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Skip to comments.Why so many people including scientists suddenly believe in an afterlife
Posted on 05/07/2013 11:00:54 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Death, it seems, is no longer Shakespeares undiscovered country, the one from whose bourn no traveler returns. Not according to contemporary bestseller lists. Dreams and visions of the afterlife have been constants across human history, and the near-death experiences (now known as NDEs) of those whose lives were saved by medical advances have established, for millions, a credible means by which someone could peek into the next world. Lately a fair-sized pack of witnesses claim to have actually entered into the afterlife before coming back again to write mega-selling accounts of what they saw and felt there. Afterlife speculation has become a vibrant part of the zeitgeist, the result of trends that include developments in neuroscience that have inspired new ideas about human consciousness, the ongoing evolution of theology, both popular and expert, and the hopes and fears of an aging population. Heaven is hot again. And hell is colder than ever.
Recent polls across the developed world are starting to tell an intriguing tale. In the U.S., religion central for the West, belief in heaven has held steady, even ticking upwards on occasion, over the past two decades. Belief in hell is also high, but even Americans show a gap between the two articles of faith81 per cent believed in the former in 2011, as opposed to 71 per cent accepting the latter. Elsewhere in the Western world the gap between heaven and hell believers is more of a gulfa 2010 Canadian poll found more than half of us think there is a heaven, while fewer than a third acknowledge hell. Whats more, monotheisms two destinations are no longer all that are on offer. In December a survey of the 1970 British Cohort group9,000 people, currently 42 years oldfound half believed in an afterlife, while only 31 per cent believed in God. No one has yet delved deeply into beliefs about the new afterlifethe cohort surveyors didnt ask for detailsbut reincarnation, in an newly multicultural West, is one suggested factor. So too is belief in what one academic called an unreligious afterlife, the natural continuation of human consciousness after physical death.
While most of the current bestselling accounts of afterlife experiences are recognizably Christianat least in outlinesigns of changing beliefs can be found in them too. Nor are the new travelerswho include a four-year-old boy and a middle-aged neurosurgeonwhat religious skeptics would think of as the usual suspects. Colton Burpo, now 13, died 10 years ago from a ruptured appendix, and spent three minutes of earthly time in heavensome of it in Jesuss lap, some of it speaking with a miscarried sister whose existence he had never been told aboutbefore being pulled back to Earth by his surgical team. Since 2010, when his father, Todd, a Nebraska minister, published his account of what Colton told him, Heaven is for Real has sold more than 7.5 million copies. If Coltons story sounds like a contemporary take on an ancient Christian motifunless you become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3)the same cant be said about Eben Alexanders post-religious cosmic experience.
It is Alexanders provocatively named Proof of Heaven, released in November, that wrenched afterlife visitation literature out of its below-the-radar religious publishing niche and into the spotlight. Alexanders professional statureas a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon, a man expected to know what is possible and what is not for human consciousnessensured him of extensive media coverage, including on Oprah Winfreys Super Soul Sunday, massive sales (it remains No. 1 on the New York Times paperback non-fiction bestseller list), and often venomous responses from fellow scientists.
Alexander woke one day in 2008 with an intense headache. Within hours, my entire cortexthe part of the brain that controls thought and emotion and that in essence makes us humanhad shut down, he writes. Doctors finally determined that E. coli bacteria had penetrated my cerebrospinal fluid and were eating my brain. For seven days he was in a deep coma, during which time, often guided by a beautiful girl riding a giant butterfly, he flew around the invisible, spiritual side of existence. And there he encountered God, whom Alexander frequently refers to as Om, the sound he recalls as being associated with that omniscient, omnipotent and unconditionally loving God.
He eventually recovered, a medical miracle in itself, Alexander writes. But he was an entirely different man, no longer a neuroscientist like other neuroscientists. I know that many of my peers holdas I myself didto the theory that the brain, and in particular the cortex, generates consciousness and that we live in a universe devoid of any kind of emotion, much less the unconditional love that I now know God and the universe have toward us. But that belief, that theory, now lies broken at our feet. What happened to me destroyed it.
Not according to most of his fellow neuroscientists, whose reactions made the predictable Christian warinessno angels, no Jesus, and a God named Om left Toronto pastor Tim Challies to sum up Proof of Heaven as more New Age-y than the rest, close to non-Western religionseem welcoming. Oliver Sacks called Alexanders claims not just unscientific but anti-scientific. Others opposed dogma with dogma: Alexander was correct that by current neurological understanding what happened to him was impossible if his cortex was shut downtherefore, they said, it wasnt shut down, no matter what his medical records say. Many skeptics referenced British psychologist Susan Blackmores 1993 book, Dying to Live, which dismisses NDEs as a result of chemical changes associated with dying brains, as the last word.
For their part, non-materialist neuroscientists, like University of Montreal professor Mario Beauregard, have long critiqued Blackmore and point out that brain research was in its infancy 20 years ago. Blackmore argued that a lack of oxygen (or anoxia) during the dying process might induce abnormal firing of neurons in the part of the brain that controls vision, leading to the illusion of seeing a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel.
Beauregard cites objections by Dutch cardiologist Pim Van Lommel that if anoxia (lack of oxygen) was central to NDEs, far more cardiac arrest patients would report such an experience. Whats more, as pointed out by Dr. Sam Parnia, whose resuscitation techniques have doubled his New York hospitals cardiac-arrest-recovery rate, some NDE patients were not terminal during their experiences, meaning their oxygen levels were normal. In fact, Parnia notes, dropping oxygen levels are associated with acute confusional state, something at odds with the lucid consciousness reported by NDE people.
Two decades of research and medical advances have moved near-death experiences from rare events to common occurrences. In his book Erasing Death, Parnia cites a 30-year-old Japanese woman as the current record holder (in terms of time) for someone who was found dead and restored to life. She may have been dead up to 10 hours, Parnia says, but after six hours work, doctors got her heart started and brought her back to health: she had a baby in the last year. Now that patients who have been clinically dead for hours can be brought back to life, says Parnia, the question of the continuation of human consciousness is a live scientific issue.
And its not only the remarkable extension of the time patients can now spend suspended between life and death, but the sheer number of individuals involved, that has made NDEs so contentious among researchers. Those whose NDEs also involved an out-of-body experience raise the stakes further.
Materialist skeptics are not troubled by accounts of tunnels of light or angelic beings. Perhaps the dying brain hypothesis doesnt fully explain them, but there are other possibilities. Too much carbon dioxide in the blood perhaps or, as a recent study from the University of Kentucky posits, NDEs are really an instance of a sleep disorder, rapid eye movement (REM) intrusion. In that disorder, a persons mind can wake up before his body, and both hallucinations and the sensation of being physically detached from the body can occur. Cardiac arrest could trigger a REM intrusion in the brain stemthe region that controls the most basic functions of the body and which can operate independently from the (now dead) higher brain. The resulting NDE would actually be a dream.
But that hypothesis still cannot account for people who report seeing, during their out-of-body experiences, what they could not have. Most commonly thats an overhead view of their frantic medical teams. Parnia reports a 2001 case, in which a Dutch patients dentures were removed during cardiac arrest. When his nurses couldnt find the dentures later, the patient was able to remind them where they were. Perhaps the most famous corroborated case, cited by Beauregard, is that of a migrant worker named Maria, whose story was documented by her critical care social worker, Kimberly Clark. The day after she had been resuscitated after cardiac arrest, Maria told Clark how she had been able to look down from the ceiling and left the OR. She found herself outside the hospital and spotted a tennis shoe on the ledge of the north side of the buildings third floor. She described it in detail. Maria, not surprisingly, wanted to know whether she had really seen the shoe, and asked Clark to go look.
Quite skeptical, Clark went where Maria sent her, and found the tennis shoe, just as shed described it. The only way she could have had such a perspective, said Clark, was if she had been floating right outside and at very close range to the tennis shoe. It shouldnt have been possible, as both Beauregard and Parnia point out. The question becomes, Parnia says, how can people have conscious awareness when theyve gone beyond the threshold of death?
The answer to that question is not necessarily Christian, or even metaphysical at all, not for Parnia, who describes himself as not a religious person and not for many of his fellow NDE researchers. In a similar vein, many traditional Christians are more than a little wary of the reported experiences of the heaven travelers. For them the ideaso intolerable to materialist skepticsthat consciousness, or the soul, can and does exist outside the body is an article of faith. But some of the new afterlife, however seemingly Christian in outline, is often troubling, especially in its utter lack of judgment. All are welcome, all are heaven-bound in those accounts: there is no sign of Gods wrath for sinners. The division over the possibility of continuing human consciousness is not entirely between the religious and the secular. And the extraordinary popularity of heaven tourismbooks have continued to pour down the publishing pike this year, including I Believe in Heaven by Cecil Murphy, one of the pioneers in the genreis not entirely driven by evangelical enthusiasm.
In that regard, the storm stirred up by Proof of Heaven only obscures the wider significance of the afterlife books. The controversy over the scientific basis of Alexanders experiences, like the skeptical poking for holes in the Burpo storycan Coltons parents really be sure he never heard a word about his mothers miscarriage?can miss the cultural forest for the factual trees.
Consider the many other near-death survivors-cum-authors and their places along the continuum, from pastors son to neurosurgeon. Theres Mary Neal, an orthopaedic surgeon whose account of the aftermath of her drowning in Chile in 1999, To Heaven and Back, has spent two years on bestseller lists; teacher Crystal McVea, whose Waking Up in Heaven tells the story of the nine minutes that followed after she stopped breathing in 2009; The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven is about six-year-old Alex Malarkey, who met Jesus after an car accident in 2004; and Texas pastor Don Piper, whose 2004 account (co-written with Cecil Murphy) of his car crash, 90 Minutes in Heaven, is often credited with kick-starting the phenomenon.
There are elements, from key plot points to tiny details, that link their stories, starting with two obvious points. The idea that major scientists no longer dismiss the idea of continuing consciousness colors all accounts, as does the fact that, whether truth or fantasy, the experiences are necessarily culturally specific.
All overwhelming and bewildering mental states have to be sorted, defined and made comprehensible in the light of the familiarwhat else do our brains have to work with? One way or another, a pastors child and a fallen-away Christian like Alexander will filter an NDE through the earliest Sunday school tracks laid down in their memories. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, first famous for her five stages of grief, later became a doyenne of NDEsher lectures on her NDE patients (who turned her into a believer), first published in 1991, were reissued in 2008 to catch the current publishing wave. Even in her rather homogenous western European clientele, Kübler-Ross could see the effects of early enculturation: I never encountered a Protestant child who saw the Virgin Mary in his last minutes, yet she was perceived by many Catholic children.
