text:
The Apotheosis of St. Christopher of Libya
Posted on 29 September 2012 by Maximilian Forte
"Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends," the president said, quoting scripture.… "Because of these patriots, and because of you, this country that we love will always shine as a light onto the world."
In an effort not to seethe further at the absurdity of U.S. imperial hagiography, with all of the execrable conceit of State Department spokespersons who construct hierarchies of good and bad humans which translates into an ordering of those who deserve to live and those who deserve to die, and their unlimited ability to project their own sins into fantasies of the other, I thought: why not help the U.S. State Department improve on the deification of its belligerent agents?
So, free of charge and without any expectation of gratitude, I produced the portrait below for them to hang in their halls of (temporary) power: "In the lobby of this building, the State Department, the names ofthose who have fallen in the line of duty are inscribed in marble.
Our hearts break over each one. And now, because of this tragedy, we have new heroes to honor and more friends to mourn".
Otherwise, there is no helping them: their self-reverence has reached such an extreme that it is fully saturated.
Even a gentle breeze against a U.S. flag is enough agitation of their patriotic molecules for it to start raining praise. Patriotic, militaristic, imperial "Americans" simply cannot get over themselves–but that's not the worst part.
The worst part is they expect the rest of us to genuflect. Any time one of theirs dies in a war of their choosing, they automatically ascend to heaven as "heroes". American + death = hero.
They are exact replicas of the fundamentalists with whom they lock horns: death is always martyrdom. There is no raising the question in their minds that maybe given that Christopher Stevens as a fully complicit, anti-diplomatic actor who worked with insurgents to overthrow a government, resulting in the gory and sadistic death of its leader, the mass torture and lynching of thousands of civilians, and the total destruction of certain cities, might have himself earned the status of a legitimate target.
And he, and the rest of the CIA denat that consulate, were targeted, and quite legitimately.
There is really nothing to mourn here, save the willful blindness of some in refusing to accept that their actions carry consequences, and that on rare occasions they too can be made to pay for their offenses.
But they are the invincible and untouchable ones, so any picture of a U.S. citizen getting struck abroad is theologically unacceptable. These are definitely not people prepared to face their impending decline and crash as an imperial power–in fact, their leaders are doing everything imaginable to make their population's landing the hardest possible.
The means to artificially sustain their imperial complex on life support, thanks to foreign lines of credit and printing more money, will not last much longer. They won't just crash, they'll splatter. Then Americans will discover that the people they hate the most on earth are other Americans.
Barack Obama and the State Department have produced the authorized legend of St. Christopher, repeated in large part as canonical truth by the mainstream corporate media which in the U.S. reported on the consulate attack with saddened eyes, somber tones, and furrowed brows–no abrupt switching here from the macabre scenes of Gaddafi's lynching to the latest puppy doing tricks video. Obama's words are enough to cause diabetes:
"Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya's transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice".
St. Christopher the liberator, in Obama's words: "It's especially tragic that Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city that he helped to save". And what an easy save that was, while Sirte was ravaged and turned into a slaughter house that had all journalists making comparisons to Stalingrad, Grozny, you name it. That was done thanks to heavy NATO bombings that began in March 2011 and did not cease until late October 2011.
"How could this happen in a country we helped liberate?"
That's what ABC's Diane Sawyerasked, quoting Hillary Clinton herself. So now some Americans actually believe in self-designating themselves "liberators" of Libya, much like Mussolini's Fascists did–Mussolini the "protector of Islam" loved by crowds in Tripoli. But we forget the fascist roots of humanitarian interventionism, even forgetting (not knowing) that the humanitarian protection of innocent civilians was Adolf Hitler's own favourite pretext.
Has ABC been paying any attention at all to how Libya has instead continued to implode, that "liberation" has meant a continuation of civil war, that there are cleavages within fratricidal cleavages, and that Libya has been reduced to a basket case?
What liberation exactly?
It's the liberation of U.S. fantasies, allowed to fly free and unbothered by history, by facts, and by the rivers of blood spilled by U.S. bombers.
Pouring on the genetically-modified corn syrup, Hillary Clinton said the following of this hallowed apostle of the brutality of U.S. interventionism:
"Chris Stevens fell in love with the Middle East….He joined the Foreign Service,learned languages, won friends for America in distant places, and made other people's hopes his own"."In the early days of the Libyan revolution, I asked Chris to be our envoy to the rebel opposition. He arrived on a cargo ship in the port of Benghazi and began building our relationships with Libya's revolutionaries. He risked his life to stop a tyrant, then gave his life trying to help build a better Libya. The world needs more Chris Stevenses. I spoke with his sister, Ann, this morning, and told her that he will be remembered as a hero by many nations".
Looking for that untold, romantic adventure story, the U.S. media dutifully related snippets of Stevens the Libyan Revolutionary, who "was on literally on the rebels' side".
Their doctrinal insanity never ceases to amaze, especially when in making such statements they directly contradict all of their previous hallowed truths. In the early days and weeks of Libya's war, the U.S. always insisted that the military intervention was all about "protecting civilians," and not about regime change, and that it had no forces on the ground–all of which were proven to be lies just as quickly as they were uttered.
And yet here is Clinton herself admitting that the U.S. took a direct and covert role on one side of the conflict, completely converting Stevens from a diplomat into a belligerent. Whenever the U.S. says that this or that leader "must go," they already have their operatives on the ground directly intervening–so their protests of innocence regarding Syria are just as fake.
"He loved Libya and Libyan people," Stevens' colleague wrote, calling him "legendary" –repeated by the so-called "free" media. Legendary? How about just mythical. How about not feeding your audiences so much of this chemically-treated bullshit that even your so-called "human rights" activists regurgitate it on reflex like loyal sons:
ABC was so beside itself, that even now it has not fixed the bizarre contradictions and errors in its own reports on Stevens–look at these:
"Stevens, 52 and single" becomes, "He leaves behind hiswife, Heather, and two young children, Samantha and Nathan"; or this interesting line, "Stevens…was killed Tuesday by militants in Gadhafi who stormed the Benghazi consulate".
Militants inGadhafi, not Benghazi. When you hastily hash out some hero-tale on command, in a "news" report that mixes in so much of the State Department's own releases without question, you are bound to just cock it all up. The propaganda keeps getting more and more amateurish.
So here is the U.S. mission to the UN spewing more vilification and demonization yesterday, in reaction to Robert Mugabe's speech at the UN which simply called on the U.S. to condemn the brutal murder of Gaddafi, just as Zimbabwe had condemned both it and the killing of Stevens.
The U.S. accused Mugabe of reaching "a new low" (really? you mean you actually allowed him any space in your diatribes to go lower?), and in particular it said this:
"(Mugabe) cynically chose to compare the best of us with the worst of us, a ridiculous and abhorrent comparison that we reject in the strongest terms".
And not be outdone in cynicism, the U.S. mission added, "President Mugabe had a chance yesterday to share with the international community his plans for reversing the downward spiral his rule has inflicted on the economy and people of Zimbabwe over the last three decades".
How about they reflect on the downward spiral of the U.S. economy, imposed on the American people by corrupt, corporate-owned politicians, and the millions upon millions of Americans left without jobs, without homes, raising millions of their children not just in poverty but suffering actual hunger?
Such circumstances were unknown in Libya, before the U.S. destroyed it, rich and debt-free and generous with its money, unlike the U.S. And to keep on with the myth of the Zimbabwean basket case is simply to treat their fellow citizens as complete morons and illiterates.
The worst of us: there is a tradition in the U.S. of demonizing Gaddafi. General Alexander Haig, Reagan's Secretary of State, referred to Gaddafi as, "a cancer that has to be removed;"
then Vice President George H.W. Bush described him as an "egomaniac who would trigger World War III to make headlines;"
an alleged moderate, former President Jimmy Carter spoke of Gaddafi as "subhuman," while former President Gerald Ford said Gaddafi was a "bully" and also a "cancer;"
and, not to be left out, disgraced former President Richard Nixon said Gaddafi was "more than just a desert rat," but also "an international outlaw," and urged an international response to Gaddafi.
To cancer, subhuman, and rat, we would later add Reagan's famous line that Gaddafi was a "mad dog"—the pattern of utter dehumanization and demonization of Gaddafi was set long before the first NATO bombs started to fall on Libya in March of 2011, as I detail in my latest book.
Comparing Gaddafi to Stevens? Mugabe would never do any such thing.
There is nothing that Stevens did that could ever compare with Gaddafi's man-made river project, the free housing, the abolition of rent, the welfare guarantees, the free education and healthcare, the construction of new cities, and a population that grew by 600% under Gaddafi and which enjoyed an income and standard of living that were the highest on the African continent, and well above its Arab neighbours.
What could Stevens do to match that, when he could not even cover his own ass with a properly secured edifice?
And how many cities in Libya did Gaddafi destroy with aerial bombardments during his tenure? How many populations of whole towns did he displace to live in open air prison camps, like Tawargha, to suffer nightly hunting raids, rape, abduction, and seeing their children shot?
Libya has never seen worse crimes, apart from the time when it suffered at the hands of the Italians of course.
The best of us?
If that is the best of you–Christopher Stevens as the "best" American–then this legitimates every form of anti-Americanism.
Then again, if you are so quick to rank your own population in that manner, such that you have best Americans, those who actively die for empire, then the implication is that the rest are inferior, the worst Americans who live and who don't serve empire.
Perhaps you don't need others to be anti-American, when you are so good at it yourselves.
No doubt, possessed by their state religion, barely distinguishable from the worst and cruellest of colonial missionary Christianity, some anonymous trolls will want me to perform a public auto-da-fé, and declare that the greatest force for evil in the world today is this or that group fighting the U.S., such as the Taliban.
You know what? I will.
Just as soon as the Taliban drop atomic bombs on cities,
just as soon as they occupy the planet with a thousand military bases in 120 countries,
just as soon as their military spending surpasses that of the rest of the planet combined,
just as soon as they start overthrowing governments,
when they invade and occupy my country,
flying drones that murder civilians, and abduct people from the streets of Europe to fly them into oblivion and years of torture,
just as soon as they keep us under constant surveillance,
and just as soon as they threaten our budgets for schools and healthcare to build more weapons,
I will indeed condemn them as the greatest force for evil on this earth.
***You can read also: US ambassador killed in Benghazi, Libya
About Author:
Maximilian C. Forte is a professor of anthropology in Montreal, Canada.
His opinions are his own and writes here entirely in a private capacity and not as a representative of any institution, which remains unnamed for these reasons.
He is the author of Ruins of Absence, Presence of Caribs: (Post)Colonial Representations of Aboriginality in Trinidad and Tobago (2005), and the editor of Indigenous Resurgence in the Contemporary Caribbean: Amerindian Survival And Revival (2006) and Indigenous Cosmopolitans: Transnational and Transcultural Indigeneity in the Twenty-First Century (2010).
For more, please see the main site for the Zero Anthropology Project. What follows is a very brief synopsis.
He started this site back in October of 2007, when it was called "Open Anthropology" and resembled more of a blog than it does now. On this site Max writes about militarism, themilitarization of the social sciences, U.S. foreign policy, imperialism,decolonization, the Human Terrain System, the Minerva Research Initiative, andAFRICOM. He also writes about anthropology after empire, and occasionally items about the Caribbean, with a mixture of humorous pieces, video posts, and fiction. His articles on Zero Anthropology have covered topics pertaining to Canada, the U.S., Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq, Greece, Gaza, Libya, and Afghanistan. All of these articles are listed on the Contents page of this site, and categorized here. Also see the parent site for this project. Max is also a founding member of Anthropologists for Justice and Peace(AJP).
Max sometimes goes by the name of Dr. Rat (after being "accused" of defending "the rat people" of Afghanistan); he also goes by 1D4TW ("One Day for the Watchman").
Here are some of Max's main series on Zero Anthropology (to be updated as more material is added):
The ZERO SERIES (in progress):
- Welcome to ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY: The End of the Beginning of the End
- 0.20: "Potentially Dangerous Implications for the Practice of Anthropology Today"
- 0.19: Questions about Colonialism and Anthropology: Epistemology, Methodology, and Politics
- 0.189: Stanley Diamond & Claude Lévi-Strauss on the Nature and Future of Anthropology
- 0.185: Terms of Incorporation, Concepts of Domination
- 0.18: Anthropology and the Rise of the Social Sciences within the Structures of Knowledge – Immanuel Wallerstein
- 0.179: Imperialism, Americanization, and the Social Sciences
- 0.178: The Social Production of Science and Anthropology as Knowledge for Domination
- 0.171: Anthropology and the Will to Meaning: Vassos Argyrou
The HTS & MILITARIZATION SERIES (2010):
- 02 February 2010: Bibliography and Archive: The Military, Intelligence Agencies, and the Academy (with special reference to anthropology) – Documents, News, Reports – subsequent updates to be found here.
- 28 February 2010 (with subsequent updates): Mapping the Terrain of War Corporatism: The Human Terrain System within the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex.
- 04 March 2010: Multiplying Human Terrain Dreams of Victory and Fortune.
- 19 March 2010: Information Traffickers of the Imperial State: American Anthropologists and Other Academics.
- 27 March 2010: AFRICOM, Human Terrain, Empire, and Anthropology.
- 27 March 2010: Mercenary Humanism.
- 27 March 2010: CIA Feminism.
- 04 April 2010: 100 percent (Militarized) American.
- 20 May 2010: Imperial Instruction: The Human Terrain System's Academic Trainers, Part 1.
- 20 May 2010: Imperial Instruction: The Human Terrain System's Academic Trainers, Part 2.
- 21 May 2010: Human Terrain System Criticized by U.S. Congress.
- 28 May 2010: Time Line and FAQ for the Human Terrain System and Responses by the Network of Concerned Anthropologists and the American Anthropological Association.
- 29 May 2010: The Pentagon's "Other" Human Terrain System?
- 29 May 2010: Changing Fortunes in Washington: The Evolution of House Armed Services Committee Reports on the Human Terrain System.
- 30 May 2010: SCRATs: AFRICOM after the Human Terrain System.
- 03 June 2010: Human Terrain System Video News: John Stanton, and the AGS Bowman Expeditions in Mexico.
- 07 June 2010: A Major Report of a Minor Exception, or a Minor Report of a Major Problem? The American Anthropological Association's CEAUSSIC vis-à-vis the Human Terrain System, Part 1.
- 07 June 2010: A Major Report of a Minor Exception, or a Minor Report of a Major Problem? The American Anthropological Association's CEAUSSIC vis-à-vis the Human Terrain System, Part 2.
The WIKILEAKS SERIES (2010): here you can get a complete list of all of my articles, wherever published, focusing on Wikileaks.
Max has also written over 200 posts on HTS, Minerva, and the militarization of academia, since this blog began–those items are all listed here.
- The Fall of the American Wall: Tunisia, Egypt, and Beyond
- EE: Report #11, Focus on Egypt
- Encircling Empire: Report #12, FOCUS ON EGYPT: Revolution and Counter-Revolution
- The American Anthropological Association and Egypt: It's Mostly About the Artifacts?
- Egypt and the Clinton Doctrine
- Encircling Empire: Report #13—Revolution, Intervention, Anthropology
- Globalization, Compression, and the Desire for Intervention
- Encircling Empire: Report #14—Foreign Military Intervention in Libya: A Report on Neo-colonial dependency and humanitarian imperialism
- The Libyan Revolution is Dead: Notes for an Autopsy
- The Humanitarian-Militarist Project and the Production of Empire in Libya
- Libya and the Passive Repeaters: Deploying Depleted Information Warheads
- Libya: What Revolution? Whose Revolution?
- The War in Libya: Race, "Humanitarianism," and the Media, published in Essays on Empire at Open Salon
Starting in August of 2010, Max began authoring a series of monthly columns for Al Jazeera(Arabic and English websites):
- 08 August 2010: نواقص في تسريبات ويكيليكس
- 17 September 2010: الهجوم على ويكيليكس.. هل من مخرج؟
- 16 February 2011: مصر والإمبراطورية الأميركية
- 22 February 2011: "The Clinton doctrine: US reaction to events unfolding in the Arab world reveals the emergence of more insidious approach," Al Jazeera English.
Also starting in August of 2010, a series of articles began to be produced forCounterPunch:
- 14 December 2010: Notes from the Insurrection: The Wikileaks Revolution
- 02 August 2010: Reason for Celebration, Cause for Concern: The Wikileaks Afghan War Diary — reprinted by Alternet as "7 Reasons Why We Should Celebrate Wikileaks, and 8 Reasons It's Not the Panacea Some Are Calling It: The release of thousands of documents from the failed war in Afghanistan is a major milestone that should be celebrated. But it also opens up questions about Wikileaks."
- 11 August 2010: Unhinged at the US State Department and Pentagon: A War on Wikileaks? – also republished on Mathaba — also translated into Spanish, appearing on Spain's Rebelión, "¿Guerra contra Wikileaks? Desquiciados en el Departamento de Estado y el Pentágono;" and the latter became the basis for this article in the Venezuelan newspaper, Correo del Orinoco, "EEUU amenaza a los soldados que busquen consultar los documentos – El Pentágono pretende callar a Wikileaks."
- 31 August 2011: The Top 10 Myths in the War Against Libya.
- "The War in Libya: Race, "Humanitarianism," and the Media," 20 April 2011–reprinted in Mathaba and Information Clearing House.
- "Libya — Lather, Rinse, Repeat — Syria: Liberal Imperialism and the Refusal to Learn," 10 August 2011.


