text:
A discussion / introduction to EEM, and basic configurations.
Why EEM?
Embedded Event Manager (EEM) allows you to have event tracking and management functionality directly on the Cisco IOS device, rather than on an external device. By having the configuration locally, actions can still be taken, even if the connection to an external monitoring station is unavailable. Plus, it is a great topic that can be used to challenge (or torment) CCIE candidates.
EEM Components:
Let's start by taking a look at the components of EEM: EEM server, event publishers, and event subscribers.
EEM server – an internal process that handles the interaction between the publishers and subscribers.
EEM publisher (detector) – software that screens events, publishes if there is a policy match. Some of the different detectors are CLI, NetFlow, SNMP, syslog, timers and counters. Newer releases have more options available.
EEM subscriber (policy) – defines an event and actions to be taken. There are two policy types, applets and scripts. Applets are defined within CLI, scripts are written using TCL.
For this section, we are just going to look at some of the basic applet configurations, which are defined using the CLI.
Policy Creation:
Basic steps for creating a policy:
1. Select event
2. Define detector options for the event
3. Define variables (if needed)
4. Define actions (optional)
Variables will be covered more in part two. This section is focusing on events and actions.
Start off by creating the applet with the CLI command event manager applet YYY, where YYY is the applet name that you want to use.
For a basic applet configuration, we will have an event and one or more actions.
Defining the event:
For the command syntax, we have the option of just specifying an event, or specifying an event with a tag value. Newer versions allow multiple events to be specified, and the tag values are used to correlate to attribute tags. We will come back to attribute tags in a later example, for now, just be aware that if you only have a single event, the tag is optional. Here are some sample event config lines. As mentioned earlier, without tags and additional configuration, you would only have one of these lines within your applet.
event syslog pattern ".*UPDOWN.*FastEthernet1/0.*" event none event track 99 state any event timer cron cron-entry "15 13 * * 1-5"
There are a variety of different event detectors. For some of these we will go into greater detail, but here is a quick list of what some of the various options watch:
cli – screening CLI input for regex
counter – watch a named counter
interface – generic interface counters / thresholds (absolute or incremental)
ioswdsysmon – watchdog – CPU / memory values/ thresholds
ipsla – watch for SLA events
nf – watch for NetFlow events
none – allows an event to be run manually
oir – hardware – online insertion removal events
resource – event from embedded resource manager
rf – dual RP – redundancy framework
routing – changes to RIB
rpc – invoke from off-box using SSH/SOAP encoding to exchange XML messages
snmp – monitor a MIB object for values / thresholds
snmp-notification – match info in trap/inform messages
syslog – screen for regex match
timer – absolute time of day, countdown, watchdog, CRON
track – Tracking object event
Note: If you do not configure an event, your applet will not show as registered, and you will receive an error message when exiting applet configuration mode.
Let's take a look at some of the detectors in more detail.
This detector will let you manually trigger, using the event manager applet YYY run command, where YYY is the name of your applet.
CLI Detector
This detector allows for regex matching of CLI input.
Some of the various options that we have within the CLI detector:
Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
With Synchronous ( sync yes), the CLI command in question is not executed until the policy exits. Whether or not the command runs depends on the value for the variable _exit_status. If _exit_status is 1, the command runs, if it is 0, the command is skipped. (More on configuring variables later in part two.)
With Asynchronous (sync no), the event is published, and is the command can be suppressed (skip yes) or executed (skip no)
Timer Detector
Some of the various options include:
countdown – counts down to 0
watchdog – counts down to 0 and then resets to initial value
CRON – uses CRON specification
For those of you not familiar with CRON, here is a basic field listing and examples:
minute – range 0 to 59
hour – range 0 to 23
day of month 1 to 31
month of year 1 to 12
day of week – 0 to 6 (Sunday is 0)
For individual fields, an asterisk represents all valid values, a comma can specify a list of values, and a hyphen can specify a range.
"1 1 1 1 *" 1:01 AM, 1 January
"1 9 * * 1-5″ 9:01 AM, Monday-Friday
"5 8,16 * * 0,6″ 8:05 AM or 4:05 PM, Saturday or Sunday
SNMP trap detector
watch for a trap with a specified OID.
Track detector
Watch for change in a defined track object. Can watch for going down to up (up), up to down (down), or either of those two changes (any)
Compared to the event types, the IOS descriptions for actions are a lot more straightforward.
With multiple actions, the tags will be sorted in ascending alphanumeric (lexicographical) order, using the label. Most examples use labels like 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, but using numbers and decimal values is not required.
Here is a sample list of action commands with various tag values, as sorted by the device. Notice that numbers come before letters, and that upper case letters come before lower case. Also, notice that 11 comes before 2 in the sort order, since it is sorted by the order of the individual characters.
action ... puts "where" action 1.0 puts "Reno" action 11.0 puts "Today" action 2.0 puts "EEM" action RRR puts "ABC" action abc puts "12345" action nnn puts nonewline "test123" action rrr puts "hellothere"
Action prerequisites
This may be self-explanatory, but there are times when you need to have additional configuration outside of the applet. Here are some examples, as well as items that may not already be configured.
Action: Requirement:
Track - Define objects
SNMP – Trap Basic snmp config, enable traps event-manager
Syslog - Logging enabled
Individual Actions
OK, so let's look at some of the actions, grouped by functions:
cli – execute a CLI command
gets/puts – used to send to or pull from tty.
mail/syslog/snmp-trap/cns-event – used to send messages
increment/decrement/append – changing variables
if/else/elseif/while/end/break/continue/foreach – conditional operators
wait – pause for a period of time
track – read or set a tracking object
regexp – match
reload/force-switchover – system actions
add/subtract/multiply/divide – hopefully self-explanatory, if you have no idea what these might be used for, then perhaps you have much bigger issues than EEM to worry about.
Applet Examples:
OK, now lets take a look at some examples. Since we are focusing on the available actions, we will use the event value of none, so that we can manually run these, and don't have to wait for an event to be triggered.
Basic example to "no shut" for an interface, and save the config afterwards.
event manager applet NOSHUT event none action 1.0 cli command "enable" action 2.0 cli command "config term" action 3.0 cli command "interface Ser0/0/0" action 4.0 cli command "no shut" action 5.0 cli command "end" action 6.0 cli command "write mem"
Basic track and put example. Define the Track object first, configure the applet to read the object state. Object state will be stored by default with the variable _track_state. The puts command can output the value of the variable.
track 1 stub-object default-state down event manager applet EOT event none action 110 track read 1 action 111 puts "Object 1 is $_track_state." ! Run the applet Router#event manager run EOT down
Next example, still using track and puts. Here, we want to set the value for the object as well. Even though the applet sets the state of the object, that state is not entered into the variable _track_state unless you read the value. Additional discussion on variables will be covered in part two of this blog entry.
event manager applet EOT2 event none action 110 track set 1 state up action 110a track read 1 action 111 puts "$_track_state" action 112 track set 1 state down action 112a track read 1 action 113 puts "$_track_state" Router#event manager run EOT2 up down
If you look at the output of show track, it will show that EEM made the state changes.
Router#show track 1 Track 1 Stub-object State is Down 3 changes, last change 00:00:10, by EEM Router#
Basic example using gets, puts, and wait:
event manager applet G event none maxrun 300 action 1 gets LINE1 action 2 puts "$LINE1" action 3 puts "start" action 4 wait 50 action 5 puts "end wait" action 6 gets LINE2 action 7 puts "$LINE2"
Note: If you don't configure the "maxrun" parameter when configuring "wait", you may think the applet is broken, and you may not see the items after the wait. The default for "maxrun" is 20 seconds.
Once you have an applet defined, you may want to use it in other locations. Here, we have the applet titled RUNTEST2 configured to call the applet TEST2 after sending a message to the tty line.
event manager applet TEST2 event none action 1.0 cli command "enable" action 2.0 cli command "config term" action 3.0 cli command "interface Ser0/0/0" action 4.0 cli command "no shut" action 5.0 cli command "end" action 6.0 cli command "write mem" event manager applet RUNTEST2 event none action 1 puts "Enabling Ser0/0/0 Interface" action 2 policy TEST2 Router#event manager run RUNTEST2 Enabling Ser0/0/0 Interface Router# Jan 18 12:15:57.063: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by on vty0 (EEM:TEST2) Router# Jan 18 12:15:59.071: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0/0/0, changed state to up Router# Jan 18 12:16:00.131: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0/0/0, changed state to up Router#
As mentioned earlier, the variable "_exit_status" can be used with synchronous CLI events. Here, we are setting the exit status to 0, so that the command isn't run. In addition, a syslog message with priority 0 is configured.
event manager applet NOSAVE event cli pattern "write mem.*" sync yes action 1.0 syslog priority emergencies msg "Not Allowed" action 2.0 set _exit_status "0"
For asynchronous events, you can determing whether the command runs (skip no), or doesn't run (skip yes) keyword options within the event command. Here, we have an applet that is setting a syslog message, and is not allowing the command to execute.
event manager applet NOSAVE2 event cli pattern "write mem.*" sync no skip yes action 1.0 syslog priority emergencies msg "NO!"
As mentioned earlier, it is possible to have an event without an action. You may receive a warning message that you do not have an action configured, but the event will still trigger. In the case below, the CLI interception will prevent someone from using the write mem command.
event manager applet NOSAVE2 event cli pattern "write me.*" sync no skip yes
More examples, in addition to some more complex configurations, will be covered in part two.
About INE Instructor:
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
12 Responses to "EEM Demystified, part 1"
Thanks. I really needed a good walkthrough.
Hi, I was reviewing the EOT applet, and had a question. Is "_track_state" an established "bucket" for tracing info from tracking commands? What happens if multiple applets write to the same "_track_state"?
h3. ========
Here is the line I am referring to:
action 111 puts "Object 1 is $_track_state."
Could you do an OLS and cover EEM demystified posts and answer questions? I am looking at EOT2 and have some questions. well, since you asked… EOT2 doesn't have comments on what each command is doing. It seems like after READING a value you can then "PUT" that value and take the tracked object UP and then DOWN. I know I need to RTFM. That is the next step after I am demystified!
Track state is a variable, with either up or down. The current condition for the variable is based on the last time the variable was written.
There was an OLS done on the topic as well. I believe the date was Jan 28th, should be available to view the recorded version.
I understand you can create user defined variables or use the Cisco pre-defined variables. But where did you get the $_track_state variable?
action 111 puts "Object 1 is $_track_state."
Also in the last EEM blog I saw there was another variable $_cli_result
puts $_cli_result
So where are you getting those variables from? Are those pre-defined Cisco variables? When I do the command below, I don't get any output:
Rack6R1#sho event manager environment all
The variables _track_state and _cli_result are pre-defined Cisco variables.
There is a partial list of variables, in addition to some examples, in the configuration guide for writing EEM policies.
Hi, is EEM TCL Scripting requeired for the lab or just with CLI?
The variables like $_track_state and $_cli_result can be found at
the command reference :
In IOS you can also see some (not all?) predefined variables
>"show event manager detector detailed"
>"show event manager environment" only shows the variables you have set yourself with "action set"
I'd like to use EEM to monitor IP SLA tracking changes. I found "event track 99 state any" command is no longer available on EEM version 3.0. Instead, "event ipsla…" seems to be the replacement. Can you explain the use of the new syntax? Thanks.
[...] You can replace value by an asterisk, which is matching everything. All asterisks mean, run the applet every minute. Asterisk on the hour place means, run the script every hour, etc. Some handy tricks are here. [...]
For those not familiar with CRON, this link explains things really well:
ps…you'll definitely need to know this.
Leave a Reply