Many of the writers share a common gaping wound, centred on lost children, a wound usually healed by simultaneously finding the child and realizing there is no blame or judgment to suffer, no forgiveness to offer or seek. Most of Colton Burpos account is a childs-eye account of orthodox teaching, but its most affecting passage is when he lifts years of guilt and anxiety off his mother, Sonja, by telling her that her miscarried child had been a girl, and that she was now flourishing in heaven as Gods adopted daughter. One of Kübler-Rosss patients, a 12-year-old girl, told her father how she was comforted during her NDE by her brother. Except that she didnt have a brother. Her tearful father then told her about the son who had died three months before her birth.
Eben Alexander, whounlike most NDE caseslost all sense of personal identity during his experience, was troubled because that loss meant no relative offered him assurances of love and acceptance. Afterwards though, Alexanderan adopted child who had felt abandoned his whole lifesaw a picture of his deceased natural sister, whom he had never met in life. She was the girl on the butterfly. (There is more than a trace of Kübler-Rosss influence in Proof of Heaven. The butterfly girl stands out as one of the more psychedelic elements in an account mostly abstract and metaphysical: Kübler-Ross, however, constantly describes the human body as a cocoon, from which a metaphorical butterfly of spirit will eventually emerge.)
And the stories offer similar proofs: Colton, like Kübler-Rosss patient, inexplicably knew of a lost sibling, whose existences their parents believed they had kept hidden, while Eben Alexander could describe precisely what his medical team and his family were doing during his seven-day coma. They are all, even the children, witnesses who experienced what they didand came back, reluctantlyfor a reason. Mary Neal was sent back with what she called a laundry list of tasks to do, which she still doesnt talk about, at least not until they are accomplished: one was to help the rest of her family cope with the foretold death of her young son, which occurred 10 years later in 2009. Colton and Alex provide truth out of the mouths of babes. Alexander knows he is uniquely positioned among NDE subjects to challenge the materialist orthodoxies of mainstream neuroscience.
Those similarities in form pale beside the deep thematic link between the new bestsellers: the (previously) undiscovered country is a place of unconditional love. Several of the writers pause, sometimes for pages, to stress the adjective as much as the noun. None express the message more clearly than Alexander, who writes that the only thing that truly matters was communicated to him in three parts. He boils those down to one wordlovebut the key phrase may be the third sentence of his longer version:
You are loved and cherished.
You have nothing to fear.
There is nothing you can do wrong.
Thats fodder for cynics and skeptics, of course. That an individual like any of the authors, someone of broadly Christian background coping with emotional pain, should undergo such a heaven-centerd experience when in the throes of physical trauma, is broadly predictable and easy to dismiss as wish-fulfillment. The fact it has happened to a group of such similar individuals does not in itself prove the truth (or the falsity) of the experiences; what that does, though, is illuminate a culture that increasingly rejects the very notion of judgment while equating salvation with personal healing.
Most observers trace the current upsurge to Don Pipers 90 Minutes in Heaven. Largely ignored by the non-religious world and looked at askance by many Christian commentators, 90 Minutes sold like hotcakes. And while it set the template for what was to come, what stands out about it today is its modesty. Piper was declared dead at the scene of an auto crash on Jan. 18, 1989. His body was left in place while the authorities waited for the tools needed to extract him from the wreckage. An hour and a half later, though, Piper stirred back to life, albeit to a long and excruciating recovery, involving 34 painful surgeries.
And to bear witness to where he had been in that 90 minutes. In the transcendent light, actually, just outside the pearlescent gates of heaven, surrounded by perfect love and the gathering presencesimultaneously physical and spiritualof loved ones who had died during Pipers lifetime. There were friends who had passed away young and were thus still youthful looking; his grandfather, instantly recognizable by his shock of white hair; and his great-grandmother, still aged but now no longer with false teeth, but her own restored, no longer stooped and no longer wrinkled. Signs of age, in other words, and of the gravitas they confer, but no traces of the ravages of living.
All thisthe approach to the pearly gates, the welcome from loved ones, the presence of unconditional love and the absence of judgmentwas pregnant with accounts to come. But, as it turned out, 90 Minutes first-bornthe genetic relationship obvious in their titles, not to mention the way Amazon bundled them together for a special low pricewas the most striking outlier in recent afterlife literature, Bill Wieses 23 Minutes in Hell. A California realtor, Wiese was sleeping peacefully on the night of Nov. 22, 1998, when God pitched him into hell at 3 a.m., so thatWiese later decidedhe could warn others of their peril. He landed abruptly in a five-by-three-meter cell, shared with two gigantic, evil, reptilian beasts who proceeded to smash him against the walls before shredding his flesh.
Yet Wiese did not die, could not die, as much as he wanted to. He continued in seemingly endless pain, tormented too by the terrible, foul stench. (Smellthe most evocative of senses, the one most closely tied to deep memoryis prominent in accounts of heaven as well, where it brings visitors the most comforting reminders of childhood and, when the odors arise from food, assurances of plenty.) At precisely 3:23 a.m., Jesus rescued Wiese and returned him home, where he landed, terrified, on his living room floor.
The book, published in 2006, spawned no serious imitators. In part that was due to its lack of the scientific gloss the heaven narratives bear (and the times demand)one Christian nurse, posting on Amazon, rejected 23 Minutes because of her familiarity with NDEs. There is no explanatory traffic accident, cardiac arrest or brain-eating bacteria, nothing to indicate a hovering between life and death when the sufferer could peek through the curtain, nothing that didnt point to a (very) bad dream.
But Wieses book also went nowhere because hell no longer possesses the power it once held in Christianity. Thats particularly remarkable within an American religious milieu that was always attentive to warnings of hellfire. In 1741 Jonathan Edwards delivered what is often called the most famous sermon in American history, Sinners in the hands of an angry God. It is beautifully composed, rigorously logical (in terms of Calvinist theology) and frankly terrifying: Men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked. Edwards was interrupted often during the sermon by congregants moaning and crying out, What shall I do to be saved? Its doubtful hed receive the same reaction today. Many modern Christians struggle to reconcile a loving God with one who would condemn the majority of humankind to eternal torment.
Within Roman Catholicism, notes Smith College world religion professor Carol Zaleski, the last three pontiffs, including Pope Francis, have all been supportive of the late Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, who taught that Catholics have a duty to hope and pray for an empty hell, for the salvation of all. Even those Protestant traditions that have historically been more attuned to the gulf between the elect and the damned have seen vigorous theological debate about the afterlife, and the defense of ideas that effectively weaken the severity of divine wrath. Conditional immortality, for one, says true eternal life is reserved for the saved; souls in hell will eventuallyand, in this context, mercifullybe annihilated.
Most people are no longer afraid of being seized at an unguarded moment, judged wanting and flung into the fiery pit like Edwardss congregants were, says Zaleski. We are now more creatures of anxiety than of guilt. The anxiety, as well as the interest, is surely tied to the greying of the Western world too, as our thoughts, conscious or not, increasingly turn to whats next, whether we think thats oblivion or some kind of afterlife. Baby boomers, by sheer force of numbers, have always driven cultural trends, from the lowering of voting and drinking ages in their youth to the politically untouchable status of retirement benefits today. Its hardly surprising to see them favor not just the existence but the congenial nature of an afterlife.
And that is where the heaven tourists finally mesh, not just with each other, but with the larger culture. We seem to be moving inexorably from a society where organized religion dominates issues of moralityand mortalitybut not to the secular promised land of reason. Rather, we are orienting ourselves to a more personal spirituality, at once vague and autonomous. Ordinary sinners increasingly dont believe that they deserve judgment, let alone hell. Theists and atheists alike dispute any earthly authoritys right to judge, and both feel NDEs give them reason to hope for something beyond the grave. And many believers confidently expect that God isnt judgmental either.
No need for this, as the BEst selling book every year states the same thing!
(One can skip to the end to find out...)
Probably like this:
John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires?
Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.
1 John 3:21-24
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps Gods commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Not necessarily.
The 'action' just needed to be explained a bit more fully.
We can always fall back on reading tea leaves - or entrails...
We are PERSONAGES we'll have you know!!!
How would one recognize having an attempt made to communicate with them by the spirit world?
Many religions claim a "messiah."
I'm sorry you don't believe me, but you weren't there. I was. I know it was my friend's spirit by what was said and how the medium described him.
What I can't understand is if Christians believe there is a heaven, why is communication with those in heaven impossible?
The love, understanding, communication, and signs are there for those open to them. They still watch over us.
you 'know' nothing of the kind.
Why do you think they are called LYING spirits?
The BIBLE says NOT to try to communicate with the dead.
CHRISTIANs don't.
This was a wonderful article. Thank you.
Awesome that you have the ability to know if others know stuff. Keep up the good work
There's a LOT of it going around.
Yeah, I was gonna comment on that, as well.
Don't mess with spirit communication.
Ghosts, UFOs, paranormal - if you're of a biblical worldview, you know all those things come from Satan and his "angels".
I just got scolded for this...
Ghosts, UFOs, paranormal - if youre of a biblical worldview, you BELIEVE all those things come from Satan and his angels.
"I know it was my friends spirit by what was said and how the medium described him."
Having read extensively about how Houdini traveled the world exposing mediums as FAKE, revealing their tricks, showing how they deceive, etc., I doubt it was him - regardless of how it felt or looked.
Here is the definitive book that shows how it is done...
15 or so years ago, a strip mall went up in flames in Nashville, In - a day or so before Christmas.
Now this little town in Brown County Indiana is quaint in it's tourist attractions.
N. Van Buren street is a MAJOR artery into town and this fire REALLY messed up the pre-Christmas shoppers getting there.
As we lived only a few miles away, we decided, after dinner on Christmas, to drive over to see the damage.
The debris was still steaming in places when I noticed a Fortune Telling shop nearby.
I would have thought those folks would have warned the others of the impending doom.
Spirits should be tested before being believed, of course. Is what they urge you to do or what they assert to you, consonant with the Holy Word? If so, that's a sign of a good angel or the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they are evil....
Some fortune tellers are fakers with nothing but furnishing entertaining make-believe to customers on their minds, and others are in express league with the devil. Anyhow none of the shoppers asked them, I suppose....
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Bhel puri or Bhel is a very common Western Indian Street food. This bhel is named Hariyali bhel as it calls for more Green Mint-cilantro chutney than the sweet tamarind chutney. Also it has abundant fresh cilantro for great flavor.
For Hariyali bhel puri [6 servings]
Dry Ingredients:
Puffed rice – 2 cups
Papdi – ½ cup crushed [home made or store bought]
Ratlami sev – ½ cup
Namkeen mixture – ½ cup
Nylon sev – ½ cup
Wet Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes – 2 cups chopped
Sweet Onions -1 cup finely chopped
Tomatoes – 1cup finely chopped
Cucumber – 1cup finely chopped
Cilantro -1/2 cup finely chopped
Raw mango – ¼ cup finely chopped [if available]
Green Chutney – 3/4 cup
Sweet tamarind chutney -1/4 cup
Chaat Masala* – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Green Chutney : Pls. follow the link for Green chutney recipe.
Tamarind chutney : Pls. follow the link for Tamarind chutney recipe.
Papdi : Pls. follow the link for papdi recipe.
For preparing Hariyali bhel puri:
- In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Now add all the wet ingredients and spices. Mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and Nylon sev.
- Serve immediately or it will get soggy.
Enjoy this quick recipe as your evening snack.
*Chaat Masala, Nylon sev, Ratlami sev, Papdi and Namkeem mixture is easily available at all Indian grocery stores.

