text:
Woman Banned From Every Nightclub in Town Because of Her Clothing
You'd think a big-breasted woman who likes showing off her ass (ets) would have absolutely no problem gaining access to the hottest clubs in town. Sweet talk the bouncers, show a lot of skin and be granted quick entry? Uh, not so fast, especially in the town of Worcester, West Midlands in England.
Lisa Woodman, a 28-year-old mother of four with a decent bod and a surgically enhanced chest that measures 36DD, has been turned away from every club in her hometown, due to her attire. She certainly rocks the pornstar look, with bleached blond hair, low-cut, laced tops, where her lady lumps are popping out for all the world (and bouncers) to see, short skirts and knee-high 'hump me' boots. The club's owners stated they have standards, for God's sake, and cop to "responsible door policies." They think Woodman isn't adhering to their "smart casual" dress code with her attire.
Still, Woodman is a medical secretary by day and a hot honey by night and she doesn't understand why she is being discriminated against. She told The Daily Mail that doormen at Mode told her she was "too old to wear that get-up" and promptly denied her entry on New Year's Eve. Two other nightclubs, dubbed Tramps and Velvet, have also slammed their doors in her face. All three of the establishments are owned by the same company and they are enforcing the ban until she cleans up her act and dresses more modestly.
If you're getting turned away from a club called Tramps, you might want to reconsider your attire. Let's hope her town at least has an Applebees because a girl still has to have fun amma right?!?
[Via AU Yahoo News]


text:
About Mason
Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia's largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of areas of study.
130 Countries of Origin
Our student body represents more than 130 countries.
34,000 Students
There are more than 34,000 students on campus, creating an organically diverse environment.
6,200 in Housing
6,200 students live in Mason housing communities.
80% Employed
80% of Mason students are employed within six months of graduation.
$104.7 Million in Research
There were $104.7 Million in research expenditures in 2014-15.
George Mason: Patriotism Personified.
George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.
Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Award Code: BP37
Point Value: 3000
Terms and Conditions
Great Britain is defined as England, Scotland, Wales and Nothern Ireland*
*Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone
Partner Awards are valid for one-way or round trip travel, No stopovers allowed, must be on a valid fare routing and must contain one partner operated segment.
Partner awards on American Airlines, American Eagle and our airline participants may be subject to special limitations on seating availability. Seats for award travel may not be available on all flights. Reservations for flight awards will be accepted, and you will have a confirmed seat, as long as award seats are still available for the award you are using when you make your reservation. However, all accommodations are subject to availability at the time reservations are made.
Once redeemed via BusinessExtra.com, a confirmation email with the Electronic Authorization Number is sent to the Travel Manager. The Electronic Authorization includes the Award Code along with an eight character alpha-numeric code (IE. BP37/0A1B2C3D). This number should be provided to American Airlines Reservations when you are ready to ticket your award reservation.
To make reservations for award travel: When calling from within United States or Canada, please contact American Airlines Meeting Services at 800-433-1790,Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (CT) and Saturday and Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (CT). If calling from outside the U.S. or Canada, please contact your local American Airlines Reservations Office.
All travel awards must be ticketed 2 days after the reservation is made. If the reservation is made less than 2 days prior to departure, the reservation can be held for 24 hours for ticketing. All ticketing must be done through AA Meeting Services prior to arrival at the airport. Airport agents are unable to issue tickets against Business Extra awards.
Award ticket must be issued by midnight one year from the original award redemption date. Tickets issued against Business Extra flight awards are then valid for one year from the ticket issue date.
Award tickets are non-transferable and a non-refundable change fee will apply to reservation changes after the ticket is issued. Open tickets may not be issued.
All taxes and fees, assessed at the time of ticketing are the responsibility of the passenger. Award cannot be used in conjunction with any corporate program, promotion, coupon, discount, or special offer of American. Void where prohibited by law. Partner awards are not eligible for Main Cabin Extra seats or other preferred seat assignments.
Tickets issued as Business Extra partner awards are not applicable for travel on American Airlines cooperative codeshare service with other carriers. In addition, selected flights designated as American airline participant flights, but operated by another carrier, may not be valid for award travel.
Partner award travel valid ONLY on American Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways® and Iberia flights for destinations served both at the time of award redemption and ticket usage.
Award is not redeemable for cash and is void if sold for cash or other consideration.
Awards are valid only for tickets issued on American Airlines ticket stock. Award is not applicable to the purchase of a Miscellaneous Charge Order (MCO) or Prepaid Ticket (PTA).
Award has no value except when redeemed in accordance with these terms and conditions.
Travel on Business Extra partner award tickets will be subject to the tariff, contract of carriage, ticket terms, and re-accommodation policies of the carrier on which travel is scheduled and may also be subject to the Warsaw Convention or its successor. American Airlines and American Eagle's conditions of carriage are available from any American airport or Travel Center representative.
Income tax liability on Business Extra partner awards, if any, is the responsibility of the member.
Rules as written herein cannot be changed by any statement or representation of any unauthorized person, including employees of American Airlines or issuing organization.


text:
Apple fans wasted no time getting their hand on the new iPhone 5 on the first day of sales.
Consumers on Friday lined up at Apple stores in cities across the world, including New York, Paris, London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.
And they continued to make purchases over the weekend, buying up the initial supply, Apple said.The iPhone 5 will soon be available in 22 more countries.
Devotees stood in long lines on Friday despite a lukewarm welcome from experts and complaints about the smartphone's new mapping system.
Apple received 2 million pre-orders for the iPhone 5 during its first 24 hours available online. By Monday, it said, more than 5 million had been sold, surpassing the 4 million iPhone 4s sold on its first weekend.
Click ahead for scenes from the craze surrounding the launch of Apple's newest iPhone.
By Cadie Thompson
Updated 24 Sept 2012


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*[[Sindarin]] ''[[galadh]]'' ("tree")
*[[Sindarin]] ''[[galadh]]'' ("tree")
[[Category:Sindarin nouns]]
[[Category:Sindarin nouns]]
[[Category:Nandorin words]]
[[Category:Nandorin words]]
[[Category:Noldorin nouns]]
[[Category:Noldorin nouns]]
Latest revision as of 21:27, 8 November 2012
[edit] Sindarin
galad is a Sindarin word for "radiance", "glittering", or "reflection", usually connected to water, gems, or a smooth surface.[1]
[edit] Etymology
Tolkien experimented with several possible etymologies of galad:
- galad deriving from Primitive Elvish galatā ("radiance, radiate"), from root KAL.[2]
- galad deriving from Primitive Elvish ñaladā, from root ÑGAL ("gleam, sheen").[3]
- galad deriving from Common Eldarin ñalatā ("radiance, glittering reflection"), from root ÑAL ("shine by reflection").[1]
[edit] Examples
[edit] Cognates
[edit] Silvan
galad is a Silvan Elvish word for "tree".[4]
[edit] Noldorin
galad is a Noldorin word meaning "light".[5]
[edit] Etymology
[edit] See also
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants" (section 5), p. 347
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 50
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 59
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (I) The First Phase: 5. Of Eldanor and the Princes of the Eldalië", p. 182 (commentary to §42)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003, p. 13


