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OCEAN CITY — One day after an independent report revealed Maryland could support a sixth casino in Prince George's County and that a move to table games at all of the state's facilities including the Casino at Ocean Downs would drive up revenue, Ocean City business leaders and elected officials began to discuss the eventuality.
The resort's Economic Development Committee (EDC) met on Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics including the pending special session on gaming in Maryland.
Gov. Martin O'Malley last month convened a special work group to study an expansion to table games at Maryland's five authorized casinos along with the addition of a sixth casino at Washington Harbor in Prince George's County.
The governor's work group is expected to present its findings during another General Assembly special session early next month specifically focused on gaming issues. Expanding to table games in Maryland and adding a sixth casino in Prince George's County would need to be approved by the state's voters by referendum and state lawmakers will consider legislation to get the issues on the November ballot.
To that end, the state commissioned an independent study conducted by the Department of Legislative Services along with an independent consulting firm, the results of which were released on Tuesday. Boiled down to its simplest terms, the study confirmed the gaming market is not saturated and Maryland could support a sixth casino at National Harbor. The study also confirmed even with the added competition, the five other facilities in the state, including Ocean Downs, could make more money by adding table games.
The study examined the potential number of table games such as poker, blackjack, craps and roulette, for example, for each of the state's authorized casinos. For Ocean Downs, the study suggested the addition of 24 table games, which would produce an estimated $12 million in new gross revenue. The study suggests table games would increase net revenue at Ocean Downs by around 59 percent. Table games would also increase the local impact grants, money shared by the county and surrounding communities, by $11 million.
While the numbers sound impressive, the local business community remains vigilant about what changes could be in store for the Casino at Ocean Downs. Restrictions were put in place when the legislation was first passed a few years ago on the types of lodging, food and beverage programs offered at the Berlin casino in deference to neighboring Ocean City and those haven't changed although legislation considered during the regular General Assembly session this year would have relaxed some of them.
With an expansion to table games and the addition of a sixth casino on the table next month, some of those restrictions on Ocean Downs will likely be revisited.
"There were a lot of restrictions put in place on Ocean Downs for a reason," said EDC President Michael James. "We have to keep a close eye on what happens with this special session."
Delegate Mike McDermott (R-38B) agreed the resort business community should keep a close eye on the special session on gaming, even during its busiest time of the year.
"We have to be ready for this upcoming special session on gaming," he said. "[Senate President] Mike Miller is determined to have a sixth casino at Washington Harbor and for that to happen, he needs it on the November ballot, which is why we need to be prepared and vigilant."
McDermott said the legislation that failed at the end of the regular session would have relaxed the rules for Ocean Downs and he fought for amendments to avoid that. The effort was moot after the legislation failed to pass at the close of the session, but the delegate warned they would likely be back on the table.
"We have to be diligent and vigilant in Annapolis," he said "We have to move forward together. I'm working with other Eastern Shore delegates in trying to craft our own bill to protect the interests of Ocean City."
For their part, Ocean Downs officials have lobbied for some loosening of the restrictions in order to allow the facility to deal with the same seasonal fluctuations most other businesses in the resort are faced with each offseason. Ocean Downs officials have said they don't want a convention center or a vast entertainment complex with hotels and restaurants, but they would like the ability to adjust and adapt to seasonal peaks and valleys.
"They wanted to change the parameters for Ocean Downs," he said. "Mr. Rickman and the casino do want some small changes, but I don't think they are anything anybody in this room would disagree with."
Casino at Ocean Downs General Manager Joe Cavilla was on hand at Wednesday's EDC meeting and told business leaders the facility is not seeking major changes and wants to be a good neighbor and partner with the resort.
"We're committed to the business community in Ocean City and Worcester County," he said. "We're not a destination on our own. We're just a part of this larger destination."
James agreed the casino and the resort business community can and should be partners, but warned of what might be hidden in legislation considered during the upcoming special session.
"Like it or not, table games are coming," he said. "That was inevitable from the start. We certainly wouldn't want to see hotels or big parks, but we want you to be successful."
To illustrate the growing partnership, Cavilla said Ocean Downs officials have been tracking the number of visitors from out of state and out of the area and found that a big contributor was Virginia. He said Virginia accounted for about 14-16 percent of the visitors during the offseason, and even if the two counties on Virginia's Eastern Shore are discounted, the figure still came in around 10 percent.
"That's encouraging for us and it should be for you also," he said. "If they're coming, we obviously can't put them up, so we hope they are staying in Ocean City. We hope you feel we're part of the team."


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Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 45: Catholic Epistles, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com
A translation of
John Calvin's Version
The Epistle of Jude.
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James, to the called, who are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved by Jesus Christ;
2 Mercy to you and peace and love be increased.
3 Beloved, when I was applying all care to write to you of the common salvation, I deemed it necessary to write to you in order to exhort you, that ye should by contending help the faith once delivered to the saints.
4 For crept in stealthily have certain men, ordained of old to this judgment, ungodly, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying God, the only sovereign, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 Now I wish to remind you, though ye once knew this, that the Lord, after having saved the people from the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed the unbelieving;
6 And the angels, who had not kept their own pre-eminence, but left their own abode, he has reserved under darkness in eternal chains for the judgment of the great day.
7 As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities around them, having in like manner committed fornication and gone after strange flesh, have been set forth for an example, undergoing the judgment of eternal fire:
8 In like manner also do these, deluded with dreams, pollute the flesh, reject government, and heap curses on dignities:
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when, contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not to bring against him a reviling judgment, but said,
10 "The Lord rebuke thee." But these revile those things which they know not, but what things they know naturally, as brute beasts; in these they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam's reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are stains in your brotherly feasts, feasting with you, heedlessly feeding themselves; clouds without water, driven about by winds; withering trees of autumn, fruitless, twice dead, rooted up;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever:
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, formerly prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of the ungodly deeds of ungodliness which they have in an ungodly manner done, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God."
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks swelling words, admiring persons for the sake of gain.
17 But ye, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 For they have told you, that in the last time scoffers would come, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are they who separate themselves, being sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have mercy, making a difference;
23 But others save by fear, snatching them from the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now to him who can keep you free from sin and set you faultless before the presence of his glory with exultation
25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and to all ages. Amen.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Visit to the Delightful Rue Montorgueil Market Street
An extremely popular 2nd Arrondissement destination for both tourists and locals is the Rue Montorgueil market street, a five-block long lane between Rue Etienne Marcel and Rue Reaumur. Home to more than two dozen specialty food shops, cafes and bistros, including a patisserie founded nearly 280 years ago by the head pastry chef to king Louis XV, Rue Montorgueil is a real treat even if you're just window shopping (called faire du leche-vitrines in French, which oddly translates to "window licking). Continue Reading →


