text:
Alicia Keys is offering fans plenty of options with her latest single, "Girl on Fire," by simultaneously releasing three versions of the song.
Her "choose your favorite version" approach for the single -- the title track to her forthcoming album, due out Nov. 27 -- comes in the form of the original and a two-part suite: an "Inferno" remix featuring Nicki Minaj and a stripped-down "Blue Light" version.
Keys' strength has largely been her ballads, especially the sweeping, dramatic numbers where she gives her powerful vocals the space to run amok over anthemic hooks. "Girl on Fire" fits nicely into that pocket.
Built on the heavy drums of Billy Squier's "The Big Beat" (the "Inferno" version has an added bit of thump), Keys delivers a fierce battle cry atop a fast-building, yet simplistic hook. "This girl is on fire," she belts. "Looks like a girl, but she's a flame, so bright, she can burn your eyes."
The version most fit for pop radio? The original, as it offers a nice throwback to another of her bombastic assaults, 2007's smash "No One." However, Minaj's guest spot, and its two effortlessly fluid verses, might get more attention.
But overlooking the stripped-down "Blue Light" edition would be unfortunate as it's the most intoxicating of the three. Backed by dripping synths and light chord progressions, Key's smoky delivery presents the empowering lyrics with a greater sense of urgency. The "Blue Light" version dips into the sensual side of the singer last heard on her sleeper hit "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)."
Keys is set to perform some version of the single on the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday.
Listen to both suites below.
The Nicki Minaj "Inferno" remix:
The stripped-down "Blue Light" edition:


text:
It didn't quite duplicate its heady showing from last year.
Much of that had to do with the decidedly different roster the Perkiomen School boys basketball team trucked out for the 2012-13 season. But the Panthers still made the most of a campaign that concluded this past week with a return visit to the Tri-County League's championship game.
'We looked a little thin after graduation last year,' head coach Mark Longstreth said after Thursday's title game with Phelps School, which the Lions took by a 70-44 count. 'A number of guys who were varsity subs last year improved and jayvees came up, and we added some new guys.
'Everybody was ready to play at the varsity level.'
Bruce Brittingham and Eric Fanning were among the higher-level players graduated from a Perkiomen team that went 14-0 in the TCL, 26-3 overall. Both rank among the area's career scoring leaders: Brittingham in 28th place with 1,308 points, Fanning in 41st place with 1,186 points.
Nizar Kapic, who contributed another 13.1 points per game, went the graduation route along with Josh Kingsley and Charles Lin.
'The team is a mix of experiences returnees, newcomers and much-improved players from last year's substitutes,' Longstreth said in his pre-season assessment. 'Balance and versatility are strengths.'
Justas Valciukas came along for Perkiomen (15-7) over its final 10 games, emerging as a consistent double-figure performer. The junior guard had scored only 50 points through the Panthers' first six games, but he finished up with a team-best 13.1 ppg.
Ja'ren Hampton, a sophomore forward, chipped in with 9.3 ppg while seeing action in all Perkiomen's games. Behind him, the Panthers found balance from Antonio Coleman (6.2 ppg), John Williams (5.3 ppg) and Frank Chang (5.0 ppg).
Perkiomen had back-to-back losses only once all year. It had put together a five-game win streak spanning the end of the regular season and two rounds into the TCL playoffs,
FROM THE (E)MAILBAG In response to last week's notebook about the Daniel Boone boys basketball team - specifically the reference to its victory over Reading High - a reader offered an e-mail counterpoint to the point about how that was the only time the Blazers had beaten the Red Knights on the court in the history of its program.
The reader referred back to the 1965-66 season, when Boone and Reading played a scrimmage in tune-up for the District 3 tournament, for which they had both received first-round byes. From the reader's account, they agreed to play three quarters and just play their first seven players. At the end of the three quarters, Boone had won the scrimmage.
It was also noted Boone had just finished up a perfect season in the Berks Conference that year, winning the Berks title game and compiling a 23-0 record. Reading, in the meantime, played in the Central Penn League and had never played a team from the Berks Conference before.
CAREER TRACK Zameer McDowell (Spring-Ford) closed out his scholastic career with 1,089 points. McDowell currently ranks 58th among the scoring leaders from The Mercury's coverage area, and fifth in the Ram boys program. ... Brendan Casper (Methacton) continues his climb up the area's career scoring chart, running his total to 1,066 points through Friday's win over Bensalem in the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs. Casper ranks third among the Methacton boys' all-time scoring leaders, and in a three-way tie for 58th place in area history.
OTHER FINISHING TOUCHES Perkiomen Valley showed a big improvement from last year's 12-10 finish, closing out the 2012-13 season with a 17-8 mark. ... Spring-Ford (14-9) matched its previous win total, with two less losses.
Get updates on local sports on Twitter @PottsmercSports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pottstown.mercury

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Quote #1
"Do you know what love is? Love is an absolute power of self-totality. Love is not what you think love is. Love is a strength. Love is a goodness, like Godliness. There is no limit to it. There is no shortage in it. There is no bargaining in it. Where there is love, there is no question. Where there is a question, there is no love. Then it becomes a business. So - love is the totality of the self.My dear folks, if you cannot find yourself, you can never find anybody you want to find." – Yogi Bhajan, 4/5/94.
Quote #2
"You have a positive love. You have a negative love. You can't misunderstand your negative love. Negative love is hatred. Negative love is insecurity. Negative love is jealousy. All the things you hate the most are negative love. All the things you like the most – the romance, the dream, prince charming coming and bah-bah-bah, it's positive love.
First, love is a commotional hysteria. You know what hysteria is? You are doing things, but things are not under your control. Have you seen people in hysteria? It's something like that. Hysteria is something where people do things but do not know what they are doing.
Then, the second stage is communication. That is where the frequency is established. The third stage of love is: who is the lover and who is the beloved? It doesn't have anything to do with male and female. My apologies. Had that been the case, two men could not have been lovers and they would not have a gay or lesbian community. The third stage is the deciding factor. Who is the lover and who is the beloved? Love has its own genders.
Once that is established, then the further stage is purification. That's the most difficult stage of love. Purification is when both see each other clearly, as you see yourself in the mirror. That is where love turns into hatred.
The act of purification is where you see the unseen of each other. Before that, who is the lover and who is the beloved? It is not established in about eighty percent of the cases, and the matter falls apart there. In the act of purification, ninety-five percent of people fall apart. It's very difficult for people because when you purify yourself with love then you have to merge. Merger of everything in the world is easy, except for two egos. The law of ego is that it never merges.
When "I" lives, "Thou" will never come in. The only way for "Thou" to come in is that the "I" has to be eliminated. The fight is between "I" and "Thou." The fight is not between two human beings. So if your love affair falls apart, don't misunderstand. You can't save it because you can't love it. You can't love it because you do not have the control on your ego. If you cannot put your ego to the side, you cannot succeed in love. Period. And don't even try it. It's an inborn cancer of the mind that, in some people, their ego rules. Therefore, love must defeat it. The stage of purification is the deciding stage.
One you get away from "I" then the ego gets eliminate. Then the love is understood by the Id. Existing sensitivity, original sensitivity, develops itself into ultimate sensitivity. Therefore, two people have one sensitivity, one action, one reaction and one feeling. It does not matter how much time and distance they have between themselves. And that is the state of Ultimate Love." – Yogi Bhajan, 7/7/87.
Both of these quote come from the Authentic Relationships DVD series offered through KRI:


text:
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New Mexico, USA
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text: The kids are gone all day tomorrow so it looks like it's going to be a marathon cache day for me! I've been looking forward to a day like this, where I could just go out all day long with no restrictions. I'm looking for somewhat of a physical challenge. Whether it's terrain or maybe lining up several caches to cumulatively make up five or six miles of caching on foot. If anyone has any ideas on how to put together a decent hike tomorrow I would appreciate the help.


