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The Region 4 Ratings Logo Disaster
The Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Australia Government have joined forces to create a disastrous new classi...
Admittedly, issues such as censorship and classification are incredibly complicated, particularly in our modern litigious society where one false move can mean thousands of dollars in court for a number of parties. I don't purport to know much more than the regular Joe on the street, but that's the point of view organizations such as the OFLC seem to be taking with a grain of salt.
Let's open up this can of worms and see what we come up with...
The Argument
Firstly, let me get a few things straight about what we should be arguing here.
The colour change is probably inevitable. Australia has a reputation for being overly politically correct (evidenced by recent decisions to remove many Christian references in schools during Christmas time for fear of offending other religions), so when it was announced that there would be a change to the classification logos it came as no surprise. It doesn't make them less ugly, but what's done is done on the colour front.
There is a need to include ratings information somewhere on the packaging. While the average DVD fanatic and anyone with a sensible head on their shoulders probably doesn't need as much guidance as we receive, there is an obligation to cater for the morons who can't tell the difference between M and MA or want to know whether the violence in a film is "mild" or "moderate".
No one should be disputing the age restrictions on films and video games. They are there for a reason, and assist retailers and cinemas in enforcing age restrictions with clear guidelines. That said, the fact the OFLC deem it unnecessary to include an R rating for video games is a terrible oversight, and smells of an ignorant organization who is neglecting a large market of gamers who are over 18 and have a high disposable income. But more on that later.
The Survey
The OFLC commissioned a survey online which gave the general public a chance to have their say on the proposed new classification markings suggested by the board. The intention was to introduce classification logos which were "easier to understand and more informative". Part of the reason for the change is from the general public's input (one would argue that this translated to the "vocal minority"), which also included consumer research indicating several key issues in regards to the current classifications.
Many of the participants in the consumer research indicated they didn't know the difference between the M and MA classifications, and weren't aware of the restrictions on the MA rating (persons under 15 years aren't permitted to view the content, in the strictest sense). It sounds stupid, but there are plenty of ignorant members of the general public who have no idea about anything, let alone film classifications.
Part of the reason for the change, as quoted in the OFLC press release, was because "research conducted by the OFLC, as well as feedback it has received from consumers and industry, has consistently indicated that the old classification markings often suffered from being hard to find or hard to read because they were too small or not obvious enough against the background." Let's pick that apart, shall we?
The previous classification logos, used for the past twenty years, were supposedly "hard to find". They're on the front cover, dammit!! And as for them being "hard to read...too small or not obvious enough against the background", well that's just getting beyond a joke. The point of the logos is for consumers to have the information available to them for guidance, not have it shoved down their throat and ranked just as important as the damn title. When will the OFLC realize that you can't legislate against stupidity?
They were also meant to help the public understand the reasons behind the classifications by providing clear descriptions of the content. If by the word clear the OFLC means "big" then they've done their job, but I'm not too sure the public will understand these wordings any more or less than they did the previous incarnations. Case in point; the Batman Begins cover informs us that the film contains "moderate themes". How is that meant to be clear? The latest Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith cover tells us that there is "moderate science fiction violence". Fantastic. It's a science fiction movie with violence in it, for Christ's sake. What next? We'll probably see Wallace & Gromit's latest flick include "mild violence using clay puppets" or the sequel to Saw described as having "strong horror themes involving a creepy little wooden thing riding a bike." If the size of the actual logo wasn't bad enough, we've got a whole essay of descriptions on the front cover that don't actually make any more sense than just using the words "violence", "horror" or "sex scenes".
The OFLC sought the help of Trout & Partners who, in between fishing expeditions, advised the board on the most effective way to implement and market the new design. In their wisdom, they came up with these absolute gems which undoubtedly have contributed to the farcical logos we have today:
[*]To attract attention, the markings should take up 20% of available space
Twenty per cent? Where the hell are you trying to attract attention from? The moon?
[*]The markings should be used for the duration of an advertisement, not just the opening or ending.
Are you serious? We haven't even got to the stage of deciding to see the film yet, so why do we have to watch a trailer with a logo (taking up 20% of the screen, remember) plastered on it for the entire time? Luckily it seems the OFLC backed down on this one, but it doesn't give Marlin & Friends much credence, does it?
[*]To have more impact, consumer advice should be in quotation marks.
Who are you quoting? The CEO? God? And why does it make any difference? I might not pay much attention if the rating was Frequent Coarse Language but if you mention "Frequent Coarse Language" then I'll be putting my earmuffs on before I enter the cinema, that's for sure.
Included in the survey were a number of proposed designs, which you can view below. The full survey can be viewed on the OFLC website, www.oflc.gov.au . These proposed designs also incorporated colour schemes (the same format of the current logos), based on all the information they had previously gathered from market research, consultants and the vocal minority who kicked up the fuss in the first place.
Initial reactions to the proposed changes weren't all that favourable (message boards were filled with posts expressing their dislike of any of the proposed designs), which should have raised alarm bells at the OFLC from the beginning. In isolation the logos didn't look so bad, but examples of the designs on video and DVD covers were buried online, just ambiguous enough to have most of the participants in the survey skip over what has become the major misstep in the changeover.
None of the designs proposed in the survey was actually settled on as the final version to be used on DVD covers and the like. Instead, the OFLC plonked for a hybrid version incorporating elements from every single one. So how could the survey have been useful, when the OFLC decided that none of the proposed designs in its entirety was appropriate? And the physical size of the logos on the packaging was never broached with the public, so it came as no surprise when they decided to make the classifications the most prominent feature of the cover art.
The Markings
The OFLC settled on a final design and released it to the public. If they really cared what the public thought they could have taken the time (and added cost, admittedly) to test out the new logos in order to gauge public reaction. But they didn't, and this is what we're lumped with:
Again, in isolation they don't look too bad. The colours might be a bit of a pain but they're bearable. Everything looks clear and relatively concise so that consumers are well informed about the classification. On the other hand, however, are the major issues brought about by the OFLC's penchant for over-reaction.
The size of the markings borders on the ridiculous. Firstly, with the new colours making the logos stand out more than ever before, there is no direct need to increase the physical size as well. And the descriptions can easily be transferred to the back cover without any major ramifications. Surely the word "General" is redundant, as I would defy anyone with two eyes (or even one, I suppose) to tell me they can't recognize the triangle logo, or at least deduce that it's a very friendly rating.
The Arguments
"The whole point of the survey was to receive feedback from the public before they made any decisions, so you should have been arguing back then, not now."
Well, I did. But one lonely reviewer among the hundreds (possibly thousands, but the OFLC hasn't disclosed how many participants there were in the survey) isn't going to make much of a difference. And the real likelihood is that the conservatives and prudes who complained to the OFLC in the first place would have made up the majority of respondents to the survey, throwing their ill-directed weight behind the changes in order to protect us from the big, bad world outside.
The fact that the final design resembled none of the initial proposals doesn't give you much confidence that the feedback would have been taken on board anyway. So now is the perfect time to give the OFLC a jolt to ensure that their conservatism is reined in a little so we can settle on a happy medium.
"The OFLC have put in so much time and effort with these changes that they've gone way too far to change anything."
True, but they can work with what they've got and modify it slightly so it's not so ridiculously over the top. If there's enough public backlash they may be forced to make some sort of change, hopefully for the better. We'll outline some options below, all of which don't require any major changes in policy or basic design of the logos.
The other point is, now that we seem to be stuck with these changes, we have to speak up if they aren't up to scratch otherwise there's a real danger of other countries following suit. The OFLC made a specific point that they were pioneering a system which linked film and video game classifications, with other countries looking to adopt a similar model. While most other countries don't have the same high level of conservatism as Australia, you wouldn't want your native country trying to re-decorate your DVD covers based on the Region 4 model.
The most interesting and humorous example is the cover of Scrubs: Season One. The UK version on the right includes the quaint little logo in the bottom right corner, small and unobtrusive but obvious enough to tell you that it contains some themes which aren't right for the kiddies. The Region 4 version, on the other hand, throws up a ratings logo which almost completely covers up the spoon in the picture. It's almost a little ironic that it now seems Zach Braff is screwing up his face at the logo rather than what's in the spoon.
"There needs to be some protection for parents when selecting films and video games for their children, and these new classification symbols make it more obvious."
Yes, but how far do we go? We can't protect parents from themselves. Many years back there was a case of a young girl becoming highly distressed when her mum rented Scream for her daughter's slumber party. Everyone was quick to blame the film industry, the OFLC, the Government and the rental stores, basically everyone but the parent who ignored the warnings on the cover (which were in place back then, and had been for twenty years). Said parent was also present at the party but failed to realize that the film might not have been too appropriate for young, impressionable minds. Will the increased change in size and colour guard against a parenting error such as this? Doubtful. And who is to say that incidents like this won't happen with the new logos? No one, but the point is you can't jump at shadows and become reactionary every time a twelve year-old claps her eyes on some blood and guts, or a pair of tits.
"What's the big deal? They're just logos on a DVD cover! You buy DVDs for the content, not the cover."
