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Pleads guilty to one, no contest to four more; accused of taking nearly $500,000 from customers and insurance companies
Former funeral home employee Marti James Schrauben appeared in Ionia County 8th Circuit Court late Tuesday morning before Judge David Hoort to enter pleas to five counts against him related to charges that he allegedly embezzled nearly $500,000 from customers and insurance companies from 2008 through 2010 while he was an employee at Schrauben-Lehman Funeral Home in Ionia.
The benches on the prosecution's side of the court room were nearly filled. Michael Lehman, owner of Lehman Funeral Home, sat with his wife Lisa in the front row.
Schrauben, of Portland, pleaded guilty to one count of uttering and publishing, which is a 14-year felony.
In a prepared statement, he admitted preparing a false death certificate and presenting it to an insurance company, knowing it was false.
Schrauben also pleaded no contest to four other counts: one count of forgery, a 14-year felony; one count of uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; one count of insurance fraud, a five-year felony; and one count of embezzlement over $50,000 but less than $100,000, a 15-year felony.
Schrauben originally was charged with 27 counts related to racketeering, embezzlement and other crimes. He allegedly created false death certificates and sent them to insurance companies to receive payment from funeral policies. He also allegedly accepted money for pre-paid funerals from customers of the funeral home and then, instead of placing the money into escrow accounts as required by state law, embezzled the money.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Schrauben agreed to pay full restitution of $496,381.70, an amount verified by the complainants and confirmed through an audit by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Schrauben's attorney also asked to audit the amounts. The plea document stated that, although both parties are in "substantial agreement" over the amount of restitution, either can request a restitution hearing.
The amount to be paid back includes more than $184,000 for funerals provided by Schrauben-Lehman Funeral Homes without compensation. Lehman said in an interview with the Ionia Sentinel-Standard in July than he was honoring the funeral agreements customers made with the funeral home.
"You can't ask the family for more money," he said. "Trust is very important to me – it's an important word. You've got to have trust from the people you serve."
Restitution also includes $54,000 paid to Schrauben Management instead of the funeral home for deposit into escrow, more than $82,000 in unearned interest from unfunded escrow or insurance policies cashed out early; almost $47,000 for funds taken from the funeral home's trust account; and nearly $129,000 for cashed out insurance policies.
The agreement calls for Schrauben to pay $50,000 to Lehman on the date of his plea and voluntarily relinquish his state mortuary license within 14 days of the plea.
In addition, his sentencing will be delayed for six months to allow him time to make another partial restitution payment of $200,000 to Lehman on or before his sentencing date. If he makes that payment as required, the remaining 22 counts against him will be dismissed. If Schrauben fails to make the payment as required, the plea agreement will be withdrawn and he will go to trial on the original charges.
Schrauben must pay the balance of $246,381.70 in restitution during a five-year term of probation.
The plea agreement also calls for the court to decide how much incarceration Schrauben could receive, but that will not exceed 12 months in the Ionia County Jail.
Hoort ordered a pre-sentencing report and a DNA sample from Schrauben.
William Rollstin, assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan, who appeared in court on behalf of the People, told Hoort that in reaching a settlement, he consulted with Michael and Lisa Lehman, "who don't view this as a perfect result but a move to financial stability." He noted that he, the Lehmans, and Ionia County Undersheriff Charlie Noll, who investigated the case, "agree we should move forward."
The charges against Schrauben resulted from an investigation conducted by the Ionia County Sheriff's Department after a complaint was filed by the funeral home's owner. Schrauben was arrested July 26.
Follow Karen Bota on Twitter @KarenB_ISS.


text:
Young people today have to navigate a complex world and a complicated social scene. As law enforcement officers, we want to mitigate the dangers so that teens and young adults can safely enjoy their free time. We urge parents and teens to join us in doing so. Here are some issues to consider
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
LONGMONT -- Most schools in the St. Vrain Valley School District are expected to be ready to open on Thursday, but Lyons students will have to wait until Sept. 23 to be moved to the Main Street School in Longmont.
The logistics of transporting students and supplying schools were the focus of a special meeting Sunday among Superintendent Don Haddad and other administrators and the Board of Education.
Although school buildings received little damage -- mostly water leaks -- during the recent flood, district officials have an immense amount of work to do before schools open Thursday. Road closures and damages, as well as power outages, are affecting everything from transportation to school lunches.
"We have to make sure the power grids are all up and running. ... We have to make sure the water supplies are safe," Haddad said.
Because of power failures, most of the food at many schools has spoiled. At the same time -- because roads have been closed -- the district's warehouse hasn't received deliveries of food, chief operations officer Rick Ring said.
Lyons schools information
Parent meetings
What: Parent information meetings regarding the relocation of Lyons students to Main Street School in Longmont. Parents who cannot attend the meeting are encouraged to contact their school's principal.
When: 5 p.m. for preschool and elementary school parents; 6:30 p.m. for middle and high school parents, on Wednesday, Sept. 18
Where: Longmont High School, 1020 Sunset St., Longmont
Lyons Elementary principals: Andrew Moore can be reached at email@example.com or 303-709-3924
Lyons Middle/Senior High principal: Greg Winger is available at firstname.lastname@example.com or 303-886-7647.
School resumes
Lyons High students: Monday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 a.m., with an end time of 2:55 p.m.
Lyons Middle School students: Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7:50 a.m., with an end time of 2:53 p.m.
Lyons Elementary: Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8:30 a.m., with an end time of 2:20 p.m.
For more information: Visit svvvsd.org.
"Our infrastructure's been impacted by their infrastructure. We don't have all the things it takes to support the school district," Ring said.
District staff have started looking at bus routes and road damages, as well. At least 86 bus routes will have to change, Ring said. When the storms calm down and decisions are made, staff will be letting parents and students know how routes and times are changing, he said.
Haddad repeatedly pointed out that student safety is more important than starting classes again.
"We have to make sure roadways are safe," Haddad said.
Nearly 1,600 students in the Boulder County area of the school district were displaced by the flooding, Ring said. The same information is not yet available from Weld County, according to district planner Scott Toillion.
At this point, it's not clear where all the displaced students will end up, even if their neighborhood schools re-open this week.
"People are going to live in different places," school board president John Creighton said.
Of course, some district staff members have also been displaced; Haddad said administrators have not been able to reach some of them.
"We're hoping they're all safe," Haddad said.
Because the town of Lyons has been devastated by the flooding of the St. Vrain River, district officials are moving those students to the Main Street School at 820 Main St. in Longmont, beginning the week of Sept. 23.
Officials are planning to start each level of student on a different day that week.
Early this week, officials hope to obtain supplies from the schools in Lyons. At the end of the week, teachers will meet and start preparing their new classrooms.
Meetings for parents of Lyons students are scheduled on Wednesday at Longmont High School.
All school board members were present at Sunday's meeting except Rod Schmidt, who is on vacation and participated via telephone.
Victoria Camron can be reached at 303-684-5226 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Product Features:
Wine bottle cellar
Ideal for keeping rose and red wines at their optimum temperature
Uses thermoelectric technology
Quiet running fan
1 year warranty
Black exterior and interior finish
Double glazed glass door
Electronic adjustable thermostat with °C and °F display
Five removable wine shelves
Interior light
Protective rubber feet
100% CFC and HFC-free
Ideal for living rooms, kitchens and home bars
Fully ROHS compliant and CE certified
Capacity: 12 Wine Bottles (75cl)
Volume: 35ltr
Temp. Range: +11ºC to +18ºC (+52ºF to +65ºF), dependant on ambient temperature
Max. Temp.: 4°C above ambient
Power Rating: 70W / 0.5A
Voltage: 220V
Frequency: 50Hz
Noise Level: 25dB
Energy Consumption: 0.81kWh/24h
Energy Rating: E
Electrical - Mains Powered: Yes (UK Plug Supplied)
Brand: bar@drinkstuff
Product Help: Sommelier 12 Bottle Wine Cellar Owners Manual
Manufacturer Part Number:
Volume: 35litres
Height: 650mm
Width: 260mm
Depth: 495mm
Interior Height: 540mm
Interior Width: 180mm
Interior Depth: 330mm
Plug Lead Length: 1480mm
Nett Weight: 12.2kg
Gross Weight: 14.2kg


