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TOP PICK-Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner, the No. 1 overall pick the WNBA draft, holds a team jersey with head coach Corey Gaines during a news conference Saturday, April 20, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
FIRST TO COME OUT–In this April 17, photo, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins, right, battles for a rebound against Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich during a NBA basketball game in Chicago. Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
by Martha Irvine
CHICAGO (AP) — It may be a man's world, as the saying goes, but lesbians seem to have an easier time living in it than gay men do.
High-profile lesbian athletes have come out while still playing their sports, but only one gay male athlete in major U.S. professional sports has done the same.
On April 29, NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out as gay.
In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins begins: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm Black. And I'm gay.
While television's most prominent same-sex parents are the two fictional dads on "Modern Family," surveys show that society is actually more comfortable with the idea of lesbians parenting children.
And then there is the ongoing debate over the Boy Scouts of America proposal to ease their ban on gay leaders and scouts.
Reaction to the proposal, which the BSA's National Council will take up next month, has been swift, and often harsh. Yet amid the discussions, the Girl Scouts of USA reiterated their policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, among other things. That announcement has gone largely unnoticed.
Certainly, the difference in the public's reaction to the scouting organizations can be attributed, in part, to their varied histories, including the Boy Scouts' longstanding religious ties and a base that has become less urban over the years, compared with the Girl Scouts'.
But there's also an undercurrent here, one that's often present in debates related to homosexuality, whether over the military's now-defunct "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy or even same-sex marriage. Even as society has become more accepting of homosexuality overall, longstanding research has shown more societal tolerance for lesbians than gay men, and that gay men are significantly more likely to be targets of violence.
That research also has found that it's often straight men who have the most difficult time with homosexuality – and particularly gay men – says researcher Gregory Herek.
"Men are raised to think they have to prove their masculinity, and one big part about being masculine is being heterosexual. So we see that harassment, jokes, negative statements and violence are often ways that even younger men try to prove their heterosexuality," says Herek, a psychologist at the University of California, Davis, who has, for years, studied this phenomenon and how it plays out in the gay community.
That is not, of course, to downplay the harassment lesbians face. It can be just as ugly.
But it's not as frequent, Herek and others have found, especially in adulthood. It's also not uncommon for lesbians to encounter straight men who have a fascination with them.
"The men hit on me. The women hit on me. But I never feel like I'm in any immediate danger," says Sarah Toce, the 29-year-old editor of The Seattle Lesbian and managing editor of The Contributor, both online news magazines. "If I were a gay man, I might – and if it's like this in Seattle, can you imagine what it is like in less-accepting parts of middle America?"
One of Herek's studies found that, overall, 38 percent of gay men said that, in adulthood, they'd been victims of vandalism, theft or violence – hit, beaten or sexually assaulted – because they were perceived as gay. About 13 percent of lesbians said the same.
A separate study of young people in England also found that, in their teens, gay boys and lesbians were almost twice as likely to be bullied as their straight peers. By young adulthood, it was about the same for lesbians and straight girls. But in this study, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, gay young men were almost four times more likely than their straight peers to be bullied.
At least one historian says it wasn't always that way for either men or women, whose "expressions of love" with friends of the same gender were seen as a norm – even idealized – in the 19th century.
"These relationships offered ample opportunity for those who would have wanted to act on it physically, even if most did not," says Thomas Foster, associate professor and head of the history department at DePaul University in Chicago.
Today's "code of male gendered behavior," he says, often rejects these kinds of expressions between men.
We joke about the "bro-mance" – a term used to describe close friendships between straight men. But in some sense, the humor stems from the insinuation that those relationships could be romantic, though everyone assumes they aren't.
Call those friends "gay," a word that's still commonly used as an insult, and that's quite another thing. Consider the furor over Rutgers University men's basketball coach Mike Rice, who was recently fired for mistreating his players and mocking them with gay slurs.
If two women dance together at a club or walk arm-in-arm down the street, people are usually less likely to question it – though some wonder if that has more to do with a lack of awareness than acceptance.
"Lesbians are so invisible in our society. And so I think the hatred is more invisible," says Laura Grimes, a licensed clinical social worker in Chicago whose counseling practice caters to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients.
Grimes says she also frequently hears from lesbians who are harassed for "looking like dykes," meaning that people are less accepting if they look more masculine.
Still, Ian O'Brien, a gay man in Washington, D.C., sees more room for women "to transcend what femininity looks like, or at least negotiate that space a little bit more."
O'Brien, who's 23, recently wrote an opinion piece tied to the Boy Scout debate and his own experience in the Scouts when he was growing up in the San Diego area.
"To put it simply: Being a boy is supposed to look one way, and you get punished when it doesn't," O'Brien wrote in the piece, which appeared in The Advocate, a national magazine for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities
Joey Carrillo, a gay student at Elmhurst College in suburban Chicago, remembers trying to be as masculine as possible in high school. He hid the fact that he was gay, particularly around other athletes. As a wrestler, he says he never wanted to hear someone say, "Oh, THAT'S why he wrestles."
In fact, though more gay and lesbian athletes are coming out in college, gay male professional athletes in major sports have waited to do so until they have left their sport, until Jason Collins. There have been reports that other gay male athletes who are currently playing may be on the verge of going public.
But women have already done so with little backlash.
U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe, for instance, came out right before she played in last year's Olympics. WNBA star Seimone Augustus and the league's No. 1 draft pick, Brittney Griner, are some of the more recent female athletes to follow suit.
In Hollywood in recent years, both openly gay men and lesbians have had successful careers. And when it comes to television and movies, it appears there are more high-profile gay male characters.
Still, while many see the two dads on the "Modern Family" sitcom as groundbreaking, others have a sense that the societal discomfort with gay men as parents is at the root of many of the jokes.
"A good portion of that is for comedic effect," says Don Todd, a 32-year-old father in a two-dad family in Orange, Calif. He doesn't think most people would think it was as funny if the characters were two moms.
Herek, the researcher at UC-Davis, has, in fact, found in surveys that heterosexuals think lesbians would be better parents than gay men.
Nancy Dreyer, a mother in a two-mom family, has noticed this in her own life.
"With gay male friends of ours who have kids, people will say, `My gosh, who takes care of this baby?' – as if they're not capable," says Dreyer, whose 57 and lives in suburban Boston.
The assumption, she says, is that men aren't nurturing. And if they're too nurturing, she says, people get suspicious, noting that no one has ever questioned her and her partner about their ability to raise their son, who's now in college.
She's noticed the different ways society treats gay men and lesbians, partly because she has a brother, Benjamin Dreyer, who's gay. The Dreyer siblings say it's difficult to compare their experiences because Benjamin came out in college, and Nancy in her early 30s.
So he was the first to tell their parents. "They yelled at me. They took you to dinner," Benjamin Dreyer, who's 54 and works in publishing in New York City, now jokes with his sister.
Truth was, as a young gay man coming of age as the AIDS epidemic took hold, his parents simply worried, and with good reason, his sister says.
There's little doubt, they both say, that AIDS influenced the perception of gay men.
Benjamin Dreyer says he dealt with societal bias by avoiding it, and surrounding himself with people he knew would be supportive, including his parents, eventually.
But he's also realizing how quickly the need to do that is disappearing. He was surprised and pleased, for instance, when he attended his nephew's high school graduation last year. There, he saw a gay male graduate with his boyfriend, open and accepted by all his peers.
"It's mind-boggling," Benjamin Dreyer says. "It's wonderful."
Carrillo, too, decided to live openly when he arrived at Elmhurst College. He joined a fraternity and even painted a rainbow – a common symbol of the gay community – on his fraternity paddle. To his surprise, there was some backlash from a couple of his straight fraternity brothers who feared people would think their fraternity was the "gay fraternity."
"There's a long way to go," says Carrillo, who graduates next month. But he still feels hopeful.
"Honestly, I see it – everywhere there's progress."
Martha Irvine is an AP national writer. She can be reached at email@example.com or at HTTP://TWITTER.COM/IRVINEAP


