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They look like clean-cut suburban kids, but when August Burns Red plug in to play, they unleash a precise, powerfully emotional metalcore onslaught that has won them a loyal following among fans of adventurous hard rock. August Burns Red was formed in Lancaster, PA, in 2003, and took their name from a local news story in which a troubled teenage girl set fire to a pet dog belonging to her former boyfriend. Featuring vocalist Jon Hershey, guitarists J.B. Brubaker and Brent Rambler, bassist Jordan Tuscan, and drummer Matt Greiner, the group recorded their first demo in 2004, when some of the members were still in high school; later that year, a local independent label, CI Records, released the group's first EP, Looks Fragile After All. Steady touring and positive response to the EP led to the group being signed to noted Christian metal label Solid State Records, who released August Burns Red's first full-length album, Thrill Seeker, in the fall of 2005. Thrill Seeker also marked the recording debut for vocalist Josh McManness, who replaced the departing Jon Hershey. McManness's stay with August Burns Red proved to be short, and when their second album, Messengers, reached stores in June 2007, the group had yet another lead singer, Jake Luhrs; Messengers marked the first time that the full band collaborated on lyrics as well as music for the album's 11 songs. Not long after Messengers was released, CI Records reissued Looks Fragile After All in a special edition with new cover artwork and a bonus DVD. Another look at the session for the album, Lost Messengers: The Outtakes, appeared from Solid State in 2009, along with a new studio project, Constellations. The band toured heavily before settling into the studio the following year with producer Jason Suecof. In 2011, August Burns Red released their fourth studio album, Leveler.
- August's Website
- August on Facebook
August Burns Red - Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins - Christian Music Videos
August Burns Red - Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins Official Music Video! Buy it now: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/home/id391183010
August Burns Red Albums
Rockin' Around The Christmas TreeJune 2012
Album Tracks
- Carol of the Bells
LevelerJune 2011
Album Tracks
- 1/16/2011
- Boys of Fall
- Leveler
- Empire
- Internal Cannon
- Divisions
- Cutting the Ties
- Pangea
- Carpe Diem
- 40 Nights
- Salt & Light
- Poor Millionaire
HomeSeptember 2010
Album Tracks
- Existence
- Meridian
- Shot Below The Belt
- Up Against The Ropes
- Composure
- The Seventh Trumpet
- Intro
- Back Burner
- Whitewashed
- Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins
- The Eleventh Hour
- Meddler
- Truth Of A Liar
- Mariana's Trench
- Thirty And Seven
ConstellationsJuly 2009
Album Tracks
- Rationalist
- Meddler
- Crusades
- Thirty and Seven
- Existence
- Ocean of Apathy
- White Washed
- Marianas Trench
- The Escape Artist
- Indonesia
- Paradox
- Meridian
MessengersJune 2007
Album Tracks
- An American Dream
- Redemption (Mosley)
- The Truth of a Liar
- Up Against the Ropes
- Back Burner
- The Blinding Light
- Composure
- Vital Signs
- The Eleventh Hour
- The Balance
- Black Sheep
Thrill SeekerNovember 2005
Album Tracks
- Eve of the End
- The Seventh Trumpet
- Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins
- Speech Impediment
- Endorphins
- Too Late for Roses
- Barbarian
- The Reflective Property
- Wish Full of Dreams
- The Consumer
- Throwing Punches


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Available in Bahasa
Since the UN's High Level Panel announced its vision for the post-2015 development agenda in May, much debate has centered on the absence of a goal for inequality among the panel's list of 15 proposed goals. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, commenting on the goals in Jakarta last June, stressed that the principle of "no one left behind" was central to the panel's vision, and that each of the U.N.'s goals focused on tackling inequality. The proposed education goals, in fact, include a commitment to 'ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, completes primary education able to read, write and count well enough to meet minimum learning standards'.
Efforts to narrow education inequality are vital and can lay a foundation for more inclusive growth. Differences in the quality and duration of the education children receive can fundamentally affect their future livelihoods. Children who fail to master basic skills are more likely to end up in an insecure, low-paid job, as compared to children who leave school equipped with the skills needed in current labor markets.
Yet in most countries, large disparities in educational attainment remain the norm. Indonesia is no exception. A poor child born in Papua leaves school with approximately 6 years of education, compared to a child in Jakarta who can expect to complete 11 years of schooling. Differences in learning achievement can be equally stark; junior secondary school students in Bali averaged 80% in the national examination, compared to students in parts of Kalimantan who scored less than 60%.
Much of the global discourse highlights the lack of resources and their unequal distribution as a key cause of education inequality. But this is only part of the story in Indonesia. In the last decade, public investment in education has tripled in real terms --a rate of increase not seen in many other countries. Some of the poorest districts spend large sums on education for each school-aged child. For example, some districts in Papua, one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia, spend nearly as much as countries in Eastern Europe that rank far higher on international assessments of learning achievement.
So, what can a middle income country like Indonesia do to address education inequality?
The World Bank's Indonesia country office recently released a survey of education governance quality in 50 Indonesian districts that argues that any attempt to narrow inequality must focus on strengthening the capacity of local governments to deliver quality education services to all children.
Since decentralization reforms were introduced in 1999, district governments have been responsible for the provision and most of the financing of basic education. The report shows that the priority given to education, the quality of the inputs supplied, and their distribution tend to be better in districts with higher quality governance. Moreover, districts that enable local participation in planning processes build more transparent and accountable systems of management; improve incentives for education staff tend to produce better outcomes; and ensure teachers are better equipped to provide quality education for all.
Higher quality local education governance is associated with better education performance
Yet the study also found that local education governance had improved little over the last three years. In some areas, governance had even backtracked. For example, the number of districts with effective systems for documenting and disseminating good practice appeared to have declined significantly. Planning practices also appeared to circumvent efforts to increase local community participation. For example, in 2012, only 12% of districts consolidated school development plans to use in their district education planning process.
The districts participating in the study also took part in a Ministry of Education program designed to strengthen capacity. While the study highlights some gains at the school level, improvements in district-level management were more modest. Two important lessons emerged from the experience of implementing a capacity building program of this kind:
First, a multisectoral approach to capacity building is needed. District education officers recognized that many key challenges are related to district-level systems (e.g. planning and budgeting systems) rather than specifically to the education system. However, the district education office is often powerless to address these broader constraints.
Second, capacity building efforts need to be tailored to local circumstances. Strengthening governance is easier in some districts than others. For example, publicizing information on the education budget is much easier in a well-connected district with a vibrant local media than in a remote location with limited infrastructure. To be successful, future capacity-building programs need to take account of the specific constraints that districts face.
The big message is that strengthening the management and governance of district education systems can help narrow education inequality. It can also help Indonesia lay the groundwork to ensure that no child is left behind as the new development agenda gets under way.
Local governance and education performance: A survey of the quality of local education governance in 50 Indonesian districts
Education is no doubt pillar of development by mean. Where is our culture in our education system? Culture is like the face organization UN or international development organizations development paracetamol type programs. Every where the same program without considering peoples culture, language, believes, sociological and environmental situation. UN and UNESCO have some conventions and principles-those may can result positive way, but matter of sorrow UN conducting peace mission left to implement conventions properly. Our frustration growing day by day to see two things 1. Development reports and 2. Political conflict throughout the world.Here a big question about present education system? What do mean by sustainable education-how it can be implemented?
Middle income countries faces the dilemna of seemingly improved economic status but increasing inequality - such as in access to quality education. The children of the rich become even more powerful to gain access to best educational opportunities. So, one can ask, for whom is economic growth. The Indonesian survey of local governance showed that improved quality of education governance is associated with improved education quality. It will be interesting to find out what drives better education governance at the local level and how diversity is managed to achieve national standards.
