text:
Most of us celebrated Easter last Sunday in traditional ways. A nice church service, maybe an egg hunt with the kids.
In Colorado, they celebrated pot that day.
Talk about your happy Easter.
Yes, it's true, thousands of people gathered for a weekend of festivals and entertainment to, well, kind of honor cannabis in the first state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana.
Before you get the wrong idea, pot users can be Christians and celebrate Easter, it's just that the event coincided with the holiday (4/20) because 420 apparently used to be a clandestine term used to refer to marijuana.
Denver wasn't the only city in the country to hold a marijuana celebration on April 20, and some feel that cities in all 50 states will someday be celebrating the decriminalization of pot.
But pot holidays will never go mainstream in Minnesota, and Jeremy Pauling of Montevideo has no desire to attend a party in honor of cannabis, but he's one of hundreds of people who want to see the day come when those who need the drug to relieve their pain or curb their seizures can get their hands on it - right here in Minnesota. If medical marijuana is legalized, the Pauling family might just throw a party of their own. And here's why:
Seven-year-old Katelyn Pauling has Battens, a recessive neurodegenerative disorder that strikes about 1 in 100,000 kids. Katelyn's father, Jeremy, thinks his daughter is one of five kids in the state that has it.
"It basically eats away at her brain," Jeremy said. "When she was 3, she was a happy, healthy child, bouncing off walls, walking, talking. Then after she turned 3, she started having seizures. We were told she would grow out of it."
She never has.
In fact, Jeremy estimates Katelyn has anywhere from 50 to 60 seizures every day - some more severe and frightening than others.
"Her brain will shut down for a second, then start up again," Jeremy said. "A lot of nervous twitching. She'll have laughing seizures where she'll laugh for two hours straight. Then usually they'll turn into crying seizures where she cries for two hours straight."
Katelyn also suffers grand mal seizures - the great whites of all seizures - where she jerks uncontrollably and loses command of her body. "Her longest was three minutes," Jeremy said. "Right now, all we have is Valium to give her. A lot of times, that don't work, either."
Jeremy thinks the solution to making his daughter as comfortable as possible in the time she has left of this planet (the life expectancy for children with Battens is 10 to 12 years) lies in a drug illegal in Minnesota - an oil extracted from a type of marijuana called R4 - low in THC (the compound in marijuana that's psychoactive) and high in CBD (which has medicinal properties but no psychoactivity). It's called Charlotte's Web, named after a little girl who before taking the drug suffered from as many as 300 grand mal seizures a week when she was 3 - close to the same age as Katelyn was when her seizures began. Since she's been on the drug, Charlotte, now 6, has two or three episodes a month.
"We were planning on moving to Colorado to see if it works, but we decided to wait to see what happens in Minnesota," said Jeremy, referring to the ongoing medical marijuana debate in Minnesota.
But the family isn't sitting idly by. Jeremy recently spent two-and-a-half hours at the governor's mansion taking with Gov. Mark Dayton about making medical marijuana legal here. He considers that progress but remains frustrated and scared for his daughter.
"He called us in, sat us down; says he supports the pills and capsules but doesn't support the smoking - I could care less about the smoking part of it," Jeremy said. "My daughter needs the oil capsules. It seems like he was compassionate at that point, but he's been going back and forth. I don't know which side of the fence he's on."
The polarizing debate has been contentious in St. Paul. The House and Senate bills that have been introduced would allow people suffering from conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and glaucoma to access medical marijuana if recommended by their doctors. Dayton at first stood with law enforcement against legalizing pot but has recently softened his stance. However, Dayton's human and has been influenced by families crying out for the legalization of medical marijuana.
"I've seen more politics in the last eight-and-a-half weeks than I ever wanted to see in my life," said Jeremy, his sense of humor still intact. "We've seen (Dayton) flip-flop on this, but I think the education's not there - he's not educated about what the medication is doing."
Yes, progress has come slowly, but it is there if you look close enough. On Tuesday, a group of more than 100 doctors and clergy throughout the state joined Minnesotans for Compassionate Care to add another chapter to the story by formally expressing support for legal access to medicinal marijuana. And Friday, a Senate panel approved a bipartisan medical marijuana bill. Jeremy, his wife Kristy and Katelyn were there for that, too - it was their eighth trip to the Capitol in the last two months.
The Paulings don't know if Charlotte's Web will be the answer for Katelyn, but they know they have to try it - Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs have done little for Katelyn, and she takes more than a dozen of them. But if medical marijuana isn't legalized here, it could be off to Colorado for the Paulings, which would mean leaving behind their family, their support group. If you ask Jeremy, the state is all but pushing them out if it decides not to recognize marijuana as a legal medical option.
"Charlotte's Web, it actually heals the brain in a way," he said. "Maybe it's a miracle drug."
Miracles do happen. The only question is, will this one happen in Minnesota or Colorado?


text:
The Housing Authority of the County of Warren heard reports from staff Tuesday afternoon despite lacking the members to constitute a quorum.
Jolene Weaver and Dale Reitz were the only members of the authority able to attend the meeting where they received updates on the state of the organization
Executive Director Tonya Mitchell-Weston reported the authority is moving forward in the application for a three-year Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) grant. Mitchell-Weston stated the authority had hired a grant writer to prepare for a due date on Tue., Mar. 27. According to Mitchell-Weston the grant would be used to hire a co-ordinator for all public housing facilities. She stated the move would, "free up managers to focus on managing properties."
Mitchell-Weston stated the authority is working on a partnership with the Warren-Forest County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC).
"We're working to build collaborative relationships with other area agencies," stated Mitchell-Weston. "We serve a lot of the same clients."
According to Mitchell-Weston, the EOC has referred a number of clients to the authority in the past.
Mitchell-Weston stated authority staff is currently preparing for a HUD Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) physical inspection. She noted the authority had hired an evaluator in preparation for the inspection.
"We did not do exceptionally well," stated Mitchell-Weston. "It's meant, partly, to be a learning tool so we know where to focus our energy."
Mitchell-Weston stated the problems found were mostly in "detail items" such as filling potholes left from winter plow damage, securing electrical panels in secure areas and repairing marks left in door frames from hinges removed when the doors were removed.
According to Mitchell-Weston, she feels confident the authority will meet REAC requirements by inspection time next year and noted the authority is working on making necessary improvements. She also noted staff would be leaving to attend REAC training in Harrisburg immediately following the meeting.
Authority Section 8 Housing Co-ordinator Mary Mundt reported the authority will be changing interviews with potential residents back to a one-on-one format. Mundt stated the format helps maintain confidentiality and allows the authority to, "get a better feel for the person." She noted the format didn't seem to make the application process any lengthier.
Mitchell-Weston noted she feels the authority moves quickly in filling openings compared to other housing authorities.
"A couple of weeks or months is not bad," stated Mitchell-Weston. "Compared to other housing authorities taking 5 to 7 years and as long as 9 (years) to provide section 8 housing."
Mundt reported the authority received 40 applications for housing during a waiting list open enrollment period last month. She stated she is currently verifying the applications.
Mundt also reported she will be attending training the week of Mar. 26 as a resident hearing officer.
Mitchell-Weston reported the authority is in the process of acquiring a new solicitor, a firm for proposed office renovations, a cleaning and painting service and looking into hiring an occupancy specialist to streamline paperwork depending on budgetary constraints.
Mitchell-Weston also stated the authority was looking in a new door system to track traffic into and out of authority buildings.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Marilyn Frances passed away peacefully at home in Brush Prairie, Wash. on May 2, 2013 at the age of 82, surrounded by family.
Marilyn was born Oct. 19, 1930 in Long Beach, Calif. She often shared happy memories of her early childhood in Panama, where her stepfather was an engineer on the Panama Canal.
She is pre-deceased by her first husband, Thomas C. McClelland.
She is survived by two sisters, Pat Young of Oceanside, Calif., and Sharon Basham of Sonora, Calif., and by her four children; Susan Frances of Vancouver, Wash., Thomas McClelland, Jr. of Plains, Mont., Anne Bloom of Copperas Cove, Texas, and Kathleen Carlson of Phoenix, Ariz. She has six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
With her family, Marilyn crossed the country, living in Oklahoma, Illinois, West Virginia, South Carolina, Kansas, Arizona, Washington, Hawaii, and Colorado.
She moved to San Juan Island in June of 1967 and was an island resident until l998, then lived in Canon City, Colo. until 2006, returning to Washington state to be near friends and family.
Marilyn was highly talented, and explored many creative outlets. Her writing accomplishments include three published short stories and two short plays performed by the Friday Harbor Community Theater.
She had a love for color and interior design, studied watercolor painting, and was an enthusiastic quilter. Marilyn loved anything handcrafted and delighted in collecting. She was a passionate gardener and had a knack for creating beautiful indoor and outdoor environments.
Marilyn had a favorite bumper sticker that provides a fitting epitaph: "I've survived damn near everything!"
Fly away free spirit – we love you.
Messages to the family can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or c/o Frances, 13308 NW 9th Avenue, #E, Vancouver, WA 98685
— Family of Marilyn Frances
© Sound Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Our Titles | Work With Us


