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GHOSH email@example.com_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-07-25 published
Margaret ALLEMANG, Nurse And Scholar: 1914-2005
Pioneer in applying methodology to traditional care, she wrote the first paper on Canadian nursing history
By Sabitri GHOSH, Special▼ to The Globe and Mail, Monday, July 25, 2005, Page S9
Toronto -- Decades after the entrance exam that secured her a spot in the University of Toronto's School of Nursing, Margaret ALLEMANG -- by then a much-honoured professor emeritus -- was still mulling over her response to the question of why she wanted to be a nurse. "I guess I just used the pat answer," she mused in a 1993 interview, "that 'I wanted to be of service to others."
An inveterate deep thinker, Dr. ALLEMANG could never settle for a pat answer if a more profound one could be unearthed. As her nephew, Globe and Mail writer John ALLEMANG, recalls, "She had a professorial way of dealing with issues: you always allow time for further thought and consideration, and you don't close off any avenues for possibility." Yet in spite of her second-guessing, what she said in 1937 proved inescapably true -- both of her career as a researcher, teacher and historian, and of herself in general.
One of a new breed of nurses who emerged from an academic program instead of from an in-hospital apprenticeship, Dr. ALLEMANG was a pioneer in applying research methodology to traditional nursing. "Essentially, nursing wasn't a research-oriented profession or academic pursuit," Mr. ALLEMANG says. "It was simply the business of training nurses to be nurses. So she was kind of on the edge of that transition, where they started doing clinical studies of nursing care."
Her 1956 master's thesis on "factors affecting the sleep of patients" was among the earliest dissertations in clinical nursing. It was unique, too, for its emphasis on the individual patient -- a marked contrast from other studies of the era. Throughout the 1960s, Dr. ALLEMANG continued to broaden the purview of contemporary clinical research, chronicling the experiences of hospitalized cardiac patients and leading an experimental research unit at Sunnybrook Hospital trying out more patient-centred systems of nursing.
"She was very concerned with the patient as a person -- a whole person," says her friend and teaching colleague, Judith YOUNG.
Dr. ALLEMANG's quest to meet the "patient's physical, emotional and spiritual needs" was one charted by personal experience. As a child, she suffered from osteomyelitis, a chronic bone infection that left her bed-ridden for most of her youth. Later, studying philosophy in university, she came to embrace the existentialist view of how a crisis like hers could be transformative. "There was the idea in my thinking," she said, "that this fits into the sick person, because illness is a crisis, that people can grow and learn through illness."
For her PhD, Dr. ALLEMANG initially wanted to construct a theory of nursing "based on the existentialist approach to man." But her PhD committee at the University of Washington nixed the idea. So instead, she turned to the development of nursing education in North America from 1873 to 1950, focusing on the leaders who ushered in its most important changes. The project took her nearly 20 years to complete, with Dr. ALLEMANG working on it in between teaching duties at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Nursing. She was, remarks her nephew, "a great procrastinator."
When Dr. ALLEMANG's paper finally did come out in 1976, it was the first ever published on Canadian nursing history. Moreover, points out Kathryn McPHERSON, dean of women's studies at York University, it also deposited a crucial piece of scholarship into the hands of social historians just as they were starting to take stock of women's history-making contributions. "It was consistent with a genre of women's history which was about looking at Canada's female leadership," Dr. McPHERSON says.
While pursuing her PhD, Dr. ALLEMANG became familiar with another group of history-making women through the Nursing Sisters Association of Canada. She herself served as a nursing sister in the air force during the Second World War. While she did not go overseas, she later discovered dozens of women who had been principal actors in the drama of war. From 1977 until the early 1990s, she systematically interviewed 30 of them in a monumental oral history project. "It's very different view of the war," Dr. YOUNG says. "Nurses were the only women who were close to the front lines. I think Margaret saw them all as heroines."
During the 1980s, a group interested in nursing history, including Dr. YOUNG and Dr. McPHERSON, began to coalesce around Dr. ALLEMANG in meetings hosted at her West Toronto home. In 1993, the group formalized as the Margaret M. Allemang Centre for the History of Nursing. Even without a building or staff, Dr. McPHERSON believes their advocacy helped prevent precious archival materials from being lost during the wave of cutbacks that swept health care in the mid-1990s. She also credits Dr. ALLEMANG for bringing nursing history into its own in Canada through her tireless support of academics like herself.
"She was a real encourager, a co-ordinator," Dr. McPHERSON says. "Nursing history is so much part of general social history, so much on the map."
Never married, Dr. ALLEMANG was particularly close to Mr. ALLEMANG, her twin brother's son. In her retirement, the two regularly went to the opera and restaurants together, and would indulge in substantive conversations about the arts, history, food and philosophy. Somehow, Mr. ALLEMANG marvels, she managed to be a critical thinker without ever being critical. "I never knew if she had a bad thought about anybody," he says. "I'm sure she did, but you had to work pretty hard to get a sense that she didn't approve of something."
Even when a boarder from Hong Kong took her prized red Mustang on a wild joyride that ended in it being totalled, Mr. ALLEMANG says his aunt barely budged. Nor did it discourage Dr. ALLEMANG from her practice of opening her home to strangers. The last in a long series of tenants was Gizaw CHUTA, a refugee from Ethiopia and a minister in training. Today, Reverend CHUTA says he initially worried that the elderly white Canadian would see his presence as an imposition. "What she told me, she has experience with all people, with all cultures, so she liked to talk with all people. For her, really, all the world's people are the same."
When Mr. CHUTA learned last November that his wife and children had finally received visas to come to Canada, Dr. ALLEMANG insisted on paying their airfares.
Margaret ALLEMANG was born in Toronto on July 19, 1914. She died in Toronto on April 14, 2005. She was 91.
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GHOSH firstname.lastname@example.com_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-11-07 published
Wilbur Roy JACKETT, Jurist (1912-2005)
Bad-tempered but committed chief justice of the Federal Court had an enormous impact on the administration of the law in Canada
By Sabitri GHOSH, Special▲▼ to The Globe and Mail, Monday, November 7, 2005, Page S8
Kingston -- When an admirer wanted to write his biography, Wilbur JACKETT, the retired chief justice of the Federal Court of Canada, nearly dismissed the idea out of hand. It was, he opined with his signature bluntness, "a damn fool idea and waste of time."
But then, as he was wont to do, the judge reconsidered his position, eventually agreeing to tell the would-be biographer, Montreal lawyer Dick Pound, how he went from small-town Saskatchewan to engineering some of the most important developments in Canada's postwar legal system.
That he almost forfeited the chance to make his case to posterity was characteristic of a man to whom the opinions of others mattered little and who thought, Mr. Pound said, "judges' judgments should speak for themselves, and that's all you needed to know: A judge was what his judgment was."
Mr. JACKETT entered the University of Saskatchewan's law school in 1928, apparently at the urging of his stern, emotionally distant father. After an outstanding academic career, culminating in a Rhodes scholarship, he joined the Department of Justice in The department was then the busiest in Ottawa, the place where everyone else offloaded their legislative homework under the frenetic deadlines of the war. In the close quarters of the 10-person office, Mr. JACKETT's skill at crafting solid pieces of legislation fast -- he guessed that he drafted eight bills in his first year alone -- soon came to the attention of the deputy minister of justice, Frederick VARCOE. By the late 1940s, he was handling everything from staff recruitment and training to all civil litigation, so that his appointment as Mr. VARCOE's successor in 1957 surprised no one.
At 5-foot 4, with an ink-black, rubberstamp moustache, Mr. JACKETT inspired both respect and hostility within the department. He would reassign employees without consultation, demand they work evenings and weekends, and rail at them for minor mistakes. At the same time, he could be generous in recognizing and encouraging people's gifts, even those dissimilar from his own.
Marguerite RITCHIE, Canada's first female Queen's Counsel, saw both sides of Mr. JACKETT within the span of a few months. Then in charge of international law, she was called into his office and "informed that he didn't believe in international law," she said, "and that he was going to more or less watch everything that I was doing from then on."
Ms. RITCHIE apprehensively continued her work -- which at that time centred on the legal structure surrounding the United Nations until, one day, Mr. JACKETT called her back into his office: "He said he'd changed his mind and something to the effect that you really do need someone to assist you, which was a tremendous reversal." To her, this was evidence of his overriding sense of fairness.
Under Mr. JACKETT's direction, the department developed the 1953 Crown Liability Act, removing many archaic impediments that prevented citizens from suing the government. And, at the request of the Diefenbaker government, he was also responsible for drafting the Bill of Rights, a statutory precursor to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Despite these achievements, Mr. JACKETT wanted to sit on the bench and felt he had to -- in Mr. Pound's words -- "sanitize" himself for the role. Choosing Canadian Pacific Railway as his quarantine, he accepted a position as its general counsel in 1960. Once gone from the Department of Justice, he let it be known that he would welcome a judicial appointment, specifying the Exchequer Court of Canada as his first choice.
The itinerant court, which specialized in suits against the government and in federally regulated areas such as intellectual property and income tax, was widely considered sluggish and inefficient, with some of its cases running on for five years. Mr. JACKETT became its president in 1964 and right away stopped assigning judges to files until they finished writing their judgments in reserve. In the meantime, he and another judge took on virtually all new cases. Within a year, the backlog was cleared.
Impressed, the Department of Justice took note when Mr. JACKETT suggested replacing the Exchequer Court with a wholly new body whose jurisdiction would extend to rulings by federal tribunals, boards and commissions.
Then-justice minister John TURNER found the proposal both legally and politically appealing, and agreed to pilot the necessary legislation through Parliament. On June 1, 1971, the Federal Court of Canada officially opened, with Mr. JACKETT as its chief justice.
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GHOSH firstname.lastname@example.com_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-12-02 published
Magnus ELIASON, Politicial Organizer: (1911-2005)
He joined the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation the year it was founded and became a gifted backroom planner who groomed such up-and-comers as Ed SCHREYER
By Sabitri GHOSH, Special▲ to The Globe and Mail, Friday, December 2, 2005, Page S9
Kingston, Ontario -- In 1957, officials at Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation headquarters were looking for somebody to drive Magnus ELIASON. It was one nomination that Ed SCHREYER, then an ambitious young politico, would rather not have got.
"Frankly, I thought it was going to be a drag, driving around a political organizer," Mr. SCHREYER said. "At the age of 20, I had other things in mind."
But the white-haired �minence grise -- who was severely visually impaired as a result of congenital albinism -- turned out to be no ordinary passenger. As Mr. SCHREYER drove him through the Manitoba countryside, he cracked picaresque jokes, told stories from Norse mythology, and recounted stirring anecdotes from his days as an original Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation member.