I strongly agree with the idea suggested in this article. To be able to alleviate the education inequality in Indonesia, we have to start from the government because, as a matter of fact, they are the ones who have power and authority to enforce and regulate the laws and policy. Title of the article couldn't be any better! Better governance for a better education, indeed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Originally Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
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2012 Copyright/Permissions/Disclaimers
All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni


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Psychiatric Organization Rebuts Fox Doctor's Attacks On Chaz Bono, Dancing With The Stars
Fox News "Medical A-Team" expert Dr. Keith Ablow has repeatedly used his Fox platform to launch unscientific and prejudicial attacks on Chaz Bono and his appearance on Dancing With the Stars. The president of the American Psychiatric Association and one of its specialists in gender identity have rebutted Ablow's attacks, calling them "opinions, scare tactics and inflammatory language."
Ablow Has Said Bono Suffers From A "Psychotic Delusion" And Repeatedly Portrayed His Dancing Appearance As Dangerous
Ablow: Bono's "Contention That She Is A Male Is A Psychotic Delusion -- A Fixed And False Belief." From Ablow's May 17 FoxNews.com column -- which was pulled after it was posted -- as archived by ThinkProgress:
First, Chaz Bono is not a man. She is a woman who has undergone radical surgeries and is taking male hormones in order to look like a man. That isn't a political position, it's a biological reality. Chaz Bono wants to be thought of as male, but she is not male.
You may disagree with me on philosophical grounds, arguing that behaving like a man and feeling like a man is tantamount to being a man, but that argument does nothing to change the biological reality.
Second, while Chaz Bono may now feel that her journey toward self-acceptance has ended, I am not convinced. I say this because, absent the gender politics involved, I was taught to consider Chaz Bono's contention that she is male as a psychotic delusion -- a fixed and false belief.
Psychosis is not a predictor of long-term emotional well-being or stability.
Mind you, I am not judging Ms. Bono. But there is nothing substantially different from a woman believing she is a man than there is about a woman believing she is a CIA agent being followed by the KGB (when in reality, she is, say, a salesperson at J. Crew). [ThinkProgress.org, 5/18/11]
Ablow: "Gender Dysphoria" Can Be "Kindled By Celebrating Those Who Have Undergone Sexual Reassignment Surgery." From Ablow's September 2 FoxNews.com column, headlined "Don't Let Your Kids Watch Chaz Bono On 'Dancing With the Stars'":
It is a toxic and unnecessary byproduct of the tragic celebration of transgender surgery that millions of young people who do watch "Dancing with the Stars" will have to ponder this question: Maybe my problems really stem from the fact that I'm a girl inside a boy's body (or a boy inside a girls body). Maybe I'm not a tomboy; I'm just a boy! Maybe I'm not just being bullied because I'm a sensitive, reflective young man interested in flowers, not football. Maybe I'm not just uncertain about my sexuality. Maybe I'm a girl! Maybe all this angst and suffering I'm feeling as I emerge into puberty and pass through it isn't just because I'm changing, but because I should change completely -- and have my breasts removed or my penis amputated!
It would be wrong to think that gender dysphoria cannot be kindled by celebrating those who have undergone sexual reassignment surgery. Human beings do model one another -- in terms of emotion, thought and behavior. By broadcasting, applauding and mainstreaming the journey of a very disordered person who endured, and likely will continue to endure, real suffering based on extraordinarily deep psychological problems, we suggest that that journey is a smart -- even heroic -- one to take. [FoxNews.com, 9/2/11]
Ablow Compares Bono's Participation In Dancing With The Stars To The Participation Of A Person Who Intentionally Cut Off His Legs. From the September 6 edition of Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard:
DAVID ASMAN (host): Dr. Keith Ablow, writing a piece that has created a huge firestorm, "Don't Let Your Kids Watch Chaz Bono On 'Dancing with the Stars.' " So, Doctor, why will watching hurt kids?
ABLOW: Here's why: Because this tour, this fame tour of Chaz Bono promoting transgenderism as though it's a civil right -- there are a lot of kids who will be watching.
Look, kids go through phases, adolescence. There may be tomboys watching who are girls. They don't really need to be encouraged to say, "Hey, wait. Wait a second. Maybe I'm not just of a tomboy, maybe I'm boy. Chaz -- look at them applauding him with a standing ovation."
No, look. This is a guy who's had a terrible run of things, an incredibly tortuous path, and it's not over. So I don't like the idea that you'd suggest to adolescents and young people a surgical remedy at the plastic surgeon's office for a psychiatric condition.
ABLOW: Yes, indeed. Human beings have their behavior kindled. They model their behavior on others. And listen, if we had somebody who couldn't walk on Dancing With the Stars, I'd applaud, unless you told me, "Hey, by the way, do you know he cut off his own legs?" Then I'm not applauding. [Fox Business, America's Nightly Scoreboard, 9/6/11]
Ablow: If Bono "Wants Me And The Rest Of The Nation And All Of Our Kids To Agree That He Is A Man, That's Reality Bending. It's Destructive." From Sirius XM's The Howard Stern Show:
ABLOW: First of all, let me say this: Were anyone to throw a rock at Chaz Bono, I'd step in front of him and take it for him. That's not the issue here. Nobody should be in any way discriminating against this person. But here's what I object to. When somebody has taken a really tortuous path, literally having breasts removed, injecting oneself with hormones, and is midstream in that process and wants me and the rest of the nation and all of our kids to agree that he is a man, that's reality bending. It's destructive. He's not a man, Howard. [Sirius XM, The Howard Stern Show, 9/8/11]
Ablow Has Used Fox News Platform To Misinform, Stoke Fears About Gender And Sexuality
Ablow Falsely Suggests Gender Identity Is A Choice
Ablow Parallels Dangers Of Enabling Pedophilia With "The Celebration Of Transgender Surgeries." From Ablow's August 11 FoxNews.com column:
As a psychiatrist who has helped adolescents and adults make sense of their sexuality, I am convinced that, for many people, environment and social influences do indeed impact sexual desires and sexual behavior.
Here's a concrete example: I treated a man who was attracted to adult women, but also attracted to little girls. He was so convinced that his pedophilia was socially unacceptable and morally reprehensible that he stayed home most of the summer, rather than work as a handyman. He was petrified he would encounter little girls in bathing suits and be unable to control his impulses. He let me prescribe him two medications to increase his impulse control.
Now, I just don't see any reason why we would want to lead such a man to believe that his pedophilia isn't morally reprehensible by having him happen upon a mainstream magazine that dresses a 10-year-old girl like a 25-year-old woman and positions her as though she is hoping to have sex.
The same can be said for the celebration of transgender surgeries. When those who resort to major surgery to "become" female or male are applauded on talk shows, rather than being empathized with because they are on tortuous, tragic paths through confused identity issues, that can encourage people to think that their own very understandable ambivalence about some aspects of masculinity or femininity could mean, instead, that they are trapped inside the wrong body. It can actually kindle gender dysphoria that was not consciously present and would never have been psychologically debilitating. [FoxNews.com, 8/11/11]
Think Progress: Ablow "Confuse[s] Readers About Sexual Orientation, Sexual Disorders, And Gender Identity In A Post Devoid Of Any Valid Conclusions." From ThinkProgress.org:
First it was pink toenails. Then it was Chaz Bono (until Fox News pulled the article). Now, Fox News Medical A-Team contributor Dr. Keith Ablow is back to confuse readers about sexual orientation, sexual disorders, and gender identity in a post devoid of any valid conclusions. The premise of his article is to defend his previous claim that Vogue's sexual images of minors "can actually 'create' pedophiles." Here are some of the fanciful ideas Ablow squeezes into his pieceunder that pretense:
- Pedophilia is a "sexual orientation." (It's not, it's a psychiatric disorder.)
- Sexual orientation can be shaped by one's environment. (He is correct that "desires" and "behavior" can be influenced by environment, but neglects to draw any distinction between contextual responses and an enduring orientation.)
- Prison normalizes homosexuality. (Besides reinforcing a stereotype, Ablow again conflates behavior with orientation. Men who have sex with men in prison don't become gay.)
