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Homeland Security Report Further Proves Immigration Ban Won't Stop Terrorist Attacks
March 5, 2017 A new multi agency Homeland Security report released last week contradicts President Trump's argument that banning citizens from predominantly Muslim countries will make America safer. Despite the findings of this report and several other independent studies–President Trump is expected to sign a new version of the controversial immigration banP on Monday.
The analysis revealed that most foreign-born violent extremists are radicalized a decade after entering the United States. Therefore, profiling and vetting are not effective counterterrorism strategies. The report, dated March 1, 2017, was prepared by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis in coordination with the State Department, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, National Counterterrorism Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The report concluded
(in part):
"We assess that most foreign-born, U.S.-based violent extremists likely radicalized several years after their entry to the United States … limiting the ability of screening and vetting officials to prevent their entry because of National Security concerns."
In his first address before Congress on February 28, President Trump warned of "radical Islamic terrorism" — against the advice of his new national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who urged him to leave the term "radical Islamic terrorism" out of the speech. Trump maintains the exucutive orders on immigration are aimed at keeping potential terrorists out of the country.
President Trump's original executive order, signed shortly after his inauguration banning all citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries was struck down by a federal court in Seattle. The White House announced a new version of the executive order will be signed on Monday, according to senior administration officials. The new immigration ban will temporarily halt citizens of Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Yemen and Syria from entering the United States and a temporary pause on all refugees and an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.
In his first appearance before the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security o John Kelly admitted it is not known if the immigration ban will prevent terrorist attacks. When Rep. Bernie Thompson (D-Miss) asked Secretary Kelly if the ban would keep bad guys out of the country? Kelly replied, "not until the boom."
In 2010, then U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano testified that the terrorism threat had evolved. Napolitano and a panel of experts told lawmakers the biggest threat to the homeland is no longer thousands of miles away in a cave but American born terrorist sympathizers, "lone wolf" terrorist aka homegrown terrorist with no formal ties to terrorist organizations–already here legally.
In 2011, then U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Peter King warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the threat of Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons. Rep. King said Muslim-American inmates are increasingly becoming radicalized at the hands of jailed terrorists and extremist imam chaplains.
Some international and national security experts say it is difficult if not impossible to prevent future attacks. Therefore, the focus of resources should be on the response, recovery and resilience of a community after an attack occurs.
SEE ALSO: Homeland Security Chief: Muslim Ban Effectiveness Not Known 'Until the Boom'
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* Stacy Muller of Hampton recently trained for a space adventure and explored the future of scientific exploration at U.S. Space Academy Level I in Huntsville, Ala.
Space Academy trainees in grades seven, eight, and nine, sample astronaut training by using Space Academy's special astronaut training simulators. They spin and twist in the Multi-Axis Training Simulator, an adaptation of early Mercury program training equipment.
Trainees also bounce high in the air while experiencing the Microgravity Training Chair, which is similar to equipment Appolo astronauts used in training for missions to the Moon. They also spin and turn in the Five Degrees of Freedom Trainer, which was used by Gemini astronauts training for early spacewalks.
Space Academy Level I trainees use the nation's only full-scale Space Shuttle exhibit to get a better understanding of how the shuttle works. They use Space Academy's realistic mission control and Space Shuttle orbiter mockups for training prior to a pair of simulated space missions.
* Rebecca Still of Hampton has been selected to serve on the student honor council at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton.Still will be a sophomore this fall. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Still of Hampton.
* The United States Coast Guard Academy is now accepting and processing applications for appointment as Cadet, U.S. Coast Guard, Class of 1994. Applications are being accepted for both men and women. Appointments as Coast Guard Cadets are tendered solely on the basis of an annual nationwide competition with no congressional nominations or geographical quotas. Applications must be submitted to the Director of Admissions prior to Dec. 15, 1989. Candidates must arrange to participate in either the College Board Scholastic Aptitute Test (SAT) or American College Testing Assessment (ACT) prior to or including the December 1989 ACT and SAT test administrations.
Appointments as Cadet are tendered based on the candidate's high school record, performance on either the SAT or ACT, and leadership potential as demonstrated by participation in high school activities, community affairs and/or part-time employment. Most successful candidates rank in the top one-quarter of their high school class and have demonstrated proficiency in both the mathematical and applied science fields.
Candidates must be unmarried at the time of appointment, have no legal obligations resulting from a prior marriage, and must have reached the age of 17 but not 22 by July 1, 1990.
All candidates must be assured of high school graduation by June 30, 1990. All candidates must have completed a minimum of three years of English, and three in mathematics to include algebra and plane or coordinate geometry or their equivalents, and must fulfill basic physical requirements.
Cost Guard Cadets obtain an undergraduate education at no personal expense. In addition, they receive pay and allowances fully adequate to fulfill their ordinary living expenses.
To obtain an application or further information write to: Director of Admissions, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn. 06320; or call (203) 444-8501.
* Old Dominion University will receive a $250,000 endowment from The Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Foundation to establish an eminent professorship of botany in the College of Sciences.
The Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Foundation was incorporated in 1983 to make grants to non-profit, tax-exempt institutions in the greater Hampton Roads area. The grant to Old Dominion is as large a gift as the foundation has made in its six-year history.
Both Alison and Ella Parsons were avid gardeners and their home in Algonquin Park was frequently on the local garden tour.
The endowment will begiven to the university over a five-year period. Under Virginia's Eminent Scholars Program, the state will match interest income generated by the endowment to help fund the eminent professorship.
For more information about the eminent scholar endowment, call Liz Clarke, director of media relations, 683-3122.
* Old Dominion University in Norfolk will receive a $250,000 endowment to establish an eminent professorship in the College of Business and Public Administration.
The endowment, from a donor who wished to remain anonymous, will be used to establish an eminent professorship in international finance and trade.
A Newmarket North Chick-fil-A employee, Marty Wesley, is among over 5,000 Chick-fil-A employees to have earned a $1,000 scholarship.
Chick-fil-A's scholarship program rewards students who have worked in a restaurant a minimum of 20 hours per week (average) for two consecutive years.
Wesley, son of Chaffin and Annie Jane Wesley of Hampton, was recently selected to appear in "Who's Who Among American High School Students." A 1989 graduate of Hampton Roads Academy, Wesley plans to attend Duke University in Durham, N.C., this fall.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rea Does The Double As Sykes Takes Second Place
April 18, 2016
The second 21-lap Assen race provided a double win for Jonathan Rea (KRT), with his team-mate Tom Sykes second this time out, as both riders continue to find success on the new model Ninja ZX-10R. The Sunday race was started in wet conditions but rapidly dried out, meaning all the riders pitted to change tyres at some stage.
Once again Rea proved to have the magic touch at Assen, winning his second race of the weekend, his 9th race in total at the Dutch track and his fifth race victory of the season in eight attempts. He now has a career total of 34 WorldSBK race wins, placing him a clear fourth in the all time race winners' rankings.


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Guess who the real-life rebel was — Kim Woo Bin or Yoo Ah In
Korean actors Kim Woo Bin and Yoo Ah In have both become known and loved for their bad boy personas, but did you know that in their youths one of them was a rebel while the other was the perfect boy next door? Guess who was who!
If you guessed that Kim Woo Bin had a rough background, you are wrong! It was recently revealed that Kim Woo Bin was a model student who got good grades while simultaneously holding several part-time jobs. He had a dream to become a model, and he worked hard to achieve it, but looks were not his only strength. Kim Woo Bin is also known to have an IQ of 147.
Yoo Ah In, on the other hand, was the real rebel without a cause type. He disliked school and decided to drop out completely. He went back to receive his GED later and worked very hard to achieve his goal of becoming a talented actor.
Both actors are handsome, smart, and talented, but they have real-life stories that are very different, so if you are truly the type who loves a bad boy, then Kim Woo Bin may not actually be for you. What you may need is a little Yoo Ah In in your life!
See him now in Six Flying Dragons:


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131 x 38 / 133 x 39 / 135 x 40 / 137 x 41 / 139 x 42 / 141 x 43
The dream machine: a Performance freestyle board that doubles down equally well in any riding category.
Tough, lightweight and responsive Volcanic Basalt construction
Flex patterns tuned for a smooth ride
Dynamic pop and low spin weight
Early planing lift and reliable edge hold
Maximum upwind drive
Smooth predictable landings Includes 40mm fins & mounting hardware
The Ace is our most versatile performance twin tip to date. While designed to excel in the performance Freestyle arena, the Ace is also perfectly comfortable boosting huge airs or throwing powered kiteloops. Its fast rocker line allows for explosive bursts of speed leading up to your tricks. It has great edge hold, amazing pop, a low spin weight, and it makes predictably smooth landings. The quad concave to quad V-bottom shape, and an advanced, lightweight, freestyle composition, make the Ace the pinnacle freeride/freestyle performance board.


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The 6th annual Horndogg Golf Tournament is schedule on Sunday, Aug. 28 at Laurel Hill Golf Course, beginning at 7:45 a.m.
Just $30 per person. It will be a two person scramble, shotgun start. Funding will help a fire science participant.
Prizes will be given for two men's KP, a women's KP, men's lowest score and men's longest drive as well as a couples lowest score.
For information call Kim Horn 541-601-5933 or Scott Horn 541-951-5144.


