text:
Consider exchangeable random variables . A couple of facts seem quite intuitive:
Statement 1. The "variability" of sample mean decreases with .
Statement 2. Let the average of functions be defined as . Then is less "variable" than .
To make these statements precise, one faces the fundamental question of comparing two random variables and (or more precisely comparing two distributions). One common way we think of ordering random variables is the notion of stochastic dominance:
However, this notion really is only a suitable notion when one is concerned with the actual size of the random quantities of interest, while, in our scenario of interest, a more natural order would be that which compares the variability between two random variables (or more precisely, again, the two distributions). It turns out that a very useful notion, used in a variety of fields, is due to Ross (1983): Random variable is said to be stochastically less variable than random variable (denoted by ) when every risk-averse decision maker will choose over (given they have similar means). More precisely, for random variables and with finite means
where is the set of functions for which the above expectations exist.
One interesting, but perhaps not entirely obvious, fact is that this notion of ordering is equivalent to saying that there is a sequence of mean preserving spreads that in the limit transforms the distribution of into the distribution of another random variable with finite mean such that ! Also, using results by Hardy, Littlewood and Polya (1929), the stochastic variability order introduced above can be shown to be equivalent to Lorenz (1905) ordering used in economics to measure income equality.
Now with this, we are ready to formalize our previous statements. The first statement is actually due to Arnold and Villasenor (1986):
Note that when you apply this fact to a sequence of iid random variables with finite mean , it strengthens the strong law of large number in that it ensures that the almost sure convergence of the sample mean to the mean value occurs with monotonically decreasing variability (as the sample size grows).
The second statement comes up in proving certain optimality result in sharing parallel servers in fork-join queueing systems (J. 2008) and has a similar flavor:
The cleanest way to prove both statements, to the best of my knowledge, is based on the following theorem first proved by Blackwell in 1953 (later strengthened to random elements in separable Banach spaces by Strassen in 1965, hence referred to by some as Strassen's theorem):
Theorem 1 Let and be two random variables with finite means. A necessary and sufficient condition for is that there are two random variables and with the same marginals as and , respectively, such that almost surely.
For instance, to prove the first statement we consider and . All that is necessary now is to note that , is an independent uniform rv on the set , has the same distribution as random variable . Furthermore,
Similarly to prove the second statement, one can construct by selecting a random permutation of functions .


text:
Furious 4 Summary
Latest Updates
Furious 4 gameplay video briefly outed
A Furious 4 gameplay video was briefly outed on Vimeo, but quickly locked up again. The video showed off plenty of special effects in the bizarre shooter that was originally Brothers in Arms: Furious 4.
Furious 4 drops Brothers in Arms tie in
One of the most bizarre decisions by Gearbox was the transformation of Brothers in Arms into an action title which seemed to be inspired by Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds with Brothers in Arms: Furious Four. The developer has removed the tie-in title to the game, which is now simply "Furious Four".
Gearbox's Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 to be made into new IP
Gearbox has confirmed it is turning Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 into a brand new IP.
Pitchford: Fans are "going to be surprised" by Brothers in Arms: Furious 4
Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has reassured fans of the Brothers in Arms series that Furious 4 is "going great" and it has "evolved" since last the studio spoke of it and continues to evolve. The team need to "make further changes" before they will showcase all this evolution. Pitchford says he's "looking forward" to dishing on the details "soon." Furious 4 debut during E3 2011.
E3 2011: Ubisoft Press Breifing
Jonah Falcon brings you his write up on the Ubisoft Press Conference...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Violence is GoldenPosted By Jack Donovan On In North American New Right | Comments Disabled
1,779 words
A lot of people like to think they are "non-violent." Generally, people claim to "abhor" the use of violence, and violence is viewed negatively by most folks. Many fail to differentiate between just and unjust violence. Some especially vain, self-righteous types like to think they have risen above the nasty, violent cultures of their ancestors. They say that "violence isn't the answer." They say that "violence doesn't solve anything."
They're wrong. Every one of them relies on violence, every single day.
On election day, people from all walks of life line up to cast their ballots, and by doing so, they hope to influence who gets to wield the axe of authority. Those who want to end violence — as if that were possible or even desirable — often seek to disarm their fellow citizens. This does not actually end violence. It merely gives the state mob a monopoly on violence. This makes you "safer," so long as you don't piss off the boss.
All governments — left, right or other — are by their very nature coercive. They have to be.
Order demands violence.
A rule not ultimately backed by the threat of violence is merely a suggestion. States rely on laws enforced by men ready to do violence against lawbreakers. Every tax, every code and every licensing requirement demands an escalating progression of penalties that, in the end, must result in the forcible seizure of property or imprisonment by armed men prepared to do violence in the event of resistance or non–compliance. Every time a soccer mom stands up and demands harsher penalties for drunk driving, or selling cigarettes to minors, or owning a pit bull, or not recycling, she is petitioning the state to use force to impose her will. She is no longer asking nicely. The viability of every family law, gun law, zoning law, traffic law, immigration law, import law, export law and financial regulation depends on both the willingness and wherewithal of the group to exact order by force.
When an environmentalist demands that we "save the whales," he or she is in effect making the argument that saving the whales is so important that it is worth doing harm to humans who harm whales. The peaceful environmentalist is petitioning the leviathan to authorize the use of violence in the interest of protecting leviathans. If state leaders were to agree and express that it was, indeed, important to "save the whales," but then decline to penalize those who bring harm to whales, or decline to enforce those penalties under threat of violent police or military action, the expressed sentiment would be a meaningless gesture. Those who wanted to bring harm to whales would feel free to do so, as it is said, with impunity — without punishment.
Without action, words are just words. Without violence, laws are just words.
Violence isn't the only answer, but it is the final answer.
One can make moral arguments and ethical arguments and appeals to reason, emotion, aesthetics, and compassion. People are certainly moved by these arguments, and when sufficiently persuaded –providing of course that they are not excessively inconvenienced — people often choose to moderate or change their behaviors.
However, the willful submission of many inevitably creates a vulnerability waiting to be exploited by any one person who shrugs off social and ethical norms. If every man lays down his arms and refuses to pick them up, the first man to pick them up can do whatever he wants. Peace can only be maintained without violence so long as everyone sticks to the bargain, and to maintain peace every single person in every successive generation — even after war is long forgotten — must continue to agree to remain peaceful. Forever and ever. No delinquent or upstart may ever ask, "Or Else What?," because in a truly non-violent society, the best available answer is "Or else we won't think you're a very nice person and we're not going to share with you." Our troublemaker is free to reply, "I don't care. I'll take what I want."
Violence is the final answer to the question, "Or else what?"
Violence is the gold standard, the reserve that guarantees order. In actuality, it is better than a gold standard, because violence has universal value. Violence transcends the quirks of philosophy, religion, technology and culture. People say that music is a universal language, but a punch in the face hurts the same no matter what language you speak or what kind of music you prefer. If you are trapped in a room with me and I grab a pipe and gesture to strike you with it, no matter who you are, your monkey brain will immediately understand "or else what." And thereby, a certain order is achieved.
The practical understanding of violence is as basic to human life and human order as is the idea that fire is hot. You can use it, but you must respect it. You can act against it, and you can sometimes control it, but you can't just wish it away. Like wildfire, sometimes it is overwhelming and you won't know it is coming until it is too late. Sometimes it is bigger than you. Ask the Cherokee, the Inca, the Romanovs, the Jews, the Confederates, the barbarians and the Romans. They all know "Or else what."
The basic acknowledgement that order demands violence is not a revelation, but to some it may seem like one. The very notion may make some people apoplectic, and some will furiously attempt to dispute it with all sorts of convoluted and hypothetical arguments, because it doesn't sound very "nice." But something doesn't need to be "nice" in order for it to be true. Reality doesn't bend over to accommodate fantasy or sentimentality.
Our complex society relies on proxy violence to the extent that many average people in the private sector can wander through life without really having to understand or think deeply about violence, because we are removed from it. We can afford to perceive it as a distant, abstract problem to be solved through high-minded strategy and social programming. When violence comes knocking, we simply make a call, and the police come to "stop" the violence. Few civilians really take the time to think that what we are essentially doing is paying an armed band protection money to come and do orderly violence on our behalf. When those who would do violence to us are taken peacefully, most of us don't really make the connection, we don't even assert to ourselves that the reason a perpetrator allows himself to be arrested is because of the gun the officer's hip or the implicit understanding that he will eventually be hunted down by more officers who have the authority to kill him if his is deemed a threat. That is, if he is deemed a threat to order.
There are something like two and a half million people incarcerated in the United States. Over ninety percent of them are men. Most of them did not turn themselves in. Most of them don't try to escape at night because there is someone in a guard tower ready to shoot them. Many are "non-violent" offenders. Soccer moms, accountants, celebrity activists and free range vegans all send in their tax dollars, and by proxy spend billions and billions to feed an armed government that maintains order through violence.
[3]It is when our ordered violence gives way to disordered violence, as in the aftermath of a natural disaster, that we are forced to see how much we rely on those who maintain order through violence. People loot because they can, and kill because they think they'll get away with it. Dealing with violence and finding violent men who will protect you from other violent men suddenly becomes a real and pressing concern.
A pal once told me a story about an incident recounted by a family friend who was a cop, and I think it gets the point across. A few teenagers were at the mall hanging out, outside a bookstore. They were goofing around and talking with some cops who were hanging around. The cop was a relatively big guy, not someone who you would want to mess around with. One of the kids told the cop that he didn't see why society needed police.
The cop leaned over and said to the spindly kid, "do you have any doubt in your mind about whether or not I could break your arms and take that book away from you if I felt like it?"
The teenager, obviously shaken by the brutality of the statement, said, "No."
"That's why you need cops, kid."
George Orwell wrote in his "Notes on Nationalism [4]" that, for the pacifist, the truth that, "Those who 'abjure' violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf," is obvious but impossible to accept. Much unreason flows from the inability to accept our passive reliance on violence for protection. Escapist fantasies of the John Lennon "Imagine" variety corrupt our ability to see the world as it is, and be honest with ourselves about the naturalness of violence to the human animal. There is no evidence to support the idea that man is an inherently peaceful creature. There is substantial evidence to support the notion that violence has always been a part of human life. Every day, archeologists unearth another primitive skull with damage from weapons or blunt force trauma [5]. The very first legal codes were shockingly grisly [6]. If we feel less threatened today, if we feel as though we live in a non–violent society, it is only because we have ceded so much power over our daily lives to the state. Some call this reason, but we might just as well call it laziness. A dangerous laziness, it would seem, given how little most people say they trust politicians.
Violence doesn't come from movies or video games or music. Violence comes from people. It's about time people woke up from their 1960s haze and started being honest about violence again. People are violent, and that's OK. You can't legislate it away or talk your way around it. Based on the available evidence, there's no reason to believe that world peace will ever be achieved, or that violence can ever be "stopped."
It's time to quit worrying and learn to love the battle axe. History teaches us that if we don't, someone else will.
Originally published on Arthur's Hall of Viking Manliness (now offline), Nov 11, 2010.
Source: http://www.jack-donovan.com/axis/2011/03/violence-is-golden/ [7]


