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Fat-Fighting Meals: 7 Flat-Belly Dinner Recipes
The secret to flat abs? Foods like whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein, which curb hunger, boost your calorie burn, and prevent belly bloat. We've combined these slimming ingredients into a week's worth of delicious dinners.
Peter Ardito
Steak-and-Pepper Tacos
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1 pound flank or hanger steak
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 bell peppers, 1 each red, yellow, and orange, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack
1/4 cup salsa verde or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced pickled jalapenos
Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
1. Marinate the steak in the lime juice, salt, garlic, and chili powder in a sealed plastic bag for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the red onion and bell peppers; cook, tossing frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook until the peppers are charred and soft, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and keep warm.
3. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and heat for another minute. Add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Lay the steak in the pan, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook about 8 minutes for medium-rare, turning once halfway through. Transfer to a board and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Slice the steak across the grain and arrange on a platter with the peppers and lime wedges. Make tacos with the warm tortillas, avocado, Monterey Jack, salsa, jalapenos and, if desired, sour cream.
Nutrition facts per serving: 416 calories, 32g protein, 38g carbohydrate, 16g fat (4.3g saturated), 7g fiber
Peter Ardito
Shrimp-and-Avocado Rice Bowl
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
16 medium cleaned, shelled, tail-on shrimp (about 3/4 pound), thawed if frozen
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Small pinch cayenne pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup shelled edamame, steamed
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 1/4 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium ovenproof pan, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon each of the sesame oil and the honey. Add the cayenne.
2. Lay the shrimp flat. Broil for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Pour in the eggs. Cook undisturbed until set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until just set on the second side, 1 more minute. Transfer to a board and cut into strips.
4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon honey.
5. Fold the edamame and sesame seeds into the rice. Serve the rice in bowls topped with the egg strips, shrimp, and avocado. Place the soy-vinegar mixture in a small bowl and use at the table for drizzling.
Nutrition facts per serving: 483 calories, 30g protein, 56g carbohydrate, 16g fat (2.8g saturated), 6g fiber
Peter Ardito
Lemon-Walnut Chicken
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley*
2 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted walnuts*
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice, steamed
1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest. Dust the chicken with the flour and season with the salt and black pepper.
2. In a very large skillet (or two medium-large skillets), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to turn translucent, 1 minute. Push the shallots to one side of the pan, add the chicken breasts, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Cover, and let simmer over low heat until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish, leaving the liquid and shallots in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in the parsley mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve over the rice with the lemon wedges.
*Use a mini food processor to reduce chopping time.
Nutrition facts per serving: 293 calories, 36g protein, 19g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.3g saturated), 2g fiber
Peter Ardito
Spinach-Mushroom Pizza
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
1 12-ounce whole wheat pizza crust, such as Boboli
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
6 medium cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a large heavy baking sheet on the bottom of the oven. Lay the pizza crust on a work surface.
2. Spread the crust with the sauce, followed by the spinach and onion. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and mushrooms. Dollop the ricotta over the pizza and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Drizzle the olive oil all over.
3. Use a thin cutting board or the back of a second baking sheet to carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking sheet on the bottom of the oven. Bake until the crust is puffed and beginning to color at the edges and the cheese is melted, 10 minutes. Take the sheet out of the oven and preheat the broiler.
4. Broil the pizza, watching carefully, until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Let pizza cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar, slice into wedges, and serve.
Nutrition facts per serving: 252 calories, 15g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 5g fiber
Peter Ardito
Chickpea Tagine
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, quartered and thickly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
2 small carrots, sliced lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 3/4 cup) 1 1/2 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash (6 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 quarter-size pieces peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon harissa paste (available in most major grocery stores), plus additional to taste
2 teaspoons honey, plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 whole cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
4 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped (1 pound)
1 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
10 dried apricots, sliced (1/4 cup packed)
1/2 cup water
1 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon, plus additional to taste
1 cup whole wheat couscous, cooked according to package directions (optional)
4 teaspoons sliced, toasted almonds
1. In a large heavy pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil; add the onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Add the butternut squash, garlic, and ginger and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
3. Add the harissa, honey, cumin, cinnamon stick, and turmeric and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and apricots and stir well. Pour in the water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce the heat as needed to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice. Raise the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chickpeas are heated through and the liquid has thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Season to taste with additional salt, harissa, honey, and lemon. Serve over couscous if desired and garnish with sliced almonds.
Nutrition facts per serving: 350 calories, 11g protein, 64g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1g saturated), 12g fiber
Peter Ardito
Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Ricotta
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
1 bunch broccoli rabe
12 ounces whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 lean Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
Small pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe; cook for 4 minutes. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a colander. When it's cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces.
2. Add the penne to the same pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the penne.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 minutes. Add the chopped broccoli rabe and saute until tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring until well combined, about 1 minute.
4. Adjust the heat to low and add the pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine the ingredients, adding a little of the reserved cooking water if the mixture seems dry. Stir in the ricotta and Parmesan, take the pan off the heat, and toss well. Serve immediately.
Nutrition facts per serving: 342 calories, 18g protein, 47g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.8g saturated), 2g fiber
Peter Ardito
Cumin Salmon with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 large pickling cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 scallion, trimmed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 ounces whole wheat orzo, cooked according to package directions
1. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, sugar, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lay the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the oil mixture. Refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the broiler. Combine the yogurt, cucumber, scallion, parsley, lemon juice, and the remaining pinch of salt in a small bowl.
3. Broil the salmon until it is barely opaque at the center of the thickest part, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve over the orzo, topped with the yogurt sauce.
Nutrition facts per serving: 487 calories, 34g protein, 45g carbohydrate, 19g fat (3.8g saturated), 10g fiber


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The poetry of mathematics, eh? How about the poetry of mathematicians... ?
(Poem #600) The Mouse's Tale
Fury said to a mouse, That he met in the house, 'Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you.-- Come, I'll take no denial; We must have a trial: For really this morning I've nothing to do.' Said the mouse to the cur, 'Such a trial, dear Sir, With no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.' 'I'll be judge, I'll be jury,' Said cunning old Fury: 'I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.'
Possibly the canonical example of emblematic verse - that is, verse formatted so as to visually resemble its theme. Here's the text that immediately precedes this charming piece of doggerel: " "You promised to tell me your history, you know", said Alice, "and why it is you hate -- C and D", she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again. "Mine is a long and a sad tale!" said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing. "It _is_ a long tail, certainly", said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail; "but why do you call it sad?" And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this -- " " -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Curiously enough, "in the original manuscript of the book, an entirely different poem appears as the tale; in a way, a more appropriate one, for it fulfills the mouse's promise to explain why he dislikes cats and dogs, whereas the tale as it appears [in the published version] contains no reference to cats" [1]. Here's the unpublished original: We lived beneath the mat, Warm and snug and fat. But one woe, and that Was the cat! To our joys a clog. In our eyes a fog. On our hearts a log Was the dog! When the cat's away, Then the mice will play. But alas! one day; (So, they say) Came the dog and cat Hunting for a rat, Crushed the mice all flat, Each one as he sat, Underneath the mat, Warm and snug and fat. Think of that! " -- Lewis Carroll, draft manuscript of Alice in Wonderland. (Aren't you glad Carroll chose to go with the revised version in the book?) thomas. [1] Martin Gardner, The Annotated Alice. [Links] Several emblematic poems have already featured on the Minstrels: 'Easter Wings' by George Herbert, poem #567 (It was in response to this poem that Anustup Datta pointed out the technical phrase for the genre, and suggested today's poem for the list. Thanks, Anustup). 'Landscape: I' by bpNichol, poem #498 'A Prayer to the Sun', by Geoffrey Hill, poem #349 We've visited Lewis Carroll before: poem #52 poem #265 poem #347 poem #409 The second of these pages has a brief biography of the poet, including the immortal line "As a mathematician, Carroll was ... derivative" <grin>. A longer biography can (as usual) be found in Britannica, http://www.eb.com [Trivia] Lewis Carroll was the pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Dodgson arrived at this pen name by taking his own names Charles Lutwidge, translating them into Latin as Carolus Ludovicus, then reversing and retranslating them into English. [More Trivia] You may have heard the story that Queen Victoria loved Alice in Wonderland so much that she requested a copy of Lewis Carroll's next book; her reward was a treatise on determinants [1]. Unfortunately, it's just that - a story. In the second edition of Symbolic Logic, Dodgson writes: "I take this opportunity of giving what publicity I can to my contradiction of a silly story, which has been going the round of the papers, about my having presented certain books to Her Majesty the Queen. It is so constantly repeated, and is such absolute fiction, that I think it worthwhile to state, once for all, that it is utterly false in every particular; nothing even resembling it has ever occurred." . [1] Different versions of the story name different books - Symbolic Logic, The Condensation of Determinants, Euclid and his Rivals... [And Finally] "'I'll be judge, I'll be jury,'Said cunning old Fury:" is more than a little reminiscent of Fit the Sixth from the Hunting of the Snark: the Barrister's Dream. Herewith, the relevant extract: He dreamed that he stood in a shadowy Court, Where the Snark, with a glass in its eye, Dressed in gown, bands, and wig, was defending a pig On the charge of deserting its sty. ... But the Judge said he never had summed up before; So the Snark undertook it instead, And summed it so well that it came to far more Than the Witnesses ever had said! When the verdict was called for, the Jury declined, As the word was so puzzling to spell; But they ventured to hope that the Snark wouldn't mind Undertaking that duty as well. -- Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark 'Snark', of course, is probably the greatest piece of nonsense literature ever written; the full text is at [broken link] http://www.geocities.com/~spanoudi/poems/carrol02.html