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Support Your Local Bookstore
I am a Los Angeles resident who has spent most of my life on the west side of the city. After leaving Long Island, New York in 1963 and moving to San Diego for a year, I've lived in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades and Westwood with six months off for good behavior in Kona in 2009 and a total of two years in France during the 1970's. Those were the best ! My life has been mostly about writers, theatre and books. From 1967 on, I covered small theatre, poetry and literary profiles for the LA Times. At my best I reviewed and rediscovered John Fante in 1978 and introduced him to Charles Bukowski that same year . The John Fante tapes from five different meetings are available online in text and audio from 3 Am Magazine thanks to Susan Tomaselli, editor. That's something books can't do unless they contain CD's. In the sixties, I wrote a piece on Bukowski for the Free Press when we were both employed there. It was a Symposium on LA writers taped live at the newspaper. Steve Richmond, Ron Koertge and Gerald Locklin chimed in. It was fun. Bukowski did drawings to match.
Each time I worked on a piece for the Times or the Free Press or Reader, I was in and out of bookstores. It was a place to check up on facts, from the owners like Ken Hyre and Phil Mason, to the readers and writers who congregated there. "Do you have a copy of The Green Hat?" Phil Mason had several. Later, when I did pieces for Los Angeles Magazine on Bukowski the week he died and on Fante long after he was dead, I went to Larry Edwards on Hollywood Blvd. and Williams in San Pedro. The owners had the books I needed and they had met either Fante or Bukowski. And then there was always Vromans in Pasadena, the town where Bukowski's father was born. They've been there for more than a hundred years!
Every time I took on a controversial subject, I checked in at bookstores. If Phil Mason didn't have the info I needed at Yesterday's books, say on Mencken and Fante, he knew someone who did. Like Ken Hyre or Jake Zeitlin.


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I just think he is probably just an over opinionated young Aussie, who likes to read his own posts....
Originally posted by gort51
WTF...Germy you have lost the plot...
Australia is NOTHING in the World of Finance.
We are a Miniscule speck, in the overall picture.
Dont believe the tripe the government says, the only part of the economy that is moving is mining.
That is only because of pure dumb luck and greed, greed as in deals done by Execs in Oz, to make the quick profit.
Australia is still a slave to its customers.... Only a few years ago, the LPG companies did a 15 year deal to sell LPG to Japan......guess what the price was locked it for..... 1 cent per litre!!!! For 15 YEARS !!!!!!!
Yes thats the "Good" ozzy business man.
If the Asians didnt get cheap raw materials from the big mine that is Australia, they would buy it from South America or Africa...which they will once they get their claws in...and Australia will be left for dead.
We have already exported most of our jobs, we dont even process much of our raw materials, we only have one oil refinery and thats going to close, because we import our Petrol (gas) from Singapore!!!!!!.
We are up the creek, and we are loosing hold of the paddle.
This new carbon tax will finish Australia.......
Any room in the US for a good Ol, gun totin, rootin shootin white boy who loves his V8s...but cant afford to drive them here because fuel is $6.00+ per gallon and registration is $800.00 per year.
Isa comin over......
If a new reserve currency emerges, wouldn't it be in America's best interest to dump the USD hard and pay back it's debt with worthless currency in USD$, then when the new reserve currency takes over, take advantage of whatever schemes that are built in which dictate the value.
reply to post by gort51
Any room in the US for a good Ol, gun totin, rootin shootin white boy who loves his V8s.
Originally posted by Morg234
reply to post by gort51
Any room in the US for a good Ol, gun totin, rootin shootin white boy who loves his V8s.
That's so pathetically pretentious...


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Embedded modules, components, spares in retail & bulk.Login
The �Janta Board� series of products is low cost minimum features affordable starter kit range.
The word �Janta� is from �Hindi� language (India�s National Language). �Janta� is normally refereed as common man.
Thus we thought if making starter kit for common man.
There are �Janta Boards� for 8051, AVR, PICs and this one for ARM LPC2138.
The product is built around ARM7 LPC2138 .
The EM-JB-LPC2138 provides basic setup of hardware like power supply, JTAG Port, 6 pin Programming Port, DBG jumper, BSL Jumper and male headers for I/O ports.
The LPC2138 can be programmed via JTAG port or via ISP Port
In either case, the Programmer is not included with the product.
USB Programmer for LPC ARM and P89XXX can be used to program the LPC2138 via USB port.
This Programmer is not included in the product list.
Read Datasheet of this Janta Board for more details
List of Brands
Order Tracking
How to Order?
Quick Delivery
Payment Options
Proforma Invoice
Warranty T&C
Contact Details
About us
Starter Kit for Arduino Workshop
205 Decision Tower, Next To CityPride, Satara Road, Pune 411037 India
Working hours : Mon to Fri 9.30am to 5.00pm. Sat : 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Do you maintain stock of embedded modules, boards & accessories?
Interested in selling on EmbeddedMarket.com?
eMail your details to .
Onboarding limited number of sellers to maintain best quality & healthy competition.


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The Record (http://www.troyrecord.com)
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> At the end of Monday's Dead & Company show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, there was really nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.
A neat thing about hitting a Dead show — whether it was the original lineup or the current version — is you never know what you're going to get. A unique part of the Grateful Dead experience is no two shows are exactly the same. In many instances, performances tend to take a life of their own and wind up going to unexpected places. It's best to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Monday's performance was no exception. The band — featuring original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and guitarist John Mayer — kicked off the festivites with a slow-building "Jack Straw" that allowed these musicians to find their groove. The song closed with scorching guitar work by Mayer, who took over lead vocals on a hot "Easy Wind."
The band stumbled a bit through a slow-but-steady "Friend of the Devil," with Weir appearing to get lost at certain points. Thankfully, it allowed Chimenti to show off his chops on a drop-dead gorgeous piano solo and saved a song in danger of falling flat on its back. Then again, there really is no such thing as a perfect performance.
But Weir — the crafty, grizzled veteran of the scene that he is — recovered nicely on "New Minglewood Blues," followed by a gorgeous rendition of the always slower "Ship of Fools."
The fans then got a real treat as the band dropped a "Corrina" that was well-received by the crowd before capping off the first set with a fantastic "Cassidy." Mayer especially took his guitar-playing to new heights as he closed act one with scorching solo work.
If set one was just the warm-up, however, the second act was clearly the main event.
Right out of the gate, the band started things off with a fantastic cover of The Band's "The Weight," where Weir, Mayer, Burbridge and Chimenti each taking turns on lead vocals. Burbridge's verse got a wonderful reaction from the crowd — "Let Oteil Sing" — and Weir tickled everyone's musical bones when he came in singing falsetto.
At this point, things got real hot despite the chill in the air.
A playful "Other One" jam served as a bridge between "The Weight" and "Truckin'," which was the point of the performance where every single man on stage was totally in sync with each other, bringing the fan-favorite to a massive and fiery close. A steady "He's Gone" was next as Weir and Mayer took verses out for a walk and was built around powerful crescendos and masterful musicianship.
A strong "New Speedway Boogie" that followed led into a big "Uncle John's Band" that again featured great harmony work by the entire band. It was at this point when Weir, Mayer, Burbridge and Chimenti took a break to let Hart and Kreutzmann show off their percussion skills on "Drums/Space," which normally sends people for a quick bathroom break and had a similar effect Monday.
The rest of the band came in for a noodling session before launching back into "Uncle John's Band" to bring that song to a close.
"Black Peter" was next, which led into an upbeat and fun cover of The Rascals' "Good Lovin'" to close the second set, which always gets the crowd on its feet.
Dead & Company's encore was a solid take on the very radio-friendly "Touch of Grey," closing on a big note that everyone in attendance appreciated.


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An EEMBC Benchmark
ULPMark-CP: 1000/(median of average energy per second for 10 ULPBench cycles), bigger is better.
ULPMark-PP: 10000/(sum of the benchmark's 10 activity slots), bigger is better.
(*) This score was not submitted by the MCU's vendor. Scores may be submitted by any licensee of the software, not necessarily the vendor of the hardware. As such, this score may not have been sufficiently optimized.
EEMBC Certified Scores: EEMBC only guarantees the reliability of scores that have been officially certified by the EEMBC Technology Center (ETC). During our certification process, the ETC re-establishes the manufacturer's benchmark environment, verifies all settings, rebuilds the executable, and runs ULPBench according to the specific run rules. EEMBC certification ensures that scores are repeatable, accurate, obtained fairly, and derived according to EEMBC's rules.


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Mountain Goats Matthew 25 21 tab
For this song, he plays these chords that I'm not really sure what to technically call them all so I'm just labeling them 1 through 8. Each labeled chord is played for four beats each (Listen to the song it's pretty easy to pick up). He also variates when he plays the open high e-string, so this isn't exactly the way he plays it each time.(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)e|----------2--0--0--5--2-|B|-7--8--5--3--7--8--5--3-|G|-6--7--4--2--6--7--4--2-|D|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-|A|------------------------|E|------------------------|So that phrase he plays for the intro and ending and the chorus/bridge parts are simpler chords. Intro: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (1) (2) They hook you up (3) (4) To a fentanyl drip (1)(2) (3) (4) To mitigate the pain a little bit (1) (2) I flew in (3) (4) From Pennsylvania (1)(2) (3) (4) When I heard the hour was coming fast Bm G D And I docked in San Barbara Bm G D Tried to brace myself Bm G D You can't brace yourself Bm When the time comes G Asus4 A You just have to roll with the blast Em G And I'm an eighteen-wheeler headed down the interstate D And my breaks are going to give A G And I won't know till it's too late C D Tires screaming when I lose control A7 G (3) Try not to hurt too many people when I roll (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) Find the harbor freeway And head south Real tired Head kind of light I found Telegraph Road I'd only seen the name on envelopes Found the parking lot And turned right I felt all the details Carving out space in my head Tropicanas on the walk way Neon red Between the pain And the pills trying to hold at bay Stand as a traveler going far away And I am airplane tumbling wing over wing Tried to listen to my instruments They don't say anything People screaming when the engines quit I hope we're all in crash position when we hit And then came to your bedside And as it turns out I'm not ready And as though You were speaking through a thick haze You said hello to me We all stood there around you Happy to hear you speak The last of something bright burning Still burning Beyond the cancer and the chemotherapy And you were a presence full of light upon this earth And I am a witness to your life and to it's worth It's three days later when I get the call And there's nobody around to break my fall **Anyways that the basic form with all of the parts. The lyrics don't fall on the chords exactly the same each time because he varies it some each time. But if you listen to the song you will figure it out.**


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TBR Finance & Business Operations Committee to meet Feb. 20
The Tennessee Board of Regents' Committee on Finance and Business Operations will meet Tuesday, Feb. 20, to continue its discussion of student fees levied by the state's Community Colleges and Colleges of Applied Technology for the 2018-19 academic year.
The committee will meet by telephone conference call at 2 p.m. CT Feb. 20 – the second of three meetings the committee has scheduled to discuss and recommend fees. The first was held Feb. 6, and the third is scheduled for March 13 at a time to be determined.


