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Cambodia is at war again. This time, the battles surround who will control resources—land, timber, fisheries, oil—with a corrupt elite taking over the nation's emerging export economy, while international donors turn a blind eye and 14 million Cambodians suffer.
"Cambodia is a democracy on paper but in reality a dictatorship. Our party activists are murdered because they fight for justice—life is still cheap in Cambodia."
A new American president, many Cambodians hope, might change all that. Sochua Mu, an opposition leader and founder of the women's movement in Cambodia, recently returned to the U.S., lobbying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to take a firmer line on democracy and human rights in her long-suffering country. "I needed to see the people in the new administration to urge them to re-assess U.S. foreign policy," says Sochua in an interview with The Daily Beast. "Cambodia is a democracy on paper but in reality a dictatorship. Our party activists are murdered because they fight for justice—life is still cheap in Cambodia. Human trafficking, drug trafficking, land grabbing, and forced evictions are all carried out under the nose of the government."
Sochua Mu's story is uniquely Cambodian. Forced to flee for her life at 18 in the early 1970s as the Vietnam War spilled over the border, she left behind her parents, who vanished, as did one-quarter of the country's population during the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. Sochua wound up in America, won a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley, and worked as a counselor and translator for the Cambodian refugees who began to trickle over. She eventually became a U.S. citizen.
During the 1980s, she returned to Southeast Asia, organizing schooling for children and social services for women in the refugee camps set up by the U.N. on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. In 1989, she was finally allowed to re-enter her homeland, "a country in ruins." "I would take my young children on walks in streets where I learned to bike, where I wandered with my childhood friends, where I went to school, all the years of joy, of happiness, of deep feelings of comfort came back to me," she says. "I came back to help rebuild a nation. The war and genocide also changed my people. They have lost their sense of trust for each other, they have become hard inside and desperate for just daily survival."
Sochua started the first women's organization in Cambodia, Khemera, designed to help poor urban women earn a better living. She campaigned to include women's rights and concerns into the country's new constitution, drafted in 1993, and became involved in efforts to rescue girls caught in Cambodia's thriving sex trade. In 1998, Sochua ran for election and won a seat in parliament, taking over the women's affairs ministry, which had previously been run by men. In a country that considers women inferior, Sochua mobilized 25,000 female candidates to run for commune elections in 2002. It was a first for Cambodia, and 900 of them were elected.
She negotiated an agreement with Thailand that allowed Cambodian women trafficked as sex workers to return to their home country instead of being jailed. She pioneered the use of TV commercials to spread the word about trafficking to vulnerable populations. Her work in Cambodia also supports campaigns to end domestic violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as women's workplace conditions. In 2005, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women.
Her position in high government put her in direct conflict with Cambodia's long-ruling prime minister, Hun Sen. Rather than participate in the corruption she saw around her, Sochua Mu renounced the leadership and joined the primary opposition party in parliament. Last week, Sochua announced that she is considering legal action against the prime minister for allegedly using derogatory and threatening language against her in a speech he made last month during a visit to her parliamentary district. The speech, widely reported on Cambodian TV and other media, warned villagers not to seek help from members of the opposition party, but to approach the ruling Cambodian People's Party, and allegedly referred to Sochua using a Khmer term cheung kland—a gangster or unruly person, which has an especially insulting connation for women.
Her most frequent public disagreement with Hun Sen surrounds what she sees as a failure to prevent people in her district from suffering loss of property and livelihoods at the hands of powerful investors, often with the backing of local authorities and the military. Most Cambodians still depend on small-scale agriculture, forest exploitation, and fishing for their livelihoods but, because of the country's turbulent recent history, land ownership is generally undocumented and often contested. As a result, it is easy for the powerful to acquire land to develop. More than 150,000 Cambodians, according to Sochua, were victims of forced evictions and land-grabbing in 2007 alone. Studies have estimated that such concessions cover as much as one-third of the entire area of Cambodia.
"It is now common practice for powerful corporations and government officials to utilize armed forces to push citizens off their rightfully and legally held land," says Sochua. "These evictions are often violent, with soldiers wielding guns, tear gas and Tasers and burning houses to the ground, while citizens are beaten, maimed and arrested."
Cambodia's economy relies on three principal sources of income: tourism, agriculture, and textiles. The United States is the largest overseas market for the latter. As former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli put it, "Levi Strauss or the Gap could destroy this country on a whim."
George W. Bush's policy, as Sochua saw it, focused on military and security-centered aid. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. provided Cambodia $54 million last year and $700 million total since the agency opened an office in the country in 1992. Other international donors, meanwhile, have done little better in holding the Cambodian government accountable on human rights, preferring "closed-door diplomacy," as she calls it, to public criticism. "This practice has yielded next to no reforms," she says, "and donors continue to be satisfied with token actions taken by the government to give a façade to democracy and social justice."
Even that oversight is at risk. Chevron discovered oil offshore several years ago, and the Cambodian government says it hopes to begin pumping oil in 2011. The IMF estimated last year that the country could earn as much as $1.7 billion from oil within 10 years of the date that pumping begins—a big deal for this poor country, which relies on donors for half of its annual budget, but also more money that won't carry any accountability.
Some aid agencies have called for a moratorium on aid until basic governance and transparency frameworks are in place. Sochua says that won't happen until there's a new regime. "That can only happen when we have a real election that is free and fair," she says. "The West should insist on that, otherwise all the aid they have poured into Cambodia will not work".
Katrin Redfern is a writer and editor at The Indypendent in New York City.


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Medieval Poison Ring Uncovered in Bulgaria
Archaeologists have discovered a ring with an inconspicuous cavity that they believe may have been used to hide poison for political murders in medieval Bulgaria.
The bronze ring, which is more than 600 years old, was found during excavations at the ruins of Cape Kailakra, where aristocrats of the Dobrudja region lived during the 14th century.
Local officials said more than 30 other pieces of jewelry have been found at the site — including gold ornaments, gold rings and pearl earrings — but none like the ring most recently uncovered. [Images: Viking Jewelry Revealed in Sparkling Photos]
It was exquisitely crafted and deliberately hollowed out, and may have been imported from Italy or Spain, said the dig leader Bonnie Petrunova, deputy director of Bulgaria's National Archaeology Museum.
Petrunova believes the ring would have been worn on the pinkie finger of a man's right hand. The hole would have allowed its wearer to sneakily pour poison into a glass with the flick of his finger, the archaeologist said in a statement from Bulgaira's Kavarna municipality.
Petrunova thinks the ring could be linked to Dobrotitsa, a noble who ruled the region in second half of the 14th century.
"This explains many of the unexplained deaths among nobles and aristocrats close to Dobrotitsa," local officials in Kavarna said.
Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Browse Newsroom
December 17, 2019
Under Secretary McKinney Discusses 2020 USDA Ag Trade Missions
Seven USDA-led Agricultural Trade Missions are scheduled for next year in continuing efforts to increase export opportunities. USDA Radio's Rod Bain talks to Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney about the 2020 trade...
After more than two decades of exporting U.S. agricultural products, Good Life Foods is thriving internationally with support from USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Before starting the company, Good Life Foods' president Emil Font served as...


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Back Pain and the Gluteal Region
When we think of lower back pain, we may think of problems in the spinal column itself. It is true that slipped lumbar discs, inflammation in the facet joints, and strains in the muscles attaching directly to the vertebrae are all common causes of back pain. But in many cases, pain radiates to the back from the pelvic region. Problems in this area can also cause pain, tingling, or numbness further down the leg, so it is important for patients to understand the importance of maintaining the health of the muscles in their gluteal region.
The Muscles of the Gluteal Region
The gluteus maximus is the largest and outermost muscle of the gluteal region. It stretches from the sacrum and coccyx, which are parts of the spinal column, down to the femur. Beneath it are the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus, which stretch from the ilium, or crest of the hip, to the femur. The gluteus medius and minimus allow us to move our thighs outward and rotate them medially. The gluteus maximus allows us to straighten our legs as we move and provides our strides with strength.
There is another layer of diagonal muscles beneath the gluteus minimus that attach to the femur. The uppermost of them is the piriformis, which also attaches to the sacrum. The sciatic nerve and major arteries run beneath it. The piriformis and other inner layer muscles work with the gluteus minimus to rotate our legs laterally.
Causes of Irritation
Tightening of muscles in the gluteal region can cause them to become sore. This can happen to runners if they don't do sufficient warm-ups or overexert themselves. People are also vulnerable to muscle strain if they move with an unusual gait. As their muscles become stiff, a patient's posture will get worse, putting additional strain on their back and hip muscles. Hip muscles are also attached to the pelvis, and tightness in them can pull on the gluteal muscles. Irritation of the sacroiliac joint can also put pressure on the piriformis, causing it to spasm, as can internal bleeding. Contractions in the piriformis muscle can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing the patient to experience impeded leg function and shooting pains. This symptom is called sciatica.
Diagnosis and Treatment
An examination will be necessary to diagnose whether a patient's lower back pain is due to muscle inflammation. Pain from sciatica can reach as far as the foot. Problems at the hip-level involving the gluteus minimus and medius may be felt in the leg. As part of the examination, patients will be put through a range of motions involving different muscles.
The location of the gluteal region makes it difficult for patients to massage on their own, although they may benefit from assistive devices. Common treatments include range of motion and strengthening exercises such as bridging and use of resistance bands. Patients may also benefit from deep tissue massages, use of heat or cold packs, manual manipulation, and electric muscle stimulation. Because other serious problems may feel like muscle strains, it is always advisable to seek professional help for persistent pain.