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Obama refutes 2013 was worst year of his presidency
WASHINGTON — At the end of a difficult year, President Obama said Friday that he's bullish about 2014.
The last year for Obama has been marked by controversies over the National Security Agency's surveillance program, a disastrous roll out of the website for his signature health care law, and nose-diving poll numbers.
His hopes to pass a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's gun laws after last year's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School failed to gain traction, as did his call for a retooling of the nation's immigration laws.
Yet Obama, even as he was pressed by reporters to reflect on a tough year, repeatedly said he is looking forward to 2014.
"We're poised to do really good things," said Obama, at a year-end news conference before heading to Hawaii with his family for their their annual winter vacation.
The president offered his rosy outlook just hours after the Commerce Department announced on Friday that the U.S. economy grew in the third quarter by a surprising 4.1%.
"We head into next year with an economy that is stronger than it was when we started the year," Obama said. "I firmly believe that 2014 can be a breakthrough year for America."
When asked if this has been the worst year of his presidency, Obama said "that's not how I think about it." He added that he has had political difficulties throughout his political career.
"We have had ups and we have had downs," Obama said.
He brushed off questions about his poll numbers, which are are near an all-time low for his nearly five years in office
"If I was interested in polling, I wouldn't have run for president," Obama insisted. He added, "I knew and will continue to know that there are going to be ups and downs."
Obama argued that the economy is improving, and that more people are benefiting from his health care law. He suggested that both developments would improve his political standing.
The president also said there is room for some agreement with Republicans in Congress on issues like immigration. At the same time, he made clear that he was unwilling to negotiate with Republicans over raising the debt ceiling, which has a February deadline. Obama has repeatedly said the debt ceiling should be raised with no strings attached.
"It's probably too early to declare an outbreak of bipartisanship, but it's also fair to say that we are not condemned to endless gridlock," Obama said. "2014 needs to be a year of action."
The president described the health care roll-out as his biggest mistake: "Since I'm in charge, obviously we screwed it up."
In looking forward to 2014, Obama said: "You know, the end of the year is always a good time to reflect and see, what can you do better next year -- that's how I intend to approach it. I'm sure that I will have even better ideas after a couple days of sleep and sun."
Obama spoke with care when asked about former NSA contractor Edward Snowden being treated as a "criminal," and sidestepped whether he should be offered amnesty or a pardon for his actions.
He acknowledged that Snowden, who released a treasure trove of information about the NSA's spying program, may have spurred an important conversation about U.S. intelligence practices.
But he added that Snowden's actions have caused "unnecessary damage to U.S. intelligence capabilities and U.S. diplomacy."
Obama also addressed a bipartisan effort in Congress to imposes new sanctions on Iran, even as he attempts to get Tehran to curb its nuclear program through negotiations.
He said if "we're serious about negotiations we have to create an atmosphere" where Iran will take action it may be uncomfortable with.
He said he understands it may be good politics to pursue more sanctions, but it's not an effective way to get to the U.S. government's desired end goal of stopping Iran from being a "weaponized," or nuclear-armed country
"It is my goal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." He added, "I'll work with Congress to put more pressure on Iran, but there is no reason to do it now."
The U.S. and Iran came to an interim agreement earlier this month, in which the international community will gain greater oversight of Iran's nuclear program. In exchange, Tehran was given less roughly $7 billion in sanctions relief over the next six months.
"We lose nothing during this negotiation period," Obama said.
Obama also addressed the makeup of the presidential delegation he's sending to represent the United States at the the Winter Olympics.
He did not dispute that the group, which includes three gay members, was designed in part to send a message about anti-gay laws in Russia.
Citing the inclusion of tennis legend Billie Jean King and champion skater Brian Boitano, Obama said they are world-class athletes of great character "who also happen to be members of the LGBT community."
He said: "You should take that for what it's worth … When it comes to the Olympics and athletic performance we don't make distinctions on the basis of sexual orientation."
Asked why he isn't going, Obama noted that he has not traveled to previous Olympics.
"Me attending the Olympics, particularly at a time when we've got all the other stuff that people have been talking about, is going to be tough, although I would love to do it," he said. "I'll be going to a lot of Olympic Games post- presidency. "
Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is leading the U.S. delegation to Sochi.
Vice President Biden led the U.S. delegation to the last Winter Olympics, in Vancouver in 2010. First lady Michelle Obama did the honors at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
President Obama said at his annual year-end news conference Friday that 2014 "can be a breakthrough year for America." Asked if this year had been the worst of his presidency so far, he said, "That's not how I think about it." (Dec. 20) AP


