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Republicans v. Conservatives
Given the magnitude of the Obamacare debacle, it's hard to imagine how Republicans could manage to one-up the dysfunction and dissolution of the Democrat party. Much to the delight of the media, however, the GOP has managed to redirect the spotlight away from the train wreck of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for its own dog and pony show. Frustrated by conservative criticisms of the recently passed House budget compromise, Speaker John Boehner has declared open season on "outside conservative groups," claiming that their criticism of the budget deal is mere window dressing designed to foment grassroots anger against the Establishment:
"They are not fighting for conservative principles," Mr. Boehner told rank-and-file House Republicans during a private meeting on Wednesday as he seethed and questioned the motives of the groups for piling on against the plan before it was even made public. "They are not fighting for conservative policy," he continued, according to accounts of those present. "They are fighting to expand their lists, raise more money and grow their organizations, and they are using you to do it. It's ridiculous."
This kind of conspiratorial, incendiary rhetoric is what we've come to expect from the Obama administration, which is always quick to discredit and discount anyone who dares criticize the President or his policies, dismissing them as cynical opportunists with ulterior motives. Apparently Speaker Boehner and other GOP leaders have been taking notes. If not for these troublesome groups, Boehner and his Establishment cronies insist, the government shutdown never would have happened. It was the influence of these outsiders, these ideological insurgents, that led a group of naïve House freshmen to back the futile effort to repeal Obamacare.
Assuming for a moment that Mr. Boehner's assertions are true, what does that say about his own leadership and that of his caucus? Are the Speaker and his merry GOP band such an emasculated bunch that their agenda was so easily hijacked by a bunch of newbies and a few grassroots organizations? Or is this a just cop out for a strategy turned sour and a caucus in search of a scapegoat? Mr. Boehner's lament sounds a lot like "The Devil made me do it" defense, only in this case the Devil is the Tea Party.
Truth be told, there has long existed an incestuous relationship between "outside conservative groups" and the Republican Caucus. Traditionally the Caucus has viewed these groups as mere extensions of their party. It was assumed that the outside groups merely existed to affirm the decisions of the establishment GOP. Potential dissidents knew that bucking the system meant losing critical access to powerbrokers and policymakers. Going along to get along was the name of the game.
At long last, however, these "groups" are beginning to recognize that they have an identity independent of the Republican caucus. Thanks to the Tea Party, they have come to recognize that they aren't mere minions of the Republican leadership, but have obligations to the country that transcend party. When Republican actions on Capitol Hill affirm conservative principles, they are rightly praised by these groups. When they don't, they are appropriately criticized. And, yes, when they go off the reservation too many times – completely abandoning any vestige of conservatism in favor of big government cronyism – they wind up with primary opponents.
This change has undoubtedly been painful to a GOP establishment accustomed to having the conservative base and the groups that represent it do its bidding. But it's a change that's long overdue. By throwing down the gauntlet, the conservative grassroots are acknowledging that the country comes first, that principle is more important than politics. No doubt Speaker Boehner and his allies wield a lot of power, and they won't make it easy for those committed to effecting real change in Washington. Here's hoping the "insurgents" threatening the status quo have the fortitude to play the long game. The country stands to gain, or lose, quite a lot.


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Additional information
|21 oz
|9 × 6 × 1 in
In stock
by James Fadiman, Ph.D.
From the Publisher: Drawing on the latest research and over 40 years experience in the field of psychedelic science and medicine, this new book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in using psychedelics as tools for spiritual, emotional, and personal development. From the importance of having an experienced guide to the need for careful attention to set and setting, The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide contains a wealth of practical guidelines for using psychedelics effectively and responsibly.
The guide describes how different dosages can be used to facilitate different kinds of healing and self-discovery and dispels many common myths about the risks and benefits of psychedelics by reviewing past and current research into their therapeutic use. It even takes a close look at how these tools were used by spiritual, scientific, and industrial leaders including Ram Dass, Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, Huston Smith, Francis Crick, and Steve Jobs.
Praise for the Book: "James Fadiman, one of the foremost pioneers of scientific research of the potential of psychedelic substances for therapy, self-discovery, spiritual quests, and creative problem-solving, has written an invaluable guide for safe and productive sessions. Based on more than forty years of the author's experience in the field and presented in a clear, easily understandable style, this book is a breath of fresh air, dispelling the mis-information that has been disseminated over many decades by sensation-hunting journalists and fear-based antidrug propaganda. The publication of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide could not be more timely; it coincides with a major renaissance of interest in psychedelic research worldwide. The information that it provides will thus be useful not only for the hundreds of thousands of people involved in self-experimentation but also for the new generation of psychedelic researchers." — Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of LSD: Doorway to the Numinous
"James Fadiman was the Forrest Gump of the psychedelic sixties. He witnessed the first flowerings of that amazing era of mind expansion, then kept popping up for cameo appearances whenever the action got particularly interesting and enlightening. Now, riding a new wave of scientific research into the beneficial use of these misunderstood substances, Fadiman is back with a practical and at the same time inspiring guidebook for the next generation of entheogenic explorers." — Don Lattin, author of the bestselling The Harvard Psychedelic Club
"Approaching his subject from intimately historical, psychological-cultural, and accessible authoritative perspectives, Fadiman's psychedelic magnum opus establishes the benchmark reference for anyone interested in understanding, experiencing, or supervising the effects of this unique family of psychoactive substances." — Rick Strassman, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule
"At last, there's a practical, commonsense manual for mindful therapeutic sessions using psychedelics, one thats informed by the latest science and unfettered by arcane platitudes. It will be a boon to personal transformation and a road map for avoiding trouble along the way for all who use it. Bon voyage!" — Charles Hayes, author of Tripping: An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures
"Finally! A comprehensive guide not only to psychedelic use in a therapeutic setting but also, even more bravely, to psychospiritual exploration and cognitive enhancement. We are fortunate to reap the benefits of Professor Fadiman's years of cumulative knowledge and experience as well as to hear from a cadre of 'who's who' in the psychedelic cognoscenti." — Julie Holland, M.D., editor of The Pot Book and Ecstasy: The Complete Guide
"Psychedelics have been part of native cultures for centuries and remain so in many areas of the world. Properly used, they offer a one-step guide to enlightenment and connection with intuition as well as the soul and the Divine. Dr. Fadiman's book offers the best information and guidance available today. Everyone interested in exploring the world of inner consciousness will find this work indispensable." — Norm Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the American Holistic Health Association and coauthor of Soul Medicine and Life Beyond 100
"The prohibition of psychedelic drugs in the twentieth century unfortunately restricted a most promising and profound inquiry into the religious mysteries of consciousness. This brave and encouraging book goes a long way toward restoring our constitutional right to explore these mysteries. By encouraging individual responsibility and intelligence in this era of purported health care reform, James Fadiman takes a bold and refreshing step toward reclaiming our freedom of religion, which is the very essence of democracy and the American dream." — Robert Forte, editor of Entheogens and the Future of Religion and Timothy Leary: Outside Looking In
"The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide is a brave and uniquely valuable book. Written by one of the most highly respected and innovative researchers from the 1960s, this extraordinary book covers topics not found in any other book on the subject. Fadiman offers us a beautifully written, insightful summation of important early research on creativity, problem solving, and psychospiritual development, tragically cut off by government edict, as well as new research on the use of sub-threshold doses of LSD to enhance normal functioning, in the process creating a road map for the future of psychedelic research. The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide wisely focuses not on pathology but on human potential for health and, as such, shows us how these transformative substances can improve the future of psychology–and the future of society. Throughout this radical yet evidence-based volume, Fadiman uses a combination of the research and his own broad personal experiences working with Leary, Alpert (Ram Dass), Kesey, and other seminal figures in psychedelic research and practice to make the convincing case that psychedelics offer the power to transform society and reintegrate unitary spirituality into Western civilization. The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide is written with a wry humor that brings Fadiman's sincere, soulful intentionality immediately to the reader, integrating and transforming from the moment one opens this important, mature, and absolutely essential book. If you are interested in the safe, effective, and transformative use of psychedelics to improve our lives and our society, you will devour this book. Fadiman's The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide is the finest book ever written on the topic–a must read." — Neal Goldsmith, Ph.D., author of Psychedelic Healing
About the Author: James Fadiman, Ph.D., is the co-founder of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and has been involved in psychedelic research for over 40 years. In addition to writing and teaching, Fadiman gives regular presentations and workshops on psychedelic science and medicine. He lives in Menlo Park, California.
|21 oz
|9 × 6 × 1 in

