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Jason Moyo
12 Oct 2012 00:00
Zimbabweans wait to vote in the presidential election run-off in 2008. Next year's expected poll is beset by delays. (AFP)
President Robert Mugabe believes elections can be held in Zimbabwe in March next year, but his opponents and election watchdogs say a new poll under current conditions will again be riddled with violence and fraud.
There are too many reforms still to be made before a free and fair election can be held, critics say. They argue that the unity government was originally created to ease tensions enough to allow the parties to work out reforms towards fresh elections whose outcome would not be contested.
Mugabe is keen to hold elections quickly, hoping to rid himself of the coalition and regain complete power.
But the Southern African Development Community has asked Zimbabwean parties to draw up a road map towards elections.
But the road to new elections is blocked by the absence of required reforms and a lack of funding.
New constitution
Zanu-PF has rejected a draft constitution compiled by an interparty committee that included its own members. This has stalled progress towards adopting a new constitution.
The draft must be taken to an "all-stakeholders conference" later this month for debate. The conference should include all parties, as well as other interested groups. This is the second such conference – the first ended in chaos after Zanu-PF militants violently disrupted the event and there are fears of a repeat.
The conference is aimed at making changes to the draft constitution before it is presented to Parliament, after which a referendum will be held, leading to elections.
Mugabe's target for a November referendum will likely be missed, according to Welshman Ncube, leader of one faction of the MDC and a key negotiator in the reform process.
"Elections will never be held in March next year, because we have missed several deadlines already. As it is, the second stakeholders conference has been postponed to the end of October, which means we are unlikely to have a referendum until mid-December," said Ncube.
Funding the election
With no donor aid, Zimbabwe is struggling to raise cash for the elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's acting chairperson, Joyce Kazembe, said $104million was needed to hold the referendum.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has had to dip into International Monetary Fund money, setting aside $100million for the election. But a senior commission official believes the total bill for the poll will likely be up to three times that amount.
Zimbabwe already has a $400million budget deficit and has approached neighbours, including South Africa, for aid. The IMF has warned Zimbabwe that it might have to seek foreign funding to run the election, but Zanu-PF is opposed to soliciting Western aid for the polls.
Still, Zanu-PF insists that elections must be held by March.
"If they [the MDC] do not want elections, they should not participate," said Zanu-PF administration secretary Didymus Mutasa.
Electoral reforms
According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, the country's independent election monitor, an audit of the voter's roll showed that 27% of the people it listed were dead. This, the network said, showed that no credible elections could be held by March.
According to legal watchdog Veritas, compiling a new voter's roll would take "at least six months" and other electoral reforms are also needed.
Violence remains
Although Mugabe has frequently called for an end to violence, his opponents say recent attacks by his supporters indicate a repeat of the 2008 violence.
Morgan Tsvangirai's supporters were attacked two weeks ago while travelling to their party's 13th-anniversary celebrations in Bulawayo, just days after militants attacked a rally held by the other MDC party.
Media reform
Media reform is one of the main issues on the unity government's agenda. Two new national radio stations were recently licensed, although media group Misa-Zimbabwe says they are run by pro-Zanu-PF operators. Zanu-PF also retains control of the state broadcaster and no private television stations have been licensed.
Laws that restrict free expression remain and arrests for "insulting the president" are frequent.
Major players
MDC-Tsvangirai (MDC-T)
After weeks of damaging personal scandals, Tsvangirai received a lift recently when thousands of his most fervent supporters gathered for his party's anniversary in Bulawayo.
A Freedom House survey had showed that his party was losing support due to his failure to push through reforms and crack down on corruption in municipalities run by his party.
But an apology he made for his behaviour, said party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora, would see his stock rise. Mwonzora said the large crowd at the rally showed that the prime minister "remains the people's hope" for unseating Mugabe.
The message of change will once again be at the centre of Tsvangirai's campaign. The party has been criticised for not having any policy beyond ousting Mugabe, but the MDC calculates that Zimbabweans are so desperate to get rid of Mugabe that its "change" platform is still relevant.
Zanu-PF will rely on its old methods to garner support: land reform and black empowerment. These policies are widely criticised for stifling investment and hurting the economy, but they resonate with Mugabe's support base.
Some believe that Mugabe will also rely on violence and fear, which returned him to power after his first-round loss in 2008.
The party is also working overtime to seize the urban vote from the MDC. This strategy includes housing co-operatives, whereby Zanu-PF allocates plots of land to the poor on the verges of the city, provided they join the party. It has worked before: Zanu-PF won its only urban seat, Harare South, after turning an area just south of the capital into a maze of hundreds of informal settlements run by its enforcers.
Zanu-PF is now spreading this plan elsewhere. The party reportedly believes it has gained 175 000 new members from the scheme. Last week, the mayor of Harare said the city had run out of land to dole out to the co-operatives.
MDC-Welshman Ncube
The smaller faction of the MDC claims it has been gaining support over recent months. Its leader, Welshman Ncube, said he believed voters were moving away from the "anything but Mugabe" politics and would be more "perceptive" in the next election.
Although the recent Freedom House survey showed that open support for the "middle ground" had shrunk even further, Ncube said the 47% that the survey showed was "undecided" gave him hope.
The party also runs on the "change" platform, but hopes to take advantage of doubts over Tsvangirai's leadership. Ncube could garner much support in the Matabeleland region.
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User talk:Mdickens
Oops. I guess I'm supposed to put messages here. I thought you could use a subtitle for Out & About, since I at least didn't get the subject from just the title. - Bob Bj.
Hi Meredith, -- It looks like Out of the Box is also your page, so you have LOTS of options. You could combine them and give them a new (more boring but more easily understandable name) then delete the old ones, give subtitles to both, whatever. If you want to retain one or both but with a new name (even a subtitle really means a new name) you just select the "move" tab at the top of the page. This results in a Redirect.
The reason Out of the Box appears under Y is because of the category statement at the bottom [[Category:Young Adult Fiction|Young Adult Fiction]] The first element just directs MediaWiki to put it into a category, the second element tells it what category, and the third element tells you how to alphabetize it within the category listing. So, for example, if you wanted Out of the Box: GLBT to file under g you could use a category statement like [[Category:Young Adult Fiction|Gay]]

subset: commoncrawl


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International Customers (outside United Kingdom) please READ - There are special UK export rules for sales of telescopic scopes of 10x or more maximum magnification. You are very welcome to buy, but depending on your location we may have to get an export permit before we can ship. See full details in the shipping and delivery section or individual product adverts,
We can ship up to 9x maximum with no export procedure