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Story highlights
Federal appeals court affirms protection of communications between Google and NSA
NSA said disclosure would threaten government information systems
Cyberattack is serious threat says former chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
U.S. authorities are not required to release any internal National Security Agency communications it had with Internet giant Google Inc. after a 2010 cyber attack in China, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
At issue was a Freedom of Information Act request from a private group over the suspected collaborative relationship between the public and private entities. The NSA said disclosure of any communications – even with outside companies – would threaten government information systems.
The agency had given the Electronic Privacy Information Center a so-called "Glomar" response, in which the government refuses to confirm or deny the existence of any requested records. EPIC, a privacy and civil liberties group, made the FOIA submission weeks after the January 2010 cyberattack on Gmail accounts, primarily targeting Chinese human rights activists.
Google quickly changed its server encryption protocols following the digital attacks, and a top company official publicly stated its engineers were "also working with the relevant U.S. authorities."
A federal judge eventually sided with the NSA and Google, and the three-judge federal panel has now affirmed.
"The existence of a relationship or communications between the NSA and any private company certainly constitutes an 'activity' of the agency subject to protection" from public disclosure, said Judge Janice Rogers Brown. "Moreover, if private entities knew that any of their attempts to reach out to NSA could be made public through a FOIA request, they might hesitate or decline to contact the agency, thereby hindering its Information Assurance mission."
Brown was backed by Judges Brett Kavanaugh and Douglas Ginsburg, all named to the bench by Republican presidents. The court noted past precedent giving the government leeway in deciding which information it wishes to share with the public.
"In reviewing an agency's Glomar response, this court exercises caution when the information requested implicates national security, a uniquely executive purview," said Brown. "NSA need not make a specific showing of potential harm to national security in order to justify withholding information."
The Glomar precedent refers to a 1970s incident, where the CIA refused to discuss a ship under its control, allegedly used to secretly salvage a Soviet submarine which had sunk.
EPIC now has the option of asking the Supreme Court to hear its free-speech appeal. The group says despite Friday's legal setback, it has several other similar, pending lawsuits against the agency.
Lawyers from EPIC had argued the collaboration between Google and the federal agency – which conducts global electronic surveillance – was widely reported in the national media. The private group said the agency thus had a responsibility to locate records that could be disclosed."
The military's top officer warned last year of the "substantial" and complex threat to the U.S. from foreign cyberattack.
"We've got to come to a place where those threats are diminished, if not eliminated," then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said in January 2011. "I would never go in, certainly in any area of warfare, into details on threats except to say they are substantial. We are focused on them."
Mullen, who retired last fall, said that cyberspace is a lawless terrain. "The threat from China is significant," Mullen said. "There are other threats out there that we see routinely. … It is an enormously complex and critical area that all of us need to understand a lot better and do a lot more about."
The case is EPIC v. NSA (11-5233).

