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Lesson 1 (from Part I, Chapters One through Five)
Part I, Chapters One through Five
Chapter 1 opens with an attack with racial motives. Chapter 2 describes the reasons for the new black housing development, with racial undertones and segregation. This lesson focuses on racial violence and segregation.
1) Class Discussion: What are the titles of Chapters 1 and 2? How does each title give you an idea of what is to come? Having read both chapters, do the titles fit? How does Chapter 1 open? What is going on? Who is involved? What happens with McCall and his family in 1964, according to Chapter 2?
2) Writing Assignment: In 3 or more pages, compare and contrast the violent teen beating of the white boy in Chapter 1 with the clashes between Cavalier Manor and Academy Park residents.
3) Small Groups: Consider the significance of Cavalier Manor, and discuss the implied goal of segregation to a specific neighborhood, versus the stated goal of providing new and...
This section contains 5,867 words
(approx. 20 pages at 300 words per page)


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This series consists of talks in the areas of Cosmology, Gravitation and Particle Physics.
Gravitational lensing by matter clumps can magnify various transient bursts in the sky, making them more detectable from the high redshift Universe. For one example, chirping gravitational waves from stellar-mass black hole binary mergers, as first detected by LIGO recently, can appear louder due to intervening galaxies. In the absence of electromagnetic counterpart, as I will discuss, lensing magnification can bias the determination of binary mass and redshift, which needs to be corrected for when testing source evolution and formation models through event statistics.
In the last few years, we have made remarkable progress in understanding the properties of our observable Universe which appears to have evolved from a hot Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. The fine-tuning of initial conditions required to reproduce our present day Universe suggests that our Universe may merely be a region within an eternally inflating super-region. Many other regions could exist beyond our observable Universe with each such region governed by a different set of physical parameters than the ones we have measured for our Universe.
Planck's full-mission data, released in 2015, provides a high-resolution whole-sky polarization and temperature maps of the CMB and astrophysical components. I will talk about implications of Planck 2015 results for inflation, why cosmic dust is important, and what we are currently doing to study it. I will also highlight some tests of the statistical isotropy and Gaussianity of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies we have done with observations made by the Planck satellite.
I will discuss the cosmology of galileon models with a Minkowski limit and discuss whether they can account for the currently observed cosmological model. The full galileon model predicts the speed of gravitational waves to be different from that of photons. I will discuss this and compare with observations. I will then discuss a subdominant galileon model which is compatible. Finally I will discuss the shape dependence of screening in galileon models, showing that the fifth force is unscreened for planar objects.
I will discuss phenomena associated with particle production and field excitation during inflation. In the first part of the talk I will present several
signatures that can originate from the coupling of an axion inflaton to gauge fields. In the second part I will test the robustness of the standard
implications associated with the detection of a gravity wave (GW) signal at CMB scales, by discussing what conditions can allow a visible
Alternative theories of gravity are popular alternatives to the LCDM model because they can self-accelerate without a cosmological constant. On smaller scales, consistency with solar system tests of gravity is achieved by utilising screening mechanisms, which act to hide fifth-forces locally. This makes them difficult to distinguish from general relativity. In this talk I will describe recent work using astrophysical objects---stars, galaxies, and clusters---as new and novel probes of alternative gravity theories.
The kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect is a direct probe of the distribution and velocity of electrons on cosmological scales. Recent progress in Cosmic Microwave Background observations allow statistical detections of this subtle effect originating from a number of different tracers populations. In my talk, I will review the observational status, highlight the consequences for astrophysics and cosmology and discuss future directions.
The global redshifted 21-cm radiation background is expected to be a powerful probe of the re-heating and re-ionization of the intergalactic medium. However, its measurement is technically challenging: one must extract the small, frequency-dependent signal from under much brighter and spectrally smooth foregrounds. Traditional approaches to study the global signal have used single-antenna systems, where one must calibrate out frequency-dependent structure in the overall system gain, as well as remove the noise bias from auto-correlating a single amplifier output.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pull up a tattered bar stool at the counter and watch the basketball game, or straddle one of those picnic tables set up on the east side of the bar. It's all about the basics here; no drink specials, no food (except for food trucks), and no live entertainment. The beer selection tends to focus on the usual standards (Bud, Coors, Miller), Saint Arnold seasonal brews and a small wine selection.
Feel like picking up a game of hoops? There's a smallish court with a basketball hoop in back, about 50 paces from the two porta-loos against the back fence.
To download high-res images, visit photo gallery.


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East Oregonian
FOSSIL — Condon/Wheeler head track coach Jon Bowerman, son of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, is parting ways with the program he took to a 2012 state title.
The superintendents of Condon and Fossil school districts informed Bowerman his contract will not be renewed and the position will be opened to applicants, including the former coach. But Bowerman has said he will walk away rather than re-apply for the job.
Bowerman and his wife Melissa, a volunteer assistant, led the Knights girls' track team to a Class 1A state championship in May just weeks after Melissa was dismissed from the team for taking a student to the Condon High School prom.
Sperry and Zarate declined to comment on why Bowerman's contract wasn't renewed, saying it was a committee decision.
Each coach for the athletic programs of Condon/Wheeler, a co-op between the two high schools, is hired on a one-year contract. The committee, which serves an advisory role to the respective school boards in hiring matters, then holds a vote during the summer on each position to decide whether to stick with a current coach or open the door to applicants.
Condon school board and athletic advisory committee member Bryce Logan said the vote didn't necessarily mean the school district would cut ties with Bowerman.
"It's not like anybody's ever fired," Logan said. "Every coach every year comes up for reviewal."
When Bowerman and his wife joined the Condon/Wheeler program during the 2008-09 school year, the team consisted of just six student athletes. Since then, the turnout has ballooned to more than 30 athletes that have won district titles for both girls and boys and the girls' state championship.
Those accolades should speak for themselves, he said.
"Betrayal's probably a pretty good word," Bowerman said. "We are not going to appeal this. We feel that our track record is such that we have no cause for appeal."
Bowerman estimates he and his wife have been responsible for more than $200,000 in funds raised for the program since they took over, including a state-of-the-art track facility in Condon. But the coach has toyed with the idea of walking away from his position since Melissa was asked to leave her volunteer role late last track season.
Melissa, 41, took a male track team member to prom in April, saying that she did so because the boy felt bad about not having a date and had been struggling in English class.
"If they go on (academic) probation and suspension, then they can't go to the track meets," Melissa told the East Oregonian in May. "I said, 'OK, I will go with you, but we've got to talk about English first. You're going to do better in English.' "
The decision, which Melissa called an error in judgment, led to an investigation from the school districts and her dismissal.
Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt, who received a complaint from a prom chaperone, concluded his own investigation in June and found no evidence that Melissa broke a law or had any criminal intentions.
There is no appeal process for Melissa's former position though, Zarate said, because it was strictly volunteer.
When asked if he would consider coaching without his wife, Jon Bower man was direct. "No. Definitely not. Even though I had the title as head coach, she was the de facto head coach."
Bowerman, who works in a salaried position as a natural resources coordinator with Fossil School District, said he may leave that job as well in the future. The pair also are open to coaching track again elsewhere.
Contact AJ Mazzolini at firstname.lastname@example.com or 541-966-0839.


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Pastels offer bright colors, a great level of portability, and no drying time - plus they're relatively inexpensive and can be used to draw and paint on almost any surface. Pastels For Dummies covers the many aspects of this exciting medium, from the fundamentals of choosing the right materials to step-by-step projects, including landscapes, abstracts, and portraits. Inside you'll find hands-on, easy-to-follow exercises and attractive full-color artwork.
Discover your inner artist with Pastels For Dummies and make your artwork come alive!


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We are proud to air this segment about SFL Pharmaceuticals on our show.
Past News ReleasesRSS
Coral Springs, FL (PRWEB) September 20, 2013
The producers of Health Briefs TV are pleased to announce that SFJ Pharmaceuticals will be featured in an upcoming segment on "Innovative Drug Development and Clinical Research Driving Improved Patient Care" as part of the show's Medical Minutes series.
Their value of pharmaceuticals is especially evident in the field of oncology, where the speed of development and availability of drugs may offer the first ever treatment, or have significant advantages over existing drugs. With the costs of developing a cancer drug reaching up to one billion dollars, however, many pharmaceutical companies are using a step-by-step approach. They first advance their most promising drugs for one cancer type, line of therapy or stage, and then advance for additional cancer types, lines of therapy or stages, thus delaying the time it takes for life-saving and life-enhancing to get into the hands or physicians and patients.
Additionally, drugs are first developed for the largest markets, like breast and lung cancer. Drugs for other cancer types, like thyroid and kidney, are not as aggressively developed. Years may go by while patients in need wait, without access to life-saving or life-enhancing drugs.
Pleasanton, California-headquartered SFJ Pharmaceuticals has developed a revolutionary model to overcome drug development challenges. The company captures the lost value for pharmaceutical companies and patients, by taking drugs which are proven in one type of cancer, and helping to accelerate them through clinical development for many different types and stages of cancer.
The five-minute Health Briefs TV segment will educate viewers on the importance of efficient drug development, and will feature the innovative model developed by SFJ Pharmaceuticals to make drugs available to more patients, sooner. The segment will highlight several of SFJ's partnerships, including Eisai Pharmaceuticals for Phase III development of their drug, Lenvatinib, to treat 131I-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer; Pfizer's drug, Dacomitinib, for first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer; and Pfizer's drug, Axitinib, for the adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma. For more information about SFJ Pharmaceuticals, please visit http://www.sfj-pharma.com.