subset: commoncrawl


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On the Records: Feds Award $61 Million for Texas Health Centers
The federal government awarded Texas $61 million today for new and improved community health centers across the state.
Through provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the federal government today awarded $61 million to improve and establish new community health centers in Texas. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates the funding for 25 new or improved health centers will serve 78,479 patients across the state.
"For many Americans, community health centers are the major source of care that ranges from prevention to treatment of chronic diseases," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a prepared statement. "This investment will expand our ability to provide high-quality care to millions of people while supporting good paying jobs in communities across the country."
In total, the ACA is doling out $1.5 billion for new facilities and renovating old ones. The funding will create 6,000 jobs over the next two years, Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said in a conference call today.
At least, if the money sticks. Texas and 25 other states want the U.S. Supreme court to overturn the federal health care reform law, as they argued before the court in March. It's unknown how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the case or whether their ruling will affect these funds, but federal officials said they're moving forward despite the uncertainty. The ACA has also been a major issue in the presidential campaign, and the health center announcement could help provide the Obama administration a way to highlight the investments made through the law.
Most of the services provided by community health centers involve primary care to help patients prevent more serious illnesses that can be expensive to care for down the line.
The federal government estimates Texas is short 484 primary care doctors. Most of the underserved regions are rural, according to a 2012 report by the Texas Department of State Health Services that assessed the distribution of physicians in the state by analyzing federal health data and the number of physicians and specialists registered with state licensing boards.
"Outside of the major metropolitan areas, Texas has high population-to-provider ratios," according to the results of the state's data analysis. "The areas west of I-35 face shortages, in some cases requiring patients to travel significant distances to see a specialist."
We've mapped the locations of the Texas cities that will receive funding below. Yellow markers show cities with health centers that received up to $500,000 in grants, while green markers show cities with health centers that received $1 million or more. Click on the icons for details.
Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.
Texans need truth. Help us report it.
Our Fall Member Drive is underway, and we need your support. The Texas Tribune is a critical source of truth and information for Texans across the state and beyond — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Will you join as a member with a tax-deductible donation of any amount?Yes, I'll donate today


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There have been numerous reports, including on our program, Dan Rather Reports, about the decline of the honeybee. They've been dying off in huge numbers. The cause has been lumped under a title called "Colony Collapse Disorder" or CCD. But now scientists are telling us the danger is worse than they feared.
We were researching an update on how honey bees were faring after years of unexplained colony deaths. Beekeepers are now losing an average of 30-50% of their hives each year from all kinds of symptoms. But our investigations found evidence that has led all the way back to the people who regulate our country's pesticide program at the Environmental Protection Agency.
OK, so we all like honey, but why should we care exactly? To paraphrase scientists: the entire food chain is at risk. One in three bites of food we eat is directly dependent on insect pollination: apples, cucumbers, pumpkins, avocado, almonds, zucchini and blueberries to name a few. And it's not just here in the United States. With losses being reported from all over Europe, the Middle East and some parts of Asia, the worldwide economic value of pollinators to agriculture, estimated to be over $200 billion dollars, is in the balance.
So what's going on? One of the suspects, according to beekeepers and scientists, is relatively new on the market. Remember these words: systemic pesticides. Systemics work differently than any other pesticide. These chemicals, derived from nicotine, are called neonicotinoids. How they got onto the market illustrates, according to several scientists we spoke to both inside and outside the EPA, the real deficiencies of pesticide regulation in this country, and the questionable role of industry in these decisions.
Systemic pesticides have changed the game of insect control since they were introduced in the mid-90s. They have since become the fastest growing class of any insecticide in history, and among the most widely used in the world, now approved for use on three quarters of all U.S. farmland.
Systemic pesticides have become popular because they're so effective. Since they are absorbed by the plant, either through seed treatment or spray, the whole plant becomes toxic to insects. That means they don't need to be reapplied like traditional pesticides, saving time, money and exposure to humans. But it also means that the chemicals get into the pollen and nectar. Before farmers started using systemic pesticides, beekeepers were always on the front line of the chemical warfare in agriculture, and farmers agreed not to spray when plants were in bloom to prevent exposure to bees. Now, with systemic pesticides, the chemical is in the bloom. So bees searching for nectar now can come into contact with pesticides too.
Chemical companies and the EPA maintain that it's about dosage -- as long as chemical use is at safe levels there will be no problem. But there are concerns. Number one -- beekeepers are worried because the chemical companies are the ones testing their products for safety. Not the EPA. As one beekeeper told us, it's like the fox designing the best chicken coop. Also, independent scientists are now convinced no one really knows what that safe level is when it comes to long-term impacts on honey bees, not the EPA, not industry, and at this point, not even the independent scientific community. And it appears that the EPA hasn't made this a priority.
Chemical companies say neonicotinoids are safe for bees. But scientists say prove it. According to sources and our own investigations, the companies have yet to submit one acceptable field study of systemics on long-term impacts to honey bees since the new pesticides were allowed on the market in the mid-90's.
Sources within the EPA tell us that agency scientists have been voicing concern over the neonicotinoids since they first came up for registration over 15 years ago with special concern raised over impact to honey bees. Our sources also told us, however, that scientists can't even suggest a connection between pesticides and colony losses for fear of being ostracized and excluded from meetings. With decisions being made by administrators, who are not necessarily scientists, sources say they don't even know themselves what goes into these ultimate decisions of what to approve for sale. And sources report that EPA scientists feel demoralized, when they work so hard to get risk assessments out that decision makers ultimately ignore.
Critics of pesticide regulation point to how Congress has set up the program in the first place. Unlike in Europe where they have the option to use a precautionary principle to keep a pesticide off the market until science proves it to be safe. In the United States, the EPA is mandated to consider many options, and only one of those is the science. It must also consider a range of other factors, such as economic, political and social factors.
Currently there are more than 17,000 pesticide products on the market in the U.S., and scientists say there is much that remains unknown about their impact on the environment, including the effect of combinations of compounds. While many credit the EPA with doing a good job at making sure pesticides are safer and safer for humans, they have a lot to answer for when it comes to honey bees.
Ultimately, when it comes to the systemics, even our sources inside the EPA acknowledge, a complete redesign of how the EPA determines safety risks of pesticides may be the best bet for bees.
There have been numerous reports, including on our program, Dan Rather Reports, about the decline of the honeybee. They've been dying off in huge numbers. The cause has been lumped under a title called "Colony Collapse Disorder" or CCD. But now scientists are telling us the danger is worse than they feared.


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Online Resource Library
Domestic Violence Resources
Web & Public Resources
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Domestic Violence Resources: Web & Public Resources
A collection of resources available on the topics of domestic violence, family violence, & spousal abuse
Web & Public Resources
Scholarly Resources
Video & Multimedia
Statistical Resources
WomensHealth.gov - Violence Against Women
Violence Against Women - WomensHealth.gov
The Office on Women's Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OWH coordinates women's health efforts across HHS and addresses critical women's health issues by informing and advancing policies, educating health care professionals and consumers, and supporting model programs. Learn more about who we are.
Office on Violence Against Women - U.S. Department of Justice
Office on Violence Against Women - U.S. Department of Justice
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
In 1994 Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in recognition of the severity of crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This Act emerged from the efforts of a broad, grassroots coalition of advocates and survivors who informed the work of Congress. In the two decades prior to VAWA, a movement had grown within the United States to respond appropriately to violent crimes against women. Rape crisis centers and women's shelters were established in localities, and state and local laws had changed. However, the progress had been uneven around the country. VAWA was borne out of the need for a national solution. This Act enhances the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women.
Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
OVW administers both formula-based and discretionary grant programs, established under VAWA and subsequent legislation. The four formula programs are STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors), SASP (Sexual Assault Services Program), State Coalitions, and Tribal Coalitions. The discretionary programs work to support victims and hold perpetrators accountable through promoting a coordinated community response.
Funding is awarded to local, state and tribal governments, courts, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and state and tribal coalitions. Grants are used to develop effective responses to violence against women through activities that include direct services, crisis intervention, transitional housing, legal assistance to victims, court improvement, and training for law enforcement and courts. The recipients of funding work with specific populations such as elders, persons with disabilities, college students, teens, and culturally and linguistically specific populations.
In addition to administering grant programs and as appropriations allow, OVW funds special initiatives in response to areas of special need. The initiatives dedicate resources to develop enhancements in areas requiring particular attention or in communities facing particularly acute challenges. They enable OVW to explore innovations in the violence against women field and share knowledge that can be replicated nationwide.
Since its inception, OVW has awarded over $6 billion in grants and cooperative agreements and has launched a multifaceted approach to implementing VAWA. By forging state, local, and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, judges, victim advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, and others, OVW grant programs help provide victims with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while simultaneously enabling communities to hold offenders accountable for their violence.
Domestic Violence Legal Feed from the Library of Congress
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Microsoft plans to shut down Bing Cashback, the service that offered online shoppers cash rebates for buying products after searching for them on Bing.
It appears that the offering, which was based on technology developed by Jellyfish.com, a company Microsoft bought in 2007, didn't do as well as hoped.
Microsoft attracted more than 1,000 merchant partners who offered cash back to shoppers, said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president for Microsoft's Online Audience Business Group, in a blog post. "But after a couple of years of trying, we did not see the broad adoption that we had hoped for," he wrote.
Cashback will be available to users until July 30. After that, users will have a year to redeem any cash they earned through purchases.
Too Complicated?
While the concept of Cashback sounds attractive, it also has a fair amount of complexity and that may have kept users away, said analyst Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence. Users had to sign up and then understand how and when they would get the cash back, he noted. Plus, some people may have thought it sounded too good to be true. "There's an inherent skepticism that people bring to this," he said.
It's possible the amount of cash being offered wasn't enough to attract more users and maybe the merchant partners didn't do enough promotion, he said.
In addition, Microsoft could be in the process of examining its many search initiatives in an effort to discontinue those that aren't paying off. "I would guess it has to do with a lot of the rationalization Microsoft is doing given that they have to take on the Yahoo search platform," said Richard Sim, vice president, product management and marketing at Anchor Intelligence. He said Microsoft appears to be working hard on the integration with Yahoo and so may be looking to trim off unnecessary projects.
Grand Plan Abandoned
Cashback was once central to Microsoft's push to position its search engine as one that was ideal for shoppers. It was also a service that Microsoft founder Bill Gates seemed particularly fond of. He often spoke about the potential for the offering to draw people to Microsoft search.
In May 2008 when the service launched, he described Cashback as a new advertising platform. Search advertising offers essentially nothing in return, compared to advertising on TV or radio, where users get content in return, he explained. Cashback "gives you a reason why you should use a particular search," he said at the time.
Cashback launched with some marquee names including eBay, Barnes & Noble, Sears, Home Depot, Zappos.com and Overstock.com. It launched with 700 merchants, so it grew only nominally over two years.