subset: commoncrawl


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CRS: Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education: Farm Bill Issues, June 12, 2008
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education: Farm Bill Issues
CRS report number: RL34352
Author(s): Jean M. Rawson, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Date: June 12, 2008
- Abstract
- The 110th Congress has passed an omnibus farm bill (P.L. 110-234) that will authorize and direct the implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) major programs across the spectrum of its mission areas through FY2012. The enacted bill reorganizes the Department's research, extension, and economics mission area, which currently comprises four agencies that separately administer intramural and extramural programs supporting agricultural research and development (R&D).
- Download


text:
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Everywhere Beth Linker turned, a criminal past haunted her.
It came up when she sought a better job and when she tried to volunteer, despite the fact that Linker served a brief prison sentence, completed parole early, and has remained drug- and crime-free for more than 10 years.
Linker tried to get that past swept clean through Utah's expungement process only to be told she was not eligible given the number of her felony convictions for drug-related crimes and an initial failure to complete her first probation.
That's when Linker turned to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, which pardoned her crimes in March. But even with that decision in hand, Linker has been unable to clear her record, stymied by a redundant, complicated and expensive process one Utah lawmakers will look at refining in the 2013 legislative session.
Last session, lawmakers created a committee within the Utah Substance Abuse Advisory Council to study issues related to expungement of drug-related offenses. That group came up with recommendations embodied in HB33, sponsored by Rep. Eric K. Hutchings, R-Kearns.
It would allow a specified number of drug-possession felony and misdemeanor offenses to be eligible for expungement and also clarify that a pardon granted by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole which granted 17 pardons in 2012 has the same legal effect and authority as a court ordered expungement.
"It is certainly a good first step in a direction towards giving opportunity where opportunity is deserved and not having to be so rigid … about who gets a break and who doesn't," said Scott Reid, an assistant attorney general who was co-chairman of the Drug-Related Offenses Expungement Committee.
"This doesn't reduce anybody's sentence," said Santiago Cortez, a past chairman of the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness and committee co-chairman. "This is for people who do the right thing. … In many cases, we've made thousands of dollars of investments to make these people productive citizens and then when they get to the workforce they have barriers."
A costly, complicated process • The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification receives 700 to 800 applications each month from people seeking to expunge their criminal records. Given that volume, it takes the bureau 10 to 12 weeks to let applicants know if they are even eligible to proceed.
Some crimes can't be expunged, such as capital murder, first-degree and violent felonies, and registerable sex offenses. Utah law also limits by type and number the convictions a person may have to be eligible for expungement and requires any sentence, probation, fine or restitution to have been met. In addition, the law requires a clean record following the last conviction and waiting periods of varying length, depending on the crime, before a person can seek an expungement: 10 years for any alcohol or drug-related offenses, seven years for eligible felonies, and three to five years depending on the classification of a misdemeanor offense.
The proposed bill would create a five-year waiting period for a felony drug offense.
Fees begin to pile up right from the start: There is a $50 application fee and then a charge of $56 per conviction for a certificate saying the crime is eligible to be expunged. A five-page checklist lays out the process applicants must follow; victims, prosecutors, Adult Probation and Parole and judges may all weigh in on whether or not to grant an expungement.
"It's very expensive and it's very difficult," Cortez said.
If a person is denied an expungement, he or she can seek forgiveness from the Board of Pardons.
"It's the last opportunity that is available for somebody who is trying to get their record cleansed," said Jesse Gallegos, a board member who served on the Drug-Related Offenses Expungement Committee. In many cases, "They have remarkably turned their lives around and gone on to receive college degrees and are prohibited from employment in their requisite field because of their criminal records."
The bill would recognize the board's authority to forgive a criminal past, ending what is now a duplicative expungement process and reducing expenses for those who get a pardon.
"We are not changing anything about the process and not changing anything about the crimes we are willing to look at," Gallegos said of the bill.
Pardon not enough • Although Linker, 48, received a full and unconditional pardon, she was nonetheless required to apply to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations and go through the entire expungement process, paying fees and charges at each step.
Linker said there is little uniformity between courts, and the number of forms to complete is overwhelming. Linker said she filled out one set of forms available online at the state-court website, only to be told by both a district court and a justice-court clerk that they had their own preferred forms that she would need to fill out.
Linker hit a financial wall at the courthouse, where she learned she would be charged $179 for each expungement. Linker, who works as a medical biller, applied for a fee waiver, but a judge turned her down.
"At that point I hung my head in defeat," said Linker, who estimates her expenses from start to finish topped $1,500.
She still has not been able to complete the process because she can't afford the court fees.
Aaron Bryant's effort to clear his record was even more costly. Bryant, 30, racked up five criminal cases with multiple charges in each case, most associated with his substance abuse. After spending nearly eight months in jail in 2005, he turned his life around.
Bryant got a job and enrolled in college. He finished an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree in social work and is now working on a master's degree in social work at the University of Utah, which he will complete in August. He also is working on a master's degree in public policy at the U.
Bryant, who wrote a memoir about his life called A Synchronous Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, works full time for the Assessment and Referral Services in the U.'s Department of Psychiatry.
But like Linker, Bryant has found his criminal background hinders his ability to get certain jobs. He turned to the parole board after learning he could not get his record expunged.
"It was my understanding it was kind of a long shot, but I still submitted the application and they agreed to hear my case," he said.
The board granted Bryant a pardon in January. It took him another eight months and $3,500 to finish the expungement process.
"It ends up being you are granted a pardon, but then it really doesn't boil down to that," Bryant said. "It is quite a bit more complicated than that. A lot of people weren't even aware that when they gave a pardon there was still so much that had to happen. They kind of assumed that if you were pardoned, you wouldn't have to have judges and prosecutors sign off on them."
Twitter: Brooke4Trib
No expungement option
Utah law says expungement is prohibited for the following crimes or situations:
Capital felonies, first-degree felonies and violent felonies
Automobile homicide
Felony DUI alcohol/drugs
Registerable sex offenses
Crimes that are pending or being investigated
Statute of limitations has not been met
Waiting period not met
Fines, interest and restitution has not been paid
When there are two or more felony criminal episodes
Any combination of three or more convictions that include two class A misdemeanors
Any combination of four or more convictions that include three or more class B misdemeanors
Five or more misdemeanors or felony episodes