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Front Row Center
By Michael Warren
The Pajama Game
By Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
Directed by Peggy Lord Chilton
Music directed by Richard & Eleanor Stromberg
The Pajama Game was a very successful musical in the 1950s, and the original production won a Tony award for Best Musical. Later, the 2006 Broadway revival won a Tony award for Best Revival of a Musical. So the show came to Lakeside with excellent credentials, and many in the audience can still remember tunes as familiar as Hey There or Hernando's Hideaway.
Happily, Peggy Lord Chilton and her team put on a slick well-rehearsed production. I particularly enjoyed the second half of the show, which included some of the best numbers. The first half had some rough spots, which was unfortunate because the cast and chorus were excellent and the show (as many of us will remember) is very entertaining.
In the lead roles, Jayme Littlejohn was cute and charming in the Doris Day part – "Babe" the leader of the Union's Grievance Committee – and Vicente Vernon performed well as "Sid Sorokin," the handsome new factory superintendent who falls in love with Babe. On occasion, it seemed that some tunes were set in a key outside Vicente's normal vocal range, but nevertheless he sang with considerable energy. Rick Napier (a newcomer to the LLT stage) displayed great comedic talent as "Hines," the factory timekeeper. Think of the Time I Save and I'll Never Be Jealous Again were both hilarious numbers, the second one neatly performed with Ann Swiston as "Mabel" who is Sid's secretary. I also enjoyed Harry Walker's role as "Old Man Hasler," the dinosaur boss of the company who refuses to grant a 7 ½ cent raise in hourly rates.
Alexis Hoff was the choreographer for the show, and also performed attractively as Hasler's quick-witted secretary "Gladys." She had a great number at the beginning of the second act in Steam Heat – performed with Hines and "Gus" (Ted Ferguson), and was also amusingly drunk (without overdoing it) at Hernando's Hideaway. Keith Scott was suitably lecherous as "Prez," the head of the union and a skirt chaser, despite being a married man, while Ann Loebach energetically played "Mae," a member of the Grievance Committee who accepts Prez's advances. I should also mention another reliable performance from Reginald Doresa, who came across well as "Pop," Babe's kind and agreeable father.
The pace was good and the chorus sang and performed with great discipline. I particularly enjoyed the chorus numbers Hernando's Hideaway and 7 1/2 Cents. Also, there were some clever special effects in the knife-throwing scene, and a neat transition to Hernando's Hideaway. In general, the choreography and the scene changes were smoothly done – a lot of good work backstage. I congratulate Peggy Lord Chilton and her Stage Manager Jerry McDonald and Assistant Stage Manager Gale Bildfell on pulling this complicated show together with some skill and making it seem easy.
Richard and Eleanor Stromberg were responsible for the Music Direction, and the well-designed sets were created by Peggy Chilton, Alex Pinkerton and Roberta Hilleman. This show was a lot of fun as a 1950s revival, and both the cast and the audience had a good time.
Next up (opening on April 2) is The Foreigner, a dark comedy by Larry Shue which concludes a season dominated by comedies. Maybe the LLT will consider other types of play (a mystery or a serious drama) for next year's offerings. Whatever they choose to present, I look forward to another interesting and entertaining season in 2011/12.
For more information about Lake Chapala visit: www.chapala.com
- September 2023 – Issue - August 31, 2023
- September 2023 – Articles - August 31, 2023
- September 2023 - August 31, 2023