- Parental relationships with parents influence sexuality. (This is a junk science ex-gay talking point that folks like Rich Wyler and Richard Cohen use to substantiate their bogus "touch therapy.")
- People who are transgender "are on tortuous, tragic paths through confused identity issues." (Any psychologist with an ounce of merit would appreciate that transitioning gender is all about affirming the individual's identity, and while the journey may be challenging, there is nothing "tortuous," "tragic," or "confusing" about it.)
- Gender dysphoria can be "kindled" and shaped by one's environment. (What Ablow is insinuating is that, like sexual orientation, gender identity is also a choice -- or at least something that can be controlled. On both counts, he is wrong.) [ThinkProgress.org, 8/11/11]
Ablow Attacked J. Crew Ad For Showing Mother Painting Her Son's Toenails
Ablow On Ad: "Encouraging The Choosing Of Gender Identity" Can "Throw Our Species Into Real Psychological Turmoil." From Ablow's April 11 FoxNews.com column:
A recent feature in J. Crew's online catalogue portrays designer Jenna Lyons painting her son Beckett's toe nails hot pink. The quote accompanying the image reads, "Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon."
Yeah, well, it may be fun and games now, Jenna, but at least put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid -- and maybe a little for others who'll be affected by your "innocent" pleasure.
If you have no problem with the J. Crew ad, how about one in which a little boy models a sundress? What could possibly be the problem with that?
Well, how about the fact that encouraging the choosing of gender identity, rather than suggesting our children become comfortable with the ones that they got at birth, can throw our species into real psychological turmoil -- not to mention crowding operating rooms with procedures to grotesquely amputate body parts? Why not make race the next frontier? What would be so wrong with people deciding to tattoo themselves dark brown and claim African-American heritage? Why not bleach the skin of others so they can playact as Caucasians?
Maybe we'll all have shiny, colored lips, though, and pierced ears and perfect eyebrows and mommies who get applause from their J. Crew friends at the park for parading their sons through the streets in costume.
Jenna Lyons and J. Crew seem to know exactly what they're up to. That's why the photograph of Jenna's son so prominently displays his hot pink, neon toe nails. These folks are hostile to the gender distinctions that actually are part of the magnificent synergy that creates and sustains the human race. They respect their own creative notions a whole lot more than any creative Force in the universe. [FoxNews.com, 4/11/11]
Ablow: Ad Is "A Message" Lyons "Meant To Send, An Attack On Masculinity." From the April 12 edition of Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard:
ASMAN: It's time for Buy, Sell, or Hold. We take the names and stories in the news, we treat them as if they're stocks. Would you buy them, sell them, or hold them?
Well, J. Crew. J. Crew has an ad that shows a woman painting her son's toenails pink, and it has some folks seeing red. The woman is J. Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons, the boy is her son Beckett. So does that ad cross a line? The J. Crew ad. And doctor, I know you've written about this. What do you think?
ABLOW: You bet it crosses a line. Gender distinctions have a place in society. If this woman wants to paint her son's toenails pink, I guess we should have no objection to someone who is male modeling a sundress in their catalog. I think it's a message she meant to send. It's an attack on masculinity.
ASMAN: One big Sell. What do you say, Alan?
ALAN COLMES (Fox Radio host): You gotta be secure enough in your masculinity to be secure in stuff like that. It's a Buy because we're talking about them. We're talking about J. Crew because of it. It's a Buy.
ABLOW: Oh, Alan.
ASMAN: I don't know. One Buy.
MONICA CROWLEY (Fox News contributor): I'm with Dr. Ablow on this. He is the medical professional here, and I agree with his opinion. It's blurring the gender lines at an age where you probably shouldn't.
ASMAN: All right. I say it's a Sell as well. It just doesn't make me want to buy anything that J. Crew has. And it's a Sell. [Fox Business, America's Nightly Scoreboard, 4/12/11, via Equality Matters]
Experts From The American Psychiatric Association Have Rebutted Ablow's Statements
APA's Drescher: "Wouldn't It Be More Helpful To Offer Scientific Data Rather Than Sensationalized, Detailed Descriptions Of Sex Reassignment Surgery?" From a post by Dr. Jack Drescher, "a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the DSM-5 Workgroup on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders," responding to Ablow's September 2 column. It was originally posted on the Human Rights Campaign's Back Story blog and cross-posted on FoxNews.com:
Dr. Ablow apparently believes that watching a transman dance with a woman might cause somebody's confused child to become trans. I suppose some people still believe watching "Will and Grace" made kids gay.
Although this "monkey see, monkey do" warning might come across as common sense advice, this is another instance where "common sense" does not square with science. While science has yet to explain what causes gender dysphoria, as my colleague, APA President, Dr. John Oldham affirms, "There is no evidence that viewing a television game show with a transgender contestant would induce Gender Identity Disorder in young people."
Yet without much scientific evidence, Dr. Ablow asserts, "It would be wrong to think that gender dysphoria cannot be kindled by celebrating those who have undergone sexual reassignment surgery ... By broadcasting, applauding and mainstreaming the journey of a very disordered person who endured, and likely will continue to endure, real suffering based on extraordinarily deep psychological problems, we suggest that that journey is a smart -- even heroic -- one to take."
Wouldn't it be more helpful to offer scientific data rather than sensationalized, detailed descriptions of sex reassignment surgery or metaphors about double amputees to support the views Dr. Ablow "believes to be true?" [FoxNews.com, 9/13/11]
APA's Drescher: Ablow's "Views On Gender Confusion Mix Apples With Oranges And Have Little Basis In Current Clinical Practices." From Drescher's post:
Contrary to his claims, most people establish a gender identity at a very early age. There are exceptions but they are not very common. When gender dysphoria does appear before adolescence, most psychiatrists call this Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood (GIDC). This diagnosis applies to children, in some cases, as young as three, who tell their astonished parents they are not the boys or girls the parents believe them to be.
GIDC is relatively rare, and children whose gender dysphoria persists into adulthood even rarer. Existing research indicates that children with GIDC grow out of gender dysphoria, do not grow up to be transgender, and most of them grow up to be gay! Again, no one knows why.
For children whose gender dysphoria persists into adolescence, transition to the other sex when they reach adulthood is often the medical treatment of choice. Doing so is rarely a decision made lightly and these individuals may become suicidal if refused transition.
The adolescents and their families who elect to go this route are not the ones Dr. Ablow describes: "tomboyish girls and sensitive, less stereotypically 'masculine' boys" or children who recently lost a parent and are "wondering who they are absent their deceased mothers or fathers." His views on gender confusion mix apples with oranges and have little basis in current clinical practices. [FoxNews.com, 9/13/11]
APA's Drescher: "As A Psychiatrist Speaking In A Public Forum," Ablow's "Audience Is Entitled To Accurate Scientific Knowledge" Instead Of "Opinions, Scare Tactics And Inflammatory Language." From Drescher's post:
Dr. Ablow is within his rights to express personal opinions about transgender people. However, as a psychiatrist speaking in a public forum, his audience is entitled to accurate scientific knowledge of a complex subject rather than opinions, scare tactics and inflammatory language.
Dr. Ablow, seeing Chaz Bono's life as a tragedy, wants others to agree and his "prescription" is scaring people away from tuning in and seeing for themselves. Yet parents should not be afraid to learn something new. Tuning out uncomfortable information and maintaining silence only makes children (who cannot be shielded from this information in the modern age) more anxious. Children sensing parental anxiety become anxious as well. [FoxNews.com, 9/13/11]
APA President Oldham: "There Is No Evidence That Viewing A Television Game Show With A Transgender Contestant Would Induce Gender Identity Disorder In Young People." From TMZ.com:
Chaz Bono dancing the Cha Cha on TV ... in front of your kids ... will NOT make them want to have a sex change -- at least according to the American Psychiatric Association.
In a recent article, psychiatrist and former talk show host Dr. Keith Ablow suggested kids could develop Gender Identity Disorder (GID) just from watching Chaz on "Dancing With the Stars."