text:
MF Global Bankruptcy Exit Plan Ready for Court Hearing
MF Global Holdings on Friday will seek court approval of a plan to liquidate its assets and repay creditors, signaling the final stages of its large and politically-charged bankruptcy.
The collapsed brokerage would repay the bulk of lender JPMorgan Chase & Co's claim, and would pay unsecured creditors as much as 34 cents on the dollar under a plan slated to go before Judge Martin Glenn in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.
MF Global, led by former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, filed for Chapter 11 in October 2011 after investors were spooked by its $6.3 billion exposure to European sovereign debt. It became a political firestorm when regulators discovered billions of dollars were missing from the accounts of MF's commodity trader customers.
Corzine and other MF Global officials were ordered to appear in multiple Congressional hearings, and the FBI, Securities & Exchange Commission and at least one Congressional committee launched investigations.
The brokerage was found to have misappropriated customer cash to try to plug liquidity gaps as it faltered. While no criminal charges have been filed against Corzine, regulators say his negligent conduct contributed to the firm's demise.
In a report issued on Thursday, Louis Freeh, the former FBI director and trustee in charge of liquidating MF's estate, blamed "the risky business strategy engineered and executed by Corzine and other officers and their failure to improve the company's inadequate systems.
The report came several months after a similar account from James Giddens, the trustee working to recover money for the broker-dealer's trader customers, which concluded that Corzine mismanaged the firm's growth.
Corzine is facing civil lawsuits from Giddens and former customers.
The plan going before Judge Glenn on Friday lays out how MF Global will pay back corporate creditors like lenders and bondholders. JPMorgan, agent on a $1.2 billion revolving credit facility, is a key player.
Freeh has said that trader customers, while not technically creditors of the bankruptcy estate, will recover all their money.
The plan was initially proposed by some of MF's largest unsecured creditors, led by hedge funds Silver Point Capital, Knighthead Capital and Cyrus Capital Partners. Freeh cooperated with the hedge funds on later drafts of the plan.
While the plan is expected to be approved, it does face three objections, and Friday's hearing is a chance for the objectors to have their day in court.
The Department of Justice, through its bankruptcy watchdog arm, the U.S. Trustee Program, said the plan impermissibly provides for the payment of legal fees for the creditors who first proposed it, and the release of certain third parties from legal claims.
Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, echoed the Trustee in balking at the releases.
Sapere Wealth Management, a customer of MF Global's brokerage, has also filed an objection.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle to approving the plan was resolved last month, when Freeh and JPMorgan cleared up a dispute over the value of intercompany claims within the bankrupt brokerage's estate.
Under the deal, MF's parent entity will subordinate $275 million of its $1.887 billion claim against MF Global's finance unit below JPMorgan's $1.2 billion claim against the estate.
The effect of the settlement is essentially to enhance JPMorgan's potential recovery to 76 cents for every dollar of claims, from 73 percent in an earlier version of the plan.
But the settlement means less payout for unsecured creditors of MF Global's finance unit, who will see their maximum recovery dip to 34.4 cents on the dollar from 39 cents previously.
Unsecured creditors of MF's parent entity have a maximum projected recovery of roughly 34 percent of claims.
The case is In re MF Global Holdings Ltd, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-15059.
(Reporting by Nick Brown; Editing by Stephen Coates)


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The Kudung (holy body) of the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche is preserved in the second story of Zangdog Palri Temple in Namdroling Monastery.
At present, there is a big question that arises in the minds of all the well-wishers and faithful students of the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche regarding the construction of Kudung Chorten (the stupa that preserves the Holy Body of His Holiness).
Hence the top level authorities of Namdroling Monastery have come up with the final decision of planning the construction of the Kudung Chorten, mainly at Namdroling Monastery, India and Palyul Monastery, Tibet. If possible, there will be Kudung Chortens in Europe, the United States, Taiwan, and Bodhgaya, India. Therefore, when this noble project starts, there will be an official announcement through all the possible medium of communication including [this] website.
With prayers,
Office of the Administration
Namdroling Monastery
Tags: 100 Deities, Kudung, Kudung Chorten, Monastic, Namdroling, Parinirvana, Penor Rinpoche


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"Julia?" asks my friend when I tell her I'd made reservations at a new restaurant outside Harvard Square. "It takes a lot of nerve to name a restaurant for Julia Child in her hometown. Is it French?"
It's Giulia (for the record, named after the street in Rome where chef Michael Pagliarini and his wife and co-owner, Pamela Ralston, decided to launch the restaurant) and it's Italian. But like that other Julia, it's warm, welcoming, sophisticated without being pretentious, and very, very good. Pagliarini, formerly of Back Bay's Via Matta, works in a style that is faithful to principles of Italian cooking while adapting freely to take advantage of seasonal ingredients and his own vision. He's innovative, but like the best new ideas, his are clearly steeped in understanding and respect for the tradition.
The former site of Rafiki Bistro is a long, stylish room made rustic by brick walls, wood tables set with colorful runners in reds and ambers, and warm lighting. A comfortable bar lines one wall and the well-lit open kitchen is the focus at the back. In front of it is a long farmhouse table of reclaimed white oak, where Pagliarini and crew prepare the fresh pastas. One night, it's occupied by three generations of a family, aged from single digits to the 80s. Everybody looks equally at home; it's that kind of place. Returning customers are greeted with a smiling "Good to see you again," and everybody gets a "ciao" on their way out. The sound level is just right: lively but quiet enough for conversation.
Starters are divided into sfizi (quick bites) and antipasti. Try the warm semolina cakes with lardo: tiny, golden coins draped with a morsel of cured pork fat. Burrata di Puglia is a soft disk of fresh cheese contrasting nicely with the smokiness of charred peppers, sweetness of golden raisins, and crunch of pine nuts. It's a familiar appetizer, but satisfying. The daily crostini are worth trying. We are particularly taken with the chicken livers one night, their rich creaminess offset by the bright crunch and heat of thin slices of raw red jalapeño. It's a natural combination once you've tried it, but one new to me, and an example of the chef's willingness to adapt a classic. Escarole with white beans and orange is nicely dressed with lemon and olive oil but almost overwhelmed by anchovies.
A small but interesting list of Italian wines is available. There are some familiar names (we loved the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and the inky, fruity Primitivo) and some that may be new to you. Servers are knowledgeable without lecturing and enthusiastic about the entire menu. They're also adept at suggesting wine pairings. Refreshingly, I am encouraged in my choice of the most affordable wine offered by the glass rather than nudged toward a pricier selection.
Wait staff also takes justifiable pride in the pastas, all beautiful and perfectly prepared. Portions are small but savory, sufficient as entrees for most appetites if accompanied by an appetizer. Pillowy, thin-skinned ravioli with veal breast, sweetbreads, and Swiss chard has a mellow filling set off by a simple fresh-tasting tomato sauce. Head-on shrimp are spiced with ginger and raw chilies in a bowl of al dente linguine. Best of all is pappardelle, a tangle of wide noodles covered with a rich, deeply satisfying sauce of wild boar, juniper berries, and trumpet mushrooms that tastes of the forests of Umbria.
For a relatively small selection of main dishes, Giulia shows an admirable range. Striped bass is snowy white and flakes delicately over a sweet Manila clam risotto lightly colored with tomato. Skate on the bone starts as a classic preparation, with lemon and salty capers highlighting the natural sweetness of the fish; earthy diced red beets add contrasting flavor, texture, and color. The plump house-smoked lamb sausage is set on gigante (literally, "gigantic") white beans along with bitter greens and sweet diced pepper. It's great in a bowl, but would be amazing on a sandwich.
Vermont quail has a crisp mahogany skin and a moist interior and is set alongside a salty pork sausage, wintry Umbrian lentils, and, for contrast, a dab of sweet parsnip puree. And for flat-out carnivores, there's the big, bold flavor of the grass-fed beef alla fiorentina. The dish is a dream of a T-bone steak covered with a salsa verde of parsley, olive oil, and garlic with grilled lemon (and nothing else) on the side.
You might be tempted to stop there, but you'd be making a mistake because desserts at Giulia are every bit as good as what comes before. One night's special, a hazelnut gelato topped with chocolate crumbs and toasted nuts is delicious enough before a demitasse of espresso is poured over. The sweet and bitter, astringent and creamy tastes make a memorable confection.
A surprisingly light olive oil citrus cake is topped with candied peel and whipped cream, accompanied by fresh blood orange. Chocolate terrine is good enough for the person ordering to "accidentally" forget a prior promise to share. So some of us miss a winning pairing of chocolate with coconut and vanilla ice cream. Best of all is pistachio gelato over marinated cherries, topped with toasted nuts, served with a traditional crisp pizzella. It's rich, sweet, creamy, and just a little salty.
We overhear a woman at the next table sum it up. "It's like sex on a spoon," she says.
Now, that's a statement the other Julia from Cambridge would applaud.
Dan Zedek can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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We all know we should eat a "good breakfast". Most of us can still hear the voice of our third grade teacher ringing in our ears - "Did everyone eat a good breakfast today?" - the kindly, inquiring tone usually accompanied by a penetrating stare. But as unlikely as it was then that most kids ate a goodRead more
Breakfast of Champions
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
Five Small Meals
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
Plenty of people go through plenty of suffering trying to lose weight. But why does it have to be that way? Surely there's some discipline involved, but the process can actually be empowering and personally fulfilling. Weight loss doesn't need to be about suffering. Losing weight can actually be fun. TheRead more
Locally Grown, Organically Grown - You Are What You Eat
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
There is much wisdom in the saying "you are what you eat", but food today is not the food of yesterday. We need to actually work at getting the amount of nutrients that's going to help keep us healthy and well. Our genetic heritage was not designed for an urban environment. Our digestive systems, forRead more
Root Vegetables
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
In decades past, very few urban kids had ever even heard of a parsnip, a fennel bulb, or a bunch of kale. In those days, fruit and vegetable consumption typically consisted of apples, bananas, corn, potatoes, peas, and lettuce. Oranges were infrequent and grapefruit was a rarity. Today a veritable cornucopiaRead more
Above-Down, Inside-Out
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
"Above-down, inside-out" is a poetic coinage by Dr. B.J. Palmer, one of the founders of the field of chiropractic. "B.J.", as he has been affectionately known by chiropractors for almost 100 years, was describing the inner workings of the brain and spinal cord, the complex nerve system connected to allRead more
Are You Connected?
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
Being connected is very important in our modern world. Could you imagine how you'd feel if you left your cell phone at home? For teenagers, a cell phone is much more than a tool. For teens, cell phones are status symbols, but they also represent a connection to the tribe, a connection to their humanRead more
Ebb and Flow
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
Ancient peoples closely observed and interacted with the rhythms of their immediate environment. The sun rose in the East and set in the West. Day followed night, and approximately 12 hours later night followed day. The seasons progressed through a more leisurely, although no less regular, rhythm. ARead more
Mind and Matter
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
Scientists and philosophers have pursued the notion of mind for thousands of years. [Of course, being able to think about the mind's origins and place in the universe presumes having a mind, but that's a separate piece of this puzzle.] Regardless of mind's origin, we are well aware that the human mindRead more
Man and Machine
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
Is a computer like a human brain or is a human brain like a computer? When machines allow us to extend our abilities, are we enhancing our humanness or becoming more machine-like? What are the meaningful distinctions between humans and machines and how do these impact our daily pursuits of health, well-being,Read more
A Day in the Life of a Working Mom
Category: Newsletter Library, Life-Work Balance
Sandy Smith woke up to the annoying and familiar sound of the alarm clock. It was another day and the beginning of another hectic week. She rolled from her stomach onto her back and unburied herself from beneath the old, down-filled, pillows. Sandy reached over and pressed the snooze button in an attemptRead more
Secrets of Adding Exercise to Your Life
Category: Newsletter Library, Life-Work Balance
Most of us are plenty tired of having experts tell us we should do more exercise. Our chiropractors tell us. Our family doctors tell us. Friends who just started taking their first yoga class and aren't really experts tell us. Celebrities tell us. Kid stars on Disney Channel tell us. Now even local televisionRead more
Can Work Be Relaxing?
Category: Newsletter Library, Life-Work Balance
Not too many people would agree that "oh, yeah, my work is relaxing". For most of us, work involves plenty of stress. If we're in customer service, there's always a seemingly never-ending stream of customers with an abundance of problems that need to be handled yesterday. If we work in an office, officeRead more
Heroes - Active Parents Raise Active Kids
Category: Newsletter Library, Kid's Health
We are constantly searching the landscape for heroes. This is not to fill in a missing piece in ourselves, but rather represents an ongoing search for inspiration, stimulation, and motivation. Even those of us who are self-starters need coaches and mentors to cause us to reach ever-higher levels of achievement.Read more
Holiday Guide to Back Care
Category: Newsletter Library, Injury Rehab & Prevention
Parties. Gift shopping. Family gatherings. Curling up to watch a favorite movie on the couch…. The holiday season is full of reasons for good cheer. And yet, according to the American Physical Therapy Association, it is also prime time for Americans to suffer from back and neck pain. For one thing,Read more
Improve Your Golf Game & Save Your Back
Category: Newsletter Library, Injury Rehab & Prevention
Many avid golfers contort their bodies into oddly twisted postures, generating a great deal of torque. Couple this motion with a bent-over stance, repeat 120 times over three or four hours, add the fatigue that comes with several miles of walking, and you've got a good workout-and a recipe for potentialRead more
Effectiveness & Popularity of Chiropractic Care
Category: Newsletter Library, Injury Rehab & Prevention
A critical mass of recent surveys and studies document the fact that the public, and conventional health care providers and payers, have come to recognize that traditional medicine can't answer all of consumers' health care needs. In particular, more people are turning to chiropractic services. ARead more