subset: commoncrawl


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So these are all very good points, but they really do illustrate the problem very well. First off, "grind' does not equal "character progression". You are right in that people want systems of progression, but you shouldn't use it with grind interchangeably. They are not the same. A grind is an implementation of a sort of progression system, but it is not the sole implementation. Coming up with fun, rewarding, and innovative implementations of progression has been pretty much the problem with the industry since WoW came out. WoW, in 2004, came out with the archetype that you see today, and now many of the mmos that have come out since have been labled wow clones mainly due to similar mechanics. You have rep grinds, xp grinds, quest grinds, craft grinds etc. in pretty much every single one of these games and they all play remarkably similarly. Its the reason you see many franchises that you might expect to have successful games really not enjoy anywhere near the same success as a WoW. People have been there and done that, and the ones that arent there anymore are looking for something truly innovative to come of the out of the industry to catch their attention. Why play a LOTRO, SWTOR or whatever when it is pretty much the same thing as WoW? The only reason would be is if you are interested in that IP more. Right now I feel the industry is in stagnation and this video and the views of WoW devs demonstrates this to a great degree.
Lore tackles the big issue - grinding.
It's the big issue, and it's hung over World of Warcraft - and all MMORPGs - like a thick sheet of whale blubber, and Lore would like to talk with you about it: Why does everyone hate the grind?
He has a slightly different take on it, and what's funny is (without having played the game for ages), I completely agree with him. Namely, that the grind is just fine in WoW. It belongs. And it works.
Julian "Mirai" Williams


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
See the latest reader comments and hear John explain some of agriculture's complex topics.
***Editor's Note: The following viewer reaction is in response to the April 27-28, 2013 edition of U.S. Farm Report…
#1: This is in response to your comments on farmers setting their own prices. It is evident from your comments that you are a crop farmer and not a livestock or dairy farmer. Not once in my 20 years of farming have I been able to go to the livestock sale barn or to the milk plant and tell them I want x amount for my product. We take what we get and go on about our business. Livestock farming, like crop farming, has the advantage of being able to hold their product until prices are "right" for selling. However, dairy farming, there is no holding product. You sell no matter what the price/cwt. As for other big business, they do set their own prices as well, they figure what they have in a product and then inflate the end price to the consumer several times, thus they are then able to give rebates, cash back, discounts, etc. Most of the time I would say they are still recouping the money they have invested in that product. —Michelle Wright, Wright Dairy, Cabool, Mo.
#2: Hello John, I have farmed 950 acres in north central Oklahoma for 13 years…been no tilling for the last 3 years. The first ten years I watched flash floods cut and erode my topsoil away. In 2009 it started raining in September (wheat planting time) and ended late October. By the time I was finished fixing broken terraces and pulling the soil out of the creeks it was November. Luckily, I got it all planted before the insurance due date on December 1st. That was my first reality check. Tillage destroys organic matter and soil structure. When the soil temperature hits 100 degrees the soil life that holds our soils together starts to die. Six months ago was the second big reality check. I was the first farmer in my town to get a row crop field test on my farms. Scientists say when your soil organic matter (s.o.m.) gets below 1.7% it is classified as pre desert, below 1.0% s.o.m. is desert. I have farms that are less than 1% and a couple around 0.5%. S.o.m. is the most important and neglected part of farming. What I have learned: 1. It will take 10 to 20 years to get back above the pre-desert classification. Slow process. It is easier to save the soil than it build it back. 2. I will never know it all. Not even the smartest soil scientist knows every aspect of the soil. What happens in the soil is truly God's gift to the world (that 99% of the world does not care about. But they should). Soil organic matter is what makes soil more or less productive than another. It holds water and nutrients from leaching and evaporating. Hold and cleans the chemicals and fertilizers before entering the streams and ground water. My backyard has never been tilled or over-grazed. The s.o.m. test came back at 4.8%. I am 35 years old now. I could live two lifetimes and never increase my fields back to what they were. But my friend has been rotational no tilling for 7 years. He had 82 bushel per acre wheat field last year. His field s.o.m. was 1.4%. The Oklahoma average is less than 30 bushel. And I don't think it coincidental that the s.o.m. and the red on the drought monitor map coincide. Farmers who have lots of s.o.m. take it for granted when it rains but will know what I am talking about when it is almost gone and dries out again. Thank you and your crew for what you do. Keep learning and teaching. We are listening. —Chris Kroll
#3: John, It seems that the best tillage type, from what I've seen is strip till. You can also do banded fertilizer to get the nutrients just where you need them. —Les Odgers, Arizona
#4: Love the show, I watch it every week. I wanted to thank you for the piece on the Auburn Oaks. It means a lot to students, alumni and fans to be featured on your show. —Gregory Resmondo, Auburn University '14
#5: I watch U.S. Farm Report every week and pay attention to John Phipps and Mike Hoffman, meteorologist. I like the new graphics that Mike Hoffman used today. I also like the Al Pell segment on market conditions, but I am still learning the jargon. John Phipps is the best—double his salary! —Ann Morrison, St. Louis, Mo.


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The Delta State Alumni Association is hosting the third annual Alumni Awards and Gala Dinner October 26 at Walter Sillers Coliseum at 7 p.m. Award winners to be recognized this year include: Nan Sanders ('67) – Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni Service Award, Paul "Bubba" Mancini ('00) – Kent Wyatt Young Alumnus Service Award, Homer Sledge III – Gladys Castle Friend of Delta State Service Award, Gene Ayers (Renaissance) – Legacy Award, Dr. Edward Milam ('65) – Hall of Fame, Stan Topol ('65) – Hall of Fame, and Dr. William C. Bell ('82) – Outstanding Alumnus of the Year and Hall of Fame. Dr. Bell will also be inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) by President Elizabeth Fike.
"The Alumni Awards and Gala Dinner was an initiative taken by the National Alumni Board of Directors to bring alumni constituents together in a more formal setting all in the name of Delta State University," said Director of Alumni Affairs, Jeffrey Farris.
The Golden Circle, one of the most prestigious constituency groups of the Alumni Association, will also be recognized. The Golden Circle is comprised of Delta State alumni who graduated 50 years or more ago. The Class of 1962 is this year's featured class, and they will be inducted into the Golden Circle by Delta State President Dr. John Hilpert.
Tickets to the dinner are $20 each and can be purchased by contacting the Alumni Office at 662-846-4660 or firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information on the award recipients, pick up a 2012 Homecoming Preview at the Alumni Office, or view it online at www.deltastate.edu/alumni.


