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Rescinded 1981
SSR 69-6a: Sections 216(i) and 223.—Disability—Onset of Disability Must Be Firmly Established Prior to Expiration of Disability Insured Status
SSR 69-6a
The claimant filed an application for a period of disability and disability insurance benefits in December 1965, alleging inability to work since 1949 because of a nervous disorder. The claimant's earnings record showed her insured status for disability purposes expired on December 31, 1953. The evidence established that she had been gainfully employed for a number of years and that she stopped working in 1948 when her husband became reemployed and it was no longer necessary for her to work. There was no evidence of a severe mental condition or of the claimant having received medical treatment from 1948 to March 1956 when she was committed to a mental hospital. Admission history showed severe mental disturbance during the month preceding hospitalization. Held, claimant was not under a disability within the meaning of the Act on or prior to December 31, 1953, since (1) there was no definite evidence as to the severity of claimant's mental impairment prior to such date, (2) the claimant's employment prior to 1949 demonstrated an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity, and (3) there was no evidence indicating her unemployment between 1949 and 1956 was due to a physical or mental impairment. The fact that her impairment may at any time after December 31, 1953, have reached such severity as to preclude her from engaging in substantial gainful activity is academic since she could not meet the insured status requirement after such date. Accordingly, the claimant is not entitled to a period of disability or disability benefits.
This case is before the Appeals Council on its own motion for review of the hearing examiner's decision dated March 27, 1967. The hearing examiner held that the claimant was entitled to a period of disability commencing January 1, 1949, and to disability insurance benefits under applicable provisions of the Social Security Act.
The claimant filed an application for a period of disability and for disability insurance benefits on December 2, 1965, alleging inability to work from 1949 because of a nervous disorder. She stated that she had been nervous most of her life and that as early as 1947 she had to stop working for about 3 months. In 1949 she stopped working completely because of her nervousness, but indicated she had no medical treatment from 1949 until 1956, when a psychiatrist had her committed to [X] Hospital because of auditory hallucinations. She indicated that since 1956, when she was first committed, she had been hospitalized at least 50 percent of the time.
Section 216(i) of the Social Security Act provides for the establishment of a period of disability, and section 223 provides for the payments of disability insurance benefits under conditions therein specified. As herein pertinent, both sections prior to the enactment of the Social Security Amendments of 1965 on July 30, 1965, defined "disability" as an inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration.
In pertinent part, sections 216(i) and 223 of the Act, as amended, now define "disability" as an inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
When a claimant's entitlement is dependent on the amended definition of "disability," disability insurance benefits are not payable for any month prior to September 1965 [section 303(f)(1) of Public Law 89-97]. Entitlement to a period of disability may not be established under an application, if the period would have ended more than 12 months before the date such application was filed [section 216(i)(2)(E) of the Act as amended in 1965].
The Amendments of 1965 eliminated the provision of the Act which specifically limited the prospective life of disability applications. The Act now provides that if a claimant meets all the requirements for entitlement at any time before the Secretary issues a final decision on an application, such application shall be deemed to have been filed in the first month in which all requirements were met.
The general issues before the Appeals Council are whether the claimant is entitled to a period of disability and to disability insurance benefits under sections 216(i) and 223, respectively, of the Social Security Act, as amended. The specific issues are whether the claimant was under a "disability," as defined in the Act either prior to or after the Amendments of 1965, and if so, when such disability commenced and the duration thereof; and whether the special earnings requirements of the Act are met for the purpose of entitlement.
The claimant's earnings record shows that the special earnings requirements of the Act were met from a time prior to 1949, when the claimant allegedly became unable to work, and that these requirements continued to be met through December 31, 1953. Therefore, in order to be entitled to a period of disability or to disability insurance benefits, it is necessary for the claimant to establish that she was under a "disability" from a time on or prior to December 1, 1953.
The medical evidence before the hearing examiner consisted of the following:
A report from [X] Hospital disclosed that the claimant was admitted to the hospital on February 28, 1956, and was committed on March 15, 1956. She remained hospitalized until April 12, 1957, on which date she was transferred to the [Y] Hospital. According to the admission history from [X] Hospital, as obtained from the claimant's husband, the claimant seemed to become withdrawn about a week before her hospitalization. A precipitating factor was the information acquired about November 1955, that an operation was to be performed on her youngest son in January 1956. She became quite anxious and concerned about this. Also, toward the latter part of 1955, the claimant became quite involved with the [Z] Association. On February 27, 1956, upon returning home about 10:00 p.m., the husband found a police car in front of the house. The claimant had become disturbed and had telephoned the police department telling them that an officer of the [Z] Association was roaming outside the house; that he had hypnotized her and she was in a "spell"; and that he was able to communicate with her and was doing her thinking. When the police arrived at the home they asked a Dr. [H] to attend to the claimant, who was at that time telling people that she was going to write a book on child care the next day; that she knew the answers to all the people's problems; that her husband would be killed on the way home; and that she thought her son was the Jewish Messiah. The claimant was given a sedative by Dr. [H], who subsequently recommended that she go to a hospital, which she did without too much objection. Her condition was diagnosed as a schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type. She was given an indefinite leave in June 1956, but returned to the hospital in November 1956 at which time she was complaining of auditory hallucinations. She began receiving electroshock therapy in November 1956. In January 1957, she was considered to be in good remission and was permitted a one week visit to her husband on January 26, 1957. She returned to the hospital on February 8, 1957, fearful of her husband, and believing that he was using marijuana. She remained in the hospital until her transfer to the [Y] Hospital.
The evidence from the [Y] Hospital consisted of approximately 26 separate narrative summaries relating to the claimant's condition from April 12, 1957 to October 22, 1959, and from October 28, 1959 through July 30, 1965. According to a report dated May 23, 1957, the claimant's illness began over a period of a few months in late 1955 and early 1956. In a report dated May 27, 1957, her condition was diagnosed as: "Schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type, chronic, severe, manifested by hostility, evasiveness, ideas of reference, ideas of influence, inappropriate affect, poor judgment, and lack of insight."
The claimant showed significant improvement from time to time throughout her hospitalization, but would become acutely and seriously disturbed at other times, often during a period of trial visit. Nevertheless, she was able to remain outside the hospital on trial visits for extended periods, as, for example, from December 1957 to June 1958, and from January 1959 to October 1959. In this latter month, the claimant, being pregnant, was temporarily transferred to [C] Hospital for delivery. She was readmitted to [Y] Hospital on October 28, 1959, being 4 days post partum, her child having died within a day or two of birth. She had become increasingly disturbed while at [C] Hospital. Following readmission to [Y] Hospital she became progressively more disturbed, with her delusions becoming more bizarre and more openly expressed. She became so disturbed, hostile and threatening, that it was necessary for her to be placed in seclusion for short periods of time at her own request. By January 1960, the claimant showed marked improvement, and she was again released on a trial visit beginning February 1960[1], and remained out of the hospital continuously until August 1960 (except for 2 days' hospitalization in May 1960). At the time of her return to the hospital she had reportedly been upset at home for several weeks prior thereto, and had been "deluging" the staff with psychotic letters. Nevertheless, toward the end of September 1960, she had a sudden clearing of her psychotic symptoms and was able to go on unaccompanied passes and reportedly did well. She was placed on leave of absence once more for a 15-day period in order to look for work. She was successful in finding employment and made a good adjustment. Her leave was then changed to trial visit status. While out of the hospital on trial visit she apparently remarried. Prior to her return in February 1961, she once more began "flooding" the hospital with psychotic letters. Thereafter, she had two subsequent trial visits, the second of which ended in February 1962, at which time she returned to the hospital in a coma following a suicide attempt with an overdose of benadryl. The claimant improved with hospitalization and was placed on trial visit 5 months later. This was followed by rehospitalization and further trial visits, the last ending in December 1964. The claimant then remained hospitalized for the next 7 months. The last report from the [Y] Hospital indicated that it was believed she was ready to resume her prehospital activities on July 30, 1965 and she was then placed on a 90-day trial visit. It was believed doubtful that she would ever be able to work full time again consistently in the foreseeable future.
In a letter dated July 18, 1966, from [H], M.D. who is a specialist in psychiatry and neurology, and to whom previous reference was made in the admission history taken at the time of the claimant's commitment to [X] Hospital, Dr. [H] indicated that in 1956 the claimant and her family were his neighbors and that her husband had sought his advice because the claimant had become so mentally disturbed. He stated: "In retrospect there were, before the frank breakdown, earlier signs and symptoms of psychological ill health."
Other evidence in file included a statement dated December 154, 1965, from the claimant's ex-husband, [N] to whom the claimant was married from November 1947 until March 1961.[2] He indicated in his statement that prior to the claimant's hospitalization for mental illness in 1956, he was almost totally ignorant of this type of illness, its symptoms and its effects. He stated that having become aware of this illness as a result of his wife's hospitalization, and the fact that the public in general has been alerted to observe, consider and treat mental illness, he realizes, in retrospect, that his wife had mental symptoms almost as long as he had known her. He stated that intermittently throughout their married life, his wife suffered emotional upsets which he neither understood nor knew how to combat or be considerate of. He indicated that many instances of emotional disturbances and periods of deep depression, though puzzling to him then, are now recognizable as mental illness. He also stated that there were numerous times when he was told by others that peculiarities in his wife's behavior had been observed. He concluded that his wife had suffered from mental illness for many more years than she was known to be ill.
In a letter dated May 26, 1966, the claimant stated that her illness has never been obvious to anyone but professional people, even currently, despite the fact that she has been under commitment to a mental hospital for 10 years. She further stated that she was as ill in 1949 as in 1956, when first hospitalized.
In a second letter received in June 1966, the claimant indicated that once when she was absent without leave from the maximum security ward of the [Y] Hospital, she was refused admittance to the [D] Hospital on the grounds that she was not in need of psychiatric care.
