text:
Very troubling news about Hossein Derakhshan, the Iranian blog pioneer known online as Hoder: He received a prison sentence of 19.5 years in Iran for being an "anti-revolutionary blogger."
I'm personally heartbroken. I first met Hoder online when I happened upon his blog as he announced that another Iranian blogger, Sina Motalebi, had been arrested. Sina, who is now working for the BBC in London, just emailed me, by coincidence, when I asked below about the idea of publicness. Sina had announced in public on his blog that he had been summoned to the police. Hoder blogged it. I did. Many others did. He believes that public attention helped get him out of prison and enabled him to escape the country.
Hoder's story is much more complicated. When I met him online, he was in Canada, where he'd become a citizen. Some gave him credit for starting the amazing Iranian blogosphere; others don't. He has always been controversial. He was critical of the Iranian regime. He went to Israel and made friends (and lost friends) there — which is one of his so-called crimes: "cooperation with hostile states, propagating against the regime, propagation in favor of anti-revolutionary groups, insulting sanctities, and implementation and management of obscene websites." Then, just as suddenly, he turned the other way and started supporting Iran's government and even its right to have nuclear weapons. He asked me to link to posts that made such statements. I was over my head in Iranian politics as I heard other online expats criticize him. I wasn't sure what to do.
Then Hoder mysteriously returned to Iran. Some say he'd been given assurances that he'd be OK. Others say that he is caught in a power struggle. Again, I know too little. He was arrested two years ago. His family stayed silent in hopes that things would work out. That's why I said nothing.
But now he has been sentenced. No matter what his opinions were or what opinions you may have had about him, that doesn't matter now. We should all be outraged, loudly outraged. For — as I said when Hoder told me about Sina's arrest — a blogger, one of us, has been arrested and imprisoned for what he has said. If anyone should stand up for the right of free speech of a blogger it should be us, bloggers.
What to do? Ethan Zuckerman suggests we pressure Canada to pressure Iran for his release. On the Media reports (when there were still rumors that Hoder could have received the death penalty) that Iran does not recognize dual citizenship. The Canadian government is protesting:
"We are deeply concerned about the news of this severe sentence," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said. "If true, this is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable."
"No one should be punished anywhere for simply exercising one's inherent right to freedom of expression," he said, adding that "Iran must release him."
The Globe and Mail editorialized for his freedom:
Mr. Derakshan's views and ways may not be to everyone's liking – he doesn't fit neatly as either a state propagandist or an agitator for democracy. But free speech is often inconvenient; indeed, that is one of the reasons why free people should be agitating for his release.
: Here is my original post announcing Sina's arrest as reported by Hoder. (Please ignore the damned spam links in my archives; I don't know how to clean them up.)


text:
A nationwide survey conducted by Bethesda, MD-based Society for Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) reveals that building security topped a list of characteristics as Americans' most important feature in public buildings. The list included comfort, fire safety, environmental friendliness, and other amenities.
"The findings are not surprising, given the threat from crime and terrorism that we face today," says Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager at SFPE. "However, Americans should recognize that thousands of people die each year in fires, and fire safety features are critical to protect people and property."
The results of this survey revealed 28% of Americans feel security is the most important feature, while 12% of respondents indicated that fire safety is the most important aspect of a building's design. Americans also ranked comfort and amenities higher than fire safety. The results are similar to SFPE's 2006 survey, in which the same question was asked.
"Throughout history, the desire for increased building security has contributed to countless deadly building fires. The most notable fire occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City in 1911, where locked exit doors contributed to 146 fatalities," said Jelenewicz. "Although the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire occurred almost 100 years ago, the threat can still exist today if security is not balanced with fire protection."
The survey also revealed that when compared to natural disasters, 45% believe fire is the event that will most likely cause harm to them or their family. Included in this list were lighting strikes (18%), hurricanes (15%), earthquakes (12%), and floods (10%).
These findings support statistics that show people are more likely to be harmed by fire when compared to natural disasters. Although natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes are covered widely in the national news media, many more people die each year as a result of fire.
Another noteworthy finding reveals that over 58% of those surveyed worry about the dangers of fire less than once a year. At the same time, wealthy Americans think about the risk of fire less frequently than those with lower incomes.
"As a nation, we face widespread misconceptions about fire safety, and that's worrisome," said Jelenewicz. "That is why it is important that fire protection engineers devote their careers to protecting people and property from fire."
The survey commissioned by the Society for Fire Protection Engineers and conducted in February, 2009 by Synovate, polled more than one thousand American adults. The findings have a margin of error of plus (+) or minus (-) three percent.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dr. Jerek Petrous, Dr. John Marx and the professionals at Petrous Orthodontics are used to advising their patients about food restrictions during orthodontic treatment in Madison Heights, MI. Their patients undergoing treatment with Invisalign have less restrictive dietary guidelines than do those patients being treated with traditional braces. So what foods can you eat with Invisalign?
The Menu
Foods that could damage traditional braces during eating are not an issue for Invisalign wearers because the trays are removable for meals. They are put aside while eating and are not affected by the food being consumed. When a patient progresses to a new set of Invisalign aligner trays, eating softer foods like pasta, eggs, or yogurt can ease any discomfort associated with chewing that might occur during the adjustment period to the new trays. Dr. Petrous and Dr. Marx remind patients to be sure to brush and floss after each meal and before refitting the aligner trays. Sticky or sugary foods can cling to the surfaces of the teeth and promote tooth decay. Refitting the Invisalign trays after eating and not cleaning the teeth immediately will trap this food debris and create an environment for cavities and tooth decay.
The Accompaniments
Invisalign wearers are encouraged to remove the trays before consuming something that might stain them. Smoking and drinking wine while wearing Invisalign clear aligners is not recommended and may permanently stain the trays. Invisalign is made of a clear thermoplastic and is sensitive to heat. Hot liquids may distort the shape of the Invisalign aligner and affect its ability to perform as prescribed.
The Clean Up
Invisalign clear aligner trays are removable by the wearer for brushing, flossing, cleaning the trays, as well as for eating. Because you won't be wearing your orthodontic appliance during your meal, you can eat as you normally would. Because the trays fit over the surface of the teeth, any food debris already there can cause more damage to the tooth's enamel. It is important for the wearer to clean their teeth after eating and refitting the Invisalign tray.
Dr. Jerek Petrous, Dr. John Marx and the team at Petrous Orthodontics in Madison Heights, MI help their patients achieve the most functional, straightest, and healthiest smiles possible using Invisalign clear aligners. For more information about how Invisalign can help you, call: 248-588-2020.


text:
What clients are saying
Discovery Channel Producer
delighted with the Habib Reunion Video
Founder, Executive Director
ACT NOW! Inc.
Empowerment through Improvised Movie Making
…a real
gift for editing in the camera
Social Worker & IT Manager
key characters and chapters in our lives
Every project that I
take on is as unique as the story it tells or the
celebration it captures. For this reason, I work
closely with you to design your personal documentary to suit your
tastes and priorities.
Please call me for a free 30-minute phone
consultation and estimate.
Tel: 413-863-4480
Your Story
Matters Productions
Keeping Our Stories Alive with Art and Technology
• Customized
Wedding Documentaries
› artfully
preserve the stories that brought you
to this
› unobtrusive,
photojournalistic approach
› nuanced
interviews tailored to your interests
feature-length on indexed DVD's
• Memoir
Videos of the stories that have
shaped your family's history
• Ethical
Will Videos of your greatest legacy:
your values, not your valuables
• Epilogue
Videos of a loved one who has more
to share in the last chapter of life
• Celebration
Videos & DVD's of the special events
that express what matters most to you
• Pet
Movies of four-legged loved ones
so their unconditional love can always be a
• Life
Story Writing of very short pieces
that get essential thoughts and memories on
• Coaching
of clients who have personal history projects
they want to produce themselves
Clients tell us they do personal history projects
and commission personal documentaries to:
• Preserve memories
and the mentoring they can provide
• Say what needs to
be said; Set the record straight
• Strengthen our sense
of heritage and connection among the generations
• Gain insights into
the meaning and purpose of your life
• Create resources
that will anchor and enrich lives for generations
to come
• Preserve memories
and the mentoring they can provide
• Say what needs to
be said; Set the record straight
• Strengthen our sense
of heritage and connection among the generations
• Gain insights into
the meaning and purpose of your life
• Create resources
that will anchor and enrich lives for generations
to come
… and because there's no telling what ripple
effect our stories will have. What have the
stories you heard while growing up meant to
All works by
Your Story Matters
are presented on indexed DVD's
People often comment on the passion I show
for the work of Your Story Matters. The
reason I am drawn to it, over the international
work that held me spellbound for almost
20 years, was expressed perfectly by Ellen
Goodman in one of her Boston Globe columns
after what turned out to be a daunting attempt
to sort her attic contents...
"This packrat has learned that what the
next generation will value most is not what
we owned, but the evidence of who we were
and the tales of how we loved. In the end,
it's the family stories that are worth the
-- Ellen Goodman,
Boston Globe columnist
Tel: 413-522-0789
We're in Turners Falls in the Pioneer Valley --
the heart of western Massachusetts.
Website by www.techistry.com
Michelle Illustration
Copyright © 2003 - 2010 Carlyn Saltman


text:
Detroit City Clerk Janice M. Winfrey will hold a press conference on Thursday, August 1, to discuss the upcoming August 6 Primary Election. The conference, which will include discussion of election preparations and media questions, will be held at 1 p.m. in the Department of Elections third floor Assembly room, located at 2978 West Grand Boulevard.
Representatives from political parties and various interest groups and organizations will be invited to attend the conference.
Read more https://www.michronicleonline.com/index.php/prime-politics-original/13798-detroit-city-clerk-to-hold-primary-election-press-conference-on-august-1