text:
Folsom's Local Glass Repair Experts
Home Glass Services
New window or shower glass in your home adds brightness, beauty and energy-efficiency. Glass Doctor of The Gold Country specialists guide you every step of the way in your home improvement project; walking you through the design, installation and home care of your new glass installation. Sun causes windows to age rapidly, so Folsom panes are prone to greater strain. We'll replace your old windows with new, energy-efficient insulated glass panes. Your home will not only look better and brighter, it will function better as well, with just the right product for your individual needs.
Auto Glass Services
Auto Glass is an important safety component in your vehicle. It's crucial to maintain it and keep your windshield free of chips or cracks that could compromise its structural integrity and safety. Our specialists repair your windshield in about an hour. If a replacement is needed, we use only the best products and adhesives to ensure that your auto glass is safe and long-lasting.
Business Glass Services
Glass adds function and style as well as security to your business. Folsom business owners enjoy custom glass solutions, designed specifically for the business and installed at their convenience. Our specialists quickly and professionally replace your damaged windowpanes. Enroll in our Advance Measurement system, we'll survey your facility and measure all of your storefront glass panes. We keep a record of your business glass needs, including any safety requirements. If your commercial glass is damaged, we're ready to quickly replace it and restore your business.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
General Information
|Print Page
|E-mail Page
|E-mail Alerts
|RSS Feeds
Analyst Coverage
Brokerage Firms & Financial Analysts
The following 21 brokerage firms and analysts follow Lockheed Martin. Any opinions, estimates or forecasts concerning Lockheed Martin made by these analysts are theirs alone and do not represent the opinions, forecasts or predictions of Lockheed Martin Corporation or its management. The inclusion of these analysts below does not imply the endorsement or concurrence by Lockheed Martin of the analysts' conclusions or recommendations.


text:
As we all know by now, there are videotapes available to assist men and women in just about every pursuit: exercising, dressing correctly, making a good business impression.
There is something new in the realm of videotapes, though. A series of tapes has been produced by Video Data Services, of Roanoke, Va. The videotapes are not aimed at humans. They are aimed at birds. Specifically, parrots.


text:
Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Administrative Offices
About Us: Princeton Regional Schools, as a recipient of federal aid, continues to abide by the provisions of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in schools, whether it is in academics or athletics. No individual in the Princeton Regional Schools system shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or...
Be the first NJ.com user to add photos or videos of Princeton High School
Princeton High School, operated by the Princeton Regional Schools, offers education to students in grades nine through 12. It literature department provides classes in British and world literature. The social studies courses offered by the school include American history, economics, sociology and psychology. The school s business education department provides classes in business law,...


