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The Ombudsman's Mailbag
By Michael Getler
April 14, 2006
Here's another Ombudsman's Mailbag. This one includes a sampling of viewer and online reader response to the last three ombudsman's columns and the issues they dealt with.
The column posted on April 6 dealt with the Federal Communications Commission's intention, based on the complaint of one viewer, to fine a PBS-affiliate in California for airing, before 10 p.m., a version of a widely-acclaimed and widely-seen series on "The Blues" that contained what the FCC deemed "vulgar, explicit" expletives. The column of March 24 dealt with the "Pledge Period" then underway and the reaction it was provoking with some PBS viewers. The column on March 17 was about the pre-broadcast controversy surrounding a new documentary on "The Armenian Genocide" that is scheduled to air on Monday evening, April 17, and will be followed by an equally controversial panel discussion.
On the FCC Decision . . .
Thanks to the FCC, you don't have public broadcasting of the type of programs we receive on Bravo and Showcase in Canada. I don't believe I am morally destroyed by a few lewd words but support the view of the dissenter. Just because only one complains doesn't mean that the rest of us don't support him. A TV viewer should be able watch TV with his children without being embarrassed by the programming.
Ralph Bittner, Langley, Canada
I hadn't realized that my local and favorite television and radio station was under attack. I'd like to know how best I can contribute to the prevention of the muzzle/chilling-effect of punitive censorship.
Scott Ellington, Foster City, CA
Whatever happened to 'sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me'? However much individuals like to pretend Americans are somehow 'plastic' and not human, words may be offensive, but they are used, children hear them from a very early age and all I can think is, Get used to it! You don't have to use language that you don't like — but it's there and stop pretending the world was meant for you — it's all of ours.
Tillie Krieger, Spokane, WA
Thoroughly enjoyed your posted column on the FCC . . . hard to believe someone with an even handed viewpoint can survive in the PBS environment. Keep up the good work!
Robert Orcutt, Fredericksburg, VA
I agree there seem to be some suspicious aspects to this situation, namely that given the millions of viewers who saw this piece only one person complained. On the other hand why was this piece aired before 10 pm? Had that been done there would have been no issue and no action from the FCC. I am most certainly no prude but if I had young children I would have been upset that this piece was shown before 10 pm. I am led to conclude, as you did, that there is more to this situation 'than meets the eye'.
Bob DAmico, Cleveland, OH
I agree with the viewer's objection. Profanity doesn't belong on any PBS program. There is too much in our movies and TV today and my wife and I have all but turned off the television other than some sports and our PBS station. Please keep your standards out of the gutter. I am concerned about the advertising we are seeing lately, though I understand why with our glorious administration in office. Hopefully the funding will return after the next election.
Dan Phillips, Shawnee Mission, KS
To the one who complained: If offensive, watch something else and stop being an advocate for all. The complaining petitioner needs to "get a life".
David Petersen, Kansas City, MO
I would sure like to know more about this individual who seemed to know exactly how to make the proper moves to get the FCC to take action and slap a fine on a small station in order to prove that the agency is performing its assumed duties.
Little Rock, AR
On Those Pledge Drives . . .
Let me join the chorus in complaining about the low caliber programs used to stimulate pledges. PBS and its member stations should set an example and maintain high standards. The fundraising programs are demeaning and have no educational value. They should cease!
Harvard, MA
Recently I attended the "Wealth Expo" held in downtown SF and sponsored by the "Learning Annex". I received my tickets as a "thank you" gift after having donated to KQED-TV. I am writing to you to express my sense of bewilderment and disdain for KQED's involvement with this real estate spectacle.
It is painfully obvious that KQED has not done their "homework" in regards to the programming they air and the organizations which they help support. This is extremely troubling to me as a supporter and should be troubling to KQED as one who boasts of providing and supporting quality programming.
The "Wealth Expo," which aptly should have been titled "Buy! Buy! Buy! AND Buy!! Expo," consisted of one sales pitch after another with very little knowledge disseminated. The total amount of real estate information added up to much less then what could be purchased in a $30 book bought at any bookstore or searched at over the Internet. The backgrounds and quality of many of the speakers appeared to be somewhat questionable. The only necessary qualification to become a real estate "expert" seems to have been to have declared bankruptcy in your past finances. Does this really sound like quality financial/real estate instructors to KQED? While there may have been some honest sellers interested in teaching people about real estate, it was impossible to tell them apart from those who were attempting to get rich off of people's ignorance.
Gene Takahashi, Alameda, CA
I've read the posts giving feedback of your pledge drives, and was particularly struck by the negative remarks about Wayne Dyer. It appears some see his inclusion in PBS as your advocating a 'religion.' I see religion and spirituality as two different things . . . one coming from guidelines set down by someone else, and one that encourages finding truths through self awareness. Hardly the same thing. I enjoy what Dr. Dyer has to say, though he's often self absorbed. But then, who isn't?
Trish St. Clair, Seattle, WA
I have recently viewed "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." I am shocked that PBS would contract a man who casually dismisses the value of higher education. In addition, the content of his message on achieving wealth (what little there was), is questionable, and perhaps borderline irresponsible. Please do a better job of maintaining higher standards for the benefit of your viewers and for the preservation of PBS as a source for quality enlightening entertainment.
Dod Poe, Towson, MD
Let me add my voice to the chorus. How do I know when PBS is doing a pledge drive? It's when they take off the programs I'm interested in and put on shows I'm not interested in. All the while they're running these schlocky programs and begging for money, they keep telling us about PBS's outstanding high-minded fare, which they think nothing of knocking off the air for weeks at a time in order to make a buck. I do keep my membership current, but increasingly I wonder why I bother.
Lawrence Goldman, Greenwood, MS
Am glad to know there are so many other people who feel as I do that the infomercials trying to get me to sign on to PBS are a boring waste of time. I usually send money in before the drive begins to help shorten the pledge drives.
Tillie Krieger, Spokane, WA
I just read your column about all the pledge week pitches and what people say about them: I usually don't enjoy pledge week very much, but what do people expect? And I did find one of the pledge week programs, the one that included most of the folk singers from the 60's, to be some of the best television I've seen in years. It was something to write home about and I really did call my sister and tell her it was on — thank you all at PBS for that one — it was wonderful . . .
Diana Strelow, Portsmouth, VA
Terrific. Thank goodness someone is getting the message that running infomercials in place of Fareed Zakaria's Foreign Exchange and other quality programming is an outrage. PBS appears to have completely lost its way and is in dire need of help. Who is running the show there?
Nick S., Medford, OR
The infomercials for Wayne Dyer are particularly noxious. I'm 34 and grew up on PBS. But it's become a shill organization for weirdo snake-oil salesman gurus.
A.S., White Plains, NY
The pledge drive thing drives me crazy in a different way. I am 46 years old, but everything on PBS during the pledge drive is for people older than me (my 15-year-old daughter calls it the Old People's Station). The investment guidelines are for the retired. The Rick Steeve's is for old travelers. Those old music shows are for people past 60 or more. I realize PBS gets more pledges from this crowd and has to go after them. But you are losing me by all this programming. More importantly, you are have lost people like my daughter. One thing I think PBS has always missed is that younger artists — movies and music makers and poets — will go on your PBS at almost no cost. So instead of spending so much on all these production companies that shill out old folks programming, have a little balance. My God, if American Idol does those huge numbers, couldn't you guys do something similar with short films?
Fort Worth, TX
I enjoyed your writing on the pledge drive criticism and thought that I would respond. Although not upset enough to write to you about the pledge drive period, I would echo the concerns of others that you are turning people off of PBS through the pledge drive, especially young people. I am not sure to whom the programming during these past weeks has been aimed, but it certainly has not hooked me, a woman in her thirties who donates to NPR every year. I think it would be much more effective to have pledge drives during the normal program schedule, rather than have these odd and unappealing specials. It has gotten to the point that I simply have stopped clicking to see what is on my three PBS stations because I am sure it will be either a) a boring man on a stage or b) an odd or outdated concert. I want to watch Mystery or Masterpiece Theater, not old concert footage of John Denver. Viewers, such as myself, need to be reminded how much we value the normal programming that we watch in order to open our wallets. Your pledge drives, unlike NPR's pledge drives, do not succeed in doing this. Perhaps a special edition of Frontline could be played, or a particularly addictive Masterpiece Theater program, or a Mystery special that you are sure will reel viewers in. Additionally, I would suggest that you need to attract younger viewers to becoming members — we might not have as much money to give or estates to donate, but we are the future of PBS.
S. Raines, Baltimore, MD
You know I wasn't going to complain about PBS until after I read all the comments people made about the station. And you know they are right! Every one of them. When I started watching PBS, I thought about donating but instead thought well, I'll watch it for a year and found that it would be a waste of my money. They need to incorporate better shows throughout the year NOT only during the 3 times a year they "beg for money"!
J.W., Franklin, ID
I read your post of 03/24/2006 about the fund-raising programs. I am in agreement with the criticisms of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and also of the Wayne Dyer Show. I agree that these are a subversion of the public television mission, and are offensive to those who care about PBS and our country. Thank you for your forthright contributions. The discouraging thing is that it is unlikely to do any good, because these programs have enormous benefit for the individuals involved, and they fill time during the drives.
Richard L. Garwin, Yorktown Heights, NY
I was once a subscriber/patron/member whatever to PBS, but you have lost me forever. You drove me away from WETA radio by dropping classical music and I'm now so fed up with your inane infomericals, I'm off PBS TV. Once upon a time, you had dignified pledge drives. The only thing that you seem to "drive" these days is your patrons away. I have put up with at least THREE WEEKS of your ridiculous infomercials. This weekend was the last straw. If you want to run pledge drives with programs, do it with shows we watch . . . NOVA, Frontline, Eastenders, etc . . .
Alexandria, VA
On the "The Armenian Genocide" and Follow-up Panel
I read with great interest your story about the panel discussion to follow the documentary about the Armenian Genocide. The problem is one of finding and reporting the truth. If you put on some crackpot historian from the midwest who doesn't know the truth, but who wants to be on TV, then you are doing the nation and the Armenians who were stripped of their land and belongings and then marched to their death a great injustice. Documents have been found that have proven the Turkish government ordered these atrocities. Knowing this, it is irresponsible for PBS to pass off ignorant people as authorities of the subject. There are those who deny the Jewish Holocaust including the present Iranian government, but because of our own GIs accounts of the death camps we know that it happened. To give liars and fools a podium on national television is a big mistake and great care should be taken that the documented truth not be lost to them. The only reasons the US has not officially recognized the genocide is the political repercussions that it would cause with Turkey, not because they don't think it happened.
Lawrence Darpinian, Modesto, CA
I have just read your column entitled "Coming Soon to Viewers Like You: The Armenian Genocide." Thank you very much for the detailed discussion of the issue and your concerns. I certainly believe that PBS is doing a great service by exploring issues that others do not, whether I like the topic or not. However, given the intensity and the importance of the debate, I believe that PBS should provide the American public with a more balanced view on the Armenian issue. As far as I understand from your description, "The Armenian Genocide" documentary seems to be heavily influenced by the political and economic strength of the Armenian community in the U.S.
I will not spend much time to describe how disappointed I am to see that PBS fails to incorporate the views of the Turkish side to this discussion. In particular, by accepting "The Armenian Genocide" title, which seems to assume that the issue has already been settled, PBS fails to provide the American public with deeper insights regarding this highly contested issue. Moreover, the very fact that the Armenians do not want the airing of the follow-up panel should alert PBS regarding the importance of having this panel discussion. In order to protect "the public's trust in the editorial integrity of PBS content and the process by which it is produced and distributed," PBS should "shield the creative and editorial processes from political pressure or improper influence from funders or other sources," as stated in its own Editorial Standards.
Washington, DC
Is it actually a coincidence that you have published the "Ombudsman's Mailbag" every month except March? My guess is that, to save PBS from further embarrassment about the shameful act of giving voice to Turkish Historians' denial of the Armenian Genocide in a panel discussion that accompanied a recent documentary dealing with the subject, you conveniently neglected to publish our opinions. Sure, you wrote some pithy response alluding to our comments, but you should let our opinions be read.
Ty Smith, Sacramento, CA
The fact of the matter is that an overwhelming amount of the funding and support for this documentary is from the Armenian community. This should be a huge red flag as to how balanced this "documentary" is. Consider that at the same time, the much briefer panel discussion (which allows the dissenting opinions of two respected scholars) received an onslaught of Armenian protest, and this despite still incorporating the Armenian point of view. I find it difficult to believe then, as New York's WNET suggests, that the documentary is unbiased and complete in its analysis. True, we all have yet to see either program. ut I ask you — even if the panel merely repeats the claims of the documentary, why not air it anyway? The answer is likely that two members of the panel disputed the documentary's claims. And by not airing this discussion, WNET and certain other PBS stations have likely censored themselves to please the lobby of the well funded and organized American Armenian community.
Toronto, Canada
I am quite pleased to see that the PBS has recognized the importance of bringing to light one of the most important events of the 20th Century. However, I am equally distressed at your lack of regard for the hundreds of thousands of Assyrians and Greeks who perished in the same Genocide. Proportionally, the Genocide of 1915 or the Seyfo (as Assyrians call it) brought greater calamity to the Assyrians (also called Chaldeans and Syriacs) in the Ottoman Empire. It must be noted that two out of every three Assyrian living in what is now called Iran, Turkey, and Iraq perished directly as the result of this Genocide. It would be a great injustice if only the names of one of the three equally important Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire is noted in your reviews and television programming.
Wilfred Bet-Alkhas, Washington, DC
To me the use of the word Genocide is correctly associated with the Nurenberg trials. It was the findings and judgment of a court similar to any other judgment passed by a court after hearing the charges and defense offered by recognized officers of that court using evidence to support the positions of the parties. To imply that a country is guilty of genocide without a proper trail is clearly a "politicalization" of justice.
Chris C., Scio, OR
It was a pleasure to read your fairly balanced comment on the documentary and the follow up. Thanks for trying to understand the issue with your own reasoning rather than depending on the others' and more importantly supporting the freedom of speech for everyone no matter if it is Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist or something else.
Duru A., Boston, MA
In case of Armenian genocide, PBS feels that a historically settled matter needs panel discussion after a related documentary has been aired. However, documentaries such as FRONTLINE that deal with events of greater controversy require no follow-up debate. PBS's argument is bogus.
Jack Yaghoubian, Sherman Oaks, CA
The decision to have a panel discussion is not a bad idea. I wish that rather than including total deniers, you would have considered moderate Turks who are objective and willing to review the issue. Bringing a panel of deniers only fuels the argument that the State Department's influence on "Free Media" remains as strong as ever.
Vatche' Nazarethian
Your column, while providing interesting background information, completely misses the point that thousands of Armenians have made to your station. You are giving airtime to people who deny a genocide which, as you have shown and agree, is accepted to have taken place. You would never, ever have a couple of Neo-Nazis sitting on a panel with Holocaust scholars arguing that there was no Holocaust. You are giving them legitimacy whether you intend to or not. You are giving them a chance, in a few minutes of airtime to make allegations that would require scholarly texts to rebut, something nobody could hope to accomplish during an on-the-air panel. Freedom of speech is the right of a person to say something. Justin McCarthy has the right to say what he likes, but when you put him on PBS, you have instantly given him something he does not deserve: credibility.
Raffi Kojian, Orange, CA
One wonders how far outside the norms of scholarly discourse people need to drift before organizations such as PBS stop using the excuse that it is necessary to broadcast every opinion, no matter how contrary to reality it may run. Would PBS give air time to people who deny the Holocaust? Would it give air time to people who deny Darwin's Theory of Evolution? Would it give air time to people who think that humans never walked on the moon? Would it invite a panel discussion by people who think that Elvis Presley is still alive? Is it really necessary to broadcast a lie to counter every truth?
Bruce Boghosian, Lexington, MA
By calling the program "Armenian Genocide" are not the program-makers becoming the judge and also the jury? Why not let the historians decide after they study all the archives. Armenians killed many innocent Turks in Erzurum while the Turkish army was fighting with the enemy (WWI). The so-called documentary has been financed by Armenians. How could it be unbiased and impartial? Does it mean whoever has the money can change the history? This program should not even be aired on PBS.
Minneapolis, MN
I will be watching the "Armenian Genocide" documentary with great interest. I am very proud of PBS for showing the documentary and allowing many of its members to see, maybe even for the first time, the horrific events of the genocide and it's tragic aftermath. I am however very disappointed about the decision to allow the "discussion panel" to follow the documentary. For me personally, all this does is demoralizes and de-humanizes, all those who lost their lives and suffered unspeakable horrors. It's a disgrace to their memories and a great dishonor to its descendants.
San Francisco, CA
A Summing Up
What follows are excerpts from a lengthy letter from David Saltzman, Counsel of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. His initial reference to PBS policy refers to widely-quoted remarks in the press in recent weeks from PBS officials that the network believes the genocide "is settled history" and "acknowledges and accepts that there was a genocide."
Our concern is that PBS' publicly stated policy supporting the genocide thesis prevents PBS affiliates from making an objective assessment whether to broadcast the post-film discussion, which, at least in part, challenges the genocide thesis . . .
Few episodes in history are more controversial than the historical treatment of the suffering brought on by the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, an event which saw the birth of more than 20 new states. Many of these states include as central elements of their national lore some form of heroic struggle to wrest themselves free from "The Terrible Turk." This lore, in many cases has bred lingering anti-Turkish prejudice that applies not just to the Turkish state, but to all who are ethnically Turkish . . .
From the Turkish American perspective, the oft-told stories of suffering during the late Ottoman Empire tend to extricate and isolate the Armenian experience from the complex circumstances of the day. One is thus given the impression Armenians were all good and Turks were all bad and that Armenians suffered alone . . .
PBS, by establishing an official position on a matter of historic controversy, provides cover to PBS affiliates who bow to pressure brought on by government officials and panic-stricken proponents of the genocide thesis. WNET/WLIW (in New York) are not alone. Already PBS affiliates in Los Angeles, Boston, Orange County, CA, Miami, FL, Fresno, CA, and Mountain Lakes, NY have determined not to air the post-film discussion. Thus, two of the three largest PBS markets will not see the discussion. Orange County, Boston, and Miami are also among the largest 20 U.S. metropolitan areas served by PBS . . .
We remind PBS that no person, living or dead, or any foreign state or sovereign body has been tried for the crime of genocide stemming from the Armenian allegation of genocide despite the opportunities to do so that continue even today. Yet the accusation of the crime of genocide permeates all presentations favoring the genocide thesis . . .
Turkey unequivocally denies the genocide allegation made against it in such films, statements, and legislative resolutions. Whether the facts of the Armenian tragedy in eastern Anatolia during World War I constitute genocide as defined by the Genocide Convention is a matter that experts have yet to debate in the arena deemed competent by the treaty itself — the International Court of Justice ("ICJ") at The Hague. Any future such adjudication will be poisoned by the one-sided treatment of the issue by quasi-governmental bodies such as CPB and PBS.
What follows are excerpts from a letter from Peter Balakian, a professor of the humanities at Colgate University, who was an advisor on the documentary and appears in the panel discussion that follows.
The fact remains that PBS would not run a fair and rich documentary about the Armenian Genocide — one that included nearly a dozen Turkish voices — without running what many in genocide studies consider to be an unethical privileging of denial.
This is not a free speech issue as much of the scholarly community has made clear. The deniers are free in this country to express themselves without fear of prosecution or harm but this does not guarantee them the right to elite forums. The leading authority on Holocaust and genocide denial, Professor Deborah Lipstadt, has written:
"Denial of genocide whether that of the Turks against the Armenians, or the Nazis against the Jews is not an act of historical reinterpretation. Rather, the deniers sow confusion by appearing to be engaged in a genuine scholarly effort. The abundance of documents and testimonies that confirm the genocide are dismissed as contrived, coerced, or forgeries and falsehoods. The deniers aim at convincing innocent third parties that there is another side of the story. Free speech does not guarantee the deniers the right to be treated as the other side of a legitimate debate, when there is no credible other side; nor does it guarantee the deniers space in the classroom or curriculum, or in any other forum."
Like many others, I fear that PBS resorted to the post-show panel as a kind of fire insurance because of the negative experience it had with Turkish government harassment in 1988 after airing an Armenian Genocide documentary, as you note in your column. While this was no doubt an uncomfortable experience, many institutions and organization around the world in recent years have ceased paying attention to Turkish harassment, and many of us hoped that PBS would not feel that sense of intimidation this time, with this particular documentary.
Lastly, I find (PBS's co-chief programming executive) Ms. Atlas' explanation for the post-show program a bit disingenuous. She claims that its goal was not to provide a "platform for those who deny the genocide," but to "explore how serious historians do their work and look at evidence." However, by inviting two professional deniers (who have worked closely with the Turkish government) on a PBS program, a large platform was indeed provided for the repulsive lies that constitute denial. And, in the twenty-five minutes we had, there was not even a remote possibility that the show could explore how historians work. As fine a job as (panel moderator) Scott Simon did hosting it, the post-show could not help but be more than a staged "bake-off," and sadly, a forum that abused the reality and memory of one of the major human rights crimes of our time.
Having made these points, I still applaud PBS for putting on "The Armenian Genocide," which is a landmark documentary. And, I appreciate your thoughtful wrestling with this issue.


