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{some say i am a lost soul. but just because i wander, does not mean i am lost. in fact, nothing has ever made me feel more found.}
I am the seed of my mother and father.
I am the progeny of the ages of my ancestors.
I am the end of the line – my nieces and nephews left to carry the torch.
I am the contrarian, so says my dad affectionately, and I embrace it.
Outside of the cocoon that I call home, I much bolder and brighter than I really am, coming home, exhausted, to gently fall back inside myself where it is quiet.
To date, the most exciting thing I've done is to challenge the way things are – anywhere, all the time. How did it get to be the way it is? And why should I accept that? I won't, oftentimes, preferring instead to move to the music already inside me.
I have far too many rooms in the place I live, cold storage spaces for things I don't need and which weigh down my soul. How would it be to get rid of it all? To dare live simply with little? I intend to find out.
I should like more windows than I have walls, if that is any indication of how much I crave the natural light, whether sun or moon. What would it be to live under these ruling lights alone, without the constant background noise of buzzing lightbulbs? It would be beautiful, I dare speculate.
I have been dubbed the black sheep, affectionately, whether spoken or unspoken. I am sometimes viewed as a lost soul. But just because I wander, doesn't mean I am lost. In fact, nothing has ever made me feel more found.
I am forever. The cells of my body have always existed. If matter cannot be destroyed, only broken down, then I dare say it has always existed on the corollary.
I need truth. I crave it in all things. In relationships, in philosophy, in religion, in ideas, in art, in the food that I eat. I want everything pure and true. I want to have no room or tolerance for synthetics in my life.
The world needs love, but first, a swift kick in the pants.
To live is to grow – your garden, your intellect, your soul's estate, your heart. To live is to understand, and be in harmony with nature and the laws of God.
It is one of my deep frustrations in life that I shall never get to read all of the books that line my shelves. There are many good choices, but there is only so much time. I could spend my lifetime studying and really understanding perhaps just one section, instead I dabble, here a little, there a little, never committing or excelling in one area.
I would choose to live in an agrarian society, where people depended on the work of their hands in the dirt to toil for their own food. I would live in a day without industry, which has only made our lives more busy, and less rewarding, I presume.
Before falling asleep, I think about all the things I'd rather be doing that I am simply too tired to do. As much as I love my bed and laying next to my love, I am frustrated by all the time lost. I need a lot of sleep.
Right now I am happily wearing a silk robe with Geishas on it. My dad brought it home for me from a business trip to Korea he took in the 80's. I was just a young girl, and remember wondering why he brought me a big robe fit for a woman? Now I couldn't be happier that he did.
As early as 4th grade I have kept the secrets of my friends who often seem drawn to confide in me. Regretfully, I have kept my own secrets, mostly born of shame.
My sister makes me laugh. More than anyone – well, other than myself. I really do crack myself up, and I noticed actually just over this past Christmas that my father does the same. He really cracks himself up. I like that I get that from him. But, when I get around my sister, it usually ends up in a fit of giggles over everything, over nothing. They are some of my favorite times.
My favorite time of the day? Usually afternoons. I dread getting ready for the day, what a waste of time. I dread that time just before I surrender to evening before bed, I don't want the day to be over. Any afternoon I allow myself to indulge in leisure – a good book or a good painting, is a good day for me.
Silence. It's music to my ears. It's golden. It's warm and embracing. It's freedom. It's a cold snowy day when I'm out feeding the animals and all stay warm inside, leaving only the sounds of the snow crunching beneath my feet.
When I leave this life, I want to remember that I tried with all my soul to know truth, to live truth, to be truth, even at the risk of losing everything.
*art and journaling exercise for Face to Face by Misty Mawn. It's not too late to sign up!


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The Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana is consistently ranked one of Orange County's top 10 public high schools and regularly garners state and national recognition.
Mission Viejo's Oxford Preparatory Academy, in its first year of operation, experienced such strong parent demand that an elementary school was permanently closed so the K-8 school would have space to grow.
A handful of Orange County's other public charter schools have waiting lists dozens or even hundreds of names long, having earned top-notch reputations within their neighborhoods and beyond.
Today, more than 10,000 students attend one of the county's 13 charter schools, accounting for nearly one of every 50 public school students countywide.
Enrollment has more than tripled over the past decade as parents have sought out these alternative public school options.
"The charter school model allows for flexibility and autonomy and innovation, as long as you deliver," said Shaheer Faltas, executive director of Aliso Viejo's Journey School, which follows the Waldorf humanistic educational philosophy. "We're offering something very unique and different and free. The normal price tag of a Waldorf education is $15,000."
But as California's charter school movement celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Orange County's charter schools largely remain a blip on the educational landscape, barely registering with a majority of parents, officials say.
Charter schools have opened in just four of Orange County's 28 school districts.
"It's very difficult to put together a viable charter petition," said Kelly Gaughran, an administrator in the Orange County Department of Education's charter school unit. "There really have not been a lot of people presenting petitions in Orange County, and a lot of parents still don't understand a charter school is free."
Charter schools are publicly funded institutions that operate free from many of the legal and financial constraints of traditional school districts.
The Los Angeles region boasted 286 charter schools last year, according to the California Charter Schools Association. About 7 percent of public school students attend one of the state's approximately 1,065 charter schools, some two decades after a landmark 1992 state law authorized them.
Orange County's charter schools are primarily clustered in two school districts – Santa Ana Unified and Capistrano Unified – that are home to five campuses apiece.
Santa Ana's charter schools generally have proliferated as parents have demanded viable alternatives within an academically struggling public school system.
In academically top-notch Capistrano, most charter schools have found their niche among highly educated parents seeking choice and a broader range of educational philosophies and approaches.
Many Orange County school districts are wary of welcoming charter schools because an outside operator is proposing to assume control of educating students that have long been the district's responsibility, said Saddleback Valley Unified trustee Don Sedgwick, whose district rejected two charter school applications in 2009.
"The district has a strong responsibility to the community to make sure that the charter application is complete and has a sound financial and educational plan," said Sedgwick, a charter school supporter. "If and until the district has confidence, it's very difficult for the district to give up its responsibility."
Orange Unified has two charter middle schools, and Saddleback Valley Unified has one charter elementary school. The county Department of Education is planning to open the county's 14th charter school, The Academy high school in Santa Ana, next fall.
"Even when you throw in the controversy over charter schools, you still see parents who want to remain in the public school system and who are asking for quality charter schools to be opened in their areas," said Vicky Waters, a spokeswoman for the California Charter Schools Association. "The growth doesn't seem to be matching the demand."
Enrollment in Orange County's charter schools has increased year over year since the region's first charter – Santiago Charter Middle School in Orange Unified – was reorganized from a district school. Charter schools generally admit by lottery and don't have attendance boundaries.
Each charter school has its own educational philosophy. Some insist arts and the outdoors should be at the core of students' education; others believe academic success begins with making sure every student has access to basic health care.
Some offer English-Spanish immersion and specialized arts programs; others offer innovative instructional models and online-only educations.
Some serve students from privileged families; others target at-risk youth and those living on the streets.
Orange County's charter schools say their popularity is rooted in their self-governance and from the benefits that come with independence from a school district.
Charter schools decide their own curricula, manage their own finances and set pay scales for teachers and other employees.
As a result, charter schools report being able to offer more than their neighboring schools – smaller classes, more arts and electives and smaller, more nurturing environments.
"We get to know their lives, their families, what kind of pizza topping they like," said Renee Lancaster, executive director of education for Santa Ana's NOVA Academy, which enrolls at-risk and foster youth.
Less bureaucracy, officials say, is the reason charter schools can afford to maintain smaller learning environments, even as they receive essentially no more state funding per pupil than traditional public schools.
A charter school also can more effectively brand and market itself, operators say, paving the way to seek partnerships and grants that align with its often attractive mission and goals.
"I think it might be surprising how generous individuals and organizations are when they're given access and when everyone has similar visions of quality," said Monique Daviss, executive director of Santa Ana's El Sol Science and Arts Academy.
While all 13 county charter schools are finding success at their own level, Orange County's best-known arts school, the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, was named one of the top 10 charter schools in California last year in a USC study and clinched the No. 7 spot last year in the Register's rankings of the county's best public high schools.
The independence that is responsible for many charter schools' success also has led to problems.
Mirroring a pattern nationwide, two county charter schools were abruptly shut over the past decade after allegations of financial mismanagement, leaving parents and children scrambling.
In summer 2004, the for-profit California Charter Academy, which was running a 374-student franchise in Orange Unified, shut all 36 of its campuses statewide. The company's founder, C. Steven Cox, and the head of a company subsidiary were indicted three years later on a combined 117 criminal charges on allegations of making $5.5 million in illegal transactions. Their court case has dragged on for more than five years; they are still awaiting a jury trial, according to news reports.
In 2005, Santa Ana Unified shut down Albor Charter School amid allegations of questionable spending, including $1.8 million alleged to have been spent to educate adults older than 23. Although a judge subsequently ruled that the school district had improperly revoked the charter, Albor never reopened. An audit released two years later concluded that Albor – where enrollment at a high point hit 1,426 – improperly funneled up to $12 million to the school director, his wife and other acquaintances. Albor's founder, Emilio Vazquez, denied wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, Capistrano Unified announced it was investigating Oxford Preparatory Academy in Mission Viejo for possible misconduct during the administration of state standardized tests last spring. The 1-year-old charter school, which posted a near-perfect 993 out of 1,000 Academic Performance Index score this year, also conducted its own investigation and concluded there was no wrongdoing.
Despite hiccups and setbacks, charter school operators say demand by parents generally grows every year, and many report waiting lists hundreds of names long each year.
Orange County School of the Arts parent Kristi Kirsch of Newport Beach, whose daughter Emily is a senior, said her family chose the Santa Ana arts school because no other public or private school coupled high academic achievement with renowned arts programs.
"We wanted a school that could foster both her education and her talent," said Kirsch, whose daughter belongs to the school's music conservatory.
Kirsch said her family made some sacrifices, including a daily commute of one to two hours to and from their Corona del Mar home, and donates about $4,000 annually to support the school's music department.
"The way we see it, art in most other schools has been eliminated or cut drastically because of budget cuts," she said. "Also, if our daughter was in cheerleading or in a sport at a traditional school, we would be paying as much or more."
Charter schools say they're taking advantage of that parental investment to drive success.
"As it becomes more difficult to get in, we can make the case to parents that this is an opportunity that not everybody got," said Daviss of El Sol.
To meet growing parent demand, many charter schools are expanding and refining their programs.
The Orange County School of the Arts, famed for its mandatory after-school arts conservatories, added a 12th conservatory to its line-up this year – culinary arts – and next year plans to add a digital-media conservatory, focusing on Web and game development. The additional conservatories will allow the school to add dozens more students.
Meanwhile, El Rancho Charter School in Anaheim Hills is looking to build a new science wing, El Sol is looking to expand its already plentiful on-site health and social-services programs, and Journey School is working on a long-term plan to build a new school from scratch.
"I feel empowered as a parent at a charter school," said Journey parent Michelle Spieker of Dana Point, who has one child at the school. "We've been really encouraged to shape our school. It's not to say that everything a parent brings to a table will get implemented, but if it makes sense and everyone sees it as something that should be implemented, we have the ability to do it."
O.C.'s 13 CHARTER SCHOOLS
Edward B. Cole Academy (K-5): On-site parent education/job training; in federal empowerment zone; founded 2003 by Templo Calvario Church's community development corporation
NOVA Academy (9-12): At-risk and foster kids served; partnership with Santa Ana College to take college courses; stands for New Opportunities for Visionary Academics; founded 2005 by the Santa Ana nonprofit Olive Crest
El Sol Science and Arts Academy (K-8): On-site medical care, food bank, social services; English-Spanish dual-language immersion; founded 2001 by parents
Orange County Educational Arts Academy (K-8): English-Spanish dual-language immersion; teach all courses to Visual and Performing Arts standards; founded 2005 by a faction from El Sol seeking new direction
Orange County School of the Arts (7-12): Application and audition required; 12 daily, after-school arts conservatories; converted in 2000 from an after-school program at Los Alamitos High School
Capistrano Connections Academy (K-12): Online school; founded 2004 by Baltimore-based Connections Education
Community Roots Academy (K-8): Project-based learning; school concept developed by grad students in New York; founded 2011 by two former Jewish school administrators
Journey School (K-8): Waldorf educational philosophy; founded 2000 by parents
Opportunities for Learning – Capistrano (7-12): Independent study; alternative to continuation school; founded 2002 by a Pasadena-based company
Oxford Preparatory Academy (K-8): Theory of multiple intelligences; founded 2011 by two San Bernardino County school administrators
El Rancho Charter School (7-8): Assigned district attendance boundaries; converted from traditional school in 2002
Santiago Charter Middle School (7-8): Assigned district attendance boundaries; converted from traditional school in 1995; O.C.'s first charter school
Ralph A. Gates Elementary School (K-6): English-Spanish dual-language immersion; converted from traditional school in 1999 after passage of Prop. 227
Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or email@example.com or Twitter: @MartindaleScott