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Oregon Area Codes Map
|Description:Oregon area code map showing the counties of the state along with their area code.
Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However MapSherpa, Inc, its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same.


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A complete solution
Whatever your project – new build, refurbishment, retrofit of a short underpass, or a tunnel of many kilometers – we offer an end-to-end tunnel lighting control system that can be customized to your requirements.
Add the components you need
TunneLogic can be connected to a range of high-performance Philips Lighting LED luminaires designed to create safe and visible conditions throughout your tunnel.
Connect to your control systems
Easily connect TunneLogic to a remote monitoring system or SCADA network to improve control.
Customize your solution
Give operators and engineers easy access to the data they need to optimize and maintain tunnel lighting – including historical system data such as photometer trending, system faults and stage burn hours.


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Global Market Direct's pharmaceuticals report, "Polyphor Ltd. - Product Pipeline Review - 2012" provides data on the Polyphor Ltd.'s research and development focus. The report includes information on current developmental pipeline, complete with latest updates, and features on discontinued and dormant projects.
View full press release
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by William Teach | January 30, 2013 9:01 am
For all his rhetoric regarding coming together, the man is constantly looking for a fight, and will create one if necessary. He flew across the country to Las Vegas and then back to make yet another campaign speech Tuesday
(NY Times[1]) Speaking at a high school here in a state that has seen rapid growth in its Hispanic population, the president praised a bipartisan group of senators who proposed their own sweeping immigration overhaul a day earlier, saying their plan was very much in line with his own proposals.
Mr. Obama warned, however, that "the closer we get, the more emotional this debate is going to become." He said that if Congress did not move forward "in a timely fashion" on its own legislation, he would send up a specific measure – something the White House has put off for now – and demand a vote.
The president's speech immediately exposed potential fault lines in the coming debate. He said, for example, that there must be a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants "from the outset," a statement that would seem at odds with the assertion by some senators that citizenship must be tied to tighter border security.
Obama gives lip service to border security in his own outline[2], but wants no part of actually and truly securing the border before a blanket amnesty occurs (which doesn't make all those who have come to this country legally, have done everything required of them, and are still waiting, particularly happy). This will end up the same way everything else ends up: there will be some conflict, some infighting, but things are still slowly getting done, then Obama will jump in, create massive strife, start casting blame and insulting people, and will create hard feelings.
He even attempted to do his typical strife during the speech, as The Other McCain[3] points out
"Most of 'us' used to be 'them,'" Obama said. "Unless you were one of the first Americans – a Native American – you came from someplace else," he added, listing off waves of immigrants. "All of those folks – before they were 'us,' they were 'them.'"
That quote appeared at Buzzfeed[4], which notes
Obama's proposal, laid out in a fact sheet distributed by the White House, differs in two ways from the congressional one: it treats same-sex couples the same way as straight couples, and doesn't include a "trigger mechanism" to make reform contingent on stricter border security efforts. Both are potential deal-breakers with congressional Republicans, though neither earned a direct mention from Obama in his remarks.
"Unless there's real enforcement triggers, we're not going to have a bill that moves on," Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said Tuesday in an interview with radio host Rush Limbaugh.
"Any solution should be a bipartisan one, and we hope the President is careful not to drag the debate to the left and ultimately disrupt the difficult work that is ahead in the House and Senate," warned Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Without real enforcement measures, the legislation may barely pass the Senate, if it even makes it to the floor, but will fail big time in the House. Of course, when this progresses beyond the "framework" phase and moves towards actually crafting legislation, we can, and should, expect Obama to jump in and cause problems. It's just the way this: divisive: community: agitator: operates.
Crossed at Pirate's Cove[5]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[6].
Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/immigration/obamas-itching-for-a-fight-on-illegal-immigrants/
Copyright ©2023 John Hawkins' Right Wing News unless otherwise noted.


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Expert's Rating
- Snappy Web browsing
- Gorgeous 3.7-inch display
- Some camera images come out grainy
- Flat keyboard is difficult to type on
Our Verdict
The first Android 2.0 phone impresses with a strong suite of Web features and a stunning 3.7-inch display, but some users might have trouble with the shallow keyboard.
The first time you pick up the Motorola Droid ($200 with a two-year contract from Verizon; price as of 10/28/09), you'll notice its solid feel and heft–there's a lot going on behind the crisp, 3.7-inch touchscreen. Making good use of Android 2.0's new features, the Droid is a powerful Web surfing and communications tool that has a chance of living up to its hype. The Droid's biggest flaw, however, is in its hardware design: The keyboard is shallow and flat, which can make typing uncomfortable.
At 0.54 inch thick, the Droid is slightly beefier than the 0.48-inch-thick iPhone 3GS, but it still has room for a 40-key, slide-out QWERTY keypad. At just under 6 ounces, it's about an ounce heftier than the iPhone 3GS. When closed, the 4.56-by-2.36-inch Droid is almost the same size as the 4.5-by-2.4-inch iPhone 3GS.
Motorola is quick to point out that the Droid's 480-by-854-pixel display offers 409,920 pixels, more than double the 153,600 pixels that the 480-by-320-pixel, 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 3GS offers. The Droid's resolution also compares well against that of Android 1.6-based phones such as T-Mobile's myTouch 3G, which has a 3.2-inch, 480-by-320-pixel display.
The Droid's keyboard doesn't occupy the full length of the phone; a four-way directional pad with a select button sits on the right side. The keys are backlit, but since they're mostly flat, you'll need to keep an eye on what you're typing until you get a feel for the phone. A small lower lip protrudes from the bottom when the phone is closed, revealing only the Verizon logo and the microphone. Like other Android phones, the Droid has an accelerometer and reorients quickly when you hold the display sideways.
Unfortunately, the handset has a few hardware-design quirks. The keyboard is so shallow–and the keys themselves are so flat–that our testers (with various hand sizes) had trouble using it. In addition, the top keys are very close to the ledge of the display, so your fingers are constantly knocking against it. The Droid is also missing physical Talk and End keys, which are pretty much standard on every other cell phone ever made. You must access these controls from the call application.
The Droid, which supports the 1900MHz and 800MHz CDMA EvDO bands on the Verizon Wireless network, comes with a 1,400-mAh battery rated at 270 hours of standby time and 385 minutes of talk time. It also has a preinstalled 16GB memory card and offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 support, which includes the use of stereo headsets and a Wi-Fi adapter.
The phone provided excellent call quality, even in a New York hotel lobby full of noisy Phillies fans headed to Yankee Stadium for the World Series. Parties on the other end of my calls reported no problems.
Especially snappy is the Droid's Web browser, which loads images quickly thanks to the powerful 550MHz processor and speedy hardware-accelerated graphics. Though you are at the mercy of your 3G high-speed data network coverage, once you're in it, Web surfing is breezy and smooth. Video from sites such as YouTube looks equally impressive; the playback of a high-definition YouTube cartoon ("Sita Sings the Blues") was excellent, with no stalling or audio dropouts. Audio also sounded great piped through a pair of high-quality headphones. The straightforward music player supports playlist building, album art, and shuffle and loop playback modes. You can purchase DRM-free music at the Amazon MP3 store via the preloaded app on the device.
Preinstalled on one of the three home screens are icons labeled Messaging, Phone, Contacts, Browser, Maps, and Market. Notably absent on the Droid are Verizon's V Cast services, which include live streaming videos and other entertainment offerings. A new Power Control widget allows one-touch control over power-hungry features such as the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters, the GPS receiver, and the backlight. You can turn off data synchronization to save additional power, too.
As in Android 1.6, in 2.0 a universal search from the phone's home page delves into the contact list, browser history, and other content in the phone, as well as on the Internet. And as with all Android devices, you'll need a free Google account to take advantage of the phone's key features, including the contact list and the calendar, which are synchronized with your Web-based account.
You'll also find the familiar notification bar at the top; you can expand it by touching it and dragging it downward. At the bottom (or the side, in landscape mode) is a slide-open launch window with icons for all of the installed applications and links to the settings menu and other phone features.
Android 2.0 builds on the Google Maps features introduced in Android 1.6 by adding a Layers option that lets you place extra location-enabled features on top of the map you're viewing. A Wikipedia layer, for example, generates icons for locations on your map that have Wikipedia entries.
Since Google Maps navigation is voice-enabled, you can say the name of your destination to get turn-by-turn directions. One nice aspect of the new navigation features is the nifty use of Google's Street View: As you approach your destination, an interactive photo of the actual location pops up with an arrow to point you in the right direction. Instead of having to look for a building number, for example, the Street View provides visual confirmation that you're in the correct place–or at least mighty close to it.
The dedicated camera button provides quick access to snapshot and video taking. The Droid's 5-megapixel camera includes a dual-LED flash and supports DVD-quality video recording and playback at 720 by 480 pixels. As in Android 1.6, in 2.0 you handle the camera and video capabilities in a single window. The camera has a respectable amount of advanced features, such as scene modes, color effects, and white balance controls. Snapshots that I took outdoors looked great, especially on the Droid's stunning display. Indoor shots, however, suffered from a significant amount of graininess. The dual-LED flash tended to blow out colors and details for indoor shots, as well.
Another nice touch is how the Droid interacts with its accessories. When you place it in its car-window mount (sold separately; price not yet announced), the Droid automatically enters "Car Home" mode, in which it looks more like a stand-alone GPS device. Large icons labeled View Map, Navigation, Voice Search, Contacts, Search, and Home fill the screen, and the display rotates as needed.
When you insert the Droid into an optional tabletop dock (sold separately; price not yet announced), it sits at a good angle for watching videos or just poking through e-mail. It immediately switches to a sort of alarm-clock mode and displays the time in large figures while providing other information, such as the temperature, in smaller type below.
The challenge for Android app developers is to take advantage of 2.0's new features, including its ability to link apps more closely to the contact list. As you view a contact, you will see a floating set of icons for the services the person is connected to, such as Facebook. Note that while most existing apps should run fine on Android 2.0, some that were optimized for Android 1.5 and 1.6 may have to be tweaked for the new version.
The Motorola Droid certainly stands out among the growing Android army due to its superior hardware and enhanced 2.0 software. But will the Android Marketplace catch up to the iPhone's App Store? Therein lies the key to success for the Droid. The Droid certainly lives up to its promises and does a lot of things the iPhone doesn't. The iPhone will probably keep its smartphone throne for now, but it will have to deal with a powerful new competitor.