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Do's & Don'ts
Ways You Can Help
The city encourages residents and neighborhoods to become actively involved in efforts to clean up stormwater runoff. There are many things you can do to help save our waters and minimize the pollution that enters our storm drains.
- Start a compost pile and invest in a mulching blade for your lawn mower.
- Use fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides responsibly and as needed, preferably in dry weather. Use natural organic fertilizers as much as possible.
- Dispose of motor oil and other household hazardous wastes at designated locations.
- Wash your car on the lawn and let the nutrient rich soapy water fertilize your grass at the same time.
- Clean up after your pets to avoid polluting the waterways.
- Leave grass clippings on your yard when you mow.
- If you do not have a mulching mower, bag your leaves, grass clippings, and other yard debris and leave the bags at curbside for pickup by city sanitation.
- Take care not to blow leaves and grass into the street.
- Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly, and not near the water or street.
- Plant less grass and leave more natural areas with straw or mulch.
- Use native Florida plants - less maintenance and less water requirements.
- Create and use a compost pile.
- Use chemical free alternatives for household cleaning.
- Plant shrubs, tress, or ground cover at the street to filter runoff.
- Direct your sprinklers away from driveways and sidewalks.
- Recycle used motor oil.
- Take household hazardous waste to the land fill on amnesty days.
- Blow or place leaves and clippings into the street. Grass and leaves entering bayous and bays help decrease the amount of oxygen and can lead to algae growth and fish kills.
- Overuse lawn chemicals. Not only can herbicides and pesticides be toxic to wildlife, they can also lead to excessive algae growth.
- Pour motor oil, chemicals, or other household materials into the streets or drains. These can be toxic to wildlife and further damage water quality.
- Wash your car in the driveway or street. The wash water will add excess nutrients to our waterways.
- Leave anything in the street - it will wash into the storm drains.
- Put anything in a storm drain. Only rain goes in the drain.
These tips provided by the Bayou Texar Foundation, the City of Pensacola, and the West Florida Regional Planning Council.

subset: commoncrawl


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From MusicBrainz WikiJump to navigationJump to search
Products > libcoverart
The Cover Art Archive Library (libcoverart), is a development library geared towards developers who wish to add Cover Art capabilities to their applications. The library supports Linux and Mac OS X. The data is mostly gathered from the Cover Art Archive.
For details on how to use this library, please take a look at the API documentation.
|libcoverart-1.0.0.tar.gz (58 KB)
(MD5: 6380056bb4bc1a69790e706b4d506f50)
Source code
The source code is available on GitHub and can be downloaded with:
git clone git://github.com/metabrainz/libcoverart.git
The Cover Art Archive Library is licensed under the LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License).
Language Bindings
note: These bindings mostly don't need libcoverart installed, but use the Cover Art Archive/API directly.
- Perl: CoverArtArchive (CPAN), developed by MusicBrainz
- Java: CoverArtArchiveClient, developed by Last.fm


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|/* Mudflap: narrow-pointer bounds-checking by tree rewriting.
|Copyright (C) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
|Contributed by Frank Ch. Eigler <email@example.com>
|This file is part of GCC.
|GCC is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
|the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
|Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later
|GCC is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
|WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
|FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License
|for more details.
|You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
|along with GCC; see the file COPYING. If not, write to the Free
|Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
|#ifndef TREE_MUDFLAP_H
|#define TREE_MUDFLAP_H
|/* Instrumentation. */
|extern void mudflap_init (void);
|extern void mudflap_enqueue_decl (tree);
|extern void mudflap_enqueue_constant (tree);
|extern void mudflap_finish_file (void);
|/* Tree node marking. */
|extern int mf_marked_p (tree);
|extern tree mf_mark (tree);
|#endif /* TREE_MUDFLAP_H */