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The man behind that voice is Brian Snow and he is just about the nicest person with whom you will ever exchange emails. I had a chance to pick his brain about life, sports and how he keeps that voice in pitch perfect condition earlier this week. He cut his teeth in Chicago, having attended Fenger high school and Chicago State University and has been in the announcing game for 16 years. He first started at his alma mater in 1995. Brian Snow, the Snowman, has charmed the pants off America and now here's a little window into what makes him tick.
Is this a full-time gig, are you looking to expand to a more national presence?
"This is definitely full time. What people do not see, they won't believe. I believe in my ability and I also believe in High School Cube because they gave me an opportunity to make this a reality on a consistent basis. I also cover baseball, football, and I do some hockey. This has already given me a national presence so that is already covered."
Do you have favorite call from a game? For instance, mine is probably Gary Thorne calling Don Mattingly's homerun at Yankee Stadium in the 1995 playoffs against Seattle.
Jim Durham's call from "The Shot" by Michael Jordan May 7, 1989
Do you have a favorite call of your own and do you think you'll develop your own catchphrase, if you haven't already?
My personal favorite is the recent one vs Bogan from Wednesday night. As for a catchphrase, I know I will have a catch phrase soon - but the internet has given me the signature "It Ain't Midnight Yet Ya'll."
Do you have like a tea and honey or lozenge regimen to keep your voice in good shape?
Tea and honey regimen: two cups before, two cups after a game.
Judging by your twitter avatar, you seem like a pretty big dude. Are people ever shocked when they see you after hearing one of your calls?
To this day, and this covers 16 years, a lot of people when they meet me are very very shocked because they expected someone white and skinny...not to mention short lol.
What is your response to some of the criticism you have received for your style?
There will always be critics..and the reason they criticize, because they only see it from one side - OUTside. They are not inside the arena, or the stands or with the coaches or most importantly the kids to see that kind of action.
You're a Chicago guy. Think the Cubs will ever win a World Series? Sub-question: The new MLB 12 The Show advertisement—awesome or depressing?
HELL no. As for the video game: DEPRESSING - but then again it's a video game so I (as a White Sox and Cardinals fan) take comfort that it is just a fantasy.
Also, sorry about the Miss Piggy crack, I really did love the call.
Don't worry about the Miss Piggy crack - the fact that you want to do this interview and that we are becoming friends is apology enough my friend!
See what I mean? So nice.


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Yahoo is lumbering into the app search game, years behind smaller, nimbler competitors.
A new website called Yahoo App Search indexes iPhone and Android apps, and an iPhone app called Y AppSpot provides personalized recommendations and a search function.
But as I played with these search tools, I couldn't figure out why anyone should use Yahoo's new apps instead of the many other app search options available. Neither the website nor the iPhone app bring anything new to the table.
Y AppSpot's big hook is supposed to be personalized recommendations based on the apps you already use, which led me to wonder why "Celebs Free" and "Justin Bieber Revenge" were among the apps Yahoo wanted me to try. At least the iPhone App Store's built-in Genius function tells you which app it uses for the basis of each recommendation.
Beyond Yahoo's recommendation engine, there's little reason to use the app instead of the native App Store. I do like the "more apps you'll love" option for each app, which opens a list of similar choices, but the options for discovery are otherwise pretty barren. If you want more ways to find cool iPhone apps, check out Appsfire, which tracks price drops and uses Facebook and Twitter to find popular apps. For finding discounts, I like AppShopper and AppMiner.
Yahoo's App Search website does fill a void left by Apple, which doesn't have a central location on the Web to search for iPhone apps. But as with Yahoo's iPhone app, there are no tools for finding discounts or discovering what's popular at the moment, as you can with Appshopper or Appsfire, respectively. And for basic search, I prefer the interface of Chomp, which shows a screenshot for every search result instead of just an uninformative app icon. Again, the "more apps you'll love" option is Yahoo's saving grace, but it's not enough to stand out from the competition.
For Yahoo, getting into the app search game makes sense. On mobile devices, apps replace many functions of a native browser, so indexing apps is a forward-thinking move. But for now, at least, other websites and discovery apps are several moves ahead.
Follow Jared on Facebook and Twitter for even more tech news and commentary.


text: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=107374 GitLab Migration User <gitlab-migration at fdo.invalid> changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status|NEW |RESOLVED Resolution|--- |MOVED --- Comment #1 from GitLab Migration User <gitlab-migration at fdo.invalid> --- -- GitLab Migration Automatic Message -- This bug has been migrated to freedesktop.org's GitLab instance and has been closed from further activity. You can subscribe and participate further through the new bug through this link to our GitLab instance: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/crucible/issues/3. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are the assignee for the bug. You are the QA Contact for the bug. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/piglit/attachments/20190306/ddae4e42/attachment.html>


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Children's Favorite Adapted in Horton Hears a Who
- Lisa Rice Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2008 14 Mar
DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 2008
Rating: G
Genre: Kids/Family, Animation and Adaptation
Run Time: 85 min.
Directors: Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino
Voices of: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly, Charles Osgood
Have you ever been in a theatre where you heard just as many adult chuckles as children's giggles? Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! is one of those movies that evokes such a spirit of across-the-board amusement.
The adults will enjoy the voices of actor favorites such as Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett, while kids will enjoy the sweet story of an unlikely hero's quest to save the world. Well, one world, at least … one teeny, tiny world.
It turns out that the whole world of Whoville has a mayor (Carell), who is completely oblivious to the fact that they live on one speck of dust on one little drifting wildflower. They might have gone on that way indefinitely if it hadn't been for Horton (Carrey), who happens to find it and hear some teeny little sounds coming from the teeny world. (After all, elephants have giant ears for a reason, right?) Horton is ecstatic and gathers all the little jungle creatures around to hear the story.
Horton finds a way to converse with the mayor and soon proves to him that he and his whole town actually do exist within one little speck. But not to worry because Horton will take the wildflower up to a cave in the highest spot on the highest mountain in the jungle, where the little world will be safe forever. The mayor isn't so sure, so he runs to the city council elders and tries to inform them of their precarious predicament, but the elders won't listen. After all, nothing bad has ever happened in Whoville, and besides, it's time to make big plans for the town's anniversary party.
Meanwhile, Horton's protection of the flower is slipping. Mrs. Kangaroo (Burnett), a scary, controlling, fearful, suspicious mother who "pouch schools" her boy has gotten wind of Horton's wild tale about a world on a speck, and she's determined to squelch the nonsense. After all, it's dangerous to get kids imagining things because "imagination leads to rebellion against authority, and rebellion leads to anarchy!"
Mrs. Kangaroo makes it her quest to destroy the wildflower, and she even riles up the monkeys and a horrible vulture (Will Arnett) to fight on her team. Horton's mouse friend warns him that he has many enemies on his trail and must hurry to the high mountain. Horton tells the mayor the dire news. The mayor goes home to his wife and 96 children, spends a little time with each, and tries to come up with a plan. The only way that the micro-world will be saved is for the teeny little Who's to find a way to work together with the largest creature of the "real world's" jungle. As the clock ticks, Mrs. Kangaroo's rage rises and her evil plans escalate.
Based on the charming Dr. Seuss book from 1954, Horton Hears a Who! is a fun movie for all ages. The animation feels just like the book, and the screenwriting (with all of those in-between lines and side stories) is clever. At one point, the movie makes fun of anime cartoons as it spins off to Horton's dream sequence of being a super-hero. That part got big laughs from the kids. There are also clever side stories, like the fact that there are two "Vlad's"—one being a big, scary, multi-toothed vulture and the other being a sweet, fluffy bunny with a plate of cookies. The jungle creatures keep having to clarify which Vlad they're talking about. Really cute.
The acting is superb, and adults will smile as they hear some of their favorite voice-overs in the animals. There are a few places where the story drags a bit, but it's not enough to kill the fun.
The only negative is a subtle worldview issue. The "bad guy" is a homeschooling mother. The assumption is that it's dangerous to put your kid in the group because it could eventually lead to anarchy. As a homeschooling mother, I find the moviemaker's ignorance laughable. Thankfully, that's not a pervasive theme, and the other elements of the movie are quite inspirational. For example, as people of faith, it's good to think about how we, too, are just a speck in a world protected by a great big God who fights battles we can't even see in the realm surrounding us. We think we're so in control of our worlds, but one crushing blow from above could level us! Thank goodness our God is for us!
All in all, Horton Hears a Who! makes for some great family discussion on many levels and some terrific entertainment for kids and kids-at-heart.
- Language/Profanity: None.
- Drugs/Alcohol: None.
- Sex/Nudity: None.
- Violence: Cartoon slapstick violence and scary images of a vulture, bad chimps who assemble for battle, and a perilous chase and animal attack.
- Worldview: Homeschoolers are narrow-minded, fear-based, fun-and-imagination squelchers.