text:
Results tagged ' Joba Chamberlain '
Guess what? The Great Joba Debate lives on!
Were you as surprised as I was that we're talking about Joba Chamberlain, the starting pitcher, again? This is just proof that if you wait long enough, everything eventually comes back into style.
Back in the summer of 2009, I remember working on a feature for MLB.com about The Great Joba Debate. That story included a lengthy phone interview with New York sports personality Mike Francesa, who had filled hours upon hours of air time by banging on his desk and insisting that Joba Chamberlain belonged in the Yankees' bullpen, not their rotation.
Back then, Chamberlain was in the middle of an '09 campaign that produced mixed results as a starting pitcher. He'd be moved to the bullpen for the playoffs, as the Yankees took advantage of the postseason schedule and rode to a World Series title with a three-man rotation Chamberlain stayed in the bullpen, never to return.
General manager Brian Cashman later revealed that an Aug. 2008 shoulder injury changed the Yanks' thinking on Chamberlain, believing he no longer profiled as an effective starting pitcher.
"Since the injury in Texas, his stuff is different now," Cashman said in January 2011. "We've seen over time that his stuff plays so much better as a reliever since he hurt his shoulder … I've answered the Joba thing enough. I think everybody knows the answer to that. Joba is in the bullpen, and I think everybody is happy with that."
Well, maybe not everybody. As Chamberlain said on Tuesday in Clearwater, he wants another crack at starting or closing in the future. As a free agent after this season, he might just get that chance. It's not unthinkable that a team would sign Chamberlain and bring him to camp to audition as a fifth starter (hey, the Royals gave Kyle Farnsworth a crack at breaking their rotation a few years ago), using the bullpen as a fallback landing spot.
The problem is, for Chamberlain, that team will not be the Yankees. It's clear how they feel about Chamberlain in the rotation, and with Mariano Rivera and David Robertson ahead on the closing depth chart, Chamberlain wouldn't figure to see very many save opportunities down the line in pinstripes. Cashman has no interest in reviving The Great Joba Debate, but there are 29 other GMs in the game who might at least consider it.
Friday's early camp notes: Youk offers an explanation
Kevin Youkilis was clicking around the Internet on Thursday evening when he realized one of his comments was picking up steam. Youkilis raised some eyebrows by saying that he'd "always be a Red Sock" and thought he should seek out the media on Friday at George M. Steinbrenner Field to clarify exactly what he'd meant.
"It hit me hard. I was like, 'Oh man, I've got to watch my mouth here.'" Youkilis said. "I look at what I was saying as more like a baseball card. When you look at it, there are going to be nine seasons (with Boston). That's why I said that. In the context of what I said, if you read it as just 'I'm always a Red Sock,' it looks bad.
"But it's not that way. I'm a Yankee today, I'm excited, I'm proud to be a Yankee and I'm proud for Opening Day to play against the team that I spent all those seasons with. Trust me, if you know my personality and you know who I am, it doesn't matter what team it is along the way – I want to beat everyone. I want to beat the Red Sox because I want to start off with a win at Yankee Stadium."
Youkilis said that the comment was "one of those things you have to take with a grain of salt," and that he also considers himself a Cincinnati Bearcat and a Chicago White Sock. It's all part of his history, he said.
"I read a quote in (the clubhouse) that says, 'There's no such thing as an ex-Yankee,'" Youkilis said. "I'll be proud to be a Yankee for life after this year, too."
- As long as Youkilis was clearing up controversies, he also wanted to issue a progress report on his relationship with Joba Chamberlain. The former rivals shook hands on Friday morning, discussing Chamberlain's budding new mustache (which has garnered mixed reviews, to put it nicely). Both players said their previous incidents are in the past and Chamberlain said he didn't feel a need to explain anything to Youkilis.
- On to some actual baseball updates, Michael Pineda threw a bullpen session of 25 fastballs and said he felt good. It's a light day on the bullpen side here at Yankees camp: Cesar Cabral, Zach Nuding and Matt Tracy also threw sides and Vidal Nuno threw a live batting practice session, but there aren't too many bold-faced names on the workout list. The catchers in camp will take batting practice and the pitchers will go through fielding drills, but other than that, it could be a quick one for the Yanks.
- Today won't be the day we get Mariano Rivera's decision, in case you were wondering.
Message received: Joba hears from Youkilis
I guess we can all take that deep sigh of relief now. Kevin Youkilis has sent Joba Chamberlain a text message, according to Newsday's Erik Boland, who is on the ground down in Tampa:
There was never much doubt that Chamberlain and Youkilis were going to put aside their differences and try to play nice as teammates, but at least there's some confirmation that things are moving in the right direction.
Chamberlain had said that he reached out to Youkilis shortly after the third baseman signed in December, leaving a voice mail that went unreturned for a while.
Other notes passed along on Twitter by Boland and the New York Daily News' Anthony McCarron as they guard the sidewalk outside the Yankees' minor league complex (the media is not being allowed on the grounds yet — check out McCarron's sweet photo):
Michael Pineda threw approximately 25 pitches from a half-mound. It's his third such session of the spring. … Phil Hughes and Clay Rapada have arrived. David Robertson is also on site. … Derek Jeter worked out again. … Ivan Nova stopped briefly and told reporters he has no doubt he'll be in the Yankees rotation.
Raul Ibanez discussing return with the Yankees
Remember when you were a kid, and you'd hunt through the house for a day or so, looking for something to wrap up for your parents as the holidays approached? "Merry Christmas, Dad, I put a bow on this stapler you already owned."
Doesn't it kind of feel that's how the Yankees' winter is going?
Brian Cashman's shopping is continuing to center from within, as the Yankees are engaging the representative for Raul Ibanez, the most clutch bat of their postseason run and another one of their internal free agents.
The New York Post reports that GM Brian Cashman has confirmed the discussions with Ibanez, who would be strictly a DH if he returns — interesting, considering his appeal last year was that unlike candidates like Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui, the Yankees trusted Ibanez to play the outfield (and, it turned out, had to use him there more than expected).
The Yankees have an all left-handed hitting outfield of Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Ichiro Suzuki, so they need some right-handed balance. Scott Hairston's name has been floated for weeks, but he's rather popular on the open market and might command a two-year deal, something the Yankees have seemed reluctant to extend.
- Elsewhere, Joba Chamberlain told MLB Network yesterday that he and Kevin Youkilis are ready to bury the hatchet from their interesting past. Chamberlain left Youkilis a voice mail as the third baseman's contract with the Yankees was nearing completion."I'm glad he's on our side of things," Chamberlain said. "We're both grown men, we both like to play the game. We'll continue to move on. I'm glad he's in our uniform and hopefully he can hit a few balls to right field over the fence for us and not against me like he's done before."
- Nick Swisher's "Swishapalooza" tour is continuing. The Indians always seemed like a good dark horse candidate to land him — the Yankees' trip to Cleveland last season felt almost like a homecoming for Swisher. I'd imagine the Ohio State product must have been impressed by the Tribe's recruiting video, which featured Urban Meyer, Thad Matta and others begging Swish to sing "Hang On Sloopy" with the fans 81 times per year.
Joba Chamberlain hits 97 mph in second relief outing
Joba Chamberlain was clocked as high as 97 mph during his 1 2/3 innings of work against the Tigers on Monday at Comerica Park, which the Yankees right-hander views as a very positive sign.
"The first one was just getting it out of the way and trying to build from there," Chamberlain said. "Today was a lot more comfortable; I didn't really have time to think about it. I just had to get out there and try to make pitches. I think that was the biggest thing. All the emotions are gone and now it's back to work."
Chamberlain relieved Ivan Nova in the sixth inning and allowed a run-scoring single to Jhonny Peralta, charged to Nova's line. He pitched around a Prince Fielder single in the seventh, striking out Brennan Boesch looking to end the inning.
"Everything just felt a little rushed in the first one," Chamberlain said. "Today just felt more compact, more fluid and I was able to throw everything for a strike. Obviously there's still stuff we have to continue to work on, but as far as being able to go out and throw any pitch in any count, I felt really good with it."
Chamberlain's first appearance came on Aug. 2 at Yankee Stadium, when he allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings to the Orioles. The Yankees have said that they envision Chamberlain working his way back to the late innings, facing both lefties and righties. He has returned from Tommy John surgery as well as an open dislocation of his right ankle.
"I thought it was a big improvement from the last time," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I thought he threw the ball a lot better, so that was encouraging."


text:
Whether you have problems with your time management in class or you just want to focus students attention on the importance of time while working on tasks, the timers below will be of great help to you.
Via Andrea Zeitz
Get Started for FREE
Sign up with Facebook Sign up with Twitter
I don't have a Facebook or a Twitter account
Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Earlier this year, we asked a group of student leaders to watch the presidential primary debates. After a contentious exchange among candidates, one 4th grader said, "I would feel disrespected because I wouldn't talk over them like that.
Via Ariana Amorim
Les Howard's insight:
Share your insight
From ww2
Teachers are finding that when they explicitly teach deep reading strategies geared to digital media, students can access and comprehend complex texts.
Should Students Skip Homework to Sleep More?
By Jonathan E. Martin and Jeremy Burrus - This infographic explains more on why it is so important to assess social emotional learning in schools.
Via Ana Cristina Pratas
Yes, studies say, they will test better. But whether being active helps them learn better is still unresolved
Topics and places the world is reporting on right now. Explore what shapes our different perspectives.
Via Nik Peachey
Les Howard's insight:
Ask Nik Peachey says great site to explore bias
Nik Peachey's curator insight, October 11, 1:15 AM
This is a great site to find out how different news topics are being reported on in different places in the world. Great way to explore bias.
Great list of apps for vocabulary practice for older students https://t.co/eLDB5oJHKn #ohslibrary #1:1 #technology
What the studies keep telling us is that rewards, like punishments, tend not only to be ineffective — particularly over the long haul — but often to undermine the very thing we're trying to promote.
Via Mel Riddile, Dean J. Fusto
Imaging the brain in action is changing the way we view education. How does brain activity change as children learn new cognitive skills, like reading? Ho
Via Yashy Tohsaku
The Resource for Education Technology Leaders focusing on K-12 educators. Site contains a Software Reviews Database, articles from Technology & Learning Magazine, articles from Educators in Educators' eZine, Event and Contest listings, Reader suggested Web sites, and weekly news updates on education technology leaders." />
Via Mel Riddile
Would you choose to build a house on top of an unfinished foundation? Of course not. Why, then, do we rush students through education when they haven't always grasped the basics?
As caretakers of adolescents' developing brainpower, teachers can help their students recognize inattentional blindness, embrace divergent thinking, and harness the potential of transferring their learning.
From time
Finnish students are given as many as four outdoor free-play breaks per day, regardless of the weather—while here, a sedentary American child sitting in front of a glowing screen playing edu-games while over-scheduled and stressed by standardized testing is seen as the Holy Grail.
Via Nik Peachey
What do you think: Does a songwriter deserved a prize for literature? Is Bob Dylan a poet?
High school graduation rates inched up for the fourth year in a row, by nearly one percentage point in the 2014-15 school year, the Obama administration announced Monday.
Being proactive and staying connected to your child in their digital world is one way to help protect them from making dangerous mistakes online
From www
Empty description
From www
Teachers in England's secondary schools work an average of 48.2 hours a week, with a fifth working more than 60 hours, a report says.
In this video tutorial you can learn basic techniques of Google Forms. Topics include following episodes/chapters: - A tour of Google Forms; - Redo las
Via Ana Cristina Pratas
Students of all ages have mobile devices, and many bring them to school. Here are some ways to leverage that technology in your classroom.
Via GwynethJones, Tina Rettler-Pagel
A few weeks ago, we shared with you here in EdTech and mLearning a chart featuring some of the best YouTube channels for teachers
Via Cindy Rudy
From www
In my opinion, our schools are filling students' heads with trivia rather than teaching them skills that are important and useful in the real world. The popular U.S. TV show, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? didn't prove that adults were dumber than children, but rather that the adults have jettisoned much of the "knowledge" they learned in grade school as being unimportant in daily life.
Via Mel Riddile
If you're looking to explore some of the major cultural forces shaping the 2016 presidential race with your students, don't miss these five MEF films on the politics of fear, race-baiting, and tough-guy masculinity. Taken together, these films provide crucial insights into some of the most talked-about and potentially consequential story lines of the current campaign.
Results of the 2016 Digital States Survey indicate that the effort states are putting into innovation, collaboration and aligning their investments with citizens' priorities has never been higher.
Via Cindy Rudy
On average, teachers earn 78.6 percent of what other workers with the same educational level get paid.
Via Mel Riddile
|Follow us
|How it Works


