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Midway through last night's beautiful, despairing season finale of the unexpectedly fantastic Hannibal, one character says to another that contemplating murders—as all of the characters on this show and all of the viewers in the audience do—is worth pursuing because it makes the contemplation of life and its end more thorough. In the midst of life, we are in death, and in the show's particularly gruesome and gory murder scenes, it finds a way to remind us of this eventuality. We almost certainly won't die at the hands of serial killers—since we don't exist in the Hannibal universe, after all—but death will come for us sooner or later, and more likely than not, it won't be beautiful. It will be painful and protracted, and we will long for a release from it. These are the emotional contours of Hannibal, a series that restores the seriousness of purpose to a genre long in need of it.
Back in February, I wrote an article about violence on television, spurred by the generally awful The Following. In that piece, I argued that too much TV violence had become empty, without purpose, there to artificially raise the stakes to the life-and-death level because it was the only way the show's writers knew how to create tension. In many ways, Hannibal makes that argument much better than I ever could. At turns dreamy and philosophical, Hannibal is interested in death and murder as a means to glance sidelong at some of life's largest questions. When not functioning as a cop drama, it's an intricately twisted serial-killer thriller, but it's also a surprisingly deep series about psychiatry and the state of the human mind.
In an interview with Alan Sepinwall, showrunner Bryan Fuller says that he went into Hannibal wanting to tell the story of when Hannibal Lecter was a practicing psychiatrist and cannibal; he's honored both sides of that equation, making perhaps the most famous fictional serial killer into more than just a series of funhouse scares. This Hannibal Lecter is strange, alien, almost removed from the proceedings that surround him. Lecter can't be a psychopath, because he does feel empathy of a sort—so then what is he? The answer is that he's a monster, someone so utterly inhuman and disconnected from that point of view that the best and perhaps only way to appreciate him is as some indefinable other.
The serial-killer genre has been trapped by Hannibal Lecter for a long time. Thomas Harris' original novels, especially the gripping Red Dragon, are very good, mixing standard thriller and mystery elements with a sense of Grand Guignol blood-spilling. But Anthony Hopkins' just so slightly campy performance as Dr. Lecter in Silence Of The Lambs very quickly came to dominate public perception of the character. Hopkins was riveting in Silence, a terrific example of how to modulate ham to create a larger-than-life character that remains grounded in some sort of realism, but the aspects of the character that everybody remembered—"Fava beans and a nice Chianti" followed by that terrifying thing he does with his lips, basically—were the ones that Harris wrote to in the considerably weaker Hannibal novel that came out in 1999 and was turned into a film by Ridley Scott. Suddenly, Hannibal Lecter wasn't a figure of terror so much as he was an enjoyably scary uncle, looking out over the many serial-killer nieces and nephews he'd unleashed on the movie-going public (and, later, with the rise of CBS' crime procedurals, the television-viewing public as well).
This is nothing new to fans of horror. All horror-movie villains will undergo a gradual campening the longer their franchises run. By the time Red Dragon was adapted to film for the second time by Brett Ratner, Hopkins' performance was all over-the-top ham, and while it was still the best thing in the movie (it's hard to top Anthony Hopkins), it felt decidedly diminished from what had come before. Worse, however, was the way so many movies and TV shows became about hard-to-predict, difficult-to-catch serial killers who carried over-refined methods and a manner removed from human nature to seem all at once slightly more terrifying and slightly better than the rest of us. Inevitably, these characters, ostensibly meant to be more realistic than the slasher-movie villains of the '80s, would become just as wise-cracking and wacky as Freddy Krueger had been. One need only look at Dexter's Dexter Morgan to see how easily this happens. A figure who was alien and terrifying in his first two seasons turned into a befuddled suburban dad who sometimes killed people, an audience-identification figure meant to be just a bit cuddly. Dexter ends later this summer after a run that so thoroughly defanged its protagonist that it will be fascinating to see if the show's writers can wring anything interesting from his inevitable capture at all.
At least Dexter didn't often go in for the numbing sameness of most other TV violence, which Fuller describes in the Sepinwall interview as "rapey" and "stabby." Because violence against women perpetrated by larger, looming men is such a reliable go-to in terms of goosing human emotions, TV turns to it over and over again, creating a parallel universe of genders split along lines of predator and prey and inadvertently trivializing genuine sexual violence in the real world. (Watch any representative episode of Law & Order: SVU or Criminal Minds to see what I mean.) There's a place for these kinds of shows, and they can be done well—I still enjoy a CSI every now and again—but the effect of them becomes numbing over time.
Watching Hannibal at once dispels all of these concerns and makes it all the more apparent why most other networks go in for cuddly serial killers or sexually charged violence robbed of its power. Watching any given episode of Hannibal can be something of an ordeal—intentionally so, I would argue. The camera lingers upon scenes of horrific violence and gore, and in nearly every episode, viewers are forced to watch the protagonist, Hugh Dancy's deeply troubled Will Graham, insert himself into the minds of the murderers he chases, committing the murders himself and struggling to keep from letting those dark visions overwhelm him. The idea of a serial-killer profiler who forces himself to think like a killer—another Harris invention—has become a cliché in the genre, yet no other serial-killer tale has so potently portrayed the weight of thinking like a killer, how difficult it would be, and how hard the stench of all that death would be to wash off.
By placing the viewer in Will's POV, both subjectively and literally (as when the audience is treated to the swinging pendulum that demarcates gruesome reality and Will's even more gruesome reenactments), Hannibal manages something that I don't think I've seen in comparable crime shows: It forces the viewer to take on the weight of all that murder as surely as the characters do. On other crime shows, the detectives will sometimes mention how difficult it is to spend so much time around all that death, but nothing really comes of it, and it's rare for that feeling to be transmitted to the audience. (One of the few shows to manage this trick was another NBC crime drama, albeit one with a much more realistic bent: Homicide: Life On The Street.) Frankly, it can be punishing to watch more than one episode of Hannibal at a time. When NBC would send out multiple episodes on DVD, I almost always parceled them out by the day, enjoying what I was seeing but finding it difficult to spend so much time in Will's head. When I marathoned the season with my wife so she could get caught up, I often had to look at anything else to keep from being overwhelmed.
On many shows, this would be a demerit, but on this one, it's a significant part of its design. What so many other shows forget is that the lives that end are all human lives, people who had plans and hopes and dreams that were cruelly snuffed out by madmen. Though Hannibal's crime scenes are so over-the-top as to be blatantly dreamlike and unrealistic—a totem pole made out of corpses was particularly unbelievable—the show earns its realism in its emotional context. Every single death on this show matters in a way that television rarely manages. In some episodes, those deaths matter because we get a sense of the lives that were ended. In some, we meet the men and women who commit the murders and see the terrifying ways their brain chemistry has been skewed. In still others, we watch as characters contemplate their own deaths, spurred on by the murders they investigate and other events, particularly in a deeply moving two-episode arc where Gina Torres guests as the wife of Jack Crawford, played by her real-life husband, Laurence Fishburne, and reveals she is slowly dying of cancer.
Cancer is an apt metaphor for the show's approach to murderous death, which it depicts as just as much a disruption of the body politic as cancerous cells are of the human body. Both are naturally occurring. Sometimes, cells get their wires crossed as surely as sometimes human beings are born with brain chemistry that crackles and sputters into terrifying new phantasms. Yet both also create destruction that ripples out far beyond the people they directly affect. For most of the season, the serialized storyline centered on a teenage girl named Abigail Hobbs whose father (killed by Will in the pilot so that he wouldn't kill Abigail) preyed on young women who looked like his daughter. The strain of that—of her father's monstrousness and her own near-death at his hands—sent Abigail off-kilter, but the season kept pulling rugs out from under her and the audience, sending her spiraling ever deeper into the shadow her father left hanging over her. She kept Hannibal's secret, only to die for it, and she only admitted to herself that she had helped her father stalk his prey once it was too late for it to mean anything. The audience sees Abigail's body only in the abstract—as a dish Hannibal serves to his own psychiatrist, Dr. Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson)—and that makes her death even more haunting, a rupture that may never heal.
Yet there's something else that makes Hannibal hard to watch, and that is Hannibal Lecter himself. As played by Mads Mikkelsen in one of TV's best performances, Dr. Lecter becomes at once angel and demon, a guardian of his patients' psyches and a monster who would just as surely destroy them once he was done toying with them. On a series fascinated by the workings of the human mind, we get several glimpses of just how good a psychiatrist Hannibal can be when he's not exploiting a patient for sport, but we also get to watch him push Will deeper and deeper into an encephalitis-induced fever state, until the series' putative hero is a quivering mess, framed for murders Hannibal committed, and the man in the show's title rises triumphant. In other depictions of this character, there's a sick part of every viewer that wants to see him succeed. That part still exists in Mikkelsen's portrayal, but it's combined with a roiling nausea at just how thoroughly he cows and manipulates Will, a good man who simply chooses the wrong man to confide in. Hannibal isn't just a character; he's a natural force within the show's universe, as certain to draw others toward him then tear them apart as a black hole.