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Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a constitutional republic with a population of approximately 56,000. In November voters elected the Parliament (Nitijela) in generally free and fair multiparty elections. The Parliament was scheduled to elect a president in January 2008. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, prison conditions, government corruption, violence against women, child abuse, and lack of worker protections were areas of concern.
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From:
a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life
There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The constitution prohibits such practices, and there were no reports that government officials employed them.
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Prison conditions did not meet international standards. Lighting, ventilation, and sanitation were inadequate, and there was no program to ensure regular access to outside activity. Security was poor.
Some male juveniles were held together with the general prison population. There were no specialized prison facilities for female prisoners, including juveniles; they generally were held under house arrest. Some female offenders were held in a separate police substation. Pretrial detainees were not separated from the general prison population.
There were no requests for prison visits by independent human rights observers. In the past the government allowed visits by the media and foreign diplomatic representatives without interference.
d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
The constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government generally observed these prohibitions.
Role of the Police and Security Apparatus
Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the police force, and the government has effective mechanisms to investigate and punish abuse and corruption. There were no reports of impunity involving the police force during the year.
Arrest and Detention
Under the constitution and law, a warrant issued by a court is required for an arrest if there is adequate time to obtain one. The courts have interpreted this provision to exempt situations such as a breach of the peace or an ongoing felony. There was a functioning system of bail, and detainees may request bond immediately upon arrest for minor offenses. Most serious offenses require the detainee to remain in jail until a hearing can be arranged, normally the morning after arrest. Detainees have the right to lawyers of their choice, and the government provides a lawyer if the defendant is indigent. Families had access to detainees.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence in practice.
The High Court chief justice, with foreign assistance, continued work on implementation of a multiyear judicial training program and improvements in trial procedures.
Trial Procedures
The constitution provides for the right to a fair trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right.
Defendants can choose either a bench trial or a four-member jury trial. In recent years defendants increasingly opted for jury trials, which had a higher rate of acquittals. Defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence and have the right to counsel. They may question witnesses, examine government-held evidence, and appeal convictions.
Political Prisoners and Detainees
There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.
Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies
There is no separate judiciary in civil matters, but there are administrative remedies for alleged wrongs as well as judicial remedies within the general court system.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence
The constitution prohibits such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions in practice.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.
On October 12, supporters of an opposition party accused police forces of destroying political signs placed on private property. The following week the property owners filed a civil suit against a police officer accused of destroying the signs. The case was pending at year's end.
Internet Freedom
There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail.
Academic Freedom and Cultural Events
There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
The constitution provides for freedom of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.
c. Freedom of Religion
The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice.
Societal Abuses and Discrimination
There were no reports of societal abuse or discrimination against religious groups, including anti-Semitic acts. There were few known individuals of Jewish background in the country.
For a more detailed discussion, see the 2007 International Religious Freedom Report.
d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons
The constitution provides for freedom of movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.
The law does not prohibit forced exile, but the government did not employ it.
Protection of Refugees
The laws do not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol, and the country is not a signatory of these instruments. The government has not established a system for providing protection to refugees. In practice the country has almost no history of refugees or asylum seekers.
Stateless Persons
The country has one habitually resident de facto stateless person. The law does not provide a specific way for stateless persons to gain citizenship. The stateless resident has not been subjected to discriminatory treatment, access to services, or application of the law.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government
The law provides citizens the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections based on universal suffrage.
Elections and Political Participation
Executive power is centralized in the president and his cabinet. The legislature consists of the Nitijela and a council of chiefs (Iroij), the latter of which serves a largely consultative function dealing with custom and traditional practices. Citizens 18 years of age and older elect the 33-member Nitijela and mayors by secret ballot every four years.
The most recent elections for the Nitijela were held in November. There were many problems on election day in the major population center of Majuro, resulting in many voters waiting more than five hours to cast their ballots. In addition, some ballot boxes were recounted on the initiative of the chief electoral officer, which caused accusations of impropriety and assertions that the boxes should have been reopened only with a court order. Nevertheless, a team of independent election observers from the Pacific Islands Forum stated in their initial report that the election, while poorly managed, was conducted in a democratic manner, enabling voters to exercise their will freely.
Individuals and parties can freely declare their candidacy and stand for election. There are no restrictions on the formation of political parties, although many candidates prefer to run independently or loosely aligned with informal coalitions.
There are no legal impediments to women's participation in government and politics; however, traditional attitudes of male dominance, women's cultural responsibilities, traditionally passive roles, and the generally early age of pregnancies made it difficult for women to obtain political qualifications or experience. There was one woman in the 33-member Nitijela and four women in the 12-seat House of Iroij. There were no female judges, but the chief public defender was a woman. There were a number of women in prominent appointed government positions, including the secretary of education, secretary of health, acting secretary of foreign affairs, director of the Social Security Administration, and banking commissioner.
There were no members of minorities in the legislature.
Government Corruption and Transparency
The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption; however, the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials sometimes engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. The World Bank's worldwide governance indicators reflect that corruption was a serious problem. Budgetary problems persisted, but the government continued to make steady improvements, and auditors found fewer faults than in previous years.
Public officials are not subject to financial disclosure laws. The Attorney General's Office is responsible for investigating cases of alleged corruption, but few cases were prosecuted. No high-level elected official has ever been indicted for corruption. Voters tend to look to representatives for financial assistance, which pressured elected officials to use government authority to provide patronage to extended family members and supporters. This frequently led to allegations of nepotism in government hiring, especially for teachers, where studies found serious differences between teacher pay and qualification.
The law does not provide specifically for public access to government information. Although there is no specific statutory basis for denying such information, the government held that the burden for overcoming a denial of access rests with the public, and a court filing showing the reason the information is required was often necessary.
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
Human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, but few local groups existed. The government was not always responsive to the concerns of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The NGO Women United Together in the Marshall Islands (WUTMI) worked on women's, children's, and family issues and played a significant role in social issues.
Section 5 Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons
The constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, language, national or social origin, place of birth, and family status or descent, and the government generally observed these provisions.