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Split down the middle
The progressive chapter of Crownpoint is half ghost town
By CIndy Yurth
Tséyi' Bureau
CROWNPOINT, N.M., February 21, 2013
(Editor's note: In an effort to chronicle the beauty and diversity of the Navajo Nation, as well as its issues, the Navajo Times has committed to visiting all 110 chapters in alphabetical order. This is the 23rd in the series.)
(Times photo — Cindy Yurth)
Y ou might think being the headquarters of a Bureau of Indian Affairs agency would be an advantage for a chapter.
All the expertise and services of the federal government would be right at your disposal, and people coming in from the surrounding chapters to do business would spend their money on gas and a meal.
But, as Crownpoint — headquarters of the BIA Navajo Region's Eastern Agency — has discovered, it also means slamming up against the federal bureaucracy every time you try to get something done.
Even as construction is going on in every direction, this chapter, arguably one of the most progressive on the Navajo Nation, is stuck with a sprawling ghost town on some of its most desirable land.
"This is trust land," explained former chapter president Charles Long, standing on the chapter compound. "But across the street, that's all executive order land."
What that means, explained Jerry DeGroat, realty specialist for Crownpoint Agency, is that the federal government specifically set aside a big chunk of Crownpoint for the BIA's operations: a school, housing and government offices.
Over the years, most of the buildings — some of which date back almost to the Agency's founding in 1910 — have been abandoned and boarded up.
To raze the buildings is no simple matter. Many of them are full of asbestos and lead paint, and expensive specialists need to be hired to clean them up properly.
"It's frustrating," said Leonard Perry. "The BIA doesn't have money to tear them down, and for us to get a hold of them, it's really difficult."
It's easier to call Perry "Mr. Crownpoint" than to list his affiliations. He is the district assistant to Council Delegate Danny Simpson, president of the non-profit Crownpoint Cultural Preservation and Development Council, a member of the land-use planning committee and editor of the local newspaper, Crownpoint Baahane'.
Since he obviously doesn't have enough to do, he's also getting a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in Education Thought and Sociocultural Studies.
If you're going to ask Perry about Crownpoint, be prepared to sit down for a while. His hometown is his favorite subject.
Ask him about the history, for example, and he goes back a thousand years.
"We weren't the first ones here," stated Perry, motioning toward the Anasazi ruin known to the Diné as Kin Ya'aa, namesake of the Towering House Clan.
According to Perry, you can make out the outline of an ancient road running between Kin Ya'aa and the spectacular ruins of Chaco Canyon, and also between Kin Ya'aa and another local ruin, Muddy Water.
"If you ask the Pueblo, we had nothing to do with that civilization," said Perry. "But it's in our oral history."
So numerous are the Anasazi sites in Crownpoint that "it's an impediment to development," Perry said. "Every so often, we have to move some housing because somebody found a burial site under it."
Agency capital
But the modern history of Crownpoint starts 103 years ago, in 1910. That's when the BIA named the dusty outpost the capital of its new Eastern Agency.
A school and government offices sprang up, bringing jobs and commerce. Roads were built and paved.
By the 1950s and 60s, "It was beautiful here," reminisced Franklin Freeland, a Crownpoint native and one of the first locals to obtain a Ph.D. "There were students who would come out every summer — I don't know if they were something like the Peace Corps or what. They would chisel away on some of these big old stones. We'd make our own cement. They built our original chapter house."
Crownpoint may have been the only Navajo community to have its own teen canteen.
"It was every Wednesday night at the chapter house," said Freeland, 65. "They had a jukebox and everything. You could hang out and dance to the music of the day."
Crownpoint was also one of the few places on the Navajo Nation served by the Greyhound bus line. After they graduated from the BIA elementary, students were sent all over the country for junior high and high school, with parents assuming the education would be better the farther they got from the rez.
"Oklahoma, California, Nevada, Utah, even Oregon," Freeland said, ticking off the states whose Indian boarding schools took in Crownpoint students.
When it was time to send the kids back to school after summer vacation, "it was something to see," Freeland recalled. "They'd ride up in wagons or on horseback with their parents, waiting to load onto the bus. Some of them didn't even have suitcases, just cardboard boxes with their stuff."
In 1968, a local trader initiated the Crownpoint Rug Auction, a monthly tradition that survives to this day (though its future is a bit uncertain as the BIA is tearing down the old elementary school, whose gym hosts the auction).
But there were plenty of good weavers in Crownpoint before that, Freeland said.
"When I was a kid, we used to trade rugs with Jemez Pueblo," he said. "They would bring jewelry and bread, we'd trade them rugs and buckskin."
At that time, more Puebloans spoke Spanish than English, so the Navajo learned Spanish as a lingua franca, Freeland said.
"Some of the older people still speak Spanish," he said. "Sometimes we'll speak it when we get together, just to keep it up."
Moving forward
In spite of its venerable history, Crownpoint is far from being stuck in the past. You'll see both solar panels and a wind turbine on the chapter compound, as well as various communications towers.
A new elementary school is going up, and, across town, a new justice center to house police, courts and a jail. A wellness center is in the works by the high school.
Navajo Oil & Gas is waiting for the land clearance to start putting up a convenience store at the junction of State Highway 371 and Navajo Route 9.
Navajo Technical College, whose main campus is here, is expanding and aiming to offer graduate degrees before long.
"We really need to start utilizing the college more," opined Perry. "They could really be a resource for us as we develop our community."
Crownpoint has a Basha's with a deli and a flea market boasting, according to Chapter President Rita Capitan, "the best Navajo burgers and mutton sandwiches on the rez."
But "we really need a sit-down restaurant," Capitan sighed.
Also on the wish list: a motel, a visitors' center and museum, a feed store, a cultural amphitheater and an arts-and-crafts cooperative.
Once the old school is razed, the chapter would like to build a multi-story office building that could offer state, federal and chapter services in the same structure — "a one-stop shop for those who come to town to get services," Perry explained.
But though government has been Crownpoint's bread and butter, Perry firmly believes private enterprise is the marmalade.
"Just wait until we get certified," he said. "Then the entrepreneurship will come in."
Unlike nearby Church Rock Chapter, however, you won't see Crownpoint Chapter inviting uranium companies in — not if Capitan has anything to say about it.
"My gut feeling is, no matter how much they tell people it's going to be safe and things are different now, it's just too hard to believe," Capitan declared. "Crownpoint has always been known for its good water. We don't want any outside companies coming in and messing with it."
Crownpoint at a glance
Name — The old part of town is situated in a round depression surrounded by rocky crags like the points of a crown. But the Diné have long known this place as T'iis Tsooz nideeshghiizh (Skinny Tree Canyon) after a spring surrounded by tall, slender trees.
Population — 2,729
Land area — 7.1 square miles
Assets — Navajo Technical College main campus, Diné College satellite campus, IHS facility, shopping center, convenience store, thriving flea market, a local newsletter
Claim to fame — A nearby Anasazi ruin, Kin Ya'aa, is the namesake of the Kinya'aanii, or Towering House Clan. Crownpoint is the headquarters of the BIA's Eastern Navajo Agency. It's also, according to some, the home of "The Howler," a creature who sometimes wakes up residents with its unearthly scream. (Chapter officials say The Howler hasn't been heard from all winter, however.)
Problems — feral animals, drug and gang activity, lots of abandoned buildings