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One of the worrying things about the handling of the current European crisis is how many of those responsible for taking the decisions seem to view the Eurozone in a way which is every bit as rigid, timeless and dogmatic as the thinking of those old school scholastics whom Galileo, in his time, found himself battling against. Rather than facilitating a dialogue, and a free and open discussion, the guardians of fortress euro seem to want to keep the doors slammed tight shut, just in case any strange and unwanted ideas should inadvertantly slip in without them noticing.
Take the issue of Eurozone aggregate data. Treating the countries that constitute the bloc as one homogenous entity seems to have become a sort of shibboleth which it is impossible to question, even though it is patently evident to all concerned that there are often enormous differences between the economy of one member country and another. Inflation is the prime example. What seems to interest members of the ECB Governing Council when they have their monthly meeting is that somewhat abstract entity, the average EU16 inflation rate, while what is obviously interesting to follow from a policy point of view (just look what happened to Ireland, Spain and Greece in the years before the crisis - see Spain chart below), is the degree to which inflation rates in individual countries diverge from the mean.
Another example would be current account balances (see chart below). Eurostat publishes data for the EuroArea 16 on a monthly basis, but I think I am right in saying they never publish the national-level breakdown (certainly I have never seen it, and that hasn't been for want of trying). But, of course, now we find ourselves with a whopping set of internal imbalances between those countries running large surpluses and those with large deficits - which the financial markets are becoming less and less willing to fund - and no one seems any too clear about what to do to restore the balance. But how were the imbalances allowed to build up in the first place? Did they creep up on us by stealth, or was no one really looking?
Exactly the same issue arises with the national breakdown of bank borrowing from the ECB. As if living in a theoretical cocoon, decision makers at the ECB move forward in way which makes them seem completely impervious to the problems posed by the way banks in one country are more dependent on funding than are those in others (M Trichet repeatedly refuses to answer questions on this kind of issue at the monthly press conference) and hence remain walled-in from the issues which actually exist in the real world which surrounds them. When pressed they simply state that there is no problem since an EU country is in principle just like a US state - try telling that to Ireland or Greece. Or try telling it to German voters when they are asked to contribute to bailouts.
The issue is of course a very telling one, since basically the whole present Eurozone debt crisis has the inter-country imbalances as its backdrop, hard as the members of the ECB Governing Council may try to avoid admitting it, prefering instead to focus attention on the fiscal profligacy (of which, naturally, there has been a good deal) of the national members state governments. In other words, the problem is not of their making, oh deary me no!
Rivers Of Liquidity Here, Credit Drought There
National divergences in bank lending constitute another very good case in point. Despite the fact that the current crisis has become known as a Sovereign Debt One, it isn't always fiscal spending and public sector debt which lies at the heart of the problem. In fact, private sector debt is often as much of an issue, and the private sector in some EuroArea countries is heavily indebted, while that in others is not. It is important to discover who is who here, and to distinguish between them, since if you don't it will be impossible to decide prescisely which kind of policy mix is appropriate in each and every case (but, of course, our modern scholastic dogmatists will tell us there are no such things as "cases" here, and continue to insist there should be no distinction between countries at the level of policy). Yet just when you need the fine grained detail, what you get are more aggregate numbers and a bunch of platitudes which really tell you very little.
Thus, in the August edition of their publication "Monetary Developments In The Euro Area" we learn from the ECB that bank lending to euro-zone businesses increased in August by €17 billion as compared with July, a rise which more than reversed the €11 billion decline in July over June. What this increase meant was that the annual rate of decline in corporate borrowing was only 1.1% in August versus a 1.4% annual drop in July. That lending to corporates is falling less rapidly is good news, but it is still falling on an annual basis.
Aggregate lending to households also picked up, rising €14 billion during August compared with a €5 billion monthly increase in July. This lead the annual rate of growth to rise to 2.9% from 2.7% in the previous month, which produced a lot of "at last" type comments in the press. And putting the two numbers together, we find the annual rate of growth in loans to the entire private sector was up at 1.2% in August from 0.8% in July. Relief all round, surely, since we are going the right way.
Unfortunately nothing is ever so simple, and once we start to dig down we find large and significant disparities - disparities which may well produce monetary policy decision conflicts for the ECB in the months to come - hidden away in the aggregates. In France, for example, lending for house purchases was up an annual 6.5% in August, and indeed over the last three months such lending rose at a 7.9% annualised rate (ie lending growth for housing is accelerating), while in Spain total house lending was only up 0.6% on the year (in July, we don't have the August data from the bank of Spain yet, but it won't be very different).
When we come to total lending to households we find the pattern repeated, since this was up 5.4% in France in August, and only 0.5% (in July) in Spain.
And when we come to corporate borrowing, this was up an annual 0.4% in France in August, while it was down 1.9% in Spain (in July).
But then, you may want to ask, at the end of the day just why would anyone in Spain want to take on more debt? Since the Spanish stock of corporate debt is around 1,300 billion euros, while the French equivalent is only 771 billion euros (and the country is about half as big again as Spain), French corporates could certainly take on some more debt (if circumstances like market and investment needs warranted) but Spain's heavily over-indebted corporates simply need to pay their debt down. In the context of Spain's shrinking economy, more credit for Spanish corporates simply means more indebtedness and more interest-roll-up loans of the kind that "gather no loss" (at least at the balance sheet level), hardly a desireable development at this point.
Evidently I have taken the two polar cases here, borrowing in Italy and Germany is much weaker than in France, while the situation in Ireland, Greece and Portugal will look more like Spain. But this is part of the point, France is the one large EuroArea country where domestic demand still has real life to it (for a variety of reasons it wasn't blown out by a bubble during the last round) but for just that very reason it would be absolute madness to turn the goose that can still lay golden eggs into some kind of "foie gras" by feeding it up with massive doses of liquidity it evidently doesn't need.
Looking at the inflation differential between France and the Eurozone average matters aren't getting out of hand yet, although French inflation is above the average in a way in which it has not been before, and the situation now requires careful monitoring.
Forward looking inflation expectations have risen in France in recent months, but they seem to a stagnated of late, so again, at this point there is no need to panic.
But the situation is one where - now what is the expression - "extreme vigilance" needs to be exercised, since naturally there is no reason why a country that didn't have a bubble last time round won't develop one next time. So perhaps one of you journalists who attend the post-meeting press conference might like to ask M Trichet whether this is the kind of approach he has in mind, and what policy options are open to him should the worst case scenario (on the upside) really start to materialise. In the meantime, all I can do is shrug my shoulders and mutter under my breath "ma eppur si muove".
Facebook Blogging
Edward Hugh has a lively and enjoyable Facebook community where he publishes frequent breaking news economics links and short updates. If you would like to receive these updates on a regular basis and join the debate please invite Edward as a friend by clicking the Facebook link at the top of the right sidebar.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
All For One And One For All - "We AreThe Eurozone"
Posted by Edward Hugh at 8:12 AM
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The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is compiling information on the capabilities of vendors that can assist it with its Linux-based information system. NGA has asked vendors to provide a description of their capabilities by Feb. 11. In a quick-response "Sources Sought" notice issued Jan. 28, NGA said it was "researching the market availability of firms that can potentially provide services and products that could be seamlessly incorporated" into the agency's baseline program.
"The information should describe how and why NGA would utilize your Linux solution — not only responding to the ability to meet the criteria listed, but detailed capability to ensure it is a viable solution for NGA," it said.
The notice does not guarantee that NGA will soon issue a procurement order.
"This is not a pioneering or expanded use of the Linux requirement. NGA continuously seeks new and updated IT solutions to better support its mission partners," Julia Collins, public affairs officer for NGA, told LinuxInsider. "NGA also must ensure that these solutions meet unique requirements for operating in a classified environment."
As part of its capabilities strategy, NGA wants to ensure that it can acquire systems "within a competitive marketplace," Collins said.
"The Linux OS is used for a wide variety of programs within the NGA. The agency's mission is to provide geospatial-intelligence data and products in support of national security. Our products are broad-ranging, including support for military operations and senior policy makers, as well as humanitarian efforts," Collins explained. One humanitarian application is providing geo-intelligence during large scale hurricane and flooding events.
NGA is a Defense Department combat support agency and a member of the national intelligence community. NGA was formerly known as the "National Imagery and Mapping Agency."
Seeking Solid Information
NGA wants nuts-and-bolts descriptions of vendor capabilities. The agency requested that vendors refrain from including marketing materials or Internet links in their submissions. NGA specified that vendors must demonstrate several Linux technical and performance requirements, including an open source Linux operating system that is fully compatible with NGA's existing solution (Red Hat Linux); the ability to scale deployments without increasing administrative overhead; the ability to add servers without buying additional support tools necessary to provide updates and patches; and compatibility with the existing virtualization environment (VMware).
Vendors must also demonstrate complete binary capability, and they must identify which specific vendor OS add-ons are incorporated into the Linux package. NGA requires that vendors have the ability to manage the complete life cycle of a Linux infrastructure — specifically, the current NGA Linux infrastructure — to include the ability to deploy, configure, manage, update and then re-deploy Linux systems, all from a single Graphical User Interface (GUI) console.
All vendors must demonstrate an ability to keep track of systems and applications from within the network console by viewing reports that let system administrators take action before performance becomes an issue.
Vendors must have Top Secret or SCI-cleared support personnel and facilities in the event NGA has to provide classified information from a machine to the vendor for analysis. This may be accomplished either by sending the data to an approved classified system or bringing a cleared contractor to an NGA facility.
NGA listed two contracting officers for the email submission of capability statements: Donna J. Warren at [email protected], (314) 676-0196, or Douglas H. Verseman at [email protected], (314) 676-0195.
The NGA notice did not mention the value of any contracts that may eventually result from the gathering of information about vendors.
However, the agency used a similar mechanism for its broadbased Total Application Services for Enterprise Requirements (TASER) contract last year. The agency released a request for information to the commercial community before selecting 16 vendors to participate in the multiple source contract, which has a potential five-year total value of US$1 billion.
The selected vendors included engineering and information technology firms. One firm, BAE Systems, for example, completed a task order contract last November that involved migrating a server-based mission application into a virtualized data center environment.
Defense Agencies Lead in Open Source
NGA's requirement for continuing to bolster its information technology resources, especially in the open source space, is par for the course for a security-related agency, according to one major vendor.
"All we can say about the sources sought initiative is that we are well aware of it," Gunnar Hellekson, chief technology strategist for Red Hat, told LinuxInsider. "But in the open source arena, the defense and intelligence agencies have been impressive as first adopters."
In a just released "report card" on the use of open source technology at the federal level, the Defense Department received the highest rating — 82 percent — from Open Source for America (OFSA). The rating system assigned a percentage grade to federal agency use of open source technologies, open formats, and technology tools for citizen engagement.
"The department is demonstrably ahead of the curve in recognizing the benefits and use of open technologies," OFSA said. DoD not only has issued procurement policies for open technologies, but also has prepared guidance for facilitating participation by government employees in open source projects, the report notes.
"The Department is looking to adopt transparent policies and procedures in line with President Obama's Open Government Directive," said Daniel Risacher, associate director of enterprise services and integration at DoD.
"I think it's important to note that both the Defense Department and the Energy Department are good examples of practical, reasonable approaches and directives on open source use that do not say 'no' or 'never' to open source, but at the same time do not say 'always' to open source software, which is actually impractical and unreasonable," JayLyman, senior industry analyst at the 451 Group, told LinuxInsider.
NGA is not only looking to improve its open source systems. The agency has an ambitious information technology agenda.
"This notice to vendors is also in line with NGA Director Letitia Long's vision to enhance our analytic capabilities and provide our customers with online, on-demand access to geo-information resources," Collins noted.
Long has advocated an aggressive effort to upgrade NGA's capabilities, whether it involves providing information to military forces in the field or to rescuers dealing with a civilian emergency.
"We need to empower our users to serve themselves online like we all do in our private lives when we use e-commerce sites," she said at the GEOINT conference in New Orleans last November. "We need to give them applications that will allow them to work with our data, our information and our knowledge just like mobile phone users are empowered with their apps."
At the conference, Long stressed the NGA's goal of partnering with a broad range of government, academic and commercial organizations to fulfill the agency's mission.