subset: commoncrawl


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Many days, hours, photos, interviews,mistakes, mild anxiety attacks, and laughs later…here is my first attempt at using Multimedia.
Learning new technologies is always humbling, but this experience left me perplexed AND excited about the future.
To be honest, I am not sure how I feel about the push towards multimedia in newspapers. I hope that the single image isn't lost in the technology race. I think most photojournalists share this fear, but are also excited about having another tool to tell stories with.


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Year in and year out California produces hundreds of division-one college football players.
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
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- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
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text:
Occupations in demand list
South Central WDA: Kittitas County
SOC code:
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation is:
Postsecondary non-degree award
. Additional training, experience, licenses or credentials may be required. Learn more at
* Average annual wage (March 2013):
* Average hourly wage (March 2013):
Short-Term trend :
Long-Term trend :
Estimated employment (2011):
Average annual total openings (2011-2021):
Average annual growth (2011-2021):
Additional occupation information is available through the
Learn about an occupation tool
If values all show zero, employment levels were too low to develop estimates for the geographic area selected. Search again with "All Workforce Development Areas, all counties."
*How we calculate wages - Source data for wages come from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey and are subject to restrictions and limitations of the survey. Self-employment, private households and agricultural employment, except for agricultural services, are excluded from OES. All wage estimations are adjusted as of March 2013.
Learn more
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in the other WDAs included below, for relevant areas.
Click on specific areas in table for occupation information for those areas.
Soc area
All workforce development areas, all counties
Pacific Mountain WDA: Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston counties
Snohomish WDA: Snohomish County
Not in demand
Seattle King WDA: King County
Not in demand
Pierce WDA: Pierce County
Spokane WDA: Spokane County
Northwest WDA: Whatcom county
Southwest WDA: Cowlitz, Wahkiakum coun


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Leah Remini Speaks Out on Scientology Exit
You can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can't take the Brooklyn out of the girl.
Though Scientology is infamous for attempting to bully its former and excommunicated members into silence, 'King of Queens' actress Leah Remini isn't intimidated. Remini spoke out on leaving the Church, and she's putting on one helluva brave face.
The actress left the group for its "nonstop interrogations" and abuses to members as well as the breaking up of families.
A source explained, "It all began when Leah questioned the validity of excommunication of people. She is stepping back from a regime she thinks is corrupt. She thinks no religion should tear apart a family or abuse someone under the umbrella of 'religion.'"
Remini dropped hints on Twitter about a change that was a-comin' via her own tweets, and some things she chose to retweet were telling as well:
"There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind"
— DoSomething.org (@dosomething) July 1, 2013
When you make a choice, you change the future. – Deepak Chopra
— Humanity's Team (@Humanitys_Team) July 2, 2013
"Sometimes it is not enough to do our best; we must do what is required." – Winston Churchill
— Great Minds Quotes (@GreatestQuotes) July 3, 2013
Take the limits off! Ignore the "lines" imposed on you by your experiences. You can reposition yourself to draw new lines in your life!
— TD Jakes (@BishopJakes) July 4, 2013
"Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be." ~Sonia Ricotti
— Tiny Buddha (@tinybuddha) July 5, 2013
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl http://t.co/JFYypZCqkj #quote
— Positively Positive (@PosPositive) July 7, 2013
"@PosPositive: 6 Steps to Help Bring a Little More Peace to Your Life http://t.co/YRBeICzINn " Very helpful!
— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) July 9, 2013
The God who existed before any religion counts on you to make the oneness of the human family known and celebrated. – Desmond Tutu
— Humanity's Team (@Humanitys_Team) July 10, 2013
Scientology has denied all the reports, including Remini's exit.
However, Remini has now issued a statement to PEOPLE confirming her exit and thanking everyone for their kind words (and for, you know, protecting her from any would-be crazies).
"I wish to share my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the overwhelming positive response I have received from the media, my colleagues, and from fans around the world," Remini said. "I am truly grateful and thankful for all your support."
UPDATE: The Church of Scientology emailed us with this official statement: "The Church respects the privacy of parishioners and has no further comment."