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Hi all,
Barring sickness, GodStorm or death, I'll be distributing our first newsletter late tonight PST. Each newsletter will go behind the scenes at QT Games, provide a bit of intel you won't always find elsewhere around QT Games, backstory on what and why we're doing what we're doing, news, sometimes secrets and even giveaways at times. They only come out once per month, so why wait and risk missing one or being left in the dark?
All you need to do is go to our QT Games home page. On every page in the right-hand corner of the screen is a newsletter signup—it takes only a few seconds. Then confirm the email we'll send you so you can start receiving it! Dive on board and never kick yourself for missing a newsletter. Good stuff ahead, I promise!


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April 7, 2014
By Ben Brockman ('16)
After three years of college lacrosse, and coming off the best season of his Notre Dame career, Pat Cotter's trajectory drastically changed.
In January of his senior year, Cotter tore his Achilles tendon in a preseason practice. The injury would sideline the midfielder for the entire 2013 season and ultimately help influence his decision to return to Notre Dame for a fifth year in pursuit of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
Cotter says the injury made the ensuing season strange because he knew that he would not be able to finish his college career with the class that he came in with.
"It was definitely tough being injured in the preseason, not getting to play with [my recruiting class] my senior year," Cotter reflects. "Being here with them for four years, they were all kind of my closest friends."
While it was hard on Cotter to watch his former classmates go, he says the other friendships he made through the years made the decision to return for a fifth year that much simpler.
"It was a little bit weird seeing [the `13 class] leave and then coming back," Cotter says. "At the same time, all of us on the team are so close regardless of grade, so coming back and having those existing relationships wasn't that difficult."
Cotter, a native of Olney, Maryland, saw an opportunity to use the injury to his advantage and get back on to the lacrosse field for the final season he never had.
"Being able to come back and get my MBA in one year has just been a great opportunity," Cotter says. "I was kind of looking at my options and it came down to trying to make a good situation out of a bad situation."
The two professional lacrosse leagues, Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League, are continuing to grow but the prospects for professional play after college are limited. Cotter, therefore, understands the importance of the education that he is receiving from the Mendoza College of Business' MBA program, Bloomberg Businessweek's 20th ranked MBA program in the country.
"The professional league isn't very big. So really just focusing more on the education, Notre Dame is a great program." Cotter says. "Athletically and academically it is just top notch, so it just seemed like a no-brainer when deciding."
In his return, Cotter has been able to contribute on the field as well. Through eight games, Cotter has netted three goals for the Irish, including one in the 18-9 win over No. 7 Virginia. He also scored in the showdown with No. 10 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.
"We try to focus on getting better each day. It is not just one individual out there - it is just kind of playing off each other," Cotter says. "Plus, being a fifth year and being older kind of gives you an extra confidence boost."
Cotter realizes that being a fifth-year player does put him in a position of leadership and that it is often his role, along with the seniors, to be an example. He also points out that age does not necessarily compel leadership and that leaders can and do come from all over the team.
"I think our senior class as a whole has done a great job leading in the right direction, showing [the younger players] how we do things here," he says. "We have leaders in every class. It's not any one or two guys in particular - it's kind of all over. This can be really effective because you don't have a few people at the top but rather people leading from everywhere."
As the veteran on this year's team, Cotter is the only current player who was present when Notre Dame met current ACC rival Duke in the 2010 national title game. Cotter's freshman season came to an end when the Blue Devils topped the Irish, 6-5, in the opening seconds of overtime in what was one of the most compelling championship games in recent memory.
As a new member of the ACC this year, the Fighting Irish are playing similar championship-caliber competition throughout the regular season.
"Week in and week out we are playing a top 10 team," Cotter says. "It's been great to have that competition because I think it's helpful for our team to play great competition every single week. I think it will help us build going into the playoffs."
Having experience playing on Championship Weekend will allow Cotter to help his team as they move towards the postseason. The Irish have set their goals high for the 2014 campaign and look to be standing on top when the final game is played on Memorial Day.
"Of course we are striving to win a national championship and anything less than that, I wouldn't want to say would be a disappointment, but it wouldn't be what all of us want," Cotter says. "We are trying to focus one game at a time, getting better each day and not so much at the big picture yet. We want to be at Championship Weekend in the end."
However this season turns out, Cotter is starting to look toward the future and toward his plans following graduation in May. He speculates that he may end up in the Northeast, but it depends on where he finds a job. When all is said and done, Cotter does not expect to be playing professionally but knows that, wherever he goes, the sport that he loves will always stick with him.
"It's a game I have played my entire life," he says. "I don't imagine stopping anytime soon, even if it's just summer league or something like that. I love the game and it will be a part of my life."


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Baltimore County police last night capped two days of intense investigation with the arrest of two suspects in the abduction late Monday of an Overlea woman and her daughters -- an eight-hour ordeal in which one daughter was raped and her mother forced to help rob the bank where she worked.
The arrest resulted from a joint federal-local police probe that Baltimore County police spokesman E. Jay Miller characterized as "one of the best-coordinated efforts" in his memory. Mr. Miller said law enforcement officers were aided by 150 calls from citizens who responded to appeals for tips and other information.
One caller correctly recognized an acquaintance from composite photos published in area newspapers and aired on television. Another caller was able to provide police with the tag number of a pickup truck owned by one of the suspects.


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Living Proof Flex Shaping Hairspray
Looking for a hairspray that will seriously hold its own (and your beautiful updo) on your big day? Check out the Living Proof hairspray ($25; livingproof.com); known for keeping any style looking gorgeous through humidity, this pick adds shine for that perfect finishing touch.
CHI Enviro 54 Hairspray Firm Hold
Let's face it on your wedding day, your locks can be really thrown through a loop -- there's pins, curls, products and so much more! So, to finish your romantic look, reach for the CHI Firm Hold Hairspray ($10.99; ulta.com) that provides a strong hold but won't damage your hair. What's not to love?
Drybar Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray
Whether you're getting married indoors or out, you should definitely have the Drybar Flexible Hold Hairspray ($26; sephora.com) in your wedding day arsenal! With these hairsprays you get a durable hold that won't ever look stiff, making this one a total must-have!
Bumble and bumble Classic Hairspray
Ladies, you really can't go wrong with the Classic Hairspray by Bumble and bumble ($26; bumbleandbumble.com). This pick holds on all day long but brushes out of those lovely locks with ease. Your hubby-to-be will be loving your wedding day 'do when you finish with this product!
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Aerosol Hairspray
What has bamboo extract, anti-humidity protection and is ideal for your upcoming nuptials? The Garnier Fructic Sleek & Shine Hairspray ($4.29; garnierusa.com), of course! Not to mention, the price tag on this fabulous finishing spray is just what all you brides on a budget were looking for!
Aveda Air Control Hairspray
We promise, getting a lightweight, yet heavy-duty hold for your hair is possible with the Air Control hairsprays by Aveda ($29; aveda.com). This hairspray is great for all hair types and will ensure all those curls stay in place!
Pureology Colour Stylist Supreme Control Hairspray
Don't let that latest visit to your colorist go to waste! To finish off your wedding day look, try the Pureology hairspray ($27; ulta.com) for a long-lasting hold that won't damage your vibrant color.


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The Kansas City area continued its slow 2014 construction start, with total contracts down 29 percent in February compared with last year, a national trade publication reported Tuesday.
McGraw Hill Construction reported contracts totaling $129.6 million issued last month, compared with $183.7 million in February 2013. Nonresidential contracts were down 25 percent to $64.2 million and residential contracts were down 34 percent to $65.3 million.
Through the first two months of the year, total building was down 14 percent compared with the same period last year. Residential work was off 38 percent through February to $142.7 million and commercial work was up 17 percent to $207.8 million.
McGraw Hill defines residential construction as single-family and multifamily housing. Nonresidential work includes office, retail, hotel, warehouse, health care and educational construction.