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Katy Perry is being sued by a Christian group of musicians who say she not only stole their song for her "Dark Horse" single, but tarnished it by associating it with black magic.
Katy Perry? With all those bright colors and happy flowers and teddy bears and whatnot?
Keep these people away from a Slayer tour.
The hip-hop musicians who released the 2008 song "Joyful Noise" -- including Christian rapper Flame (born Marcus Gray), Chike Ojukwu, Lecrae Moore and Emanuel Lambert-- sued Perry, Capitol Records and others Wednesday for alleged copyright infringement in federal court in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported.
They say she stole their song and turned it over to Satan for a remix.
"And by any measure, the devoutly religious message of 'Joyful Noise' has been irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic, and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in 'Dark Horse,'" the suit reads, according to Courthouse News. "Indeed, the music video of 'Dark Horse' generated widespread accusations of blasphemy and an online petition signed by more than 60,000 demanding removal of an offensive religious image from the video."
The "offensive" image is supposedly an "Allah" pendant, which was removed from the "Dark Horse" music video in February after petitioners protested it as a "portrayal of blasphemy."
Can't we all get along?
The Christian musicians want damages and Perry to stop using any form of their music, according to TMZ.
If I were a cynic, here's where I'd say that if Katy Perry did steal their song, it would be the best thing that ever happened to them as far as exposing their music to the masses.
Luckily, I'm not a cynic.
"Joyful Noise" was released in 2008 on the album "Our World: Redeemed," which received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album. Perry's "Dark Horse," featuring rapper Juicy J, came out last year as a single and appears on Perry's fourth studio album "Prism."
Tony Hicks provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


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Grace Amarilla Barclay was born on April 10, 1882 to George Angus and Amarilla Barclay. There is no record that completely confirms where Grace was born but most of the records point to Pine River as her place of birth.
There is a brief reference to a baby being born in the records of the Methodist Episcopal church but nothing specific. Grace's entry into this world was not as dramatic as her baby brother.
In 1882-3 Rev. J. A. Gilfillan reports the baptism of one infant at Pine River, crossing of that stream by the Leech Lake and Brainerd road. Monday Sept 24, 1888 the Bishop confirmed one person.
Pg. 82-83 Register of the Diocese of Duluth – almost in pieces.
I, Grace's granddaughter have thoroughly studied the Register of Baptisms & Marriages by Rev. Whipple 142.F.15.3B 1859-1895 MHS and did not find any mention of Grace except for the above possible reference. No deaths or burials either.
No actual birth record has been found about the birth of Grace. Her death certificate from the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) gives this date as her birth date.
See the blog: The Man Who Lived Airplanes posted dated July 18, 2010, July 26, 2010 on the death of Grace.
In Grace's father, George's Civil War Pension file there is an affidavit that he signs and in that record he says that "Gracie" is his daughter and Amarilla is his wife.
I have no baby pictures of Grace but I do have a picture of her that I think was taken when she was very young.


text:
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text:
Picture Gallery
Click HERE to return to Picture Gallery main page.
Owned by Jesse James Felder
Roseburg, Oregon
I bought this car in 1987, it was my first car
Total Rotisserie Restoration,
Every nut and bolt replaced or redone.
If it wasn't painted, it was powdercoated.
350 4-bolt main engine,
Tremec TKO-600 5-speed
12 Bolt with a Powetrax locker
CPP Tubular control arms upper & lower
QA1 Coil overs in front and QA1 shocks in rear with 5-pack multi-leafs
4-Wheel power disks
Steeroids power rack & pinion steering system
Vintage Air, Tilt Column
Front & rear spoilers.


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The purchasable minipets continue to cause a storm across the blogosphere. I've already mentioned them here and here, but rather than offer another analysis on the Pandaren Monk as I did with Lil' K.T. I'm just going to offer one finally post on it and then I'm leaving these two alone.
I don't care what fears people have about Blizzard offering other things in the future (they can go ahead and put T5695 gear up for sale for all I care), as far as I'm concerned that is in no way a valid argument for anything.
The only argument I have found that is valid to any degree is not so much an argument as it is a failure to understand: How can you justify spending $20 on two pets?
To even things out a bit, let's forget about the $5 donation to the MaWF and just look at it as a flat $20 price tag here with no further bells and whistles.
Cost Analysis
Actual Cost: One Pet
Most people are looking at this: $10 = 1 pet
What most of them are failing to see is that it actually works out to this: $10 = 50 pets
Which means the actual cost is: $0.20 = 1 pet
The reason for this is because each of these pets is a BoA item that is mailed to every character you have and every character you make in the future. Each account is able to have 50 total characters across all servers, and every one of them gets this pet for the same fee. Now, not everyone is so much an altoholic as my wife and I (both of us have had to delete toons for having reached the 50 toon limit), so not everyone is going to be able to see it that way. But, some people are as bad as I am, or even worse, and they actually get an even better deal than twenty cents a pop.
For the sake of consistency though, we'll go with a maximum of 50 toons.
Actual Cost: Both Pets
Alright, lets open it up a bit and throw that second pet in there.
Most people see this: $20 = 2 pets
What they miss: $20 = 100 pets
Actual Cost: $0.20 = 1 pet
Now, the math here obviously comes out to the exact same thing because the cost is the same in both cases. We double the cost, but we also double the quantity purchased.
To put that into perspective a bit, let us change what we're purchasing to nails instead of vanity pets. As with any example, it's not going to be perfect and any trolls can come by and chew on my nails if they want. Yes, nails are real world items that can serve a purpose and be functional, but that's not the point. Read with the intent to understand, not with the intent to respond.
Example: We're going to say that you just bought a beautiful Asian painting. The details of the painting aren't important, but if you're really interested I'll tell you that it depicts a monk. You need to hang it on your wall, but you don't have any nails. So you go to the store to buy a nail and find out that they don't sell nails individually, they only come in two varieties and they only come in boxes of 50. Either nail would work, but the picture will hang a bit differently with one than it will with the other, and both ways appeal to you.
You aren't sure which nail is going to suit you the best, but you know that you could probably find uses for either type. You also know that you only need a single nail, but having several might come in handy later on down the road. If you could buy a single nail for $0.20 then you would prefer to do that, but sadly the store doesn't allow such purchases. So you have to decide whether you want one type of nail, or both types of nails, and you have to deal with the fact that you may very well be buying more nails than you'll ever use.
My decision was to buy both types of nails and see which style of hanging appealed to me more, knowing that I could change between both styles of hanging whenever I wanted to by switching out one type of nail for the other.
The point of me breaking this down for you isn't to try to convince you to change your mind on whether or not to buy them, the point is to open your mind a bit to help you see a clearer picture of what you're actually buying. In essence, you aren't just going to a store to buy yourself a nail, you're going to a store and buying a box of nails. Whether or not you decide to use them all is up to you. You may only need a single nail to hang up that nice picture on your wall, but you're buying a whole box that's available for you to use if you have a want or need to do so.
How you justify the cost is dependent on how you chose to look at it. Did you spend $20 on a single nail, or did you spend $20 on a box that has 100 nails in it? The answer is up to you; it's all in how you choose to look at it.
I didn't spend $20 to buy my wife 2 pets, I spent $20 to buy my wife 100 pets, and she's enjoying every one.