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Child's Play Administrative Internship
Child's Play is offering an internship program for individuals studying or are interested in non-profit project management, public relations, or administration. You'll be working directly with the Child's Play team to keep the foundation running on a day to day basis. The position requires you live in or around Redmond, WA. Basic duties can be broken down into the following three categories:
- Accounting for and managing contributions
- Filing forms and paperwork for corporate giving programs
- Issuing receipts for incoming donations
- Generation and editing of documents to assist donors, companies, and more in their interactions with Child's Play (fundraising guides, media kits, website copy, etc.)
- Quick responses to community and corporate FAQs
Event coordination
- Assist with preparations for our annual golf tournaments and dinner auction
- Interns for the summer and winter seasons will be on-site at our golf tournament/dinner auction to assist with event setup and execution
Community Relations
- Coordinate fundraising event calendar by reviewing submissions and providing feedback to planners
- Assisting community event coordinators with the basics of their events (event calendar submissions, widget setup, providing logos and other materials)
- Generation of materials to assist with community events
This is what we are looking for:
- You need to have a crazy-person level of attention to detail
- You need to be smart - the workplace you will be part of are filled with people at the top of their game
- You should have a passion for the cause
- You should be familiar with video games and gaming culture, including game rating systems
- Strong project management skills, organizational skills and time-management skills
- You should be able to lift 50 lb boxes short distances
- You should have no problems working in a creative and potentially offensive environment (please see Penny Arcade: The Series for reference)
- The ability to communicate and work well in a team environment as well as on an individual basis
- You should have no problem appearing on camera
Here are some other things we're using to select candidates:
- You need to have a solid understanding of Excel, PDF generation, Google Drive and Gmail
- Intent for a career in non-profit work
- Experience with Photoshop and Illustrator is a plus
As this is an internship, we do want to ensure you have some solid takeaways from your experience. During your interview process we'll talk about your goals, but here's what you can expect:
- Exposure to and understanding of the logistics of being part of a low-overhead, efficient, and impact focused nonprofit
- Familiarity with nonprofit related software and organizations: Guidestar, Easymatch, United Way, etc.
- Interaction with an engaged, passionate community and acquiring a deeper understanding of grassroots fundraising methods
- Event coordination methods for fundraising events of 200-700 people
- Best practices for producing materials for media, grassroots fundraisers, beneficiaries and more.
Compensation & Timing
- Timeline: Immediate
- Duration: 3 months
- Hours: Minimum 20, up to 40 hours per week
- Compensation: Hourly
Cover letters with resumes are due on February 5th, 2014, emailed directly to email@example.com with the subject "Child's Play Internship Application". You will receive a confirmation email.