text:
Olympia Snowe on Free Trade
Republican Sr Senator (ME)
Proponents support voting YES because:
Rep. RANGEL: It's absolutely ridiculous to believe that we can create jobs without trade. I had the opportunity to travel to Peru recently. I saw firsthand how important this agreement is to Peru and how this agreement will strengthen an important ally of ours in that region. Peru is resisting the efforts of Venezuela's authoritarian President Hugo Chavez to wage a war of words and ideas in Latin America against the US. Congress should acknowledge the support of the people of Peru and pass this legislation by a strong margin.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
Rep. WU: I regret that I cannot vote for this bill tonight because it does not put human rights on an equal footing with environmental and labor protections.
Rep. KILDEE: All trade agreements suffer from the same fundamental flaw: They are not self-enforcing. Trade agreements depend upon vigorous enforcement, which requires official complaints be made when violations occur. I have no faith in President Bush to show any enthusiasm to enforce this agreement. Congress should not hand this administration yet another trade agreement because past agreements have been more efficient at exporting jobs than goods and services. I appeal to all Members of Congress to vote NO on this. But I appeal especially to my fellow Democrats not to turn their backs on those American workers who suffer from the export of their jobs. They want a paycheck, not an unemployment check.
After a month of debate the Senate passed a The Andean Free Trade Agreement (H.R. 3009) including language to grant the president trade promotion authority. With the unanimous support of all eight Republican Main Street Partnership Senators, H.R. 3009 passed 66 to 30. Included in the legislation is an expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) providing a tax credit for 70% of the cost of health insurance purchased individually after losing employment as a result of a trade agreement. While the Senate maintained its pro-trade reputation by defeating amendments by Senator Kerry (MA) and Senator Byrd (WV) diluting Trade Promotion Authority, one amendment strongly opposed by Main Street remains in the bill. An amendment offered by Senator Dayton (MN) and Senator Craig (ID) would allow the Senate to remove from fast-track consideration any provision of an agreement that would limit US trade remedy laws. Main Street firmly believes that this negates Trade Promotion Authority entirely, and supports President Bush's veto threat should this language remain intact after a House/Senate conference.
The mission of the Cato Institute Center for Trade Policy Studies is to increase public understanding of the benefits of free trade and the costs of protectionism.
The Cato Trade Center focuses not only on U.S. protectionism, but also on trade barriers around the world. Cato scholars examine how the negotiation of multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade agreements can reduce trade barriers and provide institutional support for open markets. Not all trade agreements, however, lead to genuine liberalization. In this regard, Trade Center studies scrutinize whether purportedly market-opening accords actually seek to dictate marketplace results, or increase bureaucratic interference in the economy as a condition of market access.
Studies by Cato Trade Center scholars show that the United States is most effective in encouraging open markets abroad when it leads by example. The relative openness and consequent strength of the U.S. economy already lend powerful support to the worldwide trend toward embracing open markets. Consistent adherence by the United States to free trade principles would give this trend even greater momentum. Thus, Cato scholars have found that unilateral liberalization supports rather than undermines productive trade negotiations.
Scholars at the Cato Trade Center aim at nothing less than changing the terms of the trade policy debate: away from the current mercantilist preoccupation with trade balances, and toward a recognition that open markets are their own reward.
The following ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
A joint resolution approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. The original act sanctioned the ruling military junta, and recognized the National League of Democracy as the legitimate representative of the Burmese people.
Legislative Outcome: Related bills: H.J.RES.44, H.J.RES.93, S.J.RES.41; became Public Law 110-52.
[Explanatory note from Wikipedia.com "Exchange Rate"]:
Between 1994 and 2005, the Chinese yuan renminbi was pegged to the US dollar at RMB 8.28 to $1. Countries may gain an advantage in international trade if they manipulate the value of their currency by artificially keeping its value low. It is argued that China has succeeded in doing this over a long period of time. However, a 2005 appreciation of the Yuan by 22% was followed by a 39% increase in Chinese imports to the US. In 2010, other nations, including Japan & Brazil, attempted to devalue their currency in the hopes of subsidizing cheap exports and bolstering their ailing economies. A low exchange rate lowers the price of a country's goods for consumers in other countries but raises the price of imported goods for consumers in the manipulating country.
|Other candidates on Free Trade:
|Olympia Snowe on other issues:
ME Gubernatorial:
Eliot Cutler
Michael Michaud
Paul LePage
ME Senatorial:
Angus King
Scott D`Amboise
Susan Collins
ME politicians
ME Archives
Retiring in 2014 election:
Retired as of Jan. 2013:
Senate Retirements 2014:
Senate races Nov. 2014:
AK: Begich(D) vs.Miller(R) vs.Treadwell(R) vs.Sullivan(R)
AL: Sessions(R,unopposed)
AR: Pryor(D) vs.Cotton(R)
CO: Udall(D) vs.Gardner(R) vs.
DE: Coons(D) vs.Wade(R)
GA: Nunn(D) vs.Perdue(R) vs.
HI: Schatz(D) vs.Hanabusa(D) vs.Cavasso(R) vs.
IA: Braley(D) vs.Ernst(R) vs.
ID: Risch(R) vs.Mitchell(D)
IL: Durbin(D) vs.Oberweis(R) vs.Hansen(L) vs.
KS: Roberts(R) vs.Tiahrt(R) vs.Wolf(R) vs.Taylor(D) vs.Orman(I)
KY: McConnell(R) vs.
LA: Landrieu(D) vs.Cassidy(R) vs.Maness(R)
MA: Markey(D) vs.Herr(R) vs.Skarin(I) vs.
ME: Collins(R) vs.D`Amboise(R) vs.Bellows(D)
MN: Franken(D) vs.McFadden(R) vs.Abeler(R) vs.Ortman(R)
MS: Cochran(R) vs.Childers(D) vs.
NC: Hagan(D) vs.Tillis(R) vs.Haugh(L)
NE: Sasse(R) vs.Domina(D) vs.Haugh(L) vs.
NH: Shaheen(D) vs.Brown(R) vs.Smith(R) vs.Rubens(R) vs.Testerman(R) vs.Martin(R)
NJ: Booker(D) vs.Bell(R) vs.
NM: Udall(D) vs.Weh(R) vs.Clements(R)
OK-2: Lankford(R) vs.Johnson(D) vs.
OK-6: Inhofe(R) vs.Silverstein(D)
OR: Merkley(D) vs.Wehby(R) vs.
RI: Reed(D) vs.Zaccaria(R)
SC-2: Scott(R) vs.Dickerson(D) vs.
SC-6: Graham(R) vs.Hutto(D) vs.Ravenel(I) vs.
SD: Rounds(R) vs.Weiland(D) vs.Pressler(I)
TN: Alexander(R) vs.Ball(D) vs.
TX: Cornyn(R) vs.Alameel(D) vs.Roland(L) vs.
VA: Warner(D) vs.Gillespie(R) vs.Sarvis(L)
WV: Capito(R) vs.Tennant(D) vs.Lawhorn(I) vs.
WY: Enzi(R) vs.
Civil Rights
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Social Security
Tax Reform
Other Senators
Senate Votes (analysis)
Bill Sponsorships
Policy Reports
Group Ratings
Contact info:
Fax Number:
Mailing Address:
Senate Office SR-154, Washington, DC 20510
Phone number:
(202) 224-5344


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Deborah-Yoon "Hive Mind" Figment 2009 (photo © Michael-Dolan)
Drawing inspiration from other community-based arts events, the development, production, and experience of FIGMENT are guided by these 11 principles:
Transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play.
FIGMENT seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We will not substitute consumption for experience.
Anyone may be a part of FIGMENT; no prerequisites exist for participation except willingness to work and play. We welcome and respect the stranger.
Each individual and collaborating group has unique qualities, and through self-expression can offer a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of others.
FIGMENT encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
FIGMENT is devoted to acts of gift giving and volunteering. FIGMENT itself is a gift from volunteer artists and event staff, who hope that each participant brings an attitude of giving. Giving does not imply a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
We seek to create an environment ripe for each individual to achieve personal artistic transformation — but the creation of such an environment can be done only through creative cooperation and collaboration.
Each participant in FIGMENT is responsible for creating a civil environment for all other participants. We endeavor to produce this event in a way that fosters a civil society and that is socially responsible.
We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves to leave each place in a better state than we found it.
Too often the limit for creative expression is the barrier between our inner selves and the selves that we present to the world. By breaking down that barrier, we can gain a profound appreciation for the opportunities that lie in each time and place.
We believe it is important to remind ourselves where we come from, and to appreciate what has been given to us to get us to where we are. We are not entitled to anything, and approach our relations to others from a place of gratitude for their efforts.
For more informati0n regarding Figment click here.


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MATERIALS: For placing adhesives onto parts in circular or arc-shaped patterns, Henkel Corp. has introduced the Loctite® Rotary Dispense System, a fully-integrated device designed to independently control a syringe or dispense valve without the use of a separate valve controller.The Loctite® Rotary Dispense System facilitates the repetitive placement of adhesive by synchronizing the operation of the advancing slide, turntable and dispense timer. Set-up of this plug-and-play system is simple, requiring only adjustment of the timer and the motor speed with no complex programming steps.
The system includes reservoir low-level indicators to ensure that adhesive does not run out, precision digital timers accurate to 0.01 second, adjustable height/position/angle of dispense, adjustable speed controls, and manual mode for valve priming.
- Edited by Liz Taurasi