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Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 27, 2012 – 10:49 A.M. EST
DR. BIDEN: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, David, and thank you all for coming. It was great to see you all here last night — what a wonderful evening. And we're so delighted to have you here again at the White House this morning.
The last time we were together, Michelle and I talked to you about our idea for the Joining Forces initiative: to honor, recognize and support military families. And in this last year, we've made tremendous progress. Since we launched Joining Forces in April, we've been so delighted by the response from Americans all over this country. Businesses have hired tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses. Medical schools have committed to educate their students about post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Schools, community organizations and Americans of every age and background have sent care packages, donated childcare, and created community celebrations for the military families in their neighborhoods.
These Americans are stepping up because they appreciate how much our military spouses and families do for our country every day. What we have seen since launching Joining Forces has been truly gratifying, because it has shown our military families that all of us appreciate their sacrifices on their behalf.
But there is more to do. We would like to talk to you today about one of the top concerns we hear from military spouses wherever we go: professional licensing. I know that many of you hear from folks in your state as well.
A few days ago, Michelle and I went to the Pentagon to help unveil a new report from the Departments of Defense and Treasury about professional licensing for military spouses. The report found that military spouses move 10 times more than their civilian counterparts, and that 35 percent of spouses in the workforce are in jobs that require a professional license. Because military transfers often require spouses to move from state to state, the issue of license portability is a real challenge for military spouses. As Michelle will discuss, there are ways we can work together to ease this burden, and we look forward to doing just that.
So thank you all for what you're doing in your home states, and please join me in welcoming my dear friend and partner in Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama. (Applause.)
MRS. OBAMA: Good morning, everyone, and welcome back. I hope everybody got a little sleep. (Laughter.) Just a little bit. But we had a terrific time last night. And the mood was good, and hopefully you all enjoyed yourselves as well. It's always wonderful to host you for this weekend.
I want to thank Jill, not just for her introduction but for just being a terrific partner and, more importantly, a friend over the past few years, and on this issue in particular. As a Blue Star mom, Jill knows these issues as well as anyone. And she has been just a terrific champion, and on ensuring that we're moving things forward.
Now, as Jill has said, this new licensing portability initiative is one of the most important and meaningful issues that we've addressed through Joining Forces. It is the number-one frustration that Jill and I hear about every time we visit with military spouses — and that's really saying something. Because the truth is, is that these women and men are facing plenty of very serious challenges in their lives. They are raising their kids and running their household, oftentimes alone, while they have a spouse deployed. These are the folks who are cooking those meals, they're leading the PTA, they're answering all those questions from their children about when mom or dad will be coming home. And many of them are doing all of this while trying to hold down full-time jobs.
But the truth is that no matter what is on their plates — and this is what always impresses us — no matter what their country asks of them, these men and women, they never complain. They never complain. And I know that many of our spouses understand that when they interact with military families. These people never ask for much. They just keep pushing forward.
So when they do bring something to our attention, when they do come to Jill and I and they ask for our help, when they do let us know that something is a real problem for them, then we know it's serious. We know it's time for us to take a look and figure out whether there's something that we can do. And when you hear about how — some of these licensing stories, what's going on, then you start to understand why they're beginning to get frustrated.
So take the story of Kelly Crowley. Kelly is a nurse, she's an army wife and she's an expectant mother. She has been married to her husband for four years and in those four years — and this is very typical — Kelly has lived in three different states, which means that every year or so she's had to gather up her college transcripts, sign and notarize a pile of documents, and pay application costs, and then wait for all of that to clear.
And she estimates that the constant moves have cost her about six months of paychecks. Six months of paychecks from a woman who wants to work, a woman serving our country. Six months of paychecks. And the whole process can be so cumbersome that she's not even sure that she's going to go through it again for her family's next assignment. She's ready to walk away from her career because the burdens are so great.
And of course this doesn't just happen to nurses — it is happening to teachers, it's happening to childcare providers, accountants, real estate brokers, dental hygienists, social workers — I mean, go on and on. Think of the careers that require some level of licensing and these men and women are being affected. And in total, more than 100,000 military spouses are affected by this maze of credentialing and requirements — 100,000 men and women. And far too often they're forced to take entry-level classes, or pay hundreds of dollars in fees, or wait weeks or months for their paperwork to be processed all before they can even get a job; can't even work until all this is done.
And the vast majority of these spouses are clearly qualified — this isn't an issue of these men and women being qualified and ready to work. They've got the right skills, they've worked in their fields for years, many of them, but so often that doesn't matter. It doesn't count. Their skills still go unused and, more importantly, their families go without the crucial source of income that so many of them need. Many of these families survive because they have two incomes. And unfortunately many career ambitions are just derailed. So, again, you can see why many of these spouses are frustrated.
Now I want to emphasize that these state standards are extremely important. They ensure that our professionals meet a level of excellence that gives us all peace of mind when we step into a hospital or we sign our kids up for school. So I want to be clear that we are not asking any state to change a single professional standard. And we're certainly not asking anyone to set a lower bar for our military spouses — they're the first ones who don't want exceptions to the rule for them. But what we are asking is for a level playing field. We just want to make sure that these spouses have a fair shot to pursue their careers and support their families.
And of course that's where all of you come in. Each of you has a unique opportunity to make a real difference for these families that have given all of us so much. Some of you have already done this — some of you have already stepped up, including Governor Gregoire in Washington, Governor Scott in Florida, Governor Nixon in Missouri, Governor Parnell in Alaska. In total, 12 governors have signed legislation to fix these licensing issues for military spouses, and of course we want to thank you all for leading the way.
And here's what's important: Each of those 12 states found its own solution, whatever worked for them. Some states are doing things like granting temporary licenses so that military spouses can get to work right away. Others have given state licensing boards or agencies increased flexibility to grant licenses to military spouses who clearly demonstrate their competence. And still others have found ways to grant licenses upon application and then verify the documentation as the spouse earns a paycheck.
And many more states are working on legislation as we speak — California, Louisiana, Illinois and Wyoming have introduced bills in the last two weeks. Governor Brownback just signed Kansas' bill on Valentine's Day, a lovely gift. But roughly half of the country still hasn't taken this issue on. And that's why Jill and I are here today.
As part of Joining Forces, we have set what we hope is an ambitious but achievable goal in that, by 2014, we would love to see all 50 states having passed their own legislation to address this issues — by 2014. The goal is a key priority for this administration. Secretary Panetta is behind it. General Dempsey and all of the Joint Chiefs are behind it. The President, of course, the Vice President — they don't have a choice. (Laughter.) But they do support it. (Laughter.)
But the people who have the biggest impact are right here in this room. Truly, you all have the power in this instance. No one can make a difference on this issue like all of you — no one. And I'm not just talking about those of you with "Governor" behind your name. You're really important and all, but we also have wonderful first spouses.
I mean, just look at what First Lady Jane Beshear has done in Kentucky. Now, Jane has formed a statewide team of military spouses who are tackling issues like education and employment in that state. She's worked with state higher education leaders to streamline admissions processes for military spouses. She has testified in front of the state house. And she has done all of this in just a year.
In fact, Jane told me that after the last governors' spouses, she was so moved by what we had talked about that she went back to her state and she figured out exactly what she could do to push this issue ahead.
So every single person in this room has a role to play in supporting our military families. And I am here, as well as Jill, to ask for your help — as simple as that. If your state has not addressed license portability for military spouses yet, today I want to ask you to make this issue a priority. Work with the leaders in your states to get a bill introduced. Use your bully pulpit to get it passed. Share military spouses' stories with your local media and your state legislators.
If you have already passed a law in your state, we encourage you to reach out to one or two of your fellow governors or spouses who are just getting started. Share your experience. Encourage them along the way. Help us finish this job. And we will be helping as much as we can. We have a plan in place to be supportive. Like Jill said, the report from the Department of Defense and Treasury is full of wonderful tips and best practices to help all of you find solutions that work for your state. And that's really the point. There is no one-size-fits-all solution here. And this report is really designed to offer some ideas to get things started.
Your staffs have received a copy of this report already, and all of your spouses will get one today as well. And on top of that, the Defense Department's team of state liaisons are here to help you craft legislation, if needed, and usher it through your state houses. In fact, we've got Ed Kringer — Ed, where you are sitting, Ed? Ed is here from the Department of Defense, and Ed will be available after this session to answer any questions to help get you started in the process.
And Jill and I are going to keep working, keep the light on this issue. We're also going to be working with groups like the American Bar Association and the National Military Family Association to support your efforts at the grassroots level. They all stand ready to try to find ways to be helpful on this issue. So you're not in this alone. Joining Forces has been a wonderful instrument just to raise the bar, to shine a light on these issues. And we will continue to use this platform to be supportive and proactive.
And that's really the thing about supporting military families that Jill and I have discovered through our work: It is something that everyone can get behind. It really is. Everyone feels this, and if they don't, they just don't know the stories. And once they hear the stories, they're right there. That is what we have seen since the day we first started Joining Forces. No matter who you are or where you come from, we are all so proud of our men and women in uniform and their families. We all are, and we all want to do everything we can to honor and to support these men and women, and these wonderful children who are sacrificing right alongside of their parents.
And taking on this licensing issue is a perfect way to do just that. It's really the perfect opportunity because if we fix this, we don't just support our military spouses as they advance in their careers, which is important, but we'll also be supporting their families who really depend on these incomes. We will be supporting the entire military, which can more easily retain married troops if their spouses can pursue their career. This is a retention issue.
We'll be infusing our schools and our hospitals and our businesses with much needed, talented and experienced workers who are ready to be out there doing the job. We will be strengthening our economy by lowering our unemployment rate and increasing our productivity by getting these hundreds of thousands of men and women into the workforce.
And you all can do all of this — here's the punch line — with little or no cost. Little or no cost. It's one of those things that, again, doesn't — as other state governors will share, it doesn't have to kill the budget, and it can be done in a bipartisan way, even more importantly. All it takes is a leader who can lead the charge for these families who serve our country so bravely.
These men and women have risked so much for all of us. They do it for each and every one of us, and they ask so little in return, so very little. So when they call on us, we have got a solemn obligation to answer that call.
In two years, what I hope we are able to say — we can look these men and women in the eye and say, we heard you and we acted. We heard you. The one — the few things you've asked for, we heard you, and we all stepped up as a nation to make it happen. And that's really what Joining Forces is all about.
So we look forward to continuing these efforts to working with all of you in the months ahead to serve our military families as well as they serve us. So we will be there. We're going to be checking in. We're going to nag a little bit and poke, make a few calls. You have not heard the last of us. (Laughter.)
But we are excited by what this will mean to so many of these men and women. That is the one thing we hear. Many of them just say thank you — thank you for recognizing that we exist and that these issues are important to us.
So we look forward to seeing this goal achieved by 2014, and we'll be talking to your spouses more about this shortly at lunch.
So thank you all, and take care. (Applause.)
Source: whitehouse.gov