text:
Monday's Mtg: What is religion's proper role in U.S. politics?
We haven't done a meeting on religion in a while, so I thought a topic on religion's role in politics would make for a nice, wide-ranging discussion. It also gives us a partial reprieve from the constant bombardment of Trump Administration news. (Partial because he is rolling out many policies that are favorites of the religious Right and that could alter the role of organized religion in politics in substantial ways.)
Obviously, for lots of reasons religion has always been very intimate with politics in the United States and is going to stay that way. Almost two-thirds of Americans say religion is either important or very important in their daily lives. By placing limits on any particular sect's political power, the 1st Amendment arguably encourages healthy competition among religious POVs for political influence. Our high (until now!) immigration levels ensure religion stays popular and vibrant. Voters are going to keep rewarding politicians that affirm their piety and justify policies in religious terms, and people of faith will keep boldly organizing to see their values represented in politics.
Still, might this be changing in the 21st century? As you know secularism is on the rise, especially among young Americans. About one in five U.S. adults say religion is not important to them, a three-fold increase in just 20 years. Public support for explicitly faith-based politics/policies has been trending (very slowly) downward. The religious Right is not what it used to be, and the religious Left never seems to organize effectively.
On the other hand, religious conservatives are the foot soldiers of the Republican Party. They voted in droves for Donald Trump and are about to be rewarded handsomely for helping to put the GOP in complete control of the federal government and of 33 state governments. Trump's outrages may be energizing religious progressives. They are especially outraged over his immigration policies and – maybe – they can unite to oppose the coming large cuts to the social safety net.
The following discussion questions are among the things we could discuss on Monday. I will start us off by summarizing the major changes Trump is making to appease the religious Right. Some are big deals. Then, we can debate any of my discussion questions or anything else related to the role religion does or should play in our political system.
- Public: What role does religion play in forming Americans' political beliefs and influencing their votes and political participation? à What role "should" it play? à Is religion's influence over our politics waxing or waning?
- Partisans: How powerful and comparable are the religious Right and Left these days?
- Politicians & Policies: How big a role does religion play in politicians' decision-making and policymaking?
- Issues: What are big current issues re
- Free exercise / religious liberty?
- Govt establishment of / support for religion?
- Discrimination against, for, or by religious Americans?
- Specific policy areas; e.g., repro rights, health care, immigration, education, foreign policy?
- Future: Will religion's role in our politics decline or increase? Why/so what?
The Public, religion, and politics –
- The political leanings of major U.S. religious groups.
- Americans hear lots of political opinions from the pulpit. Recommended.
Religious Right and Left movements –
- Religious conservatives were being consistent in backing Trump! But backing him will kill off the religious Right. Recommended.
- No, the religious Right is here to stay.
- Can the religious Left lead a Democratic revival? Dems need them (long, Lefty).
Trump and hot issues –
- His planned executive order on religious freedom is celebrated by religious Right, hated by Dems. Recommended.
- Johnson Amendment: Repealing it same + it's a huge deal. Recommended.
- In defense of religious liberty. Recommended.
NEXT WEEK: Is U.S. global leadership collapsing?
Monday's Mtg: Will America's Death Penalty Fade Away? (inc. Props. 62 and 66)
On November 8, Californians may abolish the state's death penalty. Proposition 62 would ban capital punishment outright, including retroactively by converting all 746 prisoners on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. If Prop. 62 passes, we would become the 21th state to ban capital punishment outright. Four other states have governor-issued moratoria on executions.
But, it's not a done deal in CA. I have not checked how 62 is polling yet. But, a similar proposition failed in 2012, although by just a 52-48 margin. Also, death penalty proponents thought of a clever tactic this time around. They qualified a rival proposition, Prop. 66, to address the worst procedural problems in our state's death penalty process. By increasing the number of defense lawyers eligible to represent death row inmates and reducing the number of permissible appeals to help speed up the decades-long (and thus arguably cruel and unusual) process, Prop. 66's backers hope to split the queasy-about-it-all vote and stop repeal.
How big a deal would death penalty abolition be in California? Yeah, it's the Left Coast. But, some serious people are starting to argue that the USA is near a tipping point on the death penalty. The number of U.S. executions has been declining for years (only 28 in 2015). Botched ones keep making big news. The 2016 national Democratic Party platform called for outright abolition for the first time. Nebraska just became the first red state in modern times to end the death penalty. One major recent poll showed nationwide public support for the death penalty has fallen below 50% for the first time.
On the other hand, 51% does not magically change policy (okay, except on the ballot in CA). I've read that the Supreme Court has never had more than two justices willing to declare that capital punishment inherently violates the 8th Amendment's cruel and unusual standard. Absent such a ruling, abolition will remain a state-by-state issue, guaranteeing the death penalty's survival for a long, long time, at least in deep red states.
So, what will happen? Here are some questions we might want to get into on Monday evening, plus some background readings that focus on the chances of abolition. (We did a meeting on whether capital punishment should be abolished in 2014.)
- Props: Discuss merits of Propositions 62 and 66.
- Arguments: Why do people support death penalty (e.g., vengeance, deterrence, religious belief, inertia)? Why oppose it (morality/religious, cruel/unusual, racial disparity, cost…)? Is there a difference between the reasons people cite and their real reasons? What would it take to change people's minds? Your mind?
- Public & politicians: Why has public opinion changed? Will it keep moving against the death penalty? What might it take to reverse or accelerate that trend? What incentives do lawmakers have to take risks versus avoid this issue?
- Courts: Will SCOTUS ever ban the death penalty outright? On what basis? Or, will it keep slowly restricting its use (minors, intellectually-disabled, murders only, etc.)?
- Alternatives: Can the "machinery of death" (Justice Blackman's phrase) ever be reformed enough to eliminate its inequities? Regardless, would either side ever be satisfied?
- Prop. 62 and 66: Good summary here. In bullet format with links to op-eds here. Recommended.
- Poll: Support is at a 40-year low, but still a plurality. Men still support it and Republicans strongly support it.
- Nine reasons why support is declining. Or, four reasons. Both.
- Wrong. Public opinion is changing glacially, so capital punishment will be around for a long time.
- How Hillary's election could speed abolition. Recommended
- Pros/Cons: A (meh) basic discussion of pro/con arguments on capital punishment, if you want it.
Next Week (Oct 24): The other 15 ballot propositions, or maybe we'll just read War and Peace instead.
Monday's Mtg: How Far Left Will the Democratic Party Move?
Well, the Democrats seem united, and with a clear strategy, too. As you know, it's pretty typical for a party's presidential nominee to tack to the center after the convention. But, it seems the Dems really are going to try to take advantage of the GOP nominating a nut job for president by moving both leftward and rightward at the same time.
As everybody knows, Bernie Sanders' surprising success resulted in a party platform that is farther to the left than it has been in living memory. As we'll discuss on Monday, it's generational changeover that are driving this bus. Millennials are very liberal (or just incoherent?), on both social and economic issues. The Republican Party has no idea how to appeal to young people and the Dems are trying to cement their loyalty for a generation.
But, the Dem convention made it crystal clear (in that showy and repetitive way party conventions do) that Hillary Clinton's Democratic Party wants to expand the Obama coalition, not just replicate it. They are making a play to peel off college-educated White moderate voters from the GOP, a group that's been loyal to the latter since roughly the Reagan era. If they can pull it off over a few back-to-back elections, the Democrats will have pulled off a rare, historic political realignment that could last decades.
Except…how can the Democrats go in both directions at once? Even if they do so successfully this electoral cycle, can it last? Can the Dems satisfy the growing progressive sentiments of Democratic voters and pick off the low hanging fruit of an increasingly extremist GOP without flying apart from the internal contradictions?
I suggest we grope for tentative answers to these questions the same basic way we did last week when we discussed the future of the Republican Party. In brief opening remarks, I will try to lay out how the basic building blocks of the Democratic Party are changing: Its leadership, institutions, and voting blocs. The "emerging Democratic majority" that was confidently predicted in a well-known 1999 book hasn't actually emerged in a stable form. But, it might, helped along in the near-term by Trump and in the longer-term by other factors that created Trump (last week's discussion) and within the Democratic Party (this week's).
Obviously, the future is too contingent to predict with much confidence. But, I think we can have another great discussion like the one we had picking over the GOP's bleached bones last week.
- What does "progressive" mean right now? Policies: Econ + social issues? Rhetoric? Abstract beliefs like size/reach of govt? Inclusiveness? Exclusiveness?
–> Is Left/Right too simple a way to describe our politics, or at least many voters?
- How liberal are Dem right now, in terms of their (1) elected officials and (2) voters? Has the Party really been moving rapidly leftwards recently?
- If so (or if not), why? Leaders, institutions, voters, events?
- Is it permanent?
–> Will the forces moving Dems leftwards last? Will new trends emerge?
–> What about countervailing forces, including the GOP response?
–> If Dem coalition gets bigger, must it get more centrist?
- Ought: What do you think the Democrats should do (morally + strategically)?
- Why the "emerging Democratic majority" coalition never happened.
- Demographics do NOT guarantee a new era of Dem dominance. Recommended.
Movement leftwards so far –
- On economics, both Obama and Dem electorate have moved left.
- Conservative POV: Really, really left on everything.
- Wrong. As this graph shows, Dem elected officials even in the House have moved only a little left since 1980. It is House Republicans that moved far to the right.
The future Democratic Party will be…
- More progressive:
- Bernie is the future of the Democratic Party. Recommended.
- Dems are becoming "a movement party," and why not?
- Maybe not. We just don't know yet. Data-driven.
- Too progressive: If Dems chase ideological purity like the GOP has. Recommended.
- Less progressive:
- They will absorb orphaned Republicans and be the big-tent, "new party of Lincoln."
- Most Democrats are NOT progressives.
Next Week (Aug 8): Is Obamacare working? What comes next?
Monday's Mtg: When Is War Justified?
It's a particularly apt time for us to discuss the moral justifications for war. Monday is Memorial Day, sure, and for several years we have been agonizing over whether there is a moral imperative to intervene in Syria's civil war and/or use U.S. ground troops to destroy ISIS.
But, several recent developments sweeten the pot for us. Today (Friday) President Obama visited Hiroshima, and he offered no apology for the atomic bombs. Just last month the Catholic Church decided to formally abandon (wow) its long-standing Catholic Just War Doctrine after a 3-day meeting convened by Pope Francis. That doctrine lays out the conditions under which a war may be started and conducted and still be moral. Francis is said to be working on a new encyclical on war and violence which will bring doctrine "closer to Christ's teachings." And, of course, on any given day Donald Trump tells cheering crowds that he would revive torture, murder terrorists' families, and just annihilate all of our enemies without regard to the moral costs to innocents or to us.
The exact details in Just War Theory are, I figure, up to Catholics to decide for themselves. But, I thought the Just War Doctrine would serve as a nice stepping off point to explore the moral justifications of war more generally because the moral questions the Doctrine seeks to answer are the same ones we wrestle with any time we contemplate use of military force. As was noted when we debated the causes of modern wars last year, armed conflict in the 21st century is evolving in some important ways. I ask you: Do the moral justifications for war need to evolve with it, to better reflect a new century of stateless terrorist networks, hybrid revolutionary-terrorist-criminal group like ISIS, failed states, cyber attacks, and drones?
Below are some readings on Just War philosophy and these emerging issues in war and morality. I'll see you all on Memorial Day evening. A new topic list for June – September will be available.
- Catholics: What is Catholic Just War Doctrine? What moral questions does it address and when does it say war can be a moral act?
- Laws: How do the international Laws of War and U.S. law permit wars to be started and fought?
- Presidents: How did Presidents Obama and George W. Bush do so? How different? What is Hillary's/Trump's POV?
- Public: Do Americans agree on the moral justifications for waging and conducting wars and their aftermaths? Do conservatives and progressives really disagree much? Why do they cheer Trump's bloodthirsty remarks?
- You: When do you think war is justified? Self defense only? Defend our allies? Preemptive and preventive war? Stop nuclear proliferation. Humanitarian intervention? What's fair in drone use, cyber defense/offense, Gitmo, torture, etc.
- 21st century: Do political changes (like terror networks and failed states) and technological developments (like cyber warfare and drones) change the moral calculus / moral limits on war?
CivCon Mtgs on War: What causes modern wars? ISIS. Did we have to drop the bombs on Japan?
Just War Theory basics:
- An expert explains it in 2012 at NYT: Part 1 and Part Two. Recommended
Or, see this 2015 Wash Post explainer: One. Recommended.
- Much more detail on just war philosophy, if you want it.
Obama and just wars:
- Obama's POV on when war is morally justified. Recommended.
- The Obama Doctrine: An amazingly candid (but optional very long) interview with Obama 3/16 at Atlantic Monthly.
Emerging Issues:
- Are the international Laws of War under siege or gaining ground? Recommended.
- ISIS and just war theory.
- Is drone warfare moral warfare? Read the one you disagree with.
Next Week: Are there better ways to police the police?
Monday's Mtg: From Bundy to Black Lives – When Is Civil Disobedience Justified?
Breaking the law in order to highlight its injustice (one, but not the only, definition of civil disobedience) is all around us these days. In our crowded media environment, many individual acts or organized campaigns of civil disobedience don't break through to the mass media. But, some that did in a big way are:
- Black Lives Matter;
- Occupy Wall Street;
- Protestors disrupting Donald Trump rallies;
- Cliven Bundy, et. al., facing down authorities in Nevada and Oregon to protest federal govt land policies;
- Local government officials (like Kim Davis in Kentucky) refusing to sign same sex marriage licenses;
- Edward Snowden leaking classified information on NSA eavesdropping programs.
Some of thee efforts involved many legal as well as illegal acts, of course, and some have achieved a lot more than just publicity. Black Lives Matter has had a major impact on the Democratic presidential primary and renewed efforts to reform policing. (We will discuss police reform and oversight on June 8.) The anti-Trump protestors have influenced the Republican presidential primary process, just maybe not in the way they intended. Others either fizzled out (Bundy) or just need more time to grow support (Snowden, perhaps).
The perpetrators of all of these illegal acts done for a higher purpose routinely cite as their inspirations famous civil disobedience actions of the past by abolitionists, civil and women's rights activists, etc. As the author of one recent book on the subject puts it, civil disobedience is an American Tradition.
Now, I believe we may be entering a new era of political activism. Why is a subject for another days – many, actually. But I see this new era as arising from widespread public discontent with our political system and parties, income stagnation, and rapid demographic and cultural change. I think civil disobedience will play a heightened role in our politics because of the Internet and social media. Even if I'm wrong, the recent big protest movements cited above are well worth a meeting.
My idea here is for us to see if we can identify some universal principles on when civil disobedience might be morally and politically justifiable. We'll look to our own values and our current political and social environment, sure. But we also can use our history, others' histories (e.g., from Gandhi all the way to terrorism!), religion, and philosophy. The latter two have been arguing about when civil disobedience is and is not justified for generations. There are many interesting questions we can pose. For example…
- DEFINITION: What is "civil disobedience [CD]?" How does it differ from passive resistance or non-cooperation?
a. Must CD be non-violent? What is non-violence, anyway?
b. When does CD become something else, like insurrection?
- CURRENT: What major CD movements/acts are occurring right now?
a. How have they been justified by their perpetrators?
b. Are they helping or hindering budding political movements?
- PAST: Are there any major lessons from U.S. history on when civil disobedience is justified? Do all Americans agree on them?
a. Has it all depended on the object of the disobedience; i.e., on the morality of the goal? What else has mattered?
b. Has CD ever worked by itself, unattached to a big political movement?
- RELIGION and PHILOSOPHY: What do they say about civil disobedience? When is it justified and within what limits?
- LAW/GOVT/YOU/ME: Should the law treat acts of civil disobedience differently from ordinary law-breaking?
a. What about when there is no democracy or no way to redress grievances?
b. Is CD ever morally or religiously required?
Movements involving civil disobedience [CD]:
- Black Lives Matter has hugely influenced the Democratic Party. Recommended.
- Mass arrests of anti-Citizens United protestors happened just last week at the U.S. capitol building.
- Bundy stand-offs: What were they all about?
- Other recent conservative uses of civil disobedience. Recommended.
- MLK's Letter from a Birmingham jail, 1963. Highly recommended because notice how he justifies taking direct action.
- Still, civil disobedience involves many thorny issues. Recommended.
- Civil disobedience in philosophy. A hard read from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Problem with + limits to civil disobedience:
- The public usually sides against law-breakers, per the "Bigger Asshole" axiom. Recommended
- Targeted vs. untargeted civil disobedience.
- Crowds are disinhibiting and riots lead to backlashes.
Building grass roots political movements
- We had a great meeting in 2014 on why they fail or succeed, including this link.
Next Week: Thomas Jefferson and His Legacy. Jim Z. will guide us!
Monday's (3/27/16) Mtg: Is Political Correctness a Real Problem?
Debating the meaning and importance of "political correctness" (PC) is James' idea. It's well-timed. Conservatives are practically obsessed with it these days. When they're not beating up on each other, all the remaining GOP presidential candidates routinely accuse Democrats of failing to honestly face the true causes and culprits of our national problems out of fear of offending someone. Usually that someone is either minorities, foreigners, or the Democrats' own PC posse.
This is the accusation even on terrorism. Donald Trump: "We're losing the war on terror because of political correctness." Ted Cruz, as part of his post-Belgium call to have U.S. law enforcement patrol "Muslim neighborhoods," said "We need a president who sets aside political correctness [and] tries to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear. The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we can be are at an end." I could scare up dozens of similar quotes on most major political topics. I really believe Republicans will try to make political correctness and its allegedly grip on Democrats the main theme of the entire 2016 election. Not kidding.
Still, I think (some) accusations of being politically correct deserve more of a response than sarcasm. Just because the GOP is abusing the term does not mean there is no such thing as PC or that it isn't a problem – at least in some contexts. A number of progressive commentators have expressed concern about the chilling effects of political correctness on intra-Party debates. President Obama has called out political correctness on college campuses as an impediment to honest, inclusive debate. Regular people complain about PC, too, not just bigots and professional political rabble rousers.
To be sure, other progressives have pushed back hard on the notion that leftists have hijacked honest political dialogue for any reason, much less petty ones. I will take a little time to explain their arguments in my opening remarks Monday night. They are important because there are much larger issues here than just peer pressure over nouns and adjectives. Language is a tool of power, often invisibly so. The terminology we use and feel constrained not to use when we talk about politics or culture (or rights of justice) tends to reflect who has power and who doesn't. To me, the issue of power is just one of many subterranean aspects of our escalating political correctness war – and nt all of them favor the progressive POV. If we are to take both sides of this conflict seriously (they sure take themselves seriously), then we need to explore these larger issues percolating below the surface.
In my opening, I'll try to
- Explain the traditional meaning(s) of political correctness and, to the extent I grok it, the conservative arguments as to why it's such a big problem; and
- Briefly lay out the arguments people on the Left use to argue that PC is just a slur and an excuse to be rude or biased.
I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all think of this issue.
- What has being "political correctness" traditionally meant? Who/what was the label directed at and what actual problems were attributed to it?
- How do conservatives use the term today? What specifically do they say the term means and what problems do they say it causes?
- Do they have a point? Are progressives too quick to argue by accusing others of bad faith or bigotry?
- Why is fighting PC so urgent to the Right? Which individuals, institutions, and events are driving this obsession? Root causes?
- Why do some progressives agree that PC is out of hand?
- Who do they say is being harmed by it and how much?
- Politeness: Is being PC benign, mostly an insistence on respecting people?
- Power: Is PC really about trying to broaden our dialogue by dropping labels that bias discussion and perpetuate some peoples' power and privilege? Are growing diversity and minority power in U.S. society the real story here?
- Past: Is PC really worse today and on the Left? Don't both sides police rhetoric and accuse each other of bad faith?
- Offense/defense: Is crying "PC" itself PC, an effort to silence/delegitimize critics? Is it a sword instead of a shield?
- ISSUES: Is there anything to the PC accusation conserving terrorism, illegela immigration, etc.?
- Complaints:
- A liberal complains about PC's malign influence. (well-argued but long)
- Obama has criticized PC at on campus and it's a real problem there.
- Conservative POV: Political correctness on the Left created Trump.
- [Update] Here's a great short comment from a center-left commentator I respect that shows some sympathy – and empathy – for regular people that feel suffocated by political correctness.]
- [Update II] Has PC infested San Diego city govt? I link you decide.
- Rebuttals:
- "Political correctness" is mostly just code for "don't insult or stereotype people."
- The real reason why GOP candidates are obsessed with PC. Recommended.
- Crying "PC" turns punching down into punching up; victimizers into fake victims. Recommended.
- PC is mostly a good and necessary thing.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar op-ed: Every GOP candidate is wrong about political correctness. Recommended. Seriously.
Next Week: Is our legal system being privatized?
Monday's Mtg (2/15/16):What Does "Socialism" Mean Today?
Socialism lives. In the United States. At least as an abstract idea. Bernie Sanders' no-longer-quixotic presidential campaign seems to be reviving the label's popularity almost single-handedly. "Socialism" was the most searched for word at the Mirriam-Webster website in 2015, and surveys show public approval of "socialism" is rising fast, especially among Millennials. Go, Bernie, I suppose. And, yet…
A couple of yets. First, Bernie's version of socialism seems to be more like European-style Democratic social democracy than any of the old-style forms of socialism, in which the government or workers own the means of production. Second, he has yet to flesh out a lot of the details of his version of socialism. Abstract ideas are often more popular than their detailed policies/programs version. (See "conservatism.") Also, Bernie's socialism has not yet been subjected to the white hot flame of full on news media scrutiny – or to the supernova of GOP attacks.
Finally, socialism is still a dirty word to most Americans, especially older ones that vote a lot. Perhaps it even deserves to be or, at least, so many Americans' objections to a large expansion of government need to be taken seriously by progressives. (FYI, at the last debate Bernie repeatedly dodged the question of how much he would expand government)
Before any of this extended combat happens, I thought it might be a good time for us to explore what socialism could mean in the 21st century. Bernie's isn't the only possible version of socialism, to say the least. Europe alone has 2-3 different varieties of social democracy, not just the Scandinavian model. Asia has its own successful models of what today's American conservatives would pan as "socialism" in Korea, Taiwan, and (gulp) China. Some socialists still believe that unless concentrated private power is abolished all versions of socialism are just window dressing (see link).
I'm hoping we have a good turnout on Monday, so I will not prepare any lengthy opening remarks. I'll probably just briefly summarize Bernie's vision of socialism and briefly compare it to other social democratic systems around the world.
Many of you are big Bernie fans. I urge you to read the links below to make sure you know what he actually stands for and how it differs from the socialism many of us remember from an earlier time.
- THEN: What did socialism used to mean?
- NOW: What models of social democracy exist around the world today? How "socialist" are they?
- BERNIE: What does he mean by socialism? How does it really differ from
–> The policy consensus within the Democratic Party?
–> Hillary's platform?
- WHY has "socialism" gained popularity in America? What do you think people think it means?
- HOW do American conservatives define socialism and why do they despise it?
–> Do they have a point?
- FUTURE: What version of socialism in the 21st century could"
- Work to solve USA's problems?
- Be popular enough with the public to actually be enacted and endure?
- Why did socialism never take hold in America? Other CivCon meetings on socialism.
- Bernie Sanders' version of socialism:
- His 11/15 speech on the meaning of socialism.
- The 12 big things he wants to do. Very short and recommended.
- Critiques:
- Bernie wants economic security for all, but not a new kind of society. His platform is not really radical. Recommended.
- An actual left-winger critiques Bernie-style socialism as hopelessly inadequate. Recommended
- DSA: The Democratic Socialists of America explains socialism. Recommended.
- Can Sanders win?
- No, he cannot win. Here is why.
- Bernie told Bill Maher he can.
- The future:
- Regardless, Bernie's philosophy is the future of the country (Recommended).
- Don't be too sure. Recommended
Next Week: Is our country's safety really in danger?
Monday's Mtg: Conservatives' Religious Freedom of Conscience Movement and the Culture Wars
Happy Religious Freedom Day! January 16 commemorates the adoption in 1786 of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, a pioneering law protecting religious faith and practice. Since then, the contours of and limits to religious liberty in our country have, like all other constitutional rights, evolved.
Since the at least the 1960s, state laws often have allowed people to claim an exemption from some secular laws in some circumstances based on their personal religious objection. Conscience clauses are common in education (opt-outs for vaccinations and sex education), health care (refusing to participate in abortions), and in other areas.
I had us discuss this topic in 2013 because conservatives had begun a political campaign to expand the scope of what they term 'religious freedom" laws into new areas, like marriage equality and LGBT rights. I timed our meeting to coincide with oral arguments in the Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby" Supreme Court case. In that case, the owners of a big craft chain store argued that their first amendment religious liberty included the right to disobey the Obamacare mandate to cover all effective forms of contraception in its employee health insurance plan.
A few months after we met, SCOTUS ruled in Hobby Lobby's favor. The Court's reasoning was…innovative, to say the least. It said that the religious freedom of the companies' owners extends through the corporate veil, all the way to the earned benefits of its employees. Hobby Lobby had the first amendment right, the Court said, to dictate which forms of contraception its health care plan would pay for, solely on the basis of its owners' personal religious beliefs. Progressives immediately grew suspicious that SCOTUS had opened the door to new corporate abuses of power and/or new ways for conservatives to ignore law they didn't like.
Don't worry, said the Court. This ruling really is a narrow one. It applies only to "closely-held" companies and only to the specific forms of birth control that Hobby Lobby's owners believed were immoral. If in the future other claimants tried to use this decision to make more outlandish religious claims – outlandish in the Court's eyes, I guess – SCOTUS would not be receptive.
Well, guess what? In March 2016, SCOTUS will hear a new case in which a religious non-profit employer wants out of the Obamacare contraception mandate, too. The Court might use its ruling to open the religious conscience exemption door even wider – perhaps much wider. And it's not just the Supreme Court. Since Hobby Lobby, congressional conservatives have introduced the First Amendment Defense Act and the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, both designed to protect conscientious religious objectors to federal LGBT laws. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio cosponsored both these bills and Donald Trump just said he would sign the latter. On the state level, GOP-controlled governments have tried to enact similar laws.
You see my motive for this topic revisit. Maybe all of these efforts to expand religious conscience laws to protect lost culture war battles will fade away or be contained by ether the courts or public opinion. (Maybe some are even sensible – we shouldn't dismiss the whole idea of expanding conscience clauses out of hand, IMO). But, I doubt it. I think conservatives' conscience clause/ religious freedom movement is major a new frontier of our 21st century culture wars.
On Monday, I'll open our meeting with a little more info on what conservatives have planned in this area and a bit of the reasoning supporters and opponents use.
Discussion Questions –
- What is a religious conscience clause and what is its moral and constitutional justification? Historically, what were their limits?
- How did (or, did) the Hobby Lobby ruling change the limits of religious conscience?
- How do conservatives want to expand this part of the law? Do their ideas have merit?
- Is DavidG wrong: Are conservatives not going to keep the pedal to the metal on this issue?
- Are there other ways to split the baby on these tough moral questions; e.g., more federalism, or defining the limits to religious exemptions in a single, federal law?
- A short history of use of these types of laws in the USA. Recommended
- What's coming in 2016:
- SCOTUS: ABCs of new case and both sides' arguments. [link fixed Sunday night]
- Congress: The First Amendment Defense Act. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio support co-sponsored; Trump said he'd sign it.
- States: A state-by-state battlefield over religious conscience legislation
- What progressives fear/want:
- Religious conscience movement is our new culture war battlefield. The article that prompted this topic idea.
- GOP-run states are passing laws that allow people to claim exemptions from a wide range of laws they don't like on the basis of their religious beliefs. Recommended.
- What conservatives fear/want:
- Liberals now think, falsely, that "religious belief" = "intolerant desire to discriminate." Recommended.
- A Jewish conservative: Faith itself is under assault in USA.
- Idea: Let federalism resolve these deep divisions, state-by-state.
Next Week: Solutions to California's Water Woes (yeah, yeah, it's raining).