That may be true, but a large portion of the DVD-buying public like their covers free from intrusive ratings logos and are prepared to put their money where their mouth is. They are the ones who are clued in to the ease in which one can import movies from overseas. They are the ones with the disposable income, the DVD collection of over 100, and the nous to severely affect the sales figures in Australia because of the horrid impact the logos have on DVD covers, among other things. Region 4 has often been the poor cousin to the US and UK in terms of release dates, special features and nifty packaging, most of which is out of the distributors' control. The logos are also largely out of the control of those who produce the discs and their covers (Madman, for one, is reportedly really peeved at the drastic change) but this time the OFLC has stepped in and created another reason for cashed-up and internet-savvy consumers to head overseas for their movies and games. And why do you think websites like DVDCoverart existed? Because there were plenty of people out there who really did care about the outer casing that holds their favourite DVDs.
Governments and studios are so hell-bent on curtailing piracy, yet they neglect to see the impact an ugly cover might have on sales. Those techno-savvy DVD customers come into play again, with their cable internet access and DVD-burners able to whip off a copy of any latest release with ease. The appeal of the "official" versions is that you've buying a total package, with a nice-looking case to keep the disc in and hopefully a bunch of extras that you don't usually get with the pirated versions. Why pay for the total package when the cover looks so damn ugly? Might as well just download the ripped version for free. (Note: I do not, in any way, encourage film/video game piracy. The argument is purely there to demonstrate the lack of thought the OFLC has put in regarding the consequences of the new logo designs.)
"It's not as if you're going to change anything by whining or boycotting Region 4 discs. And it will have a minimal impact on sales in Australia, if at all, so just learn to live with it."
We're not talking about a boycott, but the impact it will have on sales of Region 4 titles can't be underestimated. If I had a choice between a Region 1 or 2 title with standard cover art and ratings logos and a Region 4 title with the same cover except for the large logo in the bottom left I'd go for the better cover every time, especially since the discs in the US and UK are often cheaper than the Australian price anyway (particularly for new releases). The ease and immediacy of buying a Region 4 title over the counter has now been overshadowed by the fact you'll have to live with one ugly looking cover when there's a better option elsewhere. If it means a cover that isn't compromised by a big ratings logo then I'm happy to wait for the import to arrive.
One would suspect there are plenty more customers like me who will hit the internet retailers more often as a result. Think of the millions of Star Wars fans who have purchased the first two Region 4 discs in the new trilogy. They now have to put up with the third installment being ruined by a great big blue "M" in the corner, not to mention the description of "moderate science-fiction violence", whatever the hell that means. You think the Star Wars fanboys won't make an impact? If anyone wants their product free from compromise, it's those guys. Check out the cover below (admittedly not the final product but the only thing that will change is the description) for an example of the unsightly logo having a disastrous impact on the artwork itself:
The Incredible Video Game Oversight
The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) was quoted as saying "70% of video game players are aged over 18 years." That quote alone makes the Government look incredibly foolish, not to mention stuck in a time warp when computer games were tackled only by eleven year-old boys whose most violent gaming experience was being hit by a barrel playing Donkey Kong.
At present the classification system does not include an R rating for video games. Why, you ask? Well, that's not entirely clear. The Government and OFLC have gone to great lengths to give continuity to the classifications of films and video games, yet have neglected the R rating for games because of Australia's constant need to be politically correct. Adult film lovers are able to enjoy movies directed solely at their age range (not without censorship in many instances, mind you) but adult gamers are cut off because misinformed and reactionary bodies such as the OFLC continue to jump at shadows and protect parents from themselves.
Some responsibility has to be placed on the parents, who should be the ones monitoring what games their children are getting their hands on. And if enough money and training is directed at the retailers and rental outlets to enforce the age restrictions, then there should be no problem including games designed solely for adults that don't need severe cuts to fall into an MA15+ classification.
The refusal to include an R rating for video games has severe ramifications. Firstly, it undermines the efforts of the OFLC and the Australian Government to regulate the classifications themselves. Secondly, and more importantly, it closes the door to a potential gold mine of adult video game sales, considering that 70% of the gaming audience doesn't have access to games marketed specifically towards their demographic.
The Options
Believe it or not, there are several options which can really minimize the impact of these logos yet still keep the fundamental classification guidelines in place so that legislation doesn't need to change.
Size Matters
A simple change would be to include a smaller version of the coloured ratings logo on the front of the packaging, with the rest of the classification information on the back cover. It is going to take time for the public to get used to the new colours, but once they do they will be able to easily recognize the rating of each film or video game. Parents can still search out the green and yellow logos for the kiddies, and those who want more information on the contents of what they may be viewing can simply flip over the cover. Look at the example below (whipped up in two minutes using the magic of Photoshop). Which would you prefer?
Use Stickers
Now, I'm no legal expert, but surely by using a sticker instead of printing the classification on the actual cover itself, the message is still getting across to consumers. Those who wish to remove the sticker have to go through the process of physically taking it off, thereby relinquishing any claim they have to not knowing or understanding the classification of the film. The rest of the ratings info (including another logo if need be) can still be printed on the back cover so that when you do take the sticker off the classification is still available for reference.
This seems like the easiest option, as the OFLC gets to keep their ugly and oversized logos, the distributors can use cover art which doesn't have to feature a symbol that takes up a quarter of the space and consumers can receive the classification information without having it shoved in their face after they've purchased the product. But knowing Australia and some of the utterly monumental cock-ups of the past, I wouldn't be surprised if the stickers ended up tearing the cover to shreds instead of using the new kind of sticker which is a breeze to peel off. Only time will tell...
Reversible Covers
While Madman isn't exactly one of the largest distributors in Australia, they might just be the most important organisation if the OFLC doesn't back down and resize the logos or use stickers on the covers. With such a loyal band of Anime devotees and film fans in general, Madman is reportedly promising to use either removable bands (as distinct from stickers) on their box set packaging or design reversible covers so customers can simply use the "B side" cover without the classification logo when they get their product home. It's a brilliant move which will hopefully be taken up by the bigger distribution houses, but let's not hold our breath.
An R Rating for Video Games
Simple. What's the point of cutting off the video games ratings at MA? Adults play video games in larger numbers than children, so having to censor violence and sex performed by tiny little pixels borders on the ridiculous. There isn't enough pressure from gaming groups and other bodies such as the IEAA to lift the ban on R rated games. Now is the time to do something about it.
Will all this analysis and argument come to much? Probably not. Is it necessary to voice our disapproval anyway? Absolutely. Once again the Aussies have been shafted by an over-zealous Government and an OFLC that is trying too damn hard to please everyone. Put the onus back on the parents to take responsibility for their children. Ignorance is no longer an excuse, so plastering these giant logos on the front of our DVD and video game covers is completely over the top.
Spare a thought for the distributors, who had this nightmare thrust upon them and may well oppose the change as much as a lot of the public. It's just that they've got no choice but to comply, and any objections from their end would have done them no favours or at the very least fallen on deaf ears.
The need for classifications and appropriate markings cannot be denied. But the way the Government has gone about it is completely out of touch with reality. It's not too late to make changes, many of which are simple alterations that should have been considered and implemented in the first place. The public was consulted but there has been no mention of the feedback obtained in the survey, and none of the proposed examples became the final product after all.
The frustrating thing is that Australia has tried so hard to come across as a "nice" bunch of people, yet the Government sees this as a green light to make regulatory changes which are completely over the top. I'm sure the OFLC heads will sit back in their leather chairs and denounce the classification logos a complete success, safe in the knowledge that there can't be any complaints from ignorant parents because the markings take up as much cover space as the damn title.
We'll see just how successful this ridiculous change turns out to be. The vast majority will just grin and bear it, knowing full well that you can't mess with pig-headed politicians and Government organizations. The rest of us will vote with our hip pockets by choosing a cover that isn't compromised by giant coloured squares with letters in them. Or, at the very least, we'll continue to snigger at just how much of a laughing stock Australia, and region 4 DVD in particular, continues to be.
Do you want to voice your opinion? Check out the online petition set up by one of our readers here.
Or you could go staight to the source itself and email email@example.com. And tell them I sent you...
Editorial by Pete Roberts
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They do. All the time. They tend to give you whatever they run across. It's so nice, and it has resulted in a big big stash. But the truth is I am never going to buy the yarn I WANT because I have so much yarn I GOT.
So, New Year Resolution. Don't keep it. Swap. I'd rather have one skein of Noro than 20 skeins of stuff taking up room.
1. blue mohair - one skein. I will never use mohair i decided. Too thin.
2. Patons acrylic - 3 skeins, pastel colors on an off white background. Not my thing.
3. Gray 100% wool, a DK weight. Mid gray, a little heathery. 3 skeins, about 120 yds ea. Knits up on a 5-7. Actually looks a lot like Cascade 220. Sorry about photo of gray yarn on a taupe rug..
4. Dark Purple (eggplant) and lilac ribbon yarn - also can take a shot. Enough to make a large tank. Was frogged from a JJill top. Pardon the photo on my ugly windowsill, the colors are a little less "gray" in real life. Eggplant and kind of a vibrant midshade lighter purple.
5. Cranberry colored skeins of Philosopher's Wool. 100% wool. 3 dark, two a little lighter. I Had a big kit to make a beautiful nordic sweater. Was beyond my skills, and have used most the other yarn on other projects.
6. Light blue Patons Divine - http://www.patonsyarns.com/product.php?LGC=divine&PHPSESSID=64b3f9eeca33ce37083f4bbc772fb18b I think it's Halo Blue. 3 skeins.
7. 2 skeins of Gloucester off white cotton. Gone!
8. Burgundy colored wool boucle. 4 skeins with bands still, two used a little. Aarlan, 100% wool, but it's soft.
I'm open to suggestion - not a big fan of acrylics or sparkly, spangly things. Love deep colors and natural fibers. Anything hand dyed or variegated. Patterns, old IKs, Vogues, etc.