subset: commoncrawl


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Last seating at 4:15 pm
Closed: Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Due to private events the tasting room hours are subject to change.
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At Gloria Ferrer, the range of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that comes from the estate vineyards give the winemaking team a remarkable palette for blending.
Sunday, April 19
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Learn the basics of floral arranging with florist, Jaclyn Nesbitt.
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May 19, 2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Leslie Hansen pulled off the first upset of the NCAA Women's Tennis National Singles Championship by outlasting No. 3 seeded Jordan Hook (Wheaton College, Ill.), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4). The victory was significant as it was MIT's first since Mealani Nakamura accomplished this feat in 1999 and 2000.
Hansen played "one of her best matches ever" according to head coach Carol Matsuzaki. "She was nervous going into the match, but it helped her to be aggressive. That is a big part of her game. She went after her forehand and had a high first-serve percentage, which is amazing considering the wind. Both players did a great job of playing the wind this morning."
In the round of 16, Hansen fell to Lauren Caire (Washington and Lee University), 6-3, 6-0. For the season, she compiled a record of 26-3 in singles competition.


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California is burning and on Saturday the state's action star turned governor promised to put the flames out.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got an up close look at the Lockheed fire in Santa Cruz County as fires continued to rage across the state. Schwarzenegger promised swift action and support from the state to put the fires out.
The Governator promised to terminate the flames by sending more than 6,800 fire personal statewide to battle flames across California. He also said 68 helicopters, 711 fire engines and 46 fixed winged aircrafts would be deployed to help fight the fires aross the state.
U.S. & World
"My administration is doing all we can to ensure the state has the emergency response resources in place to respond quickly to the Lockheed fire and to fires that continue to burn throughout the state," the governor said. "California has the best and bravest firefighters working on the front lines to protect our citizens and I am confident that they will beat back these fires like they have done in years past."
The governor's office said on Saturday that more than 117,152 acres have burned across California since Aug. 1 and as many as 3,100 residents have been evacuated from their homes.
Locally, the Lockheed wildfire filled the air with thick, white smoke as firefighters continued to battle the blaze in steep, rugged terrain.
The fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains has blackened close to 8 square miles of remote wilderness since Wednesday and prompted mandatory evacuations of the mountain communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon, which have about 2,400 residents and several wineries.
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi declared a state of emergency Friday for Santa Cruz County. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be meeting with fire officals at the command post in Watsonville on Saturday.
The American Red Cross has established a shelter for evacuees at Vintage Faith Church located at 350 Mission St. in Santa Cruz.
An evacuation center that was established at Pacific Elementary School in the community of Davenport Wednesday night has since moved elsewhere due to fear that the fire would head in the direction of that community, the school's principal/superintendent Sharon Smith said.
In June 2008, the Martin Fire burned more than 600 acres and forced the evacuation of 1,500 Bonny Doon residents.
The Lockheed Fire is still burning across 6,850 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but crews had the flames 40 percent contained by Saturday evening.


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The first rule of Fight Club was that you shouldn't talk about Fight Club.
The first rule of fixing California's governing system -- which was shaped in no small part by Prop 13 -- is similar: Whatever you do, don't talk about Prop 13.
Unfortunately, Democrats are violating this rule. And they are only making reform harder.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Take Mark Leno, a San Francisco state senator. He's already touting a plan to reform Prop 13. The substance of his idea is to make it easier for local voters to raise parcel taxes to pay for schools.
This change is a good idea. But there's no reason to tout it as a change in Prop 13. Indeed, it would be good politics -- and good policy for that matter -- to shut up about Prop 13 when doing this sort of thing.
Why? Because Prop 13 remains a highly popular brand name -- even though many of Prop 13's rules, and the way those rules play out, are a big part of the reason why state governance doesn't work.
To put it simply, Prop 13 is popular. What Prop 13 has left the state is dysfunctional -- and very unpopular.
So why talk about Prop 13 when you can talk about dysfunction? This isn't a matter of convenient political dishonesty. Prop 13 doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's the foundation of the budget and tax systems in California -- a highly centralized, and unpopular, system.
But the public understands Prop 13 as a series of protections to limit property taxes. Reformers, and Democrats, and even Mark Leno would be wise, if they mention Prop 13 at all, to emphasize that they are not going to take on those property tax limits. Talk about how much they respect Prop 13 and its limits.
What they should then talk about is the dysfunction Prop 13 wrought -- without mentioning Prop 13. The state's system is centralized because of two things Prop 13 did that had little to do with property taxes: requiring a two-thirds vote for the legislature to raise taxes, and a two-thirds vote of the people in a locality for the raising of local taxes.
Those supermajorities have been built upon by the left and right, with tax and spending laws and constitutional amendments that make up the broken California system. Reformers should change that system, by emphasizing all the ways that centralization has undermined democracy, public services and local accountability.
Those are hard arguments -- but they are winning arguments. As long as Prop 13 is left out of it.


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The post introduces a question regarding 401(k)s and IRAs, provides j money's answer, and asks the readers, "What would you guys advise?".
Here is the question –
"I'm like you, turned 30 this last year, and getting my finances in line (I'm in the black, which is a good thing, but I can do better). Got a question for you regarding 401k's and IRA's. I currently participate in my company's 401k program, but I am only contributing the amount that the company matches (i.e. 60% on my first 6%). However, my 6% doesn't even get me close to my annual maximum ($16,500 or so... whatever it is ).
Would you suggest hitting the $16,500 in my 401k before setting up a separate IRA account? Or would you just contribute to the 401k up to the employer match amount, and then max out an IRA each year?"
You can read the post to find out j. money's response. Here is mine –
Let us look at the 401(k) and IRA in two separate ways – the tax considerations and the non-tax (financial/economic) considerations.
Tax Considerations:
Employee contributions to a "traditional" 401(k) plan (there is also a ROTH 401(k) option), up to the annual maximum, are considered "pre-tax" for federal, and generally state, income tax purposes. This means that the money you contribute to a traditional 401(k) reduces your taxable income. If your gross wages for the year are $100,000 and you contribute $15,000 to your employer's 401(k) plan the federal, and probably state, wages reported on your Form W-2 for the year will be $85,000.
This means that in addition to any employer match, the IRS, and probably your state tax agency, will also "match" anywhere from 15% to 45% of your total contributions, depending on your level of income and state of residence. I expect that the average government "match" is between 30% and 35% of the money you put into the plan. If you contribute an additional $10,000 to a 401(k) plan, and your combined marginal tax rate is 30%, your federal and state income tax liability is reduced by $3,000. That is $3,000 more in your pocket! This $3,000 tax savings can be contributed to an IRA.
There are no income thresholds to "phase-out" allowable 401(k) contributions. The maximum employee contribution is allowed regardless of the extent of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). The only possible restriction on employee contributions concerns "highly compensated" employees in a plan where the lower-level employees do not adequately participate.
If your employer offers a ROTH 401(k) option your contributions and distributions are treated pretty much the same as a ROTH IRA. Contributions are considered "after tax" and do not reduce taxable income. If the employee in the above example contributed the $15,000 to a ROTH 401(k) plan the taxable wages on his W-2 would be $100,000. But qualified distributions are totally tax free!
If your employer has both options you can split your contributions between the two plans in any way you choose, or as allowed by the individual plan, as long as your combined employee contributions to the two components do not exceed the annual maximum. You can contribute $10,000 to a traditional 401(k) and $6,500 to the ROTH component, or vice versa
The maximum amount you can contribute to an IRA for 2009 is $5,000 ($6,000 if age 50 or older at the end of 2009). If you also have a 401(k) plan at work your contributions may be partially or totally "non-deductible" depending on your level of income.
The phase-out ranges for an IRA deduction by an active participant in an employer plan for 2009 are:
• Modified AGI of $55,000 to $65,000 for Single or Head of Household
• Modified AGI of $89,000 to $109,000 for Married Filing Joint
• Modified AGI of $0 to $10,000 for Married Filing Separate
If only one spouse is an active participant in an employer plan the other spouse (whether a working or non-working spouse) the deduction for the non-active spouse is phased out for 2009 when AGI is between $166,000 and $176,000.
You can contribute the annual maximum amounts to both a 401(k) and an IRA, but the deductibility of your IRA contribution may be limited. So the person asking the question can contribute a total of $21,500 to retirement plans for 2009. The 401(k) contribution must be made during the calendar year, but you have until April 15, 2010 to make an IRA contribution for 2009.
The amount that can be contributed to a ROTH IRA is limited based on your AGI. The phase-out ranges for contributions to a ROTH Individual Retirement Account (IRA) are:
• Modified AGI of $105,000 to $120,000 for Single and Head of Household
• Modified AGI of $166,000 to $176,000 for Married Filing Joint and Qualifying Widow(er)
• Modified AGI of $0 to $10,000 for Married Filing Separate
A single taxpayer with AGI of $120,001 or more cannot contribute to a ROTH IRA for 2009. Neither can a married couple filing a joint return with an AGI of $176,001 or more.
So to answer the question - the best case scenario, based solely on tax considerations only, would be to contribute the maximum $16.500 to your employer's 401(k), splitting the contributions between traditional and ROTH components if available such that you get the maximum employer match, and contribute the maximum $5,000 to an IRA, with as much as allowed going into a ROTH account.
Non-Tax Considerations:
There are many financial or economic considerations to review before deciding how much to put aside for retirement and where to put the money. I will touch on just two.
It is very important to state upfront that the first, and most important, criteria for evaluating a transaction, strategy or technique should always be financial. Taxes are second. Remember that taxes are only pennies on the dollar.
I also feel it important to point out that I do not have any training, experience or expertise as an investment advisor. I do, however, feel strongly that the secret to investment success is simply the application of basic common sense.
1. How much can I afford to put aside?
This is perhaps the most important question. You want to put as much as possible aside for retirement, but you need a certain amount of cash flow to properly cover all your fixed and variable expenses and to have money available for contingencies and emergencies. Money you put into a 401(k) or IRA account cannot be touched until you are at least age 59½ (well you can touch it, but you should not; and there are different rules for withdrawals from a ROTH IRA).
You should have a separate liquid "emergency" fund. You should not use an IRA as your emergency fund.
You may also want to set aside money each paycheck into a "contingency fund" invested in a liquid money market or similar fund. If by year end you have not had to use this money for "contingencies" you can contribute the balance, up to the $5,000 or $6,000 maximum, to an IRA.
2. Where should I invest my retirement money?
In his response to the question j. money says –
"Most 401(k)s from smaller companies usually suck as the funds to choose from aren't as good as if you had the open-sea of EVERYTHING out there like you do with IRAs. My company has a great match at that 100%, but the funds are pretty shitty from what people tell me."
While I have not done any research or have any first hand knowledge of or experience with employer 401(k) plans, I would guess j. money is not wrong in his comments. I expect that most employer 401(k) plans have very limited and fairly generic choices when it comes to specific investment options.
Regardless of how much money you put away in a retirement plan, or how much tax you save upfront, it will do you no good if there is no significant growth, or if the investments tank.
You want to be, for the most part, conservative with your 401(k) investment choices and be sure to diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, especially if that basket is your employer's stock.
And j.m. is correct that you have a much wider and more diversified selection of investment choices with it comes to your IRA investments. As I said you will want to be more conservative with your 401(k) money. But you can be a bit more "adventurous" with your IRA account, since it is much easier to change your investments and you have almost unlimited options.
The answer to the question, based solely on non-tax considerations, would depend on how much you can afford to put away, how good the investment options available in your 401(k) plan are, and the amount of flexibility the plan provides for changing your investment mix.
So how would you answer the question?