At the hearing on March 10, 1967, the claimant testified that she was born on February 8, 1922, and was a high school graduate. She was living at the [Y] Hospital at the time of the hearing, but was to be released on a trial visit that same day. She stated that she still hears voices and has heard voices since she was 9 or 10 years old. She testified that she first began working at age 17 as a secretary, but became nervous after 3 weeks and quit. She next worked as a bookkeeper about 1 year, again became nervous and quit, following which she obtained a job with the [M] Railroad as a clerk-typist and personal stenographer. She stated she had no difficulty applying herself to her work, but whenever she became nervous on a job she would quit and take another. She indicated that here was little gap between jobs because she didn't have much money to support herself. Upon quitting her railroad job she went into military service in 1943. While in service she was an athletic instructor and did office work. Other later work included that of cashier, waitress and babysitter. She married in 1947 but soon returned to work when her husband became unemployed. Following unemployment of her husband, she stopped work in 1948. The claimant agreed that when compelled to work, she has done do, but when there was no necessity to work, she has not. She did not again resume employment until 1957. She stated that all of her work in the last 10 years has been followed by hospitalization. She believes that at the time of the episode in 1956 when she was committed to [X] Hospital, her condition was the same as in the previous 10 years, but that this was the first time that she had ever spoken her thoughts. For example, she stated that she thought that her son was the Messiah ever since his birth in September 1949 but she had never told anyone until 1956. She stated that she had lost a brother when he was 10 years old, and she was told by a doctor at [X] Hospital that when her son had to undergo surgery, she had become confused because her son looked like her deceased brother, and she thought that her son was also going to die. She stated: "This is actually what made me go completely insane."
At the hearing the claimant's psychiatrist from the [Y] Hospital, Dr. [A] also testified. She stated that with the claimant's type of illness the longer a person stays on the job, the more severe it often becomes because such a person becomes more involved with interpersonal relationships. The doctor stated the opinion that the claimant is capable of handling her work when she starts out, but because she is so competent, employers want her to take higher type positions which she cannot handle. Dr. [A] stated that at the time the claimant was committed in 1956, it seemed as though she had been psychotic for a couple of years, but as more was learned about the claimant's background, for example, that she had heard voices when she was about 9 or 10 years old, it became clear that she had had severe problems over a long period of time. The doctor indicated that she did not believe the claimant's working was detrimental to her condition when she was able to do it for short periods. She stated, however, that if the claimant does not stop working when she begins to become disturbed, she will become very disturbed. In answer to the further question of whether the claimant was severely impaired on or prior to December 31, 1953, Dr. [A] stated that she did not honestly know; that she wasn't as familiar with the claimant's work record before the hearing, being unaware that it had been so irregular. She did not believe that the claimant could have supported herself over a long period of time.
Dr. [A] stated that the claimant has constantly hallucinated since she has known her; that she is mildly depressed most of the time, and sometimes severely depressed.
The medical evidence as summarized in this decision clearly establishes that the claimant has been seriously impaired because of her mental condition at least since February 1956. Conceding severity at that point, the questions to be resolved are whether her condition was such as to prevent her from engaging in substantial gainful activity on or prior to December 31, 1953, that is, the date on which she was last insured for disability purposes; and if so, whether the work in which she engaged subsequent to 1956, demonstrated her ability to engage in substantial gainful work, notwithstanding the severity of her impairment.
Regarding the first question, the claimant has stated that she has been hearing voices since age 9 or 10. Such auditory hallucinations do, of course, indicate that she had not been perfectly normal from a mental standpoint throughout most of her life. The claimant has, however, (at least until about February 1956), apparently always been able to recognize that the voices she heard were imaginary and to accept them as a fantasy. That these symptoms did not socially or occupationally inhibit her is obvious from the fact that she was able to be employed regularly, although changing jobs frequently. No evidence of serious personality disintegration is indicated prior to her hospitalization in 1956. While it is not known whether symptoms of mental illness posed any problems with employers or coworkers, considering that she was accepted into the Women's Army Corps in December 1943, was on active duty for 24 months, obtained the rank of Sergeant and was honorably discharged, it seems clear that whatever her symptoms were through that period, they did not interfere with her day-to-day functioning, her ability to handle her work assignments, to get along with others, etc. In view of the regimentation and discipline demanded in the Army, she might be expected to have functioned at least as well following her return to a more relaxed civilian life and work in 1946. Her earnings record shows 12 consecutive quarters of coverage beginning with the first quarter of 1946, with annual earnings averaging over $2,400.00 per year for the 3 years from 1946 through 1948, at which point she terminated her employment because of her marriage. Thereafter, until 1957, her earnings record is of no help in evaluating her condition since she held no employment of any kind.
The fact that the claimant did not work after 1948 warrants no presumption that she was mentally unable to work since she indicated in her testimony that she did not work when there was no economic necessity to do so, and as noted, she stopped working when she became supported by her husband.
The record contains no medical evidence contemporary with the period at issue in this case, which would show exactly what her condition was at that time, and in fact, no medical reports whatever have been furnished which describe treatment of any physical or mental condition prior to the claimant's hospitalization at [X] Hospital in 1956.
We are faced then with the situation where the evidence clearly establishes that the claimant was able, and in fact, did engage in substantial gainful activity through 1948, but where it is not affirmatively shown that she was able to so engage thereafter through December 31, 1953. However, in the absence of any contemporary evidence of a definite mental impairment on or prior to December 31, 1953, the Appeals Council is unable to arbitrarily conclude that one was present but undetected on or before that date. Certainly, where the record is devoid of any conclusive evidence that the claimant's condition significantly changed between 1948 and the latter part of 1955, it is more reasonable to conclude that the status quo was maintained, than to suppose that the claimant became totally incapacitated at some point between those dates. Furthermore, the evidence definitely indicates that more pronounced mental symptoms occurred as a result of what the claimant interpreted as a personal crisis, that is, the impending surgery which her son was to undergo in January 1956, and that these mental changes took place on or shortly before her hospitalization in February 1956. While she alleges hallucinations prior to her hospitalization, it is obvious from a reading of the medical reports that her condition became quite different from what it had been, with manifestations of disorientation, arrogance, hostility, inappropriate affect, ides of reference and influence, lack of insight, lack of judgment, and periods of tremulousness, withdrawal and paranoid tendencies.
The claimant's ex-husband and her former neighbor, who was a psychiatrist, have stated that, in retrospect, they believe the claimant was not mentally well prior to the episode in February 1956. However, the facts do not indicate, inferentially or otherwise, that the claimant's mental status was disabling on or prior to December 31, 1953, or that it was any worse than it had been prior to December 1948, during which time she demonstrated her ability to earn a living.
The claimant's treating psychiatrist also indicated that the claimant has had severe problems for a long period before 1956. In response to a specific question as to whether she believed the claimant was severely impaired on or before December 31, 1953, the psychiatrist stated that she did not honestly know, but that from what she knew of the claimant's work history, it appeared that she was not ever able to work steadily at any given job because of hearing voices. The Appeals Council, however, does not agree that such conclusion is warranted in the face of the evidence of record. For example, a review of the claimant's work history, including her earnings record, reveals that she worked regularly in every quarter from the third quarter of 1939 through the fourth quarter of 1948. Secondly, the claimant testified to the fact that although she changed employers when she became nervous, there was little interval between periods of employment and she had no difficulty applying herself to her work.
Therefore, after considering all the evidence relating to the claimant's condition throughout the period in which she was employed, ending in 1948, and her condition as it has existed before and after February 1956, the Appeals Council is of the opinion, and so finds, that the evidence does not establish that the claimant was precluded from engaging in substantial gainful activity on or prior to December 31, 1953, and that she was not disabled within the meaning of the Social Security Act on or before that date.
Having reached the above conclusion, the question of whether the claimant demonstrated ability to engage in substantial gainful activity by her work after 1956, becomes academic. The claimant may not have demonstrated ability to engage in substantial gainful activity with reasonable regularity subsequent to the time she was committed to the hospital, inasmuch as every work effort was followed by a return to the hospital, sometimes for extended periods. However, it is noted that even during this period subsequent to February 1956, when her overall condition was obviously more serious than before, she reportedly was able to function very well in competitive work situations for periods of 6 months or longer. Thus, such evidence gives further support to the previous conclusions reached in this decision, that during the period when her symptoms were less severe, that is, through December 1948, when she was regularly employed, and thereafter until her hospitalization in 1956, her condition did not prevent her from engaging in substantial gainful activity.
After careful consideration of the entire record, the Appeals Council makes the following findings:
The claimant's application for a period of disability and disability insurance benefits was filed on December 2, 1965.
The claimant last met the special earnings requirements of the Act on December 31, 1953.
The evidence does not establish that the claimant had a physical or mental impairment sufficiently severe to prevent her from engaging in substantial gainful activity on or before December 31, 1953.
The evidence establishes that the claimant's mental conditions began deteriorating shortly before February 1956.
The evidence fails to establish that the claimant's impairments were of such severity as to preclude her from engaging in substantial gainful activity for any continuous periods commencing at a time on or prior to December 31, 1953, which would permit entitlement to a period of disability or to disability insurance benefits.
The claimant was not under a "disability," as defined in the Act either prior to or after the Social Security Amendments of 1965, commencing at a time on or before December 31, 1953.
It is the decision of the Appeals Council that the claimant, based on her application filed on December 2, 1965, is not entitled to a period of disability or to disability insurance benefits under the provisions of sections 216(i) and 223, respectively, of the Social Security Act, in effect prior to the Social Security Amendments of 1965, or as amended thereby. The decision of the hearing examiner is reversed.
[1] During this and other periods of trial work, the claimant obtained employment, usually as a secretary. Her earnings record discloses postings of $2,285.80 in 1959, $1,934.60 in 2960, and $1,227.32 in 1964. Lesser amounts are shown for the years 1958, 1961, and 1962.
[2] The claimant indicated she divorced her husband in 1959 and hospital reports indicate that she instituted divorce proceedings in or about October 1959.