text:
By Helen Crisell | 2,391,558 | 656
(Healthy Mum Daily) - For the past three months our readers have been going crazy over 2 internet products that are helping people in UK and across the world to lose weight. This revolutionary system, called by some "The Holy Grail of Weight Loss" has been featured on countless popular TV shows, proven to be safe for ongoing use and best of all - it's totally affordable for anyone.
Waves of celebrities have lost a significant amount of body fat with just these diet cleanses. The combined effect is clinically proven to not just rapidly burn fat off your physique but as importantly, to flush out all the destructive toxins in your body and increase your metabolism, all without harming your immune system.
As we have often reported when researching the latest diet trends, losing weight often feels like an impossible challenge and all too frequently the results are painfully disappointing. However, after an exhaustive research effort including interviewing actual dieters using this exact system, we're more than excited about this breakthrough. Keep reading and you'll find out why we created this special report.
The reason why most diets fail, in our opinion, is that they impose unrealistic restrictions on how you live your life. Some advocate eating tons of protein while others emphasize restricting carbohydrates. In either case, you're left with having to make rather drastic changes to the types of food you eat and when you eat it. In this special report, we take an in-depth look at an emerging and promising weight loss trend that we believe is a game changer, that won't require time in the gym or cutting your calories... and best of all it won't break the bank.
You may have heard of the enormously popular Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select in the news. It is a chemical from Garcinia Cambogia - scientifically proven to tear away fat from you body. In studies by renowned health research institution UCLA in Los Angeles, United States - Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select was proven to ignite your metabolism and your body's hidden fat burning capabilities by 318% when taken regularly. However, the problem encountered by many hoping to embrace this miracle dieting system, is that nearly 90% of the imitation Garcinia Cambogia products out there are NOT pure. Most fluctuate between the 60-70% purity levels - so we tracked down the original 'Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select ' to understand the difference. Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select Formula claimed they delivered 95% pure extract to your body so to put it simply - we were intrigued.
To take our study a step further, we also analyzed and discovered that those taking 'Garcinia Cambogia Pure ' who experienced the most shocking weight loss results were also the ones using the natural detoxifier 'VitalCleanse Complete' as well. Together, testimonials claim the combined usage of these two products led to significant weight loss, more energy and generally a healthier day to-day feeling. If you're skeptical, you're not alone. When we first learned about this weight loss products, our diet fad radar went off right away.
Nevertheless, as we began to investigate the countless success stories reported by people from all around the globe, we decided that this weight loss trend was worthy of a closer examination. Moreover, we found it of particular interest that these people had not significantly changed their current lifestyles.
Our reader Jennifer from Victoria was reported to have lost more than in just 5 weeks while being on the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete combo diet.
In the story on her blog she states, "I couldn't believe how easy it was. I didn't change my diet or my daily routine, but the fat melted off like it is butter. I love this stuff! Finally a diet that just works."
For the Healthy Mum Daily test, it was inevitable that I was to be the guinea pig for this diet since I was about to get married. I wanted to lose for my wedding. In order to try the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete diet, I ordered the products online. Although there are many similar products available, I chose Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select on the basis that it had been clinically tested and approved at GNP Labs in Los Angeles, California - an organization renowned for their strict guidelines on weight management products.
The discounted bottle of Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select was delivered in a few days after ordering and shipping was very cheap which was a nice bonus (though read on as there is now actually a Free Trial offer with just a small shipping charge that wasn't previously available). Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select is one of the most concentrated and purest weight loss products on the market.
Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select has been clinically proven to:
- Deliver 4 Times More Weight Loss Than Diet and Exercise Alone
- Boosts Energy
- Be Rich in Antioxidants - Beats Blueberries, and even Gogi Berries!!
- Promote Cardiovascular and Digestive Wellness
Although we were pretty skeptical, we wanted to find out for ourselves if this product could actually do everything that it claimed. Most of the success stories talk about combining Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select with a cleansing product called VitalCleanse Complete to achieve maximum weight loss. The idea behind combining the products is that while the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select encourages weight loss and increases energy, VitalCleanse Complete helps rid your body of toxins and allows your body to work and burn calories more efficiently for the long term. After further research, we put VitalCleanse Complete to the test.VitalCleanse Complete has been clinically proven to:
- Help Eliminate Extremely Damaging Toxins That Have Built Up Over the Years
- Destroy Harmful Parasites in Your Digestive Tract
- Removes 'Sludge' From the Walls of the Stomach (that prevents Fat Burning!)
- Helps Get Rid of Gas and Bloating
- Helps Regulate Your Metabolism
- Increase Energy, Libido and Alertness
We loved the fact that the VitalCleanse Complete product is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Putting the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete to the Test
Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete arrived within 4 days of having placed my order online.
- Take Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select everyday (in the morning)
- Take VitalCleanse Complete everyday (in the evening)
My Results - I Dropped In Just 1 Month and Lost 3 Dress Sizes. I Nearly Cried!
Week One:
After one week on the diet using the products I was surprised at the dramatic results. My energy level was up, and I wasn't even hungry. A welcomed side effect of the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete diet is its power to curb the appetite.
I honestly felt fantastic!
Best of all, I didn't even change anything about my daily routine. On Day 7, I got on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes. I had lost . But I still wasn't convinced, since they say you lose a lot of water weight at the beginning of any diet. I wanted to wait and see the results in the upcoming weeks. But it sure was looking up! I now weighed under for the first time in years!
Week Two:
After two weeks of using the supplements, I started the week off with even more energy, and actually sleeping more soundly than before. I was no longer waking up during the night and tossing and turning because my body was actually able to relax (this is a result of getting rid of the toxins, I think). Plus I still managed to lose another 8.4 lb, putting me at an unbelievable of weight loss, in just 2 weeks.
I must admit that I'd starting to believe that this diet is more than just a gimmick.
Week Three:
After 3 weeks, all my doubts and skepticism had absolutely vanished! I am down, 2 full dress sizes after losing another . And I still have a ton of energy. Quite often, around the third week of other diets, you tend to run out of steam. But with the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete diet my energy levels didn't dip, instead they remain steady throughout the day. I no longer need that cat nap around 3pm in the afternoon! I am even noticing that my stomach is digesting food so much better. No bloating or embarrassing gas after I eat.
Week Four:
After the fourth week, my final results were shocking. I lost an unbelievable since starting the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete diet! Actually everyone at Healthy Mum Daily is kicking themselves for not having volunteered to be the guinea pig. Using the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select and VitalCleanse Complete in week 4, I lost an additional . The results are consistent! But to be honest, I really didn't have much more than that left to lose. I am definitely going to continue taking the Garcinia Cambogia Pure Select afterwards because it has so many antioxidants and vitamins that makes my skin look unbelievable.
In conclusion, if you are a little doubtful about the effects of this diet, you need to try it for yourself; from our own test, the results are real . We at Healthy Mum Daily review more than 100 diets each year, and we had our doubts initially, but we were quickly turned into believers. After conducting our own study, we are pleased to see that people really are finding success with the diet.
IMPORTANT: *In clinical testing it was proven that you must use BOTH products in this method to achieve similar results.
Special FREE bottle offer for our readers:
Use our EXCLUSIVE LINK and claim your trial of £2.97 today!
(Free Trial Still Available On )
Use our EXCLUSIVE LINK and claim your trial of £2.77 today!
(Free Trial Expires On )
Guys, we rarely do these special reports because the reality is that there is just a bunch of rubbish out there claiming to be that next big weight loss breakthrough. But this was just too good to keep away from the public. Try it out and send us your thoughts!
Stock is limited. Discounts still available on
Would you like to share a consumer tip for next week? If so, please send us an email.
Read Responses For: New 'skinny' pill takes country by storm. (20 out of 44)
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
i saw this product on the dr. oz and rachel ray show. however, i didn't know how to order it and came across your site where you found this good products for free, which is great because i dont want to pay full price for something i didnt know worked.
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
I have been procrastinating for 2 months now on losing weight and today is the day I am gonna take action and get started. I've gone ahead and ordered the free trials of both products and am going to go do 30 minutes of exercising right now! Thanks for the motivation to get me started! Love, Kelly
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
Hey everyone, I saw the report on TV and realized Garcinia Cambogia WORKS EVEN BETTER FOR MEN who want to lose weight!!! I am definitely going to get the free bottles before the offer expires! Thanks for sharing the tips and you should mention how great this fat burning combo is for us men too, don't forget it next time. LOL!
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
My husband and I both need to lose weight because we are going to be seeing family we haven't seen in 10 years. Already ordered it and we are both going to try this out, thanks. The Higgins family
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
My mum just e-mailed me this, a friend at work had told her about it. i guess it works really well
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
A friend of mine used this and recommended it to me 3 weeks ago. I ordered the trial bottles and received them within 3 days (although I didnt get the discounted shipping). The results have been incredible and I can't wait to see what weeks 3 and 4 bring
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
My sister heard about Garcinia Cambogia earlier this month, I waited to order to see if it really worked and then I couldn't find a good deal! Glad to see this special promotion is available, I picked up a bottle to try :)
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
Just started taking my Garcinia Cambogia pills! I'm only on my first week but I feel incredible so far!
i do a lot of online shopping and I've can't believe they haven't caught onto this, fantastic story! Thanks Guys!
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
Had no idea you could get results like this. I just ordered the free trial bottles through your special links, thanks!
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
Sounds interesting. I have heard a lot about Garcinia Cambogia extract all over the place. You're the 10th person I heard of who had good results. Seems like it's time to give it a shot. Thanks!
Comment Left on: Wednesday, 29 October 2015
wasn't sure about ordering online but this deal seals it for me, didn't want to miss out. checked out the pages and all is encrypted and good. looking forward to my new looks
Comment Left on:
For once I was able to do something nice for myself without feeling guilty about the cost.


text:
For those who have lapsed... For those who are backsliding or are in danger of doing so.... For those who are questioning their faith and drifting away from the Church and from God, there is a movie you need to see. It's not a huge production like Avatar or action packed like 300. It's merely a simple encounter with a man who has it all, except God, and feels miserable.
The movie is Vito Bonafacci in Search of the Truth, and is about a lapsed Catholic (25 years away from the Church) who, after having a dream in which he dies and then is scolded by his mother on why he's going to hell, seeks advice from family, friends, and employees for answers, before turning directly to God (with help from his priest).
Without delving into too much (or any if you don't mind) personal baggage of my own, I'd like to say that I identified with this character very much in his faith struggle, and found the discussions he has with his wife, barber, and employees not only plausible, but nearly identical to several I've had with those who either accept God on His terms, or replace Him with some new-age politically correct, feel-goodism, or even write Him off altogether as some tool used by organized religion to advance careers in a bogus faith.
This movie would be a great gift for someone struggling with faith. It would also make a useful RCIA tool for adults starting their Catholic journey. And although I found the dream scene at the beginning to be somewhat dragging and a bit ponderous (I would have shown him acting out other examples of bad behavior while his mother narrated a voice-over rather than show her during her whole speech), the rest I found engagingly honest and well filmed. There's very good camera work, especially when breakfast is prepared, and the acting is not bad at all.
Thumbs up! Three Hail Marys. Two and a half Glory Be's.