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We can't wait to see the fine jewelry collection. Bracelet, $535; net-a-porter.com.
Aurélie Bidermann, the Parisian jeweler who adds the midas touch to necklaces entwined with colorful cotton threads and bracelets woven in corona-wreath-style, is now turning to fine jewelry, according to Women's Wear Daily. Taking inspiration from Greece and India, Bidermann is adding a layer of precious jewels, dotting pieces with tsavorites, sapphires, and diamonds. The collection will range from $3,000 to $75,000 and be sold in Barneys and The Webster in Miami.


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Drago Josipovic is a Bosnian Croat who came back to live in his home village Ahmici after serving a twelve year jail sentence handed down in The Hague by the International War Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for having participated in the 1993 Ahmici massacre.
Drago Josipovic, a former chemical factory worker and resident of Ahmici-Santici, was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in January 2000. Josipovic had been serving in the regular Bosnian Croatian army (HVO-BiH) and the court found that he was involved in the massacre in Ahmici on 16 April 1993, when in a surprise attack 116 Bosniaks were killed, including 32 women and 11 children.
Drago Josipovic was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for his part in the killing of fellow resident Musafer Puscul and the burning of the Puscul family home.
Drago Josipovic at ICTY - Drago Josipovic in Ahmici's Catholic cemetery
Josipovic has always denied that he committed war crimes. He maintains that he tried to help Muslim friends that day.
His appeal against his conviction was rejected by the ICTY, though his sentence was reduced to 12 years. After his release in February 2006, Josipovic moved back to his house in Ahmici-Santici. He has never had a problem with any of the villagers since.
"When I came, there were some 2,000 – 3,000 people waiting for me, who knew that I had been innocent, that I was in prison for nothing."
Many Bosniaks from the village think that Josipovic is innocent. A neighbor testified during the trail that Drago Josipovic saved her husband's life and took her and her husband to another house to receive shelter for a night. Mehmed Ahmic, a local café owner, with friends collected signatures supporting Drago Josipovic's claims of innocence. In total 27 Ahmici residents have signed a petition supporting a motion for a review of Josipovic's case. This petition was, however, rejected by ICTY in 2004.
Josipovic says the Bosnian Croat Military Police should be held responsible for the massacre:
"In my view it was the Croat military police. And they are the only ones who can say who gave the order…"
International war crimes investigators have hard tried to pinpoint who was responsible. However, it has been difficult to determine what exactly happened, and to establish beyond reasonable doubt the identity of perpetrators, most of whom were wearing masks.
Josipovic's conviction was based on one single witness statement, underlining the difficulty of establishing the facts after such a horrific event. The sentence of Vlatko Kupreskic, also a Bosnian Croat from Ahmici who has returned to the village, which was also built on a single witness, was later overturned by the ICTY's appeals chamber.
June 2008


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Enemy of the Reich
Noor Inayat Khan: a Muslim woman who defied the Nazis in WW II.
Working for Peace Through the Media
Katie Zawacki Community Specialist, Lynchburg, VA
The data in this excellent film counters the perceptions formed by those watching mainstream media. We think it should be shown as oftern as possible, maybe even as one minute soundbites (as a psa/commercial) to counter the misleading ideas that have been formed.
Imam Zaid Shakir Zaytuna Institute
A positive, truthful image of Muslims brings about peace. One of the greatest forces of peace in our society right now –UPF, that has brought you these wonderful films. Support UPF.
[Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet] provided the historical background necessary to understand the Islamic religion…students not only enjoyed the film, but also learned a great deal by watching it.Cindy P. Wilson AP American Government, Centennial, CO
[Inside Islam] was enlightening—especially the surprising data…that the vast majority of Muslims believe in freedom of speech.Ryan Scherbart
Maria Erdo
The general reaction to [Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet] was positive, there were many aspects of Islam that we were not aware.


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Regional words are at risk being phased out as north battles south for supremacy.
Reporter Charlie Bullough looks at reports on the demise of dialect and the people who are fighting to keep it alive
The days of having a bap with your tea may soon be numbered.
New research claims the UK looks to be facing a regional identity crisis with more than two-thirds of the population snubbing their regional dialects.
The findings of the 'Words That Suit Your Region' survey were published ahead of National Dialect Day on October 20.
The survey by Suit Direct gathered results from 2,000 participants from around the country to determine the most popular words for items that spark debate across regions, like those for bread and the evening meal. It also wanted to see what the existing attitudes are towards regional words.
It found that 71 per cent of UK people don't believe it's important to use regional names for items and nearly a quarter say that their accent has changed since moving.
'Dialect has changed over the centuries with necessity as people find a need to communicate more widely beyond their own village or valleySid Calderbank
But reports of dialects dying out doesn't stun the man behind National Dialect Day.
Lancashire dialect historian Sid Calderbank said: "I'm not shocked or surprised at all because dialect has changed over the centuries with necessity as people find a need to communicate more widely beyond their own village or valley.
"Originally it was travel or trade. I can't sell you a sack of corn unless we call it the same thing. There are loads of words that are particularly to a region, a town or village or common to a particular industry, like agriculture, coal mining or fishing."
The survey showed that the north of the country appears to be showing defiance in the face of changing attitudes. In the North East, 42 per cent of the population believes it's important to use regional terms, more than double of those surveyed in London, which was on 18 per cent.
The position is different north of the border too, with 35 per cent of the 500 Scots polled saying it was important to use 'Scottish vocabulary' rather than 'English or southern' words.
Mr Calderbank said fears about dialects dying out are nothing new as a book was compiled in 1746 to record and preserve Lancashire dialects. But he added: "The old dialects only exist in studies in academia with linguists or exist in the performance of reading the old stories, singing the old songs or reading the old poetry."
A hot topic of debate in the dialect poll was food, with one of the most fiercely contested national arguments was over bread.
Half of the country say that the small, white, round-shaped bread is a 'roll'. But the most-popular term in the North West, 'bap', only makes up 39 per cent of the population. In Yorkshire 39 percent of the region say roll, The county's traditional 'bread-cake' polled 32 per cent while bap accounted for 29 per cent.
The North East scored the highest in rejecting what are typically believed to be words originating in the south, with 38 per cent of people saying they would never use a 'southern' term for an item. This is followed by solidarity from other large northern regions such as North West (36 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (34 per cent).
But despite the divisions, it appears that the bottom half of the country has the majority of control on the most divisive words.
The south rules in terms of what the country calls its evening meal, despite strong opposition from England's northern regions, with 53 per cent of the country opting for 'dinner' instead of 'tea'.
The northern term makes up 41 per cent of the population's choice, despite being the most popular with those in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, while only six per cent say 'supper'. A spokesperson for Suit Direct, the company which organised the survey, said: "Regional dialects are a major part of the country's heritage and these findings give an interesting and potentially concerning insight into the future of the UK's regional words."
"The research has also taken on a fun element and we hope we're able to settle a few discussions across the country."
The nation's rich vocabulary and sayings will be championed during the National Dialect Festival at the Savoy Hotel in Blackpool on October 19 to 21. The centrepiece of weekend-long event is National Dialect Day, which was established by Sid Calderbank in 2008 to celebrate dialects across the country through speech, poetry, story-telling and song.
Keynote speakers include transport and logistics professor Paul Salveson, who will give the opening address, and Catherine Harvey who co-produced the recent BBC R4 documentary series 'Tongue and Talk: The Dialect Poets'.
Mr Calderbank added: "Dialect enthusiasts will be coming from as far afield as Northumberland and Devon. We will also have people from the Lake District, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
"We wanted to provide a national event to meet up with supporters so individual societies aren't on their own."