subset: commoncrawl


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UK X-Photographer Saraya Cortaville shoots on X-T3 for her travel photography
Mark Gilligan shoots landscapes with the XF8-16mmF2.8
X-Photographer Jeff Carter shoots motor sports on X-H1
X-Photographer John Rourke from UK shoots on X-H1 to capture motorsports in action.
X-Photographer Kevin Mullins from the UK shoots with the GF45mmF2.8
UK X-Photographer Paul Sanders captures nature with the GF23mm lens with Lee filters attached
X-Photographer Saraya Cortaville from UK tells her experience on using the X-T20 for her portrait works!
Sean Conboy uses GF23mmF4 to capture the magnificent Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Cinematographer Richard Blanshard tests the X-T2's 4K movie recording.
Wedding Photographer David Stanbury from the UK tests the GF110mmF2 R LM WR.
Ben Cherry breaks down his use of the X Series for Nature Photography.
Ben Cherry explains the key features of the X-T2 for nature photography
"Inside the camera bag of X-Photographer" Series


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DJERBA, Tunisia (AP) — Under a bright Mediterranean sun Saturday, Jews whose forebears once thronged Tunisia are trekking to a celebrated synagogue under the protection of police — as organizers try to inject new momentum to an annual pilgrimage that's been depleted in recent years by fears of anti-Semitism.
Jewish leaders hope the three-day pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, Africa's oldest, on the island of Djerba is regaining momentum after attendance plummeted in the wake of a 2002 al-Qaida bombing and lingering safety concerns following Tunisia's revolution two years ago.
The pilgrimage evokes a larger issue for Tunisia: How to convince Jews and other foreigners that stability has returned enough to merit a visit and help revive a weakened economy. The tourism trade accounts for about 400,000 jobs and 7 percent of economic output in Tunisia, an overwhelmingly Muslim country of nearly 11 million.
Despite the setbacks in recent years, Tunisia's Jews were sounding optimistic.
"This year will be better. The atmosphere is good, and the preparations have been made carefully," said Perez Trabelsi, the president of Ghriba's operating committee, and a Djerba native. "Attendance will go up from one year to the next, to return to its top level — like before."
At its peak in 2000, about 8,000 Jews came — many from Israel, Italy and France, where they or their forebears had moved over the years. Such crowds haven't returned since an al-Qaida-linked militant detonated a truck bomb at the synagogue in 2002, killing 21 people, mostly German tourists — and badly jolting the now-tiny Jewish community.
The pilgrimage was called off in 2011 in the wake of Tunisia's revolution, when major street protests ousted longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia, and some ultraconservative Muslims called Salafis chanted anti-Semitic slogans at their rallies. Last year, the pilgrimage resumed on a tiny scale: Only 100 or so foreigners came. This year, community leaders hope 300 to 500 will have come.
Rene Trabelsi, a Paris-based tour operator, said the Tunisian government — led by the moderate Islamic party Ennahda — has "gone beyond our hopes" in providing security measures, police and troops for the pilgrimage.
After Saturday's Sabbath, the three-day pilgrimage was expected to culminate Sunday with the sale of necklaces, scarves and other craftwork to raise money for the synagogue. On Friday, as it got underway, families lit candles and the faithful marched through a white-washed archway lined with bunting and Tunisia's red crescent-and-star flag into the ornate, blue-and-white synagogue.
Jews have been living in Djerba since 500 B.C. The Jewish population has shrunk to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s. Most left following the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries, and Socialist economic policies adopted by the government in the late 1960s also drove away many Jewish business owners.
Djerba, a dusty island of palm trees and olive groves, lures hundreds of thousands of tourists every year — mainly Germans and French — for its sandy beaches and rich history. The Ghriba synagogue, said to date to 586 B.C., itself once drew up to 2,000 visitors per day, Jewish leaders have said.
The site is rich with legend. The first Jews who arrived were said to have brought a stone from the ancient temple of Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Babylonians. The stone is kept in a grotto at the synagogue. Women and children descend into the grotto to place eggs scrawled with wishful messages on them.
The pilgrims, mostly Sephardic Jews with roots in Tunisia, come for the festivities starting 33 days after the Jewish holiday of Passover that include singing, dancing and drinking the traditional "boukha" brandy made from dates or figs.
At poolside at a posh Djerba hotel, some pilgrims reveled in the festivities — and brushed off any concerns.
Emile Arki, a 63-year-old businessman who splits his time between Paris and California, said all too often "what's happening in Tunisia is exaggerated with an alarmist tone ... We were well greeted at the airport. The people are smiling. I don't see why anybody should be afraid."
The religious affairs minister sent an adviser to "congratulate our Jewish brothers during their festival," and the tourism minister was expected on Sunday.


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For Immediate Release
Peter Hamm,
Communications Director
Doug Pennington,
Assistant Director: 202-898-0792.
Internet Gun Site Sued By Brady on Behalf of Woman Killed with Gun Sold Through "Internet Loophole"
CHICAGO - The Brady Center announced at a news conference today in Chicago that it has filed a lawsuit for wrongful death in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Armslist.com, an Internet gun web site, on behalf of the family of Jitka Vesel, who was murdered by a stalker. The complaint alleges that Jitka was killed with a gun sold illegally in an online sale facilitated by the web site. This is the first lawsuit against a gun website for causing a shooting.
"Responsible gun sellers and web site operators, like most Americans, recognize that guns should be sold with the greatest care, to prevent arming dangerous people with the means to kill," said the Brady Center's Legal Action Project Director, Jonathan Lowy, counsel for the family. "Gun sellers and web site operators who facilitate the arming of killers and criminals must be held accountable. We as a nation are better than an anonymous Internet gun market where killers and criminals can easily get guns."
According to the complaint filed today, on April 13, 2011, Jitka Vesel, a 36-year-old immigrant from the Czech Republic was shot and killed by Demetry Smirnov, a Russian immigrant residing in Canada who had met Jitka online a few years earlier. Smirnov stalked her at night to a parking lot where he shot her 11-12 times with a .40-caliber handgun. The complaint alleges that he illegally purchased the gun from a private seller whom he located through armslist.com, an online gun auction site owned by defendant Armslist, LLC. The complaint alleges that the website's design encourages and enables users to evade laws that allow private sellers to sell firearms only to residents of their own state by enticing prospective buyers to search for and find gun sellers throughout all 50 states.
Sales conducted over the Internet frequently have been linked to illegal gun trafficking and sales to minors, and have been connected to the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. According to media reports, Armslist.com also facilitated the sale of the gun used in a recent multiple shooting at a Wisconsin spa in October 2012. In 1999, due to the proliferation of illegal online gun sales, eBay announced it was prohibiting online gun sales. In or around 2007, Craigslist followed suit, banning firearm sales from its site. Other online websites that allow private parties to post goods for sale, including Amazon.com and Google AdWords, also prohibit the listing of firearms for sale because of the high likelihood that such gun sales will funnel guns to the criminal market.
A recent undercover investigation by the City of New York of online firearm sellers found that 62% of private gun sellers agreed to sell a firearm to a buyer who said that he probably could not pass a background check. The City reported that in the undercover sting, more than half of the gun sellers contacted who were listed by Armslist agreed to sell a gun to someone who said he could not pass a background check, in violation of federal law.
Jitka was killed in the parking lot of the Chicago-area Czechoslovak Heritage Museum where she had been working as a volunteer to prepare for a celebration in honor of former Czech-American Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. Ironically, Mayor Cermak was assassinated with a handgun in 1933 while shaking hands with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the intended target of the assassin. The shooting helped lead to the first major federal gun legislation.
Smirnov is currently serving a life sentence without parole. The gun seller pled guilty to the illegal transfer of a firearm to an out-of-state person, a felony, and was sentenced to one year and a day in prison. Jitka leaves behind her brother and life-long best-friend, plaintiff Alex Vesely, another brother, Pavel Vesely, and her father, Antonin Vesely
Jay Dobrutsky and Alex Marks of the Chicago law firm of Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. are serving as co-counsel with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in the case.
This is the world we live in. This is the world we cover.
Because of people like you, another world is possible. There are many battles to be won, but we will battle them together—all of us. Common Dreams is not your normal news site. We don't survive on clicks. We don't want advertising dollars. We want the world to be a better place. But we can't do it alone. It doesn't work that way. We need you. If you can help today—because every gift of every size matters—please do. Without Your Support We Simply Don't Exist.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and its legislative and grassroots affiliate, the Brady Campaign and its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence.
We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.