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A site called Ceibal in Guatemala is the oldest Mayan ceremonial compound in Central America's lowlands and is now believed to have functioned as a solar observatory for rituals. It also suggests that the origins of the Maya civilization are more complex than first believed.
Archaeologists hotly debate whether the Maya -- famous for their complex calendar system that spurred apocalypse rumors last year -- developed independently or whether they were largely inspired by an earlier culture known as the Olmec.
According to Discovery News:
"This major social change happened through interregional interactions," said study researcher Takeshi Inomata, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona. But it doesn't look like the Olmec inspired the Maya, Inomata told reporters. Rather, the entire region went through a cultural shift around 1000 B.C., with all nearby cultures adopting similar architectural and ceremonial styles.
"It's signaling to us that the Maya were not receiving this sophisticated stuff 500 years later from somebody else, but much of the innovation we're seeing out of the whole region may be coming out of Ceibal or a place like Ceibal," said Walter Witschey, an anthropologist at Longwood University in Virginia, who was not involved in the study.
The finding comes from seven years of archaeological excavations at Ceibal, which was occupied continuously for 2,000 years.

subset: commoncrawl


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The time has come for another Monday Mingle. It is always a pleasure to meet those of you who are linking up for the first time and to see those of you back who have been linking up for a long time. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Please note that I have decided to remove Google Friend Connect from this blog since Google shut down Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger blogs this past March. Please make sure you don't miss any Monday Mingles and remember to subscribe via email. This blog hop continues to be for everyone with NO RULES. Personally, I hate having to follow a bunch of rules just to connect with all of you so this hop will continue to be RULE FREE! I hope you are all ready for a great week of networking. So please link up and follow each other on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or Twitter. Monday Mingle will always be easy and fun because nobody wants to follow some boring list of blog hop rules. Here are the rules: WELCOME TO MONDAY … [Read more...]
Monday Mingle #76
June 17, 2012 by 5 Comments