John M. Oldham, M.D. -- the APA President -- acknowledges GID is a psychiatric disorder ... but also told TMZ, "There is no evidence that viewing a television game show with a transgender contestant would induce Gender Identity Disorder in young people." [TMZ.com, 9/12/11]
Ablow's Fox Colleague Megyn Kelly Admonished Him For "Adding To The Hate"
Kelly Cited APA Criticism, Told Ablow, "There's So Much Hate Out There" For LGBT People, And "You Seem To Be Adding To The Hate." From the September 14 edition of Fox News' America Live, which Kelly hosts:
KELLY: Do you really believe that children are going to turn transgender from watching Chaz Bono?
ABLOW: I really believe, Megyn, and there's plenty of data, that we kindle behavior in one another. There's data even that if a friend of yours should get divorced and say how happy she is that you are more likely, percentage-wise, to consider divorce yourself. We don't know, frankly.
KELLY: Is that the same as this? Is that the same as convincing you that you are a boy when in fact you're a girl?
ABLOW: We really don't know how these behaviors influence people when they are mainstreamed and celebrated. But I would say during the very vulnerable times when kids are forming their identities, as well as their sexual identities, yes, it's possible that if someone is celebrated and lifted to heroic proportions like that of a civil rights leader that someone who is somewhat uncomfortable with his or her gender might say, "You know what? I'm going down that road." And that is a very tortuous road that we know very little about. And it's still the subject of tremendous debate.
KELLY: I don't know if allowing Chaz Bono to dance is lifting him to heroic, civil rights leader status. But listen --
ABLOW: You should check out the Web, you should check out the Web. He's being touted as the second coming of Gandhi.
KELLY: OK. Let me ask you this. The American Psychiatric Association president, John Oldman, came out and said, and I quote, "There is no evidence that viewing a television game show with a transgender contestant would induce gender identity disorder in young people."
So, you say we don't now, but this guy, who is president of the American Psychiatric Association, says there is no evidence of this. So aren't you being irresponsible by suggesting to parents out there that if they let their little children watch this show, they're going to turn transgender?
ABLOW: No, what I'm doing is I'm protecting their children. And I have a call in to John because I'd like to clarify that there's also no evidence that watching will not cause some problems for your kids in terms of their sexual identities, along with the whole brew-ha-ha around this that suggests that this is a proper course.
Listen, we're not very far from when Paul McHugh, who was chairman of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, and likened transgender surgery, in the year 2007, to providing liposuction for anorexic people. You don't have to collaborate in people's psychopathology in order to be their doctors. Sometimes, you could say, "We could look deeper."
KELLY: It is a recognized -- but it is a recognized disorder, gender dysphoria. And somebody who has actual expertise in this particular area of psychiatry -- with respect, unlike yourself -- a guy named -- let me get it -- Dr. Drescher, Dr. Jack Drescher, who is not only a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association but also a member of the DSM-V's workgroup on sexual and gender identity disorders -- has taken real issue with your piece, Doctor, and has said that you are really irresponsible here and saying that "the audience is entitled to accurate scientific knowledge of this complex subject, rather than" -- and I quote -- "opinions, scare tactics, and inflammatory language." Is that what you are doing?
ABLOW: Listen, here's the thing, Megyn -- and I like being with the home team on this one so you'll give me some time to explain. The DSM-V, the working group. You have to understand, organized psychiatry has presided over the decimation of psychotherapy. That book that he's involved with, our diagnostic manual, has spliced and diced the range of human experience into such sterile categories that they've yielded to political pressure throughout the years completely. Do you know --
KELLY: Are you saying this guy doesn't understand this disorder better than you do?
ABLOW: I don't know which one of us understands more about these disorders, but I can tell you this --
KELLY: I mean, he specializes in it. He specializes in it.
ABLOW: Megyn, it's too simplistic to suggest that the American Psychiatric Association, which embraced lobotomies for a time, has to be right about this issue.
KELLY: All right, but here's what's not simplistic. I think the viewers get this. I think they get that our children are no more likely to turn transgendered from watching Chaz Bono --
ABLOW: I don't think that's true.
KELLY: -- than they are turn gay from watching Will and Grace. You either are or you're not.
ABLOW: No, I don't think that's true.
KELLY: Really? Really? How many kids turn gay from watching Will and Grace?
ABLOW: Well, first of all, I have no idea what the statistics would show, nor am I proposing that they do become homosexual from watching Will and Grace. However, I will tell you that the idea that you would suggest to a child who may come to have questions about his or her gender that a very defensible path and one that has been celebrated in the media and in which people have given standing ovations to the folks who have undergone these transformations, is gender reassignment surgery, I think is really irresponsible. And as for the APA, don't forget --
KELLY: Isn't it just tolerant? Isn't it just tolerant?
ABLOW: What's that?
KELLY: I mean, there's so much --
ABLOW: No, it's not.
KELLY: Here's the -- there's so much hate. There's so much hate out there. There's so much hate for gays and lesbians and transgendered people.
ABLOW: [The APA] tolerated frontal lobotomies too, but I would have spoken out against them.
KELLY: Well, the thing is, Doc, you seem to be adding to the hate. Because, you know, you went out there, you compared Chaz Bono to somebody who thinks they're a zebra and a farm animal. How does that -- this person struggled mightily with a disorder that a lot of people have, and here you make those remarks, it just sounds cruel.
ABLOW: Megyn, you've got to review the transcript. I was on Howard Stern, and I said to him, "Listen, if you tattooed yourself like a zebra, I'm not going to throw a rock at you, I'd take a rock for you, if someone threw it at you. But if you ask me, 'Are you a zebra,' I going to say no. And I'd say to Chaz Bono if he asked me, 'Am I a man?' I'd say, 'No, brother, you're not.' "
KELLY: We'll leave it at that. Dr. Ablow, thanks for coming on. We appreciate it.
ABLOW: My pleasure. I'll see you again.
KELLY: All right. All the best. [Fox News, America Live, 9/14/11, via Media Matters]


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Apple's newly updated MacBook line packs a lot punch in an ultra-thin (and ultra-sexy) case, making it a good choice for people who need the lightest laptop available but prefer a Mac with OS X to an iPad with iOS.
That said, the MacBook's form necessarily dictates some of its function. And with prices that start at $1,289 (Amazon price - What's this?) , it overlaps with Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line-ups -- making it even more important to choose wisely when spending your money. For would-be buyers drawn to the small size and high-end looks, but concerned about whether the 2016 MacBook is a long-term keeper, here are five things to keep in mind.
If you're a road warrior...
The biggest pro still going for the MacBook line (Apple tech specs) is its overall construction and build quality. The full-size, edge-to-edge keyboard (with large, backlit keys) minimizes any issues with typing on a small laptop; the 2304x1440-pixel 12-in. Retina display (packed with 3 million pixels) is simply gorgeous; and the large, pressure-sensitive, multitouch trackpad delivers haptic feedback when you're using it. The combo of all three features smacks of high quality, as you'd expect from an Apple device. (It would have been nice if Apple had updated the 480p front-facing camera. Maybe next year.)
In addition to silver, space gray and gold colors offered when the MacBook was unveiled last year, this year's model has a rose gold option. I wouldn't buy one in that color personally, but rose gold seems to do well elsewhere in the world. (I personally love the space gray.) More important than a new color are the updated internals based around Intel's Skylake Core m-Series processors and system architecture. The changes boost overall speed by between 15% and 25%, according to most benchmarks. For day to day use, you won't notice much difference compared to last year's MacBooks, but more speed is always welcome.
Most importantly for travelers, the MacBook is just 14mm thick when closed, weighs in at just two pounds, offers up-to-date Wi-Fi options like 802.11ac for maximum throughput, and runs a very responsive OS X. This Mac is a road warrior's dream. It's small enough that you may forget it's in your carrying case or backpack, yet powerful enough to breeze through general tasks like word processing, web browsing and email without any noticeable stalls. And with 10 hours of battery life, it can last through most workdays without needing to be plugged in.