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STOCKTON – In the inevitable schism between police departments, public officials, community leaders and those who are the sharpest critics of law-enforcement officers, there is a single small, electronic, high-tech device upon which it seems almost everybody agrees.
Body cameras — electronic video and audio recorders that clip onto officers' uniforms — in recent years have come into vogue for many law-enforcement agencies in the United States and other countries.
They first were introduced on a full-force basis in San Joaquin County earlier this year by the Manteca Police Department. If Stockton police Chief Eric Jones has his way, there will come a time not too far into the future when all of his patrol officers also will be wearing them, too. Body cameras already are in use in Stockton, but the roughly 360-man force at this point has fewer than 10 of them.
"The camera is there for everybody's interest, for the officers as well as the community," Jones said this week. "It captures footage for everybody's interests. … There's a lot of evidence-based data out there that tends to show why they're an advantage."
The use of body cams by police officers has been a particularly hot topic nationally amid the ongoing violence and civil unrest following the Aug. 9 police killing of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo.
But the issue is not new in Stockton. Mayor Anthony Silva has endorsed the use of body cams at recent City Council meetings, and during a public-comment session last week, two young critics of the Stockton police asked the department to begin using them.
"Body cams would pay off for the people of the city," one of those speakers, 20-year-old Daniel Ferreira, said this week during an interview. "I'm not worried about the gangsters in Stockton. I'm worried about the cops. They can do whatever they want. Who's going to believe me over them?"
Ferriera's friend, 20-year-old Michael Vallete, added, "If (police) had a camera on their chest it would tell both stories … ours and theirs."
Though Jones clearly differs with the young men's assessment of some of his officers, he said he does agree with the benefits of the cameras. Jones said they have the potential to provide evidence and possible exoneration for officers in cases where citizens allege police brutality.
"I do believe that for police trust to continue to exist and build within our community, for accountability, for the officers' protection as well from false accusations, it discourages misconduct by the community and by officers," Jones said.
Bobby Bivens, who heads Stockton's chapter of the NAACP, said he believes the cameras "would cause law-enforcement officers to monitor and manage their behavior better and be more courteous, more respectful and be better police officers."
"I believe the current mentality of some officers is they can do whatever they want to do," Bivens added.
But Jones, who has been studying the issue since the start of 2014, said that before body cameras can become a standard part of police equipment in Stockton, several hurdles must be overcome.
The cameras cost about $400 apiece, so the outlay for Stockton's police force, which is budgeted for 405 officers this year, could surpass $160,000. The cost of storing the reams of digital data produced by the cameras would be a significant and ongoing cost, Jones added. He said he is uncertain whether a portion of the city's public-safety sales taxes legally could be used to purchase some of the cameras.
Still, money may not be the steepest obstacle, even in a city still awaiting its exit from Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Jones said before any wide-scale purchase, the city must reach agreement with the union that represents officers on how and when the cameras would be used. Then, he said, the department will have to draft a policy for their use.
Kathryn Nance, who heads the Stockton Police Officers' Association, said she recognizes the potential benefits of the cameras but also has reservations.
"It cuts down on complaints," she said. "It's no longer somebody's word against the officers. But there are negatives, also. The camera doesn't show the totality of the circumstance … It's a piece of evidence that shows one small portion."
Statistics produced by forces around the country show the presence of the cameras in some cases has been followed by a steep drop in the number of complaints against officers for the use of excessive force. Darren Wilson, the officer in Ferguson, Mo., was not wearing a body camera when 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed.
Stockton's Mobile Field Force, whose main purpose is to maintain order at public protests, for months has been using eight body cameras purchased by the police department. Jones said they "provide protection for officers and the public" in "tense" and "high-liability situations."
In Manteca, that city's department issued body cams to its roughly 40 patrol officers in May. Tony Souza, the lieutenant who is in charge of the cameras, said they have proved to be a valuable tool.
Manteca's five-page policy for their use requires officers to activate the cameras "during all enforcement stops, field interrogation situations or any other time the member reasonably believes that a recording of an on-duty contact may be useful."
The policy also governs privacy issues for police and the public and allows officers to delay switching on the cameras when they feel they are in immediate danger and that doing so would compromise their safety.
Souza said he believes the cameras, despite their cost, have the potential to save cities money in the long run. Earlier this year, Manteca agreed to pay out a $2.2-million settlement in a wrongful death case involving the family of a man killed by one of the city's officers.
In that case, the victim's shooting was captured by a dashboard camera. But Souza said in other cases a body camera could absolve an innocent officer.
"When we get sued, the amount of money paid out in some of these judgments or what we pay to settle is a lot more than what we paid for these devices," Souza said. "We're looking at protecting ourselves."
Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/phillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.


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Qualitative Diagnosis of Human Movement: Improving Performance in
Sport and Exercise, Third Edition, focuses on the processes behind
assessment and diagnosis of movement technique, emphasizing the elements
of professional intervention in diagnosis.
* Free Bundled E-book *
If you are a member of the HK Rewards Program, when buying a new print edition of this book, you
will be granted the option for downloading the e-book edition at no additional charge. Learn more.
Textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate kinesiology courses
dealing with the diagnosis and improvement of movement, such as skill
assessment, biomechanics, motor behavior, or pedagogy courses; also a
reference for researchers in those areas, as well as coaching science.
Duane V. Knudson, PhD, is a professor and chair of the department
of health and human performance at Texas State University in San Marcos.
He earned his PhD in biomechanics from the University of Wisconsin at
Madison and has held tenured faculty positions at Baylor University in
Waco, Texas, and California State University at Chico. Previously he
served as associate dean and interim chair of the department of
kinesiology at Chico State.
Knudson's research in qualitative movement diagnosis (QMD) has garnered
him an international reputation as an expert on the topic. He coauthored
the first text on QMD, Qualitative Analysis of Human Movement,
which has been translated into five languages. In addition to research
on QMD, Knudson researches the biomechanics of tennis and stretching and
the teaching and learning of biomechanical concepts.
Knudson has authored 3 books, 11 book chapters, and 24 refereed articles
in scientific proceedings. He has received numerous grants for his work
and has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles in journals, including
the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, International Journal of Sport
Biomechanics, Sports Biomechanics, International Journal of Sports
Medicine, Sports Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal
of Sports Sciences, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, European
Journal of Applied Physiology, Sports Engineering, Gait & Posture,
Research Quarterly for Exercise in Sport, and Journal of Strength
and Conditioning Research.
An elected fellow of three scholarly societies, Knudson served on the
editorial board of five journals and was the 2011 recipient of the Ruth
B. Glassow Honor Award from the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education (NASPE). He has also served as vice president of
publications for the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports
(ISBS). He is also a member of the American Society of Biomechanics,
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the American Alliance
for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).
He and his wife, Lois, reside in San Marcos. In his free time, Knudson
enjoys reading and playing tennis.
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Message Board
Ann Chamberlin Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Chamberlin has written!
Author Chamberlin's Book Reviews
The Merlin of St. Gilles' Well
While this book is easily compared to the Mary Stewart Merlin series (�The Crystal Cave,� etc.), Ann Chamberlin's �The Merlin of St. Gilles' Well� is an exciting new historical fantasy fiction entry. And it is a welcomed one! It is the story of young Yann, who is wounded by an arrow from Gilles de Rais. Yann, infected, begins to have fits and see visions--among them the prophecy that a young Joan of Arc will deliver France's salvation....


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We provide not only the best quality product, but also perfect after-sale service and and give our customer the best shopping experience. Please feel free to contact anytime you need our help, and we\u2019ll contact you by e-mail within 24 hours.


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Richard Hodges one of our BC based bloggers tells us the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame announced this week that five inductees would be honoured this summer in Penticton. The list includes two former players, one current scout, a CBC broadcaster and an influential figure in B.C. hockey history. Rod Brind'Amour, Scott Niedermayer and Jim Hughson are all going in.
The five newest members of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame
February 4, 2012 By


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Report from the summer HCN board meeting
High Country News' board of directors met in our hometown of Paonia, Colo. at the end of May, to assess the nonprofit's health, discuss our prospects, and savor the Western Slope's beauty. The news was good: HCN continues to expand its reach -- our website, hcn.org, saw one-third more visitors in the first quarter of 2013 compared to last year. And the organization's finances are solid, due to better-than-expected income from readers' donations, grants, subscriptions and advertising.
We discussed how to encourage these trends, particularly regarding the paid subscriber base, which has stayed relatively flat at around 23,000 for about five years. Ideas ranged from improving the variety and presentation of stories on the website to putting more resources into marketing, to convert casual online readers into committed community members and subscribers. Over the rest of the summer, a team of board and staff will incorporate the strongest ideas into a new three-year strategic plan.
Art auction a great success
On June 21st, High Country News held its first-ever art auction, graciously hosted by Andy Wiessner, a longtime board member, and Patsy Batchelder at their home atop a green hill in Snowmass, Colo. Subscribers, artists and friends enjoyed the remarkable views, stunning artwork and delicious food (prepared by Patsy, Andy and our own staff). Former intern Mark Harvey talked about the value of the internship program, and generously donated one of his own black-and-white photographs. Colorado state Sen. Gail Schwartz and Navajo artist Shonto Begay also attended, along with Ed and Betsy Marston, former publisher and editor of HCN. The auction brought in money to support HCN's work, and we're grateful to everyone who made it possible.
Artists and lawyers visit
Longtime HCN subscriber Jean Swearingen of Estes Park, Colo., and her daughter, Marta Fonda of Evergreen, Colo., came by our office so that Jean could drop off her art auction donation -- a totem sculpture made of deer vertebrae, depicting various owl species. She laughed when we thanked her, saying, "You have to get rid of them so you can make more." She first saw the beauty of bones, she says, while taking X-rays as a lab tech in Jackson, Wyo. Jean left with a sun-bleached fox skull found by HCN director Paul Larmer in his fields west of town.
Longtime subscribers Scott Hacking, Karen Brunvand and their son, Niles, stopped by on their way to Golden, Colo., from their home in Price, Utah. Niles, a recent graduate of Carbon High School, is headed to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden this fall.
On his way back from the Telluride Mountainfilm festival, Brad Purdy of Boise, Idaho, stopped to say hello. Since writing an essay for HCN in '94 about southwest Idaho's wild Owyhee country, Brad has worked for the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, and now runs his own law practice.
Betty Kuehner stopped by during a trip from Denver, where she works (and reads HCN) at the legendary Tattered Cover bookstore, which is many HCNers' idea of heaven. She recalled visiting Paonia 30 years ago and eating at the restaurant across the street. The town has changed, she said, but not much, although nowadays you can buy local wines here, as she did at the aptly named Delicious Orchards.
The June 24 editor's note mentioned that writer Jeremy Miller grew up in Queens, N.Y. He actually grew up in Arvada, Colo., and moved to Queens in 2000. HCN regrets the error.