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Tuesday, 23 October 2012 07:41 AM EDT
With two weeks left until Election Day, the high-stakes debate strayed frequently into domestic policy, with Romney seeking to bolster his argument that Obama had bungled the U.S. economic recovery.
Running neck and neck in polls, neither man threw a knockout punch or made a noticeable gaffe as they clashed over Israel, Iran, Russia and the size of the U.S. Navy in the encounter at Lynn University in Boca Raton.
While tamer than the second debate last week in New York state, the matchup had its share of zingers and putdowns, most of them doled out by an aggressive president eager to stop a surge in polls by the former Massachusetts governor.
"I know you haven't been in a position to actually execute foreign policy, but every time you've offered an opinion, you've been wrong," said Obama.
"Attacking me is not an agenda," was Romney's frequent retort, alluding to Republican accusations that Obama had not laid out enough of a policy plan for a second term.
Snap polls declared Obama the winner, but 60 percent of people in a CNN survey said Romney was capable of being commander in chief, accomplishing a key goal set out by his advisers.
A CBS News poll said 53 percent believed Obama won the debate, versus 23 percent for Romney and 24 percent calling it a draw. The CNN poll put Obama as the winner by 8 percentage points.
With foreign policy a low priority in a campaign focused on the economy, it was unclear what impact the debate would have on the race. Respondents in the CNN poll were split over whether it would influence their votes in the Nov. 6 election.
The campaign now enters its decisive phase with two weeks of campaign rallies across battleground states. Polls show a tied race, after Romney clawed back from a deficit by outdueling Obama in their first debate on Oct. 3.
The Boca Raton showdown was one last chance for the candidates to appeal to millions of voters watching on television and Obama was the aggressor from start to finish.
He criticized the Republican for lacking ideas on the Middle East, mocked his calls for more ships in the U.S. military and accused Romney of wanting to bring the United States back to a long-abandoned Cold War stance.
"On a whole range of issues, whether it's the Middle East, whether it's Afghanistan, whether it's Iraq, whether it's now Iran, you've been all over the map," Obama said.
He had a biting and perhaps condescending response when the Republican said the U.S. Navy had fewer ships now than at any time since 1917 and needed more.
"Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets," Obama said, suggesting that Romney's worldview was obsolete. "We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines."
Romney was cautious throughout and often refused to take the bait when attacked, which may have led viewers to declare Obama the winner.
The former business executive's approach seemed to be a sign that he feels he has the momentum in the campaign and was trying to avoid the kind of mistakes he made on a trip abroad in July to London, Jerusalem and Poland. He often steered the conversation back to the economy.
"The president's path means 20 million people out of work struggling for a good job," Romney said in his closing statement, delivered as he sat at a table with Obama and facing CBS News' moderator Bob Schieffer. "I'll get people back to work with 12 million new jobs."
Romney accused Obama of failing ally Israel, which the Democrat has not visited since taking office four years ago.
Both men declared, however, they would defend the Jewish state if it were attacked by Iran and both vowed to pursue tough policies against Tehran's nuclear ambitions and keep military action as a last resort. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes.
Increasing the pressure, Obama said the Republican presidential candidate was seeking to turn back the clock to the 1980s by once declaring Russia the top "geopolitical foe" of the United States.
The 1980s, said Obama, were "now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War's been over for 20 years."
Romney pulled his punches on Libya, a potential weak spot for Obama after the White House gave a shifting story about the Sept. 11 attack by militants on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi in which four Americans were killed.
But he did concentrate on Obama's handling of crises throughout the Middle East, from Syria to Egypt and north Mali.
Romney said Obama's policies toward the Middle East and North Africa were not stopping a resurgence of the threat from al Qaeda in the region.
While Obama has conducted a policy of using unmanned drones to attack al Qaeda targets, Romney said more was needed, a "comprehensive and robust strategy" to persuade the world to reject militant Jihadists.
"We can't kill our way out of this mess," he said.
On China, both vowed to get tough on Beijing's trade policies, but touched only briefly on the security challenge the fast-rising country poses to a U.S.-led alliance system in Asia.
Obama suggested he would not allow drastic reductions in defense spending as part of $1.2 trillion in proposed government cuts over 10 years, known as "sequestration." The cuts would begin taking effect if Obama and Congress cannot reach a deficit-reduction deal by Jan. 2.
"First of all, the sequester is not something that I've proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed. It will not happen," he said.
Advisers on both sides were quick to declare that their men did what they had to do.
Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said Obama may have come across as aggressive "because Mitt Romney could not go beyond his talking points."
Romney's aides said he did enough to convince voters he was knowledgeable about foreign affairs and could handle the responsibilities of the Oval Office.
"President Obama is falling behind in the race for president. So he shows up and launches one attack after another. He looked desperate," said Romney senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom.
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text: Please use this item as a quick way to help you pay for our services. So for example, If you'd like to pay for $3,500 of mentoring services, select this item and change the quantity to 3,500 which will extend the quantity times the $1 price to $3,500. And please indicate in the comment box on the checkout screen, what it is for. Thank you!


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A recently announced and yet-to-be-patched vulnerability that affects all versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has been exploited in targeted attacks against organizations in Taiwan since the beginning of July, according to security researchers.
Microsoft published a security advisory about the vulnerability, which is identified as CVE-2013-3893, on Sept. 17 and warned users that it is "aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9.
The company released a Microsoft "Fix it" workaround that customers can manually download and install in order to mitigate the vulnerability. However, no patch has yet been released through Windows Update.
On Saturday, researchers from security firm FireEye reported that a known hacker group has been using the vulnerability to target organizations in Japan as part of an attack campaign dubbed "Operation DeputyDog" that started on Aug. 19. They believe that this is the same group that managed to break into the computer network of security firm Bit9 as part of a different attack campaign in February and used one of its systems to digitally sign several pieces of malware.
New evidence found by researchers from security firms Websense and AlienVault suggests that the new IE zero-day -- yet unpatched -- vulnerability was also used to target organizations in Taiwan.
On Sept. 25, Websense detected an attack against one of its customers -- a major financial institution from Japan -- that was using an exploit for CVE-2013-3893. When they investigated the incident, they found that the exploit code was hosted on a server based in Taiwan and the malware installed by the exploit was calling back to a command-and-control domain name registered in March.
Looking at past telemetry data, they identified a potential victim organization in Taiwan that was communicating with the same command and control server as far back as July 1, 2013.
"These C&C communications predate the widely reported first use of this attack infrastructure by more than six weeks, and indicates that the attacks from this threat actor are not just limited to Japan," the Websense researchers said Thursday in a blog post. These older attacks are most likely linked to Operation DeputyDog, but they have enough variations to indicate that different high-profile attack teams may be using the same tool sets, they said.
Security researchers from AlienVault also believe that the new IE vulnerability was used to attack organizations in Taiwan, because they found a variant of the exploit hosted on a subdomain of Taiwan government's online e-procurement system.
Users who visit the main website for the first time will get redirected to the exploit page, AlienVault researcher Jaime Blasco said in a blog post.
The vulnerability affects all versions of Internet Explorer, but the exploits seen so far target only Internet Explorer 8 and 9 running on Windows XP and Windows 7 systems. Websense estimates that nearly 70 percent of Windows-based PCs are vulnerable.


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From fighting poverty and illness to providing disaster relief, corporations around the world dedicate considerable resources to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Contributions come in a variety of forms such as monetary donations, the donation of goods or employee volunteerism. This latest study explores how consumers perceive different types of CSR actions and evaluate a company.
This article of Diogo Hildebrand is the sujet of the 39th Executive Summary by Grenoble Ecole de Management.
From the article
Consumer Responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution
Journal of Consumer Research, 22 Avril 2017
Diogo Hildebrand
While CSR policies can improve the world and elicit positive consumer reactions, little research has focused on how different types of corporate contributions are evaluated. The researchers focused on two types of contributions: cash donations and inkind actions (product donation, sharing of company know-how, employee volunteerism, etc.). They demonstrated that their effectiveness depends on whether an issue can be categorized as more or less controllable (e.g., obesity versus an earthquake).
Consumer evaluations depend on emotionality
The central fi nding in this study is the fact that consumer evaluations are based on the concordance between the emotions associated with a contribution and the intensity of emotions caused by an issue. In other words, the researchers fi rst explain that less controllable issues such as natural disasters evoke more intense emotions than controllable issues such as poverty. Second, they demonstrate that in-kind contributions cause greater emotional responses than monetary contributions.
When these two fi ndings are combined, the study highlights that positive consumer evaluations can be linked to how closely the emotionality of an issue is matched to the emotionality of the company contribution. For example, a monetary donation to fi ght obesity (both of which garner lower emotional reactions) would elicit positive consumer evaluations. On the other hand, employee volunteerism to provide disaster relief (both of which garner high emotional reactions) would also elicit positive evaluations.
Matching CSR actions and emotionality
The study underlines the importance of matching the right contribution to a particular issue. In practical terms, this means companies can choose monetary or in-kind contributions depending on the perceived controllability of an issue. A reassuring point for companies is that monetary assistance, which generally requires less effort, is likely to garner a positive response when associated with a controllable issue.
However, the researchers highlight that this analysis requires consumers to be aware of an issue's controllability. As a result, they suggest that when a company communicates on a CSR initiative, it would be benefi cial to also communicate on the issue's controllability in order to ensure optimal consumer perception.
Key points
- In-kind contributions evoke stronger emotional responses than monetary contributions
- An uncontrollable issue (natural disaster) evokes stronger emotions than a controllable issue (obesity)
- Consumers more positively evaluate CSR initiatives in which the emotional response to a company contribution matches the emotional response to an issue


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Decree of Justice {X}{X}{2}{W}{W}
Create X 4/4 white Angel creature tokens with flying.
Cycling {2}{W} ({2}{W}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Decree of Justice, you may pay {X}. If you do, create X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens.
Illustrated by Lius Lasahido
- Standard
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- Alchemy
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- Pioneer
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- Explorer
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- Modern
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- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Historic
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- Vintage
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
|Faces, Tokens, & Other Parts
|Angel Token, TC20 #1
|Decree of Justice, C20 #85
|Soldier Token, TC20 #5
Buy This Card
Notes and Rules Information for Decree of Justice:
- Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. (2008-10-01)
- When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability. (2008-10-01)
- The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn't resolve (due to being countered with Stifle, for example, or if all its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve and you'll draw a card. (2008-10-01)
- A mana cost of {X}{X} means that you pay twice X. If you want X to be 3, you pay {8}{W}{W} to cast Decree of Justice. (2018-03-16)