Rape and assault are criminal offenses, and the government enforced the law effectively. The law establishes penalties of up to 25 years' imprisonment for first-degree sexual assault. Spousal abuse was common; most assaults occurred while the assailant was under the influence of alcohol. According to a 2003 WUTMI survey, more than 80 percent of women had been affected by spousal abuse. Violence against women outside the family also occurred, and women in urban centers risked assault if they went out alone after dark. Police generally responded to reports of rape and domestic assault, and the government's health office provided counseling in reported spousal and child abuse cases. However, most observers believed that few sexual offenses were prosecuted, since cultural constraints discouraged victims from reporting such crimes to the police. During the year one sexual assault case was brought before the High Court; at year's end it was pending.
The courts have promulgated rules designed to protect women filing rape charges during court testimony, and women's groups under the WUTMI umbrella continued to publicize women's issues and promote a greater awareness of women's rights.
Prostitution is illegal but continued to occur, particularly on the Majuro and Kwajalein atolls. Organized prostitution on Majuro, run primarily by foreigners, no longer catered only to the crews of foreign fishing vessels. There were no specific reports of violence against prostitutes, although the government assumed that it existed. The government prosecuted and expelled several persons who had overstayed their visas, could show no income or other evidence of support, and were alleged to be involved in prostitution.
Although not legally prohibited, no sex tourism was reported.
Sexual harassment is not prohibited by law, but it was not considered a widespread or serious problem.
The inheritance of property and traditional rank is matrilineal, with women occupying positions of importance in the traditional system, although control of property often was delegated to male family members on behalf of female landowners. Several educated women held prominent positions, particularly in government; however, while female workers were very prevalent in the private sector, many were in low-paying jobs with little prospect for advancement. The traditional authority exercised by women has declined with growing urbanization and movement of the population away from traditional lands.
The government showed a commitment to children's welfare through its programs of free education and health care, but these were not adequate to meet the needs of the country's increasing population.
Education was universal and compulsory to age 18, and the national government did not charge school fees. It was estimated that up to 20 percent of children did not attend elementary school on a regular basis. In many cases this was because they lived too far away from a school or their families could not afford the annual registration fee (which varied by school but averaged approximately $10) or incidental expenses. The lack of school lunch programs in most public schools was cited as another factor that contributed to absenteeism and poor performance. There were not enough high school facilities to accommodate all high-school-age children. Admission to high school continued to be by competitive examination. The government's enrollment report indicated that only two-thirds of those completing eighth grade attended high school. According to a 2005 World Bank report, approximately 50 percent of high school students--or one-third of those who started elementary school--eventually graduated.
The government provided subsidized essential medical services for all citizens, including children. Boys and girls had equal access to these services.
Child abuse and neglect are criminal offenses, but public awareness of children's rights remained low, and child abuse and neglect were considered increasingly common. Convictions for violation are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, depending on the degree of the offense. A law passed in September sets 18 years as the minimum age of consent for sexual activity. The law requires teachers, caregivers, and other persons to report instances of child abuse and exempts them from civil or criminal liability as a consequence of making such a report. Nonetheless, there were few reports or prosecutions.
Trafficking in Persons
The law does not specifically prohibit trafficking in persons; however, there were no reports that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the country.
Persons with Disabilities
The constitution prohibits discrimination against persons with physical or mental disabilities, and there are no restrictions on the right of such persons to vote or participate in civic affairs. There was no apparent discrimination against persons with physical or mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other state services; however, there were no building codes and no legislation mandating access for such persons. The government provided minimal support for persons with mental disabilities.
Persons who could be medically defined as psychotic were imprisoned with the general prison population and visited by a doctor. When prison officials protested the disruptions caused by this practice, other arrangements, such as house arrest, were made.
There is no government agency specifically charged with protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. The attorney general is responsible for handling court cases involving complaints of discrimination against persons with disabilities, but no such cases were brought during the year.
National Minorities
There were reports that discrimination against Chinese nationals increased. The government was accused of selectively enforcing laws, especially immigration laws, against migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) while ignoring similar violations from other nationalities. There were allegations that immigration officers seized PRC passports from their holders at the airport. The owners of these passports were later detained by immigration enforcement officers and were unable to produce their documentation because their passports had been "lost" by officials at the airport. Police then arrested them for being in the country without documentation.
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination
Some ethnic Chinese reported being threatened or attacked based on their race and receiving regular racial slurs. Other ethnic Chinese stated it was common for taxi drivers to refuse to stop for Chinese passengers. It was not uncommon to hear Marshallese complaining of "too many foreigners, especially Chinese."
There were no accounts of societal violence based on sexual orientation or HIV/AIDS infection. There are no enforced laws criminalizing homosexuality. In general homosexuals were accepted in society. There was some cultural stigma attached to HIV infection, but NGOs and the government conducted campaigns to provide HIV/AIDS education and encourage testing for the disease.
Section 6 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
The law provides for the right of free association in general, and the government interpreted this right as allowing the existence of labor unions, although none have been formed. With few major employers, there were few opportunities for workers to unionize, and the country had no history or culture of organized labor.
b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
There is no legislation concerning collective bargaining or trade union organization. Wages in the cash economy were determined by market factors in accordance with the minimum wage and other laws.
The law does not provide for the right to strike, and the government has not addressed this issue.
There are no export processing zones.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The constitution prohibits involuntary servitude, and there were no reports of its practice among citizens. Officials suspected that some forced or compulsory labor existed among the illegal alien population.
The law does not specifically prohibit forced and compulsory labor by children; however, there were no reports that such practices occurred.
d. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment
There is no law or regulation setting a minimum age for employment of children. Children typically were not employed in the wage economy, but some assisted their families in fishing, agriculture, retailing, and other small-scale enterprises.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The law establishes a minimum wage of two dollars per hour for both government and private sector employees. (The U.S. dollar is used as the national currency.) The national minimum wage did not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. However, in the subsistence economy, extended families were expected to help less fortunate members, and there often were several wage earners to support each family. The Ministry of Resources and Development adequately enforced the minimum wage regulations. Foreign employees and local trainees of private employers who had invested in or established a business in the country were exempt from minimum wage requirements. This exemption did not affect a significant segment of the workforce.
A government labor office makes recommendations to the Nitijela on working conditions, such as the minimum wage, legal working hours and overtime payments, and occupational health and safety standards, and the office periodically convenes board meetings that are open to the public. There is no legislation concerning maximum hours of work or occupational safety and health. On Sunday most businesses were closed, and persons generally refrained from working. No legislation specifically gives workers the right to remove themselves from situations that endanger their health or safety without jeopardy to their continued employment, and no legislation protects workers who file complaints about such conditions. The law protects foreign workers in the same manner as citizens.