text:
Long-term planning, combined with immediate preventive measures, can be the key
More than 2,000 people have died in India's current heat wave, the second deadliest in the country's history. Amid fears of more lives being lost, two international expert bodies have issued a set of recommendations to battle the heat. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are the worst hit states in the country.
More than 2,000 people have died in India's current heat wave, the second deadliest in the country's history. Amid fears of more lives being lost, two international expert bodies have issued a set of recommendations to battle the heat. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are the worst hit states in the country.
The guidelines, given by the World Meterological Organization (WMO) and World Health Organization (WHO), are expected to have global applicability.
According to the guidelines, over the period 2000–2011, southern and eastern Asia and the European Region were particularly affected by the heat waves. However, heat as a health problem is not new in some of these areas. Over the period 1990–1999, significant heat wave events occurred in a few of the countries in the region. In India's Odisha, the wave resulted in an estimated 558 and 2 541 deaths in years 1995 and 1998 respectively. Similarly, Pakistan lost almost 523 lives to the wave in 1995 and USA's Chicago reported 670 deaths in the same year.
Apart from these most-affected regions, countries like Australia and Mexico have also reported deaths. While Mexico recorded 380 deaths in April 1990, heat wave events occurred in Australia in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and 2009, with the 2009 event of south-eastern Australia resulting in more than 300 deaths and widespread disruption.
The recommendations further suggest that behaviour of people has a principal effect on exposure, but may also affect sensitivity. People who over exert during work or leisure may become dehydrated and therefore become more susceptible to heat illness and death. Similarly, very young or very old people may be at increased risk due to inadequate fluid intake or inadequate behaviour such as neglecting protective measures. That behaviour is important and has been demonstrated in studies showing that protective actions such as dressing lightly, using cooling techniques like extra showers/baths or visits to air-conditioned places, increasing social contact and having home air-conditioning tend to reduce the risk of death during a heat wave.
Along with suggesting long term planning, the guidance also gives tips for dealing with heat waves. Most of these tips are for workers.
Tips to fight heat wave
- Encourage workers to drink plenty of water – about one cup of cool water every 15 to 20 minutes, even if they are not thirsty – and to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks that dehydrate the body
- Help workers adjust to the heat by assigning a lighter workload and longer rest periods for the first five to seven days of intense heat. This process needs to start all over again when a worker returns from vacation or other absence
- Encourage workers to wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Workers should change their clothes if they get completely saturated
- Use general ventilation and spot cooling at points of high heat production. Good airflow increases evaporation and cooling of the skin
- Train first-aid workers to recognise and treat the signs of heat stress and ensure that all workers know who have been trained to provide such aid. Train supervisors to detect early signs of heat-related illness and permit workers to interrupt their work if they become extremely uncomfortable
- Consider a worker's physical condition when determining fitness to work in hot environments. Obesity, lack of conditioning, pregnancy and inadequate rest can increase susceptibility to heat stress
- Alternate work and rest periods, with rest periods in a cooler area. Shorter, more frequent work-rest cycles are best. Schedule heavy work for cooler times of the day and use appropriate protective clothing
- Monitor temperatures, humidity, and workers' responses to heat, at least hourly.
Please follow and like us:


text:
A couple of days after my birthday in September of 2012, my friends and I went camping to celebrate in Arizona. We lived in Utah, so it wasn't that far of a drive to northern Arizona. We wanted to go to a campsite that my friend said his brother had taken him to on a camping trip a couple of years prior, so we set off to find it though he was a little hazy on how to get there. We searched for it and asked around with the locals for a couple of hours, but we were burning precious daylight so in our search we decided to just get some fishing in, and then when it was getting later we would find any old camping spot to crash at.
After a pretty uneventful couple of hours fishing, it got dark fast so we hopped in my friend's truck and headed into the hills that were riddled with campgrounds. In our search for a campsite, we took a wrong turn which led us down a really desolate dirt road. With no lights in sight, and just a sliver of a moon, it was extremely dark. After about twenty minutes on this road, we were convinced that we needed to turn back. But just as we had made that decision, we saw someone in the distance.
"Hey, we could stop and ask him for directions," I said. But literally as soon as the words left my lips, we all realized how strange it was that this person was standing on the side of the road way out here. As we passed the person, his gaze stayed on us and followed us as we passed, and without any reason I got spooked and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. The person was pretty tall, and was wearing a brown jacket that had a collar which was pulled up over his face, and, along with his hat, made it so that the only features we could see were his eyes. But regardless of how strange that was, we decided that this was in fact the wrong way, and so we flipped a U-turn and headed back.
About fifteen minutes down the road, when we had almost forgotten about the brown coat person, he appeared again in our headlights, this time on the other side of the road and again, staring right at us. Now, we were only driving about 25 or 30 miles per hour, but still, there was no way that this person could have gotten this far back up the road before we did. We were all a little spooked after that.
When we finally found a campsite, we started to talk about the guy, and one of my friends said that it could have been a Skinwalker, a sort of Indian shaman that could change shape and had other powers. Having never heard of these creatures, I was intrigued. I was surprised to hear that the person we saw was a textbook example of what a Skinwalker was supposed to look like. We were spooked enough that we decided to pack up and just head home at 2 in the morning, hoping to make it home by about 7 or 8. While we were packing up, I was just chatting with one of the other guys. Our other two friends had gone to relieve themselves some ways off from us, and while I was rolling up our tent, I was just sort of shooting the breeze. My friend was standing behind me, and he was responding to all of my questions and comments.
After about two minutes of chatting, I turned around to see him sitting in the front of the truck, about twenty or so feet away. I didn't hear the car door open or anything, but there he was in the truck, when a mere ten seconds earlier I could have sworn he was right behind me, talking with me. I had heard him. I went to the truck and asked him how he had gotten in so fast. He said he didn't hurry, he was just the first one. "What were we just talking about?" I asked him. He said he didn't know what I meant. I told him I was just talking with someone I thought was him, and he was answering back; but he said it wasn't him, he had been in the truck for nearly twenty minutes.
Now completely scared, once all of us were back in the truck we raced out of the hills and tried frantically to find the freeway. Once we got back into town, we knew how to get to it, so we were feeling a little better. On this particular on-ramp, it was a sharp turn to get on from the road we were driving, almost a U-turn, so you can't really see what's on the on-ramp until you turn completely. When we turned onto the on-ramp, there in our headlights maybe 30 feet in front of our truck were four coyotes, just standing and blocking our way. They just sat there staring at us, and my friend driving had to slam on the brakes. We sat there, humans and wolves staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, but was most likely only ten seconds, and we started to smell something like offal, a stench so terrible I have yet to smell anything else so bad. We were all screaming about what to do.
As the coyotes stood there staring at us, we could swear that we saw red in their eyes, so I told my friend to step on it. The truck roared toward the demon coyotes and we braced for impact, but just when we thought we had reached them with our tires, we felt nothing, and saw nothing in the rear view mirror. We made it home in record time, and saw nothing more of Skinwalkers. To this day, I have not seen another Skinwalker, but I later found that talking and thinking about them is supposed to attract them to you. Maybe reading about them does too.