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Don't worry: The sun will come up on Dec. 22. It's official that the world will not end on Friday, as some apocalypse theorists have purported based on their interpretation of a Mayan calendar that ends on Dec. 21.
NASA has been debunking doomsday scenarios for some time, and even the Vatican's chief astronomer weighed in on the issue last week.
"Since man came from the caves, he's looked at the night sky and wondered," said Bruce Card, public relations and outreach coordinator for the Aldrich Astronomical Society, an amateur astronomy group that meets at Anna Maria College in Paxton.
"They were avid astronomers," he said. But, "The whole Mayan calendar (apocalypse) is just a big myth. It's great for the economy — people are making T-shirts and hats and having parties. It's all hype."
The Aldrich Astronomical Society hosted Christine E. Pulliam, public affairs specialist at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, at a program this fall that looked at some of the top predictions for Dec. 21, 2012.
"From an astronomical point of view, the only thing happening that day is the winter solstice," Ms. Pulliam said.
She said the myth connecting it to the Mayan calendar cropped up on the Internet in the last few years and has taken on a life of its own.
"After Y2K (the feared technical transition from 1999 to 2000) didn't happen, they needed another nonevent," she said.
Three of the most popular prophesies can be directly addressed by astronomy, Ms. Pulliam said.
The first, involving a rogue planet with names such as Nibiru or Planet X that careers through space to strike the Earth, would not occur without warning.
Ms. Pulliam said, "If it were a planet that brushes past the Earth, we'd be seeing it by now."
Theories about a polar shift in the Earth, whether it's between the North and South Poles or the entire Earth's crust, are also not real threats.
Ms. Pulliam said that a shift of the Earth's crust would violate the laws of physics.
A magnetic polar shift does happen every few hundred thousand years — the last one was 800,000 years ago. And while it would mess up compasses and disturb bird migration, it would not be cataclysmic. Species survived it in the past. It would also take place over hundreds or thousands of years, not overnight.
Solar storms, another prophesied vehicle for global annihilation, are a concern but would almost certainly not herald the end of the world. These events go through 11-year cycles, and the blasts of subatomic particles can knock out satellites and cause problems with the electrical grid.
A peak in solar activity is expected in late 2013, not 2012.
"Of all the things discussed as threats, solar storms would be the most damaging to our civilization and its infrastructure," Ms. Pulliam said.
"The lesson there is, let's invest in our infrastructure. Preparation is our best defense."
Melissa Dowd, museum educator and planetarium coordinator at the EcoTarium in Worcester, has run a program on the past four Saturdays in which she took an astronomical and anthropological look at the Dec. 21 doomsday theory.
"The word 'apocalypse' is ancient Greek for 'revelation.' Now we use it for everything from aliens to zombies," Ms. Dowd said.
"Personally, I'm an apocaloptomist. I don't think the world is going to end."
Ms. Dowd said the Mayans had many calendars for different purposes. Two remain in use by Mayan communities (the Haab, or solar calendar, and the Tzolkin, or lunar, sacred calendar). The calendars are circles within circles that go through 52-year cycles.
The doomsday calendar that everyone is talking about is the Long Count calendar, a linear number of 5,126 days that began in 3,114 B.C. and ends on Dec. 21, 2012. The Long Count calendar was used for inscriptions on monuments, Ms. Dowd said.
Dec. 21 marks the end of the 13th "baktun," a 394-year cycle, on the Long Count calendar. She said most likely, the calendar would have figuratively flipped over and restarted with a 14th baktun.
"Just like us on New Year's Eve 1999, one of our big cycles came to an end," Ms. Dowd said. "For most of the world it was a big party."
Ms. Dowd said that solar alignment catastrophe theories about Dec. 21 are also misinformed.
Prophesies that the sun will be aligned with the center of the galaxy, with the dark rift in the galaxy, or with the galaxy's so-called equator, and what they portend, are meaningless.
"You can always draw a line between two points," she said, adding, "The galaxy is not a solid object. You can't find its equator."
Ms. Dowd said it's not strange for people to get wrapped up in apocalypse anxiety, even if the fears aren't backed by facts. Human survival instincts make us good at seeing patterns, such as a predator's camouflage. We also tend to see patterns where none exist.
We tend to confirm our biases by only remembering situations that fit what we believe and dismissing cases that don't fit. For instance, people frequently attribute calamity to the full moon, even though there is no statistical evidence showing an increase in emergency room visits, increased police activity or other mayhem at that time.
"The Internet has made these things worse," Ms. Dowd said. "We become less and less inclined to look for information that contradicts us."
Dec. 21 is interesting from a season-changing perspective, Ms. Dowd said. "We're getting back to our summer side of the sun." After the 21st, the days start getting longer.
Julie Roberts of Worcester, who co-owns and directs Flowforms Yoga and Soul Center overlooking Lake Quinsigamond, is anticipating this solstice with particular optimism.
"This is called 'the shift of the ages.' It's an opportunity for awakening. We're at the end of a cycle of darkness and struggle," she said. "We're all supposed to figure out what we're doing on the planet at this time. It's an opportunity to connect with all that."
Ms. Roberts said she plans to have a celebration on the 21st with friends and family, getting together before sunset around a backyard fire pit.
"The yoga tradition talks about different eras of lightness and darkness. … It's a turning back to the light."
Whether the 2012 winter solstice is any different, Ms. Roberts felt it was time to "listen to her gut" this year and she has recently adapted her yoga classes to include what she calls "soul centering," a tuning into one's core of power, or "source."
Others, according to national media reports, aren't looking inward this solstice but are booking travel to Mayan regions of Mexico and Central America. Or they may be trying to safely ride out the apocalypse on mountaintops in France, Serbia or Turkey.
Tina Sullivan of Worcester, owner of Sullivan Travel, said she hadn't noticed any trend in people choosing Mayan apocalypse destinations this December. Maybe New Englanders are too skeptical.
"Coincidentally, I'm going to be in Mexico over the 21st," she said, although the trip was planned to coincide with her children's school vacation, not the solstice. "I told my family we should check out the ruins (near Playa Del Carmen) on the 21st."
Ms. Sullivan promised to let the Telegram & Gazette know if the Mayan apocalypse prophecies come true.
Source: http://www.telegram.com/article/20121219/NEWS/112199818/-1/NEWS07


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The new XP Pinpointer known as the MI-6, will have the following innovative
Submersible up to 20 feet
Rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery
Connection via radio link to the DEUS with the following advantages (patents
The audio signal from the pin pointer is transmitted directly to the DEUS remote
control and headphones.
Anti -Interference system between the MI-6 and the DEUS: The Deus switches to
Standby mode when MI-6 is activated and comes back to ON when the MI-6 is
switched off.
The Deus display will automatically switch to the MI-6 display when the MI-6 is
switched on.
The MI-6 has a very long battery life Up to 90 hours.
Research mode is accessed from the Deus V4 menu it recovers a lost MI-6.
If you lose your MI-6, you can locate it even if it is switched off
.even after
several weeks the alarm will sound.
The Deus menu will have a full range of MI-6 adjustments giving the operator
full control such as :
- Sound mode : Pitch or Bleep
- 50 levels of Sensitivity
- Pinpointing target zoom graph
- Audio Tone Adjustments.
- Research Mode to locate a lost MI-6
- On screen Battery Level indication


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The night before his death, Jesus prayed that we who believe in him might all be one (John 17:21). We want to be faithful in responding to this wish of Jesus. But we know that our churches are not simply different from one another but divided in many ways. The churches have given the Theological Dialogue on Matters of Faith and Order Convening Table the work of speaking together about the Gospel and our church communities in ways that will lead to healing our divisions while honoring our diversity.
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) has received the widest acclaim and broadest support from academics and church leaders of any modern English translation. It is the only Bible translation that is as widely ecumenical: Endorsed by thirty-three Protestant churches, it has also received the imprimatur of the American and Canadian Conferences of Catholic bishops, and the blessing of a leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.
"As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). As disciples, we seek to testify to the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, to embody that love in the world, and to respond to the leading of God's Holy Spirit. We seek God's grace in our common effort to understand ever more fully how to live as the body of Christ in this religiously plural and culturally diverse time and place.
At the core of Christian faith is a commitment to work on behalf of and with those marginalized by our society; the hungry, sick, poor, prisoners, strangers and powerless people (Matt. 25:44). Jesus' life provides the model by which we are to work for justice and peace in our world. Like the Old Testament prophets, we raise our voices with the voiceless and help victims defend themselves from injustice.
Since 1950, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) has served as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ. NCC unifies a diverse covenant community of 38 member communions and over 40 million individuals –100,000 congregations from Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African-American, and Living Peace traditions – in a common commitment to advocate and represent God's love and promise of unity in our public square. NCC partners with secular and interfaith partners to advance a shared agenda of peace, progress, and positive change.