text:
This is going to be a long and rambling post but hell, you can skim it, or not even read it at all, if it comes to that. Right? Right. Whatever you decide, I hope you're comfortably seated, or standing, or maybe even lying flat on your back, with a screen hovering above you. Do you have one of those futuristic Hover-Screens™? So great.
I know some of you have been wondering how my mood is, and let me tell you! Just eechhh. Isn't that cheerful? Isn't that a happy sound? I actually took one of those online depression questionnaires today, and the result came back OH DEAR. And this is about 90% better than I WAS, so, well, you can imagine!
I have an appointment with my psychiatrist in two days, and I intend to give him a piece of my mind. My not-happy mind! I'm going to be all, "See here, good man, why am I not yet whistling a happy tune?"
I'll let you know how that pans out.
Until then, here's what happened today. Today I completed my Crossfit Foundations course. In case you're not familiar with Crossfit, it's one of those bootcamp-ish, lift-heavy-things-and-run-'til-you-puke workout places. People seem to obsessively love it, so I signed up for the Foundations course, in which you learn, duh, the foundations. This is supposed to lead you seamlessly into the regular group workout classes. Which I was a little scared of, to be honest, because I felt like I was perhaps less than ready for such a thing.
My feelings of incompetence despite completing the course surprised me, as I have been steadily and faithfully gym-going for the past two years--and also they didn't surprise me, as I have held the conviction all along that I'm still fundamentally weak and uncoordinated. This is a feeling that goes back as far as I can remember. I have never felt like I had any natural skill at moving my body through space.
Not only do I persist in believing this, it's also a belief that carries with it a huge amount of humiliation and shame. I seem to seek out activities that are going to poke me right in this incredibly sore spot, either because I'm trying to move past it and improve or because I'm looking for validation that I am a hopeless weakling and klutz.
I took kung fu until the instructor singled me out in class for my terrible form.
I took belly dancing until the instructor singled me out for awkwardness and general unsexiness (my terms, not hers).
I practiced yoga until one instructor spent the entire session adjusting me and asking loudly if I had some kind of severe injury that made me move that way.
I get it: I'm not flexible. But I keep giving up on these activities because I'm convinced that I'm not going to get any more flexible. And then I try something else, until I'm humiliated and I run away. And so on.
So even with my regular strength training, I had hit something of a plateau, because of the above inflexibility. That's when I decided to try out Crossfit. I have no idea why. Masochism? I actually thought the intro course was interesting, if intimidating and hard as hell. I thought I was making progress, although I know my instructor was concerned about my mobility issues.
By the way, there's another course, one that people who are not quite ready for the group classes can take, called "On Ramp." I had a feeling he'd tell me I should take this before I went to the group classes. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY.
Instead, he told me that because of my mobility issues, he wants me to take 10-20 private sessions, then go to On Ramp, and then maybe I'd be ready for group classes. He wants me to work on my mobility issues, and he's worried that if I can't get proper form in some of the stances, I'll just injure myself and give up. Which he does not want me to do. Reasonable, right? So reasonable!
I will tell you, I wanted to die of humiliation, when he told me this. It was yoga all over again. And belly dancing. And oh, lord, kung fu. Once again, I was being assigned to Remedial Gym.
(Did I ever tell you how I had to take Remedial Gym in high school? Yep. Just soak that in, for a moment. REMEDIAL GYM. It's no wonder I have all of these goddamn issues.)
So now I have a choice to make: do I go for private sessions? Or do I give up?
Part of me wants to forge ahead. I've made some progress, and I've seen how far it is that I need to go. The worst that happens is after the set of private sessions, I decide I don't want to do it.
But part of me is wondering, why do I put myself in these situations, again and again, where I'm just left feeling terrible about myself? What am I in it for? Yes, I'd like to be in better shape. Yes, I'd like to feel strong and capable and coordinated. But surely there are ways of doing this that won't leave me just feeling awful?
Another factor is, of course, my brain chemistry, which is all off-kilter at the moment. Maybe once my serotonin is re-uptaking or not re-uptaking or WHATEVER I'll feel a little more confident in what Mr. Crossfit Coach is telling me.
Right now I only want to curl up under some blankets. This might not the best long-term approach for general fitness, but on the other hand the blankets are warm and soft and almost never mention my "mobility issues."
I'm throwing it to you, my beloved readers: what do you think? Crossfit? Something else? Or the blankets?
(And by the way: I don't question my instructor/coach's motives at : he's smart and his advice has always been spot-on. I like him a lot and truly believe he wants the best for me. I also happen to think he secretly is horrified by what an awful, uncoordinated idiot I am. This may just be me.)


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Plans for a horse racing track in Balzac are out of the gate again, this time with a $13-million loan from a casino, developers say.
United Horsemen of Alberta says it has made a deal with Colorado-based Century Casinos to fund the long-proposed racetrack and entertainment area, which has been stalled since before 2007 due to lack of money.
Plans call for 5.5 furlongs (0.7 miles) of racetrack and a casino with 625 gambling machines, a bar, a lounge, restaurant facilities, an off-track-betting area and an entertainment space.
The development is located east of CrossIron Mills shopping mall.
Now, the UHA is waiting on final approval of its gaming license from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
"We have received the financing that we require to move this project forward and bring class 'A' horse racing back to southern Alberta," an announcement made Monday by president Darcy Marler reads.
"For now, we can say that the deal is firm."
"This is kind of the piece we've been missing for the past few years. We had the plan, but no money. Now we've got the money."
The project is a scaled-down version of an earlier $22-million plan that was supposed to open in 2007.
"A lot of that has been completed already — the infrastructure, the roads, the pipe in the ground, the bridge over Highway 2 — that was a big part of the original budget. Now that that's done the budget got smaller, and we've scaled down," said Marler.
UHA says it has to also work with the County of Rockyview on the required building approvals, and finalize the design and layout of the racing entertainment centre's grandstand, racetrack and backstretch.
"We expect a 12- to 15-month construction cycle once all approvals and permits have been received," Marler says.
For Rocky View County, the extra tax dollars it stands to gain, and jobs the track and casino will create are welcomed, said Reeve Rolly Ashdown.
"It adds to the coffers and makes the county healthier, and the residents get more services," he said.
"We're just real happy they're coming back to the table. It's going to be welcome for the entire area. and it's good for agriculture in general — horses need hay and straw and feed."
The county has to do a master site development plan and issue a development permit.
In 2004, United Horsemen won the rights to take the ponies action away from the Calgary Stampede grounds. The Balzac site was to be anchored by a mile-long track, hotel and casino complex. The land off Highway 2 was touted as southern Alberta's new horse racing mecca.
Due to delays, tracks in Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Lacombe picked up the lost race dates.