subset: commoncrawl


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Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Labor-Management Standards
Seattle District Office
1111 Third Avenue
Room 605
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 398-8099 Fax:(206) 398-8090
March 16, 2010
Mr. David Maxwell, Business Manager/Financial Secretary
Operating Engineers Local 286
18 E Street SW
Auburn, WA 98001
LM File Number: 063-962
Case Number: ||||||||||
Dear Mr. Maxwell:
This office has recently completed an audit of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 286 under the Compliance Audit Program (CAP) to determine your organization's compliance with the provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA). As discussed during the exit interview with you and your staff on March 5, 2010, the following problems were disclosed during the CAP. The matters listed below are not an exhaustive list of all possible problem areas since the audit conducted was limited in scope.
Recordkeeping Violations
Title II of the LMRDA establishes certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Section 206 requires, among other things, that labor organizations maintain adequate records for at least five years by which each receipt and disbursement of funds, as well as all account balances, can be verified, explained, and clarified. As a general rule, labor organizations must maintain all records used or received in the course of union business.
For disbursements, this includes not only original bills, invoices, receipts, vouchers, and applicable resolutions, but also documentation showing the nature of the union business requiring the disbursement, the goods or services received, and the identity of the recipient(s) of the goods or services. In most instances, this documentation requirement can be satisfied with a sufficiently descriptive expense receipt or invoice. If an expense receipt is not sufficiently descriptive, a union officer or employee should write a note on it providing the additional information. For money it receives, the labor organization must keep at least one record showing the date, amount, purpose, and source of that money. The labor organization must also retain bank records for all accounts.
The audit of Local 286's 2009 records revealed the following recordkeeping violation:
Meal Expenses
Local 286 did not require officers and employees to submit itemized receipts for meal expenses totaling at least $2,000. The union must maintain itemized receipts provided by restaurants to officers and employees. These itemized receipts are necessary to determine if such disbursements are for union business purposes and to sufficiently fulfill the recordkeeping requirement of LMRDA Section 206.
Local 286 records of meal expenses did not always include written explanations of union business conducted or the names and titles of the persons incurring the restaurant charges. Union records of meal expenses must include written explanations of the union business conducted and the full names and titles of all persons who incurred the restaurant charges. Also, the records retained must identify the names of the restaurants where the officers or employees incurred meal expenses.
Based on your assurance that Local 286 will retain adequate documentation in the future, OLMS will take no further enforcement action at this time regarding the above violations.
Reporting Violations
Failure to File Bylaws
The audit disclosed a violation of LMRDA Section 201(a), which requires that a union submit a copy of its revised constitution and bylaws with its LM report when it makes changes to its constitution or bylaws. Local 286 amended its constitution and bylaws in 2006, but did not file a copy with its LM report for that year.
Local 286 has now filed a copy of its constitution and bylaws.
Other Violations
The audit disclosed the following other violation:
Inadequate Bonding
The audit revealed a violation of LMRDA Section 502 (Bonding), which requires that union officers and employees be bonded for no less than 10 percent of the total funds those individuals or their predecessors handled during the preceding fiscal year.
Local 286's officers and employees are currently bonded for $230,000, but they must be bonded for at least $328,977. Local 286 should obtain adequate bonding coverage for its officers and employees immediately. Please provide proof of bonding coverage to this office as soon as possible, but not later than April 8, 2010.
I want to extend my personal appreciation to IUOE Local 286 for the cooperation and courtesy extended during this compliance audit. I strongly recommend that you make sure this letter and the compliance assistance materials provided to you are passed on to future officers. If we can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to call.
|||||| || ||||||||||| ||
cc: Mr. John Thompson, President