"He was such a marvellous, marvellous storehouse of knowledge and so entertaining as a raconteur that, after that first chore, I genuinely volunteered to drive him around," Mr. SCHREYER said. They talked so much, added the former Manitoba premier and governor-general, "we never turned the radio on once."
Though his own r�sum� as a politician was limited, Mr. ELIASON played a singular role in the rise of the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation and its successor, the New Democratic Party, through tireless organizing and nurturing political talent like Mr. SCHREYER, who described him as a "tremendous influence on my early life."
The son of Icelandic immigrants, Mr. ELIASON heard of the 1932 founding of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation while homesteading with his brothers in Sunnybrook, British Columbia An immediate convert, he became one of the party's most zealous missionaries, preaching its program of socialism and full employment as he freight-hopped during the Depression in search of work. In March of 1935, he went on a proselytizing trek across northern British Columbia and Alberta, walking to every farm in a 60-kilometre radius to drop off Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation pamphlets and spread the party's message. By his calculation, he achieved a 65-per-cent success rate.
As Mr. ELIASON's activism grew, the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation hired him as an organizer to reinforce its Prairie base. His tactical savvy and attention to detail proved critical in winning Tommy Douglas a second term as Saskatchewan premier during a close 1956 campaign.
"Magnus could walk into a room and know where everybody was and who they were, and zero right in, find out just what the details were," said Jim MALOWAY, Mr. ELIASON's long-time business partner. "So if he wanted them to come to a meeting, he would have their name and phone number and the time they were home, and then organize a car to go pick them up. You can't beat a guy with organizational ability like that."
In 1958, Mr. ELIASON returned to his native Manitoba to work full-time for the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation national office. Over the next decade, he more than tripled party memberships in the province. A born marketer, he loved going to people's homes, setting out the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation platform as tangibly as he would demonstrate the merits of no-rip nylons or encyclopedia sets in his erstwhile career as a door-to-door salesman.
"He loved sales and getting directly to the sales pitch in a way that would just make me cringe," Mr. SCHREYER said. "But most of the time, it worked."
One winter, Mr. SCHREYER said, he drove Mr. ELIASON to a tumbledown farm -- "the farmer was chopping ice in the water trough for his livestock; you could see he was just struggling, financially" and watched with consternation as Mr. ELIASON unloaded his high-powered sales pitch.
"He probably was pleased that he could afford $5 to help out a people's movement," Mr. ELIASON later said when Mr. SCHREYER remonstrated with him. "Besides, you can't build a viable political party... on sentiment alone."
While unwavering, Mr. ELIASON's loyalty to the party was not unquestioning. By his own admission, he "entertained some doubts about the political wisdom" of amalgamating with the Canadian Labour Congress to form the New Democratic Party in 1961. At the New Democratic Party's inaugural leadership convention, he went against the party mainstream again, unsuccessfully supporting Hazen Argue over Mr. Douglas.
Convinced the party would lose Saskatchewan if Mr. Douglas left for Ottawa, Mr. ELIASON saw its subsequent defeat there as unwelcome vindication. "In politics," he said in his 1997 memoir, A Life on the Left, "I often sense a lot of things in my bones."
Mr. ELIASON's political intuition astounded Mr. MALOWAY, a Manitoba Member of Legislative Assembly since 1986. "He could predict the number of seats in an election campaign down to one or two. He used to phone me before an election and say, 'Well, Jim, I think you guys are going to get 13, or 20,' or whatever it was: He just had a great ability to sense this stuff."
In the mid-1960s, certain that Mr. SCHREYER was the key to an New Democratic Party victory in Manitoba, Mr. ELIASON secured an agreement from party leader Russ PAULLEY to resign in favour of the young member of Parliament. When Sid GREEN threatened to thwart his plan by contesting the leadership, he helped Mr. PAULLEY stave off the challenge. His prot�g�'s ascension to party leader in 1969, followed by his election later that year as Manitoba's first New Democratic Party premier, marked the high point of Mr. ELIASON's career.
Domestically, the long-time bachelor had also found another kind of perfect candidate: nurse and New Democratic Party supporter Catherine MacFARLANE, whom he married in 1965.
Mrs. ELIASON's niece, Wanda OPANUBI, felt Mr. ELIASON -- the consummate political organizer -- craved someone who could bring order to his chaotic home life. "Magnus was the child of the marriage," she said. "He was not only the husband, but the kid, and he did need a certain amount of care."
Backed by his wife, Mr. ELIASON finally realized some of his most long-standing ambitions. He bought an New Democratic Party colleague's insurance company and became a respected businessman. Then, in 1968, he won a seat on Winnipeg City Council representing a downtown ward. Championing revitalization of the urban core and the preservation of heritage buildings, he served five terms before retiring in 1989.
It was the only public office Mr. ELIASON ever held. Decades earlier, he had run for alderman in Vancouver, but managed to repel both poles of the 1940s electorate by defending Japanese Canadians' right to vote while simultaneously disavowing communism.
"He had a streak of idealism," Mr. SCHREYER said, "but he often spoke of the need to temper that with reality. He used the word a lot: 'reality,' along with 'common sense,' 'logic' and 'analysis.'"
Mr. ELIASON's deference to reality caused the two men -- who "had a tendency to agree on just about every issue," Mr. SCHREYER said -- to disagree on one point. Mr. SCHREYER believed a party should never expel its members under any circumstances, especially on policy, while Mr. ELIASON thought it was sometimes necessary for the sake of party unity.
Mr. SCHREYER found it ironic, then, when Mr. ELIASON started taking positions contrary to the party line on issues such as abortion. In recent years, his commanding baritone could often be heard at New Democratic Party gatherings projecting a sharply dissident voice. "I know it irritated some folks," Mr. SCHREYER said, "but I admired him all the more for it."
The same fearlessness also characterized Mr. ELIASON as a salesman and canvasser. He liked to quip, "An adventure lies behind every door."
Mrs. OPANUBI offered his family's explanation for it: "He couldn't read expressions on people's faces. So he just kept on going."
Ultimately, Mr. ELIASON's readiness to come face to face with anyone or anything nearly killed him. On his business's busiest day of 1978 -- the province's February deadline for renewing car insurance -- he was working late into the night at his home office. "We closed at 6 o'clock," Mr. MALOWAY said, "but there would always be people coming by to insure their cars who would show up at 7, 8, 9 o'clock, and he would help them: He was extremely customer-friendly and would never turn a customer away."
Hindered by his near-blindness, Mr. ELIASON inadvertently opened the door to a gunman, who threatened to kill him unless his wife handed over their money. The couple survived the experience physically unharmed but emotionally brutalized.
What happened next was almost as extraordinary. The usually voluble Mr. ELIASON never spoke of the traumatic incident with anyone except his niece and business partner. Nor did his Friends detect even a subtle shift in his personality or political views: On crime, he continued to argue, as always, for rehabilitation over retributive justice. And he still opened his door whenever people came calling.
Magnus ELIASON was born in Arnes, Manitoba, on June 21, 1911.
He died after a brief illness in Winnipeg on November 11, 2005. He was predeceased by his wife.
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Passionate about travelling? Not scared going out of your comfort zone? Want to bring some excitement into your life? Then you are in a right place!
Travelling is the most popular trend nowadays, especially among youngsters. However, not every person is able to do travelling, because of the financial side of it. It surely requires some amount of money to cover transport expenses, living costs, food etc. However, there are some things you can save money on.
You have probably heard about auto-stop? The more advanced travelers nowadays use the word "hitchhiking". Hitchhiking is getting more and more common way to travel these days. Not only because it's basically free, but also because it's unusual, brings you lots of new emotions as well as new acquaintances and even friends!
Last year my friend and I made a 12 days non-stop hitchhike across Europe. We started from Italy, went to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Sweden and finished our journey in Finland. On our way we met bunch of amazing people and got a ride from 17 drivers: some German and Italian students, DJ and wine bottle designer, pretty old couple that drove us way further than they needed to, policeman, volleyball coach, oil and cacao company worker, 86 years old sailor going to a party, French couple going for vacation, lady who works with mentally ill people, a lawyer & doctor couple who walked back to us because they wanted to help, two Finnish guys, airport push/pull plane driver, the girl from movie-making industry, oil distributor, top manager of IKEA warehouse and a chef cook of 3 top restaurants around Helsinki.
However, if you are up for trying this way of travelling, you need to plan things well and some things even beforehand. So, here I am to give you some hints and to share my personal experience.
1. Choose a good location
Location is the most important thing in getting a ride. You need to find a good spot where you can be easily seen and where cars can stop safely. Therefore, it is essential to have a map. For a hitchhiking spot I recommend a public highway – it is absolutely the best spot to catch a ride. Going downtown is a bad idea since it´s gonna be hard to find a long-distance ride from there; also downtown there is usually no space for a car to stop, because of the heavy traffic in the center.
Also, a good idea is to join different hitchhiking clubs and to check out the world HitchWiki map where travelers mark the best hitchhiking spots to get a ride from. If you can't get a ride on the road, try petrol stations. Just walk around, ask people to give you a lift. This will be helpful!
2. Take some comfortable and bright clothes with you
It is really important to dress up properly. You will walk a lot, so make yourself ready for it. Think about comfortable clothes and shoes. Fill your backpack only with necessary things! Check out few tips for How to Pack a Backpack. Personally I suggest taking few T-shirts, extra pair of socks, rain cover, deodorant and camera. Color is important! Wear bright clothes, so that drivers can easily see you from a distance. Such items like a flashlight, a pocketknife, black marker for writing on a cardboard, sunscreen, etc. would become useful and they don't weight much.
3. Don´t hitchhike alone
If you use this way of travelling – always take a friend with you. However, it's good to know, that you cannot take all of your friends either! Two people is usually the best option, since cars don't have space for more. Also for safety reasons, it is always fun to travel with somebody you know. Stay positive, talk, laugh – this experience will stay with you forever!
4. Stay awake!
If there are two of you travelling, one person should always be awake! If it's been really hard day and you need some sleep, you can do rotation with your friend. One person sleeps, another follows the road and vice versa. It is also a good idea, to keep some conversation going with the driver. Usually the people who give you a ride are open-minded and very interesting people (they probably pick you up to have a talk and not to get bored), so grab the opportunity! Make friends, build connections!
5. Stay safe
Hitchhiking might seem risky, but that should not stop you from trying it. Just always keep an eye out! If the driver looks suspicious to you, do not accept a ride! It is good to remember the car number and even take a picture of a car if possible, and send it to your friend or family before leaving.
To sum up, I just want to say: never be afraid of trying something new and as my teacher once said "Live fast, love hard and die laughing"!
-Daria Tcvetkova