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By PHUONG LE
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Seattle leaders have proposed new rules for retail and food-service businesses with hourly employees, including requiring them to schedule shifts two weeks in advance and compensate workers for some last-minute changes.
It's the latest push by a city that has led the nation in mandating worker benefits.
Seattle was among the first to phase in a $15 hourly minimum wage, mandate sick leave for many companies and offer paid parental leave for city workers.
Now, the mayor, city officials and labor-backed groups are targeting erratic schedules and fluctuating hours they say make it difficult for people to juggle child care, school or other jobs, to count on stable income or to plan for the future.
Seattle's "secure scheduling" proposal also would require retail and fast-food companies with 500 employees globally to compensate workers with "predictability pay" when they're scheduled but don't get called into work or are sent home early; provide a minimum 10 hours rest between open and closing shifts; and offer hours to existing employees before hiring new staff.
"Creating equity in Seattle means providing workers with access to a reliable schedule that meets their life and financial needs, while balancing the daily realities facing large employers," Mayor Ed Murray said earlier this month.
In 2014, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to pass similar legislation. A District of Columbia bill requiring 14-day scheduling notice advanced out of a council committee in June but has yet to be taken up by the full council. A November ballot measure before San Jose, California, voters would require businesses to offer additional hours to existing part-time employees before hiring new staff.
The Washington Retail Association and other businesses have criticized the Seattle proposal, saying many employers already provide advance scheduling notice. They say the measure is too restrictive and will create more problems for workers.
"It will wipe out the scheduling flexibility that benefits both employees and employers," said Jan Teague, association president. If store managers can't add to labor costs to cover the predictability pay, they'll operate with fewer employees or fewer hours when someone can't make it into work, she said.
Others say they want to see changes to some provisions, such as ensuring employers aren't penalized for offering shifts directly to workers who want them.
Across the country, companies have faced increasing pressure to make schedules more predictable. Last month, Wal-Mart launched a new scheduling system to give thousands of hourly employees more certainty about their hours.
The sponsors of Seattle's ordinance say it's as much about closing the city's income gap as giving entry-level workers, many of whom are women and minorities, more control over schedules. Median household income, housing prices and rents have soared in booming Seattle as the city has grown to about 687,000 and added about 50,000 tech and other jobs in five years.
"We want this to be a city where our workforce, the people who are keeping this place running, can afford to live here," said Councilwoman Lisa Herbold, a bill sponsor. "When people have more secure hours, they can do things that make the city more affordable, such as holding down a second job or going to school so they can get a better job."
Crystal Thompson, who works at Domino's Pizza, often scrambles to find child care when she gets her schedule one day before the work week begins. The short notice makes it difficult to plan her life.
"This will be good for a lot of people," she said.
Oliver Savage, 22, a Starbucks barista, said he has asked to work 30 hours but currently gets 20. For a period this summer, a previous store manager scheduled him for only eight hours, reducing his one source of income. He said the store hired a new barista during that time, so he supports the provision requiring current workers be offered hours before additional staff is hired.
Jennifer England, who owns a Subway franchise, said she works with her three employees to accommodate their scheduling needs. She said she won't be able to pay extra for last-minute shift changes if a worker wants time off or calls in sick.
"They're making it harder for us to schedule and if anything comes up, we're going to be penalized and we can't afford that," England said.
The bill exempts companies whose employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with similar scheduling provisions.
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Sunday, June 5, 2011
Gamma World, Cover to Cover (Part IX)
There are energy-based melee weapons, too, whose unique characteristic is that they deal flat damage (10, 20, 30, etc.) rather than a range (1d10, 2d10, etc.). Of the six grenade types described, two deal instant death and/or disintegration to enemies caught within their blast radius, continuing the trend of extremely deadly weapons in Gamma World. This trend reaches its zenith in the sixteen bombs and missiles also detailed, from small backpacks full of explosives dealing 6d6 damage to all in their blast radius to missiles carrying neutron bombs that deal instant death to living things.
There are ten types of powered armor, divided into "defensive" and "offensive" types. Curiously, defensive armors generally lack force fields, making them a lot less useful as protection than the offensive types. Offensive armor also tends to have many more extra features, like anti-grav flight, built-in medikits and communicators, and so forth. From my perspective, though, it's the force fields that are most interesting part of these armors, since the provided round-by-round damage reduction in addition to a lower armor class. This is, I think, the first time we see anything of this sort in a D&D-derived game.
There are seven vehicle types, most of which use anti-grav technology. There are two types that don't (and a third that sometimes doesn't), but both are explicitly explained as being archaic by the time that civilization was destroyed. I consider this important information, since it emphasizes the fact that Gamma World's fall happens in the future, not the 20th century. Thus, we should see very few, if any, examples of 20th century tech kicking around in the 25th century, but this is a topic to which I'll return later.
A lot of attention is given both to energy cells and to I.D. devices, both of which come in many varieties. Having access to a goodly supply of these -- and the right ones -- was, in my experience, one of the keys to success in Gamma World. Nearly every technological device requires an energy cell to operate and these cells are generally quite inefficient, being used up after somewhere between 6 and 10 uses of a device, with a few exceptions. This was almost certainly intended to keep a rein on the use of high technology in Gamma World and rightly so, given its effectiveness. I.D. cards, meanwhile, serve a similar function, limiting the ability of the PCs to get into Ancient installations where they might find functioning high technology.
Another limit readily apparent on Gamma World's technology is that it was clearly designed for use by pure strain humans. The text often notes that humanoids with visible mutations might be unable to make use of many devices. This is particularly true of anything computer-related, since it seems that these machines only respond to pure strain humans or humanoids who can pass for such (mutant animals are utterly incapable of passing muster).
Looking over Gamma World's rules for high technology, what's most evident to me, aside from its lethality, is how often the rules are either vague or employ some sort of new approach that one did not see in D&D. I've already noted the ablative effect of force fields, but there's also the stunning rules and cases where high technology temporarily boosts ability scores or hit points. In other cases, what we see are no rules at all, just a suggestion that "device x does y" but without any quantification of how it does y or how often or with what effectiveness, leaving such things to the referee.
As a kid, I don't think I ever took notice of these facts; my friends and I just rolled with it and came up with answers as needed. Nowadays, I can't help but notice both the vagueness and the ad hoc sub-systems created to patch over holes where D&D provided no rules or no model on which to make rules. I don't think this is a bad thing by any means. Indeed, I think I prefer this approach all things considered. However, it's definitely one that is alien to so much of contemporary game design and the culture of play that's grown up around it. For that reason alone, I suspect Gamma World would be a hard sell for gamers who expect rules to be both exhaustive and meticulously consistent -- their loss.
5 comments:
The flat-damage for energy-based weapons seems interesting to me; definitely makes damage from energy different from normal physical means.ReplyDelete
So were you planning on talking about how Mutant Future compares to Gamma World 1e at some time? I'd be interested in your thoughts on that.
Force fields in play could lead to some very frustrating combats, especially the heavy duty force fields equipped on military robots.ReplyDelete
I'm not sure how much of that was due to me tweaking weapons for my homebrew campaign, but it often resulted in the players throwing everything they had and having it all negated by the force field, and sometimes vice versa when the players got their hands on 'em too.
Which equaled out to a lot of shootin' and no hittin'.
Once such confrontation was immortalized by yours truly in this illustration...
Good times, but frustrating...
Yeah, my players have just had their first battle with force-field equipped foes and it certainly seemed like it could have ended quite badly for them if not for their well-played use of mental mutations (Stunning Force and Mental Control).ReplyDelete
One thing the 1E rules do not state clearly, is whether or not one is actually able to attack out of a Force Field. I assume that it was the author's intention that it be so, but certain changes that were put into the 2E rules start to muddy the waters... namely the descriptions of Repelling Force and Repulsion Field. I am still trying to work my mind around what exactly the authors intended with those powers.
(In the meantime I am sticking with the relatively straightforward 1E versions of Force Field and Repulsion Field)
As you go through the 1E rules I'm amazed at how deadly they were. I ran a 1E Gamma campaign many years ago but I don't remember any player deaths. I must have unconsciously nerfed things because killing players was never my scene. But 1E seems almost designed for death.ReplyDelete
@BigFella -- When I looked at your illustration, my first thought was, "Is that Joe Camel dressed like the Marlboro Man?"ReplyDelete
Cool illustration!