text:
For us at Simple, Good, and Tasty, Halloween turns out to be a little bit problematic.
Most of the reasons for this are pretty obvious: most candy isn't local, isn't healthy, and isn't fair trade. Last year's post about fair trade chocolate and reverse trick-or-treating elicited strong response from readers who wanted to enjoy their treats without feeling guilty about it.
I get it. I like treats as much as anybody I know (even my bio describes my love for gummy worms), and I was terrified of retribution from trick-or-treaters the year my Dad gave out boxes of raisins. Chocolate is a weakness of mine, yes, as are gummies, twisties, twirlies, and all sorts of things that haven't been invented yet. Like I said, I get it.
My kids will dress up for Halloween, walk the streets until their feet hurt, collect gobs of candy, and eat at least half of it before they forget the rest is there. Hardly any of the candy they eat will be fair trade -- most of it won't even get to sit near fair trade candy in the grocery store -- but almost all of it will be delicious. I will almost definitely ask for a piece or two on Halloween night. I might even steal one when my kids aren't looking.
So now you know who you're dealing with.
And yet, I couldn't possibly let this Halloween go by -- during Fair Trade Month (check out yesterday's article for more background), no less -- without suggesting that we be more mindful of the candy our kids are eating and do what we can to support companies that offer viable, delicious, fair trade, organic solutions that we can all feel great about. Here goes:
- Equal Exchange is a fantastic company focused on supporting organic farmers and cultures all over the world. Equal Exchange offers mini chocolates in bulk, which can be purchased via their website or at your local co-op. These chocolates are not only organic and fair trade, they're also super delicious. Equal Exchange has lots of other great products too, including coffee, tea, bananas, and larger, gourmet chocolate bars (I'm a big fan of their new Chocolate Caramel Crunch With Sea Salt).
- Alter Eco is another terrific company with a strong focus on supporting organic farmer co-ops all over the world. Alter Eco makes all sorts of delicious chocolate bars (my favorite is their Dark Velvet Chocolate), and although they don't sell mini versions of them, I highly recommend giving the products a try. Alter Eco also has lots of other tasty organic, fair trade products, including rice, quinoa, tea, and coffee.
There you have it. Fair trade candies are not healthier for us and they cost more than the alternative. So what? They're absolutely better, I'm completely convinced. So what will you be handing out to the kids who come to your door in costume this year?
If you have other suggestions or know of any other fair trade candies, please let us know.
Lee Zukor is the founder of Simple, Good, and Tasty. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter.


text:
Financial Blogs You Should Read
These sites can help you plan your retirement, invest more effectively, and even save more money
I recently had the chance to spend a couple of days at FinCon, the country's premier conference for financial bloggers. Are there enough financial bloggers in the U.S. to have their own conference? There are, indeed. More than 400 of them were at this third annual gathering organized by Philip Taylor, who blogs at PTMoney.com.
I came away with a new required reading list for myself and thought I'd share some of my finds with you. I've broken them down by subject matter and listed a first choice and an alternate in five categories. Opinions are solely my own. If there are others you like better, please weigh in!
Early Retirement/Retirement
My pick: SquaredAway. In 2010, Kimberly Blanton, a veteran finance and economics reporter, was hired by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College to develop and write a personal finance blog. This is the result. In clear, straightforward language, Blanton delves into what future and current retirees need to focus on, from the ups and downs of the stock market to the rise of part-time work and, recently, the Affordable Care Act. The site takes no ads and has a nice, clean look and feel.
Also worth a look: Johnny Moneyseed. The author of this blog and his wife are 30-something early retirees. Don't let that dissuade you. Their posts on topics such as how to be a foodie on a limited budget and how much you can save by downsizing apply to folks of all ages.
My pick: The Chicago Financial Planner. Roger Wohlner, a fee-only financial adviser based near the Windy City, focuses on helping regular investors avoid the hype and confusion of the financial-services industry. An entertaining writer prone to football references (a recent post focused on what financial firms could learn from visiting Lambeau Field), he gets down to the nitty-gritty on topics ranging from ETF pricing to estate- planning mistakes.
Also worth a look: Oblivious Investor. Certified financial planner Mike Piper started the blog in 2007 to deal with the questions his friends and loved ones would bombard him with every tax season. He decided that, rather than offering answers over and over again, he'd put them in a book and online. Today readers will find succinct tips on tax and retirement planning and low-maintenance investing.
Smart Spending/Frugality
My pick: Mr. Money Mustache. The author and his wife retired, as he puts it, "at age 30 … on normal salaries with no lottery winnings or Silicon Valley buyout windfalls." That was nine years ago. He believes a lot of personal finance advice is bunk and gives his take on everything from the real cost of commuting to the difference between being frugal and being cheap. Almost as good as his posts are his forums. MMM has a big, vocal community (aka The Mustachians). If you're looking to get into a discussion on the topic of the day, this is your place.
Also worth a look: Wise Bread. The blog, which focuses on personal finance and frugal living, is written by multiple people and updates many times each day, with posts ranging from "25 Breakfast-for-Dinner Meals" to the "5 Best Travel Reward Credit Cards." I'm a fan of the blog's weekly Tweetchats (Thursdays, noon. EST) as well.
Psychology of Money
My pick: IncBlot. Daniel Crosby consults for companies looking to improve their financial-services products and advisory services. He also writes a stellar blog that gets to the heart of why we do things with our money that even we know aren't in our best interests. When you land on the home page, jump right to the IncBlog for posts on "What You Fear vs. What You Should Fear" and "10 Things Smart Investors Never Say."
Also worth a look: Freakonomics. OK, maybe you've heard of this one — or at least heard of the book by University of Chicago economist Steven D. Levitt and coauthor Stephen J. Dubner. But I love the musings on subjects ranging from whether the right music can get you out of a traffic ticket, to the price of margaritas and other seemingly random things.
Good Overall Mix
My pick: Get Rich Slowly. Though started by J.D. Roth in 2001 ("before blog was even a word," as he notes), today GRS provides a number of voices on a wide array of topics, from high-deductible health insurance to money and happiness. It has an especially strong community — so again, if you're looking to chat among like-minded people, this is a good place to go.
Also worth a look: Consumerism Commentary. Luke Landes started his blog in 2003 to track his own finances publicly. He figured it would help keep him more accountable — and it worked. He started making better decisions. Today the site offers others the opportunity to do the same through its Naked With Cash series. If you're into things like auto investing and simple tricks to help you manage your money more effectively, this will be a good fit.
Jean Chatzky, best-selling author, journalist and money editor at NBC's Today, is AARP's financial ambassador.
Also of Interest
- 10 common spending regrets
- 7 loans you should never cosign
- The best places to retire
- Get free help with your taxes with AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
Join AARP Today — Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts


text:
I have been studying venue motions in state court lately.
One question is, what if the transferor court got it wrong, is it possible to file a motion to reconsider?
The answer from most places is yes, the transferor court still has the power to reconsider the transfer order even after it has been entered, at least until the transferee court takes jurisdiction of the case.
But when does the transferee court take jurisdiction?
The answer from most places is, when the transferee court gets the file and dockets the case. There do not seem to be any Virginia cases on point.
Can a transfer order be appealed?
The answer to whether the transfer order is appealable is mixed, perhaps because some courts have more liberal rules about the appeal of interlocutory orders than others. Notionally, a transfer order leaves the whole case to be decided, and so it seems unlikely that it would ever be considered a "final" order. See Ferguson v. Carson, 235 S.W.3d 607 (Mo. App. 2007); State ex rel. Lyons v. Zaleski, 75 Ohio St.3d 623, 665 N.E.2d 212 (1996). Even so, in some places it is considered final, in the limited sense that the transferor court is through with the case. See DiNapoli v. Kent Island, LLC, 203 Md.App. 452, 38 A.3d 509 (2012).
The closest Virginia cases deal with transfer of cases from the law side to the equity side, and remarkably there is a case or two that says the transfer from one side of the court to the other is an appealable order, even if it is not final. The continuing validity of these precedents is suspect.


text:
Nothing makes your space look clean and finished than a new countertop. We understand the pride you have in your home and want to do all we can to share cost effective and time saving ideas for your kitchen countertop project.
Thank you for visiting our plastic laminate countertops website. Please contact us with any questions or comments about our plastic laminate countertops products or services.
Lakeside Kitchen Design
2486 State Route 54A
Penn Yan , NY 14527
We would love to solve your plastic laminate countertops needs and provide you a Service unlike any other company could.


text:
Free: Contests & Raffles
Pages: [1] Go Down
Topic: House bill provides help for hunting (Read 14787 times)
Pages: [1] Go Up
Miles City Guide by dreadi
[Yesterday at 11:59:11 PM]
Everett Coho Derby 9/23 & 9/24 by The scout
[Yesterday at 11:53:35 PM]
Archery bulls by time2hunt
[Yesterday at 11:42:18 PM]
He has a collar by Jake Dogfish
[Yesterday at 11:09:40 PM]
Guess The Specie by Tbar
[Yesterday at 10:52:34 PM]
Federal Judge Strikes Down Californias Ban on High-Capacity Magazines by wolfbait
[Yesterday at 09:44:00 PM]
Indian heaven wilderness by LDennis24
[Yesterday at 09:32:00 PM]
2 Guns FS by Boyd1212
[Yesterday at 09:09:52 PM]
Observatory bull tag anyone need help? by nailbender
[Yesterday at 09:04:58 PM]
I drew toutle archery bull this year. by Backstrap
[Yesterday at 09:00:41 PM]
2023 Bears by pashok23
[Yesterday at 08:41:06 PM]
Idaho OIL moose tag came today, But by phildobaggins
[Yesterday at 08:05:46 PM]
Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe 20g by 253CritterGetter
[Yesterday at 07:59:55 PM]
Duck and goose smack down! by metlhead
[Yesterday at 07:55:13 PM]
Peyser taxidermy by Max W.
[Yesterday at 07:47:50 PM]
Are you going? by MADMAX
[Yesterday at 07:40:57 PM]
Drake waterproof Boonie leaks and I get charged for returing it! by Goshawk
[Yesterday at 07:09:01 PM]
Vortex Razor HD LHT 3.5-15x50 MOA illuminated by Rspain
[Yesterday at 07:07:48 PM]
Cowiche cow tag by erronulvin
[Yesterday at 07:00:32 PM]
Redneck RV by wadu1
[Yesterday at 06:31:40 PM]