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WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A smartphone application, or "app," designed to tackle addiction has helped recovering alcoholics stay sober or reduce their risky drinking, a new clinical trial reports.
Participants using the A-CHESS app were 65 percent more likely to abstain from drinking in the year following their release from a treatment center, compared to others who left the center without support from the app, researchers found.
App users also experienced about half the episodes of "risky drinking" — consuming more than four drinks for men and three drinks for women during a two-hour period — compared to people who received traditional post-treatment support, according to the study.
"These sort of systems have enormous potential," said lead author David Gustafson, a professor of industrial engineering and preventive medicine at the University of Wisconsin. "They are going to allow us to turn around not only addiction treatment, but the whole field of health care."
There are many apps on the market intended to help alcoholics, Gustafson said, but A-CHESS is the first to undergo a large-scale randomized clinical trial to test its effectiveness. The app's name stands for Addiction-Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System.
A-CHESS provides active support for recovering alcoholics ranging from the innocuous to the downright intrusive.
The app issues daily messages of support and once a week asks questions designed to help counselors assess the person's struggle with sobriety. It provides access to online support groups and counselors.
It also tracks users' location using the phone's GPS, and issues an alert if they are nearing a bar they used to frequent or their favorite liquor store. "It is tailored to each person, to give them the various tools they need to help them cope," Gustafson said.
A-CHESS also features a "panic button" that gives a struggling person instant access to distractions, reminders or even a nearby friend who can come give them support, Gustafson said.
An expert not involved with the study said this app provides a glimpse into the future of addiction recovery.
"This is a sign of what the future will bring, and I think it's definitely a progression in the right direction in terms of helping lots of people," said Dr. Scott Krakower, a drug addiction specialist and assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital, in Glen Oaks, N.Y.
"This type of application can help people learn ways of resisting alcohol use outside of a controlled setting like an addiction center," Krakower said.
The app has been in development for six years, and was funded by federal grants, Gustafson said.
The clinical trial involved about 350 participants who successfully completed treatment for alcoholism in five residential programs — three in the Midwest and two in the northeastern United States.
In the weeks prior to their release, half the patients were given a smartphone with the A-CHESS app. Their counselor then helped them program the app to provide custom support.
For example, the app could contain the locations of their favorite bars, and when they lingered near one the app might play a video of the person recounting their misery as an alcoholic, or audio of their daughter begging them not to drink, Gustafson said.
"It does seem a little intrusive, but for people who are really battling with alcoholism, they need a lot of this type of monitoring and ongoing support," Krakower said. "They do well in controlled settings, but when they leave the center and go back into their environment, they are at risk for relapse."
A-CHESS appeared to provide solid benefits for patients during the next year, even though they only had access to the app for the first eight months following treatment, the trial results showed.
By the end of the year, about 52 percent of patients using A-CHESS had remained consistently alcohol-free, compared with about 40 percent of patients who received traditional support.
They also experienced half the risky drinking days — about 1.4 days on average versus 2.75 days for the comparison group members.
At this point, the app is pretty pricey and not available to the general public. "To join our research consortium, agencies pay $10,000 a year for access for up to 100 patients," Gustafson said.
A company is being formed to commercialize A-CHESS, however, and the app could soon become available to the public through online Android and Apple stores, he said.
More information
Visit the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism to learn more about alcohol and health.
Copyright © 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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< Features
Feature Name
Change several dangerous domains to use PrivateTmp in their unit file.
Run some services started by systemd with a private /tmp directory. This would mitigate the chance of a service making a mistake with how it handles its /tmp data allowing a user on the system to get a privilege escalation, since users would not have access to the services /tmp directory.
- Name: Daniel J Walsh
- Email: email@example.com
Current status
- Targeted release: [Fedora 17]
- Last updated: Tue Feb 15 2012
- Percentage of completion: 100%
Detailed Description
It seems to be a weekly occurrence of a new CVE for some app that uses /tmp insecurely.
Privileged services should stop using /tmp and /var/tmp. These services can potentially be interfered by unprivileged users, potentially leading to process escalation. The only server applications that need to use /tmp should be for communicating with users. For example the X server, and potentially apps that use kerberos for example sssd and nfs.gssd. (Although maybe at some point we need to fix this.) Most apps that rely on using /tmp to communicate with the user can be easily broken by users having individual /tmp using pam_namespace.
systemd as of Fedora 16 has the ability to run system services with private /tmp. I would like to propose that we change most of the services that use /tmp to use PrivateTmp in Fedora 17. In the unit file, this is done with:
[Service] PrivateTmp=true
I have opened 48 bugs along with the blocker bugzilla https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=782466
as a blocker bug for tracking system services that I believe use /tmp.
- Note. systemd in Fedora 16 is currently broken. This feature requires systemd-38
Benefit to Fedora
Fedora systems would be more secure, and mitigated against /tmp privilege escalation.
This bugzilla is a blocker on all services that need to change their service unit file to include PrivateTmp=True
How To Test
Administrators that expect to find services /tmp data in /tmp will have to look in a new location. Sharing data via /tmp from a user to a system service or vice versa might be broken.


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Asus Geforce GT 710 2GB Graphic Card
රු12,000.00 (-8%)
A true 0dB efficient cooling
ASUS GT 710 is the fantastic graphics card engineered with a highly-efficient 0dB thermal design, it dissipates heat in complete silence and makes ASUS GT 710 the perfect choice for your PC build. While industry only Auto-Extreme Technology, 100% full automation for premium quality and best reliability. GPU Tweak II provides intuitive performance tweaking for truly elite gaming experience.
I/O Ports Highlight
1 X Native D-Sub
1 X Native DVI-D
1 X Native HDMI
0dB Silent Cooling
Perfect for building a hushed HTPC
Exclusive ASUS-designed heatsinks with large surface areas effectively cool graphics cards passively so absolutely no sound is produced while running – perfect for high definition and silent home theater PCs and multimedia centers.
AUTO-EXTREME Technology with Super Alloy Power II
Premium quality and best reliability
ASUS graphics cards are produced using AUTO-EXTREME technology, an industry-first 100% automated production process, and feature premium Super Alloy Power II components that enhance efficiency, reduce power loss, decrease component buzzing under load, and lower thermal temperatures for unsurpassed quality and reliability.
*The image is for illustration only, it may not reflect the exact board design.
Convenient for Multitask Processing
GT710 is a compact graphics card with three outputs (HDMI, DVI and D-Sub) that can support up to three displays at the same time for convenient multitasking.
GPU Tweak II
Tweak Till Your Heart's Content
Redesigned with an intuitive, all-new UI, GPU Tweak II makes overclocking easier and more visual than ever, while still retaining advanced options for seasoned overclockers. With one click, the new Gaming Booster function maximizes system performance by removing redundant processes and allocating all available resources automatically.
Gaming Booster
One-click Performance Up
- Visual effects: Boost your performance by turning off windows visual effects.
- System Services: Automatically or manually turn off windows services or process.
- Memory Defragmentation: Re-arrange & free your system memory without closing any processes.
GeForce GT710
NVIDIA®Adaptive V-Sync
NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync adjusts V-Sync to current frame rates for maximum playability.
NVIDIA® PhysX® ready
Dynamic visual effects like blazing explosions, reactive debris, realistic water, and lifelike characters.
Microsoft DirectX 12
Brings new levels of visual realism to gaming on the PC and get top-notch performance.
Microsoft® Windows 10 compatible
Gives you access to advanced computing experiences with the latest operating system so you get more done with your PC.
Additional information
Graphics Engine NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 Bus Standard PCI Express 2.0 OpenGL OpenGL®4.5 Video Memory GDDR5 2GB Engine Clock 954 MHz CUDA Core 192 Memory Clock 5012 MHz Memory Interface 64-bit Resolution DVI Max Resolution : 2560×1600 Interface D-Sub Output : Yes x 1 DVI Output : Yes x 1 (Native) (DVI-D) HDMI Output : Yes x 1 (Native) HDCP Support : Yes Accessories 1 x CD 1 x Quick Guide Software ASUS GPU Tweak II & Driver Dimensions 6.7 " x 2.7 " x 0.7 " Inch 16.7 x 6.9 x1.7 Centimeter
1 Year Warranty
There are no reviews yet.