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Congress stretched the rules a bit by naming a Yosemite National Park-area mountain after the late Olympic star and longtime Mono County, Calif., Supervisor Andrea Lawrence. And most everyone is cool with that.
Within days, President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation designating a 12,240-foot peak near Yosemite and the Inyo National Forest as "Mount Andrea Lawrence." The legislation that passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate also happens to shed light on how politics and bureaucracy can sometimes compete in the naming of the American landscape.
"Conflict in naming geographic features (was), in fact, a serious detriment to the orderly process of exploring and settling this country," the U.S. Board on Geographic Names noted in one extensive report.
Established in 1890, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names usually handles the official naming of natural features such as lakes, peaks and valleys. Sometimes, as with Congress designating Mount Andrea Lawrence, the board is bypassed. Sometimes, the board's own work gets surprisingly provocative.
Presently, for instance, the board is considering a proposal to designate two unnamed Arizona peaks as "Bosom Peaks." The proponent explained to officials that "to a motorist driving Highway 64, they resemble exactly what the name proposes." In Northern California's Placer County, an African-American rancher wants to rename "Coon Creek" as "Hidden Falls Creek" to shed racist connotations. Florida residents are haggling over whether a barrier island should be called San Pablo Island or the more patriotically commemorative "Veterans Island."
In November, board meeting minutes show, officials discussed proposals to strip the name "squaw," which Native Americans consider derogatory, from a number of Oregon natural features. Unanimously, board members also rejected a proposal to rename Mill Branch in North Carolina's Ashe County as "Hippie Creek."
Besides considering name changes, the board sets policies that lawmakers can sidestep.
One board policy is that a person must be deceased for at least five years before a commemorative naming proposal will be considered. Another policy discourages naming features in designated wilderness areas unless an "overriding need" can be demonstrated.
Congress, though, can also take matters into its own hands; particularly, as with the Mount Andrea Lawrence proposal renaming, when the honoree is locally renowned.
"Her passion and achievements were both larger than life, which is why I cannot think of a more fitting tribute than to name this majestic peak in her honor," declared Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
An alpine ski racer in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics, Lawrence earned two gold medals and eventual election to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame before moving to Mono County on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. She was active in environmental protection efforts and served 16 years on the county's board of supervisors, establishing along the way the Friends of Mammoth and the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers.
Lawrence died March 31, 2009, at age 76.
By the usual standards of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, advocates would wait until March 2014 before proposing a commemorative name change. Instead, in April 2010, Boxer joined with Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., in introducing the Mount Andrea Lawrence bill.
"Sen. Boxer wanted to move more swiftly than the five-year administrative process," Boxer's spokesman, Zachary Coile, said Monday, citing the local support from groups like the Mono Lake Committee and the Mono County Board of Supervisors.
Wendy Sugimura, former mayor of Mammoth Lakes, said Friday that "while not everyone agreed with Andrea, particularly on a political level," the naming of a mountain peak after her was thought appropriate because "she was responsible for so much preservation of the Mono County heritage."
Forest Service official Leslie A.C. Weldon told a House panel in March that the agency "does not have any objections" to the renaming bill but also cautioned that "maintaining consistency with the longstanding policies of the Board on Geographic Names is recommended."
The selected mountain is on the northern border of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, immediately east of Yosemite National Park.
The bill got through the Senate and passed the House by a 408-7 margin. The handful of opponents included some of the House's most staunch conservatives, like Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, as well as dedicated liberals like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., but the debate was brief and one-sided.
Congress formally sent the bill to the White House on Monday, starting a 10-day clock for Obama to sign it.


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Lafayette's Household Chemical Day Set For Next Weekend
Mark Pope, Environmental Quality Manager for Lafayette Consolidated Government visited 'Mornings With Ken and Bernie' today to inform the audience of Household Chemical Day coming soon.
Household Chemical Day is scheduled for next Saturday October 19, 2013 and Pope says there is a reason he publicizes the event early. According to Pope,
We've been doing the event for 20 years now and we've surveyed people and determined that the average time some household chemicals have been stored is 17 years...I encourage people to find and extricate their stored household chemicals this weekend and bring them to Cajun Field next Saturday.
Pope says there is one major restriction for people to dispose of household chemicals.
You must live in the City of Lafayette or the unincorporated parts of Lafayette Parish. If you live in Youngsville, Duson, Scott, Carencro or Broussard I cannot let you in....I wish I could let everybody in, I wish I could let the whole world into dispose of their household chemicals properly.
There are other restrictions about what will be accepted for disposal. Pope said,
We cannot accept motor-oil, tires and batteries. We do not take them because there is a free disposal system for those items everyday of the week. So, why should we tie up the line at Cajun Field with these items.
You can get more information about Household Chemical Day including what is acceptable for recycling and more by visiting Lafayettela.gov.
Listen to the interview:


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May 7, 2001
UC Santa Barbara's James Garcia was named Big West Pitcher of the Week today, the conference announced.
Garcia got his first save of the year Tuesday, allowing one hit in one scoreless inning of work in UCSB's 5-4 win in 12 innings at Long Beach State. Friday, Garcia came back to throw his third complete game in his last four starts, holding the 49ers to four runs, two earned, on seven hits, while striking out four and walking two, helping the Gauchos to an 11-4 Big West triumph over the visitors.
Garcia has won his last eight decisions, and has allowed three earned runs or less in his last 11 starts. It was the second time Garcia earned Pitcher of the Week honors this season. UCSB pitchers Rylie Ogle and Jim Bullard have also been honored, as have hitters Jeff Bannon, Jared Schumaker, Mike Kolbach and Chad Peshke.
UCSB, ranked 23rd nationally by Collegiate Baseball, will play a three-game Big West series at top-ranked and Big West-leading Cal State Fullerton beginning Friday, May 11.


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A 19-year-old Minneapolis man pleaded guilty Wednesday to unleashing part of the MSBlast worm attack that wreaked havoc on the Internet last summer.
Jeffrey Lee Parson admitted creating the "MSBlast.B" variant, also called "teekids," by modifying the original version of the worm and adding a backdoor that granted him control of infected computers, federal prosecutors said.
"Sending out a computer worm may be viewed as a harmless prank," John McKay, a U.S. attorney, said in a statement. "But the damage to individual computer users is very real, and the penalties are also very real."
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 12 in Seattle before U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman. Parson could face between 18 and 37 months in prison on the charge of intentionally causing damage to a networked computer, plus possible restitution in the millions of dollars.
Read Article


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LONDON/PARIS - (Reuters) - South Korea's KT Corp is considering bidding for Vivendi's 53 percent stake in Maroc Telecom , which the seller hopes will fetch 5.5 billion euros ($7.15 billion), two people familiar with the situation said.
Vivendi is expecting KT Corp <030200.KS>, France Telecom , Qatar's Qtel and United Arab Emirates' Etisalat to submit preliminary offers for the stake in the Moroccan telecom operator by the end of next week, the people said on Tuesday.
Continue Reading Below
Vivendi and Maroc Telecom both declined to comment, while KT Corp was not immediately available for comment.
KT is the former state-owned monopoly telecoms company in South Korea where it operates as a fixed and mobile operator.
Its presence overseas has so far been limited Last year it sold its stake in a regional Russian operator called New Telephone Company, and its effort to buy a 20 percent stake in South Africa's Telkom was scuppered in June because of government opposition to the deal.
French conglomerate Vivendi is exploring selling several assets as part of an ongoing strategy review intended to pay down debt, boost a flagging share price and reduce the group's exposure to capital-intensive telecom businesses.
Maroc Telecom, in which Vivendi first bought a stake in 2001, offers fixed-line, mobile and internet services in the kingdom, and is also one of Africa's main telecom operators with units in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mali and Mauritania.
Maroc Telecom, which is Vivendi's second-biggest division, has seen its growth slow in recent years amid tough competition.
Gulf telecom operator Qtel has already hired JP Morgan Chase to advise on a potential bid for Vivendi's Maroc Telecom stake, while Etisalat and France Telecom are also talking to bankers about a possible bid, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
However, Etisalat Chief Executive Ahmad Julfar told Reuters last week that the group had not yet made a decision.
Meanwhile, France Telecom Chief Executive Stephane Richard recently told Le Figaro that such a deal would be "strategically interesting" but added that the price could put it out of reach.
Under Richard, the French operator has made growth in the Middle East and Africa a priority. In 2010, it agreed to buy a 40 percent stake in Morocco's second biggest mobile operator Meditel, with an agreement to go up to 49 percent in 2015.
France Telecom would likely have to divest its stake in Meditel if it were to make a move for Maroc Telecom, bankers and analysts said.
Saudi Telecom <7010.SE> and South Africa's MTN , both previously mentioned among potential interested parties, are not expected to bid for Maroc Telecom, the people said.
(Reporting by Sophie Sassard and Leila Abboud in Paris; Editing by Alexander Smith.)


text: I have absolutely no previous knowledge of linux, but I have managed to install it on my computer. I have been able to comfortable configure everything except the wireless access for my Intel 2200 B/G. For some reason I am still unable to configure it. I would appreciate any help in trying to fix it.