text:
Twin Falls
I pulled this shot out of the archives as I was doing a little house cleaning on my website. I took this several years ago along Cypress Creek at Twin Creeks Park in Cedar Park. When I found it I realized it was one that I had overlooked. It's all the perspective in this shot, but it gives the feeling that these falls are a LOT bigger than they are. With all the recent rain I imagine the creek is flowing nicely and these falls are probably in fine form. May need to take a little trip down there to check it out. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)
Caught this guy gathering materials for his nest down by the lake on Colter Bay in June. Warm periods are short in Grand Teton, so I reckon he spent a lot of his time getting ready for colder weather.
Ever Ready
On the lookout for rafters, both human and canine on the River of No Return. What a great life for a water loving dog!
Lady Bug Pedals
With so many beautiful fall foliage shot opportunities, it was nice to see some other colors in Garner State Park. Apparently this lady bug liked the colors too. :-)
Cedar Fall
Enjoying the touches of fall on the Turkey Creek Trail at Emma Long City Park in Austin.
Spring Blooms
It's time once again for our trees to bloom! I captured this shot at the Sam Houston statue in Huntsville on our trip this week. Nice to see the trees in bloom again.
Nose Dive
Happy Wildflower Wednesday. There must be something REALLY GOOD in that flower. Caught these bees in this flower when I was out taking photos at a bike tour this weekend.
Adolescent Blues
This is as close as I've ever gotten to a Blue Heron in the wild. This adolescent heron apparently had not had many encounters with humans and did not fly away the second I got too close for comfort on my kayak. Only thing I was disappointed in was that I still had my ISO cranked up to 1000 for some shots I was taking earlier in a dark area. Given that, this is still a pretty sharp image. You can even see the spider web coming off the twig and strung in front of the heron.
Coola Grinder
When we were in Vancouver we took the gondola up to Grouse Mountain. We hoped the views would be better than we had, but the clouds were socked in and it was drizzling at times. So we decided to head over to see the two resident orphaned grizzlies. I'm not sure if this is Coola or Grinder, but this was taken shortly after the two of them had a wrestling match in the snow (even had a little blood drawn as seen in the snow in front of his nose). He looks about like I feel most mornings, but luckily I haven't been in a wrestling match with another grizzly. For more information on Coola and Grinder, check out their website at https://www.grousemountain.com/wildlife-refuge. In honor of the hump on the grizzlies back, Happy Hump Day y'all.
Patriotic Sunflowers
A red, white and blue sunset over this sunflower field in Medina County to wrap up your workweek and the last Friday in July. Hope you have a great weekend and get a chance to catch a beautiful sunset!
Check out my website here:
Steve Coyle Photography
And follow me on:
Marmot Munching
Caught this Hoary Marmot filling up on wildflowers on the hike to Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park. By the looks of him, he's been feeding on quite a few of the wildflowers this summer. :-)
Glacier Goat
Mountain goat in the goat observation area at Logan's Pass in Glacier National Park. This goat was one of a small herd we saw coming down the mountain as we arrived at the viewing area. It was also one of the few we saw that did not have a radio collar around it's neck.
Heron Hunter
Captured this heron eating his lunch in Armand Bayou in Houston, Texas. And yes, he did manage to get this fish down. It was pretty amazing watching him ingest the fish. We never thought he'd be able get his throat opened wide enough to swallow it whole.
Captured this lone prairie dog on the lookout in Prairie Dog Town at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in March. The scope of this shot helps convey the sense of how big the refuge is. A shot of the prairie dog alone was boring, but to me this provided a much better 'feel' for how wide open the spaces are in this part of Oklahoma.
Albino Lupine
My wife and I were walking the Brushy Creek Trail last night when she spotted these white lupine off the trail. We're guessing someone else did as well and placed this piece of wood by them for protection. We're so used to seeing our native bluebonnets, which there are PLENTY of in Brushy Creek Lake Park, that finding this oddity was a real jewel. I captured this hand held using live view on my NIkon D810 after several attempts. And as I was making the shots, my wife tells me not to step backward because there was a huge fireant mound directly behind me. I had been oblivious to the ants when I was positioning myself, but I sure was glad she noticed them. That would have been a rude awakening if I had stepped in them. All in all, for a handheld shot with a non-macro lens, I pretty pleased with how this shot came out.
Lilipad Blooms
Another capture from our visit to the Mayfield Nature Preserve on Mother's Day. The lilipads were in full bloom in the ponds in the preserve. Just a matter of finding the right angle to show off their beauty.
Agarita Wine
I had never seen the agarita bushes at Doeskin Ranch at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge so full of berries as I did on my visit yesterday evening. The recent rains were definitely useful to these drought tolerant plants. Their berries were almost bursting with juiciness. I bet Jerry Jeff Walker could put these berries to good use in some agarita wine.
Worker Bee
The wildflowers were in fine form at Doeskin Ranch in the Balcones Canyonland National Wildlife Refuge this weekend. And with those beautiful flowers came some very productive insects. I don't know where this worker bee's hive was, but he was going back fully loaded. He had so much pollen stock piled on his hind quarters I was wondering how he was going to take off.. I made this shot handheld with a Sigma 18-250 lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. I've been using this lens 3 years and it still amazes me with it's capabilities for a wide range zoom lens. It is my favorite walk around lens on this camera body. It's lightweight and great for a hike. The image was captured in RAW, as I always shoot my images, and the only editing performed was basic exposure tweaks and a little bit of cropping. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)
Spring is always one of my favorite times of year. I love seeing the new greens and all the blooms. It does drive my allergies nuts from time to time, but I would not miss it. Yesterday marked the beginning of Spring and we were out at midday exploring the area checking out the area blooms. We stopped by the Georgetown Sunken Garden where I made this shot with the assistance of my wife holding a scrim to cut down on the harsh midday light. Breaking the rule of not shooting during the middle of the day can be fun when you have an assistant to help you break the rule. :-) Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)
Dawn Blooms
Another image from the photo walk I took on World Photography Day at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. With the recent rains everything was nice and green and in bloom. Hiking through the refuge was a great way to start the day! Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)
Light Up
I went out to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge with my friend Anand today to celebrate World Photography Day. We did a little experimenting with high speed sync flash as I provided education on how to properly use a single flash to get the effect you want. This was taken at 9 AM in a slightly shaded area, but with a little flash knowledge we were able to make daytime look like night. Having an opportunity to share my knowledge is something i enjoy immensely and need to consider doing more often. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)


text:
"Supposedly this is a picture of a CT scanner sans casing," writes io9-reader Monica, "but it looks more to me like a first-generation Stargate." We heartily agree – and just wait until you see what this beastly contraption looks like in motion.
Here's another look:
Absolutely epic.
[A brand new HD750, GE CT Scanner ~ Coverless, via Imgur]
Vizio's Latest TVs Go All Quantum


text:
Saudi women take the wheel, test-driving a new freedom
Fatima Salem giggles with hesitation when it's her turn to drive through a small parking lot lined with bright orange cones and arrows. Like millions of Saudi women, she plans on applying for a driver's license when the kingdom lifts its ban on women driving in June. But first, she has to learn how to drive.
"I'm a little nervous," the 30-year-old master's student said.
Francesca Pardini, an Italian former racecar driver, helps calm her nerves, reminding Salem to check the mirrors and buckle up. Once on the road, Pardini reached over to help straighten out the wheel after a left turn, and they both lurched forward when Salem stepped on the brakes before a stop sign.
The right to drive, which people in other countries gain as teenagers after a similar ordeal — derisively referred to as driver's ed — has been denied to Saudi women. Dozens who dared to protest and defy the ban over the years were jailed, prosecuted and stigmatized.
A stunning royal decree issued last year by King Salman announcing that women would be allowed to drive in 2018 upended one of the most visible forms of discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia, where guardianship laws still give men the final say on whether a woman can travel abroad, obtain a passport or marry.
The king's 32-year-old son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has pushed through a number of other reforms to relax some of the country's ultraconservative rules, including allowing women into stadiums to watch sports, bringing back musical concerts and promising a return of movie theaters this month after a more than three-decade ban.
The reforms are aimed at improving Saudi Arabia's image abroad, attracting foreign investors, increasing women's participation in the workforce and boosting local household spending as lower oil prices force the kingdom to undertake sensitive austerity measures.
The ban on women driving has been costly for Saudi families. The wealthy hire and house male drivers, often from South Asian countries, while others make due with taxis and ride-hailing services. Still, for many women, commuting to work or running basic errands requires a husband or son who can make the drive.
At the female-only campus of Effat University in Jiddah, dozens of young Saudi students dressed in long, loose black robes — still the required dress code — braved the afternoon heat for a chance to learn how to drive on their own.
The university organized training this week for students to learn the basics of how to operate a car. For most of the young women, the hour-long training, sponsored by Ford Motor, is the first time they've ever sat in the driver's seat. Female-only universities across Saudi Arabia are expected to offer women full driving courses once the rules and guidelines from the government are announced.
"I felt out of place. I've never sat on that side of the car. Usually I always sit in the back or on the right side, but it felt good. You feel, like, in control," said Sara Ghouth, an 18-year-old freshman. "I want to drive a car. I want to be independent."
Car companies see the lifting of the ban as an opportunity to promote their brands and rev up sales in Saudi Arabia, a country of around 20 million citizens where around half are women.
Ford's Driving Skills for Life program, a one-time session that focuses on safety, has been taught around the world, including to male drivers in Saudi Arabia, but this is the first time the company has taught women-only groups, which are mostly made up of first-time drivers.
"With these girls, they're like an empty book," said Pardini, the Italian trainer with Ford. "They really want to learn."
Before the training began this week, Ford conducted surveys with women across Saudi Arabia to better understand what they are looking for in a car and how to market their brand to the new drivers.
"The first thing we don't want to do is be patronizing. This isn't about lip gloss and nail polish and things like that. These are educated women," said Crystal Worthem, a marketing manager with Ford.
Worthem said the American automaker "absolutely" expects a lift in sales as Saudi women start driving this summer. She says some women are already purchasing cars for when the ban is lifted, while others own the cars they are ferried around in.
"Women have always been in our showrooms, but now women are actively shopping for themselves, which is exciting," she said. "It's a car that they can drive and not a car that they'll be riding in."
Amal al-Jihani, a 23-year-old architecture student, said her biggest supporter encouraging her to drive is her father, who's promised to give her one of the family's used cars when she's ready for the road. Her 16-year-old brother already drives.
"My mom is refusing the idea of us driving. She says it's dangerous and she'll let us drive when we're married," al-Jihani said, laughing. "My dad tells her you'll relax when you see everyone else driving."
Joanna al-Fattani, a 19-year-old freshman, relies on ride-hailing services like Uber to go most places. To get to and from college, she has two different drivers. She said a lot of women are nervous about the idea of driving alongside men on the roads, but she's looking forward to the freedom.
"It's such an important announcement. Everybody needed this. Now is the right time to do it," she said.
Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb


text:
CLARIN SS19-2 153A last pair
Made to resemble desert styles. Legendary dusica dusica desert boots from the Spring Summer 2019 collection are defined with a unique double leather trimming. They are cut from soft suede - leather and set on a flexible crepe sole, known for their lightweight feel, flexibility, and spongy underfoot.
To receive complimentary personal consultation email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and let us know what is the best time to connect. Looking forward to connecting, chatting and dressing you. This very personal shopping experience, you cannot find anywhere else as well as a product!
- Soft crepe sole.
- Leather lined footbed
- Handmade in Italy
COLOR-MATERIAL: Antique pink suede - leather
- Medium to a wider width
- Fit consultation available
- Designed for a close fit
- Heel measures approximately 25mm / 1 inch
Size US 6 = ITALIAN 36
Size US 7 = ITALIAN 37
Size US 8 = ITALIAN 38
Size US 9 = ITALIAN 39
Size US 10 = ITALIAN 40
Size US 11 = ITALIAN 41


text:
Labour and Trade Union Rights
The ILO NORMLEX information system brings together information on International Labour Standards (such as ratification information, reporting requirements, comments of the ILO's supervisory bodies, etc.) as well as national labour and social security laws.
Freedom in the World annual report assesses the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the world. It is composed of numerical ratings and supporting descriptive texts for 195 countries and 15 territories, including an assessment of countries' situation with regard to the respect of associational and organizational rights.


text:
I first learned of the concept of "a new kind of normal" at a Women of Faith conference several years ago. A speaker said something along of the lines of "Sometimes things happen in life – sometimes they are good and sometimes they aren't. We can't go back in change it instead we must move forward. In turn, we must find a new kind of normal." It truly resonated with me and has been my life's goal since my illness diagnosis which took place almost eight years ago.
But the thing is, I'm not there yet. This blog has wore the name "A New Kind of Normal" for almost 4 years but honestly I don't quite have a grip on it yet. I still catch myself looking over my shoulder longing for the old me. The healthy me. The me that still had hopes of running a marathon and sporting a cute baby belly. The me that no longer exists. The trained counselor in me recognizes my loss and realizes that I will still experience sudden temporary upsurges of grief (aka STUGS – take that Dr. D!) The perfectionist in me wants all of that to be behind me permanently. The realist in me knows that its just something I've got to come to terms with.
Honestly, I'm ok with the grief part of it. I know there will be days where I will mourn my loss of fertility. I know there will be days where I will mourn my loss of health.
What I'm not ok with is my longing to be the old me. The thought that if I can just get back to this or do that like I used to, I will be ok. I want to be rid of that. I want to be rid of the guilt of not being able to do everything I think I should be able to do. The guilt that somehow I am letting my family down by not being healthy like I once was. I want to be rid of the shame that I am sick and that sometimes I have to say no and that sometimes I have to cancel plans. I did nothing to cause my illness and honestly nothing short of a miracle cure is going to take it away so I know that I have no reason to feel guilty or ashamed. I know that but I just don't feel that.
The new me is something I should still be proud of. I may have lost my ability to run a marathon but instead I've gained a heart of compassion. I may not have a rock hard body like I've always dreamed of but I have a body that hasn't given up on me yet (and have managed to lose and keep off 35lbs!). I may not be a social butterfly and live it up on the town but instead I have gained meaningful and cherished relationships with others experiencing chronic illness through the magic of social media. I may not have gotten to experience pregnancy but now I have the opportunity to provide support and encouragement to those who are traveling a similar journey.
So this is me letting go of the old me and embracing the new me and my new normal:
It is not how I would have planned it but every day is a new gift and a new adventure and when I think of all of the good that God has created out of a desperate situation, I wouldn't have it any other way.
This post was written as a part of the SITS Letting Go Series over the Women on the Move Channel! If you are looking for motivation or inspiration, definitely check it out and link up! You can follow the Letting Go discussion on twitter using the #SITSLettingGo hashtag!


text:
1962 Chevrolet Corvette - Ad Hoc
This '62 Is More C5 Than C1
Related Video
We've featured Vette-Rods across a span of degrees. We've shown highly modified C1s until you've written us letters. We've covered the development of the C5 from the beginning. But never before has the union of a C5 and a C1 been so seamlessly executed than in Jeff Price's unrivaled Canary Yellow '62 Vette-Rod. Jeff, with the backing of a squadron of highly talented craftsmen and fabricators, has crafted something so purpose-built, so unique, and so wild that we would be remiss not to drool all over it.
The Marietta, Georgia, resident has enjoyed everything the late-model marketplace offers with a stable of vehicles, including an '02 Cadillac Escalade EXT, an '04 Cadillac XLR, an '03 Infinity FX45, and an '02 modified convertible Corvette with powertrain and braking upgrades. But it's his experience with classic Stingrays-a restored 327/300hp, four-speed '68 convertible and a restored '74 drop-top-that came into play when it came time to plan for a project machine. Knowing full well that the stylistic lines of the classic Vettes would likely never be rivaled again by anything under $100,000, Jeff decided upon the earliest Corvette he could find.
Jeff says, "The '62 has always been one of my favorite Corvettes. Had I not experienced the outstanding performance of the '02 C5, I might have put up with the old technology for the looks of a stock '62, but it's hard to go back. As a long-time subscriber to Corvette Fever, the Vette-Rod features got me interested in one of my own. After a lot of research and searching, I came across a builder in Lancaster, South Carolina. He had started with a more common C4 suspension conversion in mind, but ended with a vision that included C5 performance. The end result was sacrificing a perfectly good '99 C5 to yield a supercharged LS6 rolling on Z06 rubber and a '62 stretched, lowered, and widened body."
Three more inches were given to the door and wheelwells, while the grille, hood, convertible top, trunk lid, and windshield all remained the same. The front and rear bumpers received 4 extra inches (2 on each side) to accept the new widened body. A custom rear splash panel was fabricated to accommodate the additional width as well, and an air dam was custom built in the same manner. The rolling stock includes Z06 calipers, dimpled and slotted rotors, and the use of the factory C5 Z51 suspension package. Large chromed Z06 wheels were wrapped in Goodyear 265/40ZR17s up front and 295/ZR18s out back. A torque tube stiffener plate from Elite Engineering was installed by MTI Racing, as well as a Fidanza lightweight flywheel and a MTI Racing Stage II Kevlar clutch assembly.
The project car was disassembled and shipped off in pieces to a variety of shops and technicians. The sacrificed C5 gave up its 173-inch chassis and most everything else to complete the build. The C1 body was severed in several sections and widened a total of 4 inches and lengthened by 3 inches to fit the factory platform. Two inches were added to the front fenders, filling the space between the headlights and the grille; two inches were added to the doors and to their respective sills. This, of course, required cutting the front of the inner door to allow for enough clearance. Another two inches were squeezed into the fenders. Reshaping the quarters, the slope, and downward crease for the extra length actually gave it a more aggressive look.
The C5 fuel tank required that the C1 trunk be raised to accommodate the factory location. This modification took raising the trunk pan 3 inches across the tail. to house the proposed LS6, the engine bay was blocked, smoothed, and painted the same as the body color. "Special attention," Jeff says, "was taken to maintain the placement and layout of the components consistent with the C5 arrangement. The interior is a great blend of new and old. The C5 dash was shortened approximately 2 1/2 inches. This provided the C5 comfort and convenience with tilt steering, computer functions, A/C, heat, and a modern stereo. The custom '62 seats and panels-made from black and yellow leather-were provided by Leon Gandy of Sumter, South Carolina. The seats and panels include body color accents."
The '62's gasoline-fueled motivation comes from an LS6 crate motor with enough work and fine tuning to match the man-hours poured into the body. Supercharged, the worked-over plant sports polished cylinder heads, valve covers, alternator, water pump, pulleys, and the whole engine block, along with a king's portion of steel braided lines. The Magnuson puts the screws to the Z06 plant via 7 pounds of boost and chilled by an intercooler. A MTI Racing composite mass-air-flow sensor and K&N filter ensure the small block gets plenty of O2. While the powertrain was at MTI's Marietta, Georgia, facility, it got custom-built, ceramic-coated, long-tube headers that flow into a completely stainless exhaust system featuring a crossover pipe. It doesn't have catalytic converters because the car is registered as a '62.
Before leaving MTI, dyno testing resulted in 480 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, equating to roughly 560 at the flywheel. Of course, since Jeff swears the Corvette is used primarily for showing off and "pleasure," we think by that he means boiling off the tires whenever his right leg needs to stretch.
Brilliant in '67 Canary Yellow, the body is the most striking feature on this ride with much thanks to Mickey Stackes of Lancaster, South Carolina, for his artistic eye and Roger Moseley of Kershaw, South Carolina, for his flawless paint job. With a totaled tally of 4,000 documented man hours in the body alone, this Corvette proudly shows every minute of it.
MotorTrend Recommended Stories
Trending Pages
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid First Test: Giving the People What They Want
The EV Tax Credit Is About to Get a Lot Better, So Why Are Car Dealers Worried?
2024 Porsche Cayenne First Look: New 729-HP Hybrid Elevates Its Scoville Rating
2024 Nissan Z NISMO First Drive: Dance Partner Turns Track Co-Driver
2024 Ford Mustang 0-60 MPH and 1/4-Mile Times: Dark Horse, GT, and EcoBoost Tested