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The push-to-talk market seems to be an "on again, off again" thing (or so it seems) for most of the nationwide carriers. One day, you see a huge push, with television advertisements of how the service is drastically better than Nextel's Direct Connect option. Then the next day, they're gone, replaced by advertisements for a robot phone that eats your cattle, scares small children, and blows craters in your yard (insert creepy DROID noise here). Though the Motorola Barrage is clearly intended for a crowd that's harder on their wireless devices than most, the device is most certainly worth a second look.
Design & Features
The Motorola Barrage offers an industrial design, with a rubberized coating and a strong metal hinge. The left side of the device contains a volume rocker, push-to-talk button, and the microUSB charging port, while the 3.5mm headphone jack, voice dialing shortcut key, and the speakerphone button can be found on the right side of the device. The front of the device sports the back, play/pause, and forward music keys, along with the camera.
The Motorola Barrage ships in a small, environmentally conscious box. Inside, you'll find the device, battery, an AC adapter, USB cable (which doubles as part of the charger), and an instruction manual. Coming in at 3.78 inches long by 2.09 inches wide by 0.96 inch thick, the device weighs 4.2 ounces, making it a bit heavier than the average device, but nothing major. The Barrage offers a 2.2-inch display with 262,000 colors and 176×220 pixels. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Barrage's overall design is the spacious external display. What's more, the rubberized keypad feels great on the Barrage, and is incredibly easy to use when it comes to typing. Not only are the keys spacious, but they're slightly raised, making it easier to call or text message while on the go.
Usability & Performance
The Motorola Barrage supports a decent level of customization. Three display themes can be selected, and 14 internal wallpaper options are pre-loaded. The font size (for dialing and menus) can be adjusted, along with the clock format on the home screen. Though Verizon's stock interface is largely present on the Barrage, it supports VZ Navigator ($9.99 monthly), instant messaging, e-mail ($4.99 monthly) to download. It's not targeted as a data-intensive phone, but it's nice to see a relatively strong feature set on an entry-level device. Additional features include a notepad, calculator, stopwatch, to-do list, calendar, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, VZ Navigator, and voice commands.
The Barrage offers a 2.0-megapixel camera, and in our testing, image quality was decent, given the proper amount of light. When it came to low-light situations, pictures became more of a challenge to discern, thanks to the lack of a flash. Camera features include five resolutions, a self-timer, brightness control, five white-balance settings, three color effects, a digital zoom, nine fun frames, and three shutter sounds, along with the option to make it silent. All in all, a pretty reasonable feature set for a mid-range device. You can save media to the 132 MB of available memory on the device, or utilize a microSD card (with support for up to 16 GB). The camcorder shoots video in two resolutions, and can record as long as you have available storage space (though MMS clips are capped at one minute).
I tested the Barrage in the Charlotte area, and call quality was very good. Callers had no problem hearing me, and call quality was clear on my end as well. When I went to a known Verizon dead spot, calls sounded equally clear, even when the phone showed no physical bars of service. We successfully paired the Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset to the device, and Bluetooth functions performed admirably. In addition, the Barrage had a fantastic speakerphone; I tested the device in a busy restaurant, and could hear my callers well. Though there was a bit of reported background noise, everyone said that they could understand our conversation.
Estimated talk time is 6.4 hours of talk time, and just over 22 days of standby time. In our testing, battery life was quite good. With moderate use encompassing text messaging, calling, e-mail, and the occasional web surfing, we were able to make it right at two full days before the phone powered off. With little to no use, the device lasted just over four days. As with any device, battery numbers will vary with the level of usage that they're subjected to between charging cycles, but the Barrage should please the battery-conscious users out there.
As a 3G device, the Barrage offers many of Verizon's services, including V CAST Video and V CAST Music with Rhapsody. The Barrage is an EVDO Rev. A device, meaning that browsing speeds were quite fast. The mobile CNN webpage loaded in about 14 seconds, and an abbreviated version of the PhoneDog homepage loaded in 29 seconds. Other data-intensive tasks such as VZ Navigator and V CAST Music with Rhapsody performed admirably.
There's a specific market for this device – construction workers, those that need push-to-talk capabilities, and those that are hard on their phones. That being said, the device still offers features that could make it attractive to people not in that market. The Barrage serves as a decent music player, offers two colorful displays, sports a camera with video recording capabilities, and offers fantastic reception. Sure, it's bulky, but if you're considering a mid-level device on Verizon, I would give it a chance.


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Jesus is Lord
General Superintendent David A. Busic delivered the Board of General Superintendents' Quadrennial Address 26 June at the Church of the Nazarene's 29th General Assembly.
Titled "Jesus is Lord," the report revealed statistical summaries for the general church and its six world regions. Busic celebrated the church's growth in membership, churches, and diversity in the last four years.
Looking ahead to the next quadrennium, Busic asked "Can we become a movement again?"
He continued:
We are living in unprecedented times. There are seismic cultural shifts affecting every continent on earth. In just two decades we have seen the shift from industrial to information – from Gutenberg to Google; from rural to urban; from modern thinking to post-modern thinking. It is a hinge of history that our grandparents and those before them could never have imagined. We will not return to what once was.
Whether we are comfortable with it or not, we find ourselves in a pivotal time for Christianity. We are in mostly uncharted waters. We appreciate the legacy of John Wesley, but Wesley alone will not do. We are grateful for the vision of Phineas Bresee, but Bresee alone will not do. We have to go back to the first Nazarene. We have to go back to Jesus. He is our calibration point. We correspond to Him. We realign to Him. We must re-Jesus the church. Too much is at stake for anything less.
The seed of the future is in the womb of the present (Alan Hirsch). Not every seed will become a forest, but it can be. Not every spark will become a forest fire, but it can be. The potential is in the seed and the spark. And so it is for the Church of the Nazarene. The seeds of our future are in the womb of the present. The spark of a raging fire is in the soul of the church.
The year was 1944. World War II was raging. In one of the most precarious and uncertain times of the twentieth century, General Superintendent J. B. Chapman spoke these words to the General Assembly: "As a people, we love fire and cannot be content with smoke … Our church is a mechanism that can stand only while it moves forward. To stop is to fall… More self-preservation will mean stagnation for us. Our hope is in aggression. Our church is a force for which the whole world is a field."
This kind of movement thinking will require a radical discipleship at every level of the church. It will require us to make mission our organizing principle. It will require us to change whatever keeps us from being fully surrendered to the will and purposes of God. It will require us to believe that Jesus really is Lord and to have the strength and courage to act on it.
Nazarene Essentials are helpful but not enough. Thankfully we have THE Nazarene essential – Jesus is Lord! And we are not afraid. We are radical optimists of the grace of God and "prisoners of hope" (Zechariah 9:12 NIV).
"To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13, NIV).
For the full Quadrennial Address text, click here. To watch the address, visit youtube.com/nazareneofficial.


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GM Volt Powerless to Resist Market Forces
By J.J. Jackson
September 10, 2012
GM has announced that it is shutting down and retooling the plant making their Chevy Volt because they are sitting on a three month backlog of proverbial ugly babies. That's right; GM has 6,500 of the boondoggles just waiting to be purchased.
How odd. I say this because every time I write an article lambasting the Chevy Volt, I get emails from angry liberals claiming that the Volt is in such high demand. Why, they claim, there is even a waiting list. You can't, they tell me, just walk into a Chevy dealer and buy one of these highly desired vehicles.
Well, obviously you can! They're just sitting there waiting for some enviro-nut to walk onto the lot! But never expect a liberal to pull their head out of the sand long enough to actually learn the truth.
The facts are that sales of the Volt are so poor that this is the second time this year GM has suspended production of the car that is a Democrat's fantasy. The car that is both politically correct and politically incorrect at the same time, politically correct because it is powered by electricity but politically incorrect because that electricity comes from coal, is, not surprisingly, still not taking off. It is a sad day for those that dream of a command economy.
Of course, what did you really expect? The Chevy Volt was a car conceived by minds that think like President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.
Remember when the President whined about how business owners didn't build their own businesses? Instead, he claimed, they were only successful because someone else built their business for them? Well, that's the problem GM is having with the Chevy Volt. It was commanded to be. It was then built, promoted, subsidized when it became too expensive and no longer viable, and then even had tax credits thrown in to make it somewhat more desirable. Still, it doesn't sell.
GM let someone else dictate the car that they were going to build to suit political sensitivities. In the end, as is always the case, the Volt is powerless to resist market forces. Had GM adopted the strategy of building cars that people wanted to buy, rather than the ones the political left wanted to force people to buy, it wouldn't have to worry about having a three month backlog of Volts.
GM will retool the plant currently making Volts to produce the gas powered/guzzling V6 2014 Chevy Impala. What's a V6 get these days? 20 MPG city? We know the 2012 V6 Impala gets just 18 MPG. The greenie weenies must be rending their garments right now.
J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author from Pittsburgh, PA who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the Pittsburgh Conservative Examiner for Examiner.com. He is also the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts. His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at Liberty Reborn.