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1st Amendment-free zone faces high court review
State law that suspends constitutional right challenged
A Massachusetts law that allows the suspension of First Amendment rights to shield women seeking abortions from pro-life activists will face scrutiny from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in 2007 signed the "buffer zone" law that requires a 35-foot "zone" around the entrance of abortion clinics barring anyone who wishes to exercise their constitutional rights to express pro-life opinions.
"The government should not be allowed to create censorship zones where the First Amendment doesn't apply in order to silence a particular viewpoint," said attorney Michael De Primo, who is allied with the Alliance Defending Freedom.
"This buffer zone was designed to censor constitutionally protected speech. We are confident the Supreme Court will strike down the law that created the zone so that our clients and other peaceful pro-life citizens can once again freely share their message," he said.
He currently is litigating the case with several other attorneys.
Lawyers for the state insist the law was needed to address a potential public safety problem caused by the speech of the pro-life advocates.
The petition to the Supreme Court in the case explained Massachusetts "has made it a crime for speakers to 'enter or remain on a public way or sidewalk' within 35 feet of an entrance, exit, or driveway of 'a reproductive health care facility.'"
The law applies only at abortion clinics, the petition notes and exempts, among others, clinic employees or agents acting within the scope of their employment.
"In effect, the law restricts the speech of only those who wish to use public areas near abortion clinics to speak about abortion from a different point of view," the petition says.
The case, brought on behalf of Eleanor McCullen and others against Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and others, said Massachusetts is choosing to enforce "selective speaker exclusion zones on the public streets and sidewalks."
The Supreme Court previously has upheld a "bubble law" in Colorado, which prevented speakers from knowingly approaching another person within eight feet without consent. However, the law relied on close physical proximity and did not limit entry to a zone or restrict speech.
The Colorado law also applied to all health facilities, not just abortion clinics, and to all speakers, not just those opposed to abortion.
"Undisputed evidence showed that women often have abortions because of financial or other pressures, including pressure from husbands or boyfriends. Indeed, most women that petitioner McCullen succeeds in speaking with tell her they do not want an abortion but feel they have no real alternative. Academic students confirm that women often seek abortions because they feel they cannot afford a baby, are having relationship problems, or are being pressured," the petition says.
"Petitioners thus have a firm basis for believing that a woman seeking an abortion may welcome speech that can offer both moral support and more concrete assistance."
The law also creates impossible situations.
"In Boston, for example, the exclusion zone includes all but one foot of the public sidewalk, and on one side extends four feet into the street, making it impossible for petitioners even to stand at the edge of the zone."
Dana Cody, executive director of Life Legal Defense Foundation, called McCullen v. Coakley a "clear case of viewpoint discrimination."
"Activists who make disturbances at military funerals, animal rights protests and 'occupy' demonstrations are not bound by the sort of restrictions applied to peaceful pro-life witnesses who invite women to learn about abortion alternatives," Cody said.
She said the mere fact that the Supreme Court has taken the case "should give pause to San Francisco, Chicago and other cities that have recently imposed more draconian restrictions on pro-life speech."
"We are optimistic that the court will not only strike down the Massachusetts law, but also revisit some of its own prior precedents that have led lower courts to believe that, as a matter of law, pro-life speech is less deserving of protection," she said.
The government has a history of censoring pro-life messages and images. In a recent Colorado case, the Supreme Court refused to hear arguments concerning a lower court decision to censor graphic images of aborted babies within sight of abortion supporters.
Law professor and blogger Eugene Volokh, who participated in the case brought against several pro-life protesters by St. John's Church in the Wilderness, said the conflict remains unresolved and unaddressed.
"The matter thus remains where it stood before the petition – some lower courts think that restricting gruesome images (and harsh words, such as signs calling abortion providers 'murderers') in places where young children can see them is constitutional, while others think it violates the First Amendment," he wrote.
"A denial of certiorari is not a decision on the merits, so all the lower court decisions stand as precedents within their own jurisdictions, but as a conflicting body of law for other jurisdictions."
The Colorado state court ruled images of violent abortion procedures can be banned, even though the restriction is based on content.
The case was presented to the high court the Thomas More Society, and focused on graphic images that abortion opponents have displayed to change the public's mind about abortion.
A Colorado appeals court said the images would have to be censored, and the state Supreme Court refused to take the case. But the censorship, according to the filing, meant that a "content-based" restriction, acknowledged as such even by the court, is law in Colorado.
But the results for the government in another case were disastrous.
WND reported that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder lost a case to pro-lifer Susan Pine that cost the federal government $120,000. That was after a local judge noted the strong indications of collusion between the abortion business and the federal agency to eliminate Pine's speech rights.
Liberty Counsel defended Pine when she was charged by the federal government for allegedly blocking the entrance to the Presidential Women's Center. At the time, U.S. District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp openly speculated that there was a cozy relationship between the abortion clinic and federal prosecutors that could warp justice.
As Ryskamp dismissed the complaint against Pine, he explained that had there been just a little more evidence, he might have taken action.
"It is rather curious that the Department of Justice was able to meet with the [Presidential Women's Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.] staff and police officers the very next day after the alleged violations occurred. It is also curious that the government failed to make any efforts to obtain the identities of the passengers who are the alleged victims in this case – the court finds it hard to believe that the government was completely unaware of the existence of the sign-in sheets and video surveillance system," he wrote.
The judge said the court "can only wonder whether this action was the product of a concerted effort between the government and the PWC, which began well before the date of the incident at issue, to quell Ms. Pine's activities rather than to vindicate the rights of those allegedly aggrieved by Ms. Pine's conduct."
"If this is the case, the court would be inclined to sanction the government with, at a minimum, an adverse inference. Given the absence of further evidence substantiating the court's suspicions, the court is not authorized to do so," the judge wrote.
The judge's 21-page ruling in the case that granted Pine a summary judgment and cleared her of the charges said the entire episode raised questions. A settlement followed.
"The court is at a loss as to why the government chose to prosecute this particular case in the first place," Ryskamp wrote. "The record [is] almost entirely devoid of evidence that Ms. Pine acted with the prohibited motive and intent or that Ms. Pine engaged in any unlawful conduct. The government has failed to create a genuine issue for trial on all three elements of its FACE (Federal Access to Clinic Entrances) claim, and Ms. Pine is entitled to judgment as a matter of law."


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I usually don't write about rumors, but reports that Google may be working on a replacement for tracking cookies is worth speculating about because it can have enormous implications when it comes to our online privacy.
There are reports in USA Today and elsewhere that Google is working on something called AdID which would transmit anonymous user data to advertisers who agree to some basic privacy guidelines. USA Today quoted a source saying that the new technology would give users more control over information collected by them when they browse the web.
As background, a cookie is a tiny little text file that websites can put on your computer's hard drive to identify you. If you've ever had your user name automatically entered when you visit a site, it's probably because they put a cookie on your machine with an encrypted version of that information. Hardly anyone complains about those types of cookies because they're there for our convenience.
Third-party tracking cookies, though, aren't as sweet because they're put on our machines for the convenience of advertisers. What a tracking cookie does is keep track of our browsing history so that advertisers can target their messages. Site operators cooperate with each other so your activities are tracked as you go from site to site.
A few weeks ago I bought a upright freezer and, naturally, I did my research online, visiting Amazon.com, Sears, Lowe's and other retail sites. I also read up on freezers on various advice sites. And, almost by magic, I started seeing ads for freezers on lots of sites, including news sites that -- as far as I know -- don't write about or sell freezers. It's no coincidence. The reason I saw those ads is because a tracking cookie notified those sites of my Web history, which caused them to automatically target the ads.
A lot of privacy advocates are alarmed about cookies because they keep a record of where you've been on the Web. The advertising companies that put them there, though, argue that the tracking is anonymous -- sure the cookies target ads based on your behavior, but they don't disclose who you are. In other words, the companies that pushed me those freezer ads don't know that Larry Magid was shopping for a freezer, only the browsing habits of an anonymous user of a machine.
Some privacy folks will counter that there are ways to correlate all this data to know the real identity of the user, and they're probably right. But just because that's possible doesn't make it likely to happen. Still, I understand and respect those concerns, which are why I think users should have a lot more control over what information is collected about their Web use. It should be easy to know if you're being tracked, it should be easy to prevent being tracked and it should be very easy to cover your tracks and delete the cookies.
Web operators that use cookies will not only deny that they can identify actual users, but will also fire back that the ability to target ads is essential for them to make the money they need to offer the services we want. And they have a point. We all love being able to read news, conduct searches and do our research, without having to fork over a credit card. Collectively, companies spend billions of dollars to offer these free services and they have to recoup that investment.
Of course, even without cookies they can show you contextual ads. If you search for "Hawaii" on Google and you get a hotel ad, that's not because of tracking, but because your search term clued them into what you're interested in. If you're reading an article about baseball on a sports site, the site doesn't need a cookie to know you might be interested in buying a book about baseball. And because -- even without cookies -- it knows your location from your IP address, it wouldn't be unreasonable for it to offer you a ticket to a local game.
There is certainly a consumer interest in improved Web privacy. A recent U.S. consumer data privacy survey conducted by TRUSTe found that 80 percent of U.S. consumers are aware that they are tracked by advertisers while 52 percent don't like the concept of online behavioral advertising. More than eight in 10 (82 percent) of Internet users said they had deleted cookies and 68 percent said they've used a browser privacy add-on/feature for ad-blocking or anti-tracking. It's too early to know what Google might have in mind with its AdID project and, because it's Google, some people will naturally be distrustful. If it can find a way to allow sites to keep money flowing in while giving users more control over their privacy, it could be welcomed by both businesses and privacy advocates. But if it makes it even easier for companies to pry into our lives and habits, it would be yet another unwelcome intrusion.
Disclosure: Larry Magid is co-director of ConnectSafely.org, a non-profit Internet safety organization that receives financial support from Google.


