vitalized
"Introduction: Sometimes in life, things kinda catch you by surprise when you least expect it and this is exactly what I found with the Fischer Audio Consonance Earphone. When I purchased my KEF M200s, I thought this would be for life; these were most accurate sounding IEMs I had heard to date. However, there was a downside like with most things in life and that was the..." --mcook1970
Fischer Audio Consonance V2
"The Consonance V2 is a pair of earphones manufactured by Russia-based Fischer Audio which forms part of their Fundamentals lineup. With its in-line microphone and remote control unit and low impedance, it appears to be aimed squarely at smartphone users. As you can tell from the name, the V2 is their latest revision of the well received Conosnance. However, as I have no experience with its..." --fonzler
Fischer Audio Omega Twin
"The Twins is the top offering from the Omega Series ($79 USD), "the one-solution companion for your entire day" "giving you a fantastic experience be it commuting, casual listening or hitting the fitness arena", further aided with a 1 button remote for smartphone users. The Twins claim to be the "choice for those that demand only the best" when working and working out. This is quite a..." --Tom22
Fischer Audio Omega Ace
"Just gonna do a brief review. Got these for RM250, which translates to roughly 62USD. For that price, you would not even be able to find another pair of over-the-ear IEMs. Overall, the build feels pretty solid despite the plastic housing and it comes with a twisted cable. The drivers aren't big, and thus fits into the ears well without any protruding parts. Comfort wise, these pair of IEMs are..." --Asher Lim
Fischer Audio Omega Spark
"Price would indicate the Sparks as the middle offering in the Omega series ($59 USD) However, Fischer Audio intended to tackle a different demographic with the Spark those that have trouble fitting earphones in the past, including young adults and women alike. To combat this task, Fischer Audio set out to make one of the most compact and miniscule earphones on the market, while adding remote..." --Tom22
Fischer Audio DBA-02
" Introduction A warning before we even get to the review. This is kinda lengthy. I'm not sure how it got so long since it is just one product but yeah it is a bit long. Fischer Audio has slowly gained popularity over the last year or so and there was quite a buzz on them but nothing interested me enough to go out and purchase them. That changed when LFF posted a review on the DBA 02 and..." --rawrster
Fischer Audio DBA-02 Mk II
" The DBA-02 Mk IIs are getting a lot of the same fame and respect their initial version siblings got. While initial comparisons suggest the Mk IIs are not as distinctive as the originals in shining with as fearless a midrange and treble, the major sonic character seems to have carried. (I never heard the originals but have gathered this from others' opinions.) And..." --ScuderiaHeadFi
Fischer Audio Paradigm V2
Specifications : - Frequency range : 10-20000 Hz - Sensitivity : 104 dB - Impedance : 16 Om - Input power : 60 mW - Length of a cable : 1.25 M - Color : black / silver. - Set : ear tips, pouch.
Fischer Audio Silver Bullets
"First of all, my favourite genres are Progressive Roch/Metal and Classic, that's important to note for this review, because these IEMs are very specific. If you want a good all round package sound-wise and overall, look elswhere; the Fischer Audio Silver Bullets are uncompromisingly about the sound of drums and electric guitars! Their major weakness lies in their thin and flimsy cable. It's..." --AlfredKeppler
Universal In-Ear Stereo Headset, White
Apple: iPad 16GB / 32GB / 64GB ;iPhone 1st Gen. 16GB / 4GB / 8GB ;iPhone 3G 16GB / 8GB ;iPhone 3GS 16GB / 32GB ;iPod 1st Gen. 10GB / 5GB ;iPod 2nd Gen. 20GB ;iPod 3rd Gen. 10GB / 15GB / 20GB / 30GB / 40GB ;iPod 4th Gen. 20GB (Color Display) / 30GB (Color Display) / 40GB (Photo) / 60GB (Color Display) / U2 Special Edition ;iPod Classic 120GB / 160GB / 80GB ;iPod Mini 4GB / 6GB ;iPod Nano 1st...