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This post originally appeared at Hopeful Parents on October 11, 2010.
It may come as a relief to anyone who has ever driven with me to learn that this summer, at long last, I purchased a GPS.
If you have never driven with me, then I need to tell you up front that I am not writing with false modesty here. I will acknowledge that I have many talents, many gifts - however, a keen sense of direction is not among them.
My problem is worse than just having a poor sense of direction, though.
You see, I love road trips. I love driving to places I've never been just to see what's there. And I especially love being in the passenger seat, being in charge of changing the radio station and engaging the driver in conversation to pass the time. But I give the same warning to every driver I accompany on a road trip:
"Here's the thing," I say. "The thing is, I have no sense of direction. None. Zero. But if you ask me which way to go, I will give you an answer. I won't couch my response. I won't say, 'I think it might be this way,' or 'That way kind of looks familiar," and I will absolutely, certainly not say 'I don't know.' I will boldly and confidently respond 'Take a right' or 'Take a left' and I will sound so absolutely sure of myself that even though I've told you all this, you will take that right or left. And about 85% of the time, I will be wrong."
I say this. Truly, I do. I say it that clearly and that directly. And nearly every time, not long into the trip, the driver will pause at an intersection and say, "Do I turn here?" and I will say, boldly and confidently, "No, keep going straight." And then we will go anywhere from 50 yards to 50 miles out of our way before the driver decides to turn around and try again.
This is fact.
So, really, believe me when I tell you that it's in everyone's best interest that I've purchased a GPS.
Bud and I broke it in early this summer and we've both become big fans. Thanks to an episode of Curious George, Bud calls it our "auto navigator" and he wants it on at all times. At first, he seemed to think that it was kind of like the Wii. As we drove past the lake and the road edged the water, Bud coached from the back seat in the same tone he uses when he watches me try to walk the Wii tightrope: "You're doing great, Mom! Don't let the car fall in the water!" But now he seems to get the point of it and enjoys having the auto navigator tell us which way to go.
Of course, we don't always listen to the auto navigator. Sometimes it tells us to go one way, when we'd just prefer to go another. And magically, beautifully, instead of fighting us on it, the auto navigator simply just takes a virtual look around, recalibrates, and says, "Okay, well, now that we're here, how about if we try going this way?"
We used the GPS for the first time on a Friday in July, as Bud wrapped up his first week in his Extended School Year summer program. As we drove, following the encouraging electronic voice of our new auto-navigating friend as she pointed us in all the right directions, I thought about how nice it would be to have a GPS for parenting. I imagined myself punching in the destination "outburst managed effectively" and waiting mere seconds for the instrument to calculate my route to success. How nice it would be to move forward with the assurance that if I made a parenting misstep, a gentle voice would instantly redirect me: "When possible, make a legal U-turn."
I reminded myself that I was not alone in that desire - that most parents would love to have this kind of instrument - though perhaps parents of children with special needs would use them more often than most. I thought about how, in the absence of a parenting GPS, we special-needs parents try to find other kinds of road maps. We try to take direction from experienced guides - those who have travelled the roads before us with success and finesse.
And then I started to panic.
Am I doing the same thing on my blog that I do when I'm the passenger in a car?
Am I telling my parenting story with unwarranted confidence, leading unsuspecting parents down paths that are 50 yards or 50 miles out of their way?
Should I add a flashing neon disclaimer that scrolls across the top of my blog: "WARNING: I don't actually have any idea where I'm going here" or, simply, "Construction Vehicle - Do Not Follow"?
I was somewhat reassured when I reminded myself that when I'm feeling least confident, I tend to go on fewer road trips. In other words, when things with Bud are particularly tough and I really don't feel like I know what I'm doing, I don't usually write many blog posts.
And such was the case on that Friday as I drove towards home, the GPS seamlessly laying out the route I already knew so well. I considered how little I'd been posting to my blog, how little about our life I felt I could share, and how much I longed for a Magic GPS of Autism Parenting. I thought about how hard it was to know what to do in the face of escalating anxiety and aggression. I thought about how nervous I was that summer was upon us - summer, once my favorite season, now fraught with landmines disguised as long, unstructured, routine-free days.
My heart raced as fast as my brain as I thought about the weeks that had led up to the start of Bud's summer program - weeks full of e-mails and conversations that challenged me to take a stronger stand than I ever had before, that made me leave the safe haven of collaboration and step with false confidence into a land of contentiousness, as I tried to ward off a rerun of the previous summer and found myself for the very first time using phrases like "free appropriate public education," "entitled by law," and "due process hearing."
As we neared our house, my racing thoughts were interrupted by the calm, even voice of my new GPS auto-navigator, who gently reminded me that the left I was about to take was, indeed, my best alternative. The interruption changed my focus and made me consider how the parenting turns I'd made in recent weeks seemed to be playing out.
We had a good summer plan in place. It wasn't ideal - it wasn't identical to my original request - but it was a good, solid plan. It was, in fact, the best Extended School Year plan that Bud had ever had.
And Bud had just successfully wrapped up his first week of the Extended School Year. He'd made the transition beautifully. He'd started each school day happily - no arguing, no groaning, no long, tearful goodbyes at the door. He'd had great reports each day when his session had ended. And now, after a full week and a newly-established routine, he sat in the back seat as we headed home, humming along with the radio and talking back to the auto-navigator, happy and content.
Just then, we pulled into our driveway, and the calm, even voice of our auto-navigator said one last thing:
"You have arrived."
Startled, I looked at the screen. And there was the message, bright and glowing:
"You have arrived."
I almost burst into tears.
I had no idea how much I'd needed the validation - how much I needed to hear from a voice outside my own head that the risks I'd taken were paying off, that my judgment had not led my son 50 miles in the wrong direction, that despite my panic, we were moving toward our goal.
Certainly, this was one small stop on a very long journey. Clearly, it was not the hardest leg of the trip and we'd not taken the most complicated route. But in that moment, on that day, sitting in that driveway, the words of my new-found electronic friend meant everything to me.
We had arrived.
The summer program played out well for Bud. I don't think I've burned bridges with the school district. And now, as we look ahead to the next phase of our journey, we seem to be facing new landscapes with what looks to be rocky terrain.
I still wish I had a parenting GPS.
But I'll tell you this for sure: for the foreseeable future, I'll be using the GPS I do have to chart a lot of journeys home.
On raising a son on the autism spectrum, progressive politics, pop culture, and coffee addiction.
Friday, October 22, 2010
You have arrived
This post originally appeared at Hopeful Parents on October 11, 2010.
10 comments:
- kristina said...
Actually we could all use a little 'mom-gps' from time to time! I have been known to pull over to check where I am via Google Maps on my phone.
- October 23, 2010 9:37 AM
i love it! keep it up! i am in a really similar situation - i just started my blog...it is about me and my little PDD NOS boy who is sitting on my knee trying to get on to the computer as I write. my blog keeps wandering off on me. We are in Italy, come and check it out and I will definitely keep checking in with you!! all the best, cold cups of tea
- October 25, 2010 1:54 PM
Thank you for the refreshing read. I have to remind myself that (for me) the journey is the place I want to be. Every milestone could have "I have arrived" on the side. But some miles it seems the stone is moving, and I am not. Still.. on we go.
- October 26, 2010 4:45 PM
- Brenda Rothman (Mama Be Good) said...
I want one! I want one! And, sadly, I have neither an autism GPS or an auto GPS.
- October 30, 2010 9:50 AM
Love this post because I can so totally relate.
If I count the number of times I have second-guessed myself while parenting either of my sons (one NT, one with severe autism), I'll probably be still going around some roundabout, unsure of directions and totally clueless where to go next.
I think we all need some sort of parenting GPS, more so for some of us with children with autism, and I think it's parents like you who point the way for us. Funny thing is, I seem to point the way for others too. What this shows me is the infinite grace of kindness and generosity, with a willingness to bare our mistakes and blunders to the world, as much as we do our successes. You're doing a great job, MOM-NOS.
- November 02, 2010 10:23 PM
- Liz Coyne said...
Starbucks Pick of the Week is Dierks Bently — Immediate thought of you know who! Enjoy.
- November 07, 2010 7:04 PM
Hope you are watching or tivo-ing Dierks' CMA performance!!
- November 10, 2010 10:23 PM
- MOM-NOS said...
Kirstin - Both, actually! Watching, and TiVoing so Bud can watch tomorrow. (I've got the banjo by the TV so he can play along.)
Liz, I have no idea what "Starbucks Pick of the Week" is, but anything that involves both Dierks Bentley AND coffee gets a thumbs-up from me!
- November 10, 2010 10:51 PM
- Crazee Teacher Lady said...
LOL, I just found your blog today and immediately identified with being what I called "directionally impaired." My son with PDD-NOS is 19 and I surely wish we had a GPS for raising him. So far I have navigated the unknown territories without a support group and battled teachers who don't believe my son has a disability. I will be back!
- November 11, 2010 6:21 PM
- Gina @ Special Happens said...
I love my GPS (on my phone). I've started wondering though if I'd stop looking up to figure out where I was rather than blindly following. HOWEVER, if I could have a GPS on my son, I'd pay any price!
- November 11, 2010 10:31 PM