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6Sports recaps Sundays KU women's basketball win over the University of Texas - El Paso.
Need a faster connection? Sunflower High-Speed Internet, a division of Sunflower Broadband, provides Lawrence and Eudora, Kan., area residents and businesses with high-speed Internet access through the local cable system.
Copyright 2018 The Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We strive to uphold our values for every story published.


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Perhaps no aspect of writing is as misunderstood as style. Many people confuse it with decoration or following rules laid down by experts such as E. B. White and William Strunk, Jr. in The Elements of Style. What is style if it is neither of those? Joseph Epstein writes in Literary Genius, which includes an essay on the Edward Gibbon by David Womersley:
"Style, it needs to be understood, is never ornamentation or a matter of choice of vocabulary or amusing linguistic tics or mannerisms. Style, in serious writing, is a way of seeing, and literary geniuses, who see things in a vastly different way than the rest of us, usually require a vastly different style. As Edward Gibbon wrote on style (quoted by David Womersley in his essay): 'The style of an author should be the image of his mind.'"
Joseph Epstein in the introduction to the new Literary Genius: 25 Classic Writers Who Define English and American Literature, selected and edited by Joseph Epstein with wood engravings by Barry Moser (Paul Dry Books, 246 pp., $18.95, paperback), www.pauldry.com. Epstein edited the American Scholar, has written 19 books and contributes to The New Yorker and other magazines. Womersley is Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford.
© 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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HARTFORD, Conn. - The Columbia squash program had three student-athletes in action Saturday on day two of the 2013 College Squash Association Individual National Championships. Unfortunately for the Lions, each of the competitors fell in their first match of the day.
In the Pool Trophy (A Division, men), the fourth seeded Ramit Tandon split the first two games with fifth-seeded Khalek Abdel from Bates. Abdel took over from there though, winning the next two games, 11-6, 11-5.
Mohamed AbdelMaksoud also fell in four games Saturday in the Molloy Cup (B Division). Amherst's Noah Browne captured the first game and then took the third and fourth to knocked off the top-seeded sophomore from Columbia.
In the women's Holleran Cup (B Division), Reyna Pacheco dropped a straight-game decision to fifth-seeded Alexis Saunders from Princeton.
The Individual National Championships conclude the third varsity season for both the Columbia men's and women's teams.
Senior Tony Zou capped a stellar 2012-13 campaign with a runner-up finish in the consolation bracket of the Molloy Cup.
Zou began competition in the consolation draw Friday, March 1 with a four-game win over Stanford's William Mohr, 9-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-8. He quickly came back Saturday morning with a sweep of Franklin & Marshall's Antonio De La Torre in the consolation quarterfinals.
Saturday afternoon's semifinals contest brought a much tougher test in Princeton's Michael LeBlanc. LeBlanc jumped out to an early two game lead on Columbia's co-captain, but Zou charged back to win the final three games to secure a spot in the consolation finals Sunday morning.
In the finals, Zou built a 2-1 lead, but Trinity's Matthew Mackin put together two winning sets to capture the consolation title. Despite the loss, the 3-2 record at this year's individual championships is the best of Zou's career. He is also the first three-time participant in the CSA Individual Championships in Columbia squash history.


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Posted this in the War Room forum also just thought id post it in here.. Updated mock draft from draftek.com and i have to say i agree with it, what do you guys think?
Round 1; 17th pick: Chance Warmack; OG, Alabama: 6'3-320. Also could be on the board when we pick here, Eric Reed Safety from LSU, Eric Fisher OT from Central Michigan, Kenny Vaccaro from Texas, Xavier Rhodes CB Florida State.
Round 2; 47th pick: Matt Elam; Safety, Florida(check him out tonight in the sugar bowl against Lousiville): 5'10-206. Others that can be on the board when we pick Stepfan Taylor RB Stanford, Phillip Thomas Safety Fresno State, Nico Johnson Linebacker Bama, Kevin Minter Linebacker LSU, William Gholston DE Michigan State.
Round 3; 79th pick: Eddie Lacy; RB, Alabama: 5'10-220. Also could be on the board here Monte Ball RB Wisconsin, Mike Gillislee RB Florida, Bacarri Rambo Safety Georgia they have him going a few picks before this but we can get him here or 2nd round maybe if we dont take Elam.
Round 4; 111th pick: Leon McFadden CB, San Diego State: 5'10-190. Dont know too much about him yet, but we could also take Micha Hyde CB Iowa, Johnny Adam CB Michigan State.
Round 5; 143rd pick: D.J. Swearinger Safety, South Carolina: 5'10-208 ( Love this pick! really hope we could get him, if we get him and Elam that would be awesome for our safety help!!! But we could also take Brian Winters OT Kent State, Devin Taylor OLB South Carolina, Jenlani Jenkins LB Florida..
I agree with all these picks i would be happy with the first 5 rounds maybe round 6 go with a QB?