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There are no products listed under this category.
Modern Computer Desks for Home Office Spaces
In today's modern world, more and more of us are working from home—either full time or night and weekends. Make your home workspace the best it can be with a modern computer desk for home office setups from the extensive selection at Smart Furniture. If you are working in a small space, our collection of compact desks is a great choice. If you have traditional furniture tastes, consider a desk from Lexington or Universal. For a sleek modern look, check out BDI, Steelcase, or Bestar. If you are returning to a traditional office, don't worry we've got you covered as well! If you're looking to buy home office desk furniture and don't see the exact desk you are looking for, please contact one of our office furniture specialists at 1-800-260-8420.


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Hajj: The Journey of a Lifetime
The hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah, a central duty of Islam whose origins date back to the Prophet Abraham, brings together Muslims of all races and tongues for one of life's most moving spiritual experiences.
For 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Makkah, the birthplace of Islam. In carrying out this obligation, they fulfill one of the five "pillars" of Islam, or central religious duties of the believer.
Muslims trace the recorded origins of the divinely prescribed pilgrimage to the Prophet Abraham, or Ibrahim, as he is called in Arabic. According to the Qur'an, it was Abraham who, together with Ishmael (Isma'il), built the Ka'bah, "the House of God," the focal point toward which Muslims turn in their worship five times each day. It was Abraham, too - known as Khalil Allah, "the friend of God" - who established the rituals of the hajj, which recall events or practices in his life and that of Hagar (Hajar) and their son Ishmael.
In the chapter entitled "The Pilgrimage," the Qur'an speaks of the divine command to perform the hajj and prophesies the permanence of this institution:
And when We assigned for Abraham the place of the House, saying "Do not associate Anything with Me, and purify My House for those who go around it and for those who stand and bow and prostrate themselves in worship. And proclaim the Pilgrimage among humankind: They will come to you on foot and on every camel made lean By traveling deep, distant ravines.
By the time the Prophet Muhammad received the divine call, however, pagan practices had come to muddy some of the original observances of the hajj. The Prophet, as ordained by God, continued the Abrahamic hajj after restoring its rituals to their original purity.
Furthermore, Muhammad himself instructed the believers in the rituals of the hajj. He did this in two ways: by his own practice, or by approving the practices of his Companions. This added some complexity to the rituals, but also provided increased flexibility in carrying them out, much to the benefit of pilgrims ever since. It is lawful, for instance, to have some variation in the order in which the several rites are carried out, because the Prophet himself is recorded as having approved such actions. Thus, the rites of the hajj are elaborate, numerous and varied; aspects of some of them are highlighted below.
The hajj to Makkah is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means permit it, or, in the words of the Qur'an, upon "those who can make their way there." It is not an obligation on children, though some children do accompany their parents on this journey.
Before setting out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, plan to have enough funds for his own journey and for the maintenance of his family while he is away, and prepare himself for good conduct throughout the hajj.
When pilgrims undertake the hajj journey, they follow in the footsteps of millions before them. Nowadays hundreds of thousands of believers from over 70 nations arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by road, sea and air every year, completing a journey now much shorter and in some ways less arduous than it often was in the past.
Till the 19th century, traveling the long distance to Makkah usually meant being part of a caravan. There were three main caravans: the Egyptian one, which formed in Cairo; the Iraqi one, which set out from Baghdad; and the Syrian, which, after 1453, started at Istanbul, gathered pilgrims along the way, and proceeded to Makkah from Damascus.
As the hajj journey took months if all went well, pilgrims carried with them the provisions they needed to sustain them on their trip. The caravans were elaborately supplied with amenities and security if the persons traveling were rich, but the poor often ran out of provisions and had to interrupt their journey in order to work, save up their earnings, and then go on their way. This resulted in long journeys which, in some cases, spanned ten years or more. Travel in earlier days was filled with adventure. The roads were often unsafe due to bandit raids. The terrain the pilgrims passed through was also dangerous, and natural hazards and diseases often claimed many lives along the way. Thus, the successful return of pilgrims to their families was the occasion of joyous celebration and thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
Lured by the mystique of Makkah and Madinah, many Westerners have visited these two holy cities, on which the pilgrims converge, since the 15th century. Some of them disguised themselves as Muslims; others, who had genuinely converted, came to fulfill their duty. But all seem to have been moved by their experience, and many recorded their impressions of the journey and the rituals of the hajj in fascinating accounts. Many hajj travelogues exist, written in languages as diverse as the pilgrims themselves.
The pilgrimage takes place each year between the eighth and the 13th days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Its first rite is the donning of the ihram.
The ihram, worn by men, is a white seamless garment made up of two pieces of cloth or toweling; one covers the body from waist to ankle and the other is thrown over the shoulder. This garb was worn by both Abraham and Muhammad. Women generally wear a simple white dress and a headcovering, but not a veil. Men's heads must be uncovered; both men and women may use an umbrella.
The ihram is a symbol of purity and of the renunciation of evil and mundane matters. It also indicates the equality of all people in the eyes of God. When the pilgrim wears his white apparel, he or she enters into a state of purity that prohibits quarreling, committing violence to man or animal and having conjugal relations. Once he puts on his hajj clothes the pilgrim cannot shave, cut his nails or wear any jewelry, and he will keep his unsown garment on till he completes the pilgrimage.
A pilgrim who is already in Makkah starts his hajj from the moment he puts on the ihram. Some pilgrims coming from a distance may have entered Makkah earlier with their ihram on and may still be wearing it. The donning of the ihram is accompanied by the primary invocation of the hajj, the talbiyah:
Here I am, O God, at Thy Command! Here I am at Thy Command! Thou art without associate; Here I am at Thy Command! Thine are praise and grace and dominion! Thou art without associate.
The thunderous, melodious chants of the talbiyah ring out not only in Makkah but also at other nearby sacred locations connected with the hajj.
On the first day of the hajj, pilgrims sweep out of Makkah toward Mina, a small uninhabited village east of the city. As their throngs spread through Mina, the pilgrims generally spend their time meditating and praying, as the Prophet did on his pilgrimage.
During the second day, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims leave Mina for the plain of 'Arafat for the wuquf, "the standing," the central rite of the hajj. As they congregate there, the pilgrims' stance and gathering reminds them of the Day of Judgment. Some of them gather at the Mount of Mercy, where the Prophet delivered his unforgettable Farewell Sermon, enunciating far-reaching religious, economic, social and political reforms. These are emotionally charged hours, which the pilgrims spend in worship and supplication. Many shed tears as they ask God to forgive them. On this sacred spot, they reach the culmination of their religious lives as they feel the presence and closeness of a merciful God.
The first Englishwoman to perform the hajj, Lady Evelyn Cobbold, described in 1934 the feelings pilgrims experience during the wuquf at 'Arafat. "It would require a master pen to describe the scene, poignant in its intensity, of that great concourse of humanity of which I was one small unit, completely lost to their surroundings in a fervor of religious enthusiasm. Many of the pilgrims had tears streaming down their cheeks; others raised their faces to the starlit sky that had witnessed this drama so often in the past centuries. The shining eyes, the passionate appeals, the pitiful hands outstretched in prayer moved me in a way that nothing had ever done before, and I felt caught up in a strong wave of spiritual exaltation. I was one with the rest of the pilgrims in a sublime act of complete surrender to the Supreme Will which is Islam."
She goes on to describe the closeness pilgrims feel to the Prophet while standing in 'Arafat: "...as I stand beside the granite pillar, I feel I am on Sacred ground. I see with my mind's eye the Prophet delivering that last address, over thirteen hundred years ago, to the weeping multitudes. I visualize the many preachers who have spoken to countless millions who have assembled on the vast plain below; for this is the culminating scene of the Great Pilgrimage."
The Prophet is reported to have asked God to pardon the sins of pilgrims who "stood" at 'Arafat, and was granted his wish. Thus, the hopeful pilgrims prepare to leave this plain joyfully, feeling reborn without sin and intending to turn over a new leaf.
Just after sunset, the mass of pilgrims proceeds to Muzdalifah, an open plain about halfway between 'Arafat and Mina. There they first pray and then collect a fixed number of chickpea-sized pebbles to use on the following days.
Before daybreak on the third day, pilgrims move en masse from Muzdalifah to Mina. There they cast at white pillars the pebbles they have previously collected. According to some traditions, this practice is associated with the Prophet Abraham. As pilgrims throw seven pebbles at each of these pillars, they remember the story of Satan's attempt to persuade Abraham to disregard God's command to sacrifice his son.
Throwing the pebbles is symbolic of humans' attempt to cast away evil and vice, not once but seven times - the number seven symbolizing infinity.
Following the casting of the pebbles, most pilgrims sacrifice a goat, sheep or some other animal. They give the meat to the poor after, in some cases, keeping a small portion for themselves.
This rite is associated with Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son in accordance with God's wish. It symbolizes the Muslim's willingness to part with what is precious to him, and reminds us of the spirit of Islam, in which submission to God's will plays a leading role. This act also reminds the pilgrim to share worldly goods with those who are less fortunate, and serves as an offer of thanksgiving to God.
As the pilgrims have, at this stage, finished a major part of the hajj, they are now allowed to shed their ihram and put on everyday clothes. On this day Muslims around the world share the happiness the pilgrims feel and join them by performing identical, individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of 'Id al-Adha, "the Festival of Sacrifice." Men either shave their heads or clip their hair, and women cut off a symbolic lock, to mark their partial deconsecration. This is done as a symbol of humility. All proscriptions, save the one of conjugal relations, are now lifted.
Still so journing in Mina, pilgrims visit Makkah to perform another essential rite of the hajj: the tawaf, the seven-fold circling of the Ka'bah, with a prayer recited during each circuit. Their circumambulation of the Ka'bah, the symbol of God's oneness, implies that all human activity must have God at its center. It also symbolizes the unity of God and man.
Thomas Abercrombie, a convert to Islam and a writer and photographer for National Geographic Magazine, performed the hajj in the 1970's and described the sense of unity and harmony pilgrims feel during the circling: "Seven times we circled the shrine," he wrote, "repeating the ritual devotions in Arabic: 'Lord God, from such a distant land I have come unto Thee.... Grant me shelter under Thy throne.' Caught up in the whirling scene, lifted by the poetry of the prayers, we orbited God's house in accord with the atoms, in harmony with the planets."