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Congratulations to Gregg Backstrom and Treatment Resources! Gregg was awarded the 2016 ThermAer of the Year Award at the 2017 WEFTEC in Chicago.
Congratulations to Holman Waters and TDH! Holman was awarded the 2016 BiofiltAer of the Year Award at the 2017 WEFTEC in Chicago.
European TAG 7 - Thermal Process Systems Presentation Watch Video Use password isle123
**For Immediate Release** Evaluation the use of Biosolid based fertility treatments for use on high quality turf in the Chicago area in 2015 - E.J. Nangle, R.V. Townsend, F.D Dinelli Read More
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RMWEA / RWAWWA Joint Conference
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September 16-19 ThermAnAer Presentation
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$109 / dry ton, Amazing!
In 2004, the City of Bowling Green, Ohio, installed Ohio's first TPS ThermAer Process expanding the plant capacity from 6 MGD to 10 MGD. This energy efficient process offered superior solids reduction and an odor-free operation. Doug Clark, Water Pollution Control Superintendent, calculated 2009 treatment costs at a remarkable $109 per dry ton. In addition, 38% total solids are coming off the centrifuge.
Speedway, IN - The TPS SNDR following anaerobic digestion shows exceptional results. Preliminary average results since May 2012 start up are: ammonia filtrate concentration of 14 mg/L plus an additional volatile solids reduction of 38%.
TPS INTRODUCES THE THERMSOLAER!!! ThermSolAer combines the proven technology of the ThermAer and the TerSolair - one of Europes' leading solar dryers - which can reduce or even elimniate biosolids management costs. This Class A, organically bound material, dried to high levels, is a valuable source of nutrients for local landscapers, golf courses and the community. The addition of an 'Augmented' Energy Recovery' process makes the ThermSolAer an energy efficient, sustainable-year round, green process. Benefits include an odor free dried cake, smaller footprint and a potential profit center. Contact us at 219 / 663 - 1034 to learn more.
GENENA, NEW YORK AND CONESTOGA-ROVERS & ASSOCIATES WIN A 2015 ACEC New York Platinum Award for their Digester and Grit Systems Improvements Project. This award, inclusive in the Waste and Storm Water category, will be presented on March 28, 2015 at the Waldorf Astoria, New York, NY! Congradulations to all those involved in making this project a tremendous success!
NEW YORK WEA 2016 Annual conference to showcase the Genena ThermAer installation. On Tuesday, February 9, Eric Haslam of GHD and Robert Wooldridge of Thermal Process Systems, will present Conversion from In-Vessel Compost to Aerobic Digestion for Production of Class A Biosolids. In addition, on Wednesday, February 10, Scott Crosswell and Howard Butler both of GDH will present Next Generation ATAD Philosophy and Start Up Lessons. Click for Program


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As we mentioned yesterday, the Eagles' QB situation is the NFL topic most likely to be discussed around the nation between now and draft time.
Yesterday, we pointed you to Peter King's MMQB column on SI.com in which he questioned why more teams weren't making aggressive plays for Donovan McNabb.
And today, a similar question pertaining to Michael Vick.
Per Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the reason is simple: teams don't think Vick is a special player anymore.
In other words, their unwillingness to part with draft picks to acquire Vick has less to do with the whole dogfighting ordeal than it does his diminished athletic ability.
Marvez spoke to a scout who watched all of Vick's snaps last season.
"He can't throw," the scout said. "A guy could be open 20 yards downfield and he'll throw it 25. He never could throw, but he was fast before. It's not like he's slow now but he doesn't stick out like, 'Wow, this guy is faster than everybody.'"
To be fair to Vick, I'm not sure it's right to judge him on those 64 snaps. We all watched how the Eagles shuffled him in and out all season. It's a situation that most NFL quarterbacks would likely have trouble with, especially one who was coming off a two-year stint in prison.
But then again, what other evidence is there to go by? It's not like he's a draft prospect who can hold private workouts for teams. It's not like teams had scouts at practice to see if he was picking up the offense. They really can only go by those 64 snaps and people they talk to.
Marvez asked an NFL personnel director whether the lack of interest in Vick was because he's no longer a "special athletic talent" and the guy responded via text: Right on.
Vick completed six of 13 passes last season for 86 yards and a touchdown. He carried 24 times for 95 yards and a pair of scores.
I'll try to post our Year in Review on Vick later this week.
Anyone happen to have all of last year's games on DVD? I'm going to need a special DVR with more space next season so I don't have to clear these out...
As both the Inquirer and Daily News have reported, running back Mike Bell is in town for a free-agent visit. The good news on Bell is that he has just 348 career carries in four seasons, and will only be 27 when next season starts. Click here for his career stats.
Good piece by Les Bowen today, which updates the QB situation.
And finally, Paul Domowitch takes your questions in an Eagles chat at 11 a.m.
Become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.


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Leon Mooneyhan has taken on the role of the "music man" in Shelby County, trumpeting his vision for a downtown performance and convention center and scoring his own little symphony out of the sometimes discordant notes he hears.
When I first chatted with Mooneyhan about his concept of a "City Center" for Shelbyville, about three years ago on a Saturday morning in the historic home of a mutual friend, it was – mixing my metaphors here – as if he were preaching a sermon while I was right behind him, wearing a robe and singing bass.
That's when he took his show on the road and started to march down Main Street with far fewer than 76 trombones but still a parade of those who embraced his tune, his notes clear on the idea of developing the property in the block bounded by Main, Washington, 8th and 9th streets as a place for an "if-we-build-it-they-will-come" center.
It's a powerful, straight-forward sonata – all for the gain of the community and nothing personally for Leon Mooneyhan. But that's what you would expect.
Many of you know Mooneyhan far better than I. He has been your school superintendent, your arts supporter, your charitable leader, your friend and neighbor, your public citizen par excellence. You recognize his character and understand what you will get from him – an intelligent perspective, a diligent persistence and a commitment to doing something he believes is right and for the greater good.
He loves the Shelby County Community Theatre, which would be part of this project. He sees this parcel as being in a good place to enhance downtown Shelbyville while embracing its history and the cultural growth of our county. He has through many downbeats – or beat downs – kept that crescendo building.
And if you ever saw The Music Man, the Broadway musical later translated to cinema, you know that Mooneyhan is really nothing like Harold Hill, the character created by Robert Preston. You know he speaks in measured tones and avoids the bombastics. His lyrics are simple, his background a string melody. The bass drum would not be his instrument of choice.
But you have to listen to him. And now we all should listen.
This City Center is an idea for the future of Shelbyville and Shelby County. It is a vision that would form our development, create a better self image, bring together a burgeoning arts community with our history and elegance to build a destination. It is a partner for the Blue Gables project, a beacon for the downtown businesses that we need to grow and prosper, a magnet for our hopes for the East End and 7th Street corridors.
This isn't a direct quote, but if you were to ask Bob and Sue Andriot at Bell House, one of our fine restaurants, they would tell you that it is activities at the community theater, a half-block away, that drives their peaks in patrons.
Imagine what they – and others – might say if performances now sprinkled across a monthly schedule were expanded into almost weekly performances by arts groups and occasional conferences that would gather in that block. That could happen. But only if we listen.
Citizens Union Bank, Don and Greta Prather and Shelbyville Mayor Tom Hardesty have listened, and they have acted. They have helped create the property base required for the center by donating real estate – or in Hardesty's case agreeing to hold donated property – for this purpose.
That's because if Mooneyhan is a music man, he also is part tent revivalist, gathering those who would listen and offering his words as images of potential realities.
He had just such a revival last week, and his tent was pitched in the library of West Middle School. Dozens of you showed up, and this time Mooneyhan brought in a guest from Oldham County to offer a new trill: the concept of a school-based center that could be an educational boon for Shelby County along with providing the performance and meeting space so many had envisioned.
If you don't know the story, Oldham County Public Schools, using the support of Oldham County Fiscal Court, purchased the old Baptist church in Crestwood and converted it into a performance, educational and learning center for both students and the community. It has a big budget and makes a nice profit.
I have visited that center. My children have taken courses there in art and music. I have seen the potential and been baptized in its waters of artistic salvation.
Yes, Oldham is a bigger and richer county than Shelby, but if you want to build something worthwhile, you have to create it and allow the community to grow into it.
Just think what we might have if decades ago, when First Christian Church abandoned its buildings on the corner of 4th and Main streets, there had been a Leon Mooneyhan to suggest that the facility be adapted for an arts/education/performance/convention center.
The building would have been a great core in a great location, an auditorium in place to be adapted and meeting rooms for learning. We likely would not be having this conversation.
That's what they have in Crestwood, and it should not simply be a pipe dream to want one here. To plagiarize a Kennedy, it's time we should dream of things that never have been and ask "why not?"
Some of you have the power to make this happen, to join Mooneyhan's group and add your support, your backing and your ideas to see it to fruition.
And if you do, you will realize that Mooneyhan really isn't a bandleader at all but a man trying to conduct a symphony, a Leonard Bernstein batoning a composition, trying to ensure that the promise of the strings drowns out the percussionists who generate negative noise.
If you pay attention, it's a beautiful sound, the overture of our children and grandchildren.
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Manchester man arrested over alleged domestic violence
January 07. 2014 8:39PM
Jose Santana-Martinez, 37, of 213 Bell St., Manchester pleaded innocent Tuesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division to charges of simple assault, resisting arrest, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct.
Santana-Martinez is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the back of the head and pushing her onto the bed, threatening to break items in the residence while holding a baseball bat, struggling with an officer who was attempting to escort him downstairs to the transport wagon, yelling and screaming profanities and refusing to stop while being escorted out of the building, and kicking one of the officers in the right shin.
A police prosecutor, noting Santana-Martinez has a deferred sentence on a June 2013 criminal mischief conviction involving the same victim, requested $3,000 cash/surety bail. Among the bail conditions are no contact with his girlfriend and not going to her residence.
Trial was set for Feb. 5.