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- source
- Flickr/stu_spivack
The next genetically modified food you eat probably won't be a GMO.
At least not in the conventional sense of the term, which stands for genetically modified organism.
It will probably be made using Crispr, a new technique that lets scientists precisely tweak the DNA of produce so that it can do things like survive drought or avoid turning brown.
On Thursday, the agriculture giant Monsanto nabbed the licensing rights to the technology from the Broad Institute to use in its seed development. This is the first license the institute has issued to a company for use in agriculture. (The agriculture giant DuPont Pioneer, on the other hand, is collaborating with another science company, called Caribou Biosciences, to license its own Crispr crops, including corn.)
Using Crispr, an agriculture company can get around the restrictions on GMOs and, they hope, the opposition to them – because a crop altered using Crispr isn't technically a GMO at all.
Harvard geneticist George Church thinks crops like these might be our best hope for ending the war against GMOs, which he and dozens of other experts call misguided, once and for all.
"It's a beautiful thing," Church recently told Business Insider.
The US Department of Agriculture seems to agree, as does Monsanto. The USDA has already moved two crops made with Crispr – a type of mushroom and a type of corn – closer to grocery store shelves by opting not to regulate them like conventional GMOs. DuPont, the company making the corn, says it plans to see the crop in farmers' fields in the next five years.
When a GMO is not a GMO
What makes these crops not GMOs, you might ask? It all comes down to the method that scientists use to tweak their genes. And Crispr is a far more precise method of modifying genes than scientists have had access to.
Instead of relying on the genetic engineering people are referring to when they talk about GMOs, which involves swapping a plant's genes with chunks of DNA from another organism such as a bacterium, Crispr allows scientists to simply swap out a letter or two of the plant's genetic code (composed of nucleotides denoted by the letters A, G, C, and T) and replace it with another one that, say, would prevent the crop from turning brown.
"Changing a G to an A is very different from bringing a gene from a bacteria into a plant," Church said.
- source
- Flickr/zivkovic
At the center of the department's decision not to subject the new crops to its rules is the fact that the Crispr-edited crops don't contain any "introduced genetic material" or foreign DNA, which is what most GMOs are made with.
This could mean that everything we know about genetically modified food is about to change.
"DuPont views the USDA's confirmation as an important first step toward clarifying the US regulatory landscape and the development of seed products with Crispr technology," Neal Gutterson, DuPont Pioneer's vice president of research and development, told Business Insider in an email.
A world of Crispr crops?
Teams of researchers across the globe are working on developing more crops made with Crispr, and experts say the USDA's recent decision is a promising development.
"If USDA decides the first product does not require regulation, that would definitely be encouraging for the many people already using Crispr," Joyce Van Eck, an assistant professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute, told the Genetic Expert News Service in April, shortly before the USDA made its decision.
Crispr was introduced in 2013 as a genome-editing tool in a couple of common laboratory plants, including a weed called arabidopsis and a tobacco plant. Since then researchers have experimented with it in a number of crops, including oranges, potatoes, wheat, rice, and tomatoes.
"By the end of 2014, a flood of research into agricultural uses for Crispr included a spectrum of applications, from boosting crop resistance to pests to reducing the toll of livestock disease," Maywa Montenegro wrote in January in the science magazine Ensia.
Of course, Church would prefer that people embrace GMOs as they are now, since numerous scientists have determined they are safe. After all, he said, Americans have embraced GMOs in other things like clothing. (More than 80% of the cotton that goes into things like T-shirts is genetically modified.)
"I hope people wake up one day and realize, 'Hey, almost everything is GM' – it's in the air, on our bodies, in our medicine. Maybe we can get over the GM foods controversy," Church said.
Until then, we have Crispr.


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Latest reports from the school massacre in Connecticut put the number of dead at 26; including 20 children and 6 adults, making it the second most deadly school shootings in the nation's history - surpassed only by the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech when 33 people were killed.
Lt. Governor Malloy joined State Police Lt. Paul Vance at press conference just after 3:30 to express his regret and give thanks for the outpouring of early support and sympathy for the victims and their families.
For his part, Vance confirmed that 18 children were pronounced dead inside the school and two later at a local hospital. He confirmed that the perpetrator, 20-year-old Adam Lanza—who seemed to be acting alone—was dead at the scene, bringing the total count of dead from the school to 27. He said the investigation was ongoing and positive identications of all the victims had not yet been determined.
Vance also confirmed there was a secondary crime scene in Newtown, but would not discuss details.
Subsequent news updates found that Lanza's mother, previously thought to be among the dead at the school, in fact, had been found dead at the family home. It appears Lanza shot and killed her before driving to the school where he carried out the massacre.
NBC News reports that the guns used in all the killing were legally registered to Lanza's mother.
UPDATE 4:12 pm ET: The Associated Press clarifies what were confusing earlier reports about the identity of the suspected shooter:
A law enforcement official says the suspect in the Connecticut school shootings is 20-year-old Adam Lanza, the son of a teacher at the school where the shootings occurred. A second law enforcement official says the boy's mother, Nancy Lanza, is presumed dead.
The first official says Adam Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan, of Hoboken, N.J., is being questioned by police. An earlier report from a law enforcement official mistakenly transposed the brothers' first names.
Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the developing criminal investigation.
The first official said Adam Lanza is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
UPDATE 3:40 pm ET: Law enforcement officials have not confirmed but media outlets are reporting that the suspected shooter in Connecticut today is 24-year-old Ryan Lanza.
Media are also reporting that Lanza's mother, a kindergarten teacher at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, where the shooting took place, is among the dead and that her classroom seems to be where the massacre was concentrated inside the school.
Unconfirmed and changing stories suggested that another of Lanza's relatives, possibly his father, had been found dead at the separate location which may have been the family home. And AP reported that Lanza's younger brother, who was not named, may have been taken into custody, but the police did not suggest he was involved in the violence.
UPDATE 2:58 pm ET
CNN reports:
At a news conference Friday afternoon, state police Lt. Paul Vance declined to put a number on the deaths. He would say only that there had been "several fatalities." Police were waiting to notify families before releasing details, but he reassured nervous residents that the school was secure, the danger past.
The gunman is dead, his body in a classroom, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN. A law enforcement identified the suspected shooter as Ryan Lanza, who was in his 20s. Police have recovered two weapons from the suspect, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, the source said. It's unclear if police killed the suspect.
As the Huffington Post points out:
A quick search of Facebook shows what appears to be Lanza's page. At this time, The Huffington Post cannot confirm the authenticity of Lanza's page, though the details on it fit the apparent profile of the alleged shooter.
It shows Lanza as a resident of Hoboken, N.J., with a hometown of Newtown, Conn. He appears to be student or have some connection to Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., as he is a member of Quinnipiac's Facebook network.
AP released this video of an earlier State Police news conference:
UPDATE 12:54 pm ET: The Associated Press is now reporting:
An official with knowledge of a the shooting tells AP that "27 people are dead, including 18 children."
Reports say that an entire kindergarten classroom is unaccounted for.
UPDATE 12:13 pm ET: The Hartford Courant is reporting:
Multiple people, including children, have been killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The number of victims is unclear. Many of the shootings took place in a kindergarten classroom, sources said.
UPDATE 10:55 am ET:
Connecticut State police are responding to a report of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, school officials said.
Police are reporting a number of injured. The nature of their injuries is not clear.
State police sources said one shooter is dead. Earlier reports of a second shooter are unconfirmed.
Shortly after 9:40 am ET, police reported that a shooter was in the main office of the school. A person in one room had "numerous gunshot wounds," police said.
Groups of students — some crying, some holding hands — were being escorted away from the school by their teachers and police. Some students were still in the school at 10:30 am ET, parents said.


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MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida was hit with a new lawsuit on Tuesday over its efforts, under Republican Governor Rick Scott, to purge non-citizens from the state's voter rolls.
A coalition of voting rights organizations, including the Fair Elections Legal Network, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami on behalf of various plaintiffs. They included the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union.