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Financial / Rates
Residential Living and Assisted Living
Auburn Ravine Terrace Residential Living provides accommodations plus services for a simple monthly rent charge. Auburn Ravine Terrace Assisted Living provides accommodations and basic services for a simple monthly service fee. For information on rates for additional care not included in the monthly service fee, please inquire with marketing office. Personal care items and medication are not included in the monthly fee.
There are no buy-in fees incurred by residents. At the time of move-in, residents submit a security deposit along with the pro-rated rent for the month of move-in.
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation
Medicare will cover your stay at a skilled nursing community if you meet the following requirements:
- You must have Medicare Part A with Hospital Insurance and have days left in your benefit period
- You must have had inpatient care in a hospital for three consecutive days in the last 30 days.
- Your doctor has dictated that you need daily skilled care given by, or under the supervision of, skilled nursing or therapy staff.
- You need skilled care on a daily basis
- You need these skilled services for either:
-A medical condition that was treated in a hospital
-A condition that started while you were in a skilled nursing community while being treated for a hospital related medical condition
The daily rate for skilled nursing care includes:
- Room and Board
- Three meals per day, plus snacks
- Special physician ordered diets
- Daily assistance with activities of daily living
- Daily house keeping
- Bed and bathroom linens
- Skilled nursing care
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology services
- Medical social services
- Medical supplies and equipment used in the community
- Dietary counseling
- Planned activities
Please note: The daily room rate does not include the following:
- Physician visit charges
- Dentist visit charges
- Medication and sundry items
- Resident care medical supplies and materials
- Incontinent care supplies/linens
- Special physician ordered therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, diagnostic tests, and other specialized care procedures, etc.


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The Alto Herald (Alto, Tex.), Vol. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 2, 1928
Description: Weekly newspaper from Alto, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: August 2, 1928
Creator: Weimar, F. L.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: Stella Hill Memorial Library