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There are more tales of the "origins" of Valentine's Day than arrows in Cupid's quiver. As expected, most have something to do with pagan ritual (pretty much every holiday—from Christmas to Mother's Day—has something to do with pagan ritual). Four centuries before Christ, Romans had a day called Lupercalia. Without going too much into it, I'll sum it up as a sexual lottery. Pull names out of a box at random and couple with a young member of the opposite sex. After a year, you get to pick another name.Supposedly, this went on for centuries until the Christians had to go and ruin it with their whole morality thing.
But apparently Christians didn't think the practice was all bad. They (Pope Gelasius, according to my source) liked the box idea, and so initiated a custom of drawing saints names out of a box. Whoever's name you drew, you were supposed to emulate for the year. Pity the poor person drawing Simeon Stylites, who spent his life on the top of a pillar, never leaving it for any reason.
But who is this Valentine guy, anyway? Probably he was a martyr buried on February 14 with little or no connection to the dispersal of romantic love. Nevertheless, there are legends.
One story is that Valentine was a priest who secretly performed marriages when Emperor Claudius II reportedly forbade marriage (in an effort to ensure he had soldiers without family ties). Another story says that he was a Christian imprisoned for his faith, and cured his jailer's daughter of blindness. The day before his execution (supposedly Feb. 14, 269), he sent a farewell message to the daughter signed "From your Valentine."
True or not (skeptics are forgiven), Valentine's Day has been a big deal at least since the Middle Ages. In his Pariliament of Foules, Geoffrey Chaucer adds another legend: "For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day / When every foul cometh ther ...1
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Wednesday, July 3, 2013
In this photo shot by firefighter Andrew Ashcraft, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots watch a growing wildfire that later swept over and killed the crew of 19 firefighters near Yarnell, Ariz., Sunday. Ashcraft texted the photo to his wife, Juliann, but died later that day battling the out-of-control blaze. The 29-year-old father of four added the message, "This is my lunch spot...too bad lunch was an MRE."
Photography home | Most viewed photos | Purchase photos | Video home
© 2013 The Seattle Times Company


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Marine Cpl. Jennifer Pirante of Camp Pendleton, Calif., hands out American flags to the crowd at the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade on July 21, 2012. (Photo courtesy of Garth Langley)
By Gina Harkins
Staff Writer
California-based Marines who want to participate in this weekend's gay pride parade in San Diego have been given the go-ahead to wear their military uniforms.
In a news release on Wednesday, I Marine Expeditionary Force officially approved the following uniforms for Saturday's parade:
■Blue dress "deltas" with ribbons.
■Service "charlies" with ribbons.
■Blue dress "bravos" with ribbons and/or badges.
The release stated that the command was taking proactive measures on uniform approval to ensure that Marines and their families received accurate and timely information concerning their ability to participate in the military contingent of the 2013 San Diego Pride Parade. It's the third year the parade has welcomed active-duty troops to participate in its military contingent, which recognizes lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.
Last year, in a memorandum sent to all branches, the Defense Department allowed service members to wear their uniforms in the parade, granting a one-time exception to its policy that generally barred troops from marching in uniform during parades. That exception was granted after conflicting decisions by military commanders who had received requests from subordinates wanting to wear their uniforms in the parade.
At the time, defense officials said they did so because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniforms and the parade was getting national attention.
Traditionally, however, these types of decisions are made by local commanders.
First Lt. Garth Langley, a public affairs officer with I MEF, said Wednesday's decision was a first for the Marine Corps. It's significant, he added, because of the large military population in San Diego, which is home to tens of thousands of Marines and sailors.
The approval from I MEF came after Navy Region Southwest, which oversees the Marine force there, approved participation in uniform. Stephen Whitburn, the San Diego pride parade general manager, said organizers were grateful to hear about the approval, according to a news release put out by parade officials.
"San Diego has a strong military presence and a large [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community, and it is important to our LGBT service members that we honor their full identity and service to our country," Whitburn said.


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text:
All quotes tagged Parasites
(22 quotes found)
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labour of the industrious."
"I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars."
"The greater part of critics are parasites, who, if nothing had been written, would find nothing to write."
"I have failed in finding parasites in mosquitoes fed on malaria patients, but perhaps I am not using the proper kind of mosquito."
"I have failed in finding parasites in mosquitoes fed on malaria patients, but perhaps I am not using the proper kind of mosquito."
"COMMONWEALTH, n. An administrative entity operated by an incalculable multitude of political parasites, logically active but fortuitously efficient.
This commonwealth's capitol's corridors view, So thronged with a hungry and indolent crew Of clerks, pages, porters and all attaches Whom rascals appoint and the populace pays That a cat cannot slip through the thicket of shins Nor hear its own shriek for the noise of their chins. On clerks and on pages, and porters, and all, Misfortune attend and disaster befall! May life be to them a succession of hurts; May fleas by the bushel inhabit their shirts; May aches and diseases encamp in their bones, Their lungs full of tubercles, bladders of stones; May microbes, bacilli, their tissues infest, And tapeworms securely their bowels digest; May corn-cobs be snared without hope in their hair, And frequent impalement their pleasure impair. Disturbed be their dreams by the awful discourse Of audible sofas sepulchrally hoarse, By chairs acrobatic and wavering floors -- The mattress that kicks and the pillow that snores! Sons of cupidity, cradled in sin! Your criminal ranks may the death angel thin, Avenging the friend whom I couldn't work in. --K.Q."
"Parasites are absolutely a bad thing if you're the individual infected by them. But they are a very natural component of ecosystems. Parasitism is the most popular animal lifestyle on the planet."


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FAO holds Canada-funded communications trainings in Kenya, Uganda
Maasai pastoralists living near the town of Kajiado, south of Nairobi, have taken part in an important pan-African exercise by the FAO to improve control of animal-to-human diseases by using grassroots outreach and a One Health approach that engages people from across different walks of life in problem solving. Seated in mixed groups under the warm sun, Kenyan and international vets listened attentively last month as around 30 Maasai men and women told of the new challenges they were facing in rearing livestock.
"In just one day, we gathered an enormous amount of valuable information about the health of their livestock, existing sanitary practices and emerging issues, some known to the experts, some not," said FAO Representative in Kenya Dan Rugabira. "If we are going to implement the right disease control strategies, it is important we know what is going on at the grassroots level."
FAO is a proponent of using One Health approaches that are being supported by the Kenyan government to combat the growing threat of re-occurring and emerging diseases in the face of expanding human and animal populations, globalization, climate change, and other factors that impinge on the health of people, animals and the environment.
Two out of three emerging and new diseases in human beings have a link to animals. Of those emerging diseases, 75 per cent come from wildlife.
The Maasai pastoralists discussed a wide range of issues such as boiling milk to prevent brucellosis, best practices to halt the spread of Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), such as disposing of aborted foetuses and animal carcasses, and the Maasai practice of blood-letting.
East Africa is a real hotspot for these new human and animal threats, because of the vast pasturelands difficult for vets to cover, and because of the amount of rain forest from which animal to human disease can emerge.
Extensive global trade and travel means these old and new diseases can spread quickly across borders, yet new scientific knowledge doesn't always reach the people who need to know, and local knowledge on animal disease is not shared, even when the livestock holders are living close to cities and knowledge centres such as universities and hospitals. Veterinarians, in addition, aren't always aware of the most urgent problems on the ground, just for a lack of contact with more remote communities.
One such disease is brucellosis, a bacterial disease that affects animals and humans. In humans it is characterized by intermittent fever, headaches, muscle aches and weakness that can last for weeks or months, if not years even with treatment. Humans can catch brucellosis from livestock and contaminated livestock products. The disease requires a lengthy and costly treatment putting a huge financial strain on poor households. The disease is so debilitating that farmers are largely unable to work.
The group discussions with the Maasai revealed that while the younger generations understood and accepted the need to boil milk to avoid ingesting brucellosis bacteria, some of the elders were still baffled as to why the food that had sustained them for centuries suddenly had to be cooked. "Hot milk gives me an ulcer" said one Maasai elder.
On the other hand, with regard to drinking raw blood, a Maasai pastoralist tradition, the elder generation understood that it could now be a risky practice, due to the emergence of new diseases. The young Moran warriors, on the other hand, said they still drank raw blood mixed with milk to make them strong.
Blood, usually mixed with milk, is traditionally given to a person on special occasions such as after a circumcision marking the passage to manhood, after a woman gives birth and when people fall ill. Highly nutritious, and drained from the animal's jugular vein without killing it, blood can also serve as a valuable source of protein during times of drought.
The visiting vets and animal health experts heard how shrinking pasture land due to commercial development makes it harder for Maasai to move their herds away from calving wildebeest whose foetal fluids spread malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) to livestock. Wildebeest carry, but do not develop MCF which attacks the digestive system and multiple internal organs of cattle and other wildlife causing blindness and eventually death.
"Our parents used to talk about this disease but they could protect their herds because the land was so vast they could keep their cattle out of the way of the wildebeest until they had stopped calving, but now we can't avoid it," said Pastor David Kompe, 52.
By bringing vets from the region to meet with the pastoralists, FAO demonstrated how the sharing of knowledge through focus group discussions can enhance the understanding of grassroots animal health issues of animal health practitioners, producers and other actors in the value chain. The UN food and agriculture agency has been supported in its efforts by the Canadian International Development Agency.
FAO piloted the participatory communications method for animal to human disease prevention in Nigeria in 2009 when the country was still reeling from avian flu. The FAO approach was seen as an important component in stopping the outbreak in the West African Nation.
Last week FAO held a workshop in Kampala with vets from South Sudan and Uganda. The workshop this week is being held at the Hotel Jacaranda in Nairobi where Kenyan and Tanzanian vets will be trained on how to run focus groups from farmers, analyse the data and develop appropriate animal health messages and practical solutions.
"Disease often first manifests itself in the livestock and on the farms of resource-poor farmers, who are also the first to suffer economic loss and illness" said Dr Stella Kiambi-Wanyeki of Kenya's Ministry of Livestock Development, Zoonotic Disease Unit.
"As we witnessed in Kenya in 2007, a disease like Rift Valley Fever can quickly spread and have a major impact on food security and the local and national economy.
The only way to manage these diseases is to keep everyone involved – vets, producers, retailers, public health officials and consumers, in constant dialogue. In that way we can determine exactly what interventions are appropriate for the different actors concerned."