text: Share: Comments Print February 26, 2013 at 3:06 PM Mariners win fourth in a row with late Smoak bomb Posted by Geoff Baker [do action="cinesport" url="http://cinesport.seattletimes.com/inline/2191640706001/"/] The Mariners came through late in this one for a 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, courtesy of a two-run Justin Smoak homer off Brewers pitcher John Axford in the eighth inning. Carlos Peguero had just doubled home the tying marker when Smoak stepped in and launched Axford's 2-0 pitch deep beyond the right field wall. That put the Mariners up 6-4 and they held on from there for their fourth consecutive Cactus League victory. The latest homer for Smoak is his second this spring and second batting from the left side. Justin Smoak (left) and Mariners congratulate each other on the field after today's 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. He had an earlier single today lined cleanly into right field. Also a line drive the other way to left field that Ryan Braun made a good play on for an out. As we've mentioned before, if he really has figured out this whole batting from the left side thing, a lot of the worries the team has about him will go away. "I feel like it's slowing the ball down a little bit," Smoak said of his new approach and more compact swing from the left side, similar to what he'd done earlier in his pro career. "Early on (in spring training) you normally feel like everything's a little quick and you're trying to get your rhythm and timing down, but for me I've actually been seeing it a lot better than I thought it would be." [do action="brightcove-video" videoid="2191587639001″/] Take Our Poll Axford is no slouch and saved 46 games for the Brewers when they went to the playoffs in 2011. Though he struggled last year, he was still the anchor of a bullpen that used him 75 times from the eighth inning onward. "He's good," Smoak said. "He throws the ball hard and has a pretty good curveball. I was just trying to get a pitch in the zone to swing at, I got (ahead) 2-0 and I figured i'd be getting a fastball. I just did everything I could not to spin off of it." Mariners manager Eric Wedge was pleased to see Smoak go the other way with the liner that Braun caught. "Not only was he driving the ball pull-side, but he was driving the ball the other way too," Wedge said. "His bat head's in the zone longer, he's in a strong position to hit. He's just much more grounded up there than he used to be." Yeah, it's early and it's spring training. But Smoak's picked up where he finished last season, his swing looks compact and true and the hits he's getting have been well-stroked. Justin Smoak crosses the plate after his two-run homer in the eighth inning off John Axford put the Mariners ahead. Franklin Gutierrez also showed some pop with his bat,driving that mammoth two-run homer over the batter's eye in straightaway center in the top of the third inning. Michael Saunders also hit a home run right after that to give Seattle a 3-2 lead at the time. "When he hit it, I knew he got it good but I didn't think he got it that good," Wedge said of Gutierrez, slowed by illness and injury most of the past two seasons. "That ball went a long way." Gutierrez wasn't driving balls like that in spring training two years ago, when a stomach ailment sapped him of much of his muscle and strength. He then got hurt early in camp last year before he could get into any Cactus League games. "He's seeing the ball well, he's strong, he's in great shape," Wedge said. "He's looked really good here early on." Comments | More in Cactus League | Topics: franklin gutierrez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Justin Smoak


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Taking a snack break. She was such a trooper! She walked all the way up and 9/10ths of the way down.
"Sitting Tree"
She patiently and meticulously filled her "bucket" three times and ate them all before she decided to fill it and bring them home.
There's a very large mountain in that cloud. Take my word for it. It's right there.


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When Nancy gets home, Hannah Gruen shows her a mink stole and says she bought stocks in Forest Fur Co. Our buddy, contrivance, stops by--Mrs. C sold Hannah the stole!
The same day, Mrs. Martin goes to the Drews--Mrs. C slipped out without paying for the damages (nice!) and Mrs. Martin has some suspicions about the whole Forest Fur dealy-o.
Mr. Drew and Nancy were to going to go to Montreal together so she could help Mr. Drew on one of his cases, but she decides to stay behind for a few days to work on the fur mystery. The next sighting of Mrs. C is her car. Nancy, Bess and George start a chase, but a few minutes later, Nancy is pulled over! Nancy explains that she was chasing a possible criminal, but the excuse doesn't fly. To top it off, Nancy's license is gone! George immediately speaks up. "Officer, this is Nancy Drew!" The officer merely replies "then there are two reasons for taking you [Nancy] to headquarters." OMG. Burn!
Of course, Chief McGinnis is lenient with Nancy, his reason being that he knows Nancy has a license, and she's been soo frickin' helpful to the police.
While Nancy waits for her new license to arrive, Bess drives her to visit Mrs. Packer, an elderly woman Nancy suspects was duped by Mrs. C. Mrs. Packer also asks Nancy to find a pair of earrings that disappeared around the time Mrs. C visited.
The Girl Gang tries to trace Mrs. C through various towns. In Masonville, two plainclothes men nab Nancy, and accuse her of stealing from a fur shop. While Nancy's at headquarters, Bess finds Judge Hart, a friend of the Drews and a prominent figure in the area. He saves Nancy by suggesting they visit the fur store owner, who right away affirms that the thief isn't Nancy. Well, THAT was easy.
Nancy discovers that the fur one woman bought was stolen. When she goes to investigate at its parent store and gives her name as she explains her mission, she is stuffed in a closet by the proprietors. They were told that 'Nancy Drew' was coming to steal more furs. George and Bess save her. Mrs. C was the one who "tipped" the couple off.
Detective work continues, and Nancy visits her Aunt Eloise in NYC so she can also look for clues. [Side-note: there is also a Mr. C]. Nancy's work eventually leads her to a seedy motel, where Mrs. C. could be residing. She only meets swanky, flirty movie star, "Bunny Reynolds" (gag). 'Mr. Sidney Boyd' sold diamond earrings and worthless stock in Forest Fur to her! And she thought she was special because she had to flirt to get Mr. Boyd to sell the stock. When she opens the earring box to show Nancy, they find that it is empty. Mr. Boyd must have stolen them after selling them. By the description they are Mrs. Packer's earrings! But Bunny will get help from the police. She has a "special friend" on the force! ;)
Nancy and Eloise see Mrs. C in a TV movie about ice skating. The actress' name is Mitzi Adele. Nancy goes home to think. Bess and George are waiting, along with a cornball, white-haired woodsman, John Horn, who dislikes cars and throws out phrases like "all we chinned about was mink" (that is, talked about while buying stock from Mrs. C).
Nancy goes to Montreal to look through random mink farms that just might be connected with Forest Fur. She also helps her dad's client, sexy, blonde ski instructor Chuck Wilson. Chuck gives Nancy some complimentary lessons. Before she even puts on a ski, Nancy finds clues that the Channings could be at the lodge.
Chuck invites her to a skating show. He's a skier AND a skater! Both Nancy and Carson go, for they believe Mrs. C., might turn up, as she skated in the movies.While they wait for the show to start, it is announced that 'Nancy Drew' will be in the show along with an anonymous partner! Nancy goes to "her" dressing room to investigate this suspicious announcement (pretending she is the actual Nancy to get by).
Chuck and Nancy decide to save the show by going into the slot together. Nancy is immediately perfect at skating at the last minute!
Nancy takes a call meant for "Fake Nancy" at the hotel, and she discovers that a Mrs. Bellhouse is about to be duped. Nancy finds Mrs. Bellhouse at a retirement home. Nancy and the girls find out from Mrs. B that she's going to give thousands to buy stock from her cousin, Sidney Boyd. The girls leave to spy on the procedure. They get the police to arrest Mr. Boyd.
Nancy and the gang--including Ned, Burt and Dave--decide to take a break at Aunt Eloise's Adirondacks home to follow a clue that Aunt Eloise herself provided. There is a ski jump near the cabin. Conveniently, Chuck Wilson is there (causing a little tension with Ned), as a ski instructor.
Ned and Nancy visit a mink farm which, predictably, has had furs stolen. On their investigation, they get lost and are rescued by John Horn.
As Nancy looks out the window one night, she sees a weird light at the ski jump and goes to investigate. Alone. She is overtaken by rough men, bound, locked into a cabin in the woods, and left to die. When she is missed, the police, the gang and John Horn strike out to find her. John Horn knows all about the cabin; not many people do, it is secluded, and a perfect place to hid captives! Genius, John. They find Nancy, exhausted from cold, but of course she's up and at it in what seems like minutes.
Nancy's kidnappers are arrested. Nancy's reward is a diamond pin from Mrs. Packer, and from Chuck, enough fur to make a stole. (Chuck won his case, a lost inheritance). Maybe Nancy will wear the earrings while solving The Clue of the Velvet Mask.
- "I told her how many cases you had solved yourself...like The Clue of the Black Keys and The Secret of the Wooden Lady." Mrs. Martin told Mrs. C while talking about Nancy's "cases". So the mysteries actually have their own names in Nancy's world? *giggle*.
- When Nancy is falsely arrested for stealing furs from a shop, this is the dialog at the police station: "Any relation to the lawyer in River Heights?" [the sergeant] asked. "He's my father!" said Nancy. "Good grief! You never know where these juvenile delinquents will come from." YAY! Someone who doesn't just dismiss Nancy because of her perfect father.
- Nancy is learning to ski-jump when she must jump over a careless skier. She crashes and is knocked out for a few minutes. The only time Nancy couldn't do something, it wasn't her fault (and Chuck even assures her of that).
There won't be any posts for about a month. Our library is moving into a new building and there's been a lot of trouble. Someone's been taking from the funds that are supposed to be for new books, and the final finishes on the new building aren't as quality as they should be. Could they be connected?...I kid, I kid. But, just so y'all know, it'll be a while.