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For Immediate Release, December 30, 2010
Grazing Halted to Protect Steelhead Trout on a
Quarter-million Acres of Malheur National Forest
PORTLAND, Ore.— A federal judge today barred livestock grazing harmful to endangered steelhead trout on more than a quarter-million acres of public land on the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon. District Judge Ancer Haggerty ordered the U.S. Forest Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to reconsider the effects of the federal agencies' grazing plan on native steelhead streams before grazing can resume.
According to Judge Haggerty, grazing has harmed steelhead by damaging the streams they depend on. The court's order prohibits the Forest Service from allowing grazing on a vast area, including nearly 200 miles of critical steelhead habitat, until the agency complies with the Endangered Species Act. Along another 100 miles of steelhead streams, the court ordered the Forest Service to continue to carry out protective measures it approved during the last two years. The judge also ordered the Forest Service to comply with its steelhead habitat monitoring obligations under the National Forest Management Act and the Malheur Forest Plan before resuming grazing.
Today's court order is the result of long-running challenges to Forest Service grazing by the Oregon Natural Desert Association, Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project that began in 2003. It follows Judge Haggerty's June 2010 ruling that the Forest Service's grazing plan violated the Endangered Species Act and National Forest Management Act along more than 300 miles of steelhead streams in the John Day River Basin.
"Today's decision puts the responsibility for protecting steelhead squarely on the agencies," said Brent Fenty, ONDA's executive director. "The court makes clear that the agencies have to make steelhead protection their highest priority, and that they cannot let riparian grazing continue until the agencies create a plan that complies with the law."
In his ruling earlier this year, Judge Haggerty noted evidence that streamside grazing failed to meet ecological standards designed to conserve steelhead. The standards, established by the Forest Service and Fisheries Service, are meant to protect the key elements of healthy fish streams: stable stream banks and overhanging vegetation that keep streams clear and cold. The Forest Service's grazing program has damaged stream banks much more severely than is allowed under federal standards.
"This decision insures that the Forest Service must give up its business-as-usual grazing management," said Jon Marvel, executive director of Western Watersheds Project. "There will be no grazing on hundreds of miles of important fish streams until the Forest Service and NMFS can guarantee that grazing will not harm steelhead."
Judge Haggerty's order is the latest in a series of decisions that have resulted in significant protections for threatened steelhead. The judge issued a preliminary ruling in 2008 barring grazing on two allotments, which protected more than 90 miles of steelhead streams. In 2009, the court imposed strong conditions to restrict grazing and limit damage to streams. In the places where the court's orders have prevented grazing during the past two years, even a single year of rest has allowed for significant initial recovery of riparian plant communities, stream channels and fish habitat.
"Suspending grazing on more than 200 miles of stream on the Malheur National Forest will not just benefit endangered steelhead, but numerous other wildlife species dependent on healthy rivers for their survival," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "It will also benefit the public by improving water quality and recreational opportunities, such as fishing, bird-watching and boating. Numerous studies have conclusively demonstrated that there is no compatible use of riparian areas by livestock."
The Malheur National Forest is located in eastern Oregon's Blue Mountains. It includes portions of the Upper John Day, Middle Fork John Day, North Fork John Day and Malheur rivers. The 281-mile long John Day River is the second longest undammed river in the continental United States. The river and its hundreds of miles of tributary streams on the Malheur National Forest provide spawning, rearing and migratory habitat for the largest naturally spawning, native stock of wild steelhead remaining in the Columbia River basin.
Go back


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What A Show! Northern Lights Seen Across Much Of Nation
From Alabama and Georgia north to the border with Canada, there are reports from all over the continental U.S. today about a fantastic show last night:
An intense geomagnetic storm that produced some of the best "Northern Lights" in recent memory, reports SpaceWeather.com.
Many folks are posting photos and videos. Here's one that the poster says was taken in Michigan.
It's unusual for the lights to be seen across so much of the U.S. Did you see them?
SpaceWeather.com has a photo gallery here.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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There were good moments and not-so-good moments. Three interceptions and a fumble lost were ugly. Fourteen points on a pair of 80-plus-yard drives on the first two possessions were as much as anyone could ask for. Luck finished with 334 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts interim coach Bruce Arians explained what he wanted the rookie quarterback to take from the 59-24 loss.
"The learning process," Arians said. "How well he played early and how poorly he played in the middle. Just a growing process. Don't ever forget what was going on, because you might play them again real soon. Don't add up the numbers 'till the end of the season. Just play each week.
"He was playing outstanding in that game. To take two 80-yard drives, right off the bat, down on the Patriots is really good football. One or two throws, they're easy to correct."
Notice how Arians slipped in talk of a second game against the Pats? That's playoff talk in Indy, just one season after the Colts went 2-14.
Luck didn't hesitate when asked what stood out the most to him.
"Turnovers," Luck said. "Turnovers kill you in this league, especially against good teams.
"You can't give them gifts. They'll embarrass you if you do."
Interceptions, really, have been the lone recurring issue for Luck. He's made mistakes, but has adapted quickly and hasn't repeated them. Interceptions will come as Luck sees different looks against different teams for the first time, including the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
That's part of the process.


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Here's The Simple Advice You Need For Actually Meeting Your Goals
Editor's Note: This article written by Susie Moore was originally published on Greatist, a digital publication committed to happy and...
Editor's Note: This article written by Susie Moore was originally published on Greatist, a digital publication committed to happy and healthy lifestyle choices.
I have a friend who quit eating sugar two years ago. When we go out to eat, I almost always get dessert. "Will you have a bite?" I ask, testing her. "No thanks!" She always responds with ease and indifference. Must be so hard for her to turn down a beignet every single time — right?
Put simply, it's far too easy to waste our time, money, and energy by not committing wholeheartedly to something important to us. We intend to start blogging (for real this time), but keep getting distracted. We spend way too much money on clothes when we try to cut down on online shopping.
But it's our well-meaning "99-percent effort" that is exhausting. It consumes energy without producing results. It's stressful. It makes us feel like a failure when we're not — we just haven't fully committed to something. Putting 99-percent effort into things that matter in life means we are constantly falling short of our potential — and feeling bad about it.
The 100-Percent Rule
When I was at a conference earlier this year, I heard a statement I knew would change my business. I later realized it would also change my entire life.
The statement? Ninety-nine percent is hard — 100 percent is easy. Or as Jack Canfield, the best-selling author of The Success Principles, puts it (in slightly more aggressive terms): "99 percent is a b*tch. 100 percent is a breeze." Take a moment to let that sink in.
Then consider the following individuals: my sister, who is a strict vegan; my neighbor, a six-time New York Times-best-selling author; and a comedian who publishes a new YouTube video every week without fail. No exceptions or breaks or excuses.
Is it hard? Maybe when they first got started. But now my sister knows exactly which foods to buy, where, and how to cook them. The author writes every single day, not just when he feels inspired. The YouTuber is constantly learning new skills, researching, and developing new routines, each one better than the last.
If something is tugging at you and has been over time, you've probably been "99-percenting" it too long. Here's how to finally give it your all.
1. Identify exactly what needs 100 percent of your attention.
Your writing? Your photography? A side-hustle idea that has been percolating for a while but requires action? A habit you need to quit altogether—online shopping, drinking soda, even seeing a certain toxic person?
Not everything in your life needs 100-percent effort. But your heart always knows what truly does. You don't have to go crazy and commit to a million projects or banish everything fun from your life. Your "100 percent" right now is probably just one thing. What is it?
2. Put in the effort.
Commit to writing for one hour per day, seven days per week. Pinpoint exactly how to make your first sale for your side hustle (you can do it)! Delete your online shopping accounts, throw out the soda, or end that relationship once and for all. And don't look back.
For me, I came to realize that my "100 percent" was finishing my book. I had been going at it 99 percent for two years, and after hearing this advice, I finally finished it—in just two months. It wasn't easy, but it was easier than thinking about my book on the subway, on vacation, when cooking, and when out with friends. Nowit's complete.
Ninety-nine-percenting was so much harder. It weighed on me daily. It was heavier than the actual task at hand. The decision fatigue was killing me: "Should I write or go out?" "Should I write or go grocery shopping?" "Should I write or call a friend?" When I shifted gears to 100 percent, there were no decisions to make. It was write or die!
3. Repeat (again and again).
True happiness is the joy we experience when we move toward our potential. The beautiful part is when we apply the 100-percent rule to a task at hand, we complete it. A project gets wrapped. A once-hopeful intention becomes a habit. A goal is met.
It then frees up adequate mental space for the next priority to become clear, since we're not plagued by guilt about other multiple half-assed projects. And when we give 100 percent, other not-as-important stuff falls away in the meantime: It's an awesome perk to an already pretty-awesome rule.
Why do some people succeed over others? Because they commit completely to something. If you know anyone who is self-made and grew their wealth over time, you know they are not half-assed about their investment strategy. If someone writes best-selling book after best-selling book, you know they're not sitting down to write every so often, or whenever they feel like it. If you know someone who's built up a loyal YouTube following, you know they're continually making the effort to put out new, unique content.
It's called commitment.
This article, "The 100-Percent Rule: The Simple Advice That Changed My Life," originally appeared on Greatist.
More articles From Greatist.com:


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Men have been steadily disappearing from the workforce for more than half a century.
In the 1950s, nearly every man in his prime working years was in the labor force, a category that includes both those who are employed and those actively applying for jobs. The "participation rate" for men ages 25 to 54 stood at 97.7% in early 1956, but drifted downward to a post-war record low of 88.4% at the end of 2012. (It ticked up very slightly at the start of this year to 88.6%.)
So where have all the men workers gone?
Some went into prison. Others are on disability. And still others can't find jobs and have simply given up looking.
The trend is particularly pronounced among the less educated. As the job market shifted away from blue-collar positions that required only a high-school degree to more skilled labor, many men were left behind, labor analysts say. It's harder these days to find well-paying jobs in manufacturing, production and other fields traditionally dominated by men without college diplomas.
But college men are leaving, too. The participation rate of those older than 25 and holding at least bachelor's degree fell to 80.2% in May, down from 87.2% in May 1992.
"The proportion of guys doing nothing has risen," said Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
The cycles of national economic prosperity since World War II have done little to stem this downward slide. In fact, even when the unemployment rate hit a 30-year low in the early 2000s, the share of men in the workforce continued its steady decline.
The Great Recession accelerated the trend, pushing the participation rate for men in their prime working years below 90% for the first time. It has yet to recover, even as the general economy improves.
Here's a closer look at the reasons why men are dropping out of the labor force.
Incarceration: A growing number of men have spent time in prison, which makes it much harder to find a job once they complete their sentences.
Looking at those born just after World War II, some 1.2% of white men and 9% of black men had been to prison by 2004, according to Bruce Western, a Harvard sociology professor. But looking at those born 30 years later, some 3.3% of white men and 20.7% of black men had been to prison.
Disability: More men have been pouring into the federal disability system, especially in recent years, when the Great Recession and its aftermath pushed up the national unemployment rate. Men who might have found a job in a better labor market were instead turning to this safety net system, according to David Autor, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology economics professor and co-author of Wayward Sons, which looks at the growing gender gap in education and the workforce.
In 1982, around 1.9% of working-age men were receiving disability benefits. By 2012, that number had climbed to 3.1%, according to data crunched by the National Academy of Social Insurance.
Once on the disability rolls, few people get off. Only 2.2% left the program in the first quarter of 2013.
Lack of education: A few decades ago, men could graduate high school and make a decent living on a factory floor or at a construction job. As the labor market becomes more skilled, those guys are being left behind.
In the 1960s, more men than women were enrolling in and completing college. "That's completely reversed itself," Burtless said. "Women's persistence and enrollment rates have given them a real edge over men."
Women born in 1975 were roughly 17% more likely than their male counterparts to attend college and nearly 23% more likely to complete a four-year degree, according to data in Wayward Sons.
"A lot of non-college men have chosen not to work rather than participate in jobs that don't pay that well and are not very satisfying," Autor said.
Related: College degrees with the best bang for your buck
The decline of men in the labor force has broad implications for families, taxpayers and the economy. Fewer employed men means more people on the dole and fewer taxpayers to contribute to the nation's economic growth.
Also, fewer of these men are in stable family relationships, contributing to growth of single-parent households. That fuels the widening income inequality gap and stunts the upward economic mobility of the next generation.


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ZEOS Pro Anamorphic Lens
Professional Grade Magnetic Lens system for smartphones with changeable filters that help minimize glare and reflections, enhance colors, reduce light coming into the lens, and more. Lens attaches to smartphones that use a Zeos case and lens adapter
Features :
- Patented Lens Adapter
- Install/remove lens in 2 seconds!
- Individually precision machined
- Highest quality lens housing/material


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Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut: the Four C's that define the quality of a diamond and what Certification it is worth.
Similarly: Curation determines the quality and value of Web content.
Wikipedia defines digital curation as: "the selection, preservation, maintenance, collection and archiving of digital assets."
- Readers of online material want more ways to experience individually relevant content.
- Publishers of web content want to engage their readers with more relevant content.
At Rooh.it, we have designed solutions to satisfy both parties; all with the underlying theme of giving users the ability to clip, collect, collate and collaborate their favorite Web content thereby giving them a level of online interaction never seen before.
Any content a user highlights using the Rooh.it instant highlighter is automatically clipped and saved for the user.
When you search, the information you seek is rarely found on a single page. Typically, only a part of any page is of interest, not the entire page. As you surf just highlight the relevant portions. All your highlights are automatically collected for you.
The Rooh.it collection of highlights can be cherry picked from, and any subset can be combined and collated to be viewed in one shot.
With a plethora of sharing and social tools (and a very powerful new feature coming soon!) Rooh.it takes online collaboration to a finer level of granularity.
You can share just-the-highlights, and/or entire highlighted-pages with anyone (including non-Rooh.it users) using email, Facebook, Twitter or any other medium.
Curation is the newest trend on the Web and will be reshaping your online experience for a long time to come. Rather than being dependent on Search Engines and computers to deliver results that are uniquely relevant to you: get interesting content delivered to you as determined to be relevant for you by human eyes.
Rooh.it is brought to you by (Al Gore moment!) the creator of Social Networks – ok pioneer Yes, our founder also created one of the earliest Social Networking websites – launched in 1997 – with several million users back then…