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Energy policy key to Vermont's future
Guy Page
Vermont has excellent prospects for strong and sustained economic growth and a high quality of life if it can fashion a more prudent energy policy. This is a central conclusion in a recent report released by The New England Council, the nation's oldest regional business organization.
First, the good news.
The report, Smart Infrastructure in New England: An Investment for Growth and Prosperity, finds that Vermont has an important structural advantage: a lower cost, high-skill subregion known as the I-91 Corridor. As a result, this area and two other regional corridors have "acceptable cost structures for industries making complex products and/or offering sophisticated services." This can be a catalyst for the creation of new businesses, quality jobs and business relocations, particularly from manufacturers and distribution facilities.
The I-91 corridor offers production costs, says the report, "only four to five percent higher than that for the same product made in the Southeast. Salaries are relatively comparable, and any cost differences come mainly from higher taxes and energy prices in the Northeast."
Unfortunately, energy is a glaring competitive weakness. As the report says, "New England's infrastructure lacks an energy resource that is both reliable and cost competitive. In fact, prices for energy in the region are double those of some southern U.S. states."
All six New England states are among the 10 most expensive for electricity rates in America, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And recently, with the push to higher-priced, non-competitive, mandated renewable electricity sources, Vermont's electricity prices have increased considerably. EIA reports that for the 12 months ending Oct. 31, 2012, Vermont's electricity prices had risen 6.8 percent, more than any state east of the Mississippi.
In fact, prices have declined or stayed the same in most states.
The New England Council report also makes clear that for economic and environmental reasons it is important to keep New England's four nuclear plants operating. New England needs its own sources of affordable, reliable, grid-friendly, low-carbon electricity -- an apt description for nuclear power. And because new power plant construction seems unlikely, New England must protect its assets, including Vermont Yankee.
As the report says, "The region's four nuclear power facilities generate 30 percent of its electric energy. Nuclear energy is the only local fuel source and plays a big role in maintaining fuel diversity. Just as important, low operating costs make nuclear power an economical choice. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that new plants will be built in New England in the future, while prices would likely rise if a current plant were decommissioned. This is the economic rationale for keeping nuclear facilities operating."
The Council's report also drives home the downside of closing nuclear power plants as regulation of carbon and other emissions increases. It says, "In addition to providing cost and reliability advantages, nuclear energy also plays an important role in attaining greenhouse gas reduction goals. Nuclear energy is an emission-free energy source, producing no carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or sulfur dioxide..... If nuclear power plants were closed, new sources of energy would need to be emission-free to continue to meet emissions standards."
The Council supports energy portfolio diversity, including renewables if shown to be cost-efficient, and recommends investment in transmission and natural gas generation. For Vermont, however, the most important "takeaway" from Smart Infrastructure is this: New England's future prosperity will benefit from the continued operation of Vermont Yankee.
Policy makers need to take us away from policies that lead to higher energy prices and undermine the region's competitiveness. Vermont can and should have a bright future, as the New England Council envisions. We also owe this to our children, so they can find the jobs, quality of life, and opportunities here in the Green Mountain state.
Guy Page is Communications Director for the Vermont Energy Partnership (http://www.vtep.org), a diverse group of more than 90 business, labor, and community leaders committed to finding clean, affordable and reliable electricity solutions. Entergy, owner of Vermont Yankee, is a member of the VTEP.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Jon Jones has been one of the busiest champions in UFC history.
And if he does everything he wants to before a likely move up to heavyweight next year, the light-heavyweight titleholder isn't likely to get much downtime.
While potential super fights and a Chael Sonnen (28-12-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) title fight are on the horizon, Jones (17-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) admits he'd still like to fight 205-pounders Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Alexander Gustafsson (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
Jones mentioned both potential during Tuesday's MetroPCS online chat with UFC President Dana White and Sonnen. Jones, of course, is currently taping "The Ultimate Fighter 17." He and Sonnen are opposing head coaches on the reality show, and they're slated to fight on April 27 following the show's conclusion on FX.
The choice of Sonnen, a recent UFC middleweight title challenger who's never won a UFC fight at light heavyweight, for a title fight was met with some criticism. Some of it came from Henderson, who claimed the booking "degrades the sport of MMA."
But Jones hasn't shut the door on a potential meeting with Henderson, who was slated to fight the champ this past month at UFC 151 before a knee injury forced the challenger off the card.
"I'm not disappointed I didn't get the Dan Henderson fight," said Jones, who's also targeted for a super fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva. "But I think that's a fight that's inevitable. Everybody wants to see it. Dan Henderson is undoubtably one of the best fighters in MMA history, and it will happen. Hopefully I'll fight Chael and then defeat Chael and then defeat Dan Henderson."
First, though, Henderson has to get by Lyoto Machida. They're expected to fight early next year in a title eliminator.
After that, if Jones sticks to his plan, it'll likely be time to move up to heavyweight. But if not, or if it's delayed until 2014, he'd like to test his chops against fast-rising contender Gustafsson.
"I think he's great," Jones said. I can't wait to fight him. A lot of people say the reason why I win is because I have long arms. When I fight Gustafsson, that will be behind me. So I can't wait to prove all the critics wrong."
For more on the UFC's upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Alexander Gustafsson)


text:
A federal lawsuit had previously been filed in the case by Eva Robinson just before the one-year anniversary of the incident. The most recent filing amended the complaint to include her son, who has since turned 18, according to a story in the Arkansas Times.
On Sept. 13, 2011, Eva and Matthew Robinson were walking the family dog on the roadway in front of their home when a Dover deputy marshal drove by.
According to the suit, Matthew Robinson — who then was age 17 — waved at the deputy marshal, Steven Payton. Payton then proceeded to pull over
his patrol car, turn on his blue lights, get out and "shouted questions at him about drugs." Payton would later testify that he thought Matthew's waving at him was suspicious.
After putting Eva and Mathew in his patrol car, Payton called for backup, and was joined by Sgt. Kristopher Stevens of the Pope County Sheriff's Department and Cpl. Stewart Condley of the Arkansas State Police.
After the officers arrived, the lawsuit states, Matthew was ordered out of the car, but his feet became entangled under the front seat. When he reached toward Sgt. Kristopher Stevens for help extricating himself from the car, Stevens tased him.
His mother, thinking the Taser was a gun and her son was about to be shot, threw herself over her son, and was tased as well.
After that, the lawsuit says, Matthew was "thrown to the ground, beaten, choked and hit in the groin," and Eva was slammed repeatedly against the trunk of the patrol car while handcuffed.
Matthew was tased at least five more times during the incident.
Pat James, the attorney for the Robinsons, said when he tried to get the records from the internal data recorders built into the Taser used that night, they were told by the police those records had been lost.
The lawsuit names Deputy Marshal Steven Payton, Sgt. Kristopher Stevens and Arkansas State Police Cpl. Stewart Condley, along with the chief marshal of Dover, the Sheriff of Pope County, the city of Dover, the city of Dover Marshal's Office, Pope County, and the Pope County Sheriff's Department as defendants. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
ACLU-Arkansas executive director Rita Sklar said the case was chosen by ACLU-Arkansas because it was particularly egregious.
When the Robinsons tried to complain to the departments involved, she said they weren't able to get any kind of help. She said the case highlights the need for independent oversight of police departments.
"Sometimes we forget that police officers are ordinary people," Sklar said, reading from a prepared statement.
"For their courage they deserve our respect. But we have to remember that as human beings they make mistakes. They are not infallible, and they should be accountable to us, the people who have hired them to do the job."