text:
Berkshire County doesn't have a large African-American population, but it does have a rich African-American history, one that will be celebrated again this summer with the second annual Lift Ev'ry Voice Festival. Larger than last year's event and linked with many of the Berkshires' notable cultural institutions, the festival is becoming firmly rooted as part of the Berkshire cultural scene.
The itinerary for the festival, which kicks off on June 19, was announced Tuesday at Gallery 51 in North Adams. Events will be held at Mass MoCA, Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow and in downtown Pittsfield, among other spots from top to bottom in Berkshire County. Berkshire venues have worked together increasingly in recent years and it is satisfying to see so many involved in the Lift Ev'ry Voice Festival.
The festival will celebrate prominent African-American figures in Berkshire history, among them author, historian, educator, civil rights leader and Great Barrington native W.E.B. Du Bois, and the Reverend Samuel Harrison, chaplain for the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment of the Civil War, whose Pittsfield home is now the Harrison House Museum. The African American Heritage Trail through the Upper Housatonic Valley includes the museum, the boyhood home of Mr. Du Bois and the Colonel Ashley House in Sheffield, where Elizabeth "Mum Bett" Freeman was enslaved before winning her freedom in a court case that led ultimately to the end of slavery in Massachusetts.
Dance, music, education and history should prove to be a good mix when the Lift Ev'ry Voice Festival rejoins the county cultural scene next month.


text:
Supported by
Muralee Thummarukudy
Marisol Estrella
Disasters do not occur by accident – they are a result of the combined effects of hazards and vulnerable conditions. Disasters undermine hard-earned development gains and limit development achievements for future generations, with climate change expected to exacerbate the impacts of disasters globally.
The degradation of ecosystems – such as forests, wetlands, coastal and marine systems, and drylands - is now widely understood as a major driver of disaster risk and a key component of disaster vulnerability. For example, deforested slopes can cause more landslides, while reclaimed wetlands can worsen flooding.
UNEP works to prevent and reduce the impacts of disasters on vulnerable communities and countries through improved ecosystems management. With its solid technical expertise and direct field experience, UNEP integrates an ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) approach into development and climate change adaptation strategies.
UNEP is a signatory party to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters and accelerates its implementation through evidence-based advocacy, capacity development, partnerships, and field-testing of innovative Eco-DRR solutions that promote sustainable and resilient development.
As well as producing environmental risk assessments, UNEP:
As an effective means to disseminate policies into practice, UNEP coordinates the Partnership on Environment
for Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR), a global level forum and a Platform of the International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (ISDR), which seeks to advance an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction,
climate change adaptation, ecosystem management and livelihoods. Some of the partners include: IUCN, WWF, SEI, GFMC, and ADP.
UNEP's disaster risk reduction work also extends to Climate Change and Environmentally Induced Migration (CCIEM).
For a glossary of key disaster and risk terms please see Methodology
For more information on UNEP's Disaster Risk Reduction programme please contact Marisol Estrella, Programme Coordinator on:


text:
First Look : Aamir Khan & Katrina Kaif in Dhoom 3 +video
October 11, 2012 smitag 216095 reads 149 comments
For all those waiting to see how the Aamir Khan - Katrina Kaif jodi pans out in Dhoom 3, the wait is over.
Here is a first look at Katrina Kaif & Aamir Khan shooting for a song sequence in Chicago at the Millenium park.
Katrina in a bridal dress; dream sequence, you think ?
P.S: Thank you to all you readers for sharing the photos and video.