text:
Skip to Content
IT has created several forms to help make it easier to request some of our services. These forms are displayed on this page in alphabetical order.
In addition, see the "services" section of this site (listed on the menu to the left) for help with which forms go with which services. Each service listed also links to the appropriate form.
If you have questions or are experiencing issues with forms, please contact the IT Helpdesk at:
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text: Gentoo Linux SPARC Handbook SPARC kernel-2.6.23-gentoo-r8 2.6.23-r8 handbook-sparc.xml releases/sparc/2008.0_beta1/sparc64/ stage3-sparc64-2008.0_beta1.tar.bz2 default/linux/sparc/sparc64/2008.0 -O2 -mcpu=ultrasparc -pipe Sven Vermeulen Grant Goodyear Roy Marples Daniel Robbins Chris Houser Jerry Alexandratos Seemant Kulleen Tavis Ormandy Jason Huebel Guy Martin Pieter Van den Abeele Joe Kallar John P. Davis Pierre-Henri Jondot Eric Stockbridge Rajiv Manglani Jungmin Seo Stoyan Zhekov Jared Hudson Colin Morey Jorge Paulo Carl Anderson Jon Portnoy Zack Gilburd Jack Morgan Benny Chuang Erwin Joshua Kinard Tobias Scherbaum Xavier Neys Joshua Saddler Gerald J. Normandin Jr. Donnie Berkholz Ken Nowack Lars Weiler This is the Gentoo Handbook, an effort to centralize Gentoo/Linux information. This handbook contains the installation instructions for an Internet-based installation on Sparc systems and parts about working with Gentoo and Portage. 9.0 2008-04-01 Installing Gentoo In this part you learn how to install Gentoo on your system. About the Gentoo Linux Installation Choosing the Right Installation Medium You can install Gentoo in many ways. This chapter explains how to install Gentoo using the minimal Installation CD although installation through the Universal Installation CD is possible as well. Configuring your Network Preparing the Disks To be able to install Gentoo, you must create the necessary partitions. This chapter describes how to partition a disk for future usage. Installing the Gentoo Installation Files Installing the Gentoo Base System Configuring the Kernel The Linux kernel is the core of every distribution. This chapter explains how to configure your kernel. Configuring your System Installing Necessary System Tools Configuring the Bootloader The SPARC architecture uses the SILO bootloader to fire up your Linux system. In this chapter we step you through the process of configuring this bootloader to your needs. Finalizing your Gentoo Installation Where to go from here? Working with Gentoo Learn how to work with Gentoo: installing software, altering variables, changing Portage behaviour etc. A Portage Introduction USE flags Portage Features Initscripts Environment Variables Working with Portage "Working with Portage" provides an in-depth coverage of Portage, Gentoo's Software Management Tool. Files and Directories Configuring through Variables Mixing Software Branches Additional Portage Tools Diverting from the Official Tree Gentoo Network Configuration A comprehensive guide to Networking in Gentoo. Getting Started Advanced Configuration Modular Networking Wireless Networking Adding Functionality Network Management


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - from North Asia to Egypt... I'm very uninformed! Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in from North Asia to Egypt... I'm very uninformed! Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Egypt View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message NoelleJoined: 26 Mar 2005Posts: 361Location: USA Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:11 pm Post subject: from North Asia to Egypt... I'm very uninformed! I am a bit new to this forum but not new to EFL. I've been seriously considering the idea of coming to work in Egypt in a year or so. I have an M.A. in TESOL and about 3 years experience teaching in the U.S., China and South Korea, where I currently am right now. While I was in grad school, I received many different types of offers from countries in Asia, South America and Eastern Europe but nothing from the Middle East. I'm just wondering... am I too underqualified because I only have a few years experience? Maybe it's harder for females. Also, I've heard that many countries prefer foreign teachers to be a bit older... I've just turned 29. I don't feel that young but who knows...? I'm not really sure what kinds of questions to ask either but if anyone out there has worked in Asia and transitioned to Egypt, I'd really love to hear about it. I am not interested in working with children. University or above would be my preference... maybe an academic high school. I'd love some advice from those of you who are experienced in Egypt! Back to top mishmumkinJoined: 01 Sep 2007Posts: 929 Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject: Hi Noelle: There reallly are not many expat teaching opportunities in Egypt at the unviersity level. I'll let Veiled Sentiments speak to the American University of Cairo, who would be your best shot(or only shot) at university teaching. I am sure that there would be opportunities for you to teach at the secondary level, though because you're not a qualified teacher, the better employers would likely shy away. At any rate, I think you'll find that many secondary teachers complain about the lack of discipline at that level. Back to top veiledsentimentsJoined: 20 Feb 2003Posts: 17630Location: USA Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:27 am Post subject: You called? Hi Noelle, There really isn't much available at university level in Egypt. There are a few private universities, but I am not familiar enough with them to recommend. There is one good place to work, The American University in Cairo... but... with its good reputation and pay... it rarely has openings and only hires very experienced teachers and with an MA+3, you are at the bottom of their requirements. They have an adult education department, but it is local pay and no benefits, so probably not a great choice. There are some chain language schools and AMIDEAST which teach adults. British Council usually only hires people with British passports. You might want to expand your search to Morocco, Jordan, and I'd like to add Lebanon because it has a number of universities that hire some native speakers... but... the political situation is a bit 'iffy' right now, so probably not for beginners to the area. VS Back to top NoelleJoined: 26 Mar 2005Posts: 361Location: USA Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:23 am Post subject: thanks for the heads up! I really don't think I'd want to deal with secondary schools in Egypt. If I want that kind of headache, I may as well have it at home in my own country. I would definitely be interested in Jordan, Oman or Morocco. Lebanon... not so much.. thanks again! Back to top teacherincairoJoined: 16 Nov 2005Posts: 12 Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject: From the teachers I've talked to who teach at private universities in Egypt, they're not all that different from the private secondary international schools in regards to teaching and work conditions. The pay is good, but the students... well... just like at the secondary level, they feel they've paid their money, so they'll get their degree. A few years back I had dinner with a visiting professor who was teaching a graduate level, I believe, economics class at one of the best Universities in Cairo. Out of 12 students in his class he failed 8 of them at the end of the semester. He said he'd never taught a worse group of students. (Unmotivated, unprepared, plagiarism, cheating, rude... you name it. And these are "adults" in graduate school!) The professor was sat down in front of the dean of the school and was told the students had complained that the final exam was too difficult, that's why they failed. The professor was then asked if he might consider giving a new exam, one that might be a bit more passable. When he refused he was told that because the students felt the exam was too hard, it would be unfair to fail them. All were passed. The professor resigned that day. Back to top NoelleJoined: 26 Mar 2005Posts: 361Location: USA Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:20 pm Post subject: These kinds of issues come up in any country where you've got a school that allows some kind of "no fail policy" or doesn't hold students accountable for their behavior or lack thereof. I am interested in Egypt because I'd like to teach in a different kind of society and I've been advised that I could adapt much more quickly in Egypt than in other M.E. countries... I would love to teach in a university language program but I wouldn't last day in a school where students are disrespectful if the school didn't take my side. I've taught some pretty rude students (mostly European) in the states but my school and/or director has always been on the side of the teacher. If I were to work in Egypt, I think I'd be pretty adamant about teaching university students or higher. If those jobs are difficult or impossible to come by, I will look elsewhere! Back to top mishmumkinJoined: 01 Sep 2007Posts: 929 Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:27 am Post subject: Quote: and I've been advised that I could adapt much more quickly in Egypt than in other M.E. countries... Really? I lived in the UAE before I lived in Egypt. Though I love Egypt, adaptation is a big challenge. I think most people experience a level of culture shock that makes the Gulf nations look like Disneyland. Back to top teacherincairoJoined: 16 Nov 2005Posts: 12 Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 3:42 am Post subject: "...I wouldn't last day in a school where students are disrespectful if the school didn't take my side. I've taught some pretty rude students (mostly European) in the states but my school and/or director has always been on the side of the teacher." You might want to give Egypt a miss then. Many Egpytian schools, even at the university level, take the "the customer is always right" adage to the Nth degree. I did not find Egypt to be too difficult a country to adjust to as far as culture shock goes. But I'm a pretty "go with the flow" kinda guy and had years of traveling in the third world under my belt. That being said, on an almost daily basis something would happen that would drive me totally nuts. It's a crazy country with a lot of illogical, or culturally different, things going on. I loved that about Egypt; You knew that every day you'd see something you'd never seen before. But I have to admit I sure did enjoy leaving that country whenever I could, just to recharge the batteries. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Egypt All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. 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text:
It all began with
A Swiss creation
Laurastar was founded by people who loved beautiful fabrics. Their passion led them to create a unique world bringing together beauty and Swiss technology to enhance your clothes and your appearance.
Beauty & perfection
Beautiful clothing and technological perfection soon became Laurastar's watchwords. With one objective: to make them accessible to all. It all started when its founder collaborated with an Italian engineer. One made beauty his watchword, the other cherished an ideal: to make a technology, which until then had been exclusively for professionals, accessible to everyone.
The Swiss brand's first invention was an ironing board incorporating a professional steam generator guaranteeing unparalleled results and ultimate ease of use within your home. It was an immediate and enduring success.
Today Laurastar is over 35 years old
This international brand's products are exported to over forty countries, making the company a global leader in professional ironing systems for domestic use.
on your behalf
Laurastar exists to revolutionize ironing techniques. Its Swiss researchers and engineers are dedicated to ongoing innovation in order to bring state-of-the-art technology into your home. Professional soleplate, exclusive steam, active board: the brand has perfected an entire ironing system to beautify your clothes and offer you exceptional ease of use.
Laurastar ironing systems are designed with a single goal: to help you obtain a unique, professional result within your home. To do this, the brand brought together an exclusive Laurastar active board, equipped with a blower and vacuum system, an integrated professional steam generator and a professional iron - another Laurastar exclusive feature.
Swiss know-how
The height of excellence
Through its products, Laurastar is proud to reflect the values of quality, precision and aesthetics that have earned Switzerland a global reputation for excellence. For over 35 years, the brand has focused all its energy on ensuring that its designs satisfy your desire for beauty and perfection. The professional iron, 3D active soleplate and the ultra-fine steam are all unique inventions designed for your everyday well-being.
Because Laurastar shares the same aesthetic awareness as you - its Swiss engineers work tirelessly, day in day out, to anticipate tomorrow's trends. All its products' features – shapes, colours and ergonomics – are designed with beauty and simplicity in mind.
- Pulse steam
- Active 3D soleplate
- Professional iron
Laurastar magic
more than a million product sold
A Swiss innovation, the Laurastar Magic was the first ironing system for home use to have a board with a blower and vacuum system to prevent unwanted creases and protect your fabrics.
Since 1996, when it was first launched, this Swiss technology has helped to take care of your clothes; a true revolution for all those who love beautiful clothes. And want them to stay beautiful for longer.
Over a million of the brand's flagship product, Laurastar Magic, have been sold across the world. This ironing system has now evolved with the creation of the Laurastar Go range.
Laurastar rewarded
for its design and innovation
Laurastar has always designed its products in the spirit of optimum innovation and ergonomics. This mindset has been recognised through awards celebrating both its designs and technological research. For over 35 years, Laurastar researchers, engineers and designers have focused all their energy on ensuring that its designs satisfy your desire for beauty and perfection.
In 2002, Laurastar received the red dot Best Design Award for its green Steamup and in 2003, IF's Product Design Award for its yellow Steamax. In 2013, year of ultimate recognition, it won the red dot Product Design Award, Chicago Athenaeum's GOOD DESIGN award as well as Foire de Paris' Grand Prize for Design for its Laurastar Lift collection.
The Swiss designer's innovation
The Swiss designer has also been recognised for its innovations. In 1990, Laurastar received the Innovation Oscar for its Premium ironing system; in 2001, the silver medal at the Concours Lépine for its Magic ironing system and in 2012, the « Technology » Innovation Award for the Laurastar S7a model.