Faster chips, still quiet
The MacBook runs on either an Intel Core m3, m5, or m7 processor, depending on the configuration (or whether you want to pay a little more). The default entry-level $1,299 model gets a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 (with Turbo Boost up to 2.2GHz when more speed is necessary) and 256GB of PCIe flash storage. The $1,599 model has a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor (up to 2.7GHz with Turbo Boost) and 512GB of PCIe-flash based storage. Both models can be upgraded to a dual-core Intel Core m7, and both come with 8GB of 1866Mhz onboard RAM (which cannot be upgraded).
So when buying, you basically have to decide two things: which of the three processors do you want, and how much storage do you need. In general, more of each is better -- especially if you tend to keep hardware for several years.
While the new Skylake-based chipset is faster than last year's model, it still offers about an hour more of battery life. The MacBook itself consumes about 5 watts of power, contains no moving parts -- there aren't even any cooling fans -- and runs absolutely, completely silent. Really a stickler for quiet? You can also silence the haptic click in the trackpad in System Preferences. Shhh... you hear that? Well, it's not the new MacBook, that's for sure.
OS X or iOS 9?
Lately, I've been traveling a lot, and since November, I've always chosen to fly with my 12.9-in. iPad Pro in a Logitech Keyboard case. (The iPad has effectively replaced my four-year-old 15-in. MacBook Pro for travel.) What made that workable for me was the introduction of iOS 9: ever since Split View became a thing for the iPad, I've been able to work on a tablet just as effectively as I have on my Mac, especially when writing and researching on the go.
For many, however, relying on a device that runs iOS isn't an option, no matter how portable the hardware is. For personal, technical or software reasons, a large number of Apple users still prefer OS X. This new MacBook fits the bill if you need a full-featured operating system, can get by with minimal ports (one), and want ultra portability. While the iPad Pro/Logitech Case is more travel-friendly than the 15-in. MacBook Pro, the MacBook makes the iPad/case combo feel downright clumsy. And with OS X, the MacBook can run all of the desktop software you're already accustomed to.
Frozen in time
As noted, the MacBook cannot be upgraded; what you buy now is what you'll be using for the life of this product. The memory, processor, and storage are all soldered onto the MacBook's motherboard. Both models come with 8GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM memory and both use the Intel HD Graphics 515 graphics card. The only customizable option is the CPU, which can be upgraded to a 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core m7 (with up to 3.1GHz with Turbo Boost). The upgrade costs $250 extra on the $1,299 model, $150 more on the $1,599 MacBook. That brings the price of a "tricked out" MacBook to $1,749.
Is the faster chip worth the money? I'd say yes, especially if you're thinking long term. I always spring for the highest-end processor when possible. You'll thank yourself a few years from now.
It's also important to note that storage options are limited to each respective low- and high-end MacBook model. Although you can upgrade the processor on either one, the low-end MacBook always ships with 256GB of storage, and the high-end MacBook always ships with 512GB of storage. If you know you need 512GB of storage, your decision is largely made.
Do you like Dongles?
Remember when the iMac only had USB ports and everyone lost their shit? Remember when the MacBook Air came out with no optical drive and critics blasted Apple for jumping the shark? The MacBook is that type of product, even in its second iteration. While it has the wireless support you would expect (like Bluetooth 4.0 and every major modern-day Wi-Fi standard), one day we'll likely look back at it as the first of its kind. But the fact that the MacBook still only has one USB-Type C port on the left and a headphone jack on the right may limit its appeal to a specific set of people.
Plain and simple: If you use numerous ports on a laptop, you're going to either need another computer with built-in ports or a USB-C dongle/dock. That's not ideal, since it means something else to carry with you when you travel. And while Apple did update other internal bits of hardware, the USB-C port is still Gen. 1, which means its bandwidth is limited to 5Gbps. For most users that may not matter, but you should know that going in.
Final comparison
The MacBook has a lot going for it: It runs the full version of OS X (with access to the accompanying library of software available for Macs) and comes in an amazingly tight and light package. It's got a full-size keyboard, modern hardware and a crisp 12-in. Retina display. But it's not the only option available for Mac users. If the lack of ports or limited processing horsepower are issues, Apple, of course, will be more than happy to sell you a 13-in. or 15-in. MacBook Pro or even a MacBook Air.
Otherwise, if you're seeking ultimate portability, the MacBook deserves a look.


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To Counterprotest or Not To Counterprotest: Courage, Integrity, Tact, and Cowardice
Crossposted on ZackFord Blogs
In many conversations and writings lately, I've heard myself emphasizing the need for the LGBT movement to be more proactive. We do a whole lot better when we're trying to get people to say "Yes!" (like in DC or Washington state) than when we are trying to get them not say "No" (like in Maine and California). At first, when I started making this point, I framed it as "more proactive and less reactive," but the more I've thought about it, I really just mean more proactive.
You see, I think there is incredible importance in reacting. We need to stand up for ourselves. We need to create visibility for ourselves. We need to counter our opponents and their lie-riddled fear-mongering rhetoric at every turn. It's a matter of integrity—a demonstration of our courage and our stamina. Alone, it's not a winning strategy; you don't win a game of chess if you only defend your own pieces. Still, it's a vital part of our movement and our social well-being.
That's why I am incredibly disappointed in Equality Pennsylvania's cowardice in deciding not to counterprotest the NOM tour stop this Friday in Harrisburg.
The National Organization for Marriage has been driving around the US, rallying tens of people at their events, and then creating "breaking news" propaganda videos about how aggressive the counterprotesters are. It's a devious tactic. Freedom to Marry and the Prop 8 Trial Tracker ("NOM Tour Tracker"), as well as bloggers like Jeremy Hooper at Good As You have been countering them at every turn, revealing the truths of their claims. They only have a few stops left, and on Friday they will be here in little ol' Harrisburg, PA (it's the capital!).
Equality PA released a statement explaining why they were not counterprotesting (emphasis in original):
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) kicked off their "One Man, One Woman" tour on July 14th. At each stop where there have been counter protests or attendance by pro-equality supporters, they have disrespected or mocked them and attempted to provoke them into screaming or yelling. Their goal in doing this is to make our side look foolish and hostile. We have also seen that they like to play a numbers game where if we have even a few less attendees than at their event, they will claim that the momentum is moving in their direction. We know from the recent polling numbers and the pathetic turnout their rallies have been recording, that this simply isn't the case.
We are working hard to advance equality and will continue to do so long after they leave town. While we may be upset by their rhetoric, we can't get caught up in retaliation when we need to remain focused on what needs to get done to win! Putting our energy into showing up at their event does not help to move us forward. What will help to advance equality in Pennsylvania is if we use them coming to town as an excuse to mobilize local activists and build our network.
So after NOM finishes their ranting and heads to the next town, we will be out there getting it done! We are holding a terrific event in Harrisburg on August 12, the night before they arrive, around a special showing of the movie "Stonewall Uprising" with a panel on youth activism afterward. We encourage everyone who can, to attend.
Click here for more information!
Not only is this a great movie, but this public conversation will increase our network and identify new volunteers and supporters. Please do what you can…attend, make a donation or just plain follow our activities. But please, ignore NOM when they come to town and don't interact. Attention is exactly what they want, and why should honest people who hold equality close to their hearts be tricked into supporting their sad little charade.
This is an expression of cowardice. It buys into a "fight or flight" dichotomy that doesn't reflect the reality of potential responses. The assumption is that we cannot respond to NOM's rally without looking "foolish," "hostile," or retaliatory, ignoring the notion and potential of tact.
Is it possible to counterprotest NOM in a peaceful way? A way that creates visibility and builds unity for our community and our families? A way that makes sure that any media coverage includes stories of our experiences and our truths? A way that overshadows NOM's message of discrimination without fueling their propaganda machine? It's not easy to pull off, but such a way exists.