text:
Mika Medium Curly Casual Hairstyle - Medium Brunette (Chestnut) Hair Color
Description(Added: 12th September 2012 )
This chestnut brown 'do is all about body and volume thanks to the uniform layers cut all over. This big 'do is great for those looking for a style to balance out a long face. Regular trims is needed every4-6 weeks to maintain shape.
- Hair Category: Casual
- Hair Length: Medium
- Hair Elasticity: Curly
- Gender: Men
- Face Shape: Oval, Oblong, Square, and Diamond
- Hair Density: Medium/Thick
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
- Weight: Thin/Average/Large
- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 10 minutes
- Products: Wax
- Styling Tip: Using the wax, piece out sections with your fingertips to achieve this look.


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Can anyone explain a simple method to load your program at startup, and hide it from being in the taskbar.... I know I should add the program to the AUTOEXE.BAT file in Windows 98, but how do I keep it hiddin, but loaded.
For example, when windows starts, it loads the Security port scanner, and hides in the back ground, scanning the localhost ports to make sure there are none open that arent suppose to be. How would I do this? Any help is appreciated.


text:
Bob Marshall Country > Ousel Peak (MT) > Climber's Log
Ousel Peak (MT) Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2012
|Hiked this with my sisters, had a good time hanging out at the top with the wind whipping our hair around, made for some goofy pics.
|Posted Oct 28, 2015 7:46 pm
Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2013
|The other climbers aren't lying, this trail is steep and relentless. Coming back down took half the time of going up but by the time you get back to your car you are ready to sit down. It's steep enough that hiking back down is tough without running parts. Great workout, awesome views from the top and stunning autumn larch colors made this one a trip to remember!
|Posted Oct 26, 2013 10:23 pm
|Super steep!
|Summer 2010
Climbed this trailed peak with Kelly. While trailed, it is very steep, and covered in downed trees and spiderwebs! While it was a tough day, the views were very rewarding. My first glimpse at Harrison Lake!
|Posted Jan 6, 2013 11:23 pm
|A relentless grind but a great workout with great views!
|Posted Dec 28, 2012 3:38 pm
|Great views
Date Climbed: Nov 16, 2012
|Great trail, blowdowns mentioned in main text were mostly cleared...crossed about ten in total. Great views from summit, fair amount of snow above 6000'.
|Posted Nov 18, 2012 9:59 pm
Date Climbed: Jan 7, 2012
|Not much snow and a warm December has resulted in an icy trail.
|Posted Jan 12, 2012 12:06 pm
|Cloudy Ousel
Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2002
|With Bud, The Hedglin and John.
|Posted Nov 29, 2011 6:22 pm
|Ousel Peak
|2010 July 21 hiked solo.
|Posted Apr 25, 2011 4:07 pm
|Ousel Peak
|Great berry picking with Holly
|Posted Oct 18, 2010 1:21 pm
|A few snowshoe trips in the winter. Great veiws of st. Nic
|Posted Jul 23, 2010 4:42 pm
|Ousel Peak
Date Climbed: Sep 27, 2009
|Great views-very windy. Climbed with The Boys.
|Posted Jul 13, 2010 9:53 am
|The Levitator
|Ousel Peak
Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2009
|Climbed with Rebelgrizz and JFK. First mountain to blow my hat off of my head. Winds we're worse than any mountain in the park I've been on.
|Posted Sep 27, 2009 3:42 pm


text:
Hi all,
I'm quite new to programming, and trying to write a c++ program that calculates the binomial coefficient of two numbers. This can be used for calculating the probability of, for example, winning a lottery game. The formula is as follows:
Where ! means the factorial of the number. My problem is that if I want to calculate, say, the number of possible combinations in the state lottery game in my country where you can select 5 numbers out of 90, the program has to deal with VERY large numbers, like 90! which is 1 x 2 x ... x 89 x 90. My idea was that n! is divisible by (n-k)!, so our example then looks like:Code:n! -------- (n-k)!k!
So I've written a function that returns the product of a number series, like 86-90. It works with smaller numbers but it seems that 86 x ... x 90 is too large for it, even if I set the data type to unsigned long int. The function is:Code:90! 1 x 2 x ... x 85 x ... x 90 86 x 87 x 88 x 90 --------- = --------------------------- = ----------------- (90-5)!5! 1 x 2 x ... x 85 x 1 x...x5 1 x 2 x ... x 5
What's wrong? (and sorry for the long post)Code:unsigned long int multiply_from_to (int From, int To) { int i, Product=1; for (i=0;i<=To-From;i++) { Product*=From+i; } return Product; }


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Timlin, Gagne offered arbitration
No deals for Mirabelli, Clement, Kielty, Hinske and Clayton
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein confirmed Friday that the club was on the verge of re-signing one of the free-agent players from last year's team, and it appears the player he was referring to was Timlin.
Though Timlin is 41, he continues to pitch at a high level. After an injury-plagued 2006 led to some rare poor numbers for Timlin, he bounced back in 2007, going 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA over 50 appearances. In fact, Timlin registered a couple of key strikeouts in Boston's clinching victory in Game 4 of the World Series.
The Boston Globe reported that Timlin's new one-year deal would be worth roughly $3 million, assuming it gets finalized.
The only other six-year free agent the Red Sox offered arbitration to was Eric Gagne, who struggled mightily in a setup role after being acquired from the Rangers on July 31. Though Gagne has until Dec. 7 to accept Boston's arbitration offer, it is highly unlikely he will do so. Gagne is all but certain to seek a closing job elsewhere, and the main reason the Red Sox offered him arbitration is so they can get a compensatory pick in next year's Draft.
The Sox declined to offer arbitration to right-hander Matt Clement, backup catcher Doug Mirabelli, outfielder Bobby Kielty, infielder Royce Clayton and first baseman/outfielder Eric Hinske. Boston will not get Draft picks if any of those players sign elsewhere, because they aren't Type A or Type B free agents.
But under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement that went into effect in 2006, the Red Sox can still negotiate new contracts with any of those players.
Kielty and Mirabelli, in particular, are players the Red Sox are still believed to have interest in retaining.
The Red Sox like Kielty because of his ability to hit left-handed pitching. But the club is waiting to see if Coco Crisp is dealt before making a final call on Kielty.
Mirabelli is superb at handling Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. When the Red Sox picked up Wakefield's option for 2008, it increased the chances of Mirabelli coming back. However, the Red Sox could still opt to go for a younger backup catcher than the 37-year-old Mirabelli.
The Sox also announced another move on Saturday, signing free agent Jonathan Van Every to a 2008 contract. Van Every was added to the 40-man roster, leaving Boston with two open spots.
The 28-year-old Van Every combined for a .307 batting average with 12 homers and 57 RBI in 95 games for Double-A Akron and Triple-A Buffalo in the Cleveland Indians organization in 2007.
As for Timlin, it is hardly surprising that he's likely to be back in the fold. Aside from being a highly dependable reliever, Timlin is considered a leader in the bullpen. Timlin represents himself and has agreed to a succession of extensions with Epstein during his time in Boston.
This would be Timlin's sixth season with the Red Sox. He has been part of four World Series championship teams, including two in Boston.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, August 3, 2012, 12:00 AM
Town Square
PG&E plans to strip backyards
Original post made on Oct 4, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, August 3, 2012, 12:00 AM
a resident of Stierlin Estates
on Oct 4, 2012 at 7:12 pm
I am also a resident with the PG&E easement (pipeline) in my backyard. I've lived with it for almost 50 years and have nothing to worry about. It doesn't bother me that it's there. The one thing I didn't like, years ago was that we couldn't have a sunken swimming pool. As far as I figure the pipe can't be moved for several reasons. *its in great shape and has been certified OK to be used. *there is really no place it can be moved to as other people would be upset with getting it near them. *the traffic nightmare on middle field and Moffett would be nasty. *the Hetch Hetchy water system going under Middlefield & Moffett is probably why the pipe is routed the way it is. *if it were to be moved, other people with 4000+ miles of gas pipeline in their backyard would also want it moved and that would be a headache. *if the pipe got moved I would think all our house gas lines would have to be re-arranged and that would cause a lot of digging up..
My common sense tells me to work with PG&E and get the best new back yard you can with pergolas and anything else to give you a nice new place to enjoy the evening. PG&E is bending over backwards to please us.
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Feb 5, 2013 at 4:20 am
So what happened? What was the outcome? We have Atmos here in Flower Mound working to do the same thing.