text:
This attachment can be used to develop or refine counseling techniques when traditional counseling is selected.Below are suggested methods to follow in each step of the counseling process.
EEO counseling consists of the following steps:
In reviewing each step, the Counselor must remember that each informal resolution situation will be different and each Counselor will have his/her own style.There will probably be times when the Counselor will need to make modifications to fit the situation.
Also, the Counselor must advise the aggrieved person that the aggrieved person will remain anonymous during counseling unless s/he chooses not to remain anonymous. 1614.105(g).
After listening to and asking questions of the aggrieved person, it may become apparent that s/he is not alleging discrimination on one or more of the bases protected by the anti-discrimination laws.For example, a person may allege that s/he was the target of reprisal for union activities.In the absence of facts to show that the union activities are related to participation in protected EEO activities or related to opposing discriminatory practices, the Counselor can offer other alternatives for redress.
When the dispute involves an allegation of discrimination, the Counselor should proceed with the initial counseling session and do the following:
Learning early on exactly what it is that the aggrieved person is seeking may well provide the basis for a prompt resolution and save everyone time.
The Counselor's approach to a given situation will depend on several factors, including the following:
The Counselor may be required to interview witnesses and review agency records.An inquiry into an EEO dispute begins when the Counselor attempts to gather information following the initial meeting with the aggrieved person. Upon completion of this initial meeting with the aggrieved person, the issue(s) raised should be clearly defined and the basis(es), i.e., race, color, sex (including equal pay), religion, national origin, age, reprisal, and/or disability, identified.The Counselor should keep in mind that the aggrieved person is best able to assist in defining the issue(s) since s/he is an involved party.The Counselor should not conclude an initial interview with the aggrieved party without a clear understanding of the issue(s) and basis(es).The direction the inquiry will take depends upon the Counselor's understanding of the issue(s) and basis(es). If the issue(s) involves a personnel action, it will be necessary to identify the action with as much specificity as possible.For example, if the aggrieved person alleges discrimination in a promotion action, the Counselor must at least determine the position applied for, and whether the aggrieved person was qualified, was on the list of best qualified candidates, was interviewed, and whether a selection was made.This information will help to focus the inquiry so that the Counselor will know what portion of the personnel action is at issue.The Counselor must include dates to ensure that the dispute was raised in a timely manner.For those issues that involve actions other than personnel actions documented by an SF-50, the data gathering approach is the same, but gathering information can be more difficult.
If the Counselor determines that witness interviews are necessary, s/he should attempt to interview witnesses who have direct knowledge of a particular situation.The Counselor should limit witness interviews to those persons who can provide information that will help the Counselor better understand the dispute so that resolution can be attempted.Sometimes witness interviews will be the only source of information other than information obtained from the aggrieved person and the agency.Such disputes would include allegations of harassment, either sexual or otherwise, or situations where the issue raised is one of inappropriate conduct or treatment based on a prohibited reason.In addition to interviewing witnesses to obtain information, it may be necessary to review agency records as part of the inquiry into the dispute.
When looking at individual records, the EEO Counselor should keep in mind that his/her role is to achieve informal resolution at the lowest possible level, so the number of records reviewed should be kept to a minimum.Only records of the aggrieved person and of those who allegedly received different, more favorable treatment should be examined in an effort to achieve informal resolution.
The Counselor's first contact may be at the personnel office, but the Counselor may determine other sources for obtaining needed documents.
For situations which EEO Counselors encounter often, the following types of issues will require review of certain records:
(1) Promotion - The promotion folder should include the vacancy announcement, job description, ranking/rating factors, and SF- 171 or applications of at least the aggrieved person and the selectee.The Counselor should notify the personnel office that an EEO inquiry was made concerning a promotion action.The Counselor should request that documents relating to the promotion action, which might ordinarily be destroyed, be retained while the inquiry is pending.
Time and Attendance - Agency regulations/orders on time and attendance, time and attendance records of the aggrieved person and person(s) the aggrieved person is comparing himself/herself to, and how each is treated.
Training -Agency procedures for requesting and recommending training, any forms required, training approved and denied with reason(s).
Appraisal/Rating - Agency regulations/orders on system implementation and administration, elements and standards, performance requirements, rating of the aggrieved person, and ratings prepared by same rating and/or reviewing official of similarly situated employees.
EEO counseling will often involve the use of various techniques to bring about early resolution. For example, it may include:
(1) Holding separate meetings, followed by joint meetings, and then telephone contact to work out details of an agreement;
(2) Holding a joint meeting to set forth the facts as both sides see them, followed by separate meetings with the parties in which the various possibilities for resolution are explored; or
(3) Conducting a conference call or separate telephone calls to the parties during which the dispute is resolved.Care should be taken to protect anonymity unless waived.
(1) Gives the aggrieved person and the agency an opportunity to present the facts as each sees them and to clarify points of confusion or misunderstanding.
2) Gives the parties an opportunity to explore directly with each other the means for resolving issues underlying the problems.
(3) Helps the parties establish a more constructive working relationship by getting a better understanding of each other's concerns.
(4) Enables the parties to "shake hands" on any agreements reached and to work together to put them in writing.
(5) Allows the Counselor better control of the process, making sure that the parties treat each other as equals and that threats or coercion are not used.
(1) Risks a blow-up, a hardening of positions, and increased antagonism.
(2) May require the parties to call a recess to explore changes in position with others (e.g., counsel).
(3) May be difficult to schedule.
(4) Can be costly when the parties are in different locations.
(1) The parties' positions are based on different facts or different perceptions of the same facts.
(2) The parties have not had an opportunity to talk with each other or would like a way to reopen discussions.
(3) The Counselor is confident that s/he will be able to control the joint meeting.
(1) Allows the Counselor to learn more about the parties' specific concerns and priorities.
(2) Allows the Counselor to explore alternatives.
(3) Allows the parties to ask questions they do not want to ask in front of the other party.
(4) Prevents the possibility of intimidation.
(5) May be easier to schedule than a joint meeting.
(1) May lead the parties to wonder what the Counselor is saying to the other side.
(2) Unless the resolution reached through separate meetings is re-stated in a joint meeting or through a conference call, the parties do not have the opportunity to talk with each other to make sure each has the same interpretation of the agreement.It is easier for the parties to blame the Counselor for any future misunderstanding about the resolution.
(3) May put the Counselor in the position of having to pass messages back and forth between parties.Misunderstanding of the messages may occur in their transmission.
(1) The parties' hostility and antagonism can get in the way of substantive discussions.
(2) The Counselor needs a better understanding of issues and priorities to be able to control a subsequent joint meeting.
(3) The Counselor needs to help one or both parties be realistic about possible solutions.
(4) Scheduling is a problem.
(5) The parties do not have a current relationship.
(6) One party is afraid to meet with the other.
(1) May be easier to schedule and quicker than joint meetings.
(2) Less costly.
(3) For advantages of conference calls, refer to advantages of joint meetings.
(4) For advantages of separate calls, refer to advantages of separate meetings.
(1) Impersonal communication resulting from the inability to see how the person is responding to what is said.Harder to gain the rapport needed to explore issues and alternatives.
(2) For disadvantages of conference calls, refer to disadvantages of joint meetings.Note: it may be easier to hang up the telephone than leave a meeting chaired by an EEO Counselor.
(3) For disadvantages of separate calls, refer to disadvantages of separate meetings.
(1) The parties are in different locales and are not logistically able to meet face to face.
(2) The issues are comparatively easy to deal with, such as those based on a misunderstanding or incorrect information.
(3) The Counselor needs more information to determine if counseling is productive, and scheduling a meeting for this purpose is too time-consuming.
When the Counselor has a good grasp of the issues involved and has decided on which EEO counseling technique to use, s/he is ready to attempt resolution. Resolution of an EEO problem means that the aggrieved person and the agency come to terms with a problem and agree on a solution.The Counselor should generally concentrate on resolving individual cases independently but, when appropriate, should ask for assistance from the EEO officer in reaching a solution or correcting a problem.When asking the EEO officer for help, the Counselor should relate what s/he has learned in the inquiry (using the aggrieved person's name only if s/he has given permission) and be prepared to recommend specific action.
There is no set formula for a Counselor to follow in attempting a resolution using the techniques described. The Counselor can attempt resolution by talking with the parties separately or together.The Counselor can talk with them together only if the aggrieved person has given permission; otherwise, they must be spoken with separately.
The following subsections highlight barriers faced when attempting resolution and provide guidance on how to attempt resolution using the EEO counseling techniques of joint meetings, separate meetings, and telephone communication.
In order to resolve an EEO dispute, the agency and the aggrieved person must agree on a solution.However, only the agency has the authority to resolve an EEO dispute. Like most situations involving two parties, the Counselor can expect barriers to resolution of EEO disputes.These barriers can be put up by both parties.The challenge is to overcome these barriers and work out a solution.
Sometimes barriers can be overcome by bringing the parties together and having them candidly discuss their attitude toward working out a solution.Other times, barriers can be lessened by helping the parties explore possible outcomes if the dispute is escalated to the formal complaint level.However, the EEO Counselor must recognize that not all barriers can be overcome and attempts at resolution should end when it is apparent that the parties are unable to come to an agreement.
(1) "There was no discrimination, so nothing should be done."
(2) "The decision at issue was correctly made, procedures were correct, nothing should be done for the aggrieved person."
(3) "Resolution will encourage frivolous complaints."
(4) "Subordinates and supervisors will lose respect for a manager who settles rather than fights."
(1) "Discrimination must be punished."
(2) "My manager must be disciplined."
(3) "My manager must apologize"
(4) "No remedy is sufficient."
(5) "The agency must pay punitive damages."(1)
This subsection outlines the steps and activities involved in arranging and conducting joint meetings.The Counselor should make sure the aggrieved person has consented to joint meetings with the agency before arranging a joint meeting.
(1) Is there a suitable and feasible alternative to the joint meeting?If so, the Counselor should use it.
(2) Does the scheduling problem appear to be real, or does it appear to be a delaying tactic?
(3) If the scheduling problem appears to be real, how do the parties feel about postponing the meeting?Would a request for an extension make resolution within 30 days impossible?
(4) If the scheduling problem is more of a delaying tactic and if there is no suitable alternative to a joint meeting, the Counselor should terminate counseling.
The Counselor should:
(1) If one party does not appear for the meeting, the Counselor should find out why.Discuss the issues involved with the party who does appear.Try to get a sense of what it would take to resolve the dispute.See if the party is interested in continuing EEO counseling and is willing to reschedule the meeting.
(2) If one of the parties is about to break off discussions and leave in a huff, the Counselor should try to calm the parties down and do the following:
(1) Later, if appropriate, the Counselor can clarify what happened and try to regain acceptance.
(2) Apologize for any misconceptions that might have been created.
(3) Decide whether to terminate EEO counseling.
A joint EEO counseling session can end in one of the following ways:
The Counselor should make sure that each party agrees on the way the meeting is ending.
Separate EEO counseling sessions with each party can be used in place of or to supplement joint meetings.If separate meetings are to be used, the parties should know:
The following paragraphs describe situations which may occur in separate meetings and suggest ways each situation might be handled.
(1) The Counselor can explore alternative solutions to the problem, for example, suggesting that the agency consult with appropriate officials to review the dispute and merits with a view towards possible resolution.The Counselor should consult with his/her EEO officer to discuss the dispute before a suggestion is made to the agency to consult with legal counsel.
(2) The Counselor must be careful not to prejudge a case because a formal investigation may not find the situation to be as the parties described it.
(3) The Counselor may assist the agency and the aggrieved person in reaching an acceptable resolution of the dispute.
(1) Inform the parties that s/he cannot comment on the strength or weakness of a given situation.
(2) Let the parties judge the strength and weakness of an allegation.
The general procedures outlined for joint and separate meetings also apply to telephone conference calls and separate telephone calls to each party.However, at the start of the conversation the Counselor should:
1. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, punitive damages are not available against a federal employer.
This page was last modified on November 8, 1999.
Return to Home Page


text:
Standardized Time- and Score-oriented Treatment of Moderate and Severe Atopic Dermatitis
This study has been completed.
Technische Universität Dresden
Information provided by:
Technische Universität Dresden
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: September 6, 2005
Last updated: June 8, 2010
Last verified: June 2010
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The study was designed to test the hypothesis whether a standardized, time-and score-oriented treatment following a strict evidence based algorithm is equally effective to a standard treatment regimen for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.
Study Type: Mono-centre study, patients are blinded, physicians are randomized to either treat study- or controll group
Eligible are patients age 2 years or older with SCORAD >= 20 Duration: 12 Months, study visits every 4 weeks.
Primary endpoint is Difference between Baseline SCORAD and mean SCORAD under treatment.
Secundary endpoints are quality of life, safety and economic burden in both treatment groups.
Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis
Drug: Pimecrolimus
Drug: Tacrolimus
Drug: Prednisolone
Drug: Ciclosporin A
Drug: Dermatop
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single Blind
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Standardized Time- and Score-oriented Treatment of Moderate and Severe Atopic Dermatitis
Resource links provided by NLM:
Genetics Home Reference related topics: atopic dermatitis
MedlinePlus related topics: Eczema
Drug Information available for: Prednisolone Cyclosporine Tacrolimus PimecrolimusU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Technische Universität Dresden:
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|2 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (SCORAD 20 or more) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria by Raika and Hanifin
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnancy
- Nursing
- Women in childbearing age without contraception
- Drug - and or alcohol abuse
- Gene defects that are associated with increased light sensibility, e.g. Xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne Syndrome, Bloom Syndrome
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00148746
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00148746
|Department of Dermatology, TU Dresden
|Dresden, Germany, 01307
Sponsors and Collaborators
Technische Universität Dresden
|Study Director:
|Jochen M Schmitt, MD, MPH
|Dpt. of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Technical University Dresden, Germany
More Information
Keywords provided by Technische Universität Dresden:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 25, 2016
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00148746 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 6, 2005
|Last Updated:
|June 8, 2010
|Health Authority:
|Germany: Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices
Keywords provided by Technische Universität Dresden:
atopic dermatitis, atopy
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Dermatitis, Atopic
Skin Diseases
Skin Diseases, Genetic
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Skin Diseases, Eczematous
Hypersensitivity, Immediate
Immune System Diseases
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Calcineurin Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Antifungal Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Dermatologic Agents
Antirheumatic Agents
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 25, 2016


text:
Sad story, and a look ahead
Just got in, but I would be remiss if I let the day pass without extending condolences to the loved ones of Jonathan Moncrief, who passed away at age 43. Moncrief wrote about the Kings for the Examiner.com website, and while any death is sad, those who leave long before their time are even more shocking and difficult to understand.
As a secondary note, I should give a reminder, to everyone interested, about the impending start of the Memorial Cup, the ultimate championship of North American junior hockey. Kings prospect Maxim Kitsyn and the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors open the four-team tournament Friday afternoon against Saint John. The game will be televised on a tape-delay basis on the NHL Network on Saturday at 6 a.m. Pacific time. Mississauga's second game, against Kootenay, will be shown live on the NHL Network on Sunday at 4 p.m.
- No profanity, slurs or other offensive language. Replacing letters with symbols does not turn expletives into non-expletives.
- Personal attacks against other blog commenters, and/or blatant attempts to antagonize other commenters, are not tolerated. Respectful disagreement is encouraged. Posts that continually express the same singular opinion will be deleted.
- Comments that incite political, religious or similar debates will be deleted.
- Please do not discuss, or post links to, websites that illegally stream NHL games.
- Posting under multiple user names is not allowed. Do not type in all caps. All violations are subject to comment deletion and/or banning of commenters, per the discretion of the blog administrator.