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Technical Rescue Team (TRT) Profile
The TRT was formed in February of 1998 in order to comply with OSHA regulation CFR1910.140. That standard requires that a capable rescue team be available before a confined space entry can be made. Prior to the team's formation, no city departments were in compliance.
During the following months, thousands of man-hours were spent training, purchasing equipment, fabricating tools, and refurbishing a truck in preparation for technical rescue responses. Team members were trained through the state Heavy and Tactical Rescue (HTR) program in rope, trench, confined space, and vehicle extrication.
In an effort to offset the cost of maintaining a specialized team of this magnitude, the Partners in Emergency Response (PIER) program was developed. The PIER program was designed to share the operational cost of the team between the City and industries with confined spaces. For industries, the PIER program is a cost-efficient means of compliance with OSHA confined space regulations. The PIER program affords the Lynchburg Fire and EMS Department the opportunity to expand its emergency response capabilities and directly benefits the citizens of Lynchburg.
What began as an effort to address an industrial confined space issue culminated in the formation of a thirty-six member team technical rescue team trained not only in confined space rescue, but also in vehicle extrication, structural collapse, high angle and below-grade rope rescue, swift water rescue, and trench rescue. All of these benefit the citizens of Lynchburg on a daily basis. A specialized team of the size and capability is a rarity in a city the size of Lynchburg


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September 28th to October 1st, 2015
Workshops in the Sivananda Ashram, Nassau – Bahamas:
Learn how to use powerful and healing essential oils to promote relaxation, calm the mind, and release blockages. You will enjoy relaxing, hands-on sessions learning and practicing:
- The use of powerful and healing essential oils for specific purposes
- How essential oils work on our brain and body
- Specific asanas to counteract stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia
- Breathing techniques (pranayamas) to calm down or build up energy
- Mudras (hand positions) and special exercises to promote calmness and release negative energy
Each session consists of theory and practice and will teach easy and simple techniques that can be practiced at home, work, or any time needed. You will learn the traditional inhalation of the oil, how to make a spray, and simple home uses (baths, massage oils, simple diffusing techniques). Participants will make their own aromatherapy eye pillow and will sample essential oils for each condition. Each workshop ends with a deep relaxation session.
All activities at the Sivananda Ashram in Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas. More information at:


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Hearing is made possible when hair bundles protruding from the tops of hair cells capture the energy of sound waves, converting them into electrical signals that stimulate the auditory nerve to the brain. These hair bundles are made up of individual hair-like projections, or stereocilia, which sway in unison with other stereocilia, and remain permanently with us throughout our lives. Extremely loud noise can force whipsaw motion of the stereocilia, causing them to be damaged and the resulting hearing loss to be permanent. The prevailing theory had been that these hair bundles were made up of cellular scaffolding proteins that do not change or circulate.
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered that the movement of protein within hair cells of the inner ear shows signs of a repair and renewal mechanism.
The investigator's findings will be showcased as the cover paper in the Nov. 17 edition of Cell Reportsand are available now in the online edition of the journal. The discovery paves the way for one day therapeutically manipulating the movement of these proteins in a way that could reverse hearing loss, a condition that affects approximately 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69.
"What was surprising in our research with zebrafish is that proteins move so rapidly, implying that protein movement may be required to maintain the integrity of hair bundles in the inner ear," said senior author Brian McDermott, PhD, associate professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "Our research tells us that constant movement, replacement and adjustment among proteins in the inner ear's hair bundles serve a maintenance and even repair function."
In their research, School of Medicine investigators discovered that proteins in the hair bundle move at surprisingly fast rates, and this movement could explain why hair bundles last a lifetime. The researchers used a confocal microscope to examine the movement in real time of these proteins within the inner ears of baby zebrafish. The zebrafish at this early state of development are completely transparent, making it possible to view internal organs without dissection, including ear structure.
"We made movies of the secret inner workings of the hair bundle in a live animal, and what is happening in the ear is amazing and unexpected," McDermott said.
The researchers discovered that vital proteins, actin and myosin, move at a leisurely pace over the course of hours. On the other hand, fascin 2b moves incredibly fast, in seconds. This research proved that the internal structure of stereocilia is dynamic, that the proteins move frequently rather than being mostly stationary.
The speed with which fascin 2b moves may facilitate repair of breaks in the actin cables of the hair bundle when the ear is exposed to loud noise. Sound enters the ear at remarkable speeds, causing intense vibrations and back-and-forth movement of the hair bundle at extremely high rates. Investigators found that what appears to make the hair bundle so durable in the face of such forces is the rate of protein turnover, which enables renewal of the hair bundle.
"It was once thought that most everything within the stereocilia was relatively immobile and static," McDermott said. "We found that the constant, dynamic movement likely contributes to the permanency of the hair bundle structure to last a lifetime, or 70 to 90 years in human terms."
As a next research step, McDermott's team will determine how the hair bundle may repair itself with such protein movement. The process likely involves fascin 2b but may also involve other proteins. They will continue to visualize this process fully in the transparent zebrafish ear.
"No one has shown that stereocilia heal themselves, so next we will find out if there is a repair mechanism," he said. "People go deaf from damage to stereocilia in the inner ear. If we figure out ways of manipulating protein dynamics within stereocilia to heal this damage, we would likely be able to diminish hearing loss in humans."
Joining McDermott in this research were lead coauthors Philsang Hwang and Shih-Wei Chou and contributing author Zongwei Chen.
This research was funded by National Institutes of Health grants DC009437 and S10RR017980 and by the Center for Clinical Research and Technology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
# # #
Media Contact(s):
Jeannette Spalding


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DOHA, Qatar (REUTERS) - Outgoing world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka showed that being second best was not an option for her as she outclassed Serena Williams 7-6 2-6 6-3 to win the Qatar Open on Sunday.
Williams will replace Azarenka on top of the WTA rankings when the new list is released on Monday, but the American's hopes of capping off a memorable week with a 48th singles title were dashed by an opponent who extended her 2013 record to 12-0.
Williams' game sparkled as brightly as the diamond ring on her playing right hand during the second set, but it was Azarenka who was running rings around her in the third.
The Belarussian leapt to a 3-0 lead and never relinquished that advantage, polishing off Williams with an unreturnable serve in just under 2-1/2 hours.
In case anyone in the crowd had forgotten that she had entered the tournament as top dog in the world rankings, she celebrated by holding both arms aloft and wagging her index fingers towards the night sky of Doha.