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However, the obstacle to council diversity is not salary. It's the time commitment because of weekly instead of traditional semi-monthly council meetings, study sessions, standing council committees, ad hoc committees and regional boards and commissions.
Over the years, voters have elected council members who have significantly expanded city programs and council member commitments. That is the more challenging aspect regarding council diversity. It is difficult for a full-time homemaker, business professional or others with community experience and interest to run for office and serve on council.
Fortunately, Mountain View voters probably will never amend the city charter to provide a substantive salary that would attract career politicians. Voters have not even approved a more limited doubling, tripling or other increase over the the current stipend. So council salary is not the solution to council diversity. A more limited council agenda and leaner city organization would actually serve the city more efficiently and attract more diverse council candidates. I encourage Ms. Cutcomb and other voters to seek candidates supporting more limited council meeting agendas, fewer study sessions and multiple project reviews next year.
Mayor John Inks
Showers Drive
Council a rubber-stamp for developers
It is sad that five members of our City Council are straw people for the developers and always rubber-stamp what the developers want. Their mantra is 'What is good for the developers is good for Mountain View."
Obviously they don't care about the concerns of residents of Mountain View, particularly parking concerns.
Konrad Sosnow
Trophy Drive
23andme innocent until proven guilty
The last time I checked, in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. Whether or not 23andMe is guilty or not is not my beef with your Dec. 6 article.
The problem is by giving print to your story you skew the reader's bias towards the guilty verdict. Anybody with the time and means can file a lawsuit, but isn't it up to the judge to decide justice? A good example of this negative bias is somebody accused of sexual harassment. Even if they are proven innocent in a court of law, fellow employees will likely always have a negative opinion of that person.
On the other hand, I am sure your reason to publish this article was to alert people of possible harm, but I find it hard to fathom somebody making a major medical decision based on the results of the test alone without consulting their doctor first. What if it actually benefited them? Media is a powerful communication tool. Isn't your job as journalists to use that power wisely? How about next time wait until justice has spoken until you negatively bias your readers views?
Charles Channing
Mountain View
City Council is making wrong choices
The City of Mountain View (Googleville) is so proud that anticipated rent for a new luxury apartment will go as high as $8,000 a month.
A $250,000 traffic study of the North Bayshore area showed that $391 million in highway improvements are needed for access and egress to the (Googleville) area.
Council member John McAllister said he was pleased that the city could afford to give (free) $50 million to the two school districts. It's true. Mountain View had on June 30, 2013 $360.2 million in cash and investments (per Maze and Associates) to give away.
Low-income people and and small businesses are being forced out of Mountain View by the hundreds. A case in point is 819 N. Rengstorff Ave.
The 17 percent or so of owner-occupied housing gets nailed with outrageous parcel taxes and higher service fees.
The City Council does not deserve a charter amendment to raise salaries.
Donald Letcher
N. Rengstorff Avenue
This story contains 648 words.
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text:
NAME: Amanda
AGE: 18, but that tends to change yearly
LOCATION: Canada, but I'm afraid that's all you're getting at the moment.
INTERESTS: Writing (obvious), Harry Potter (more obvious), RP-ing, paranormal (ghosts and stuff)
OTHER RANDOM CRAP: I am the "guy friend who knows about girl stuff". Apparently, I'm undateable, but I've gotten so used to that that I've stopped asking people out. Sad, ain't it? Anyway, I love acting and I wanted to be an actess for the longest time, but then I realized that I wasn't thin enough. Ah well, I can always make it as a writer. Some people (reviewers to some of my other works) think that I'm the next JK Rowling or something. I don't believe it, but you can judge for yourself.