text:
May 23 – Chris Lipsett of Glenwood reported a burglary and theft.
May 29 – Amy Kanger of Glenwood reported a harassment.
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text:
Terry Thompson Chevrolet is a Chevrolet, Gem Auto Dealer
The team at Terry Thompson Chevrolet is proud to be your trusted Chevrolet dealer in Daphne, AL. Our goal is to make your car buying experience the best possible. Terry Thompson Chevrolet's virtual dealership offers a wide variety of new and used cars,Chevrolet, Gem incentives, service specials, and Chevrolet, Gem parts savings. Conveniently located in Daphne, AL we also serve Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL.
If you're looking to purchase your new dream car, you've come to the right place. At Terry Thompson Chevrolet we pride ourselves on being the most reliable and trustworthy Chevrolet, Gem dealer around. Our inventory is filled with some of the sweetest rides you've ever seen!
The Chevrolet, Gem, Dealer You Can Count On
We're the kind of Chevrolet, Gem dealer that listens to the wants and needs of our clients. We understand that buying a car is a process that takes a certain amount of careful consideration.
It's a lot to wrap your head around but at Terry Thompson Chevrolet we do our best to make the car buying experience an easy one. We're the kind of Daphne, AL car dealer that helps you decide exactly what you're looking for. We won't ever make a sale that our customers will end up being unhappy with. We're proud to be the type of Daphne, AL Chevrolet, Gem dealer that strives for 100% customer satisfaction.
There are several important factors to take into account when choosing a car:
- How many people do you drive with every day?
- How far do you drive on a daily basis?
- What kind of terrain or traffic do you need to tackle?
- What does your gasoline budget look like?
- Are you looking for a sports car or would you prefer a family friendly vehicle?
- How much money are you looking to spend on your new car?
- Do you need financial assistance?
Chevrolet, Gems For Everyone
We are the Daphne, AL car dealership that caters for a whole variety of clientele. We understand that all of our clients have different financial situations and have done our best to ensure that our cars come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, and that their price tags vary as well. We not only have an amazing selection of brand new cars but have also acquired an impressive selection of pre-owned vehicles that are just as fantastic.
Because our customers near Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL are so important to us, we'll also take the time to find you some great financing options if you need them. At some point in our lives we all need a little financial boost, and at Terry Thompson Chevrolet in Daphne, AL we do our best to find a reasonable loan that enables you to purchase the car you've always dreamed of.
If you would like to get in touch with us please don't hesitate to give us a call at (251) 626-0631 or stop by for a visit.


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Rising junior Thea LaFond earned a bronze medal for her performance in the high jump at the Pan Am Junior Championships held in Medellin, Colombia. The event featured the top junior level athletes between the ages of 16-19 years old from all over the world.
LaFond, who notched All-American honors in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the spring, set her sights on competing on the world stage this summer. At the Pan Am Junior Championships, LaFond brought home a bronze medal in the high jump as she competed for her native country, Dominica. Her height of 1.76m (5'9 1/4") matched the top two competitors.
In addition, LaFond competed in the triple jump competition where she placed seventh.


text:
Red Hat has released a self-confessed "minor" release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux at its 5.9 iteration with boosts seen in areas including hardware enablement, security, standards and certifications, developer tools, and virtualization.
The firm positions these so-called minor increments as part of what it calls its 10-year lifecycle to promote stability and the preservation of customers' investments in the platform.
There is backwards compatibility with both hardware and software platforms across the lifecycle of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.
The hardware enablement includes support for some of the latest CPU, chipset, and device driver enhancements. The security updates include the ability to verify and check the robustness of new passwords and support for the latest government password policy requirements.
NOTE: It also adds support for using Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) mode with dmraid root devices. FIPS mode now supports RAID device discovery, RAID set activation, and the creation, removal, rebuilding, and display of properties.
In terms of new developer tools, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 includes the ability to develop and test with the latest version of open source Java available through OpenJDK 7.
NOTE: New SystemTap improvements have also been added including compile-server and client support for IPv6 networks, smaller SystemTap files, faster compiles, and compile server support for multiple concurrent connections.
The firm says that enhanced application support means that there is a new rsyslog5 package, which upgrades rsyslog to major version 5 and is faster (and more reliable) than existing rsyslog packages available in previous RHEL releases. Samba has also been updated to version 3.6 with several new features, including SMB2 support, a reworked print server, and security default improvements for all versions.
NOTE: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 enhances the operating system's usability in multi-vendor environments by introducing Microsoft Hyper-V drivers for improved performance.


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Actor Julian Sands is a long-time friend to LACMA and—currently–a lender to the Lucknow exhibition. We asked him about collecting, and about the Lucknow tureen, one of his treasures.
What and why do you collect?
I don't think of myself as a collector. I spend a lot of time on mountains doing marathons in remote places where you are carrying with you the minimum you need to exist: a tent, a bed, some fuel, some food. That's your world. I acquire things with the ferocity of a pirate, but like a pirate I just like to dig a hole in the sand and drop it in and head off for more. It's an insatiable greed, foiled by this Trappist like renunciation.
Tell us your impressions of the exhibition India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow?
The show reveals Lucknow as this jewel of a place. In local terms, what would it be? San Francisco with downtown New York and New Orleans all rolled up into one! And fabled, with its poets and painters and craftsmen and glamorous courtesans. It was a tremendous meeting point of east and west.
Stephen Markel has been putting this exhibition together for twelve or fifteen years. He has cast his net wide to bring together these great treasures. His passion for his subject is fabulous.
Tell us about the Lucknow Tureen, now on view at LACMA in the Lucknow exhibition?
It has sculptural presence, immense beauty and grace. The shape is classically Mughal. But there are these lions which look exactly like an English lion.
Claude Martin, the great nabob of Lucknow, who was drummed out eventually and fled back to England, built a magnificent building—which is, today, called La Martiniere—in Lucknow. There are motifs on the bowl that you'll find in the architecture of the building. In particular, the lions are very much like the lions you'll flanking the Martiniere. So there is every reason to suppose the piece was commissioned as part of a service for the Martiniere.
I like to think somewhere there is a great ladle. But a lot of these things got melted down. The Indian tradition wasn't to pass things on to keep so much as to pass things on to melt down and people remade things in their own style.
How did you come across the piece?
I found the piece through a friend of mine, who is a great scholar of colonial silver: Wynyard Wilkinson. I've known him since I was at school. For a long time, I coveted it.
Really great objects have tremendous power and energy. There is something of the nervous system of their creator, the man or woman who chiseled or cast or painted or drew or fabricated the object.
I don't set out to collect anything for sake of a collection. I get interested in a form, a medium, a type of work. So you go looking for things. And then when you find something you may have been seeking, there's a release, almost like an Arthurian knight. You are released from the challenge.
What do you like to see when you visit the museum?
All my life I have taken such pleasure from museums.
LACMA, in particular, has amazing space and such great light – you feel that it's an organic, ongoing, 21st century, vibrating beacon of forward-looking culture bringing the past into the present. There's a great fusion of possibilities here.
When I'm here at LACMA I usually visit the paintings and sculpture in the Modern galleries – the quality and balance is superb. The presentation of sculpture is wonderful. I love the great Tony Smith, and going in the new Resnick Pavillion, a place of beauty and an architectural wonder.
India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow is on view through February 27th, 2011. View a slideshow of 19th century photographs of courtly Lucknow at lacma.org.
Amy Heibel


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In a move that may have surprised some, the Camden County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to send proposed changes to the rules and regulations to the county commission without any discussion.
In a move that may have surprised some, the Camden County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to send proposed changes to the rules and regulations to the county commission without any discussion.
The decision of the planning commission was unanimous. Planning and Zoning Director Don Hathaway declined to discuss the planning commission's decision.
Along with the proposed changes, the planning commission will include public comments gathered during a hearing held in February on to the county commision. The hearing drew a standing room only crowd with a significant number of those in attendance speaking out against the proposed changes.
What happens next will be up to the Camden County Commission. The county commission can either approve as submitted or could make any changes that they see fit.
The planning commission did not discuss the code changes during their meeting on Wednesday, March 20 prior to taking a vote. If, in the end, the county commission decides to make changes, it is likely another public hearing will be held.
Many of those who attended the February hearing showed up for the most recent meeting, hoping to hear the commission's discussion.
The decision to vote without any further discusssion did not sit well with those opposed to the changes. They say the changes give the planning and zoning department too much control within the district that surrounds Lake of the Ozarks.
Nancy Steward, an advocate for private landowner rights, was disappointed with the planning commission's decision.
It is the changes to Article 600 that are raising red flags with those who oppose the changes. The changes address how notices of violations are handled and fines for violators. The codes also state that every day that a violation continues is considered a separate offense leading residents to believe they would have to pay a fine per day if not in compliance with the code. A provision that could have landed violators in jail for violating the rules and regulations was removed prior to the February meeting.
The opposition says the changes are ambiguous and vague, leave too much open for interpretation and gave planning and zoning too much authority. Concerns were also raised about the $500 fines and the burden that could place on some landowners. It is important to note that before the corrections, the code included a $1,000 fine.
Camden County Associate Commissioner Cliff Luber said it was "a clear decision against the people in Camden County."
Luber said he felt the planning commission has their own agenda in regard to planning and zoning.
The code changes could go before the county commission as early as next month.