text:
-How did I miss the news about a Les Miserables musical movie? So far the film has Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Hugh Jackman in the cast and rumor is Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Evan Rachel Wood, and Lea Michele are all in the running for Eponine. I think my pick would be Lea Michele, but I'm really not a big fan of this list. Who would you pick? Thanks to NY Post for the news.
-Matt Phelan's graphic novel, The Storm in the Barn, has been optioned for a live action feature film. The film has Marti Noxon, who wrote and produced for Buffy and Mad Men producing and David Goodman, who has worked on Fringe and Angel is writing the script. I like those kind of connections!! Thanks to Betsy Bird for the news.
-Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game are coming back January 2! ABC family will be airing marathons of the shows before the new season starts during the day, so you can catch up!
I am so excited for Downton Abbey Season 2, especially after this preview! Maybe we should have a blogger watch/recap/discuss after each episode? Who's with me?


text:
Finian Cunningham
Global Research
Aug 8, 2011
The wiping out of 30 US special forces in the Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan comes at a time when Washington's official version of how it carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden was falling apart from incredulity.
Among the 38 dead in the helicopter disaster – the biggest single loss of American lives in the 10-year Afghanistan war of occupation – are believed to have been several of the 17 US Navy Seals involved in the execution of Osama bin Laden in early May. The dead also include other members of US special forces and Afghan commandos.
Early Western news media reports indicated that the Chinook may have been involved in a significant military operation against Afghan militants when it went down in Wardak Province, not far west from the capital, Kabul, early Saturday.
Taliban sources are reported to have claimed that its militants shot down the Chinook with rocket fire.
US military officials say they are investigating the cause of the crash.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
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However, of significance, unnamed US sources have told media outlets that they believe the helicopter was shot down. This unofficial US briefing seems a bit odd. Why would US military sources want to hand enemy combatants a stunning propaganda coup?
Perhaps, it serves US interests to divert from the real motive and cause of the helicopter crash, whether it was hit by a rocket or not.
US officials have admitted that the dead Navy Seals were part of the Team Six unit that allegedly carried out the assassination in May of the supposed 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.
From the outset, Washington's account of how its special forces murdered Bin Laden in his residential compound in Abbottabad, northern Pakistan, has been riven with contradictions. Why was the liquidated Bin Laden buried hurriedly at sea? How could the world's "No 1 Terrorist" have resided inconspicuously only miles from the Pakistani military headquarters in Rawalpindi?
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Most glaringly, several informed sources are convinced that Bin Laden died from natural causes 10 years ago. Author Ralph Schoenman dismissed the alleged Navy Seal execution has "a big lie". From investigations over several years in Pakistan, Schoenman told Global Research: "I have interviewed several members of the Pakistani intelligence services and militants, and they have all confirmed that Bin Laden died from kidney failure over 10 years."
More recently, as Paul Craig Roberts reports [1], Pakistani locals have claimed that the Navy Seal operation in Abbottabad ended in disaster, with one of three US helicopters exploding as it took off from the ground near the compound. The other two choppers had not landed and, according to witnesses, they flew from the scene immediately after the explosion. As Roberts points out, that means there was no Bin Laden corpse to dispose off at sea, as Washington maintains.
The key people who would know the truth about Washington's incredible Bin Laden assassination are now unavailable for comment. Case sealed.


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Royal Collection Trust
The British Royal Collection Trust's range of exquisite chinaware is inspired by icons of British Monarchy and replica pieces from the Royal Collection. Each item is meticulously prepared entirely by hand using heritage techniques in Staffordshire, England, and is crafted from English fine bone china, hand-painted and decorated with 22 karat burnished gold trims. Bestsellers include the Georgian collection inspired by classic styles typical of the time, as well as Her Majesty The Queen's 90th Commemorative collection to mark the occasion of her 90th birthday. From teacups and saucers to bowls, plates and teapots, each piece is perfectly presented in Royal Collection tissue paper and a handcrafted box to lend a suitably regal finish to home settings.more
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Our stunning range of Zellige tiles are handmade in Morocco in a centuries old way, and look equaly at home in a traditional or more contemporary setting. Each tile is slightly different to the next, which of course gives them their individuality and brings 'life' to the overall finish. We look forward to working with you on your next project, and can't wait to see them shimmer in their new homes.
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Your Mac comes equipped with more than the default picture; in fact, Apple preinstalls many images to choose from. To change your desktop picture, follow these instructions:
You'll find lots of preinstalled desktop images in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
- From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences to open the System Preferences window.
- Click the Desktop & Screen Saver button.
- Click the Desktop tab; the left pane lists the different folders from which you can choose an image. The right pane displays thumbnails, small images, of the images in the selected folder.
- Click Apple Images to select it. You'll see the default picture in the right pane, along with a bunch of other images.
- Click any thumbnail to instantly change the desktop image. Feel free to click a few different ones to try them out.
- Now select Nature in the left pane. Then click any of its thumbnails to place a nature type picture on your desktop. Do the same for Abstract.
- If you'd rather have a solid color desktop, select Solid Colors in the left pane, and select a color swatch from the right pane.
- When satisfied with your choice, close the Preferences window.
Of course, you can turn any of your own photos or artwork into a desktop picture too. Here's how to do this:
- From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
- In the window, click Desktop & Screen Saver, then click the Desktop tab to display just the desktop preferences.
- If you want to use a photo from your iPhoto Library, select Library in the left pane. Otherwise, select Choose Folder, navigate to and select the folder that contains your image, and click Choose.
- In the right pane, click any thumbnail to place the image on the desktop.
- Depending on the size of your chosen image, you can opt to tile or center it if it's small. Note: Your image will look pixelated or have jagged edges if it's too small. Or have the image fill the screen, or stretch to fill the screen. Just choose an item from the pop-up menu that appears above the thumbnails, the one next to the thumbnail of your current picture.
If an image is too small to display satisfactorily as a full screen image,
you can choose Tile from the pop-up menu.
You can also have your Mac automatically change your desktop picture. To do this:
- Select the "Change picture" checkbox. Note: This option is not available if you selected your iPhoto Library or an iPhoto picture roll.
- From the Change picture pop-up menu, choose one of the intervals listed in the menu (such as every minute or every day—or choose every 5 seconds for a desktop slideshow).
- Select the "Random order" checkbox if you want the images to appear at random. If it isn't selected, your images will appear in alphabetical order by name.