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Courtney Conlogue (USA) claims her maiden elite ASP Women?s World Championship Tour victory and chaired up the beach by ASP Women's World No. 1 and 2 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS). PIC: ASP/Robertson.
Stop No. 4 of 7 on the 2012 ASP Women?s World Championship Tour, the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, run by seven-time ASP Women?s World Champion Layne Beachley, has caused some interesting twists and turns in the race for the coveted ASP Women's World Title. Yesterday saw the early exit of reigning ASP Women's World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), 19. Then today the current ASP Women's World No. 1 and 2 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, both bowed out in the Quarterfinals.
Conlogue who has won multiple ASP 6-Star events, today claimed her maiden win on the elite ASP Women?s World Championship Tour, a feat that sees her jump to 4th on the ratings. Conlogue and Manuel battled through the stacked field of competitors to reach the Final. The dying swell made conditions difficult, but Conlogue found the best waves that allowed her to execute multiple powerful turns.
"I'm speechless right now!" Conlogue said. "It's been two years on the ASP Women?s World Championship Tour where I kept losing in the Quarterfinals. Then today after winning my Quarterfinal I just tried to go and win the thing. Malia (Manuel) was surfing great in the Final, even though the waves were tricky. I'm really stoked to have won this event! I love Steph (Gilmore) and Sally (Fitzgibbons) and to have them chair me up the beach was absolutely amazing!"
Manuel's run to the Final wasn't easy, defeating Gilmore and Tyler Wright (AUS), 18, in the morning's Quarterfinal and Semifinal. Manuel's smooth style and tail drifting turns saw her earn big scores and new fans all event. Her red-hot run was only ended by Conlogue's superior wave selection. Manuel is now equal 6th on the ASP World Championship Tour, and she is now the highest ranked 2012 rookie.
"I'm really relieved to get a good result here at Dee Why," Manuel said. "I'm happy to move up the ratings. It's a great confidence boost going into the next three events. I'm really stoked to make a final in my rookie year. I hope the battle for ASP Rookie Of The Year goes down to the last contest. It's really close between me and Lakey (Peterson). I'm not going to count her out."
Rebecca Woods (AUS), 28, and Wright were the highest placed Australian surfers, both finishing equal 3rd place. Wright has placed 3rd three times this year, but this is Woods' best result of the 2012 season and is sure to help her requalification campaign.
"It's a bittersweet feeling at the moment," Woods said. "I've had a few last places this year, so in some regards I was just happy to put it together for a few heats. I've made about nine Semifinals in my life and still never made it into that elusive Final. It's good to be pushed by the younger girls. I woke up this morning and thought Courtney (Conlogue) was going to win today, then she was on my side of the draw and I cursed myself for putting that in my head. Then she beat me and won the contest, so I was right."
Gilmore, four-time ASP Women?s World Champion, suffered a shock early exit at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic today. Gilmore has had three final appearances in the first three events of the year, and today added a respectable equal 5th place finish to her tally. In testing conditions Gilmore was bested by an in-form Manuel, who also defeated her in their non-elimination Round 3 match-up yesterday.
"It's disappointing," Gilmore said. "But it's not a terrible result for me. I feel really strong. When there's great waves on offer I feel like I'm surfing great. It's just a matter of getting those waves and I didn't get them today. I'm looking forward to heading over to Brazil and finding the form I had in the first few events."
Fitzgibbons went down in the Quarterfinals to eventual event winner Conlogue. Fitzgibbons held an early lead with two mid-range scores, but Conlogue snared the best wave of the heat and tore it apart with some impressive turns, netting a 9.00 (out of a possible 10) and won the heat.
"This is the worst part about what we do," Fitzgibbons said. "Today I just wasn't good enough. When you're feeling strong, you really want to progress through to that Final. I got some early scores and it was really challenging out there. That one wave popped up for Courtney (Conlogue) and she grabbed a 9.00, which is the highest score of the day. I'm really happy for her. She's a good friend and she trains and surfs really hard and that paid off today."
More info www.BeachleyClassic.com
1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.17
2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 11.56
SF 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.67 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 10.50
SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.33 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.10
QF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.43 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 12.50
QF 2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.00 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.47
QF 3: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.73 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 8.73
QF 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.97 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.34
CURRENT ASP WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR TOP 6 (after the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic):
1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
3: Tyler Wright (AUS)
4: Courtney Conlogue (USA)
5: Carissa Moore (HAW)
6: Laura Enever (AUS)
6: Malia Manuel (HAW)


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Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pulp Screen: "The Man From Planet X", 1951
Hello Pulp friends,
I am probably going to tribute some more classic sci-fi movies so I guess that turns December in Pulp Sci-Fi month ;)
The original movie posters were announcing "the weirdest Visitor the Earth has ever seen". I am not sure if this is the weirdest, but it sure is the coolest in that Wally Wood kinda way :)
From 1951, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and with Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Raymond Bond, I give you "The Man From Planet X"!
Once agai, click on the sepia image for the full Technicolor image ;)
Enjoy! :)
7 comments:
- SIMON said...
Oh i've never heard of this one, but it looks interesting. I'll try to check it out.
Great picture tho. I really love the lighting effect you used for the faces... eerie.
- December 18, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- Chad Carter said...
I think Ray Bradbury scripted this flick?
I'm noticing a special ability to infuse what might have look clunky onscreen with a great reality in your art.
Meaning, the way those filmmakers envisioned how their special effects in those movies would look is how you draw them, FF.
- December 18, 2008 at 1:42 PM
- Honolulu Dogfight said...
Francesco, that is some cool! I have been digging the sci-fi theme and am so glad you're still rolling with it. You're amazing!
- December 19, 2008 at 9:16 AM
- Unknown said...
(breaks his markers into little pieces and go gets a drink.)
- December 19, 2008 at 1:44 PM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you, Simon :) I am trying to tribute lesser known sci-fi classics in these latest ones. More to come ;)
Thank you, Chad, that's high praise indeed :) Generally speaking, I think with the right passion and tools you can make everything look cool :)
George, you are a very kind man: thank you! :)
Dave: HA! Sure, let's play victim here, you talented you ;) Thanks, man :D
- December 21, 2008 at 7:58 AM
- surly hack said...
Love your pulp stuff, Francesco!
- May 13, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- Francesco Francavilla said...
Thank you so much, Hilary, great to see you around here too :)
- June 10, 2009 at 3:54 PM


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The London Pass is a sightseeing city card which gives entry to a choice of over 60 popular tourist attractions in the city (All attractions are listed in the London Pass Guidebook which you will recieve when you collect your pass from the Ticket Booth).
Available for either 1,2,3,6 or 10 Days making it easy and affordable by giving access to the top sights in the city with one card. The London Pass is valid for consecutive days only, not 24 hour periods, and is activated by scanning the card upon entry at the first attraction. Another great benefit of the London Pass is that it allows you to skip frustrating queues at a number of attractions. Look for the London Pass signs and show the attendant your valid London Pass to jump the line.
What is included:
• Free entry to over 60 attractions, tours and museums
• Fast Track Entry – skip the lines at selected attractions to save time
• Free Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour to explore London with a 1 day ticket
• Over 20 exclusive special offers.
NEW Attractions for 2018
• The View From The Shard
London Pass - 10 day datoer og billetter
Beklager, vi har ikke billetter til London Pass - 10 day i salg i øjeblikket.


text:
WASHINGTON – Big differences remain, but there is finally movement in long-stalled talks on avoiding the "fiscal cliff."
House Speaker John Boehner is offering $1 trillion in higher tax revenue over 10 years and an increase in the top tax rate on people making more than $1 million a year. He's also offering a large enough extension in the government's borrowing cap to fund the government for one year before the issue must be revisited — conditioned on Obama agreeing to the $1 trillion in cuts.
The offer, made Friday after a long impasse between Boehner, R-Ohio, and President Barack Obama, calls for about $450 billion in revenue from increasing the top rate on million-dollar-plus income from 35 per cent to the Clinton-era rate of 39.6 per cent.
The additional revenue would be collected through a rewrite of the tax code next year and by slowing the inflation adjustments made to tax brackets.
In return, Boehner is asking for $1 trillion in spending cuts from government benefit programs like Medicare. Those cuts would defer most of a painful set of across-the-board spending cuts set to slash many domestic programs and the Pentagon budget by 8-9 per cent, starting in January.
Boehner also continues to press for a less generous inflation adjustment for Social Security benefits, a move endorsed by many budget hawks. Obama and Democrats on last year's deficit "supercommittee" endorsed the idea in offers made last year, but they're more reluctant now.
Democrats rejected the offer and some say an increase in the Medicare eligibility age is a non-starter. They are also pressing for extended jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.
Boehner's proposal was described by officials familiar with it. They required anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
The movement comes as an increasing number of Republicans have called for a tactical retreat that would hand Obama a victory on his longstanding campaign promise to raise taxes on households making more than $250,000 a year. That increase, combined with an increase in the tax rate on investment income from 15 to 20 per cent, would raise about $800 billion in tax revenue over a decade.
In that context, Boehner's move could be seen as an attempt to get spending cuts linked to the rate increase rather than giving them up and getting nothing in return.
Still, the Boehner offer is sure to cause unrest among many conservative Republicans dead set against raising tax rates at all.
Obama has offered $600 billion in spending cuts over a decade, including $350 billion from federal health care programs and $250 billion from other cuts to domestic programs like farm subsidies and the pension program for federal workers, and through sales of used federal property.
Obama and Boehner met Thursday in a session described as "frank" by both sides. Boehner's offer and a follow-up phone call came the next day — amid increasing speculation that Republicans might move on to a plan B in which they would give Obama a win on tax rates for upper-bracket earners and renew the fight when increasing the government's borrowing cap, which needs to be done soon, probably in February.
Boehner's $1 trillion cut proposal would be paired with a comparable increase in the borrowing cap, enough to keep the government borrowing for about a year. But if the cuts are smaller, the debt limit increase would be smaller as well.
"Our position has not changed. Any debt limit increase would require cuts and reforms of a greater amount," said Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck.
Obama originally sought $1.6 trillion in new tax revenue over a decade and has since revised that to $1.4 trillion. He would probably go lower, a decision fueled in part by resistance from Democratic allies in the Senate to Obama proposals like taxing capital gains and income at rates equal to earned income.