Hannibal is a great show for other reasons—it's incredibly beautiful and fond of long passages of wordless storytelling wherein it has the confidence to let its visuals carry the story, and when the characters open their mouths, the dialogue they speak is often unexpectedly amusing or melancholic or profound—but the thread uniting all of it is this fascination with death. Death is too often facile on television, a thing that happens to a guest character so the regulars can swoop in and save the day. Fuller, however, has been obsessed with death as long as he's been making television, and he's funneled that sensibility into a series that had every reason to be a cheap cash-in and has, instead, turned into one of TV's best shows. In the world of Hannibal, death isn't a thing that happens because of glibly smirking psychopaths or because a woman was dressed too provocatively or because of Edgar Allen Poe. In the world of Hannibal, death is a moth, eating away at the edges of a beautiful tapestry, until the picture is so eroded that all that remains is a suggestion of what must have been.


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(CNN) -- In an election where accusations and acrimony were flung back and forth for months, a wave of calm and civility washed over millions of Americans who lined up to vote Tuesday.
Jude Elliott called waiting Tuesday in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the "best hour and a half of my life!"
"People were really overwhelmed in an amazed sort of way," said Justin Sheets, a CNN iReport contributor who arrived at 5:45 a.m. to find 200 people in line at his polling station in Richmond, Virginia.
"There was a light-hearted crowd despite weather conditions, and no one was complaining. Everyone was excited to see the turnout. There's a lot of collective energy that goes on."
In a culture that emphasizes "me," voting creates the sense of "we," said Robert Cialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University who studies group behavior.
A long line to vote creates the sense that everyone is "all one here, united under the common identity. I think it created the sense of 'we,' not 'me,' " Cialdini said. "Inside the boundaries of 'we,' people treat each other well."
Usually when people are waiting at the checkout stand or in traffic even for a few minutes, tempers can flare or tense words and gestures can be exchanged. But while waiting in queues that extended several blocks in New York or wrapped around buildings in other cities, there was not much grumbling or complaining, according to other iReporters. iReport.com: Share your voting experience
That's due to a sense of specific purpose, said one expert.
"Voting is an expression to self," said Kevin Lanning, psychology professor at Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University. "We're Americans. We take pride in that. This is how we manifest our Americaness. This is an action in which people take pride. That pride and being crabby aren't really compatible with each other."
During Election Day, the short fuse is supplanted by congeniality.
"Voting is a realization of their social position of a citizen, as a person in a larger community," said Shawn Rosenberg, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine. "They're performing a citizen role and a line isn't an obstruction. It symbolizes their commitment to a larger role. It orients people in another way. They're less selfish about it, and they're taking more pleasure in being part of a larger group."
And maybe that's why people are engaging in random acts of kindness on Election Day, psychologists said.
People trolling for parking spaces at Atlanta, Georgia, polling stations were directed by other voters to available spots. At Sheets' polling place in Richmond, morning voters waited in the rain, sharing umbrellas with strangers.
Before Election Day, the wait time for early voting was as long as eight hours in some areas. In North Carolina, strangers standing next to each other played games to pass the time, quizzing each other on their knowledge of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
"Everyone knew the Second Amendment, said Daniel Staten, a 20-year-old iReporter from North Carolina who voted early after a five-hour wait on Saturday. "It was kind of funny."
Staten recalled that one woman got food orders and went to a nearby takeout restaurant to bring back food and soft drinks for those standing in line.
A long wait isn't necessarily a deterrent, said Cialdini, who also wrote the book "Influence." The longer the line, the more it validates people's decision to vote.
"They indeed see a four- to five-hour wait; it's validating of their intent to vote to recognize that so many people are willing to wait that long," he said. "It gives them evidence that it's the right thing to do. ...The size of the wait may increase the willingness of people to stay on."
The conversations and the camaraderie while waiting in line transcend partisanship, experts say.
"This whole concern about the divide, the red or blue, left or right, it is a real problem, but it's not a necessary one," Rosenberg said. "People operate under mutual respect and realize we're all in the same boat."
All About Elections and Voting • Psychology

subset: commoncrawl


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Larry Kudlow, Cokehead
Yesterday, we introduced you to the farcical "Draft Larry Kudlow" campaign, a pretend movement to convince TV economist Larry Kudlow to run for Senate against Chuck Schumer. Today, for fun, we'll introduce you to Larry Kudlow the addict.
A 1995 New York Magazine story goes deep into Kudlow's history of substance abuse. He was addicted to cocaine for much of the 1980s and 90s, when he was a successful banker and economist and pundit.
Kudlow (or "Kuddles," as his friends nicknamed him in the '70s) clearly has an addictive personality, and he's incredibly susceptible to fads. While campaigning for Democrat Joseph Duffey (with a young Bill Clinton!) Kudlow (along with everyone else) smoked "reefer" constantly. In late 1980, the longtime registered Democrat and "monetarist" became a dedicated supply-sider "overnight." This landed him a job in the Reagan administration. (In 1995, as a rehabbing Kuddles contemplated becoming a Roman Catholic, a friend described the discredited economic theory as just another "religion" in Kudlow's life.)
We've no problem with a bit of recreational drug use—drugs are fun, after all!—but Kudlow spent "tens of thousands of dollars a month" on lengthy binges. He lied to the National Review about having beaten his drug habit. He missed meetings. He went to rehab four times in three years, finally ending up at celeb rehab clinic Hazelden in Minnesota.
Obviously if he's been clean since then, we're thrilled for him, but since the mid-'90s everyone's clammed up about his history. He didn't just experiment, he nearly killed himself with drugs. The New York story features the odd scene of Kudlow in the depths of his addiction advising a group of congressional Republicans on the Mexican bailout, with no one voicing any concerns about his reliability or credibility.
(And, quite frankly, being a proponent of supply-side economics who was wrong about the housing bubble and said in 2008 that there was no chance we'd enter a recession and who called Bush an economic genius should disqualify you for public office way before a coke habit should.)
The entire Draft Kuddles campaign is a hilarious band of embarrassing misfits. In addition to their candidate—the Lindsey Lohan of economics—and campaign head Michael Caputo, their finance director is "financier" John Lakian. We mentioned Lakian's history as a repeatedly failed candidate for public office. Steve Kornacki explains just why he kept failing: the guy repeatedly, pathologically embellished his resume.
Lakian's gubernatorial campaign ran aground when the Globe disclosed that he had falsely claimed to have attended graduate school at Harvard; had said in campaign literature that his father died of war-related injuries when in fact he was killed in an automobile accident; and that he had embellished his own military record, even though he had been cited for valorous action as an Army lieutenant in Vietnam.
That was in 1982. In 1994 he claimed to have taken part in domestic intelligence operations for the Army during Vietnam. He was then forced to retract that made-up claim. (Lakian ran on a flat-tax platform—just like Steve Forbes, whose presidential campaign briefly excited a manic Larry Kudlow a year later, shortly before he went back into treatment.)


text: China has adopted a new security law that gives the government control over its Internet infrastructure, along with any critical data.On Wednesday, China's legislature passed the national security law, which covers a wide range of areas including military defense, food safety, and the technology sector.A full text of the law's final draft has yet to be released, but it calls for better cybersecurity, according to a report from China's state-controlled Xinhua News Agency. The country's key information systems and data will also be made "secure and controllable" under the law.Previous drafts of the legislation don't state in detail what that control might mean, exactly. But U.S. trade groups have expressed ongoing concern that China's security policies are going too far, and could push foreign businesses out of the country.Earlier this year, China's anti-terror legislation drew complaints because it could require U.S. tech companies to hand over encryption keys to the country's government. U.S. President Obama even weighed in and has asked China to change the legislation.In recent years, however, China has made cybersecurity a priority, following leaks from security contractor Edward Snowden that claim the U.S. had been secretly spying on Chinese companies. The Chinese government has even said it would block IT products from being sold in the country, if they failed an upcoming "vetting system."The policy changes in China probably won't bode well for U.S. tech companies, especially for those who supply IT products to the government or state-owned companies, according to analysts. Already, China heavily censors its Internet, and has blocked many U.S. sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google.China, however, has said its new security laws are following what other Western countries have done to improve their cybersecurity."China has always maintained open policies to the rest of the world," said Zheng Shuna, a government official during a Wednesday press conference. "We welcome all foreign enterprises in China to abide by the laws, and offer legitimate services."


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Douglas D. Evanoff and Larry D. Wall
Working Paper 2000-24
November 2000
Download the full text of this paper in PDF format - (253 KB)
In recent years there has been a growing realization that there are significant problems with the current bank risk-based capital guidelines. As financial firms have become more sophisticated and complex they have effectively arbitraged the existing capital requirements. They have become so good at avoiding the intent of capital regulation that the regulations have essentially ceased to be a safety and soundness issue for supervisors and have become more a compliance issue. There is also a growing realization that bank regulation must more effectively incorporate market discipline to encourage prudent risk management. One means recommended to accomplish this is to increase the role of subordinated debt in the bank capital requirement. Arguments have been made that this could lead to improvements in both market and supervisory discipline. Although a number of such proposals have been made, there appears to be significant misunderstanding of how bank capital requirements would be modified and what might be accomplished by the modification. On the one extreme, some discussions of sub-debt seem to imply that merely requiring banks to issue debt would solve all safety and soundness related concerns. At the other extreme are a series of questions that raise doubts as to whether any change in the role of sub-debt could contribute toward safety and soundness goals.