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On this week's episode, all three of the boys still love Batman: Arkham City, while Steve spends some quality time with Battlefield 3, and Jon plays some Kirby, Kev decides to take his chances as some sort of harpoon wielding cloud whale thing. Being topical and all, we also sound the drums of doom for Nintendo, what with all their recent financial woes. Rated M for Mature. Music by Dan 'StringVulture' Moore
Listen with Predjudice, Comment Accordingly - we love belligerence!


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 4, 2013 - The American Red Cross has launched its official Tornado App. The app puts lifesaving information right in the hands of people who live in, visit, or have loved ones in tornado-prone areas.
This free app-available in English or Spanish-gives iPhone, iPad and Android smart phone and tablet users instant access to local and real-time information, so they know what to do before, during and after a tornado. The app includes a high-pitched siren and "tornado warning!" alert that signals people when a NOAA tornado warning has been issued in their area - even if the app is closed. An "all clear!" alert lets users know when a tornado warning has expired or has been cancelled.
"Tornadoes often happen in the overnight hours when people are sleeping," said Billy Baxter, Executive Officer for the Alabama Region. "The audible alerts in this app can save lives - even if users can't monitor the weather because they are away from radio, TV or in places where weather band radios may not work."
Other features of the app include:
• Location-based NOAA tornado, severe thunderstorm and flood watch and warning alerts;
• Enhanced weather maps;
• One-touch "I'm safe" messaging that allows users to broadcast reassurance to family and friends that they are out of harm's way;
• Simple steps and checklists people can use to create an emergency plan and share it with household members;
• Preloaded content that gives users instant access to critical action steps, even without mobile connectivity;
• Toolkit with flashlight, strobe light and audible alarm;
• Locations of open Red Cross shelters; and
• Badges users can earn through interactive quizzes and share on social networks.
Launched during National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, the Tornado App is the latest in a series of mobile apps http://www.redcross.org/mobileapps created by the Red Cross, the nation's leader in emergency preparedness. The apps have been used to help save lives during hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires.
"The Red Cross has made great strides in putting vital information in the hands of people who need it during emergencies. In fact, our apps are now on more than two million mobile devices across the country," added Baxter.
Mobile activity soared due to Superstorm Sandy:
• More than 400,000 people downloaded the Red Cross Hurricane App;
• Nearly 6 million NOAA weather alerts were sent;
• Preparedness content was the most popular feature of the app followed by alerts and the shelter locator;
• The average time spent using the app increased 300 percent; and
• The app had 15 million page views.
Right after the storm, the Hurricane App was updated with real-time recovery information including Red Cross shelter and feeding sites, FEMA sites, open gas stations and warming centers to help those affected by the storm.
The Tornado App http://3cu.be/tsa, along with the others, can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps
The Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters each year and we help people get ready to respond to emergencies by providing these apps for free. The Red Cross needs the help of the public to continue this lifesaving effort. People can make a donation to the Red Cross by going to redcross.org http://www.redcross.org, texting REDCROSS to 90999 or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.


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Third Trimester To-Do List
2 of 12
Manage Your New Symptoms
You might have enjoyed a relatively symptom-free second trimester, but some pesky side effects might return — and some new ones might arise — during your third trimester. Common symptoms include backaches and sciatica, constipation, indigestion, heartburn, fatigue, faintness, heart palpitations, varicose veins, and edema (swelling). Symptoms such as edema of the legs and feet and faintness could be related to circulation problems many pregnant women experience, so call your doctor right away. If you're having trouble sleeping, try sleeping on your side and using a body pillow that supports your belly. Also, drink more fluids during the day than around bedtime in an effort to cut back on nighttime bathroom breaks.


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603 N. Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78703 512-472-5050 Open 9AM - 11PM The largest independent bookstore in Texas!
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Twisted (Paperback)
Four pretty girls have more ugly secrets than ever.
It's been a year since the mystery of their former friend's disappearance was finally laid to rest, and Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily have worked hard to put their lives back together. Now seniors in high school, the pretty little liars are older, but they're not any wiser.
Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but I saw everything. And they should know by now that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.
About the Author
Sara Shepard is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, as well as the series The Perfectionists. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA from Brooklyn College.
Praise For…
Praise for the Pretty Little Liars series: "Shepard writes a suspenseful page–turner that will have teens thirsting for more."
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