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Tagged With: Millennium Publications
School's Out
–for some. For others, it seems it will never end—or should never end. But more about that later. Yeah, this is my first blog in quite some time. What can I say—I've been very busy with various and sundry things, so we might as well start with various and sundry updates about equally various and sundry projects and … Continue reading
Categories: Blog Tags: Darryl Banks, Doc Savage, justice, Justice Machine, Lee Goldberg, Millennium Publications, Moonstone Books, Simon Templar Leave a comment


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Early Monday morning, Synopsys announced several new bits have been added to their impressive bucket of IP blocks, a new family of DesignWare processors targeted at vision applications. With an honorable pedigree – descent from the ARC technology that came to Synopsys via the 2010 acquisition of Virage Logic – the processors announced on March 30th are designed to be embedded in SoCs, specifically to meet a growing need to digitally "distinguish smiles from frowns, faces from cars, baby carriages from trees or dogs, and even sky from ground."
These needs were articulated in a March 26th phone call with Synopsys Senior Manager of Product Marketing Mike Thompson, who enthusiastically explained, "The vision market will grow dramatically over the next several years. The next 10-to-15 years will be seen as a paradigm-shift period in how we interact with technology."
That's why he's delighted Synopsys will surpass other players in driving that shift: "There are already a few vision processors available [on the market], and they are largely programmable. We took a slightly different approach, however, with the new DesignWare EV Processors we've developed.


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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Police in fired rubber bullets and tear gas Sunday to disperse stone-throwing protesters who set fire to vehicles and tried to block roads across Bangladesh to demand restoration of a caretaker administration to oversee upcoming national elections.
Police and witnesses said at least two people were killed and more than 200 injured in the violence in the capital and a number of other districts.
Local police chief Wahid Zaman said a protester was killed during clashes between opponents and supporters of the government in Sirajganj district, 104 kilometers (65 miles) northwest of Dhaka. He did not provide details.
In Dhaka, one protester was killed by a speeding bus as some demonstrators tried to stop it, a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
At least 200 people, including some policemen, were injured in clashes between police and protesters across the country, according to reports by local television stations Ekattar TV and Somoy TV.
A coalition of 18 opposition parties had called for roads to be blocked across the country Sunday to highlight calls for the restoration of a constitutional provision allowing a nonpartisan caretaker administration to oversee the polls due in 2014.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government scrapped the 15-year-old provision last year after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, saying the constitution allows only popularly elected people to run the government.
The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, says the change will allow Hasina to rig the election. Hasina denies the allegation.
Television footage showed protesters attacking vehicles and police with rocks and sticks. Police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas.
More than 100 vehicles were smashed or set on fire, the TV reports said.
Police said they fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up several hundred protesters in Dhaka's southern Jatrabari district. The demonstrators responded by throwing bricks.
Dhaka's Daily Star newspaper reported that dozens of homemade bombs — small tin pots filled with explosives — went off in the capital's northern Gabtali district.
Using tear gas, police fought pitched battles with hundreds of protesters in Gabtali, the newspaper said.
Bangladesh has a history of police violence, with the opposition frequently resorting to general strikes.


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October 21st, 2011.
The world ends today.
You gaze over the smoke-filled horizon of St. Louis, from your twentieth story balcony on the downtown Hilton Hotel. The TV blares behind you, warning the Central US area that an immensely virulent virus has developed in the little town of Farmington, Missouri. Coming in contact with the virus will cause the infected to become a bloodthirsty monster, devoid of upper-level mental functions. The announcer warns you to stay where you are and the military will soon be by to pick you up.
You wince as a solitary helicopter spirals lazily past your window and crashes full-bore into the metal side of the 300 foot tall St. Louis Arch. A groan of twisted metal reaches your ears as the collision burns. It does not fall. The others in the room look out the window.
You and the others have come to town for the first tournament of Brikwars, Ragnoblok, which was scheduled to begin tommorrow at Ross Varn's place, but as distant screams reach you from the ground, it looks like that isn't happening...
Aph77, on the first RTD wrote:Roll To Dodge Standard Rules
The GM (Game Master) posts a situation the players are in. The players then post their actions, according to the conditions GM sets. The GM then rolls for the actions' results, and writes them out in his post. Then the players post actions again, ad infinitum.
The action results are defined by a six-sided die roll:
[1]: Epic Fail. Your efforts only worsened your situation.
[2]: Fail. Your skills or luck were insufficient.
[3]: Meager success: The situation didn't improve by as much as you have intended.
[4]: Success: Your efforts were sufficient to achieve your goal.
[5]: Epic Success: Your skills and luck have combined to ensure your success.
[6]: Overshot: Your efforts were more than required for the goal's completion, and your luck is such that unfortunate side-effects are inevitable.
If at any time something threatens a player, that player may make a roll to dodge the threat.
To create a character, you have three ability types.
Baddassery [strength]
Luck [intelligence]
Kinkyness [dexterity]
Buffitude [health points]
Assign 5 points among these slots. They start at 0.
Boosting a stat means that you have experience in situations that the roll calls for, allowing you to adjust the roll more to your liking.
0 will move the result 1 away from 4. 1-2 will move it 1 toward 4. 3-4 will move it 2 towards 4. All these are true except if it is a 6.
Your name? Your own. Your equipment? List three things that you don't leave the house without, and list a weapon that you have access to.
Stat Sheet-
Name: _
Kills: 0
Badd: 0[+_]
Luck: 0[+_]
Kink: 0[+_]
Buff: 5[+_]
Weapon: _
Equipment: _, _, _
There are four slots open. There is a plot and a map this time, never fear, and I won't be rolling for commands like 'go north'. Sign up and we can get this show on the road.
Once someone dies, there are Brikwarriors all over this town, trapped in various predicaments. Submit your stat sheet once a slot opens up.
Also, going three days without posting means that although your character followed along with the group, he went certifiably insane and started calling himself by a different name. This counts as a death, so submit in this case as well.
Slot 1: wrote:Name: Zupponn
Kills: 0
Badd: 1 [+0]
Luck: 1 [+0]
Kink: 1 [+0]
Buff: 7/7
Weapon: Bass Guitar [-1]
Equipment: Wallet, Cell Phone, Pocket Knife
Slot 2: wrote:Name: Arkbrik
Kills: 0
Badd: 0 [-1]
Luck: 3 [+2]
Kink: 2 [+1]
Buff: 5/5
Weapon: Pink laptop [-1]
Equipment: Cell phone, keychain, backpack
Slot 3: wrote:Name: DarthBrik
Kills: 0
Badd: 1 [+0]
Luck: 2 [+1]
Kink: 1 [+0]
Buff: 6/6
Weapon: Shotgun [+0]
Equipment: Wallet, cellphone, 5 inch turkey knife
Slot 4: wrote:Name: 501st
Kills: 0
Badd: 2 [+1]
Luck: 1 [+0]
Kink: 1 [+0]
Buff: 6/6
Weapon: Lee-Enfield Rifle [+0]
Equipment: Wallet, Android Phone, Canteen
Waiting List: Elmagnifico, Enders Shadow