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|ognizant Communication Corporation
Pacific Tourism Review, Volume 6, pp. 73-81
1088-4157/03 $20.00 + .00
Copyright © 2003 Cognizant Comm. Corp.
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.
J. S. Perry Hobson
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
This article is based on points delivered during the 2001 Martin Oppermann Memorial Lecture given at Griffith University, Australia. It presents the view that the emphasis of too much tourism research is on theory testing, as opposed to theory development and building. It questions on what theoretical basis so many of these hypotheses are formed. Given that tourism is a field of study that is still in the formative stages, the article argues that there remains a need for more exploratory research. The process of inductive qualitative research is examined, and is followed by a discussion on the background to grounded theory, its adaptation, and use.
Key words: Qualitative research; Exploratory research; Grounded theory
Address correspondence to Perry Hobson, Head, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157 Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Tel: +61-2-66203259; E-mail: email@example.com
Clem Tisdell
School of Economics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 Australia
As a rule, the economies of small states lack economic diversification and scope for diversifying their economic activities is limited compared to large states. One of the reasons for this is that they lack a diversified natural resource base due to their small geographical area. In a globalizing world economy involving greater freedom of trade and capital movements, the economies of small states are liable in most cases to become more specialized and vulnerable to external economic conditions. Therefore, policies are sometimes adopted by these states, or recommended by external agencies, to keep these economies more diversified than otherwise would be so. For instance, action to simulate tourism development is sometimes a part of the diversification strategy of small states, such as Brunei. While tourism development can make a significant contribution to the economic diversification and development of small states, its limitations must be recognized. In small states, these can include significant income leakages via imports and overseas remittances of profit by foreign investors in the tourism industry, adverse cultural impacts on the local community, unfavorable environmental consequences, little employment of locals because of (needed) reliance on guest-workers or expatriates, and, where the industry relies heavily on inbound tourists, a high degree of economic volatility. Sometimes, it is even possible for growth in tourism to reduce the diversity of a local economy and generate the "Dutch disease." Much depends on the particular circumstances because the tourism industry can also act as a growth pole and stimulate the development of other industries via backward economic linkages. Furthermore, it can provide a profitable extra economic opportunity for small states that have limited economic alternatives. Therefore, depending on its nature, the tourism industry can make a positive contribution to the economic diversification and development of small states. Brunei aims to become a "Service Hub for Trade and Tourism (SHuTT)" in its region. In this article, once the general review of tourism as a contributor to the economic diversification and development of small states is completed, Brunei's basic policies for SHuTT are outlined and examined, paying particular attention to the tourism component. Information deficiencies are identified as a major obstacle to the evaluation of Brunei's tourism policies, and recommendations are made in this regard.
Key words: Brueni; Economic diversification; Tourism development; Small economies; Limitations
Address correspondence to Clem Tisdell, School of Economics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072 Australia. Tel: 61 7 3365 6570; Fax: 61 7 3365 7299; E-mail: email@example.com
Larry Dwyer
Tourism and Hospitality Strategy Group, School of Management, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, Australia
Tourism destinations are increasingly engaging in cooperative marketing activity with a view to increasing overall visitor numbers and expenditure to each of the cooperating regions. On what is herein called the "standard view," the increased visitation to each is assumed to generate a positive economic contribution: a win-win situation for the cooperative marketers. However, recent analyses of the impacts of tourism growth indicate that, depending on the mix of industries in these destinations, some may actually suffer reduced income and employment even in the face of increased tourism inflows and expenditure. The results have serious and hitherto unexplored implications for the appropriateness of cooperative destination marketing. This article exposes the assumptions underlying the standard view. It argues that economy-wide effects must be taken into account in determining the impacts of increased tourism expenditure on a destination, and discusses the implications for cooperative destination marketing.
Key words: Cooperative destination marketing; Economic impacts; Industry mix
Address correspondence to Professor Larry Dwyer, Head, Tourism and Hospitality Strategy Group, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith DC, NSW, 1797 Australia. Tel: +61 246 203248; Fax: +61 246 266683; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Vincent C. S. Heung, Thomas K. P. Leung, and Amy Tan
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
A large number of Hong Kong restaurants closed down in recent years due to the Asian economic crisis in late 1997 and the keen competition in the restaurant industry. One major cause for restaurant failures was the poor services provided by restaurants. Knowledge of the competitive status of a restaurant operation is critical to survive in a saturated restaurant market. This study aims to assess the relative competitiveness of three Chinese restaurant chains in Hong Kong using service quality indices. These Chinese restaurant chains were Hsin Kuang, Maxim's, and Treasure. A survey of 201 customers revealed that Maxim's Chinese Restaurant was the most competitive of all the restaurants surveyed, followed by Treasure Chinese Restaurant and Hsin Kuang Restaurant. The results suggest that the Hsin Kuang Chinese Restaurant was facing a serious problem in terms of relative competitiveness as the restaurant failed to meet the minimum levels of customers' service expectations. Implications of the findings for the Chinese restaurateurs are discussed.
Key words: Service quality indices; Chinese restaurant; Relative competitiveness
Address correspondence to Dr. Vincent C. S. Heung, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2766 6330; Fax: (852) 2362 9362; E-mail: email@example.com
And Now for the Next Hundred Years: An Assessment of National Tourism Policy Issues in New Zealand
Ken Simpson
School of Applied Management, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92-025, Auckland, New Zealand
Though there has been a national tourism organization (NTO) in New Zealand for more than 100 years, it was not until 2001 that a formal national tourism strategy document was first prepared. Consequently, the determination of tourism policy has often seemed to be at the mercy of a frequently shifting framework of government philosophies and practices. The new national tourism strategy is therefore a significant event in New Zealand's tourism industry development, and represents an important milestone in the country's drive towards an efficient and effective tourism sector. Arguing that the NTO's centenary year is an appropriate time to both review the past and anticipate the future, this article examines the history of New Zealand central government's involvement with tourism, before evaluating the implications of a new national tourism strategy for central government's tourism policy agencies.
Key words: National tourism policy; New Zealand; Government involvement
Address correspondence to Ken Simpson, School of Applied Management, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92-025, Auckland, New Zealand. Tel: 0064-9-815-4321, ext. 7015; Fax: 0064-9-815-2927; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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In a steam locomotive, steam flows through a series of pipes and valves, pushing pistons attached to the wheels of the locomotive and driving it forward. Coal or wood in a firebox heats the water in the boiler, creating the steam. When the steam flows into the pistons, it drives the wheels forward, and then a valve releases the steam and allows the piston to return to its original position for the next push forward.Continue Reading
Richard Trevithick demonstrated the first steam locomotive in 1804 based on his design for a steam-powered cart. Before the steam engine, heavy loads traveled along rail tracks pulled by teams of horses. The steam engine offered considerably more power and speed, but early designs were prone to pressure vessel failure that could produce a lethal explosion.
In addition to powering the drive wheels of the locomotive, pressurized steam is often used to power other components of the locomotive. One of the earliest additions was a steam whistle, controlled by a valve that could direct excess steam through a fluted pipe to produce a loud, high-pitched warning note to alert pedestrians of the train's presence and arrival.
The steam locomotive became the primary method of transporting goods and passengers across long distances in the 19th century, and the design dominated the railways until the middle of the 20th century. Eventually, diesel and electric engines began to replace steam engines, offering more power and efficiency as well as better reliability.Learn more about Inventions


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TEXAS CITY, TX --A Galveston man is now charged with killing a father and daughter during a home invasion in November.
Two masked men killed Jorge Vargas and his 15-year-old daughter Miranda at their Texas City home. Vargas' 11-year-old son escaped.
Dominique Alonzo Stokes was recently arrested in Travis County for driving a stolen car. Police say he was carrying a gun used to kill the victims.
Stokes also matches a description of one of the killers. Police believe he targeted Vargas because he was dealing drugs from his home.


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US3 with mauifins?!
Hello Kevin,
I just visited the site of the maui fins company and saw your name in the tam riders list.Are you really going to change Deboichet to MauiFins?
I am on Maui Fins for waves and Debiochet fins for race. I am really happy that both companies will allow me to do this and now I get the best of both worlds!!
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Basketball fans know Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his signature skyhook shot that he used to bring his teams to victory in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.
But these days the sports legend is more concerned with his Skyhook Foundation, which he says he founded to help "a much bigger team -- underserved youth -- become academic champions. My goal now is to excite students about the potential of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] careers so they have more opportunities to pursue fulfilling futures."
Recently, HuffPost Science asked Abdul-Jabbar a series of questions about his foundation and his promotion of STEM. He gave his answers via email:
Why have you picked STEM as your focus?
Two reasons. First, all fields of study are valuable to a balanced society. But STEM has the most potential right now for providing successful careers for the kind of students who might otherwise give up on themselves. One of the most rewarding aspects of going around to talk about STEM to schools is how many children come up to me afterward and say, "I never thought of myself as a scientist. But now I'm thinking maybe I could be one." STEM can open a lot of new horizons for kids to see themselves in a better light.
The second reason is that I think the future of the U.S.'s economy is at stake. Our country has been slowly but systematically slipping in world rankings as leaders in science and technology. Since this is one of our main exports, that can directly damage our future economy, which will weaken our ability to promote democracy around the world.
Why is there so little diversity in STEM fields?
Historically, people of color were discouraged from studying the sciences because the white status quo didn't want the competition for jobs and because they didn't think people of color were intellectually capable. Even though that situation technically is no longer the case, the cultural fallout from those days has produced a collateral damage of kids who lack the self-confidence to pursue these courses and careers. That's what we're trying to change.
What is your ultimate goal regarding STEM education?
My first goal is that every child -- regardless of ethnic origin, gender, or economic status -- has the opportunity to pursue the career of his or her choice. But first we have to instill desire and self-confidence. We hope to accomplish this by showing students how much fun and adventure they can have with STEM.
My second goal is to help bring the U.S. back to the forefront of scientific and technological research and development. New discoveries can make the people healthier and happier as well as economically more prosperous.
Are you personally interested in science?
Medicine interests me because I see it as the most direct way to end suffering. My own experience with ailments has given me a new appreciation for all that has been done -- and still needs to be done. Plus, my son is a medical doctor. However, I read a lot about all branches of science, including new discoveries about how the brain works, how memories are stored, our recent discoveries of new planets similar to Earth, last year's discoveries of a new animal species.
Are you good at math?
Good enough to figure out a proper tip. Just don't ask me about that train leaving from Cleveland going 50 miles an hour while the train leaving Chicago is heading toward it at 65 miles an hour.
Did you study science in college?
I took a few science classes and thoroughly enjoyed them. But my focus was on history and English. I especially liked studying science within the context of history. I was fascinated with how a scientist made a discovery and then the ramifications of that discovery on that era and its ripple effect on the rest of the era.
Did you ever think about becoming a scientist?
Once. When I saw the original "Time Machine" movie with Rod Taylor I toyed with inventing a time machine. I haven't yet given up on that dream. There are a couple games against the Celtics I might go back in time for and play differently.
Do you keep up with new developments in science and technology?
I read Discover magazine and watch Mythbusters. When I fly, which is often (and usually in a plane), I'll buy a Scientific American in the airport.
Who is your favorite scientist?
The inventors I wrote about in "What Color Is My World" made me feel inspired and humbled. Most of them had so much to overcome just to get an education and to be taken seriously in the scientific community. But they then went on to change the world. That's impressive. I'm also a big fan of the books of Stephen Jay Gould. They are thoughtful, humorous, and always surprising.
Most recently, I was impressed by the American biologist Randy Schekman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year. What impressed me wasn't just his scientific achievement, but his moral stance in declaring that his lab wasn't going to submit research to the most prestigious science journals. He believes that pressure to publish in these journals makes scientists less diligent in their research and also encourages them to pursue fields of study that are more likely to be popular rather than necessary. I appreciate scientists who use their status to promote ethics as well as science.
What's your favorite sci-fi movie?
Impossible to name one. Here are a few, in no particular order: "The Matrix," "Aliens," "The Thing" (the 1982 version), "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956 and 1978), "A Clockwork Orange," "Terminator," "Road Warrior," and "Blade Runner." Tonight I'll think of 20 more.
What's one piece of technology you can't do without?
As much as I love how much technology has improved our world on every level, I'm not that dependent on any particular device. I do love my high-definition flat screen TV, though, because I can watch sports with such clarity.
What's your favorite app?
I know you want me to say "Flappy Bird," but I'm not going to. I can't really point to any one app that I use that much. I like "Flixster" because it gives me movie times and Rotten Tomato ratings. For news, I use HuffPost, Flipboard, and The Week.
You've expressed admiration for George Crumb, who invented potato chips. Is he your favorite scientist?
I admire his tenacity in the face of one of the world's richest men. I like that he took his accidental innovation and had the business savvy to turn it into a successful business. But there are many others that I admire more, such as Garrett Morgan, who used his invention of a safety hood to enter a mine filled with poisonous gas and save 29 trapped men.
Ever want to go into space?
Depends on the leg room in the spaceship.
Any interest in becoming a Mars colonist?
Yes, on those days when I forget how old I am.
Do you think extraterrestrial life exists? Ever see a UFO?
I've never seen a UFO, but it makes sense that, given the vastness of the universe and the number of planets similar to Earth, there would be forms of life out there. It seems like the height of self-importance to think we're the only planet with life.
What scientific fact do you find especially awe-inspiring?
Every single day reveals a hundred awe-inspiring scientific facts: from gravity holding us on the planet to the smell of pheromones on a lover's neck to the ability of the clown anemonefish to completely change gender from male to female.
Do you think that science and religion are compatible?
Of course. Although it's true that religions throughout history have persecuted some scientists, they have also sometimes been great supporters of science. Despite what some people think, many Catholic Church writings on evolution found it compatible with a belief in God. For the thousands of religious scientists around the world today, discovering the science behind how the universe works is merely a testament to God's ingenuity, not a refutation. Faith, by definition, is a belief in something for which there is no conclusive evidence. To reject science out of fear of what might be discovered is actually to demonstrate a lack of faith.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Abdul-Jabbar is scheduled to speak at the USA Science & Engineering Festival at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.


