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Organised gangsters are bribing owners of luxury yachts to carry illegal immigrants from the continent to the Westcountry, it has been alleged.
Albanians desperate to reach the UK are paying to cross the channel from Brittany to the southern coast of South West England, landing in smaller ports unguarded by border agency staff.
Investigators in the Brittany capital Rennes have begun probing what they believe may be a highly organised network of criminals who are using ports on the north coast of Brittany as a jumping off point. Controls there are less frequent than those at Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.
It has emerged that 15 Albanian migrants without papers were found huddled in the cabin of a £100,000 yacht, on January 12, by Customs officers from Cherbourg. They were carrying out a routine check on a yacht, based in Brittany, which was heading north across the Channel towards the Westcountry.
Under questioning, the migrants said that they had each paid 1,000 euros to reach the UK. The two skippers, who are both from Brittany, revealed to a judge that they had been propositioned by a Kosovo man, who offered them large sums to smuggle migrants to Britain.
"In 2012 they transited 30 foreigners without papers on two yachts, making five trips to the UK," said a French source. All of the migrants boarded yachts at ports in northern Brittany and were landed in the Westcountry, the source said.
The two Frenchmen have been remanded in custody pending their trial. Using luxury yachts to ferry migrants to the UK from France is a new form of criminal activity believed to be controlled by ruthless gangs from Kosovo and Albania who specialise in people smuggling, drugs and prostitution.
Afghan and Iraqi smugglers based at the northern French Channel ports attempt to open doors of lorry trailers at motorway rest areas allowing migrants to sneak into the UK on ferries.
Investigators believe that Albanian criminal gangs are attempting to take over the lucrative business of people-smuggling that has been going on from Calais, France's busiest cross-Channel port. In December in Calais there were violent clashes between Afghans, Egyptians and Albanians.
Concerns have been expressed that changes to the way the British Border Agency operates, concentrating on airports and other major ports of entry, has left more remote parts of the country, like the far South West, more vulnerable to targeting by illegal immigrants.
Last night no one from the Border Agency was available for comment.
(Source: Google News: This is Corwall. View the original story here.)


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Centurion of Tennessee, a partnership with MHM Services and Centene, is part of the fastest growing correctional healthcare company in the nation and is proud to be the provider of healthcare services to the Tennessee Department of Correction. MHM Services is a leading provider of specialized comprehensive health services to state and local governments nationwide. Today we employ over 7,000 of the best and brightest healthcare professionals across 16 states.
We are currently seeking Per Diem LPNs to join our Team at the Women's Therapeutic Residential Center and West Tennessee State Penitentiary located in Henning, Tennessee.
The LPN is responsible for providing holistic nursing care within the appropriate scope of practice to incarcerated patients. Works under the direction of registered nurses, medical and psychiatric staff to respond to a range of physical and mental health needs.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Who leads environmental efforts at Apple?
In June 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook appointed Lisa P. Jackson as Vice President, Environmental Initiatives. The Office of Environmental Initiatives works with teams across Apple to set strategy, engage stakeholders, and communicate progress on Apple's commitments to address climate change, develop green materials for safer products, and use materials as efficiently as possible.
Apple's Board of Directors oversees the CEO and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of Apple on a day-to-day basis and ensures that the long-term interests of shareholders are being served. Lisa, who is now Vice President, Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, reports to the CEO. Our integrated approach means that decisions about environmental and social issues are reviewed at the highest levels of the company. Executive Team members regularly review each new product during its development, focusing on material and design choices, the supply chain, packaging, and product energy efficiency.
How does Apple conduct its Product Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Assessment?
Apple uses five steps when conducting a product life cycle assessment (LCA):
- To model the manufacturing phase, we use part-by-part measurements of the entire product along with data on part production. The measurements help us accurately determine the size and weight of the components and materials in the product, while data on manufacturing processes and yield loss during production allows us to account for the impact of manufacturing. The LCA includes accessories and packaging, as well as decreased emissions through Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program. When calculating Apple's comprehensive carbon footprint, we also include units that are repaired and replaced through AppleCare, in areas where this service is available.
- To model customer use, we measure the power consumed by a product while it is running in a simulated scenario. Daily usage patterns are specific to each product and are a mixture of actual and modeled customer use data. For the purposes of our assessment, years of use, which are based on first owners, are modeled to be four years for macOS and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices. Most Apple products last longer and are often passed along, resold, or returned to Apple by the first owner for others to use. More information on our product energy use is provided in our Product Environmental Reports.
- To model transportation, we use data collected on shipments of single products and multipack units by land, sea, and air. We account for transporting materials between manufacturing sites; transporting products from manufacturing sites to regional distribution hubs; transporting products from regional distribution hubs to individual customers; and transporting products from final customers to recycling facilities.
- To model end of life, we use material composition data on our products and estimate the ratio of products that are sent to recycling or disposal. For products sent to recycling, we capture the initial processing by the recycler to prepare the product for recovery of electronic, metal, plastic, and glass material streams. Subsequent downstream recycling processes are not included, as these are considered stages of production and not end‑of‑life processing. For products sent to disposal, we capture the emissions associated with landfilling or incineration of each type of material.
- After we collect data about manufacturing, use, transportation, and end of life, we combine it with detailed greenhouse gas emission data. This emission data is based on a combination of Apple-specific and industry-average datasets for material production, manufacturing processes, electricity generation, and transportation. Renewable energy used in the supply chain, initiated by suppliers independently or through the Apple Supplier Clean Energy Program, is also accounted for within the LCA model. Combining product-specific information with emission data in our LCA allows us to compile detailed results for greenhouse gas emissions as they relate to each product. The data and modeling approaches are checked for quality and accuracy by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. More information about Apple's LCA methodology is contained in a paper that was presented at the 2018 CARE Innovation Conference in Vienna, Austria.
Does Apple set greenhouse gas emission reduction goals?
We calculate our carbon footprint comprehensively — not only considering the emissions from our direct operations, but also looking at the life cycle carbon impacts of our products. We then set out to create a robust renewable energy program to address these emissions. In 2018, we announced that we reached our goal of powering all our corporate facilities (Scope 2 emissions) with renewable energy. That means we generate or procure 100% renewable energy for all the electricity used at our data centers, retail stores, and offices across 43 countries around the globe.
We also have a goal of reducing emissions in our supply chain by helping our suppliers switch to clean energy. By 2020, we and our suppliers will generate and procure 4 gigawatts of renewable energy to reduce emissions from manufacturing our products. That's equivalent to roughly one-third of our current manufacturing footprint.
Does Apple obtain third-party verification and assurance for its environmental impact data?
Yes. We obtain third-party verification for our Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, as well as our energy use, waste and water impacts for our data centers, offices, and retail stores worldwide. Bureau Veritas (BV) provides "reasonable assurance" — one of the highest levels of verification in the industry — for this environmental impact data. See the BV statement here.
Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions related to our products, calculated using life cycle assessment, are checked for quality and accuracy by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany in accordance with the internationally recognized ISO 14000 environmental management standards: ISO 14040 and 14044. See the Fraunhofer statement here.
Does Apple have an Environmental Health and Safety Policy?
Yes. Apple is committed to protecting the environment and the health and safety of our employees, our customers, and the global communities in which we operate. For more information, read our Environmental Health and Safety Policy Statement (PDF).
Does Apple index its environmental performance data using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines?
Apple is committed to openness in our environmental, social, and governance policies and programs, and we share our progress through a variety of public reports, including our 2018 Environmental Responsibility Report. These reports contain Standard Disclosures from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Apple's GRI Index can be viewed here.
Does Apple restrict substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment?
Yes. Apple's Regulated Substances Specification details a broad range of substances that are restricted or banned from use in Apple products, packaging, and manufacturing. All Apple products conform to the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which restricts the use of lead and other substances. As a result of our precautionary approach to substances, many of Apple's restrictions exceed regulatory requirements. View Apple's Regulated Substances Specification (PDF) or learn more about our efforts to reduce and eliminate hazardous substances.
In addition, all Apple products comply with Vietnamese Circular 30/2011/TT-BCT, regulating lead and other substances in electronic products.
Does Apple restrict brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its products?
Yes. Apple defines a material as BFR‑free and PVC‑free if it contains less than 900 parts per million (ppm) of bromine and of chlorine. The 900‑ppm limit is one of the strictest in the electronics industry and a concentration lower than the ban on lead in the European RoHS Directive. If BFRs or PVC were present, the bromine or chlorine levels would need to be significantly higher than 900 ppm in order to be effective.
Apple's phaseout of BFRs and PVC covers all new Apple product designs manufactured since 2009, and all Beats products manufactured since 2016. While Apple's phaseout covers the vast majority of products and components, Beddit products and some older Apple product designs may not be fully BFR‑free and PVC‑free. However, these products, including their replacement parts and accessories, were still designed to meet regulatory requirements. Power cords in India and South Korea contain PVC due to country-specific requirements. We continue to seek approval for our PVC replacement.
What is REACH, and how is Apple complying with the REACH regulation?
The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation EC 1907/2006, commonly referred to as REACH, is a European regulation on chemicals and their safe use. With the publication of candidate lists for authorization, the European Chemicals Agency identifies sets of substances of very high concern (SVHC) that manufacturers must disclose to customers if used in their products above 0.1% by weight.
Based on the current version of the candidate list for authorization, Apple products contain the following SVHCs above the disclosure threshold:
The SVHCs used in these products do not pose a safety risk to customers under normal use conditions. To ensure that these products are recycled appropriately, you can return your Apple device to an Apple Store for free recycling or visit www.apple.com/lae/recycling for more information about our recycling services.
Does Apple use ozone-depleting substances?
No ozone‑depleting chemicals (ODCs) are used in any processes to manufacture components, materials, or product packaging materials used by Apple, as stipulated by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
How is Apple helping to accelerate a circular economy?
A durable device is a greener device. When products can be used longer, fewer resources need to be extracted from the earth to make new ones. Apple's continuing focus on making the best and most durable products, coupled with expert repair services, ensures that our products are used for a very long time. When our customers are done using their devices, we make it easy for them to return their devices to Apple through the Apple GiveBack program — where they'll be passed on to another user, or recycled responsibly.
In 2017, Apple made public our commitment to one day make products using only renewable resources and recycled materials. And, where necessary, we want to return an equivalent amount of material to the market, to be used by us or others. With advancements like Daisy, our newest disassembly robot, we can recover more materials, and at a higher quality, than through traditional recycling processes.
We have initiatives in place to ensure that the materials we use in our products are sourced responsibly — through strict standards and programs that drive positive change. We are continuing that commitment, but we are also challenging ourselves to make all our products without extracting finite resources from the earth. It's an ambitious goal that will require years of collaboration across Apple teams, our suppliers, and recyclers — but our work is already under way.
For more information on our progress to date, read the 2018 Environmental Responsibility Report (PDF).
How do I make the most of the battery in my Apple device?
You can learn more about how your battery charges and maximizing battery performance by visiting www.apple.com/lae/batteries/maximizing-performance.
When and how should I get the battery of my Apple device replaced?
You can learn more about servicing and recycling your battery by visiting www.apple.com/lae/batteries/service-and-recycling.
Does Apple offer recycling?
Yes. The Apple Recycle program lets you recycle any Apple device at any Apple Store. We'll make sure it's recycled responsibly or given a chance to be used again. Some Apple devices, and other smartphones and PCs, may even be eligible for our trade-up program at an Apple Store and online. You can return any Apple device to an Apple Store for free recycling or visit www.apple.com/lae/recycling for more information about our recycling services. Apple also offers free recycling of packaging on request in the United States and Canada for commercial, education, and institutional customers. Contact your Apple sales representative for more information.
Does Apple set standards for environmental protection and worker rights in its supply chain?
Our Code of Conduct outlines our high standards for creating safer working conditions, treating workers fairly, and using environmentally responsible practices in manufacturing. We demand that all suppliers doing business with Apple affirmatively agree to adhere to our Code of Conduct and supporting standards. We have maintained our rigorous assessment process to enforce this code. And when we uncover noncompliance with the code, we partner with our suppliers to help them improve their processes. Visit our Supplier Responsibility website to learn more about our efforts across our supply chain.