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Everyone makes mistakes.
It's how you handle making mistakes that matters.
Apple, a company that prides itself on not making the mistakes that so many other companies make, just made a mistake.
It removed a feature of its mobile software that most people loved--Google Maps--and replaced it with Apple Maps, which, for now, is a flawed and inferior app.
That was a mistake.
But now Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has personally apologized, without qualification.
And Apple is now highlighting competitive map apps in its App Store.
That's the way to handle a mistake.
And it's a tribute to Apple that it's handling it this way.
SEE ALSO: Looks Like Apple's Biggest Risk Is Starting To Hit Home


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Lita joined the Blues on loan in September and scored three goals in 10 appearances for the Championship club. However, his stint at St Andrew's has been cut short due to a niggling thigh problem, with the frontman to undergo rehabilitation in South Wales, the two clubs confirmed on Monday. Swansea said on their official website:
"Lita has been struggling with a nagging thigh injury and, with his three-month loan spell due to end in mid-December, both clubs agreed to the striker returning to Swansea for his rehabilitation.
"While both clubs are disappointed that the loan has been cut short, they have not ruled out the possibility of Lita returning to St Andrews for another loan spell in the future."
Meanwhile, Swansea midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung has been ruled out of this weekend's trip to Newcastle with an injury picked up in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Southampton. A scan on Monday revealed South Korean Ki has suffered a hamstring tear and will be sidelined for seven to 10 days.Bad news
"It's bad news but it's part of football. When it is only one or two weeks it is not too bad," manager Michael Laudrup told the South Wales Evening Post.
"With the experiences we have had this season with Neil (Taylor) and Kyle (Bartley), it's not that much.
"It's looking like maybe one or two games but we have to live with that. It gives chances to other people.
"Garry Monk has just played two and a bit games so that's why we say people have to be ready because suddenly you can be needed.
"With the number of games we play, you have to be ready."
Source: team_talk


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There are many moving pieces affecting the future of electric power development in Emerging Market. Unlike the past Independent Power Project models, which featured standardised take-or-pay contracts – today's market demands more innovative incentives to ensure better availability, better performance, as well as more attractive and sustainable mixtures of fuel sources. Economies throughout the region urgently need to master the key tools, models, and lessons learned for transforming and strengthening today's electricity sector. These include the latest models in negotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), in designing and managing new competitive power markets, as well as attracting the right mix of renewable energy sources.
This 4-day comprehensive workshop gives you clear explanations of the new models of PPA risk allocation, of designing and managing competitive power markets, attracting private investments in renewable energy, through a series of real case examples of contracts and markets. Case Studies will include real examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Furthermore, cases stimulate independent thinking and discussion among participants.
Key Learning Objectives
■ LEARN about all the essentials of different PPAs
■ NEGOTIATE fair and sustainable PPAs
■ STRUCTURE successful PPAs based upon your own company's risk profile and risk allocation needs
■ EXPOSE to the frontiers of international experience in IPP development
■ LEARN theory and practice of pricing and tariff design
■ ANALYSE the relationship between Public, Private, and Government sector
■ PERFORM a policy and risk analysis of PPA contracts
■ EXPLORE a PPA relationship with EPC, O&M, Fuel Supply, and Interconnect Agreement
■ GAIN the tools and models in directing your country's electricity transformation and market design plans
■ IMPROVE your awareness of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in today's private power investments
■ LEAD successful power project finance transactions
■ IDENTIFY how financial derivatives can be used as an effective hedge of financial and electricity market based risks
Course Certificate
Upon the successful completion of this course, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance bearing the signatures from both the Workshop Director and the Course Organiser. This Certificate will testify your endeavour and serve towards your professional advancement.
Media Partners


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BREAKING NEWS: #CSI is the Most-Watched Show in the World, Again!
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION is once again the most-watched show in the world, receiving the prestigious International Television Audience Award for a Drama TV Series at the 52nd Monte Carlo Television Festival on June 14, 2012. This marks the fifth time the series has been awarded this honor in the past seven years based on stats from Eurodata TV Worldwide for the highest ratings worldwide in 2011 across five continents. CSI star Ted Danson was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the series. (Photo Credit: CBS International)


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The Obama Convention speech wasn't anything new because he and his fellows never have anything new to offer. Just warmed over statism
Unlike the Republican convention speeches, this writer paid very little attention to those at the Democrat convention. Tampa was likely to be Mitt Romney's first opportunity to take a "national stage" and make some form of pronouncement on the direction he intended to move the nation politically and more importantly, economically. On the other hand, I expected that there would be little new or interesting coming from the stage in Charlotte, NC.
My expectations were realized when, the morning after the Obama acceptance speech, the morning drive time radio host featured a montage of sound bites from that speech and from one four years ago. They were, almost word for word, the same. Not to be out done by a local personality, the nationals I listened to later had similar features. And to top them all, Rush Limbaugh even dug up material from a Jimmy Carter speech made in 1980 that had extremely similar language.
The fact that Obama didn't have anything new wasn't surprising. He never has had anything really new, except his assertion that he would heal the planet. To my knowledge, no demagogue has gone that far before. However, promises of a solving a nation's problems are the same any politician would make. But what made Obama's economic promises distinctive was that they were lifted right out of the playbook of failed policies of the past. Roosevelt had tried them in the 1930's. Japan was continuing to do so in the face of continuing stagnation, and now they were being tried again with predictable results.
Because Obama had not achieved his promises, either intentionally and malevolently, or through plain ignorance, it was simple enough to expect that he would claim that things were worse than he could ever have expected, ask for more time and so on. Bill Clinton, still a crowd favorite, set the stage for this by asserting, one night before, that he couldn't have done it either. But both were wrong. It would have been easy to solve the economic issues by simply getting out of the way and letting the market forces do their work. But that is not the Democrat way of doing things, and most of the time it hasn't been the Republican way, either.
But what set me thinking was the question posed by one of the radio talkers; a question of why the Democrats didn't have anything new and different to offer at their 1012 convention. The answer should have been obvious; that socialists never really have anything new to offer in terms of political or economic policies. Their positions never change from year to year. They make the same promises and get the same results, which leads them to ask for more time.
This same phenomenon was documented years ago by a critic of Soviet Russia who provided a history of the promises the Soviet government had made to its citizens, only to fall short, year after year. The government propagandists continued to go before the people and promise that success was just around the corner, and that they should trust the government, tighten their belts, work harder, and this time prosperity for all would be just around the corner. Of course the people weren't that stupid. It didn't take too long for them to understand that it was all a farce. They stopped following the government lead and did their best to survive, instead.
Here in America it appears that the message still hasn't sunk in. Perhaps it is because we have voting rights, and a free press, or maybe P. T. Barnum was correct when he said that there is a sucker born every minute. Perhaps we simply don't learn from history or maybe some of us trust politicians way too much. But for anyone to take Obama's request for more time seriously is rank foolishness of the highest order.
No one in their right mind would suggest, today, that Mitt Romney will solve all the nation's problems without complications. But in 2008 Obama had a both houses of Congress dominated by Democrats. He could have done essentially anything and if he truly knew how to solve the economic issues, and wanted to do so, he could have done it. If I were President and had a compliant Congress I could have done it. The same could be said for thousands of other Americans. It really wasn't all that difficult.
However, the modern Democrat Party consists primarily of statists whose number one desire is the accumulation of political power. They will not acknowledge that they were mistaken, but will offer more of the same with the expectation that the American people are gullible enough to fall for it once again.
What Mitt Romney can and will do remains unknown as yet, but expecting prosperity and a better future under today's Democrats based on their immediate past record is a pipe dream.


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Events Calendar
Events for October 14, 2018
Events for October 14, 2018
6:00 pm
October 14, 2018 @ 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
Weekly on the same day until December 30, 2018
Evolve Movement, 219 Oberlin Road
Raleigh, NC 27605 United States
Raleigh, NC 27605 United States
SMART stands for Stability Mobility Alignment Release Technique. The class combines self-treatment techniques for connective tissue, also referred to as fascia. We will be using balls and foam rollers in a collage of release techniques, such as MELT®, 'Relief Through Rolling', self-myofasical release, and others. The techniques elicit adaptive changes in the body to...Find out more »
Ongoing Classes
Wednesdays: 9:30 to 10:45 AM "SMART Rolling" at Evolve Movement
Sundays: 6 to 7:15 PM "SMART Rolling" at Evolve Movement
For pricing at locations outside of the my studio, please visit their websites; some have discounted packages available.


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Topic: Which FTP server do you use for virtual domain/user hosting?
Hi, all.
We are tring integrate a FTP server with iRedMail LDAP solution, please tell us which FTP server do you use/prefer for virtual domain hosting.
Integrated pure-ftpd-1.0.21 with iRedMail-0.5.0 (-current). Use exist mail user as ftp user, seperate FTP data base directory as /home/ftp or whatever you want, but it can't be the same as mail storage base directory. Document is ready. 2009.06.07


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Gay-rights groups applaud DOD
Gay-rights advocacy groups and members of Congress applauded reports Tuesday that the Pentagon plans to propose extending benefits to some same-sex spouses of U.S. military members.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has not decided which benefits would be affected, The Associated Press reported, according to unnamed sources. But the Pentagon will likely extend access to some military bases and on-base stores, as well as to some health programs.
Story Continued Below
The Pentagon declined Tuesday to confirm any details of the benefits being considered, but spokeswoman Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde said it was reviewing its policy.
"The department is conducting a deliberative and comprehensive review of the possibility of extending eligibility for benefits, when legally permitted, to same-sex domestic partners," she said.
The move has been a long time coming, American Military Partner Association President Stephen L. Peters II said.
"Considering DADT was repealed well over a year ago, our families have waited far too long for the DoD to extend benefits to same-sex military spouses," Peters said. "No military family should suffer because of outdated regulations.
"For the sake of our families, we hope for substantive action."
Heather Cronk, managing director of GetEQUAL, said it makes sense for Panetta to take this opportunity at the end of his tenure to push through reforms related to the rights of gay service members.
"We remain insistent that gay and lesbian servicemembers serving equally deserve exactly the same benefits available under the law that straight service members receive," Cronk told POLITICO. "We hope that Secretary Panetta will finish two of the key pieces of reform that have not yet been completed under the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' — instituting a non-discrimination policy in the military and providing for the open service of transgender service members. Anything less would be a disappointing end to Secretary Panetta's decades of public service."
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) has been nominated to take Panetta's place, pending a confirmation by the Senate. And during his confirmation hearing last week he made clear that he would "work to ensure that everyone who volunteers to fight for this country has the same rights and opportunities."
And that, he said, includes "doing everything possible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our servicemembers."
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) quickly released a statement after the report surfaced in The Washington Post, calling the move encouraging.
"We need to make sure that all military families, including those with same sex partners serving at home or abroad, have access to the very best care, facilities and services possible," Schiff said. "In his last days before leaving office, Secretary Panetta can add to his already long list of accomplishments, take up this cause and make sure that the administration acts."
OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson, an Army veteran, said Panetta's previous unwillingness to extend benefits to the families of gay and lesbian service members "has baffled" many gay-rights advocates.
"We are hopeful that he will not take half-measures here; for him to grant anything less than the full extent of benefits available under current law would be an anticlimactic end to an otherwise exemplary record on civil rights," Robinson said in a statement.
And Hagel should be ready to pick up where Panetta leaves off, she added.
"Sen. Hagel made history with his firm and unequivocal commitment of support to LGBT servicemembers and their families, including his promise if confirmed to act expeditiously to grant all benefits available under current law," she said. "For Secretary Panetta to do anything less at this point would be to leave the job half done."
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 4:55 p.m. on February 5, 2013.