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Report on Kuchinoerabujima (Japan) — 28 November-4 December 2018
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 28 November-4 December 2018
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2018. Report on Kuchinoerabujima (Japan) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 28 November-4 December 2018. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
30.443°N, 130.217°E; summit elev. 657 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
JMA reported that during 28 November-3 December intermittent events at Kuchinoerabujima's Shindake Crater generated plumes that rose as high as 1.5 km above the crater rim. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-5).
Geological Summary. A group of young stratovolcanoes forms the eastern end of the irregularly shaped island of Kuchinoerabujima in the northern Ryukyu Islands, 15 km W of Yakushima. The Furudake, Shindake, and Noikeyama cones were erupted from south to north, respectively, forming a composite cone with multiple craters. All historical eruptions have occurred from Shindake, although a lava flow from the S flank of Furudake that reached the coast has a very fresh morphology. Frequent explosive eruptions have taken place from Shindake since 1840; the largest of these was in December 1933. Several villages on the 4 x 12 km island are located within a few kilometers of the active crater and have suffered damage from eruptions.


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Water sample test results must consistently show that the chemical's presence in the public water system is at or below 1 parts per million, the level recommended by federal agencies, before residents can turn on their taps again, West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said Saturday at a news conference.
The company told residents in nine counties to not drink their tap water or use it to bathe or wash dishes or clothes after a foaming agent used in coal processing escaped from a Freedom Industries plant in Charleston and seeped into the Elk River. The only allowed use of the water was for flushing toilets. The order applies to about 300,000 people.
Thirty-two people sought treatment at area hospitals for symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Of those, four people were admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately known, Allison Adler of the Department of Health and Human Resources said Saturday.
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, opened an investigation into Thursday's spill. The Chemical Safety Board said Saturday that its investigative team is scheduled to arrive in West Virginia on Monday.
"This incident continues to impact the people of West Virginia - our goal is to find out what happened to allow a leak of such magnitude to occur and to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring," Chemical Safety Board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a news release.
About 7,500 gallons of the chemical escaped from a storage tank and a containment area, said Michael Dorsey, chief of the state Department of Environmental Protection's Homeland Security and Emergency Response office.
Just how much of the chemical leaked into the river was not yet known. But Dorsey said during the news conference that state officials do not believe waterways downstream, including the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, will be affected because of dilution.
On Friday, the company's president issued an apology to West Virginia residents.
"We'd like to start by sincerely apologizing to the people in the affected counties of West Virginia," company President Gary Southern said. "Our friends and our neighbors, this incident is extremely unfortunate, unanticipated and we are very, very sorry for the disruptions to everybody's daily life this incident has caused."
Some residents, including John Bonham of Cross Lanes, were willing to accept Southern's apology.
"Yeah, I understand that stuff can happen," said Bonham, who also works in the chemical industry. "I don't think it's going to get him out of legal liability. OSHA is the one they're going to have to answer to."
The leak was discovered Thursday morning from the bottom of the tank. Southern said the company worked all day and through the night to remove the chemical from the site and take it elsewhere.
"We have mitigated the risk, we believe, in terms of further material leaving this facility," Southern said. He said the company didn't know how much had leaked.
The tank that leaked holds at least 40,000 gallons, said state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise, although officials believe no more than 5,000 gallons leaked from the tank. Some of that was contained before escaping into the river, Aluise said.
Freedom Industries was ordered Friday night to remove chemicals from its remaining above-ground tanks, Aluise added.
The company was already cited for causing air pollution stemming from the odor first reported Thursday, Aluise said.
The primary component in the foaming agent that leaked is the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol. The spill has forced businesses, restaurants and schools to shut down and forced the Legislature to cancel its business.
Health officials in Kanawha and Putnam counties were working to reopen restaurants, daycare centers and other facilities closed by the spill. Several facilities were inspected on Saturday after health officials approved their plans to provide water for drinking, cooking and other activities.
"We will work around the clock, 24-7, and try to open ... as many businesses as possible in the next couple of days," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, health officer for the Kanawha-Charleston and Putnam County boards of health.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and several companies were sending bottled water and other supplies for residents.
By Saturday morning, FEMA said it had delivered about 50 truckloads of water, or a million liters, to West Virginia.
The water was being distributed to residents at volunteer fire departments, community centers and other sites. No problems were reported at the sites, county emergency officials said.
"Everybody's been pretty patient with us," Greg Lay, Boone County emergency services director, said Saturday.
"Like most things that happen, we're into it enough now that everybody's ready for it to be over," he said.
At a Kroger near a DuPont plant along the Kanawha River, customers learned the grocery store had been out since early Friday.
Robert Stiver was unable to find water at that and at least a dozen other stores in the area and worried about how he'd make sure his cats had drinkable water.
"I'm lucky. I can get out and look for water. But what about the elderly? They can't get out. They need someone to help them," he said.
The spill, occurring during flu season, has raised concerns that cases could increase because residents can't use tap water to wash their hands, Gupta said.
Associated Press researchers Rhonda Shafner and Monika Mathur in New York and AP writers Jonathan Mattise, Brendan Farrington, Mitch Weiss and John Raby in Charleston; Ray Henry in Atlanta; and John Flesher in Traverse City, Mich., contributed to this report


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Care Bears Tin Roll Purse is a new venture of Care Bears, who have always tried new products and taken extra care to give our child a special feeling. This product also has the same quality and satisfies all the norms to become our children's favorite.
The dimension of Care Bears Tin Roll Purse is 7 x 4 x 4 H and weighs 2 pounds. Care Bears Tin Roll Purse comes in three different style and pattern. Each pattern has a different color combination. The colors used in all the combination are very familiar to the children and hence makes it attractive for them. The purse comes with a beaded handle to give it a more attractive look. The purse contains graphics of bear all over the pattern proving itself belonging to the care Bears trademark.
Take home this purse and give your child a secret and personal place to hide all their true secrets. Let your small girls feel imitate their mom and carry their own purses.


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Wolverine a Fascinating Study of the Man behind the Mutant
- Christa Banister Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2013 26 Jul
DVD Release Date: December 3, 2013
Theatrical Release Date: July 26, 2013
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some sexuality and language)
Genre: Comic book/Sequel/Action
Run Time: 126 min.
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rila Fukushima, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hal Yamanouchi, Famke Janssen, James Fraser, Tao Okamoto
Truth be told, it wouldn't have taken much for The Wolverine to surpass its thoroughly lackluster predecessor, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After all, when the film's leading man admits it was, well, awful, you know there's a major problem.
What is surprising, however, is how much better The Wolverine is in every possible way. Not only has Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables) officially awakened from the zombie-like slumber that plagued his performance last time, but the clawed one's storyline is just as compelling as the special effects—imagine that.
It turns out Logan still isn't good at keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble. Retreating to the Yukon wilderness, a seemingly perfect place for avoiding unpleasant interactions with his fellow humans, mutant and otherwise, Logan can't seem to shake his inherent need for justice.
This becomes quickly apparent when he stumbles across a bear suffering badly from an arrow wound. Rather than calling it a day after putting the poor animal out of its misery, Logan immediately makes his way to the local watering hole to find out who was responsible. Needless to say, that person probably regretted his actions after experiencing the Wolverine's razor-sharp claws.
Making these proceedings interesting is a feisty little redhead who has been watching Logan every step of the way. She's been instructed by her employer to bring the Wolverine to Japan to say goodbye to the dying man he heroically saved from a nuclear blast in Nagasaki years ago. It eventually becomes clear to Logan that saying no to Yukio (newcomer Rila Fukushima) is going to be difficult. So, reluctantly, he boards the private plane.
Of course, the real reason for Wolverine's visit to Japan is far more complicated than paying his respects to Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi). But it's during his journey across the ocean when Logan is forced to confront his own demons. Already haunted by dreams of his beloved Jean (Famke Janssen, X-Men: The Last Stand), who he was forced to kill, Logan now must struggle with whether to accept Yashida's offer to remove his "curse" and make him mortal. Thus, we get a revealing glimpse of the man behind the mutant.
Beyond the thoughtful character development, what also helps The Wolverine stand apart are a pleasing aesthetic quality and stunning action sequences that actually feel fresh (especially the nail-biter that happens on top of a moving bullet train). Instead of countless action scenes that are all flash but serve no particular purpose (as in so many comic book movies), there's a lot more imagination invested here.
That said, no one will mistake The Wolverine for a perfect movie. The third act is so haphazardly strewn together and rushed from a storytelling perspective that it diminishes some of the goodwill established in the beginning. Overall, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives with The Wolverine, a vast improvement that not only plays to Jackman's acting chops but serves as an enticing lead-in to what's next for the X-Men.
CAUTIONS (may contain spoilers):
- Drugs/Alcohol: Some social drinking and scenes taking place in a bar
- Language/Profanity: One f-bomb, a single use of a--hole, a few instances of sh-- and he--, plus a singular exclamation of God's name.
- Sex/Nudity: Jean shows up regularly in Logan's dreams, and she's wearing a white negligee that exposes cleavage. They kiss on several occasions. It's implied that Logan and Mariko sleep together, but nothing is shown but kissing. Mariko's ex-fiancé is briefly shown being entertained by two women dressed in very skimpy attire. Viper wins over the affections of several men and when she kisses them, she poisons them. We briefly see Wolverine's backside in a non-sexual context.
- Violence: While mostly bloodless, the action scenes can be very intense and realistic-feeling, especially for younger viewers. People die and are injured in all sorts of gruesome ways, by gunshot, sword, stabbing, strangulation, suicide, Wolverine's claws, you name it. Wolverine's transition from mutant to human is a bit disturbing, as is pretty much anything that Viper does. There are also lengthy action sequences that involve stylized sword-play and a gory moment where Wolverine attempts to remove a defect from his own heart by cutting his own chest, reaching in and grabbing it out. A bear is shot with an arrow, and we see it whimpering as it's slowly dying. Wolverine takes pity and puts it out of its misery.
Christa Banister is an author and full-time freelancer writer, specializing in music, movies and books-related reviews and interviews and is the author of two novels, Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed Are the Meddlers. Based in Dallas, Texas, she also weighs in on various aspects of pop culture on her personal blog.
Publication date: July 26, 2013