While making their circuits pilgrims may kiss or touch the Black Stone. This oval stone, first mounted in a silver frame late in the seventh century, has a special place in the hearts of Muslims as, according to some traditions, it is the sole remnant of the original structure built by Abraham and Ishmael. But perhaps the single most important reason for kissing the stone is that the Prophet did so.
No devotional significance whatsoever is attached to the stone, for it is not, nor has ever been, an object of worship. The second caliph, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, made this crystal clear when, on kissing the stone himself in emulation of the Prophet, he proclaimed: "I know that you are but a stone, incapable of doing good or harm. Had I not seen the Messenger of God kiss you - may God's blessing and peace be upon him - I would not kiss you."
After completing the tawaf, pilgrims pray, preferably at the Station of Abraham, the site where Abraham stood while he built the Ka'bah. Then they drink of the water of Zamzam.
Another, and sometimes final, rite is the sa'y, or "the running." This is a reenactment of a memorable episode in the life of Hagar, who was taken into what the Qur'an calls the "uncultivable valley" of Makkah, with her infant son Ishmael, to settle there.
The sa'y commemorates Hagar's frantic search for water to quench Ishmael's thirst. She ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, al-Safa and al-Marwah, until she found the sacred water known as Zamzam. This water, which sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael's tiny feet, is now enclosed in a marble chamber the Ka'bah.
These rites performed, the pilgrims are completely deconsecrated: They may resume all normal activities. According to the social customs of some countries, pilgrims can henceforth proudly claim the title of al-Hajj or Hajji.
They now return to Mina, where they stay up to the 12th or 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. There they throw their remaining pebbles at each of the pillars in the manner either practiced or approved by the Prophet. They then take leave of the friends they have made during the Hajj. Before leaving Makkah, however, pilgrims usually make a final tawaf round the Ka'bah to bid farewell to the Holy City.
Usually pilgrims either precede or follow the hajj, "the greater pilgrimage," with the 'umrah, "the lesser pilgrimage," which is sanctioned by the Qur'an and was performed by the Prophet. The 'umrah, unlike the hajj, takes place only in Makkah itself and can be performed at any time of the year. The ihram, talbiyah and the restrictions required by the state of consecration are equally essential in the 'umrah, which also shares three other rituals with the hajj: the tawaf, sa'y and shaving or clipping the hair. The observance of the 'umrah by pilgrims and visitors symbolizes veneration for the unique sanctity of Makkah.
Before or after going to Makkah, pilgrims also avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the hajj or the 'umrah to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, the second holiest city in Islam. Here, the Prophet lies buried in a simple grave under the green dome of the mosque. The visit to Madinah is not obligatory, as it is not part of the hajj or 'umrah, but the city - which welcomed Muhammad when he migrated there from Makkah - is rich in moving memories and historical sites that are evocative of him as a prophet and statesman.
In this city, loved by Muslims for centuries, people still feel the presence of the Prophet's spirit. Muhammad Asad, an Austrian Jew who converted to Islam in 1926 and made five pilgrimages between 1927 and 1932, comments on this aspect of the city: "Even after thirteen centuries [the Prophet's] spiritual presence is almost as alive here as it was then. It was only because of him that the scattered group of villages once called Yathrib became a city and has been loved by all Muslims down to this day as no city anywhere else in the world has ever been loved. It has not even a name of its own: for more than thirteen hundred years it has been called Madinat an-Nabi, 'the City of the Prophet.' For more than thirteen hundred years, so much love has converged here that all shapes and movements have acquired a kind of family resemblance, and all differences of appearance find a tonal transition into a common harmony."
As pilgrims of diverse races and tongues return to their homes, they carry with them cherished memories of Abraham, Ishmael, Hagar, and Muhammad. They will always remember that universal concourse, where poor and rich, black and white, young and old, met on equal footing.
They return with a sense of awe and serenity: awe for their experience at 'Arafat, when they felt closest to God as they stood on the site where the Prophet delivered his sermon during his first and last pilgrimage; serenity for having shed their sins on that plain, and being thus relieved of such a heavy burden. They also return with a better understanding of the conditions of their brothers in Islam. Thus is born a spirit of caring for others and an understanding of their own rich heritage that will last throughout their lives.
The pilgrims go back radiant with hope and joy, for they have fulfilled God's ancient injunction to humankind to undertake the pilgrimage. Above all, they return with a prayer on their lips: May it please God, they pray, to find their hajj acceptable, and may what the Prophet said be true of their own individual journey: "There is no reward for a pious pilgrimage but Paradise."
( Source: ARAMCO World )
Topics: Hajj, Makkah (Mecca)
Views: 10383
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DFW Delegation Promotes Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as Leading U.S. Gateway for South America
Expanding Airline Service Strengthens Ties and Bring Regions Closer Together
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) officials and a delegation of civic and business leaders from Dallas and Fort Worth are visiting South America to strengthen ties between the regions and promote DFW as the premier aviation entry point into the United States. The DFW Airport air service development mission runs from June 2 to 11 with stops in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Lima, Peru, and supports new and expanded American Airlines service to South America to begin this month. Leaders from DFW Airport will also be in Brasilia, Brazil speaking at the US-Brazil Aviation Dialogue airport certification conference.
The 25-member DFW delegation, co-led by Mayor Mike Rawlings of the City of Dallas and Mayor Betsy Price of the City of Fort Worth, along with DFW Board of Directors Member Bernice J. Washington, DFW Executive Vice President Phil Ritter, and leaders from the Dallas Regional Chamber, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, will meet with various government, business and civic representatives.
"There's no better way to develop international business ties than with new airline service to DFW, and there's no better place to do business than the Dallas/Fort Worth area," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "Through this air service development mission, our delegation will help bring more economic development to our cities, and will strengthen the ties between Dallas and Fort Worth and our neighbors in South America, both in Brazil and Peru."
In April American Airlines started daily nonstop service from DFW to Lima, Peru and on June 14 is expanding its service from DFW to Sao Paulo, Brazil from 7 to 12 flights per week. In addition to the Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil service, the airline also serves Buenos Aires, Argentina, Caracas, Venezuela, and Santiago, Chile from its home base and largest hub at DFW. American Airlines also plans to expand service in South America later in 2013 with new service from DFW to Bogota, Colombia.
"We certainly appreciate American Airlines for its commitment to expanding international service from DFW to South America," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. "This air service development mission gives us a chance to share our experiences in industries where we have mutual interests, like energy, logistics and transportation. What's more, it gives North Texans a chance to show off that special hospitality that visitors won't find anywhere else. Our region offers a tremendous business climate and a great place to visit, with world class shopping, museums and attractions."
DFW Airport has become one of the world's most highly regarded airports. For seven straight years, Airports Council International has ranked DFW as one of the top-ten large airports in the world for customer satisfaction based on surveys of thousands of international travelers.
"DFW's status as a top tier global airport creates a very positive experience for international travelers," said Bernice J. Washington, Member of the DFW International Airport Board of Directors. "As one of only seven airports in the world with over 200 direct destinations, and with one of the most efficient customs and immigration processes in the U.S., the DFW hub provides great convenience to travelers entering the United States, or even connecting to markets beyond DFW, including markets in Asia and Europe."
DFW ranks as the fourth busiest airport in the world in terms of flight operations. The Airport's central location in the United States means travelers are no more than a four-hour flight away from every major city in North America (USA, Canada & Mexico), Latin America and the Caribbean.
"With a record run of new routes and new airlines over the last 30 months, DFW Airport offers more options for travelers and we project we will add another 24 international routes over the next five years," said Phil Ritter, DFW Executive Vice President. "As a result of this expansion in air service, we see great potential for the South American business and tourism communities to grow customers and revenue in North America, and to use our region and our airport as a base and connecting point to expand their business in the United States and beyond."
"Passenger traffic between DFW and South America continues to grow as a result of growing economies in South America. For example, passenger traffic between DFW and Rio de Janeiro has doubled over the last five years and Sao Paulo passenger traffic has grown by a third over the last 12 months," said Ritter. "The new Lima nonstop service begun in April should further stimulate the Lima market. And, for travelers from South America to Asia, DFW is already the premier connecting point of choice. The newly launched American Airlines DFW-Seoul nonstop service provides even more convenience for these travelers," said Ritter.
As a trading partner with the U.S., exports to South America from DFW are at their highest levels ever, progressively increasing over the last three years.
"DFW's air cargo trade with South America is driven by exports with 65 percent of exports in the categories oil field equipment, industrial goods and electrical equipment," said Ritter.
Key imports account for 50 percent of products to DFW and include food and food products, automotive components and products and consumer goods.
Brazil is the fourth largest export market for the state of Texas with more than $10 billion (USD) in exports in 2012. Texas is also the largest exporter of manufactured goods to Brazil, including petroleum and coal equipment, chemicals, computer and high technology equipment, machinery and transportation equipment.
DFW Airport serves the fastest growing region in the U.S. and is a magnet for business to North Texas. Texas is home to 52 of the Forbes Global 2000 headquarters, 23 of these in the DFW area, and 18 Fortune 500 company headquarters make their home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Several of these firms cite DFW International Airport as a deciding factor in locating their headquarters in North Texas.
DFW Airport sits at the crossroads of five major US interstates with access to the top 50 markets in America within one day's drive. As the 29th largest cargo hub in the world, DFW is a transportation and logistics center with 17 cargo airlines serving 17 major cargo markets around the world.
(re)defining DFW International Airport
DFW International Airport's $2.3 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP) is (re)defining first class for this global gateway. For the latest details regarding TRIP, log on to www.dfwairport.com/redefine.