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SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs got the added energy Gregg Popovich wanted against the Golden State Warriors and a stellar performance from Tony Parker that they desperately needed.
Now the Warriors will have to win two in a row to keep the Spurs from returning to the Western Conference finals.
Tony Parker had 25 points and 10 assists, and the Spurs held the Warriors' starting backcourt to 13 points for a 109-91 victory Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time) to take a 3-2 lead in their topsy-turvy playoff series.
Despite being outworked and trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, Golden State coach Mark Jackson believes his team can rebound and win Game 6 at home Friday and force a Game 7 in San Antonio on Sunday.
"It's doable," Jackson said. "Obviously, we have a tremendous amount of respect for them. They're a heck of a basketball team. We talked about it being a long series. If we won tonight, it would be doable for them to win two games. Two pretty good teams going at it. We look forward to going back home, playing our brand of basketball and putting the pressure back on them."
The Warriors must put added pressure on Parker, specifically.
The All-Star point guard was 9 for 16 from the field while continually attacking Golden State's interior defense for layups and short jumpers when he wasn't finding open teammates. Parker's 10 assists came with only two turnovers in 34 minutes.
"It's big for all of us," Tim Duncan said of Parker's penetration. "It's big for him to get some easy ones and he's not just shooting jump shots all night. It's big for us because it collapses their defense. He is a wanting and willing passer. He wants to draw everybody in. He wants to find our shooters.
"That's one thing we've done all year long. He gets to the basket a couple of times, all of a sudden everyone's head starts to get on a swivel."
Kawhi Leonard added 17 points, Danny Green scored 16 and Duncan had 14 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio.
Parker's play also seemed to impact Curry's offense, too.
"When Tony had it up top, I let him get to his right and that is his strength," Curry said. "A lack of discipline on my end. I think I held my own in the first four games, but tonight I wasn't locked in. That is inexcusable. This is a big game. I dropped the ball."
Harrison Barnes scored 25 points, Jarrett Jack added 20 and Carl Landry 16 for Golden State, but Curry was held to nine points.
"I was terrible, plain and simple," Curry said. "They outplayed us as a team. Individually, I didn't have anything on either end. (I was) a step slow, my shot wasn't falling and I was trying to make plays but defensively I lost a little focus."
The Spurs held Jackson's self-proclaimed "greatest shooting backcourt" in NBA history to 6-for-22 shooting. Curry was 1 for 7 on 3-pointers, while Klay Thompson was held to four points while not even attempting a 3.
"The series for us is all about the defense," Popovich said. "(Leonard and Green) did a good job; (there were) other people who did good work out there. We got a lot of mismatches. They love those mismatches, so we have to play intelligently. I thought we did that tonight.
"But we followed up the defense with a board. There is no stop until the board is secured. That was our main emphasis going into the game."
Curry has not missed any time since turning his left ankle late in Game 3, but the injury seemed to limit his explosiveness.
Leonard stripped Curry and then outran him to the ball midway through the first quarter, feeding Parker for an uncontested layup. Curry appeared to grimace when he attempted to push off to sprint for the loose ball.
"It is sore, but I came in feeling good," Curry said. "I was pretty optimistic about how I could play tonight, but it didn't go that way."
He played only 4 1/2 minutes in the fourth quarter, leaving the game for good with 4 minutes left and San Antonio leading 102-84.
"It got to a point where they had made plays and I had to look toward Game 6," Jackson said. "It was just being smart, that's all. I didn't want to see him get hurt. Obviously, he wasn't 100 percent. I just felt if we were going to make a run, let's make a run and then maybe get him back in, but it was just a long night for us."
The Spurs outrebounded the Warriors 38-36, forced 14 turnovers and limited them to 16 second-chance points.
"Our energy was good," Parker said. "We got the 50-50 ball; that was huge for us tonight. It was a tough turnaround for us in Game 4. We missed an opportunity at the end and we realize that. Tonight we played for 48 minutes."
His energy was just as big a spark.
Parker dove over Jarrett Jack midway through the third quarter to corral a loose ball, rising to lead a fast break that resulted in a dunk by Green.
Even Popovich displayed more energy, chasing referee Ed Malloy down the sidelines from the free throw line to just past midcourt while screaming and motioning for a timeout with 9 minutes left in the game.
The Spurs led for all but the opening 6 minutes of the game and moved one game closer to advancing to their 12th conference finals in franchise history.
"Nobody talks about getting this over with like you've got a rash," Popovich said. "Like you can take a pill or put some cream on it, it's going to be gone. This is a war."
Curry and Thompson were held to a combined four points on 2-for-10 shooting in the opening 16 minutes, but Barnes had 13 points and Jack seven.
"We just missed shots," Curry said. "Early in the game, I got a little off balance a couple (times) trying to get a foul. They play good defense. We didn't get into a rhythm. We just missed shots."
Curry did not make his first 3 until there were 2 minutes left in the first half.
The Spurs stopped going inside in the second quarter, helping Golden State rally.
The Spurs returned to attacking the basket in the third, resulting in another double-digit lead.
NOTES: Duncan surpassed Shaquille O'Neal and tied Wilt Chamberlain for second on the career postseason list in double-doubles with his 143rd. Magic Johnson heads the list with 157 during his Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Parker passed Chauncey Billups for fourth in postseason assists among active players with 832. New York's Jason Kidd (1,258), the Lakers' Steve Nash (1,061) and Boston's Rajon Rondo (845) are ahead of Parker. ... Richard Jefferson, who played with San Antonio from 2010-2011, continues to receive a chorus of boos from the Spurs' fans whenever he enters the game or makes a shot.


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FAQs | Help | About Us | Contact Us
Home | Shop Online | Basket | Delivery | Checkout
Delivery slots to most areas are full.
Slots are now open for January. Thank you for shopping with Bertie's.
Bertie's produce a full range of high quality sustainable Kent wood fuel, including kiln dried firewood, well seasoned logs, wood briquettes, kindling and charcoal. Kiln dried firewood is easier to light, burning more efficiently than seasoned firewood, giving you more heat for your money. Bertie's kiln dried logs are suitable for all open fires and wood burning stoves.
Bertie's offer delivery across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and surrounding areas.


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- Quicklook Williams Sonoma Small Mortar & Pestle, Olivewood $89.95
- Quicklook Williams Sonoma Small Mortar & Pestle, Walnut $79.95
- Quicklook Williams Sonoma Grey Marble Mortar & Pestle $79.95 – $149.95
- Quicklook Williams Sonoma White Marble Mortar & Pestle $79.95 – $149.95
- Quicklook Bowl Molcajete Sugg. Price $39.95 Sale $29.99
- Quicklook Pig Molcajete Sugg. Price $54.95 Sale $39.99
- Quicklook Lava Mortar & Pestle $49.95
- Quicklook Molcajete $49.95
- Quicklook Marble Mortar & Pestle $99.95
- Quicklook Chef'n Mortar & Pestle $39.95
- Quicklook Porcelain Mortar & Pestle $49.95
- Quicklook Cole & Mason Granite Mortar & Pestle, 7" $54.95
- Quicklook Copper Mortar & Pestle Sugg. Price $49.95 Sale $24.99
- Quicklook Open Kitchen by Williams Sonoma Mortar & Pestle $12
Mortars & Pestles
Creating delicious meals is simple when you use a variety of herbs and spices. From parsley to cilantro and garlic, seasoning your food is easier when you have the right tools to prepare your herbs and spices. Opt for mortar and pestle sets from Williams-Sonoma to crush herbs or to make specialty dishes like mashed avocado for homemade guacamole. If you prepare guacamole or pesto often, choose a traditional molcajete. A molcajete is made with volcanic rock and has a rough interior that helps create a smoother dips. You also have the option to use your molcajete as a rustic serving dish. Just line the dish with lettuce leaves, or similar edible foods, and use it to serve a variety of foods.
If you make pesto frequently, you can also consider using an olive oil dispenser to ensure you add just the right amount of oil to the pesto. Olive oil dispensers are available in a variety of styles, with options that range from traditional copper cruets to modern glass dispensers that have stainless-steel tips. For everyday cooking, an oil sprayer is an excellent alternative to cooking spray. Just pour your own cooking oil into the sprayer, and use it the same way you use cooking spray to create a nonstick surface. To use your own bottle, opt for a stopper and dispenser tip. Oil dispensers are very useful if you want to create your own flavored oils using garlic or herbs.
To prepare herbs for flavored oils easily or for garnishing dishes, add an herb stripper to your essential kitchen tools. To use an herb stripper, place the stem in stripper and gently pull. The leaves are gently separated from the stem in seconds. A garlic press is also essential if you love the rich, robust flavor of fresh garlic. Choose a stainless-steel garlic press to enjoy a long-lasting kitchen tool. After cooking, store your fresh herbs in an herb keeper. Herb keepers reduce moisture and keep cilantro, peppermint and other herbs fresh for an extended time in the refrigerator. You can also use fresh herbs in canning to preserve their fresh flavor.
To preserve herbs, fruits, vegetables and other foods, you need a set of canning jars. Canning jars are designed to withstand the heat of pressure canning and often include lids and rings to seal your jars properly. You can preserve herbs in jelly, such as mint jelly, or by adding them to a fragrant soup or stew. Another option is to use herbs in pickles for a fresh, modern twist on a family favorite. With proper canning and preserving techniques, you can store your summer harvest throughout the winter. Fermenting is also an option if you want to preserve food from your garden, or if you want to shop sales to save during the winter season.
Fermenting is a simple process when you have the right tools. For instance, a mandoline is the ideal tool to shred cabbage for homemade sauerkraut, or you can use a yogurt maker to ferment dough to make sourdough bread. To ferment drinks, such as kombucha or kefir, opt for a glass jar with a fermenting lid. You can also use your herbs to make fresh drinks.
Peppermint is one of the most popular herbs used to make drinks. Add sprigs of fresh mint to lemonade or tea for a refreshing flavor boost, or steep mint in hot water for a soothing tea. Warm drinks are must during winter. Use a tea infuser to make your own seasonal blends, or use your favorite loose leaf tea as a base and add cinnamon, cardamom and other spices to the drink for a warming blend. Using fresh or dried herbs is a simple way to flavor foods and beverages, especially when you have the right tools to cut, blend and preserve herbs.