text:
A doctor has discovered the body of a tiny, 6-inch alien in Chile.
The doctor has released a trailer showing off some footage of the adorable little extraterrestrial corpse.
Steven Greer, former emergency medical physician and current alien investigator, discovered the little guy in Chile's Atacama Desert. Experts agree that the tiny alien is from Planet Zeeba, a planet that has been known to be friendly to humans on Earth.
Greer now spends his days convincing the U.S. government to confirm the existence of alien life. And it's working. President Obama has scheduled a meeting with Greer for next week.
Greer's film Sirius focuses on some of the alternative energy technologies that currently exist and could exist soon, and he proves that they can be used by this tiny alien race on Earth.
The full documentary will apparently feature an autopsy of the little guy, who kind of reminds us of that little alien guy in the robo-man-suit from Men In Black.
Extraterrestrial experts are wondering, once again, why our government is hiding the truth about tiny aliens. Dr. John Malley, from the U.N. Panel on Extraterrestrials told WWN, "Tiny aliens from Planet Zeeba have been on our planet for at least two years. And they have come here to help us save our planet. We do not understand why the United States – and China and Russia – refuse to acknowledge their existence."
Check out the video on our tiny friend:


text:
Regular price
Model # RKNL-B120CM22E
208/230-VOLT 3-Phase R410A 225,000 BTU input
Nominal CoolingTon Size
Gas HeatingInput (MBtuh)
The 6-12.5 ton Rheem 3 phase RKNL-B, RKNL-C Package Gas/Electric units feature earth-friendly R-410A refrigerant. This platform provides you with a full line of capacities that are each AHRI-certified. The design is certified by CSA International.
ClearControl™Factory Installed ClearControl™, a Direct Digital Control (DDC) and sensors which can connect to LonWorks™ or BACnet® BAS systems for remote monitoring and control.
The Scroll® CompressorAll of our residential/commercial package units, regardless of efficiency level, feature the Scroll® Compressor. The scroll compressor uses a more advanced technology than traditional reciprocating compressors. Scroll compressors with internal line break overload and high pressure protection. Molded compressor plug is standard on all units. Two independent refrigerant circuits each with a scroll compressor provide two stage cooling operation. They have fewer moving parts, and they are quieter, more efficient, and longer lasting. Single stage compressor on C072 model. Dual stage compressor on C090 – C151 models.
Durable Cabinet with Louvered Condenser CompartmentOur cabinets have a powder painted finish that protects them from the harshest weather extremes. And our louvered condenser compartment is the best in the industry for protecting the condenser coil against yard hazards and weather extremes. There is a one-piece top cover and one piece base pan with drawn supply and return opening for superior water management. Foil faced insulation encapsulated throughout entire unit minimizes airborne fibers from the air stream. Slide Out Indoor fan assembly for added service convenience. Hinged major access door with heavy-duty gasketing, 1/4 turn latches and door retainers.
Motor/Fan Motor MountOur motor mount helps protect the fan motor from the elements for longer life. Its design dependability helps reduce vibration and noise. High performance belt drive motor with variable pitch pulleys and quick adjust belt system. Permanently lubricated evaporator, condenser and gas heat inducer motors. Condenser motors are internally protected, totally enclosed with shaft down design.
Furnace CompartmentControl box operational controls are "up front" for quick access and service diagnostics. The draft inducer motor is specially designed to quietly provide combustion air while simultaneously venting outdoors the combustion products from the furnace heat exchanger. In addition to the draft inducer motor, the in-shot gas burners, gas valve and manifold efficiently regulate the flow of gas for combustion. These new gas/electric units also feature direct-spark ignition and remote flame sensors for added dependability and efficiency
Matched Blower/Evaporator Coil UnitThe blower is responsible for the flow of air into your ductwork. Aluminum MicroChannel Outdoor Coils and other system components provide maximum efficiency and quiet operation. Single slab, single pass designed evaporator coil facilitate easy cleaning for maintained high efficiencies. Internally sloped slide out condensate pan conforms to ASHRAE 62 standards.
Tubular Heat Exchanger Our new package gas electric units feature a tubular heat exchanger design. Tubular heat exchangers are more efficient and durable than older-style clamshell heat exchangers.
Other Benefits


text:
Paper, Graphite, Charcoal
70x50x2мм, 2019
FOLLOW THE NEWS OF I AM ARTIST PROJECT, GET TO KNOW NEW ARTISTS and subscribe to WHO I AM newsletter.
To participate, enter your email and you will receive a manual and a link to upload your project
You can upload up to 10 projects.
The cost of the project should be no more than 80 000 rub or 1000 euro.


text:
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio didn't win an Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards for his performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street."
The news didn't go over well online, as many realized the actor has never won an Academy Award despite his 20-plus year career.
With five nominations, he's one of the most-nominated actors to never achieve the award.
However, there are a few others who have received more nods without ever having gotten Oscar gold.
Peter O'Toole chased the Oscar for more than four decades with eight nominations for films ranging from 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia" up until 2006's "Venus." Richard Burton comes close with seven nods over a 25-year span.
We put together a list of the most surprising Oscar nominees who haven't won the award. Leo's in good company.
Kirsten Acuna/Business Insider
Here's the full list:
Peter O'Toole: 8 nominations
Richard Burton: 7 nominations
Glenn Close: 6 nominations
Leonardo DiCaprio: 5 nominations
Julianne Moore: 4 nominations
Sigourney Weaver: 3 nominations
Johnny Depp: 3 nominations
Tom Cruise: 3 nominations
Will Smith: 2 nominations
John Travolta: 2 nominations
Edward Norton: 2 nominations
Judy Garland: 2 nominations


text:
Sir William Russell Flint
Limited edition prints
Original paintings and drawings
Signed limited edition prints
Limited edition prints (unsigned)
About us
Contact us
Sir William Russell Flint main page
Link to us
Russell Flint Biography
Cecilia Green
Frequently asked Questions
Fine Art Trade Guild Leaflet
Wash/line French bound Mounts
French Binding
Fine Art Trade Guild Stamping
Fine Art Trade Guild Codes.
Print or Painting?.
30 years experience and widely regarded as the world's leading authority on paintings and prints by Russell Flint
01623 799 309
The largest collection of signed, limited edition prints by Sir William Russell Flint in the UK!
'Model for Elegance'
Limited edition of 850
Published; April, 1984
Image Size 13" x 19.5".
The model is Cecilia Green, originally titled, 'Olearia'
England 01623 799 309
Visit the studio in Nottinghamshire, or arrange a private viewing of prints or original paintings in your home.
Back to Russell Flint prints and paintings for sale
Property to let in Perigord, France