The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of the purpose and potential of subordinated debt proposals and to present a regulatory reform proposal that incorporates what we believe are the most desirable characteristics of subordinated debt. The article is intended as a reference piece from which readers new to the topic may find a thorough review of the issues, and others can draw on specific aspects of the debate. Coverage includes (1) a discussion of the characteristics of sub-debt that make it attractive for imposing market and supervisory discipline on banks; (2) explanation of how current regulatory arrangements do not allow these features to be fully utilized; (3) discussion of the role of debt markets, equity markets, and supervision in disciplining firm behavior, and how the use of sub-debt avoids many of the problems associated with alternative regulatory proposals; (4) a review of the evidence on the extent of market pricing and disciplining of risk imposed by holders of bank liabilities; (5) a review of some of the existing sub-debt proposals emphasizing their differences and the reasoning for those differences; (6) a new regulatory reform proposal which increases the role of sub-debt; and (7) a discussion of some of the standard questions raised about sub-debt proposals and, when appropriate, explanation of how our proposal addresses these concerns.
(Accepted for publication in the book Bank Fragility and Regulation: Evidence from Difference Countries, edited by George G. Kaufman, forthcoming 2000.)
JEL classification: G28, G21, K23
Key words: bank, deposit insurance, subordinated debt
The authors acknowledge constructive conversations about the topic with Herb Baer, Rob Bliss, Charles Calomiris, Dan Covitz, Bob DeYoung, Mark Flannery, Hesna Genay, Diana Hancock, George Kaufman, Myron Kwast, David Marshall, Jim Moser, and members of the Federal Reserve System's Task Force on Subordinated Debt. The views expressed, however, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the colleagues mentioned above, the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta or Chicago, or the Federal Reserve System. Any remaining errors are the authors' responsibility.
Please address questions regarding content to Douglas D. Evanoff, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, P.O. Box 834, 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60690-0834, email@example.com, or Larry D. Wall, Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 104 Marietta Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, 404-498-8937, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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What to Consider
Door Bells and Knockers
Hinges and Kickplates
Cost Considerations
Architectural Style: The front door handles, knockers, locksets should complement the architectural style of the home and the front door. Manufacturers often provide a "family" of hardware in styles that project the desired image.
Usage: Who will be using the handsets? Provided in thumb turn, knobs and levers, understand knobs may be more difficult to turn for younger or older hands; levers offer easier usage.
Door Size: The thickness of the door stile and placement of the predrilled holes will have an impact on the type of hardware. Having a template of the pre-existing holes will make it easier to choose the appropriate hardware. The height and weight of the door also will determine the number and sizes of the hinges required to operate the door effectively.
Amount of Hardware: A handle or knob is the minimum hardware needed. But homeowners may consider additional options. The doorbell or knocker for guests to announce their arrival; a peephole for solid wood doors without windows for privacy; locksets for security; and kickplates for the door bottom should coordinate with the handle set.
Maintenance: If the front door is protected, the metal may not tarnish as easily as metals exposed to sun, wind and rain. Finishes that tarnish may be desirable on older homes while shiny finishes may need cleaning and polishing.
Handle sets are available in a variety of styles, sizes, metals and designs. The exterior handle goes through the door to an interior handle, which may be different from the coordinating handle outside.
Knobs may stand alone with a key lock inside the knob, or may integrate a faceplate with a key lock in the faceplate. Usually, a knob outside will turn a knob inside.
Levers also may contain a key lock integrated into the lever, with another lever used inside. Levers are ADA compliant and are easier to use for older and younger hands.
Thumb turn handles are larger for a hand to grasp and use the thumb to disconnect the latch. These handles usually are designed as an arch and may contain a faceplate to protect the door from the grasp and provide an aesthetic. The key lock may be in the faceplate system or set apart as a deadbolt.
Dummy handles are aesthetic only and do not contain a latch or lock. Used on interior doors and exterior doors, they appear to be performing, but are not.
Security for the home is available from several systems. Keyed locks may be integrated into the handle sets, or may be separate. Locks often are tested and graded by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association.
• Door viewers can be installed into a solid door for inspecting visitors at an entry door with no windows.
• Door handle locks function by key or turning a button in the handle. They stop the knob or lever handle from turning. This is the least effective lock for security.
• Deadbolts consist of a cylinder installed through the door that activates a bolt from the door through the doorjamb. A key on the outside and a key or knob on the inside activate the locking system.
• Mortise locks require a box containing a locking system to be cut into the door. This is the most secure system and is most frequently used on commercial buildings.
• Keyless locks use a combination keypad to activate a deadbolt lock, which may be programmable from a smartphone or other wireless technology. This adds another layer of security.
• Chain door locks run a chain from a plate on the door to an access plate on the doorframe or wall. This permits the door to open for a few inches but maintains a little security.
A Strike Plate will be needed on the doorframe to accept the lock bolt. Strike plates are created in several configurations so check the shape of the bolt. Also available in several types of metal to match or complement the lock and handle set.
Swing Bar Door Guards are installed on the interior of an entry door yet permits the door to be cracked open about two inches for viewing while maintaining security.
Doorbells announce the presence of someone seeking access to the structure. Several types and sounding systems are available. Also, today's electronics offer doorbell systems with motion detectors that turn on the front lights when someone approaches, or even sends an image to a computer or smartphone of the homeowner for added security. One system may be used in the home at the front door and another access, such as the back, or patio door. The sounds can be different to alert the residents as to which door has visitors.
• Wired bells run an electric wire from an exterior button to an interior box that produces pre-designed sounds. From a simple bell to chimes to favorite music may be programmed into the doorbell. Wireless bells send a signal from the button installed outside to a receiver inside that "rings" or provides music.
• Battery operated boxes can be installed near the entry door, making them easy to install.
• Plug-in boxes require an electrical outlet. These operate as long as the electricity is on.
Knockers may be installed on an entry door to announce visitors. Mostly used on homes with an architectural style conducive to this design. Created in a variety of metals and designs, knockers make a statement about the homeowners.
Hinges hold the door to the frame. When purchasing a new front or entry door, most frequently, the door is attached to the frame and is installed as a system. Three hinges are standard, with additional hinges used on taller, heavier doors. A hinge may need replacing, or updating when new handle sets are installed.
• Hinge Anatomy: Leaf is the name of the two flat portions with screw holes that are attached to the door and the frame. Constructed of a variety of metals, such as stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, iron, etc., and a variety of thicknesses to support a range of door materials. The size of the leaf used is determined by the door thickness and height. Barrel is the circular, hollow, end of the leaf, which rotates on the pin. Pin is the solid rod that runs through the barrels of the two leaves to allow the barrels to rotate for opening and closing the door.
• Residential hinges are lightweight, standard size hinges used on basic construction.
• Architectural hinges are an upgrade, with standard leaf sizing and larger sizes for supporting larger, heavier doors. Manufactured in a wider variety of metals, Architectural hinge leaves also are thicker to hold the weight of larger doors so doors and jambs may need additional mortise space to accommodate.
• Ball Bearing hinges include a ball bearing between the barrels of the leaves to reduce friction on heavy traffic doors.
Kickplates protect the front door and provide an attractive balance to the hardware. Available in a variety of metals and finishes from polished to satin, oil rubbed or brushed and even weathered, the kickplate should be two inches shorter than the door width so it does not interfere with the opening and closing of the door.
Material: The type of metal used to create the hardware will have an effect upon the cost. The amount of material will increase the cost, so size does matter. Add faceplates, and the cost goes up.
Electronics: Wireless doorbells, security systems, etc. will cost more due to the complexity of the system and technology involved.
Sets: While a set may seem to be expensive, purchasing all the pieces together may save money in the long run. Each manufacturer provides sets of handles, interior and exterior, deadbolts, faceplates, etc. for ease of complementing the aesthetic.
Installation: Add installation to the cost. Wired doorbells will require additional expense


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[Page 48 - Yiddish]
By Herzl Weiner
Translated by Mindle Crystel Gross
Edited by Toby Bird
The library in Svir was established right about the end of WWI, and it is thanks to the initiative of Eli Rabinovitch and actual help from Yekopo which set as its goal not only to rescue us from the economic ruin, but at the same time, to elevate the cultural level in town. With a total of 12 books, the foundation was laid for the people's library in Khatskelevitch's house, and later grew to be one of the largest libraries in the area with close to 3,000 books and a broad selection of various Yiddish and Hebrew volumes. They encompassed the classics and modern Jewish literature and also those translated from other languages, including many scientific works and assorted timely journals. The Jewish youth, enjoying the various novels, immersed itself in the rich well of the newly-grown Yiddish literature and enriched their knowledge. The Jewish town was poor and the people carried much spiritual baggage at that time, and the library was a window which opened wide onto the horizon of the surrounding bright world, and which broke through the narrowness of the small town, preparing the foundation for the latest events of the political parties and organizations in town. During the early years, the library was run by the so-called Yiddishist camp, like A. Zlatayavke, M. Drevyatski and others. Later, however, with the strengthening of the Zionist organizations, they participated in the administration and they worked with the brothers Alperovitz, Chanoch Miller, Sore Tsakh, Eliyohu Epshteyn, Moyshe Miller, Yehuda Gershovitz, and the writer of these lines, as well as others. It was a joint effort and pleasant years were enjoyed by both sides for the continuation and development of the library. Many theatre performances which raised funds were dedicated to the library and presented an opportunity to purchase books.