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Assuming he likes his options, Masahiro Tanaka will belong to one major league team by 2 p.m. Friday. The Japanese pitcher has many options — and lots of money — to choose from before the deadline.
Tanaka and his agent, Casey Close, met with several teams Jan. 9 in Los Angeles. Now, with less than 72 hours to go, their choices are reportedly down to five teams: the Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. Nikkan Sports reported that the Dodgers and Yankees were the highest bidders, offering contracts in excess of six years and $100 million.
Bidding has escalated in part because of a thin free-agent class of starting pitchers, in part because of Tanaka's record of success (he went 24-0 last year in Japan's top league), in part because he's younger than most free agents at age 25.
Teams are hoping he can become a major league ace along the lines of countryman Yu Darvish, but Tanaka's environment will undoubtedly play an essential role in his success.
Here's what each of the five teams can offer Tanaka, along with our predicted odds of where he'll land:
Pros: The Yankees have a history of success (27 championships, but only one in the last 13 years) and plenty of Japanese stars who can vouch for it. If Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki can convince Tanaka to join them this year, the Yankees will have the No. 1 starter they need to compete with the American League's best teams — on paper, at least.
Cons: The Yankees' roster was the oldest in the league last year, and will need to be healthier to contend in 2014. The rotation is particularly fragile. Tanaka pitched the final inning of Japan's World Series one day after he started and threw 160 pitches; he might pitch on back-to-back days again if injuries befall starters C.C. Sabathia, Kuroda or Ivan Nova.
Pros: Tanaka won't have to shoulder the burden of being the undisputed ace who leads the Dodgers to the promised land. They're already a well-balanced team with World Series aspirations. Hideo Nomo made Los Angeles a destination for Japanese players in 1995. Tanaka's wife reportedly would prefer to remain on the Pacific coast.
Cons: If Tanaka wants the spotlight all to himself, he'll have to fight for attention among all the Dodgers' superstars — at least among the American media. If he doesn't, there are no Japanese players around to deflect the cavalcade of attention. The Dodgers haven't had one since Kuroda left town in 2011.
Pros: Every member of the Cubs' projected lineup and starting rotation is 30 or younger, and the farm system boasts some high-caliber position player prospects. In theory, that puts the Cubs in a decent position of financial flexibility and stability for the future — two things that will be hard for Tanaka to turn down.
Cons: Coming off a 96-loss campaign in 2013, the Cubs can't offer Tanaka a chance at a second consecutive championship. Their major-league payroll has decreased each of the last three seasons, and management may be counting on the new crop of youngsters to realize its potential — otherwise Tanaka will have no shot at a World Series anytime soon.
Pros: Like their cross-town brethren, the White Sox are rebuilding — arguably with more major-league ready youngsters than the Cubs. Left-hander Chris Sale would be an ideal complement to the right-handed Tanaka at the top of the rotation.
Cons: A 99-loss season in 2013 is a lot to rebound from. Even if they do, the White Sox must convince Tanaka they can reverse a trend of finishing below .500 every other year since winning the 2006 World Series. Not much history to compete with there.
Pros: The D-backs haven't had a losing season since Kirk Gibson became their manager. Tanaka would join under-30 stars in Patrick Corbin, Addison Reed, Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo to form a solid young nucleus. Phoenix is a large city but isn't a major media hub, something no other team on this list can offer.
Cons: No team has a shorter history, or a shorter history of Japanese players (Takashi Saito's 16 games in 2012 are the extent of it). The D-Backs have the disadvantage of being stuck in the same division as the Dodgers and Giants, who have won five of the last six NL West titles.
For the latest Dodgers news follow J.P. Hoornstra's Inside the Dodgers blog.


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Cutthroats (Atari ST)
Published by
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100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
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5 point score based on user ratings.
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DescriptionYou live on a small seaport island called Hardscrabble -- hardly the hip place to be. Working as a professional scuba diver, you have the chance to salvage a sunken treasure from one of four shipwrecks, earn the respect of all the old farts and become wealthy beyond all imagination.
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PackagingCutthroats was the first Infocom game to come out in the famous gray box. Measuring 9" by 7 3/8" by 1", the package opens like a book to reveal the game manual, and the disk and package elements are packed in a re-closable transparent tray.
Related Web Sites
- Infocom homepage (At this site you can find information on ALL of Infocom's interactive games, Infocom related articles, sample transcripts, InvisiClue hints, walkthroughs, maps and information on buying Infocom games today.)
- The Commodore Zone (All about Cutthroats - introduction, images, related links and comments area.)
- The Infocom Gallery (High-quality scans of the grey box package and manual of Cutthroats.)
Belboz (6582) added Cutthroats (Atari ST) on Jan 27, 2003
There are no game credits on file for this release of the game. Everything in MobyGames is contributable by users.


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Take the High Road Season 3 Episode 136 (1980)
Release Year: 1980
Ratings: IMDB: 8.5/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Duration: 30 mins
Genres: Drama,
Country: UK,
Actors: Bill Henderson, Edith MacArthur, Eileen McCallum, Frederick Jaeger, George Howell, Irene Sunters, Jimmy Chisholm, Jo Cameron Brown, Marjorie Thompson, Martin Cochrane, Natalie J Robb, Vivien Heilbron,
Director: Without information
Synopsis: Take the High Road: Set in the fictious Scottish village of Glendarroch. This initially twice-weekly, then weekly drama told the stories of the people who lived and worked in the village and its' surrounding areas
Movies Version Links For Take the High Road (1980)
Attention! If the movie does not work, please choose another server from the list below
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Armed student arrested near Chamblee Charter High School | News
CHAMBLEE, Ga. -- Chamblee Police said an armed student was arrested near Chamblee Charter High School in DeKalb County Tuesday afternoon.
According to Chamblee City Manager Marc Johnson, a student tipped off a resource officer at Chamblee Charter High School that someone was across the street with guns. The tipster told the school resource officer the person showed him two handguns and asked where he thought he could sell the guns. There were no threats made, according to police.
PHOTOS | Police swarm Chamblee High School
Johnson said police confronted a 16-year-old juvenile outside the school and he was cooperative. He showed police the handguns and told them he stashed more guns near the high school's football stadium.
He eventually told police he stole the guns in a home burglary, according to Johnson. "What he told the investigators so far is that he did do the burglary, he's admitted burglarizing the house," he said. "He says his intent was simply to sell the weapons for money."
Police found a couple duffle bags behind the stadium and called in DeKalb County's bomb squad as a precaution. Johnson said they found long guns inside the duffle bags.
The guns came from a home on Spring Street behind the school. It is the home of Steve Hyslip. Hyslip told 11Alive News he has called the school to complain because he often sees students skipping classes in his back yard.
"I've chased them away several times out of the back," Hyslip said. "It's not surprising that eventually somebody was going to break into my house."
The burglar broke into Hyslip's home by smashing through his back door. Hyslip said a computer tablet, a coin collection and an Xbox were missing also.
Police said it appears that the 16-year-old was trying to sell the guns outside the high school. Johnson said there is no indication he intended to bring the guns into the school.
Police aren't identifying the 16-year-old because he is a juvenile. Johnson said he was a student at the high school but was on suspension when he was arrested.
Students told 11 Alive News the principal announced on the intercom that the school was on Level 3 Alert. "Basically we turn off the lights, everybody is supposed to stay quiet, the teachers close the door and lock the door and just stay calm," said senior Allie Johnson.
Another student said it was unnerving at first. "Everyone in the class room was just kind of like squeamish and trying to figure out what was going on," he said.
Parents were seen picking up students at a Quiznos Restaurant on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Johnson said that the school was never officially on lockdown, and that the principal never felt the students were in danger. The students were held in class while police questioned the suspect and searched the area.
You can follow Kevin on Twitter @krowson11alive


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South African Journal of Education
versión On-line ISSN 2076-3433
versión impresa ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.28 no.3 Pretoria ago. 2008
Research in education: trends and innovations
There is growing international interest in newer approaches in research and the development and use of new methodologies, especially as it seems that the traditional quantitativequalitative debate is now a thing of the past.
For example, the EARLI (JURE Junior Researchers) conference in July 2008 in Utrecht had as its focus Innovative and Creative Perspectives: New Directions in Educational Research.
Already in 2007, the editorial committee of the South African Journal of Education (SAJE) had started compiling a number of articles that focus specifically on this need for newer and specialised approaches in research methodology.
The first five articles in this issue of SAJE come from Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia and reflect the perspectives of specialists focusing on specific areas in the educational research field. The articles are representative of recent perspectives and developments on various continents. The editorial committee hopes that these articles will pave the way to "new" and even "different" ways of thinking and doing, as well as creating a forum and a stimulus for academic discourse.
Philip van der Westhuizen (Editor); Tilla Olivier (Assistant Editor)