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Fun Number Patterns Worksheet #07 – Trace the Numbers
This number patterns worksheet will teach Pattern Recognition to your special needs child with the help of tracing the numbers. The child will have to complete the pattern by number tracing. This worksheet will make the learning experience of your child fun.
Only registered users can download this for free


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Join me every week for ideas, insights and inspiration to upgrade all areas of your life.
My goal with the podcast is to share simple and practical ideas to help you develop more confidence, clarity and certainty. I share personal stories and ideas from NLP, CBT, coaching and other modalities with the hope to offer some inspiration, perspective and insight.
Having trouble logging in?


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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — It's not unusual for culinary connoisseurs who visit Key West to search out chefs and restaurants specializing in seafood, tropical and Caribbean flavors, European delicacies, vegetarian treats and more. Only on Monday, April 18, however, can they find virtually all of them in the same place — showcasing their signature dishes at the 16th annual Taste of Key West.
Scheduled for 6-9 p.m., the annual edible extravaganza takes place at the Truman Waterfront, overlooking Key West Harbor at the end of Southard Street past Truman Annex.
The waterfront area is to be transformed into a colorful open-air food and beverage market featuring cuisine from more than 50 local restaurants and caterers. Offerings are to range from gourmet savories to fresh-off-the-boat local seafood and mouthwatering desserts.
To complement their "tastes," attendees can choose among vintages presented by 100 wineries and vineyards from around the world.
Admission to Taste of Key West is free. Attendees purchase food and wine tickets for $1 apiece, and commemorative wine glasses for $6, then "spend" their tickets on beverages and delicacies. Each sample costs between three and eight tickets.
All proceeds benefit Key West's AIDS Help.
Free parking is to be available at the Truman Waterfront. Free shuttle service between selected Key West locations and the waterfront is to be provided every 30 minutes by Old Town Trolley. Plans call for the last trolley to leave the waterfront at 9 p.m.
Event information: www.aidshelp.cc or 305-296-6196
Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY
Social: www.facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • www.youtube.com/FloridaKeysTV


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Now that Max is here and we are officially a party of 4 - please update your bookmarks/readers to this blog:
It is currently a work in progress - so bear with me as I get myself and the blog together. I have to admit, I love being a party of 4, but I'm so attached to this little blog - it is making me a little sad to be closing this chapter. I know we are starting a new, wonderful, and exciting chapter over at Party of 4.
I hope you will all continue to follow us over there and leave comments and encouragement as I'm sure I'll need it over the next few months.
If you need a little incentive to click over there - I posted 3 new pictures of Max today. :)
Oliver's birthday interview
3 years ago


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In this particular case, I had the huge honor of having the PWA official photographer John Carter think that I was going to do something worth it on that little ramp in front of me, raise his camera from and water and aim at me.
I was quite happy already that he did that. But he was also nice enough to send me the shot.
It's a small aerial, but at my level everything counts!
Thanks a lot John!
And then I also found out that James Flynn took the same shot from land. Thanks James too!
Here's the shots I took instead in the break between sessions.
|love this shot: Browsinho one hand goiter
|another master photographer gets ready to shoot: Darrel Wong is a legend
|Jesse Brown vertical goiter
|two generations side by side: Kai and Robby
|lovely shapes
|Jesse again
|Nik Baker's adjustable outhaul. I did a little interview with him, but it came out weird. I'll see if I can snag that thing from him before he leaves... it makes SOOOO much sense!
|last time Boujmaa was helped by the same lifeguard, he was unconscious. So I guess a foot injury, as bad as it can be (no official news yet), can always be worse. I'm really sorry for him, and I wish him the best luck
|Despite a vague resemblance with the above mentioned Nick Baker, this guy is clearly not a windsurfer... nor a surfer.
|it's kinda funny to see the name of the country I was born in on a shirt... specially considering how low of an opinion I have of it
|Jesse was on fire
|One for the ladies
My friend Maya created this wind related sculpture and is looking for support.


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SimuCase avatars advance speech-language pathology training
A new commercial venture, using technology developed at Case Western Reserve University's College of Arts and Sciences and Case School of Engineering, has made available avatars—virtual patients—to train speech-language pathologists.
SimuCase allows graduate students and others training to evaluate speech-language disorders to practice using an interactive, Web-based program, reducing stress on the trainee, because a diagnosis doesn't have to be made on a real person.
Graduate students studying to become speech-language pathologists have previously relied on classroom instruction, paper-based case studies and working with experienced therapists to gain experience needed for recommending interventions.
SimuCase avatars may present such challenges as a head injury, autism, difficulty hearing, or more than one language spoken at home and school.
SimuCase scenarios are based on information from actual speech-language pathology cases. One, for example, involves avatar Kara Lynn, a 3 ½-year-old referred for assessment by her preschool teacher because of unintelligible speech.
The first 10 SimuCase avatars are children, ranging from preschoolers to teenagers. Typically, the person or group in training would check a case history and then interact with the avatar by selecting or typing questions.
SimuCase users can discover through practice the best ways to interact with patients and others, such as a child's teacher or caregiver. There are also professional colleagues to consult. This training can occur anywhere, whenever the lesson is best for the therapist in training.
By asking the right questions, collaborating appropriately and using proper assessment data, the SimuCase user can more easily learn to make a correct diagnosis, according to Stacy L. Williams, PhD, adjunct assistant professor at Case Western Reserve's Department of Psychological Sciences Program in Communication Sciences.
"Virtual simulations are intended to build knowledge, skill and professional judgment. These are qualities that contribute to successful, competent clinicians," said Williams, president of SpeechPathology.com, the online home of SimuCase.
Case Western Reserve's Technology Transfer Office licensed the virtual simulation technology that SpeechPathology.com developed in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education. The state agency's Ohio Master's Network Initiatives in Education-Speech Language Pathology (OMNIE Project) identifies issues necessary to ensure the education, recruitment and retention of qualified speech-language pathologists in Ohio schools.
The U.S. Labor Department estimates that demand for speech-language pathologists is expected to grow by 23 percent from 2010 to 2020. As the population grows older, there will be more instances of health conditions that cause impairments.
SpeechPathology.com is now working on adding adult avatars to simulate patients with these conditions.
"That would make SimuCase even more valuable. It is difficult otherwise to give students experience in all these types of scenarios," said Williams, who also is chief operations officer of Allied Health Media LLC, an online provider for continuing education and career opportunities for professionals in audiology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy.