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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican magnate Carlos Slim, the world's richest man, secured the Latin American broadcast rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics on Friday.
The IOC said America Movil, the Mexican telecommunications company controlled by Slim, was awarded the rights to next year's Winter Games in Sochi and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on media platforms across Latin America. The deal does not include Brazil.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
It's the first time the IOC has granted rights to America Movil. The rights to the Rio Games were in high demand because they will be the first Olympics held in South America.
"In 2016 the Olympic Games in Rio will be a significant moment in Olympic history, and we are very pleased to have reached this important agreement to ensure fans across the continent are able to have the best broadcast experience of the games," IOC President Jacques Rogge said in a statement.
The negotiations with America Movil were led by IOC finance commission chairman Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico.
"They demonstrated a clear passion for the Olympic values and are excited about the Games coming to Latin America in 2016," he said. "We believe this is a great deal for our stakeholders."
In Mexico, Arturo Elias Ayub, Slim's son-in-law and spokesman, welcomed the IOC's decision.
"We are extremely pleased to have reached this successful agreement," Elias Ayub said in a statement. "The Olympic Games will be broadcast across all media platforms in Latin America ... helping millions of people in Latin America to have access to the largest international sporting event."
Elias Ayub told the Mexican newspaper Reforma that the deal gives America Movil the possibility of re-selling the rights in Latin America and of broadcasting the games on a new television channel in Mexico if Slim's Telmex company gets the rights to it once a new telecommunications reform is signed into law.
America Movil is one of the leading providers of cable or satellite TV service in Latin America with 16 million subscribers in 18 countries, except Mexico, where Slim has been trying to get into Television.
Securing the Olympic Games' rights allows Slim to expand its presence in Latin American's TV industry but more importantly, it shows his business model's aim is to offer convergence services, which integrate the dissemination of voice, data, sound or pictures through a single network, experts said.
"This is a huge opportunity for Slim to clearly show the importance he is giving to the television content sector," said Jorge Negrete, a telecommunications expert in Mexico.
Slim has been trying to enter the television market in Mexico, which is controlled by Televisa, the world's largest Spanish language broadcaster and who in the past had the rights to broadcast the Olympics Games in the country of 112 million.
The two rivals exert near-total control of Mexico's lucrative telephone and television markets.
Slim's Telmex controls 80 percent of Mexican landlines and 70 percent of the mobile-phone market. Televisa has 70 percent of the broadcast TV market and more than 45 percent of cable television.
A Televisa spokesman who is not authorized to speak publicly said the company wouldn't comment on IOC's decision.
A reform aimed at bringing greater competition to Mexico's highly concentrated telecoms sector was approved by legislators late Thursday.
"America Movil was specifically in the conventional telecommunications sector, the fixed and mobile telephony ... what is happening now is that America Movil is now entering (the television) sector in a very clear way," said Fernando Gutierrez, a communications professor at Tec de Monterrey University.
Slim has been ranked the world's richest man four years in a row by Forbes. In the latest annual list, Slim's net worth increased to $73 billion from $69 billion a year earlier.
The IOC announced a separate agreement in 2009 for the 2014-2016 broadcast rights in Brazil. In a deal worth $210 million, TV Globo acquired the main rights across all platforms in partnership with Bandeirantes and Rede Record.
Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez-Licon and Olga R. Rodriguez in Mexico City contributed to this report.


text: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy comments on House Bill 7152, the bill that eventually culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Kennedy argues that the bill is a "test" to white Americans and that it must "effectively eliminate racial discrimination in voting, education and in employment." He addresses the eleven titles of the bill and describes the differences between the current bill and the version introduced by the president. Kennedy finally asserts that if the bill is not passed, then "the whole nation will be the loser."


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Thursday's Vampire Diaries gave Lost a run for its money as the gang traveled to a creepy island off the coast of Nova Scotia in search of the cure.
PHOTO | Exclusive Vampire Diaries First Look: Will Damon Make the Ultimate Sacrifice for Elena?
The party includes Shane, Bonnie, Jeremy, Damon, Elena, Stefan and Rebekah, who points out that everyone serves a purpose – except Elena. Meow, the nails are out! (Damon's function on this trip: "You have a nice behind," observes Rebekah). While on the island, Shane spins a tale about how one year ago, he visited a magic well that, with a drop of his blood, allowed him to see his dead witchy wife. It was the act of trying to resurrect their son that caused her death. She told him he could have her and their child back if he found a witch to complete a spell to raise Silas, who's buried beneath the well. He would also need to convince some people to sacrifice themselves – like the pastor – with the promise of seeing their dead loved ones again. So he orchestrated the town council explosion and the death of the hybrids, but there's still a third massacre to come!
Damon ties up Shane, hoping to get him to just fess up about the cure's location. "Bonnie has to keep me alive so I can keep her alive," points out the professor, thinking it will stop the vampire from killing. But he didn't count on Damon's next retort: "I don't give a crap about Bonnie Bennett." Elena arrives just in time to stop him from snapping Shane's neck, and it's at that point that Damon finally confesses, "I don't want you to be cured!" And even if her feelings for him are still real when she comes human again, what then? She grows old while he remains a vampire? "Face reality," he reasons, "we don't work."
Elena's not giving up hope though. "Take the cure," she urges. "Be human with me. We can grow old together."
"It's not me, Elena. It's Stefan," he replies simply before adding, "I used to miss being human. Now I can't think of anything more miserable on Earth." (Nice parallel to Rebekah's earlier explanation about why she does want to take the cure: "It's all an act. Being a vampire is miserable.")
RELATED | Vampire Diaries Spin-Off Adds The Game Actor
Damon walks off only to be attacked by a member of The Five. Meanwhile, Jeremy's gone MIA and a magical path has led Bonnie to him, Shane and a mysterious, island-dwelling witch. In order to broker a truce to find her brother, Elena tries to prove that she didn't take Rebekah's tombstone and offers her the dagger as a peace offering.
"There is no peace!" Rebekah exclaims. "We're all screwed." Exactly, Elena responds. She, Rebekah and Stefan are in this together or it's all over. (Can I get an "amen!" to Rebekah's rant about being cast as the villain when she's just doing what Elena's already done to save her loved ones?)
Back in Mystic Falls, Tyler's gloating over Klaus, who's still trapped in the Gilbert house, leads to a very bad situation for Caroline. "You are not even worth the calories I burn talking to you," she tells the Original right before he grabs her and sinks his teeth into her. Now, the only way to cure her of the werewolf bite is Klaus' blood, and he isn't giving it up. Tyler comes up with a risky plan that involves forcing the hybrid to watch Caroline die, and it ends up working as the two have a heart-to-heart. Caroline can see that Klaus is hurt by what's happened to Kol, which means there's a part of him that's human. She's caught herself wishing she could forget the horrible things that he's done, she reveals.
"I know that you're in love with me. And anybody capable of love is capable of being saved," she continues, moving Klaus to tears. Just as it looks like she's about to take her last breath, he feeds her his blood.
Vampire Diaries fans, do you think Caroline was being honest with Klaus or just manipulating him? Where are you siding on Elena and Damon's argument about the cure? And can somebody please explain why everyone can see the hunters' marks now?Follow @VladaGelman


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"Do you not think I have better things to do with my time than to drive by the streets of Franklin Lakes?" were the words of Danielle Staub, who was shown during the season premiere driving by the streets of Franklin Lakes to stalk spy on her castmates.
The above statement pretty much summed up part 2 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion. It was mostly the others accusing and confronting Danielle, who's MO coming into the reunion taping seemed to be Deny, Lie, Deny, Lie, Deny and more Deny. And despite Andy Cohen's claim that the part 2 of the reunion would be more shocking and more dramatic than the first part, it was all but obvious last night that the best had come and gone last week.
The reunion starts out with Danielle being confronted about the events that took place during the Brownstone charity fundraiser. Immediately, we see Danielle denying things she said, you know, things that we all saw her say on national television.
Danielle's ex-con buddy, Danny's use of a gay slur, is then brought up. Danielle immediately goes on the defensive and keeps saying she will not take responsibility for Danny's comment. Perhaps I missed something, but no one was asking Danielle to take responsibility for his comment, they were simply asking her why she was never shown condemning Danny's use of the word, or scolding him about it, considering she is a gay advocate and all. And by gay advocate, I wonder if that means exploiting a faux lesbian relationship for self promotion?


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By Rachel Frey
Big 12 Campus Correspondent
Texas Rowing senior Felicia Izaguirre-Werner has quietly helped lead the Longhorns since she first stepped on campus, according to assistant coach Melissa Perrone.
"When she came to the Forty Acres as a freshman, she was part of a large class, and we saw the tide change with the success of the team," Perrone said. "I saw right off the bat that she was not the most vocal, but she led by example. She has been bow seat in the first varsity eight for the past three seasons, and now going into her fourth season."
The senior does more than just lead her teammates on the water. She is an active part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and has encouraged her team to organize clothing drives for the Austin Women's Shelter and volunteer with children after practice.
"It isn't so much about being a leader, it is more about being the person who can show up, set the example and get people to do things," Izaguirre-Werner said. "I think it is because I am so proactive, such as getting people to do community service, to step up their game and to get excited. I think that is why they think of me as a leader."
The senior believes that volunteering has helped develop the leadership skills of her teammates, as well as prepare them to be role models to others. Perrone has seen the benefits of Izaguirre-Werner's actions on the team.
"You can be a tough athlete and be a role model," Perrone said, "but if you cannot communicate that, it is not going to be absorbed. People will not benefit from you. The team definitely benefits from her, and she is going to be a tough loss after this season."
With just more than four months left for her to row on the Longhorns crew, she is focused on a NCAA Championship berth, more than her impending graduation.
"There are a lot of decisions I have been trying to put off," Izaguirre-Werner said. "I don't want to stress myself out, I want to enjoy my last semester. My goals now are to go to NCAAs, make the final, have an awesome semester, and finish everything solid."
Her current goals are much different from when she started first started rowing during her freshman year of high school. Then, she saw it as a way to cross train for her competitive figure skating, but now, her experience on the ice has helped her become a stronger presence on the water.
"I remember head coach Carie Graves realizing 'she was such a great figure skater, that is probably why she has such great body awareness and sense of balance,'" Perrone said.
Perrone went on to say Izaguirre-Werner has an ability to adjust the way she rows to offset the balance of a boat to correct it, which is one reason why her teammates enjoy rowing with her.
"Even if she is not on paper the strongest athlete out there, she enables every other athlete in the boat with her to be stronger," Perrone said. "During recruitment, she sent me a picture of herself doing a handstand in the water. Her sense of balance and her body awareness has helped her overcome her height."
Izaguirre-Werner admits she is relatively short for a rower. At 5-foot-7, she says she usually wears her hair on top of her head, so that she looks the same height as her teammates in pictures.
"I'm sure she had some struggles with people taking one look (at her height) and saying no, and that is tough," Perrone said. "That is probably what makes her tough. You have to overcome these obstacles and prove people wrong."
Izaguirre-Werner has definitely excelled so far during her rowing career. She helped Texas earn two conference championships last season (Big 12 and Conference USA), and has competed at the CamAmMex Regatta, English Henley and Canadian Henley.
She represented her province of Ontario in the Canadian Games in 2009, where she helped her Ontario crew to a victory over British Columbia in one of the tightest races in which she says she has ever competed. However, her least favorite thing about rowing in her home country is practicing on machines in the winter, since the lakes freeze over.
"[The fact that the water does not freeze over] was the biggest selling point for me about Texas," Izaguirre-Werner said. "Our assistant coach said, 'Well Felicia, you know the water never freezes.' And I thought about how that would cut down my indoor season significantly, so I was sold."
The climate change from Canada to Central Texas proved to be a tough adjustment for her and the other Canadian rowers. She recalled their first August in Austin, when they would run from building to building to get out of the heat as quickly as possible. She also says that the Texas pride is much different than from what she expected.
"One thing that is very different in Texas is how much pride people have in everything," Izaguirre-Werner said. "I really like that so many people feel passionate about something, and it makes me excited when people are excited about being a Longhorn.
"It makes me realize that I am privileged to be here, to be bleeding burnt orange, to have that Longhorn on my shirt everyday, and to be able to represent the Texas logo across the country."