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By completing your order, you understand that the products(s) you are purchasing are U.S. models and may have power / voltage requirements different from that of your country.
Prices shown in currencies other than US Dollars are estimates based on current exchange rates. We will charge your credit card in US Dollars on the day your order is shipped, and the conversion to your local currency will be done at the prevailing rate by your credit card issuer.
PSSL will not mark your parcel as a "gift", declare a value lower than the actual price paid, or otherwise prepare false customs information.
The Bigfoot Line Array is designed to cover a football field, this thunderous battery powered system is up to any challenge. With a line array consisting of five 8" neodymium speakers and a high efficiency neodymium compression driver, the Bigfoot is ideal for large events and easily sets up in seconds. The Bigfoot is the first Anchor Audio portable sound system that offers up to 4 built-in wireless receivers - allowing everyone to be involved! It also boasts standard built-in Bluetooth and an optional built-in CD/MP3 combo player to easily connect to anything you'll need for an all-inclusive sound coverage. Use the Bigfoot outdoors at sporting events, military ceremonies, large auditoriums, camps, graduations, and more!Package Includes:


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|MLBPA Press Release
These six players will have their names placed on the 2010 Players Choice Awards ballot to determine this season's Marvin Miller Man of the Year award winner. Ballots will be distributed to all Major League players on Tuesday, Sept. 14, and Wednesday, Sept. 15, when the accounting firm of KPMG conducts the league-wide, players-only voting for the 2010 Players Choice Awards. [Note: Boston @ Seattle; Washington @ Atlanta; Milwaukee @ Houston and San Diego @ Colorado will vote on Tuesday, Sept. 14; all other teams will vote on Wednesday, Sept. 15.]
The 2010 Players Choice Awards also honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher and comeback player in each league, as well as the overall Player of the Year. 2010 Players Choice Award winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. Since 1992, the Players Trust has recognized the outstanding on-field and off-field performances of Players Choice Awards winners by contributing $3 million to charities around the world.
Curtis Granderson, then with the Detroit Tigers, was the recipient of the 2009 Man of the Year Award. Past winners of the award, named for the legendary baseball union leader, also include this year's finalists, Hunter and Pujols, as well as Michael Young, Mike Sweeney, Jim Thome, John Smoltz, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Eric Davis and Paul Molitor.
2010 Players Choice Marvin Miller Man of the Year Divisional Winners
American League East
New York Yankees Jorge Posada: When his son, Jorge Luis, was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a congenital birth defect characterized by the premature closure of the bones in the skull, Jorge Posada and his wife, Laura, were inspired to create The Jorge Posada Foundation. Posada's signature Heroes for Hope gala, Cinco Anillos brand sangria and annual craniosynostosis 5K walk promote awareness, channel funding for medical centers and provide emotional support for families affected by the condition.
American League Central
Detroit Tigers Brandon Inge: Brandon Inge is a champion for the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. In addition to donating $100,000, Inge frequently visits C.S. Mott and other local hospitals to form lasting bonds with children and their families as part of the Tigers Dreams Come True program. Inge often invites the children he's visited to watch Tigers games in his Comerica Park suite and wears special bracelets and wristbands on the field to show his support. Inge also serves as a spokesperson for the MLB Father's Day program to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Torii Hunter: Torii Hunter, the 2007 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award winner, is passionate about baseball, both in playing the game and in sharing it with those less fortunate. To help spread his passion to others, Hunter created the Torii Hunter Project, which partners with the Little League Urban Initiative to stop the disappearance of baseball diamonds from America's inner cities. Additionally, he has devoted his time and contributed funds to support organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Athletes in Action.
National League East
Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones: Touched early in his career by the experience of a young boy with cystic fibrosis, Chipper Jones has long been a supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Jones serves as the chair of the Georgia chapter's 65 Roses Sports Committee and the Bridges to a Cure campaign, hosts children with cystic fibrosis at Turner Field and frequently visits local hospitals. To date, he has contributed more than $250,000 toward finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. In addition, the Chipper Jones Family Foundation supports the Boys & Girls Club, the Florida and Georgia Sheriff's Youth Ranches and Homes, the Atlanta Braves Community Affairs program and local Little League programs.
National League Central
St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols: Winner of the 2006 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, Albert and his wife, Deidre, are the founders of the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to the love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and their families. Pujols hosts an annual charity golf tournament as well as a live auction to raise money for the foundation. The Pujols family dedicates their time not only to those with Down syndrome, but also to the impoverished children and orphans of the Dominican Republic by donating time and money to better the children's education.
National League West
Colorado Rockies Troy Tulowitzki: Recognized by his teammates as "the heart and soul of the Rockies," Troy Tulowitzki is a leader by example both on and off the field. "Tulo" welcomes terminally-ill children to batting practice sessions as part of the Rockies Care and Share program and is a national spokesperson for the Play Sun Smart program, where he promotes the importance of skin cancer prevention for the American Academy of Dermatology. This season the Coors Field fan favorite is growing a mullet as part of the Wins for Kids program and promoting "bad hair for a good cause" to encourage donations benefitting The Children's Hospital and the Special Olympics.
The following players were nominated by their teammates for the 2010 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award:
Arizona: Brandon Webb; Atlanta: Chipper Jones; Baltimore: Luke Scott; Boston: Tim Wakefield; Chicago Cubs: Ryan Dempster; Chicago White Sox: Mark Teahen; Cincinnati: Aaron Harang; Cleveland: Travis Hafner; Colorado: Troy Tulowitzki; Detroit: Brandon Inge; Florida: John Baker; Houston: Geoff Blum; Kansas City: Billy Butler; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Torii Hunter; Los Angeles Dodgers: Chad Billingsley; Milwaukee: Craig Counsell; Minnesota: Joe Nathan; New York Mets: David Wright; New York Yankees: Jorge Posada; Oakland: Craig Breslow; Philadelphia: Shane Victorino; Pittsburgh: Paul Maholm; San Diego: Adrian Gonzalez; San Francisco: Jeremy Affeldt; Seattle: Jack Wilson; St. Louis: Albert Pujols; Tampa Bay: Carlos Pena; Texas: C.J. Wilson; Toronto: Vernon Wells; Washington: Josh Willingham.
The Major League Baseball Players Association (http://www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.