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250 S West St
Russiaville, IN 46979
New 2018 Forest River RV Salem 27REI
If you are looking for a rear living layout with dual opposing slide outs, a kitchen island, and front bedroom then take a step inside the Salem 27REI travel trailer by Forest River.
As you enter this model, straight ahead there is a bathroom including a corner radius shower, wardrobe, sink with medicine cabinet, and a toilet. Now that's convenient!
The front bedroom features a walk-around queen bed with dual wardrobes and an overhead shelf.
As you head back towards the main living area, to your left is the first slide out including a booth dinette and two lounge chairs with overhead storage. Along the opposite side is the second slide featuring an entertainment center with fireplace below, pantry, refrigerator, microwave, counter space, and three burner range. A handy kitchen island with a double sink provides additional counter space and easy clean up. Along the rear wall a 68" jiffy sofa with two end tables provides extra seating and sleeping space for family and friends, or you can choose an optional rear layout with a hide-a-bed sofa and one end table.
You are sure to enjoy the outside awning and storage compartments, plus much more!
Savings: $12,811
Stock# 063593
|36 ft 7 in
|Ext Width
|8 ft
|Ext Height
|11 ft 5 in
|Int Height
|6 ft 8 in
|Hitch Weight
|920 lbs
|Dry Weight
|8154 lbs
|Cargo Weight
|2926 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|40 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|42 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|27 gals
|Furnace BTU
|25000 btu
|Available Beds
|Refrigerator Type
|Double Door
|Cooktop Burners
|Number of Awnings
|Water Heater Capacity
|16 gal.
|Water Heater Type
|DSI Gas/Electric
|13500 btu
|Awning Info
|Shower Type
In 1996, Forest River founder Peter Liegl had a vision. He foresaw an RV company dedicated to helping people experience the joy of the outdoors by building better recreational products. Today that vision is a reality.
Continually growing, Forest River operates multiple manufacturing facilities throughout the midwest and west coast. Our large production capacity enables us to fill our customers' orders promptly without cutting corners or rushing through production procedures. This ensures that each Forest River product is conscientiously built and undergoes thorough, detailed inspection before it's shipped to the customer.


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I Fell for Le Labo's Santal 33 Just Like the Rest of the World and I Don't Care if That Makes Me a Sucker
I mean, even Justin frickin' BEIBER wears it.
Everyone has their thing, you know? Like a collection of small ceramic sea turtles, or Eiffel Tower t-shirts or something. For me, that thing —besides makeup, of course — is tea.
I love tea. I love drinking tea, I love learning about tea, I have a whole tea cart in my apartment to hold all my tea sundries along with the coffee pot for my boyfriend.
In my never-ending quest to broaden my horizons when it comes to fragrance, I never even considered seeking out fragrances with a tea note. I don't know why, because after I called in as many as I could get my hands on, I realized that tea could lend a beautifully complex note and make a fragrance truly special.
Commodity's Tea is the first tea scent that graced my little nose and kicked off this whole shebang. It hit me on the first spray that a fragrance can give you a feeling of something without smelling like a carbon copy.
This fragrance is very citrusy right off the bat. You get hit with a fresh squeeze of lemon, which is super-refreshing for summer. The fragrance remains fresh and lemony all day, but as it develops, you get the tea flavor and more of the floral notes, including jasmine, which is my favorite floral of all time ever.
This scent is loud and soft at the same time; it puts me straight into a hot summer day drinking iced tea with a lot of lemon.
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca EDT
Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca also sits in the citrus realm, but it has a greener vibe overall. In high school it was all the rage to wear Marc Jacobs Daisy, which was (and still is) way too strong for my tastes but I did love the green, grassy note of it. Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca hits that same green note but in a more subtle and elegant way. It opens with that green note — in this case its cloverleaf and lemon — and moves on to mint and green tea, and a floral base of lily of the valley and pear flower.
The result is a young but classy scent that is a bit surprising at every sniff; sometimes you get the green tea, sometimes the mint, all wrapped up in a lemony package.
Plus, that bottle though. It's a killer.
L'Occitane The Vert & Bigarade EDT
This is the first unisex fragrance that I've ever liked. I usually stick to florals and sweet scents, and this whole tea-themed adventure was a bit of a step outside my comfort zone to begin with, so this scent in particular was something else.
It opens on a sharp orange note that leans quickly into a green tea, a soft floral, and musky base. That musky base makes this scent surprisingly sexy, but the fragrance is altogether very light. When I wear this, I get whiffs of the brightness of green tea and orange along with the musky base through out the day. This fragrance may be a bit much for day, but it is definitely perfect for night.
Demeter Earl Grey Tea Pick-Me-Up Cologne Spray
Demeter has a humongous single-note fragrance library so it is zero surprise that they have multiple tea fragrances. First up is the classic earl grey.
I start nearly every day with a cup of earl grey tea, so it is no surprise to me that this scent is, like they say, comfort in a cup... in a perfume. The sharpness of the bergamot is paired with a delicate black tea, creamy milk and a touch of sweetness. I didn't know how well I would get on with a direct tea-scented fragrance, but I love the subtly of this scent.
Demeter Chai Tea Pick-Me-Up Cologne Spray
I love a good Chai, so it gives me great pleasure to say the Chai Tea scent is a winner. This is the spiciest fragrance in my now-growing collection, it's a little too heavy for my tastes in summer, but I know I'll be reaching for this one a lot come winter.
The spice isn't too strong or fake-smelling. It's not like rolling around in a pile of PSL flavor packets. It's more nuanced — it's got the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and pepper, and it's rounded out with the tea milk and sugar.
Demeter Baihao Yinzhen Tea Pick-Me-Up Cologne Spray
This is the only tea in this round up that I haven't actually had the chance to drink. Baihao Yinzhen Tea is a white tea and the scent is absolutely stunning. It doesn't scream "TEA!" whatsoever.
Demeter describes this scent as masculine, but I couldn't disagree more. Whereas most scents I consider masculine are very strong on spice, leather, wood, musk — something in that realm — this fragrance is different. It is very clean, slightly citrusy, and ever so slightly green.
I've been wearing this perfume a lot because it's light enough to be non-offensive to coworkers but interesting enough to keep me coming back.
I have been a strong proponent of rose as a fragrance for years. They can be so much more than that distinctive plastic perfume scent that wafts off someone and chokes you a bit as you walk by.
This is a beautiful and simple fragrance. This scent is fresh cut roses and a good cup of strong black tea. Simple as that. It is delicious, classy, and is a fragrance I can see myself wearing for years and years to come.
Laura Mercier Tea Menthe Citron Creme Body Cleanse
This scent surprises me every time I give it a whiff. It starts off with the mint, which I find to be totally refreshing, especially for a body wash. After the mint, you get the black tea, a light spiciness and a creamy wood.
I've been very into minty body washes this year because they really wake me up and get me feeling energized. The tea note in this makes it a far better choice for spring and summer than the Christmassy peppermint body wash I was using.
The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Exfoliating Soap
The Body Shop has a whole host of products in this line that you can use if you want to smell like green tea without smelling like you just brewed a big ol' pot of the stuff and jumped in it. The scent, for me, is very soothing and subtle.
It's like green tea, but it's also creamy and almost a tad citrusy. This would be a good one if you just want to dip your toes into a tea fragrance, and there are so many ways to do it. They even have a bath tea if you are really into it.
Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Firming Serum
OK, so this one may be a little bit of an oddball to add to this line-up, but hear me out. Tea has a lot of antioxidants, which we already know are good for your skin. This serum from Fresh is packed full of them in a moisturizing base. I've been using this serum before my regular moisturizer, and although I haven't noticed any firming, which isn't too surprising for my skin, it has been so moisturized. And yes, it does smell like black tea.