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Evolutionary biologists once widely believed that change in organisms occurred in a smooth arc of continuous change over time. In recent decades that notion was challenged by a new view that the natural record shows long periods of stasis interrupted by bursts of change.[i] I'm pleased to share that after years of modest but important change today we're announcing a punctuated evolution at Blackboard.
Context for Our Evolution
Over the past two years we've updated our vision for education and our changing role within it. We've added a range of both software and services products to our portfolio that reflect a broadened focus—on the whole student lifecycle within the institutions we serve, rather than just online homework and related workflow.
Blackboard Collaborate is now the leading platform for synchronous learning and collaboration. Blackboard Analytics provides the most robust enterprise business and academic intelligence offering in the market. Blackboard Mobile products have rapidly emerged and set the pace for both mobile learning and community products. We've created the largest and most sophisticated education services organization in the industry, and provide a wide range of outsourced student services from enrollment to financial aid administration to 24×7 helpdesk. Combined with significant improvement in our fundamentals of client responsiveness and technological openness, these efforts are reinventing our image in the market. In the span of just a few years we've greatly diversified our products and revenues. I believe we're now in our best position ever in fulfilling a vision of ourselves as an education solutions provider. We now possess a uniquely valuable collection of assets, skills, and an enviable record of success in delivering mission-critical education services.
As so it's natural that as we focus more on institutional solutions, and our products and revenues diversify, that we'd re-examine our product offerings. And just as naturally we'd begin with our learning management system stack. This is both our historical strength and a key plank in the solution platform for most institutions. Nearly every prognosticator has declared this is a market that's undergoing a great deal of change. We agree. And more to the point, we believe the most important new dimension shaping the LMS market today is the growing acceptance of open source software.
While several commercial products have had impact at the margin, open source LMS platforms have had a dramatic impact on LMS adoption globally. Moodle in particular now has tens of thousands of adoptions, the great bulk of which are conversions of green-field institutions new to online learning. The community source Sakai initiative has had a disproportionate impact on research institutions, particularly in North America.
Open source advocates argue the benefits in technology development model, risk management, community involvement, and avoiding license fees. As a commercial provider we've highlighted the benefits of an adaptation to the traditional proprietary model, with open standards and open APIs. A model where a well supported community provides direct input in product development but without the burden of execution, and which provides subsidized client support that's more proficient and personalized to specific clients. Both models clearly work, but the choice about which is best depends on the goals defined by the institution.
So bringing this together, our strategic shift towards a focus on the full student lifecycle rather than the LMS niche begs an important question: should we expand our offerings to include multiple LMS products, particularly the open source products that are now more widely adopted? Our answer is yes. The long game for Blackboard is to bring the full complement of our solutions across the student lifecycle to more institutions. So we'll expand our product ladder to fit the breadth of our ambitions. And just like that, we'll relegate the era of "one LMS choice only" to our adolescence.
Blackboard Embraces Open Source
The headline above this paragraph may seem odd. But I assure you that what you'll read next may sound stranger still. Ours is no mere dalliance with open source, but a very committed plunge into the pool.
Moodle: I noted above that Moodle enjoys a large following around the globe. Some institutions that prefer Moodle have the infrastructure and staff to run it reliably on their own. Others do not, including many clients of Blackboard's non-LMS products. A large number of services firms have risen to fill this niche in the market, and proceeds from their growth helps fund the organization that creates the Moodle product. Today we've announced the acquisition of two of these firms: Moodlerooms Inc., a leader in North America, and NetSpot Pty. Ltd., an international leader in Moodle services located in Australia. Both have strong records of delivering Moodle services with high client satisfaction. And in combination they immediately add a strong Moodle product and services offering to our lineup, and one that we will invest to extend globally.
But while these firms bring strong products our choice of partners for this endeavor was heavily weighted towards people. We acknowledge a need for trusted guides for this new territory, with people who can commit to helping us create a positive image as a helpful contributor but also a thriving business that is always part of a healthy open source ecology. We're very pleased to share that the leadership of these organizations that will help us along our way include many well respected leaders from the Moodle community. NetSpot Managing Director Allan Christie joins us along with his top deputies Brett Buchel, Mark Drechsler, James Strong and Steve Watt. From Moodlerooms CEO Lou Pugliese and founder Tom Murdock have come aboard, and also my former ANGEL collaborators Dave Mills and Phill Miller.
The first act of this dream team of advisors was to provide an introduction to Moodle creator and founder, Martin Dougiamas. In fact I'm writing this as I return from a first meeting that Michael Chasen and the team and I held with him in Perth, Australia. I'm sure it was a bit surreal for all present, but our meetings were productive in outlining areas where Blackboard can best contribute to the Moodle project as we set out on a journey. Our new Moodle team now has a vision to execute against as we try to sustain and build upon the reputation of Moodlerooms and NetSpot within the Moodle community.
Sakai: I've noted the special place that the Sakai platform occupies amongst key research institutions. While fewer in number than Moodle adoptions the segment that Sakai occupies globally includes institutions of great strategic importance to us over the long term. As we considered who might best guide us in our strategy and acceptance within the Sakai community we immediately thought of Chuck Severance. Chuck was among the founders of the Sakai project and enjoys a well- earned reputation in ed-tech circles for both his technological insight and skills as a community organizer. I'm pleased to share that Chuck has joined us to lead our effort to develop a supportive relationship with the Sakai community, define how we can contribute to its future platform development, and assist us in building a services practice that's well suited to the unique needs of this emerging community. You'll be hearing more about Chuck's role and initiatives in the coming weeks.
Our Multi-Platform Product Ladder, and Investment in Bb Learn
So clearly, our LMS product ladder has become significantly broader. We have an immediate offering in the products offered by Moodlerooms and NetSpot, and commitment to create an offering that caters to the unique needs of the Sakai community. In combination this will significantly broaden the number of institutions that we can serve with the rest of our portfolio, adding stronger offerings to the value tier and others designed to support the needs of the research driven institution.
These new platforms join our core Blackboard Learn platform in the product ladder. Learn remains our fully featured flagship product. It continues to enjoy growth in both the number of users it supports globally and its importance in providing a mission critical platform. Our clientele have migrated rapidly to our latest platform, Blackboard Learn 9.1, as its reputation for stability and quality have drawn our clients to adopt it more rapidly than any previous LMS version we've produced. And as we've marked our renaissance in usability with 9.1 SP8 – "The Ocho" – adoption has gained even greater speed. The large majority of our Learn clients have now adopted our latest product. I'm quite pleased to note that our client satisfaction is now setting all time highs, and we're seeing the strongest outside interest from those on competing platforms that we've seen in years. Our message to our clients on Learn is quite simple: the renaissance in this platform that's underway with Ocho will continue apace. And while I'll drop no hints here, I'm confident that what we'll unveil at BbWorld 2012 in New Orleans will confirm for all that investment in this platform is accelerating, and in a way that will delight our community.
Special Announcements for our ANGEL Clients: Our ANGEL platform has many strong supporters, and it continues to serve many institutions very well. Today we're announcing further investments for the benefit of this community and their future choices of LMS platform. First, we've had a large number of clients ask that we extend the life of the platform and today we've announced that we'll do so. We'll extend support and maintenance at the same level our ANGEL clients enjoy today. And once again I'll hint that there are special announcements related to ANGEL that we'll share in New Orleans. Second, I'll reiterate that ANGEL-inspired features are being developed into our 9.1 product at an even more rapid pace. But our ANGEL clients can expect a new twist: we will also deliver ANGEL-inspired features on the Moodle platform as a part of our new product laddering. We're determined to make sure that our product ladder offers the best range of choice to our ANGEL clients for their future needs.
Our First Words within New Communities
We understand that our announcements today may generate a mix of reactions. Longtime participants in the open and community source communities may be concerned about our corporate intentions, and how we'll conduct ourselves given that we are governed by an interest in business growth. Similarly for those who are clients of the firms we've acquired, there will naturally be concerns about our entrance to the community and our execution against the commitments made to them by companies and people that have now joined forces with us.
Put simply, our position vis-à-vis the open source community is not unlike what I first faced when I was a new voice at Blackboard in 2009. At the time, I was hoping to convince a skeptical audience that we would undergo a pivot towards greater openness in our platform and further to become a key industry leader in implementing open industry standards. I was also trying to convince a skeptical audience that we'd learn from past lessons about continuing traditions of great customer care. Not only would we sustain the high service levels at ANGEL, I committed, but we'd rebuild Blackboard's service reputation to bring it inline with the model we developed at ANGEL. Many in the industry have confirmed our good faith to these commitments. And as the deeds have arrived the skeptics are yielding. And so we start the cycle again with some words about commitment.
For the Communities that support Moodle and Sakai: Our announcements today are motivated by a belief that we can contribute positively to these projects in the eyes of the community, while still building viable businesses around them. That recognition has driven us to acquire guides who know their respective bylaws and maxims, and who will faithfully guide our corporate conduct and preserve their reputations in the process. We know that our good standing requires both financial support and in-kind contribution, and we're prepared to execute on both. We're already seeking input from the leadership of these organizations about what contributions would be most valuable to the community.
Clients of Moodlerooms and NetSpot: Our first imperative to you is your sustained positive experience. We know that we're entering an all-important time for first impressions. Know that we've begun by doing our best to retain the people that have attracted you with their ideas and service in the first place. And know that your leaders will be actively assisting ours in confirming our steps in this new direction. We're underway together to define a next chapter for Blackboard that's influenced by ideas within their cultures that appealed to educators and helped them thrive. And just as we've adopted traditions from ANGEL, we look forward to this positive challenge to our ways and the positive energy it will bring us to solve educator problems.
Conclusion: Things Will be Different, but Better for the Market.
There's been much said about disruption in the LMS market, citing shifts at the margin in LMS marketshare. Our own vision of disruption is less about what happens within the LMS market and more about what happens across the educational landscape writ large. The extension of our LMS product ladder allows a larger number of institutions to consider Blackboard as a key partner in reaching their strategic technology vision, whether for traditional learning, hybrid or pure online programs.
I think it's important to consider what the market gets from this evolution at Blackboard. Rather than another LMS-oriented company, it gets a firm focused on helping institutions to solve the hardest problems in education, comprehensively. The range of technologies that must be pulled together to create a solution for institutions today is both more comprehensive and more complex than ever before. Rather than presenting obstacles by imposing a limitation on which products we support, we're showing our commitment to institutional partnership by broadening our coverage, expanding options and reducing the requirements to change that show we've listened to our constituency about what they need from their partners.
I'll leave you with a first anecdote that clarifies that this transition is real and also shares some of the strangeness of headlines you'll see about how our business changes in the coming years. Recently, the University of California sought a partner to help them create a comprehensive online initiative for UC for the first time. They needed services across the lifecycle, from helping them establish an online brand to student marketing, enrollment, and end user support on both the Sakai and Moodle platforms. The breadth of this request was well beyond what a traditional LMS firm could do, and more typical fare for program outsourcers who demand decade long contracts and a percentage of tuition—something UC hoped to avoid. Anticipating this change we designed a solution that took full advantage of our new direction, orienting it around platforms other than our own, and giving UC the flexibility to outsource some functions they lacked without onerous commitments of time or future tuition as they developed their program. And so it happened that the University of California selected Blackboard to build and support their online courses to be delivered on Sakai and Moodle.
We're looking forward to other unconventional headlines in the coming year. And we invite everyone to reconsider the caricature of Blackboard they may have written to firmware from prior years. Here's to "thinking different" about our place in the education marketplace.