That's why EQPA's decision amounts to cowardice. Rather than take a risk, they'd rather not try at all. Maybe they should be ashamed, but maybe not. If they don't think they have the resources or capacity to pull it off, I can totally understand why they wouldn't want their stamp of approval on it. However, I resent the smugness with which they claim to rise above, ignoring the important catharsis achieved when our community rejects its own condemnation.
That's not to say that EQPA doesn't make some good points in their statement. It is true that NOM has been using their tour to paint a negative picture of activists, but it's NOM. They'll find a way to spin it their way regardless. Given that Harrisburg is the only stop that hasn't had a major organization planning a counter response, I'd hate to see Central Pennsylvania spun as a bastion of anti-gay hate. I think EQPA is onto something with using NOM to mobilize local activists, and I think the film screening is a great idea. Educating about the movement's history and raising the voices of queer youth is amazing, but it doesn't undo the hurt NOM causes many by rolling into town to spout their incendiary drivel.
We have a serious problem if our movement isn't willing to stand up to our opponents. I don't think anything has been more compelling than the media appearances Olson and Boies have been making since last week's Prop 8 ruling, unabashedly defending the truths of our lives and obliterating our opponents. That sort of visibility and education is exactly what many of the counterprotests have accomplished with their truth squads. It's the kind of work an organization like Equality Pennsylvania should be prepared to handle without compromising their other proactive work.
Standing up for equality means standing up for equality whether it's convenient or not. Even if it's not on our playing field, we have to show.
That's why I will be participating in a counterprotest on Friday at noon being organized by a group called Justice League – Activate. I will stand against NOM with my family, document their efforts, and speak on behalf of Pennsylvania gays and lesbians who still are subject to state-sponsored discrimination. If none of my friends will stand with me out of solidarity with Equality Pennsylvania, that's their choice. However, I will not let preachers of discrimination control the media for the day without some visibility from the people they unflinchingly discriminate against.
While I still argue that proactive activism demands greater priority, reactive activism is important for our community's maintenance. We have to be strong enough to rebuff our opponents AND push forward in spite of them. To ignore them is forfeit and I'm already tired of feeling like I"m on a losing team.
I hope you'll join me Friday to show Central Pennsylvania that we are here, we are queer, and we care about marriage too. We want the same safety and security that marriage provides. We are proudly standing up for all families who just want to live their lives as happy members of their Pennsylvania communities.


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Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist organization in Nigeria, is in the news because it kidnapped more than 200 teenage girls and now threatens to sell them into slavery. (That's what a real war on women looks like.) This is just the latest of many outrages committed by Boko Haram, which is guilty of many acts of mass murder. But it has now come out that for two years, Hillary Clinton blocked efforts to add Boko Haram to the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.
This wasn't just an episode of bureaucratic indifference. The Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA and many in Congress lobbied the State Department to list Boko Haram, but Clinton stood firm in defense of the Nigerian terrorists. Now, with the kidnapping outrage in the news, Hillary is tweeting away on behalf of the Nigerian girls. (THAT will do a lot of good!) But where was she in 2011 and 2012?
Risch and seven other GOP senators introduced legislation in early 2013 that would have forced Clinton to designate the group or explain why she thought it was a bad idea. The State Department lobbied against the legislation at the time, according to internal State Department emails obtained by The Daily Beast.
In the House, leading intelligence-minded lawmakers wrote letter after letter to Clinton urging her to designate Boko Haram as terrorists. The effort in the House was led by then-Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King and Patrick Meehan, chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Meehan and his Democratic counterpart Jackie Speier put out a lengthy report in 2011 laying out the evidentiary basis for naming Boko Haram a terrorist organization, including the group's ties to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and to Somalia's al-Shabab terrorist organization.
But Hillary Clinton was unmoved.
Over the last day or two, debate has raged over whether adding Boko Haram to the State Department's terror organization list would have made much difference. (It finally happened in 2013, after Hillary's resignation.) But the more interesting question is why Hillary was so resistant to labeling Boko Haram a terrorist group, which they obviously were.
Her defenders have said that it was inappropriate to put Boko Haram on the list because they are a regional group that hasn't acted against American interests. But that explanation holds no water. You can read the terrorist list here; there are a number of groups on it, like the Irish terrorists, who haven't attacked American interests. Democrats have also suggested that Hillary didn't want to name Boko Haram because doing so would add to the group's prestige among fellow terrorists. But this is a ludicrous claim; if it made any sense, we should abolish the list entirely. (The point of the list, of course, is to authorize intelligence activities and efforts to choke off funding.)
In my view, Hillary's actions are something of a mystery. Andy McCarthy argues that Hillary's position was the logical corollary of her ideology:
Mrs. Clinton, like the Obama administration more broadly, believes that appeasing Islamists — avoiding actions that might give them offense, slamming Americans who provoke them — promotes peace and stability. (See Egypt for a good example of how well this approach is working.) Furthermore, if you are claiming to have "decimated" al-Qaeda, as the Obama administration was claiming to have done in the run-up to the 2012 election, the last thing you want to do is add jihadists to the terror list….
So that's the plan: pretend terrorists and Islamists are unconnected, miniaturize terrorists, and appease Islamists with the Left's policy preferences. It's the plan that convinces you not to put Boko Haram on the terrorist list — that way, you can pretend that the jihadists are not really that important while telling the Islamists, "See? We're going to treat them like a local criminal gang — the fact that they're Muslims citing scripture in support of their murder, mayhem, kidnapping and misogyny is irrelevant. No 'war on Islam' on our watch."
Andrew has much more, all of which I agree with. But I am not sure that it explains Hillary's sticking up for Boko Haram. Bear in mind that there is a more notorious instance of the Clinton State Department's myopia: it long refused to add the Taliban to its terrorist list, too:
A new State Department report designating terrorist organizations [in August 2010] notably excludes one group: the Taliban. The U.S. has been fighting a war in Afghanistan for almost a decade aimed at "defeating the Taliban," Taliban members repeatedly have threatened and killed American citizens and lawmakers have increased pressure on State to add the Taliban to the list.
Earlier this summer, a group of congressional Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to begin the process of categorizing the Taliban as a terrorist group. In June, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand of New York and Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez of New Jersey proposed legislation that would immediately add the Taliban to the terrorist list.
Yet the State Department's report (due on April 30 but released last week), did not include the Taliban with groups such as al-Qaida, Hamas and the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA). …
The MEK continues to be included on the list, while the Taliban has not appeared once. And the seemingly arbitrary decision on the part of the State Department has confused even the most experienced foreign affairs experts.
It confuses me, too. I find it hard to avoid the conclusion that the Obama/Clinton foreign policy is shot through with pure perversity. The Taliban, not a terrorist group? Boko Haram, not a terrorist group? There is no coherent explanation for such decisions. They can only be the fruit of an emotional, anti-American, and frankly disturbed attitude toward the world.
Maybe when she runs for president, someone will ask Hillary to explain why she didn't think that either the Taliban or Boko Haram was a terrorist organization. Her answer can only be interesting.


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Mahatma Gandhi once said that the way a group behaves towards people who are in need talks about that group's strength. Numerous philanthropists and politicians share that view, and believe that a powerful country should protect individuals who suffer from ailments, are sidelined, or vulnerable. For Shawn Kilgarlin, a medical devices expert at American Screening LLC, helping others is a passion she pursues with relentless dedication, and the mother of four is especially proud to support the Holy Angels charitable organization. Shawn says that even though she was blessed with professional success and a wonderful family, she cannot imagine a fulfilling life without giving back to society, particularly where her contribution can really make a difference. She adds that it is her honor and privilege to support the tremendous work done by Holy Angels, whose mission is to provide compassionate care and high-quality living to people with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.