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Business Practice Optimization
Though initial adoption and alignment are critical for a program's success, it doesn't end there. Flexibility and adaptability in the services you offer and the assets you manage are critical. Well-defined strategies and the supporting roadmap become stale and out-dated quickly in today's dynamic world. ebusiness strategies brings unique experiences and expertise to help our clients reassess and realign their direction, ensuring over time that the organization remains optimized and working within the parameters it originally established.
Our services enable regular and discrete adaptations and adjustments, keeping your strategy and solutions relevant over the long haul. This approach helps you to avoid the massive disruptions and significant costs associated with discontinuous events. We have developed specific assessment and monitoring methodologies that enable us to help you adjust to a shifting business environment, disruptive technological developments, new customer requirements, human resource trends and other critical change events.
Our Business Practice Optimization services include:
ebusiness strategies advises and offers guidance as you incrementally adapt your strategy and services model by:
- Monitoring industry trends and benchmark triggers.
- Assessing where your previously implemented solutions can be modified to better address changes with your customer base, market segments and management expectations.
- Continuing the socialization and operationalization of the strategic vision.
We deliver:
- Insight into external signals that may be forerunners of significant internal change.
- Review of deployed solutions over time to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, optimization or standardization.
- Systematic monitoring and proven mechanisms for evaluating and acting on potential course corrections.
- Most importantly, a trusted advisor to help filter the noise and focus on optimal execution of your business.
Case Studies:
Coming soon


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Amelia's premier dance, cheer, and tumbling studio where kids and teens experience an outrageously fun and inspiring atmosphere.
About Us
The philosophy of Midwest Elite Dance Center is to enhance the development of each student's dance knowledge and artistic ability. Our mission is to motivate, educate, and inspire in an energetic and positive atmosphere. Midwest Elite Dance Center offers personalized attention to every individual to help them succeed with their own personal goals. Our dedication to your children will foster their love and desire for the art of dance!
Midwest Elite Dance Center offers group classes and private lessons in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, leaps/turns, tumbling, and cheer. Classes are offered to children ages 2-18 from beginner to advanced. Each child is placed into a class based upon age, ability, and previous training.


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J.R.s Plumbing
1039 Fresno Dr. San Antonio, TX 78201
Residential & Commercial Plumbing Repair in San Antonio
Backed by 38 years of industry experience and skill, J.R.'s Plumbing offers San Antonio customers all types of residential and commercial plumbing services. We specialize in repairs, main water breaks, main sewer breaks, stoppages, troubleshooting water leaks, and repair or replacement of plumbing fixtures. Call J.R.'s Plumbing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and our team will accurately assess and solve your plumbing issues.
Our Services:
- Faucet & Fixture Replacement
- Hot Water Heater Installation
- Sewer Line Replacement
- Pipe & Drain Cleaning
- Gas Leak Experts
- CPS Lockout With Permits
- Sewer Line Cleaning/Hydrojetting
- Water Leak Repair
- and More!
J.R.'s Plumbing can also help with water or gas leak detection and repair. We'll pinpoint the source of the problem and determine the best options available for you. Call our San Antonio office at (210) 236-6131 for residential or commercial plumbing inspections, repairs, or routine upkeep today.
J.R.'s Plumbing Specials!
- $20 Off Any Service Over $150
- $500 Off Any Main Sewer Line Replacement
- $25 Off Waterline Repairs
(210) 236-6131


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Ad Nauseam
Why one actor suddenly pops up in ad after ad after ad.
This week, Ad Report Card proudly presents an in-depth report: What's the deal with that actor who's in every ad you see?
Meet Joel Moore, the ubiquitous star of the 30-second spot I watch way, waaaaaaay too much television. Demonstrably harmful amounts. On a not-atypical day, I'll watch for 14 uninterrupted hours. Part of me is ashamed of this. But another part of me (the part talking now) would argue that there's a certain sort of television wisdom only attainable to those of us who devote our lives so fully.
For instance, over time we have come to learn that the best PBS shows all end in "house": Manor House, Frontier House, 1900 House,This Old House, Ask This Old House. (Probably Colonial House will be really good, too.) Also, and more germane to this discussion, we have become aware—only through hours of careful viewing—that a previously unknown actor will sometimes, and suddenly, invade our living rooms with a plague of different commercials. One moment, he's anonymous; the next, you seem to recognize his face in every other spot on TV.
For instance, not long ago I noticed this blonde, bespectacled actress in an Expedia ad. She caught my eye because she lent a nice comedic delivery to her one line: "Cooper?! HA!" (She's taunting a colleague who's traveling with a cad.) Soon after, I noticed this same actress in an Avis spot (she refuses to give a rental car customer a map), and then yet again in an ad for Geico (she praises the gecko's work ethic—"Customer satisfaction is at an all-time high"). I became obsessed. Who was this ubiquitous woman? The mystery was solved when she began to appear as a Daily Show correspondent. Her name is Rachael Harris, and this (slightly overenthusiastic) fan site says she's also been in recent ads for Outback and Dinty Moore.
Why does this happen? Why does one actor capture the fancy of all the agencies, all at once? And do the marketers care that the face of their product is the face of five or six other products, too?


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We are very proud to announce that the 5,000,000th image has been rendered this week!
Thanks to you, renderers, who made this possible!
For the stats lover here are some:
* 5,021,894 rendered frames
* 61 years 90 days of cumulated render time
* 22,700 projects created
* 154,000 user sessions created
Also some charts:
We never stop making improvements to the service.
Since the 4,000,000th event we added some nice features:
* We are working on supporting compositing on single frame project, it's not completed but it will be done in the next week.
* We did a lot of optimization on the server backend to handle more renderers. It used to only handle an average of 120 simultaneous renderers ,now it can handle more than few hundreds
* You can help us by donating. We are accepting paypal, bitcoin and dogecoin. Go on the donation page for more information.
We would also like to thank Paul Szajner (aka Sozap) who agreed to share his frame.
It's part of a very nice animation that will be finished very soon.
If you want to have your image as the next event illustration, simply contact us via the form on the website, tell us the image's project.
Edit: February 2017, Here the video and making of
Call for testing AMD gpuAugust, 8th 2018
70 million rendered frames!July, 18th 2018
60 million rendered frames!March, 29th 2018
50 million rendered frames!December, 3rd 2017
Blender Conf rewards!October, 24th 2017
Blender 2.79 available!September, 12th 2017
40 million rendered frames!August, 8th 2017
30 million rendered frames!April, 26th 2017
Filmic blender support!February, 23rd 2017
20 million rendered frames!December, 12th 2016
Blender 2.78 available!September, 29th 2016
New website!September, 5th 2016
Blender 2.77a available!March, 23rd 2016
10 millions rendered frames!March, 8th 2016
100 years of rendering!January, 7th 2016
Blender 2.76 available!October, 13th 2015
Blender 2.75 available!July, 2nd 2015
4 millions rendered frames!May, 14th 2015
Blender 2.74 available!April, 1st 2015
3 millions rendered frames!March, 3rd 2015
Blender 2.73a available!January, 10th 2015
Client source code goes free!November, 20th 2014
2 millions rendered frames!October, 30th 2014
Blender 2.72b available!October, 6th 2014
Blender 2.71 available!June, 26th 2014
1 million rendered frames!May, 11th 2014
Blender 2.70a available!March, 21st 2014
500,000 rendered frames!February, 6th 2014
200,000 rendered frames!November, 12th 2013
Blender 2.69 available!October, 31st 2013
Support of single frameSeptember, 17th 2013
Blender 2.68a available!July, 24th 2013
GPU supportedMay, 27th 2013
Cumulated render time reccord broken!May, 9th 2013
Blender 2.67 available!May, 7th 2013
Blender 2.66a available!May, 6th 2013
Blender 2.65 available!December, 10th 2012


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If you were a Soap & Glory fragrance, which one would you be? It's time to discover your SCENT-SATIONAL match…
Our fruity-floral signature fragrance with rose, bergamot and a twist of citrus.
A zesty lime fragrance with sweet vanilla musk and almond oils.
A rich, creamy and indulgent fragrance with sweet vanilla, pistachio and almond.
A fresh, floriental fragrance with mandarin, cassis and sandalwood.
An exotic, fruity fragrance with grapefruit, orange and a hint of fig.
Copyright © The Boots Company PLC. All rights reserved. Registered office: Nottingham NG2 3AA. Registered in England: company number 27657.
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Home » Events at The Watercress Line
Friday 19th - Sunday 21st October 2018
*First guest engine announced*
7822 Foxcote Manor
7822 will be joining us from the West Somerset Railway. The Manor class of two-
More guest engines to be confirmed
Adult £25
Adult 3 day pass £50
Child 3 day pass £26
Child (aged 2-16 yrs) £13
Child under 2 FREE
Family (2 Adults and 2 Children – 1 child effectively free) £63
Advance tickets include all booking fees and tickets cost the same on the day.
Entry is by travel ticket only. Once tickets are purchased they cannot be changed or cancelled for any reason. Site/platform tickets, intermediate fares and discount vouchers, including Tesco Clubcard vouchers, are NOT VALID for this event.
FREE parking at Ropley in the field.
Photography and Filming
Visitors are permitted to film and/or photograph at the Mid Hants Railway Ltd for personal use only. Filming and photography for commercial gain is strictly prohibited unless pre-approved by the Company.
Drones must not be operated on or within 50m of Mid Hants Railway property.
The Mid Hants Railway only permits line side access to those with a valid Mid Hants Identity Card and PTS. No other line side access is permitted, including PTS certification issued by other heritage railways, and is viewed as trespass.
We respectfully ask photographers to respect our neighbours private property and remain in publicly accessible areas. Please note that the field and crossing at Wanders Curve between Ropley and Medstead is not publicly accessible land. Thank you.
The Company does not guarantee that the trains will arrive or depart at the times stated and reserves the right to cancel, alter or suspend any train without notice, or to substitute a different train should this be necessary for whatever reason.
Image for illustration purposes only.