text:
Protective Soft Case Shell with Lens Cap for GoPro Max Action Sports Camera
Perfectly fit for GoPro Max action camera
Protect your camera from scratches
Comes with lens cap
Package Included:
1 x Protective Shell
1 x Lens Cap
Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, White
(1) FREE Shipping 10 - 15 business days, (2) Standard Shipping 7 - 12 business days.
Shipping and Delivery Estimates
We ship in-stock orders as soon as possible. This is often within two business days, but there are situations where it may take longer. All estimates are based on business days.
(1) The shipping time mentioned above refers to the estimated time of business days that the shipment will take after an order has been shipped.
(2) Business days do not include Saturday/Sunday and any public holidays.
(3) These estimates are based on normal circumstances and are not a guarantee of delivery times.
(4) We are not responsible for the failures or delays in delivery resulting from any force majeure event, such as natural disaster, bad weather, war, customs issues, and any other event beyond our direct control.
for more information please visit our Shipping Policy Page.
Our policy lasts 14 days. If 14 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can't offer you a refund or exchange. To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
for more information please visit our Refunds & Returns Policy page.


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As a traveler one of the thing that really stands out in digging in to understand a people is how much of culture is influenced by faith and religion. In Europe you must visit the cathedrals because it was the center of the universe for the people. In Istanbul you must visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia or you haven't seen Istanbul. I have found Israel, Jerusalem, Bethehem, and Jordan to be quite amazing. Even Cairo had places that reminded me of Moses and the red sea. I have found the cathedrals across Europe to be quite amazing, even Ireland had some amazing history as it relates to early Christianity. Rome and the catacombs. Early Christians in Ireland, or Monserrat in Spain… incredible. These early Christians driven into caves and into the mountains the hermits of Bulgaria and Macedonia are fascinating and must see. The monasteries in the cliffs of Meteora where they survived from decimation for more than 500 years. I love thinking about Thessaloniki or the Thessalonians. My visit to Armenia and connecting with locals and making friends the thoughts and attitudes of the people cannot be separated from their faith as a people. Mount Arrarat and Noah's Ark and God's dealing with the Armenian people is so deeply ingrained in their art, their life and spirit.
A One trying to understand the mind of the pre-Nicean church can do much study the rich art and paintings captured on the walls of the hundreds if not thousands of painted caves now abandoned art work of Cappadocia. The cave paintings while much has been destroyed have preserved a lot of history and messages through the images. I find it quite inspiring and very peaceful. In some of the churches that you pay to see one with no cameras allowed. I could easily spend an hour staring at the ceiling and unweaving the thoughts in the heads of these early christians. Their faith, their perspectivies, their stories. Much of the tradition has been preserved, but a lot has been lost as well. Lots of contemplation are required to understand not just the story, but the perceptions of the artist.
This photo is not a direct photo, but actually a photo of what I saw, but photographed from a book at the gift shop, or a post card. You can see how much color is still in the images. The color alone is quite the story as the paint was made from pigeon poo.
My travels took me to Goreme, in central Turkey. These natural occuring ferry chimneys are amazing. I've only been in a few places in the world where they have these, Utah's Goblin Valley, and Bryce Canyon, but what those places don't have are the primitive Christian churches and the underground cities. The Tuff left from the volcanic ash turned rock helped provide a substance that was very easy to carve, but also very strong, like a more dense pumice.
There are multiple locations in Cappadocia where you can find these cave churches. First the largest collection in a small area is the Goreme Open Air Museum. There are lots of great cave hotels in Goreme. I recommend staying in a cave at least one night. It's a unique experience and it's quite affordable.
Unfortunately nearly all of the churches would not allow photography or video cameras at the Open air musuem. You could take pictures outside, but definitely not as compelling.
There were a few select churches that they allowed photography in. The names of the churches come from the art work inside. Apple church, snake church, etc…
While these may look impressive, the reality is these were pretty bare.
On a walk through the various churches you'd mostly get directed at the various figures and stories from the bible, but it was stories like the animal below that represents paganism that really caught my interest. I was interested in the explanations of what was different and how they lived and what they believed. Like can you believe that most of the well preserved cave paintings have the eyes of the people carved out.
I was told the local muslim people felt threatened and the eyes alone could convert. So you have these scary pictures where the eyes are carved out.
Not only were the churches carved into the stone, the people as well lived in caves in stone where archways could be fancied up. On the left you have the homes of displaced Greeks in Turkey. Most of them moved back to Greece.
Next we travel to the Ihlara Valley were over a dozen caves were turned into churches. One of the most amazing hikes… Combines peaceful walk along a stream with basalt canyon walls like the snake river valley in Idaho or, and pillars of the Giants Causeway in Ireland.
As you can see by the little yellow dots along the slides of the river in the Ihlara valley, for miles along the river, caves were turned into places of worship. If you were simply walking along the river, you would have really No idea this was happening. It's Fantastic!!
Do these caves above look like they might contain this… image to the right.
Beautiful art still remains on the walls. Much has been destroyed or defaced. Eyes of the saints in the pictures are scratched out. One guide told us that the people were worried about how the beautiful icononic art might convert them. The watching eyes were just too powerful. So much so that for much of what you see there are few eyes you'll find.
Below the three magi or wisemen and their gifts for the birth of the savior minus their eyes. If you look near the hat you can see names in Greek. It looks like the names of the magi were added afterward. The shape of their hats is interesting. It brings a historical understanding. Studying this brings much more understanding of the early 6th century church.
Mary on the Donkey… Did you know the reference to Mary riding a donkey is actually not found in the bible, but in apocryphal writings in the text the Infancy Gospel of James? This may be one of the earliest paintings that exists showing Mary on a Donkey.
It is very incredible to think of the condition that these paintings were made. These were painted many many years prior to the crusades, and the spread of the ottoman empire. These were made at time when the Christians were hiding in caves. The paint was made from pigeon droppings. To think about that part of it it's really very remarkable much remains at all.
When in Goreme and surrounding you'll find that you need at least 2 to 3 days to simply race through everything. 4 days to a week will allow you to take a slower pace to really enjoy the valleys and take more in. The tours are very inexpensive, and they are organized into the blue tour, the red tour and so on, and they really are packed with places to see and visit. One morning you need to do the balloon ride for the adventuresome. If you are thinking about the balloon, don't wait till the last day because they are frequently cancelled due to weather conditions.
View of Goreme from the top of the hills.
The Fairy chimneys… turned home and now abandoned. A honeycomb of mystery and intrigue.
The Messiah, with a scratched out face…
For more adventure… On one end of the Ihlara valley is the Selime Cathedral. Walking to simply get to this Cathedral makes you feel like you're rock climbing. It isn't for little old ladies or old men. This requires a little bit of skill to navigate across the rocks, through tunnels and a bit of scrambling…
But the payoff is big. Huge rooms with archways and columns still remain while much of the artwork is destroyed and soot covers the ceilings.
If you look closely you can still see remains, of what was once majestic.
If there was any doubt that this valley wasn't backed with mystery, intrigue and wonder… I hope a few of these picture have opened your mind. Goreme and Cappadocia still remains one of my favorite destinations and the my appreciation for the early church and their cave dwelling days has shaped what we think of even as a catheral or church. We have much to share in appreciation for these devoted follower of central Turkey.