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A Glimpse Through the Microscope
Groundbreaking research. Revolutionary discoveries. Science at CUNY.
by Neil S. Rosenfeld
What do chronic water shortages mean in a volatile and nuclearized region like South Asia? Or in our country when farmers, industry and city dwellers argue over finite water supplies?
These are some of the questions that drive Charles Vörösmarty and his research team to study the state and trajectory of freshwater resources. Hydrology, the study of water in the environment, "is no longer about small units of landscape called watersheds," he said. "It's now focused on big, strategic issues, and often those are dictated by humans attempting to control water supplies. We've got to be talking about the Northeast Corridor; the U.S. national water policy in light of climate change; and the overuse of water as you're growing biofuels while trying to feed a hungry world, or when water scarcity invokes national security issues."
Vörösmarty is the first of what will be five nationally known directors whom CUNY is recruiting to run the laboratories at the Advanced Science Research Center, the keystone of CUNY's Decade of Science (2005-2015). The $300 million, 200,000-square-foot center on the grounds of City College is slated to open in 2012. It will provide $50 million worth of sophisticated equipment to researchers from across the University, while becoming a crossroad for scientific creativity.
"I'm looking for ideas about water that no single person could have thought about," said Vörösmarty, who will direct the laboratory of water and environmental sensing, a field that uses computer analysis and instruments ranging from satellites to ocean buoys to collect data for earth, atmospheric, environmental and marine sciences.
Similar brainstorming is also the goal in the ASRC labs dedicated to the University's four other flagship areas of science: nanotechnology, neuroscience, photonics and structural biology. CUNY researchers in those fields are already laying the groundwork to stop the spread of cancer, halt or even reverse degenerative nerve diseases, produce clearer mammograms and miniaturize electronics via biological processes.
Chancellor Matthew Goldstein launched the Decade of Science to help position CUNY as a premier research institution. The plan includes more than $1 billion for science facilities on eight campuses; "cluster hires" of more than 80 faculty members so far in science, technology, engineering and math; restructuring Ph.D. programs in the sciences and engineering; boosting financial aid for doctoral students; and training more teachers of middle- and high-school science and math.
Vice Chancellor for Research Gillian Small, who has overseen the ASRC project almost from the start, said CUNY was thrilled to have recruited Vörösmarty from the University of New Hampshire's Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, where he founded and directed its Water Systems Analysis Group. "Dr. Vörösmarty comes with an international reputation for excellence in interdisciplinary environmental studies," she said. "He will bring CUNY's water and environmental sensing initiative to the forefront. We are delighted to have him at CUNY and the ASRC."
Vörösmarty joined the civil engineering faculty at the City College of New York's Grove School of Engineering in September. He brought a hydrology team that includes about a half-dozen postdoctoral researchers and administrative staff from New Hampshire. Plans are to hire three faculty members who will teach and conduct research with him.
His team develops computer models and geospatial data sets to analyze the interaction of the water cycle with climate, biogeochemistry and human activities (including water engineering projects) on scales ranging from local to global. "We have to study the policy of water, the economics of water and how humans are managing or mismanaging this resource," he said.
Although the United States has yet to adopt a national approach to managing carbon and climate change, Vörösmarty believes in "regional ecomanagement, and the only way to do that coherently is to take a multistate perspective and make water a part of the dialogue."
His viewpoint is broader still. He has consulted for the 24-agency UN World Water Assessment Programme and represented the International Council of Scientific Unions at the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development. "I've opened a dialogue with the U.N. on how to better manage water in the 21st century. Our CUNY initiative is perfectly poised, because of our location, to be a central force in that dialogue."
He looks forward to working with the many CUNY professors who study environmental issues, including "the powerhouse in remote sensing and geospatial data-set integration" that is NOAA-CREST (Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center), a multidisciplinary consortium led by CCNY and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It includes four CUNY institutions (CCNY, Lehman College, Bronx Community College and New York City College of Technology); Bowie State University; Columbia University; Hampton University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.
"I'm amazed at the strength here at CUNY, but that strength sits on many different campuses," Vörösmarty said. "Our intent is to use ASRC as a magnet to draw these otherwise disparate students and professors together in an interdisciplinary research framework, in particular in reaching out to our next generation of students."
He sees the ASRC lab as "an incubation vessel for ideas, for the gee-whiz stuff that we can turn on its ear and apply to the environment."
Here is a look at some of the other scientists working in each of the University's five flagship areas of science.
The collection of data about the atmosphere, earth and living creatures, often via remote devices.
For the public, the most familiar environmental sensing is visible, from pictures of melting glaciers to TV graphics of howling hurricanes. But it's the invisible—what's in the air— that interests Fred Moshary, a professor at City College's Grove School of Engineering.
"On the health side, the main thing we're looking for is pollution," he said. "On the environment side, aerosols [liquid or solid particles] figure into global warming because they represent a cooling, not a warming, effect. When you're studying global warming, you have to look at the overall energy balance."
Curtailing global warming or meeting prospective environmental regulations are "difficult, high-stakes issues; dealing with them will be disruptive and expensive," he said.
New York City, for instance, falls short of national ambient air quality standards, and it could prove prohibitively costly to meet them solely by capping local emissions. "You have to understand the makeup of pollution, what portion is produced locally and what portion is transported here." Gasses from an Ohio smokestack could change chemically by the time they arrive here; acid rain is an example. Sensors can point to polluters upwind that also need to control pollution.
Moshary and his colleagues belong to a consortium, the Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and Environment, funded by the National Science Foundation and industry. MIRTHE is developing devices that can detect minute amounts of chemicals, yet are so cheap and easy to use that they will transform how doctors treat patients, states track illegal dumping and Homeland Security monitors against biological attack. CCNY focuses on remote gas and aerosol sensors for deployment in cities, while Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Rice and Texas A&M Universities explore related environmental and medical applications, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, studies advanced laser materials
Meanwhile, Moshary helps plan the rooftop sensing lab at the ASRC. "For astronomers, the atmosphere is a nuisance that they have to look through before they see the stars, but we're looking at the atmosphere, itself," he said. The CCNY team is designing and building instruments including a volume-imaging lidar, which emits laser beams that bounce back when they strike airborne molecules and particulates. Using invisible light, either ultraviolet or near-infrared, it won't distract pilots, enabling scientists to point it at many angles to get a three-dimensional picture of air.
Moshary also is part of NOAA-CREST, the CCNY-based Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center. "Some of our instrumentation is developed and packaged in-house, from atmospheric sensors used in the region to coastal-water-sensing packages that are lowered into the water or placed on buoys. All of that is constructed here by students before our scientists take off into the field," he said.
Technology that controls matter at atomic or molecular scales of 1 to 100 nm (nanometers, or billionths of a meter).
Human beings develop from almost nothing. A single cell, some programming instructions and, generally speaking, you get a smoothly functioning and complex machine. Would it be possible, Hiroshi Matsui wondered, to mimic that process by using biological building blocks to construct nanoscale electronics?
"We work with peptides and antibodies," explained the associate professor of bionanotechnology in Hunter College's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Peptides, which are chains of two or more amino acids, assemble themselves and can be fashioned into nanoscale wires that function like regular electric wires. And antibodies naturally attach to specific receptors on the peptides.
"We can program it to build complex devices in nanoscale, so this wire goes to position A, this wire to position B, and this particle to position C." Matsui said. "If we use the right antibodies, the wires won't be misplaced."
This approach could overcome a weakness in nanotechnology today, the difficulty in aligning parts of the tiny machines. "You can't pick up a nanoscale device and put the wires in the right places, but if you direct this wire to go to this place and attach itself, then it will do it. It sounds difficult, but that's how humans are made," he said.
Matsui's team is exploring how to use this technology to create sensors that, depending on which antibody is attached, would spot a specific virus or bacterium. "You could have a simple tabletop diagnostic device that could quickly say if you are infected [via an electric signal]. This could be of tremendous value in remote places where you don't have sophisticated instruments," he said.
Beyond detection, "We're trying to make this a diagnostic system," he said. "We are finding that the electric signal depends on the strength of the viruses, so the signal level could tell us the strain. That's what we're hoping for."
Matsui trained as a physical chemist and stumbled into this research when a graduate student made a mistake in synthesizing a known molecule. Back then, Matsui was "interested in how nature assembles a molecule into a certain shape." His student quickly realized that the peptide he had made was something new, and Matsui discovered that it functioned like an electric wire and could absorb biomolecules. That sent him down a different path of research, one that required him to learn a good deal of biology and biochemistry.
"Before this, almost nobody was thinking about using biological molecules for electronics, so we were almost the sole investigators thinking that crazy way, thinking that the hard-core semiconductor industry could marry with biology. Now many people have that idea," Matsui said.
It's hard to conceive how small a nanometer is. Web definitions call it 1/80,000th the diameter of a human hair or, at 3 nm, imagine it as a three-inch by three-inch Post-It Note seen from halfway across the planet.
Things 1 to 100 nms are inconceivably tiny. Yet scientists like Daniel Akins have made nanomaterials with amazing abilities.
A distinguished service professor of chemistry at City College, Akins has patented an inexpensive way of turning a carbon source like methane into nanotubes, which are cylinders of carbon atoms that "have fantastic properties. They're stronger than steel, conduct electricity better than the best metal conductors and have chemical properties that allow one to attach things to them." Things like gold nanoparticles that can register minute electric currents, turning nanotubes into infinitesimal sensors.
With the right blood-sampling system, such sensors could alert people with diabetes to the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which indicates insulin deficiency.
Nanostructures build themselves when scientists create the right conditions. In nature, carbon atoms bond differently, creating familiar materials like graphite, coal and diamond; in the lab, scientists can induce carbon atoms to form tubes, lattices and spheres, each possessing unique properties.
Scientists, including Akins, have used nanotubes to improve fuel cells. A fuel cell generates electricity when a catalyst (like gold or platinum) promotes the burning of a fuel (like hydrogen) in the presence of an oxidant, thereby releasing electrons. Fuel cells were conceived in 1838 and were first used commercially in the Gemini space program in 1965. But their use as a nonpolluting alternative to the internal combustion engine has stalled because they are inefficient and catalytic metals are expensive.
Nanotechnology that requires far less of the costly metals may be the solution. "We use carbon nanotubes as catalyst-assist agents, or cocatlysts. We coat particles of platinum or palladium onto the nanotubes. This improves efficiency and lowers the potential required for the chemistry to occur," he said.
Akins foresees extending his research into biofuel cells, which would use natural body processes to generate power. Imagine keeping warm in arctic conditions with a heater powered by normal blood chemistry. "When you pedal a bicycle, you're extracting energy; but with a biofuel cell, instead of having your whole system involved in generating energy, you're using a much smaller part."
Since 1988, Akins' Center for the Analysis of Structures and Interfaces has recruited many minority-group members and helped them move into doctoral work. He also was a leader in creating a subdiscipline in nanotechnology in CUNY's chemistry doctoral program. In 2000 he received the
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The study of the development, anatomy, functioning and pathology of the brain and nervous system.
If you cut a nerve in the spinal cord, it won't spontaneously regrow. Paralysis results. Scientists had long thought that scar tissue was to blame, and it certainly does play a role.
Marie Filbin discovered something else: Nerves try to regenerate, but are stopped by a protein in the myelin sheath that protects them. Then she found that a molecule in every cell can counteract that protein, opening the door to therapies that one day may enable people with spinal cord injuries to walk and physicians to treat nerve-killing conditions like Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
Filbin, a distinguished professor of biology at Hunter College, said myelin contains myelin-associated glycoprotein, or MAG. It is believed to prevent nerves from sprouting randomly and making the wrong connections. But when a nerve is severed, MAG and related proteins also inhibit desirable regrowth.