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Microsoft is pulling the plug on a new model of deploying and hosting apps for SharePoint that relied on the company's Azure platform.
The goal of the Autohosted Apps Preview program was to offer SharePoint developers a "friction free" experience for provisioning their apps by tapping Azure resources, but the service fell short of expectations because, in Microsoft's words, it "lacked some critical capabilities."
"For example, the ability to access all the features of Microsoft Azure, better insight and transparency into running apps for debugging and monitoring purposes, and more control and options for scaling apps," reads a blog post the Office 365 team published on Friday.
Working in conjunction with the Azure and Visual Studio groups, the Office 365 team hopes to relaunch this service by the end of the year. The Authosted Apps Preview program could be used for apps built for the on-premises SharePoint 2013 server and for the Microsoft-hosted SharePoint Online, the public cloud version of the server that is available as a stand-alone product and as part of Office 365.
"The improved model will include nailing the fundamentals you told us were crucial: streamlined deployment and management, the ability to leverage the full power of Azure, and easy scaling for apps," the blog post reads.
The Autohosted Apps Preview program will close on June 30, and developers won't be able to create new apps using it after that date. Currently deployed apps will continue to run on the service until further notice.
Developers should transition Autohosted Apps running in production environments to the hosting infrastructure of another provider, according to Microsoft. Instructions for doing so are posted online.
The Autohosted Apps service, introduced with SharePoint 2013's launch, automatically provisions an Azure website and, in some cases, also an Azure SQL database when apps are installed.
The other cloud model, which remains functional, is the Provider Hosted Apps one, in which developers deploy non-SharePoint components on their premises server or on a third-party cloud hosting platform, according to Microsoft.


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Is violent Rihanna-Eminem song teaching tool?
Fri Aug 6, 5:25 PM
By Jocelyn Noveck
The Associated Press
NEW YORK, N.Y. - It's hard to forget the haunting photo that leaked out early last year: Pop star Rihanna, her elegant face bruised and battered after a violent assault by her then-boyfriend, R&B singer Chris Brown.
Now, she's appearing in something else shocking, though thankfully
fictional: Rapper Eminem's chart-topping "Love the Way You Lie," a song (and now video) that graphically depicts a physically abusive relationship.
And the debate has begun: Is the song a treatise against (or apology for) domestic violence, or an irresponsible glorification of it? Or, is it something uncomfortable in between? And how exactly to explain the role of Rihanna, who has said she aims to help young people learn the lessons of her ordeal?
One thing is not in question: The song is a hit, sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And well before the edgy video debuted Thursday evening, the lyrics were enough to get plenty of attention.
"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn," Rihanna sings repeatedly, to an undeniably catchy tune. "But that's all right because I like the way it hurts."
As for Eminem, who raps the verses, he makes it crystal clear what the fire imagery's about. "If she ever tries to (expletive) leave me again," he says late in the song, "I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire."
In between, there's talk of love being wonderful, until it isn't. Suddenly there's pushing, pulling hair, scratching, clawing, biting: "Throw 'em down, pin 'em. So lost in the moments when you're in 'em."
The girl, acted in the video by actress Megan Fox, tries to leave. The guy, played by Dominic Monaghan, promises it won't happen again. But then he admits he's lying: "I apologize even though I know it's lies."
Rihanna wasn't available for comment on the song, her publicist said in an email message. But the 22-year-old singer, who last year won a Glamour Woman of the Year award, partly for her stand on domestic violence, has been quoted as saying the song "was something that needed to be done and the way he (Eminem) did it was so clever. He pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence."
As for Eminem, known for his turbulent relationship with ex-wife Kim Mathers
- his song, "Kim," graphically fantasized about murdering her - he has said he enlisted Rihanna because she was the perfect person to pull the song off.
But can it be a teaching tool? That depends on the context in which young people see and hear it, says Marjorie Gilberg, executive director of Break the Cycle, a group that fights violence among teens.
"The danger is that pop culture defines our social norms," says Gilberg. "We don't want the message of this song to be that this kind of relationship is acceptable. So this song has to be viewed in the context of real information from adults, like parents and teachers."
Of course, that depends on whether listeners even focus on the lyrics.
Allison Churchill, an Eminem fan in Palm Coast, Fla., says she has friends who never really hear the lyrics to songs they like - "they just like a good beat." She herself listened a number of times to "Love the Way You Lie"
before she realized what it was saying.
"I thought, 'I can't sing along to THAT,'" says Churchill, 31.
But she thinks the song could have a positive impact, "if it can hit a nerve with a teenager and prompt them to go talk to someone about it." Because, she says, "The more we talk about a subject, the easier it is to fix."
One problem, though, says Gilberg of Break the Cycle, is that the song reflects myths about domestic violence - myths that lead to blaming the victim. One is that women enjoy being hurt.
"Do people WANT to be abused? No," says Gilberg. "They want to be loved."
They may put up with abuse, but that's a different story. Another myth, she
says: The concept of mutual violence. (Eminem sings: "But your temper's just as bad as mine is. You're the same as me." And the video shows the actors hitting each other.)
"That's a classic line of an abusive man," says Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women. "You're as bad as me, so it's OK. The fact is, it's only two-year-olds and violent men who use violence to get what they want."
O'Neill thinks Rihanna really is trying to make a contribution to fighting domestic violence - it's just that in this song, she's unwittingly glorifying it.
"She's narrating the story, and she's not judging it," says O'Neill. "And so she may not intend to be glorifying it, but she is."
Diane Maxwell, though, has a different view. The Florida mother sees the song as empowering women who've experienced domestic abuse.
"I like the lyrics because they ring true," says Maxwell, 35. "I've heard things like that in my life. This gives people a voice, and tells them, 'You're not the only one out there.' It's pretty powerful to me."
And so when Rihanna sings "I like the way it hurts," Maxwell says she hears:
"That's OK - I'm tougher than you. Kind of like when two men are boxing. ...
Come on, let's go, I can take whatever you throw at me."
Some have interpreted Eminem's song as an apology for violent moments he may have had with his ex-wife, whom he married and divorced twice. Kel Hamik, an actress in Chicago, thinks the rapper has a much more obvious motivation.
"The sheer nature of his songs mean there's buzz around them all the time,"
says Hamik, 23. "His music is catchy, it gets stuck in your head and whether you like it or not, you'll be singing the words. It's publicity gold."
Bringing on Rihanna, she says, "is another way to create buzz."
But Rihanna, she and most others interviewed think, must have had a more lofty motive. The question is whether she's achieved it.
"She's a young woman who went through a very traumatic experience in a public way, and she's trying to establish a voice," says Gilberg. "But it's very important that young people realize it wasn't her fault, what happened to her."
Still, she says, "While I don't agree with the message in the song, it's an important conversation piece. And we've found that any opportunity to talk about this publicly can be helpful."


text: As employee benefits brokers, our core competency is to provide you access to medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance products. We help you navigate employee benefits through automated technologies that streamline and automate the process, such as integrated payroll, enrollment platforms, benefits administration, and Human Resource Information Systems. We keep you out of the penalty zone by advising you and providing solutions to meet your ERISA and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements, including reporting and distributing notices. We protect your bottom line by providing financially-focused and strategic planning, cost containment strategies, and risk management. We back all of this up with incredible customer service that is with you every step of the way. We are Employee Benefit Services. We are easier, better, smarter.