text:
Wildflower Wanderings (Late Season Flora)
|Sunday, April 21, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
|Meet at:
|Oasis Visitor Center
|$50 members $60 non members
|Darrell Shade, Botanist, Desert Naturalist
|Hike Level:
|Easy to Moderate
Saturate your senses with the beauty of a wildflower bloom in Joshua Tree National Park. Desert Naturalist, Darrell Shade will lead this all-day field class on a tour through the colorful flowers of a desert spring. Darrell will entertain participants with descriptions of the flora, their botanical characteristics, and show how to identify the unique blossoms of the park. The audience will be delighted by Darrell's personal accounts of the wonders of nature in this ordinarily dry and dusty environment. Darrell will identify the flowers of Joshua Tree National Park by scientific and common names, allowing the participants to get to know these amazing plants up close and personal.
If you are a member of JTNPA/PINE you will get a $10 discount off every Desert Institute class. If you are not a member you can become one here.
Please take the time to review our General Class Information and Fitness Levels before registering.


text:
At least two men yanked open the front door of a New Orleans store using a truck and chain early Thursday, and they used the same truck and chain to then haul the ATM out of the business, according to the NOPD. The men then put the ATM in the back of the truck and drove off.
Police on Thursday released footage of the incident that was captured by two surveillance cameras, and they requested the public's help in identifying suspects.
The robbery happened at Soprano's Meat Market in the 2700 block of Ursulines Avenue on Thursday about 2:30 a.m., the NOPD said. Video shows a truck pulling into the parking lot and backing up to the front of the store.
A passenger in the truck then attached a chain from the back of the vehicle to the front door. The truck drove forward, forcing the door open.
Video shows the passenger then entered the store and wrapped the chain from the truck around the ATM. The driver, who had backed the truck up, then drove forward again, pulling the ATM out of the store.
The driver climbed out and helped his passenger place the ATM in the bed of the truck. They then fled.
The passenger was wearing a hat, a scarf and a black leather jacket. The driver wore a blue-hooded sweatshirt and black jeans with designs on the back pockets.
Police ask anyone with information on this case to call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 877.903.7867. Tips can also be texted to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637); text TELLCS then the crime information. Callers or texters do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for tips that leads to an indictment.


text:
Please select category that most closely reflects your concern about the post, so that we can review it and determine if it violates our Terms of Use or isn't appropriate for viewers.
Thank you for helping us by reporting bad content.
Candy time! My mom came over and brang my kids some candy and omg..she brought over some airheads. I haven`t had these in ages. The last time I had them was when I was in middle school. That`s been ages. And I would always get the apple flavor. These are so good and chewy at times! Now she brang over a whole bag. I think I`m gonna end up eating this more than the kids! Have you tried them and what`s your favorite flavor?
**pictures belong to me, can`t use without permission**
Source link:


text:
Super-fine PrimaLoft Sport insulation for warmth
Featherweight shell and lining fabrics reduce bulk
Insulates even when wet and dries incredibly fast
High stand-up collar; full-length front zipper
Jacket stuffs into its own zippered chest pocket
Looks can be deceiving. At first glance, the PrimaLoft Liner Jacket may seem to be just another insulated jacket. In reality, it is much more. The combination of super-fine PrimaLoft Sport insulation and highly constructed featherweight shell and lining fabrics provide unbelievable warmth with minimal weight or bulk. Unlike down, PrimaLoft Sport continues to insulate even when wet, and dries incredibly fast. When you layer it under a waterproof shell, the PrimaLoft Liner Jacket offers outstanding protection from cold, wet weather. Because of its lightweight comfort and warmth, you may find yourself wearing the jacket alone in less demanding weather. The high stand-up collar and full-length front zipper help further seal out chilly air. The bottom hem drawcord adjusts from inside the zippered handwarmer pockets. An interior pocket zips closed securely to store your essential gear. The jacket stuffs into its own zippered chest pocket for convenient transport. Imported.


text:
"Everybody needs to feel like they are contributing," Jones said. "Everybody likes to feel fulfilled and doing things that make them feel like part of society."
Judy's daughter Bailey is one of the first participants in Turning Points, a program that gives special education students a taste of college life at Samford University when they might not normally get the chance to experience it.
It also transitions them out of high school and helps develop social and job skills.
Shannon Mundy, Mountain Brook's special education director, said her high school students receive a certificate of graduation after completing their senior year, making the diploma walk with their peers. However, students can continue attending school until their 21st year and work toward a standard or occupational diploma. And some students benefit from the additional years of structure, supervision and instruction, she said.
Teachers call these students 13th, 14th and 15th year seniors. They will probably always need some form of supervision throughout their lives. Bailey, for example, was diagnosed with autism more than 10 years ago. Other students in the program have Down Syndrome.
But those students can sometimes feel left out because their age peers and friends have moved on to college while they are still attending high school.
"They're on a public school campus, but they're not in an environment with age-appropriate peers," Mundy said. "They see their friends graduated and they know they should have moved on, and they don't want to be there."
First year
Turning Points began with the 2011-12 school year after Mundy approached the system about trying something new. It was an idea she first had years ago at another school system. She then went to Samford University and pitched the idea before talking to the students' parents.
"When we met with the parents in August about the program, they had tears in their eyes," Mundy said.
Jeanie Box, Dean of Samford's school of education and professional studies, said the school saw it as a way for education students to observe and work with the students in Mountain Brook's program.
"We're looking for any type of partnership we can find with local schools," Box said. "And we saw it as another form of community outreach."
Five students have participated in Turning Points in its first year. The group leaves the high school on Tuesday and Friday and travels to Samford. They eat in the school's cafeteria with friends and former classmates. Then they take part in campus activities, or participate in social skills training. Some work on campus, such as assisting in the school's football locker room or sorting mail in the campus post office. Bailey shelves books at the Samford library.
At other times, the program's students have had a chance to toss a frisbee on the campus green. They also assist with education classes on campus.
Turning Points has garnered enough interest among other school systems that some are thinking of starting their own versions, Mundy said. Box said three systems are considering a similar partnership with Samford.
Cynthia Mayo, the program coordinator at the high school, said the effect on the students' self-esteem has been almost magical.
"They can say, 'I'm in college now,'" Mayo said.
Judy Jones said her daughter is excited to go to school as a result of the program.
"She needs structure, so she really likes it a lot," Jones said. "This program is something that is going to happen all over the country in the future, so it's good that our area is ahead of the game."
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Thornton at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
PIA05716: Before the Dust Settled
Target Name:
Is a satellite of:
Sol (our sun)
Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Panoramic Camera
Product Size:
1024 x 1024 pixels (w x h)
Produced By:
Cornell University
Full-Res TIFF:
(902.9 kB)
Full-Res JPEG:
(179.2 kB)
Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)
Original Caption Released with Image:
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image of the southeast rim of Gusev Crater on sol 68. Like the more recent image acquired on sol 91, it captures the crater wall as it descends into the mouth of the Ma'adim Vallis channel. The martian skies were dustier when this image was taken, making the crater rim more difficult to see. The sky appears "noisier" than in the sol 91 image because the panoramic camera was operating at a higher temperature.
The same modifications were applied to this image as were applied to the sol 91 image to make the crater rim more visible.
Image Credit:
Image Addition Date:


text:
The City of Mercer Island Youth and Family Service Department (MIYFS) is recruiting sponsors for its annual holiday assistance program that provides gift cards to Island children and families in need. Sponsors are confidentially matched with a qualified Island family and asked to provide one gift card per child to help brighten the holiday season.
"The need for family support on the Island remains high as many families continue to struggle with the fallout from the economic downturn," says MIYFS Family Assistance Coordinator, Cheryl Manriquez.
MIYFS focuses exclusively on providing services to the Mercer Island community and touches the lives of all Islanders through counselors in the schools, senior services, affordable family counseling, family assistance, the Food Pantry, and a thriving thrift shop. Those interested in becoming a holiday sponsor should contact Manriquez by November 8th at (206) 275-7869 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
© Sound Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Our Titles | Work With Us


text:
Main Menu
Trending Now
25 Must-Read Nonprofit IT Blogs 2016
You know and love our Must-Read IT Blogs lists, but now, say hello to the nonprofit side.
Before deploying thin clients, my team and I did our homework. We read the literature, looked at case studies and talked to manufacturers and users. Now, after a few months of piloting, my only wish is that we had started using them sooner. The cost savings are better than I ever imagined, our maintenance work is a fraction of what it was, and our users couldn't be happier.
My company, Energy Recovery, makes a device that reduces the energy used by water pumps in the desalinization process (turning seawater into fresh water) by up to 97 percent. There's a huge demand for our product, and to keep pace with growth, we're moving to a manufacturing facility that's triple the size of our existing one.
About a year ago, we deployed a Citrix XenApp application delivery system across standard computers, but we didn't see many advantages. We considered using thin clients, but because our infrastructure was already built out, we didn't think it would be cost effective.
For the new manufacturing facility, I wanted to keep down hardware costs and solve our ever-present challenge of keeping computers clean on the manufacturing floor. We looked at thin clients, brought some in for testing, and the feedback has been incredibly positive.
Users love them because they don't even have to see the machines, much less worry about keeping them clean and protected. We bolted them under desks and behind beams and connected them to flat-screen monitors. IT employees love them because they don't have to trek out to the manufacturing floor whenever there's a problem. They can just log on to the machines remotely.
If you're wondering whether thin clients are right for your business, here are some things to consider:
If you're still not sure whether thin clients are for you, take another look. With the cost savings we're seeing, this would have made sense even if we weren't moving to a new facility. Like I said, my only regret is that I didn't do this sooner.