She discovered that when she increased the concentration of a common signaling molecule called cyclic adenosine monophosphate, or cyclic AMP, nerve axons (which carry outgoing messages from neurons) overcome the inhibitory effects of MAG and grow.
Her basic research explores how cyclic AMP "changes a neuron to enable it to grow in this inhibitory environment. We have identified what genes are turned on in response to cyclic AMP and know that the proteins that result from these genes are sufficient to overcome inhibition. We are systematically working through these different downstream effectors to see if they will allow neurons to grow, will they promote central nervous system regeneration in vivo, and how they work."
Preliminary animal research shows that "if you elevate cyclic AMP you will get the nerve to regenerate and will get some functioning back. My long-term dream is that we can artificially change the dynamics of the cytoskeleton, which is to nerves what bones are to the body, to get nerves to regenerate," she said.
Clinical trials, though, are still far off.
Despite the potential of her work and five patents either approved or pending, Filbin is frustrated that major pharmaceutical companies have dropped their research into nerve regeneration. Perhaps they don't see a big enough market in treating people with spinal cord injuries like the late actor Christopher Reeve, who helped secure state funding that supports her research. Or perhaps they just don't see the future evident in an aging population.
"My argument is that in motor neuron diseases, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or multiple sclerosis, you have ongoing nerve death. You have to arrest the progression of those diseases and, if you want full functional recovery, you're going to have to replace those lost neurons in an inhibitory environment. Everything we find out about regeneration after injury could be applicable to neuron replacement in degenerative diseases," Filbin said.
Anxiety, rage, depression and brain cancer form an understandable quartet, but for Probal Banerjee they encompass two distinct research projects.
The first examines how the neurotransmitter serotonin governs emotions. "We have shown for the first time that the serotonin 1A receptor in the brain plays a varied role in the early postnatal stages," said Banerjee, a professor of chemistry, biochemistry and neuroscience at the College of Staten Island.
"In the hippocampus, which controls memory, it helps cell division just before neuronal connections are made. Then it changes its mode of action to help build neuronal connections. We are working out the signal transduction cascade, which is the sequence of events inside the neuron that regulates its electrical activity, cell division and maturation," he said. The proteins created or activated "can be our therapeutic targets in treating depression and anxiety."
The amount of serotonin in the cerebral spinal fluid affects emotions. At normal levels, serotonin is a calming agent, but having too little can trigger aggression and emotional problems including depression and suicidal tendencies.
Banerjee's team determined that a common drug for schizophrenia, clozapine, works through the serotonin 1A receptor, leading him to speculate that "many emotional disorders which surface in puberty are related to serotonin disorder."
He also studies brain tumors, taking divergent approaches.
Normally, the body's defenses recognize and destroy cells with unfamiliar surfaces. But cancer cells can hide by changing their surfaces. "By doing genetic targeting, we would alter the surface of the cancer cells in such a prominent manner that the scavenger cells would eat them up," Banerjee said.
His other approach to brain cancer employs curcumin, the main ingredient in the Asian spice turmeric. "On the Indian subcontinent, there is practically no colon cancer, although some people there have bad lifestyles; a lot of people smoke," he said. Could the reason be this pungent yellow spice, used in India to anoint the foreheads of wedding couples and in cosmetics to slough off dead cells and make the skin glow?
"Curcumin is becoming a legendary molecule, and there is a huge amount of research into it. It blocks breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, but there wasn't any research in brain cancer because, when eaten, it metabolizes before it can reach the brain."
So Banerjee developed an easily metabolized, soluble formulation of curcumin. When injected into the brain or blood of mice, it "blocks the formation of tumors and is completely harmless to normal brain cells. In fact, it protects against oxidative injuries."
Banerjee even coined a name for his curcumin therapy: "spicile," from spice and guided missile.
The study of the properties and applications of light, or energy whose basic unit is the photon.
Making photonic devices flexible and miniaturized opens many possibilities for research and practical applications, said Queens College assistant professor Vinod Menon, one of CUNY's "cluster hires" in photonics.
Take flexible display screens, which one day could rival the rigid flat screens that are now the high-definition rage. These solid-state displays are extremely thin, like the ultraviolet-absorbing films that are sometimes placed over windows, but they can emit light just like a television.
"They could be wrapped around buildings," or run up a wall or around columns. "You even could put them on clothes for identification purposes," Menon said. "And the technique of making these emitters is so simple that I even have high school students in my lab who make them."
He uses a fast-spinning machine to coat multiple layers of polymers onto a flexible base, creating an optical microcavity, which traps and amplifies light at specific frequencies, harnessing it for emission like a TV or transmission over fiber-optic lines. Microcavity lasers are used widely, such as to produce the narrow beams that read and write CDs and DVDs.
His microcavity light emitters are more efficient, controllable and cheaper than previous attempts at creating flexible photonic devices, he said. "The other big advantage is that you can cover the visible and near-infrared spectrum, depending on the materials you choose."
He predicted that microcavity devices that can emit single photons (which are to light what electrons are to electricity) will lead to practical quantum information processing and quantum encryption, in which data sit on individual photons. His group is developing materials to manipulate signals at the single photon level.
And they are working on photonic integrated circuits (similar to electronic chips) for ultrafast signal processing; that could lead to optical computers whose speed would surpass current silicon-based circuitry. This and the flexible emitter work are funded by the Army Research Office.
Turning to fundamental research, Menon explores three-dimensional photonic crystals, which can efficiently trap photons. He collaborates with City College chemical engineering assistant professor Ilona Kretzschmar, whose group constructs these crystals using directed self-assembly; Menon evaluates their ability to trap light. The CUNY collaborative program funds this research.
He also seeks to understand how light acts in a structure where light emitters are stacked periodically (imagine a display of oranges). This work is incollaboration with Queens College theorists Lev Deych and Alexander Lisyansky; it is funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Could light provide more detailed mammograms than X-rays, making surgical biopsies obsolete for diagnosing breast cancer?
Swapan Gayen hopes so. A professor in the Department of Physics and the Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers at the City College of New York, he is the principal investigator of a four-year, $1.36-million grant to evaluate whether near-infrared light (just beyond the visible spectrum) can not only detect and diagnose breast cancer, but also assess how rapidly tumors are growing.
His team includes CCNY professors Robert Alfano and Feng-Bao Lin, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Dr. Jason Koutcher. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Breast Cancer Research Program funds their work.
Current screening methods like X-ray mammography and ultrasound excel at detecting abnormalities, but they cannot diagnose whether they are malignant or benign. For that, physicians need to perform biopsies, anxiety-producing surgical procedures that in 80% of U.S. cases do not find cancer.
But using light for mammography is easier said than done.
"The main problem is that light does not go through human tissue as it goes through a glass of water," Gayen explained. "It's absorbed and scattered many times, so it's hard to get a direct image." However, since normal tissue has different optical and molecular properties than cancerous tissue, and since "we can model how light transits through breast tissues and can measure the different angular orientations and transit times of the light that comes out the other end, we should be able to get an interior map of the breast."
To learn how to do that, Gayen's team constructs model breasts using samples of tumors and healthy breast tissue. They compare their images made with light to the results of X-rays and MRIs.
Beyond detecting tumors, this research offers hope of diagnosing breast tumors without surgery. The researchers will try to measure the rate of tumor growth by monitoring the progress of cancer in animals using both conventional methods and near-infrared spectroscopy. If the studies prove successful, they will seek additional funding for in vivo research.
Gayen's work into how light behaves in a highly scattering medium has other potential uses. Under a grant from the Office of Naval Research, his team investigated technology that penetrates coastal water better than ordinary light. The Navy might use such technology to detect mines, while marine biologists could employ it to study ecosystems and environmental sensing scientists could use it to see through clouds.
Structural Biology
The study of the architecture and functioning of macro-molecules, which work properly in cells only in specific three-dimensional shapes..
What if you could halt cancer in its tracks by stopping a key enzyme from working when it's not supposed to? Lesley Davenport, a chemistry professor at Brooklyn College, thinks the solution may lie in the protective four-stranded knots that may be found at the ends of chromosomes.
These knots—quadruplexes, they're called—have the potential to form in telomeric DNA located at the end of chromosomes. And quadruplexes, in the laboratory at least, inhibit the action of telomerase. In most cells, the enzyme shortens telomeres with each replication cycle as part of the normal process of cell aging and death. (The exception is in reproductive cells, which telomerase protects by lengthening telomeres.) But when this process goes awry, telomerase can trigger uncontrolled replication and cell immortality – cancer, in other words.
Davenport hopes that her basic research can lead to drugs that would lock the telomeres of cancer patients, shutting down the progress of the disease. "We ask simple questions: What drives quadruplex folding and what are the dynamics of its formation?"
Among researchers who study telomeres and telomerase, she stands out for her expertise in fluorescent spectroscopy. She maps model DNA quadruplex sequences with the help of specially synthesized, fluorescent probes made of guanine-like residues. (The nucleotide guanine is a building block of DNA and a main component of telomeres.) Because this guanine is fluorescent, it's easy to find with optical spectroscopy even at low concentrations.
"We've been asking: Are all guanine positions in the DNA quadruplex identical? We've found that they're not," Davenport said.
She and her research team designed sequences with fluorescent guanines at various points in the quadruplex and observed how minor changes affect their ability to form knots. In certain positions, the altered guanine makes the quadruplex fall part, indicating locations that are vital for quadruplex stabilization.
That's significant because before researchers can develop drugs to lock quadruplexes, they have to know where to attach the lock.
That brings Davenport to another question: the dynamics and thermodynamics of how it folds. "If we understand how the quadruplex folds up on itself, then maybe drugs can be designed to make it lock the closed quadruplex conformation and thereby prevent telomerase from binding."
Davenport hopes to develop, test and screen for potential drugs that could keep telomeres tied in their elegant knots in collaboration with Mary Hawkins of the National Cancer Institute, who prepared some of the early fluorescent DNA sequences that she used.
Working from the premise that molecular architecture can shed light on function, Ruth Stark parses tiny structures that operate within cells, like the pigment melanin that can develop in certain fungi.
Working from the premise that molecular architecture can shed light on function, Ruth Stark parses tiny structures that operate within cells, like the pigment melanin that can develop in certain fungi.
Melanin protects fungi, just as it colors and protects human skin. It also can make them virulent, a worry for AIDS patients with fungal infections, said Stark, a distinguished professor of structural biology in the City College Chemistry Department.
Her current projects include studying how fungi create melanin from amino acid derivatives and how melanin attaches itself to fungal cell walls. "In contrast to other ubiquitous pigments like chlorophyll and hemoglobin, little is known about the molecular basis for melanin's many biological functions," Stark said. "Melanins resist traditional structural analysis because they don't dissolve in water or crystallize."
Her tool of choice is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which examines nuclei nondestructively, as solids or in solution, by aligning them with a magnetic field, then perturbing the alignment with radio waves. The high-resolution results show the response for each atom of a pigment or protein target, revealing molecular structures and flexibility, two keys to physiological function.
Stark, a physical chemist, also explores what happens to dietary fat within animal cells. "As fats are digested, one of the things that they're broken down into is fatty acids, which typically are shuttled to the cell membrane and the nucleus by protein chaperones. Some of these proteins are found in adipose [fatty] tissue, where they may facilitate signaling related to insulin tolerance," she said.
"We look at these proteins and the small molecules they grab or release, and how the three-dimensional shapes of the proteins are changed either to accommodate a foreign fatty acid that gets in or to push it out. Or one protein may collide with another to effect the fatty acid transfer. Ultimately, we want to understand the basic processes of a human cell in healthy and disease states."
Stark works with NMR equipment at CCNY and at the internationally known New York Structural Biology Center, where she is a principal investigator. She also directs CUNY's Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies. "We now have a virtual institute for structural biology and engineered assemblies with more than 30 faculty teams on seven campuses." she said. The goal is "to become a cutting-edge crossroads for scientists making biomedically important discoveries."