subset: commoncrawl


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Because I like to start my day out with some good news. Here is a neat article about a company in the UK who are making school exercise books out of a sugar cane byproduct rather than conventional wood-based pulp, and the best feature is that the books are no more expensive.
Ms Teal said using agricultural crops rather than wood gave the added advantage of reducing deforestation, and helped protect fragile ecosystems that would otherwise break down as a result of logging in forested areas.
"In this instance it costs no more to buy an eco-friendly green product than a conventional wood-based paper product," said Ms Teal.
"The Consortium is the first supplier to source this product and with sustainability becoming increasingly important in the classroom, we think that once schools have tried these exercise books, there will be no going back."
I hope the project has legs, if it works out well we may see publishers start producing textbooks from this material as well.


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Open All Year
Reserve: 800-562-9724
Reserve: 800-562-9724
Info: 956-761-5665
Info: 956-761-5665
1 Padre Blvd
South Padre Island, TX 78597Get Directions
RV Sites, Tent Sites
Check-in: 12:00 pm, Check-out: 11:00 am
Check-in: 3:00 pm, Check-out: 11:00 am
We are located right on South Padre Island, so we are your perfect basecamp to visit many fantastic attractions (such as Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark which is right across the street from our park). Check out all the SPI fun!
Don't just dine on the water; dine OVER the water at Pier 19 Restaurant and Bar. Eat indoors or outdoors. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Full service Bar. Stroll on the pier and enjoy beautiful sunsets and watch the dolphins. Discounts are available for our KOA guests. http://pier19.us/
Are you an expert angler? Are you a novice or looking for a new family experience? Osprey Fishing Trips provides fishing services for all skill levels, for individuals, families, groups, and couples. When you join the Osprey team for a fishing trip in South Padre Island, TX, you get a complete package that includes instruction from the crew and your rod and reel, bait, and tackle. It's a first class experience, and all you'll need is a hat, some sunscreen and a small measure of fisherman's luck. Join Osprey Fishing Trips aboard the finest fishing vessels on the Texas Coast. The "Osprey" & "Osprey 2" fish year round in the Gulf of Mexico for your pleasure. They offer a variety of trips, whether drift fishing for kingfish, shark, and dorado, or bottom fishing for red snapper, grouper, and amberjack, they strive to make your experience an enjoyable one.
Also available, Sea Life Safaris where you can see dolphins and all sorts of sealife. Great fun and an educational experience for the whole family. Check out their website at http://ospreycruises.com/osprey-fishing-trips/
Shiver me timbers! There's a Pirate Ship in the bay! The Black Dragon and their band of thieves, brigands, piratefolk, and back-stabbing blackguards will entertain both young and young-at-heart during their Laguna Madre Bay cruises. This feisty ship has even been known to attack our Pier 19 Restaurant with their mighty cannons! This is an attraction you do not want to miss when you visit South Padre Island. Call 956-943-MATE or visit http://ospreycruises.com/the-black-dragon-pirate-ship/.
Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark provides a full day of family fun in a tropical resort setting. Cruise the endless Rio Aventura and let it carry you from ride to ride without having to get out of the water! Blast uphill and down on four water coasters! Explore a giant sandcastle! Stroll down the boardwalk and onto the white sandy beaches. Surf the largest man-made wave in the USA. Check out their website at http://www.schlitterbahn.com/spi/
Learn how to make fabulous sand castles with American Sand Sculpture Champion, Andy Hancock at South Padre Island, the sandcastle capital of the world! Sandcastlelessons.com provides you and your family with an opportunity to play at the only permanent professional sand sculpture arena in Texas year-round. Fun for you, your children, and your grandchildren. They supply everything. No experience necessary. Individual lessons, special events, corporate groups, weddings and birthday castles, sand castle picnics, and more available. Highly rated on TripAdvisor for South Padre Island Activities. Call or text for information at 956-433-9948. Email at email@example.com.
There is so much to see and do on Soutn Padre Island and at Port Isabel! For more specific information on local activities, please visit the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.sopadre.com and the Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce website at http://portisabel.org/chamber/
Experience the speed & power of "Thriller 07" with her twin 500 hp engines as you cruise the waterways of South Padre Island and Port Isabel. Depart from Pirate's Landing in Port Isabel for this super exciting high speed boat ride. Call 956-943-6283.
From 11 AM to 1 PM, head north to The Shores (just north of the convention center) to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and more at the Farmer's Market.
The free South Padre Island shuttle stops at our KOA every thirty minutes. It's a great way to get all over the island and beaches. Some buses even go over the bridge to Port Isabel. Check by our KOA office for full details.
Come to our office to get specific details and times for the variety of church services available in our area including Island Baptist Church (107 Mesquite St, SPI), Chapel By The Sea (33425 State Park Rd 100, SPI), Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic church (705 S Longoria St, Port Isabel), and Christ's Harbor Church (Hwy 510 just one mile off Hwy 100, Laguna Vista).


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The government's index of leading economic indicators, turned downward in May , the third and largest retreat this year. The index dropped 1.8 percent from April, which was revised to show a 0.4 percent increase.
Nine of the 10 indicators available for May contributed to the decline: layoff rate, new orders, pace of deliveries, contracts and orders for plants and equipment, building permits, stock prices, liquid assets, money supply adjusted for inflation, and a four-month average of crude materials and raw goods. Only the length of the average workweek improved.
The index is designed to forecast trends in economic activity and likely economic p erformance.


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GRIMSBY, Yorkshire and TORONTO, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Movieola - The Short Film Channel (Movieola) and propellerTV (Propeller) announced today that Movieola has reached a definitive agreement to acquire a majority shareholding in Propeller, a U.K./European-wide satellite channel available to more than 8 million Sky subscribers. "We are delighted to be able to provide greater access to more viewers, across more platforms. Movieola's premium short-form programming coupled with Propeller's strong showing among U.K. and European audiences, makes them a fitting partner for our international expansion goals and will provide a boost in exposure for Canadian films and filmmakers abroad," commented Romen Podzyhun, President and CEO of Channel Zero Inc., operators of Movieola - The Short Film Channel. "The opportunity to partner with Movieola is perfect given the growth, the demand, and the new digital platforms available for high quality short film content," said Simon Couth, Executive Director, propellerTV. The completion of the agreement is subject to Board approval by both companies. Financial terms of the deal have not been released. Movieola and Propeller expect that the completion of the agreement will occur before the end of November, 2008. About Movieola - The Short Film Channel Movieola - The Short Film Channel presents the very best of action, drama and comedy films that can all be enjoyed in less than 40 minutes. From celebrated Academy Award(R) and Film Festival winners, to cult favourites, Movieola - The Short Film Channel gives viewers an opportunity to experience exciting, cutting-edge short films. Movieola - The Short Film Channel is a Channel Zero network. www.movieola.ca About propeller TV Broadcast from Yorkshire, propeller is the first digital satellite television channel in Europe to screen 100% new and original programming. Seen on Channel 195 on BskyB, it is available to more than 8 million subscribers across the UK. Since its launch in February 2006, propeller's programming has become widely regarded as among the most creative on the Sky platform showcasing new, exciting and original television. www.propellertv.co.uk Please note: This news release contains certain comments or forward-looking statements regarding Movieola that are based upon current expectations and are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties. These factors could cause actual future performance to vary materially from current expectations. Movieola disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statement even if new information becomes available as a result of future events or for any other reason.
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The most common treatment for pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is the use of antibiotic eyedrops, according to Mayo Clinic. Eye ointment is another common medication that is prescribed.
When using either of these medications, a patient suffering from the condition usually feels relief within a few days. A cold compress can be used to relieve the itching and burning associate with the infection, states WebMD. Since pink eye is contagious, hands should be washed thoroughly after coming into contact with an infected eye; touching an infected eye should be avoided. A doctor is required in order to prescribe the necessary medication used to treat this condition.