Established in 1955, the non-profit organization embraces the values of the Sisters of Mercy: sacredness of life, human dignity, justice, compassion, service, and excellence. It aims to provide each person, regardless of their physical and mental ability, the highest quality of life, supporting the people in its care through physical, social, spiritual, educational, vocational, and emotional means. Shawn Kilgarlin notes that the excellent quality of care and the innovative services offered at Holy Angels facilities help people with disabilities maximize their potential and live dignified, empowered lives. She continues to say that she hopes her contributions to the organization will aid the efforts of its committed staff to maintain the outstanding standards of service and create new opportunities for the differently abled.
Shawn Kilgarlin and her family visited the Holy Angels campus in Shreveport, LA during the winter holiday season, handing out more than 75 gifts to residents, as well as blessing cards and a Merry Christmas plaque. In a letter expressing their gratitude, senior executives of the Shreveport unit said, because of their supporters they are making great steps toward their vision to be recognized as the premier facility of its kind in the nation. The support they receive allows them to provide the highest quality of care for our Angels, for this is an investment in both the program and the people. This support also protects against the fluctuations in Medicaid funding and ensures that the organization will be here to serve its residents and program participants for another 50 years and beyond.
With more than 20 years of experience, Shawn Kilgarlin is a medical devices expert at American Screening LLC, a company among a select few certified under MDSAP (Medical Device Single Audit Program), which conducts rigorous audits of quality management systems to ensure that device manufacturers comply with the regulatory requirements of multiple jurisdictions. Outside of work, Shawn Kilgarlin devotes her time to looking after her four children, writing, painting, and helping those in need. Her charitable work includes support for Holy Angels – a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for people with disabilities.
Shawn Kilgarlin Encourages Spirituality with Prayer Card Line: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shawn-kilgarlin-spreads-message-spirituality-135400057.html
Shawn Kilgarlin Discusses Innovations in Drug Testing Technology: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shawn-kilgarlin-discusses-innovations-drug-183000588.html


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ULX and ULib are drop & go. Just shut down your server, clone the latest build from Github, and replace your current builds of both.All data files should be backwards-compatible and converted if need be.
Really Now I'll need to redo all my sourcebans integration..Yay!
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By Jennifer Donnelly
By Jennifer Donnelly
By Jennifer Donnelly
By Jennifer Donnelly
By Jennifer Donnelly
Read by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering
By Jennifer Donnelly
Read by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering
Category: Teen & Young Adult Fiction | Teen & Young Adult Historical Fiction | Teen & Young Adult Social Issues
Category: Teen & Young Adult Fiction | Teen & Young Adult Historical Fiction | Teen & Young Adult Social Issues
Category: Teen & Young Adult Fiction | Teen & Young Adult Historical Fiction | Audiobooks | Teen & Young Adult Social Issues
Buy the Audiobook Download:
American Royals: Inheritance (A Prequel Novella)
American Royals III: Rivals
The Secret Sky
You'd Be Home Now
Jasper Jones
Goodbye Days
Out of the Easy
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
I Was Here
WINNER – 2011 Young Adult Book of the Year – American Booksellers Association
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book
#1 Indiebound Pick for Fall 2010
A School Library Journal Best Book
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
Amazon.com Best Book of the Year
[STAR] "Andi Alpers, a 17-year-old music lover, is about to be expelled from her elite private school. Despite her brilliance, she has not been able to focus on anything except music since the death of her younger brother, which pushed the difficulties in her family to the breaking point. She resists accompanying her work-obsessed father to Paris, especially after he places her mentally fragile mother in a hospital, but once there works in earnest on her senior thesis about an 18th-century French musician. But when she finds the 200-year-old diary of another teen, Alexandrine Paradis, she is plunged into the chaos of the French Revolution. Soon, Alex's life and struggles become as real and as painful for Andi as her own troubled life. Printz Honor winner Donnelly combines compelling historical fiction with a frank contemporary story. Andi is brilliantly realized, complete and complex. The novel is rich with detail, and both the Brooklyn and Paris settings provide important grounding for the haunting and beautifully told story."
–Kirkus Reviews, Starred
[STAR] "Every detail is meticulously inscribed into a multi-layered narrative that is as wise, honest, and moving as it is cunningly worked…The interplay between the contemporary and the historical is seamless in both plot and theme, and the storytelling grips hard and doesn't let go. Readers fascinated with French history, the power of music, and/or contemporary realist fiction will find this brilliantly crafted work utterly absorbing."
–The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred
[STAR] "Andi Alpers's younger brother died two years ago and his death has torn her family apart. She's on antidepressants and is about to flunk out of her prep school. Her mother spends all day painting portraits of her lost son and her father has all but disappeared, focusing on his Nobel Prize-winning genetics work. He reappears suddenly at the beginning of winter break to institutionalize his wife and whisk Andi off to Paris with him. There he will be conducting genetic tests on a heart rumored to belong to the last dauphin of France. He hopes that Andi will be able to put in some serious work on her senior thesis regarding mysterious 18th-century guitarist Amadé Malherbeau. In Paris, Andi finds a lost diary of Alexandrine Paradis, companion to the dauphin, and meets Virgil, a hot Tunisian-French world-beat hip-hop artist. Donnelly's story of Andi's present life with her intriguing research and growing connection to Virgil overshadowed by depression is layered with Alexandrine's quest, first to advance herself and later to somehow save the prince from the terrors of the French Revolution. While teens may search in vain for the music of the apparently fictional Malherbeau, many will have their interest piqued by the connections Donnelly makes between classical musicians and modern artists from Led Zeppelin to Radiohead. Revolution is a sumptuous feast of a novel, rich in mood, character, and emotion. With multiple hooks, it should appeal to a wide range of readers."
-School Library Journal, Starred
"…sharply articulated, raw emotions and insights into science and art; ambition and love; history's ever-present influence; and music's immediate, astonishing power…"
"Even kids who don't usually like historical fiction won't be able to put Revolution down, especially given its great modern-day story."
"Before the book is done … we'll have taken a long strange trip of our own in Andi's company: back and forth between present-tense Andi and past-tense Alexandrine, between contemporary Paris and the filthy, terrorized streets of Robespierre's day, and deep into the clammy, bone-filled catacombs that underlie the city and where, in this … memorable novel, past and present connect in a frightening, disorienting fashion."
–The Wall Street Journal
"As in her previous novel for young adults, the award-winning A Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly combines impeccable historical research with lively, fully fashioned characters to create an indelible narrative. Revolution is a complex story, moving back and forth in time and including allusions not only to historical events but also to literature (especially Dante's Divine Comedy) and to music from Handel to Wagner to Radiohead. Yet this undeniably cerebral book is also simultaneously wise and achingly poignant."
"This beautiful and complicated story effortlessly blends history, romance, music and tragedy into a must-read about two girls who connect across centuries."
–Justine Magazine
"I could say that I recommend Revolution to lovers of music and historical fiction (which I do), but that is not enough. The story is an impressive blend of contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with heart-wrenching character development."
"Revolution is an exciting foray into history, music and grief. It's a melodic story of love and friendship—of bonds that tie time together."
-The Daily Monacle (blog)
"Rich and ambitious…Beautifully written and thoroughly researched."-The Guardian (UK)
California Young Reader Medal NOMINEE
New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award NOMINEE
Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List NOMINEE
Odyssey Honor HONOR 2011
21 Books You've Been Meaning to Read
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Notes: Don't say you didn't all think it anyway...
Recent comments(view all 9 comments)
The realism of the above is exagerated| show fullshow summary
By the time that Bibo had the ring the nazgul were back. Besides,the books mention an endless storm (as in lightning) in the mountains surrounding mordor, and in "The Hobbit" the eagle's leader makes it clear that arrows can ill them with little trouble. Horde of orcs, anyone?
Posted by Matt (guest) on Wed 04 Jan 2012 20:28:18 GMT
| show fullshow summary
Posted by Michael (guest) on Thu 14 Apr 2011 09:40:12 BST
| show fullshow summary
You honestly don't think that the nazguls circling around Mt.Doom would strike down the eagles in seconds?