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I need to start posting a tad bit more don`t you think?? The other day I had so much to talk about and now i`m here in my room ready to type away and umm nothing....
Sep 30, 2008
You can get a lapdance here for free...
xoxo Kay ♥ at 9:29 PM 2 comments
Labels: animal print fetish, blah post, pharrell, rape, uggs
Sep 26, 2008
xoxo Kay ♥ at 10:36 PM 5 comments
Sep 23, 2008
Fall is Finally Here .....
My favorite season is here and I`m happy ^_^ . Well this past weekend I did get to have my French Date with my friend but we didn't get to make crepes =( , we met up late so we had kettle popcorn which is the best popcorn ever! The movie that we watched was really good, at first I didn't understand what was going on but then I caught on. The movie was in French with English subtitles which was pretty cool... French people talk really fast lol. Before we met up I was with my other friend shopping, umm I hate shopping... I don't like to look around... I don't have the patience for it... I'd rather online shop.... lol idk I'm weird... Oh I've been looking all over for a pair of acid wash skinny jeans for a reasonable price...
I'm excited for Oct. 3 & Oct.18th. Going to a haunted house & the 18th going to six-flags ^_^
Oh and anyone wanna donate $300 so I can get this adorable Fafi instant camera?
xoxo Kay ♥ at 10:07 AM 4 comments
Labels: acid wash skinnys, fafi, french date, six flags
Sep 16, 2008
French Date!
xoxo Kay ♥ at 11:53 AM 9 comments
Labels: crepes, fafi, french date, fright fest, halloween
Sep 15, 2008
Coco Chanel & Update!
xoxo Kay ♥ at 9:50 PM 6 comments
Labels: boring, coco chanel, crazy hair, lifetime, update
Sep 2, 2008
Cult of Cherry!
MAC's cult of cherry is out and I want the Spiced Chocolate Quad & Illegal Purple Nail Lacquer! I really want to recreate this look you see on the side here. Very pretty! But I just got 88 eyeshadows! I need to get some more eyeshadow brushes, i`m thinking of going to get Paintbrushes, they work just as well. The MAC brushes are just too damn much for me. But if you're looking for some nice fall makeup, cult of cherry is definitely for you! I am so addicted to Makeup :( , my boyfriend says he won't take part in this by buying me makeup :( . dammit. Oh well! & check out this Video MAC has for the line, I love it!
xoxo Kay ♥ at 10:47 AM 8 comments
Labels: cult of cherry, mac, makeup rant
Sep 1, 2008
Chubby Cheeks!
My first week of school was pretty cool, all my teachers are great! I absolutely love my French Teacher, she's really from France. She has an accent :) Everything she says in French I understand ^_^ & she`s funny . She makes me want to move to France & I`m also thinking about French being my minor, so i`ll be trilingual! My Psychology teacher,love her too! She makes me laugh & she`s really smart. I have a feeling i`ll be passing her course too. Actually all my classes I hope I either get As or Bs. Eh my Speech teacher is pretty eh idk... I hope I do well in his class. I hate talking in front of people. As for History, I got that in the bag. This year at my college there's a lot of freshman omg, and half of them went to my highschool *rolls eyes*. Eh it`s whatever man, I hate community college. I can`t wait to transfer out to my dream school, F.I.T. So that pretty much sums up school for now.
xoxo Kay ♥ at 6:25 PM 6 comments
Labels: loosing weight, school, skating, target, update


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29 Acts of Kindness
At age 33 Cami Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the life she knew changed forever. Then, as a remedy for her condition, she received an uncommon prescription from a friend, an African medicine woman named Mbali Creazzo: Give away 29 gifts in 29 days. Cami was amazed by what unfolded during her month-long journey. More
It's All About Giving
Watch a video interview in which Cami discusses her book, her personal story, and the online community whose lives changed for the better after taking the challenge. 29 Gifts shows just how a simple, daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world. More