text:
This year an estimated 18 million children will be affected by bullying. Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on a school playground. An epidemic of cyberbullying has inspired a whole new kind of cruelty among children. Every day, as many as 160,000 children stay home because they feel unsafe at school.
Such frightening stats about bullying fly across the ether and airwaves, shaping public perception of "the crisis" that seems to have transformed our schoolyards into war zones. But depending on where you find them, "facts" about bullying vary radically. Another source claims that 8 million children — not 18 — will be affected by bullying every year. A third puts the number at 13 million.
What's the truth about bullying? Do we all agree on its definition? Is there really a bullying crisis?
In her new book, Sticks and Stones, Emily Bazelon set out to answer these questions. Bazelon, a senior editor at Slate, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and mother of two school-aged sons, covered the case of Phoebe Prince, a Massachusetts teenager who took her life after she was bullied at school, for Slate, so she'd already seen how media coverage of bullying incidents can perpetuate as many fictions as facts.
For her book, Bazelon talked to kids, parents, teachers, school administrators, and experts to explore the reality of bullying today, how kids are coping with the new cyber reality, and the most successful strategies to combat the problem. Before her interview with Terri Gross and a TV appearance that brought Stephen Colbert to tears, Bazelon took time out to talk to GreatSchools about mean girls, the media's influence on high-profile bullying incidents, and what parents can do to stem the tide of bullying in their own children's lives.
We've heard a lot about the "bullying epidemic" in recent years, but you dispute that we're actually experiencing an epidemic.
There's something intriguing about the idea of something being an epidemic — and it's easy to get that impression when a topic gets a lot of media coverage. The combination of kids, the internet, and risk is a media magnet, and some recent bullying incidents have received a lot of attention and sensational news coverage — and some of that coverage has been really irresponsible. So it's understandable that people think we're facing a bullying crisis, when in fact rates of bullying have been consistent over the last 25 years
Cyberbullying: not-so-brave new world
Cyberbullying has added a whole new dimension to bullying, and also reinforced the idea that bullying is out of control. But what I've discovered doing research for this book is that cyberbullying isn't a whole new phenomenon, it's just another form or avenue for bullying. When there's a bullying incident going on, the bully shuttles back and forth between bullying in person and bullying on- line. But because we're still getting a handle on this new online world, this new dimension seems different and frightening, and adds to our sense that the problem is out of control — when in fact cyberbullying makes up just a small fraction of bullying incidents.
It's comforting to know that there isn't a bullying epidemic and that bullying isn't actually on the rise, but that doesn't mean that bullying isn't a problem that we should be very concerned about.
You argue that if it's not carried too far and the target isn't an especially vulnerable kid, bullying can be an experience that kids actually learn from.
There is some truth to the old saying, "what doesn't kill us will make us stronger." Any type of adversity can have that effect. It's humbling to come through a negative experience, and you learn a tremendous amount.
I'm not advocating for more bullying. I want to be clear about that. But we can't make our kids' lives perfect, and they are going to face adversity. On the other hand, for some number of kids bullying is a truly harmful experience, and you can't predict ahead of time which kids are going to be permanently harmed. Because we know that in some cases bullying has terrible fallout for both the perpetrator and the victim: doing poorly in school, criminal behavior, and even suicide.
In your book you point out that kids make a distinction between "drama" and "bullying." What's the difference?
Kids are pretty savvy. They know when a conflict is two-way and mutual — what they call "drama" – and when it's lop-sided, which is bullying. Drama includes gossip, kids arguing with each other back and forth, but it's a mutual back and forth. Psychologist and anti-bullying expert Dan Olweus defined bullying as verbal or physical aggression that's repeated over time and that involves a power differential. I think this is a useful limiting definition. Bullying isn't mutual conflict, there's a power imbalance, and it's associated with more serious harm. I think we should listen to kids about this and not jump in and get involved when it's just drama.
Thugs, mean girls, and bully victims
Can you talk about what you think causes a child to bully? There's a girl you mention in the book who would taunt kids about their shabby clothing, and then it turns out her father had lost everything in the recession. Is it often kids who have problems, or experience bullying themselves, who end up bullying other kids?
In my book I talk about the different types of bullies. There's the thug in training, who steals other kids lunch money, and the mean girl — the popular girl who has a lot of power and bullies other kids (although of course it's not just girls who bully in this way).
And then there is a really important type of bully that often gets missed, and that's the bully victim. These are kids who have been bullied themselves, or faced serious problems at home; they may have witnessed or been victims of domestic violence. These bullies can be hard to sympathize with but they are often the most troubled, and their behavior is a cry for help.
You point out that adults often make the problem worse when they get involved in bullying situations.
That's a theme throughout my book: in many cases when there's a bullying incident and it turns into a huge community conflict, adult involvement seems to make the problem worse. In the case of two of the kids I follow in the book, Monique and Jacob, adults in the community didn't do enough. In the aftermath of the Phoebe Prince suicide, adults did too much, and made the situation worse.
You covered the Phoebe Prince story in depth. This was a case that received a tremendous amount of press attention, and the coverage painted a very black and white picture of a girl being relentlessly preyed upon by bullies at her school. Can you talk about the how the incident was presented in the press versus the reality you found in your reporting?
The Phoebe Prince case is an incredibly sad story. She committed suicide and there was a drive to blame a few kids for what happened. And the bullying was not made up: on the day of her death, 3 kids had been cruel to her, she was "slut shamed" — that is, kids were following her and calling her a slut, and there were all kinds of rumors swirling around about her. So there was a kernel of truth to the story that she was being bullied. Meanwhile, the school district didn't handle the media well, and they went ahead with a scheduled dance two days after Phoebe died, which was very insensitive to the family. The whole community was hit with a huge wave of national and international media coverage that no one was prepared for. And then the district attorney brought charges against the kids involved and proposed heavy criminal sentences, which brought still more media attention.
Media hall of mirrors
Phoebe died in January, 2010, and I went there in February. I had just started working on a series on cyberbullying for Slate, and then I heard about Phoebe, and I went to South Hadley. I was expecting to find a really scary high school, and a really scary community. I wanted to figure out what had gone so terribly wrong there, so I talked to everyone I could. But when I talked to kids in the school and to other people there, and no one I talked to felt that the story that was getting so much attention in the press was accurate. The kids who were being charged had admittedly made mistakes. But [in contrast to some media reports] they had not been bullying Phoebe for months [and] they weren't terrorizing the hallways. The story was a lot more complicated…and the way it was being presented in the media didn't pick up any of the nuances.
The kids involved seemed to become bullying targets themselves, with neighbors hounding them, and press stakeouts at their homes.
It's true, and that's the problem when it comes to making an example of people, and making a few people take the blame publically to teach a lesson. These were teenagers, after all. They weren't blameless, but the idea that they could face multiyear sentences was out of proportion with what they'd actually done.
School bullying and how to stop it
What works and what doesn't when it comes to school anti-bullying programs?
There are a couple of important lessons in terms of creating an effective anti–bullying program. The whole-school approach has been shown to work — it doesn't work to just focus on the bully or the victim or the single incident here and there. You need to change the culture of the entire school. School wide anti-bullying programs have been shown to work. The goal is to change the social norm, in terms of bullying. You want to make the case to kids, ideally to have kids make the case to kids, that bullying isn't acceptable. I know that sounds like a tough goal, but there are examples out there of changing social norms. Drunk driving provides a hopeful history lesson, for example. Drunk driving has gone down a lot since I was a teenager — I think because of education about risks, and tough sanctions. Teenagers now seem to understand how dangerous it is in a way they didn't when I was a teenager.
What doesn't work, in terms of anti-bullying programs, is the one-day anti-bullying workshop. The school brings in an expert for the day to talk to teachers, and that's the end of it. For an anti-bullying program to work it can't be just once, you have to have an ongoing dialogue that the whole school engages in. And you aren't going to create change overnight — it's a long-term process.
You emphasize the importance of character and empathy in combatting bullying, and suggest that parents should be instilling these qualities in their children. Do you think parents aren't doing that enough?
I think that's a danger for middle class parents today. We want things to be perfect for our kids, and I understand this as a parent: you want your kids to be happy. But I think we also need to be instilling the skills and moral capacity for empathy, and that doesn't come about just by ensuring their happiness.
The power of empathy
Empathy is really important. I'm interested in the role of the audience in bullying incidents, and how to harness the empathy of bystanders to stop bullying. Research shows that four out of five bullying incidents have an audience, but observers step in to stop bullying in just one in five cases. When they do step in, they stop the bullying half the time. When kids are interviewed, they'll tell you that they oppose bullying. So bystanders are an enormous untapped resource.
This is why building kids' capacity for empathy is so important. It's something you can do when you're sitting around the dinner table with your kids. You can ask questions like, "How would you feel if you were in that kid's situation?" And you can model for your kids helping others, doing frequent small acts of kindness.
Books are also a great resource. For instance, there's a book I read recently with my kids, Wonder by R.J Palacio. It's about a boy with a serious facial disfigurement, he looks different in an alarming way and he's entering the world of middle school. The book is intense, not maudlin, and it tells the story from the perspective of different characters, not just the boy himself — you get the point of view of everyone involved. Reading books like this with your kids is a great way to help them understand other peoples' experiences.
What surprised you most in your reporting for Sticks and Stones?
I was struck again and again by how often the initial reporting of a bullying situation turned out to be wrong. That's why it's important to be skeptical when you hear about a bullying incident in the news. Just last night, for example, I heard someone on CNN say that Adam Lanza [the Newtown shooter] was bullied. I've seen no evidence of that anywhere, but I think we're in a cultural moment where bullying is in the public consciousness, so people quickly jump to that conclusion, and it's not always the case.