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By Dalia Mortada
In Turkey, the government has been outspoken in its support of a foreign intervention in Syria. The country currently hosts close to half a million refugees from its southern neighbor, and thousands more pour in through Turkey's borders each week. Turkey's Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken out against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from the start of the turmoil in Syria two years ago, and Erdogan says that if there is an intervention, al-Assad must go.
But not too long ago, Turkey prided itself on what it called its "zero problems" foreign policy. "It was a distinctly neutral position from which we had our leverage," says Professor Mehmet Ali Tugtan from Istanbul's Bilgi University.
Tugtan says Turkey was the one-stop shop for problem solving in the Middle East.
"The Israelis were coming to talk to us, the Palestinians were coming to talk to us, the Chechens were coming to talk to us, the Russians were coming to talk to us. But now, we have become a party to the conflicts. We are against Israel, pro-Muslim brotherhood, against Al-Assad, pro-Free Syrian Army and within the Free Syrian Army we are more pro-Sunni elements."
Tugtan wonders whether Turkey will ever recover from the course it's taken, at least in the short term.
But Professor Howard Eissenstat of St. Lawrence University disagrees. He says that, unlike the US, Turkey is sticking by its principles and supporting the popular uprisings in the Middle East. "They decided they really needed to step forward as a supporter of democracy in the region, that that's their brand in the region, and I think they did that for strategic reasons and because they really believe that."
Turkish officials relish the possibility of the US finally getting involved in the Syrian conflict, though Ankara says it's more than willing to take matters into its own hands.
Earlier this week, Turkish government spokesman Bulent Arinc said the military is already drawing up plans. "We have a parliamentary mandate for strikes against northern Iraq. We have a mandate for strikes against Syria," he said. "We've studied what we need to do to maintain our country's security."
But much like President Obama, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan still has to work on drumming up support at home.
Ozge, who didn't provide her last name, says she doesn't buy Erdogan's argument that he wants to get rid of Assad to protect human lives in Syria. "I don't understand why the Prime Minister is so in favor of this war?" she says. "Maybe it's for economic gain but this is against humanity."
Ozge is not alone in her aversion to getting involved. Demonstrators who oppose Turkish military intervention in Syria, formed a "human chain" last weekend in honor of World Peace Day. Selen Uzeroglu Kaya was among the protesters. "In Syria, in Egypt, in different parts of the world, no matter their languages, religions or color, people are dying," she says. "And while we can't do much, we are here because we believe our voices can at least be heard with love."
The Turkish government still has time to garner support, since the US won't be making any decisions until Congress comes back into session next week.
5 September 2013
Source: theworld.org