text:
- News
- Calendar
- Blogs
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Business
- Lifestyles
- Community
- Opinion
- About Us
- Classifieds
- Coupons
- Local Savings
- Green Editions
- Legal Notices
- Weekly Ads
- Connect2Classes
Connect with Us
Latest news, top stories, and community events,
Design T-shirts for two HOPE events
Design a T-shirt for HOPE, a nonprofit therapeutic riding center dedicated to helping people overcome life challenges.
HOPE is having two design contests for T-shirts. The first shirt will be worn at the HOPE Horse Show on May 19. Designs should be themed toward horses, HOPE and shows. The second shirt will be worn at the second annual Motorcycle Ride on June 2. Designs for this event should be themed for motorcycles and HOPE.
The winners of each design will receive a free shirt with their design on it.
All design entries must be received by April 27.
For information, contact the HOPE office at 360-221-7656 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Latest news, top stories, and community events,
delivered to your inbox.
Trending Stories Oct 18 - Oct 25
We encourage an open exchange of ideas on this story's topic, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. Personal attacks, inappropriate language, and off-topic comments may be removed, and comment privileges revoked, per our Terms of Use. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.
Read the Oct 22
Green Edition
Browse the print edition page by page, including stories and ads.
Browse the archives.
Friends to FollowView All Updates
Local display advertising by PaperG


text:
According to police, a woman was assaulted Tuesday afternoon while running along the Arts Trail in Easton.
At around 4:35 p.m., a 40-year-old Easton woman was grabbed, thrown to the ground and punched by a male in his early twenties on the Arts Trail near the Willie Cole Grace Gate, police said.
The suspect is described as an Hispanic man in his late teens to early 20s, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing around 180 to 190 pounds.
He was wearing a red shirt and black jeans and was carrying a black string style backpack, according to a police release.
He is also described as having "dark spike style hair," according to a police release.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Easton police at 610-250-6635 or 610-250-6637.


text:
By John Dawson
I used to work for a carpet tile manufacturer as an Electronics Technician. They had a large Zimmer ink jet printer that printed designs onto the carpet tiles. Tiles were loaded onto the back of the printer, indexed and shifted into position and indexed up to the print head area. A large print head with jets that sprayed the various colors and pulsed to create the various designs moved across a gear rail and kept a feedback of position by an encoder with a wheel that rode along a metal rail.
We kept having problems with print quality. Other technicians kept replacing and adjusting the encoder and wheel assembly with no luck. Circuit boards used to pulse the jets were calibrated and/or replaced but still the problem persisted. I think some technicians had even suggested replacing the servo drive and motor used to drive the print head.
One night the problem was really bad. I started looking inside the electrical panel that housed the servo controller and inkjet boards. I happened to notice on one of the power transformers that supplied power to the panel had a discolored connection on one of the bolts where the incoming voltage connected. I powered down the equipment and power supply and cleaned the bad connection that had been arcing and had also corroded.
The problem disappeared. Operators and supervisors were very happy.
John Dawson is currently an Engineering Tech III at Auburn University Physics Dept. He has worked for over 20 years in industrial maintenance as well as an electrical designer in manufacturing plants.


text:
SUNRISE, Fla. -- You could see this one coming clearer than a full moon over Miami.
After two big victories over the conference-leading Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks last weekend, capping a four-game winning streak at home, the Devils were ripe for a letdown.
"Possibly. Probably," coach Brent Sutter said. "I thought with our mental mind-set and sharpness we weren't like we have been. Our intensity level wasn't where it needed to be. Maybe it was a letdown."
No maybes about it. The Devils saw their seven-game road winning streak come to an end Tuesday night as the Florida Panthers continued their fight for a playoff spot with a 4-0 shutout victory at the BankAtlantic Center.
Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun stopped 36 shots as the Devils lost for the first time on the road since Jan. 11 at Anaheim.
"We didn't come out like we wanted to, that's for sure," defenseman Bryce Salvador said. "We didn't play like we have been the last little stretch. We're playing every other night. We've got to put this one behind us.
"Sometimes it's a good test of character with how you respond. The good thing is we don't have to sit on this one too many days."
The Devils continue their three-game trip Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Shut out for the fifth time this season, the Devils knew exactly what they were facing. The Panthers are a franchise desperate to make the playoffs, and they are a young team coming together under coach Pete DeBoer.
"Look at that lineup. They've got six solid veteran defensemen back there and some depth up front. They're a good team," Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner said. "They're finally getting the confidence and learning how to win. They're a scary team to play against. I think they're for real.
"I think I saw they have a tough schedule coming up, playing a lot of playoff teams, but I think they're pretty solid."
Already down by a goal, a Salvador hooking penalty at 9:50 of the second period put the Devils in a 2-0 hole.
Michael Frolik took a shot that was stopped by Scott Clemmensen, but David Booth tapped the rebound from in front to Richard Zednik below the right circle. Zednik banged it in behind Clemmensen at 11:27 for his 12th goal of the season.
It was quickly 3-0 when Nathan Horton scored his 17th goal at the 14:05 mark. Zednik, battling behind the net with Travis Zajac, centered the puck off Booth as the Florida winger battled in front of the crease. The puck came out to Horton in the slot and he took his time before drilling a shot into the top left-hand corner of the net.
In the meantime, the Devils couldn't get one past Vokoun. Their last desperate try came in the third period after Panthers' defenseman Bryan McCabe took an interference penalty at 14:06.
Sutter pulled Clemmensen to give his team a six-on-four power play.
"There are six minutes left in the game and you're down by three goals," Sutter said. "If you score, you're down by two goals with four minutes left. If you get scored against, it is what it is. At that point I wasn't going to protect being down by three goals."
Hope of a dramatic comeback ended when Langenbrunner had to trip Ville Peltonen to prevent an empty-net goal.
"I can't give him a free shot," Langenbrunner said.
Cory Stillman's goal with 2:54 left rubbed it in as Vokoun completed his fifth shutout of the season.
"They were a team that probably, to some degree, was measuring themselves against us," Sutter said of the Panthers. "We didn't play like we needed to have success."
Anyone thinking the Panthers will trade defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and throw the towel in on this season needed only to see this game.
"We didn't play a horrible game," Brian Rolston said. "We played a team a little more hungry than us."


text:
Who Did You Vote For In The Presidential Election?
[poll id="3″]
Photo by fmckinlay
Obama, no other solution to our country's problems! Go, Obama!!!
I voted for Obama because I want to be a first class citizen in my home country before I die. I don't have many years left. Romney will set gay rights back 20 years if not 50 years if he is elected.
I voted anti-fascist.I voted for Obama.
I'm going to bed for what may be my last sleep before I need to think about protecting to survive. If Gov. Romney wins today the lights will go out across the world as the Middle East sees the nuclear holocaust that the prospective Vice President seems happy with.
As for my gay friends and myself it's face the persecution and then the camps or run for the borders.
Before Armageddon, can someone please explain how a country that extols the virtues of its Constitution and is seen as the defender of liberty around the world allows someone like Mitt Romney to even gain the lowliest of office let alone (and I say this with trepidation), become the last leader of the free world.
I knew DINObama would win in NY where I live & he said that our right to marry should be up to bigot bully ballots. I voted for Jill Stein. If you don't believe DINObama said that here's the transcript of where he explained that when it comes to LGBTI Americans he disagrees with Loving v Virginia http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-robin-roberts-abc-news-interview-president-obama/story?id=16316043
@JessicaNaomi: Amen.
Neither one of these puppets.
The 2-party system = more war, poverty & erosion of civil liberties.
The Democrats have moved so far to the right with their wars.
Democrats helped vote in Alito and Roberts to the Supreme Court.
When Democrats had a majority they cried Republican obstructionism when they failed to deliver. So doesn't that mean they can obstruct Republicans when they're a minority?
Obama is another corporate puppet, war mongering, dick.
However here in CA the Top 2 general election reduces voter choice to only 2 options so we kinda have to vore lesser of evil or not at all in the statewide races – typically the richest Democrats and Republicans. However there are some races where the top 2 are both Republicans or both Democrats. The few alternative party candidates made it half of the the Top 2 in some areas were in areas so heavily slanted that the opposite major party was never viable to begin with. Hopefully voters in AZ were smart enough to learn from CA's mistake and voted against the Top 2 election law in Prop 121.
Gary Johnson. Left of Obama on social issues and right of Romney on fiscal issues. Perfect.
@Gormenghast: APPROVE!/AGREE!
@jeff4justice: jeff4justice,I share your
dim view of the 2 party system, especially when the bottom line for
either side is $$$$$.
I would add,however,that when I expressed reservations about Obama
[for whom I planned to vote anyway,and did] because of his having been
tarred with the brush of being employed by Goldman-Sachs[the owner,BTW,
of the school where both my friend and I used to teach],she forwarded
me a story an article from the Wall Street Journal which told that
while G.-S.was one of Obama's biggest supporters in his first campaign,
in the 2012 election,they were some of his biggest detractors.