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I have just ONE Lilly Pulitzer LARGE Agenda left in stock and will be listing it on Ebay tomorrow. It's a Fabulous Calendar/Agenda and HTF (hard to find) ~ so check back in the morning for the link to my Ebay listing. Please bid high and bid often!!!
Just hop right over here for the Ebay Listing ~ but hurry it ends on Sunday, March 6, 2011.


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"the voice which was then heard and that first command became, as it were, a law of nature and remained in the earth, giving it the power to produce and bear fruit for all succeeding time. . . ."
"Reflect, I beg you, that in consequence of this short word and a command so brief, the earth, chilled and barren, was incessantly in travail and stirred up to productiveness. . . ."
"That command, which even yet is inherent in the earth, impels it in the course of each year to exert all the power it has for the generation of herbs, seeds, and trees. For, as tops, from the first impulse given to them, produce successive whirls when they are spun, so also the order of nature, having received its beginning from that first command continues to all time thereafter. . . ."
"Consider the word of God moving through all creation, having begun at that time, active up to the present, and efficacious until the end, even to the consummation of the world. . . .
"This command remains in the earth and the earth does not cease serving the Creator. . . ."
"the soul of brute beasts did not emerge after having been hidden in the earth, but it was called into existence at the time of the command. . . ."
St. Basil the Great on Gen 1:11, On the Hexaemeron 5.1, 2, 10; 9.2-3, trans. Sister Agnes Clare Way, C.D.P. (FC 46, 67, 69, 82, 136-138).
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Let the earth bring forth vegetation
Posted by Steve Perisho at 2:23 PM
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At the east end of Princess Street is one of Edinburgh's most interesting and baffling landmarks - the half finished Parthenon. A National Monument to those who died in the Napoleonic Wars, building ceased when the funds ran out.
Nevertheless, it gives interest to this end of town that has a City Observatory, Nelson's Monument and an old canon. The area also has all round views over the city and waterways.
A delight has been to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies.


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And the whole country sighed with relief when it was over.
However, Trump gave a caveat when asked if he would accept the results of the election in November if he loses, as most polls tell us that he will:
Via NPR
When first asked, Trump refused to say yes, replying in part, "I will look at it [the election results] at the time." When pushed on the issue, Trump told Wallace, "I'll keep you in suspense."
Trump the master of suspense #debatenight #suspense pic.twitter.com/9iwAp1BrYr— Willis Turner CAE (@willisturner) October 20, 2016
Stephen Colbert let him have it on Trump's "suspense":
Oh my God. That's...uh...what's the word?
(Shows tape of Hillary saying "horrifying" during the debate)
That's it! Thank you! Thank you!
(Stephen blows kiss to Hillary/camera - crowd cheers)
I want to make sure I heard that correctly.
(Plays Trump saying "I'll keep you in suspense")
Oh! Oh - Suspense! Democracy's going to end with a cliffhanger. I guess we're all going to have to wait until November 9th to find out if we still have a country! If Donald Trump is in the "mood" for a peaceful transfer of power. Or if he's just going to wipe is fat ass with the Constitution!
The day after the debate, Donald doubled down, saying he would only accept a win, not a loss:
Via NPR
In front of an exuberant crowd Thursday in Delaware, Ohio, Donald Trump again addressed whether he would accept the outcome of the November election.
"Ladies and gentleman I want to make a major announcement today," Trump said, continuing, "I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters, and to all of the people of the United States, that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election - if I win"
"Never Interfere With an Enemy While He's in the Process of Destroying Himself." — Napoleon #debatenight #MAGA pic.twitter.com/JevFq8p55D— ✯bennydiego✯ (@bennydiego) October 20, 2016
Clinton: "What we want to do is to replenish the Social Security trust fund..."— CNN (@CNN) October 20, 2016
Trump: "Such a nasty woman" #Debate https://t.co/HMsvusL4Y6
.@HillaryClinton when asked how she felt about being called a nasty woman during the #debate: "I just didn't pay any attention to that." pic.twitter.com/1jOrhC49Bj— POLITICO (@politico) October 20, 2016
Haha. @Spotify says streams of "Nasty" are up 250% after the #debatenight pic.twitter.com/xIjXebX5pj— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) October 20, 2016
It's Hillary -- President Clinton, if you're "nasty." #debatenight #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/cApk2x6V8S— Hill Yes! (@SayHillYes) October 20, 2016
Donald Trump: "We have some 'bad hombres' here, and we're going to get them out." https://t.co/gRGefdhgeD #debates pic.twitter.com/y7eLWrVWeE— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 20, 2016
#AnaNavarro: '#Hombre and #taco' are Trump's only #Spanish words - CNN https://t.co/I5u31HyPkB— #NastyWoman (@CindyLLovejoy) October 21, 2016
Been to Trump Tower lately? #Vote2016, #hombre, #latinopower, #mexicana, #Democrats, #StopTrumpin16, #StopTrumpNow, #Americans, #Equality pic.twitter.com/GCQW7ZGLqY— Did you know . . . (@drcpmb) October 23, 2016
Hillary Clinton calls Donald Trump a "puppet" of Vladimir Putin.— Vox (@voxdotcom) October 20, 2016
Trump responds: "No, you're the puppet."#debatenight pic.twitter.com/YKgSOrRAXV
Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton on relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin: "You're the puppet." https://t.co/bDR3inJaZ8 pic.twitter.com/HmaRO2aVdU— ABC News (@ABC) October 20, 2016
Fact check: True. Multiple intelligence agencies confirmed WikiLeaks releases were Russian government. https://t.co/sRtdfWhAdL #debate— WIRED (@WIRED) October 20, 2016
This explains why Trump still has an audience. They're there to see Alec Baldwin on SNL. #cartoon by @claytoonz pic.twitter.com/CeCazuWzSM— ✯bennydiego✯ (@bennydiego) October 19, 2016
Hillary Clinton won the third presidential debate, according to a CNN/ORC poll of viewers https://t.co/RfzIhgwWph #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/kYzUHk1M0V— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 20, 2016
Trump angrily tears up his notes as Hillary walks by. pic.twitter.com/vttaR7jCiA #Debate— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) October 20, 2016
This was absolutely just too perfect!!! @tomhanks was great as Chris Wallace. #HanksOnSNL #SNL 😂😆😂😆😂😆 @nbcsnl pic.twitter.com/RV2HQ2nsKi— Matt Leeds (@Mleeds2048) October 23, 2016
Quintessential Tom Hanks w/ Pep Talk America Really Needs. #welldone #SNL https://t.co/InVrEpoSlm— Karen S. (@fromkarens) October 23, 2016


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This is my first blog entry of 2010 (yeah yeah, I know I'm a little late :)
I have decided that my only resolution for 2010 is to put away my self-sabotaging ways and make creativity my new drug and weapon. Why not get high on creating beauty! I am currently finishing my new creativity corner in the studio in the back (photos to come) and I have finally completed my LOVE TREE which is essentially a ruby colored wisteria made out of tissue paper. I made each leaf with love and my husband and I stole some cut branches from the local park and stained them. I would just like to say that he is the best for letting me make things like this and hang them over the bed! Viva creativity and husbands who support it!


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At the moment we have an evil witch and everyone knows she's evil but nobody dares to confront her. Edward Snowden's actions didn't only show the extent of the illegal American global surveillance but also clearly proved that the United States of America are not a partner of dialogue, instead they demand and the rest must deliver. This is exactly what happens when too much power is concentrated in the hands of a few, leads to abuses and corruption. Thanks to Snowden we know which governments bow down to threats and what governments stand up for their people and for principles like justice and liberty. Sadly the outcome is far from the expected one.
"On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic 'wheeling and dealing' over my case. Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the president ordered his vice president to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions. This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me." - Edward SnowdenThis is not the first time when Obama lied in the most brutal and disgusting manner. Related only to this case I would like to remind you about a time when he ran for office under his "Change" motto and among all the points he had a "Project Whistleblower", what could that be?
"Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process. " - Barack Hussein Obama campaignAs it turns out, yet again, Obama apparently underwent a fundamental shift in his consciousness once he saw himself in the Oval Office, could he be suffering from multiple personalities and only now his evil twin took control or is he a look-alike propped by the financial ruling elite?
For me, the fact that the NSA, CIA, FBI (and the rest) are going through incredible amounts of data snooped from unsuspecting citizens didn't came as a shock (in Communist countries it was normal), what actually shocked me was that Snowden revealed to the American nation that they are one of the main targets of this surveillance program and no mass protests are being planned. This is exactly the case of totalitarian and autocratic states where the governing "elite" consider themselves to be superior from the rest of the people and in many ways have reasons to fear them. But this surely can't be the case... America is the land of liberty and justice for all, the birthplace of modern democracy, the land of the free, the last bastion of humanity, the human rights protector, the policeman of the world... such bullshit. I recommend we take Obama's example and while reading thing like "land of liberty and justice" understand "cesspit of prisons and injustice", and "land of the free" consider it as "land of the sheeple".
European media and some European politicians have begun making waves over this scandal after evidence that EU diplomats have been (are) under NSA surveillance. I don't know if they are acting freely and truthfully or are just acting in order to show that they are doing something and in this way tempering popular reaction. Just like in totalitarian systems, where the few need to control the many, the few in charge of America have to know that their European colleagues are eating from their hands, meaning that they can be blackmailed.
When Snowden arrived in the Moscow airport and the US began pressures on Russia to hand him over and Putin gently refused, I immediately came out and supported Putin over his position, funny enough, even his opposition gave him credit for that. However, Putin's condition for Snowden that he will be permited to stay in Russia if he stops harming America (a declaration that came after Rafael Correa said the ball is in Putin's court) is disappointing but also intriguing.
I would like to end with a quote:
"No matter how many more days my life contains, I remain dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world." - Edward SnowdenWe are with you Snowden, you fight in our name and we will not forget and we will not forgive.