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Effexor (venlafaxine) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Effexor affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression.
Effexor is used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety, and panic disorder.
Effexor .
The health and medical information provided here is for general purposes only and is not a substitute for the expertise and judgment of your physician, or other health care professional. It should not be understood to indicate that the use of this medicine is safe, appropriate or effective for you. Always consult your health care professional before using this, or any other, drug.
You should not take Effexor if you are allergic to venlafaxine, or if you are also using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAOI before you can take Effexor. After you stop taking Effexor, you must wait at least 7 days before you start taking an MAOI.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, such as Effexor, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of Effexor. Do not stop using Effexor suddenly, or you could have unpleasant symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid these symptoms when you stop using Effexor.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Effexor: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious Effexor side effect such as:
seizure (convulsions);
very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out;
agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination;
headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, feeling unsteady, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, shallow breathing or breathing that stops;
cough, chest tightness, trouble breathing; or
easy bruising.
Less serious Effexor side effects may include:
drowsiness, dizziness, feeling nervous;
strange dreams;
increased sweating;
blurred vision;
dry mouth;
changes in appetite or weight;
mild nausea, constipation; or
decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
Take Effexor exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Take this medication with a full glass of water. Effexor should be taken with food. Try to take Effexor at the same time each day. Swallow the controlled-release capsule (Effexor XR) whole, without crushing or chewing. To make the medication easier to swallow, you may open the Effexor XR capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a small amount of applesauce. Swallow all of the mixture without chewing, and do not save any for later use. It may take 4 weeks or more for your symptoms to improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 4 weeks of treatment. Do not stop using Effexor suddenly, or you could have unpleasant symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid these symptoms when you stop using Effexor.
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News Releases
(Vancouver) The provincial government needs to prepare British Columbia for a world class performance in 2010, rather than ignoring pressing social and economic needs. That's the goal of the Canadian...February 12, 2004 | BC Office
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OTTAWA--Every year since the elimination of the federal budget deficit in 1997, the government's record of forecasting its own surplus has been abysmal--and this year is no different, according to a...February 2, 2004 | National Office
Des menaces planent toujours sur les services postaux et d'autres services publics canadiens à l'OMC, selon une nouvelle étude
Malgré l'échec des négociations de l'OMC sur la politique de la concurrence et l'investissement suvenu lors de la dernière réunion ministérielle tenue à Cancun, les plus grandes entreprises de...January 28, 2004 | National Office
OTTAWA--Canada's public postal system is under threat at the WTO by a proposed expansion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which is being promoted by the world's largest courier...January 28, 2004 | National Office
OTTAWA--On the eve of the Speech from the Throne, Canada finds itself at an historic moment: will Paul Martin as Prime Minister be any different than Paul Martin as Finance Minister--The Man Who...January 26, 2004 | National Office
(Vancouver) Real per-student funding for public education in BC has been dropping over the past three years, and is now at its lowest level in more than 15 years. Despite contrary claims by the...January 22, 2004 | BC Office
TORONTO--The McGuinty Government cannot keep its signature campaign commitments for public services renewal without both increasing taxes and running deficits for at least part of its first term in...January 12, 2004 | Ontario Office
OTTAWA--With the 15th anniversary of the Canada-US Free Agreement just days away, a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives examines the free trade claims of the big business...December 22, 2003 | National Office
OTTAWA--While Paul Martin points to a strong record of economic growth and rising employment during his tenure as Finance Minister, his overall economic record is flawed when viewed from the...December 10, 2003 | National Office
Les résultats économiques de Paul Martin marqués par une plus grande inégalité de revenu et par aucun gain salarial véritable pour les travailleuses et travailleurs, conclusions d'un rapport
OTTAWA—Bien que Paul Martin souligne les bons résultats sur le plan de la croissance économique et des emplois en hausse alors qu'il était ministre des Finances, ses résultats économiques généraux...December 10, 2003 | National Office
(Vancouver) The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (BC) and Simon Fraser University are launching a five-year project that will study changes to provincial public policies that impact the...December 9, 2003 | BC Office
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OTTAWA--Paul Martin's sterling reputation as the deficit hero may not be entirely justified, according to a study released today by the Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) project, coordinated by the...November 28, 2003 | National Office
Slow progress wins Nova Scotia a failing grade in the fight against child poverty among Canadian provinces
HALIFAX: A report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds that Canada and Nova Scotia have lost ground in efforts to reduce child poverty. "Promises to Keep: The Nova...November 24, 2003 | Nova Scotia Office


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Hurricane Dorian is a tropical cyclone that just impacted the Bahamas in a devastating way. Also threatening the Southeastern United States coastline causing a panic among the Miami Dade and Broward residents.
On August 24 Dorian developed from a tropical wave in the Central Atlantic before gradually intensifying and becoming a category 4 hurricane around August 28. Then in the next few days becoming a category 5 that was parked right over the Island of Great Abaco and Grand Bahamas. With winds of 185 mph and land fall tides. Hurricane Dorian has become the strongest landfall hurricane in the Atlantic ocean. With heavy rainfalls, prolonged storm conditions and storm surge damage in the Bahamas which has been extensive.
In the United States mostly in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia declared a state of emergency, especially in Florida where the storm was originally headed and expected to ravish through Miami.
The panic of Hurricane Dorian's arrival caused many Miami Dade and Broward residents to prepare cautiously. All across Miami Dade and throughout many residents were clearing out bottled water and food in a panicked frenzy. Isles and isles were empty, with no water, canned goods or bread available. Gas stations had a mile long line that often resulted in empty gas stations with no more gas or propane. Many even sold out Home Depot in hopes of getting sand and plywood to prepare for the expected devastation but luckily "we were spared" says one Miami Dade resident. Which is completely in contrast to what Bahamian residents experienced as Hurricane Dorian traveled along the Caribbean.
Bahamian prime minister, Hubert Minnis, stated that Hurricane Dorian left "generational devastation" and is asking for prayers for the family of the people that have lost their lives in this hurricane. The death count has already reached 30 people and it is expected to rise as rescuers continue to search through the devastation. Houses are destroyed, light post are downs, trees cover the street, massive flooding and people left traumatized from losing their home and all their personal belongings.
One of the most tragic stories is the 8 year old boy whose grandmother reported his drowning as the waters rose.
"I just saw my grandson about two days ago," McIntosh said. "He told me he loved me. He was going back to Abaco, he turned around and said, 'Grandma, I love you.'' The grandma found the boy's body but reports her other granddaughter is still missing.
More are expected to be found but "the conditions are still dire" authorities say making it very difficult to continue rescuing or searching for casualties of the Dorian. Now another concern is the flooding caused by Dorian with rainfall that has lead to 24-30 inches of rain in the northwestern parts of the Bahamas. Authorities suggest "residents should not leave the shelters or surviving homes until conditions subside"
In the Abaco Islands 60% of the homes are destroyed which has cause many residents to be homeless. Many residents affected by Dorian are speaking out. Krystel Brown of The Nassau Guardian newspaper got a chance to speak to Adrian Farrington who she encountered in Princess Margaret hospital in Nassau, the capital. Airlifted from Abaco, Farrington braved the storm with his young son on his back. Brown reports that Farrington had to resort to finding shelter in others' home "putting my son on the roof" at one point. Farrington reports having put his son on the roof to protect him from the storm surge but the wind knocked his son off and he has not seen his son since.
Farrington made it to a church after this traumatic incident having to crawl as he found a nearby church since he suffered a broken leg. At the church he was still not out of harm's way as he watched the walls sway eventually collapsing on the other residents taking shelter in the church.
"I don't know if there are any survivors" Farrington said. Rescue and International search teams continue to search carefully through the island for casualties and those in need of rescue. Very poor neighborhoods have suffered the worst with total devastation in their area. British Royal navy vessels have been distributing food and water and many in the United States have been sending donations over to the Island.
All throughout this week in Miami Dade there have been donation collection trying to assemble as much as they can gather from local residents. Water, canned goods and other necessities are very much welcomed in the Miami Dade and Broward donation centers.
Remember right now we are comfortable and blessed as the storm didn't impact us directly and the fact that we were out of danger should cause us to help. Every little help counts so please make sure to contribute to the relief efforts for the Bahamas.I pray for the families and friends of the victims that were affected by this horrible natural disaster and hope we can all work together to help the residents in the Bahamas.
Here is the main website where you can help if you are located anywhere around the world:


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After five straight days of losses, stocks gained ground Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended slightly higher. The Dow and S&P 500 are about 2% from the record highs hit just last week.
Market sentiment has taken a hit in the past few days as investors worry about a possible government shutdown and the upcoming debt limit. Congress has less than a week to agree on a short-term funding bill to prevent a shutdown on Oct. 1, and despite all the squabbling, investors largely assume that lawmakers will reach a last-minute deal.
"Expectations are that a stop gap budget will once again be proposed and approved," said Tom Stringfellow, chief investment officer at Frost Investment Advisors.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to use the recent dip in stocks to help convince lawmakers to come to an agreements.
"Five days in a row, the longest continuous period since 2012, the stock market has gone down and they all say it is a result of the fear of the government shutting down," he said on the Senate floor Thursday morning. "And why should the financial markets feel any differently? People are still speaking about closing the government!"
Earnings on the horizon: Though Washington is in the spotlight, investors will also soon turn their attention to third-quarter earnings .
Analysts expect earnings growth of 3.6% for the S&P 500 companies, according to S&P Capital IQ estimates. That would be the smallest increase in a year. But revenue is forecast to grow by 4.8%, the best pace in over a year.
Nike (NKE), one of the newest members of the Dow, released its latest quarterly results after the closing bell. Shares jumped in after-hours trading as the company's earnings topped forecasts. Investors were also impressed by the company's growth in future orders, which is an indication that sales should be strong for the next few months.
What's moving: Facebook (FB) shares hit an all-time high above $50 a share. Shares have nearly doubled since Facebook's second-quarter earnings report in July that reassured investors about the company's mobile strategy. The rally marks a sharp reversal for the stock , which was a big disappointment after its botched May 2012 IPO.
"$FB Smoking!," commented StockTwits users smarterthanyou. "How quickly disdain can turn to ravenous passion. $FB has gone from the most hated to one of the most adored."
Yahoo (YHOO) shares rose to a 6-year high of $33 a share, the same price that Microsoft (MSFT) bid for the company in 2008. Yahoo is in the midst of a turnaround, led by CEO Marissa Mayer. Plus, the stock has been getting extra attention as investors anticipate the upcoming IPO of Alibaba. Yahoo owns 24% of Alibaba, making it the second largest shareholder in the company.
"The Yahooligans just keep winning, well deserved, hard turnaround but it seems like they are on track, and Alibaba going public $YHOO," said LDrogen on StockTwits.
StockTwits trader Cow added, "Buy $YHOO = buy a piece of alibaba before the IPO."
Related: Fear & Greed Index wallows in fear
Shares of eBay (EBAY) jumped after the company said it will buy online payment platform Braintree for $800 million, and will combine it with PayPal. Traders were optimistic about the acquisition.
"$EBAY Braintree deal pretty much guarantee that Paypal hits their annual transaction goals by 2015," said crosenfield, noting that Braintree will benefit as its customers like Airbnb, Uber and OpenTable (OPEN) continue to grow.
J.C. Penney (JCP)shares bounced back Thursday after J.C. Penney CEO Mike Ullman reportedly told investors that the company won't need to raise capital this year, according to CNBC. On Wednesday, the stock plunged 15% following reports that the retailer might seek $1 billion through a stock sale.
In a statement Thursday morning, J.C. Penney said it is "pleased thus far in the company's turnaround efforts," and added that it expects to book positive same-store sales during the third and fourth quarters.
But some StockTwits users remained skeptical.
"$JCP I want to believe in a turnaround but who really thinks $JCP has anything competitive except price?" asked zwischler. "Their clothes are not great brands."


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Here are some of my shots from the day (picture-heavy ahead - haven't done one of these in a while!):
Jan 9, 2012
Katie + Tim
Here are some of my shots from the day (picture-heavy ahead - haven't done one of these in a while!):
15 comments :
Love it! Out of curiosity, do you shoot primarily digital or film or a mix of both while photographing a wedding? Either way, your photos are fantastic! :)ReplyDelete
Karyn, I used all digital here, but typically I'll shoot a mix.ReplyDelete
Lovely shots. Captured so beautifully. Thank you for sharing Alice!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 10, 2012 at 2:44 AM
I LOVE this! Both the pictures and the style of the weeding. The flip flops are such a great idea!ReplyDelete
Ciao from Florence
Beautiful beautiful shots.ReplyDelete
wish I would have known you when I got married! so beautiful and always so classy. Lovely!ReplyDelete
Absolutely beautiful Alice!ReplyDelete
I'm blown away by your photos. The detail shots are beautifully composed. You've captured the spirit and atmosphere of the wedding. Love the Kodak moments forever frozen in time. Each time I see your photos, I'm inspired to improve my own skills.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 10, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Gorgeous, Alice! Love the shot of the iPhone capturing a moment :)ReplyDelete
totally gorgeous :)ReplyDelete
beautiful details captured! And I love all those lovely candids you got too. All around awesome job, Alice! I hope to see more wedding work from you!ReplyDelete
wow, all digital, but all have film feel! nice....ReplyDelete
The wedding is lovely and the photography is gorgeous!! Love all the detail shots, its the mark of true talent! :)ReplyDelete
whoa... gorgeous, alice. and the wedding looks so charming.ReplyDelete
I think I have the same glittery flats :)ReplyDelete


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The Philadelphia 76ers are seeking to have taxpayers pay back the entire $82 million projected cost of a new practice facility and business offices in Camden, New Jersey, one of the nation's most impoverished cities.
Under a proposal being considered Tuesday by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the team would receive up to $8.2 million a year in tax credits for 10 years. It would be one of the highest profile uses so far of a new system of business expenses adopted last year by New Jersey's Democrat-controlled Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
The team — the only one in the NBA without its own practice facility — has not provided details on its plan for a 100,000-square-foot facility on the Delaware River, such as how many jobs it may provide. Team CEO Scott O'Neil said in an email on Monday that he would not comment.
Projects in Camden get special treatment under the Economic Opportunity Act's Grow New Jersey program. "It really reflected the lack of investment that the city has achieved," Economic Development Authority President Timothy Lizura said Monday.
Extra incentives for developing in the city may have another component: Camden is a priority for some top Democratic state lawmakers. One, state Sen. Donald Norcross, lives across the street from the 76ers' site.
Unlike elsewhere in the state, taxpayer subsidies in Camden can cover the full cost of investment. To qualify for as much as the NBA team is seeking, a business would have to have 250 full-time jobs.
Elsewhere in New Jersey, businesses have to show their projects can generate 110 percent of their subsidy amount in state and local taxes in 20 years. But Camden developments can be approved with projections that they will bring back as little as 100 percent of their grants — and they have 35 years to do it.
Businesses that receive the grants must agree to stay in Camden for 15 years, and they can receive smaller tax credits any year employment drops below 250.
Speaking in Camden on Monday, Gov. Chris Christie said the project will provide jobs in New Jersey and send a message that the city, which has long struggled with crime, is now safe enough that businesses are willing to move there.
"It's not only good because it would be additional tax revenue and other things and business for the city of Camden, but also for the image of the city of Camden, to show that the Philadelphia 76ers — one of the major sports teams in the region — has enough confidence in the strides that we're talking about making here that they are willing to invest significantly in the city of Camden is a good thing for Camden," Christie said at a news conference. "And if it's good for Camden, it's good for New Jersey."
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter last week smarted over the likelihood of losing the headquarters of a second professional sports team to New Jersey. The NHL's Flyers, who share Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center with the 76ers for games, practice in Voorhees.
"If you have tens of millions of dollars that are being thrown at you just to entice you to do something," Nutter said on Friday, "that's a business decision that someone has to make."


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Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland discusses her new album and motherhood
Jennifer Nettles is releasing a solo album this January. Jennifer Nettles and her Sugarland partner Kristian Bush are currently on hiatus.
Jennifer Nettles has finished the music, chosen a cover photo and now she has a release date for her debut solo album – Jan. 14.
Nettles revealed the date Monday night in an interview at the ASCAP Country Awards, making one of many appearances this week. The Sugarland singer kicked things off with a listening party for her new Rick Rubin-produced album, "That Girl," on Sunday. She will attend the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday and will serve as host during the taping Friday of the CMA's Christmas show.
Expect to see a different side of the 39-year-old singer as she reveals her new music. They're the first without her Sugarland partner Kristian Bush. The Grammy Award-winning duo is on hiatus.
"I think this album so far for me musically has been the most intimate and personal ... musically and vocally," Nettles said. "I think it's way more intimate to me and way more personal in the sense that when you collaborate, that's the nature of collaboration, you're affecting each other, and playing with and inspiring each other, and yet there are things that one may not get to do or want to do when collaborating."
The week will mark Nettles' first real return to the spotlight since the birth of her son, Magnus, 11 months ago. Motherhood and marriage have changed Nettles, and she says that will be reflected on "That Girl."
"I'm able to show a side that I think's more womanly," Nettles said. "I think it's more mature, and so that's big for me. I think it gives you perspective all around, not just musically but also in my career. I think you get super-efficient because you have to be. You don't worry about things that were super-important before because you have a baby and you just burn that underbrush out. You feel like a huntress."


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