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This is the day to treasure those who make a positive impact in your life and a day to let them know that they do. Traditionally it's a day for lovers and sweethearts, but it is also a wonderful day to acknowledge in a loving way other valuable relationships. Valentine's Day has become a commercial holiday, with florists, restaurants, jewelers, sellers of chocolates and cards all playing on your emotions to get you to buy, buy, buy. You can resist and instead make your own cards for family, friends, co-workers and/or your special someone. You can also create a beautiful meal or a fabulous dessert or treat. The most important thing is to say what is in your heart.
I'm lucky to have a birthday the day before V-Day and this year my dear sister Natasha sent me the Williams Sonoma Muffins book and a lovely silicon pan with heart shaped cake molds in a very Valentine pink.
In the days before supermarkets, even before there was a U.S.A., a real treasure was your spice box or cabinet of herbs and spices.
Imported from exotic lands and usually costly, these items that add such dimensions to our food are something that we often take for granted now that they are easily available. I decided for Valentine's Day to bake a dessert for Sweetie that used a bunch of these spices and he cooked a leg of lamb for dinner that used some lovely herbs.
The fourteen herbs and spices pictured (you knew I'd work that 14 in somewhere, right?) include herbs thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary and parsley, plus spices cumin, cayenne, cardamom, cloves, ginger, allspice and cinnamon. The recipe for Spicy Gingerbread uses the last four, plus molassas and brown sugar. I served it with the lemon curd from a few days ago. Treasures of spice for my treasure of a man. He was very happy with this combo.
Spicy Gingerbread
From Williams-Sonoma Muffins
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (7 ½ oz/235 g)
½ teaspoon bakind soda (bicarbonate of soda)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground ginger (freshly ground is recommended)
1 ¼ teaspoons grounds cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (4 oz/125 g)
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark (3 ½ oz/105 g)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup molasses, light or dark (4 oz/125 g)
2/3 cup buttermilk (5 fl oz/160 ml)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C.) Grease and flour an 8 or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) square baking pan or dish. If using a glass baking dish, use 325 degrees F (165 C) for oven temperature.
On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the molasses. Add the dry ingredients in 2 increments, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat well until fluffy and smooth yet thick.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake until the top is dry to the touch and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 35-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
Serve the gingerbread warm or at room temperature, cut into squares. Can be garnished with whipped cream or lemon sauce or lemon curd.
To make as small cakes, spoon the batter into the cups (or used greased muffin tins) to 2/3 full. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the toothpick test (above) works. Let cook briefly, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
How Do I Love Thee
lemon curd
herbs and spices


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Yes, it could happen. But it's a stretch.
"Contagion," a Hollywood thriller that opened last weekend, rocketed to No. 1 at the box office through its gripping tale of a fictional global epidemic driven by a new kind of virus. Audiences have gasped in horror at what happens to Gwyneth Paltrow.
Before it was out, the movie made real-life disease investigators anxious, too, though for a different reason: They had worried the filmmakers would take so many artistic liberties with the science that the result would be an incredible movie that was ... not credible.
Well, cue the applause.
"It's very plausible," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which would investigate such an outbreak.
A new virus jumping from animals to humans? Nothing fictional about that. Global spread of a disease in a few days? In this age of jet travel, absolutely. A societal meltdown if things get bad? Plan on it.
Yikes. The only bit of relief here is that several experts think the odds are pretty long that a new virus could be both so deadly and contagious at the same time.
The team behind the film used several expert consultants and went to other lengths to get scientific details correct. That included working with esteemed Columbia University epidemiologist Dr. W. Ian Lipkin to create the fictional MEV-1 virus. It's modeled on the Nipah virus — a dangerous bug first seen in Malaysia a dozen years ago that spread from pigs to farmers.
Efforts also involved actress Kate Winslet sitting down with a female CDC disease investigator so she could correctly copy such things as the investigators clothes, mannerisms and even how the scientist might wear her hair on a field assignment.
Overall health officials say they were very pleased with what resulted. During an advance screening for CDC employees in Atlanta last week, some in the audience laughed appreciatively to see visual details and even lingo that they never imagined would be used in a mass-market motion picture.
"It was very accurate. It kind of made us all chuckle because there were things that we thought only people at CDC might get," said Laura Gieraltowski, an expert in foodborne illnesses.
Indeed, CDC officials have embraced the film. The agency allowed the movie's makers to film at their main campus — the first time the agency has allowed a major motion picture studio such access. And CDC officials have opened up their schedules for media interviews, panel appearances and live Internet chats to talk about the movie and potential real-life contagions.
It's a far better reception than their reaction to "Outbreak," a popular 1995 movie starring Dustin Hoffman, the last time Hollywood took a major stab at telling a story about a nation-threatening, non-zombie epidemic. Like "Contagion," that film had a respected director and an all-star cast, but the scientific miscues were laughable. Some experts still shake their heads at how much time was spent finding an infected monkey and how little time it took — seemingly just a few minutes — to make, test and distribute a life-saving vaccine.
"Contagion" fares far better in the experts' eyes. That said, the scenario painted in the new movie is also considered highly unlikely. A thriller telling a complex story in roughly two hours, it portrays some things that are doubtful at best. Among them:
—The government dispatches only one disease investigator to Minnesota to check out the outbreak. In reality, the government would throw a lot more people at an emerging problem like this. When the first two swine flu cases were reported in San Diego in 2009, neither of them fatalities, the CDC sent five such scientists along with other staff.
—The fictional virus kills more than 1 in 5 of the people it infects. That's extremely high for an epidemic that goes global. The infamous Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19 — used as the modern-day measuring stick for a terrible international contagion — killed more like 1 in 100. Something this deadly and fast-moving has never materialized, possibly because a bug that kills too efficiently limits its ability to spread because its victims don't have much time to make contact with many other people.
—When a vaccine is released to the public, distribution of initially limited supplies was decided through a lottery based on date of birth. In reality, health officials would prioritize vaccine for people who were deemed most susceptible to the virus. Also at the head of the line would be health-care workers and others essential to keeping emergency response systems running. The movie didn't indicate measures like that.
—As a vaccine to protect against the new disease is being developed, the movie seems to suggest that initial human testing of it hinges largely on a CDC scientist injecting herself and then visiting her diseased father's bedside to see if she gets sick. Officials say a more realistic portrayal would show weeks or months of safety and effectiveness testing in many thousands of volunteers.
Also, "we don't inject ourselves with (experimental) vaccines," said Dr. Ermias Belay, a CDC official who oversees lab scientists handling dangerous pathogens.
Lipkin was involved with the movie for years and even reviewed film clips during production. When an Associated Press reporter reviewed the list of unrealistic points with him, he responded: "It's a movie."
But he also chafed at the idea that this kind of global epidemic won't occur just because we haven't seen one before. "Nobody expected Nipah. Nobody expected HIV. Nobody expected SARS," he said.
One other significant plot point seems pretty implausible, too — how well the epidemic investigation goes.
When new infections start popping up in multiple cities at about the same time, finding the origin can be a nearly impossible task. Yet the movie's disease detectives zero in on the "index case" very quickly.
"In a real-world investigation, that would be a lucky guess," said Dr. Douglas Hamilton, who heads the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service.
In their discussions about the movie this week, some CDC officials are making a point of noting that recent budget cuts are threatening their ability and that of state and local health departments to respond as well as the movie portrays. Just one CDC investigator assigned to the scene of a major outbreak?
"Maybe this reflects the future," said Dr. Ali Khan, the agency's director of emergency preparedness.


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This past Saturday was the second annual International Open Data Hackathon, a globally coordinated day for people to gather and hack on open public data from the world's governments. As part of this, POPVOX hosted an Open Data event here in DC at the MLK Memorial Public Library.
Several Sunlighters showed up, and we had a pretty great time. Andrew and I came expecting to work alone on our project, an ambitious attempt to bridge the data gap between legislation and the regulations they generate, that we're tentatively titling Crosslaws. Instead, after we (and everyone else) described our project to the room at the start of the day, we had 6 people come to our table and ask how they could help - 5 of whom weren't developers at all.
Despite Andrew and I not having any obvious tasks to hand out, after we explained the finer points of the work, everyone figured out their own valuable research and development to do for the entire course of the day, from scholarly articles to actual parsing code. You can find some of our group's notes on the Crosslaws wiki, as well as an overview of what's left to be done (there's a lot!).
Drew and Daniel went to the hackathon to work on their statistical analysis of USASpending data, using Benford's Law. They were hoping to find a stats wizard to help rigorously test the findings, and while they weren't able to find one, their search was still fruitful. The project did attract interest from a handful of very thoughtful people, and they had a long discussion that helped refine the goals of the project. Drew was very thankful for that, as he came away from the hackathon better focused on a concrete goal. At the end of the day, they had the parser and downloader written, but weren't able to download enough data to test it thoroughly. You can find Drew's team's code on Github.
In general, it was a fantastic crop of people who showed up on a Saturday morning at the MLK Library, from awesome self-directed policy people, to talented folks from the DC and federal governments. My project got real momentum from it, and we'll be capitalizing on that momentum with more work over the next couple months. Given all that, the hackathon felt like a real success to me, and I'm looking forward to next year's.Continue reading