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Prep notebook: Mullen's Cyler Miles will be on reality show "The Ride"
He's an unassuming, quiet type (at least with reporters), so I'm curious to see Cyler Miles in front of the camera when he appears on a reality show which starts in November.
Miles, the all-everything quarterback from Mullen, will be one of two quarterbacks featured on "The Ride," which will air on Versus, Sundays at 1:30 p.m. local time. The six-episode season begins Nov. 13.
"The Ride: The Road to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl" will feature Miles, who has committed to Washington, and Chad Voytik, from Cleveland High in Tennessee. As one might guess, both quarterbacks have been invited to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.


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Several frequently asked questions are presented below and should help you get up to speed using this program. Scroll through the topics below to get the information you need.
This rewards program lets you earn rewards by using your financial institution's debit card to purchase merchandise and services. Through this program, you'll receive targeted offers to receive rewards on purchases based on how you shop. As a Cardholder, there is no limit to the rewards you can earn. So, the more you use your financial institution's debit card, the more offers you can receive and the more rewards you can earn!
You can find offers on the new home page beneath transactions in the transaction history or in the "rewards" section in the upper right part of the page. Offers can also be found on the account history page or the rewards summary page. New offers will be labeled as "New Offers" until you click to activate them. Once clicked, the reward is "loaded onto" the associated debit card. All offers can be viewed by visiting the rewards summary page.
Each offer is based on how you currently shop, so the offers that you receive are relevant! To redeem the offer, simply click on it to see the details; this automatically loads the offer onto your debit card. Then shop at the specified retailer and pay using your debit card to earn the reward. Each offer has different details regarding when and where to shop and how much you need to spend. Offers that require an online purchase are clearly specified and may include a redemption code. Please read the details to determine how to redeem each offer and start earning rewards.
Typically, you do not need a coupon or code to redeem an offer. Each offer has different specifications regarding when and where you shop and how much you need to spend. Offers that require an online purchase are clearly specified and may include a redemption code. Please read offer details to determine how to redeem each offer.
Each offer has an offer period that was set by the merchant. You must redeem offers before the expiration date. The expiration date can be found in the offer details section of the offer by clicking on the offer.
Your rewards will typically be deposited to your account the month after you redeem the offer. Since we do not share your personal information with retailers, we cannot credit your account immediately at the time of purchase. For example, any rewards you redeem in the month of September typically will be credited to your account at the end of October. If you would like to see the offers you have redeemed or the total value of the offers you have redeemed, please visit the rewards summary page.
Offers are matched on an account level, based on the purchases made with your financial institution's debit card for that account. If you make different purchases with different accounts, you will see different offers in those accounts. You must use the financial institution debit card connected to that account to redeem the offers for that account.
You have to use the financial institution's debit card that is associated with the account that received the offer to earn rewards.
Sometimes offers are presented to accounts with few debit card transactions in order to introduce the program and show how it works. If you don't want to see offers any longer, you can opt-out by clicking on the "Stop receiving all offers" link on the rewards summary page.
Offers are based on how you currently shop to ensure the offers you receive are relevant. If you seldom use your debit card, you may not receive any offers until you begin using your card more. The more you use your financial institution's debit card, the more chances you will have to receive relevant offers!
You can opt out by clicking on the "Stop receiving all offers" link on the rewards summary page. This link can be found in the upper right part of the rewards summary page. If you opt out of the rewards program at this time but change your mind later, please contact Support and we will resume providing offers to you.
No. Your personal information is not shared with retailers.
This program is administered through a third party. All personally identifiable information is secure and is not shared with the third party. Our third party partner will make best efforts to collect all of the rewards due to you and assumes all liability for the collections. The financial institution is not liable for rewards, but will work with the partner to ensure a great customer experience.
Yes. There is no cost associated with this program, making it easy for Cardholders to earn rewards. This rewards program is just another benefit of using your debit card.