text:
|Forum Rules
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|June 6, 2012, 09:53 AM
Join Date: November 2, 2008
Posts: 77
8-10" upper receiver on stripped lower
I am obviosly very new to this so i was just wondering the legality of putting less then a 16" upper receiver on a stripped lower. I know that makes it an sbr and i have to get the tax stamp but my question is what if i put it o a lower without a buttstock? Does that make it a pistol similar to a kel tec plr-16? Also I was wondering if anyone can inform me of the laws or restrictions of purchasing just the upper receiver is there any tax stamp requirements in doing so? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
|June 6, 2012, 10:36 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 23, 1999
Location: South Sioux City, Nebraska
Posts: 704
A stripped receiver never assembled as a rifle can go either way pistol or rifle.
If you go rifle then a short barrel makes it a short rifle and it can not go pistol.
If you go pistol the short barrel is ok, and it can go rifle if you put more than 16" barrel on it, then it can return to pistol as long as the stock is not on when the short barrel is on.
There is no requlation prohibition on ordering short barrels, but make sure you have a legal reason to have it.
Possesion of a rifle with a short barrel can show intent to break the law.
If you have a legal pistol then you have a reason to own the short barrel.
|June 7, 2012, 08:48 AM
Join Date: November 2, 2008
Posts: 77
dave thank you very much. Just out of curiosity can i put it on a lower that came with a stock, if i remove the stock and add just the buffer?
|June 10, 2012, 12:32 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 14, 2005
Location: Anderson, SC
Posts: 587
You cannot place it on a receiver that has ever had a stock attached without registering as a SBR. I know that it doesn't make a lot of sense but once it has had a stock, then it is always a rifle lower even if the stock is removed.
The good news is stripped virgin lowers can be had for 69-79$ pretty easily. You have two options available: You can send in a Form 1 w/ $200 tax requesting to build a sbr. Once the stamp comes back you can buy the upper and drop it on. You could also just sell that lower or use it for another project and buy a stripped lower + the short upper + the pistol parts kit and build it as a pistol with no tax required.
Lastly, and this is just personal opinion. If you decide to go the pistol route I would probably make sure that you sell that lower that had a stock attached. There is no law against owning the pistol or the stocked lower or really both at the same time but if any questions ever arose I would not want to have an ar pistol in my house with a stocked lower just sitting around and nothing to go on it. Again, not illegal, but could be perceived as intent to use it as a unregistered SBR.
|June 12, 2012, 11:03 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 14, 2006
Location: MN
Posts: 127
To ensure you have a clean lower ready to be made into a pistol, the manufacturer of the lower would need to provide you with a letter describing the lower as 'virgin' i.e. neither a pistol nor rifle. Then you have to go to the dealer you purchased the lower from and ensure the receiver was not recorded as a "long-gun" on your form 4473. If you build a pistol on a lower recorded as a long-gun (rifle), you have made a SBR.
Generally, the only way someone would get busted by not following the steps above ^^^ would be if your "pistol" were stolen and later recovered by the cops and through the process of tracing the serial number from manufacturer to dealer would the cops discover an illegal SBR if "long-gun" appears on your 4473. Shortly thereafter you'll have the local SWAT & ATF kicking your door in. You'll be charged with unlawful manufacture of a firearm, unlawful possession of a SBR and falsifying a police report (you claimed your "pistol" was stolen when in fact it was your rifle).
Something else, you can also use a 6 position buffer tube on your pistol (stock removed) but ideally you sell the stock or give it away. As others have said, just having all the parts to build a SBR is the same as being in possession of a SBR which is a violation of the NFA. Here is a copy of an ATF letter I found via AR15.com
|June 12, 2012, 10:45 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 17, 2008
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 1,399
Dave Hineline has it right.
A receiver is transferred on a 4473 as "Other." Doesn't matter if it's stripped, or has the LPK put in it or even if it has a stock on it. Until it's built into a "complete" firearm, it's a receiver, and transferred on a 4473 as "Other."
Therefore, you can build it into any complete firearm you would like to build it into. If you want to build it into a pistol, go ahead and build it into a pistol. Even if you have to take the stock off of it you are allowed to do so. (per the letter tepin posted above.)
If you buy a stripped lower, and build it into a PISTOL FIRST, then you can go ahead and re-configure it into a LEGAL RIFLE. You are then free to convert it back and forth from pistol to rifle and back again as you wish. (See ATF Ruling 2011-4)
The question then comes up: How do you PROVE the build was a PISTOL FIRST?
I recommend taking a picture of the firearm using todays newspaper as a backdrop. That way you have visual proof of the date you built the pistol. The burden to refute this is much harder. Even better, IMVHO, is to also take a short video of the built pistol that zooms into the serial number, and back out to the newspaper backdrop, showing the date clearly.
To best avoid "sticky issues" I always make it a point to transfer my lowers through a FFL/SOT (aka Class III Dealer) who is familiar with NFA rules and regulations. That way you know for sure your transfer is logged correctly, and they can help you wade through these grey areas of NFA nuance.
I believe the 2011-4 Opinion letter makes moot the constructive possession issues for an illegal SBR as well, but be advised, I am NOT a lawyer, and none of this is legal advice.
|June 13, 2012, 11:39 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 14, 2006
Location: MN
Posts: 127
Good info rjrivero. I have two local dealers that I buy from. In 2008 I purchased 4 stripped lowers and he wrote "rifle" on my 4473 and when he called in for the NICS he said, "long-gun". My other FFL uses "Other" as he should. Probably still a good practice to verify with the dealer how the lowers are represented on the 4473.
|June 13, 2012, 12:36 PM
Join Date: May 9, 2012
Location: Arizona
Posts: 27
If you are really concerned, you can buy a lower that was marked "pistol" by the manufacturer. Logged into their books as a "pistol". Logged in at the FFL as a "pistol". Then transferred to you on the 4473 as a "pistol". This should reduce the chances of there ever being confusion about the fact that what you bought was indeed a "pistol". I know it's not all strictly necessary, but will certainly save time in the event any questions arise.
I did that through Sun Devil Mfg. for a pistol build to let me take my SBR upper out of state without having to file a form 5320.20 every time I wanted to go out of state with a 10.3" barrel. It even wears a bullet button and 10 round mag for California use.
|June 14, 2012, 08:46 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 17, 2008
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 1,399
If your dealers are transferring stripped lowers as anything else but "Other" on the 4473, then they're doing it wrong.
Their audit time will suck hard.
|June 14, 2012, 09:01 AM
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Western Colorado, finally.
Posts: 19,118
Thanks for posting the link to that letter.
I was not aware that ATF had ever (finally!) made that matter as clear as the obvious logic of it always should have been. There have been several discussions on this board, previous to the time of that letter, regarding the legalities of converting from rifle to pistol.
I did extensive research before I bought my Encore in 2010 and those questions were decidedly open.
That is excellent information.
Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza.
The problem, as you so eloquently put it, is choice.
-The Architect
He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.
-Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.
|June 14, 2012, 09:50 AM
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Join Date: November 17, 2008
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 1,399
That's all water under the bridge at this point. I wonder what their ulterior motive is. Maybe I'm being sceptical, but rarely does a gift like this to gun owners come without cost.
But I digress. Again, Glad to help.
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Forecast for Cape Wind, unsettled
A federal advisory panel urged the U.S. Interior Department on Friday to block a $1 billion wind project off Cape Cod opposed by local business leaders and politicians but seen as helpful to the Obama administration's energy strategy.
Cape Wind Associates LLC has proposed building 130 wind towers that would soar 440 feet above the surface of Nantucket Sound near the popular Massachusetts tourist areas of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
The proposed wind farm would provide electricity to about 400,000 homes but would be within view of the popular resorts. It would be the country's first major offshore wind farm.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, however, said the project would adversely affect 34 historic properties, including 16 historic districts, 12 individually significant historic properties and six properties of religious and cultural significance to local Indian tribes.
"The indirect and direct effects of the project on the collection of historic properties would be pervasive, destructive and, in the instance of seabed construction, permanent. By their nature and scope, the effects cannot be adequately mitigated at the proposed site," it said.
Article continues: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63208M20100403


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London Anti-fur Protest, Feb 12, 2006
click thumbnails to enlarge
Attended by Cindy Jackson (left) & Anneka Svenska
Beijing Olympics boycott urged by Cindy Jackson and Anneka Svenska
Monday, February 13 saw worldwide demonstrations by animal rights supporters protesting about the Chinese fur traders and urging a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
In London, model, singer and author Cindy Jackson and actress and comedian Anneka Svenska along with MP Roger Gale attended the demonstration held there.
Brought up in Ohio but now living in the UK, Cindy Jackson is also well known for being a vegetarian and committed animal rights supporter.
Sir Paul McCartney and wife Heather are spearheading the campaign after giving an interview to the BBC last November in which Sir Paul called for a boycott and said he was not performing in China as a protest at the skinning alive of dogs, cats and other animals there to supply the fur trade.
Undercover footage by PETA showing animals being skinned alive by Chinese workers sparked the protests and led to Sir Paul's public condemnation of the practice and boycott of China.
Sir Elton John, Chrissie Hynde, Jools Holland, Lulu, George Michael, Carla Lane, Paul Newman and Joanna Lumley are among a long list of celebrities who have written letters to British PM Tony Blair asking him to push the European Union for an EU-wide ban on cat and dog fur.
With the Olympics still years away it remains to be seen what results these protests and boycott will have.


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Spartanburg, S.C.– It's no secret that only the top talent in the Palmetto and Tar Heel states receive an invitation to the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl. The first few days many of the players and coaches spent their time feeling each other out and getting to know one another and adjust to the scheme of things. After two days of dual practices on Monday and Tuesday, things began to heat up and it was obvious things were beginning to come together for both squads.
Typically the Shrine Bowl has been a game where the teams are relatively on the same level from a talent standpoint. However, this year there is no doubt that the group from North Carolina has an overall advantage in that department. Looking down the roster the North Carolina offense alone has five Rivals 100 members and the defense is equally as impressive. If the South Carolina defense can somehow manage to slow down running backs Toney Baker, Monterio Hardesty and James Arnold, then they must deal with the vaunted passing game.
Two pairs of future teammates have been playing pitch and catch all week and hope to carry it over to Saturday's contest. It appears as though Tuscola quarterback and Tennessee commit Jonathan Crompton will get the start for North Carolina on Saturday. One of the receivers he'll be hoping to hook up with for many Saturday's to come is fellow Tennessee commit Josh Briscoe, who has looked in drills so far this week.
When Crompton isn't taking the snaps Independence signal caller Joe Cox will be. Cox's favorite target the past target the past two years, teammate Mohamed Massaquoi will continue to be his favorite target on Saturday and beyond, as both are committed to play for the University of Georgia. Though they will all be on the same team Saturday, they will be SEC east division rivals for the next four years.
While there are actually very few prospects in this game that could be considered sleepers, as virtually all of them are being recruited and have Division I scholarship offers, most people are expected guys like Johnathan Crompton, Toney Baker, Mohamed Massaquoi, Monterio Hardesty, C.J. Byrd, Eric Huggins and Jamie Robinson to steal the show, there are a couple of guys that aren't being talked about as much that you may be hearing a lot about after Saturday's game.
For the South Carolina squad, one man was catching everyone's eye on defense and that was Greenville defensive lineman Nathan Pepper.
The South Carolina commitment attended the NIKE camp in Atlanta back in May and performed well, but did not stand out among all of the talent in attendance. After seeing him early in the week, it is easy to see that Pepper has grown noticeably taller in the seven months since the camp. He also looks far more lean and in shape than he did in May. Pepper was in the backfield all day on Tuesday and even picked off a pass.
One of the most physically impressive prospects on the field for the North Carolina squad is linebacker Maurice Covington, who actually worked with the wide receivers most of the day on Tuesday and Wednesday. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Covington is built similarly to that of Eric Huggins, a wide receiver for the South Carolina squad, who is committed to the Oklahoma Sooners.
He runs exceptionally well and is extremely strong and aggressive. He is able to show his amazing athletic ability by working at receiver this week, but still has the "look" of a linebacker.
When taking an initial look at the rosters everyone immediately notices the great offensive players for both teams in this game, particularly on the North Carolina roster. The position that may be the most blessed overall in the game though, is defensive back. The lineup of defensive back for the South Carolina squad is just flat out frightening. The Palmetto State squad is anchored by Georgia commitment C.J. Byrd and Northwestern superstar Jamie Robinson.
Clemson commit Rendrick Taylor will also be playing defensive back and South Carolina commit Mychal Belcher will help the shutdown efforts. Four star defensive back J.C. Neal also will be helping defend the vaunted North Carolina passing attack.
While it would be hard to top the defensive backfield from the Palmetto State, the defensive backfield from North Carolina is awfully good as well. It is headlined by Parkland's Antonio Wardlow and Jack Britt's Brandon Ghee, who have both lived up to the billing this week in practice. Rocky Mount's Stephen Virgil has looked really good all week long and will match-up well with the wideouts from South Carolina.
The answer to that question is, on the South Carolina offensive line. While you can always expect some big prospects (literally and figuaratively) in the trenches in a game like this, it really looks like the Southern boys have been eating their Wheaties. Even though the South Carolina squad might be a little meatier overall than the boys from the Tar Heel squad, the biggest man on the field is Fayetteville (N.C.) E.E. Smith offensive tackle Curtis Crouch. He checks in at a massive 6-foot-6, 320 pounds and moves exceptionally well for a man of his stature. If you sit and watch this kid for just ten minutes it is easy to see why he is considered to be one of the nation's premier offensive lineman.
Kernersville (N.C.) Glenn product Christopher DeGeare is also a very, very big man, who checked in at 6-foot-4, 335-pounds and has performed well all week and drills and during team scrimmage.
The North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl is an annual all-star game that pits the top seniors from both states. The game will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday. Rivals.com will continue to bring you coverage of practices and events leading up to the game.