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Friday, October 22, 2010
A Friday Mystery Photo from Kings Canyon National Park
10 comments:
- Garry Hayes said...
And the small secret is: I don't know what all is going on there, maybe just part of it. So let's hear some good ideas!
- October 22, 2010 at 11:34 PM
Maybe it is where snow has over time worn into and out of cracks and started to wear away at the sides of the cliff...But im usually wrong so...
- October 23, 2010 at 2:50 AM
- Gaelyn said...
Couldn't it be some scaring from past glaciation? Just a guess.
- October 23, 2010 at 7:36 AM
- Ron Schott said...
I'm going to go with joint-controlled weathering and spalling of minerals from a glacially polished surface. Where glacially polished and unfractured the water washes off quickly and doesn't weather very rapidly; where fractures exist (joint controlled, in this case) water can linger and more weathering occurs.
That's just a first hypothesis, based on what I think I'm seeing.
- October 23, 2010 at 2:27 PM
- Silver Fox said...
You may have a light and dark generally linear pattern (subvertical) seen into the background, possibly from two kinds of intrusive rock - then I think the secondary lineation (oblique) are glacial striations that are, for some unknown reason, undergoing cavernous weathering to produce tafoni.
- October 23, 2010 at 10:16 PM
- Helena Mallonee said...
My only thought is basically Gaelyn's: chatter marks from glaciation.
- October 23, 2010 at 10:41 PM
- Silver Fox said...
If the smoothness and vague striations beneath the chattermarks or tafoni-weathered glacial striations are also glacial polishing and striations, then there are two directions of ice movement preserved.
- October 24, 2010 at 8:56 AM
That is clearly a textbook example of an "idunnoite." As in, "I dunno!"
If it's jointing, then why do we see a different geomorphic expression for each of the three sets of joints?
If it's glacial striations, why are they inclined so steeply? Do the striations match what the ice might have been doing in this valley?
The vertical dark streaks seem to be staining from water dripping down the rock face. But if so, then why hasn't the dripping water influenced the development of the tafoni?
- October 24, 2010 at 9:33 AM
- Andrew Alden, Oakland Geology blog said...
At first I thought this might be marble rather than granodiorite, but I'll take your word for it. I would say that the colored stripes are vertical and are a surface feature derived from runoff, with the surface itself being an exfoliational joint plane exposed by glacial plucking or rockfall. I would call the pockmarks freeze-thaw weathering, and I would assign their linear patterns to compositional or textural banding in the underlying rock.
- October 24, 2010 at 12:27 PM
- Silver Fox said...
Someone's going to have to walk over there and look at it!
- October 31, 2010 at 6:25 AM


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Back on Mandolin Mondays this week, we have Swedish mandolinist Magnus Zetterlund with us playing a beautiful Swedish fiddle tune called "Halls Lilla Vals" written by Jon Erik Hall (1877-1948) from Bergsjö in Hälsingland.
Magnus is playing a sweet a electro-acoustic Phoenix Jazz mandolin.
Magnus Zetterlund (b.1980) is an award-winning mandolin player and instructor from Sweden. He is a prominent musician
This week on Mandolin Mondays we have a special guest all the way from Sweden! Check out Magnus Zetterlund playing this beautiful traditional Swedish tune on his toneful Phoenix 2-point mandolin.
In 2007, Magnus became the first Swedish mandolinist to graduate from higher education when he completed his studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Today he teaches mandolin and guitar


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The following website has is provided for information about Assured Residential and their services. The below information sets out how Assured Residential uses and protects the data collected via our web-site. When using this site, you are legally bound to the following privacy policy, so please read carefully. Privacy protection is something that Assured Residential are fully committed to.
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We have several services that require the supply of personal information. For example, when contacting us, we will ask for contact details such as your name, email address, and telephone number. When registering for our monthly newsletter, we will require personal information including your name and email address.
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All of the information collected from the website is retained by Assured Residential. We do not divulge any information to third parties outside of the company without prior consent from the website visitor.
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New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Agriculture Ministry responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists.
Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro gestures after receiving the presidential sash from outgoing President Michel Temer at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes/File Photo
The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, strips power over land claim decisions from indigenous affairs agency FUNAI.
It says the Agriculture Ministry will now be responsible for "identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people."
The move stoked concern among environmentalists and rights groups that the far-right president, who took office on Tuesday, will open up the vast Amazon rainforest and other ecologically sensitive areas of Brazil to greater commercial exploitation.
The executive order also moves the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Environment Ministry, under Agriculture Ministry control.
Additionally, the decree states that the Agriculture Ministry will be in charge of the management of public forests.
Bolsonaro, who enjoys strong support from Brazil's powerful agribusiness sector, said during his campaign he was considering such a move, arguing that protected lands should be opened to commercial activities.
Brazil's 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population, but live on lands that stretch for 106.7 million hectares (264 million acres), or 12.5 pct of the national territory.
"Less than a million people live in these isolated places in Brazil, where they are exploited and manipulated by NGOs," Bolsonaro tweeted, referring to non-profit groups. "Let us together integrate these citizens and value all Brazilians."
Critics say Bolsonaro's plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society.
Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, which is the world's largest rainforest and is vital for climate stability.
Adding to the gloom for NGOs, Bolsonaro also signed an executive order to give his government potentially far-reaching and restrictive powers over non-governmental organizations working in Brazil.
The temporary decree mandates that the office of the Government Secretary, Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, "supervise, coordinate, monitor and accompany the activities and actions of international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the national territory."
After she was sworn in on Wednesday, new Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias defended the farm sector from accusations it has grown at the expense of the environment, adding that the strength of Brazil's farmers had generated "unfounded accusations" from unnamed international groups.
Dias used to be the head of the farm caucus in Brazil's Congress, which has long pushed for an end to land measures that it argues hold back the agricultural sector.
"Brazil is a country with extremely advanced environmental legislation and is more than able to preserve its native forests," Dias said. "Our country is a model to be followed, never a transgressor to be punished."
In comments to reporters after her speech, she said that decisions over land rights disputes were a new responsibility for the Agriculture Ministry. However, she indicated that in practice, the demarcation of land limits would fall to a council of ministries, without giving further details.
Bartolomeu Braz, the president of the national chapter of Aprosoja, a major grain growers association, cheered Wednesday's move to transfer indigenous land demarcation to the Agriculture Ministry.
"The new rules will be interesting to the farmers and the Indians, some of whom are already producing soybeans. The Indians want to be productive too," he added.
Three-time presidential candidate and former Environment Minister Marina Silva, who was beaten by Bolsonaro in October's election, reacted with horror to the move.
"Bolsonaro has begun his government in the worst possible way," she wrote on Twitter.
Dinamã Tuxá, a member of Brazil's Association of Indigenous Peoples, said many isolated communities viewed Bolsonaro's administration with fear.
"We are very afraid because Bolsonaro is attacking indigenous policies, rolling back environmental protections, authorizing the invasion of indigenous territories and endorsing violence against indigenous peoples," said Tuxá.
Under the new plan, the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI will be moved into a new ministry for family, women and human rights.
A former army captain and longtime member of Congress, Bolsonaro said at his inauguration on Tuesday that he had freed the country from "socialism and political correctness."
An admirer of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has suggested he will follow the U.S. president's lead and pull out of the Paris climate change accord.
In addition to the indigenous lands decree, the new administration issued decrees affecting the economy and society on Wednesday, while forging closer ties with the United States.
Reporting by Stefani Inouye, Carolina Mandl, Anthony Boadle, Ana Mano and Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Frances Kerry


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New to Me's are fairly thin on the ground this month, unless I count in new wines or restaurants tried on our holiday in France, where there were lots!
My only crafty New to Me was the completion of the mount for my first attempt at counted canvaswork.
I am really pleased with how it looks and would definitely like to have another go at this. Next time though I will increase the size of the mount board slightly, as the current size 7.5"/19cm square is just that bit too small for commercially available frames, so I will need to pay a visit to the local framer to have it framed eventually.
My second New to Me is crafty, but not by me!
On our recent trip to N.Ireland I stumbled across a poster for a textile art exhibition in the Tourist Information Office in Ballycastle. Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see that, now could I??
The textile artist exhibiting was Eibhlin McCarry who does the most beautiful work with scraps of fabric and felt embellished with machine and hand embroidery.
These embellished felt pieces representing the Nine Green Glens of Antrim were amazing, but my favourite piece was this one entitled Sea, Sand and Shingle.
Indeed, I liked it so much that I did something I have never done before and rang up Eibhlin on the spot and arranged to buy it! Of course as part of the exhibition it had to stay in-situ until the close, so it is only now that I actually have the picture in my hands. A wonderful and lasting memory of a great holiday.
Check out the other links too and, maybe, leave an encouraging comment along the way. The emphasis of this link party is to celebrate the trying of something new, whether it works out exactly as planned or not, so a little encouragement here and there would not go amiss!
The link will remain open until 23.59GMT on September 30th, so you have some time to try something new and link up and join the party :) If your New to Me involves a Christmas or Holiday project then don't forget to link up to this month's Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew Link Party too, you could just win a Skinny Dips bundle of fabric from Plush Addict for your efforts :)
You will find the Ho, Ho, Ho and On We Sew Link Party this month at Practically Pippy
Looking forward to seeing what you have been up to this month!