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Discrete emotion theory assumes that there are seven to ten core emotions and thousands of emotion related words which are all synonyms of these core emotions (Beck 2004). Depending on the theory the most well known core emotions are happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, and fear (Izard & Malatesta 1987). This theory states that these specific core emotions are biologically determined emotional responses whose expression and recognition is fundamentally the same for all individuals regardless of ethnic or cultural differences. Some scholars believe that these emotions have evolved in us as a way for people, regardless of communication differences, to predict what other people are thinking and feeling (Beck 2004). It was a way for our ancestors to to tell the difference between friend or foe, and has continued to serve the same function today.
Darwin (1872) was the origin of the concept that some emotions have specific features. He described several facial, physiological, and behavioral processes that are associated with different emotions in humans as well as animals.
Aristotle also noted that emotions ensue certain reaction types of bodily reactions, which implies the physiology of emotions.
James (1884) and Dewey (1894) suggested that emotions are associated with different neutral and physiological processes and also with different functions and experiences.
Tomkins' (1962, 1963) idea was influenced by Darwin's concept. He proposed that there is a limited number of pancultural basic emotions or "affect programs." His conclusion was that there are eight pancultural affect programs namely, surprise, interest, joy, rage, fear, disgust, shame, and anguish.
After performing a series of cross-cultural studies, Ekman and Izard reported that there are various similarities in the way people across the world produce and recognize the facial expressions of at least six emotions.[1]
Evidence for Discrete Emotion theoryEdit
A study conducted in New Guinea, where people have never seen Caucasians nor been exposed to photographs or television, to see if they could identify specific facial expressions. Researchers showed the people of New Guinea pictures of people portraying seven different emotions that are known as core emotions, happiness, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, fear, and contempt (Ekman & Friesen 1971). Researchers found that the people of New Guinea could in fact point out the different emotions and distinguish between them. From this experiment researchers concluded that these specific emotions are innate. They also looked at pictures of people ranging in age from infants to elders and saw that the core emotions look the same, further supporting the discrete emotion hypothesis. Also, deaf and blind children show typical facial expressions for these same core emotions.
See alsoEdit
- Affect theory
- Affect (psychology)
- Developmental Psychology
- Emotions
- Emotions and culture
- Silvan Tomkins
- ↑ Colombetti, Giovanna (August 2009). From affect programs to dynamical discrete emotions. Philosophical Psychology 22 (4): 407-425.
2. Colombetti, G. (2009). From Affect Programs to Dynamical Discrete Emotions. Philosophical Psychology, 22, 407-425.
External linksEdit
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


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Whether you plan a career in advocacy, teaching, law enforcement, academics or the law, a major in criminal justice at Elmhurst provides the skills you need to take the next step.
What is a criminal justice major? Built on a strong foundation in the social sciences, the program combines courses in criminal justice with related courses in sociology, as well as electives in political science, philosophy, psychology, communications and computer science.
Criminal Justice Major Requirements
The criminal justice major consists of the following 12 required courses and recommended electives:
Required Core Courses
- CJ 200 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
- CJ 210 Policing and Society
- CJ 215 Corrections: Theory and Practice
- CJ/SOC 319 Juvenile Delinquency and the Justice System
- CJ/SOC 323 Methods of Social Research
- CJ/SOC 408 Criminology
- CJ 409 Criminal Law
- CJ 410 Criminal Procedure
Required Cognate Courses
- MTH 345 Elementary Statistics
or MTH 346 Statistics for Scientists
or PSY 355 Statistics for Scientific Research
- SOC 301 Social Problems
or SOC 304 Race and Ethnic Relations
Criminal Justice Electives (two required)
- CJ 320 Organized and White Collar Crime
- CJ 330 Criminal Investigation
- CJ/SOC 340 Gender and Crime
- CJ 480 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice
- CJ 490 Independent Field Work
- CJ 491 Independent Research
- CJ 492 Independent Study
Recommended Electives
- COM 213 Public Speaking
- CS 111 Introduction to Software Applications and Digital Technology
- ICS 270 Introduction to Intercultural Studies (.50 credit)
- ICS 271 Intermediate Intercultural Studies (.50 credit)
- PHL 306 Moral Philosophy
- PHL 315 Philosophy of Law
- POL 202 American State and Local Government
- POL 360 Public Policy and Administration
- POL 412 Constitutional Law
- PSY 210 Introduction to Psychological Science
Students seeking a bachelor of science, rather than a bachelor of arts degree, must take any two mathematics courses offered by the Department of Mathematics except MTH 325, 326, 440 and 441.
At least six of the required courses must be taken at Elmhurst College. Courses in criminal justice may be accepted from other colleges.


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Low back pain 25 years post surgery and which vertebrae would be fused ?
Hi All
This is my first time posting. I had rods put in at 14 years of age, 26 years ago. I've never had any back pain until now. I've had 3 episodes of acute low back pain in the past 10 months. I have CD rods and some lumbar fusion. My question is whether to try acupuncture or whether to go with physio or massage. I have tried P.Forte and Nurofen Plus which make me a zombie. I'm trying heat packs too. I'm currently on Day 10 of back pain.
The physio I have seen once, said that I have a ducks bum, penguin feet and knocked knees as the muscles have always been tight around my spine due to the presence of a 'foreign body' and that they need loosening and that my pelvis tilts forward. Has anyone any thoughts on all of this ?? And also, do surgeons generally fuse all the vertebrae under the rods as well as some of the lumbar spine ?
Thanks for any info.
Re: Low back pain 25 years post surgery and which vertebrae would be fused ?
I had surgery 30 years ago. I have always been active and like yourself started to experience lower back pain. For the past 2 years I have been going to twice weekly physio led reformer Pilates classes. I find this has helped me and I no longer am in pain. The exercises given to me focus on glutes, core strength and stability and strengthening the lower back muscles. The physio I see has never made these comments and has always been helpful and listened.
I'm unsure if the surgery done today is different.
Hope this information helps you.
Good luck
Re: Low back pain 25 years post surgery and which vertebrae would be fused ?
Hi there
Your description of your back sounds very similar to most of us here.
I have lots of post-surgery discomfort (2 x surgeries 2011 and 2012 fused T4-L1) and always find strengthening and stretching works the best to alleviate pain. My lower back is pretty gnarly and it has to work really hard to support the upper body so keeping the lower region strong is really important. Mind you, I am finding exercise harder and harder to do when all of my other bones are getting weaker with age
My pelvis is in a different position after fusion. And yep about the foreign body; I feel like I have a concrete slab in my back that is always tight.
I stay clear of meds usually, but sometimes after really big days I tak a Valium. It helps my body soften to sleep and sometimes I take Panadol.
It might be a good idea to see your GP and get an updated referral to see your surgeon for a review. Maybe have a look at what you have been doing differently lately i.e. work/lifting/sitting too long etc. or anything that may be causing a bit of strain to your back.
Re the fusion around the rods; that's a good question. I've always presumed it fuses in between the vertebrae where the surgeon packs the graft material (and not around the rods) but would be worth Googling that one.
And poo to your physio terrorist for saying you have a duck's bum!
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If your download does not start automatically, choose a download location to start your download.
DetachPipe 8.0
file size: 13.21 MB
Make Microsoft Outlook faster, more stable and easier to backup with DetachPipe - the email attachment processor.
Published by:
Trial Period:
30 Days
7 / 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP / 95 / 2003 / Vista / 10 / 2008 Server / 2012 Server / 8
Cow Rating:
Support URL:
DetachPipe detaches email attachments, leaving a clickable hyperlink in place. You can specify a detach filename manually, or use filename placeholders to generate a new name automatically. DetachPipe identifies duplicate files, saving even more space! Just like a normal email, DetachPipe re-attaches the files when forwarding.
Custom Incoming Detach Folders can now be added. Now not just the Inbox gets processed - set folders so that ANY emails moved to them (either By Rule or Drag and Dropped) get files detached/deleted.
Try it!


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AI has the potential to allow companies to not only do different things, but also to do things differently. It represents a step change in balancing growth, profitability, sustainability and trust.
With 46 percent of executives indicating that AI will drive increased revenue opportunities, getting AI right makes companies more valuable to their ecosystem and helps them maintain a competitive position in a world that will soon be powered by AI.
But to realize real and sustainable benefits, AI must evolve from being a hot new trend to a seamless enabler — woven into the fabric of the enterprise and working alongside and augmenting people.READ THE REPORT [PDF]


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|Divination Classroom
|Location information
Seventh Floor, North Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Great Britain
|Permanent residents
- "At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. Everything was lit with dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire which was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls and a huge array of teacups"
- —Description of the classroom[src]
The Divination Classroom is where Divination classes are taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is located in the North Tower. It is accessible through a circular trapdoor and is described as looking like a cross between somebody's attic and an old-fashioned teashop. The Divination Staircase leads to this classroom.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (GBC version) (Entrance only)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (GBC version)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Entrance only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Entrance only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Appears in flashback(s))
- LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
- LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter LEGO Sets
- Pottermore
|Professors: Sybill Trelawney · Firenze
|Known Seers: Calchas · Cassandra Vablatsky · Cassandra Trelawney · Inigo Imago · Mopsus · Professor Mopsus · Unidentified female Seer · Unidentified male Seer
|Textbooks: The Dream Oracle · Unfogging the Future
|Methods: Astrology · Cartomancy · Tarot cards · Crystal-gazing · Crystal ball · Dream interpretation · Fire-omens · Heptomology · Palmistry · Ornithomancy · Tessomancy
|Divination at Hogwarts: Divination (class) · Divination Classroom · Divination staircase · Sybill Trelawney's office · Classroom 11
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Colorado House to honor the late Bev Bledsoe, a "wickedly smart" speaker
If you love Colorado history, tune into the House of Representatives Monday morning where a former governor, 10 speakers of the House and nearly two dozen other lawmakers will honor Bev Bledsoe, Colorado's longest serving speaker.
The Hugo rancher and Republican served as the speaker from 1981 until 1990. As Colorado's Front Range continued to grow, Bledsoe often said that he represented a minority — rural Colorado. He died in June at the age of 88.
"He cast a big shadow," said former Gov. Dick Lamm, who described Bledsloe as "wickedly smart."