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One of the earliest ideas of the Yorkshire Ridings Society was the introduction of
Yorkshire Day as a time for people to celebrate everything Yorkshire. Each year
many events take place all over the county ranging from groups of friends
meeting for a coffee morning or an evening drink to large events organised by
towns or cities.
The oldest celebration takes place in York where members of the society are joined by visitors to the city and carry Yorkshire Flags round the city's walls.
At each of the bars 'The Declaration of Yorkshire Integrity' is read. By tradition, the boundaries of the ridings run to the walls of York, so by walking out of three of the bars it is possible to read the declaration in each riding. At Monk Bar the reading is inside for the city.
For the past few years the declaration has also been read in Parliament Street too.
You're welcome to join us, we'd be pleased to see you.
Timings for York this year are: Walmgate Bar, for the East Riding, 10:30, Micklegate
Bar, for the West Riding, 11:38*, Bootham Bar, for the North Riding, 12:15, Monk Bar, for the city. Parliament Street, 13:00.
The flags then complete the circuit back to Walmgate Bar.
At all bars except Monk Bar the readings are in Latin, Norse, Old English and Modern English. At Monk bar it is in Modern English only as the full set of readings takes place shortly afterward in the city centre, where the modern English version will be read by The Deputy Lord Mayor of York.


text: My domain was only 10 hours old when it got indexed. How? First of all, my domain is .com so that may speed things up. My site has over 500 words with the main keyword included 10-15 times.And it's unique rewrited content. After that as a noob I searched BHW for backlinks, I found that identi.ca is candy for googlebot so I got pretty nice backlinks from there (identi.ca profile went third in 10 minutes when searching my main keyword) Then I found StatsBlaster from BHW (thx to Sycthos) and I blasted 15 000 submits. After blasting, I still wanted to get some high pr backlinks so I found this thread and I set up only 4 profiles with my site and keyword! Then I woke up today and wrote my domain to google and there it is first among the backlinks! I hope this helps someone!


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Suki Update
It's been a bit, but we're back and Suki is recovering well! She had a bump that looked like a bug bite for a year. It was previously aspirated with no cells being present. I noticed a change in it recently which concerned me. It was larger and looked bruised around the outside. Unfortunately, this time the needle biopsy confirmed my worst fear…mast cell tumor. Waiting a week for the surgery appointment was difficult. I wanted this awful thing out of her, but I was also scared to put her under anesthesia. Time stood still until the vet called to say Suki was awake and ok. The pathology results came back as a level 2 tumor, low grade…not exactly what I hoped for but not the worst it could have been either. The vet thinks it was fully incised and no chemo is needed. Whew!
The "restricted activity" for 14 days was a constant battle between Suki & me. The cone of shame resulted in a very annoying car ride home and major doggie tantrums. For both of our sanity, we switched to using t-shirts to prevent licking the incision. My t-shirts had to be tied up but still made it hard for her to walk. To say she wasn't amused is an understatement, so off to Walmart I went. Their youth t-shirts were a perfect fit, and she had cute colors to show off each day. She had a bad reaction to one of the pain meds, so we had to stop it. I spent the rest of the recovery period dealing with a bored pup, following her around the house to prevent jumping onto furniture (failed a few times…she's surprisingly stealthy), and trying to explain why we couldn't go for a walk every single time we went out for a potty break. Luckily her incision healed well, and we avoided any infection. Suki was so excited to have her stitches removed and to get out of the t-shirt! She's still rocking a punk, shaved look, but she's back to her usual silly self!
My Picks & Misses
So I was at a party recently, and of course we started talking about our fur babies. I mentioned products I liked and disliked, and people were jotting them down (well…typing into smartphones). Yes, I love to research products, check blogs, peruse reviews, and may even go a tad overboard, but then others don't have to. So why not share my "love them" & "never agains" with Suki's followers too? I'll continue adding to the list as I have good or "what on earth was I thinking" experiences.
- Sporn No Pull Harness – Suki is a little Houdini in every other harness I've tried.
- TagWorks Blingz Collection Personalized ID tags at Petsmart – cute & durable
- Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail – use it for full poop bags. Garage no longer smells.
- Unrefined Coconut Oil – great for skin & coat
- Petzlife TickZ natural flea & tick preventative – powder that goes on food & no harmful chemicals
- Dremel 200 Series 2 Speed – economical model great for filing nails even for dogs like Suki who becomes a WWE wrestler during nail trims
- Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball – still one of Suki's favorites & durable
- Simple Solution or Earth Rated poop bags
- Flat Out Dog Leash by Ruff Wear – adjustable handle can be hand held leash or waist worn leash
- Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover – better than anything else I tried –
- Kong Zoom Groom brush – great dry or wet
- Bamboo Pet Collapsible Silicone Travel Bowl
- Kyjen Outward Hound Quick Access Treat Bag – mesh pocket on outside and interior pocket for phone/keys. Can access treats quicker than other bags but stays closed so no spilling.
- Nina Ottosson Dog Twister toy – can adjust difficulty, Suki loves it
- Our Pets Atomic Treat Ball – durable & keeps Suki entertained
- PediPaws Nail Trimmer – spend the money on a real dremel
- Any standard step in harness at a pet store – I haven't tried Gentle Leader
- Jolly Pets Monster Mouth toy – hard to get treats out & Suki gets bored quickly with it
- Bags-To-Go poop bags at Walmart – No, No, No!! Way too thin. Felt like I was touching poop.
- FURminator brush – useless & painful on short haired dogs no matter what store employee tries to tell you
- Citronella bark collars – Suki emptied the whole canister and kept barking. Didn't phase her a bit.
- Nina Ottosson Dog Magic puzzle toy – the bones have holes in top & Suki kept getting stuck on her nails
- Nina Ottosson Dog Maze toy – Suki likes it, but not very durable. I'm always picking up torn off pieces of plastic from it.
Mean Thunderstorm
The joy of Spring storms. Thank goodness for the Thundershirt!
Benefits of Raw Goat's Milk for Dogs
When someone mentions milk, you probably think of a mooing cow and whole vs 2% vs skim. Chances are raw goat's milk doesn't even come to mind, but it should. Goat's milk has been gaining popularity in the world and for good reason. It's not only a good source of probiotics and prebiotics, but it also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. Raw goat's milk maintains its nutrients and enzymes whereas typical milk pasteurization destroys them in cow's milk.
Unlike cow's milk, goat's milk contains low amounts to none of the alpha-s1-casein protein which may be more likely to cause allergic reactions. Goat's milk not only carries a lower risk of allergic reaction, but it's more digestible. It contains smaller fat globules and higher concentrations of fatty acids than cow's milk. Raw goat's milk maintains its lactase which is the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Breaking down the lactose makes the milk easily digestible especially for dogs and cats. Heat during the pasteurization process performed on cow's milk destroys the lactase enzyme so lactose isn't broken down. The lactose in store bought cow's milk is difficult for dogs and cats to digest, whereas the body can digest goat's milk within 20 minutes.
Goat's milk has been proven to treat many chronic conditions:
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Gastric issues
- Poor digestion
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Heart Disease
- Ulcers
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Malnutrition
- Asthma
- Brain and nerve disorders
One of the most amazing benefits of goat's milk is its cancer fighting properties. It contains pro-Vitamin A and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which have been linked to lowering the risk of cancer by up to 60%. CLA has also been shown to shrink existing tumors!
Suki has early kidney disease and has started getting benign lumps common in older dogs. I've recently added raw goat's milk to her diet, so she can reap the amazing health benefits and try to prevent cancers common in older pups. It's her bedtime snack, and she loves the taste! I currently use goat's milk from Answers Raw Pet Food Company, since that's the brand my pet store carries. I highly recommend checking out their website. It's chocked full of good information on raw goat's milk and why you should add it to your fur baby's diet.
What? There's room.
Dry Skin or Calluses Getting Your Pups Down?
We've all seen them…those dogs with calluses on their elbows from laying on hard surfaces. You've probably even thought to yourself why don't the pet parents buy the poor dog a comfy, cushioned bed? They may very well have! I have a pillow bed downstairs, an orthopedic bed upstairs, and I'm allowed on all of the cushy furniture. Yet sometimes I still choose to lay on the hard floor. Don't ask me why.
Recently mommy noticed I was starting to develop hardened skin on my front elbows. She tried encouraging me to lay on cushioned surfaces, but I wasn't always cooperative. So mommy ran to the store and came back with a pretty green can. Turns out it was not a treat, but rather Bag Balm for my elbows. Mommy's been rubbing it on my elbows and pads for a few days now, and things are getting softer. I usually hate having anything slathered on my pads, but this doesn't bother me. It was around $10 so didn't break the bank either and will last a long time. The best part is there's no awful smell, and it actually stays on me well. Bag Balm gets the Suki Seal of Approval….though I still would have preferred a treat.
No you're not dreaming…Miss Suki is back!
Allow me to apologize for mommy's absence lately. There have been a lot of social, personal, financial, medical, and professional tension. Mommy is working through them, and I'm helping with cuddles and nose nudges. We'll be posting soon!
Fou Fou Pet Pawstick
Winter is definitely here in the Midwest which means lots of snow, ice, and paw burning salt. While I always use a pet safe de-icing compound at home, I know the city and some of my neighbors don't. I don't want to confine Suki to the yard and take away her walks until spring nor do I want to subject both of us to trying to put boots on her unless absolutely necessary…Fou Fou Pet Pawstick to the rescue. I've used other paw protecting balms and sticks but they always ended up being mushy and messy after a few uses. The Fou Fou Pet Pawstick reminds me of chapstick consistency and stays true to its form after repeated uses. It's so easy to apply…no sticking your fingers into goopy jars. You just swipe the stick across the pads and you're ready to go! I've also noticed it doesn't leave a smeary stain on floors like other products I tried. It's great regardless of your dog's size. This stick is by far my favorite paw protecting product. Suki must not mind it either because she doesn't try to wipe or lick it off immediately like previous ones.
Holiday Safety Tips for Fur Babies
It's that time of year again…Christmas! Extra treats, new toys, Christmas carols, glorious fluffy snow, and pet parents torturing their pets with silly antlers!
Unfortunately, Christmas can also bring some serious, evenly deadly holiday specific hazards for our fur babies. I'm sure you'd rather be enjoying some eggnog and Aunt Martha's fruit cake than visiting the emergency vet. Ok, maybe not the fruit cake. Protect your fur baby and your holiday cheer with these pet safety tips.
- BE AWARE OF CHOCOLATE! This heavenly smelling concoction is irresistible to most of us including our pets. Even a small amount can be toxic to pets though. Chocolate contains theobromine which attacks a pet's central nervous system and can lead to death. Make sure to keep all chocolate safely out of reach of curious 4 legged family members. This goes for gift wrapped chocolate as well. Mine is kept on the top of a closet with doors secured. If your dog does get hold of some, call your vet immediately with the type of chocolate and amount consumed! All chocolate is dangerous, but the darker the chocolate the more toxic it is. Your dog may need their stomach pumped and to be monitored closely by their vet.
- Have cats? Then don't have tinsel! Cats are notorious for eating tinsel. Unfortunately, tinsel can cause serious intestinal blockage which usually requires surgery. It's just not worth the risk.
- No sweets or baked goods. They can be too rich for pets and upset their stomachs. Many sweets also have artificial sweetener in them which can lead to liver failure and death in dogs.
- Be wary of holiday plants. Amaryllis, mistletoe, balsam, pine, cedar, holly, and poinsettias can cause health issues for pets.
- Try to keep cords out of reach or at least unplug them when not around to supervise pets. Electrical cords look like fun chew toys to our 4 legged family members and can deliver a dangerous shock if chewed through.
- I don't know of too many dogs who want to climb a Christmas tree, but cats are a whole other story. Trees must look like beautiful climbing posts to them. Secure your tree to the ceiling with fishing line, so your cat can't knock it over and risk injury in the process of falling. Even if your dog doesn't climb the tree, a strong tail wag can topple it over.
- Also keep sharp or breakable ornaments towards the top of the tree and out of reach of wagging tails and curious noses. You don't want broken pieces being swallowed or stepped on by little paws.
- If you have a real Christmas tree, supervise your pets around it and keep the needles picked up. Block off the tree or pet when no one's home. If ingested, the sharp needles can puncture your pet's intestines.
- Pets have sensitive stomachs and new, richer foods can wreck havoc on them. Unless you enjoy dealing with your pet having diarrhea or vomiting, limit the table scraps. You don't have to completely exclude your pet from partaking in your holiday dinner…just be smart. Suki gets a few pieces of plain turkey or ham on top of her food. She does not get gravy, biscuits, cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc. She's still part of our dinner without any ill side effects.
- Keep burning candles supervised or out of reach of curious pets. It doesn't take much to knock them over or too curious nose to get burned.
- Don't allow your pets to drink the water in the tree stand. Bacteria and tree needles can accumulate in standing water.
- No alcohol! Inevitably, there's that one relative who has a few too many and thinks it will be funny to watch a drunk pet. Alcohol is toxic to pets! It can slow down their heart rate and breathing and ultimately lead to cardiac arrest. Make sure your guests know alcohol is off limits to your pets.
- Watch the door! I can't stress this enough. Many pets are lost during the holidays because they bolted out an open door. During the holidays, friends and family come and go frequently, and they may not be used to watching the door for fur ball escapees. Make sure your pet is secure before the door opens.
Suki & I wish everyone and their fur babies a very Merry Christmas!
My Favorite Things
Christmas is almost here! I keep checking my stocking each day for goodies from Santa. Mommy hides my gifts from her until Christmas Eve. You break into gifts early one year and suddenly you can't be trusted. Geez! Now I know some doggie parents out there don't shop as early as mommy. For those who are still looking for doggie gifts, I thought I'd share my list of favorite gifts to receive.
1. Bully sticks. Any kind of bully sticks. Short, long, thin, thick, straight, braided. Lots of bully sticks!
2. Bacon rolls!
3. Puppy Kisses! I tolerate baths for these.
4. Mother Hubbard P-Nuttier Biscuits.
5. Atomic Treat Ball. I love flipping this around trying to get the treats out.
6. Snoop Interactive Dog Toy. This might be my favorite toy! It has a deep crevice in the middle for treats. I love trying to get the treats out by flipping, tossing, and nudging the toy.
7. Thinkers Duck Sticks. These don't last as long as bully sticks but I love them the same! They also come in chicken.
8. Zukes Minis. These are great for when I'm practicing commands & tricks. So many flavors!
9. Tricky Treat Ball by Omega Paw. It takes some thinking to get these treats out.
10. Himalayan Dog chew. It lasts a long time. I nibble on it over days.
11. Pet Dreams Cratewear Plush 3 Piece set. I love this! I don't like regular kennels after being in a shelter cage. Mommy bought this wonderful kennel set and now my kennel feels like a plush, safe den to me. I love going in it now when I want some alone time. It comes in different colors.
12. Petzlife TickZ – suppose to work on fleas and ticks. Mommy just bought this a couple days ago. It gets sprinkled on my food for 5 days and doesn't irritate my skin like the spot treatments.