Herzl Weiner and his mother
There was also an intensive cultural effort conducted, such as establishing box evenings, where the so-called elite of the town would answer questions. They were B. Alperovitz, A. Zlatayavke, Kh. Rogov, Y. Engle, and others, including teachers who came later. Many serious questions were posed, scientific, political and literary, which troubled the minds of the youth, and which found their immediate answers. Also arranged were many literary evening trials which had a valuable influence on the upbringing of the young, like Mendele's Taksi, Peretz's Bontche Shvayg, and Sholem Ash's God of Revenge, and others.
Especially notable was the trial of the Woman which drew in a large number of participants and lasted for two months. The accusers, Y. Gordon and Y. Engle, were supported by Ita Vayniger and Strindberg. The defendants were supported by Y. Motzkin and B. Z. Malamyak to defend the non-Soviet literature. At the end, after hearing the witnesses for both sides, the verdict was announced by the tribunal and the woman speaks freely and accuses the community which had enslaved her and cast her out from life's better positions.
The trial resulted in great interest and left a deep impression in town.
The last years with the greatest number of active youth leaving the town, some to Eretz Yisroel, others immigrating to other countries, a simultaneous weakening in the work of all the parties in town. Once again, the library fulfilled its function as the spiritual center and concentrated around itself the creative talents. Thanks to the energetic administration and the initiative of B. Resnick and A. Zlatayovke, they were successful in obtaining through various methods, a radio, something very precious at that time, and the only one in town for the Jewish community. It ran on batteries as there was not yet any electricity in town. This created the possibility of listening for hours to various programs from the entire world, such as music, song and daily news from Poland. Most importantly, they found a strong interest in the Jewish programs from the Soviet Union, and with trembling joy, listened to every second and word from faraway Eretz Yisroel, which is so dear and to which everybody is tied organically and wants to go there. The youth enjoyed the broadcast music, dancing late into the night, a lovely cultural happening in town.
With the outbreak of the war, the library, along with the entire spiritual life of the community, was destroyed.
[Page 51 - Yiddish]
by Shmuel Dobkin
Translated by Mindle Crystel Gross
Edited by Toby Bird
The founding of the first elementary school in our town was a great happening and created a revolution in our education and upbringing.
This took place a couple of years after WWI. People began to breathe easier, new birds began to sing new songs, ideals about freedom, equality and national freedom were felt in the air, and people began to believe in a better tomorrow.
At that time, the first school was founded in town, and we saw in it the beginning of a new era, a better one, a more beautiful one. The first two teachers themselves were former students, consumed with the idea of going to the people to teach them, educate them, threw themselves with great fervor into organizing the school and situating it on a new pedagogic and modern foundation. They began to create something out of nothing. They did not have at their disposition the good will of the parents, and the enthusiasm of the children to learn. They tested all the future students and created the classes. The yeshiva building near the synagogue was turned into a place for the school, and we, the children, began with great joy and enthusiasm to learn there. Everything was a great revelation for us. We studied only five-six hours a day, with a break after each lesson during which time we played in the courtyard, jumping and running. In addition to the Jewish studies, we also studied general subjects, e.g.: arithmetic, geography, science, music and so forth. The lessons themselves were not taught the way they were in kheder The teacher had conversations with the children in our language and asked questions. The teacher later reviewed everything and it all became clear. The new school books that we received elicited great happiness and respect from us. We began to feel that the school was unfolding a new world for us, a real one, a substantial one, and it was eager to connect us with it, and to interest us in this large world.
The school taught us to recognize nature around us, the trees, the fields and meadows, and maybe to love them as well and to give thought to the entire development-process of the larger surroundings.
The respect for these first two teachers was great. Their word is holy to us. The school becomes the cultural center of the town.
In the history of the Jewish education in our town, the first elementary school will be noted as having been an important contributor to our social and cultural success.
[Page 53]
Chaim Rugovin
Translated by Sara Mages
I'd reached old age, because our Sages said in Avot [5:21] at sixty to be an elder, and when I do the account of my life, I add the establishment of the Hebrew School in Svir, one of the most important enterprises of my life, to my account. Now, when the memory of Svir's Jewry with all of its institutions has been uprooted from the world, the review of the past will give us the opportunity to appreciate the historical value of the Hebrew School. This school taught boys and girls to love the Jewish people and the land of Israel. This school prepared the hearts before the storm, which destroyed almost all of the European Jewry, and in my opinion, it was the biggest factor that a very large percentage survived the decrees and the Holocaust from such a small town. If the TSYSHO School (Tsentrale Yidishe Shul-Organizatsye - central Yiddish school organization), that I found at the beginning of 1921, remained, it would have turned the hearts of its graduates to travel and escape to Stalin and his friends' Evil Kingdom. To what can this be compared? to people who survived the fire and fell into deep water, none who go to her return again [the Book of Proverbs 2:19].
I came to Vilna in the winter of 1921 with a small suitcase in my hand and about 200 Polish Marks in my pocket. Of course, I lacked a Polish document that I was resident of the district of Vilna. By chance, I met a man on the street who knew me and my family from Minsk. I told him about my hardships, and what happened to me since I escaped from the Bolsheviks in Minsk. He went with me to the Jewish community. I saw that many clerks and the head of the community, the old Dr. Vigodski, knew him. There, he met another man and said to him: we both go and testify about this man, and pointed his finger at me. I introduced myself to the stranger and both of them approached one of the clerks. The clerk swore them on their testimony that I'm a decent honest man. The clerk wrote a document in Polish, stamped it with the community's seal, and Dr. Vigodski signed it. I felt more secure walking in the streets with this kosher amulet. The days were the days of the government of the Polish General Zygowski. The Jews, who lived in the district of Vilna, were afraid of the slightest noise. The general tried to show himself as a liberal, and was cordial to Jewish community of Vilna in order
[Page 54]
to distract their minds from his political trickery, to rip the district of Vilna from Lita - where the Jews enjoyed all the civil rights and annex it to the Polish government.
I went to the Hebrew teachers' center to ask for a job. There, they told me that there were too many Hebrew teachers in Vilna, the roads around Vilna were too dangerous, and the teachers' center had no clear information about Hebrew schools in small towns. When I told them that the Polish Marks are shrinking in my pocket, they advised me to go to TSYSHO, because sometimes they need a cure, a Hebrew teacher. Without a choice, and against my will, I went to TSYSHO. There, they told me that they received a request for a Hebrew teacher from their school in Svir, who will teach Hebrew in Yiddish but not Hebrew in Hebrew. They informed me that the school already has a teacher for general studies and the Polish language, and they recognize her as the principal. They also let it slip, that the Polish superintendent in the province city of venèionys refuses to confirm her. They asked me about my knowledge in general studies. I showed them my papers from the Russian secondary school in Minsk, and since the Poles controlled Minsk for about a year, there was a also a Polish stamp on them.
Before I left Vilna, I revisited the center of Tzeirei Zion [Young Zionists] movement. They asked me to write them on the status of the youth in the town of Svir, maybe they'll be able to establish a branch of Tzeirei Zion there. They also told me that a Tarbut [a network of secular Hebrew-language schools] center will be established soon. Menachem Rudnicki arrived, or fled from Moscow, and he'll head the center. Then, they'll establish Hebrew schools in small towns, and wage a war against TSYSHO in the provinces.
In the Svirim's hostel, in Rivka Solowizik's home, they told that on the same night, a dark rainy night, a convoy of carts will leave for Svir. I told one of the carters that I don't have the money to pay for the trip, but I was sure that the school's management will pay him. He agreed to take me. I remember that Polie Seirski and his brother Yitzchak were also members of the caravan. At night we were stopped by the police. They searched the carts, my suitcase, my pockets, and also frisked me. The document from the community wasn't good enough for them, and by miracle they didn't stop me. On the second night, a snowy night, one of the nights of the month of Shevat 1921, we finally arrived to Henie Kaplan's home.
[Page 55]
They told me to get off there. It was about an hour before midnight. Shulamit, the school principle, also lived in Henie's home. She slept in the same room with Perale, Henie's stepdaughter, and I slept in the dining room. The first homeowner to greet me was Zalman Michel Fisher. On the next day I started to teach at the school. The intellectual climate of the school was foreign to my liking, and the Hebrew studies were at a low level. When we returned from school, I sat down to eat together with Shulamit. She asked my opinion about the school. I expressed my opinion that we should correct the studies of our nation's history, and give the children a positive attitude towards our actions and hopes in our homeland. During the conversation I realized that we were students of foreign worlds, and opposed each other.