text:
Organizations, Certifications, Standards, Testing and Government References
The items below are provided for information only. Inclusion of these organizations and
certification programs does not imply endorsement in any way by the SSA.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
http://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/overview/o.aspx?menuid=1: oversees the creation,
promulgation and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly impact businesses in
nearly every sector. ANSI is also actively engaged in accrediting programs that assess
conformance to standards – including globally-recognized cross-sector programs such as the ISO
9000 (quality) and ISO 14000 (environmental) management systems. Many sustainability
standards have been taken through ANSI accredited consensus processes, including some
product-specific standards and several national green building standards.
American Humane Certified: a voluntary, fee-based service available to producers of
animals in agriculture. The program provides independent, third party audited verification that
the care and handling of animals on enrolled farms meet the animal welfare standards set forth
by American Humane Certified. Producers who meet the standards may use the American
Humane Certified label on their products. Certifies wool products are produced humanely.
Annual independent on-site audits of more than 200 science-based standards and measures
conducted by Professional Animal Auditor Certified Organization (PAACO) trained and
certified auditors. Online Compliance Resources to provide regular mandatory audit updates,
and monitoring throughout the year. State-of-the-art, web-based independent video monitoring
that provides 24/7, real-time monitoring and instant alerts of potential problems to the producer
and American Humane. http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/farm-animalwelfare.
Assembled in USA: See Made in USA below.
B Corporation: http://www.bcorporation.net
B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is
to milk. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and
environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Today, there is a growing
community of more than 1,000 Certified B Corps from 33 countries and over 60 industries
working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business.
BedFax: (www.bedfax.org) : Service provided by the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) to
fulfill consumer demand for information and education of what is inside mattresses. SSA's
BedFax RegisteredTM program allows manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to
transparency in marketing.
Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA)
http://www.bifma.org/ : A non-profit organization that develops voluntary product and industry
standards that support safe, healthy and sustainable environments; publishes key industry
statistics; and advocates for legislation and government regulation. BIFMA International and
NSF International have released a consensus based sustainability standard that allows
manufacturers to certify products and earn recognition. The standard includes criteria for
evaluating materials selection and usage; energy and atmosphere; human and ecosystem health;
and social responsibility impacts. A corresponding product certification program also exists
called "level". It is a product labeling program based on the ANSI/BIFMA e3-2011e Furniture
Sustainability Standard.
CSA: Canadian Standards development is the foundation of CSA Group. From our initial
charter in 1919, we have grown to become the largest standards development organization
(SDO) in Canada, with the widest subject area recognition. We also work with other SDOs
around the world as a key contributor to international and harmonized standards activities. Our
library of more than 3,000 standards and codes address subjects that affect the interests of
industry, consumers, regulators and the public at large. http://www.csagroup.org/us/en/home
Learn about CSA Group's accreditations, our recognized balanced matrix process, and how many
of our codes and standards are used by industries and regulators to help make the world a better,
safer, more sustainable place.
Standards Development: We are accredited in the U.S. and Canada to develop standards in a
wide range of subject areas that speak to product safety and performance, process improvement,
best practices and safer work environments.
CE Marking
Basics: The CE marking indicates a product's compliance with EU legislation and so enables
the free movement of products within the European market. By affixing the CE marking to a
product, a manufacturer declares, on his sole responsibility, that the product meets all the legal
requirements for the CE marking, which means that the product can be sold throughout the
European Economic Area (EEA, the 28 Member States of the EU and European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) countries Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein). This also applies to products
made in other countries which are sold in the EEA.
However, not all products must bear the CE marking, only product categories mentioned in
specific EU directives on the CE marking. CE marking does not indicate that a product was
made in the EEA, but merely states that the product has been assessed before being placed on the
market and thus satisfies the applicable legislative requirements (e.g. a harmonized level of
safety) enabling it to be sold there. It means that the manufacturer has:
• verified that the product complies with all relevant essential requirements (e.g. health and
safety or environmental requirements) laid down in the applicable directive(s) and
• if stipulated in the directive(s), had it examined by an independent conformity assessment
It is the manufacturer's responsibility to carry out the conformity assessment, to set up the
technical file, to issue the declaration of conformity and to affix the CE marking to a product.
Distributors must check that the product bears the CE marking and that the requisite supporting
documentation is in order. If the product is being imported from outside the EEA, the importer
has to verify that the manufacturer has undertaken the necessary steps and that the
documentation is available upon request.
More information for professionals
More information for consumers
CERES - Certification of Environmental Standards, GmbH:
CERES offers certification for organic farming and food processing, for Good Agricultural and
Good Manufacturing Practices in the food industry, and for organic textiles and biofuels:
• Organic Farming and Food Processing
• Inputs (materials) for organic farming
• GLOBALG.A.P. (Good agricultural practice)
• UTZ CERTIFIED (Sustainable coffee, cocoa and tea production)
• C.A.F.E. Practices (Sustainable coffee production for Starbucks)
• GOTS (Organic textiles)
• Bird Friendly® Coffee
Certified Biobased Product: is a USDA program that provides minimum percentages of
biobased content for certain products. USDA has set no minimum biobased content requirements
for finished mattresses, but has set a 12% minimum biobased content for "Bedding, Bed Linen,
and Towels." Source: 7 CFR § 2902.17 (2011). USDA considers finished mattresses to be a
complex product for which it may define a minimum biobased content limit at some point in the
Certified Humane: http://certifiedhumane.org/ Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) is the
leading non-profit certification organization dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in
food production from birth through slaughter.
The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for
kinder and more responsible farm animal practices.
When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label on a product you can be assured
that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise, objective standards for farm
animal treatment.
CertiPUR-US®: http://certipur.us/pages/about-certipur-us/
CertiPUR-US® foam certification program: a voluntary testing, analysis and certification
program for flexible polyurethane foam used as a cushioning material in home furnishings such
as adult mattresses, crib mattresses, upholstered furniture and some accessory comfort products.
Certified flexible polyurethane foams have been independently laboratory tested and certified to
be made without ozone depleters; made without PBDE flame retardants; made without mercury,
lead and other heavy metals; made without formaldehyde; made without phthalates regulated by
the Consumer Product Safety Commission; and low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)
emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million). Learn more at www.certipur.us.
Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC): The federal government agency
charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of
types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is charged with protecting
consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard
or can injure children. CPSC laws impacting mattress manufacturers include CPSC 1632 and
1633 flammability testing requirements and the new CPSIA lead and phthalates testing
16 CFR Part 1632: CPSC-administered mattress flammability standard issued pursuant to the
Flammable Fabrics Act that requires new mattresses sold in the United States (including Puerto
Rico) to resist ignition from a smoldering heat source (such as a lit cigarette).
16 CFR Part 1633: CPSC-administered mattress flammability standard issued pursuant to the
Flammable Fabrics Act that requires mattresses sold in the United States (including Puerto Rico)
to resist ignition from an open-flame heat source (such as a lit match, lighter or candle).
Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA): signed into law on August 14,
2008, set new content requirements and other requirements for certain children's products.
Source: Codified at 15 U.S.C. §§ 2051−2089, October 18, 2008 version.
For children's products sold on or after August 14, 2009, no component may contain more than
300 parts per million (ppm) of lead. (The lead limit may be reduced to 100 ppm by August 14,
2011, if technologically feasible.) The law defines a children's product as a consumer product
designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.
In addition to the lead content limits noted above, the law requires that certain components be
tested for lead content and that such testing information be included on the certificates of
conformity that manufacturers are already required to issue with their products with regard to
Part 1632, 1633 and other applicable standards (if any). The CPSC, however, has stayed
enforcement of these new lead testing and certification requirements until February 10, 2011.
This stay will allow the CPSC (and possibly Congress) time to clarify a number of complex
issues involved with enforcing the new lead content provisions.
It is important to understand that the CPSC's stay DOES NOT apply to the lead content
requirement itself, and does not affect a manufacturer's existing obligation to meet other lead
content limits set in 16 CFR part 1303 (discussed below).
The CPSIA has exempted from the lead content limits and the lead testing/certification
requirements internal mattress components that are physically inaccessible to a child and certain
fabrics, fibers and other components. Specifically, CPSC regulation 16 CFR Part 1500.91
exempts the following textile materials:
(i) Natural fibers (dyed or undyed) including, but not limited to, cotton, kapok, flax,
linen, jute, ramie, hemp, kenaf, bamboo, coir, sisal, silk, wool (sheep), alpaca, llama,
goat (mohair, cashmere), rabbit (angora), camel, horse, yak, vicuna, qiviut, guanaco;
(ii) Manufactured fibers (dyed or undyed) including, but not limited to, rayon, azlon,
lyocell, acetate, triacetate, rubber, polyester, olefin, nylon, acrylic, modacrylic, aramid,
Aside from textiles that contain dyed fibers, the CPSC's regulation notes that textiles with "aftertreatment
applications, including screen prints, transfers, decals, or other prints" are excluded
from this exemption.
Other exemptions from the CPSIA lead requirements that could be relevant to mattress producers
include wood, paper and similar materials made from wood or other cellulosic fiber, and certain
types of printing inks.
Note that these exemptions will not apply if a material, component, or product is altered in a way
that may introduce lead in excess of the content limit to the product.
The combined impact of these exemptions will save mattress manufactures thousands of dollars
in testing and compliance costs.
The CPSC is conducting a separate rulemaking to define testing and certification procedures for
components in children's products that do not qualify for these exemptions.
The CPSC has issued an enforcement policy for the lead requirements which details how the
Commission will initially use its enforcement discretion to implement these new rules.
For those products and components that must be tested for lead, the CPSIA requires
manufacturers to use a CPSC-accredited third party or in house testing labs. The CPSC has
released its criteria for obtaining accreditation. See also: list of accredited labs.
A second requirement that also took effect on February 10, 2009, bans the use of certain categories
of phthalates in "child care articles." (It is unclear at this time whether a mattress designed or
intended for use by children three years of age or younger is a child care article for these purposes).