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Oklahoma State Women's Basketball Coach Kurt Budke dead at 50
He and an assistant basketball coach died when the plane they were flying on crashed in Arkansas. Very tragic and RIP.
Oklahoma State University women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna were killed when the single-engine plane they were riding in during a recruiting trip crashed near a wildlife management area in central Arkansas.
The university said the pair died in the crash Thursday night near Perryville, about 45 miles west of Little Rock. The Winona Wildlife Management Area is in steep terrain in the eastern Ouachita Mountains. A cause of the crash was not announced.
In January 2001, 10 men affiliated with the university's men's basketball team died in a Colorado plane crash.
OSU said the plane's pilot and another passenger also died in Thursday's crash. Their names were not released and OSU said they were not associated with the university.
"There were no survivors," the university statement said.
The Perry County Sheriff's Department said the crash occurred just before 7 p.m. about 4 miles south of Perryville. FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said an immediate search revealed that at least two were dead. The school's statement Friday put the death toll at four.
Lunsford said the plane was a single-engine Piper PA-28.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending investigators, and that it could take nine months to determine the cause of the crash.
OSU hired Budke from Louisiana Tech seven years ago and the coach compiled a 112-83 record at the school. This year's team was 1-0 after defeating Rice on Sunday.
Oklahoma State canceled its women's college basketball home games set for Saturday and Sunday. The school's second-ranked college football team plays Friday night at Iowa State.
University president Burns Hargis credited Budke with elevating the team in a tough program. Serna, he said, set a good example for the players.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims "Kurt was an exemplary leader and a man of character who had a profound impact on his student-athletes," Hargis said. "Miranda was an up-and-coming coach and an outstanding role model for our young ladies."


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Debian Security Advisory
DSA-2907-1 -- announcement of long term support for Debian oldstable
- Date Reported:
- 16 Apr 2014
- Affected Packages:
- Vulnerable:
- No
- Security database references:
- No other external database security references currently available.
- More information:
This is an advance notice that regular security support for Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 (code name
squeeze) will be terminated on the 31st of May.
However, we're happy to announce that security support for squeeze is going to be extended until February 2016, i.e. five years after the initial release. This effort is driven by various interested parties / companies which require longer security support. See the LTS section of the initial announcement.
The details are currently being sorted out and a more detailed announcement will be made soon.
Brief advance FAQ (but you should really wait for the more detailed announcement):
- What's the difference between regular security support and the LTS support?
- squeeze-lts is only going to support i386 and amd64. If you're running a different architecture you need to upgrade to Debian 7 (wheezy). Also there are going to be a few packages which will not be supported in squeeze-lts (e.g. a few web-based applications which cannot be supported for five years). There will be a tool to detect such unsupported packages.
- Does this mean that Debian 7 (wheezy) and/or Debian 8 (jessie) will have five years security support as well?
- Likely, we'll see how squeeze-lts turns out. If there's sufficient support it will be continued for later releases as well. Also, see below.
- Is additional help needed?
- Absolutely. squeeze-lts is not handled by the Debian security team, but by a separate group of volunteers and companies interested in making it a success (with some overlap in people involved). So, if you're a company using Debian and seeing a benefit in security support for five years, get in touch with firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll see how you can help (if you e.g. don't have the manpower / know how but are willing to contribute, we can point you to a list of Debian consultants)


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The Overhead Door™ Brand is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the garage door industry. C. G. Johnson, invented the upward-lifting garage door in 1921 and the electric garage door opener in 1926. For over 95 years, the Overhead Door™ Brand has stood for product quality and expertise, as well as professional service. From commercial and industrial upward-lifting doors and access systems to residential garage doors and openers, we combine quality, dependable products with reliable service to consistently give home and business owners confidence and peace of mind.
The Overhead Door™ Brand is a garage door brand of Overhead Door Corporation, a Sanwa Holdings Company. Headquarters are located in Lewisville, TX.
With our nationwide network of more than 450 authorized Ribbon Distributors, we are a leading provider of garage door systems, and we continue to lead the way with reliable solutions and unmatched professional installation, service and support that keeps customers coming back.


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Apple ushered in a next-generation MacBook Pro, announced a firmer ship date for its Mountain Lion operating system, and gave the world its first glimpse at iOS 6 during an announcement-packed Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday.
Both Mountain Lion and iOS announcements were expected at the annual gathering of Mac and iOS developers. The laptop update—while rumored in advance of Monday's keynote—marks something of a departure for Apple, which has announced most of its Mac updates via press release in the last few years.
Looking at the updated MacBook Pro, however, it's easy to see why Apple chose such a major venue for the laptop's coming-out party. Billed as the next-generation MacBook Pro, the newly introduced model features a Retina display—the same kind of high-density display Apple previously featured on its phones and tablets. The 15.4-inch laptop sports a 2880-by-1800 resolution, offering four times the number of pixels as the previous MacBook Pro model.
The MacBook Pro with Retina display runs on a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 processor with 8GB of RAM. It features an Nvidia GeForce Gt 650M graphics processor with 1GB of VRAM, 256GB of flash storage, and up to 16GB of 1600MHz RAM. The new model costs $2199.
Apple also plans to retain its current MacBook Pro lineup, offering two 13-inch models, with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and a 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 chip; those models cost $1199 and $1499, respectively. The 15-inch MacBook Pro configurations include a 2.3GHz quad-core Core i7 model for $1799 and a 2.6GHz quad-core Core i7 laptop for $2199.
Read more about Apple's MacBook Pro changes
Those weren't the only changes to Apple's notebook offerings. The MacBook Air lineup also underwent an overhaul, with the latest models getting new processors and adding USB 3.0 connectivity. Also included in the MacBook Pro update, the USB ports actually support both USB 2 and USB 3 connections; users will be able to plug into the ports on either side of the ultra-thin laptop.
Apple dropped the price of its MacBook Air models by $100. The 11-inch configuration now starts at $999 for a 1.7GHz dual-core Core i5-powered version with 64GB of flash-based storage; a second 11-inch model with 128GB of storage sells for $1099. The 13-inch MacBook Airs cost $1199 and $1499 for 128GB and 256GB of storage, respectively; both models run on a 1.8GHz dual-core i5 chip.
Read more about the MacBook Air updates
As for Mountain Lion, the next version of Apple's Mac operating system now has a firmer ship date—it will arrive in July. When Apple previewed Mountain Lion back in February, it would only say to expect the update during the summer of 2012.
Mountain Lion has a price tag, too: It'll cost $20 to update. You'll need to run Mac OS X 10.6 or later, and updates will only be available through the Mac App Store. Buy one of Apple's new laptops, however, and you can upgrade to Mountain Lion for free.
While Monday's keynote recapped many features Apple had already talked about, the presentation covered a few new Mountain Lion capabilities—Dictation on the Mac and Power Nap. The former feature brings system-wide dictation to the Mac OS, working anywhere that you can type—including third-party apps. Power Nap will be exclusive to the new MacBook Air and Pro models; it keeps your Mac up-to-date when the laptop isn't in use, syncing email, calendar appointments, notes, reminders, and Photo Stream.
Apple's mobile operating system got some love as well on Monday. The company previewed iOS 6, which boasts 200 new features and enhancements, according to Apple. It will arrive this fall and will support the iPhone 3GS and later, the iPad 2 and later, and the fourth-generation iPod touch.
iOS 6 is highlighted by new Siri features—including Siri support for the third-generation iPad—and changes to the Maps app. Apple says it built an entirely new map offering from the ground up, with local search, turn-by-turn navigation, and a 3D model called Flyover that showcases major metropolitan areas.
iOS 6 also features improvements to the phone app, FaceTime, Safari, and Mail. A new Passbook feature stores things like boarding passes, tickets, and affinity cards, while accessibility improves with Guided Access features.
Read more about Apple's iOS 6 preview
In addition to the announcements made during the keynote, Apple offered a few other updates as well. It updated its AirPort Express wireless router and gave the long-neglected Mac Pro lineup a processor boost.
Apple has posted a video of Monday's keynote, which you can view via QuickTime.


text:
There is still There
Making A Living Inside The Game… Via Sponsorships
from the chico's-bail-bonds dept
In the past, we were skeptical of the concept behind There.com, an online world where people were expected to pay extra for a pair of virtual Levi's. It seemed like we were right, in that the company eventually completely changed its business model (and company name) to selling simulation software to the military. However, with recent stories about how people are making a good living buying and selling goods in online games, apparently the idea is worth revisiting. An online virtual car racing game in Korea is apparently attracting a ton of people (estimated at one quarter of the population), and they're doing it with a similar model. Playing the game is free (something that There.com missed also), but the company is making money by getting people to buy accessories in the game to either make themselves or their car look cooler. Still, an even more interesting aspect is that some people in the game are making a living doing so, by accepting sponsorships in the game. Sponsoring video gamers isn't new, but this is the first I can recall where the main sponsorship display takes place within the game. Perhaps with so much focus on putting ads in video games this was an obvious next step — especially as video games start getting shown on TV and merged with real sports.