text:
Email article link to friend(s) -
Facebook -
MSM: Focusing on the Minor While Ignoring the Major to Help Obama
Mary and I accepted Becky's gracious offer to use her condo for a week of relaxation. The panoramic view of the Gulf of Mexico from the balcony is breathtakingly beautiful. The spectacular scene of varying shades of blue sky and alive water is always in a continuous state of change. From our high vantage point, we realized that the gulf is a mirror reflecting the heavens, gifting the sky an opportunity to behold it's own glory.
We were thrilled to witness a pod of dolphins swimming in one direction across our view in the mornings and swimming in the opposite direction in the evenings. Their amazing water ballet featured dolphins two by two, in unison, gracefully leaping into the air and reentering the water in one silky smooth movement.
"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." Psalm 14:1
Surfing the TV channels, I caught the media frenzy over stupid statements made by Republican Todd Akin. One could only conclude that Akin was the most important news story on the planet. This is yet another example of irresponsible, reprehensible and sold-their-souls-to-the-devil behavior by the mainstream media. Their motto is anything that helps Obama or makes Republicans look bad must be exploited to the max. So Akin will receive 24/7 coverage until they have milked every ounce of negative PR for Republicans out of the story.
Remarkably, the mainstream media functions as if getting Obama reelected trumps everything including world affairs, national security, the U.S. economy and nation race relations.
While our media imitates sharks responding to blood in the water ripping apart Akin, Iran unveiled a new upgraded missile. In response, Israel is talking about possibly attacking Iran. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/21/iran-unveils-upgraded-missile-as-israel-further-weighs-possiblity-attack/ Food and gas prices continue to skyrocket. Mary said, "Can you believe a quart of mayo is five dollars on sale?" One in seven Americans are on food stamps. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/28/food-stamp-programs-promoting-with-parties-games/
Have you heard the mainstream media talk about any of these crucial issues? The answer is no because these extremely important news stories do not further the mainstream media's mission to reelect Obama.
As I stated, even national race relations is fair game to be sacrificed for Obama. For example: The mainstream media has ignored the New Black Panthers' call for violence on Republicans at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/08/14/NBP-Threaten-Cracker-Republican-Tampa-Convention-Wont-Be-Tolerated-Our-Feet-Will-Be-On-Your-Necks
The New Black Panthers' rant on a radio program against Republicans was vile, profane, racist and hate-filled. And yet, we have not heard one peep of rebuke or denouncement from Obama, the Democrats or the mainstream media. The Panthers outrageously and absurdly claim that Republicans hate black people. Therefore, the Panthers claim moral authority to say to the RNC: our "Feet will be on your motherf***king necks"
Judging by their silence regarding the Panthers' hate-filled threat of violence on whites, one can only conclude that the Obama camp believes that the New Black Panthers ginning up hatred in blacks, against white Republicans is good for Obama's reelection. So what if their evil lie rhetoric sets back national race relations, inspires violence and furthers racial division. The Obama camp is not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The Obama justice department and mainstream media simply yawned when the New Black Panthers broke the law by putting a bounty on the head of George Zimmerman. Could the under reported epidemic of black flash mob attacks on whites across America be the fruit of the mainstream media supporting Democrat race-baiting and ignoring New Black Panthers threats of violence? http://www.wnd.com/2012/06/chicagos-unreported-race-war/
This is the evil we good people of America are up against folks. It truly is a war of us against them who harbor evil intentions. This election is not politics as usual; Democrats vs Republicans fighting for control of America's purse strings.
Given their obvious agenda to reelect Obama, lack of fair and balanced analysis and refusal to report news which really affects our lives, I have no, I repeat, no respect for the mainstream media. My gag reflex is growing increasingly weak watching small minded arrogant people on TV pontificating about premises which are flawed at their root; such as, all opposition to Obama is racist.
This week, it was 24/7 coverage of Akin. In these days leading up to the November presidential election, expect the mainstream media to triple down on their coverage of minor stories that they believe will help Obama while ignoring major news that impacts our lives.
The New Black Panthers are pushing for a race war. And yet, the president, his justice department, the Democratic Party and the mainstream media say nothing. Absolutely contemptible.
Hang in there my fellow patriots. God is still on our side and we will defeat this evil come November. May God bless you and the United States of America.
Oh look, two more dolphins just swam by.
Lloyd Marcus
Lloyd Marcus
Send email feedback to Lloyd Marcus
Biography - Lloyd Marcus
Lloyd Marcus, is a Proud Unhyphenated American.
Lloyd's childhood began in a Baltimore ghetto. He grew to manhood in the 1960s. He is an artist, singer, production designer and musical producer, all professions frequently inhabited by leftists. Even his hairstyle – his hair is long and usually woven into a tight ponytail – bespeaks avant-garde. He is outgoing with an infectious laugh. He has become a major Deltona civic leader. His songs and artwork have uplifting, often patriotic, themes. And, as his work on Republican campaigns shows, his politics lean toward the right.
For more, visit Lloyd's website at http://www.lloydmarcus.com/.
Visit Lloyd Marcus's website at Lloyd Marcus
Copyright © 2012 by Lloyd MarcusAll Rights Reserved.
[ Back ]
© 2004-2023 by WEBCommentary(tm), All Rights Reserved


text:
Female Laysan albatrosses have a habit of building nests together and sharing child care responsibilities. Does this make them lesbians? Scientists say no. Still, there have been dozens of news headlines trumpeting the discovery of gay marriage among albatrosses. Now, to fight back, two scientists have done a study on how often the media misrepresents animal sexuality. Their findings are hilarious.
Writing today in Nature, biologists Andrew B. Barron and Mark J. F. Brown explain the scope of the problem:
The vast majority of studies reporting sexual contact between pairs of males or females were presented in media articles as documenting gay, lesbian or transgender behaviour. This is not innocuous - these are terms that refer to human sexuality, which encompasses lifestyle choices, partner preferences and culture, among other factors.
More worryingly, studies that invoked atypical sexual behaviour through genetic or hormonal manipulation were reported as inducing gay or lesbian behaviour or changing the animals' sexual orientation, even in the case of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which has males and hermaphrodites, rather than males and females.
Humans have spent thousands of years heaping cultural ideas on top of our behavior. So when a human says she's a lesbian, it can mean a lot of things that are fairly complicated. When an animal has sex with another animal of the same sex, it doesn't really mean any more than when they have sex with an animal of the opposite sex. It's simply a variant on sexual behavior.
Barron and Brown call out one headline from New Scientist as a perfect example of this issue of translating dry scientific headlines into more exciting (but incorrect) ones:
For example, 'Female-limited polymorphism in the copulatory organ of a traumatically inseminating insect' became 'Bat bugs turn transsexual to avoid stabbing penises.'
The problem? Transsexuality is a human category. Animals do not have to go to a doctor, take hormones, and get their gender designation changed with the social security office in order to engage in the biological function described in the paper. Also, FYI, not all "copulatory organs" are penises.
Here is a funny (and sad) chart Barron and Brown made of some of the wild ways that the media has twisted studies of animal sexuality (click to enlarge).
But is it always wrong to point out that animals engage in homosexual sex, or that they have a lot of sexual variations that go beyond male/female coupling? As biologists like Joan Roughgarden (author of Evolution's Rainbow) and Bruce Bagemihl (author of Biological Exhuberance) have argued, it can be instructive to reveal that same-sex sexual behavior occurs throughout nature. Humans who prefer same-sex partners are not "ill," or "unnatural," but simply behaving the way many animals do naturally. Roughgarden is fond of pointing out that the existence of nature's many sexual permutations — from hermaphroditic worms to male cuttlefish who camouflage themselves as female — helps put human sexuality in perspective. Sexual diversity in nature reminds us that human sexual diversity is not an aberration, nor does it undermine evolutionary fitness.
Still, it can be hard to explain that animals are not gay nor lesbian, nor are they transsexual. They engage in behavior that looks so similar to those human ideas that we want to project human feelings onto them. This is the same urge that makes us want to make birthday cakes for hamsters and project complicated psychological motivations onto our cats when they barf on the pillows. Yes, animals do have feelings; and yes, they have sex in a lot of different ways. But that doesn't mean they're "passive aggressive" or "lesbian" in the way humans are.
We've had many debates about this at io9, most recently when a study came out about male cuttlefish camouflaging themselves as female to avoid conflicts with other males. Researchers had amazing pictures of a male cuttlefish who had transformed only one side of his body to look female — the side facing another male. So he had a kind of Victor/Victoria look, female on one side and male on the other. How do you explain that in a headline without coming across as wrong or douchey? Were these cuttlefish transvestites? Absolutely not. Were they two-faced deceivers? In a sense, but we worried that a headline like that, using "two faced," would imply that gender transformation was negative. We finally settled on this headline: "Secrets of the half-male, half-female cuttlefish revealed at last." That isn't exactly perfect either, but we felt that it described the image of the cuttlefish accurately (half-male, half-female) — and the "secrets" part of the headline hinted to the reader that the image was also more than it seemed.
Writing is not an exact science. Plus, humans are so fascinated (and terrified) by our sexuality that it's especially hard to avoid getting our knickers in a bunch over the scientific study of sex. But if we truly want to understand why humans do it, we'd do well to report as objectively as possible about how everybody else is doing it. Hopefully, by seeing animal sexuality for what it really is, we will learn to see human sexuality for what it is too.


text:
Vice President
First Lady
Mrs. Cheney
News & Policies
History & Tours | Kids | Your Government | Appointments | Jobs | Contact | Graphic version
Email Updates | Español | Accessibility | Search | Privacy Policy | Help
|Printer-Friendly Version Email this page to a friend
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 26, 2001
Memorandum for the Secretary of State
Presidential Determination
No. 2001-22
Memorandum for the Secretary of State
Subject: Determination Pursuant to Section 2(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as Amended
Pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1), I hereby determine that it is important to the national interest that up to $27 million be made available from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to meet unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs, including those of refugees, displaced persons, conflict victims, and other persons at risk due to the situations in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, and Afghanistan. These funds may be used, as appropriate, to provide contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations, and as necessary, for administrative expenses of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Of the $27 million hereby determined, not more than $5 million shall be reserved on a contingency basis in order to allow for immediate United States response to unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs.
You are authorized and directed to inform the appropriate committees of the Congress of this determination and the obligation of funds under this authority, and to arrange for the publication of this memorandum in the Federal Register.
# # #
Printer-Friendly Version Email this page to a friend