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Main Content
Top of the page
Babies are called newborns during their first month of life. Although your newborn sleeps a lot, powerful changes are occurring in the five major areas of development.
The most important way to help your baby grow and develop is to communicate with him or her. Use a high-pitched voice, gentle touch, hugs, and kisses. An environment that is rich in stimulation, comfort, and loving attention enhances many areas of a baby's development. Research shows that babies who are talked to throughout their first few years usually learn language skills more easily than those who are not. Newborns are more interested in their caregivers than they are in toys or other objects.
You may feel overwhelmed during your baby's first month and wonder "Am I doing this right?" No previous life experiences prepare first-time parents for this new role. It is completely normal to be confused and frustrated by your newborn.
You will become familiar with your newborn's needs by paying attention to his or her behaviour. For example, a fussy cry and turning away usually means "Change what we are doing." And an alert, bright-eyed look means "I am interested in what's going on." Trusting your instincts—to cuddle and rock a crying baby or to talk to your baby in a high-pitched "baby talk" voice—is usually the "right" thing to do. You will begin to develop a rhythm with your baby, where you will be able to read each other's needs and moods.
Your baby's doctor will likely recommend a specific schedule of routine newborn visits. These visits are important to check for problems and to make sure that your child is growing and developing as expected. In some areas, your child may see a public health nurse for routine checkups and immunizations.
Do not be afraid to call your baby's doctor any time you have concerns about your newborn's health or general care. It is normal and expected for parents of newborns to have questions and to make frequent visits and calls to the doctor.
Expect your baby to develop in five key areas:
You may wonder whether your baby's daily patterns are typical. During your baby's first few weeks, most of your time will be spent simply making sure your baby is fed every few hours, comforted, and held, and has his or her diaper changed. Pay attention to cues. You will begin to discover your baby's individual needs and preferences.
The following information can give you an idea about what to expect about your baby's:
Although you may feel prepared for your baby, the reality of the constant care a newborn needs can shock many parents. A newborn affects your life in ways that simply can't be anticipated. It is only through experience that you can fully understand the impact of these new responsibilities and how your expected roles change. It is normal to shift frequently between feeling confident and ecstatic one minute, and drained, scared, and unsure the next.
When you realize that your baby is physically completely dependent on you, you may worry whether you are giving your baby the best care. Common concerns in this first month include:
It is normal to question your feelings for your baby. A bond doesn't necessarily happen the moment you set eyes on your child. But you will develop stronger feelings and love for your baby every day. For some parents, it takes time to develop this bond, especially when the baby's physical demands take a great deal of time and energy. Talk to your doctor if you do not feel that you are bonding with your baby in the first week or two.
Also keep in mind:
Although you will go through some major adjustments to this new little person in your life, your baby's first month is also a period of amazing growth and change. Treasure these first weeks as you gradually introduce your baby to the world.
For healthy growth and development, newborns need physical and emotional care. You enhance development and give your newborn a sense of security and being loved by:
Although your baby's needs are basic, it is important to respond promptly to his or her cues and to recognize safety issues.
For more information, see the topic Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years.
Call your doctor if you think you or your partner has postpartum depression. It can make a mom feel very sad, hopeless, and worthless. And she may have trouble caring for and bonding with the baby. For more information, see the topic Postpartum Depression.
Call your doctor right away if you notice anything that concerns you. You are the expert on your baby. Although usually everything is fine, don't be afraid to contact your doctor for any reason.
Physical problems to watch for in your newborn include:
Be sure to call your doctor if your newborn:
You can also take your baby's temperature from his or her armpit (axillary), but for children younger than 5, rectal temperatures are the most accurate. Call your doctor if your newborn has an armpit temperature that is less than 36.5 C (97.8 F) or that is higher than 37.5 C (99.5 F).
Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about the following:
Your baby's first checkup begins right after birth when a health professional assesses the baby's Apgar scores. This test checks certain physical traits to help determine whether your newborn needs any interventions or special monitoring right away. Temperature and vital signs are always closely watched during the baby's first 6 hours. Your baby may also have the following soon after birth:
In some areas, your baby may be seen by a midwife or public health nurse in the first few days and weeks after birth for some of these examinations.
In the first weeks after birth, your baby begins a series of routine checkups. Doctors have individual approaches to the timing of these appointments. In some areas, your child may see a public health nurse for routine checkups and immunizations. During one or more of these visits, your baby will have:
Routine checkups are a good time for parents to ask about what to expect in the weeks to come. You may find it helpful to go to your baby's checkups with a prepared list of questions .
Adaptation Date: 2/25/2022
Adapted By: Alberta Health Services
Adaptation Reviewed By: Alberta Health Services
Adapted with permission from copyrighted materials from Healthwise, Incorporated (Healthwise). This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty and is not responsible or liable for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.
© 1995-2023 Healthwise, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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An happy music for "light" comedies.
Instruments: synth bass, synth drums, synth pads
It could be good also for children Tv show or as background video game music.
You also have single loop short tracks to use it whatever you want:
Main track – 1:28
loop1 – 0:17
loop2 – 0:17
loop2+end – 0:22


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You might have noticed that the world didn't end on Dec. 21. Despite apocalyptic readings of the ancient Maya calendar, that date failed to usher in TEOTWAWKI.
No, TEOTWAWKI isn't some fearsome Maya deity. It's actually an acronym (pronounced "tee-ought-walk-ee") that stands for "The end of the world as we know it." And it is used in all seriousness, online and in real life, by survivalists preparing for a variety of doomsday scenarios, known colloquially as "preppers."
Even if the Maya apocalypse was a bust, the numbers of preppers are burgeoning and seem likely only to grow in 2013. "Welcome to the doom boom," declares a prepper exposé in the current issue of Mother Jones magazine. And the media limelight has expanded along with the subculture; this year, the reality television show "Doomsday Preppers" became the National Geographic Channel's highest-rated series of all time. All of this (not entirely welcome) attention has exposed a loose-knit network of survivalism buffs, joined together by a lingo all their own.
Befitting a movement that takes its cues from military readiness exercises, prepper-ese is packed with more abbreviations than an Army handbook. Whether it's a natural or man-made catastrophe, what are you going to do when TSHTF (the, uh, stuff hits the fan)? You better be ready with your BOB (bug-out bag), also known as your GOOD (get out of Dodge) kit. Oh, and if you're never coming back from your BOL (bug-out location) in your BOV (bug-out vehicle), then you're going to need an INCH (I'm never coming home) kit instead.
Much of this survivalist slang first started to percolate in the mid- to late '90s, when fears grew that the Y2K "millennium bug" would disable the world's computers as the calendar turned to 2000. TEOTWAWKI is first attested in a 1996 post by Mike Medintz in the Usenet newsgroup misc.survivalism, and it soon got picked up by Y2K "doomers."
R.E.M.'s catchy 1987 song "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" no doubt popularized the full expression, but it had actually been in use for about a century before that. As far back as 1889, a monograph on "thermal repulsion" and gravitational attraction closed with the ominous words, "The end of the world as we know it would come by an explosion or contraction, if either of these forces was suspended for an instant."
Another variation, "the end of civilization as we know it" or TEOCAWKI, dates back to the outbreak of World War I, with the acronymic version surfacing as early as 1958. That year, it showed up in the British humor magazine Punch: "Will it not be rather boring for these men to stand year in year out, as one hopes, beside whopping great rockets that can only be let off in the event of TEOCAWKI?" "What was that word again?" "I beg your pardon—the end of civilization as we know it. One keeps slipping into these Army abbreviations."
The run-up to Y2K (which turned out to be neither TEOTWAWKI nor TEOCAWKI) was also when the term "prepper" itself first began to show up in online forums. At the time, it might have seemed preferable to "survivalist," which calls to mind "the nut job who lives out in the mountains by himself on the retreat," as prepper Ron Douglas told The New York Times last month in an article on the phenomenon.
But now the term "prepper" is beginning to sour as well, thanks in large part to "Doomsday Preppers." In the Mother Jones article, survivalist guru James Talmage Stevens, aka "Doctor Prepper," concludes that "prepper" has turned into "a slur meant to impugn self-reliant folks like himself as paranoid loons." The suffix "-er" doesn't help, evoking such conspiracy-minded types as the "truthers" (who question the official explanation of the 9/11 attacks) and the "birthers" (who doubt the American citizenship of President Obama).
Regardless of what they call themselves, preppers can consult extended glossaries on such websites as Zombie Squad, which uses the "Zombie Apocalypse" (or "Zombocalypse") as a metaphor for any potential large-scale calamity. The biggest lexicon is hosted by SurvivalBlog, the online home of James Wesley Rawles, author of the "Patriots" series of survivalist novels. (In another linguistic quirk, he writes his name "James Wesley, Rawles," with a comma to distinguish given names belonging to him from a surname belonging to his family.)
Rawles, a former Army intelligence officer who blogs from an undisclosed location west of the Rockies, takes credit for a number of prepper coinages, including "GOOD kit." Slang dictionaries pin the expression "get out of Dodge" to the mid-'60s, with the "Dodge" referring to Dodge City, Kansas, the setting for the popular TV Western "Gunsmoke." "Bugging out" as a term for a hasty exit goes back to the Korean War, as do such expressions as "bug-out route." Preppers have added a new twist: "bugging in," or taking shelter in your own home when disaster strikes rather than heading for the hills.
The preppers' jargon is snappy, emanating quasi-military discipline and embodying their acronymic motto, KISS (keep it simple, stupid). "Prepping," after all, is about meticulously taking stock of what one might need for the aftermath of anything from a mega-earthquake to a nuclear detonation. As they organize their lives for the PAW (post-apocalyptic world), survivalists are evidently prepping their language as well.
Ben Zimmer is the executive producer of
VisualThesaurus.com and Vocabulary.com. He can be reached at benzimmer.com/contact.