text:
7 Jan '12 to
3 Feb '12
No, not really
Est. Cost
1,000 -
GBP (GBP United Kingdom Pounds)
Travel Partners Wanted
explore new zealand with me!!
renting a campervan for just under 4 weeks and exploring new zealand! seeing the beautiful sights, bunjee jumping (if your up for it) going to the beaches and just having our own adventure!
im flexible with destinations but i want to see as much of nz as i can!
explore new zealand with me!!
Still looking for flights? You can have flight experts compete against one another to find you the absolute best and cheapest flights.
Launch a Flight Contest on Flightfox now!


text:
Welcome to Orange Tree Barbers
Ready for a haircut? Orange Tree Barbers is the place you have been looking for! Get the old-fashioned barber shop treatment -complete with a vibrating shoulder massage- along with modern-day luxuries like large flat-panel televisions playing sports all day long. Men, women and children are welcome to come on over and we'll cut your hair however you like.
Our Barbers
Meet Our Barbers
We have three experienced barbers here at Orange Tree Barbers: Bob, Dean and Mike
About Orange Tree Barbers
We have been cutting your hair since 1979!
Back in 1979 Dean Schwartz opened a barber shop in a new shopping center on El Toro Road. Today we are the oldest business still operating in the Orange Tree Plaza. We can cut your hair any style you prefer, we aren't just going to buzz your hair like your grandfather's barbers. Come try out your local, independently-owned barber shop for your next haircut.
How to Get Here
We are located in the Orange Tree Plaza shopping center on El Toro Rd. between Raymond Way and Cornelius Dr.
Please call for directions or to see if there's a wait: (949) 770-2386
You can also use Google Maps for directions to: 23532 El Toro Rd #10, Lake Forest, CA 92630


text:
Crews Tame Dog House Fire In Rogers
A dog house caught fire in Rogers on Friday night, prompting firefighters to try to stop the flames from spreading to a nearby house.
The Rogers Fire Department responded at about 9:15 p.m. to a possible house fire at 2712 Laurel Crossing Circle. When firefighters arrived on scene, they saw a dog house had caught fire, and the flames were nearly touching the house, according to the fire department.
The fire had spread to the house's electrical box, but the home did not catch fire. Crews declared the fire under control at 9:24 p.m.
No injuries, human or canine, were reported.


text:
"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I went through a large portion of my life without a mission statement. I remember thinking, "mission statements are for suckers" or something equally as stupid. Then I remember a few years where the idea of a mission statement didn't sound so stupid after all. Then I recall a few years where I thought "I need me one of those" or something equally as brilliant. Then, a few years later, I actually sat down and started to put one to paper. Looking back I wish I would have done it much, much sooner. But perhaps this is the natural cycle. None the less if I could have done it over again I would have made one sooner.
From the time I put it on paper to the time I thought of it as final-ish (I think it is ok to tweak them as you grow) about two to three weeks passed. I visited it once a week for a few weeks and it was done. Immediately after I finished it, I recall a feeling of great peace – it was a very settling feeling. Within days I noticed how it made decisions easier – it made life less stressful. Especially as an entrepreneur, you will get several people who come to you with ideas for companies and ventures and projects and the like. This is all good and awesome and a gift. Still, we can't do them all well. Having a mission statement acts as a helpful filter to these types of decisions. I am of the belief that a good mission statement helps us make all sorts of decisions better and with the end in mind – so as not to be distracted from what is really important.
A tip to get you started
One of my mentors recommended an online tool that Franklin Covey makes available for free called the mission statement builder. My family has used this tool many times as a starting point for mission statements. It asks a series of questions that will help you determine your values, which is a great place to start when creating a mission statement.
A takeaway from Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey.
Anyone have any other tips on creating mission statements? Any stories about how yours has helped you make a tough decision? As always comments re: good books, takeaways, stories, and/or lessons learned would be the coolest but anything is cool.