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Phragmites australis is an uncommon term for an increasingly common sight in the wetlands and along the beaches of the Great Lakes. It's the scientific name for the common reed, a fast-growing perennial wetland grass.
An immigrant from Europe, it's an exotic species that has a reputation for taking over any wetland real estate it visits.
Phragmites is a formidable foe. It roots easily, digs in deep and shoots runners along the ground in every direction, sprouting new plants all along the way. The reed grows tall — as high as 15 feet — and has stalks that can slice like a well-sharpened knife. It provides no food for birds and no shelter for wildlife. In fact, it threatens their very existence.
Until now, no one has done a comprehensive map showing where Phragmites is established and where it is spreading in the Great Lakes basins. The Michigan Tech Research Institute, based in Ann Arbor, has taken on the job. To do the work, the institute has received a $580,000 federal grant from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Geological Survey, funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency's $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
MTRI's goal is to map the likely extent of Phragmites in each Great Lakes coastal basin — the land occupied by a lake, its shoreline and the areas near shore that drain into the lake — by 2011.
"MTRI was asked to do this work because our federal sponsors know that we are experts in using satellites to collect radar data," said Colin Brooks, research scientist and environmental science lab manager at MTRI. Principal investigator on the research is Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, also a MTRI research scientist.
Bourgeau-Chavez, Brooks and their team are attacking the Phragmites mapping challenge two ways: high-tech and low-tech.
High-tech is MTRI's middle name. The research center specializes in remote-sensor and information-technology development and its application to national security and infrastructure problems, as well as to earth sciences and environmental processes.
In the case of Phragmites, MTRI scientists are using Synthetic Aperture Radar, which employs satellite imagery as the primary remote sensing data source for mapping. Data from three dates during the growing season will be collected and analyzed.
"It provides unique information about wetlands," Brooks said. "Radar can measure the structure and biomass of wetlands, which shows us where the Phragmites areas are and how thickly they have infested an area. More traditional methods can't do that."
The low-tech — but equally important — aspect of the project involves deploying three field teams of two undergraduate or graduate students each out across the wetlands and along the beaches of the Great Lakes, including three Michigan Tech students. The teams are collecting samples of vegetation and measuring water conditions at nearly 400 sites throughout the Great Lakes basin.
The data MTRI collects will be combined with data from other sources including Ducks Unlimited, The Watershed Center – Grand Traverse Bay, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. The resulting database will map existing Phragmites growth and help map the potential spread of the invasive plant for each lake basin.
A video about the student interns' summer field work just won third place in the nation in a "Life in the Field" competition sponsored by the American Geological Institute. They have posted it on YouTube, where you can see it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI1XU0tGfmk. More information about the Phragmites mapping project is available at www.mtri.org/phragmites.html.
So what does this reed look like? How about adding a picture.
A good website with some images is http://lakehuron.ca/index.php?page=common-reed there you can see the root system as well.
Good idea, Elaine. I added a picture.


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The Trinity Lutheran Seminary Board of Directors in Columbus, Ohio has appointed Dr. Thomas Ludwig, a long-time member of the board and a senior faculty member at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, as interim president, effective February 1, 2013.
Dr. Ludwig is the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at Hope, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1977. He was granted a leave from his teaching responsibilities to serve as interim president through July 31, 2013, at which time new leadership is expected to be in place.
"I am so pleased that Tom Ludwig will be serving as an interim president for Trinity. His years of service on Trinity's Board of Directors have provided him with solid knowledge of the inner workings of the seminary. He is familiar with the campus, the faculty and staff, and some of the students," said Melissa Peper Firestone, chair of the board.
Dr. Ludwig holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Christ Seminary-Seminex (LSTC) and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. He is the author of numerous journal articles and academic papers on developmental psychology, gerontology, and cognitive psychology, and has won several awards for effective teaching. He served on Trinity's board from 1995 to 2011, much of that time as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. During the six-month interim period, Dr. Ludwig will work with the Board of Directors in preparation for new leadership, assist faculty with curriculum development, and work with the entire community throughout this period of transition. He and his spouse Deb will reside on the Trinity campus for the six-month period.
Announcement Courtesy Trinity Lutheran Seminary


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March 16, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Rob McAndrew became the first member of the MIT men's volleyball team to earn North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Player of the Week honors. He was also selected as the NECVA New England division Player of the Week.
McAndrew notched a hitting percentage of .375 and averaged 5.83 kills, 3.00 digs, and .67 blocks per game in a 2-0 week for the Engineers. He currently ranks third in the nation in kills per game (4.77) and points per game (5.97). McAndrew is fourth in blocking, averaging 1.44 blocks per game.
Tonight, Tech (22-4, 14-2) travels to Harvard University before heading into spring break.


text: On Mon, 17 Mar 2003, Robert G. Brown wrote: > > I wish I had just as accomodating a governor handy...;-) > Keep in mind that this was the first major infusion of funds specifically for technology ... well, ... ever! There is no precedent for this in Louisiana. I am not certain what motivated this, but I'm not going to complain. > > I could probably even manage to work a bit of science in between tuning > the sucker up for linpack...:-) > I do need to point out that the machine is being used. Not as heavily as it could be, if it were purchased as a dedicated cluster rather than a general cluster, but it does fit in with our philosophy of providing the most computing resources to the most people on campus. -- Brian D. Ropers-Huilman (225) 578-0461 (V) Systems Administrator AIX (225) 578-6400 (F) Office of Computing Services GNU Linux brian at ropers-huilman.net High Performance Computing .^. http://www.ropers-huilman.net/ Fred Frey Building, Rm. 201, E-1Q /V\ \o/ Louisiana State University (/ \) -- __o / | Baton Rouge, LA 70803-1900 ( ) --- `\<, / `\\, ^^-^^ O/ O / O/ O


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The Social Cure: How Peer Pressure Creates Change
People are rarely swayed by information alone. If they were, the cigarette industry would have collapsed when the first Surgeon General's report on the dangers of smoking came out in 1964, and fossil fuels would have been phased out around 1989, when Congress was first alerted to the threat of global climate change. As Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tina Rosenberg writes in her recently released book Join the Club, "No amount of information can budge us when we refuse to be budged. The catalog of justifications for destructive behaviors is a tribute to human ingenuity."
So what does move us? According to Rosenberg, it's peer pressure. You know—the same thing that drives teenagers to wear certain clothes, smoke cigarettes, and engage in all sorts of risky behavior that drives parents crazy—except it's much bigger than that. Peer pressure is also responsible for some astounding instances of social change, which Rosenberg highlights in her book—from a campaign that lowered the incidence of HIV among South African youths to the organization of a previously passive and fatalistic citizenry into the nonviolent army that overthrew Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
I recently met up with Rosenberg to discuss her book and the implications of what she calls "the social cure"—the process that changes people's behavior through joining a new peer group—on the world of activism. The conversation touched on the relevance of social media, the success and fear of failure in Egypt, and peer pressure as a means to combat climate change.
Bryan Farrell: How did the idea for this book come about?
Tina Rosenberg: I was doing a story for the New York Times Magazine on psychological, social, and cultural barriers to fighting AIDS. The story was in part about loveLife, the teenage prevention program in South Africa, which threw out old strategies of scaring people and instead decided to make a really fun group to belong to—one that was very positive; one that kids would want to join. It's been quite successful. Then I met Ivan Marovic [one of the founders of the student movement that led to the ouster of Milosevic] and I learned about Otpor [the name of that movement, which means "Resistance"] from him and realized this group was using a very similar strategy. Both using the same techniques of trying to mobilize people for a social cause—not by simply giving them information or by scaring them, but by forming this really cool, hip, positive movement that allowed people to think of themselves as daring and heroic instead of passive victims. I decided that I needed to write a book looking at how this strategy can be employed in other ways.
Farrell: You reference Malcolm Gladwell a couple times in the book. Despite few overt references to activism in his work, many activists have found his theories on the way ideas spread to be useful in their organizing efforts. Join the Club, however, is more activist-oriented. Was this a conscious decision? Did you recognize the applicability of recent social science findings to activism?
Rosenberg: I'm naturally much more political than Malcolm. He's a brilliant writer about social science curiosities. My first book, however, was about political violence in Latin America and my second one was about dealing with the past in Eastern Europe. I'm more interested in those topics. But Malcolm is now writing about this. He had a New Yorker article arguing that there's no such thing as a Facebook revolution.
Farrell: Yes, that caused a big stir in the activist world. What's your take on that argument?
Rosenberg: Social media is a platform for communication—like traveling minstrels or sky writing or TV or newspapers or word of mouth. It's an effective platform. It can let you get to your membership cheaply and in a mass way. But I don't think revolutions are conducted online. I think revolutions are conducted in the street. The April 6 movement in Egypt may have had 75,000 members on their Facebook page, but if they hadn't had the strategies in the street, they wouldn't have gone anywhere.
Farrell: Scholars of digital activism have argued that the shortcomings of social media might not be the fault of the medium, but rather the people using it. It might be possible, rather than tout the supremacy of social media, to learn how we might better use the tool to form strong personal bonds.
Rosenberg: I think what Facebook can do is get people to Tahrir Square, but you need to be in Tahrir Square to be able to build those ties and to build a movement where everybody says, "This is where I have to be." I don't think Facebook can do anything more than post the information. Maybe I'll turn out to be wrong, but for the moment, that's what I think.
Farrell: How did you see a social cure at work in Egypt?
Rosenberg: First of all, obviously a lot of the tactics that CANVAS [the group that formed out of Serbia's Otpor and which has trained many activists around the world] used were at work in Egypt—not necessary the social cure ones, but the more strategic ones, such as being nice to the police, et cetera. I think those are very important, but the social cure was evident in the way people felt about themselves during the revolution. Going into Tahrir Square, being surrounded by this wave of massive goodwill and the feeling that you're a hero, that you're daring, and that you're doing something important. I think that was absolutely crucial in Egypt, and that's the social cure.
Farrell: In the book, you mention that everyone in Otpor agreed on the need to overthrow Milosevic, but not everyone agreed on what Serbia might look like after Milosevic—particularly the economic system. This has been the case with other recent nonviolent pro-democracy movements and has led to lingering issues in those countries, despite the victory of largely bloodless regime change. We are starting to see it in Tunisia and Egypt, with the G8 pledging billions of dollars in aid to the two countries so long as they embrace neoliberalism. Can a social cure be used to support a long-term vision that protects countries from being manipulated by global powers?
Rosenberg: The purpose of a social cure is not to inform; it's to motivate. You need to already have a basic agreement on what you're motivating people to do and it has to be something people already know they want to do. So with policy, it's just not going to work like that. I can imagine, for example, how it could be used to run an anti-corruption campaign. It's something that's really clear; everyone already knows we want this.
Farrell: Do you see a similarity between the social cure and nonviolence, at least in the way that they make use of group dynamics and winning people over to a particular side?
Rosenberg: I think they're really different. The social cure is not just about community. I want to make a really big distinction between the way we form groups and the idea of social capital. Having ties with other people is a very good idea and I think that's extraordinarily important for nonviolent struggle, but that's not what I'm writing about. What I'm writing about is how to use that social capital in a very specific way, which is to create behavioral change.
The key in mobilizing people with the social cure is to focus on what getting involved in an issue has to do with you—about how you think of yourself and how your friends think of you.
Farrell: Climate change is an issue that plays on many of the themes in your book—it's such a major failure of information to inspire social change. You mention it only a few times throughout the book, but clearly it's something you've been thinking about.
Rosenberg: It is, and it's a tough one, because the problem is extremely salient and present and overwhelmingly important in some countries, but those are not the countries that have the capacity to do anything about it. If they had lots of coal plants in Ethiopia, they could probably amass huge protests. But they don't. They have coal plants in countries where people are not yet personally touched by climate change to the degree that they are in other places. That kind of distance is a big problem for using the social cure for climate change—but it may not be five years from now.
Here's evidence that nonviolence is the most powerful tool to promote democracy and overthrow tyranny.
How online activism can help us understand how real change is made.