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I returned recently from a two week trip to Vietnam, Lao (specifically Luang Prabang) and Seoul (a 12 hour layover, enough for breakfast and lunch). Below is a report on the food. Though I ate a lot of street food, I did not note the locations, so I reviewed only places to which I could direct you.
Top three highlights: cooking class at Tamarind, mandoo in Seoul, lime sherbet in Hue (who knew?). For a longer report, read on...
Here I spent the bulk of the trip. Overall, I found some good food, but wasn't as bowled over as I was on a trip to China last year. The comparison between cities of a very different size in a different country seems unfair, but I definitely felt that I had more explosively wonderful food in greater Shanghai and Beijing than throughout Vietnam. Also, we booked a couple of tours within the country (up to Sa Pa and on a boat in Ha Long Bay) that came with meals. All of this food was of the hotel variety: fancy, bland Western-style dishes I would not care to repeat, so that may account for part of the disappointment.
Best meal was bun cha Ha Noi at a little shop at 47C Mai Hac De. The cooks squat on the steps outside, frying up the spring rolls and grilling the little meat patties. You order there and the food is brought in to you--more comfortable than the omnipresent plastic stools on the sidewalks, and cooler if the sun is out.
That stop was part of a street food tour with Hidden Hanoi. I had read a review of another guided tour by an expat (can't remember her name), but when I checked her website, she was no longer offering tours. I am comfortable eating on the streets and ordering on my own; I signed up for the tour because I wanted explanations of unfamiliar food, expected I'd try several dishes I wouldn't ferret out on my own and be directed to exceptional dishes or vendors. The tour included the one stop for bun cha Ha Noi, then a walk through the market at Pho Hue (cross Pho Tran Nhan Tong) for the rest of the 90 minutes. We tried no food other than the bun cha. The tour guide was polite and had great English, but overall the tour was a disappointment, and at $20 per person (there were two of us), didn't seem like a good value.
Tandoor was good (but not spicy enough) Indian in the Old Quarter. Excellent naan and samosas, good paneer. My friend reported better-than-average chicken tikka masala, though I didn't try it.
Other than Hidden Hanoi, our only other tour book stop was Cha Ca Va Long, of which I've read mixed reviews on this board. I liked it--the fish was good quality, cooked at your table on a plug-in hot plate. Spicy, herbal, fresh. The other guests the day we visited were all Vietnamese. Everything was on the up and up, except the six week old kitten chained outside on a stool (because...cats like fish?). The whole time I sat eating it was looking at me and meowing plaintively.
La Carambole was attached to our hotel, so we stopped in for dinner our one night in town and ate one of the well-priced, multi-course Hue-style imperial feasts. Owners are a Frenchman and his Vietnamese wife; both the Western and Eastern dishes on the menu were prepared with care and precision, and the lime sherbet was one of the culinary highlights of the trip. Definitely a travelers stop, not for locals, but the food was very good and a good value.
*Hoi An*
Tried the local white rose dish at several places, but I liked it best at Dung, thanks to this rec (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/268462). The texture was just perfect: a bit chewy, not too sticky. Also great cau lau, with lovely flavor to the wheat noodles. Not a fancy place, but great chow.
Cargo and Morning Glory are owned by the same Hoi An entrepeneur, Trinh Viem Dy. Morning Glory serves beautifully prepared, traditional street food dishes in a pretty, airy space. Cargo is Morning Glory's cosmopolitan older sister--a San Francisco to Morning Glory's San Mateo, in Bay Area terms. The traditional Vietnamese dishes are the same at each, but more expensive at Cargo, so unless you want the (admittedly gorgeous) river-side view on the terrace at Cargo, stick with Morning Glory. Great noodles, spring rolls, very good cau lau (not as great as Dung, and at probably double the price).
Tamarind. Where do I begin? We stopped in for lunch to this restaurant, owned by an Australian expat and her Laotian husband. On the menu we read they offered cooking classes, and inquired if one would be available the next day. Though one wasn't scheduled, the owner said she'd look into it and later called our hotel to confirm she rejiggered the schedule to make it possible. The class was, by far, the highlight of the trip--not the culinary highlight, The Highlight, capital "t," capital "h." For about $20, we drove by tuktuk out to a locals market at the edge of town, where the tour was led by Joy, the Laotian co-owner, who gave extensive explanations and samples like fresh hops to chew on. Then we repaired to a riverside hut where we cooked a multi-course meal in the traditional manner, crushing herbs with a mortar and pestle, slicing through a young lemongrass stalk to make a fragrant net in which to fry pulverized chicken with coriander and kaffir lime, toasting balls of sticky rice over an open coal fire. Everything about the experience was exceptional, not the least being the food. Go to Lao. Sign up for a class at Tamarind. Why are you still reading this?
Also exceptional in Lao: the fruit shakes. Seems like fruit shakes were on nearly every menu in Lao and Vietnam, but the flavors in Lao were more vibrant, and the texture thicker, perhaps because there was some kind of starchy additive. I especially liked the mixed fruit shake at the stand directly across from my hotel (Sala Prabang).
Myeongdong Kyoja. This restaurant features only four dishes on the menu; to drink, you get a cup of water. When you are seated (note: expect a line of people who at least seem like locals), a waitress will stop by to find out which of the four dishes you require, then she'll immediately hand over a pre-printed bill to pay in advance. We ordered kalguksu (chicken soup), mandoo (steamed pork dumplings), and another noodle dish with a name I can't find--green noodles. I will dream of the mandoo for years to come. Like xiaolongbao, with a much larger, porkier meatball and less delicate skin. Exceptional, spicy and refillable kimchee free of charge. 21,000 Korean Yuan for a very filling meal for two. Gratitude and chow karma to kleyoh for a post that helped me find my sea legs for a short visit in Seoul.
That's all. If you have any non-chow, trip-related questions, you are welcome to email me at the address in my profile. I was happy to visit, explore and eat. Now I am happy to be at home, where I need never carry balled-up toilet paper in my purse.


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The Giants left-hander pitched a three-hit shutout on Tuesday, August 3rd, striking out nine Reds, and defeated the Cubs on Sunday. His totals for the week included 16.1 innings pitched, three walks, 15 strikeouts, 11 hits and three runs, two of which were earned.
Other nominees this past week included: Cincinnati's Adam Dunn (.333, 5 HR, 10 RBI), Sean Casey (.480, 8 RBI) and Felipe Lopez (.400, 3 HR, 7 RBI); Atlanta's Rafael Furcal (.414, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Chipper Jones (.417, 1 HR, 9 RBI); Mike Cameron of the Mets (.381, 3 HR, 7 RBI); Mark Loretta of the Padres (.375, 3 HR, 9 RBI); Miguel Cabrera (.500, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Paul Lo Duca (.500, 1 HR, 6 RBI) of the Marlins; J.T. Snow of the Giants (.500, 2 HR, 5 RBI); Brett Myers of the Phillies (2-0, 0.64 ERA, 13 SO); and Roy Oswalt of the Astros (1-0. 0.00 ERA, 8 SO).
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