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In light of the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo, Trendy Entertainment is celebrating the expo by including four brand new skins to their best selling digital title, Dungeon Defenders.
The new skins feature the alter egos of popular web-comic creators and will be part of a new discounted DLC pack available this Friday.
Jeremy Stieglitz, CTO and co-founder of Trendy Entertainment commented about the inclusion of the Penny Arcade crew, saying...
"We're all HUGE fans of the Penny Arcade strip, and of how they've consistently churned out hilarious and thought-provoking comics on the gaming industry for well over a dozen years," ... "It's a gigantic feather in our cap to hear that Mike and Jerry are fans of Dungeon Defenders – they're famously selective about which games they work with, and we're ecstatic to have made the cut. We hope these characters provide some levity and excitement for our PC players leading into the best gaming festival around."
In addition to the skins anyone attending PAX East will get an exclusive first-hand look at the upcoming Aquanos DLC, which is the third part of the Quest for the Lost Eternia Shards DLC.
The game itself is really awesome and one of the best multi-genre gems of this generation of gaming. Dungeon Defenders sports four-player local co-op as well as six through eight-player online co-op, where players will use tower defense strategies to take on hordes of goblins, mages, wyverns and orcs, as well as utilizing hack-and-slash techniques to engage foes in melee or projectile based combat. That's not to mention that the game has a looting system nearly equivalent to Diablo and Borderlands.
You can grab a few extra details on the PAX DLC for Dungeon Defenders below or visit the Official Website to learn more.
PAX PC DLC For Dungeon Defenders Features:
• Cardboard Tube Samurai (Gabe's alter-ego – skin for the Monk Class)
• Tycho (skin for the Squire Class)
• Annarchy (skin for the Huntress Class)
• Jim Darkmagic (skin for the Apprentice Class)


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I am sound designer not programmer and i need Yor help. I am adding footsteps to 3rd person character.
I made simple script in Java and put it into animation events as function. It works very well.
What i need is someone to help me with adding "random pitch function" to my script.
Also is there a tut how to do it with FMOD? Viking Villiage shows only 1st person character
- Maciej asked 2 years ago
- last edited 2 years ago
What do you mean by adding "random pitch function".
Are you using the pitch control in Studio at all?
- You must login to post comments
I found answer, this is tut showing 3 person character animation events:
This function allows to use FMOD event in "Animation events":
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
public class Footsteps : MonoBehaviour {
// Use this for initialization
void PlaySound(string path)
FMODUnity.RuntimeManager.PlayOneShot(path, GetComponent<Transform> ().position);
// Update is called once per frame
void Update () {
- Maciej answered 1 year ago
- You must login to post comments
Please login first to submit.


text: The mesquite tree was introduced into South Africa to aid farmers and local communities. It is now invasive in most parts of the country. Shutterstock July 26, 2016 How South Africa's second most invasive tree can be managed better Ross Shackleton, Stellenbosch University The invasive mesquite tree has a negative impact on everything from biodiversity to human health. Management programmes are crucial.