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In this job market, it can take months to find a new position for experienced professionals. And when they do, the transition to adapting to a new workplace and corporate culture can be difficult.
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The first couple of weeks in a new job is important and can help determine your future success. When considering any position, it's important to evaluate whether it's the right steppingstone toward your goals—ask yourself if this job will get you where you want to be in your career, says Amanda Augustine, job search expert at TheLadders . "If you're taking this role, there's a reason. Your mission is to be a sponge and learn everything you need to get you to that next role."
Given the current labor market, a new position might not exactly be your dream job or a step up the corporate ladder—but you can still make it worthwhile. "There's recognition [by employers] that people are taking transitional jobs," says Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert. "Be honest that it's an interim position and in this kind of market, build relationships to get yourself out."
It's important to build relationships with fellow workers since you never know where someone will end up in your career. Your job performance, attitude and relationships make a difference. "You want to come in showing you're ready to roll your sleeves up, do whatever it takes and be a team player," says Amanda Lachapelle, director of human resources and talent acquisition at Glassdoor. "The most important relationship is with your superiors and boss and next, the people you're working with on a day-to-day basis."
Don't forget to build relationships with administrators or the people who have been in the company for years but aren't on the fast track, advises Lee Miller, career coach and author of UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective, because they know the lay of the land.
Here are expert tips for making the transition into a new position a career builder.
Tip No.1: Start Prepping Before Your First Day
Augustine suggests learning as much as you can about your new organization before stepping through the door. Look up your future colleagues on LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter to humanize them.
"Try to get a jumpstart on relationships and have an ally going in on day one," says Augustine, this will also help you promote your personal brand.
Miller suggests meeting your future boss and select future coworkers for lunch before you start to get to know them and learn more about the company. "People are flattered when you ask for their help and advice," he says.
Tip No.2: Turn Coworkers into Advocates
Given the amount of time spent in the office, work can become personal sometimes.
You don't need to be best friends with everyone but you do need positive working relationships, says Augustine.
To help build camaraderie, experts suggest networking at lunches and Friday happy hours—it's the grease in the wheel to help build important personal relationships in the office. "Being social is a great opportunity for getting to know people," says Lachapelle.
Managing relationships with superiors and subordinates is also key. "The biggest problem older employees have is when your boss is younger than you," says Miller. If you're older, you need to make your boss feel comfortable managing you—your boss needs to feel like the boss.
It's also in your best interest at the new person to show you are a team player and not a threat to coworkers' aspirations. You can build cohesion with colleagues by asking their opinion on projects that you could genuinely use their input for, suggests Jolynn Cunningham, director of Talent at Indeed. "If you're trying to placate them, it could do more harm than good—be strategic on how you use them."
How you communicate with coworkers is important. Suggesting ideas is good but your delivery determines your effectiveness, says Miller. Present your ideas in a positive way that compliments others, like "That's a great idea—would it work better if we included this?"
Tip No.3: Attitude is Everything
"Don't walk in like you own the place and don't act like you know everything about the company—that always backfires," says Augustine.
The likability factor comes into play when you take a new position, says Cunningham. "If you're in a situation where you feel like you can't learn from a coworker, it will be hard to develop a symbiotic relationship."
How you say things makes a difference, says Miller. Giving other people credit when possible helps to forge relationships, as well as avoiding statements like "when I did this" that can be difficult for your boss and colleagues to hear.
Tip No.4: Perform at Your Best
Augustine suggests showing that you have the right skillset and are open and accepting to learn about the industry and job. Once your boss realizes your potential, it's not unrealistic that you'll move into a larger role.
"Get to know the expectations from the team," says Cunningham. If you know what your job duties are, perform these to earn respect among the team. "If there's scrutiny, performing the job duties above expectations is a great rule of thumb."
Your job performance and how well you get along with others is key, says Cunningham. "Execute on your job without being a bull in a china shop while building consensus with coworkers. Bring people along with you and get them on board with your initiatives."
And when you do get that promotion, take the opportunity and try to help coworkers advance in their careers, says Williams.