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NCSF Media Activity Report - 2006
September 2005 - September 2006
The NCSF Media Committee reviews, edits, and refines the documents that NCSF publicly distributes. The media committee consists of Susan Wright, Allena Gabosch, Anita Wagner, Lisa Vandever, Lolita Wolf, Howie Z., and Keith, who creates and distributes the NCSF Media Updates.
Susan Wright gave 57 interviews with most of the media outlets contacting NCSF, indicating that NCSF has much higher profile than before the CDA lawsuit. These interviews were given to the New York Times (multiple reporters), Chicago Tribune (multiple reporters), Baltimore Sun (multiple reporters), Boston Herald, Esquire, Daily News, Inside Edition, Montell Williams Show, Maxim, Hustler, Bitch Magazine, and Las Vegas City Life, among others.
Press Releases, Action Alerts and Entertainment Media Updates
NCSF broadcast a press release about the Supreme Court decision on Nitke & NCSF v. Gonzales in March, 2006, which was carried in full or part in dozens of media outlets around the country. Reporters continue to call regarding the case to be the most recent. Salon.com requested an interview with Susan and John Wirenius in mid-August regarding ongoing obscenity prosecutions.
NCSF broadcast a press release in October, 2005, when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that his office intended to target "bestiality, urination, defecation, as well as sadistic and masochistic behavior" in pursuing new obscenity prosecutions. NCSF also sent out a press release in January, 2006, supporting Google when the U.S. Justice Department subpoenaed them to compel the Internet search engine to turn over records on millions of its users' search queries.
NCSF sent out an Action Alert in September, 2005, when an evangelical Christian group that targeted Southern Decadence, a world-famous LGBT event, stating "Hurricane Katrina has put an end to the annual celebration of sin."
Lisa Vandever created three Entertainment Media Updates in the last year. Regarding the Montel Williams Show entitled "Multiple Love: Polyamory" airing November 29, 2005, Lisa stated: "The episode did present a good and articulate range of people involved in various polyamorous relationships and a positive understanding of why someone might choose polyamory over monogamy." Regarding Big Love on HBO, Lisa stated: "As a "water cooler show," the series will warrant our continued notice for its ability to coalesce discussion around topics of great relevance to sexual freedom, providing opportunities to interject our experiences and viewpoints through letters to the editor, participation on message boards and even casual conversation. Regarding Dr. Phil's "Twisted Love" which aired on February 2, 2006, Lisa stated: "All in all, the show should be critiqued for its dismissive stance towards polyamory and encouraged to understand that many people are able to enjoy healthy and supportive polyamorous relationships."
Media Incidents
The major media incident of the year involved the New Year's Eve Ball at the Orlando Crowne Plaza Hotel Airport on New Year's Eve, 2006. A number of false press reports were published nationally regarding the conduct of attendees. The producers of this lifestyle event along with Bob Hannaford of the International Lifestyle Association, alerted NCSF and we immediately broadcast a press release correcting the false and inflammatory statements made by "soccer parents." NCSF's press release killed the story and the soccer parents who had been scheduled for a Florida radio show cancelled their appearance and ceased to give interviews to reporters.
NCSF was subsequently informed by two event producers that their contracts with InterContinental hotels to host alternative sexual events had been placed on hold pending InterContinental's investigation of the Orlando Ball incident. NCSF sent a letter to Kevin Kowalski, President, InterContinental Hotel Group Brand, giving them the correct information and protesting their arbitrary hold on the contracts. In subsequent conversations, Stephanie Yudin, PR Manager for the Brand, confirmed that InterContinental found no wrong-doing by the producers or attendees of the Orlando New Year's Eve Ball. Yudin stated that as long as alternative sexual events follow local and state laws, and abide by InterContinental's morality clause which prohibits nudity and sexual activity in the public areas of the hotel, it's up to each hotel's discretion whether or not they host alternative lifestyle events.
Another media incident took place in April, 2006, involving Club Tabu (now an NCSF Coalition Partner). Club Tabu is a lifestyle club in Greater Baltimore county which was targeted by the president of a local neighborhood association. Susan gave a dozen media interviews with print, radio and television reporters emphasizing that Club Tabu had established their club legally and that adults have the right to gather in private. The media publicity died within a week and the club continues to operate normally.
Requests for Media Help from Constituents
Susan receives hundreds of emails from constituents who send news articles about alt sex issues, ask questions about dealing with the media, or comment on NCSF's Media Outreach Project, press releases, Media Updates and Action Alerts.
Susan worked with 26 people (more than double last year) giving them media assistance and in assessing group and event websites. Susan was also contacted by three other sexual advocacy groups for help with their media messaging and for training their spokespeople and board members.
For confidentiality reasons, NCSF can't give the names of the groups or individuals we've helped. Some individuals who were publicized in the media include: Miss Kitty, owner of Kokomo Kinksters; Georgia, a pro-Domme and author who appeared on the O-Reilly Factor; and another pro-Domme, Mistress Jezebel, who gave an interview to a NY Times reporter in July, 2006.
NCSF is here to help you – the SM, swing, and polyamory communities. If you have a problem with the media because of your sexual expression, please call NCSF for assistance. You can visit our Web site on www.ncsfreedom.org or call our media hotline at 917-848-6544.
Please support NCSF in our effort to change the political, legal, and social environment in the United States. We are committed to making a difference.
Join NCSF as a member or please hold a fund-raiser and donate to NCSF!
San Francisco Bay Guardian - January 14, 2002
San Francisco Frontiers - January 23, 2002
Communications Decency Act A Lingering Coup de Grace?
Ynot News - January 2, 2002
Can David Beat Goliath in the Battle of Obscenity?
Ynot News - December 20, 2001
Can David Beat Goliath in the Battle of Obscenity?
Wired - December 12, 2001
New Suit Targets Obscenity Law
By Julia Scheeres
Wired, December 12, 2001
A national organization that promotes sexual tolerance and an artist who photographs pictures of couples engaged in sadomasochism filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to overturn Internet obscenity laws.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and photographer Barbara Nitke argue that the obscenity provision of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) is so broad that it violates free speech.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names as plaintiffs Attorney General John Ashcroft and the U.S. government, and aims to blot out the remaining censorship provisions of the CDA, a measure passed to protect minors from online pornography. Violators of the act face fines of up to $250,000 and two years in prison.
The CDA was first attacked in the 1997 case Reno v. ACLU, when the Supreme Court struck down provisions related to indecency, ruling that the law harmed constitutionally protected free speech.
The act's obscenity provisions are targeted by the new challenge.
The murky semantics of the terms "obscenity" and "indecency" have long been the bane of First Amendment lawyers. (For the ACLU's take on the debate, click here).
The CDA defined indecent material as "any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs." The Supreme Court ruled in the Reno v. ACLU case that this broad definition unfairly criminalized speech about a variety of benign topics related to sexual health, such as contraception.
The Supreme Court ruled that obscene speech -- which is not protected by the First Amendment -- must meet the following three criteria: 1) it must be prurient in nature, 2) it must be completely devoid of scientific, political, educational or social value, and 3) it must violate local community standards.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday claims that the obscenity provision outlined in Section 502 of the CDA is so vague and arbitrary that it could violate speech that should be protected.
The sticky words here are the so-called "local community standards," said John F. Wirenius, the plaintiffs' legal counsel and an attorney for civil rights firm Leeds, Morelli & Brown.
"Obscenity is unprotected speech, but not all material is obscene from jurisdiction to jurisdiction," said Wirenius. "Material may be considered obscene in Utah, for example, but not in New York. Whose standards are supposed to be applied to the Internet?"
His clients fear that their content will be judged by the most conservative standards, making them vulnerable to obscenity charges.
"Most people don't realize that one of the most strident censorship provisions of the CDA is still in place," said Susan Wright, spokeswoman for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. "The CDA is still having a chilling effect on Americans who operate websites -- they either have to resort to self-censorship or risk prosecution."
Wright, who said her coalition has 10,000 members from alternative sexual groups, insisted the material produced by her organization was not obscene but that it could be considered so in certain Bible-banging realms of the country.
Plaintiff Barbara Nitke said the Internet is one of the few places where she can exhibit her controversial photographs and worried that this venue might soon be closed to her.
"I strongly believe that people who want to see my work or the type of work I do by other artists should have the right to do so," said Nitke. "But I feel this act will be used against me eventually and that worries me."
But others said the quest to overturn the CDA is a long shot.
Previous First Amendment challenges to obscenity laws have failed in court, said Miriam More, a legal policy analyst for the conservative Family Research Council, which blames pornography for crimes ranging from rape to assault.
Conservative groups such as the FRC do not see the merit of the content produced by sites such as the coalition, and regard their material as porn, plain and simple.
"Obscenity laws should be upheld on the Internet for the same reason they're upheld elsewhere," said More. "When the pornography industry is left unregulated, it keeps pushing to see how far they can go. They never say 'We've done Anal Gangbang One so we don't need to do Farm Gang Bang.'Â The laws need to be enforced."
Spectator Magazine - January 11, 2002
By David Steinberg
Spectator Magazine, January 11, 2002
"No matter how we're wired to express love, freedom is having the courage to be who we are." - Photographer/plaintiff Barbara Nitke
On December 11, Barbara Nitke and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom brought suit in New York City's Federal District Court, seeking to have the last remaining censorship provision of the 1996 Communications Decency Act declared overbroad, vague, and therefore unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The suit, which will be heard this spring by a three-judge panel headed by Judge Richard Berman, is a sequel to the 1997 action by the American Civil Liberties Union, Reno v. ACLU, that resulted in the Supreme Court unanimously striking down the provision of CDA that criminalized indecent, "patently offensive" material broadcast over the Internet. The aim of Nitke v. Ashcroft is to have the ruling extended to CDA's criminalization of obscene material as well.
The Communications Decency Ac was the first Federal statute attempting to regulate sexual material broadcast over the Internet. CDA makes it a Federal crime to transmit any obscene or indecent "comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication" over the Internet, if such material can be viewed by people under 18. The question of what is obscenity or indecency has always been a complex one.
The current Federal definition of obscenity, the Miller test, stems from a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of Miller v. California. Under the Miller test, material is legally obscene only if it is sexually explicit, patently offensive according to "local community standards," and lacks any "serious literary, artistic, social, educational, or scientific value. "Sexually explicit material that does have serious social value, but is still offensive according to local community standards, falls into the legal category of indecency, even though it is not obscene. As a result, it can legally be subjected to some degree of government regulation. The supreme Court has ruled, for example, that the times when indecent material can be broadcast on television can be limited to certain late night hours, when it is presumably less likely to be seen by children.
The community standards provision of the Miller ruling allowed the Supreme Court to acknowledge that material considered obscene or indecent in a small town in rural Kansas may nonetheless be quite acceptable in Manhattan or San Francisco, and to avoid imposing one standard on the entire nation. Indeed, courts have ruled that the local community standards that are applied to questions of obscenity and indecency can vary not only city by city and state by state, but even from one city neighborhood to another.
Under Miller, publishers and distributors of erotic and sexual books, magazines, films, and videos have become accustomed to making complicated decisions about where and how they want to market their products. Many mail-order companies choose not to market products in states like Utah and Alabama that they promote extensively in more sexually progressive parts of the country. Other companies choose not to process mail orders from certain states at all. By restricting their marketing, companies are able to choose which local community standards they want to subject themselves to with regard to potential obscenity or indecency charges. Companies also insure themselves against selling to minors by having potential customers certify that they are over 18 years of age.
On the Internet, however, the possibility of all such geographical and age verification vanishes. When a store, publisher, artist, or writer puts erotic and sexual material up on their website, that material immediately becomes available to people from the most progressive to the most conservative communities in the country and, more broadly, in the world. Furthermore, issues of obscenity and indecency on the Internet extend beyond the sale of products to such simple acts as viewing an artist's work, or reading a writer's short stories. Is there an identifiable Internet community whose "local community values" can be used to define which material is legally obscene and which is not? What might that community be?
The Communications Decency Act says nothing about which community's standards of obscenity are to be applied to the Internet. Because it limited itself to issues of indecency in Reno v. ACLU, the Supreme Court has so far been silent on this issue as well.
Nitke v. Ashcroft seeks to change all that. The complaint claims that, in the absence of a clear definition of which community standards apply to the Internet, CDA has the effect of chilling all Internet expression since questions of the legal obscenity of Internet material might well be judged by the values of the most restrictive communities in the country. This, says John Wirenius, attorney for Nitke and NCSF, makes the obscenity provision of CDA so far-reaching as to be unconstitutional. His hope is that Nitke v. Ashcroft will prompt the Supreme Court to overturn the CAD's obscenity provision, perhaps overturn the CDA entirely, and hopefully define for the first time which community standards are to be used in judging the potential obscenity of online sexual material.
Barbara Nitke is a brilliant, well-known, and widely respected New York fine art photographer. Much of her work comprises powerful, emotionally complex, visually evocative images that depict couples engaged in a wide variety of sexual activities. Many of her images show couples engaged in various forms of consensual sadomasochism. Her photographs are noteworthy both for their exceptional visual beauty and for the depth of the emotional connections she captures in her subjects.
Her website ( http://www.barbaranitke.com/) is the antithesis of the generically garish porn website. It is visually subdued, attractively designed, geared less to selling products (though Nitke's prints are offered for sale) than to providing a showcase for her work.