text:
- Bulletin Board (12)
- Calendar Highlights (1,078)
- Faculty in the News (146)
- For the Record (317)
- News (1,928)
- Research (172)
- Save the Date (463)
- Site Spotlight (6)
- Sports (199)
- Tune In (177)
- Year of the Faculty (41)
- Year of the Student (18)
Newest Posts
- 'Why Standing Rock Matters' is topic for Clements Center panel discussion Monday, Oct. 24, 2016
- Fred Chang inducted into National Academy of Engineering in D.C. ceremony
- Acclaimed authors Bernice L. McFadden and Tyehimba Jess to read at SMU's 2016 Kimbilio Litfest Thursday, Oct. 13
- Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson gives two lectures at SMU Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016
- Changes ahead as SMU rolls out 2017 Open Enrollment, Oct. 14-31, 2016
Bulletin Board
Tag Archives: Rebekah Miles
SMU-record 14 professors receive 2014-15 Sam Taylor Fellowships
Fourteen SMU faculty members – a University-record number – have received 2014-15 Sam Taylor Fellowships from the Sam Taylor Fellowship Fund of the Division of Higher Education, United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The Fellowships, funded by income from … Continue reading
Posted in For the Record, News, Research, Year of the Faculty Tagged Adam Herring, Brett Story, Brian Molanphy, Christopher Roos, Dedman College, Dedman School of Law, Edward Countryman, faculty news, faculty research, fellowship programs, fellowships, Hye Jin Yoon, Jenia Iontcheva Turner, Jenia Turner, Johan Elverskog, Kathleen Gallagher, Lisa Pon, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Peng Tao, Perkins School of Theology, Peter Kupfer, Rebekah Miles, Rita Linjuan Men, Rita Men, Sam Taylor Fellowships, United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Comments Off on SMU-record 14 professors receive 2014-15 Sam Taylor Fellowships
Good reading, good giving: SMU books for 2012
From art, history and religion to sweet Texas cuisine and fiction, SMU's 2012 book roundup offers a wide selection to satisfy the readers in your life. Treat yourself or those on your gift list to one of the current titles … Continue reading
Posted in For the Record, News Tagged A. Azfar Moin, Afonso V, Andrés Blaisten Collection, Caroline Brettell, Cherri Gann, Collecting Spanish Art, Dedman College, Denise Gee, Dennis Ippolito, Dennis Simon, Diego Velázquez, Diego Velazquez: The Early Court Portraits, faculty books, faculty research, Jeffrey Engel, Joerg Rieger, José Bowen, Karl Kilinski II, Mark Chancey, Meadows Museum, Meadows School of the Arts, Modern Mexican Painting, Pamela Patton, Pastrana tapestries, Rebekah Miles, Ronald Wetherington, Shelette Stewart, Sherry L. Smith, Sherry Smith, SMU Centennial, staff books, student books, Sunday Eiselt, William P. Clements Department of History, Writer's Path Comments Off on Good reading, good giving: SMU books for 2012
Calendar Highlights: Jan. 26, 2010
Posted in Calendar Highlights Tagged Bonnie Wheeler, Carolyn Hodges, concerts, Darwin Year, Darwin's Evolving Legacy, Dedman College, Eugene Andolsek, exhibitions, Faculty Club, faculty news, free events, Jim Hollifield, John Holbert, Laurie Dhue, lecture programs, Mark Chancey, Meadows Concerto Competition, Meadows Museum, Meadows Symphony Orchestra, Ministers Week, Perkins School of Theology, Pollock Gallery, Rachel Dodds, Rachel Hovnanian, Rebekah Miles, Scott-Hawkins Lecture Series, Simon Conway Morris, student news, Tower Center for Political Studies, visitors, William Abraham Comments Off on Calendar Highlights: Jan. 26, 2010


text:
Archive for February, 2013
Twenty Years of al-Salafiyya-al-Jihadiyya
New York- It's been twenty long years since Eyad Ismail, Ramzi Yousef and co drove that Ford Econoline Ryder rental van through the Holland Tunnel from Jersey City and parked a massive urea urea nitrate bomb in the parking garage of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Today was a quiet anniversary of an event largely forlorn in America's national collective conscience in the shadow of the much more dramatic 9/11 attacks.
That wintry day two decades ago, the United States faced the beginning of a poorly outlined struggle against the decentralized doctrinal ideology of al-Salafiyya-al-Jihadiyya [Salafi-jihad]-a form of Islamism that articulates violent means to achieve political gains.
One of the points about the Sunni jihadi attack on New York in the winter of 1993 is that it marked an unexpected pivot from the perceived threat of highly centralized millenarian Shia revolutionaries and resistance terrorism epitomized by the rise of the clerical regime in Iran in 1979 and the formation of Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982.
This suited America's so-called 'moderate' Sunni or Sunni-dominated allied nation-states just fine. These regimes could be free to espouse anything from the export of the Wahhabiyya strain of Salafism that serves at the state theology in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the Marxist-tinged radical Arab socialism emblematic of the Hizb-al-Ba'ath (Ba'ath Party) or the post-Nasserist-turned-personality cult regimes of Egypt and the Maghreb. That was of course until these ideas either collided with American foreign policy as in the case of Iraq or collapsed under their own weight as in the case of Tunisia.
A friend who was stationed for the U.S. State Department in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province-where the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing took place-and later Bahrain, privately hinted to me this view of the Shia threat had changed little at least in some official channels even while the U.S. was propping up a succession of Shia prime ministers in its Iraq project and its Special Forces had fought alongside Shia irregulars to oust the Taliban in northern Afghanistan.
But while the United States has done a great deal to degrade Ba'athism by invading Iraq in both 1991 and 2003 and aiding Syrian rebels bent on demolishing the Ba'ath in Syria at present, for instance, American foreign policy still remains fixated on Iran and Hezbollah and would still not dare challenge the vitriolic Wahhabism prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula. Though it is a fool's errand to pit absolutist wings of Islam's great schism against one another for purely hypothetical purposes, it has been transnational Salafism that has attacked the American homeland in 1993 and 2001 and in East Africa in 1998 and Yemen in 2000. If the two fronts of radical Islamism were simplistically made analogous to the space race, Khomeini may have successfully launched Sputnik first, but it was bin Laden who put a man on the moon.
We should be reminded that the 1993 attack was connected to 9/11 through the common thread of Khalid Sheikh Muhammed (KSM as he came to be referred to in intelligence jargon-inflected reporting) who is currently in the pre-trial hearing phase of the never ending, apparently never closing saga at the sweltering detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Though Yousef and the other 1993 plotters were not known to be formally pledged members of a then fairly embryonic al-Qaeda, they certainly were connected to the Peshawar-based jihadi nexus borne out of the CIA and Saudi funded anti-Soviet jihad that took place west of the Durand Line. The radicalization of the Masjid al-Farooq in Brooklyn and its refugee center-cum-Office of Services set-up visited by Abdullah Azzam was a definite factor in the 1993 plot. While the trial of the five accused al-Qaeda men in Cuba (KSM, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ammar al-Baluchi, and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi) is referred to by the United States government as a "9/11 trial" In sense, it dates back the events of 1992-1993 in Brooklyn and Jersey CIty involving the men linked to KSM and the original plot against New York City.
Though there are conflicts about some of the precise specifics, one of Omar Abdel Rahman's sons, Mohammed Omar Abdel-Rahman was nabbed (by the CIA, the Pakistanis or a mix of the two) in Quetta, Pakistan around the time of KSM's apprehension when Pakistani authorities were hunting KSM. Mohammed Omar Abdel-Rahman is now a free man back at home in Egypt after having been listed as one of the CIA's "ghost prisoners" (as was KSM) in 2005. He was released by the Mubarak regime in 2010.
KSM was apprehended in Rawalpindi, Pakistan ten years ago (though alternate sources may say he was actually captured in Quetta a month prior and the news of his arrest delayed by Pakistani authorities). His and four other co-conspirators' painfully deliberating preliminary hearings has been described as being in "discord." From what information does come out of the proceedings, it has partly the air of a circus what with Walid bin Attash (a.k.a. Khallad) making multiple outbursts about violations of attorney-client privilege and his defense lawyer wrapped in "a black abaya out of respect to the religious sensibilities of her client" according to a Guardian report.
The Miami Herald's Carol Rosenberg describes the awkward goings on at Guantánamo as primarily focused on the ways in which the five suspects were captured and the conditions under which they were detained before being exfiltrated from "black sites" to the American naval base on Cuba's southeastern coast. In other words, these proceedings are not about 9/11 .
Beyond 2014: Afghanistan, Pakistan, the West and the Rest
New York- On February 5th, I participated in a Huffington Post Live discussion entitled "Engaging The Taliban" (featured below) after the trilateral meeting between David Cameron, Asif Ali Zardari, and Hamid Karzai at the British Prime Minister's country residence outside London. The topic concerned the withdrawal of NATO and ISAF troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and the idea of some kind of vague peace deal with the Taliban midwifed by Pakistan and meant to take place in Qatar. That talk inspired my lengthy article in today's edition of Asia Times Online (at left).
Afghanistan, once a byword for forgotten backwater, has had its war become internationalized to the absurd point where even a good number of tiny non-NATO, non-Western nations like Georgia (desire to join NATO), the United Arab Emirates (business interests, Islamic hearts-and-minds credibility), and Tonga (pressed by the UK) have inserted troops. And nations like these have done so in the context of their very diverse, often non-overlapping agendas.
For Afghanistan's non-Pashtun ethnicities who house a sense of collective victimhood, this is the equivalent of having the fox guarding the hen house. Despite US troops and intelligence officers partnering up with warlords who were deemed "legendary" in the earliest days of Operation Enduring Freedom, there are certainly no angels among any of Afghanistan's warlords of all hues despite a certain amount of rather theatric press reportage at the time. But renewed political power for the Taliban, whose enemies believe it would use to gain military power in the theater of Afghanistan's gun-barrel politics, would be the surefire catalyst for a retro-themed civil conflict.
Some factional military leaders especially those of the Jamiat-i-Islami/Shura-i-Nazar type whose 1980s and 1990s-era leadership has suffered a string of assassinations attributed to the Taliban such as Burhanuddin Rabbani and Muhammed Daud Daud in 2011, may likely be content to exact retribution in some form. Abdul Rashid Dostum– another sworn enemy of the Taliban who knows that he is on their target list–could easily fully remobilize his Junbesh-i-Milli militia when push comes to shove.
But the risks for the integrity of the Pakistani state have changed entirely since the Taliban swept in Kabul in 1996. The creeping Talibanization of Pakistan creates an entirely different calculus. Additionally anti-Shia/Hazara violence in Balochistan being carried out by Lashkar-i-Jhangvi seems to be at an all-time high, a dire crisis which Pakistan's political leaders refuse to effectively address. All sorts of Taliban factions are now operating in Karachi, Pakistan's commercial capital, and inflaming tensions with the very territorial, virulently anti-Pashtun Muttahida Qaumi Movement which portrays itself as the guardian of mohajir identity in southern Sindh Province.
Part of the advantage of Pakistani hegemony over Afghanistan in the 1990s was that Islamabad could have groups that it was funding or manipulating outside of its territory. Afghanistan was relegated to an obscure, abandoned backwater that was essentially a free-fire zone for regional proxy warfare. States from all over Eurasia were dragged into Afghanistan's internecine battles.
Following 9/11, the Afghan morass brought into most if not all of the armies of the Western world. At the same time, Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus was ejected after the fall of Konduz in late November 2001. Now as the West and its allies clamor for the exits, Pakistan, Iran and other regional powers will be forced to reassess their role in the future of Afghanistan. And it does not look promising. The Pentagon would like to leave a residual number of troops behind for training and "support" missions pending an as yet unspecified status-of-forces agreement being worked out with Kabul.
Though the United States ending its combat mission in Afghanistan has made a big splash in the news, there has already been an attrition on Western troop numbers. Dutch troops packed up and left Uruzgan Province in August 2010 when the Netherlands enfeebled coalition government collapsed over the issue. The Dutch ditched their Australian partners in the home province of Mullah Muhammed Omar which created a vacuum that had to be filled by American troops. The French, now deployed in Mali in what is perceived as being a more immediate to France's national interests, entirely abandoned their combat mission in Kapisa Province in November 2012. The final French combat troops then departed Afghanistan altogether in December 2012. New Zealand plans on pulling out the majority of its troops from Bamiyan Province by April of this year.
In the understated words of noted Pakistani journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai: "2014 and the Western withdrawal will not mean Pakistan's problems are over."
Mali, North Korea and the Confluence of Histories
New York- I had a couple of long term projects published at the end of this past week. The first was an examination of the little known history conjoining Mali in West Africa with North Korea in Northeast Asia over at Asia Times Online. I discovered this newly built part of Bamako while riding around on my fixer's motorcycle last year when we were trying to organize a semi-doomed trip toward the front line with MUAJO et co up in Mopti Region.
This spot I found (linked, left) in the Malian capital is called Carré des Armées (Army Square) and it was built by a North Korean state enterprise (not as if Pyongyang encourages private enterprise). As I begun to play with the idea of doing a full length article on the topic, it dawned on me that Mali and North Korea had a shared history dating all the way back to Mali's independence from France in 1960.
Not exactly a topic for broad mass consumption, I know, but for those who it may interest, I think it's a fascinating topic. It also speaks to a lesser understood phenomena of how ties forged in the heat of the Cold War still can very much exist in a post-Cold War world.
The ties between North Korea and Mali certainly may have lessened over the decades and have changed in their orientation (started out as political and military in the 1960s, now more transparently financial-the same goes for Mali's relationship with China). One of the key differences between the relationships between North Korea and China with an inherently unstable state like Mali is that seemingly no circumstances would or will derail 'business as usual.'
Just for argument's sake, I honestly think that if Ansar Eddine and its Salafi allies had somehow managed to capture Bamako and miraculously gain some kind of political legitimacy that over time Beijing and Pyongyang would still send delegations back to Mali to get their business interests on track. After all in 1960, the government of Modibo Keita was deemed a righteous, radical enough anti-imperialist government by Kim Il-sung and co to forge ties on the other side of the world. Maybe the anti-imperial tenets preached in the context of Salafiyya-jihadiyya would be revolutionary enough for the Beijing's politburo and the DPRK's Workers' Party of Korea to be able to keep infrastructure projects going uninterrupted. Who's to say….
The second was a passion project nearly 14 years in the making about the history and symbology of all the war zone/quixotic regime currencies have managed to collect in my travels over the years featured in The Christian Science Monitor. It spans from an out-of-circulation Iranian rial I obtained in Tehran in 1999 to a Libyan 1 dinar note I saved from Benghazi in 2011.
Not a project that even the most ambitious young turk with a fancy master's degree fresh out of Georgetown or Columbia could have done. It's a bit of a blood, sweat and tears project in that sense and I was thrilled to have it come to fruition. I've dealt with countless fast talking money changers, sky rocketing wartime inflation, crossed borders only opened when regimes were in the process of being toppled and made all sorts of other absurd, laborious entreaties to obtain this collection.
Many of these specimens were lost for years or so I thought, until I uncovered them last fall in a musty storage locker and began to examine them one by one. I then realized they merited an article treatment on their own.
Most of these notes (except the Qadaffi-era dinar which is still in circulation pending the release of new notes by Libya's central bank) are long out of circulation. And more importantly, each banknote tells a story both in its iconography laden artistry and in the circumstances in which I obtained it. The 20th anniversary of the Shia Islamic revolution in Iran, the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan, the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, and so forth.