Posted by AngeloY (guest) on Mon 06 Dec 2010 03:39:24 GMT
Jess| show fullshow summary
I'm glad I'm not the only one to have noticed that particular gaping plot-hole. Quite inexcusable, as much as I do love the books. =)
Posted by Guest on Thu 30 Mar 2006 12:28:15 BST
Hannah| show fullshow summary
Haha. Funny. I liked it.
Posted by Guest on Thu 08 Dec 2005 05:25:53 GMT
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A dark cloud has settled over the design blogging world: Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan and his wife Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, who run the Apartment Therapy empire together are reportedly splitting up. The New York Post has a kind of snotty-sounding source who says,
They are separating, and nobody knows what the hell is going to happen to the site. This despite the fact they've been very public in sharing their lives as a happy couple living in New York City in a small apartment, with a small child.
Since they made a point of living, and documenting their time, in very small spaces, there will no doubt be a few "the marriage was built to last, but the house was built too small" jokes. But for regular readers of the site, this is actually a genuine bummer. They seemed to have made such a nice life for themselves and their daughter. A rep for the site wouldn't confirm the split and said only, "Apartment Therapy just consolidated and relaunched its sites to enhance the focus on home design and home cooking. . . . We ask that you respect our family's privacy." There's been a lot of romantic upheaval in the blogosphere of late—it was just in January that we heard the news that super mommy blogger Heather Armstrong and her husband were calling it quits.
House broken: Apt.-design blog couple splits up [New York Post]
Image via Apartment Therapy


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3, 2011
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
the State Division of Consumer Affairs have
filed suit against a chimney cleaning and
repair company accused of using high-pressure,
deceptive tactics to mislead consumers –
including several who were elderly or had
disabilities – into paying thousands
of dollars for repair services they did
not need.
company is accused of performing shoddy
work that created the danger of carbon monoxide
leaks into the homes. In some cases, the
company allegedly failed to perform the
contracted-for work at all.
Through these and other unconscionable business
practices, All Care Chimney Corp, of Levittown
and Bethpage, N.Y., and Michael Lyon, its
president and sole owner, violated New Jersey's
Consumer Fraud Act, the Contractors'
Registration Act, Regulations Governing
Home Improvement Practices, and Regulations
Governing Contractor Regulations, according
to the State's eight-count civil complaint,
filed in Middlesex County.
allege not just that these defendants performed
substandard, incompetent and dangerous work,
but that they pressured consumers who were
elderly, disabled, and vulnerable into paying
thousands of dollars for so-called 'repairs'
they did not need," Attorney General
Paula T. Dow said. "With cold weather
season rapidly approaching, it is imperative
that we halt such unconscionable activities
and protect consumers from the risk of being
scammed -- or, worse, the risk of their
homes becoming unsafe due to shoddy work."
Today, Judge Glenn Berman of the Chancery
Division, General Equity Part in Middlesex
County, granted temporary restraints against
the defendants. The temporary restraints,
which took effect immediately and remain
in effect pending a hearing to be held on
November 10, enjoin the defendants from:
defendants also are required to identify
all consumers within New Jersey whom they
provided services to since January 1, 2010
and provide the contracts they had with
identified consumers.
must do their homework before hiring a contractor,
and they must be extra vigilant before inviting
someone to work on their chimney,"
Thomas R. Calcagni, Director of the Division
of Consumer Affairs, said. "The average
consumer is unable to discern whether chimney
repair work is truly necessary, or whether
it's completed properly. Improper work can
result in dangerous, even deadly, carbon
monoxide leaks and fires. Before hiring
a contractor, consumers should call the
Division of Consumer Affairs to learn whether
the business is properly registered, and
whether it has been the subject of previous
consumer complaints."
According to the State's complaint,
All Care Chimney engaged in aggressive sales
tactics in New Jersey, including unsolicited
phone calls and door-to-door solicitations.
Sales pitches typically offered chimney
cleaning services costing $39 to $60, but
were followed by alarming claims that the
consumers' chimneys were in very bad
condition and created an imminent danger
unless the consumers paid for chimney repairs
costing thousands of dollars.
On one occasion, All Care Chimney's
workers allegedly showed a consumer a piece
of brick, falsely claiming it came from
the consumer's chimney which was said
to be falling apart. On another, they showed
cellphone photos of a damaged chimney, falsely
claiming that the chimney depicted was the
on such representations, consumers who initially
expected to pay for a basic cleaning, agreed
to purchase chimney parts and repairs ranging
from $1,800 to $4,800.
The State's Complaint alleges that
All Care Chimney's aggressive door-to-door
solicitations included the following incidents:
detailed in the State's complaint,
many consumers are also alleged to have
experienced problems with their chimneys
after All Care Chimney performed work and
obtained payment.
at least one instance, All Care Chimney's
workers allegedly installed a chimney liner
that was too small, creating the risk that
potentially deadly carbon monoxide would
seep back into the consumer's house.
In at least three instances, All Care Chimney's
workers allegedly failed to connect appliances
correctly to the chimney liner, causing
a leak of carbon monoxide and other gases
into consumers' homes.
Division of Consumer Affairs arranged for
independent inspections of the homes of
certain consumers who contracted with All
Care Chimney. The inspection of a Princeton
Township home revealed, among other problems,
an exposed open pipe from which carbon monoxide
could escape at the base of the chimney
liner. The inspection of a Highland Park
home revealed, among other things, that
All Care Chimney's work resulted in
the water heater not being properly connected
to the chimney.
The State's Complaint further alleges
that All Care Chimney violated New Jersey's
consumer protection laws regarding transparency
and honesty of home improvement contracts,
and laws requiring permits and inspections
of chimney repair projects.
Under the Contractors' Registration
Act and related regulations, home improvement
contracts must include very specific language
as to, among other matters, the work to
be performed, materials to be used, time
period for the work to be completed, cancellation,
and any guaranty or warranty. The law protects
consumers by requiring a written contract
to be prepared and signed prior to the start
of any home improvement work. Despite these
requirements, All Care Chimney allegedly
failed to provide contracts or any other
paperwork before beginning work on consumers'
Under New Jersey law, homeowners and contractors
must obtain municipal permits prior to beginning
certain chimney repair work. They must also
arrange for a municipal inspection after
the work is completed. These requirements
protect consumers who may not otherwise
be able to determine whether chimney repair
work is necessary, or whether it was properly
completed. All Care Chimney allegedly failed
to advise consumers of the permit or inspection
requirements, and failed to arrange for
the permits or inspections on the consumers'
The State's complaint notes that Princeton
Township issued a Notice of Violation and
Notice of Penalty against All Care Chimney
arising from its performance of work without
a permit. Due to All Care Chimney's
failure to respond to the notices, penalties
of $74,000 accrued
date, the Division of Consumer Affairs has
received several complaints from New Jersey
consumers about All Care Chimney and Lyon.
The State is seeking restitution for affected
consumers as well as civil penalties and
reimbursement for the State's attorneys'
fees and investigative costs. The State
is also seeking heightened penalties under
the Consumer Fraud Act, because some consumers
allegedly victimized by the defendants'
business practices were senior citizens
or persons with a disability.
State is further asking the Court to revoke
All Care Chimney's registration as
a home improvement contractor in New Jersey;
and to appoint a receiver, at the defendants'
expense, to assume control over the defendants'
assets, and to sell or convey assets for
the restoration of affected consumers.
addition, prior to the filing of this action,
the Division of Consumer Affairs began administrative
proceedings to revoke the home improvement
contractor registration of All Care Chimney.
Those proceedings are pending.
who believe they have been cheated or scammed
by a business, or suspect any other form
of consumer abuse, can file a complaint
with the State Division of Consumer Affairs
by visiting its website, www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov,
or by calling 1-800-242-5846
(toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/NJ-Division-of-Consumer-Affairs/112957465445651,
and check our online calendar of upcoming
Consumer Outreach events at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/outreach/.
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