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rbctnt necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
2 ganadores han sido elegidos entre 116 diseños de 23 diseñadores freelance.
Need a very Web 2.0 and engaging design and logo. This is a martial arts site so it need to be sporty,
energetic and eye catching. Prefer reds and black.
One Village, One Family, One Mind!
Desired Color Scheme:
reds, blacks and greys
Desired Style:
web 2.0 - eye catching!
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png)
My current site is: http://www.mmavillage.com Â
I am letting the designers have free creative reign with this. However, please look at the current site so you can see the table structure in use currently. I need CSS driven background images like what you see on the home page, for the video pages as well. I will need a new set of mouseover tabs for site also .. the one on there now are from youtube. I would prefer the tabs to be CCS driven background images so I can control the text on the tab.
I also need a logo. A distinguishable and powerful logo to go with the site design.  Since this is a community site, the logo must convey community ... My idea would be to have 5 to 10 guys and girls in different martial arts uniforms in the logo .. with maybe one of them doing a side kick straight out of the image in a 3D look and feel.
One of the main aspects of this site is the HUGE video library idexed on the site. I will want the design to accentuate the video aspect. Also, the video display page needs a set of graphics to wrap around the video ... the graphics should match the design of the site. Example video page:
I also need a flash controler to show Youtube videos on the site,
that will allow me to be able to control the video behavior. If possible I wouild like the flash controler to be able to control the URL destination if the video is clicked. If this is not possible, then forget this part of the project!
I will also be looking for a Wordpress design, t-shirts, and custom icon graphics from the same designer if this goes well. The winner will also have a steady stream of new project to work on if they desire the extra work!
Lastly ... there are 2 other Martial arts community sites that I am aware of for you to review. http://www.kickgen.com and http://www.saigoworld.com Both of these sites are ugly ... black backgrounds with white letters .. simply horrible. Clearly I do not want that ... but the martial arts themes presented are good. It is the themes I want you to look at when consider the design of my site.
This contest was originally listed in multiple categories:
- Logo Design
- Flash Animation
- Web Page Design (Coded)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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J.K.Rowling Writes "Single Mother's Manifesto," Criticizes British Conservative Party in The Times
Apr 14, 2010
J.K. Rowling
With the British General Election approaching on the 6th of May in the United Kingdom, J.K. Rowling has written an article in today's Times relating her options on the British Conservative Party's stance on single-parent families. In a critical look at some of the positions held by party leaders, the Harry Potter author asks whether the "nasty party" has really changed, as Conservative Party leader David Cameron says it has. In the article, Rowling particularly addresses the Conservative Party's plans to give married couples and civil partners a £150 annual tax break and Cameron's insistence that "it's not the money, it's the message." Rowling writes:
Nobody who has ever experienced the reality of poverty could say "it's not the
money, it's the message". When your flat has been broken into, and you
cannot afford a locksmith, it is the money. When you are two pence short of
a tin of baked beans, and your child is hungry, it is the money. When you
find yourself contemplating shoplifting to get nappies, it is the money. If
Mr Cameron's only practical advice to women living in poverty, the sole
carers of their children, is "get married, and we'll give you £150″, he
reveals himself to be completely ignorant of their true situation.
Rowling writes of how, following the 1993 break up of her first marriage, she "became a hate figure to a certain section of the
press, and a bogeyman to the Tory Government" for the supposed "easy life" she subsequently received along with state benefits and state-funded accommodation.
Whilst conceding that "[there] remains much more to be done" by the governing Labour party, Rowling stands firmly against the assumption that having "long since left single parenthood
for marriage and a nuclear family" she is a natural voter for the Tory (Conservative) party:
The 2010 election campaign, more than any other, has
underscored the continuing gulf between Tory values and my own. It is not
only that the renewed marginalisation of the single, the divorced and the
widowed brings back very bad memories. There has also been the revelation,
after ten years of prevarication on the subject, that Lord Ashcroft, deputy
chairman of the Conservatives, is non-domiciled for tax purposes.
Rowling goes on to discuss her reasons for remaining a domiciled taxpayer, centred on a sense of indebtedness to the British welfare state and a feeling that "it would have been contemptible to scarper for
the West Indies at the first sniff of a seven-figure royalty cheque." The author finishes by directly countering the widespread Conservative advertising campaign: "I've never voted Tory before … and they keep on reminding me why." You can read the article in full on the Times website at this link.


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pier4r wrote: Because the game is far from being alpha in my opinion. Alpha games are normally unplayable.GFX47 wrote:It's still tagged as alpha because there's a lot of missing features, that's the reason.
No cross-device support, replay system needs to be streamlined, ui speed needs update, training mode rework(in progress), achievements, multiplayer notifications, map editor, survival mode, friends list, and in-app purchases for making the game sustainable. Those are some of the major reasons why the game is still in alpha


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Theyskens' Theory Pre-Fall 2013 | Pictures
Theyskens' Theory Pre-Fall 2013
Theyskens' Theory Pre-Fall 2013
Most designers don't try to reinvent the wheel with their Pre-Fall collections, but Olivier Theyskens isn't most designers. So even though he said he "wanted everything to feel really essential" in his most recent Theyskens' Theory collection, that sentiment didn't stop him from being a little forward thinking.
Take for example, the multifunctional pieces here, like a jacket and miniskirt that combine to look like a belted coat, or a white poplin shirt long enough to be worn as a dress. (Theyskens instead showed the shirt tucked into a white A-line skirt.)
Elsewhere, fine-tuned basics dominated, like a slim-sleeve raglan sweatshirt, a dress made of denim, and several pairs of trousers cropped at the ankle. A subtle tartan added a flair to a trench coat and some shirts. Otherwise, the only print was one inspired by one of the essential things that holds New York City together: scaffolding.
Photos courtesy of Theyskens' Theory.


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The prevalence of obesity rose 37 percent between 1998 and 2006, and medical costs climbed to about 9.1 percent of all U.S. medical costs, the researchers said.
in addition to being a syntactic nightmare, does not equal this:
9.1 percent of all health-care costs are the result of eating and drinking too much
(Emphasis added.)
Y'all like to play with numbers and statistics and pretend that you are being delightfully subversive when really you don't know causation from correlation. Here's the thing: fat is a characteristic. Eating and drinking (any amount) are behaviors.
Also, fat people already pay taxes. They also face widespread discrimination from medical professionals and are routinely denied health insurance based solely on their BMI.
Also, you should really go back and take a class in rhetoric, because your headline, "Who's Ready for a Fat Tax?" would only be appropriate if your audience consisted only of thin people, or, I suppose, if fat people didn't know how to read.
Fat tax my inbetweenie ass. Fat people already pay a tax for their bodies: it's called self-hatred and culture-wide scapegoating. Fuck you and the tiny horse you rode in on.
Sweet Machine


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A Southern California man left for Boston in April to watch his daughter cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon.
Never did he or his family imagine it would take him five months to get home.
John Odom, of Torrance, made that triumphant homecoming Friday.
Local news from across Southern California
Possibly the longest hospitalized victim of the April 15 marathon bombings, Odom was 10 feet away from the first explosion.
He suffered critical injuries and severed arteries in both legs, and underwent nearly a dozen surgeries in four weeks. He said he doesn't remember any of it.
"At first, I didn't think I would ever get out of bed," Odom said.
But with the help of a cane – and his wife Karen who has been by his side for his entire recovery – Odom walked into the airport Friday afternoon, greeted by dozens of family and friends who gave him a hero's welcome.
"This is a miracle," Karen Odom said, holding back tears. "From telling me they didn't know if he'd ever make it, to if he made it, he probably wouldn't walk."
"He arrested twice on the operating table, so truly this is a miracle."
Odom's wife, son and son-in-law were all standing nearby when the bombs off at the finish line, but they escaped serious injuries. They used pieces of clothing and a belt to help stop Odom's bleeding.
"You wouldn't believe it from where he was when they put him in that ambulance," Odom's son, Don, said of his father's remarkable recovery. "The days after that, what he went through. He flat-lined twice and they brought him back."
At his homecoming party at his nephew's restaurant, Beach Mex in El Segundo, John Odom recalled what he thought were his last moments.
"As I laid there on the ground, I could feel the blood rushing out of my legs," he said. "I was laying there, I thought, this is where I'm going to die."
"Four weeks later, I woke up."
After nearly a dozen surgeries, Odom woke up to his family by his side and unwavering support from across the world.
Support from his loved ones, he said, is exactly why he's alive today.
"I've been thinking about this for a while now, of how it was going to be," he said with a smile at his homecoming party. "And this is exactly how I envisioned this. Family is everything."
Odom missed his own retirement party at consulting firm Murray Company while he was recovering. But Odom, it seems, has had a change of heart. He said he plans on returning to work on Monday.
The Odoms celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary on Sunday.
More Southern California Stories:
- Brothers Charged With Murder in Girl's Shooting
- SoCal Heat Wave Intensifies
- UPS Driver Rescues Woman in Burning Pickup
- Man Sentenced in Calif. Suitcase Murder
- Riverside House "Completely Blown Up"
- Man Killed in Hit-and-Run Near Beverly Hills
- Newborn Found Dead in Trash Can
- Teacher Suspended After Leno Appearance