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In the Fast LaneIyna Bort Caruso
Beijing, China, is an ancient city modernizing at breakneck speeds.
The capital is the heart of the nation's culture and politics, busy and buzzing with transplants from other cities, other countries and other continents.
Beijing is divided into six urban districts, eight suburban districts and two rural counties. Its traffic congestion and gridlock are infamous though an extensive public transportation network of subways, buses and trolleys offers relief. Life here is cosmopolitan and engaging with more than 100 public gardens and an even greater number of museums. It's easy to live well in Beijing, although Western-style goods and services come at a price.
The architecture of Imperial China is juxtaposed with a tremendous amount of new building construction, some the visions of international designers. The residential real estate market has seen huge price hikes, especially in the new home market. In the denser areas of the city, apartments dominate. A traditional style of courtyard housing is known as Siheyuan. Originally built for nobility, they were carved up into multi-family dwellings during the Communist Revolution. Many have been demolished to make way for high rise developments, but some have been renovated and are attracting those seeking a historical Chinese experience.
Chaoyang is the diplomatic district, an area popular with professionals in the expat community. Fashionable apartments feature European-style amenities. The area bustles with parks, nightlife, familiar brand-name shopping and international schools.
Family-friendly free-standing villas are more common in the outer districts. Shunyi near the Beijing Capital International Airport, for example, is a quiet suburban atmosphere with its share of international schools, restaurants and shopping malls. Some complexes have on-site English speaking management staffs and amenities such as fitness centers, pools and security one would expect to find in communities in Europe and North America.
Rules governing Beijing real estate purchases vary by city jurisdiction but many restrictions on foreign purchases have been lifted. Technically, the government owns the land and grants residential leases of up to 70 years.


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A water line for hydraulic fracturing traverses an oil and gas access road in Woods County.
Joe Wertz / StateImpact Oklahoma
A water line for hydraulic fracturing traverses an oil and gas access road in Woods County.
Joe Wertz / StateImpact Oklahoma
Hydraulic fracturing and modern oil and gas drilling use a lot of water, a commodity that's in short supply in northwestern Oklahoma's booming oilfield.
To get their water, energy companies lay temporary pipelines atop private property, but a county commissioner and a class-action lawsuit are raising questions about the common practice.
Driving down a stretch of road in rural Oklahoma, like those in Woods County, it's easy to ignore the thin strip of land sandwiched between the gravel and the fence line. But the grassy, dusty ditch is important real estate in oil and gas country.
To unlock the oil and gas trapped in tight shale formations like this, oil and gas producers pump in millions of gallons of pressurized water. To bring freshwater in, and move waste fluid out, the industry strings miles of temporary plastic pipe along the side of the road.
Private citizens own the land, but Oklahoma counties have an easement along roads it maintains, which can be used by public utilities. Oil companies fill out a permit, pay the county a fee — $250 per mile is standard — and lay the temporary water lines in the counties' easements.
But Randy McMurphy, the District 2 Commissioner in Woods County, where the controversy started, doesn't think county officials alone can authorize the water lines.
"It's not considered a public utility. It's for private gain," McMurphy tells StateImpact. "Anything that's not a public utility or has to do with public transportation needs to have the permission of the abutting landowner and the commissioner."
Temporary water lines snake throughout Woods County and much of northwest Oklahoma, which is bustling with active rigs pulling oil and gas from the tight Mississippi Lime shale, one of the state's most productive plays.
The water lines' thick, stiff plastic tubing is a nuisance for landowners like Joe Shirley, who runs Shirley Farms near Alva, which makes money selling seed wheat and running cattle. The farm's foreman, Brandon McCamey, says the pipelines show up without warning, often blocking entrances to pastures.
"Whenever the pipe was there, you couldn't drive over it," he says. "You'd drag it, it'd catch on pickups."
We drive around the county, and McCamey points to water pipes laid across driveways, and ones pulled so tight they've broken fenceposts and mailboxes. It's impossible to mow around the water lines, so the grass between the road and the fence grows tall.
"The cattle would stick through, trying to get the grass on the other side of the fence," McCamey says. "They kept pushing through the fence. We had them getting out."
In the Spring of 2013, after nonstop complaints from the landowners, Commissioner McMurphy decided to add a stipulation to his district's permit: Oil and gas companies had to get permission from the landowner before they could install new water lines along county roads.
"[Landowners] couldn't get in a gate, they couldn't get in a pasture. They couldn't get to their mailbox — the mail person couldn't get there because there's a line running right beside the mailbox, or through their gate," McMurphy says. "They didn't know who to call, they didn't know who it was that laid it there."
McMurphy says oil companies complained about his permit change. But a 1982 opinion by the Oklahoma Attorney General's office seems to agree with McMurphy. The AG at the time, Jan Eric Cartwright, wrote that these water lines aren't "common carriers," a term describing public utilities like railroads, telephone or electric lines, or big state-regulated oil and gas pipelines.
The Association of County Commissioners was also concerned with McMurphy's decision, which — though it applied only to District 2 in Woods County — runs contrary to state statutes requiring county commissioners to vote as a board on such changes, says the association's executive director Gayle Ward.
Complicating matters further, an assistant district attorney in Woods County approved McMurphy's permit change.
"District attorneys are the highest legal authority in counties, so when they approve of an action their word is final," Ward says. "Your hands are pretty much tied at that point."
Seeking water line permits from county clerks is standard practice throughout the state. Jeff Wilson, the vice president of governmental affairs at the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, says a county permit is all the permission oil companies need. "Because they're temporary," Wilson says.
But several prominent landowners in northwest Oklahoma share Commissioner McMurphy's reading of the law. In March 2013, they filed a class-action lawsuit against a pair of Oklahoma energy giants — Sandridge and Chesapeake — over water lines they say were laid without permission or financial compensation.
None of the landowners or their principal attorney would talk to StateImpact about the case. Chesapeake Energy declined comment, and Sandridge didn't respond to interview requests.
Despite the uncertainty, Commissioner McMurphy says energy companies are likely still laying water lines — just without permits.
There is talk that a new state law might be needed to establish authority over energy industry water lines, but no specific bills are being considered. Until then, it's in the hands of courts, county commissioners and cowboys, like McCamey, who says landowners sometimes solve water line problems themselves.
"If you don't get it buried, we're going to take a chainsaw to it," he says.