text:
Lots of people like to talk the big story about going green.
You know, you've heard the stories: "Yup, I'm planning to get some solar panels, solar roof shingles, alternative heating sources, a big wind turbine, the whole nine yards. I'm gettin' off the grid and helping save the planet."
But the operative word in that line is "planning." How many people do you know who actually follow through and make it happen?
That's why I admire Paul and Gail Gotter. The couple owns a bed and breakfast up near Rose City in Ogemaw County and they are living off the grid. They generate all the power for their little piece of heaven, which is absolutely beautiful but pretty much out in the middle of nowhere.
And they have no regrets about the kind of lifestyle they've developed.
"We were very nervous about making the big leap, but we're not having any second thoughts about it," she said. "And we keep looking at new ways to live more efficiently. For example, this year we added an outside wood burner to supplement our propane-fueled, hot-water heat. It really cut our costs this winter.
"We've also looked into solar, but it's really still not cost effective for all the cloud cover we have in central Michigan. The technology is improving, but it's still pretty pricey."
The Gotters and their lifestyle are featured in the winter issue of True North Magazine, which is available on newsstands now. The photos of their rustic log home are stunning. True North writer Jerry Nunn describes in colorful detail how and why they decided to start living off the grid.
When the duo decided to build their place, they realized that they were in such a remote area that it would have cost them nearly $80,000 to have electrical power hooked up to their home.
After much research and agonizing, they decided to put up their own 85-foot tower and top it with a 10,000 watt wind generator.
"That really was the nudge we needed," Gail said when I talked with her this week. "Once we did that, we decided to go all the way."
The total cost of building their own electrical generating and storage system was about $20,000.
The couple has to keep an eye on how they use that power, but they don't have to scrimp or go without modern conveniences. They even use an electric dish washer.
And, after all is said and done with hooking up their own power system, there's one real, clear benefit.
"We don't get a bill for electricity any more," she said. "We do have some maintenance costs, but it sure is nice not having that burden."
There's one other very nice thing about the Gotters. They believe in sharing what it took them years to learn - sometimes the hard way. For a relatively modest fee, you can sign up for one of their seminars on producing alternative energy.
"Most of our bed-and-breakfast visitors come from the Tri-Cities, Flint and northern metro Detroit area," she said. "They come for the peace and solitude of this beautiful part of Michigan. They're also curious about the lifestyle. But the people who come here for the seminars are usually here just for the day.
"So, it's really two different kinds of groups."
The Gotters' place is called Log Haven, and it sits on the edge of the Huron-Manistee National Forest between West Branch, Rose City and Mio.
You can find out more about their bed and breakfast or their seminars by calling (989) 685-3527, or by e-mailing the couple at firstname.lastname@example.com.
They're real nice people, and they've built a terrific place.
And what I like best about the Gotters is that they walk the talk. The duo is not full of hot air, but they sure know how to make it.
-Dave Vizard can be reached by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling (989) 894-9656.


text:
- Age / Gender:
- n/a, Unspecified
- Location:
- Location not disclosed
- Joined:
- 5/31/05
- All Stats >
User Statshot
- Community Stats
Level 17 Animator
Normal Whistle
Ranked as Civilian
Contact Info / Websites
Latest Movies
Clockday 2011 Afterparty Rated Stars In which all is lost Action A Redball Clockday Rated Stars REDBALLCLOCK SAVES THE CLOCK CREW Drama Inquisitor is a pedophile Rated Stars Inquisitor clock is famous for his love of lolis. Lump's medical dilemma Rated Stars A short flash about my dear friend lump clock dealing with a crushing disease.
Favorite Movies
Stop Your Shitty Posting Rated 2.5670 Stars And thus did Bigskoo ban CannabisClock for his heresy. Nonetheless, CannabisClock a hero o heavy metal poety [sic] Rated 4.0489 Stars StrangeClock reads some poetry. Comedy - Original Dad's Home Rated 4.3163 Stars Dad's Home! Yes, he sure is. Comedy - Original I'm a Scat Man Rated 4.2868 Stars Strap on your socks, cause they're about to be blown off your fucking feet! Music Video