A "child care article" may not contain more than 0.1% of DEHP, DBP, and BBP, which are banned
on a permanent basis, or DINP, DIDP, and DnOP, which are banned pending further review. Like
lead, the phthalates provision requires manufacturers to use a CPSC-accredited third party or inhouse
lab to meet testing and certification requirements. Like lead, the CPSC has advised that
physically inaccessible parts in finished products are exempt from the testing requirement.
Also in February 2009, the CPSC requested public comment on whether a mattress (and several other
products) intended for children three and under is used to "facilitate sleep." ISPA submitted
comments to the CPSC requesting that the agency find that mattresses are not child care articles for
these purposes. If the CPSC determines that a mattress does not meet this definition, the new
phthalates requirements would not apply to that product. At this time, the CPSC has not ruled on
ISPA's request.
CPSC-accredited testing labs.
The following is a list of labs that have been accredited by the Consumer Product Safety
Commission as qualified to conduct 16 CFR 1632 and/or 16 CFR 1633 flammability testing for
children's and adult mattresses and bedding. Also highlighted are those companies within this
group that are qualified to conduct lead and phthalates testing-an additional requirement for
products sold for use by children ages 12 and younger.
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Phone: 716-505-3641
16 CFR 1632 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing
Consumer Testing Laboratories Inc.
Phone: 479-636-8782
16 CFR 1632 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing.
Diversified Testing Laboratories
Phone: 336-227-7710
16 CFR 1632 tests
Element Materials Technology
Phone: 651-659-7521
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests, plus lead testing
Govmark Organization
Phone: 631-293-8944
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests
Intertek Testing Services
Phone: 616-656-1347
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing
Intertek Testing Services
Phone: 210-635-8100
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing
Milliken Pyroanalytical Center
Phone: 888-723-2876
16 CFR 1633 tests
QAI Laboratories
Phone: 918-437-8333
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests
Sealy Inc. Regulatory Compliance Laboratory
Phone: 336-861-3997
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests
SGS Life Science Services
Phone: 973-575-5252
16 CFR 1632 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing
TouchStone Systems & Services
Phone: 616-532-0060
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests
Phone: 847-664-3281
16 CFR 1632 & 1633 tests, plus lead & phthalates testing
Source: BedTimes Magazine, September 2014 Issue, Page 47
Original Source: www.cpsc.gov
Control Union (CU) http://www.controlunion.com/en
Control Union is a global network of inspection operations and dedicated laboratories. Our
specialty: Independent worldwide cargo surveying and superintendence. Through innovative
solutions, specialized services and product knowledge, we offer complete packages for logistics,
quality and quantity management. From the country of origin to the final destination, and with an
open mind towards clients' demands.
The PCU Group is a network of independently operating service companies that mainly
operates under the trade name of Peterson and Control Union.
Control Union is a risk management expert, operating a global network of offices and
laboratories. It is a privately owned company founded in 1956 by a group of companies,
including Peterson in Rotterdam. Now, Control Union is fully owned by the Peterson and
Control Union Group.
The specialist activities of the group's companies' compromise:
• Commodity inspections and laboratory analyses for agricultural, mineral and consumer
products in dry or liquid form;
• Certification of processes and systems relating to food, feed, latex, fibres, textiles,
forestry, biomass and biofuel products for traceability, safety and sustainability.
• Collateral management for financed goods.
• Industrial testing and inspection related to the oil and gas industry for production and
exploration, both onshore and offshore.
Additional services:
• Logistics management, including 4th party concepts, distribution, storage and
transshipment, customs formalities, documentation and ships' agencies.
• Non-toxic pest control and conditioning of goods and warehouses, gas measurements.
• Satellite based geo-information and automated data analyses.
• Projects in logistics management, commodity chains, project management,
sustainability, risk control.
• Pre-shipment inspections.
Our certification services are performed under the name of Control Union Certifications when a
centralized accreditation is involved. Laboratory services are executed by various Control Union
operations. Our sister company, TLR International Laboratories in Rotterdam, operates the
largest laboratory in the group and acts as a knowledge and competence center. Moreover, it
assists in the development of other Control Union laboratories.
To guarantee swift and reliable service, we operate offices in most of the major ports and
business areas, thus we offer a unique network to our clients. We firmly believe in a
decentralized organization in order to give room for creativity and entrepreneurship. This
approach enables the group to develop innovative and flexible solutions for our clients and avoid
bureaucracy. Nevertheless, all business units need to comply with our safety, Quality,
sustainability and financial management system.
For more details, please visit our website: http://www.controlunion.com/en/certifications
Eco3Home: an American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) program that provides a
roadmap for home furnishings companies to create a corporate culture of conservation and
environmental stewardship. The first level is an environmental management system implemented
at the facility level called Enhancing Furniture's Environmental Culture (EFEC). It results in
improved management of resources and raw materials; reduced energy and water consumption;
reduced waste disposal and increased recycling. The second level extends the corporate culture
of conservation and environmental stewardship throughout a company's global supply chain and
is called Sustainable by Design (SBD). It targets four key areas: environmental impact of the
supply chain, global climate impact, overall environmental footprint and social responsibility.
The third and final level is a product registration program resulting in the companies being able
to use the Eco3Home hangtag. It requires manufacturers to provide safety, health and
environmental information for each piece or collection of registered product.
ECO-INSTITUT http://www.eco-institut.de/en/product-testing/: Provider of product and
emissions testing and quality assurance in regards to the legal national and international
requirements, trade and manufacturers associations, and consumer specialty requests. In respect
to the mattress industry, the ECO-INSTITUT tests mattresses for the inner spring, latex,
(viscoelastic) foam and polyurethane-type foam, and textiles. The ECO-INSTITUT services
certification according to the criteria of the ECO-INSTITUT Label, Blue Angel (RAL-UZ
38/117/119/130/148), or QUL (Quality Association for Environmentally-Agreeable Latex
ETL Listed Mark: Intertek's ETL Mark was born into a culture of innovation. It was in
Thomas Edison's lighting laboratories where it all began, and to this day we still breathe the
same air of innovation, safety and quality. We also understand a manufacturer's need to get new
products to market quickly to achieve the greatest success, therefore we have built speed,
responsiveness and urgency into our processes. Our commitment to helping customers gain the
certifications they need quickly and efficiently has never been greater.
The ETL Mark is proof of product compliance to North American safety standards. Authorities
Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) across the US and Canada accept the ETL Listed Mark as proof of
product compliance to published industry standards. Retail buyers accept it on products they're
sourcing. And every day, more and more consumers recognize it on products they purchase as a
symbol of safety.
Today, the ETL Mark is the fastest growing safety certification in North America and is featured
on millions of products sold by major retailers and distributors every day. Browse through our
most Frequently Asked Questions about the ETL Listed Mark.
Fair Trade International: http://www.fairtrade.net/about-fairtrade.html
Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade based on a partnership between
producers and traders, businesses and consumers. The international Fairtrade system - made up
of Fairtrade International and its member organizations - represents the world's largest and most
recognized fair trade system.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) : https://us.fsc.org/
FSC is an independent, non-profit organization that protects forests for future generations.
We are an open, membership-led organization that sets standards under which forests and
companies are certified. Our membership consists of three equally weighted chambers --
environmental, economic, and social -- to ensure the balance and the highest level of integrity.
FSC US is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and operates as a National Office of FSC
International, which is based in Bonn, Germany.
Global Network of Laboratories
Intertek is one of the world's largest Testing, Inspection and Certification companies. We have a
network of laboratories across North and South America, Europe and Asia to deliver safety
testing and certification for your products. Our teams around the world provide Global Expertise
with Local Service. No one partners with manufacturers better than Intertek to deliver the
services you need, when you need them, and where you need them.
Check out our white paper The Essential Guide to Product Testing & Certification
http://www.intertek.com/services/essential-guide-wp-web/ for more information on the standards
we test to for the North American market.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): created in 1914 to prevent unfair methods of
competition in commerce. The FTC now has greater authority to police anticompetitive
practices. In 1938, Congress passed a broad prohibition against "unfair and deceptive acts or
practices." Since then, FTC also has been directed to administer a wide variety of other
consumer protection laws. In 1975, Congress gave the FTC the authority to adopt industry-wide
trade regulation rules. FTC's jurisdiction includes issuing guidance to prevent deceptive
environmental marketing claims, which has been issued in the form of the FTC's Guides for the
Use of Environmental Marketing Claims or "Green Guides."
FTC's Green Guides: more formally known as the FTC's Guides for the Use of
Environmental Marketing Claims, specifically address the application of Section 5 of the FTC
Act, which protects against unfair methods of competition or deceptive acts affecting commerce,
Source: 5 U.S.C. § 41-58, as amended. The Green Guides apply to environmental claims
included in labeling, advertising, promotional materials and all other forms of marketing,
whether asserted directly or by implication, through words, symbols, emblems, logos, depictions,
product brand names, or through any other means, including marketing through digital or
electronic means, such as the Internet or electronic mail. Source: 16 C.F.R. § 260.2. The Green
Guides were first issued in 1992 to help marketers ensure that the claims they are making are
true and substantiated. The Guides were revised in 1996, 1998, and another proposed revision
came out in 2010. The guidance they provide includes: 1) general principles that apply to all
environmental marketing claims; 2) how consumers are likely to interpret particular claims and
how marketers can substantiate these claims; and 3) how marketers can qualify their claims to
avoid deceiving consumers
Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) http://www.controlunion.com/en/home/
A standard for the sustainable processing methods of latex products from their original organic
material. This includes standards for processing, manufacturing, packing, labeling, trading and
distribution of latex products. In addition this standard also focuses on human health, safety and
welfare, and environment in the manufacturing process of latex products. Source: GOLS.
GOLS has been introduced to ensure a sound supervision procedure of the route from field
level/farmer level to the certified organic latex product manufacturer.
There are several factors that should be mentioned with regards to this standard. The
manufacturers that may produce organic products under the GOLS logo would have to follow the
social and environmental regulations made mandatory through the standard. Moreover, this will
make the final consumer socially and environmentally responsible indirectly,
Consistency of the quality is one of the key focuses of this standard. To prevent introduction of
'falsely certified' products in to the market is one of the prime objectives of this standard. It will
protect the final consumer from being exposed to bogus products, while on the other hand will
safeguard the certified organic latex related manufacturers who follows the acceptable