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(Unearthly #2)
by Cynthia Hand
Publication Date: January 17th, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 416
Where to Buy:
B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. (Goodreads)
Most of the same characters from Unearthly are back in Hallowed. (We do get to meet some new characters, who turn out to be pretty awesome.) I found the main character, Clara, to still be pretty likeable. Although she does have issues this time around, and she's very undecided about what she wants, which is totally understandable. I have to say I love Clara's mom, and I love their relationship with each other. They definitely made the book even more special for me.
In Unearthly, I was definitely team Tucker, but I was curious about Christian as well. I wanted to know more about him. I'm delighted to say that we do get to learn more about him in Hallowed, and now I'm kind of on the fence on which I prefer. I really love both guys, but for totally different reasons. But Christian's character definitely grew on me throughout the book.
The book is very well paced, and I really enjoyed the plot. There are some parts in the book that definitely had me in tears. It was definitely an emotional read for me. (I will not spoil it for you, but once you read it, you will totally know what I am talking about.) There are also quite a few surprises thrown in that really threw me for a loop.
Overall, this series is so great. It's definitely one of my favorite angel series so far. I have really enjoyed reading both books, and now I'm anxious for the next book to be released!


text: The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul June 3, 2008.


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The following documents should be considered that will allow you to continue to aid your adult child with regard to educational, medical and financial information and decisions:
1. FERPA Release: This form allows the parent(s) to speak with the school about your adult child's grades and other information related to their school performance. Ask the college directly for this form since each usually has its own form to use for this purpose.
2. Health Care Power of Attorney: This document will allow you to act on your adult child's behalf with regard to medical decisions in the event that they are incapacitated, even temporarily, and cannot make such decisions. There are also provisions within this document that allow your adult child to express his or her wishes with regard to end of life decisions and organ donation.
3. Durable Power of Attorney: This document allows you to act on your adult child's behalf regarding financial or legal matters. For example, you would have the ability to pay your child's bills, apply for student loans, sign tax returns, etc.
4. HIPAA Authorization Form: Federal law prohibits disclosure of information about your child's health. This form allows you to access your adult child's health records and speak to medical personnel about his or her health. In the event of a medical emergency, for example, if is your child was in an accident and unconscious, you would be able obtain medical status information and make prompt decisions regarding treatment options.
It is highly recommended that you consult with an attorney regarding these issues. Much of the information contained in this article is based on advice given by an attorney and distributed through college advisor professional networks to help us better inform and educate our clients.
Those of you who have recently survived the college admission process by careful planning and attention to important details, can now move on to enjoy greater peace of mind by having your legal house in order during the college years ahead.
Elizabeth LaScala, Ph.D. is an independent college advisor who draws upon 25 years of higher education experience to guide students and their families through the complete college admission process. Dr. LaScala also works with individuals seeking assistance with graduate and professional degree programs. Dr. LaScala is a member of NACAC, WACAC and HECA.


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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 results
Visualizing First Temple Jerusalem
Visitors to Jerusalem understandably are often confused by the jumbled and disconnected layers of the past that exist side by side with the teeming modern city. Jerusalem at the time of the First Temple—the Jerusalem of the Bible, the...
Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1989
Was the Site of the Jerusalem Temple Originally a Cemetery?
Stylistic and architectural similarities between the cave of Machpelah enclosure at Hebron and the Temple Mount enclosure in Jerusalem have been clearly demonstrated by Nancy Miller in "Patriarchal Burial Site Explored for First Time in 700...
Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1985
Prize Find: An Incense Shovel from Bethsaida
Slowly it emerged from the ground: a beautiful, 8-inch-long bronze incense shovel, the prize find of the 1996 excavations at Bethsaida, near the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The shovel lay in a first-century C.E. refuse pit. Just...
Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 1997
Keeping Jerusalem's Past Alive
Jerusalem is not only one of the oldest cities in the world, it is one of the few cities which has been continuously inhabited for more than 40 centuries. From before 1850 B.C., when the first wall surrounded and defended Jerusalem, people...
Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1981
Searching for Bethsaida: The Case for Et-Tell
For 30 years, archaeologists have been excavating et-Tell in the Lower Golan, east of the Jordan Rift Valley. See why they believe their site is biblical Bethsaida.
Biblical Archaeology Review, Spring 2020
The Puzzling Pool of Bethesda
Where Jesus cured the crippled man
The Gospel of John recounts two healing miracles Jesus performed in Jerusalem. In one, Jesus cured a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus mixed his saliva with mud, applied the mixture to the blind man's eyes and told him to bathe in the...
Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2011
Return to the Cave of Letters: What Still Lies Buried?
A small shovel started it all. In the summer of 1996, at the excavation of the Galilee site of Bethsaida (which we codirect), we uncovered a small bronze incense shovel. Others like it were used in the imperial cult throughout the Roman...
Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 2001
Bethsaida Rediscovered
Long-lost city found north of Galilee shore
Bethsaida is the town that disappeared. Soon after playing a prominent role in the Gospels—Bethsaida is mentioned more often in the New Testament than any city except Jerusalem and Capernaum—this fishing village on the Sea of Galilee simply...
Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 2000
Reading David in Genesis
How we know the Torah was written in the tenth century B.C.E.
For the last two hundred years, a central question in biblical studies has been the authorship of the Torah (or Pentateuch). The Age of Enlightenment led scholars to realize that the traditional Jewish and Christian belief in Moses'...
Bible Review, February 2001
New Mosaic Art from Sepphoris
BAR readers know Sepphoris well. In the BAR 14:01 issue the mosaic known as the Mona Lisa of the Galilee appeared on the cover and was the prize find of the 1987 season.a More recently, in the BAR 18:03 issue, Sepphoris was the chief exhibit...
Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 1992
Uncovering Herod's Seaside Palace
The great port city of Caesarea was born out of the genius of one man: Herod the Great (c. 73–4 B.C.E.). This Idumean politician, with the support of the rulers at Rome, rose to become king of Judea. On the site of a dilapidated town, he...
Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1993
Excarnation: Food For Vultures
Unlocking the mysteries of Chalcolithic ossuaries
For nearly a century before the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 C.E., Jews, especially in the Jerusalem area, would inter the bones of their deceased in stone boxes, or ossuaries, about 2 feet long and a foot high. The ossuary had to be...
Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 2011
Unlikely Heroes
Women as Israel
Open your Bible at random and you will notice something striking: Female characters abound. And it's not simply a lot of women, it's a lot of strong women. These women are the antithesis of what we might expect from a patriarchal society...
Bible Review, February 2003
Searching for Herod's Tomb
Somewhere in the desert palace-fortress at Herodium, Palestine's master builder was buried
Dedicated to the memory of David Rosenfeld.a I had no idea of searching for Herod's tomb when I began my archaeological work at Herodium. But I confess it has now become something of a minor obsession with me. Whether I will eventually...
Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1983
The Last Days and Hours at Masada
The last stand in the First Jewish Revolt against Rome took place on the nearly diamond-shaped mountaintop of Masada, site of a palace-fortress completed by Herod the Great (37–4 B.C.E.). Jewish Zealots who occupied Masada at the start of the...
Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 1991
In Search of Herod's Tomb
Josephus tells us that the site of Herodium was the final resting place of the skilled builder and hated king Herod the Great, but Josephus failed to identify the exact location of the tomb. For 35 years, Herod's tomb eluded archaeologist Ehud Netzer. Finally in 2007 a ruined mausoleum and a smashed sarcophagus were uncovered, providing the long-sought answer. But excavations at Herod's magnificent eponymous desert retreat have now revealed much more, including a royal theater box with colorful paintings.
Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 2011