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Allocation System
The term "Allocation System" refers to the financial arrangement by which eight CUNY senior colleges: Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Lehman, John Jay, Queens, and Staten Island, are compensated annually by the Graduate Center for the contributions of their faculty to doctoral education.
The CUNY community colleges, as well as the three remaining senior colleges: NYC College of Technology, Medgar Evers, and York, whose faculty participate in doctoral programs are compensated separately by the Graduate Center through adjunct replacement funds.
Finally, any CUNY college whose faculty participate in the three Health Science Doctoral Programs: Audiology, Nursing, and Public Health, are compensated separately by the Graduate Center through funding based on proportional distribution of each program's tuition revenues.
The computation of the funds to be allocated to each senior college is made according to the following principles. Each one-semester doctoral course taught by a faculty member from a senior college is considered one unit, and six units equal one line. All full-semester doctoral courses, with the exception of independent studies and dissertation supervision (discussed below), are considered a unit, independent of the number of credit hours associated with those courses. Thus, a CUNY senior college that contributes instructors for six doctoral courses in one academic year will be credited in the following academic year with funds for one faculty line.
To take into account the contribution that college-based faculty make to doctoral education by supervising independent studies (IND) or dissertations (90000), a college is credited with 0.2 unit for each student supervised by a faculty member from that college. For example, if five different faculty members from a given college are supervising student dissertations or independent studies during a semester, the college earns one unit for that semester. (No individual student is "counted" in dissertation supervision for more than six semesters, regardless of the time to completion of degree.) Alternatively, if one college-based faculty member supervises five (or more) students in dissertations or independent studies in one semester, his or her college is credited with one unit for that semester. The latter policy is consistent with how the workload of Graduate Center-based faculty is determined, whereby five or more dissertation or independent study students is the equivalent of one unit, and six units per year is the basic minimum assignment. Six units of independent study or dissertation advisement by its faculty earn payment for one allocation line for the college.
For individual college-based faculty, the system works as follows. For each doctoral course taught by a faculty member in a given semester, he or she earns one course teaching credit toward the contractual teaching load during that semester. For supervision of individual doctoral students, college-based faculty earn 0.2 unit for each semester of supervision of an independent study or a dissertation until a full unit is accumulated. At that point or in the following semester, the faculty member's home college will recognize that unit as a "course," and it becomes part of his or her workload. In the unusual case when a college-based faculty member supervises more than five students in a single semester, he or she may only earn a maximum of one course in that semester.
The allocation system also recognizes the participation of senior-college doctoral faculty members in tasks associated with the direct administration of the doctoral programs. Faculty members who accept assignment as an Executive Officer are released by the college full-time for the term of this service, and the college is credited with one payment for one line in the calculation of its share of the allocation pool. Deputy Executive Officers earn for their home colleges one course each semester, and the college is expected to credit the faculty member with one course for this activity as part of his or her workload at the college for that semester. All such arrangements are negotiated between the provost of The Graduate Center and the provost of the relevant college.
The funds in the allocation system earned by colleges for the participation of their faculty in doctoral education are assigned to the college provosts, who determine how they will be distributed within their colleges. The allocation system operates between administrations and not between programs and departments. Note that colleges are compensated for the services of full-time faculty with payment for full-time lines and not with adjunct replacement costs. Provosts at the colleges allocate adjunct replacements to departments as the needs of their institutions demand, instead of on the basis of direct reimbursement to departments whose members provide doctoral instruction.
The day-to-day practical administration of the consortium is carried out largely by individual doctoral programs. The Executive Officer first establishes a suitable set of courses to be offered in the following semester and then determines what portion of that proposed offering can be provided by Graduate Center faculty (if that program has GC appointments). To staff the remaining courses, the Executive Officer consults with the chairs of the college departments. Specifically, the Executive Officer first contacts the relevant department chair to ask if a particular faculty member is available; if the colleague is available and would like to teach at The Graduate Center, the program and the college department then coordinate the teaching schedules. Procedures for approval of faculty participation in doctoral programs are determined at each college. The provosts of the Graduate Center and the colleges are responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of the allocation system and for facilitating contacts between colleges and the Graduate Center as necessary.


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The Board meets the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room located at: 289 N. L Street, Dinuba, CA 93618.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance at this meeting, please contact the District (559) 591-0800 prior to the public meeting. This will enable the District to make reasonable accommodations.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Financial Statements of the Alta Irrigation District for the fiscal year ending 9/30/2016 are available for review.
Fiscal Year runs from October to September.
Current folder: Board Minutes and Agendas 2016 Agendas File name Size Agenda 2016-10.pdf 120 KB Agenda 2016-11.pdf 216 KB Agenda 2016-12.pdf 411 KB


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Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor, director of the University at Buffalo Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR) and UB professor of periodontics and endodontics is the recipient of the American Academy of Periodontology's (AAP) Distinguished Scientist Award for 2012.
The AAP Distinguished Scientist Award is presented to an academy member who has actively contributed to the basic science and/or clinical science of periodontology through published literature and has contributed to pre- and postdoctoral education.
Genco received the award in recognition of more than three decades of research, scholarship and service that contributed to the understanding, prevention and treatment of periodontal disease.
"I am pleased and humbled by this recognition. I have had a long and fruitful association with the American Academy of Periodontology, and to be honored by them is a highlight of my career. It is also recognition of the many colleagues I have had the honor of working with at UB and other universities, "said Genco.
A photo of Genco is available at: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13561.
The AAP, founded in 1914, is an 8000-member association of dental professionals specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.
Dean of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Michael L. Glick, DMD, said, "I am gratified to see my colleague and friend, Dr. Genco, receive this well-deserved award from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). His contributions to the University at Buffalo and the oral health community are immeasurable and continue to inspire researchers across the globe to pursue new discoveries that define excellence while improving quality of life."
A 1963 graduate of the UB School of Dental Medicine, Genco received a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1967.
Formerly chair of the Department of Oral Biology at UB's School of Dental Medicine for 25 years and also the director of the Periodontal Disease Clinical Research Center, Genco and his colleagues were among the first to report a connection between gum disease and heart disease and stroke and led studies relating periodontitis to diabetes mellitus and obesity.
Genco has held editorial positions with 11 scientific journals, edited or co-edited ten books and authored or co-authored more than 325 scientific articles and publications.
He is a past president of the American Association for Dental Research and the International Association of Dental Research.
Genco has been the primary investigator on multi-million dollar grants from the NIDCR, and editor of the Journal of Periodontology and is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science.
When former University at Buffalo president, John B. Simpson, named Genco interim provost in February of 2004, he noted that Genco was "one of UB's most distinguished professors, internationally recognized and highly regarded both within his field and the UB community as an accomplished scientist and researcher."
William V. Giannobile, DDS, MS, DMSc, chair of the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, who nominated Genco for the award said, "I believe that Dr. Genco is the ideal individual to be recognized for this award given his tremendous dedication not only to the AAP but to all of periodontology."
Genco has received many awards, including the American Dental Association's 2003 Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research; the American Academy of Periodontology Gold Medal (1993); American Dental Association Gold Medal for Excellence in Dental Research (1991); Samuel P. Capen Alumni Award, the UB Alumni Association's most prestigious award (1990); William J. Gies Foundation Award from the American Academy of Periodontology (1983), and the George W. Thorn Award from the UB Alumni Association (1977).
The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.
For More Information:
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Find UB Experts: ubfacultyexperts.buffalo.edu