One image shows a woman looking down tenderly into the eyes of her lover, who lies bound and gagged in her arms. Another shows a woman smilingly listening to instructions from the director on a porn film set, while a man's mouth is hard at work between her thighs. Another shows a woman staring wistfully off into the distance while her woman lover lies helplessly bound and gagged in front of her on the kitchen table. Yet another shows a man concentrating intently as he whips the back of his male lover, who cries out at the pain of the lash.
Other sections of her website provide Nitke with an opportunity to talk about both her work and her personal background. "For many years I shot stills on hardcore porn shoots," she recounts. "I thought it was the most exciting, stomach-turning, heart-warming subject I could ever hope to photograph. I know that sounds crazy. But for me there was a certain feeling of freedom that went with shooting porn which, most of the time, made up for all the other things. [There were moments] when I'd look through the lens into someone's shell-shocked eyes and see a forgotten part of me staring back. That was the shot I wanted for me."
Speaking of her s/m photography, Nitke notes that her goal there is "to capture the bond between [the lovers], and also the intense energy of ritual, passionate s/m. I [want] to photograph deep intimacy and trust, the two main concepts which underlie most s/m practices."
When John Wirenius approached her about being the plaintiff in this lawsuit, Nitke says she knew immediately that she wanted to be part of the effort. "I told John I wanted to sleep on it, but I knew right away that I would do it, which was what I told him the next day." Although she has supported various freedom of expression issues in the past and has been a member of NCSF since the organization was founded, Nitke has never thought of herself as a political activist, not even with regard to free speech issues.
"But you end up being an activist even if you don't want to be," she says pointedly. "If artists as a group don't stand up and do something, the censors are just going to keep going further and further. Most artists don't want to deal with this sort of thing, but we have to."
She recalls a time of showing her work to a gathering of curators and gallery owners in Portland, Oregon, all of whom told her that her photography was excellent, but also said there was no way they could show it, given the current political climate regarding sexual imagery. It was experiences like these, Nitke says, that made her conscious of how impossible it was becoming to show important, sexually controversial work throughout the country.
It wasn't until Nitke decided to put together her own website that she fully realized how heavily the prevailing political climate was weighing on her. Nervous about recent legislation like the Community Decency Act, she called other photographers who were doing erotic and sexual work like hers -- images that were controversial, sometimes sexually explicit, but distinctly artful in intent and style, and distinctly outside the realm of commercial pornography. She also spoke with publishers of erotic magazines equally distant from the production and distribution networks of the porn world. Were these people worried about Ashcroft and how he would apply the laws that Congress was passing related to supposedly obscene material? Did she need to be concerned about being a target for prosecution herself? What kinds of images could she put on her website without risking embroiling herself in legal defenses that could eat up tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention months of time and heartache? And wasn't it horrible that, as a serious artist interested in sexual issues, she had to be distracted by these sorts of issues at all?
"That's why this suit is so important to me," she summarizes. "It's both a practical matter and a matter or principle."
Unlike Barbara Nitke, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom ( https://ncsfreedom.org/) came to Nitke v. Ashcroft directly from an interest in political advocacy of the sexual civil rights of people who find themselves outside the American sexual mainstream. Founded in 1997 "to help change antiquated and unfair sex laws, and to protect free speech and advance privacy rights," NCSF has drawn its primary support from a broad group of S/M activists, initially in New York, but later from other parts of the country as well. It's 21 voting member groups now span the country from New York to Las Vegas, from Greensboro, North Carolina to Blue Island, Illinois. The groups range from long-standing s/m advocacy and support groups, like the Eulenspeigel Society of New York, to newer groups like St. Louis's Leather and Lace, and Cincinnati's Masters and slaves Together. Member groups like the Lesbian Sex Mafia and Gay Male S/M Activists reflect the broad diversity of sexual orientation that is very much a part of the national s/m-leather-fetish subculture.
NCSF has been increasingly effective in speaking up for the basic civil rights and freedom of speech of people involved in safe, sane, consensual s/m. It has successfully fought selective enforcement of zoning and public indecency laws in San Diego, Baltimore, Attleboro (Massachusetts), and Washington, DC Its Law Enforcement Outreach Program strives both to educate law enforcement officials about s/m communities, and to educate members of the s/m community about how to minimize their risk as potential targets of selective enforcement of zoning, public indecency, and aggravated assault laws.
NCSF spokesperson Susan Wright notes that the organization has very much wanted to take the initiative in challenging antisexual legislation like the Communications Decency Act, rather than waiting to respond to what it saw as inevitable upcoming attacks on sexual expression from the Bush-Ashcroft Administration.
NCSF is sure that new attacks on sexually-oriented materials and entertainment, particularly material available on the Internet, has been high on the priority list of the Ashcroft Justice Department, even if that agenda has been somewhat delayed by the focus on terrorism that followed the events of September 11. They note that on November 14, Ashcroft appointed Andrew G. Osterbaan to head the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Earlier this year, Ashcroft assured various conservative organizations that he intended to vigorously pursue prosecutions under the CDA. On June 9 he also told the House Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department intended to be "especially accommodating to local law enforcement" with regard to helping them put operators of Internet sex sites behind bars.
"Our goal [with the Nitke suit]," says Wright, "is to overturn this unconstitutional provision [of the CDA] before this Administration tries to score political points by attempting to enforce it." Attorney John Wirenius adds that there is much to be gained from seizing the initiative in legal matters, rather than waiting to mount defenses to prosecutions initiated by the Justice Department. "This way we get to choose the test case, not Ashcroft," he emphasizes. "I'd much rather have the obscenity provision of the CDA be decided on the basis of Barbara Nitke's work than on the basis of something like http://www.bestiality.com/"
Wirenius is optimistic about Nitke v. Ashcroft at the Federal District Court level. He notes that Judge Richard Berman, who will preside over the case in Federal District Court this spring, wrote what Wirenius calls a "terrific decision," Swedenburg v. Kelly, in which he ruled that material on the Internet cannot be subjected to geographical community standards in the same way that books or films can. "Judge Berman," says Wirenius, "is a fair-minded judge who understands the posed by the Internet."
Wirenius is also optimistic of the fate of Nitke v. Ashcroft before the U.S. Supreme Court, where the case will ultimately be decided. He sees this case as a logical extension of Reno v. ACLU from issues of indecency to those of obscenity and notes that, despite its general conservative bent, the current Supreme Court has been fairly vigilant on free speech issues.
Whether or not Nitke v. Ashcroft is ultimately successful in overturning the obscenity provision of CDA, the fact that the issue is being raised by NCSF represents a significant new political and legal posture for the s/m community which, until recently, has been more closeted and less inclined to take aggressive political and legal action than more long-standing and well-known sexual minority groups. As NCSF notes, "in the past decade, alternative sexual expression [particularly s/m] has become much more visible to the general public," and people who engage in s/m have therefore become subject to "an increasing number of attacks against our right to freedom of sexual expression." Actions like Nitke v. Ashcroft demonstrate that s/m practitioners have begun to join the ranks of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people in insisting that non-traditional sexual and gender expression not subject them to anything less than full and equal treatment under the law.
New York Press - August 28, 2002
What's Obscene in Podunk
Nitke knows about obscenity prosecutions from close personal observation. Her ex-husband Herb produced porn in the 70s, including, she says, an uncredited role in financing The Devil in Miss Jones. During the movie's several obscenity trials, "He was always the guy on trial," she recalls. "So my free-speech thing goes way back."
New York Newsday - July 25 2005
New York judges refuse to say Internet obscenity law is unconstitutional
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press Writer, July 25, 2005, 7:58 PM EDT
NEW YORK -- A special three-judge federal panel on Monday refused to find unconstitutional a law making it a crime to send obscenity over the Internet to children.
The Communications Decency Act of 1996 had been challenged by Barbara Nitke, a photographer who specializes in pictures of sadomasochistic sexual behavior, and by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, a Baltimore-based advocacy organization.
They contended in a December 2001 lawsuit brought in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the law was so broad and vague in its scope that it violated the First Amendment, making it impossible for them to publish to the Internet because they cannot control the forum.
A judge from the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and two district judges heard the facts of the case and issued a written decision saying the plaintiffs had provided insufficient evidence to prove the law was unconstitutional.
The panel noted that evidence was offered to indicate there are at least 1.4 million Web sites that mention bondage, discipline and sadomasochism but that evidence was insufficient to decide how many sites might be considered obscene.
The judges said the evidence also was insufficient for them to determine how much the standards for obscenity differ in communities across the United States.
The court said it was necessary to know how much the standards vary to decide if those creating Web sites would be graded for obscenity unfairly when compared with those who market traditional pornography and can control how they distribute the material.
As the law stands, a communication is obscene if according to each community's standards it appeals to the prurient interest, depicts or describes sexual conduct in an offensive way and lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
The law requires that those sending the communications take reasonable actions to restrict or prevent access by children to obscenity, sometimes by using a verified credit card, debit account or adult access code as proof of age.
Nitke, who has exhibited her work for more than 20 years, said she will appeal the ruling.
"I'm appalled," she said. "I think it's vitally important to keep the Internet free for education, the arts and open discussion on sexual targets."
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom also was disappointed with the ruling, spokeswoman Susan Wright said.
"Personal Web sites and chat groups that include discussions and images of explicit sexuality are at risk of prosecution," she said. "Basically, we proved we're at risk of prosecution, and speech has been chilled because people are afraid to put anything sexual on their Web sites."
Group lawyer John Wirenius said in a statement that the court declined to find the law unconstitutional "by setting a standard so high that no plaintiff could have met it."
"They required us to prove facts that the government has refrained from making a paper trail on for 30 years," he said.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom works to change antiquated laws, oppose censorship of consensual sexual expression and help people who are facing the threat of prosecution or legal action, its Web site says.
New York Daily News - July 15, 2002
Fotog vs. Feds in Obscenity Law: Files suit to keep photos on Web
by Veronica Vera
New York Daily News, July 15, 2002
Photographer Barbara Nitke is used to being behind the lens, but if legal matters heat up, she may soon find the government focusing on her.
Nitke is ready to step into the foreground as the chief plantiff in Barbara Nitke and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom vs. John Ashcroft and the US Government in a challenge to the Communications Decency Act, which governs obscenity on the Internet.
The lawsuit was filed on Dec. 11 in Manhattan Federal Court of New York; the government moved to dismiss, and the plaintiffs have moved for an injunction.
The case continues to make its way through the courts.
Nitke, whose photo show "20 Years" opened on Friday at the Art at Large Studio in Manhattan, began her career in 1982 as a still photographer on movie sets.
But since 1994, her emphasis has been on chronicling the intimate lives of couples. She has gained a considerable reputation as a fine-art photographer and is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts.
Photojournalist Mark Peterson, who attended the packed opening, commented, "There is a beauty and ethereal quality to her work that forces people to look at it in a different way than they might have when they walked into the room." He compared her work with that of Robert Mapplethorpe, who stirred controversy with his erotic photos.
Nitke's involvement in the civil liberties lawsuit began when she decided to create a website on which to show and sell her work. Aware that her photographs are highly provocative, she consulted several lawyers regarding obscenity laws, only to discover that under the Communications Decency Act, obscenity is a gray area determined by community standards.
A 1997 Supreme Court ruling struck down half of the act, the "indecency" section, when it determined that if a work is indecent but still can be found to have redeeming social value, it can be displayed in public. But the "obscenity" portion of the act still stands. Among the lawyers Nitke consulted was John Wirenius, legal counsel for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom.
The members of the coalition, "a national organization committed to protecting freedom of expression among consenting adults," were also concerned about obscenity statutes and decided to pursue a proactive stance and challenge the law. They asked Nitke to be the plaintiff because, as Wirenius said, "We wanted to make clear that under the current law, a serious artist whose work is sexually explicit and controversial could be prosecuted."
The tactic proposed by the coalition to sue the government to either define or eliminate the obscenity law appealed to Nitke, who said she believed, "Why wait to respond to trouble if you can nip trouble in the bud?"
Barbara Nitke's "20 years" can be seen through August 3 at Art at Large, located in the Film Center, 630 Ninth Ave. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 1pm to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday by appointment.
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How You Can Help
- Work to change antiquated laws
- Work to change the social climate about sexual issues
- Promote acceptance of safe, sane, and consensual alternative sexual practices among consenting adults
- Oppose censorship of consensual sexual expression
- Fight for freedom of academic expression about sexual issues
- Help communities and individuals facing the threat of prosecution or legal action
- Support the right of adults to express their sexuality, gender identity and orientation freely and openly without fear
- Learn more about NCSF
Why You Should Care
- Can result in discrimination, prosecution, and even violence against you
- Can cause you to lose your children
- Can cause you to lose your job or your income
- Can lead you into a maze of antiquated laws and regulations you never even knew existed
- Is arbitrarily criminalized by state and local authorities
- Is used by the radical right to marginalize minority groups
- Can result in the invasion of your privacy by the government, both within your own home or in educational, social and group environments