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Find us on:
If you require adaptive devices for your motor vehicle, this information can help you evaluate your needs, select the right vehicle, and avoid costly mistakes when purchasing and modifying a vehicle with adaptive equipment.
Review Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - NHTSAU.S. Department of Transportation
Learn about technology products that can help people who are visually impaired live safe, independent, and productive lives.
Review Date: Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Lighthouse International
Research shows that assistive technology (AT) can help young children with disabilities to learn developmental skills. The right type of assistive technology can improve a child's ability to communicate and may help reduce some negative behaviors.
Review Date: Monday, July 14, 2014
Alliance National Parent Technical Assistance Center
Find information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available to assist people with disabilities.
Review Date: Monday, June 01, 2015
Here are some guidelines and tips for shopping for a new computer if you are blind or visually impaired. These tips are tailored toward people who will be using assistive technology on their computers.
American Foundation for the Blind
Learn about devices that make computers more "low vision" friendly.
Review Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Low Vision Center
Find information about low vision aids, including magnifiers, reading machines with voice output, and absorptive lenses.
Review Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Macular Degeneration Partnership
This site offers an overview of telecommunications relay services (TRS) including a discussion of the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA) and 711 access instructions.
Review Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2014
NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Get answers to common questions about the free, talking-book program and other services for visually and physically handicapped individuals who cannot use printed library materials.
Review Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped - NLSLibrary of Congress
Learn about financial assistance that is available to those who need hearing aids and other personal assistive technology.
Review Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Hearing Loss Association of America
Find organizations that provide financial assistance to individuals unable to afford costs related to prosthetic fitting and durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs, ramps, and other adaptive equipment.
Amputee Coalition of America
Learn about the options available for paying for assistive technology, equipment, and accommodations needed to perform job tasks for people with disabilities.
Review Date: Thursday, December 18, 2014
Educational Institution — Click the resource link above to learn more
People with hearing loss delay treatment may be unaware that receiving early treatment for hearing loss can transform their lives. Learn how hearing aids, assistive listening devices, hearing loss treatment professionals and counselors can offer you help.
Review Date: Friday, October 31, 2014
Better Hearing Institute
This site provides information for parents of children with hearing loss, including helpful information and resources, background on early intervention, the use of technology and other support available to children and their families.
Review Date: Friday, November 09, 2012
Clearinghouse on Disability Information, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The purpose of this tool is to provide contact information for suppliers that offer services or products under the Medicare program. Enter your zip code to begin searching for suppliers of hospital beds, portable oxygen, wheelchairs, canes, blood glucose monitors, and more.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Learn what assistive listening devices are and how these devices can be used with or without a hearing aid to improve the daily communication challenges faced by the hard-of-hearing.
Review Date: Wednesday, February 06, 2013
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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The Lady Bisons won set one 25-16, set two 27-25 and set three 25-17.
"When we got leads we did a nice job of keeping them," said Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthal. "I would like to be able to extend our leads a little more.
"We let up a little on defense in the second set. We talked about that at the break."
The Lady Bisons committed only eight errors, one of the most impressive statistics from the match. Middle blocker Amy Trykowski did not make an error with 11 kills in 19 total attacks. Her .579 hitting percentage is a season high for the Lady Bisons and a career-high for Trykowski.
"Friday night against Jacksonville we gave away too many points on hitting errors and service errors," said Rosenthal. "We had some great transition plays against North Florida. We had a great offensive match."
Trykowski, a junior, has really made great strides this season as a player. Against both Jacksonville and North Florida she put together strong performances, especially late in sets where points were crucial.
"When we recruited Amy we knew she had a world of talent," said Rosenthal. "We knew we would need to refine her skills. But she is so athletic that we knew she would develop. She had a solid weekend.
"She has learned how to deal with on-the-court pressure. She has seen the way she has dealt with it. She has gained confidence and she is carrying that from match to match."
Middle blocker Alex Kelly led the Lady Bisons with 12 kills. She also led the team in digs with 13. Libero Jessica Turner made 12 digs. Middle blocker Katie Rose posted a .350 hitting percentage with eight kills.
"They were all outstanding," said Rosenthal. "Jessica had a pretty solid match. Our serve-receive was the key for us."
Setter Stefine "Jake" Pease made 31 sets and added 10 defensive digs.
"Jake did a great job of distributing the ball," Rosenthal said. "If she didn't make the right plays we wouldn't be leading the conference in kills and assists."
Kaley Reed had a match-high 20 kills and also added 11 digs for a double-double. Chelsea Rabe made a match-high 17 digs. Lizzy Manno added 10.
The Lady Bisons are 15-9, 12-2 in the A-Sun. North Florida is 8-12, 6-7 in the conference.
There is little time to rest for the Lady Bisons. Tuesday night at 6:30 they take the short trip down the boulevard to play Belmont in the Curb Center in the volleyball version of the "Battle of the Boulevard".
The two teams have not met since Sept. 9, a 3-0 decision for the Lady Bisons in the A-Sun opener for both teams. The Lady Bisons have won the last two meetings.
"It has been a little while since we have played them," said Rosenthal. "But we crossed paths with them 15 of 16 times on the road, in airplanes and when they have used our gym this season.
"We're not going to make this match bigger than it is. We expect a great match. We just have to play our type of match and leave everything out on the court. The rivalry will take care of itself."


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These are all the Logan History Blog posted in June, 2012.
Tuesday, 12
History Index is Growing!
Thanks to tremendous volunteer effort, the library has now launched our Logan History Index. This is an effort to create a single, searchable index to our library of Cache Valley histories. To date, we have entered a total of 42,791 index entries!
Many local histories contain information unknown to researchers. There are also several important local histories that do not have an index in the book. Our indexing effort will allow users to search a variety of books at once, instantly pointing out previously unknown sources of important information.
Come and try out the new index to find previously unknown bits of information on the history of the area!
~ Jason, Special Collections Librarian
Posted By Logan Library - Logan History at 3:20 PM / Category:Announcements / News
The Latest Tidbits!
Jul 17, 2018
» Logan Chapter - Service Star Legion Mar 15, 2018
» New Artwork Donation Sep 14, 2017
» Founding of Brigham Young College


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Viewing the Payment History Report
In the Reseller Control Center, you can view, print, and export Payment History Reports, which contain the commission payment information for your payee accounts.
For more information about Payee Accounts, see Adding CashParking Payee Accounts for U.S. Citizens or Legal Residents and Adding CashParking Payee Accounts for Non-U.S. Citizens and Non-Legal Residents .
Note: Payment History Reports are not available for commission payments made prior to March 2, 2009.
Understanding Payment History Reports
Payment History Reports display the following information for each commission payment:
- Payment Date — The date you received the commission payment.
- Transaction Number — The transaction number for the commission payment.
- Payment Type — The type of payment you received: check, EFT (electronic funds transfer), or PayPal®.
- Payment Amount — The dollar amount of the commission you received.
Note: You can click the heading of any column to reverse the order of the data. For example, the Payment Date column displays the most recent payment first. Click Payment Date to display the oldest payment first.
To View Payment History Reports
The Payment History page lets you create customized reports that contain the commission payment information for the payee accounts and date ranges you select.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Reseller.
- Click Open and select the Prog ID you want to view.
- Go to Reports and click Payment History Report.
- From Show, select the payee account you want to view.
- From For, select one of the following:
- All — Displays the payment history from March 2, 2009 to the present.
- Custom — Displays the payment history for a custom date range.
Note: In the Payment Date Range window, click the date fields or calendar icons to select a Start Date and End Date, and then click Update. You can also click the date field to the right of For to select a custom date range.
- This Month — Displays the payment history for the current calendar month.
- This Quarter — Displays the payment history for the current quarter.
- This Year — Displays the payment history for the current year.
- Click View Report. The Payment History Report displays.
- To print, click Print or to export, click Export.


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VoLTE Test SolutionsIMS (IP multimedia subsystem) is the enabler for VoLTE, SMS over IMS and new value-adding services.
Transmitting voice over LTE (VoLTE) with acceptable quality requires the right mechanisms and architectures in both the radio and the core network. This affects LTE networks as well as conventional 2G and 3G networks since LTE services will need to coexist with legacy networks until LTE coverage is ubiquitous. Another consideration is the mobility of voice subscribers, because a voice call that is initiated within LTE coverage must not be dropped when the subscriber moves out of LTE coverage into an existing 2G or 3G network.
When you develop an LTE device, you will need to test the following key areas: the functional aspects of your device (LTE attach, IMS registration, etc.), how well it performs in a noisy or faded environment, what IP traffic is taking place and how this affects battery life, and whether it can meet 3GPP and mobile network operator conformance requirements.
If you deploy VoLTE in your network, you will need to verify the coverage and real-world performance of your network. Test and measurement solutions from Rohde & Schwarz cover all aspects of voice and IMS testing, from R&D and production to network optimization.
Solutions for
VoLTE Functional Testing
Modern mobile devices include multiple features and functions that require IP connectivity. IMS, VoLTE and RCS functional testing and complete end-to-end communications testing help you optimize your VoLTE design to ensure best user experience. Does your VoLTE device meets user expectations?
VoLTE Conformance Testing
VoLTE devices need to comply with the respective 3GPP standards and network operator specifications before they reach the market. Do your VoLTE devices meet the required standards? Do your VoLTE devices conform to the test cases specified by GCF, PTCRB and network operators?
VoLTE Performance Testing
Maximum VoLTE performance is essential for the mobile device user experience which requires, for example, to find the right balance between power consumption and voice performance. What about battery life when utilizing VoLTE? And what about VoLTE performance when concurrent services such as eMBMS are ongoing?
More About VoLTE
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Watch These Spectacular Pool Dunks — Daily Distraction
[onescreen item="5114612"]
Lately, highly complex alley-alley-alley-alley-alley-oop-style dunks executed in swimming pools seems to be all the rage on this here Internet.
We'd make some remark about how teenage boys have way too much time on their hands, but really, if you had the chance, wouldn't you rather spend your time concocting absurdly elaborate dunking schemes while hanging out in your backyard pool all afternoon? Keep it up, fellas.
The Daily Distraction is your Internet break from reality. Whether you're eating lunch at your desk or avoiding high school exes on Facebook, you might just laugh, say "aaahhh" or not believe what you just watched.