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No. 12 Lobos streak past Nevada Wolfpack
UNM 75, Nevada 62
No. 12 Lobos streak past Nevada Wolfpack
UNM 75, Nevada 62
RENO, Nevada —
The 12th ranked Lobos made it six wins in a row defeating last place Nevada 75-62 behind 25 points from UNM forward Tony Snell.
New Mexico shot 50 percent from the field. The game featured eight ties and 12 lead changes, but the Lobos closed the game on a 20-6 run.
Forward Cameron Bairstow added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Alex Kirk chipped in 11 points and 10 boards.
The Lobos improve to 26-4 overall, 13-2 in Mountain West Conference play. This is the fifth time in program history they've won 26 games in a season.
UNM will close out the regular season schedule against the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Saturday.


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Please note: You are viewing an archived Bucknell University news story. It is possible that information found on this page has become outdated or inaccurate, and links and images contained within are not guaranteed to function correctly.
LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Teagle Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to Bucknell University, Dickinson College and Lafayette College for a cooperative project aimed at enhancing diversity and diversity education. The funds will be used to improve students' academic and co-curricular experiences on campus.
Bucknell, Dickinson and Lafayette are among a group of colleges and universities invited by Teagle to submit collaborative proposals to address educational issues using previously collected institutional data. The three schools chose to focus on diversity, a shared priority for each.
The institutions will focus on their own topics but meet periodically as a group to share resources, expertise and outcomes. The funding period begins in April and ends in August 2013.
All three schools have already taken steps to increase diversity on their respective campuses. Each partners with the Posse Foundation, a national college-access and leadership program that identifies, recruits and trains outstanding young leaders from public schools in urban areas. Bucknell currently hosts groups of Posse scholars from three cities; Dickinson and Lafayette, from two.
Three approaches, one goal
Bucknell will use its portion of the grant to focus on curricular issues. Under the recently revised core curriculum, students are required to complete more coursework on diversity in the United States and across the globe. Bucknell will conduct curriculum-based programs to help improve student learning about diversity in selected courses. It will also address ways to improve diversity-learning opportunities in its foundation seminars, residential colleges and service-learning programs.
"Bucknell is deeply committed to diversity in all forms, and the Teagle grant will help us further our efforts to enrich our academic program and campus with ideas and people from all backgrounds," said Bucknell President John Bravman. "We are thankful for the foundation's support, and pleased to partner with other highly selective liberal arts schools to explore ways we can better prepare our students to succeed in a multicultural world."
In addition to Posse, Bucknell's diversity initiatives include the Community College Scholars Program, which began in 2006 with a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Engineering Success Alliance, a new program that provides first-year engineering students from underfunded high schools with math tutoring.
Located in Carlisle, Pa., Dickinson will apply its Teagle funding to academic and curricular support as well as leadership development for male students of color. This leverages the strengths of its very successful Posse Foundation support model; its Summer Institute for International Students program, which helps foreign students adapt to a liberal arts learning environment and gain written and verbal proficiency; and a potential curricular revision that would focus on diversity in the United States.
"We look forward to collaborating with our counterparts at Bucknell and Lafayette in this important project to enhance diversity and diversity education on our campuses," said Dickinson President William G. Durden. "We share the Teagle Foundation's commitment in helping economically disadvantaged young people gain admission to college and succeed inside and outside the classroom."
In addition to participation in the New York and Los Angeles Posse Foundation programs, Dickinson is involved in Philadelphia Futures and recently implemented the Dickinson College Community College Partnership Program with honors programs in two-year schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Lafayette, located in Easton, Pa., will undertake initiatives to improve student learning regarding issues of identity and difference and to increase students' engagement in critical conversations about social justice. The college will focus on incorporating diversity throughout the curriculum and also train a team of student leaders to serve as peer educators about multiculturalism and social justice.
"We believe that true diversity — social and intellectual pluralism — enriches the educational possibilities by a measure greater than any other means," said Lafayette President Daniel H. Weiss. "Thinking of diversity in its broadest sense, as a core value, we are striving to create an environment that is nourishing of the diversity of this country and stimulating to the intellectual climate we are trying to create at Lafayette. We are pleased and grateful to have the support of the Teagle Foundation."
With a partnership that began in 2002, Lafayette hosts groups of Posse Foundation scholars from both New York and Washington, D.C. The College also recently began working with the Schuler Scholar Foundation and the Noble Street Charter School network of schools, both based in Chicago, and is developing a partnership with Philadelphia Futures to enroll more disadvantaged students from that city.
A collaborative effort
As part of the collaboration, each campus will bring in outside experts who can help facilitate the implementation of the colleges' ideas and new practices with the goal of improved student learning. All three institutions will have the opportunity to participate in these sessions. experts will help facilitate the implementation of our ideas
As projects develop on each campus, funding will be available for communities of faculty and staff with common interests to convene and discuss issues and ideas.
Finally, workshops will be held to help implement programs. Program outcomes will be shared with the higher-education community at the conclusion of the project.
The Teagle Foundation provides leadership for liberal education, mobilizing the intellectual and financial resources that are necessary if today's students are to have access to a challenging and transformative liberal education. The Foundation's commitment to such education includes its grantmaking to institutions of higher education across the country, its long-established scholarship program for the children of employees of ExxonMobil, and its work helping economically disadvantaged young people in New York City — where the Foundation is based — gain admission to college and succeed once there.
Contact: Division of Communications


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Species and Protected Areas
WWF Zambia collaborates with ZAWA to address various challenges and threats facing the wildlife sector in Zambia such as poaching, illegal wildlife trade and human wildlife conflicts.
Zambia's biodiversity is managed mainly within a network of three types of protected areas. The first consists of 19 national parks, 39 Game Management Area (GMAs) and 8 Ramsar sites which are administered by the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA). The second type consists of national heritage sites that are managed by the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) while the third type comprises the forest reserves which are over 450 and managed by the Forestry Department. There are also a significant number of game ranches scattered across the country managed by private land owners.
Partners for Wildlife and Protected Areas
- Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA)
- Forest Department
- National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC)
- Ministry of Lands, Environment and Natural Resources
- Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA)
- African Parks Network
- Zambia Carnivores Project
- Peace Parks Foundation (Fundraising partner)
- NORAD (Funding partner)
- WWF Norway (Funding partner)
- WWF Netherlands (Funding partner)


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|You will like these.
It's been about 100 years since I last posted here, and one (baby) or two (house) things have happened since then. The third thing is this: I've become Food Editor at a website called Grandparents.com. (Our motto: All Fun, No Doilies.) (I'm kidding.) (OR AM I?)
Anyway, we just put out a pretty sweet cookbook called Comfort Foods: 24 Reader Recipes for Casseroles, Soups, Cakes, and More. It's completely free, printable, and contains a recipe for Candy Bar Blondies that haunts my dreams at night. (In a good way.) Best of all: You can send it to your grandma, or keep it all to yourself for endless nibbling. (We won't tell.)
It's also available on Kindle for $0.99 via Amazon. (Go here for that.)
And that's it. In the meantime, how are y'all? The internet's changed a bit since 2012, hasn't it? And how about them Mets?


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Graphic 45 makes the most wonderful paper collections. I have fallen in love with them. Have to have them to make my projects. Makes it so simple and fast to come up with a creative edge to getting moving on a project. I have been using these paper lines to make hand made scrapbooks and they have been a hit with everyone I have shown. Just love how it all comes together so quick and easy. Best of all I can do one stop shopping at Scrapbook.com it's better than a super store! It rocks! So glad I found it. They have so many items not just this paper check it out!
What can I say about Graphic 45 paper that hasn't already been said? The designs are a tasteful update of period graphic art that creates a nostalgic mood based on the 1920s and '30s. The paper is a satisfying heavy weight and printed double sided. The coordinated sheets of tags, stickers, and fonts further add to the look. I am a great fan of this line of paper.
I have yet to be dissapointed with anything from Graphic 45. This paper pad is no exception, beautiful colors and prints. The qaulity of the paper is top notch! I will be buying the rest of this line as soon as I can sneak more past my patient hubby!
Graphic 45 makes the most incredible, artistic, beautiful designs imaginable. Their cardstocks are so amazing... they transport you back in time just to look at the intricate designs and colors. I LOVE their products.
This paper is great for so many pages I at first was not sure how to use except for calander but once I got it I used it in so many different ways


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Remove the FDA policy that bans gay men from donating blood.
The policy is discriminatory and outdated. It must be repealed.
The policy is discriminatory and outdated. It must be repealed.
Get EQUAL's mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to
Research shows women role models help girls to stay on track academically
Sexual violence isn't just about rape or physical harassment. It begins when we hurt people through the words we use
This project I want to start and be head of, will in future years to come, bring an end to all forms of discrimination.
MISSION LOVE India is in the grip of killing of youth in the name of so called honour. Love Commandos is the only
Reyna García, a 30-year-old woman who works for the California grocery chain Albertsons, lost her child when supervisors
Organizations that support the People of the Stony Shore in their effort to maintain access to thier indigenous waters
ladies to have full autonomous authority over the presentation of their bodies in the workplace.
GO! Athletes is the first national network dedicated to Educating, Engaging and Empowering