text:
Advocates Call For Community Services Official's Removal After
Institution Comment
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
October 20, 2006
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA--Australia's Community Services Minister, John Cobb, defended himself this week over something he said during a September 12 meeting with disability advocacy representatives.
There is some disagreement, however, between Cobb and some of the eight advocates who met with him in his office that day to discuss Australia's National Disability Advocacy Program.
According to The Australian news service, several of those present said they heard Cobb say that if a child of his had been born with a disability, he would have sent it to an institution.
"He said he had lots of children in his family and if he had a child that would cause stress he would get rid of it -- they were his words," explained Queensland Advocacy chief Kevin Cocks.
Heidi Forrest, president of People with Disability Australia and mother of a child with a disability, reportedly left the meeting in tears.
"I love my son and that was kind of saying that I'm no good for trying to have my son," she said later.
The groups have called for Cobb, who last year received the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's Human Rights Medal, to step down or be removed from his post.
On Thursday, Cobb said he did not say anything about sending a child to an institution, but only meant to show that he respected families that deal with family members with disabilities.
"I did say I have a large family and what I said was I'm not sure how I would handle it in a large family if I had a child that caused incredible disruption and I believe that."
"Cobb would 'get rid of' disabled child" (The Australian)


text:
Review | Author Bio | Read an Excerpt
Lenora Worth's Bio:
Lenora Worth knew she wanted to be a writer after her fourth-grade teacher assigned a creative writing project. While the other children moaned and groaned, Lenora gleefully wrote her first story, then promptly sold it (for a quarter) on the playground. She actually started selling in bookstores in 1993. Before joining Steeple Hill, Lenora wrote for Avalon and Leisure. Her first Steeple Hill Love Inspired title, The Wedding Quilt, won Affaire de Coeurs Best Inspirational for 1997, and Logans Child won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Love Inspired in 1998.
When it comes to writing, Lenora says shell get a scene in her head, maybe because of a song, or a passage of Scripture, and then the story just takes off on its own. I usually get story ideas in a full-blown way. That means I know the exact beginning scene, and exactly what the main conflict is, and I can see the ending in my head. However, it is what Lenora calls the misty partsthe bits that make her wonder what's going to happen nextthat she relishes for their challenge. I love stretching the emotions and the tension out until the breaking point. It's one of the favorite parts of my job. That little bit of mystery always makes me work harder to bring the story together.
Married for 29 years, Lenora has two children. Before writing full-time, she worked in marketing and public relations. She has served in her local Romance Writers of America (RWA) chapter and as president of Faith, Hope and Love, the Inspirational chapter of RWA. She also wrote a weekly opinion column for the Shreveport Times for five years.
When shes not writing, Lenora enjoys shopping with her daughter, or can be found at the ballpark watching her son throw a mean curveball for his Little League team and dreaming of him pitching for her beloved Atlanta Braves one day.


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Phone number: (03) 5229....
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Nearby Businesses within 5 km
- A 0.0 km Jobe's Restaurant
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text:
Logan County Judge Ray Gack is on a money hunt.
Last week, Gack said he's seeking money to pay for repairs to the Logan County Courthouse in Paris. Specifically, the judge said repairs are needed to the clock tower and the pillars at the courthouse.
"We're looking for donations," Gack said last week. "I guess we'll do a go fund me page on Facebook."
All kidding aside, Gack said he's asked the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District to see if they can help the county find funds to pay for the repairs.
"I talked to them recently and they said they haven't found any money yet," Gack said, "but they'll keep looking."
Money to repair the clock tower was put in the 2017 county budget by the Logan County Quorum Court. However, the $85,000 budgeted isn't nearly enough, based on the one bid submitted.
"Bids were opened and the only bid we got was for $156,000," Gack said.
Gack said repairs are needed because the lumber in the clock tower is deteriorating and the paint is "crumbling."
"It's also leaning slightly to the north," Gack said. "I don't know if that's a new problem or not. I also wanted to move the bell and display it. But, the Arkansas Historic Preservation people tell me that won't work."
The Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning repairs have to preserve the historic nature of the building. The bell, which still sits in the tower, isn't used. The chimes that sound from the tower are a recording. Another problem is the tower's elevation from the ground, Gack said.
"Fixing the tower is real simple," Gack said. "The problem is getting to it. You'd have to use a lot of scaffolding."
One option, according to the judge, is to wait until next year and another round of funding from the historic preservation program.
The county has applied for funding from the program to fix columns on the courthouse.
"They are deteriorating," Gack said. "They are beyond repair, so they are going to have to be replaced. We applied for funds to pay for it this year. We'll know something by July."
Gack said the county applied for $200,000. Whether that will be enough will depend on the bids.
In addition to repairing the tower and replacing the columns, Gack said "everything else needs to be repainted."
Nevertheless, Gack remains optimistic the repairs will be done — eventually.
"My goal is to get all of this done within the next two years," he said.


text: So i saw something on craigslist earlier that kinda intrigued me =) A guy was looking for another chick to cheat on his wife with..naturally she doesnt know about this so she must be discreet. I followed through and email him a few pictures and got a couple of them in return, including one of him together with his wife. Now I know this has been mentioned before in the forum but anybody think it would be to low or even lucrative to let him know that he can start filling out some offers or otherwise his pictures go public including the stories that he told me? I mean we blackhatters have our ways to bring things to the public Wouldnt mind your input


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Underrated Musicians and Bands
I have been listening to early Chicago when they were known as Chicago Transit Authority. Man, let me tell you, back in their day, they rocked like it was no one else's business. Which brings me to who I think is the world's most underrated guitar player of all time - Terry Kath. Here was a man who could not only play lead guitar almost flawlessly, it has been said his rhythm guitar work was even better. The late great Jimi Hendrix himself said, when he heard him play guitar, that he was even better than him!
Here is a little write up on Terry Kath, where some people are dumb founded that he is not considered one of the greatest of all time. When you listen to his guitar work, you will also ask how on earth could Nancy Wilson and several other guitarists be on the same Rolling Stone list, and not Terry Kath. Listen to the provided song, Oh Thank You Great Spirit, and you will be amazed. It's a tune that was very ahead of its time
Below is a track of one of my favorite Chicago tunes, Liberation from their first album. I think this tune shows, as the above tune how good he really was.
Now that I made my case, what musicians do you think are very underrated?
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Computers are sharing space with plows, milking machines, seed sellers and sundry other agricultural exhibits at the Pennsylvania Farm Show this year.
A few short years ago, no computers were being exhibited in the main hall at the Farm Show, according to show officials. But with expenses rising and profit margins shrinking, managing the family farm with a computer now makes sense, said representatives at the Sperry-New Holland exhibit.


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Is there a way to record audio (from mic) in a blocking fashion. I would prefer to be notified each 1024 bytes, rather than polling which appears to be the only API. Does lock actually block?
So how to Synchronous instead of async?
- Joel asked 4 years ago
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Best Answer
No, once microphone recording begins audio will be streamed in real-time. Lock will give you a pointer to the data but will not prevent more being written. The only way to halt the flow of data is by stopping the recording.
You would need to poll in the sleep loop to achieve synchronous behavior.
- Mathew Block answered 4 years ago
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text: So, I try to login to do the swagbucks app and get my 150 pts. Low and behold, this is what I get: Your account has been deactivated! There are a couple reasons why you may be prevented from accessing your account: 1. You are operating more than one user account. 2. You are using your account in violation of our terms of use. If you feel that you have received this message in error please contact [email protected]. So, I'm like WTH?! I don't bot or anything. I had 44 referrals. I emailed those bastards and I better get reactivated or I'm going to mailbomb their freaking email from 20 different gmail accounts asking why my ID was deactivated. I had over 5300 pts, too. IT'S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG (USED TO BE)! Stay tuned for the drama!


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The Internet may already know who's going to win the Super Bowl, but fortunately there are still some surprises to look forward to at Sunday's big game--like what Robonaut 2 will have to say when it appears on Fox's pregame show.
NASA's experimental humanoid bot took a break from training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston earlier this week to tape a segment with Fox Sports analyst Howie Long. In it, Long and R2 banter about their predictions for which player will win the Chevrolet Super Bowl MVP award and score a new 2012 Camaro convertible. The Fox Pregame Show kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Robonaut 2, or R2 as it is better known, was developed by NASA and General Motors to assist astronauts on the International Space Station and help GM conduct crash avoidance and other safety tests.
The 330-pound R2 has a torso with a head, two arms, two dexterous humanlike hands complete with four fingers and one thumb each, and its own Twitter account. When it's not sending tweets or pondering football stats, it's learning skills that eventually will be uploaded to its twin, which is already packed in special casing aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery awaiting a scheduled February 24 launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Once inside the ISS' Destiny orbiting laboratory, the robot will be tested by engineers to see how it operates in microgravity and the station's radiation and electromagnetic interference environments. It's expected to become a permanent resident of the ISS, possibly working side-by-side with astronauts in the future.


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Earlier OnePlus had released the latest OxygenOS open beta for its flagships the OnePlus 3 and 3T. And now it seems the company has finally fixed all the issues within the beta version. As such, OnePlus has now started to roll out the latest stable OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones.
This might be a great news for OnePlus 3 and 3T users. In any case, the version number for the latest OTA update is 4.1.0 and it also adds official support for Android 7.1.1 Nougat for both phones. Further, the update does bring the March 2017 Google Android security patches, along with some general bug fixes.
Apart from the Nougat update, the latest update will bring in some new features and improvements to the smartphones. According to the changelog given in the OnePlus blog, it states that the latest Oxygen 4.1.0 has added expanded screenshots feature to the OnePlus 3 and 3T.
The update also brings in improvement in the camera department as well. Owners can now take pictures of moving objects with blur reduction. They will also experience better video stability when recording videos. Further, the two smartphones also get improvements in the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity department with this latest update. So the user experience should be better now.
However, as for the roll out of the update, OnePlus is releasing this OxygenOS 4.1.0 update first to a smaller number of OnePlus 3 and 3T owners. As the company might be bringing the update in batches, users might have to wait for some time to get the update or in other words, you might have to wait for few more days before OnePLus finishes its general worldwide release. Besides, the update is coming to all OnePlus 3 and 3T devices.
In addition to the update, OnePlus is also seeking suggestions on making OxygenOS better and therefore the company is conducting an online survey to get the feedback from its users on UI and UX experience. So if you are a OnePlus fan you can take the survey now and give your suggestions on how the company can improve the features in their smartphones. OnePlus says, 'we appreciate your active feedback and attempts to reach out to us.