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Despite some bumps in the road, Lake Ozark is casting a bigger shadow as a respectable partner at the lake. Not everyone sees the silver lining at that end of the lake, but it's easy to throw stones. It's easy to cast judgment. As the saying goes, until you've walked in someone's shoes…
The Lake Media staff in Camdenton wrote a complimentary piece on Lake Ozark recently, and we picked it up as a reprint because it's spot on.
Despite some bumps in the road, Lake Ozark is casting a bigger shadow as a respectable partner at the lake. Not everyone sees the silver lining at that end of the lake, but it's easy to throw stones. It's easy to cast judgment. As the saying goes, until you've walked in someone's shoes…
But there's an uncomfortable rustling in the bushes.
The board of aldermen has been adamant that there will not be open containers allowed. And more recently, the board stiffened its policy on disorderly conduct. The board's intent is honorable.
But we all learned in high school physics that for every action there is a reaction.
And that reaction — aside from a handful of unhappy residents — could be stirring in Osage Beach and on the west side of the lake. The implication in some circles is that Lake Ozark could lose some of its major events because it has set a higher standard for the community. To date, it's a risk the board is willing to take.
Lake Ozark has become the place to be for parades, boat shows and car shows, community celebrations, etc. Bagnell Dam Blvd., specifically The Strip, is a natural for all types of events. The mechanics of The Strip and its proximity to the rest of the lake make it the perfect venue.
But now Osage Beach, which is void of community celebrations except for it's annual Fall Festival, may look at revamping its ordinances to make it easier for the events to cross the city limits — including allowing open containers of alcohol during certain events in managed areas.
The west end of Osage Beach Parkway, which has seen more than it's share of publicity, is being touted by at least three Osage Beach aldermen as the perfect venue for entertaining the masses. It's actually quite similar in design to The Strip.
Now the west side, led by an aggressive Chamber of Commerce and prominent businessman Ron Dugan, is salivating over the possibility of claiming its piece of the pie.
The message to folks in Lake Ozark is getting louder and louder: If you want to be in the game, then you might have to play by a new set of rules. It's a fact that restaurants/bars dominate the Strip. If the Strip loses claim to the boat shows, car shows, parades, barbecue events, etc., those bars and restaurants could fad away.
Kind of a double-edges sword.
It's a difficult decision for the board of aldermen. Does the city want to compromise its principals to play in the game?
Competition is good. It makes us think outside the box, makes us better business people and sometimes makes us search our souls.


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GS: Where are you from?
KN: I grew up in Jasper, Alabama but I now live in Dora with my family.
GS: What degree did you receive and when?
KN: M. A. in History, August, 2010.
GS: How long have you been at UAB?
KN: I returned to UAB in 2006 to complete a degree I started in the 80s. I graduated in December 2008 with my B.A. in History.
GS: What is your research?
KN: I completed my master's thesis research on Birmingham Jewish Women and Social Reform. My primary focus was on Birmingham Jewish Women and their role in the Civil Rights Movement.
GS: Why did you choose UAB for your graduate studies?
KN: During my years as an undergraduate, I developed friendships and connections with many of the professors. Also, the History Graduate Program has an excellent reputation among students.
GS: Have you received any awards or honors?
KN: I received a UAB Alumni License to Learn Scholarship for the years 2008-2010. In 2009 I was awarded one of the History Department's Graduate Assistantships. I worked in the department from August 2009 until August 2010. I also was honored to receive the David Hart White Prize in History Endowment for Outstanding Graduate Student.
GS: What has been your most rewarding experience at UAB?
KN: If you asked me this question six months ago, the answer would have been working in the History Department, getting to know all of the professors, and presenting my research at several conferences. But in hindsight, the most rewarding experience was simply being a graduate student, reading more books than I can count, preparing weekly assignments, and having stimulating discussions in class.
GS: Who was your greatest influence here at UAB and why?
KN: As an undergrad, two professors stand out—Dr. George Liber and Dr. Jim Tent. As a graduate student, Dr. Raymond Mohl influenced my work as a student the most. Dr. Carolyn Conley, the Chair of the History Department continues to influence me by her support and encouragement of the students in the program.
GS: What is your motivation in your academics/research?
KN: Most historians are motivated to research and write about original topics. Little has been written about Birmingham's Jewish women yet some played an important role during waves of southern social reform like the Civil Rights Movement. I have been honored to meet and preserve the histories of several Birmingham Jewish women.
GS: What are your plans after graduating and for the future?
KN: I am teaching two History courses here at UAB this spring semester. One of the courses, The 1970s in America, is a course that I proposed. My other future plans include teaching, research, writing, and continuing my education.
GS: Do you have any advice/wisdom for other graduate students?
KN: Your experience as a graduate student is just what you make it. Stay focused, get organized, and do not give up!