text:
Remarks at a Campaign Rally in Denver, Colorado
The President. Hello, Denver! Oh, it is good to be back in Denver.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. Thank you. Well, I tell you what, we win Colorado, I'll get 4 more years.
A couple of people I just want to acknowledge. First of all, I just want to say thank you to Sandra for that wonderful introduction. She is one tough and poised young lady. She was generous to stand up for her friend. She was brave to stand up for herself and an eloquent advocate for women's health. And I suspect she's going to be doing some even greater things as time goes on. So give her a big round of applause.
A couple other people I want to acknowledge: Your own mayor, Michael Hancock is in the house. One of the best Senators in the country, Michael Bennet is in the house. A passionate advocate for working families, Ed Perlmutter is here. My dear friend, campaign cochair, former mayor, former Secretary of Transportation and Energy—I'm getting tired just listing his r?sum?—Federico Pena is in the house. He's here somewhere. Where did Federico go?
And finally, I also want to acknowledge another campaign cochair, John Register, a veteran and Paralympian. We are very proud of him: John Register.
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since I was last here in Colorado. And, well, as many of you know, I was in Aurora to meet those who lost loved ones during that terrible shooting. And I just had a chance to see some of the first-responders who helped to save lives and comfort families during that terrible, terrible day. Unfortunately, since that time, we've had another tragedy in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where six members of our community were killed as they entered into a house of worship.
And so I think we can all acknowledge, we've got to put an end to this kind of senseless violence, whether it's in Aurora, whether it's in Oak Creek, whether it's in Tucson, whether it's in cities all across America where too many lives are cut short because of senseless violence. This is going to have to stop. And as an American family—as one American family—we're going to have to come together and look at all the approaches that we can take to try to bring an end to it.
And I want you to all know that the thoughts and prayers of the entire Nation remain with those in Aurora. And even though the perpetrators of these acts have received a lot of attention, attention on them will fade and what will be replaced are the stories of heroism and hope that we've seen here in Colorado and in Wisconsin and across the Nation. That's what we'll remember. That's what's going to matter. That's what we will value: the strength and the resilience and the care and the love of the American people.
Now, unless you've managed to completely avoid your television set—[Laughter]—or your cable is broken, you are aware that there is a pretty intense campaign going on right now. And the reason it's intense is because the choice that we face in November could not be bigger. It's not just a choice between two candidates. It's not even just a choice between two parties. More than any election in recent memory, this is a choice between two fundamentally different paths for our country's future.
And the direction that you choose—the direction you choose when you walk into that voting booth 3 months from now—will have a direct impact not just on your lives, but on the lives of your children and the lives of your grandchildren.
And that's true for everybody. But it's especially true for the women in this country, from working moms to college students, to seniors. Because when it comes to the economy, it's bad enough that our opponents want to take us back to the same policies of the last decade, the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place, the same policies that saw jobs going overseas and ended up seeing people's wages and incomes going down even as the costs of everything from health care to college were going up, policies that culminated in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and that we've spent, now, 3 1/2 years trying to recover from. That's bad enough. But when it comes to a woman's right to make her own health care choices, they want to take us back to the policies more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century.
And, Colorado, you've got to make sure it does not happen. The decisions that affect a woman's health, they're not up to politicians, they're not up to insurance companies——
Audience members. No!
The President. They're up to you. And you deserve a President who will fight to keep it that way. That's the President I've been. That's the President I will be if I get a second term as President of the United States, to keep moving this country forward.
On the issues that matter, you don't have to take my word for it, you can take me at my record. Four years ago, I delivered on my promise to pass health reform before the end of my first term. That's what we did. The affordable health—the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare—I actually like the name—[Laughter]—because I do care. That's why we fought so hard to make it happen.
The Affordable Care Act helps make sure you don't have to worry about going broke just because one of your loved ones gets sick. Insurance companies can no longer place lifetime limits on your care. They can no longer jack up your premiums without reason. They can no longer drop your coverage when you need it most. They can no longer discriminate against children with preexisting conditions. And pretty soon, they'll no longer be able to deny you coverage based on a preexisting condition, like breast cancer or cervical cancer, or charge you more for care just because you're a woman. They can't do that anymore. Those days are over.
This is a law that allows young adults under the age of 26 to stay on their parents' health care plans, and that's already helped 6.6 million young Americans.
If you're a little bit over 26, it gives seniors a discount on their prescription drugs, a discount that's already saved millions of seniors on Medicare hundreds of dollars each.
Right now nearly 13 million Americans are getting a rebate from insurance companies—that's right, they're sending you a check—because under the law, we've capped the amount of money that they can spend on administrative costs and CEO bonuses instead of your health care. And when they violate that rule, they've got to send you a check.
Last year, Obamacare secured new access to preventive care like mammograms and cancer screenings—with no copay, no deductible, no out-of-pocket cost—for more than 20 million women. Last week, insurance companies began covering even more services. And now most health plans are going to begin covering the cost of contraceptive care.
Now, understand this is crucial for women's health. Doctors prescribe contraception not just for family planning, but as a way to reduce the risk of ovarian and other cancers. And it's good for our health care system in general, because we know the overall cost of care is lower when women have access to contraceptive services.
And listen, we recognize that many people have strongly held religious views on contraception, which is why we made sure churches and other houses of worship, they don't have to provide it, they don't have to pay for it. We worked with the Catholic hospitals and universities to find a solution that protects both religious liberty and a woman's health.
So the fact is, nearly 99 percent of women have relied on contraception at some point, and more than half of all women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford it.
Audience member. Thank you!
The President. And we're changing that. Before health care reform, many health care plans charged high deductibles or copays for all these preventive services, or they just didn't cover them at all. And according to one study, more than half of all women put off the care they needed because of that. How many of you have gone without care that you needed or a checkup because you knew that you might not be able to afford the insurance copays? And you had to choose between gas or groceries or your kid's new soccer uniform.
I don't think a working mom in Denver should have to wait to get a mammogram just because money is tight. I don't think a college student in Colorado Springs should have to choose between textbooks or the preventive care that she needs. That's why we passed this law. It was the right thing to do.
Now, my opponent has a different view. As Sandra said, he said he would take the Affordable Care Act and "kill it dead" on the first day of his Presidency—"kill it dead."
Audience members. Boo!
The President. Which, I mean, just understand what this means. This means 26-year-olds, 6.5 million young people don't have health insurance. The preventative care gone. Seniors paying more for prescription drugs. Preexisting conditions, you're out of luck. Then he said he'd "get rid of" Planned Parenthood.
Audience members. Boo!
The President. Then, he said he would have supported an extreme measure in Mississippi that could have outlawed some forms of contraception.
Audience members. Boo!
The President. Then, he joined the far right of his party to support a bill that would allow any employer to deny contraceptive coverage to their employees. So it would be up to the employer to decide——
Audience members. Boo!
The President. ——your boss telling you what's best for your health and your safety.
Now, let me tell you something, Denver, I don't think your boss should get to control the health care that you get. I don't think insurance companies should control the care that you get. I don't think politicians should control the care that you get. I think there's one person to make these decisions on health care, and that is you. You should make that decision.
Mr. Romney is running as the candidate of conservative values. There's nothing conservative about a Government that prevents a woman from making her own health care decisions. He says he's the candidate of freedom. But freedom is the chance, the opportunity to determine for yourself the care that you need, when you need it. It's the ability to change jobs or start your own business without fear of losing your health insurance.
We're not going back to the days when it was acceptable to charge women more than men for health care. And we're not going back to the days when women with preexisting conditions, like being a cancer survivor, were denied affordable care. We're not going to kick more than a million young women off their parent's plan. We are not going backwards, Denver. We're moving forward. That's why I'm running for President again.
And understand this: At a time when women make up nearly half the workforce, an increasing share of family breadwinners, these aren't just health issues, and they're not just women's issues. These are economic issues. They affect every family in America. Think about it. Think about what it means when a woman is the main breadwinner for her family, but she's taking less pay home, doing the same work as a man, just because she's a woman. That's not right.
Audience members. No!
The President. When my opponent's campaign was asked if he'd fight to guarantee an equal day's pay for an equal day's work, you know what the campaign said? They said, "We'll get back to you on that."
Audience members. Boo!
The President. That's not a good answer. "We'll get back to you on that"? He won't say what he'd do about it. You've got my answer: Upholding the principle of equal pay for equal work was the first bill I signed into law. The Lilly Ledbetter Act, first bill I signed.
And one other thing. Today is the 3-year anniversary of Sonia Sotomayor taking her seat on the Supreme Court. Yesterday was the 2-year anniversary of Elena Kagan taking her seat on the Supreme Court. So let's be very clear: The next President could tip the balance of the Court in a way that turns back the clock for women and families for decades to come. The choice between going backward and moving forward has never been so clear.
And let me say this. When I talk about women's issues, I'm talking about the experiences that I've seen in my own life. Everybody knows Michelle. The fact that we are partners in this process, this journey of life, has been my source of strength. And I want to make sure that she has control over her health care choices. I want to make sure that when she's working, she is getting paid the same as men. I've got to say, First Ladies right now don't—[Laughter]—even though that's a tough job.
You know, my own mom would have been 70 years old this year. And my sister and I lost her to cancer when she was just 52 years old. And she got to meet Michelle, but she never got a chance to meet her granddaughters or watch them grow up. And I often think about what might have happened if a doctor had caught her cancer sooner or if she had been able to spend less time focusing on how she was going to pay her bills and more time on getting well.
Audience member. She is still with us!
The President. She is still with us. She is in a better place.
I think about Malia and Sasha, and I think to myself, well, we're not going to have an America where they have fewer opportunities than somebody's sons.
Audience members. No!
The President. I don't want them having fewer choices than anybody's boys do.
And then, 4 years ago, as I had the privilege to travel all across this country and meet Americans from all walks of life, I heard so many stories like mine. And I decided nobody else should have to endure the heartbreak of a broken health care system. No one in the wealthiest nation on Earth should go broke because they get sick. Nobody should be able to tell their daughters or sons that the decisions they can and cannot make for themselves are constrained because of some politicians in Washington.
And thanks to you, we've made a difference in people's lives. Thanks to you, there are folks that I meet today who have gotten care and their cancer has been caught, and they've got treatment, and they are living full lives. And it happened because of you, because of your efforts 4 years ago.
And, Denver, we've come too far to turn back now. We've got too much work to do to implement health care. We've got too much work to do to create good jobs. We've got too many teachers that we've got to hire. We've got too many schools we've got to rebuild. We've got too many students who still need affordable higher education. There's more homegrown energy to generate. There are more troops that we've got to bring home. There are more doors of opportunity that we've got to open to anybody who's willing to work hard and walk through those doors.
We've got to keep building an economy where no matter what you look like or where you come from, you can make it here if you try. And you can leave something behind for the next generation. That's what at stake right now, Colorado. That's why I'm running for President of the United States of America. That's why I'm asking for your vote.
I still believe in you. And if you still believe in me, and if you're willing to stand with me and knock on some doors with me and make some phone calls with me and talk to your neighbors and friends about what's at stake, we will win Colorado. And if we win Colorado, we will win this election. We will finish what we started, and we'll remind the world why America is the greatest nation on Earth.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
Note: The President spoke at 1:06 p.m. at the Auraria Event Center. In his remarks, he referred to Georgetown University Law School graduate Sandra K. Fluke, who testified before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on student health insurance coverage of contraceptive services; and Republican Presidential candidate former Gov. W. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. He also referred to his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng.
Barack Obama, Remarks at a Campaign Rally in Denver, Colorado Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/302160