text:
Strong engineering expertise together with efficient software are essential to Havator's service concept. Havator Engineering is a team of logistics, machinery and construction technology professionals operating in the Nordic Countries. Skilled engineering ensures safe and efficient working practices and meeting deadlines.
The Planning Department also functions as sales support by carrying out feasibility studies and investigations as the customer's lifts or transports are often technically challenging. More often than not, a solid technical description is already required in the tender so that the customer can make sure that the supplier has thought through the entire execution and taken the prerequisites into consideration.
Crane data programs:CRANE MANAGER DESIGNER 3D* This software is for master practitioners, allows the user to transfer by a simple mouse click its entire pre-planning, or even just a single crane into a 3D CAD system, Havator uses AutoCad 2017 or similar, to continue with further processing within an existing, a user- created or provided by a customer drawing.
Additional engineering programs are Autodesk Inventor for detail studies and calculation for both crane and haulage jobs and crane specific programs like LICCON for Liebherr cranes.
Transport planning programs are: AutoCad or transport equipment specific programs as Goldhofer easyLOAD and Noteboom SALSA.
Industrial Moves
Together with Havator Engineering, the department provides one of the most comprehensive services in Northern Europe.Read more


text:
"Our objective is to ignite the entrepreneurial business spirit and strengthen skills and abilities of seasoned business owners and newcomers to indie craft business."
Ventura, CA (PRWEB) February 19, 2013
Delilah Snell and Nicole Stevenson, co-producers of Patchwork Indie Art & Craft Festival (a bi-annual Southern California event showcasing emerging artists, crafters and designers) bring Craftcation, an indie business & DIY craft conference to Ventura, California on March 21-24, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The first of its kind in Southern California, this beachfront three-day conference features panel discussions and DIY workshops with leading industry professionals on art, craft and food-centered small business. Recreational and networking activities such as beachside yoga, cocktail/barbeque socials, and historical/art trolley tours of Ventura promise to round out the vacation angle.
A wide range of "how-to's" catered toward the crafting entrepreneur will cover such topics as indie business start up or expansion, maximizing social media, branding, selling at craft shows and on Etsy, merchandising, accounting, legal issues, pricing and more.
A sample of DIY crafting workshops slated for the conference includes sewing, photography, knitting, jewelry making, and mixed media art. This year the conference is expanding its hands-on food classes to include artisan ice cream making, DIY bar basics, pickling/fermentation, small batch caramels and more.
Craftcation attendees will have the opportunity to learn the inside track of starting, maintaining or expanding their indie business while networking with peers/professionals and gaining skills in hands-on workshops. Not only is it a weekend packed of crafting and learning, but other social activities as well. Start or end your day with yoga or participate in their many social/networking events like "Beer Tasting & Crouqet," "Ventura Food Tour" or attend an 80's dance party.
A sample of crafting and business heavyweights slated to present include: writer/artist Kathy Cano-Murillo (author of the popular craftychica.com), her handmade "Chicano pop art" crafts have been carried in Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark), Cathy Callahan (featured on The Martha Stewart Show, in Sunset Magazine and author of 2011's Vintage Craft Workshop), Evan Kleiman (host of KCRW's Good Food and owner of Angeli Caffe), Aida Mollenkamp (host of The Food Network's Ask Aida and foodCrafters on The Cooking Channel), Diane Gilleland (host of the popular CraftPod podcast) and Kayte Terry (author of Applique Your Way and PaperMade).
Snell and Stevenson were motivated to provide a forum for indie business education after seeing a real need for guidance amongst Patchwork vendors. Their mission is to support, encourage and build upon the independent business & craft community.
"I've always wanted to inspire fellow business people to take that chance and just do it!" –says Snell, owner of The Road Less Traveled Store (an environmentally friendly emporium of global goods based in Santa Ana, California) and Backyard In A Jar (a line of locally sourced, organic preserves).
"Craft can make the world a better place…the feeling one gets from making something with their own hands is beyond empowering." –says Stevenson, owner of Random Nicole, a line of art-inspired clothing for men, women and children.
Whether you are thinking of starting an indie business or just want explore your creative side (or even just need an excuse to come to California), Craftcation is the place for you.
Those interested in attending can register on line at: http://www.craftcationconference.com. Registration closes March 1, 2013.


text:
TORONTO — Forget runaway production, Canada is in Hollywood's dog house once again, this time over the issue of camcorded movie pirating, which one miffed studio executive deems "epidemic" in the Great White North.
"There was a period in 2006 where camcorded films originating in Canadian theaters accounted for almost 50% of camcord sources worldwide," said Chris Aronson, Fox's sr. VP and general sales manager. "That's what has put us on this track to try to stem and control this epidemic."
The issue came to the fore after Fox president of domestic distribution Bruce Snyder fired off a letter of complaint about camcording in theaters in Canada, and Montreal in particular, to Cineplex Entertainment Prexy and CEO Ellis Jacob.
This was not the first Jacob had heard of the issue. Canada is a well-known pirating hub, both for music and movies, and has for three years been on the U.S. government's watch list for its inability to get a grip on it.
But with his letter, Snyder went even further, threatening to either delay or halt all together the Canadian release of Fox Films if nothing is done to stem the tide. "We're very serious about this," says Aronson. "That doesn't mean we're going to do it tomorrow, but if this problem is not remedied, this is one remedy that we will consider. We are facing a doomsday situation, and we find it intolerable."
Far from being a Fox-Cineplex conflict, Jacob says that piracy is an industry-wide crisis in which all of the players — including the U.S. studios, are essentially in agreement.
It's just that results are short in coming in the Great White North.
"To me, that letter describes the level of frustration that he has with the situation in Canada," says Doug Frith, president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distribution Association. "Piracy is a never-ending fight, and as technologies change, our arsenal of tools has to change to combat it."
Watermarking, a new technology introduced a few years ago, allows the source of bootlegs to be pinpointed, and that has brought Montreal to the fore as a culprit, probably because tentpoles enjoy day and date releases in both English and French in that city, making them more valuable on the worldwide black market.
Cineplex and its ilk are training employees with night-vision goggles to spot cammers, and are launching a campaign to educate the DVD-buying public about bootlegging as a crime.
And the RCMP has eight officers on the case in Montreal working to crack international crime rings called encoding groups or release groups in which a cammer emails an ill-gotten master file to contacts around the world from which the "silvers," DVDs sold on the street, are made.
But everyone is hampered by Canada's copyright legislation, under which camcording remains a civil offense unless the theater can prove that the cammer is distributing the film. This reverse onus makes it more expensive, time consuming, and difficult to get a conviction. "This is part of the legislative enforcement and judicial vacuum," says Frith. "Individuals at that stage of the piracy chain shouldn't be able to plea-bargain and settle for a $5,000 fine. Then he or she sees it as a cost of doing business."
In the many jurisdictions (including 38 US states) where camcording has been designated a criminal act, pirating has declined significantly. "There's no question that it works," says Fox's Aronson, "because we've seen the remedy work in the States. Camcording, which used to be rampant, is now very much under control."
So anti-piracy activists want the federal government to amend the criminal code to that end. "Solving the problem is not that difficult," says Jacob. "It just needs an amendment to the legislation."
Easier said than done. The federal government seemed to be on the verge reforming copyright legislation a year ago but was turfed from office. The group mounted another lobby for the new government, but then in January the Justice Minister was replaced, putting them back at square one again. Jacob and co have a request in to meet with the new minister. "He's got to have a chance to look at this stuff, look at the history and hear us out," says Jacob. "The big thing for us is making this a high priority."


text:
Our premises liability attorneys recently read in USA Today that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to clean up the property of the vacant lot where Loewenthal Metals operated in Chicago in the 1940s. The factory is located in a primarily residential area just west of the Dan Ryan expressway on 947 W. Cullerton street and has dangerously high levels of lead in the soil on the property. The EPA tested the site recently and found that the soil contained nearly 57 times the amount of lead considered hazardous by the agency. This is especially worrisome as children from the neighborhood often play in the abandoned lot and lead is seriously dangerous to their health and wellbeing. The lead levels were dangerously high not only on the site of the factory but also in several of the yards of the neighboring homes.
Due to this serious danger, the EPA is planning to clean up the property in the Pilsen neighborhood as soon as possible. Because of the huge levels of contamination, the EPA is planning to test the soil of all the properties near the factory to determine the sheer scale of the contamination, however the dates have not yet been set for that testing. This is not the first time that lead contamination was discovered at the site. In fact, both state and federal regulators did testing at the site back in 2006 when dangerous levels of lead were found. However, nothing was done to correct this problem until 2011, when USA Today asked questions about the property. In fact, the land itself remained unfenced until December of 2012. This is seriously concerning for parents and neighbors of the property, as the failure to fence the property was seriously negligent and should have been addressed back in 2006 when the problem was first discovered.
Lead is not the only dangerous contaminant that was found in the soil, it also contained high levels of arsenic, copper, manganese, and zinc as outlined in the EPA's report on the Pilsen site. The owner of the property failed to provide access to the EPA initially, so the agency was forced to go to the courts to obtain a warrant to access the property, which was granted in November of 2012. Not withstanding the dangers of the other chemicals, lead contamination is an extremely dangerous threat to anyone exposed to it. Lead poses a huge threat to the safety and wellbeing of children. Lead exposure can cause a variety of health issues including mental and physical deformities in children and even death. The owners of property must maintain their land in a safe manner and cannot be allowed to knowingly keep a toxic and severely dangerous property. Our Chicago premises liability attorneys will continue to monitor this developing story. If you or a loved one has been injured by the dangerous levels of lead in the soil at this Chicago property, consider contacting our offices to learn about your legal rights.