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Not Afraid of Burning in Hell Campaign
Tell the world with a digital billboard
& You may win 'Unabashed Atheist' tee
Not afraid of burning in hell?
In an irreverent TV commercial for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Ron Reagan quips that he is "an unabashed atheist, not afraid of burning in hell." Today "nones" (the nonreligious) are 24 percent of the U.S. population and the third-largest group worldwide. Join FFRF in declaring your independence from religion (and its empty threats), using FFRF's brand-new social media app.
It's fun, it's easy and takes less than a minute to complete! Once your cyberboard is approved by FFRF, you may post and tweet it or use it as your Facebook or Twitter image. We even size it for use as your Facebook or Twitter image or banner.
If your billboard is chosen as a staff "pick of the week," FFRF will feature your billboard on Facebook and Twitter, and mail your prize — FFRF's popular "Unabashed Atheist - Not Afraid of Burning in Hell" T-shirt! (Only U.S. residents eligible.)
School Board Prayer
The school board at my child's school is praying before school board meetings. Is that legal?
Religious and Freethought Clubs in Public School
Are religious clubs/groups in public schools legal? What about freethought/atheist clubs?
Out of the Closet Campaign
Calling All Nonbelievers . . . Come Out of the Closet!
Join FFRF's Out of the Closet
Virtual Billboard Campaign
Declare and share your nonbelief! The nonreligious — including at least one in four U.S. citizens — is a significant segment of the world population. But many Americans have never knowingly met a nonbeliever. Dispel myths, educate and promote reason by adding your voice, face and message to FFRF's "friendly neighborhood freethinker" campaign. Proclaim you're a freethinker and why. It's working for the gay rights movement. Now it's time for atheists and agnostics to come out of our closet. Many faces make Enlightenment work.
It's fun, it's easy and takes less than a minute to complete! Once your cyberboard is approved by FFRF, you may post and tweet it. Our app lets you use it as your Facebook or Twitter image or even as your Facebook and Twitter banners. If your billboard is chosen as a staff "pick of the week," FFRF will feature your billboard on Facebook and Twitter, and mail your prize — FFRF's popular "Out of the Closet Atheist" cap (available in washed black denim or maroon)! (Only U.S. residents eligible.)
Until your cyberboard is approved by FFRF, any use of these images or the design used for these billboards is prohibited. You will receive express permission if and when your submission is approved.
Freethought Radio -- October 25, 2014
Meet an Office Volunteer: Charles D. Hoornstra
Name: Charles D. Hoornstra.
Where I live: Madison, Wis.
Where I was born: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Family: My wife and two daughters — one with two children, a girl age 13 and a boy age 11.
Why I volunteer for FFRF: Like Madison and Jefferson, I believe strongly in the separation of church and state. For me, as a nonbeliever, FFRF is a home for like-minded people who insist on intellectually honest thinking.
What I do as a volunteer: So far, I have graded student essays.
What I like best about it: I am very impressed with the quality of the young people. They are resolute in their independent reasoning. They don't let myths or false assumptions get in the way. Plus, many of them are outstanding writers with compelling personal stories to tell.
Something funny that's happened at work: Being retired, I have no current work story to tell. But I must confess the other day I stupidly emailed my water bill payment to Madison, Ala., instead of to Madison, Wis.
Education: Madison West High School, 1959; B.A. and M.A. in philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1963, 1965; J.D., UW-Madison Law School, 1967.
My day job is/was/will eventually be: I am a retired Wisconsin assistant attorney general. I worked in a variety of areas in my 36 years, including positions in state government and at the University of Wisconsin. I taught business law courses at UW-Platteville and UW-Madison. For many years I served the Law School in an ad hoc capacity, teaching the practicum courses. I still help out with the moot court programs.
Education: Undergraduate, graduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
These three words sum me up: According to my grandchildren, I am awesome, funny and fair. But of course, they are the least objective people in the world on that question.
My freethought heroes are: David Hume, John Stuart Mill and Bertrand Russell.
Things I like: Sports, history and being a grandfather.
Things I smite: Confirmation bias (starting with a desired conclusion, rejecting conflicting facts and cherry-picking supportive facts).
Why did I closet my atheism so long? Because I did not want to tarnish my father's community legacy. He was an effective and popular local pastor.
Meet an Intern: Noah Brunell
Name: Noah Brunell.
Where and when I was born: New London, N.H., March 16, 1994.
Family: Parents, Deborah Schachter (51) and Thomas Bunnell (58); sister Eliza (18).
Education: Rising junior at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.
My religious upbringing was: Jewish. I went to a Reform synagogue, attended Hebrew school, had a bar mitzvah, etc., although my Jewish mother and Christian father were always careful to let me come to my own conclusions.
How I came to work as an FFRF intern: The roots of my skepticism reach back to the d'var Torah (lesson of the Torah) which I wrote and then delivered at my bar mitzvah at age 13. Surprisingly well-received given its heretical slant, my talk centered on questioning why a benevolent god would smite Aaron's sons, concluding that even religious doctrine is only meant to offer guiding principles rather than "The Word," and even then, it often has some pretty bad advice.
Thereafter, I clung to Judaism for its cultural comforts, but not for its answers to the metaphysical questions of the universe and the transcendent. For those, I looked to science and increasingly, to literature and poetry. Since I'd developed into an atheist, FFRF seemed like the place to be.
What I do here: I compile bios of famous freethinkers for the Freethought of the Day portion of our website and write summaries of FFRF's legal victories. I help out wherever needed.
What I like best about it: It's great to work for an organization helping to effect important change and to write about those changes actually taking effect.
Something funny that's happened at work: All too often, people call to spew odious and empirically dubious claptrap (did God send religious people to make life a living hell for nonbelievers?). I love that my desk is situated so that I can hear the creative responses the people answering the phones come up with in response to these crank calls: Lisa's "Well, I hope you pray for me!" Katie's recent go-to — shouting, "USA USA USA!" Or one that's been suggested, but hasn't been implemented yet: "Thank you for calling the Christian-Atheist Dating Hotline! What type of atheist are you interested in today?" Cracks me up.
My academic interests are: English literature, religion, politics and German.
My heroes are: Kurt Vonnegut and George Carlin.
These three words sum me up: Introspective, curious, outdoorsy.
Things I like: Postmodern fiction, running, social justice, Woody Allen movies, corny puns.
Things I smite: Men's rights activists, passive aggression, the Religious Right, bigotry.
My loftiest goal: Peace.
Sharing the Crank Mail
With the emergence of the Islamic State (aka ISIS), crank mailers have a new suggested location for us to move to, along with Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and France. A small sample of the many hundreds of emails FFRF received recently, printed as received.
To FFRF Ideas: Ïve met allot of pricks in my day but this group is a fucking cactus. May god bless you. — Steven Haley
first amendment: I hope all your members' nipples fall off and grow back on their foreheads and they all start lactating at the same time. That's also part of that first amendment thing. Freedom of speech and of religion doesn't seem to be on your fascist radar. I'm sure you guys and Hitler would have gotten along fine. I mean you guys look at people that believe in God the same way he did the Jewish population. — Russ Walker, Colorado Springs
Your Children: All of your children need a bullet right between their eyes. — Elmo Sippy, Ellijay, Ga. [Editor's note: This was reported to police.]
The Scumbag Mooslims in Minnesota: You prevent chaplains in FLA from saying a prayer before games, but you don't say a word when the goat fuckers want to build a Mosque, aka recruiting ground, in Minnesota? You just want to eviscerate Christians, you GOD less cocksuckers. FUCK OFF AND DIE. — Connecticut
We have enough babies in America: I think you are right up there with ISIS. Virtually the same thing only based in America. We dont gripe about you driving your foreign cars do we as Christians? No, because we dont care. We'll look the other way when yoi drive by in your Toyota. YOU ARE A BUNCH OF SELF ABSORBED WORTHLESS SELFISH CHILDREN THAT PROBABLY GOT BEAT UP ALL THE TIME IN SCHOOL. SO PUT YOUR CRAYONS AWAY AND YOUR COLORED PAPER AND PENCILS AND LOOK AT THE REAL THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY. — Jameson Mayer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Crosses: How do I go about removing your foundation from the United States? I am a war veteran and your foundation offends me. — James Kimble
P.S. Hey did you know there is a cross on my computer keyboard.
religion: are,t there better things to worry about like bulling in schools drugs weapons getting a education that,s what really should matter. — teresa low, connersville, indiana
Religion: You guys are a bunch of dumbass fucktards. How can you be offended by something you don't believe in? Assholes! — Mr. Jesus, Heaven, Illinois
Plaques at schools: As a non-practicing Jew myself I just want to say that you are a bunch of idiots. You have so little faith in your faithlessness that you feel intimidated by crosses and plaques on public lands. This country was built on a Judeo-Christian ideal. I just wish that our idiot judges would wake up and throw your lawsuits, and you, out on your butts. — Stephen Lubin, New York
Freedom of religion: For an orginazation that doesn't want religon sure does act like it is carrying on a crusade of religous porportion. I should sue you on behalf of tax payers for the continued law suites that fail. I am also contacting congress and senate to enact a law that if a law suite is brough forward and is considered frivilous that who ever brought the law suite should be charged any and all cost associated with the law suite and a fine of $250. — Troy Cummings, Virginia
Suggestion: Madison, Wi., one of the known marxist cities in the USA! It is a sad thing to witness the USA sinking into an ABYSS of touchy-feely diversity, ultaliberalism, political correctness, socialism, and Saul Alinsky Marxism. — Doc H
Attacking Christiananity: You Bastards, I hope God has mercy on your souls. — Robert Guccione