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Letter: To Rep. David Obey, Chairman House Appropriations Committee; Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member House Appropriations Committee
Dear Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member:
We understand that the committee has been given the difficult task of readjusting the FY 2007 budget because the last Congress was unable to complete the appropriations process last year. As you consider programs that deserve additional resources, we hope you will find funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S) program in the forthcoming Continuing Resolution.
The FBI recently reported that crime is growing in the United States for the first time since the early 1990s. During the first six months of last year, homicides, assaults and other violent offenses grew by 4%, and robberies, which are often interpreted as a precursor to more serious crime, jumped by 10%.
To address the up tick in crime during the 1990s, Congress created the C.O.P.S. program, which succeeded in putting almost 120,000 more police on the beat. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft described C.O.P.S. as a "miraculous sort of success." And a GAO study released last year stated, " we estimated that C.O.P.S.-funded increases in sworn officers per capita were associated with declines in the rates of total index crimes, violent crimes, and property crimes."
But after receiving more than $1 billion each year in the late 1990s, funding for the C.O.P.S. program that has enabled local and state police agencies to hire additional officers has been has been eliminated entirely.
C.O.P.S enjoys the support of all the nation's major law enforcement organizations and was reauthorized as part of the Department of Justice Reauthorization bill that President Bush signed into law last January. And the program has helped communities large and small across the nation and has strong, bipartisan support.
We hope you will do everything possible to ensure that this program receives additional funding in the Continuing Resolution.
Please help us! Donate
Vote Smart Just The Facts
"Experts nearly all recommend Vote Smart."
"Vote Smart is a bright light in an often desultory civic culture."
- Bill Moyers
"We think so highly of Vote Smart that we are distributing their materials to all of our affiliates."
Public Statements
Letter: To Rep. David Obey, Chairman House Appropriations Committee; Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member House Appropriations Committee
By: Phil Hare
Date: Jan. 30, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Date: Jan. 30, 2007
Location: Washington, DC


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The simplest type of life insurance to understand and purchase is term life insurance. Term life insurance provides protection for a specific period of time, such as 10, 20 or 30 years.
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"Term life insurance works well if you're looking solely for a death benefit to provide income for your beneficiaries," says Kevin Finneran, vice president for Life Product Management for MetLife in Bloomfield, Conn. "It's best suited for people who want insurance coverage for a short duration. For example, if you want to cover your income until you retire and you're 45, then you can purchase a 20-year term policy." (See: "Understanding life insurance table ratings.")
Term vs. permanent life insurance
If you die while your term life policy is in effect, your beneficiaries receive the face value of the policy tax-free. Your insurance coverage ends when the policy expires, so you'll have to purchase a new policy if you still need life insurance.
"The biggest advantage of term life insurance is that it is the cheaper alternative when compared to permanent life insurance," says Finneran. "The trade-off is that you lose the ability to grow cash value in your life insurance policy, which is one advantage of permanent life insurance policies."
If you need life insurance for a longer period of time than your initial term, your premium could go up substantially and you may have to undergo a new medical exam, says Finneran.
"Permanent life insurance offers protection for the longest time," he says. "However, most term policies offer the option of converting to a permanent policy at some point."
Some consumers opt to purchase a term insurance policy to supplement a smaller permanent policy in order to cover a specific need such as a mortgage or college tuition.
Level premiums vs. annual renewable premiums
Finneran says most people prefer level premiums for a term policy so that their premiums stay the same for the entire duration of the policy.
"With level premiums you're essentially overfunding your insurance costs in the early years and underfunding the later years to level out the premiums," says Finneran.
Annual renewable premiums will typically rise each year as you age.
"If you're buying insurance for a shorter time horizon it might be more cost-efficient to choose an annual renewable premium policy," says Finneran. "One example would be if an employee lost his job and his group life insurance coverage and needed stop-gap life insurance until he's covered under a new group policy." (See: "Insurance smarts during a layoff.")
Term life insurance rates
Life insurance premiums are set depending on your health, gender, age, the amount of insurance coverage and the term of your policy, says Finneran. (See: "How much life insurance your cigarette money could buy.")
According to LIMRA, a 20-year level term insurance policy for $250,000 for a healthy 30-year-old costs approximately $150 annually.
How much to purchase
Many factors should be considered when determining how much life insurance to buy, says Finneran, such as:
- Your annual income
- How many years you expect to continue working
- Your debts
- Your available assets to cover your debts and provide for your family
- The age of your children
"A financial advisor can help you," suggests Finneran. "Basically you have to blend what you need and want to cover in terms of income replacement for your family and how much you can afford to spend on life insurance."
Medical conditions and term life insurance
Some term life insurance products are available without a medical exam. For example, MetLife offers a term life insurance policy without an exam for consumers age 40 and younger who want to purchase $500,000 or less in coverage.
"If you have a medical condition you can usually still purchase life insurance but you may have to pay a higher premium depending on how the insurance company assesses your health risks," says Finneran. (See: "Untreated sleep apnea will raise your insurance ratezzz.")
Group coverage vs. individual coverage
If you have the option of buying group life insurance coverage through your employer, you may still want an individual term life insurance policy to provide benefits if you lose your job or switch employers. (See: "Pros and cons of obtaining life insurance through an employer versus buying it on my own?")
According to LIMRA, 36 percent of adults have group life insurance through their employers and 35 percent have individual life insurance coverage. (See: "Accidental death and dismemberment: The grisly details count.")
Term life insurance typically offers a simple, inexpensive way to provide peace of mind for you and protection for your family.
The original article can be found at Insurance.com:How to evaluate term life insurance