procedures in their manufacturing processes. This standard describes the minimum requirements
to achieve GOLS certification for Latex collection points, Centrifuging, manufacturing and
processing units, retailers and brand owners. The standard covers the requirements of processing,
traceability, separation, identification, record keeping, quality control, environmental
management, social compliance, labeling and distribution of semi-processed and processed final
products made from certified natural rubber latex from organic origin.
Each Latex collection points, Centrifuging, manufacturing and processing units, retailers and
brand owners shall be audited (on-site) according to the standard (GOLS) annually in order to
maintain GOLS Certification.
For more details, please visit :
Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS): http://www.global-standard.org/thestandard.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognized as the world's leading processing
standard for textiles made from organic fibers. It defines high-level environmental criteria along
the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well.
• Organic certification of fibers on basis of recognized international or national standards
(IFOAM family of standards, EEC 834/2007, USDA NOP)
• Certification of fibers from conversion period is possible if the applicable farming
standard permits such certification
• A textile product carrying the GOTS label grade 'organic' must contain a minimum of
95% certified organic fibers whereas a product with the label grade 'made with organic'
must contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers.
A standard developed to define world-wide recognized requirements about the organic status of
textiles, from post-harvest handling of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially
responsible manufacturing and labeling. Its purpose is to provide credible assurance to the
consumer that a finished product is "certified organic." To achieve GOTS certification, a product
must meet one of its definitions for organic products and be certified by an independent thirdparty
certification organization approved by the GOTS International Working Group (IWG).
Licensing and labeling are governed by the GOTS IWG. GOTS can be used to certify a finished
product as "certified organic" if 95% of the product's ingredients (by weight) are certified
organic and the manufacturer is in compliance with other GOTS requirements. GOTS also
allows a claim of "made with x% organic material…" if 70% or more of the product's
ingredients (by weight) have been certified organic and the manufacturer, likewise, is compliant
with other requirements.
GOTS 4.0: The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile
processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by
independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.
Version 4.0 was published on 1st of March 2014, 3 years after the Version 3.0 was introduced
and 9 years after the launch of the 1st Version. The high ecological and social requirements as
well as word-wide practicability and verifiability were considered in the revision work, in order
to achieve a reliable and transparent set of criteria.
GREENGUARD® Certified: GREENGUARD Certification
GREENGUARD Certified products are scientifically proven to meet some of the world's highest
chemical emissions standards, to help reduce the impact of indoor air pollution and the risks of
chemical exposure in order to create a healthier indoor environment.
GREENGUARD Certification standards follow guidance of the US Environmental Protection
Agency's (USEPA) testing protocol for furniture, the state of Washington's protocol for interior
furnishings and construction materials, Germany's Blue Angel Program, and California Section
01350, among others. The GREENGUARD Certification Program has test methods and emission
limits for three product groups: Building Materials and Furniture and Furnishings, Electronic
Equipment, and Cleaning and Maintenance Products. GREENGUARD Gold Certification
standard includes health based criteria for additional chemicals and requires lower total VOC
emission levels for sensitive populations.
GREENGUARD Certification helps manufacturers create -- and helps buyers identify -- interior
products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in
which the products are used. UL Environment acquired the GREENGUARD Certification
program in 2011, further advancing its mission of promoting global sustainability, environmental
health, and safety. http://www.greenguard.org/en/certificationprograms.aspx
Green Housekeeping Seal of Approval: categories for the Green Good Housekeeping
Seal now include cleaning and beauty products, paints and coatings, appliances, paper goods,
and food and beverages; eventually the Green Good Housekeeping Seal will be introduced in
more categories, including building products, home appliances, consumer electronics, textiles,
and children's products. The seal was introduced in 2009 by Good Housekeeping magazine and
the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI). A product must first be evaluated by the
scientists and engineers at GHRI and earn the Good Housekeeping Seal. It then must meet the
environmental performance requirements to earn the Green Good Housekeeping Seal. Reduction
of water use in manufacturing, energy efficiency in manufacturing and product use, ingredient
and product safety, packaging reduction, and the brand's corporate social responsibility are
among the factors considered.
IABFLO : International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials:
ABFLO (Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials) was founded in 1936 and the
name was changed to IABFLO (International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law
Officials) in 2003. The association is made up of state officials who are responsible for the
enforcement of consumer oriented bedding and furniture laws in their respective states.
Instituto Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA): http://www.icea.info/en/
ICEA, Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute, is a Consortium that control and
certifies companies that carry out their activities in respect of people and nature, defending
workers dignity and rights of consumers.
With around 13 thousand controlled companies with strong ethical, environmental and social
value, 300 technicians and 28 Territorial Operative Structures in Italy and abroad, ICEA is
among most important bodies of the sector in Italy and in Europe, where it operates to favour a
fair and socially sustainable development that ranges from organic farming to other bio related
As a matter of fact ICEA certifications cover Food (organic food production and organic
aquaculture) Non-Food, (organic cosmetics and detergents, ecological textile, ecologic
furnishing, materials for eco-building, sustainable management of green areas, certification
Moreover ICEA carries out Research & Development activities to promote ecological
innovation of products and processes, Training activity meant for operators and
technicians/professionals of the organic sector, and is active in different projects of
International Cooperation, other than being active on the national level. ICEA together with
BIOL Italia organizes Prizes, Events and Campaigns of awareness rising to spread and share
culture, knowledge and values linked to organic.
IDFL Laboratory and Institute: http://www.idfl.com/
IDFL (International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory) is a global leader in down and
feather and textile product testing. IDFL is the world's largest down and feather institute. Since
1978 we have expanded our expertise to include textiles, synthetic fills and natural fills. IDFL
inspects and audits down and feather and textile factories and supply chains world-wide.
For more information about IDFL click here
Mission of IDFL
IDFL is committed to be the premier global laboratory and testing institute for filled textile
products. Our services will be cost effective and our client support will be the best in the
industry. Our reputation will be accuracy and integrity.
IDFL will provide fair, honest and trustworthy testing to help the industry instill confidence in
consumers that they are receiving quality products.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO): responsible for the ISO 9000,
ISO 14000, ISO 27000, ISO 22000 and other international management standards, including the
ISO 14000 series which deals with environmental management systems, eco-labeling, life cycle
assessment, product category rules, and environmental product declarations. ISO is not a
certification itself but rather a standard to which some certifications adhere.
International Sleep Products Association (ISPA): The industry's trade organization
representing mattress manufacturers and suppliers throughout the world. ISPA provides
exclusive industry surveys and statistics, advocacy support, educational offerings, trade show,
safety research through its Sleep Products Safety Council, consumer research and education
through its Better Sleep Council, and publications – BedTimes and Sleep Savvy magazines.
ISPA has been active on mattress end-of-life issues and has formed the Mattress Recycling
Council, a non-profit corporation that is developing and implementing mattress recycling laws
enacted by several states. ISPA provides information on mattress recycling and disposal
facilities on its website. http://www.sleepproducts.org/ispa-earth/
Lanham Act: a federal law that provides for private litigation between competitors and
governs advertising claims to prevent false advertising. Many states have laws analogous to the
Lanham Act to protect consumers. Source: 15 U.S.C § 1125.
Made in USA: a label enforced by the FTC. Products using the Made in USA label without
qualification must be "all or virtually all" made in America. Products may also be advertised
using qualified claims, in accordance with the FTC standard, such as "Made in USA from
imported parts" or "Assembled in USA." Automobiles, textiles, wool and fur products must
include a statement of U.S content; other products may voluntarily be advertised as containing
U.S. content but only in accordance with the FTC Made in USA standard. Source: 62 Fed. Reg.
no. 231, 63,756, Dec. 2, 1997.
National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau: reviews national
advertising for truthfulness and accuracy and to foster public confidence in the credibility of
advertising. NAD provides an alternative to litigation for settling false advertising claims.
While the final case decisions are made public by NAD, they cannot be used for advertising or
promotional purposes. Source: Better Business Bureau.
NSF International: an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides standards
development, product certification, auditing, education and risk management for public health
and the environment. NSF International is an accredited, third-party certification body that tests
and certifies products to verify they meet these public health and safety standards. Products that
meet these standards bear the NSF Mark. The NSF Sustainability division offers a range of
sustainable business solutions, including standards development and certification for green
products such as carpet, flooring, fabrics and other building materials; and process verification
services such as greenhouse gas verification, environmental foot-printing, and environmental
management systems registrations. http://www.nsf.org/
OE 100 / Now OCS 100: see Textile Exchange
OE Blended: see Textile Exchange
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100: https://www.oekotex.
The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is an independent testing and certification system for textile
raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of production. Examples for items
eligible for certification: Raw and dyed/finished yarns, raw and dyed/finished fabrics and knits,
ready-made articles (all types of clothing, domestic and household textiles, bed linen, terry cloth
items, textile toys and more).
Criteria: Testing for harmful substances includes:
• illegal substances
• legally regulated substances
• known harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals
• as well as parameters for health care
In their entirety the requirements clearly exceed existing national legislation.
Laboratory tests and product classes: OEKO-TEX® testing for harmful substances always
focus on the actual use of the textile. The more intensive the skin contact of a product, the stricter
the human ecological requirements to be met.
Accordingly there are four product classes:
• Product class I:
Textile items for babies and toddlers up to 3 years (clothing, toys, bed linen, terry cloth
items etc.)
• Product class II:
Textiles used close to the skin (underwear, bed linen, T-shirts etc.)
• Product class III:
Textiles used away from the skin (jackets, coats etc.)
• Product class IV:
Furnishing materials (curtains, table cloths, upholstery materials etc.)
Certification: The requirement for certification of textile products according to OEKO-TEX®
Standard 100 is that all components of an item have to comply with the required criteria without
exception – that means in addition to the outer material also sewing threads, linings, prints etc. as
well as non-textile accessories such as buttons, zip fasteners, rivets etc.
OneCert® : certifies to major organic markets email: firstname.lastname@example.com
• USDA National Organic Program (NOP)
• European Organic Regulations (EC 834/2007)
• Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS)
• Indian National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)
• US/Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement (USCOEA)
• Export Certificates for Japan (NOP Equivalent)
• Export Certificates for Taiwan (NOP Equivalent)
OneCert certifies organic textiles and inputs
• Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS)
• Organic Content Standards (OCS) 100 & Blended
Organic Trade Association (OTA): The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the
membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America. Founded in
1985, OTA is the leading voice for organic agriculture and trade in the United States,
representing over 6,500 businesses across 49 states. Its members include growers, shippers,
processors, certifiers, farmers associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants,
retailers, and others. Organic products represented include organic foods, ingredients and
beverages, as well as organic fibers, personal care products, pet foods, nutritional supplements,
household cleaners and flowers.
Mission: OTA's mission is to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment,
farmers, the public, and the economy. - See more at: https://ota.com/aboutota#
SATRA Technology Centre: http://www.satra.co.uk/portal/about.php
SATRA is an independent research and testing organization established in 1919. It has technical
facilities in the UK and China serving customers throughout the world. As well as testing
products and components to European and international standards across a wide range of
industry sectors, SATRA develops, manufactures and sells test equipment. SATRA is a Notified
Body for various European directives including personal protection equipment (PPE), which is
one of SATRA's largest sector operations. SATRA has its own chemicals analysis laboratory for
testing restricted substances in accordance with European REACH, and US chemicals
regulations for which it is CPSC-accredited.
SATRA is considered a leading technical authority for footwear and leather. Companies from
these industries can become members of SATRA to gain exclusive access to SATRA test
methods, accreditation, consultancy, research facilities, technical training and factory production
management systems. A number of SATRA systems are recognised in the supply chain as setting
industry standards for quality and production efficiency.
As well as the knowledge and experience of its technologists, what distinguishes SATRA is the
volume of technical information it has published since 1935 in the form of magazines and books
to help promote quality, excellence and professionalism throughout consumer products
industries. Much of this information is now available online.
Scientific Certification Systems: SCS builds their own standards and acts as an
independent third party verifier for a variety of certification programs. Examples of verification
include: Recycled and Material Content, Biodegradable, No added formaldehyde, FSC Chain of
Custody, and Pesticide Free. http://www.scsglobalservices.com/about-scs
SACERT Soil Association Certification: http://www.sacert.org/
Soil Association Certification Limited is the wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil
Association. Over 70% of all organic products now sold in the UK carry the Soil Association
symbol. We are the UK's largest organic certification body. Our team of certification officers,
technical staff and inspectors are experienced and dedicated. Working nationally and
internationally, we provide unrivalled support, before, during and after certification.
The Soil Association's organic standards are more exacting than those set by either EU or UK
authorities. These standards put our principles into action, and are based on respect and integrity
- not profit.
Financial surplus from certification work is ploughed back into developing the organic
movement - and its market, through our owning body Soil Association.
Our long-standing expertise is just one of the things that sets us apart from other certification
bodies. We have been certifying product since 1973 and we are able to offer our licensees an
unrivalled service, technical knowledge and guidance through - and beyond - the certification
With our symbol on your packaging, you are sending a clear message to consumers that your
products meet a strict set of organic standards.
Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) www.sleepinformation.org : a non-profit association
promoting the full spectrum of new technology bedding. SSA members are retailers,
manufacturers and suppliers that develop, manufacture, market and sell innovative, newtechnology
mattress and bedding products including: visco-elastic memory foam beds; latex
rubber beds; airbeds; flotation beds; gel beds; adjustable beds; futons and convertible beds; beds
made from soy, bamboo, wool, 100% cotton; bed frames; and bedding. SSA's BedfaxTM
program is a manufacturer self-declaration and labeling program designed to help consumers
understand the environmental and safety attributes of mattresses. Participating manufacturers
must display a "Consumer Disclosure Label" (CDL) describing the contents of components in
percentages by weight and providing additional information about environmental claims made
by the manufacturer.
Sustainable Furnishings Council: A green furnishings organization, Sustainable
Furnishings Council (SFC) is a non-profit coalition of suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and
designers formed to promote sustainable practices within the furnishings industry. In 2008, SFC
launched a public advertising and in-store tagging program for consumers to identify retailers
and products that exceed SFC threshold sustainability standards. SFC maintains three levels:
Standard for retailers and manufacturers committed to improve their sustainability performance,
Exemplary for retailers and manufacturers meeting or exceeding proven levels of performance,
and the Designer specifically aimed at furniture designers. The Exemplary Level addresses:
reducing Stockholm chemicals throughout supply chain; life cycle certification; reuse and end of
life management; social equity; independent third party audited Social Equity Supplier Conduct;
educational content for climate change; use of Green-e certified renewable energy; tree-free
approach to all documents; recycling and reduced packaging; and innovation credits.
Textile Exchange
Textile Exchange is a membership-based non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating
sustainable practices in the textile industry. We envision a textile industry that protects and
restores the environment and enhances lives. Industry Integrity is foundational to the work of
Textile Exchange, and seeks to support the transparency and integrity of sustainability claims in
the marketplace. To learn more about Textile Exchange, visit our website:
TE Standards
The Textile Exchange standards have been developed through a multi-stakeholder approach to
support the integrity of product claims by providing verification from an independent third-party.
http://textileexchange.org/standards: http://textileexchange.org/content/industry-integrity-textileexchange
Mission: Textile Exchange inspires and equips people to accelerate sustainable practices in the
textile value chain. We focus on minimizing the harmful impacts of the global textile industry
and maximizing its positive effects.
What We Do
• Convene, inform and build capacity in our membership base and across the industry
• Advocate product and industry integrity
• Help bring positive innovations to scale
• Improve organic farmers' visibility, access to stable markets, and better develop business
capabilities through education
• Create partnerships that accelerate sustainable practices across the global textile industry
The Content Claim Standard (CCS) applies the two Textile Exchange principles of maintaining
the identity of a raw material as well as tracking the raw material from input to the final product.
It can be used for any raw material on a business-to-business basis.
GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD v3
The Global Recycled Standard is an international, voluntary, full product standard that sets
requirements for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody, social and
environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. The GRS is intended to meet the need of
companies looking to verify the recycled content of their products (both finished and
intermediate products) and to verify responsible social, environmental, and chemical practices in
the production of these products. The objectives of the GRS are to define requirements to ensure
accurate content claims, good working conditions, and that harmful environmental and chemical
impacts are minimized. The standard covers processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling,
trading and distribution of all products made with a minimum of 20% recycled material (the
minimum content percentage for labeling with the GRS v3 logo is 50%).
The Organic Content Standard (OCS) is a standard for tracking and verifying the content of
organically grown materials in a final product. The Organic Content Standard (OCS) applies to
any non-food product containing 5-100% organic material. It verifies the presence and amount of
organic material in a final product. It tracks the flow of a raw material from the source to the
final product and this process is certified by an accredited third party. It allows for transparent,
consistent and comprehensive independent evaluation and verification of organic material
content claims on products. http://textileexchange.org/OCS
The TE Recycled Claim Standard verifies the presence and amount of recycled material in a final
product through input and chain-of-custody verification from a third party. It allows for
transparent, consistent and comprehensive independent evaluation and verification of recycled
material content claims on products. http://textileexchange.org/RCS
The TE Responsible Down Standard (RDS) ensures that down or feathers are sourced from
responsibly treated geese, ducks, or other waterfowl, and tracks the material through the supply
chain. The chain of custody of the certified down is backed up by TE's Content Claim Standard.
The Responsible Wool Standard is currently in development. This is designed to be a global
standard that will protect animal welfare, influence best practices, ensure traceability and
ultimately give consumers clear and trustworthy information that will allow them to make
responsible choices. http://textileexchange.org/Wool
Wool is an important fiber in the textile industry; it has a long history, and an even longer future.
Its versatility, performance characteristics, and comfort give it great value in a range of
applications, and keep it as a perennial favorite among consumers.
Wool owes its unique properties to the sheep that grow it, and we owe it to the sheep to ensure
that their welfare is being protected. To this end, Textile Exchange has initiated the development
of the Responsible Wool Standard. The RWS is designed to be a global standard that will
protect animal welfare, influence best practices, ensure traceability, and ultimately give
consumers clear and trustworthy information that will allow them to make responsible choices.
Work on the RWS began in February 2014, after H&M contacted TE about addressing their
wool supply. The decision was made to involve the full industry, and as a result the development
of the standard is being done through the International Working Group. This group represents the
broad spectrum of interested parties, including animal welfare groups, brands, farmers, supply
chain members, industry associations, as well as apparel, home, and carpeting brands.
Work on the RWS began in February 2014, after H&M contacted TE about addressing their
wool supply. The decision was made to involve the full industry, and as a result the development
of the standard is being done through the International Working Group. This group represents the
broad spectrum of interested parties, including animal welfare groups, brands, farmers, supply
chain members, industry associations, as well as apparel, home, and carpeting brands.
UL: UL is a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise
innovating safety solutions from the public adoption of electricity to new breakthroughs in
sustainability, renewable energy and nanotechnology. Dedicated to promoting safe living and
working environments, UL helps safeguard people, products and places in important ways,
facilitating trade and providing peace of mind.
UL's global network provides performance and durability testing, chemical and emission testing,
flammability and GREENGUARD Certification for furniture and bedding products. We provide
the knowledge and expertise to help navigate growing complexities across the supply chain from
compliance and regulatory issues to trade challenges, such as REACH and California Proposition
USDA National Organic Program USDA-NOP: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
What is organic?
Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been
produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices
that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic
fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used. Consumer
Our Mission
Ensuring the integrity of USDA organic products in the U.S. and throughout the world. About Us
+ Reports | USDA Organic Seal