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Honolulu's fire science students train for real life emergency stituations
Students and instructors attend the 2013 Hawai'i Fire ConferenceHonolulu Community College
Communications & External Affairs, Chancellor's Office
(Honolulu) - Ten current and former Honolulu Community College Fire Science students attended the 2013 Hawai'i Fire Conference from July 1 through July 3. The conference is Hawai'i's premiere convention for firefighters that featured various seminars and hands-on training events that were conducted in abandoned housing within Kalaeloa and at the Seafarers Training Facility.
The conference provided high quality training and instruction to firefighters of all ranks and experience levels, and was intended to prepare participants to efficiently and effectively execute the most advanced rescue and fire operation techniques.
The objectives of the conference were to deliver the most realistic and innovative training possible, while ensuring a high level of personal safety, encourage a proactive mentality and teamwork, provide tools and techniques used by successful fire departments, and encourage professionalism.
Each attendee had the opportunity to participate in HOT (Hands-on Training) throughout the course of the conference. They maneuvered in assigned teams carrying out engine-company evolutions, dragging charged hose lines into smoke-filled structures, while search and rescue teams carried victims out to safety.
Simultaneously, other teams were engaged in venting the roofs to allow hot gases and smoke to escape in order to provide visibility for teams entering the structure for total extinguishment. Other tactics employed included the use of tools and equipment to forcibly open locked doors and allow other teams to gain entry and accomplish their assigned objectives.
All of the training evolutions provided realistic scenarios to force each student to consider variables such as sizing up a building, fire conditions, ladder type and placement, tool choice, search techniques, secondary means of egress, and victim removal.
"The valuable experience also stressed the importance of working together as a unit in which safely is top priority," shares Honolulu CC Fire instructor, Chief Richard S. Rhode. The training was timely, with the highly profiled deaths of the 19 Arizona firefighters in national media most recently.
Retired Fire Chief Bobby Halton was the keynote speaker who delivered a rousing presentation that garnered and focused the attention of all attendees.
Seventy participants included firefighters from the Honolulu Fire Department (FD), Federal FD, Kaua'i FD, Barking Sands FD, Maui FD, plus Kona and Kalaeloa Airports in addition to the Honolulu CC fire students, lecturers and drillmasters.
Honolulu CC is the first community college in the University of Hawai'i System to offer an associate in applied science degree in fire science.
For more than 90 years, Honolulu Community College has been serving the community as a comprehensive community college in the heart of Honolulu meeting the post-secondary educational needs of individuals, businesses, and the community offering 49 degree and certificate programs. Since 1970, the college has been continuously and fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. For more information, visit http://honolulu.hawaii.edu.


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Maine man collapses, dies on NH trail
Maine man collapses, dies on NH trail
Oct. 13, 2013
CRAWFORD'S PURCHASE, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire officials say a 69-year-old Maine man has died after apparently suffering some sort of medical condition while hiking.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says Dr. Robert Fernandez of Kennebunkport was hiking alone on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail in Crawford's Purchase at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday when two other hikers came upon him.
Authorities say the two other hikers noticed Fernandez appeared to be tired and accompanied him down the trail, but that he suddenly collapsed about half a mile from the parking lot.
He was unable to be revived.


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Songs of praise and joy rose from the cavernous shell of the Hollywood Bowl on Easter Sunday, spilling into the crowds of thousands of faithful who had gathered at the famed outdoor amphitheatre to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Sunshine peaked through gray clouds overhead, keeping back what was forecasted to be a possibly wet morning. Worshippers donned their best California casual wear: from light colored retro suits and skinny ties to fancy, wide brimmed hats, as well as bright pink, yellow and blue spring dresses that stood out against the deep green, rain nourished pine trees on the hills that surround the Hollywood Bowl.
No matter where they were from, Silver Lake or San Fernando, Eagle Rock or Bel Air, the thousands who flocked to the Bowl came to renew their faith in an ancient message that is at the cornerstone of Christianity: He is risen.
"This is the day when God suspended his own laws of mortality," the Rev. David McKechnie, interim senior pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church told the crowd. "This will be a transformational hour in your life."
The free, nondenominational Easter service at the Bowl has been a Los Angeles tradition since 1921 and has featured a children's choir, sermons by well known ministers, and the release of doves to symbolize peace and purity. In past years, the service was held at sunrise and attracted up to 17,000, although at one time in the 1940s, up to 30,000 people were in attendance, according to published reports.
But organizers who have tried to make the outdoor event an annual ritual have been tested again and again.
On some Easter mornings, there was rain and cold. There were renovations to the amphitheatre last year, and in the late 1990s. The service was canceled in 2004 and 2005 because of a $25-million construction project to replace the famous stage shell with a larger structure. In 2010, the service wasn't held because of the recession.
This year's event was brought back to the Bowl through a partnership with the Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Christian Assembly Church in Eagle Rock. The late morning service featured a 200-member choir, a professional orchestra band and pastor and best selling author, Francis Chan.
Chan energized the crowd with a sermon that reminded them that Jesus deserves more attention than just on Easter Sunday. After all, Chan said, he died and rose so that sins could be forgiven.
"Jesus never begged anyone to follow him," Chan said. "There were people who begged Jesus to follow him."
Worshippers from both churches and those visiting brought picnic baskets and Tupperware filled with fruit salads, cheeses, finger sandwiches and bottles of orange juice and said they felt blessed to see so many fellow Christians gathered together at an outdoor venue.
The Easter message, preached everywhere from hilltops and pulpits throughout Los Angeles and around the world on Sunday, hails the biblical story of Jesus Christ's resurrection three days after his crucifixion, which symbolizes life after death, eternity in heaven, and hope and renewal.
Barbara Bostock, a member of Bel Air Presbyterian, called the gathering in the middle of Hollywood a wonderful sight, especially since many in other states where she has lived perceive Los Angeles as a soulless wasteland.
"I'm a great believer and I think this is amazing," said Bostock of Santa Monica.
"I'm enjoying it because where I live, I know who all the Christians are, but it's nice to see so many others outside of that area," added Janice Biebel of Valencia.
Alexandria Parker, a member of Christian Assembly in Eagle Rock, said she liked the feeling of unity that her church and Bel Air Presbyterian created.
"This is the first time we're here and it's beautiful," the Pasadena resident said. "I'm feeling the love from so many here today."
"I like the atmosphere," added Julianna Zallo of Eagle Rock. "There's a community feeling here."
Michael Harrington, 26, and fiancee Raven Barnes, 27, also were newcomers to the Easter service at the Hollywood Bowl.
"It's encouraging to see so many Christians from all over all together," Harrington said. "L.A. is still God focused."
firstname.lastname@example.com ___


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Wisconsin ambulances inspected less often than buses, limos
WISN 12 News Investigates with area Patch sites
Emergency vehicles are put on the road to protect your safety. However a WISN 12 News investigation, conducted with several Patch sites, found one of the most important safety pieces on the road has an inspection program that is surrounded by scrutiny.
WISN 12 News spoke to Paul Schilling, an ambulance safety inspector.
More correctly, Schilling is the ambulance safety inspector for the entire State of Wisconsin.
Schilling said there are about 1,200 ambulances in the state. His job is to inspect every one of them.
However, since Schilling is a department of one, those inspections happen on a two-year cycle.
"Is that enough?" WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott asked.
"It's been working," Schilling responded.
WISN 12 News Investigated and found that while passenger vehicles like buses and limousines require annual safety inspections, ambulances go twice as long between getting an official once-over from the state.
While the inspections may be thorough, many municipalities said they simply cannot rely on the state to ensure their safety.
Menomonee Falls Fire Chief Jeff Hevey said he has no issue with Schilling's work, but rather the workload.
"I know that we're making sure that our equipment works," Hevey said. "I just look at the state person coming in to verify that we're doing the right thing."
"I'm responsible to every person in the state, the way I look at it," Schilling said.
But local chiefs like Hevey said that relying on a biennial inspection could cause problems.
"You don't rely on the state inspection," Wainscott asked of Hevey.
"No, I don't," he said.
Menomonee Falls was part of a survey of southeast Wisconsin emergency departments conducted by several editors at Patch.
The results of the Patch survey, which can be seen by clicking here, showed that many municipalities had differing thoughts on whether state inspections were sufficient.
Caledonia Patch, for example, said officials there call for a more thorough schedule of inspections. South Shore told Patch that the age of ambulances on the road is a definite concern Patch editors in Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Waukesha said authorities told them that biennial inspections were sufficient.
You can view the results from 12 different Patch locations on the left side of this story.
Matt Deicher, an an emergency medical technician in the Wausau area, said he is proof that the state's one-man program needs changes.
Deicher thought his ambulance was safe when he stepped into his rig in 2003.
But since that day, he hasn't taken a step since.
"I flew and hit my face onto the back doors of the ambulance," he recalled.
On a rain-slicked Interstate, Deicher's ambulance spun out of control and rolled over while he was tending to a patient in the back of the ambulance.
Jason Toboyek was driving when the ambulance crashed and rolled.
"I can still hear that noise," he said. "The crushing and getting dark. Black."
Toboyek and Mary Beth Lingl were injured in the crash. The patient they were transporting did not survive. And Deicher sustained critical injuries that left him a quadriplegic.
You can read more about Deicher's accident by clicking here.
Toboyek said that after the crash, he learned that an inspector had determined days before the crash that the ambulance needed new tires.
"I believe it said two rear tires were, I don't know if it used the word bald on 'em, they need to be replaced," he said.
The state inspector had given the Mosinee department 10 days to correct the finding. But because the required inspections take place every two years,
That, Toboyek said, made this crash a very preventable accident.
Ten years later, Deicher requires round-the-clock care, and he's saddened to learn that the inspection system has yet to change.
When asked what progress he'd like to see, Deicher said "More inspections."
Toboyek agreed that the inspection timeline on a piece equipment like an ambulance is a significant issue.
"What do we need to do to to make this not ever happen again?"
The former state inspector who checked the Mosinee ambulance agreed that more inspectors should share the workload.
"It's been 10 years," Deicher said. "What took so damned long?"