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The Palo Alto Library parenting program refuses entry to parents mistakenly bringing babies or children. Some preschools specify that their tours are for adults only. And toddlers are not always welcomed trick-or-treaters.
On the flip side, I'm amazed by my doctor's office who (happily) accommodated my son when I had to schedule an immediate appointment but I wasn't sure if I could find a babysitter in time. And semi-fancy restaurants with staff who not only invite us to dine in, but interact with our son, provide kid menus, high chairs and covered cups.
What venues did you misread as either family- or not-family friendly?


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I bought a paper cup making machine from Osaka International two year ago and it is really long-lasting in nature. I would like to recommend Osaka International to those who want to buy Paper Cup-making Machines at wallet friendly prices.
At Osaka International, Brick Making Machine is what we specialize in, and considered to be a trustworthy Brick Making Machine Manufacturers Suppliers Exporters in Pondicherry. These machines are made using the highest-quality basic materials and spare parts, and they comply with industry norms and standards. Prior to dispatch, the machine undergoes a series of inspections to ensure effectiveness.
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The thermal fogger is the polar opposite of the cold fogger. They're also known as ULV (ultra-low volume) foggers since they don't utilise heat to evaporate the fogging liquid, instead opting for the cold spraying approach, which in most cases employs air pressure to spray the liquid out in minute particles.
Pest control firms utilise portable thermal fogging devices outside to eliminate mosquitoes and other outdoor pests. Because they need gas or propane to operate, they are a fire danger and should not be used indoors.
Ash bricks are superior to clay bricks in every way. They are environmentally good because the majority of the constituent is ash, and fly ash bricks are stronger than red bricks. Fly ash brick, which is the best brick for home construction, is an option.


text:
|PostgreSQL 9.3.25 Documentation
|Chapter 30. Regression Tests
The regression tests can be run against an already installed and running server, or using a temporary installation within the build tree. Furthermore, there is a "parallel" and a "sequential" mode for running the tests. The sequential method runs each test script alone, while the parallel method starts up multiple server processes to run groups of tests in parallel. Parallel testing adds confidence that interprocess communication and locking are working correctly.
To run the parallel regression tests after building but before installation, type:
gmake check
in the top-level directory. (Or you can change to src/test/regress and run the command there.) At the end you should see something like:
======================= All 115 tests passed. =======================
or otherwise a note about which tests failed. See Section 30.2 below before assuming that a "failure" represents a serious problem.
Because this test method runs a temporary server, it will not work if you did the build as the root user, since the server will not start as root. Recommended procedure is not to do the build as root, or else to perform testing after completing the installation.
If you have configured PostgreSQL to install into a location where an older PostgreSQL installation already exists, and you perform gmake check before installing the new version, you might find that the tests fail because the new programs try to use the already-installed shared libraries. (Typical symptoms are complaints about undefined symbols.) If you wish to run the tests before overwriting the old installation, you'll need to build with configure --disable-rpath. It is not recommended that you use this option for the final installation, however.
The parallel regression test starts quite a few processes under your user ID. Presently, the maximum concurrency is twenty parallel test scripts, which means forty processes: there's a server process and a psql process for each test script. So if your system enforces a per-user limit on the number of processes, make sure this limit is at least fifty or so, else you might get random-seeming failures in the parallel test. If you are not in a position to raise the limit, you can cut down the degree of parallelism by setting the MAX_CONNECTIONS parameter. For example:
gmake MAX_CONNECTIONS=10 check
runs no more than ten tests concurrently.
To run the tests after installation (see Chapter 15), initialize a data area and start the server as explained in Chapter 17, then type:
gmake installcheck
or for a parallel test:
gmake installcheck-parallel
The tests will expect to contact the server at the local host and the default port number, unless directed otherwise by PGHOST and PGPORT environment variables. The tests will be run in a database named regression; any existing database by this name will be dropped. The tests will also transiently create some cluster-wide objects, such as user identities named regressuserN.
The gmake check and gmake installcheck commands run only the "core" regression tests, which test built-in functionality of the PostgreSQL server. The source distribution also contains additional test suites, most of them having to do with add-on functionality such as optional procedural languages.
To run all test suites applicable to the modules that have been selected to be built, including the core tests, type one of these commands at the top of the build tree:
gmake check-world gmake installcheck-world
These commands run the tests using temporary servers or an already-installed server, respectively, just as previously explained for gmake check and gmake installcheck. Other considerations are the same as previously explained for each method. Note that gmake check-world builds a separate temporary installation tree for each tested module, so it requires a great deal more time and disk space than gmake installcheck-world.
Alternatively, you can run individual test suites by typing gmake check or gmake installcheck in the appropriate subdirectory of the build tree. Keep in mind that gmake installcheck assumes you've installed the relevant module(s), not only the core server.
The additional tests that can be invoked this way include:
Regression tests for optional procedural languages (other than PL/pgSQL, which is tested by the core tests). These are located under src/pl.
Regression tests for contrib modules, located under contrib. Not all contrib modules have tests.
Regression tests for the ECPG interface library, located in src/interfaces/ecpg/test.
Tests stressing behavior of concurrent sessions, located in src/test/isolation.
When using installcheck mode, these tests will destroy any existing databases named pl_regression, contrib_regression, isolationtest, regress1, or connectdb, as well as regression.
By default, tests using a temporary installation use the locale defined in the current environment and the corresponding database encoding as determined by initdb. It can be useful to test different locales by setting the appropriate environment variables, for example:
gmake check LANG=C gmake check LC_COLLATE=en_US.utf8 LC_CTYPE=fr_CA.utf8
For implementation reasons, setting LC_ALL does not work for this purpose; all the other locale-related environment variables do work.
When testing against an existing installation, the locale is determined by the existing database cluster and cannot be set separately for the test run.
You can also choose the database encoding explicitly by setting the variable ENCODING, for example:
gmake check LANG=C ENCODING=EUC_JP
Setting the database encoding this way typically only makes sense if the locale is C; otherwise the encoding is chosen automatically from the locale, and specifying an encoding that does not match the locale will result in an error.
The database encoding can be set for tests against either a temporary or an existing installation, though in the latter case it must be compatible with the installation's locale.
The core regression test suite contains a few test files that are not run by default, because they might be platform-dependent or take a very long time to run. You can run these or other extra test files by setting the variable EXTRA_TESTS. For example, to run the numeric_big test:
gmake check EXTRA_TESTS=numeric_big
To run the collation tests:
gmake check EXTRA_TESTS=collate.linux.utf8 LANG=en_US.utf8
The collate.linux.utf8 test works only on Linux/glibc platforms, and only when run in a database that uses UTF-8 encoding.
The source distribution also contains regression tests for the static behavior of Hot Standby. These tests require a running primary server and a running standby server that is accepting new WAL changes from the primary (using either file-based log shipping or streaming replication). Those servers are not automatically created for you, nor is replication setup documented here. Please check the various sections of the documentation devoted to the required commands and related issues.
To run the Hot Standby tests, first create a database called regression on the primary:
psql -h primary -c "CREATE DATABASE regression"
Next, run the preparatory script src/test/regress/sql/hs_primary_setup.sql on the primary in the regression database, for example:
psql -h primary -f src/test/regress/sql/hs_primary_setup.sql regression
Allow these changes to propagate to the standby.
Now arrange for the default database connection to be to the standby server under test (for example, by setting the PGHOST and PGPORT environment variables). Finally, run gmake standbycheck in the regression directory:
cd src/test/regress gmake standbycheck
Some extreme behaviors can also be generated on the primary using the script src/test/regress/sql/hs_primary_extremes.sql to allow the behavior of the standby to be tested.


text: 43670004-Edit-Edit "What happened to your face?" It is a question David Roche encourages the audience to ask during his one-man show, "The Church of 80% Sincerity." In his 60s, the performer, speaker and storyteller was born with a cavernous hemangioma – a benign tumour filled with blood vessels. Radiation therapy caused the lower half of his face to stop growing and left radiation burns on his temple and eyelid. David says his face is a gift, because it's forced him to find his inner beauty.