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Governor O'Malley has made good on his 2013 promise and included $500,000 in new funding for services for surviving families of homicide victims in his 2014-2015 budget. On a parallel track, legislation (HB355) that codifies our state's ongoing commitment to survivors of homicide victims is moving in the General Assembly. Thank the Governor for putting the money in the budget! And urge your legislators to vote for HB 355 and to protect and pass the $500,000 in new funding for murder victims' families in this year's budget. Take BOTH actions by clicking here. Let's make this the legacy of death penalty repeal in Maryland! - Watch their stories.
A limited edition, commemorative poster
Features photo from May 2, 2013 of Colosseum in Rome – lit up to celebrate the signing of Maryland's bill repealing the death penalty! Known for the horrific executions that once took place there, the Colosseum has become an international symbol of today's international movement to eliminate the death penalty. Since New Jersey repealed the death penalty in 2007, the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome has organized a special lighting of the Colosseum each time a state has repealed its death penalty. Maryland is the sixth U.S. state to end the death penalty in six years!
Order your commemorative poster today! Shipped to you for a minimum donation of $15. Please be generous as all proceeds will help MD CASE push in 2014 for new funding for survivors of homicide victims from the expected savings from repealing the death penalty.
A frank look at our state's death penalty, post 2009 reforms. We continue to risk the execution of an innocent person and have only added to the burdens of murder victims families and taxpayers.
Seeking a foolproof death penalty is a fool's errand. Includes appeal to the General Assembly signed by over three dozen Maryland attorneys, including former Governor Harry Hughes and former Attorneys General Stephen Sachs and Joseph Curran.
"The Cost of the Death Penalty in Maryland" was commissioned by The Abell Foundation from researchers at The Urban Institute, a national, nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization. The report analyzed 1,136 Maryland capital murder cases adjudicated between 1978 and 1999 and developed an estimate of how much more was spent on those cases compared to non-death penalty cases. The report covers only cases in which the murder occurred before January 1, 2000.
In the first half of 2008, two more death penalty trials have ended without a death sentence. Each defendant had opted for judge over jury decisions. And both cases involved killings committed by men already in prison and so had been highlighted by death penalty proponents to justify continuing the death penalty in Maryland.
These trials continue a trend. In 2007, two Baltimore County juries opted for LWOP over death in two high profile murder cases. One of those cases was a second sentencing trial for Jamaal Abeokuto, who had been sentenced to death in 2004. Abeokuto's had been the only new death sentence handed down in Maryland since 2000.
Compelling new documentary proves powerful organizing tool
Few on either side of the death penalty debate have witnessed the final walk of a condemned prisoner to the death chamber. Appeals exhausted, there is no hope, save a last minute stay from the governor. Pastor Carroll Pickett was there for nearly 100 such walks. In an extraordinary new documentary, At the Death House Door, Pastor Pickett shares his experience - and all it ultimately stirred in him - alongside the stories of some of the men he walked with during his 15 years as chaplain at our nation's busiest death house in Huntsville, TX.
Retention of the death penalty, the Justice has discerned, is likely "the product of habit and inattention rather than an acceptable deliberative process that weighs the costs and risks of [that] penalty against its identifiable benefits."
THE BIBLE COMMANDS:"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer…You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your father in heaven." Matthew 5:38-39, 43-45
"Never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:19-21
CHURCH LEADERS TESTIFY:"How, in the end, does killing its citizens help the state to build the nonviolent, just and civil society that we all desire for ourselves and our children?" Bishop Eugene T. Sutton of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
"The United Methodist Church cannot accept retribution or social vengeance as a reason for taking a life. It violates our deepest belief in God as the creator and redeemer of humankind… United Methodists emphatically declare that 'We oppose capital punishment and urge its elimination from all criminal codes' (Book of Discipline, Para 164 A)." Bishop Schol, Bishop of the United Methodist Church in the Baltimore-Washington Conference
THE MARYLAND COMMISSION ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT RECOMMENDS:Maryland should repeal its death penalty citing the following findings:
The Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment was created by an Act of the Maryland General Assembly during its 2008 Legislative Session. The Commission's purpose was to study all aspects of capital punishment as currently and historically administered in the state and to make recommendations regarding its future use.
The law that created the Commission called for it to be comprised of 23 appointees, selected by the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the President of the Senate as well as those specifically charged in the statute. Former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti was appointed to chair the Commission. Commission members included prosecutors, police officers, members of the clergy, legislators, and murder victims' family members.
The Commission held five public hearings where testimony from experts and members of the public was presented. The Commission also held five additional meetings where the testimony and evidence presented to the Commission was discussed and later voted upon. Detailed voted counts on each of the findings of the Commission are contained in the final report.
The Commission's findings, many near unanimous, from the report are as follows:


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During his two years as executive director of Colorado's Department of Corrections, Tom Clements pushed a series of reforms, ranging from closure of two Colorado prisons to backing lowering felony drug sentences to pay for more drug treatment programs.
Here is a list of some of the initiatives and changes that occurred during the tenure of Clements in Colorado:
• Commissioned consultants from National Institute of Corrections to do an independent look at Colorado's solitary confinement system. That report found shortcomings and a high rate of Colorado prisoners in "administrative segregation." Clements instituted reforms based on study.
• Oversaw closure of Colorado State Penitentiary II, also known as Centennial South, which consists of 948 solitary-confinement cells.
• Implemented closure of Fort Lyon Correctional Facility near Las Animas.
• Commissioned prison utilization study, which is still underway and is expected to be released in June. That study is expected to guide and shape further decisions on potential prison closures.
• As member of the newly formed Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice backed lowering felony drug sentences so savings could be used to bolster drug treatment programs in prison.
• Oversaw an overhaul of the classification system the corrections department uses to determine what security level prisoners should be incarcerated in. The last time the corrections system changed that classification system was 17 years ago.
• Hired outside consultants to review the sex offender treatment programs in prisons and embraced recommendations for change those consultants made.
• Reevaluated how state prisons provide treatment to mentally ill prisoners.
• Pushed new partnerships with faith-based institutions, non-profits and government agencies to assist in transitioning parolees back to society. Also pushed for reforms to programs that train prisoners for eventual re-entry back to society.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/chrisosher


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Sagrantino grapes, Montefalco, Umbria (Photo ©Tom Hyland)
Two more harvest updates from Italy:
Filippo Antonelli – proprietor, Antonelli, Montefalco, Umbria
"2011 was a very strange season in Italy: a rather dry spring, a very fresh July and a very warm end of August and September; the results are: in general lower production, a very good vintage for Sangiovese (perfect ripeness), the Sagrantino, compared to Sangiovese, suffered the dryness a little bit more. The paradox is that we are harvesting better grapes of Sagrantino from the worst vineyards (rich soil) compared to the best ones (poor soil). Young vineyards also suffered more than old vineyards.
We are still harvesting, so it's a little bit early to judge the wines/vintage."
Evan Byrne – Internal Relationships, Az. Agr. Giovanni Rosso, Serralunga d'Alba
"In terms of this year, the vintage looks very good. Quantity is small but the quality is high and the wines when finished will probably be similar to 2007. It is an early harvest, with some of the east-facing slopes such as La Serra and Cerretta doing better. We have already picked at La Serra and Vigna Rionda and have just Cerretta to come in, with all the grapes from each vineyard looking very healthy."
Davide Rosso, winemaker, Az. Agr. Giovanni Rosso, Serralunga d'Alba in the La Serra vineyard
(Photo ©Tom Hyland)


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
The Engineering Department keeps and maintains the most recent Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) covering the entire City of Garland. These maps show the location of the FEMA-delineated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Homes and businesses located within this SFHA are required by federal law to purchase flood insurance.
For any property within the City, the Engineering Department will check the FIRM and provide information as to whether or not the property is in the SFHA. Elevation Certificates and Letter of Map Amendment (LOMAs) can be provided for any property within the SFHA.