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TV Guy Gets His Black Men Mixed Up, and Samuel L. Jackson Roasts Him
Didn't we just go through this with Morgan Freeman? Look, this is even worse. If there is one black guy you do not want to confuse for another black guy, it is Samuel L. Jackson, because he will not let your ass off the hook.


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Nestled snug in their beds, faculty, staff and students has visions of a snow day dancing in their heads Tuesday.
When morning alarms sounded with a clatter, many arose from their beds to see what was the matter — because it snowed six inches and UNL would surely be shuttered.
However, it was business as usual Wednesday, thanks to 71 Landscape Services employees who reported in the wee hours to clear snow from UNL's 30 miles of paved sidewalk, 12 miles of streets and 84.5 acres of parking lot.
"For us, that was a perfect storm," said Eileen Bergt, assistant director of Landscape Services. "The snow started to taper off around 2 a.m., and by 3 a.m. it had pretty much stopped. That allowed us to have almost everything cleared and ready for students, faculty and staff by our goal of 7 a.m."
The decision to close campus due to inclement weather is made by Chris Jackson, vice chancellor for Business and Affairs. She said a variety of factors play into the decision, including Landscape Services' ability to clear campus parking lots and sidewalks so faculty, staff and students can negotiate campus safely.
"If weather conditions are so challenging that Landscape Services is unable to complete their work, then we must close," Jackson said. "(Wednesday) morning, Landscape Services' crew began to clear snow at 2 a.m. in anticipation that campus would be open. They did an excellent job clearing the campus so quickly."
Landscape Services employees were notified about the snow-removal plan by 8:30 p.m. Jan. 29. Bergt said every worker contacted showed up ready to get to work.
"We have an amazing group of employees who are extremely dedicated to their jobs," said Bergt. "Our staff really gets excited about snow. It's something different and they get a sense of accomplishment helping clear the path for the entire university."
Most of the snow removal at UNL is done with the help of machines. Only areas too small for motorized equipment, stairs and ramps are scooped by hand. Bergt said most of the mechanical equipment that moved snow Wednesday is used at other times of the year.
"We do have a few dedicated snow pushers, but we try to purchase equipment that can be used year round," Bergt said. "We convert mowers into snowplows by putting blades and cabs on them. Cushman vehicles become sanders. Blades are put on trucks that carry mulch in the spring, summer and fall. We also use our dump trucks and front-end loaders for larger areas."
Bergt described UNL's snow removal process — which is organized by Rich Wahl, construction manager for Landscape Services — as, "a well-oiled machine." A calling tree is used to notify employees that they are needed for special snow removal. When the scooping begins, workers divide into designate areas. They use radios to talk to each other and identify areas of need.
"It really is kind of a fun process," said Tanner Hilzer, a landscape assistant. "And, without us coming in early, there's no way UNL would have been open."
But opening campus is just the first step, as the scooping, pushing and deicing continues today and Friday.
"Thursday, they'll be in early again for our normal 'second day' procedure — checking for icy spots, removing snow from areas where it drifted shut and starting the final clean up process," Bergt said. "It's a lot of work, but that's what we do."
— Troy Fedderson, University Communications
Landscape Services clears path after snowstorm
Nestled snug in their beds, faculty, staff and students has visions of a snow day dancing in their heads Tuesday.


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Lyron Navy Embroidered Sheer Shirt Dress
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Plus when you start shopping everything is tailored to your location, so all details automatically update! We'll race you to the checkout…


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Video: Meet Dres Anderson, Utah's 'Red Rocket'
With a strong class of Pac-12 wide receivers moving on to the NFL after the 2013 season, Utah's Dres Anderson enters this year as one of the conference's top returning wideouts. And he is more than okay with that.
Anderson burst onto the scene with a huge 2013 season. He led the Utes in all major receiving categories by hauling in 53 passes for 1,002 yards, grabbing seven touchdowns, and averaging 83.5 yards per game. His 18.91 yards per catch led the entire Pac-12 and his seven receptions of 50 yards or more were tied for the most in the nation.
With junior quarterback Travis Wilson back in the mix after battling a concussion issue in 2013 and strong bloodlines (Anderson's father, Flipper Anderson, played 10 season in the NFL), Dres Anderson is poised to improve on last season's numbers.
The 6'2" senior from Riverside, California talked with Pac-12 Networks' Curtis Conway as part of the "Football Training Camp" tour's stop in Salt Lake City and let us know what his colorful nickname is as well as whether or not he could beat his father in a race. Check out the video above to get to know the man who could be known as the best receiver in the Pac-12 by the end of the 2014 season.
Watch the full episode of "Football Training Camp: Utah." To find out more about the show, outtakes and related stories check out the "Football Training Camp" show page.
Football: Inside Pac-12 FootballTODAY | 6:00pm PTLive
TOMORROW | 6:00pm PTLive
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Thu 10/25 | 2:00pm PTLive
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- Pac-12 Mountain