text:
Kyle Barron stepped out of his taxi from Logan International Airport just after 11 p.m. Friday. He had been away nearly a week, on business in London. From afar, he had watched as bombings and gunfire sundered his community and neighboring cities.
The worst part was Friday, when Barron was cut off from information, crossing the ocean on a plane as police hunted for one of the suspected bombers from Monday's Boston Marathon.
"I didn't have access to what was going on and I was nervous the whole flight," the 23-year-old Cambridge resident said. "Anything could have happened in that eight hours."
They had gone away — for work or pleasure, maybe with the family for school vacation week, which had more than the usual number of residents visiting far-flung places. But for locals out of town this past week, their hearts and minds were very much still in Boston, their eyes never far from a TV or news-streaming Internet connection.
Often they wondered: What would their city look like when they returned? Would there be a new reality?
"I don't think it's going to be the same anymore," said Barron, adding that his street — just blocks from the Cambridge address where the bombing suspects grew up — feels less familiar, more "haunting and eerie."
Others, arriving at Logan from various points on Saturday, said the week's events left them anxious to be home.
At a medical conference in Washington, Somerville resident Cynthia Graber, 40, found herself disconnecting from discussions about health care in order to plug in her headphones and tune in to WBUR's radio news stream.
"In my heart, I was in lockdown," a tearful Graber said after landing at Logan, where her boyfriend met her with a fierce hug. "I just wanted to be here because it's my home. All my friends are here, all the people I love, and everyone was going through it together — so to be separate . . . I didn't feel guilt for being away, I just felt longing to be here."
Even after stepping off their flight home from New Jersey, Leah Jacobson and her sons were anxious, stopping in Logan's Terminal C to buy a newspaper so they could read the latest account of Friday's manhunt and arrest.
"Every time we saw a picture we said, 'We've been there, we go there,' " said the 44-year-old Swampscott mother, who had taken her kids to visit relatives. "It was like a dual reality — I'm tearing up because it was hard — we were there to have fun, but we've been focused on it the whole vacation. No matter what we did we were checking on it."
Again and again, locals returning to Massachusetts in recent days told the same story: Instead of enjoying a sunny day or a moment by the pool during last week's spring break, they found themselves inundated Monday with texts and calls from worried relatives, then addicted to updates from Massachusetts.
"I did watch CNN every single day just to make sure I was coming back to something still whole," said Darlyne Johnson, 55, of Milton, who was traveling home with her children. "I was glad to be away because of my kids. I'm glad they weren't in the middle of it."
Johnson's 13-year-old son, Michael, had a hard time talking about the bombings, which hit him so hard that his mother said he was unable to finish his dinner after first hearing the news.
While they waited for their baggage Saturday, Johnson hugged her son as his face crumpled with tears when he recalled the moment.
"I was telling you they were going to get the bad guys and they did," she said as he nodded and tried to smile.
Shrewsbury resident Amit Swarup and his family first learned of the bombings while standing outside a bar with a British theme at Disney World's Epcot in Florida. His 13-year-old daughter, Aanchal, discovered the news when she used her phone to check something on Instagram. The family tried to carry on with the vacation, eating ice cream and enjoying amusement park rides, but found themselves turning frequently to their phones for news.
Swarup, 43, said he is hoping some time at home will help him reconnect after last week's horrors left him feeling "violated" and "a little lost" -— particularly since he lived near the Marathon finish line when he was a young man.
"We've always thought of Boston as this pristine, safe place, intellectual, where nothing ever goes wrong," Swarup said, as he waited to collect his family's bags at Logan. "That feeling is gone."
What remains for many, however, is a sense of pride in the fortitude of Massachusetts residents, who sent numerous tips to investigators, sequestered themselves in their homes for hours Friday in order to aid police, and danced in the streets when an arrest was made.
"The city did a tremendous job," Swarup said. "We saw it on the news about the city fighting back."
Returning from a trip to check out potential colleges in Florida, 17-year-old Avery Seltzer, of Ashland, said the whole experience and the pride it has engendered has him rethinking his future.
"It made me want to look at schools closer to home. Now if I leave Massachusetts, am I betraying my hometown?" Seltzer asked.
"It puts life in perspective," replied his father, Jeff Seltzer, 50.
Erin Ailworth can be reached at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @ailworth.


text:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The remains of two U.S. contractors who were kidnapped in Iraq have been found, FBI officials said Monday.
The bureau identified the two as Ronald Withrow of Roaring Springs, Texas, abducted on January 5, 2007, and John Roy Young of Kansas City, Missouri, who was captured on November 16, 2006.
Withrow worked for Las Vegas, Nevada-based JPI Worldwide Inc., and Young worked for Crescent Security Group.
The FBI said it had notified the families of the contractors.
Meanwhile, four U.S. soldiers died Sunday night in a roadside bombing in Iraq, military officials reported, bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war to 4,000 deaths.
The four were killed when a homemade bomb hit their vehicle as they patrolled in a southern Baghdad neighborhood, the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq said. A fifth soldier was wounded.
The grim milestone comes less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the start of the war.
"No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq.
"Every single loss of a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is keenly felt by military commanders, families and friends both in theater and at home."
Of the 4,000 U.S. military personnel killed in the war, 3,263 have died in attacks and fighting and 737 in nonhostile incidents, such as traffic accidents and suicides. Eight of those killed were civilians working for the Pentagon. The numbers are based on Pentagon data counted by CNN. Check out a company that makes headstones for fallen U.S. troops »
President Bush made remarks about lives lost in Iraq at the State Department on Monday.
"One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come,' " he said. "I have vowed in the past and I will vow so long as I'm president to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain; that, in fact, there's an outcome that will merit the sacrifice that civilian and military alike have made."
Also Sunday, at least 35 Iraqis died as the result of suicide bombings, mortar fire and the work of gunmen in cars who opened fire on a crowded outdoor market. Nearly 100 were wounded in the violence.
Estimates of the Iraqi death toll since the war began range from about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands. Watch an Iraqi family talk about faith in a war zone »
Another 2 million Iraqis have been forced to leave the country, and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes within Iraq, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Many of the Iraqis and U.S. troops killed over the years, like the four soldiers slain Sunday in Baghdad, have been targeted by improvised explosive devices -- the roadside bombs that have come to symbolize Iraq's tenacious insurgency. Watch how the bombs have become a deadly staple »
The Pentagon's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has been developed to counter the threat of roadside bombs in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. The group calls such bombs the "weapon of choice for adaptive and resilient networks of insurgents and terrorists."
Nearly 160,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, and the war has cost U.S. taxpayers about $600 billion, according to the House Budget Committee.
Senior U.S. military officials are preparing to recommend to Bush a four- to six-week pause in additional troop withdrawals from Iraq after the last of the so-called surge brigades leaves in July, CNN learned last week from U.S. military officials familiar with the recommendations but not authorized to talk about them.
The return of all five brigades added to the Iraq contingent last year could reduce troop levels by up to 30,000 but still leave about 130,000 or more troops in Iraq.
Also Monday, the U.S. military said six people killed in a weekend attack were "terrorists" and not members of an American-backed militia, as initially reported.
Those first reports suggested the area of Saturday's helicopter strike may have been a Sons of Iraq checkpoint. Such groups are generically referred to as Awakening Councils -- largely Sunni security forces that the U.S. military have recruited.
A police official in the north-central city of Samarra said the helicopter mistakenly hit a Sons of Iraq checkpoint, killing the six. But the U.S. military said that it believes those killed were not part of the Sons of Iraq.
"I can tell you that two of these individuals were fiddling with something on the side of the road and trying to hide themselves under a blanket when they heard the helicopter," said Maj. Bradford Leighton. "The location of the checkpoint was not at or near any known Sons of Iraq checkpoint."
A joint Iraqi-U.S.-led coalition force is investigating the deaths.
Other developments
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.