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CLEVELAND (AP) -- A driver who challenged the way Cleveland handles traffic camera tickets has won a jurisdiction issue but couldn't get his fine overturned.
The 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday the city must allow motorists to fight tickets in Municipal Court, not before a hearing officer as it's been handled.
The court says Cleveland's system violates the requirement that tickets come under Municipal Court. Sam Jodka of Columbus sued over how Cleveland handles challenges of ticket fines up to $200.
He lost a bid to get reimbursed for his fine because he didn't challenge it. His attorney tells The Plain Dealer in Cleveland (http://bit.ly/M3GOPD ) that he expects to appeal the fine issue.
An email from city spokeswoman Maureen Harper says the Cleveland Law Department is reviewing the ruling.
Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com


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I'm looking for a programmer who is able to create a phone book style program.
I have tried myself using Qt but i have neither the knowledge or patience to understand where i am making mistakes.
Payment will be advert related if required, but please note the target market is small so any payments would be minimal. This project is certainly only for those who wish to do something different.
Using Qt as the reference i can see that this would take no time at all for someone who knows what they are doing.
Please get in touch for further details.


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KDE Software Powers New Consumer-Oriented Computer
Xompu (website in German - some basic information in English) is a new German company whose goal is to provide an easy-to-use complete computer, backed up by service support. Xompu released their computer a few weeks ago. And guess what? It runs Plasma Desktop and other KDE software.
Damien Tardy-Panis interviewed Robert Konopka, one of the founders of Xompu, to find out more about the company and why they chose KDE software. Read on to find out more about Xompu, what they think of KDE and our software, and news on job opportunities with the company.
Damien: Can you tell us more about this project? What's new in there?
Robert:Xompu is the first company that offers private customers in Germany a hassle-free computer experience with customer support via remote maintenance. The PC-package includes basic software and an administration service as well as customer support via telephone and email. This all-around package is new, and will help our clients to get rid of computer viruses, tech support nightmares, and onerous system maintenance. It is mostly based on open source software.
Damien: What kind of users do you expect to use this product?
Robert: Given that our PC offers an easy plug-and-play solution, we first think it will appeal to inexperienced users. But in general, I'm convinced that the Xompu-PC is perfect for the average user who only wants to surf the Web, check e-mail, and write documents occasionally.
Damien: Your computer is claimed to be easy to use. What are its advantages over what currently exists in the market?
Robert: The biggest advantage of the Xompu-PC is the support service we offer for our customers via remote maintenance. By eliminating the need to find, install, configure and update all kinds of software on their own, customers save time and aggravation. It is this convenience, combined with the automatic data backup and remote access, that makes the Xompu an attractive, hassle-free and safe option.
Damien: Your company is supported by the the German Ministry of Economy and Technology. What are their goals in supporting the project and what does it imply for Xompu?
Robert: The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) supported us through the EXIST program. This program aims at improving the entrepreneurial environment at universities and research institutions, and at increasing the number of technology and knowledge based business start-ups. The EXIST program is part of the German government's "Hightech Strategy for Germany" and is co-financed with funding from the European Social Fund (ESF). For Xompu, this meant that the entrepreneurs received a grant to cover their living expenses. In addition, Xompu received materials and equipment, as well as funding for coaching. The university provided infrastructure during the EXIST phase.
Damien: Who is currently working on this project?
Damien: What was your personal motivation to start such a project? And now, what drives you every day at work?
Robert: There are many reasons why I chose not to get a safe job at a big IT company, but to realize my dream instead. I can reduce these to three main reasons ;)
Xompu and KDE
Damien: Your product combines hardware, software and services. Why did you decide to use KDE software for your desktop among the many choices that Free Software offers? By the way, how was that decision made inside your company?
Robert: We have been looking for a desktop environment that already integrates all daily routine applications, has an active community, is (real) Open Source Software, looks good, and is easy to customize (this was the most important point). The decision was made by testing many desktop environments that we thought would fulfill the requirements, and determining the complexity of customizing them, developing new widgets, etc.
Damien: Could you explain how you intend to use KDE technologies? Will we see new products based on KDE platform or will you mainly use existing KDE software and workspaces with some customizations?
Robert: You will see both. Basically we are using KDE Plasma Desktop as the basic technology. We adapted the window decorations, window themes and tweaked the KDE default config settings. In addition, we started to develop new components for KDE. A few weeks ago, for example, we released our first version of a vertical panel and the cupboard widget for easy access to installed applications. We are also working on a simple and easy to use Media Player user interface.
Damien: Have you already been involved in any other Free Software projects? How did you discover KDE?
Robert: I have not been involved in any well known Open Source projects yet. However during my time at CERN, I was involved in some Open Source development projects, which were interesting to other scientists and universities.
Damien: How can the community help you in the future? In your opinion where do we need to improve?
Robert: Overall I must say KDE is a very professional project. That's why we have chosen to work with KDE. There is always something to improve and also KDE has improvable points. One for example is documentation. While there is plenty of developer API documentation, I think KDE 4 is lacking End-User and Administrator documentation. I think this is needed for the future success of KDE distribution and maybe we can contribute a thing or two.
Damien: And do you plan to contribute back to KDE (patch, bugs or more)?
Robert: Yes, of course. We already reported some bugs we found in Plasma, and we are also open to write patches. Furthermore we are planning to contribute our code into KDE source code. But for this project, we first need some support from the community to adapt our code to be suitable for the KDE project.
Damien: Is there anything else you would like to say to the KDE community?
Robert: I'm very happy that we have found in KDE such a strong and reliable partner for Xompu and I'm looking forward to our cooperation.
Join Xompu
The Xompu project is a new and innovative way to bring KDE software to end users. You can find more information on their website (in German). At the moment, the computer is only available in Germany, but there are plans to introduce it in other countries.
Xompu is currently composed of 13 passionate people. If you feel like joining the team and being part of the adventure, you can apply on their website (in German). It is a great opportunity to get paid to do some KDE development among other things!
It's not KDE, it's their own development ...
Well, at least they sell it as such on their website.
"Self-developed Xompu operating system (Xompu-OS) with a clear and intuitive desktop shell designed with the latest knowledge"
I have mixed feelings about statements like that.
They also state (quoting BITKOM, a German federal association for telecommunication technology and new media) that 17% of the computer users have been so annoyed that they wanted to throw their computer out of the window.
Oh well, they are probably nice people who just have to play by the rules of the market, so I'll stop ranting here and wish them luck. :)
By icwiener at Wed, 2011/03/30 - 3:06pm
Personally I don't really
Personally I don't really like such a concept -- no matter what technology is used. ;)
I also wonder if they release any sources of the software.
By mat69 at Thu, 2011/03/31 - 10:15am
Excellent Hardware/Software/Service stack idea!
Most consumers cannot resolve computer problems - they call their geek friends or family members (like me) to fix them, or they have to take their computer to a repair shop and drop it off for several days to have viruses removed, or registry cleaned, or to correctly change the system's configuration. Geeks can still build their own standalone PC's, but in the future, I think nearly all non-geek computer users will be getting a PC-with-service like this. All they have to do is pay some type of support contract, and their PC can be fixed and configured remotely, giving them almost 100% uptime. Excellent idea! This should work very well with KDE, since you will already have tools like SSH, VPN, Remote Desktop, etc available in the system to help with remote admin tasks.
By Andrew Prough at Thu, 2011/03/31 - 1:20pm
Actually, because of
Actually, because of technology's fast progression, remote computer repairs are becoming popular nowadays and they are of great help for PC users that are not that familiar with technicalities.
By Eilaj at Thu, 2011/04/21 - 9:49am


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text: Spared from ice and snow this winter, city Department of Public Works crews got an early jump on addressing the erosion and collapse of the boardwalk and overlook at the City Park beach. Wave action from Tropical Storm Irene severely undermined the beach embankment and the walk. DPW Acting Director David Picozzi said conditions have worsened since the Buttonwoods jetty at the mouth of Brush Neck Cove has deteriorated and in response, with Coastal Resources Management consultation and approval, the city is removing trees closest to the beach as well as the walk and its foundation. In its place, the city will create a gradual slope to the beach.


text: This was supposed to be a wall hanging, but I enlarged the picture and made a lighthouse quilt for one of my best friends. She loves anything with lighthouses. She loved it so much she took it with her on vacation. The quilt isn't crooked, it's my "helper" that is holding it crooked.