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Howard Rheingold: Virtual Cartographer
My friend and colleague Brandon Pierce let me run this interview in my book, Follow for Now.
Culture is driven by technology. Contemplate, for a moment, all of the devices that have changed your life in profound ways; or attempt a regress to your mental and physical state of being before the birth of the World Wide Web. Undoubtedly, you will notice your life is now inextricably linked to and tangled within technologies that pervade our daily experience (technophobes excluded). Our relationships, interests, and attitudes have all been cultivated by technological innovations made within our lifetime. Depending on the individual results of these developments, one can view the changes as mind-amplifying progress or a march toward a synthetic, controlled existence.
All of the above notwithstanding, Howard Rheingold is trying to give us a compass and a map, to help us navigate these times of speedy techno-social change and begin to understand where we're headed. There are people in this world who live in the future. They envision, design, and play with unheard-of devices; they organize physical communities that reflect their virtual connectivity; they live in a world that integrates technology and reality in novel ways. Rheingold knows these people. Hunting out the territories where technology meets human relationships is his business.
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution (Perseus Books, 2002) is Howard's latest attempt to shine a flashlight into the future. This future is home to inhabitants that navigate daily life with devices that are literally remote controls for the physical world, devices that are electronically integrated into our everyday environment. Radio chips, reputation systems, wireless internet nodes, Global Positioning Systems, person-to-person texting, and wearable computers all contribute to a vision of commerce and communication at hyperspeed. How these developments will be handled, by government, corporations, and everyday people, is yet to be determined, and how these technologies will manifest themselves in society is yet to be clearly conceived.
In times where technological innovation is in overdrive, it is difficult to predict or prepare for the future. Governmental regulation cannot keep up with technological advances (you can't tame an animal that you can't catch). Smart Mobs wants to make us conscious of potential changes. Extrapolating trends into an uncertain future, Howard Rheingold is attempting to help shape it with socially conscious dialog.
Brandon Pierce: Smart Mobs deals with the convergence, or overlapping, of multiple technologies. You argue that this new synthesis will manifest "emergent properties" that will be profound and unpredictable. Can you articulate this idea for our readers (i.e., why is the future of pervasive media and technology so much more than merely obtaining wireless internet access in the park or receiving baseball scores on your mobile phone?)?
Howard Rheingold: We've seen, at least twice before in the past two or three decades, the way the convergence of information and communication technologies have created new media that have had profound, widespread, and largely unpredictable effects. The television screen and the microprocessor made possible the personal computer as we know it. The personal computer is something that amplifies the ability of people to communicate, create, and do their work. It's not just a television screen and a microprocessor. It's an entirely new medium. In fact, it was regarded as a toy in its early days. The effect it has had on the way we do business and in the pursuit of knowledge, in academia, science, and medicine, have all been profoundly changed by the personal computer in ways that were not predicted. With PCs merging with communication networks (originally the telephone network with modems, but then over to cables and wireless networks) you get something that's not just a computer connected to a telephone; you get an emergent network, like the internet, which spawned the web and digital communication and all sorts of other phenomena which were not predicted beforehand. So we've learned something from this, but can we apply what we've learned to the future? We look at the internet, and it's been limited to the desktop, whether in a home or an office, but now, as we move on to devices we can carry, today there's mobile phones, maybe tomorrow there will be wearable computers and, for some, PDAs (personal digital assistants). That's not going to be just carrying the internet around; it's going to be an entirely different phenomenon.
BP: You have participated in the dialogs that have cultivated consciousness and management of the consequences of techno-social revolutions. Despite our limited knowledge of the complex dynamics of change, are there any unifying themes or concepts that underlie revolutions such as these?
HR: I think that it's not just our blind inability to forecast. In fact, if you look at what drove the internet's social communication, email was the killer app, along with newsgroups, mailing lists, chat rooms, instant messaging. These were just a huge driver of the internet. And with telephones, well, people like to communicate . . . socially. That's obvious. And we're seeing with the early use of the new media, the text messaging and SMS messaging (20 to 30 billion messages annually, worldwide), that social communications are something that people value. If you look at what people have done with these various forms of social communications, the kinds of communication that technology can afford, the telephone allowed one to communicate with someone far away, in real time. The internet makes it possible to communicate with people you've never met, but with whom you share some mutual interest. Mobile communication is used mostly by people who already know each other, to coordinate their activities in real time, and although that seems fairly simple, that can lead to profound changes, because the way people organize their activities is really what drives the evolution of civilization.
BP: In the U.S., wireless nodes are sprouting up quite quickly, accompanied by rapidly growing networks, while text messaging and G3 devices have yet to show their faces. Is there room in the U.S. market for both the G3 devices and wi-fi laptops to be successful?
HR: The fact that text messaging has not taken off in America — the way it has in Europe, Asia, Africa, and starting in South America — has a lot to do with the failure of the American operators to market it properly. Unlike Europe and Asia, there were many competing standards, so you could not send a text message (or could not until very recently) from your phone to your friend's phone, if your friend had a different operator than yours. In Europe they had a standard, so you could send a message no matter who your friend's operator was. Secondly, in places where it has taken off, texting is cheaper than making a voice call, and the receiver does not have to pay anything, only the sender. Again, the American operators did not market it that way. The third thing is that in most places, texting first took off among teenagers. Again, American operators did not begin by marketing it to teenagers. They're changing that, but they started by marketing it to thirty-ish executive geeks. There may be other cultural reasons, but there's no way of finding out what those are while these major marketing obstacles are in the way.
G3 is how the phone companies refer to third-generation cellular phones, which have music and video capabilities. The infrastructure for doing that, centrally, requires buying expensive portions of the spectrum and installing a top-down infrastructure that's very expensive, and it takes a long time to install and to make it work. At the same time, other technologies are being utilized by armatures. People are using low-power devices to connect to the internet, and make small networks in their neighborhoods. These devices are selling at a million and a half per month. Telephone companies are laboring to build expensive infrastructures that might be too expensive for people to use, while people spontaneously build networks themselves, the way the internet was done. Wireless nodes are beginning to provide high-speed access to people in cites. The advantages are found in using the spectrum in ways that are not known or allowed.
BP: The evolution of virtual reality technology has not mapped directly onto the path that you plotted for it. Do you feel that any aspects of that particular phenomenon are evolutionary dead ends?
HR: I think clearly that VR has not taken off. I did say in my book that it would take 10 to 15 years for the processing power alone to be sufficient to provide an experience that could compete with what we're used to on television. So we're about 10 years into that period, and it's getting there. But clearly other things have happened in the world that have been much more important, bigger, and unforeseen. Once again, nobody predicted the web when I wrote Virtual Reality (MIT Press) in 1990. So I think it remains to be seen whether the technology will be able to provide a compelling experience, but I think the compelling use of the internet has come along that has been more significant.
BP: Web theorists have suggested that the internet challenges many of our fundamental notions about time, space, self, etc. They exist differently in the virtual world. Web time has been called "sliceable" or "shapeable," custom fit for each individual (or possibly containing a myriad of distractions). How does your "softening of time" theory relate to, change, or enhance these previous theories?
HR: There's some indication that the use of mobile phones to coordinate activities has changed those properties. People don't have set appointments; time has been "softened." It's not "I'll meet you at 1:00 P.M. wherever," it's "I'll send you a message once I get downtown this afternoon," and then people negotiate actually when and where they'll end up. Another change was pointed out by an urban planner by the name of Anthony Townsend. People are using their telephones and PDAs to get work done while in their car, walking down the street, or sitting in the park. These are times when they would not have been accomplishing tasks, business-related or social tasks, before. That means that people are doing more things than they were previously, and that speeds up the metabolism of the city. That might lead to good results for some people and bad for other people. We don't really know, but it's important to note that those changes are occurring.
BP: Some opponents of wireless networks and virtual communities argue that we will emerge from the "age of instant access" as isolationists with underdeveloped physical and social skills. They talk of cities whose denizens devalue public spaces and natural communication and are totally dependent upon and useless without their mobile devices. What is wrong with this mentality? Can these mind-expanding gizmos enhance human interactions or enhance public spaces?
HR: First of all, I don't know that I would argue that, in general, that people are becoming more civil to one another. Look at interactions that people have in traffic, or listen to talk radio. I think people are as impolite to each other as they have always been, but they seem to be more in a hurry, in general. But does that have to with technology, or the automobile, or skyscrapers, or capitalism, or suburbia? I think it's simplistic to try to nail it down to one cause. I think, however, that the problem is in generalizations. It's clear that while for some people, the internet, like many other things, can be a way of distancing oneself from other people. It's clear that, for many people, using online communication, just as their grandparents had used the telephone, is a way to connect with other people.
BP: Dialectics are central to your work and your treatment of them is usually quite balanced. For example, "The bottom-up, grassroots forces of innovation and community clash and with and dodge the punches of the top-down control of the corporate world." Describe the sort of interaction that will need to take place or for these two opposing forces to work in some form of symbiosis."
HR: There are a lot of different forces of conflict. There are existing industries and emerging industries. There are old business problems and new business problems. There are old ways of regulating public goods, and there are new ideas about regulating public goods. I think what I'm trying to drill here about virtual communication, using technology to communicate (as we did with the telephone, or the internet), is that people did not use it in ways that society had planned. So, we can see that telephone operators and cable operators . . . they have certain plans for what they would like to see with populations in the future, how they would like to see the populations of the future behave with regards to communication and technology. In general, I think we can see that Hollywood studios, the recording industry, electronics manufacturers, television industry would like to go back to the days of broadcasting, where people were consumers of content that was broadcast to them. The only choice you really had was changing the channel, never really creating content, unless you worked for one of the major studios. Now, when we look at the internet, we see that many people created it. Yet, the telephone companies created an infrastructure that was useful, computer manufactures created computers, but the internet was some "thing," like a shopping center that was built by a bunch of contractors. But it emerged from the cooperative effort of everybody, acting in their own self-interest. So, the PC revolution consisted of users. Bill Gates was one. The internet consisted of users. In the future, the user could become consumer.
I think what we need is not one side or the other, but a balance between the large scale infrastructure that can only be built by major corporations or regulated by national government, and the bottom-up stuff. I think citizens should be allowed more leeway, and new technology should be given an opportunity by better serving the people that use it, rather than the companies that sell it.
BP: …And for another example, "The liberating, creative, and opportunistic dimensions of the 'instant access' age are shadowed by the Orwellian image of a 'panopticon' of psychological imprisonment and privacy invasion. What factors are important in driving this dichotomy toward a healthy, humane solution? Will the tradeoffs (privacy for convenience) be worth it?"
HR: This is a complex issue, but there is one simple way of looking at it: Who has control over information? The person who owns the information, such as whose medical histories it is, record of transactions it is . . . or others. People want to sell their products, and there could be a healthy market in this. All the merchants want to do is find people who are more likely to be their customers. Provided a method for doing this, that is what commercial interests want. People do not want to be bombarded with spam and junk mail. They see it as some form of identity theft, and they don't want people to spy on them any more than the constitution allows. So I think the question of future technology is who has control of these. Is there an off switch where you can turn off the information being broadcast about you, and if so, is the default mode on or off?
It's very difficult right now in California to pass legislation preventing banks from selling, not just your account information, but all the transactions that you make on your credit card (which is a big issue) to hundreds of thousands of other institutions. The California legislature has failed twice in the past two years to pass a bill about that because the banks spend a lot of money on lobbying. They spend a lot of money on politicians who then owe them something. So, although individuals say they care about privacy, the political process is tilted in favor of institutions that profit from having control of information.
BP: Tell us about any new projects you have in the works.
HR: In a couple of weeks I'm going to launch the smartmobs.com website, a resource center of all the resources that I did put in my bibliography, and a community blog of new developments related to the chapters in the book.


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Waikato DHB has announced the re-appointment of Dr Gerry Devlin as clinical unit leader of the Cardiology, Cardiothoracic and Vascular cluster at Waikato Hospital.
The multidisciplinary cluster provides both secondary and tertiary outpatient and inpatient services for the Midland region.
As clinical unit leader, Dr Devlin will oversee the development of the cluster services. He has previously been in the role for two and a half years and was reappointed last month (February 2014).
Dr Devlin says he is most looking forward to ensuring the cluster at Waikato Hospital delivers quality services in an equitable fashion to the Midland region.
"Part of my responsibility as is to make sure we are meeting the Health Targets set by the Ministry of Health across our services: for both acute and elective performance.
"However, safeguarding service quality is also a key responsibility. Not only do we want to hit the Health Targets, we want to deliver quality services as well. To do this, we have quality improvement programmes across the three services to ensure that quality is not sacrificed for productivity," he said.
Also clinical leader of the Midland Cardiac Network and chair of the National Cardiac Network, Dr Devlin brings to his clinical unit leader role an understanding the cluster at a national level.
"A New Zealander dies every 90 minutes from cardiovascular disease. Looking at my role as part of a bigger picture, I consider it a priority to reduce that number. That reduction is ultimately what I would like to help achieve during my three year term as Clinical Unit Leader of the cluster."
Dr Devlin has a Bachelor in Medicine from Trinity College in Dublin and moved to New Zealand in 1988.
He successfully completed his Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians, (FRACP) postgraduate specialist training programme in 1995, and is also a Fellow of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
In 2013 he graduated at Auckland University with a Doctor of Medicine in Medicine.
Dr Devlin also has over 60 publications in peer reviewed journals. His research interests include acute coronary syndromes, service delivery, interventional cardiology, structural heart disease and heart failure.
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