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Hey guys :)
Dropping in today to share a mini album created from my favourite new Prima Marketing Winter CHA lines. Memory Hardware and Archivist collections by the very talented and not to mention sweet, Frank Gracia.
Love everything about these two lines, the colors, vintage feel, metal embellishments..it's all so swoon worthy!!
And I can't resist sharing this photo as it makes me so happy...
My album at CHA with it's new owner, Frank...
To see all of the amazing pieces in this collection and more inspiration from the Prima Design Team, check out this post on the Prima Blog.
Thanks as always for stopping by!
Georgia xox


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Personalised your baby and kids' stroller with our universal liner in our Shiny Peacock print. Give a unique touch to your stroller while keeping your baby and kids fresh on the go. It comes in shades of green or pink.
- 96% Cotton 4% elastane, lining: 40% cotton, 60% polyester
- OEKO-Tex 100 Certified
- Size 77.5cm x 32.5cm
- Machine washable on a gentle cycle
- Ethically made by craftsmen in Spain
- Always use this cover to cover the original, never as a substitute


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"As soon as the seal was clear of
the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand.
What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy"
George Mackay Brown - Pictures in the Cave
Selkie is simply the Orcadian dialect word for "seal".
So, selkies are a very common sight across Orkney. Heads bobbing above the waves, they are often seen by the shore, watching inquisitively with uncannily human eyes.
To the onshore observer it is not hard to see how the legends surrounding the selkie-folk — the seal people — sprang into life.
Orkney has many tales concerning this shape-shifting race.
Unlike the Finfolk, who retained their malicious tendencies throughout the years, the selkie-folk have come to be regarded as gentle creatures, with the ability to transform from seals into beautiful, lithe humans. This, however, is a far cry from the original folklore — a topic dealt with further here.
In the surviving folklore, there is no agreement as to how often the selkie-folk were able to carry out the transformation. Some tales say it was once a year, usually Midsummer's Eve, while others state it could be "every ninth night" or "every seventh stream".
Regardless of how often they were able to transform, the folklore tells us that once in human form, the selkie-folk would dance on lonely stretches of moonlit shore, or bask in the sun on outlying skerries.
The selkie skin
A common element in all the selkie-folk tales, and perhaps the most important, is the fact that in order to shapeshift they had to cast off their sealskins. Within these magical skins lay the power to return to seal form, and therefore the sea.
If this sealskin was lost, or stolen, the creature was doomed to remain in human form until it could be recovered. Because of this, if disturbed while on shore, the selkie-folk would hastily snatch up their skins before rushing back to the safety of the sea.
Amorous encounters
The selkie-men were renowned for their many encounters with human females — married and unmarried.
A selkie-man in human form was said to be a handsome creature, with almost magical seductive powers over mortal women. According to tradition, they had no qualms about casting off their sealskins, stashing them carefully, and heading inland to seek out "unsatisfied women".
Should such a mortal woman wish to make contact with a selkie-man, there was a specific rite she had to follow. At high tide, she should make her way to the shore, where she had to shed seven tears into the sea.
The selkie-man would then come ashore and, after removing his magical sealskin, seek out "unlawful love".
In the words of the 19th century Orkney folklorist, Walter Traill Dennison, these selkie males:
". . . often made havoc among thoughtless girls, and sometimes intruded into the sanctity of married life."
If a girl went missing while out on the ebb, or at sea, it was inevitably said that her selkie lover had taken her to his watery domain — assuming, of course, she had not attracted the eye of a Finman.
But while the males of the selkie race were irresistible to the island women, selkie-women were no less alluring to the eyes of earth-born men. The most common theme in selkie folklore is one in which a cunning young man acquires, either by trickery or theft, a selkie-girl's sealskin.
This prevents her from returning to the sea, leaving the seal-maiden with no option but to marry her "captor".
The tales generally end sadly, when the skin is returned, usually by one of the selkie-wife's children. In some accounts, her children go with her to the sea, while others have them remaining with their mortal father.
The story of the Goodman
o' Wastness is typical of one such tale.
of the Selkies