Meanwhile, I met good innocent people who cared about me, like Zev Drutz. None of them suspected that I didn't like their school.
Teachers Chaim Rugovin and Chaim Gershater
[Page 56]
I was alone and lonely. I wanted to rent a special room for myself so I won't have to sleep in the dining room, and they told me that there was no such thing in town.
After the holiday of Purim, the principal Shulamit traveled to venèionys to see the Polish inspector in charge of the district's schools, and took my papers to confirm me as a teacher. When she returned she surprised me. The inspector confirmed me as a principle and her as a teacher, because he didn't find anything wrong with my papers. He sent me an official certificate that I was the official school's principal. From that time, the district supervisor turned to me in all the official negotiations about the school, even though I didn't know Polish. This fact angered TSYSHO.
Those were the days of commercial prosperity because of the depreciation of the Polish Mark. The whole town was busy trading and exchanging money from Dollars to Marks and vice versa. A young man came and said that he was a dance teacher, and all the youth joined him and began to dance at night.
The month of Nisan arrived and brought the spring winds. I started to miss the friendship of people my age because the homeowners, who come to visit me, were older than me by many years. One day, at the beginning of Nisan, as I sat alone in the dining room, Perale's brother came and told me that a youth delegation want to talk to me. I received them amicably. We talked, and from the conversation I learned that the town's youth grew during the war, during the days of chaos. Apart from the knowledge that they have acquired in the old Heder, they had almost no education. They heard about the Zionist movements, but their concepts weren't clear to them. They wander through life and eager for a different intellectual world. In short, they wanted me to guide them, organize them and be their mentor. I took this job with great joy. At first, I organized a branch of Tzeirei Zion. I wanted to establish a platform and support if I decide to wage a war against the Yiddish School. At the beginning the branch wasn't big. Among the members were: Reuven Reznik, Isaac Tzakh, and May they live - Yisrael Wele Schwartz who lives in the United States, and Chaim Chaiat who was the first pioneer to immigrate from Svir to Israel. The last was
[Page 57]
Chana Rugovin's parents, Mina and Zalman Eliyahu Swirski of blessed memory
knowledgeable in Hebrew and Yiddish literature more than anyone else. I wanted to expand the branch and attract the fathers and mothers, the parents of the school children.
To carry out my wish, we decided that I should speak from the synagogue's Holy Ark Bimah wrapped in a prayer shawl. We chose the Sabbath of Parashat Aharei Mot [After the death Torah portion]. On Friday eve we hung a notice in the synagogue that I'll speak an hour before Mincha prayer. On that Sabbath, the Shamash called the congregation to come to the synagogue after their afternoon nap. As in Rosh Hashanah, the synagogue and the women's section were full of people. My subject was strange fire which is mentioned in the same Parasha. The impression was great, and on the next day we sold one hundred Tzeirei Zion shekels [memberships]. Many asked us to sign them as members of Tzeirei Zion. I think about fifty men and women signed up. Many important homeowners started to visit me regularly like: Zev Drutz, Nachman Gurvitz, Spekter and the like. We started to meet almost every Saturday, and the number of participants increased.
[Page 58]
I chose a subject: Hebrew or Yiddish? Shulamit was frightened. She suddenly realized that TSYSHO made a mistake hiring me. The Yidishe [Yiddish speaking] started to organize. Their friends were of various types: Bundistim, communists, and just those who don't know to ask. In my opinion, their biggest shortcoming was that they didn't have a leader and a manager. Shulamit couldn't give a speech, and so were the other teachers from TSYSHO.
The first quarrel that broke out between us was in early May of the same year (1921). The Polish authority turned to me, the official school principal, with a request that we won't teach on May third, their Constitution Day. They asked that Shulamit and I will organize the children in rows, and march in a procession through the main street to a location near the Christian Church where the Polish School children will also gather. I agreed to participate in this procession, but suggested that our school will march with our national blue and white flag. The Polish delegates promised me that they would bring this condition before the celebration committee. On May second I received a positive answer. When Shulamit heard it, her face reddened from anger. She screamed very loudly: The Jews don't have a flag. Our flag is the flag of this country, the Polish flag, the blue and white flag is the flag of the Zionist's dream. Time was short because it was already the evening of May second, and on the next day, at nine o'clock in morning, we had to march. I called Yisrael Wele Schwartz and Chaim Chaiat, and they decided that all the members of Tzeirei Zion, mostly the female members, will come to school immediately. Shortly after, I had a big blue and white flag in my hands, and dozens of small blue and white flags for the children to hold in their hands. Our school's May third procession was festive. After their schools sang the Polish national anthem, our children sang Hatikvah, and we sang it again when we returned to the anger of the Yidishe. I think that many former students, who now live in Israel, remember this festive occasion and the impression that it left on the town.
Since then, I started to demand publicly that the Yiddish School should be demolished and a Hebrew Tarbut School will be established. Almost all the homeowners, whose children studied in the school, supported me. Then, I slowly began to lay the foundation for Hebrew in Hebrew.
[Page 59]
I decided to prepare the most talented students, Chanoch Drutz, the two Yoel brothers, Sutzkewer, Dubkin and others, and increase their vocabulary. They probably didn't understand why I gave them more work. Very important public work was done until the summer vacation. Large meetings were held every Saturday and I spoke about various international issues, especially about the treasures of the Hebrew language. That spring Tzeirei Zion held a conference in Vilna, and I was sent as a delegate. The economic situation in town wasn't bad, and most of the parents paid tuition. Once, YEKOPO [an aid organization for Jewish victims of war] received a few hundred dollars from America, which were exchanged to tens of thousands of Polish Marks. They also donated money to the school in Svir. Central Lita wasn't annexed to Poland yet, and for the sake of appearance they continued to maintain the international contract, and sometimes donated money to the national minority schools. Therefore, the school in Svir also received a few thousands Marks. I also received my salary, which was four thousands Marks a month. They also paid me for all the vacation days I don't remember six weeks or two months. In the month of Elul 1921, I left Svir because I got a job in the municipal Talmud Torah school in Vilna, which was one of Mizrachi's schools. .
My hopes that made me move to Vilna dashed very slowly. The parents of the children, who came from Svir to Vilna for their business, persuaded me to return to Svir, remove the school from the ownership of TSYSHO, transfer it to the ownership of Tarbut, and be its principal. In Svir, the teachers were paid ten thousands Marks a month, more than in Vilna. Even my wife Chana begged me to return to Svir. All these things influenced me. In Vilna I was only a teacher, and in Svir I was going to create something new. I consulted with the director of the institute, because I trusted him, and he answered me: Do as you wish, but my heart is telling me that you'll regret it. I thought it over and made a crucial decision, to return to Svir and establish a Tarbut School there. I think I returned in the month of Adar 1922. All the residents of the town received me with love and affection, and of course, the Yidishe camp wasn't happy with me. I had a lot of work to do: I started to correct and modify the curriculum, and corresponded with the Tarbut office in Vilna in the matter of a second teacher.
[Page 60]
I also reorganize the branch of Tzeirei Zion, which has weakened during my absence from Svir, because I knew that the federation would support me and the school. A second teacher arrived after Passover. He was a good teacher, who influenced the children by organizing sports games, a subject that I wasn't familiar with.
The Yidishe camp wanted to get rid of me. They believed that if I left the town, they would seize the school building and everything will return to normal. There were a number of thugs among them who informed the kingdom that came from Russia, and every Jew who came from Russia was a Russian spy in the eyes of the Polish government. In the month of Elul of the same year (1922), I celebrated my wedding feast, and before the seven days of the feast ended I was summoned to the police for an investigation. The Yidishe camp was jubilant and happy. The Polish passport, which I've acquired, was taken from me. I started to wander from Svir to venèionys, and from here to there. I was interrogated by police, and I was in danger of expulsion from Poland to Russia. Returning to Russia was equal to a capital punishment, because I escaped from there and my name was blacklisted. It is difficult to describe the troubles that the informers caused me. It took me almost a year to obtain a valid Polish passport.
Despite all the troubles, the Hebrew School continued to evolve, and most of the students succeeded in their studies.
Meanwhile, the economic situation of the Jews in Poland has worsened, including the Jews of Svir. Of course, it also affected the financial situation of the school. The value of the Polish Mark fell, and the teachers demanded a pay raise. When the days of Grabeski, may his name be blotted out, started, the Polish Jews lost their livelihood. It was difficult to pay tuition, and I, the swindler, the principal of the school in Svir, was forced to demand salaries for me and for the other teachers. The leaders of Tzeirei Zion like Yisrael Wele Schwartz, Chaim Chaiat, Issac Schwartz and others decided to intervene. They realized that the Hebrew School, which they helped to built, is going to be destroyed. They took it on themselves to collect the teachers' salaries - andYisrael Wele Schwartz was elected as treasurer. If my memory serves me, there was a fundraiser for the school in the form of a school play.