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Re: Facebook group
I would like the join the FB group
You are not logged in. Please login or register.
I am trying to conceive → Trying to Conceive → Facebook group
I would like the join the FB group
Interested in joining the FB group. firstname.lastname@example.com
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I would like to join email is firstname.lastname@example.com
I would like to be added
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Ladies I have not added new members for a while now. If you still want to join please send a pm with a short introduction. FYI once an invite is sent you will need to post an introduction and help us connect a face with a name
I would like to join heather McClendon
Hi! Can I be added please
I'd like to be added to the FB page if it is still up.
invite sent
Hi! Can I be added please
we need an email address
I'd like to be added to the FB page if it is still up.
Sorry can you try adding me again. The last email address I don't have access to. The correct one is now firstname.lastname@example.com. Thanks!
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I would like to be added! I have 3 NW babies and we're looking at adding #4.
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I am trying to conceive → Trying to Conceive → Facebook group


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Happy Friday everyone! Casey here.
Humor, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Some of us enjoy our humor dry and witty. While others prefer slapstick, raunchy or down-right rude. Or maybe your mood dictates what you think is funny.
I think part of the reason I fell in love with urban fantasy is the genre embraces snark in a serious way. While some level of "funny" isn't required in the books I enjoy, I always love it when an author gets me.
You know, that moment, when the laugh comes out of the blue. I don't how other authors do it, but when I'm writing, humor sneaks up on me and comes from the characters (not me!!). And often times, I don't realize I've written something "funny" until someone else points it out to me.
And what you find funny, someone else may not. Like wine, there are different vintages of funny. Personally, I fall into the witty, sarcastic camp. The snarkier the better. I enjoy authors like Bill Bryson (Tales of the Thunderbolt Kid: one boy, one sleeping uncle, a magnifying glass and mysterious burn spots). The book is a non-fiction memoir of his childhood and it's hilarious.
My favorite urban fantasy authors are: Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, Simon Green (Eddie Drood or Nightside books) and you can never go wrong with Christopher Moore (A Dirty Job – love those sewer harpies!), Terry Pratchett (The Hogfather– the wackiest Christmas story ever) or A Lee Martinez (Gil's All Fright Diner – who doesn't love a roadside diner that's constantly attacked by the undead?).
If UF isn't your thing, check out Kristan Higgins (the shovel scene in Too Good To Be True still gives me the giggles), Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Books or our soon to be published Scribe – Jamie Pope (aka Sugar Jamison).
How do these writers do it? Well, I can't tell you how to be funny and I don't know the magical spring where their talent comes from, but I can suggest some logical places to sprinkle humor into a story.
Narration -this kind of humor is often found in first person books, think Bridget Jones' Diary or see the aforementioned urban fantasy authors or Ms. Kristan Higgins! Just having a window into the character's thoughts can be funny. What they think about other characters – the annoying neighbor, the crazy aunt with lipstick on her teeth or how the character views herself – are all areas to slip in the funny.
Situational – humor can be injected by using the circumstances in which characters find themselves. Think Stephanie Plum and all her captures gone wrong. Another popular choice is The Date From Hell, The Family Event from Hell (wedding, funeral, graduation) or the plan that goes horribly awry.
Banter – This is my personal favorite. Here, the heroine/hero engage in witty exhanges with other characters.I jones on characters verbally sparring in humorous ways. For example – The Princess Bride by William Goldman or A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore.
Note: these can be mixed and matched as needed.
One thing to keep in mind – forced humor is not funny. Readers can smell phony attempts from a mile it away. Don't be lame! And, remember, the normal rules of storytelling apply – don't add humor for the sake of it. If it doesn't advance the plot or grow your character – axe it!
In case you're wondering about the title of this blog post – check out The Muppets (2011 version) and enlightenment will find you!
What kind of humor do you enjoy? Favorite funny writer? Have a technique or advice to share?


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Equipment Maintenance Resources from Rhino Equipment
Have you checked out Rhino Equipment's YouTube Channel? We found some great maintenance videos! Fuel Filter & Fuel-Water Separator Filter Replacement A demo of how to properly replace fuel filters and fuel-water separator filters by a Rhino Equipment Service Engineer. Fuel filters help to clean the fuel from the fuel tank that goes into your […]Read more