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Bigelow Aerospace and NASA say they've agreed to look at ways for private ventures to contribute to human exploration missions, perhaps including construction of a moon base. But the space agency emphasized that it's keeping its own focus squarely on corraling an asteroid and then going to Mars.
"As part of our broader commercial space strategy, NASA signed a Space Act Agreement with Bigelow Aerospace to foster ideas about how the private sector can contribute to future human missions," David Weaver, the space agency's associate administrator for communications, said in a statement emailed to NBC News.
"This will provide important information on possible ways to expand our exploration capabilities in partnership with the private sector," Weaver said. "The agency is intensely focused on a bold mission to identify, relocate and explore an asteroid with American astronauts by 2025 — all as we prepare for an even more ambitious human mission to Mars in the 2030s. NASA has no plans for a human mission to the moon."
Eyes on the moon
The moon, however, ranks high among the targets that Bigelow Aerospace has in mind. The Nevada-based company has been working on moonbase concepts for years. During a recent interview on the "Coast to Coast AM" radio show, billionaire founder Robert Bigelow said the potential objectives for private-sector space efforts include a lunar base as well as space stations or refueling depots placed at gravitational balance points in the Earth-moon system.
"We're making no bones about it, that's what we're out to try to accomplish," Bigelow said.
Mike Gold, a Washington-based spokesman for Bigelow Aerospace, explained that his company wanted to help "commercial space achieve escape velocity from LEO," or low Earth orbit.
Gold said the NASA-Bigelow agreement would build on the work done by SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp. and other companies to build new spaceships for trips to the International Space Station. "What this is doing is projecting that forward, and exploring what commercial companies can do both to lower the cost of beyond-LEO operations, and to create enhanced capabilities," he said.
The agreement with NASA calls upon Bigelow Aerospace to lay out the potential contributions to exploration beyond Earth orbit. "First, we'll be identifying what the companies and technologies are that could contribute, and then we'll be examining what some of those specific mission scenarios might be," Gold said. During the "Coast to Coast AM" interview, Robert Bigelow said the first phase of the study would take 100 days, and the second phase would take 120 days.
No money is changing hands under the agreement, which Gold said was signed in late March. The recommendations coming from the study could include potential opportunities for NASA to buy or lease facilities from private space ventures.
Earlier this month, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that the space agency would not "take the lead on a human lunar mission." However, Bolden did not rule out the possibility that NASA might play a role in missions led by other countries or private ventures.
Future space stations
Bigelow Aerospace made its mark in low Earth orbit in 2006 and 2007 when it sent two inflatable space modules into orbit aboard Russian launch vehicles. Those space station prototypes, Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, are still in orbit. In January, Bigelow Aerospace and NASA struck a deal to deliver a larger inflatable module, known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module or BEAM, to the International Space Station in 2015 on a SpaceX resupply flight.
Eventually, Bigelow plans to put a separate commercial space station in orbit, assembled from two even larger inflatable modules. Each of these BA330 modules would have a habitable volume of 330 cubic meters, and putting two of them together would create an "Alpha Station" for a maximum crew of 12. Gold said that the company was continuing to discuss the concept with international space agencies and corporations, but he emphasized that the venture depended on having regular commercial flights to orbit.
A key development would be the production of commercial spaceships capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station, Gold said. NASA has said such spaceships should be flying by 2017.
"The BA330 will be ready prior to commercial crew, so that's roughly the timeframe were looking at," Gold said, "and we're ready to take on customers now."
More about Bigelow Aerospace:
- SpaceX teams up with Bigelow for marketing
- Bigelow worries about China's moon ambitions
- Inside Bigelow's space station deal with NASA
Tip o' the Log to New Space Journal and Space News.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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Matthew Barrie
Frank Baum
Rice Burroughs
de Balzac
Conan Doyle
Maud Montgomery
Phillips Oppenheim
Allan Poe
William Shakespeare
Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Fanny and little Harriet he
seldom condescended to notice;
but Mary Ann was something of
a favourite. He was continually
encouraging her tendency to affectation
(which I had done my utmost to
crush), talking about her pretty
face, and filling her head with
all manner of conceited notions
concerning her personal appearance
(which I had instructed her to
regard as dust in the balance
compared with the cultivation
of her mind and manners); and
I never saw a child so susceptible
of flattery as she was. Whatever
was wrong, in either her or her
brother, he would encourage by
laughing at, if not by actually
praising: people little know
the injury they do to children
by laughing at their faults,
and making a pleasant jest of
what their true friends have
endeavoured to teach them to
hold in grave abhorrence.
Though not a positive drunkard,
Mr. Robson habitually swallowed
great quantities of wine, and
took with relish an occasional
glass of brandy and water. He
taught his nephew to imitate
him in this to the utmost of
his ability, and to believe that
the more wine and spirits he
could take, and the better he
liked them, the more he manifested
his bold, and manly spirit, and
rose superior to his sisters.
Mr. Bloomfield had not much to
say against it, for his favourite
beverage was gin and water; of
which he took a considerable
portion every day, by dint of
constant sipping - and to that
I chiefly attributed his dingy
complexion and waspish temper.
Mr. Robson likewise encouraged
Tom's propensity to persecute
the lower creation, both by precept
and example. As he frequently
came to course or shoot over
his brother-in-law's grounds,
he would bring his favourite
dogs with him; and he treated
them so brutally that, poor as
I was, I would have given a sovereign
any day to see one of them bite
him, provided the animal could
have done it with impunity. Sometimes,
when in a very complacent mood,
he would go a-birds'-nesting
with the children, a thing that
irritated and annoyed me exceedingly;
as, by frequent and persevering
attempts, I flattered myself
I had partly shown them the evil
of this pastime, and hoped, in
time, to bring them to some general
sense of justice and humanity;
but ten minutes' birds'-nesting
with uncle Robson, or even a
laugh from him at some relation
of their former barbarities,
was sufficient at once to destroy
the effect of my whole elaborate
course of reasoning and persuasion.
Happily, however, during that
spring, they never, but once,
got anything but empty nests,
or eggs - being too impatient
to leave them till the birds
were hatched; that once, Tom,
who had been with his uncle into
the neighbouring plantation,
came running in high glee into
the garden, with a brood of little
callow nestlings in his hands.
Mary Ann and Fanny, whom I was
just bringing out, ran to admire
his spoils, and to beg each a
bird for themselves. 'No, not
one!' cried Tom. 'They're all
mine; uncle Robson gave them
to me - one, two, three, four,
five - you shan't touch one of
them! no, not one, for your lives!'
continued he, exultingly; laying
the nest on the ground, and standing
over it with his legs wide apart,
his hands thrust into his breeches-pockets,
his body bent forward, and his
face twisted into all manner
of contortions in the ecstasy
of his delight.
'But you shall see me fettle
'em off. My word, but I WILL
wallop 'em? See if I don't now.
By gum! but there's rare sport
for me in that nest.'
'But, Tom,' said I, 'I shall
not allow you to torture those
birds. They must either be killed
at once or carried back to the
place you took them from, that
the old birds may continue to
feed them.'
'But you don't know where that
is, Madam: it's only me and uncle
Robson that knows that.'
'But if you don't tell me,
I shall kill them myself - much
as I hate it.'
'You daren't. You daren't touch
them for your life! because you
know papa and mamma, and uncle
Robson, would be angry. Ha, ha!
I've caught you there, Miss!'
'I shall do what I think right
in a case of this sort without
consulting any one. If your papa
and mamma don't happen to approve
of it, I shall be sorry to offend
them; but your uncle Robson's
opinions, of course, are nothing
to me.'
So saying - urged by a sense
of duty - at the risk of both
making myself sick and incurring
the wrath of my employers - I
got a large flat stone, that
had been reared up for a mouse-trap
by the gardener; then, having
once more vainly endeavoured
to persuade the little tyrant
to let the birds be carried back,
I asked what he intended to do
with them. With fiendish glee
he commenced a list of torments;
and while he was busied in the
relation, I dropped the stone
upon his intended victims and
crushed them flat beneath it.
Loud were the outcries, terrible
the execrations, consequent upon
this daring outrage; uncle Robson
had been coming up the walk with
his gun, and was just then pausing
to kick his dog. Tom flew towards
him, vowing he would make him
kick me instead of Juno. Mr.
Robson leant upon his gun, and
laughed excessively at the violence
of his nephew's passion, and
the bitter maledictions and opprobrious
epithets he heaped upon me. 'Well,
you ARE a good 'un!' exclaimed
he, at length, taking up his
weapon and proceeding towards
the house. 'Damme, but the lad
has some spunk in him, too. Curse
me, if ever I saw a nobler little
scoundrel than that. He's beyond
petticoat government already:
by God! he defies mother, granny,
governess, and all! Ha, ha, ha!
Never mind, Tom, I'll get you
another brood to-morrow.'
'If you do, Mr. Robson, I shall
kill them too,' said I.
'Humph!' replied he, and having
honoured me with a broad stare
- which, contrary to his expectations,
I sustained without flinching
- he turned away with an air
of supreme contempt, and stalked
into the house. Tom next went
to tell his mamma. It was not
her way to say much on any subject;
but, when she next saw me, her
aspect and demeanour were doubly
dark and chilled. After some
casual remark about the weather,
she observed - 'I am sorry, Miss
Grey, you should think it necessary
to interfere with Master Bloomfield's
amusements; he was very much
distressed about your destroying
the birds.'
'When Master Bloomfield's amusements
consist in injuring sentient
creatures,' I answered, 'I think
it my duty to interfere.'
'You seemed to have forgotten,'
said she, calmly, 'that the creatures
were all created for our convenience.'
I thought that doctrine admitted
some doubt, but merely replied
- 'If they were, we have no right
to torment them for our amusement.'
'I think,' said she, 'a child's
amusement is scarcely to be weighed
against the welfare of a soulless
'But, for the
child's own sake, it ought
not to be encouraged
to have such amusements,' answered
I, as meekly as I could, to make
up for such unusual pertinacity.
'"Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy."'
'Oh! of course; but that refers
to our conduct towards each other.'
'"The merciful man shows mercy
to his beast,"' I ventured to
'I think YOU have not shown
much mercy,' replied she, with
a short, bitter laugh; 'killing
the poor birds by wholesale in
that shocking manner, and putting
the dear boy to such misery for
a mere whim.'
I judged it prudent to say
no more. This was the nearest
approach to a quarrel I ever
had with Mrs. Bloomfield; as
well as the greatest number of
words I ever exchanged with her
at one time, since the day of
my first arrival.
But Mr. Robson and old Mrs.
Bloomfield were not the only
guests whose coming to Wellwood
House annoyed me; every visitor
disturbed me more or less; not
so much because they neglected
me (though I did feel their conduct
strange and disagreeable in that
respect), as because I found
it impossible to keep my pupils
away from them, as I was repeatedly
desired to do: Tom must talk
to them, and Mary Ann must be
noticed by them. Neither the
one nor the other knew what it
was to feel any degree of shamefacedness,
or even common modesty. They
would indecently and clamorously
interrupt the conversation of
their elders, tease them with
the most impertinent questions,
roughly collar the gentlemen,
climb their knees uninvited,
hang about their shoulders or
rifle their pockets, pull the
ladies' gowns, disorder their
hair, tumble their collars, and
importunately beg for their trinkets.
Mrs. Bloomfield had the sense
to be shocked and annoyed at
all this, but she had not sense
to prevent it: she expected me
to prevent it. But how could
I - when the guests, with their
fine clothes and new faces, continually
flattered and indulged them,
out of complaisance to their
parents - how could I, with my
homely garments, every-day face,
and honest words, draw them away?
I strained every nerve to do
so: by striving to amuse them,
I endeavoured to attract them
to my side; by the exertion of
such authority as I possessed,
and by such severity as I dared
to use, I tried to deter them
from tormenting the guests; and
by reproaching their unmannerly
conduct, to make them ashamed
to repeat it. But they knew no
shame; they scorned authority
which had no terrors to back
it; and as for kindness and affection,
either they had no hearts, or
such as they had were so strongly
guarded, and so well concealed,
that I, with all my efforts,
had not yet discovered how to
reach them.
But soon my trials in this
quarter came to a close - sooner
than I either expected or desired;
for one sweet evening towards
the close of May, as I was rejoicing
in the near approach of the holidays,
and congratulating myself upon
having made some progress with
my pupils (as far as their learning
went, at least, for I HAD instilled
SOMETHING into their heads, and
I had, at length, brought them
to be a little - a very little
- more rational about getting
their lessons done in time to
leave some space for recreation,
instead of tormenting themselves
and me all day long to no purpose),
Mrs. Bloomfield sent for me,
and calmly told me that after
Midsummer my services would be
no longer required. She assured
me that my character and general
conduct were unexceptionable;
but the children had made so
little improvement since my arrival
that Mr. Bloomfield and she felt
it their duty to seek some other
mode of instruction. Though superior
to most children of their years
in abilities, they were decidedly
behind them in attainments; their
manners were uncultivated, and
their tempers unruly. And this
she attributed to a want of sufficient
firmness, and diligent, persevering
care on my part.
Unshaken firmness, devoted
diligence, unwearied perseverance,
unceasing care, were the very
qualifications on which I had
secretly prided myself; and by
which I had hoped in time to
overcome all difficulties, and
obtain success at last. I wished
to say something in my own justification;
but in attempting to speak, I
felt my voice falter; and rather
than testify any emotion, or
suffer the tears to overflow
that were already gathering in
my eyes, I chose to keep silence,
and bear all like a self-convicted
Thus was I dismissed, and thus
I sought my home. Alas! what
would they think of me? unable,
after all my boasting, to keep
my place, even for a single year,
as governess to three small children,
whose mother was asserted by
my own aunt to be a 'very nice
woman.' Having been thus weighed
in the balance and found wanting,
I need not hope they would be
willing to try me again. And
this was an unwelcome thought;
for vexed, harassed, disappointed
as I had been, and greatly as
I had learned to love and value
my home, I was not yet weary
of adventure, nor willing to
relax my efforts. I knew that
all parents were not like Mr.
and Mrs. Bloomfield, and I was
certain all children were not
like theirs. The next family
must be different, and any change
must be for the better. I had
been seasoned by adversity, and
tutored by experience, and I
longed to redeem my lost honour
in the eyes of those whose opinion
was more than that of all the
world to me.