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This is a new story, yet the theme is nothing short of disgustingly familiar. Another autistic child being kicked out, this time from an airplane. We've seen this play out time and time again, with children being booted from school, church, the movies, and Boy Scouts. Where is all the Autism Awareness?
Here we are, trying to live our lives with our children. And all too often, the treatment we receive from those in society ranges from rude to cruel. The stares, snickers, and whispers are one thing. But lately, it seems the job of parenting an autistic child and that of simply being an autistic person has become increasingly more difficult. The message that we, and our children, are an inconvenience and need not be tolerated is becoming quite clear. There was a time when it was thought community was where you turned to when you needed assistance. The idea of reaching out--whether to your church, your school, or other community groups, seems more difficult for autistics each day.
Now, I will say, I look at things on both sides. In fact, prior to my experiences with my youngest, I may have agreed with the airline's position. I may have believed that kicking this mother and child off the flight was the only option. And to any who feel this way, I say walk a mile in our shoes. I have seen time and time again, the intolerance toward autistic people, and people with disabilities in general, is shameful. I am not surprised that this flight crew was forceful and abrupt, and that they did not attempt to work with this mom and her son. It was only a few weeks ago, that AutismVox wrote about an incident in the security line with her son. What more is needed, for society to become tolerant of our children? The sad truth is, most would prefer we keep our kids away.
With all this "autism awareness" everywhere, I ask you this: where is all the understanding? Does it matter that someone knows what autism is, or the figures 1 in 150, or that Jenny McCarthy "recovered" her son? No, obviously it doesn't. It's gotten us nowhere. Proper care is still very limited, we are still lacking in options for teen and adult autistics, services are frustratingly limited. Autistic children and adults are being abused and killed, as I wrote about recently. Autistic individuals, and their families, are discriminated against. All of the money raised in the name of "autism awareness," all the signs at Toys R Us, the pretzels, the CNN coverage...and where has that gotten any of us?
Where Is All The Autism Awareness?
This is a new story, yet the theme is nothing short of disgustingly familiar. Another autistic child being kicked out, this time from an airplane. We've seen this play out time and time again, with children being booted from school, church, the movies, and Boy Scouts. Where is all the Autism Awareness?
9 comments:
I tried to report my problems (differences) more than 30 years ago. At that time I was basicly told it was all in my head.
I have been waiting for Autism Awareness for more than 30 years.
Welcome to the club.
I hope this sad story will at least bring more awareness and more understanding towards autistic people, and more outrage at how the airlines are treating people.
- Kassiane said...
Awareness isn't what we need. We need acceptance. Everyone knows the horror stories of autism from such characters as autism speaks. That kind of "awareness" isn't cutting it.
- S.L. said...
@ Patrick:
Thanks for the official welcome. ;) Sorry, I'm rather sarcastic today...the last few months have just really disheartened my view on society, and furthered by concerns for my child's future. People look at me like I have two heads when I say what I want most now with regard to autism is tolerance, acceptance, and teen & adult services (they look shocked--what, no cure? no "green" vaccines?).
I sincerely hope you won't have to wait another 30 years for Autism Awareness (well, the way we see it). Take care.
@ Leila:
It's been nice to hear some of the news anchors discuss this situation & that of Alex Barton with disgust (of the discrimination/alienation/etc. these kids have faced). But, what's really sad is what many people have to say in comments sections for such stories--a basic theme of the kids got what was coming to them, and we should just leave the world alone.
Also, I fear all of this news coverage--of the "autistic child" being disruptive in class, on an airplane, in church, and so on, only further paints that picture that a kid like mine is a problem. It's near impossible to find a positive autism story in the media--and I feel there are many to be heard.
Last note--the airlines are treating all of us like 2nd class citizens. Truly, air travel is going downhill at a fast clip. Something needs to change on that front, and surely we all need to learn to be tolerant of others.
You said it...perfectly. That's what gets me--all the time, money, media spent and wasted in the name of "Autism Awareness," and what the heck does it actually do for autistics? NOTHING. When will anyone learn?
I have an autistic child.... well life is not all pink , its more like blue. i am trying to include him in activities and there are times when we are received well and there are times when we are looked at like we came from Mars. Even my daughter who is 6 years old now and have no problem told can't play with some kids at the playground b/c she has an autistic sibling. Now how do you explain that to a 6 years old... Thank God she told the other kids ok if you don't want to play with me for that ... i will play with my brother.
There hasn't been a day go by for the past 4 years that my heart was not broken by some ignorant stranger.
We have all these awarness , walk etc, i haven't seen any benefit from it. the cast of treatments are going up, medicine still needed, public school system... don't even want to think about it. My son was severly neglected in a private school for autistic children where i paid over 4,500/ month. I have no more expectation b/c i am sick and tired of being let down by ignorance.
Nowadays it is assumed that if you fly, you will be treated in a manner that is at best condescending, at worst abusive. Perhaps that is the reason we noticed many other special needs children with their families traveling, like us, by car recently. We were also surprised how many folks we encountered said they had a nephew, cousin, or other friend or relative who was also "special"- and so were kind to us. Thanks to fellow travelers! I am glad we did not fly.
- The Chick said...
You are all so right. The question is, what do we do? What's our next course of action? I'm constantly doling out encouragement to newly diagnosed parents while running out of encouragement for myself.
- Sharon said...
I sort of wish I hadn't followed that link to read the many horrible comments there. There is a total lack of understanding that a little bit of help, tolerance and kindness would most likely have helped that mum and her child to settle on the plane.
The preponderance of "keep their kind out of sight" comments is very upsetting.
But people like the author of the article you linked to are culpable for the demonisation of autism too. A few weeks ago she wrote a post beginning,
" One of my greatest fears is that autism will break into my house and steal my son. It may be irrational, but it's there: He'll wake up one morning and vacantly look through me. He'll lose his words, open and close doors for three hours, or begin screaming, as if in pain."
Then she seems to be shocked and saddened when it's reported that autistic people are being discriminated against?!
- raju ahamad said...
I hope we all be aware about to hear your sorrow-full story .


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CNNC patent application approved in US and Japan
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text:
Samsung's two-minute Super Bowl ad starring Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen was pretty hilarious, but it also completely bashed all of its big game commercial competition.
The premise of the spot is that Rogen and Rudd have to pitch ideas to "Mr. Show's" Bob Odenkirk for Samsung's "Next Big Thing" commercial. Their advice slams the following ads:
"People love commercials with talking babies, so we just use Seth!" Rudd says. ("I would wear a diaper for Samsung," Rogen concedes.) This makes fun of E*TRADE's talking baby Super Bowl spot:
Rudd then wakes up a snoring Odenkirk with the exaltation: "Crowdsourcing!" Get it? Because everyone crowdsourced this year. "You want people to send you ideas so you don't have to think of an idea," Rogen explains. Doritos always does it with its "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, but this year the advertiser was joined by Lincoln (which had viewers' Tweets write the ad), Speedstick (which had fans create the spot), and Audi and Coca Cola (which both made users vote on how their ad should end).
Here's a winning Doritos spot:
"Space" Rogen then exclaims. "We could send people into the Galaxy with the Galaxy. But we don't train them. We just send them up there and see what happens." Axe is actually sending people into outer space if they enter a contest related to its Super Bowl spot. No joke.
And then they made fun of Psy, who rewrote "Gangnam Style" for Wonderful Pistachios.
"I'm an Asian rapper, rapping, and then guess what," Rogen says. "S-beam!" Rudd replies.
We're used to Samsung and its agency 72andSunny bashing other brands ... namely Apple. But the Super Bowl is all about going big, so why not take on almost all of the competition in front of approximately 111 million people?
Watch the full Samsung spot below:


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America is united – in porn.
A Harvard study that looked at subscribers to a "Top-10" adult website has found little difference in the numbers of porn aficionados among the states.
All but four states yielded between 1 and 3.5 porn subscribers per 1,000 broadband users, according to the study, which analyzed credit card receipts by zip code.
On Sundays—the Lord's Day—the number of porn subscribers dwindled relative to other days during the week.
But culture warriors shouldn't celebrate just yet.
"Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very things they claimed to be outraged by," Benjamin Edelman, the study's author, told Newscientist.com.
States where residents were likely to agree with these statements: "I have old-fashioned values about family and marriage; I never doubt the existence of God; AIDS might be God's punishment for immoral sexual behavior" showed slightly higher numbers of porn subscribers than those from other states.
Utah topped the list, averaging 5.47 adult subscribers per 1,000 broadband users. Montana had the smallest number of subscribers, 1.92 per 1,000.
More interesting study factoids
One-hand-on-the-keyboard types hailed from places with:
- High numbers of people with college degrees
- Do-gooders who regularly donated blood and volunteered at charities.
Abstainers included:
- Those from places with higher marriage and divorce rates
- Post-grads
- The elderly