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Netflix CEO opens up on future of TV, 'Arrested Development,' BlackBerry
In this Oct. 10, 2011, file photo, the exterior of Netflix headquarters is seen in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press
Published Monday, May 20, 2013 8:03AM EDT
TORONTO -- Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is standing in line at a bustling Toronto coffee shop, summing up a speech he's set to deliver later in the day on the future of television, when he spies an example of his vision that's so perfect it almost seems planted by his PR team.
Smiling, he points to a young couple oblivious to their surroundings in the crowded, noisy cafe. They're snuggled together behind a laptop, sharing a pair of earbud headphones, and engrossed in a video they're streaming via the in-house WiFi.
"People look to Netflix when they have some time to relax, some time to kill and want some stimulation, and that's not limited to the living room at 8 p.m.," Hastings later says in an interview.
"What's great about an Internet service, whether it's YouTube or Netflix, is you can (use) it on many different platforms -- that's really where TV is going."
Netflix recently published an 11-page letter to shareholders entitled "Netflix Long Term View," outlining how the company believes it will thrive in the years ahead at the expense of conventional broadcast TV.
"People don't love the linear TV experience where channels present programs at particular times on non-portable screens with complicated remote controls," the letter reads.
"Finding good things to watch isn't easy or enjoyable. While hugely popular, the linear TV channel model is ripe for replacement."
Hastings sat down with The Canadian Press to talk about how the company is doing in Canada, its plans to disrupt the television industry, and the development of original content, which Netflix hopes will soon win some awards. The company confirmed it has submitted its star-studded political drama "House of Cards" for Emmy award consideration, and "Arrested Development" will also be eligible for nominations.
CP: "Arrested Development" fans have May 26 circled on their calendars and many will likely try to watch all 15 new episodes in the same day. Does it matter to you how quickly fans get through the new episodes?
Hastings: It does. We do a lot of research on what people are watching, what they're enjoying, how quickly. So take the first three seasons of "Arrested Development," there's a difference between people watching them very rapidly, which shows they're really into the content, versus they watch it once a month. And a lot of them never finish the series -- that's a mark of not really enjoying it. "Arrested Development" seasons 1, 2 and 3 had an incredible passion index, once (viewers) get into it they're like, "More and more and more!" and loving it, so that helps us really zero in on the content people love as opposed to merely like. And so that's when we knew season 4 had the potential to be a great success."
CP: Cast members have expressed interest in continuing on with the series beyond the new episodes hitting Netflix soon. What's your involvement in a next step for "Arrested Development"?
Hastings: We certainly hope they choose us, if they're willing to do more. That would be very, very exciting, we'd certainly back them in doing more. But I think it's up to them where do they want to take it after this. I imagine they'll let the dust settle, get this season out, and then brainstorm.
CP: Is Netflix interested in reviving other cancelled cult-favourite shows?
Hastings: "Unfortunately, it's probably not very repeatable for Netflix ... It's hard to get all the talent back. No one wants it to come back and be lousy, so it's got to come back and be great, and that's tricky. The characters have aged, they've gone on in their careers, various other things have happened, so it's pretty unusual to be able to pull it off."
CP: The last time you publicly updated your Canadian subscriber count was in the summer of 2011 after you hit the 1-million mark. Why no updates since then?
Hastings: We don't give out for competitive reasons specific subscriber numbers, we've just said we're continuing to grow in all our markets and as we grow we get to add more content ... I think we're probably done (releasing subscriber numbers), we'll say we're more than a million."
CP: What's the biggest challenge for Netflix in Canada?
Hastings: The biggest challenge is there's a lot of new competition. Videotron has just formed a service, French-language oriented, Rogers is talking about launching a service, we'll see if the Bell-Astral merger goes ... In each nation people are adopting internet television, we'll win part of the viewing and part of the affection, not the whole thing. The only thing we can really control is what we do, so we're focused on how do we make the service a little bit better, how do we get the content a little bit better, how do we get the marketing a little bit better? We've been in this unusual phase where we're the new kid on the block and the only one of our type and of course that's going to change now."
CP: YouTube recently unveiled a series of pay-per-view channels. To what extent is that competition for Netflix?
Hastings: Their ad-supported content is hugely viewed and so they're a competitor for time -- we break people up into competitors as competitors for time and competitors for content. We don't compete with them for content, they don't bid against us for the type of content we have. But when a person wants to relax, sometimes they'll watch some YouTube and sometimes they'll watch some Netflix, and in that sense we compete for how people relax.
CP: You've been quoted as saying that you're always trying out a new smartphone or tablet to keep up on new technology. Have you tried one of the new BlackBerry 10 devices yet?
Hastings: No. Like many people I was a BlackBerry addict from 1997 or 1998 through to the iPhone but I haven't tried it. We don't currently support streaming on the BlackBerry, it's a unique operating system you have to target, and unfortunately there's just not enough volume for entertainment (apps). It's a great device for getting work done but people don't interact with it as an entertainment device the same way they do with say an iPhone or Android phone.
CP: How are you seeing mobile behaviours change among Netflix users?
Hastings: One of the biggest growth categories we have is tablet-based viewing and phone-based viewing. On a year-over-year basis it's up quite a lot, as more and more tablets are sold and people experience the convenience and the satisfaction of it. But big-screen viewing is still the majority."
CP: What do you watch on Netflix?
Hastings: I'm exotic so I watch mostly documentaries, I don't watch much of the big, popular stuff. I just watched a Steve Jobs interview called "The Lost Interview" that's incredibly prescient. It was incredible to see him talk in 1995, and of course he's young and healthy then, about what he saw in the future and so much of it has come true. Another one is "Something Ventured," which is about the roots of the venture capital industry and how this huge industry today 40 years ago was this tiny little group of people that were kind of crazy and I'll watch "House of Cards."


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As a first-year journalism student, Anastasia Chukovskaya envisioned herself peering down Russia's dark alleys, scratching out truth on a flimsy notebook. An intern with the BBC, she looked up to veteran Russian reporters like Anna Politkovskaya, renowned for exposing human rights abuses.
Then, in 2006, Ms. Politkovskaya was shot in an apparent contract killing. Deeply affected, Ms. Chukovskaya quit political journalism and took a job with Elle magazine, which features her latest story: Russians volunteering for charity.
"People here do not need my truth," says Chukovskaya. "Why should I risk my life when they don't care?"
Working full time while she finishes her degree, Chukovskaya is surrounded by peers who, she says, talk about kids, stars, love, fashion – everything but politics. To her, it's a sign that the traditional Russian preference for a paternalistic – if not autocratic – state has reasserted itself after what many Russians see as the dismal experiment with liberal democracy in the 1990s. But in contrast to many of her generation, the young journalist energetically refuses to settle for a stability that, she argues, comes at the expense of freedom.
Maybe her defiance is rooted in the six years she spent in the US during her childhood, or the fact that she claims two distinguished great-grandfathers who both tangled with the Soviet state: children's poet Korney Chukovsky and renowned composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Or maybe it's just her familiarity with Western media. But Chukovskaya doesn't lack for words when she talks about the thrill of investigative projects or comments on the five newspapers she reads daily, dishing out wry remarks about a headline calling President Vladimir Putin's protégé "the new president" ("He hasn't been elected yet!") or a Russian Orthodox mass dedicated to nuclear weapons ("That's absurd!").
Just 21, she has already served as an assistant to visiting foreign correspondents and landed a regular gig freelancing for Cosmopolitan. "All you need to do is send in three good story ideas," she says, walking briskly through the February slush after a long day at Elle, a firm grip on her weathered leather briefcase.
Chukovskaya also worked with the prominent French director Nino Kirtadze on "Durakovo: Village of Fools," a documentary about a Russian Orthodox businessman. The film won an award at last month's Sundance film festival – and inspired her thesis on what she says is the manipulation of religion in Russia. "The main idea of the film was to show what Russian think about themselves, and what I heard shocked me," she says. "They say that all men who have power, have the power from God. If Putin has power, he has it from God ... for me, it is something barbarian."
For a society accustomed to strong leadership and paternalistic government, the country's controlled political situation and resurgent economy is a welcome relief to many. But critics warn of authoritarianism masquerading as democracy.
"[Mr.] Putin cares about image, about appearances ... but there are no checks and balances, no accountability, no relevant opposition," says Masha Lipman, a liberal political analyst at Moscow's Carnegie Center. "This government is sophisticated, it's subtle."
Trappings of democracy?
Russia indeed wears many of the trappings of democracy: well-attended elections with numerous parties and candidates; national and regional parliaments; a public chamber of civil society representatives; and media reports lambasting the government. Putin appears set to make good on his promise to fulfill his constitutional requirement to relinquish the presidency when his second consecutive term expires this spring.
But the probable election on Sunday of Gazprom chief and longtime Putin aide Dmitri Medvedev has sparked speculation that the president will attempt to maintain his influence in a beefed-up prime minister's post under Mr. Medvedev – just the latest example of the consolidation of power that has characterized his eight-year tenure.
Political parties must now win 7 percent of the vote – up from 3 percent – to enter the State Duma, or parliament. Deputies are chosen by their parties and regional governors are nominated by the president. And with nearly every media outlet controlled by the state, few journalists have the will or means to expose government misdeeds.
An Amnesty International report released this week, citing the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, expressed concern that the "fundamental rights" of freedom of expression, association, and assembly have been curtailed under Putin. And last week, the New-York based Human Rights Watch detailed how a 2006 law on nongovernmental organizations has "targeted various NGOs that work on controversial issues, seek to galvanize public dissent, or receive foreign funding."
"Putin did roll back democracy and things are more authoritarian," says Andrei Zolotov, the editor of Russia Profile, a state-funded English news magazine. "But the West also underestimates the importance of stability."
For many Russians, the humiliations of daily life just a decade ago still linger. Wives of foreign intelligence agents had to take jobs to support their husbands and teachers cleaned houses on the side to make ends meet. Young people unloaded trucks of sugar to get a prime spot in line the next day to actually buy some, and shabbily dressed businessmen ate for two or three at company dinners. Teens lost friends, sometimes dozens, to drugs and armed bandit groups.
Now, the streets are safer, salaries are better, and supermarkets are full. But in the political market, choice is limited. "In America, it's so great, you can choose Clinton or Obama, or ... who's this guy? McCain," says Chukovskaya wistfully. "It's like going to the supermarket and choosing between three different kinds of apples and deciding which one you want this evening. Here we just have one apple."
Broad sense of helplessness
Though people like Chukovskaya see much that needs correcting, she and many others describe an overwhelming sense of helplessness – rooted in a history of life under overbearing rulers – that stymies any efforts at reform.
"Nobody feels that we have the power to change anything," she laments. Indeed, according to a recent survey by the liberal Levada Center, 67 percent of Russians feel they have little or no influence over government policy.
Sitting in an upscale cafe, a scarf thrown loosely around her rebellious long hair, Chukovskaya roots her society's submissiveness in Russian Orthodoxy's legacy. "When we had czars here, people were sure that they were divinely appointed by God," she explains. "Now, they think that if someone has power over you – a pope, president, or boss – they are divinely appointed. That's why you just have to listen and do what you have to do."
As journalists, Chukovskaya and her friend Alexandra Sheveleva, who joins her after a long day at the BBC, see that servitude playing out in the press.
"I think chief editors and editors know ... how news should be cooked," says Ms. Sheveleva, poring over the menu, which offers tea starting at $8 a cup.
Government supporters often counter such criticism by pointing to Ekho Moscovy, a hard-hitting radio station based in Moscow. But Chukovskaya discounts its existence as evidence of freedom of expression. "I have the feeling as if it is there for the government to say, 'Oh no, we have opposition,' " she says.
"Our radio exists for Condoleezza Rice," agrees Sheveleva dryly, noting the US Secretary of State's concern about democracy's decline under Putin.
But without a network of robust democratic institutions, such outlets don't have the same ability to act as a catalyst for public scrutiny as those in the West – whose stories often spark political activism, court cases, or government investigations.
"What's key about lack of press freedom," Ms. Lipman of the Carnegie Center says, "is that even though there is some investigative reporting, this does not make officials any more accountable because of what's printed."
The lure of an omniscient state
Despite being critical of reduced press freedom, however, Sheveleva can see the appeal of Putin's administration.
"When you talk to ... people who are close to power, they are so optimistic and they just involve you in this feeling. You think, 'I should be with them. I should be a patriot,' " says Sheveleva, recalling an interview with one of Putin's press secretaries. "The happiest people work in the administration of the government."
But still, she and Chukovskaya struggle to understand how their fellow citizens can be happy with Putin's government, and chalk up their compatriots' contentment to a long-cultivated image of the state as omniscient provider.
"The old generation, they vote for United Russia, and you say, 'Why? Your pension is so low, the healthcare system is so bad,' " says Sheveleva, who as part of her job takes calls on the air from BBC's mainly elderly shortwave radio audience. "And they say, 'the government is strong, they know what to do, they know how to run this country.' "
For Chukovskaya, who has all the restraint of a Kentucky Derby contender in the starting gate, such unquestioning reliance on the state has no place in a democracy.
"For me, democracy is something where the people are involved," she says. "You know how English parks are made? They watch where people walk and then they build paths there.... Here, no," she adds, explaining how her mother's neighbors keep treading the old path in the grass instead of using a new walkway nearby. "They will give you the model, will tell you what to do.... Maybe for some people that's good. A lot of people think we need Stalin back (see story).... For me, democracy is where I'm involved."
"When you go through your favorite path," interjects Sheveleva – not theirs.
"And someone cares that I want to," agrees Chukovskaya. She's not sure what her path will be – maybe a PhD program in Europe or America. But she can't imagine leaving Russia. Her role models are not stars or czars, but friends like Sheveleva. What's her counsel?
"In every time, there are a lot of people who are educated enough – they are the core of society, they are the moral leaders," says Sheveleva. "[Nobel laureate and novelist Alexander] Solzhenitsyn was such a person in the '80s, and the real thing we can do is to become such moral leaders."