Your thought process: Your belief in nothing is still a belief. I find your organization pushing your agenda is upsetting to me and I do not like it. I will now be a minority voice trying to desolve your organization. — Leo Bauer
Seminole High football team: I am a supporter of the constitution. And I agree that there should be no establishment by government. But to build bridges, you have to have humidity, and be able to say, "I was wrong". — Courtney Campbell
Thoughts on freedom from all religion: What about the muslim that prays out in public, or in state parks. What about the Jews who wear a yamaka? Is it that you only attack Christianity because you think that Christians are meek? If that's what you think then clearly you need to brush up on your history. — Joe Craig, Branson, Mo.
Quit Your Sniveling: I would bet that the overwhelming majority of your members are new to being atheists. I'm sure they were unaware of what it even meant until they heard about it, while standing in line waiting to vote for Obama. They couldn't wait to get home and try it for themselves. So, they sent you $5.00 and left for work the next day wearing a T-shirt proclaiming themselves an atheist. The problem with these people, is that in 12 months when all their fake facebook friends start saying Christianity is the new trend, they will rush out of their homes to beat the door down at their local church to donate $5.00 and get their "I'm a Christian" T-shirt. At which point your "foundation" will crumble and you'll have to go find a real job. — James Briskey, San Antonio
satan's immisary's: I see you morons are conspiring against church's with the gestapo gov't agency? will hell be hot enough for you kretins? I pity your soul's on judgment day! — aaarocket37
Your So Called Victories: What you call significant legal victories are nothing but effective blackmail techniques. Your fear mongering and threats in my mind seem very similar to those of Nazi Germany. All employees of my company pray before each and every day - that will not end. If an employee doesn't like it - they know where the door is. — Michael Moran
ass holes: The pendulum will swing back the other way ass holes and i hope it will take you`r heads off when it dose. Try to tell me what i can and can not do and see how long you breath! — Carl Thurston, Texas
IRS Lawsuit: You want the IRS one or the most corrupt govt. ageencies to spy on churches. I am 68 years old and the older I get the more I fear for My Grand Children. Shame on you. The American is getting Pissed WATCH OUT. — Thomas Kimble, West Palm Beach., Fla.
It is freedom OF religion: Our assigned technicians have breached your email accounts. Our investigators have identified your family members. Our firm is a GSA contractor of the US Federal Government (GSA 6HNDN4) and have published the identities of your recorded conditions and the identities of your immediate family members, including all relevant personal data including addresses, social security numbers, and related family members above the age of 13. Good luck with that! — Jonathan Hawfield, Houston
Forever secular By Fallon Rowe
Fallon received $400 from FFRF for her essay.
By Fallon Rowe
I grew up without religion. In Idaho schools, this made me fairly unique, and I struggled throughout my education, walking on eggshells around my many Mormon friends.
In elementary school, a friend asked me if I believed in "God." After a few moments of thought, I replied negatively, explaining the lack of importance of such a word in my life. That friend was quickly transformed into an enemy, presumably because her parents had indoctrinated her to be unfriendly with those who lack religion. I didn't let it bother me, but I'll never forget that encounter.
As I transitioned into high school and attained a higher level of thinking, I began to analyze my own beliefs. I see how religion can corrupt and brainwash people, especially children who are so impressionable. I see smart, caring students turn ugly and rude when they find out I'm "that atheist girl."
I have to be extra confident of my nonbelief in order to hold my own against the zealots I face in my school and community every day. Sometimes I wonder if my peers would discriminate against me less if I were a racist rather than an atheist. It scares me that they think I'm evil or heartless simply because I disagree with religion. I am lucky to have found a few accepting and freethinking friends in high school, but we are among the minority.
At Girl Scout camp when I was younger, I was the only one who absolutely refused to pray before every meal. Although the organization is not religiously affiliated, the counselors tried to force us to pray. In school, I continue to leave out "under God" while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I fight for the separation of church and state at every opportunity.
In my advanced placement government class, a peer claimed there would be no peace iuntil Jesus walked the Earth again. No one protests these outbursts besides me, and I always get many negative glares for speaking up for secularism. In AP literature, I steadfastly voice my opinions on nonreligion and the importance of the wall of separation. I stand alone in these classrooms as the lone representative of freethought.
Recently in my community, a student's religious grandparent challenged a book in my school, and it resulted in the removal of the book from the curriculum at every school in the district. Along with over 300 of my peers, I signed a petition to keep the book in the curriculum, but our efforts were in vain.
Despite this, hundreds of copies were distributed for free in my community because of a fundraiser, and it awakened people to the evils of censorship. One of the main reasons the book was challenged was because it was called "anti-Christian." This upset me since my school is public, and religion should have no influence on my education. It intrigues me that some Christians are blatantly against the book, and some have no problem with it and have even rallied behind the anti-censorship efforts.
This helps me see that Christians can't be grouped together entirely as being completely closed-minded or unresponsive to change, just like atheists shouldn't collectively be viewed as radical or dangerous.
I care deeply about separation of church and state, especially in schools, because I don't want other students to have to face similar challenges. I do not need religion or a deity to be a good person. I do not need a holy book to outline my morals, or a priest to tell me women are inferior and ignorance is acceptable. I do not need childish tales from long ago to guide me through life and give me hope.
I need people — good, caring, intelligent people — who act from the heart of humanity and the brain of science. I need logic and freethought to help me escape from the chains of silent atheism and solve the problems we face as human beings.
Fallon Rowe, 17, Meridian, Idaho, will be attending Utah State University to major in environmental geoscience and minor in journalism. Her interests include rock climbing, traveling, mountaineering and writing. She's a member of FFRF and the Secular Student Alliance.
A letter to my younger self By Kali Richardson
Kali received a $500 scholarship from FFRF.
By Kali Richardson
"I took the [road] less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." — Robert Frost
Do you remember the first time you took the less-traveled road? You started asking questions that didn't have answers, around age 8 for Catholic kids. "How do we know God is real?"
Wednesday night youth groups suddenly turned dark, because an inquisitive, skeptical child is not welcome around adults who have devoted their lives to delusion. Do you remember when your mom had to write you a note just so you could check out Harry Potter from the elementary library? Even as a 6-year-old, you thought that was ridiculous.
Perhaps it was just the Catholics who didn't have answers; somewhere inside of you a hope grew that maybe you were wrong, and maybe there was an omnipotent Father out there to save you from the monsters under your bed.
So off you went at age 11 to a multitude of Baptist summer camps that were thrilled to have saved a child from what they saw as a competing religion. Your mother was not pleased. But hey, this is Arkansas. This is Baptist country. (You thought, if it were about saving your soul, wouldn't she be OK with belonging to any religion?)
A year later you were in sixth grade, going through that emo phase that all of your generation participated in at one point or another, and everything changed. You came out in more than one way, and didn't know which was worse in that small town — to be gay, or to be an atheist?
At that point the road wasn't just less traveled by; it had thorns and chiggers and every once in a while, snakes. You didn't believe in the small town or its religion and it didn't believe in you.
"It's just a phase," they said.
But it wasn't just a phase, and in sophomore year you stopped standing up for the pledge. The verbal feedback was amazing. "Do you hate the people who died for our country?" When the words "under God" were discovered to be the cause, it got worse. "Do you hate religion? Are you an atheist?"
Some of your classmates in sophomore biology decided to shout the pledge as if to prove the subtle point that you cannot escape. Your teacher started your unit on evolution with the words, "I know most of us don't believe we came from monkeys, but the school requires me to teach this, so . . ."
Do you remember weighing the pros and cons of challenging that ignorant statement in your head? Social scorn for a few days, or making what is right known? You were tired of being hated, but corrected the teacher regardless.
Do you remember when someone challenged the Friday night pre-football "prayer over the loudspeaker" tradition? There had already been a Supreme Court ruling, but you didn't know that. Your school, knowing full well how illegal their activities were, stopped the prayers. The entire school thought it was ridiculous and unfair, but you were secretly happy to not have to pretend to pray.
You pointed out a few times that it was, technically, state-funded religion, but no one else viewed it as that. Everyone seemed to say, "It's a tradition. It's our life. Who are you to try to change that?"
You have taken the road less traveled, and it has made all the difference. It gave you the fuel to move to another state your senior year. Being isolated all those years for being an atheist makes leaving pretty easy, doesn't it? It piqued your interest in stem cells, which led to your pursuit of a science major.
And while you will always cringe when someone invites you to a youth group, you'll be more than thankful that it's happening in a different sphere of society than your school. Don't give up, and always be a skeptic. It's gotten you to where you are.
Kali writes: "I am 18. My hometown is Batesville, Ark., but I moved after my life was turned upside down during junior year. My parents divorced, I developed a major blood clot while attending the Naval Academy Summer Seminar 2013 and my mother remarried. I now live with her in Tucson, Ariz. I will be attending the University of Arizona in the fall and plan to major in biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences."