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Goodbye / Hello:
February 15, 2011
67 hello's:
Nice subtle changes without detracting from what you are about. I think this is a very good redesign.ReplyDelete
Love the new look...even though I thought the old one was really lovely too.ReplyDelete
Just wanted to let you know that I clicked on the About button under your welcome message and it says the page doesn't exist...
SO Pretty and SO YOU!!!ReplyDelete
Blessing my Dear!
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 01:02
Looks beautiful xReplyDelete
it's awesome!! nice and refreshing~ :))ReplyDelete
I love the cleaner look and the new header is brill!ReplyDelete
Congrats on the new look - it's poetic and beautiful!ReplyDelete
oh Danni, I love, congratulations, you did such a fabulous job!ReplyDelete
The new blog design is beautiful! I didn't think you can improve on the old one, and you've proved me wrong. Congrats, all the hard work paid off:)ReplyDelete
I love the new look too !!ReplyDelete
well done !!
Love it! and so pleased you now have a search bar too :)xReplyDelete
I really hope you start offering blog desing for others! I'd be a customer in a minute!ReplyDelete
I really like it, it looks very fresh xReplyDelete
it looks really pretty! love the notebook paper.ReplyDelete
So gorgeous! I absolutely love your style, everything about it. I have to tell you that I kinda have to squint to read the grey color you're using for hyperlinks, but otherwise, everything looks amazing!ReplyDelete
I really like the new design!!ReplyDelete
Great new design! I've always loved how your blog looks - so homey and welcoming. I do have to note, though, that the grey links are almost too light to read, so you might want to use a little bit darker shade. Other than that, it's very lovely!!ReplyDelete
The new design is super-swank!! :DReplyDelete
Oh it looks wonderful! Good job!ReplyDelete
I LOVE IT! congrats, sweet danni!ReplyDelete
Danni, you and Ana did a fantastic job on the redesign! I really love the new look!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 06:30
Danni! It's gorgeous and I love every bit of it. Way to go you and Ana for making a bomb.com awesome redesign that is fully functional! Really, it looks great and I can't wait to dig into that blog roll!ReplyDelete
loooooove this new look! it looks so good, danni. :)ReplyDelete
I loved the old design, but I love the new design too. It looks great!ReplyDelete
Great new design!ReplyDelete
looks beautiful danni!ReplyDelete
Love the new look! It's so pretty and functional! Awesome! :-)ReplyDelete
how fabulous!!! love the new lookReplyDelete
The new site looks fantastic! You're oh so talented lady!ReplyDelete
Great job! We are putting together a new website right now so i have a new appreciation for how much work it takes. I think both designs really stay true to what your blog is all about.ReplyDelete
I love the new look, Danni! It's so fresh and the mustard yellow is perfect! You did a great job! :)ReplyDelete
love it ... so simple, stylish & contemporary! have a wonderful day.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 08:01
Hey Danni, I'm a new reader, but old enough to realise the missing 'oh' in 'hello, friend' :D Was there a reason for that? Anyway, I like the newer design, feel it gives a cleaner lookReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 08:36
love it danni. Looks great. makes me want to change mine up...ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 08:41
It looks great! Job well done!ReplyDelete
Loving the new look! Sometimes you just need to make a change, huh? :)ReplyDelete
Looks gorgeous! I loved the old design too but really love how fresh and clean the new layout is...and thank you for the Search bar up top!ReplyDelete
I think it looks great - nice and clean, and a little more modern. But where did the 'oh' go?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 09:02
oh, I love it! so cute and organized, just like you ^,~ReplyDelete
Change, even good change, is often difficult. I loved the old design, and I love the new one... Very lovely. ;)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 09:49
I think it looks great. Very pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate.ReplyDelete
Love the new design Danni! There are great little details everywhere that I'm loving. Great job!ReplyDelete
I love this new look. It's fresh and the colours are great!ReplyDelete
great new look and style :)ReplyDelete
Looks great! I love it ;)ReplyDelete
It looks fantastic friend! You are one talented lady. I love the tabs up top and the use of mustard yellow.ReplyDelete
Wow I can't believe you changed the layout! I like how it still has the older feel but subtle differences. Looks Great :)ReplyDelete
Oh wow, I love this new look!ReplyDelete
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!ReplyDelete
Loving the new look! Really liking the new header collaged from notepaper and tape etc...xReplyDelete
Loving the zingy, zesty new colours!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 12:52
LOVE the new design, and your hard work sure paid off :)ReplyDelete
danni- it's gorgeous!!! love, love, love.ReplyDelete
danni.. congrats on the new site. it's gorgeous! of course i know any designs you put your heart into are going to be amazing. you are one talented girl.ReplyDelete
xo. m
p.s. thanks for listing my blog on your blogroll. much appreciated.
oh! it's so pretty!ReplyDelete
eye candy, for sure.
when does ohhellofriend's blog design company start? =) I want in.
Love, Lindsay
i just spent about 20 minutes looking and clicking around your new layout danni! i love it so much and really look forward to all the new things you're up to! and thank you so so much for including me in your blogroll..you are the sweetest! hope you are well!ReplyDelete
I love the new design! Beautiful! :)ReplyDelete
i love it. so many layers and beautiful things to look at. i'm so honored to be included in your blog roll as well. thanks for all your inspiration. can't wait to see what lies ahead.ReplyDelete
It looks fantastic! Can't wait to really explore. :)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2011 16:46
have you seen episodes of america's next top model? have you seen those episodes in the beginning of each season when they show the girls where they're going to live for the next several weeks and then the girls run like crazy all through the house to check out each room: the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, the pool and their bedrooms?ReplyDelete
well, when i saw your new look, that's exactly what i did -- i clicked everywhere in excitement! boy oh boy -- you and ana do beautiful work together!! do i see a future blog design team here? :D i hope so!!
beautiful and bravo!
I really loved your design before, but I love the new one, too! I've only spent a short amount of time on your blog, but after reading this post I just had to add you to my blogroll!ReplyDelete
Speaking of, yours is so beautiful! Did you just grab blog buttons or did you have to make some specifically to fit the size you needed? I went on there and started clicking so much I had to stop if I'm to go to sleep today, ha!
Also... (sorry this is so long!) just saw your "support" section of your blog and realized you're more amazing than I thought before.. so great to see others caring about important issues!
Love love the new design. I am trying to figure out a new design for my site and this really helps give inspiration, so thanks! Love your blog so inspiring all the time ;)ReplyDelete
You blog was and always will be so very lovely. Well done. I love the subtle change. Best wishes.ReplyDelete
the new design looks lovely! i like the yellow:)ReplyDelete
I love the new look!! Very pretty!ReplyDelete
Melanie's Randomness
This is such a great layout,ReplyDelete
wonderful work, :)
It must take a lot of patience to design all of those lovely details :):):)
happy wednesday!
Just so you know I am totally obsessed with your blog. And I love the new layout- it rocks!! The only thing is, it's hard to see the links because they are a uper light gray color that blend in with the white page. Anything you can do about that?
Thanks for working so tirelessly to keep us all entertained :)
Friends, Thank you so much for reading + supporting my blog, and for taking the time to leave me a comment. Your comment support truly means so much to me. Have a lovely day! xo, danni