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Combustible Dusts
List of Applicable Rules
WISHA Combustible Dust Rules for General Industry
Important User Information:
The following list identifies basic rules that apply to combustible dust hazards in manufacturing and other general industry workplace.
The list also includes key rules that address specific processes, operations, equipment, or machinery in general industry and will take precedence over basic rules that address the same hazard issue.
For example, if the hazard issue is the control of combustible dust accumulations on floors in a process area and this issue is addressed by a basic housekeeping rule and a housekeeping rule for the specific process, follow the housekeeping rule for the specific process.
Browse our Safety & Health rules to find rules that address combustible dust hazards in:
Abrasive blasting (for example): WAC 296-818-30005.
Confined Spaces: Chapter 296-809, WAC.
Dust collection systems, mixers, or other containers: WAC 296-800-11010.
Electrical wiring, equipment and installations: WAC 296-24, Part L.
Exit routes: WAC 296-800-31035, WAC 296-800-31045, WAC 296-800-31065.
Fire brigades: Chapter 296-811 WAC.
Fire extinguishers (portable types): WAC 296-806-42584 (sugar and spice pulverizers), WAC 296-806-42544 (dumpbins and blenders for flour), WAC 296-806-42582 (flour sifters).
Forklifts and other powered, industrial trucks (PIDs): Chapter 296-863-50005.
Hazard Communication: WAC 296-800-170 (program), Chapter 296-839 WAC, Creating Material Safety Data Sheets and Labels.
Housekeeping: WAC 296-800-22005, WAC 296-800-22035 (storage areas).
Personal protective equipment (PPE): WAC 296-800-160.
Process safety management: WAC 296-67-001(2)(a)(i).
Welding, cutting, and brazing (for example): WAC 296-24-685 (arc welding).


text: Create a lovely floral pattern with this embossing folder!It's easy to make a great impression! Just place flat cardstock in this embossing folder, run it through the Big Shot, and out comes cardstock with a bold textured design. * 1 folder * 4-1/2" x 6-3/16" (11.4 x 15.7 cm)* Use with Big Shot


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Join me at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree in Burbank, California this week, Jun 10th-12th, and find out how to start looking for your genealogy. For your family story
Your ancestors are just waiting for you to find them and all about them. [O.K. They probably don't want you to find out *everything* about them. You know, all their secrets? But much to their chagrin, you will, which is the fun part.]
At Jamboree, you'll meet all sorts of people ~ from beginners to professionals ~ who want to learn more about their ancestors. Along with classes and lectures from some of the top professionals in the industry teaching you the newest methods in searching [Yes. It takes more than plugging a name into a database and hitting "enter".], you will have an opportunity to meet with genealogy vendors who bring the most cutting edge technology to you to make your search easier. [That's right. Something for the techies, too.] And if you're wondering, "OMG. I've never done this before. I won't know anybody," then stop. This is my first time at Jamboree. You won't be the only one. [Plus, hello? It's in southern Cali.]
C'mon. Aren't you just a little bit curious what your genealogy looks like? What their stories are? Who you're related to? And how to find all the "good stuff" on your ancestors?
Then go to Jamboree.
What does my genealogy look like, you ask? I suggest you take a look at some of my past posts, but I'll share my "Ode to Family" with you that I posted previously along with a photo of my grandfather, Big Paw Paw. If you haven't read anything about my Big Paw Paw, then I suggest you start right here with They Had Balls. [Yes. You read that correctly. *snort*] He was quite a character. [Rolling eyes heavenward.]
Hey. Maybe you have a "Big Paw Paw" in your family, too. [Snort.] How will you know if you don't look?
An Ode To Family
Oftentimes I'm asked,
Why I've made finding
my family a task.
So here below
My 'Ode to Family"
To you I bestow.
I have a 2nd great-grandfather
With whom I bother.
A bugler, a fifer, or a drummer
In the Civil War, which one was he?
I often wonder if he ever played the
'Yankee Doodle Dandy'.
And when he looked into the eyes
O' the young Irish lass,
I wonder if he told her
'Tis her beauty that could not be surpassed.
One more thing 'bout them I'd like to ask;
How long did it take for her to get him
to the altar for Catholic mass?
Then, so her courageous story won't get
Stuck in a drawer;
My great Aunt Anne I study more & more.
All about driving that ambulance in France
During the second World War;
I'd be honored to write her memoir.
Am I truly a daughter of the American Revolution;
A fifth great-granddaughter of a Patriot of this great nation?
I'd also like to close the book on the lives
Who were so violently taken;
So their memory will never be forsaken.
Arrgh! A pirate lurks way back there;
I often wonder, "Did he stand tall on his corsair?"
And let's not forget the history of transportation.
A Chief Messenger of the railway, and
A teamster from Michigan.
Then my grandfather the bean counter
Who quite a bit ago
Once worked for an oil company in Tampico.
Also the man who I would've loved to meet
Who definitely led me on a wild goose chase.
My Dad's dad who was so tight-lipped;
No matter, he was well worth the trip.
There is also my great-grandfather
Who came from Prussia on Christmas Day;
Who disembarked his ship
To view the beautiful Galveston Bay.
Then there were those who were bawdy
After being given a toddy.
And yet still those who were a bit frisky
After a bit o' Irish Whiskey.
Those who acted bravely,
And those who acted cowardly.
There were those who were feisty, flirty & flowery;
And those who came with a helluva dowry.
Give me my ancestors who were considered tawdry;
Especially those who had a lot of jewelry.
How 'bout those whose plans went awry;
Who just simply wanted to sit down and cry?
Or the one who dared to defy;
Or maybe the one who dared not
Because she was too shy?
I have found none who left home
To marry a carny;
But I've come across a few that spoke
A lo' o' blarney.
There was the one I've heard
Who ran 'round like a banshee;
'Course, she was the sis of the
One who had a bat in the belfry.
Those who stretched the truth vastly;
And those who were downright ghastly.
Some could be considered
A "little miss goodie two shoes"
Yet there were others who
Hated to lose.
Some were quite girly;
While others were a bit burly.
Not all were part of the gentry;
The others came from the country.
There were those whose eyes were beady;
And some who were quite greedy.
Others with nose in the air
Were quite haughty;
Those who didn't care
Were especially naughty.
Some were liars;
And some were criers.
A few were klutzy;
But even more were gutsy.
Some were tall;
And some were small.
I even have a third great-grandma
Who supposedly was an herbal cure-all.
Then there were those who were grumpy;
And those who were seen as a bit frumpy.
"Heavens to Betsy!"
I'd be remiss;
If I didn't mention those
In absolute bliss.
There were those who were known
As "One Hot Mama";
However, I've yet to find one
Who owned a llama.
'Tis very true;
They are quite the motley crew.
But, Oh! How they sit there
In All their glory;
How could I not tell
Their Family Story?
And finally? Here's my Big Paw Paw ~ one of the many faces of my genealogy:


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-- Socrates
"This has been one of the most exhaustively studied questions in scientific history. We need to come to the point where we can accept no for an answer and come to the conclusion that there is no causal link between vaccination and autism. Weve invested, and Congress has invested, enormous resources in studying this question."


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Desi loves himself some apple pie and each time we go grocery shopping together he will stop by the apples and wonder how long it has been since he had some. But the last time I gave in, I was not too sure I wanted to bake a pie. Because I am on a healthy bender right now and flaky, melt-in-the-mouth pie crusts– my favorite part of any pie– are not exactly health food.
So the apples sat around a little longer than I will admit, with Desi dropping broad hints ever so often about how he was going to have to throw them away soon. This past weekend I decided to surprise him. But instead of a pie, I baked up this rather low-on-guilt, delicious cake.
I worked from a recipe I found in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, veganizing it and making it healthier than the original. My vegan Apple Cake is made with whole-wheat pastry flour, one of my favorite baking flours because it virtually eliminates the need to use all-purpose flours in most baked-good recipes, and it is tender and moist with the delicious juiciness of the apples and the crunch of walnuts baked right inside. If you are looking for a kid-friendly and adult-friendly recipe, you couldn't do better.
This cake contains a cup of sugar, but I found that because my apples were already sweet, I could have used less. If you want to, use 3/4 of a cup and add 1/4 cup of applesauce to add some moisture back in. This is a useful tip for anyone who wants to cut down on sugar in a recipe. Sugar acts as a "wet" ingredient in baked goods, because when it melts it becomes liquid. When you remove sugar from a recipe, you remove moisture and your baked good can turn out dry. Applesauce provides a great option when substituting some of the sugar because it adds tenderness and moisture to a recipe. Don't overdo it, though. Replacing one-fourth of the sugar with applesauce is fine, but replacing three-fourths of it is not and is going to show in your results.
This vegan Apple Cake is going to be one I make again and again. Enjoy, all!
Vegan Apple Cake, whole wheat
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (sub with half regular whole-wheat and half all-purpose if you can't find whole-wheat pastry flour)
- 2 1/2 cups very finely chopped apples (about 1 1/2 medium apples. I used Granny Smith which is perfect in this recipe)
- 1 cup sugar (if you want to cut down, substitute a quarter of the sugar with an equal amount of applesauce)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp flaxmeal + 6 tbsp warm water. Mix well.
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp of mixed powdered spices-- I ground up some cinnamon , cloves and nutmeg in my coffee grinder.
- 1 cup walnuts , toasted lightly and chopped
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and powdered spices.
- Beat together the oil, sugar and vanilla for about a minute to aerate.
- Add the flaxmeal mixture, beat for a few more seconds to mix, and then add the flour mixture.
- Stir with a spatula to get the ingredients well-mixed. The dough will be very stiff. Add the apples and the walnuts and mix well.
- Pour the batter into an 8-inch oiled and floured square pan (or use a round cake pan if that's what you have). To make the cake easier to unmold, line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and then oil and flour. I didn't, and trust me, unmolding this cake from the pan was a small battle.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Unmold and continue cooling.


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Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It's free!
Wednesday February 16, 2005 6:50 pm
New XBOX 360 Information
Posted by Oscar M. Cantu Categories: Video Games
There are two new rumors floating around about Microsoft's next generation gaming console. According to The Inquirer, the XBOX 360 will come standard with wireless controllers. Hopefully the battery life will be improved as well. We can probably expect Sony to follow in the same path. The next rumor involves the XBOX 360's GPU. Of course this information, just like the rest, is not yet confirmed, but here are the specs:
- 24 Pipelines
- 32 Texture Units
- 96 Arithmetic Logic Units (ALU)
- 192 Shader Operations per Cycle
- 700MHz Core
- 134.4 Billion Shader Operations per Second (at 700MHz)
- 256-bit 512MB 1.8GHz GDDR3 Memory
- 57.6 GB/sec Bandwidth (at 1.8GHz)
- 300-350 Million Transistors
- 90nm Manufacturing
- Shader Model 3.0
- ATI HyperMemory
- ATI Multi Rendering Technology (AMR)
- Launch: Q2 2005
- 16x stochastic FSAA
- FP32 blending, texturing
- Programmable Primitive Processor/Tesselator
As you can see, the next XBOX will have a very powerfull GPU. With performance higher than a Radeon X800, we can assume the XBOX 360 to put a very big dent on our wallets - that is, of course, if the source that reported this information is correct.
Read More | Joystiq
Read More | The Inquirer
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ORIENTAL � Town commissioners here will meet in special session at 3 p.m. today to make a decision on whether to offer water service to a planned Walmart Express store. It will be built just outside the town limits on N.C. 55.
ORIENTAL � Town commissioners here will meet in special session at 3 p.m. Friday to make a decision on whether to offer water service to a planned Walmart Express store. It will be built just outside the town limits on N.C. 55.
The Oriental board on Oct. 1 passed a resolution to offer the water service if the retail giant agreed to request voluntary annexation into the town after the 12,000-square-foot store was completed.
According to Mayor Bill Sage, Walmart has responded by declining the annexation offer.
He said telephone talks with Walmart officials indicated the chain would seek water from Pamlico County.
The planned store is on N.C. 55 near the town limits near a current Dollar General store. The closest county water line is on nearby Straight Road. According to county officials, Walmart would have to pay for construction of a water-line extension to its store.
Sage said the Oriental board today will decide whether to offer Walmart water service without conditions.
The Oriental site has been controversial since plans were announced earlier this summer by the town.
Since it is out of town limits, the village would receive no property tax revenue.
Town Manager Wyatt Cutler said offering the water service was a business decision, since the water system is an enterprise operation, creating revenue. He said the town�s system had the capacity to handle the addition of the store.
There have been protest meetings and a group opposing the Walmart established a website, printed buttons and T-shirts in opposition and presented a petition to the town board.
Walmart also plans to build a 70,000-square-foot Super Walmart in the town of Grantsboro, where there has been no public opposition.
According to the Pamlico County Building Inspection Office, the building plans for both stores have received approval, pending several state permits and a sewer permit from Bay River Metro Sewer.
The inspections office also received a zoning permit from the town of Grantsboro for a Walmart parking lot variance, which would create less impervious space for storm water runoff.
Chris Venters, the superintendent of Bay River, said his office had talked with engineers for Walmart, but no plans had submitted and no permits had been issued.
Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or email@example.com.