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1- Alex Smith answered a lot of questions today. I thought Aaron Rodgers was wearing 11 for us.
2- Apologies to Alex for Avery (and the rest of the WR group)
3- denver was almost never called for blatant holdings of Hali and T-Jax, and leg whips.
4- After Denver's last TD can somebody show me that "blow to the head" the officials called on us?
5- Cooper is a raw rookie and it showed, but I still think the kid has long term talent.
6- Time to trade Flowers this off season.
7- Not to wish injury on anyone, but Albert's injury might be a blessing in disguise for the Chiefs. Let's start Fishers development there.
8- I badly wanted us to draft Decker when he was coming up. It hurts me double that one of my favorite draft wishes skewered us so bad for the hated Donks.


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Executive Summary
The Consumer and Market Insights: Hot Drinks Market in Ukraine report published by Canadean provides in-depth information on value and volume data by category and distribution channel. Leading brands, the most opportunistic foodservice channels, and packaging material and container consumption are also covered.
Key Findings
The ongoing political instability in Ukraine has impacted its economic growth during 2013-2014
The Hot Drinks market will register marginally higher value and volume growth during 2014-2019 compared to 2009-2014
On-trade sales will grow at a higher rate than off-trade sales in Ukraines Hot Drinks market
Hot Coffee, the largest value category in off-trade sales
Hypermarkets & Supermarkets and Convenience Stores are the leading distribution channels in Ukraines Hot Drinks market
Flexible Packaging is the most used packaging material in Ukraines Hot Drinks market
The report on the Hot Drinks sector in Ukraine provides insights on high growth categories to target, trends in the usage of packaging materials, types, closures, and information on category level distribution and brands market shares.
What else is contained?
Market data: Overall market value and volume data with growth analysis for 2014-2019
Category coverage: Value and growth analysis for Hot Coffee, Hot Tea and Other Hot Drinks, with inputs on individual segment share within each category and the change in their market share forecast for 2014-2019
Leading players: Market share of brands and private labels, private label growth analysis during 2011-2014
Distribution data: Value shares within each category through channels such as Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Food & Drinks Specialists and more
Packaging data: usage of different packaging materials and containers in each category, in terms of percentage share of number of units sold. Packaging materials: flexible packaging, rigid plastics, rigid metal and others; containers: tray, tub, foil and others
Reasons to Buy
Identify high potential categories and explore further market opportunities based on detailed value and volume analysis
Existing and new players can analyse key distribution channels to identify and evaluate trends and opportunities
Gain an understanding of the total competitive landscape based on detailed brand share analysis to plan effective market positioning
Access the key and most influential consumer trends driving Hot Drinks consumption, and how they influence consumer behavior in the market which will help determine the best audiences to target
Our team of analysts have placed a significant emphasis on changes expected in the market that will provide a clear picture of the opportunities that can be tapped over the next five years, resulting in revenue expansion
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Report Scope
Country Context
Macroeconomic indicators-Population and age structure, GDP and Consumer Price Index
National retail and foodservice figures-Key Takeouts
Market Overview
Market value and volume for the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Historical and projected consumption in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Degree of trade up/down-trade in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Market volume of Ukraine Hot Drinks by category
Historical and project market value of Ukraine Hot Drinks by category
Winners and losers in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Average category level pricing in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Segment share of the category and change in market share in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Retail Landscape and Key Distribution Channels
Leading retailers in the Ukraine food market
Leading distribution channels in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Leading distribution channels by category in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Ukraine Hot Drinks market by type of packaging
Ukraine Hot Drinks market by type of packaging closure/outer
Ukraine Hot Drinks market by type of packaging, forecasted
Brand and Private Label Share
Penetration of private label, by categories, in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Private label performance compare to national brands in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market
Leading brands in the Ukraine Hot Drinks market by category
Country context
Sector overview
Category data
Segment data
Packaging data
Category definitions
Segment definitions
Channel definitions
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Carte Noire
Ukraine, Hot Drinks, Hot Coffee, Hot Tea, Other Hot Drinks, Instant Coffee, Roast and Ground Coffee, Coffee Beans, Chocolate-Based Hot Drinks, Malt-Based Hot Drinks, Black Speciality Tea, Black Standard Tea, Fruit and Herbal Tea, Green Tea, Instant Tea, Tea Pods, Other Tea, distribution, Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Food & Drinks Specialists, channel share, brand share, market share, packaging, materials, containers, closure, outer, volume share, value share
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