text:
So sorry to disappoint but today's post has to be short and sweet.
With our renovation going great guns and only a few weeks before we officially move in there is little time to spare. This week we have had the electrician fit off, the carpet layer installing the carpet, the carpenters doing the finishes touches, the curtain guy fitting the blinds, the plumber installing loos plus hubby and I up ladders painting. It's been a total mad house but every day it looks better and better. In fact it's even started to resemble something that we could call 'home' rather than a demolition zone! I am over the moon about how fantastic it all looks. I can't wait to share some photos and a few 'reno' stories but we are still about a month away before all the furniture arrives and it's ready for a photo shoot. But I'm really thrilled with the results so far and the fun part of the decorating is yet to come!
Melissah xox
Images via A Life's Design
Check out Coastal Style on Pinterest
Check out Coastal Style on Pinterest


text:
Latest News
High street shop Fat Face donates Black Friday profitsFriday 18th November 2016
Keen on Marine? Volunteers needed at Kimmeridge BayMonday 14th November 2016
Celebrate Christmas in 'wild style' with DWTFriday 11th November 2016
Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is launching new products in its online shop in time for Christmas. New products include the 2017 calendar, a new range of Christmas cards and lots of new nature inspired gifts such as bronze resin hare sculptures and Scottish sea glass jewellery. 100% of the profits will go straight back into conserving Dorset's precious wild spaces and wildlife.
John Lewis Christmas advert will bring joy and nature to childrenThursday 10th November 2016
The Wildlife Trusts are delighted to be John Lewis's Christmas campaign charity partner for 2016. This year's John Lewis Christmas advert which launches today, celebrates - with sparkle and a flash of magic - the joy of encountering wildlife in a garden using a cast of wild creatures including a fox, badger, squirrel and hedgehog.
Rare discovery of ocean sunfish at KimmeridgeWednesday 9th November 2016
"Simon Says" - November's blog entry from DWT CE, Simon CrippsFriday 4th November 2016
Art Exhibition launched at The Chesil Beach CentreWednesday 26th October 2016
DWT needs help to fight hedgerow decline in DorsetFriday 21st October 2016
DWT seal project celebrates return of 'Molar' the sealWednesday 19th October 2016
Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is excited to learn that a seal photographed at Portland Bill twice over the last few days, is also known in Cornwall. The female grey seal, named, 'Molar' was recorded by Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust (CSGRT) in St Austell Bay in November 2014, and hadn't been seen for two years.
Join DWT for some spooky wild adventures this half termMonday 17th October 2016
| Living Landscapes | Living Seas | Jobs | e-news | Contact & Find Us
|www.intergage.co.uk | Web site Content Management


text:
As I write these words, the excitement I felt hours ago is still here!
Those three letters basically sum up what took place today at Yavneh Academy. The first, ever, JedcampNJNY (second Jedcamp ever!) began at 9am and what an event it was! (You just didn't want it to end!)
From the get go, educators from all over began to pour in and the connections began.
I couldn't keep up.
Everywhere you turned another new face was ready to connect (Wow!). The feeling of belonging and higher purpose permeated the air (Wow!). Everyone was there for one reason…How can we become better at doing what we do best…Educate! (And all on a Sunday and at 9 am…BIG WOW!)
I was able to make so many connections with so many wonderful people. You didn't even have to try. It literally went from, "Hi my name is…" to "let's find time to schmooze sometime next week!" It was also great being able to finally meet (in person) my digital friends (there even more delightful then I could have ever imagined!).
Oh and the sessions, WOW! You just wanted to attend every single one. So many great topics, it was like choosing between T-bone or Sirloin steak, it just wasn't fair!
And the coolest thing about it was that I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way. In fact, I would venture to say that practically everyone left that building with a sense of accomplishment and energy to continue. One hundred percent satisfaction; how many conferences do you know where everyone left happy ?!? POW WOW DOUBLE WOW!!!
That's it for now! I needed to get it out before I forget. I definitely will follow up soon.
But one last thing…
Now is the time to keep the energy going. As the event unfolded, people in other cities across the nation (world!?), announced plans for more Jedcamps. JedcampMD is tentatively set for July 7th, and JedcampLA (my home town baby!!) is getting the ball rolling. Soon we'll start seeing our own Jedcamp wiki space with events lined up across the world. Don't let the energy die down, let's get to it!
Oh and one more thing….


text:
Envirowaste Track Day Sprint Series Round 4
Envirowaste Track Day Sprint Series Round 4
Event Date:
Sat 09 Dec '17
Event Type:
- ClubSport B & A
Permit Status:
- ClubSport
Please click here for full instructions.
Please click on the above logo to login and register or renew your motorsport licence online using our MotorSport NZ Online system. Please note that your licence photo submission is included in this process.


text:
This year was a little different....It was the first year since my grandparents passed away that I did not cook and do a big dinner at my house. I started that tradition because I wanted to make sure that everyone that could come (and for Michael to always have) to the same kind of Thanksgiving celebration that we had growing up.
This year I decided that with the new baby and our apartment being SO small that it just wasn't realistic to try to have Thanksgiving here. It also happen to fall this year that my Grandmothers birthday was on Thanksgiving.
The major holidays are always a little sad when so much of your family is gone but this year seems a little worse because I wish so much that Taylor could spend these holidays the way I did. I at some point lost all perspective and decided I didn't want Thanksgiving this year. I was sad about my family and irritated that we were going to be traveling all over the place (something I have never done) to several different Thanksgiving dinners. I just wanted the day to come and go and not leave any marks behind. For weeks I actually dreaded my favorite holiday....how selfish of me. I have so much to be thankful for...more that some and I was being a big baby.
It wasn't until Thanksgiving morning after the first cry (it's normal for me to cry on Thanksgiving) that I came to my senses and decided I was going to enjoy my day. We had already had one dinner Wednesday night with Justin's dad and step mom and were headed to Waverly to eat and spend time with his mom and step dad then we were headed to my brothers house to bring our day to a close. We were on a very tight schedule because it is a 2 hour drive to see Justin's mom and of course we were late...lol Actually we were late or forgot something for everything on Thanksgiving but it was still a GREAT day! We have a tradition where we go around and everyone tells what they are most thankful for....Justin even said "I am thankful we are loved enough for this to be our third Thanksgiving dinner" That says everything doesn't it!
Now for some Thanksgiving pictures:


text:
Vacation Security Tips
- Put a "hold" on newspaper, magazine and mail subscriptions.
- Avoid telling people that you're going to be away.
- Don't change the outgoing message on your voice mail to say that you're on vacation.
- Close any blinds or curtains that give outsiders a view into your home.
- Install timers and program your lights to come on at different times during the evenings.
- Ask a neighbour or friend to stop by the house to check for flyers, door stuffers and other notices that might accumulate on your front steps.
- Place a piece of wood or broom handle in the sliding track of doors and windows.
- Install motion sensor lights in the main access areas to your home.
- Ask someone to snowblow your driveway or cut your lawn and attend to other maintenance tasks if you plan to be away for an extended period.
- Let a trusted neighbour or friend know where you will be staying, or give them your mobile telephone number. Also give this number to your alarm company, if you have one, to locate you in an emergency.


text: February 27, 2003Canon USA has today officially released all information on their new digital camera series to be introduced at the PMA. Some of these cameras we've already seen last weeks when they appeared prematurely on the Internet but Canon has kept some surprises. Five new Canon PowerShots in total ranging from the entry-level A300 3-megapixel model, to the fully-featured S50 5-megapixel model, incorporates advanced features and exclusive technologies. All PowerShot cameras now use the DIGIC Image Processor...More


text:
Two and a half years ago when Mike and I started HubSpot.tv , we thought our main metric would be the number of people who subscribed to the show in iTunes. It didn't take us long to realize that each episode gets about 4 times as many viewers as the podcast has subscribers.
Edison Research released The Current State of Podcasting back in October and confirmed our findings by showing that almost two-thirds of younger podcast listeners do not subscriber to podcasts.
The thing is, subscribing to podcasts is so easy! When you subscribe to a podcast, all future episodes are automatically downloaded to your computer, without you having to do anything. This means that the content you enjoy most, can be readily available to you any time you want it.
How to Subscribe to a Podcast
I think it's possible people don't realize how easy it is to subscribe to a podcast, so I pulled together this how to tip that will walk you through the steps. If you wanted to subscribe to HubSpot.tv in the process, I wouldn't complain.