text:
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Finished! Otherwise known as . . .
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Repeat projects - bring them on!
Sometimes, it takes more than one try to get a project completed.
I'm currently in a knitting swap. Actually, late for a knitting swap! I started this hat before Christmas on a ski trip. Ski, ski - no knitting.
Following the trip, my family came down with the flu - 1, 2, 3. So, not much knitting then. Then, some happier pre-Christmas evenings with drinks and knitting.
The end result was a very short hat (not pictured!)
So I knit it again with worsted weight yarn.
Not too bad in this photo - but the original was still too short. Well, guess what? I'd missed one 16 row repeat on both hats!
So I tripped both hats back and re-knit them both. Then, I looked at the pattern photo. Hmm - still not right . . .
What I had been reading as three purl repeats turned out to be a three stitch Cluster Stitch. (I'd make a rude joke here but my mom might read it!)
So, if the knitting doesn't work out, try, try, try again. This swap package is going out on Tuesday with three variations on the same hat and my apologies.


text:
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Wednesday continued its sharp criticism of Iran, labeling Tehran the world's top government sponsor of terrorism.
In a new report, the State Department said terrorist attacks and deaths from terrorism declined worldwide last year. The Islamic State militant group remained the most active "non-state" perpetrator, the report said, despite having suffered a significant loss of territory.
The document, formally titled Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, is issued annually under congressional mandate.
A section on state sponsors of terrorism highlights Iran, its arming of the Hezbollah organization based in Lebanon and anti-Israel groups like Hamas, plus its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. accuses of committing numerous atrocities against his citizenry.
"Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism," Justin Siberell, the State Department's acting coordinator for counterterrorism, said in a briefing for reporters.
Iran has been on the list since 1984.
The report noted that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps served as the government's "primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad."
Hezbollah also made an appearance in the report in discussion about Venezuela, which came under heaviest criticism among Western Hemisphere countries.
"For the 11th consecutive year, the Department of State determined … that Venezuela was not cooperating fully with U.S. counter-terrorism efforts," the report said, noting the leftist Caracas government had provided safe haven for Hezbollah "supporters and sympathizers," along with other militants like Colombian guerrillas and Basque separatists.
The State Department report, citing statistics compiled by the University of Maryland, said the total number of terrorist attacks in 2016 decreased by 9 percent from 11,774 in 2015 to 11,072. Deaths from terror attacks fell 13 percent in the same year, from 28,328 to 25,621. Sixteen of the dead were American citizens.
House members demand apology from Turkish president
WASHINGTON — Standing on the site of a recent violent altercation between protesters and bodyguards of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, members of Congress from both parties condemned what they said was an assault on American values and demanded an apology from the Turkish leader for flouting U.S. law.
"We will not stop until the dictatorship that's being formed in Turkey is defeated," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., who has faced criticism from both sides for defending Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Rohrabacher spoke along with Reps. Ted Poe, R-Texas, Jim Costa, D-Calif., John Sarbanes, D-Md., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass., at an event organized by the Armenian National Committee of America and Sheridan Circle May 16.
"I join with each and every one of you here this morning for a principle that is the cornerstone of America and that is our First Amendment rights — our freedom of speech, our freedom of assembly, our freedom to protest," Costa said. "And on May 16 those freedoms were violated — they were violated, sadly, by security guards of the Turkish government."
In May, during Erdogan's official visit to Washington, Erdogan supporters and members of his security detail clashed with protesters near the Turkish ambassador's residence at Sheridan Circle in Washington's Embassy Row. The incident sent nine people to the hospital. D.C. Metropolitan Police chief Peter Newsham called it a "brutal attack."
"As an American citizen, I was violated from exercising (my) First Amendment right of freedom of speech," said Sayid Reza Yasa, one of the protesters injured.
The State Department said in a statement following the incident that it was communicating its concerns to Turkey in "the strongest possible terms." The Turkish Embassy said Erdogan's bodyguards were provoked by demonstrators and acted in self-defense.
In June, the House passed a resolution condemning the violence, 397-0.
—McClatchy Washington Bureau
Parents sentenced to up to 7 years in Pennsylvania 'gifted' girls case
PHILADELPHIA — Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus, parents of a teenage girl "gifted" to a Bucks County, Pa., man convicted of sexually abusing several of their daughters, were sentenced to up to seven years in jail Wednesday on child endangerment counts in a case that generated national attention.
Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Finley, who sternly lectured the couple, ordered both to undergo therapy and mental health evaluations.
Daniel Stoltzfus, 44, who pleaded no contest to the child endangerment in April, was sentenced to 3 { to seven years in prison; his wife, 43, who had entered a guilty plea, was sentenced to three to seven years.
Two of the Stoltzfus' daughters watched with somber faces as their parents were sentenced, along with an older brother who had led a delegation of 26 Amish adults and two infants into the courtroom.
A Stoltzfus daughter asked Finley to consider the children's love for their parents, saying they have "no supporting adults … in this time of great need."
Finley admonished Daniel Stoltzfus, saying he allowed his children to become what some would call "sex slaves" and exposed them to unimaginable trauma. "You continued letting your children crawl into the bed of that man when you knew what was going on," he told Savilla forcefully.
Daniel Stoltzfus said, "I regret having to put my children through what they've been through this past year and wish to reunite with my children."
The couple had met Kaplan, now 52, at an auction, and the man helped them "transition from the Amish lifestyle" while assisting them financially, according to prosecutors. Stoltzfus then "gifted" his oldest daughter to Kaplan.
Savilla said she felt "very, very lost" when they met Kaplan. "Forgive me for the fact that I put my children at risk."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
Katherine Berman, wife of ESPN personality Chris Berman, died from blunt trauma, drowning
HARTFORD, Conn. — Katherine Berman, the wife of ESPN personality Chris Berman, died from injuries she suffered after her car struck the back end of another vehicle in Middlebury in May, the state medical examiner has determined.
Dr. James Gill, the chief state medical examiner, ruled Berman's death was an accident and said she died from blunt trauma and drowning. He declined to release toxicology results.
Berman crashed into a car operated by Edward Bertulis, 87, of Waterbury, who later died at a hospital.
State police are still investigating the crash. Katherine Berman, of Cheshire, was coming from lunch at the Good News Cafe in Woodbury prior to the crash.
The 2003 Lexus SC 430 driven by Berman hit the rear of the 2003 Ford Escape driven by Bertulis, veered off the road and down an embankment and overturned in a small body of water, state police have said.
The Ford struck a utility pole and flipped, landing in the middle on its roof. Berman had a seat belt on and was found in her vehicle. Bertulis wasn't wearing a seat belt and was partially thrown from his car, state police said.
—The Hartford Courant
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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Main Menu
Since September 2006, the President has been continually discussing, with students and parents, the importance of feeling good about oneself, self respect, peer respect and finally developing a sense of "peer responsibility;" these concepts are inter-related. If one values self and others, one is likely to avoid dangerous situations and help peers who find themselves challenged. The University teaches and preaches "peer responsibility" as the one of the most effective ways of identifying dangerous situations or people in trouble.