[Page 61]
Members of Tarbut school in Svir 1925
[Tarbut Zionist network of Hebrew educational institutions founded in 1922]
The financial resources of Tzeirei Zion were temporary, and I saw that it was difficult for them to carry the burden. Since I realized that if I left the school it would remain Hebrew and a Tarbut institution, I decided during the vacation days of 1925 to leave the school in Svir, and look for a job in another town, and so I have done.
In the month of Elul of the same year (1925), I was accepted as a teacher in Dokshiz, a town four times larger than Svir. The school was also founded by Tarbut - but it was more established because there was an organized community there. There were also a number of affluent educated people in the community. There were four teachers. The Polish language teacher was also the principal, who was sent from Tarbut, but what happened to me in Svir also happened to me here. The Polish superintended appointed me as the official school principal. Also there, I revived the chapters of Tzeirei Zion and HeHalutz. At the end of the year they kept me for the next year. Meanwhile, I received an opportunity to travel to the United States. I traveled from Dokshiz to Vilna, where I taught at the Hebrew High School for two months, and at the end of November (1926) I left Poland and traveled to America.
I don't know what happened at the school in Svir since the vacation days of 1925, but one thing is clear, the school remained a Hebrew School and continued what I started,
[Page 62]
to build, in the spirit of Hebrew language, a productive home for future generations who would be closely connected to our ancient new country.
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text:
In the first issue of Deborah Needleman's T Magazine (which hit newsstands Sunday), Suzy Menkes writes about how fashion week has become all about bloggers and street style stars peacocking for each other. As she writes, fashion weeks around the world have become a "celebrity circus of people who are famous for being famous." The street style blogs -- which used to capture real, stylish people at their most natural -- have now been eclipsed by people trying to dress for the sole purpose of being featured those street style blogs. The result is a scrum of over-accessorized people taking pictures of each other outside of every show. Of course it feels like a circus.
On Monday morning, Leandra Medine of The Man Repeller (one of the most successful street style blogs) had published a rebuttal on her site -- agreeing with Menkes on many points, but then defending her kind: "It doesn't seem quite fair to peg the bloggers that have actually become "famous" as such just for being famous. When I think Tavi Gevinson or Susie Bubble or Emily Weiss or on the street spectrum, Tommy Ton, I think recognition based on the merit of astounding work."
Brands have figured out by now that fashion bloggers have real influence -- and that street style blogs can really drive people to buy their clothes. But Medine has a point: you can't lump all fashion bloggers together. Some of them are good writers; others aren't. Some have a good eye for clothes; other's don't. You can't hate on all the fashion bloggers in the world just because you can't get into your seat at a fashion show without having to walk past a few of them. And they may be swaddled in astrakhan when you see them, but not all fashion bloggers have had it easy. As Medine points out, many have started their blogs from scratch and invariably hustled to make money off of them. Some are real entrepreneurs. "Many of us couldn't land the jobs we wanted," Medine writes. "So we just made our own."
But there's another problem: many bloggers (and again, we can't lump them all together) accept a lot of free stuff from brands -- everything from beauty products to designer bags. At first, not all bloggers acknowledged when they got this free stuff; but then the FTC cracked down and required them to acknowledge when they got swag for free. Slowly, the community became comfortable with disclosure.
But now, it's gone to another extreme. Getting "gifted" has now come to be known in the fashion blogging community as a sign that your blog matters -- that you're an important enough blogger that brands are paying attention to you. It's actually a status symbol for bloggers to get free swag and brag about it -- so much so that some bloggers lie and say they've gotten things for free when they've really purchased them. "Confused about bloggers buying shit and pretending it's free swag. Kinda like sending yourself flowers, no?" said Tina Craig (of a blog called The Bag Snob) on Twitter.
In her article, Medine acknowledges the slippery slope of gifting and expresses remorse. "We never should have accepted gifts in the first place," she writes. "We shouldn't have bragged about the free trips, and cool events and recognition from our industry heroes. We've painted a picture portraying the circumstances of blogging that is inaccurate." And, of bloggers who will do anything for swag, she writes: "How can we really assume that we will cull the respect we think we deserve if we don't respect our own brands?" Indeed, things need to change for fashion bloggers -- and Medine should be the one to lead the way.


text:
By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com
February 5, 2009
On January 29, 2009, the Washington Times reported that the U.S. Army is recalling "more than 16,000 sets of ceramic body armor plates that the Pentagon's inspector general believes were not properly tested and could jeopardize the lives of U.S. service personnel." This came just one day after the Times reported that the armor was "deemed unsafe by Inspector General Gordon S. Heddell." It would seem logical that "ceramic body armor plates" means ESAPI (also written E-SAPI) Level IV hard armor plates, but DefenseReview does not have confirmation on this, yet.
A DoD official is reported to have said that there are no reports of armor plate defects or deaths rusulting from the plates' use. According to the Washington Times, the DoD official stated that the armor plates are being recalled "so that…
soldiers will not worry that they are wearing unsafe armor." The 16,000 recalled plates, all manufactured between 2005 and 2007, constitute 1.6 percent of the 1.9 million plates that the Army has purchased to date.
Danger Room over at Wired Blog Network has picked up on this story, and cites a March 31, 2008 DoD Inspector General Report on DOD Procurement Policy for Body Armor (Report No. D-2008-067) (PDF) that revealed that the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) "had procured billions of dollars in body armor without full testing." A new DoD Inspector General report that includes its latest findings on U.S. military body armor procurement is supposed to be released very soon (or possibly has already been released). However, a DoD official familiar with the situation has responded by saying that the "Army is going to push back" against this new DoD IG report, and accused the IG of "digging until something was found that was not very solid."
According to the Washington Times, U.S. Army and DoD officials are submitting (or have already submitted) information to the Inspector General's office to challenge the latest findings. The Times also reported that in March 2008, the IG found that that "the Army did not follow federal requirements in procuring body armor components and identified deficiencies in 16 of 28 Army contracts."
The following is an excerpted portion of the Jan. 29 Washington Times article, titled EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Army recalls armor:
Maj. Clifford Yarbrough, who served with the 3rd Special Forces group in Afghanistan, told The Times that his unit, along with other Special Forces and the Delta Forces, were issued titanium plates. These plates, which are ordered by these special units under a separate budget, can withstand multiple hits by the enemy and have saved many lives, said Maj. Yarbrough, who now teaches at a high school in Arkansas.
The major, who has two enlisted sons, said that the ceramic plates issued to Army and Marine Corps personnel do not provide sufficient protection against close enemy fire.
"Interceptor vests are not fielded with the interceptor titanium that give the men more enhanced protection," he said. "We had guys who were engaged, and short of a 50 caliber, it would stop everything. They got a little trauma from the bruising. Normally, those rounds would go right through them."
End Excerpt
Army officials stand by the body armor that's been fielded so far, and plan to challenge the IG's March 2008 audit that found that in 11 of the 28 conracts, "adequate files were not kept and that it could not be determined whether the best informed decisions were made regarding procurement of body armor," according to the Times. This audit was apparently limited to Armya nd Marine Corps body armor contracts awarded and orders made between January 2004 and December 2006, which amounted to more than $5.2 billion.
Related Articles:
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Flexible Biological Scalar Body Armor for Future Soldiers?
Army Acquisition Capos Fraudulently Alter Body Armor Test Results
KSEE 24 News Video Story on Attempted Sale of Dragon Skin Body Armor on eBay
Mystery: Attempt(s) to Sell Level IV Dragon Skin Body Armor on eBay
Pinnacle Armor Files Federal Lawsuit Against DOJ and NIJ: The Plot Thickens…
U.S. Army Stops Independent Testing of Interceptor Body Armor (UPDATE 1)
Why the U.S. Army Acquisition Mafia Fears Side-By-Side Body Armor Testing
Has the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Been Corrupted?
Dragon Skin Passes Again: NIJ-Certified Lab Test Validates 6-Year Warranty.
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text:
Galvin Flying Services, an FBO at Seattle's Boeing Field, has named Eric Lynn Flight School Manager and Chief Flight Instructor of its Flight Training Department.
"Eric comes to Galvin with impressive credentials and extensive Part 141 and 61 Flight Training Experience," says Skip Moshner, Director of Flight Operations for Galvin. "We are confident his broad experience and leadership will continue Galvin Flying Services' long tradition of leadership in the field of flight training."
After graduating with honors from North Idaho College in Coeur d' Alene, Lynn began his career in aviation in 2001 at Northwest Aviation College, earning multiple pilot ratings and later holding the dual roles of Flight Instructor and Line Services Manager. By 2006, he joined Part 121 operator Horizon Air as a First Officer flying the Dash 8-Q200 and Q400 series. Four years later, in 2010, he returned to his roots at Northwest Aviation College to lead the school's then-growing Part 141 and VA Training Program as Director of Flight Operations.