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Top Ten Time Machine
DateMay 2011
LocationCooperstown, NY
Other Media
Interactive tower acts as a time machine for baseball statistics, allowing visitors to warp back in time to find record-breaking moments, historic milestones, and compare player statistics.
From streaks to shutouts, the newest exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame, One for the Books, celebrates the superlative moments in America's baseball history. Located in the center of a gallery that provides visitors new perspectives on the pinnacles of baseball, the Top Ten Time Machine rewards curious fans with a comprehensive look at top ten lists.
The physical design of the Top Ten Tower consists of two sets of displays, each part serving a different function in the visitor experience. From a distance, the poster area in the top half of the tower acts as a beacon for visitors by displaying bold imagery that correlates to activity happening at the user interface level. The interactive touchscreen on the lower half contains a wellspring of interactive baseball statistics going back to the earliest days of baseball. A timeline provides great flexibility for exploring over a century of statistics while milestones highlight the big changes in baseball history. Each player is supplemented with images and background information while each statistic is supported with definitions and curatorial explanations. From Babe Ruth's sacred home-run benchmark to the more esoteric stats, the Top Ten Time Machine is rich enough for the baseball aficionado but simple enough for the fledgling fan.
Press & Awards"Baseball HOF kicks off season with new exhibit," News Channel 2 WKTV Utica, Mike Levin, June 2011
The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Top Ten Tower, which shows statistics in many categories throughout the years and uses state of the art technology. 'You can go ahead and look at any point in history, any record you want, any category and see who the all time leader was,' says Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson. 'So it allows you to go back and say, I was born in 1964, I wonder who was leading in doubles in 1964. So it's a lot of fun for fans.'
Part of SapientRazorfish /© 2019 Second Story, Inc.
- Lead Designer
- Matt Sundstrom
- Designers
- Sara Siri, Laurie Hotovy
- Physical Designer
- Daniel Meyers
- Technology Director
- Thomas Wester
- Developers
- Oliver McGinnis, Matthew Fargo
- Prototype Developer
- Zach Doe
- Lead Systems Engineer
- David Brewer
- Lead Integration Engineer
- Matt Arnold
- Producer
- Michael Pittman
- Content Strategist
- Scott Smith
- Quality Assurance
- Michael Neault
- A/V Integration
- Ancora Productions
- Exhibition Design
- Baseball Hall of Fame


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WEST CHESTER -A state lawmaker from Chester County is attempting to influence Penn State's leadership structure with a bill that would decrease the size of its Board of Trustees from 32 members to 21.
The bill, introduced Friday by state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th Dist., is an attempt to revise the legal statute that established the university's board in 1855. The last time it was revised was in 1939.
Recent events at Penn State involving child sex abuse have shown the need for the university's board to be more independent and clearly above the university's administration, Dinniman said, so his bill would also remove the position of university president from the Penn State Board of Trustees.
'Streamlining Penn State's Board of Trustees will help on both fronts,' Dinniman said. 'Having too many bosses does not work in the business world, and it does not work in the academic world, either. Thirty-two people on the university's Board of Trustees are too many bosses.'
Dinniman, a Penn State alumnus who graduated in 1978 with a doctoral degree in education, said his bill relied on a report written by Jack Wagner, Auditor General, titled 'Recommendations for governance reform at The Pennsylvania State University after the child sex abuse scandal.'
The report recommends that the commonwealth's General Assembly should reduce the board from 32 voting members to 22 members, one of them nonvoting, as well as changing the way business and industry members are elected.
According to the report, out of the universities in the Big Ten Conference, Pennsylvania State University currently has the most members on its board. Ohio State University has 19, with two nonvoting; University of Wisconsin has 18; University of Illinois and University of Minnesota has 13, with at least one nonvoting; University of Nebraska has 12, with four nonvoting; Purdue University has 10 members; and the remaining universities only have nine board members.
'The change has to start at the top,' Dinniman said. 'Penn State's leadership must be responsive all the time and especially in times of crises. And as minority chairman of the Senate Education Committee, I know Penn State leadership must also be responsive to changes in higher education if it is to keep offering its students an education that is affordable today and of great value tomorrow.'
Dinniman's bill will also do the following:
• Reduce the allotment of members on the board that the governor appoints (from 6 to 4) and the three representative groups elect: alumni (from 9 to 6), county agricultural societies (from 6 to 4) and business and industry groups (from 6 to 4).
• Change the status of the governor from a voting to a non-voting member.
• Prohibit the president of the university from serving as a trustee, as the secretary or other officer of the board or on any committees of the board.
• Clarify that emeriti board members are honorary and do not have the right to vote or participate in board discussions in the same way as statutory board members.
• Change the quorum requirement from 7 voting members to a majority of voting members (11 of 21).
• Put Penn State's board and administration under the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act.
'I'm sure they'll be those who want to keep the current structure,' said Dinniman. 'There are interests who are happy with the way things are.'
Dinniman also said that he hopes the bill's introduction will further foster dialogue about the issue for many months to come.
'My bill is designed to assure a government board fit and proper for one of the great universities of our nation and indeed the world,' Dinniman said. 'I take great pride in my alma mater and like others have been hurt by the events of the past couple years. But it would be an even greater shame if we do not learn from the mistakes that were made and if we do not take this opportunity to change and strengthen how the university operates.'


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Your local West Midlands news and article search results are detailed below - to refine use the advanced search facility using the link directly under the search button above.
Please feel free to connect to the news and article posts by leaving a review by simply logging in to your Connect WM account,...if not already a member why not create an account?
8 Results in category Finance
If you have your own piece of business news or article and you're based within the West Midlands region, then you too can place your company news within our Connect WM site.


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County Jail
Arrests and bookings
Alan Hatton, 43, Peabody, arrested Friday by Marion police on a charge of failure to appear in court on a Butler County warrant.
Joseph Jones, 20, Park City, arrested Oct. 11 by sheriff's deputies on charges of burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, and criminal trespass.
Farrah Severs, 35, McPherson, jailed Oct. 12 by court order.
Robert Scott Henderson, 42, Newton, jailed Friday by court order.
Remaining from previous weeks:
Todd Beneke, 29, Herington, jailed since July 24.
Justin Chrisjohn, 36, Marion, since Oct. 2.
Jon Davis, 40, Salina, since Oct. 7.
Dakota Dillashaw, 18, Marion, since June 30.
Ricci Welter, 45, Brewster, since May 22.
Patricia Woolridge, 57, Florence, since Oct. 11.


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More than just an online integral solver
Wolfram|Alpha is a great tool for calculating antiderivatives and definite integrals, double and triple integrals, and improper integrals. It also shows plots, alternate forms, and other relevant information to enhance your mathematical intuition.
Practice integration problems
Tips for entering queries
Enter your queries using plain English. To avoid ambiguous queries, make sure to use parentheses where necessary. Here are some examples illustrating how to ask for an integral.


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Probing Question: Has technology made life easier for working moms?
There shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach to women's work-life balance, says Eileen Trauth, professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State. Her research is based on interviews with over 200 women in several different countries who are working in the knowledge economy.


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A big step back
In allowing some employers to ignore the law that requires insurance coverage for contraception, the Supreme Court on Monday endowed corporations with new rights and, at the same time, discounted the importance of healthcare in the lives of individual Americans.
The court's narrow 5-4 decision lets certain "closely held" corporations like Hobby Lobby off the hook regarding a hotly contested provision of the Affordable Care Act. Companies like family businesses, in which there is no essential difference between the business and its owners, don't have to provide female workers with comprehensive insurance coverage for contraception, the court said.
The harmful impact of this ruling will fall primarily on women, who have often been shortchanged on insurance coverage in a variety of ways.
First, it will deny them equal access to healthcare coverage. How many, no one can say for certain, but surely the number will grow as other businesses seek to benefit from the ruling. One of the supporting briefs for denying any exclusion for contraceptives argued that many women cannot afford the most effective means of birth control and that the law as written reduces unintended pregnancies and abortions.
Second, it opens the door for challenges by other employers seeking either the same exclusion on religious grounds, or those seeking to broaden the grounds for exclusion. And, of course, it will make healthcare coverage more expensive for women who will now have to buy contraception coverage on their own.
The majority decision written by Justice Samuel Alito was, as dissenting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued, breathtaking in scope. Justice Alito cited the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, which sets a high bar for having the government interfere with a person's exercise of religion. But this is the first time the court has recognized a company raising a legal claim in this area, thus giving corporations expanded rights to claim religious exemptions.
As Justice Ginsburg pointed out, some will argue that the ruling allows corporations to opt out of any law that they deem incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
To boot, Justice Alito's suggested remedy may not be much help. He pointed to an arrangement under which certain nonprofit religious organizations — churches and religious orders, for example — are allowed to claim exemptions from contraceptive coverage. The insurance company then becomes responsible for paying claims for this type of coverage.
The problem with the solution is that it is being challenged in court by many of those same churches and organizations. Lawyers for a group of nuns argued that the women objected "because they cannot deputize a third party to sin on their behalf." The court's latest ruling puts it on a slippery slope to agree to such claims.
When the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964 — 50 years ago this week — it was challenged by companies and individuals seeking exceptions, for a variety of reasons. The Supreme Court justices of that era consistently held that the right to rent a hotel room or be served a meal in a restaurant should not be restricted in any way.
Unfortunately, the court led by Chief Justice John Roberts, who joined the majority on Monday, is not made of such stern stuff. It has now allowed a big exception to the right of equal access to healthcare, diminishing the importance of that right and the vital role it plays in the lives and well-being of individuals and families.