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Introduction to Chess960 Geometry
One of the curiosities of chess960, at least in comparing it to traditional chess (SP518), is that there are many positions where the players can castle on the first move. One such position is shown in the following diagram.
Start Position 119
Wondering how many similar chess960 positions exist, I queried my
Database of Chess960 Start Positions and discovered that there are 90 start positions where the players can castle O-O on the first move. A similar query on O-O-O determined that there are 72 positions where the players can castle O-O-O on the first move, i.e. the Rook and King start the game on the c- and d-files.
I'm the type of person who likes to know where numbers come from, and I started to wonder if the numbers 90 and 72 can be derived by logic. It turns out they can and the reasoning is not too difficult.
The first step is to notice that for any given start position of the King and two Rooks, there are five empty squares. The other pieces can only be distributed in a fixed number of ways on those five squares: one Bishop must be on a light colored square, one Bishop must be on a dark square, and the Queen and two Knights are on the other three squares. Of the five empty squares there are three squares of one color and two squares of the other, so the Bishops can be placed six different ways (3 x 2) on the five squares. After the Bishops are placed, the Queen can be placed on any one of the three remaining squares, and since it doesn't matter which of the Knights takes the last two squares, there are 18 different ways (3 x 2 x 3) to place two Bishops, one Queen, and two Knights on five empty squares.
The second step is to notice that when the King and Rook start in a position to castle O-O on the first move (King on f-file, Rook on g-file), the other Rook has five possible squares on which it can start (a-, b-, c-, d-, and e-files). When the King and Rook start in a position to castle O-O-O on the first move (Rook on c-file, King on d-file), the other Rook has four possible squares on which it can start (e-, f-, g-, and h-files).
The third step is to combine the results of the first two steps. When castling O-O on the first move, there are five ways to place the free Rook and 18 ways to place the other pieces, so there are a total of 90 possible setups (5 x 18). Similarly, when castling O-O-O on the first move, there are 72 possible setups (4 x 18). The numbers 90 and 72 match the number of positions calculated from the database.
After I worked out the preceding, I started to wonder how many different castling positions, i.e. unique initial positions of the King and Rooks, there are across the 960 start positions. To start thinking about this, I first worked out the following table with the help of my database. For each of the five pieces, it shows the number of positions where a particular piece starts the game on a particular file.
Table 1: Chess960 Start Positions per Piece per File
For example, since the Queen can start a game with equal probability on any one of the eight files, it stands to reason that there are 120 positions (1/8 x 960) where Her Majesty starts on the a-file, on the b-file, or on any one of the other six files. Similarly, since there are two each of the Bishops and Knights, there are 240 positions where one of the Bishops (or one of the Knights) starts on the a-file, on the b-file, on the c-file, etc.
The counts are more interesting for the King and Rooks. Since the King can't start in a corner square, you might suppose that it has an equal chance of starting on the other six files (b-file, c-file, etc.). The table, however, shows otherwise. The King has the highest probability of starting the game on a center file (d- & e-files), and the least probability of starting on the b- & g-files.
The Rooks' probabilities complement the King's. The Rooks have the highest probabilty of starting on a corner square and the least probability of starting on a center file. Note that the sum of the number of start positions having a King or a Rook on a particular file is 360 for each square.
The probabilities of King and Rook starting on a particular square have some impact on chess960 opening theory. Since positions with a King starting in the center are more likely, they will arise more frequently in practical play, making them more attractive for preparatory study..
Getting back to my obsession with the origin of numbers, I wondered how the King and Rook probabilities might be derived. It can be no accident that there are exactly 108 positions where the King starts on the b-file.
I started by counting the number of unique King and Rook setups. My first step was to consider only the positions where the King starts on the 'Kingside' (as it's called in traditional chess), the right side of the board from White's point of view (called the 'h-side' in chess960). With the White King on e1, there are four different squares where a Rook can be placed to its left, and three different squares for a Rook to its right. This means that there are 12 different start positions (4 x 3) for a King and two Rooks when the King starts on the e-file.
The corresponding numbers for the three Kingside start squares are shown in the following table.
- Ke1 : 4 x 3 = 12
- Kf1 : 5 x 2 = 10
- Kg1 : 6 x 1 = 6
This means that there are 28 (12 + 10 + 6) different placements for a King and two Rooks when the King starts on the Kingside. Since the Queenside (aka 'left side' or 'a-side') is a mirror image of the Kingside, there are 56 unique start positions (28 x 2) for the King and its castling partners.
As I already calculated that there are 18 different ways to place the other five pieces (Q/Bs/Ns), there must be 56 times 18 different start positions. Unfortunately, 56 x 18 = 1008, not 960, which is the well-known, exact number of chess960 start positions. There must be an error in the calculations.
Indeed there is an error, and it arises when the King and Rooks all start on the same color. In my earlier example, using positions where castling could happen on the first move, the King and Rook were always on adjacent squares, meaning always on different colors. In other start positions, that assumption is not necessarily true. When, for example, one Rook starts on the b-file, the King starts on the d-file, and the other Rook starts on the f-file (or h-file), the five empty squares have one square of the same color as the King/Rooks and four of the opposite color. This has an impact on how the Bishops can be placed.
One Bishop must be placed on the last square corresponding to the color of the King/Rooks, while the other Bishop has a choice of four squares. After placing the Bishops, the Queen still has a choice of three squares. This gives 12 different ways (4 x 3) to place two Bishops, one Queen, and two Knights on the five empty squares.
Of the 56 unique start positions for the King and Rooks, it's easy to determine that eight positions have those pieces 'all on the same color'. Now we have (48 x 18) + (8 x 12) ways to place the pieces, which reduces to (864 + 96) ways, which in turn reduces to 960.
That last quirk also explains the distribution of the Kings and Rooks in Table 1. If the King starts on the g-file, a Rook must be on the h-file. This means that the other Rook has six possible start files. Since the g-file King and h-file Rook are necessarily on different colors, there are 18 different Q/B/N setups per position of the other Rook. It follows that there are 6 x 18 = 108 different positions with King on the g-file.
Similar logic holds if the King starts on the f-file. One Rook must be on the g- or h-file, meaning the other Rook has five possible start squares. If the Rook is on the g-file, it is on a square of opposite color to the King, and we have 5 x 18 (=90) possible start positions. If the Rook is on the h-file, a square of the same color as the King, then we have 3 x 18 (=54) plus 2 x 12 (=24) possible start positions. The sum of 90 + 54 + 24 is 168, the number shown in Table 1. Ditto for the King starting on the e-file, where one Rook is on the f-, g-, or h-file, and in each case the other Rook has four possible squares.
I'm always happy when the math works!


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Sometime back I received my signed copy of Prerna's The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook. Need I say, I was thrilled.
The author Prerna Singh is also the author of IndianSimmer, a beautiful blog in its own rights. I have been a long time admirer of her blog and I was looking forward to her book. Given that I am not much of a slowcooker person and do most of my cooking on the stove top and use my pressure cooker far more than the slowcooker, I was curious too. But I must tell you that book is a treasure of recipes and they are delicious, slow cooker or not.
I liked the section "Basics of Indian Cooking" a lot which explains many of the cooking terms and spices used in Indian cooking.There is also a section on Basic Sauces and Spice mixes which has recipes for Pav Bhaji Masala and Tandoori Maslaa which I am making next for sure. There are fifteen chapters in total with an array of about 300 recipes encompassing appetizer to beverage.
I tried the Five-Spice Strawberry Chutney spiced with paanch phoron from her book and though I did it on the stove top it turned out great. It is a simple chutney spiced with the fragrant paanchphoron and sweetened with jaggery and the naturally sweet strawberries. The chutney turned out really good and for recipes of that and more check out her book on Amazon
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Prerna's Strawberry Chutney
2 comments:
I am not a slow cooker person but just bought a rice cooker with that option. I should check this kind of book.ReplyDelete
I hace a slow cookeer which my sis send me some 3 yrs ago with Hans when he visited her, but i have not used it as the electricity here is different, but i love the idea of the chutney made with strawberry.ReplyDelete
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In case someone is wondering what's going on in the background and why I'm not very active on the forums, I've been working on the main site.
I've updated some of the SG Network tools to ajax processing and generally streamlined the background code. Check out the DSL distance/speed calculator, The IP locator, and the Hash Generator if you wonder whether your password was part of the LinkedIn leaked passwords fiasco !
We've also added 400+ new vulnerabilities to the ports database
The routers database has been expanded to well over 2300 different modems/routers/gateways/aps, including the newest 802.11ac wireless routers! Enjoy.
I've just updated vBulletin to the latest version. I'm working on fixing template issues, colors, formatting the new mobile style and "activity stream". Please let me know if you notice any problems, TIA.


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Russian national park to bridge US-Russia divide
Russia on Thursday decreed a national park in its remote Far Eastern Chukotka region, paving the way for a joint US-Russian nature reserve spanning the Bering Strait, an idea first proposed by the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the decree to create the new national park called Beringia, Russia's World Wildlife Fund said. The park will eventually be part of the first US-Russian nature reserve spanning the Bering Strait area, it said.
The 86-kilometre-wide strait separates Russia and Alaska but an earlier land bridge is believed to have once served as one of the earliest migration routes between the two continents.
The plan to create a US-Russian national park originally came from Gorbachev, WWF Arctic expert Mikhail Stishov told AFP.
Gorbachev was the Soviet Union's last leader, presiding over the breakup of an empire, abandoned Cold War rhetoric and sought to promote cooperation with the United States.
On the US side, the Bering Land Bridge national reserve in Alaska, one of America's most remote protected areas, has existed since the 1970s.
The bilateral park project has taken this long because Chukotka needed to upgrade an existing nature reserve to national park status.
By the time Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shook hands last September and agreed to "bridge" the parklands on either side of the Bering Strait, relations were at one of their lowest points since the Gorbachev years.
But for the migrating polar bears, huge bird colonies and walruses of the Bering strait, political issues are not a priority, Stishov said.
"We just wanted the national park," he said.
Linking the two parks will facilitate conservation, preserve ties between indigenous peoples and allow tighter cooperation on environmental monitoring, according to the US-Russia agreement signed in September.
Russia's Beringia national park will directly touch the US border, although it does not include some of Russia's marine waters in the strait nor the small Ratmanov island, which is a base for a Russian border control station.
Chukotka, where billionaire Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich served as governor from 2000-2008, is a vast, sparsely inhabited region bordered by the Arctic and the Pacific. The new national park will only be accessible via air or sea.
(c) 2013 AFP