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Collage of 44 individual portraits of members of Vallejo Society of California [reproduction] [001] circa 1880
Promotional handbill advertising Allensworth, California [reproduction] [002] circa 1912
Mervyn Dymally with wife, sons, and daughter seated on sofa [003] 1964
Byron Rumford standing next to unidentified man and woman [004] 1964
Byron Rumford standing next to unidentified man and woman [005] 1964
Tom Bradley (left) and Billy G. Mills (center) receiving a certification from an unidentified man [006] 1963
Mervyn Dymally and his family are seated on the couch [007] 1964
Group photograph at stadium (left-right): unidentified man, Mervyn Dymally, unidentified man, Mr. Oakes, unidentified man [008] circa 1964
Portrait of photographer Harry H. Adams [009] 1963
Dr. R. Claude Rudson is receiving a commendation with three unidentified men [010] 1964
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is standing at the pulpit [2 copies] [011] 1964
Portrait of Billy Mills, L.A. City Council Judge [012] 1964
'Stag' party for Curtis C. Taylor at the home of Earl Brandy [013] 1961
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. signing book with three unidentified men [014] 1964
Tom Bradley (center) with two unidentified men [015] 1963
Group photograph of unidentified man, unidentified man, Walter Reuther, Whitney Young, Jr., unidentified man [016] 1963
Portrait of an unidentified African American woman [reproduction] [017], undated
Portrait of Dr. Leroy Weekes [018], circa 1955
Portrait of Mervyn Dymally [019], 1960
Roy Fowler seated on the railing of a porch [reproduction] [020] 1918
Adobe house owned by Maria Rita De Valdez [reproduction] [021], circa 1920
Portrait of Mrs. Allen Allensworth [reproduction] [022] circa 1912
Portrait of Bessie Brewington [reproduction] [023] circa 1915
Owens family 'Mother Goose' party among those present: Mrs. Titus Alexander, Mamie Cunningham White, Florence Weimer, Dr. and Mrs. A.C. Garrott, Mrs. Louisa Lee, Rev. Shields, Robert C. Owens, Elbridge Lee, Anna Dugger Owens, as Mother Goose, Thomas Pillows, Harvey Cunningham, the Holts, two of the Blodgett brothers, and others' [reproduction] [024] 1906
E. F. Joseph self-portrait [reproduction] [025] circa 1932
Pearl Hinds with unidentified women [026] circa 1955
Daughters of Fredrick Roberts with unidentified woman [027] circa 1964
James Weldon Johnson standing in front of house [reproduction] [028] circa 1920
General Andres Pico is seated with a black and white outfit [reproduction] [034] circa 1848
Jose Moreno on horseback with an unidentified woman [reproduction] [030] circa 1845
Portrait of Thurgood Marshall [031] undated
Children in classroom, National Youth Administration #5, Riverside, California [reproduction] [032] circa 1938
Black and white gold miners in Spanish Flat [reproduction][033] 1852
General Andres Pico is seated with a black and white outfit [reproduction] [034] circa 1846
Photograph of Manuel Moreno [reproduction] [035] circa 1905
Frank Silvera standing with a glass in his right hand [reproduction][036] circa 1960
Drawing of York who was with Lewis and Clarke during their expedition [reproduction] [037] circa 1805
Portrait of Jimmy Smith [reproduction] [038] circa 1938
Two unidentified men seated atop a wooden wagon which is harnessed to a team of horses, sign atop the building reads 'Gus. Thompson Livery and Boarding Stable' [reproduction] [039] circa 1900
Mr. and Mrs. John Scott standing on the steps of a wood frame two story building with an unidentified man [reproduction] [040] circa 1901
Advertisement for Southern area boys' club in Los Angeles, California [reproduction] [041] 1957
Group photograph of San Diego postal employees [reproduction] [042] undated
Portrait of Biddy Mason [reproduction] [043] circa 1865
Wedding photograph of Rev. William Prince and his second wife [reproduction] [044] circa 1920
Portrait of Lois Towns, first black nurse at Los Angeles County General Hospital [reproduction] [046] circa 1920
Portrait of Mrs. Booker T. Washington [reproduction] [047] circa 1880
Portrait of Mrs. Booker T. Washington [reproduction] [048] circa 1880
Portrait of Alvin Coffey [049] undated
Laura Chrisman standing by car [reproduction] [050] 1920
Portrait of Garland Anderson [reproduction] [051] 1925
Garland Anderson in car with crowd in background [052] undated
Five unidentified women and three unidentified men standing in front of house [reproduction] [053] circa 1925
Gladys DeJarnette and Alva Curtis Garrott Jr. playing with wooden wagons [reproduction] [054] circa 1907
Portrait of Benjamin Talbot [reproduction] [055] circa 1880
Group photograph of Pasadena Club Women [reproduction] [056] circa 1910
Citizens' Band playing in front of New Age Publishing Co., Los Angeles, California [reproduction] [058] circa 1906
Portrait of Alvin Coffey [reproduction] [059] circa 1880
Photograph of adobe building built by a member of the Nieto family [060] circa 1960
Portrait of Colonel Allen Allensworth wearing military uniform [reproduction][061] circa 1910
Watercolor of Luis Quintero and his wife [reproduction] [062] circa 1781
Unidentified group photograph [063] undated
Group photograph of football team [reproduction] [064] circa 1907
Group photograph of people standing on a train platform [reproduction] [065] circa 1946
Unidentified group of men wearing white coats and black pants [066] circa 1955
Red Spikes with his Majors and Minors Orchestra [reproduction] [068] 1928
Outdoor reception for Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Somerville of Jamaica [069] undated
Photograph of Dr. Vada J. Somerville [reproduction] [070] circa 1945
Permit for James Nicholson and John Somerville to leave Jamaica for the U.S.A. [reproduction] [071] circa 1902
Photograph of the Club House in Sacramento, California with a unidentified person standing on the steps at the front entrance of the Club House [reproduction] [072] undated
Black seamen onboard ship [reproduction] [073] undated
Victoria Shorey, daughter of Capt. Shorey [reproduction] [074] undated
Home of General Andreas Pico near San Fernando Mission [reproduction] [075] circa 1915
Photograph of wife of Pio Pico's brother [reproduction] [076] circa 1840
Five unidentified women [077] 1960
Photograph of four unidentified women [078] 1960
Four women around a table looking at a poster of the Y.W.C.A. Woodlawn Center [079] 1960
Unidentified group seated at dining table [080] circa 1960
Congressman Gus Hawkins (right) standing with unidentified man and women [081] 1964
Portrait of Samuel Booth [reproduction][082] circa 1865
Group of ten unidentified men [083] 1963
Photograph of Bernard Jefferson [first from the left] with seven unidentified men [084] circa 1957
Photograph of a man with Pabst Blue Ribbon exhibit in storefront window of the California Eagle Newspaper [085] undated
Group photograph of unidentified women [086] 1962
Kelsey's Termite Control trucks parked under Kellog's Corn Flakes billboard [087] undated
Mr. Woods of Woods Construction Company with unidentified persons [088] 1963
Members of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters holding picket signs [089] 1963
Dentist office of Dr. Evans [090] undated
Photograph of Dr. Herbert Fairs and his wife [091] 1960
Mrs. Herbert Fairs, Dr. Herbert Fairs, Augustus Hawkins, and unidentified man [092] 1963
Ribbon-cutting ceremony with Billy Mills, Leon Washington, Gus Hawkins, and Tom Bradley [093] 1964
Norman Houston (right) with unidentified man and woman [094] 1964
Group photograph of unidentified man and woman standing at Enterprise Savings bank teller window [095] 1964
Three unidentified men holding check in front of Enterprise Savings window [096] 1963
Ribbon-cutting ceremony with unidentified man and woman [097] undated
Portrait of Samuel Coleridge Taylor seated at the piano [reproduction] [098] circa 1910
Group photograph of the L. A. Police Department Traffic Squad [reproduction] [099] circa 1914
Augustus F. Hawkins [center], Mervyn Dymally [right], and unidentified man [100] circa 1962
Group photograph of four people standing with Byron Rumford (left) [101] circa 1964
Group of female dancers in front of theater [102] 1963
Group photograph of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority [103] 1963
Unidentified member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority [104] 1963
Unidentified group photograph [105] 1964
Unidentified group photograph [106] 1962
Unidentified man and woman reading court transcript [107] 1960
Firefighters in burnout building at San Pedro and Jefferson [108] 1959
Photograph of Dr. Voda J. Sommerville [109] circa 1960
Dr. John Alexander and Voda Sommerville on their 50th wedding anniversary [reproduction] [110] 1962
Group photograph of Dr. John Alexander and Voda Sommerville on their 50th wedding anniversary [111] 1962
Four unidentified men looking at document [112] 1962
Groundbreaking ceremony (left-right): unidentified man, unidentified man, Gilbert Lindsey, Leon Washington, unidentified man, furniture store owner [113] undated
Portrait of Charles Tinsley [reproduction] [114] circa 1910
Portrait of Refugio Reyes de Roberts [reproduction] [115] circa 1880
Portrait of Isidrio Reyes [reproduction] [116] circa 1880
Fernando Reyes standing next to wagon [reproduction] [117] circa 1880
Portrait of Voda Sommerville [reproduction] [118] circa 1925
Clarence Muse New Year Greeting [reproduction][119] circa 1930
Group photograph (left-right): Clarence Brooks, Beulah Hall, Noble Johnson, Dr. James Smith [reproduction][120] circa 1921
Noble Johnson with unidentified cameraman [reproduction][121] circa 1925


text:
Shopping at Costco is like competing in American Gladiators. First, you have to out-maneuver other SUVs for a spot in the always-crammed parking lot. Next, you have to navigate your shopping cart through aisles filled with a sea of flatbeds and curious shoppers hell-bent on tasting every free item to pop out of a toaster oven, irrespective of the nutritional content or number of processed foods involved. Getting produce means you have to brave the arctic cold of the refrigerated room. And throughout, one lifts 50 lb. plastic jars of mayonnaise and plastic-wrapped packs of 128 rolls of toilet paper into one's cart, usually without stretching beforehand or being equipped with a weight belt for support.
It's a grueling physical process that tests the muscles every step of the way. It's not a shopping experience for the timid or meek. It's the WWE of grocery shopping.
So why, pray tell, is there a person stationed at the exit gate, apparently tasked with auditing your receipt against the contents of your shopping basket? Every visit, said person lifts a fluorescent highlighter and marks one's receipt. But why? What good is gained here? Let's look at the logical inconsistencies embodied by this role:
- 1. Consumers have already passed through checkstands and paid for their goods. There is virtually no way out of the building with a cart without passing through a checkstand properly, so it's not like the highlighter person prevents rampant theft of filled carts.
- 2. There is no realistic way to audit the items of a full and oftentimes overflowing shopping cart against a list of ~50 items documented on a receipt. Children's socks, toothpaste, a bottle of wine? How is someone going to spot those items hiding behind a box of 224 diapers, or a pack of 24 Gatorade drinks, or a 42" Vizio flat screen television?
- 3. Having this unnecessary ritual exist in the first place only serves to slow outbound traffic from Costco, which usually turns into a ten-minute death march just to leave the building. One can literally watch his or her milk spoil before his/her eyes, while waiting in line to exit.
So what exactly does Mr. and Mrs. Highlighter do for Costco? If they're not preventing shrinkage and theft, why bother with the unnecessary ritual of someone going through the motions? Wouldn't this person be better spent "greeting" customers (a la Wal-Mart), rather than impeding their prompt departure from the store?
Does the highlighted mark legitimize the receipt itself, anymore so than the "Costco" logo printed at the top? And if I didn't stop my cart to get the highlighted mark, would I be pecked to death by a barrage of highlighted pens?
I'm sure one of you out there has the answer, why is the highlighter person at Costco in the first place. Please, do tell.