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[PHOTOS] Nas, Os Gêmeos, DJ Jazzy Jeff And More Celebrate Limited Edition Hennessy V.S Bottle Launch In NYC
New York City came alive in the night time as Hennessy celebrated the national launch of its limited edition Hennessy V.S bottle designed by legendary Brazilian artists, Os Gêmeos. Socialites and music's finest, including Travie McCoy, Futura, Busta Rhymes and Acton Bronson, rubbed elbows and poured up at Pier 57 Thursday (August 15) before being treated to a stellar set from DJ Jazzy Jeff and a high-energy performance from Queens rapper Nas. See photos from the event above.


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|Health Tip: Identify Symptoms of a Sprained Wrist
|Medical news
It's easy to sprain your wrist during a fall or while playing a sport.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says typical warning signs of a sprained wrist include:
Pain or tenderness, particularly when you move the wrist.
Discoloration or a bruise on the wrist.
A sensation of tearing or popping.
Feeling heat in the wrist.
-- Diana Kohnle


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Anoka Delays Decision on Young Adults Shelter
ANOKA, Minn. (AP) - A proposed homeless shelter for young adults is meeting resistance from Anoka city officials.
Reports say the Anoka City Council recently imposed a moratorium on new shelters.
Karrie Schaaf is a board member of Hope4Youth, the nonprofit spearheading the shelter project. After opening a drop-in center for homeless youth in March, she says Hope4Youth wants to add up to 10 beds for 18- to 23-year-olds.
Anoka Mayor Phil Rice says the city is doing more than most of its neighbors, with a 60-bed adult shelter already.
He says adding more beds could burden his community of 17,000.
But Schaaf says there is a gap in services for young adults.
Rice says Anoka will spend the three months studying its services and those in the area.


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First Aid saves lives
LocationNews and events » Sam Warburton receives St John honour
St John Cymru is proud to announce the admittance of Mr Sam Warburton OBE, as a Member of The Priory for Wales of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. The Award is made in the name of HM The Queen, who is Sovereign Head of the Order of St John Worldwide.
As a supporter of St John Cymru - Sam has shown a keen interest in the charity and over the years has presented Organ Donation Awards to the families from all over Wales who have lost loved ones.
Upon receiving the award, Sam Warburton said:
"It's a privilege to receive the honour of becoming a Member of the Order of St John. I have been moved and overwhelmed from my experiences with them and it has been an absolute pleasure to play a very small part in their wonderful cause. Long may our relationship continue."
The ceremony took place on Monday 16th April at the Cardiff and County Club.
As part of our centenary celebrations we're delighted to announce a very special guest for our 'Audience with Warren Gatland' event
Attend a free, local first aid awareness session and learn lifesaving skills which could potentially save a life.
St John Cymru show support for LGBTQ+ Community with Rainbow Epaulettes at Pride Cymru's Big Weekend
We're on the lookout for 100 people to put their best foot forward and run this year's Cardiff Half Marathon for us.
Our Cadet of the Year takes the time to introduce herself and thank those closest to her for their support so far...
We've had a packed summer of events and there's even more to come!
We're delighted to share with you our 2018 award winners!
11-year-old Milly Roberts shows us that first aid really can be for everyone.
Team from St John Cymru Scale National Three Peaks and Raise Over £1,300
Our Community Engagement Officer, Sarah reflects upon her week-long centenary celebration at the Urdd Eisteddfod...
"I don't think we'll forget how to shout help in Tibetan in a hurry!" Our guest blogger, Sam Evans talks us through St John Cymru's first aid mission in Northern India...
Welsh Rugby Player, Sam Warburton OBE has been invested as a Member of the Order of St John.
Me time vs. FaceTime - In her latest blog, Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, chats about the importance of self well-being...
Could you become a Youth Leader for one of our youth divisions, such as Rhws?
In her latest blog, Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, talks about Easter eggs of the good kind...
In her latest blog, Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, talks about sharing our stories of success.
In her latest blog, Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, asks 'how do you save a life?'
Volunteers were at the gates of the Principality Stadium collecting donations ahead of the Wales v Italy match.
In her latest blog, Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, writes about the traditions we may not even realise we're upholding.
Could your story be one of the 100 stories for 100 years?
Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, writes about planning for the unexpected in her latest blog 'Ready to party?'
Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, encourages everyone to share their stories of the last 100 years.
Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, writes about recognition for helping others and asks 'where did it all begin?'
Read more from Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, on her thoughts about helping others and 'sharing the love around'.
In her latest blog Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, writes about a sense of belonging and being 'One of the family'.
Hear from our Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, about how 'age is just a number' when it comes to saving a life.
Members of the original team behind the 1980s TV series – SuperTed – are developing an animated film featuring a new-look Bertie Badger.
Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, shares her experience of learning CPR and what it means outside of the training room.
Hear from our new Chief Executive, Julia Hobbs, as she writes about the power of volunteering.
Around 300 people gathered at the City Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Cardiff to raise money for the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital.
Volunteers will be on duty over the Christmas and New Year period to help ease the pressure on emergency services.
Badgers, cadets and young adults from St John Cymru-Wales were recognised for their outstanding achievements at a special reception.
16-year-old Charlie Marsh was given the award in recognition of the 800 hours he's given up to perform first aid duties and to fundraise within his community.
Youth and adult volunteers from across Wales will represent St John Cymru at this year's Remembrance Sunday service in London.
As Wales prepare to kick off their autumn campaign this weekend, St John Cymru has once again teamed up with the Welsh Rugby Union to deliver first aid training to school children.
St John Cymru-Wales has appointed Julia Hobbs as its new Chief Executive, with effect from 2nd January 2018.
A special service was held in Abergavenny on Saturday (28th October) to install a Chancellor of the Order of St John and a new Commissioner for St John Cymru-Wales in Gwent.
More than 100 volunteer trainers from across all divisions of St John Cymru-Wales attended a major conference in Cardiff, to update their lifesaving skills.
Relatives of individuals who have saved lives through organ donation were honoured at a special awards ceremony in Cardiff, on Monday 9th October.
More than 30 runners will be pulling on a bright yellow vest as they take part in the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for St John Cymru-Wales.
St John Cymru-Wales unveiled its Centenary logo today by raising a giant flag above the Keep at Cardiff Castle.
More than 100 volunteers on first aid duty for Champions League


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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Struggling desperately to escape a black bear that was mauling her on a dirt trail in northern Michigan, 12-year-old Abby Wetherell feared the worst.
"I was just thinking, 'This is it, I'm not going to live, I'm going to die right here,'" Abby told The Associated Press in an interview Monday from her home, where she was recovering from deep cuts to her left thigh and back. "I was really worried about my family, to think they would find me like that."
The seventh-grader was attacked as she jogged at dusk Thursday near her grandfather's cabin in a wooded area just outside Cadillac, about 200 miles northwest of Detroit.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has set traps, hoping to capture and euthanize the animal so it can be tested for diseases.
On Saturday night, DNR officers killed a 330-pound bear about 2 miles away after a man shot and wounded it. The carcass was sent to a lab in Lansing to see if its DNA matches fur and saliva samples taken from Abby's clothing, though paw prints where she was attacked suggest that bear might have been smaller.
Wildlife experts don't know caused the bear to attack Abby, who said she often jogs in the area.
She had been sitting watching the sunset at her grandfather's house when she realized it was time to go back to her home nearby. She set off at a trot and suddenly she spotted the bear.
"It was running toward me," Abby said. "I ran as fast as I could, but it got me and took me down. ... It clawed me pretty bad, then it kind of went off. So I got up and started running again, and it came back and got me again."
Knocked down a second time, she reached up to pet it: "I was ... thinking maybe if I pet it, it would like me. But that didn't work."
Abby recalled hearing that playing dead might stop a bear attack. DNR officials say fighting back is a better tactic, but in this case her strategy may have paid off.
"It kept looking back at me, but then it just ran off," she said.
A neighbor heard Abby's screams, notified her parents and got her to a safe spot. She was flown to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where she received 100 stitches.
Abby was released Sunday. A state trooper who lives nearby provided an escort to her home and a crowd of cheering well-wishers welcomed her with signs and balloons.
Although on crutches and in pain, she said she's doing well.
"I'm here and I'm happy," she said. "Yes, I'll go back to the cabin ... but I won't go back there by myself."
Information from: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com