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Googler Responds to Nexus Rumor Reports with "LOL"
What does Google think about all the recent rumors surrounding the next Nexus and Android 4.2? The company won't comment on rumors or speculation, but that hasn't stopped one of their Android team members from sharing his thoughts on Google+. Dan Morrill summed up his thoughts after reading the rumor sites by saying, "LOL." Which rumor do you think he found so funny?


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At the end of the Civil War, in 1865, America is rapidly evolving from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Technology and invention are shifting into high gear. Edison files his first patent for the phonograph in 1877, envisioning its uses in business and education. Out in San Francisco, businessman Louis Glass has a better idea and turns his phonographs into nickel-in-the-slot music machines. Phonograph parlors open in cities across america.
"Amusement may not be the great aim of life, but it gives zest to life and makes a grand improvement in human character"
-- Phineas Taylor Barnum, American Showman
Market Street at night On New Year's Eve, 1879, Edison demonstrates his incandescent bulb and lights the night. From "The Great White Way" to San Francisco's Market Street, people are lured out of their homes like moths to a flame. The dynamos and generators that turn on streetlights also power trolley cars. In 1890, 85% of all American streetcars are horsecars. By 1902, 92% are electric.
Barbary Coast by night Immigrant from farms, small towns and foreign shores seek a better life in the city. Between 1880 and 1890, the urban population more than doubles--from 14 million to 30 million. Cities provide new kinds of jobs. Unionization brings improved hours and wages, affording young workers their first taste of leisure.
"The shorter workday brought me my first idea of there being such a thing as pleasure"
-- A Young City Worker in a Newly Unionized Workplace.
Transit companies relieve urban stress--and increase profits--with trolley parks as bright lures at the ends of their lines. By the early 1900s, every city from San Francisco to New York worth its saltwater taffy has a trolley park with amusements.