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DYERSBURG, Tenn. (PRWEB) July 17, 2012
Get an insider's perspective on growing up in the South in the 1950s in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses in Charles Manns' autobiography, "I Will Always Remember: Growing Up With Jehovah's Witnesses" (published by iUniverse).
Growing up in rural western Tennessee with four brothers and two sisters was a memorable experience for Mann, and he writes about daily life, his relationships with family and friends and, most importantly, how his family's chosen religion – they were Jehovah's Witnesses – affected his life.
An excerpt from "I Will Always Remember":
"In addition to friendships, I have to say that the events we experienced were so interesting that they will be the topics of conversation for years to come. You see, it's the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses that give our lives such purpose. We attend five meetings per week at our Kingdom Halls and book study locations, some in private homes throughout the area. In addition we find it most enjoyable to attend two circuit events and a District Convention each year. For Jehovah's Witnesses, a circuit may consist of six to eight congregations. Just imagine, twice a year, 800 to 1,000 people meeting together for good instruction and association. A district could possibly be fifteen to twenty circuits throughout a region. So one time a year, about 5,000 of us gather in one location. And several district conventions are scheduled and arranged all over the world. All such gatherings are special to us, because they present opportunities to travel and see places that otherwise we would not see and meet people that we would not ordinarily come in contact with."
"I see life as periods of joyous experiences and great events over which we may have little or no control," Manns writes. "Diversity is what makes life interesting. It's important to learn about the person whose life may not seem interesting. You may be surprised at what's learned."
About the Author
Charles Manns was born in Brownsville, Tenn., and grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, a lifestyle he's still accustomed to today. He has resided in western Tennessee and currently resides in Dyersburg, working as a team leader for Burch Foods in nearby Newbern.
iUniverse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader's Choice, Rising Star and Editor's Choice designations—self-publishing's only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.


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(Bogotá, Rome, Washington, D.C., Port-au-Prince) January 11, 2013 – Three years after the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, approximately 400,000 displaced people continue to live in vulnerable situations and without protection in camps in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the surrounding areas.
Twenty-one percent of the displaced population faces a constant threat of expulsion by owners of the land where the displaced were housed in camps after the tragedy. In addition, many other problems affect this population including: cholera, food insecurity, flooding and mudslides during hurricane season and precarious living conditions.
Jesuit Refugee Service expresses great concern, because the rights and appropriate guarantees for protection of displaced persons, as defined in the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, continue to be disrespected. Thus, displaced persons in Haiti are amongst the most vulnerable group and have a growing need for protection.
On the third anniversary of the earthquake, JRS urgently calls on Haitian authorities, donor countries and agencies, humanitarian organizations and other actors in the international community to prioritize the human rights of displaced persons, principally their right to life, security, food, education, health, and housing.
JRS urges the Haitian authorities and competent international agencies to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to all displaced persons, especially for those most vulnerable such as pregnant women, youth and the elderly. Similarly, JRS invites them to work with this displaced population to quickly establish the conditions and mediums for reintegration into society, as established in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
After three years, it is intolerable that so many people remain in tents within camps and in temporary housing. The deplorable living conditions of the displaced persons in camps are incompatible with respect to their dignity as human beings.
In Automeca, one of the biggest camps of the Haitian capital where 1,307 families still live, "all of the tents are in the worst conditions, they can withstand nothing," said Wismith Lazard S.J., director of the JRS projects in seven camps in Port-au-Prince.
"It is true that there have been several attempts to relocate the camp population; but, so far no definitive solutions to the problem of the closure of all the camps and housing in general have been agreed on. Everything appears to indicate that the closure of all the camps and relocation of the displaced to permanent housing will not come tomorrow," said the Haitian Jesuit.
Programs must be structured based on local needs
Despite the enormous problems displaced people face in the camps, they are struggling to rebuild their lives. In the last three years JRS has accompanied displaced people in seven camps in Port-au-Prince and in Haitian communities in Fonds-Parisien, Anse-à-Pitres and Los Cacaos through a wide range of programs. We have been witnessing the creativity of the local communities and their capacity to rebuild their own destinies if the windows of opportunity are opened up to them.
The key is to accompany local communities and listen to them in order to find out how to help them respond to their own needs and demands. Programs must be structured based on local needs, and not on what outsiders think may be necessary.
Forgetting is a great threat for Haiti
As time passes, Haiti fades from the international agenda.
"The international non-governmental organisations are increasingly abandoning many of the camps or reducing their projects and action plans for lack of funds, while the situation of the country has not substantially improved and the outlook is still somber for the displaced persons," said Merlys Mosquera, regional director of JRS for Latin America and the Carribean.
"Forgetting is a great threat for Haiti," said Mosquera.
The third anniversary of the earthquake should be a stop along the way to remember Haiti, intensify solidarity with the Haitian people and focus international cooperation with this country on the human rights of the displaced people affected by the earthquake and other successive natural catastrophes.
Learn more about these Jesuit Refugee Service projects in Haiti:
• Water project highlights recovery efforts in Haiti
• Pre-school nutrition program benefits young Haitians
• Dominican Republic: Medical care for Haitian migrants
• Three schools rise in rural Haiti
• New school provides hope for future in Haiti


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Skip to comments.Illinois Democrat Mike Quigley favored to win race to replace Rahm Emanuel (ChicagoLady's race)
Posted on 04/07/2009 2:18:36 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
...Pulido said she isn't intimidated by Quigley's big money lead.
Quigley had raised $512,932 in the election cycle that started after the November election while Pulido collected just less than $21,000, according to Federal Election Commission filings as of March 30. Reichel, a 27-year-old French teacher and translator, said he hadn't yet filed an FEC report because he hadn't raised $5,000.
"I feel like it's a David and Goliath scenario but the end of the story is David wins," said Pulido, director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, part of a national volunteer civilian border patrol group that wants to stop illegal immigration.
Pulido is counting on a scandal-weary public to back the GOP in the wake of corruption charges against Blagojevich and his appointment of Democrat Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate.
Pulido, 52, is in the race without the backing of national Republicans, support she said she doesn't want.
"I'm their Sarah Palin. I'm the conservative that they don't want to go conservative. They want to go moderate," Pulido said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee declined to comment on Pulido, who has had to apologize for posts on a conservative Web site that some deemed offensive.
In editorials endorsing Quigley, the Chicago Sun-Times called Pulido "well outside the mainstream" and the Chicago Tribune quoted Pulido last year as calling GOP presidential candidate John McCain "another politician that acts like he was elected to represent the Mexican government" on immigration...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Has Pulido even heard from the RNC??
A Democrap to replace Rahm? Who's have thunk?
Who'd = Who's
I bet "fight for every seat" Steele hasn't even sent her an email
I take that as a complement. But I don't see chicagolady as one to apologize for her opinion.
She's my hero for not wanting the weenies in the RNC to get involved! Go Chicago Lady!!!
She did, for some comments she made on Free Republic in 2003, it appears.
"I feel like it's a David and Goliath scenario but the end of the story is David wins," said Pulido, director of the Illinois Minuteman Project"
NO, David does not win, not anymore....
And, as a state director of an officially-recognized "HATE-GROUP" (per the Southern Poverty Law Center), the National republican Party won't touch her.
The Democrat has 500 large to spend, and access to MILLIONS more from a myriad of taxpayer-supported Democrat groups that masqerade as "Community Orgs", if it's needed. Amd they all, especially in Chicago, just got "Stimulated" with your tax dollars.
WE, AS A GROUP, need to stop whistling in to the wind, and start realizing exactly what it is we are up against, folks...
Pulido is EXACTLY who we need in Congress. She may be "controversial" to the mainstream, but what she has been saying is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!
Please, God, let her win!
Well, if she felt it was the thing to do then so be it.
And what's wrong with that?
so what does "fight for every seat" Steele do for a candidate?? castigate them?
The liberal pretender idiot Steele needs to resign, he is a disgrace
I walked four precincts for Rosanna. I didnt see any Quigley yard signs, but I saw several Pulido signs. Many Democrats wont vote because they assume that Quigley will easily win. Chicago is colder than usual, for April. The temp., here, is about 35 degrees. Many people wont vote, because of the weather. The majority of those people are Democrats, so Rosanna will get a higher percentage.
That has been my general hope, especially with a 15% turnout for the primary.
I hope she does well. Thanks for your work with her. I sent money to the campaign.
Mike Reform Quigley(D)?!
From O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Junior ODaniel: A lot of people like that reform. Maybe we should get us some.
Pappy ODaniel: Ill reform you, you soft-headed sumbitch. How we gonna run reform when were the damn incumbent? Is that the best idea you boys can come up with? Reform?! Weepin jesus on the cross. Thats it! You may as well start drafting my concession speech right now.
Give em hell, Rosanna!
I'm in Crook County today and voted, though she's not my rep.
On my way out two "poll inspectors" arrived to take stock of things. They were late-20s girls with "Women for O" bumper stickers plastered all over their car.
I'm glad the One-Party rat machine is making sure things are going smoothly...
Unfortunately, I'm not in Rosanna's district but I've try to spread the word to the North Siders as much as possible.
David and Goliath, perhaps, but in Chicago Goliath always wins.
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