Galvin Flying Services' Flight Training Department specializes in flight training programs for Private Pilots through Advanced Commercial/CFII Multi-Engine ratings. One of only two centers in the US for training new FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI), Galvin has trained more than 300 ASIs in courses for Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA), Light Twin Refresher (LTR), and ASI Indoctrination in TAA. Galvin is also an authorized flight training provider for Veteran's Administration (VA) Students.
For more information: GalvinFlying.com
People who read this article also read articles on airparks, airshow, airshows, avgas, aviation fuel, aviation news, aircraft owner, avionics, buy a plane, FAA, fly-in, flying, general aviation, learn to fly, pilots, Light-Sport Aircraft, LSA, and Sport Pilot.


text:
The demon that had possessed the elderly Muslim woman was so strong that even an Imam couldn't get rid of it. So her family opted for a priest. "My mother is possessed by a jinn," the woman's daughter said, by way of explaining why she and her Muslim family had decided to attend a recent Thursday night mass last month at Cairo's St. Sama'an Cathedral. Her mother, who was slumped over a nearby bench, gave no indication of hearing anything. In a few hours she would be yipping and howling along with dozens of other women similarly possessed, but for the moment she just stared into the middle distance and muttered softly to herself.
Tensions between Muslims and Christians have been high in Egypt, ever since a military coup against the country's first democratically elected Islamist President on 3 July unleashed a spasm of violence that saw churches burned, priests murdered and Christians threatened in hate speeches broadcast across the country. But there is at least one sphere of Egyptian contemporary life where interfaith cooperation perseveres, and that is at weekly exorcisms performed by one of the country's most celebrated priests, Father Sama'an Ibrahim. He is one of the few priests in Egypt who can preform exorcisms — not even the Coptic Pope can — and his reputation for expelling demons of all kinds extends well beyond his Christian flock. Muslim Imams can do exorcisms as well, explains the woman, who declined to give her name, but her mother's case required some extra muscle. "We went to a mosque first for healing, but the demons who harm her are more afraid of the Christian priest."
For good reason. Father Sama'an is a force to be reckoned with. Inspired by a vision, he carved his church out of the caverns and crumbled rocks of Cairo's Mokattam Mountain nearly 20 years ago. His congregants were the local Christian garbage pickers who had been corralled into a foul-smelling slum at the mountain's edge. Nowadays, he draws Christians from across the capital, rich and poor alike. His humble church is now one of the largest in Egypt, with a worldwide congregation tuning in to weekly masses via a live video feed broadcast on Facebook and cataloged online. The Thursday night service, when the exorcisms take place, is held in a vast grotto illuminated with floodlights. Every chair in the 2,000-seat hall is filled. With its mixed-gendered choir singing buoyant gospel in Arabic, the service is more contemporary evangelical than incense-tinged traditional. The homily is upbeat. So far, so Sunday school. The demons are quiet.
But as Father Sama'an concludes his sermon by leading the congregation in a recitation of the Lord's Prayer in Arabic, a chorus of yips and howls rises from a corner of the church concealed from the boom-mounted video cameras that continuously sweep the audience for the live feed. Muslim leaders are aware that their followers go to priests for exorcisms, but filming Muslim attendees at a church service could inflame tensions, whispers one congregant, a taxi driver named Mahrous, so those about to be exorcized have their own roped off section. Most of them are Muslim, he adds: "Christians rarely get possessed, because they are baptized young."
Four church volunteers carry an older woman, writhing and swathed in a voluminous headscarf, towards the roped off area. She repeatedly interrupts the prayer with caterwauled exhortations that "There is no God but Allah," the Muslim declaration of faith. Father Sama'an, draped in a black robe and a black knit cap, breaks into the prayer to gently remind his congregation to focus. "Don't pay attention," he says. "The devil just wants to destroy our congregation." The possessed section breaks out into another round of nerve-shattering hoots and screeches. The congregation responds with a louder recitation of the Lord's Prayer. "Crush the devil beneath your feet, don't let him get to us!" shouts the priest from his podium.
Prayer over, Father Sama'an plunges from the stage into the roped off section, holding his silver cross before him like a beacon. With his other hand he flings holy water over the crowd from a crumpled plastic bottle. Attendees, Muslim and Christian, possessed and not possessed, surge towards him, attempting to catch the droplets in their hands. When they do, they rub the water over their faces. They reach for his long white beard; they clutch at his robe. A woman collapses at his feet in a spasm of garbled cries. A relative whispers in Father Sama'an's ear. He nods, then leans over the woman while an usher holds her upright. Clasping his cross to her head, he mouths an incantation. Then he whips holy water into her face three times. She rises to her feet, rigid, then collapses again. Her family drags her out of the way and the priest moves on.
Father Sama'an wades through the crowd, dispensing prayers, taps on the head with his cross and jets of holy water. The recently exorcized are carried out by anxious, relieved relatives or left to recover on empty pews. "We need you Jesus. We need you Jesus," chants a Christian volunteer from the sidelines. In his passionate pleas for assistance he has grabbed the hands of two male Muslim onlookers — family members of the possessed — and urges them to join in. They resist stiffly. Though the demons may be more afraid of a Christian priest, they are still afraid of their Imams.
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Shown below are links to a variety of online video resources related to Klamath History.
Programs originally produced for broadcast on local government cable channels in Klamath Falls:
- Klamath Memories Number 14 - Review of early schools in Klamath County, dedicated to the memory of Buena Cobb Stone, longtime educator and author "90 Years of Klamath Schools." Recorded November 29, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 13 - History of the Henley community, including the Ankeny Ranch and Henley family. Interview with fifth-generation Henley resident Richard Fairclo. Recorded April 9, 2013.
- Klamath Memories Number 12 - An interview with Harriett (Fox) Zalabak, who dated David Kingsley before he left for service in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls is named for David Kingsley. Recorded October 18, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 11 - History of structure fires in the Klamath Basin, including tragic fires that claimed lives as well as blazes that destroyed commercial and industrial property. Guest: Monte Keady. Recorded October 9, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 10 - History of forest fires and firefighting in the Klamath Basin. Discussion of fuels, ecology and major fires, including the Lone Pine fire of 1992. Guest: Gene Rogers. Recorded October 2, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 9 - Descendants of the Wilson and McDonald families from Langell Valley review the history of their families, including incidents related to the Modoc War. Recorded May 5, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 8 - History of the company-owned town of Gilchrist is reviewed by Mary Gilchrist Ernst and John Driscoll, author of "Gilchrist, Oregon; The Model Company Town." June 14, 2012. (Book available for sale at Klamath County Museum.)
- Klamath Memories Number 7 - A review of more than 100 "Mystery Photos" in the collection of the Klamath County Museum, with commentary by Bill Anderson and Todd Kepple. Recorded May 15, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 6 - A collection of panoramic photos of the Klamath Falls area and nearby historic sites, including Malin, with commentary by Mark Clark, Ryan Bartholomew and Todd Kepple. Recorded April 10, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 5 - Operations of the Weyerhaeuser facilities in Klamath Falls, with special emphasis on the lumber mill. Guests include Max Revis and Bill Anderson. Featuring photos from the collection of Gene Gjertsen. Recorded March 13, 2012. (First minute of sound lost.)
- Klamath Memories Number 4 - Guests Steve Harper and RC Brown, retired Oregon Air National Guard, discussing the history of Air National Guard operations at Kingsley Field. Recorded February 14, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 3 - Guests Richard Nelson, Neal Eberlein and the Metler family recall life in the Altamont neighborhood. Recorded January 10, 2012.
- Klamath Memories Number 2 - Guests Nina Pence and James F. Stilwell, sharing stories about Main Street and the downtown district of Klamath Falls from the 1930s to present. Recorded December 13, 2011. (First two minutes of sound lost.)
- Klamath Memories Number 1 - Guest Bill Meade, recalling various aspects of the lumber industry. Recorded November 10, 2011.
History features compiled by Ron Brown of Newswatch 12 (KDRV-TV):
- Railroad Trestles - Remnants of a trestle on Hayden Mountain west of Keno recall the days when trains were used to haul logs from the forests of Klamath County to lumber mills in the region. Aired September 5, 2014.
- Kingsley Field - A review of the history of the air field at Klamath Falls, from its days as a World War II naval air station to today's Air National Guard base. Aired August 15, 2014.
- Brick Upon Brick - Aired June 15, 2012. Klamath Brick and Tile Co. produced building materials for 77 years before closing down in 1994. It was one of several brick manufacturers in Southern Oregon.
- Additional "Oregon Trails" programs
Links to other online video resources:
- "Oregon Experience: The Modoc War" - A 2011 documentary produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
- Modoc Basket - The PBS History Detectives look into the case of a basket that may have been made by Toby "Winema" Riddle, who played a key role in the Modoc Indian War.
- Downtown Buildings of Klamath Falls - Short YouTube video produced by Ryan Pfeil featuring history of downtown Klamath Falls.


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A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students (or "pupils") under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory.[citation needed] In these systems, students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country (discussed in the Regional section below) but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education. An institution where higher education is taught is commonly called a university college or university, but these higher education institutions are usually not compulsory.