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Devinci is starting to make a push into the U.S. market. Last year, the Quebec-based company showed off three new full suspension models based around Dave Weagle's Split Pivot suspension design. For 2012 Devinci will add a 29-inch full suspension to its three 26-inch Split Pivot bikes.
The Atlas is an XC/trail bike with 100mm of front travel paired with 110mm in the rear. It has a claimed chainstay length of 430mm/16.9". I didn't have my tape measure handy, but if these numbers are correct the Atlas will have the shortest chainstays of any production 29er full suspension.
The Atlas has adjustable geometry, thanks to an offset chip in the rear of the rocker link. Changing the orientation of this chip allows riders to switch between a higher bottom bracket with a steeper head angle (13.1"/71.2°), or a lower bottom bracket with a slacker head angle (12.9"/70.6°).
The Atlas will be available in late 2011.
Keep reading
It doesn't end here, we've got a lot more coverage of Interbike 2011, including demo rides.


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Truck Bed Campers | Eagle Cap:
A Rugged and Beautiful Truck Bed Camper
Eagle Cap's cutting edge engineering shows through in our entire product line. Take our popular, time tested best selling 850 with its adjustable pantry storage and full wall slide for even more room plus it will fit short or long bed trucks – to our elegant, open and roomy full-wall slide 960 with its own private California King Bedroom suite and you will quickly see Eagle Cap is the premier slide out truck camper manufacturer… But wait, you want more in your truck camper, then we are still your manufacturer with our 1160 Double – Slide, 1165 Triple – Slide and our new Industry first 12′ Triple-Slide 1200. "Industry exclusive" wide body (102″) Truck Campers.We designed for you a rear sofa slide in all three of these models giving you all the room and comforts of home, want even more comfort order our optional Theater Seating Recliners! The 1165 Triple-Slide floorplan features a peninsula/island kitchen, floor to ceiling galley storage and not one but three wardrobe areas including large drawer storage. The Eagle Cap campers are must see engineering marvels, call your closest dealer today for a tour!
Eagle Cap Truck Bed Campers: Interior Decor & Features
Eagle Cap Truck Bed Campers are built to last and beautifully designed with contemporary decor and furnishings. We use only high quality durable fabrics, which are attractive, functional and easy to clean. CONTINUE >
Truck Bed Camper Galleys & Dinette Areas
Enjoy the comforts and flexibility with Eagle Caps new "Modular" dinette furniture giving you the flexibility of change in your dinette configuration. CONTINUE >
Truck Bed Camper Bedrooms & Bathrooms
The elegance, class and beauty shine through in our layout of the Eagle Cap bedrooms, with the large mirrored wardrobe storage, elegant hardwood cabinets… CONTINUE >
Truck Bed Camper Special Features
Eagle Cap Truck Bed Campers are known for there "High End" industry leading features such as our one-piece fiberglass front caps. CONTINUE >
Truck Bed Camper First Class Construction
With Eagle Cap's industry leading features, like it's Aircraft Quality welded Aluminum Superstructure, One-piece Aerodynamic two-toned fiberglass front cap, All Season Quad Exterior 3M® Sealing process to the standard EC-Max insulation package, you too will agree that Eagle Cap Truck Bed Campers are "Built Like None Other". CONTINUE >


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War Powerless
The president shouldn't send troops to Kosovo. But Congress should.
President Clinton wants to send 4,000 American soldiers on a NATO peacekeeping mission to Kosovo. If all goes as planned (though what goes as planned in the Balkans?), the troops will spend the next three to five years disarming ethnic Albanian guerillas, replacing Serbian policemen with ethnic Albanians, and generally restoring order to the Godforsaken Yugoslavian province. The mission is a superb idea, a noble effort to pacify the troubled region before war spills into the rest of Europe.
It's also illegal. The Clinton administration is "briefing" and "consulting" with Congress about the mission but will not seek congressional approval. The administration insists that it does not need such approval: "Ample constitutional precedent" (Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti) proves that the commander in chief can conduct such forceful operations without a congressional say-so. And Congress, it seems, agrees.
It is probably hopeless, and certainly unfashionable, to remind the president and Congress that they are wrong. Few passages in the Constitution have been more abused than Article 1, Section 8.11, which gives Congress sole power "to declare war [and] grant letters of marque and reprisal." Constitutional history is fuzzy on many matters, but on this it is pellucid: The framers intended Congress, and Congress alone, to decide whether and when to send troops into combat. (According to scholars, "letters of marque and reprisal" are, roughly speaking, the 18th century equivalent of our small-scale military actions.) The framers allowed that the president could authorize defense and immediate retaliation in the case of a surprise attack. Otherwise, the authority belonged to Congress. Our elected representatives were supposed to deliberate, slowly, on this most consequential of state actions. The framers feared, above all, that a vainglorious executive would, if unchecked, drag the country into foolish foreign entanglements.
This principle of congressional supremacy guided the United States through World War II. (Occasionally, Congress declared war before sending troops; mostly it didn't.) But Congress' military influence began to wane as presidents grabbed more and more power. The seminal event was the Korean War, which President Harry Truman waged with U.N. approval and virtual silence from Congress. The shift continued through Vietnam and the secret invasions of Cambodia and Laos. In 1973, Congress reasserted itself by passing the War Powers Resolution over Nixon's veto. Under the resolution (more commonly known as the "War Powers Act"), the president has 90 days to obtain congressional approval of a military action. If Congress does not vote aye, the troops must come home.
The War Powers Resolution has been a monument to congressional fecklessness and presidential bullying. Every president has called the law unconstitutional and proceeded as if it (and the Constitution) didn't exist. Ronald Reagan, the grand champion of executive power, ignored the war powers clause and resolution in Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, Central America, and the Persian Gulf. (Reagan's advisers, usually so obeisant to "original intent" when interpreting the Constitution, were more cavalier on the subject of war powers.) George Bush skirted congressional war powers in Panama and denied that they applied to the Iraq war. Clinton has ducked them in Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq. (When administration officials cite "ample constitutional precedent," it is this "ample," but hardly constitutional, record, to which they are referring.) Presidents have euphemized away the seizure of congressional authority, minimizing their uses of force as "surgical strikes," "police actions," or "immediate reprisals." They have cited the pressures of the Cold War: At a time when any regional flare-up might provoke a nuclear confrontation, they argued, America needed a single, firm hand on the tiller. As Reagan said, "You can't have 535 secretaries of state."
Congress grumbled but didn't stop the erosion of its power. Whenever a president dispatched troops or missiles, congressional Democrats and a few Republicans would pipe up that the president was ignoring the War Powers Resolution. The president would argue it didn't apply. Congress would gripe a bit more, and by that time the troops would be on their way home. The resolution has become a convenient cover: It allows Congress to complain that the president is breaking the law without forcing Congress to take any real responsibility. If the operation goes awry, Congress can load all the blame on the president. If the operation goes well, the president takes all the credit anyway. "There's nothing in it for Congress," says Eric Alterman, author of Who Speaks for America?: Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy. "No one is going to make his career as a great foreign policy senator." The political adage states that politics stops at the water's edge. In fact, politics doesn't even start. Congress just isn't interested enough.
T his time around, Congress isn't even bothering to invoke the war powers clause or resolution. Both the rescue of Kosovo and the ongoing bombardment of Iraq are undoubtedly military operations as contemplated by the Constitution. Both expose U.S. troops to hostilities, and neither is an immediate retaliation for an attack on the United States. The Iraq bombing has been going on for two months, and the administration has not signaled any willingness to abide by the War Powers Resolution. The Kosovo engagement is scheduled for three years, but the administration has no intention of ever putting it to congressional vote. (Congress has never held a War Powers Resolution vote on the Bosnia mission, which began in 1995.) Even so, Congress, perhaps exhausted by impeachment or simply supportive of the operations, has been notably silent. "There is war powers fatigue," says Brookings Institution scholar Richard Haass.
The fact remains that the congressional surrender of war powers is anti-democratic and anti-republican. The most important duty of the state--the power to wage war--is now held by one man and his unelected advisers. Members of Congress, who were elected to deliberate and make these nasty decisions, have abdicated the duty the framers intended them to have. Their abdication deprives the rest of the nation of the chance to hear and participate in debate. It is no coincidence that the Iraq war, the only recent military engagement preceded by a vigorous national debate, was also an operation that Americans supported wholeheartedly. Do Americans even know where Kosovo is?
Congressional Democrats and Republicans have cooperated in abandoning war powers. The indifference of congressional Republicans is not surprising: Since the days of Reagan, they have generally endorsed the executive's war-making authority. The Democrats' indifference is more demoralizing. Democrats, after all, endorsed Congress' war powers when Reagan and Bush were sending in the Marines. Why don't they now? The president, too, seems hypocritical. After all, he fervently participated in the anti-Vietnam movement, and the War Powers Resolution was a great triumph of that movement. Now that he owns the executive authority he once feared in Nixon, Clinton has cavalierly dismissed constraints on his power.
Congressional war powers are not an entirely lost cause. A few stubborn legislators are still shouting about it. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., wants to amend the War Powers Resolution to give it more teeth. He will hold hearings if he can get Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to agree to them. Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Calif., an international law professor, has championed congressional war powers for years. Last year he tried and failed to invoke the War Powers Resolution for the Bosnia mission. Now he and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., are circulating a letter to colleagues that they will send to the president next week. The letter insists that "The Constitution compels you to obtain authority from Congress before taking military action against Yugoslavia." So far, Campbell and Frank have enlisted only 34 co-signers, and the administration shows no signs of paying attention.
You can see why the administration wouldn't listen. A congressional debate and vote on whether we should intervene in Kosovo could be a fiasco. The intervention could be stopped by a block of isolationist senators and House members. Our failure to intervene might well cause the war to escalate and spread. But the absence of such a debate and vote may be worse. The Constitution is most necessary when it is most inconvenient.