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Event: Historic Ghost Walk edit
Location: Buddy's Crabs & Ribs
August 24, 2019 at 8:00pm (1.5 hours)
As the sun sets and darkness descends upon the timeless streets of Annapolis, follow your spirit guide who will share stories of drowned watermen, the historic district's most haunted homes, apparition sightings, and other spirits that forever linger in the mist.
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Visualizing the three-dimensional Earth depicted on a flat piece of paper is often difficult for beginning map readers. This map, created by combining U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps with digitally produced hill-shading effects to simulate shadows cast on the surface, makes it much easier to visualize the terrain. Map 36" x 50"
Sowder, K. , Irwin, P. 2008, Shaded relief map of Madison County, Indiana: Indiana Geological Survey Shaded Relief Topographic Map 48
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Methodist Church can be found at Main St 712. The following is offered: Religious Organizations. The entry is present with us since Sep 9, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Bentleyville there are 2 other Religious Organizations. An overview can be found here.
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2013 Perfect Game High School Baseball Preview Index
One of the first labels in life top Arizona high school prospect Cody Bellinger was slapped with was that of the son of a former big-league ballplayer. Bellinger's father, Clay Bellinger, played parts of four seasons – 183 games total – with the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels from 1999-2002, and performed in two World Series with the Yankees in 2000 and 2001.
Being the son of a former professional ballplayer is the only form of existence Cody Bellinger knows. And, to be certain, it's an existence he wouldn't trade for any other, even if he knew what another might be like. Clay Bellinger also spent parts or all of 16 seasons in the minor leagues, and has passed some valuable life lessons onto his son.
"It's been helpful for me because my dad never had the easiest road to the majors," Cody Bellinger said this week. "If that would happen to me, he knows all the little tricks on how to stay focused; he's been a big help to me."
Bellinger is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound, 17-year-old senior first baseman/outfielder/left-hander at No. 40 PG nationally ranked Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., the second highest ranked team from PG's Southwest Region. Bellinger is ranked No. 74 in Perfect Game's class of 2013 national prospect rankings and No. 1 in the state of Arizona.
He is also not alone in being a highly ranked Arizona prospect that also happens to be the son of former big-leaguer. Riley Unroe, a 17-year-old senior shortstop/outfielder at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa who is ranked 79th nationally and No. 2 in Arizona, is the son of ex-big-leaguer Tim Unroe. Brantley Bell, an 18-year-old senior shortstop/third baseman at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix who is ranked 218th nationally and No. 7 in Arizona, is the son 18-year MLB veteran Jay Bell.
And they are not the only three Arizona high school players that are sons of former professional ballplayers. Micah Franklin, a scout in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization who appeared in 17 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997, told PG you can hardly swing a dead rattlesnake without hitting a former professional ballplayer when attending a high school game in the Valley.
"The high school season is about to start, and you can go and see ex-professional baseball players (in attendance) at every field in Arizona," Franklin said. "You go to a game and you can see a Hall-of-Fame dad, you can see a World Champion dad, you can see a long-time minor-leaguer dad, you can see someone who's now coaching in professional baseball.
"These kids grow up with other kids who are sons of professional baseball players, so there's not a sense of entitlement at all with any of these kids," he said. "They're all great kids; they work hard and they want to prove themselves and make a name for themselves."
Of these three prospects' dads, Jay Bell had the longest and most productive major league career. He played in all or parts of 18 seasons from 1986-2003 – including eight with the Pittsburgh Pirates and five with the Diamondbacks – and was named to the NL All-Star team as a Pirate in 1993 and as a Diamondback in 1999. He won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 1993 and enjoyed his best season in 1999 when he hit .289 with 38 home runs, 112 RBI and 132 runs scored.
The Pirates named Jay Bell their hitting coach this past October. Brantley had been working out with his dad up until a couple of weeks ago when Jay had to report to Bradenton, Fla., for the Pirates' spring training camp; Brantley plans to join his dad for a couple of weeks in March over his spring break.
"My dad has always told me that he's had his career so now it's my turn, and he'll help me if I want it," Brantley Bell said this week. "He's been teaching me my whole life the same thing that he's giving to the big-leaguers right now, and he's got a real good idea of how the game is supposed to be played and he's taught me that. I've really studied the game and looked into it, and certainly having him (accomplish) what he did has helped me out a lot just because I know everything he's talking about is going to be for my benefit."
Tim Unroe appeared in 79 major league games from 1995-2000 with the Brewers, Angels and Braves, and spent parts or all of 11 seasons in the minor leagues. That's a total of 16 years playing professional baseball, plenty of time to gather enough valuable knowledge to pass along to his son.
"My dad has helped me in every aspect of the game," Riley Unroe said. "He's helped me grow as a baseball player everyday and he teaches me new things as often as possible. I'm constantly feeding off of him and picking his brain just trying to get better."
Tim Unroe, 42, now serves as an assistant coach at Desert Ridge. "He's always out there critiquing me," Riley said with a laugh.
Bellinger, Unroe and Bell attend separate high schools in the Phoenix-area's Valley of Sun but all have enjoyed measured amounts of success with their schools. Bellinger's Hamilton team finished 23-9 in 2012; Unroe's Desert Ridge team finished 21-12; and Bell's Mountain Pointe team ended 19-11-1. They're all going into the 2013 season – which began this week – with high expectations.
"I don't think I've ever been more excited about anything," Bellinger said. "All the time we've put in practicing I'm extremely excited to get going."
The three prospects combined to play in 13 Perfect Game events over the last two years and all three have signed national letters of intent with D-I universities: Bellinger with Oregon, Unroe with Southern Cal and Bell with Mississippi. All three were at the PG National Showcase in Minneapolis in mid-June and were teammates with the Arizona Elite team Franklin coached at the 17u Perfect Game World Series in Peoria, Ariz., in late July.
"It's been awesome," Bellinger said of his PG experience. "My first really big (showcase) was in Minnesota and that's when I kind of kick-started my offseason and started getting noticed by people, showing them what I could do in front of a ton of scouts. All those tournaments are really big and they help, and they're always a lot of fun."
Unroe agreed: "It was really fun meeting new kids from all over the country," he said. "I really liked it, but I would say it was a pretty strange environment just because I had never really played in front of a ton of people, and then when you do something good you don't hear anything but paper turning from all those scouts."
Bell and Unroe were terrific at the 17u PGWS. Bell played in all seven of Arizona Elite's games and went 8-for-19 (.421) with a double, triple, six RBI and six runs. Unroe was 6-for-14 (.429) in six games, with a triple, an RBI, eight runs, six walks and a .619 on-base percentage.
Arizona Elite was basically and Arizona high school all-star team, and 15 of its roster spots were filled with prospects that had D-I commitments, including Bellinger, Unroe and Bell.
"I'm good friends with every single one of these guys here in Arizona and we all keep up with each other," Bell said. "I think playing with those guys gets you better because you have to compete with them. We have a great chemistry when we're a team and it's just a lot of fun being with those guys."
"All those guys, they're all good dudes and we really play well together," Unroe said. "We're all friends off the field and on the field and we play against each other during the high school season. It's fun to play against your buddies."
Bellinger's time to shine arrived in September at the PG/EvoShield National Championship (Upperclass) in Goodyear, Ariz. Playing with the Franklin-coached Dbacks Elite Scout Team, he was 6-for-9 (.667) with two doubles, two triples, three RBI, six runs, a 1.333 SLG and a 2.083 OPS in four games.
"Cody is an outstanding player," Franklin said. "You can put him on the mound, you can put him at first base – he's one of the top high school defensive first baseman. You hate to take him off of first base because he's so good around the bag but he's so athletic he can play the outfield. He comes to play, and he's extremely polite young man; there's not a day that he doesn't leave the ballpark and say thank you for the workout."
Riley Unroe was only 5 years old when his father stopped playing professionally in 2000; Cody Bellinger was 7 when his dad hung up his spikes in 2002; and Brantley Bell was the ripe of old age of 9 when Jay hung it up in 2003. Bell, especially, has some lasting memories
"I remember being around it and it's been cool because now I know what to expect when I get into pro ball; it won't be total culture shock right when I get there," he said. "When he used to take me (to the big league ballparks) it was awesome because he would bring out and I hang out with the guys and they'd teach me everything."
Jay Bell, 47, won a World Series ring in 2001 when his D-backs beat Clay Bellinger's Yankees in seven games. "I remember every minute of it," Brantley said of that World Series.
Clay Bellinger, 44, is now a firefighter in Gilbert, Ariz., but has stayed involved with baseball through coaching his sons. Cody said he has fond memories of when his dad was playing with the Yankees, and even remembered a time when he was hitting in the same batting cage as Derek Jeter.
"I really remember just learning everything (about baseball) because of my dad playing professionally," Cody said. "He has passed on everything he knows to me, and how to play the game right with character and respect. He's taught me everything about hitting – every time I'm in a slump or even if I'm hitting good, I ask him questions and he's there to answer them. We have a cage in our backyard so I hit with him every time he's home and sometimes we'll just go out and hit at the field when he wants to go. It's nice having him around."
Franklin has enjoyed being around Cody, Riley and Brantley and their parents. He said it's easy to see how the boys have benefitted from the upbringings.
"These are great kids; every single one of them are great kids," he said. "They've been around professional baseball, so they know what it's like. Now it's their turn to live their dream and they're giving it everything they got. They're good-mannered, well-behaved kids that were raised right by their parents; they take nothing for granted and they really, really work hard."