In addition to these core schools, students in a given country may also attend schools before and after primary and secondary education. Kindergarten or pre-school provide some schooling to very young children (typically ages 3–5). University, vocational school, college or seminary may be available after secondary school. A school may be dedicated to one particular field, such as a school of economics or a school of dance. Alternative schools may provide a nontraditional curriculum and methods.


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Solar probably won't really take off until it makes more economic sense to slap some photovoltaics on your roof than to continue paying your utility company for their dirty, probably mostly coal-fired power. That day has arrived in parts of sunny California and Hawaii, and it's coming to (not-so-sunny) Germany by 2013, reports Michael Coren at Fast Company.
Global PV solar installation grew from 0.26 GW to 16.1 GW between 2000 to 2010, while manufacturing costs fell 100 times.
Of course, "grid parity," as it's called, doesn't mean you can just painlessly switch from the old power source to a new one. There's still the up-front cost of installing solar panels, which is a lot to spend, even on something that is going to save you money in the long run. If you're paying for them on your own, you're essentially pre-paying your electricity bills for the next 20 to 30 years, which is something that only a tiny fraction of us can afford to do. (If you can afford it, it's probably as good or better an investment than basically anywhere else you can put your money, though.)
But with help from a solar installer/financier like SolarCity or SunRun, homeowners and businesspeople can get those solar panels for something approaching no money down, and still save money on their monthly bill.
So what grid parity really means is that as the price of solar continues to fall, conscientious consumers will be able to make the right choice. If it's a revolution, it's an incredibly slow-moving one, at least for now. But once it picks up steam, it could still upend how our civilization generates the electricity that is the lifeblood of a sustainable future.


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Sabrina Koehler wakes up early every morning to drive to the Littleton Mineral RTD Station. If she doesn't get up early enough to arrive by 8 a.m., …
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Sabrina Koehler wakes up early every morning to drive to the Littleton Mineral RTD Station. If she doesn't get up early enough to arrive by 8 a.m., though, she is forced to drive to Broadway before she can finish her commute into Denver for work.
Koehler is like a lot of Highlands Ranch residents who ride RTD on a regular or daily basis. And with a wait list to purchase reserved parking in the lot, many in-district riders are not finding the conveniencethey hope for.
The message was heard loud and clear at the FasTracks Citizen Advisory Committee meeting March 20 at Southridge Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch.
One suggestion, which came from Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Jim Woodward, was that RTD could start working on parking issues prior to the construction of some lines that have been pushed to the back burner, setting up bus runs to lots that will serve future stations and alleviating some of the current parking issues.
For those who already opt to take the bus to the station, they are finding they are adding a half-hour to their commute, and all too frequently, the RTD buses arrive two minutes after their trains leave the station, causing them to wait even longer. That's another issue that Susan Wood, RTD project manager, said will be looked at.
The Southwest Rail extension planned to go to Lucent and Plaza in Highlands Ranch will add 1,000 parking spots, but currently has notimeline for construction. And while RTD officials say they are continuing to look for funding to complete the project, residents such as Koehler are getting frustrated when they watch other FasTracks projects get completed first.
One example is the southeast extension from Lincoln toRidgegate, which is on the table. Officials say they hope to see that happen by 2014.
"When Children's Hospital announced that it was coming in, I thought for sure that was going to be it," Koehler said. "I was very surprised that one is getting done first."
Kent Bagley, District H representative on the RTD board of directors, pointed out that a lot of big projects are happening right now within RTD, including the west line set for completion at the end of April and the Denver Union Station, which is the biggest public infrastructure project in the country.
"Everybody thinks theirs is the most important project," he said.
Wood said there is a task force being put together to examine funding options for the southwest line, and design plans are already being studied.
"We will continue to look at any grant opportunities and pursue any funding that is available, whether it's public, whether it's private, whether it's federal," Wood said. "We are going to do as much as we can as fast as we can."
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According to Reuters, North Korea has readied its rockets to attack US military bases in South Korea and the Pacific Ocean after the US made a show of force earlier today by flying stealth bombers over South Korea. Kim Jong Un had apparently signed off an order for North Korea's rockets to be "on standby for fire".
The official KCNA news agency said:
"He finally signed the plan on technical preparations of strategic rockets of the KPA (Korean People's Army), ordering them to be on standby for fire so that they may strike any time the U.S. mainland, its military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea."
Of course this being North Korea, you never know what's what. Though North Korea does have missiles that could hit South Korea, their longer range missiles remain untested. As for the US and flying bombers to Korea, it was a pretty rare move by our military. The B-2 bombers flew over 6,500 miles from Missouri to South Korea to drop inert bombs. The Pentagon said it was the first time the B-2 bombers made the round trip. [Reuters]


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Bench Racer - Do The Right Thing
Related Video
I think all of us at one time or another have waited until the very last minute to do something. It may not have been life-and-death important, but then again, there is always the possibility it could've been that critical. Either way, we acknowledge there has been procrastination of sorts on my part, which probably added to the pressure as well.
For me, the three weeks leading up to writing this column—my first as 5.0&SF's Brand Manager (that's right, I'm no longer the Senior Tech Editor)—were one huge procrastinative period of time.
To be honest (I'm brutally honest—sometimes to a fault, I've been told), I didn't hold off on writing it because I was unable to do it, nor did I hold off on penning these words because I didn't want to do it. The truth is, I was really apprehensive about addressing all of you this first time because I want to say the "right" thing. (Not that I want to ever say the wrong thing. Well, not usually).
If you're wondering where I'm going with this, well, saying the right thing in this particular editorial is a bigger challenge than you might think. Why? It's difficult. As many of you may know by now, recent personnel changes at Source Interlink Media unfortunately have led us to bid farewell to our leader, my friend and mentor, Big Steve Turner—something we never thought would happen.
Yes, Steve's departure was a pretty big (and hurtful) shock to a lot of us, and there's no doubt, our ship tossed pretty violently in its wake. But as I now assume the controls, I'm doing so with every intent to do the best job I can to uphold and hopefully raise the bar of excellence that Big Steve established for 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords during the 15 years he sat in the Big Chair.
Of course, the goal is for everything to be smooth and seamless, and I'm excited to inform you that we're also going in a new direction. With this new strategy, 5.0 and our three sister Mustang titles not only comprise the printed magazines you're familiar with, but also four all-new websites that reside inside a collective online mothership, Mustang360 (www.mustang-360.com).
The benefit of this new plan is twofold. From a time perspective, stepping up our Internet game brings us more in-tune with the way so many of you want to see features, tech info, and Mustang news—right now, through your cell phones, tablets, and computers that are linked to our social-media outlets and website. The web segment will enable us to do just that—be timely with photos and/or video of events or projects we're working on as they're in progress!
With its infinite space, the web also allows us to offer expanded coverage of all things late-model Mustang. No longer will the amount of available editorial pages (it's a print thing) be the difference between including a story's additional details or having to sacrifice them in order to complete a magazine within its total-page parameters.
And note that when I use the term us, I'm referring to myself, Associate Editor Mike Johnson, our stellar team of regular contributors, names you may recognize from other SIM titles, and maybe even a few "new" freelance content providers, one of whom is making his debut in this very issue (wink, wink).
For the old guard (and I resemble that remark) or purists like me who generally enjoy holding and reading a physical magazine, you'll still receive 5.0 in your mailbox if you're a subscriber, or you can pick it up from the same place you've been buying it for (hopefully) many years.
Yes, we're in a very different space now. Luckily, my fellow brand managers and I are ready, willing, and able to lead on. I appreciate your dedication to 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords, and trust that you will continue to read and enjoy our wall-to-wall coverage of the late-model Mustangs that we all love.
To that point, I welcome your feedback, questions, and concerns (you can hit me any time at firstname.lastname@example.com), and look forward to engaging in general 'Stang talk with you from time to time through the forum on our new website, as well as social haunts such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ready? Let's go!
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Put a stop to the murky underworld dealings of Pablo Escobar on the reels of the Narcos slot game
- Video slot presentation with 5 reels, 3 rows and 243 ways to win
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- Hit frequency of any win 26.70%
- Return to player of 96.23%
You've seen the hit TV show and know the story. Hook up with the legendary cops who bought down drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in this awesome and highly playable slot game. Narcos comes with a big money base game where you can bust out the big prizes. Then it's time to get ready for some supercharged spins in the bonus round, where you can try to smuggle out the biggest prizes. Expect the following features to give you a high time on the reels:
Walking Wild
Make a combination with a wild symbol on the grid and it will hang around for another spin, moving one reel horizontally to the left. Walking wilds are available in both the base and bonus games, helping boost your chances of landing the biggest winning combinations.
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During any base game spin some nasty sicarios can weave their way through traffic and blow out some high paying symbols on your base game reels in favour of wilds – helping you hit the best prize paying combos out there.
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Hit scatters on the first, middle and last reels to launch the free spin bonus round. During this game there is a chance that one or more high value symbols can instantly turn into wilds. When all 10 spins are up – if you still have any walking wilds on the reels these will always play out before the end of the bonus.