text:
Waiting Staff - Revolution Bars - Revolution Nottingham
Hourly Rate: £8.60 - £10.50 p/h
Job title: Waiting Staff
Revolution Hockley is looking to add to its existing waiting-Staff team, we are on the lookout for enthusiastic, personable and reliable team members.
Previous experience in similar waiting staff roles is not essential as full training will be provided.
Do you want to join a company that will invest time in you and your development?
Why work for us?
It's our people that make the party – one massive family of cocktail connoisseurs and foodies.
Revolution Bars Group operates Revolution Bars & Revolucion De Cuba Bars. We are currently made up of over 65 sites nationwide and have a commitment to continue to grow. It is a very exciting time to join our award winning company and we can offer you:
• Guaranteed hours contracts available
• Access to a suite of employee benefits, including high street discounts, financial support and our Employee Assistance Programme
• A 50% discount card for use in all Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba bars across the UK
• Regular company and in-house incentives, including vouchers and team rewards
• Regular development meetings and opportunities to progress including our management academy
• Extensive food and cocktail training
• Working with friends in a fun environment
With a bespoke training program in place for waiting staff, proven internal development and a range of company and site incentives, Revolution Bars Group has long been regarded as a great company to work for.
What are we looking for?
• Someone fun and hardworking
• A great team player and relationship builder
• Someone who can work unsupervised at times
• You will need to be passionate about creating a great atmosphere and giving guests the best experience
• Knowledge and experience in hospitality or sales is preferred, but not essential as regular training is provided
If you are looking for a waiting staff position and want to be a part of a winning team where you can develop your career as well as learn and hone new skills, Revolution is exactly where you need to be.
Help us write our next chapter and get involved - because it wouldn't be a party without you!


text: Greetings, I've got ISPConfig running using Ubuntu 5.10 and after creating my Reseller / Client and now Site - I can't create a Site user due to the following message. Field: Username The user name has to contain a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 32 letters or figures and has to begin with a letter. I do exactly as told and use a sufficient sized username yet it doesn't work..... Any Ideas on why this is happening? I did disable the DNS service. I also was wondering if I can modify my sshd_conf file to force ssh to use protocol 2 and disable remote root login. Would this cause problems for ISPConfig. Confused City


text:
Harvey Frommer / Players
Bobby Thomson's Famous Homer Lives On
By Harvey Frommer
From the Vault
Some refer to that time as "The Miracle at Coogan's Bluff." Others, especially in Brooklyn, call it "Dat Day." But no matter what label is applied it was a time to remember.
It was a time when the Giants played out of the Polo Grounds in Manhattan and the Dodgers entertained millions in their tiny Brooklyn ballpark, Ebbets Field. It was a time of tremendous fan devotion to each team.
In July Brooklyn manager Charlie Dressen had bragged, "The Giants is dead." It seemed to aptly describe the plight of Leo Durocher's team. For on August 12 the Giants trailed the Dodgers by 13 l/2 games in the standings.
Then, incredibly, the Giants locked into what has been called "The Miracle Run." They won 37 of their final 44 games - 16 of them in one frenetic stretch - and closed the gap.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime situation," recalls Monte Irvin, who batted .312 that year for the Giants. "We kept on winning. The Dodgers kept on losing. It seemed like we beat everybody in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning.
The Giants and Dodgers finished the season in a flat-footed tie for first-place and met on the first day of October in the first game of the first play-off in the history of the National League. The teams split the first two games setting the stage for the third and final game.
Don Newcombe of the Dodgers was pitted against Sal Maglie of the Giants. Both hurlers had won 23 games during the regular season.
The game began under overcast skies and a threat of rain. Radio play-by-play filtered into schoolrooms, factories, office buildings, city prisons, barbershops.
The Wall Street teletype intermingled stock quotations with play-by-play details of the Giant-Dodger battle.
The game was tied 1-1 after seven innings. Then Brooklyn scored three times in the top of the eighth.
Many of the Dodger fans at the Polo Grounds and the multitude listening to the game on the radio thought that the Giants would not come back.
Durocher and the Giants never gave up. "We knew that Newcombe would make the wrong pitch," said Monte Irvin. "That was his history."
The Giants came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning - only three outs remained in their miracle season.
Alvin Dark led off with a single through the right side of the infield. Don Mueller slapped the ball past Dodger first baseman Gil Hodges. Irvin fouled out. Whitey Lockman doubled down the left field line. Dark scored.
With runners on second and third Ralph Branca came in to relieve Newcombe. Bobby Thomson waited to bat. Durocher said, "I did not know whether they would pitch to Thomson or not. First base was open. Willie Mays, just a rookie, was on deck."
Veteran New York Giant announcer Russ Hodges described the moment to millions mesmerized at their radios that October afternoon:
"Bobby Thomson up there swinging.... Bobby batting at .292. Branca pitches and Bobby takes a strike call on the inside corner. Lockman without too big of a lead at second but he'll be running like the wind if Thomson hits one.
"Branca throws ... there's a long drive...it's gonna be, I believe. . .' The precise moment was 3:58 P.M., October 3, 1951.
"... the Giants win the pennant!" Hodges screamed the words at the top of his voice, all semblance of journalistic objectivity gone. "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
Hodges bellowed it out eight times - and then overcome by the moment and voiceless, he had to yield the microphone.
Pandemonium was on parade at the Polo Grounds for hours after the game. For almost half an hour after the epic home run, there were so many phone calls placed by people in Manhattan and Brooklyn that the New York Telephone Company reported service almost broke down.
Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca would play out their major league careers. But the moment they shared - as hero and goat that October day at the Polo Grounds - would link them forever.
Dr. Harvey Frommer, a professor at Dartmouth College in the MALS program, is in his 40th year of writing books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, he is the author of 42 sports books including the classics: best-selling "New York City Baseball, 1947-1957″ and best-selling Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball,as well as his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium and best-selling Remembering Fenway Park. His highly praised When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl was published last fall.
His Frommer Baseball Classic – Remembering Yankee Stadium (Second Edition) is his newest sports effort. A link to purchase autographed copies of Frommer Sports Books is at: http://frommerbooks.com/
The prolific author is at work on THE ULTIMATE YANKEE BOOK (2017) http://frommerbooks.com/advance-praise.html


text:
I was grocery shopping a couple of days ago, and this thing called Buddy Fruits caught my eye in the produce department. I picked it up and looked at it, and couldn't quite figure it out, but it seemed to have potential. I imagined using it on toast or on oatmeal. Yeah, I could try this. Plus, it was only a dollar. I bought the apple/banana product. How could I go wrong?
I was anxious to try my new purchase on my cream of wheat the next morning, so I opened it and gave it a squirt. My first impression was that it had the consistency of baby food. Or apple sauce that's too saucy. I mixed it in with the cream of wheat and tasted it. It definitely tastes like apple sauce. I wasn't as thrilled as I thought I'd be.
I was imagining something like Polaner All Fruit, but in a container that looks like astronaut food. It doesn't need to be refrigerated until it's been opened. After that, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. I've had mine in there for days, since I've only been squirting out a tablespoon or so onto my cereal.
I can't read the small print on the package, so I went online today and found the product's web site. It was then that I learned the intended function of this stuff. Buddy Fruits have been created, as their slogan puts it, to render "Eating Fruits Made Easy!" I'm not kidding. The title of my post came right from their web site: "A new and fun way of eating fruits. No spoon, no knife, no mess!"
Most of the fruit I eat doesn't require a spoon or a knife. I'm sticking to apples and bananas in their original forms.


text:
Debian Security Advisory
DSA-1960-1 acpid -- programming error
- Date Reported:
- 19 Dec 2009
- Affected Packages:
- acpid
- Vulnerable:
- Yes
- Security database references:
- In Mitre's CVE dictionary: CVE-2009-4235.
- More information:
It was discovered that acpid, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface event daemon, on the oldstable distribution (etch) creates its log file with weak permissions, which might expose sensitive information or might be abused by a local user to consume all free disk space on the same partition of the file.
For the oldstable distribution (etch), this problem has been fixed in version 1.0.4-5etch2.
The stable distribution (lenny) in version 1.0.8-1lenny2 and the unstable distribution (sid) in version 1.0.10-5, have been updated to fix the weak file permissions of the log file created by older versions.
We recommend that you upgrade your acpid packages.
- Fixed in:
Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (etch)
- Source:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4-5etch2.diff.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4.orig.tar.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4-5etch2.dsc
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4.orig.tar.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4-5etch2_amd64.deb
- Intel IA-32:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4-5etch2_i386.deb
- Intel IA-64:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.4-5etch2_ia64.deb
Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 (lenny)
- Source:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2.diff.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2.dsc
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8.orig.tar.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2.dsc
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2_amd64.deb
- Intel IA-32:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2_i386.deb
- Intel IA-64:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/a/acpid/acpid_1.0.8-1lenny2_ia64.deb
MD5 checksums of the listed files are available in the original advisory.