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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - Even though his team cruised to victory for its first title in the 25-year history of the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, Morehouse College Head Golf Coach Bill Lewis, PGA, will not let his team take it for granted and assume a Championship in 2011.
"It was really special to win this Championship and my student-athletes were excited about playing so well," says Lewis, a 16-year PGA member. "But we need to shoot well and go really low each day to have a chance, considering how strong the teams will be this year."
The 25th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship presented by Brown Capital Management will once again feature nearly 200 athletes from minority-serving institutions and minority students attending any college or university. PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will host the Championship on May 6-8, for the 14th consecutive year.
The Maroon Tigers brought home their first Division II title last year by a resounding 20 strokes over Division II foe Virginia State University.
Recent Morehouse graduate Philip Allen, who also graduated from The First Tee of Atlanta, led the Maroon Tigers in 2010 with a sterling 2-under par 214 total. Lewis knows that his team will need new leadership following Allen's departure.
"Most of my players grew up in The First Tee and they learned life skills as well as the game of golf," explains Lewis. "This paid huge dividends last year and helped us win our first title in this Championship."
Morehouse College, which makes its home in the heart of Atlanta, has had 30 student-athletes from The First Tee of Atlanta compete on the golf team.
The Maroon Tigers return four of five players from last year's team, including seniors Olajuwon Ajanaku, Earl Cooper and Thaddaeus Hill.
"We know what we are up against, but I know we can play well," says Lewis. "We are going to try and bring back a title to Morehouse."
The 54-hole, stroke-play Championship will consist of three team divisions: NCAA Men's Division I and II and a Women's Division.
In addition, there is an Individual Invitational competition for minority men and women contestants.
The Individual Invitational is open to students who are African-American, Hispanic-American, Native- or Alaskan-American, Asian- or Pacific Island-American.
Also returning to defend their crowns are the University of Texas-Pan American, winner of four Division I titles, and Bethune-Cookman University in the Women's Division.
Men's Independent Division Champion Amit Odaiyar from the University of Central Florida is also back to defend his title.
"We are so excited to again host the 25th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, which is always one of our Association's most exciting weekends thanks to many of golf's truly exceptional student-athletes," says PGA President Allen Wronowski. "PGA Golf Club will be a most worthy host and we will crown some most-deserving Champions."
For the 17th consecutive year, the Championship will also include a Business of Golf Career Expo, featuring golf industry associations and companies that enable student-athletes to learn about additional employment opportunities in manufacturing, media, trade, golf course management and the game's premier governing bodies.
Student-athletes will have the opportunity to present resumes for internships and employment.
The debut broadcast of the 2011 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship presented by Brown Capital Management highlight show will air on June 29 at 8 p.m., ET, on Golf Channel.
Additional airing times will be July 4 at 9 a.m., and July 26 at 5 p.m.
About The PGA of America
Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry.
By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.


text:
What's new in Tornado 4.0.1¶
Aug 12, 2014¶
The build will now fall back to pure-python mode if the C extension fails to build for any reason (previously it would fall back for some errors but not others).
IOLoop.call_laternow always return a timeout handle for use with
If any callback of a
IOStreamreturns a
Future, any error raised in that future will now be logged (similar to the behavior of
Fixed an exception in client-side websocket connections when the connection is closed.
simple_httpclientonce again correctly handles 204 status codes with no content-length header.
Fixed a regression in
simple_httpclientthat would result in timeouts for certain kinds of errors.


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I think it is fair to say that I started robotics at USC by lifting myself by my bootstraps. I became interested in the field about 1980 and started searching for ways to make robotics at USC a reality, but my own research had been in other areas (like system identification and biomedical engineering). There were two events that helped us start robotics at USC. I recruited Barry Soroka, who joined us as an Assistant Professor in 1981. He had worked on robot manipulators at Stanford University. I learned a lot from him (He is now with the Computer Science Department at California Polytechnic University in Pomona). The second event was that I obtained an NSF grant to purchase our first robot: A PUMA 560 industrial manipulator (about 1982?) Such manipulators are familiar because we see them on TV helping to assemble automobiles (bringing a door into position, for example) or using a welding torch to weld part of the body together. With this machine Barry and I started the first robotics lab at USC. We ambitiously called it "The USC Robotics Institute", after the successful major activity at Carnegie-Mellon University. The Provost gave use a small start-up fund and we were in business.
About this time we began teaching courses called "Introduction to Robotics", which were concerned almost entirely with the mathematical description and control of multi-jointed experiments as part of the course. All they could do was to pick up an item at a given location and move it to another location, sometimes stacking two blocks on top of each other. These little robots were controlled by very easily Apple II computers.
Our stock of robots increased rapidly thereafter, as a result of several gifts. A Northrop Corp. laboratory was being closed and we received several large industrial manipulators. There was no space for them, so they were stored at Central Receiving for years. At this time we had 3 or 4 graduate students working in the lab.
An interesting aspect of our robotics program in the late 1980s was due to the arrival of Prof. Margo Apsotolos in the Dance Department. Margo had written her dissertation at Stanford on programming manipulators to move gracefully to music. Imagine a large (say 8 foot long) arm with its "shoulder" fasted to the ground, and the arm (including elbow, wrist and "hand") would move in graceful curves. Margo then developed "robot choreography" where human dancers would move with and around several wiggling robot arms. Several such performance were give at USC.
The "Robotics Institute" merge into a major computer vision program directed by Prof. Ram Nevatia; the combined program was called Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS), but the robotics lab operated quite independently.During the period from about 1985-90 I became interested in building hands for robots that were not just simple grippers, but that resembled five fingered human hands. A colleague in the former Yugoslavia had build a 5-fingered hand, but it lacked computer control and sensors. We obtained the hand, connected it to a computer, and used it in a number of research projects. I received several grants to study robot hands, including their potential use a s prostheses for people who may have lost their hand in an accident. Our laboratory had several robot manipulators. My first PhD student in robotics graduated in 1986, to be followed by 10 others between 1987 and 2000.
In the late 1980s and early 90s we became interested in mobile robots. Since commercial mobile robots were very expensive, and we had no funding for such proposes, my students and I build several interesting machines. "Rodney" was a six legged walking machine (the name was inspired by Prof. Mataric's major professor, Rodney Brooks at MIT). The unique aspect of this robot was that we developed the software to enable it to learn to walk, using a simulated form of evolution. We did not program the sequence in which the robot should move its legs, so it would fall down frequently, until it learned to walk with a "tripod gait", also used by insects. In this gait the robot (and insects) move the front and rear legs on one side and the center leg on the other side at the same time, thus keeping a "tripod" of support at all times and remaining stable. We also build Marvin (named after one of the pioneers of robotics, Prof. Marvin Minsky of MIT). This was a converted toy car, which learned to roam about the lab without running into anything.
From the handful of students who worked with us in the mid 1980s, by 1990 we had some 10-15 students participating in robotics work at various levels, including several very bright undergraduates.
Once we moved from manipulators and robot hands to mobile robots, there was no turning back. We built a number of other robots, including one more walking machine (actually designed by our Assistant Professor Gaurav Sukhatme as part of his PhD research). We also began struggling with robot helicopters in the early 1990s and actually won a national competition among universities designing and building autonomous flying machines.
In the late 1980s Prof. Michael Arbib joined us from Univ. of Mass, where he had directed a "Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics". His arrival broadened our course offerings as well as our research.
By about 1996 we were achieving some recognition for our research, since we presented many papers at national and international robotics competitions. We had some 20 students in the program. I was successful in a number of research proposals, so that we had between $250,000 and $500,000 of research funding per year. In 1996 I was appointed Associate Dean of the School of Engineering. I accepted the position on the condition that I would be authorized to recruit another faculty member in robotics. We began a nationwide search in the fall of 1996 and Prof. Mataric joined us in the fall of 1997. Dr. Sukhatme, who completed his PhD work in 1997, was a Research Assistant Professor from 1997 to 2000, when he was named Assistant Professor.


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Day 2 – falling at creative hurdles
I wake up to my alarm: Radio4. Eyes still closed and I'm already breaking the rules. Later sleepily climbing into the shower to the tune of Radio1 is cheeky too – my shower radio is fiddly to tune to anything, so I just leave it on Radio1, even when I don't particularly like what's on. Excuses Excuses. Ah I'm such a maverick (!)
As well as changing my newspaper reading habits for a month, I'm meant to change my radio listening habits too. My first thought was a stubborn, "but I DO change my radio listening habits, and on a daily basis at that." Read: I listen to the same selection of stations in the same situations every day.
At some point during the morning, I slink off to the newsagents for the weekend edition of The Guardian…as usual. What can I say; I'm a sucker for the supplements.
So far so unadventurous. But I'm positively champing at the bit to say "yes" to something I want to say "no" to. Honest! Sadly noone asks me anything that I can even say "alright then" to, all day.
But then I take a closer look at my invite to a posh awards ceremony next week – I've been pondering about whether to RSVP, because I don't appear to have a plus one and I'm terrified of flying solo in any social situation. Let alone one taking place at a glitzy Mayfair hotel.
I reluctantly tick the "I will attend" box and send it off in its smart, high quality envelope. Too late to change my mind now! Now to be creative with my wardrobe to produce a suitably black-tie outfit, what with a lack of funds to buy anything new nor any time to go home to get my posh frock.
I've sort of worked out something smart to wear, but aside from the fact that I don't know if the skirt will still fit my bigger-than-when-I-bought-it bum, maybe I should do something I haven't done for about 3 years – borrow some clothes off someone else. I don't know if I know anyone near enough the same size as me, but it's a whole new, previously unconsidered possiblity for the moment.
Then I spend some of the rest of the day wandering around (the same old part of) town with my (best, most familiar) friend and also pondering how to tackle my other creative challenges.
As a token gesture, I start blogging again (let's see if it lasts) and change the look of it to one I wouldn't normally choose (all green – ick).
More about my other creative challenges tomorrow, but in the meanwhile, even having the tasks put before you brings about a new awareness. The kind of things that you're conscious of, but you instead choose ignorant bliss. Some examples: subconscious habit-forming; fear of the blurry outer edges of your social comfort zone; knowing your limits…and setting them in concrete, never to be disturbed.