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Politics & Government
U.S. gears up for huge, difficult land buyback for Indian tribes
After bungling the management of Indian lands for generations, the federal government wants to make amends by spending nearly $2 billion to buy 10 million acres of land for 150 tribes across the nation.
That's roughly twice the size of Massachusetts and would mark the largest expansion of the U.S. government's land trust for tribes, which now covers 46 million acres.
To make the plan work, the government wants to find willing sellers to buy back reservation land it first gave to individual tribal members in 1887, often in tracts of 80 to 160 acres.
"We can improve Indian Country if people will go along with this program and sell their interests back to their tribes," Kevin Washburn, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said in an interview.
It won't be easy. With the land changing hands over the decades, many parcels now have hundreds or thousands of owners.
Congress signed off on the land buy in 2010 to settle a lawsuit. The government had pledged to keep track of all royalties generated from the land for such things as grazing or logging, but that money never went back to benefit tribal members as promised.
Now, with so many owners involved, tribes complain that it's nearly impossible to get the permission needed to develop or lease the land.
Yet even though the government doesn't expect to make its first purchase offer until the end of the year, critics already predict the worst. They fear too many tribes will be overlooked in the buying spree and that many private landowners will get bullied into sales.
In California, which has more federally recognized tribes than any other state except Alaska, only one tribe stands to be among the top 40 beneficiaries.
"There's no love for California Indian Country," said Gabriel Galanda, a Seattle lawyer and a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes of Mendocino County, Calif. He called the program "a disaster" in the making.
When tribal leaders met with government officials in Seattle, Chief James Allan of Idaho's Coeur d'Alene Tribe complained that 45 percent of the money will go to just seven tribes.
"We're all going to be fighting for scraps," he said.
The plan calls for the U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to buy back more than 92,000 parcels from private landowners. The effort, expected to last until 2022, will begin with pilot projects in Washington state, Montana and South Dakota.
Many property owners, with close ties to the land, are expected to be reluctant sellers.
"This is a modern day retaking of the land and, given the historical implications of that, they don't want to relive it," Les Riding-In, assistant dean and director of graduate studies at the University of Texas-Arlington and a member of the Comanche Tribe, said in an interview. "It's reminiscent of how the government took the land back when colonization was happening."
Riding-In said his family has decided not to sell its land in Oklahoma because the property represents a link to the past and "something that's of value to us as an identity issue."
He predicted that federal authorities will encounter resistance from many tribal members likely to be suspicious of any offers coming from Washington.
"It's just a huge undertaking," Riding-In said. "The trust factor is not high enough for most people to give up what they have."
All of this will complicate the job facing the BIA's Washburn, President Barack Obama's point man on selling the plan.
"This program will be successful on the ground only to the extent that tribal leaders themselves get behind it and evangelize for it," said Washburn, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. "There's always a trust issue, and the track record hasn't been very good."
But he defended the targeting of the program, saying, "It seems sensible to us to go where the problem is most severe and where people are suffering the greatest from the problem."
Tribal officials say it's difficult for them to get permission from multiple owners when they propose using land for economic development or anything else.
"We are in an oil boom. . . . This is definitely slowing down progress for us," Stoney Anketell, a councilman with the Fort Peck Tribes in Montana, said at the Seattle gathering. He said that if tribes can make more revenue off their land, they'll need less federal assistance. "That's the hope," he said.
Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe in Washington state, called the buyback program "a great opportunity," both for individuals who want to sell their land and for tribes that will be allowed to acquire more property.
"It is a real win-win opportunity," he said.
Most of the $1.9 billion will buy land in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions. The biggest expenditure is expected on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, where the government estimates it will cost $126 million to buy back nearly 1.2 million acres.
Washburn said the program will be entirely voluntary.
"If we don't have a willing seller," he said, "we can't purchase the property."
But critics are skeptical, saying that federal law will still allow tribes to ultimately force unwilling minority landowners to sell once they've acquired 51 percent ownership of any individual parcel.
If there's a lack of trust in Indian Country, it's easy to trace.
In 1999, a federal judge said the Interior Department's handling of Indian land constituted "fiscal and governmental irresponsibility in its purest form." It began with the General Allotment Act of 1887, which allowed parcels of land to be allotted to individual tribal members. After promising to hold the land in trust and keep track of all royalties, the government kept poor records and failed to use the money to aid tribal members. That eventually prompted the lawsuit, filed by the late Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana.
Washburn told tribal leaders in Seattle that they should try to overcome emotional attachments to the land by arguing that it's "patriotic" for tribes to restore their homelands.
He told them it would be a daunting task to spend the money wisely but that his dream is to show Congress within five years that the effort has been successful.
Then, he said, "we can go back and ask for more and be trusted that it will be well used."
Galanda, the Seattle lawyer, questioned why the same government agency that mismanaged Indian trust land should now be trusted to provide a fix.
"Funding the agency to correct the problem they caused is not a prudent use of taxpayer dollars," he said.
And some larger tribes would rather do the job without any involvement from the federal government.
"Give us the funding and we will administer our own buyback program," said A. Gay Kingman, executive director of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association in Rapid City, S.D., a group of leaders from 16 tribes in the Dakotas and Nebraska.
To prepare for the massive effort, the Interior Department, which controls 20 percent of all land in the U.S., is busy adding both employees and offices. The settlement allows the department to spend 15 percent of the $1.9 billion, or up to $285 million, on administrative costs.
So far, Washburn said, only 10 of the 100 employees who will run the program have been hired. But the department has created a new Buy-Back Oversight Board, chaired by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. And plans are in the works for three new land "acquisition centers," in Billings, Mont., Aberdeen, S.D., and Albuquerque, N.M.
"It's very important for us to get it right," Washburn said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the state that has the most federally recognized tribes. Alaska has the most.


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The worst teams for me are probably the most boring ones.
Agreed. I hope to see them in an unfinished business 2 season.
Rather boring than troublesome!Boring teams may be because of editing too, if you want to put it that way if Art and JJ's negativeness was due to bad edit??Art and JJ's scenario and POV:1 When they are leading: THE OTHER TEAMS SUCK.2. When we are in the back and not leading the pack: WE SUCK, BUT THE OTHER TEAMS STILL SUCK. WHY DO ALL THEM UNDESERVING TEAM MANAGE TO BEAT US?
You need a balance of likeable and less likeable teams. But if it just has boring teams, like maybe AR2, then I can't really be bothered watching it.
I did think Vanessa lasted a bit too long in this race and it would have benefited if say Mark and Bopper and Nary and Jamie had outlasted her team.
Take a look at this poll. http://amazingrace.wikia.com/wiki/Top_10_list:Favorite_Team
Quote from: BlooperGuy on August 16, 2012, 12:15:02 PMTake a look at this poll. http://amazingrace.wikia.com/wiki/Top_10_list:Favorite_TeamNot many Mexicans crossing the border to America nowadays, so Border Patrol agents tend to have a lot of free time.
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ROME, Ga.—The Birmingham-Southern men's lacrosse team went on the road today and picked up its first win of the 2012 season, defeating Berry College 11-5.
The Panthers are now 1-1, while the Vikings fall to 0-1.
BSC scored the first two goals of the game, and Berry responded with two goals to tie it up 2-2 by the end of the first quarter.
The Panthers stepped it up and scored four goals in the second quarter, leading 6-2 at the half, and then scored three straight goals in the third quarter to go up 9-2.
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings opened with three straight goals to cut it to 9-5, but BSC scored twice more down the stretch while holding Berry scoreless for the 11-5 victory.
Freshman Erik Klein led with four goals, while junior Brennan Ott had three and junior Nicco DeRosa had two. Senior Jacob McPherson and sophomore Michael Sanicola also had one goal apiece.
Senior Chris Clarke led with eight ground balls. The Panthers won 15-of-20 faceoffs, with freshman John Sommerall going 12-of-16.
Junior Andrew Huffman played the entire game in goal, recording 13 saves.
The Panthers open their home schedule this Wednesday, Feb. 22, against Huntingdon College at 6:30 p.m. in Panther Stadium.


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Event will take place Feb. 13 at farm show in Tulare, Calif.
California's three major dairy cooperatives are sponsoring a seminar to educate dairy producers about the possibility of adopting a federal milk marketing order in the Golden State.
The federal order meeting will take place Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. at World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif. The event will be held in the VIP Tent on Expo Lane between S and T Streets at the International Agri-Center, site of World Ag Expo.
Tom Wegner of Land O'Lakes, Eric Erba of California Dairies, and Elvin Hollon of Dairy Farmers of America will make up the discussion panel. Pete Garbani of Land O'Lakes will moderate the discussion.
The meeting is open to the public. Dairy producers are encouraged to attend to learn more about federal milk marketing orders, which are marketing structures that regulate handlers. Producers request and maintain them, but FMMOs are paid for by handlers. California has had its own state pricing structure since the 1930s.
World Ag Expo is the world's largest annual agricultural exposition. This year's show will be held Feb. 12-14. More than 1,400 exhibitors display the latest in farm equipment, communications and technology on 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space. Free seminars focus on a variety of topics important to dairy producers, farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals.
Cost is $12 for general admission. Hours are:
- Tuesday, Feb. 12 and Wednesday, Feb. 13 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 14 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.