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STOCKTON - Local police and state agents raided an illegal Internet gambling establishment Tuesday operating out of the busy Lion Center at the northeast corner of Hammer Lane and El Dorado Street.
STOCKTON - Local police and state agents raided an illegal Internet gambling establishment Tuesday operating out of the busy Lion Center at the northeast corner of Hammer Lane and El Dorado Street.
The business, using the name Click It, had been operating at that location for about seven months while investigators compiled enough evidence for a search warrant allowing them to enter the premises, shut down operations and confiscate the equipment.
"We had numerous complaints of prostitution, drug sales and loan sharking. They started out at a spot at Hammer Lane and Kelley Drive and moved here," said Sgt. Scott Graviette with the Stockton police vice unit.
Agents with the state Department of Justice Gambling Division assisted in Tuesday's raid that netted more than $2,000 and 37 computers equipped with card readers. One customer, an admitted gang member, was arrested on two unrelated outstanding warrants.
By purchasing a $2 cash card and putting money on it - typically $20 - patrons could connect to easily accessible Internet gambling sites that are illegal in California. Most played slot machine-type games "complete with spinning cherries like a normal slot machine," Graviette said.
It's the second raid in the past two months of a Stockton business that markets itself as an Internet caf� while actually accommodating online gambling, and authorities say more busts are imminent as they continue to gather evidence.
"There are others that we are currently investigating. Hopefully, they'll get the message. It's a blight to the surrounding community," Graviette said.
The owner of a nearby longtime business who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for personal safety said that since Click It moved in at the north end of the shopping center, the clientele it attracted were bad for business.
"There is prostitution 24 hours a day. There are underage girls. They are dealing ammunition and guns, selling right in front in the parking lot. They are threatening me every day," the owner said, referring to both customers and some Click It employees.
"I'm glad the police did this, but it took so long. Basically, I'm scared of them. They have guns. It's affecting business and the whole neighborhood," the owner said, noting that children typically walk to and from school through the shopping center.
Graviette said the owner of the business, who was not present during the raid, has been identified. The case will be referred to the District Attorney's Office for further action.
Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/goldeenblog.


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If Charles Dickens wrote about San Joaquin County's economic recovery, he might well have said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
If Charles Dickens wrote about San Joaquin County's economic recovery, he might well have said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
The area's overall performance from the depths of recession ranks 17th among the 100 largest U.S. metro areas in the third quarter, up from 38th in the second quarter, the Brookings Institution recently reported.
Yet, it also ranks 96th in terms of employment, industrial output and housing prices when compared to its economic peak in the 2006-07 period.
Such a spread is not unusual, said Alec Friedhoff, a Brookings research analyst and co-author of its latest Metro Monitor report.
"This is a pattern we see in places that were hit hardest by the recession. It is especially evident in California, Florida and some manufacturing centers in the Midwest (e.g., Detroit and Toledo)," he wrote in an email Thursday.
San Joaquin County, also known as the Stockton metropolitan area among economists and demographers, is among those hard-hit areas. It was particularly subject to the housing industry collapse, at times registering the highest foreclosure rates in the nation.
"In these places, the pace of recovery has been strong, but owing to the depth of recession, they remain far from fully recovered," Friedhoff continued. "In other words, the current trajectory is good, but the economy is still in a weakened state.
"And with an unemployment rate at 14.5 percent, the Stockton economy has a long way to go before workers there feel like a recovery is truly under way."
But how long might that take, especially given the strong recovery the region has seen in recent months?
"The current pace of recovery doesn't tell us reliably where the economy is headed, though I would expect Stockton's strong bounce-back to continue for at least a few more quarters, especially as the housing market recovery takes hold there," Friedhoff responded.
Nationally, the latest Metro Monitor report from Washington, D.C.-based Brookings points to an economic recovery that is slowly moving in the right direction.
Unemployment continues to edge down, housing prices are recovering, and growth in gross domestic product has been relatively strong in the third quarter. But there is a tremendous variation in the rate of recovery across the 100 largest metropolitan economies.
"The overall pace of economic recovery was strong in a handful of areas, including Texas, where the recession was less severe and oil and gas have boomed; in western Florida and parts of California and the intermountain West, where the housing and labor markets are rebounding; in some Midwestern manufacturing centers like Detroit, Grand Rapids, (Mich.) and Toledo (Ohio); and in the Pacific Northwest," Brookings said.
"By contrast, the recovery has proceeded more slowly in the Northeast, where many metro areas had relatively minor recessions when compared with faster-recovering markets."
For the Stockton/San Joaquin County economy, the bright spots were house prices, up 3.2 percent from their low in the second quarter this year; a falling unemployment rate, down 3 percentage points from its peak in the last three months of 2010; and in job growth, with a 4.8 percent gain in employment since that indicator bottomed out in the third quarter of 2011. Industrial output gains, although up 4.1 percent from their lows in the second quarter of 2011, lag behind those of most other metro areas.
Contact reporter Reed Fujii at (209) 546-8253 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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1365 North Astor Street
Near North Side, Chicago, 60610
Commute to Downtown Chicago
Daily errands do not require a car.
Transit is convenient for most trips.
Flat as a pancake, excellent bike lanes.
About your score
1365 North Astor Street has a Walk Score of 95 out of 100. This location is a Walker's Paradise so daily errands do not require a car.
1365 North Astor Street is a nine minute walk from the Red Line at the Clark/Division stop.
This location is in the Near North Side neighborhood in Chicago. Nearby parks include Goudy Square Park, Lincoln Park and Lincoln Monument.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 1365 North Astor Street.
1365 North Astor Street has excellent transit which means transit is convenient for most trips. Car sharing is available from Zipcar, RelayRides and I-GO.
Rail lines:
Red Line
0.3 mi
Brown Line
0.6 mi
Purple Line
0.6 mi
Bus lines:
151 Sheridan
0.1 mi
22 Clark
0.2 mi
36 Broadway
0.2 mi
156 LaSalle
0.3 mi
1365 North Astor Street compared to all of Chicago.
Lowest crime area.
Lowest crime area.
How do you feel walking near 1365 North Astor Street?
Thanks for your feedback!
View all Near North Side apartments on a map.
Popular apartment searches include furnished, pool and top floor.
Search for homes in Chicago or find a Chicago real estate agent who knows walkable neighborhoods. Links will open on our partner site Redfin.com.
1365 North Astor Street is in the Near North Side neighborhood. Near North Side is the most walkable neighborhood in Chicago with a neighborhood Walk Score of 96.
Moving to Chicago from another city? View our moving to Chicago guide.


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If college costs were to increase 5 pecent per year, in 10 years the average cost of tuition and fees at a four-year private college would be $42,796 each year, and the average cost at a four-year public college would be $11,434. That's a four-year total of more than $171,000 for a private college and nearly $46,000 for a public schooland this is just tuition and fees! For 2009, The College Board® reports that room and board charges average $9,363 at four-year private colleges and $8,193 at four-year public colleges.
Source: Trends in College Pricing 2009, The College Board®. Assumes a 5 percent increase in college costs each year and a child entering college at age 18.
But don't despair. While college costs are rising, many colleges still remain affordable. The College Board® reports that 33 percent of full-time students attending a four-year public college pay less than $6,000 in tuition and fees, and 87 percent of students attending a public college pay less than $12,000.
So college is still within reach for most families, but especially for those that start saving for it early.
1 Trends in College Pricing 2009, The College Board®.


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You are here
Home » Overview » Exhibitions
A Florianthology: An Exhibition on the Art and Poetry of Douglas Florian
Reading and Book Signing
Date and Time:
February 26, 2012 - 11:00AM
Event Location:
The unique collage-work, witty wordplay and educational rhymes of this award-winning children's book author have inspired and entertained countless children. This exhibit features original art work and poetry from the illustrator and author's career as well as insight into his artistic process. Featuring original artwork and poetry from his award-winning books Mammalabilia, Insectlopedia, Dinothesaurus, Poetrees and more.
A Florianthology exhibit on view through Saturday, April 21, 2012
Event Sponsored By:
Poets House
Event Type:
Readings and Conversations
Children's Events


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Case Management for SchizophreniaSkip to the navigation
Topic Overview
If you have schizophrenia, it may be hard to keep track of all the things you need to do and the people who are helping you. Case management helps you do this. One person, called a case manager, helps you keep track of your treatment and your recovery goals.
Assertive community treatment (ACT) is a type of case management. Your ACT team includes a case manager, doctor, psychiatrist, and nurse. Your team can help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You get care where you live. You don't have to stay in or visit a health care center to get treatment.
Your team can:
- Deliver medicine to your home.
- Provide many types of treatment.
- Help you with social skills, schooling, and work.
- Watch for problems in your mental and physical health.
- Help you keep in touch with your family.
- Help with routine tasks such as laundry, shopping, cooking, grooming, and getting around.
Contact the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) at www.nami.org, or talk with your health care team about whether ACT is available in your community. Some communities have services similar to ACT that are known by other names, such as community rehabilitation.
Related Information
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Christine R. Maldonado, PhD - Behavioral Health
Current as ofMay 3, 2017
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Current as of: May 3, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Christine R. Maldonado, PhD - Behavioral Health
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