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Unmatched in their softness and consistency, Schmincke soft pastels were created using the finest artist's pigments and a minimum of binders. Pastel softness permits beautiful dense application, and high pigment concentration results in intense colors.
Color Swatches created using heavy to light application and were applied on 100 lb (163 gsm) drawing paper material.
organic, quinacridone
Quinacridone Magenta is a semi-transparent and powerful bluish red with an impressive mixing range. It makes an excellent glazing color and is one of the bluest of the Quinacridone colors. The pigment's properties vary considerably, depending on how it is ground. Quinacridone pigments have relatively low tinting strength in general. For this reason, quinacridone colors are often expensive, because more pigment is required in the formulation.
Quinacridone Magenta offers very good lightfastness in most media, but some have argued that it is less lightfast in watercolor form. Although Quinacridone Magenta received only a passing grade of "fair" under ASTM test protocols, other test results have rated the pigment very good to excellent. Transparent reddish violet pigments in general have more problems with lightfastness than any other range of colors. PR122 is often used as the Magenta of CMYK (four color) process printing because it offers a better tradeoff between tinting strength and lightfastness than other pigments in its class.
Quinacridone Magenta has no acute hazards. Overexposure to quinacridone pigments may cause skin irritation. Quinicridone pigments contain a compound found to be a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.
Quinacridone Magenta came from a red violet aniline dye that was first produced in 1858 by Natanson. It was called Magenta to commemorate a battle in Magenta, Italy. Over time, Magenta became the standard color name for a deep, violet red. Although quinacridone compounds became known in the late 19th century, methods of manufacturing so as to make them practical for use as commercial pigments did not begin until the 1950s. PR122 has become particularly popular in the formulation of Magenta for CMYK process printing.
Acra Red, Quinacridone Violet (PV19), Thalo Red Rose.
titanium dioxide
Titanium White is the most brilliant of the white pigments. It is considered an all purpose oil color useful in all techniques and the best all around white. Its masstone is neither warm nor cool, placing it somewhere between Lead White and Zinc White. It is less prone to cracking and yellowing than Lead White, but it still yellows easily. Titanium White dries slowly in oil form, more slowly than Lead White but more quickly than Zinc White. It is opaque in oil and acrylic forms and semi-opaque in watercolor form. This pigment has good chemical stability, and its tinting strength is superior to both Lead White and Zinc White.
Titanium White has excellent permanence and lightfastness.
Titanium dioxide is highly stable and is regarded as completely non-toxic. Animal studies give no indiciation that it is absorbed biologically, even after long periods of exposure. The primary safety concern is with inhalation of fine pigment dust particles. Titanium White, if inhaled in large amounts over the course of several years, may cause a benign pneumoconiosis that is visible on x-rays. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers fine titanium dioxide particles, if inhaled, to be a human carcinogen. The primary concern for artists is to avoid exposure to fine particulate dust from raw pigments.
Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, however mineral deposits that are economical to mine are less common. Titanium dioxide was first discovered in 1821, although it could not be mass produced until 1919. Widespread use of the pigment began in the 1940s. Since that time, it has become the most commonly used white pigment. The name comes from the Latin word Titan, the name for the elder brother of Kronos and ancestor of the Titans, and from the Greek word tito, meaning day or sun.
organic, monoazo
Toluidine Red is a semi-opaque, yellowish red pigment with high tinting strength. .
Toluidine Red has very good lightfastness.
Toluidine Red is not regarded as toxic.
Toluidine Red or Toluidine Scarlet has been used in inks, textiles, artist materials, and plastics.
Eljon Red, Eljon Scarlet, Hansa Red, Hansa Scarlet, Kenalake Scarlet, Solintor Scarlet, Sunbrite Red
complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulfur
Na8-10Al6Si6O24S2-4 or Na6-8Al6Si6O24S2-4
Ultramarine is the standard warm blue, a brilliant blue pigment that has the most purple and least green in its undertone. It has a moderate to high tinting strength and a beautiful transparency. Synthetic Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine. Ultramarine dries slowly in oil and tends to produce clean, though granular, washes in watercolor. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colors in oil and watercolor form to create a range of purples and violets. It can dull when mixed with white in acrylic form, but mixes well with other colors. The shade varies based on manufacturer. Considered a great color for glazes, it is not suitable for frescoing.
Ultramarine has excellent permanence, although synthetic Ultramarine is not as permanent as natural Ultramarine. It may discolor if exposed to acid because of its sulfuric content.
Ultramarine has no significant hazards.
The name for this pigment comes from the Middle Latin ultra, meaning beyond, and mare, meaning sea, because it was imported from Asia to Europe by sea. It is a prominent component of lapis lazuli and was used on Asian temples starting in the 6th century. It was one of the most expensive pigments in 16th century Europe, worth twice its weight in gold, and so was used sparingly and when commissions were larger. Ultramarine is currently imitated by a process invented in France in 1826 by Jean Baptiste Guimet, making blue affordable to artists and extending the range of colors on their palettes.
Artificial Ultramarine, French Blue, French Ultramarine, Gmelin's Blue, Guimet's Blue, Permanent Blue, Royal Blue, Synthetic Ultramarine. New Blue describes particular shades of Ultramarine. Armenian Blue and Lazuline Blue are names for genuine Lapiz Ultramarine. Sky Blue is a pale tone of Ultramarine.
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Who knew dissertation proposals took so long to pump out … Will blame the lull in blogging on that, though there's been a lot going on in the background that I'd love to share "soon" on the blog.
In the meantime, let me just put this interview out there. Jonathan Morduch noted in his Household Savings in Developing Economies: An Annotated Reading List in 2008 that there are three main types of contributors to the literature on microfinance: 1) academic economists, 2) practitioners, and 3) anthropologists and sociologists. Lamia Karim is an anthropologist who has a new book out called Microfinance and Its Discontents:Women in Debt in Bangladesh, and am waiting eagerly to get my hands on it via Illyiad.
Btw, spoiler alert: she's part of the "microcredit is bad for poor people, mmkay?" crowd. Don't let that detract from her message though – this stuff is worth keeping in mind so that we don't have to deal with another AP-style disaster again.


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Beyonce unflinchingly parses through fact and fiction about her high-profile pregnancy in Life Is But a Dream, her new HBO documentary that debuts later this month. As Us Weekly revealed on Thursday (Jan. 31), the 31-year-old opens up candidly in the film about the miscarriage she and husband Jay-Z endured before the successful January 2012 birth of daughter Blue Ivy.
The singer also puts to rest, once and for all, persistent speculation that she used a surrogate to carry Blue Ivy; conspiracy theorists harshly claimed that Beyonce even sported a false baby bump in the nine months leading up to her baby's birth.
"To think that I would be that vain," the Grammy winner retorts in the film. "I respect mothers and women so much. To be able to experience bringing a child into this world, if you're lucky and fortunate enough to experience that, I would never ever take that for granted."
She says of carrying a child: "It's the most powerful thing you can do in your life — and especially after losing a child, the pain and trauma from that just makes it mean that much more . . . A child, you don't play around with that."
Calling her miscarriage the "saddest thing I've ever been through," becoming a mother to Blue became a truly life-defining moment. "My baby was born out of a conflict in my life and that struggle had to be settled. I wouldn't have gone through the pain if I hadn't gone down the path," she surmises. "There's something so relieving about life taking over you like that. You're playing a part in a much bigger show and that's what life is, it's the greatest show on earth . . . I felt like god was giving me a chance to assist in a miracle."
Beyonce plays the Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans this Sunday, Feb. 3. Singing the National Anthem live at a press conference for the event on Thursday (Jan. 31), she also acknowledged that she used a pre-recorded track while singing the same song. "I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra. It was a live television show… Due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no proper sound check… I did not feel comfortable singing live."
Still, this Sunday, she "absolutely" will be singing live, she assured reporters.
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The New England Patriots weren't the only team to video an opponent's hand signals. But the Patriots paid the price for Spygate.
The New Orleans Saints didn't invent the concept of paying cash bonuses for huge hits. But Bountygate set that franchise back in a big way.
When it comes to identifying bad behavior and treating it like a rogue incident that needs to be stamped out — as opposed to a practice that's commonplace all over the league — no one is more effective than the NFL.
This does not bode well for suspended Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito, who could wind up being cast as the lone rotten apple in a barrel filled with shiny red ones.
The argument that Incognito was just acting like a lot of NFL players, and the threatening and racially charged language he used with teammate Jonathan Martin was a product of a larger locker-room culture, won't fly as an excuse with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell has never been a fence-sitter or sheepish about making difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions he feels are in the best interest of the NFL.
He has handed out significant suspensions to players such as Michael Vick, Donte Stallworth, Ben Roethlisberger and others, and in the Bountygate case suspended Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and Coach Sean Payton for an entire season. New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' indefinite suspension lasted a season too.
Incognito already had a checkered past in college and in the league. After the investigation is completed, if Goodell believes Incognito has damaged the image of the NFL and/or violated the league's personal-conduct policy — a policy Goodell put in place — the punishment figures to be severe.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Goodell suspended Incognito indefinitely, leaving open the possibility he could return the way Williams did.
If it were an indefinite suspension of Incognito, as opposed to a lifetime ban, Goodell could still hold the cards and Incognito would be less inclined to air every shred of dirty laundry he might have.
The league brought in Ted Wells to conduct the independent investigation. It was Wells who investigated Billy Hunter, leading to Hunter's ouster earlier this year as the executive director of the NBA Players Assn. You don't hire Ted Wells unless you want a thorough, decisive, action-oriented report. This won't be wishy-washy.
If Incognito goes down, he won't go down alone. There already have been reports suggesting he was told to "toughen up" Martin by either his coaches or the front office, and maybe both. Should the investigation point to that, or if the Dolphins knew or should have known this was going on, heads will roll there too.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross addressed the situation for the first time this week, and he heaped praise on his coach.
"Joe Philbin is probably one of the most organized people I've ever met, when I interviewed him that stood out," Ross said. "What also stood out was his character. I don't think there is a better person, a more respected person, a more caring person in the National Football League than Joe Philbin."
What stood out in Ross' comments is he didn't say a peep about General Manager Jeff Ireland. The GM might be a goner.
Ross is trying to get public money for a stadium in South Florida, and this isn't the type of situation that wins the hearts and minds of the general public.
The NFL is less than three months removed from a $765-million concussion settlement, so the league has barely had time to exhale.
What's more, one way the league wants to add value to the in-stadium experience is by giving fans a chance to get an inside look at what happens in locker rooms.
The NFL might want to rethink that strategy.
Twitter: @LATimesfarmer


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Across America on that awful day, parents struggled to find words, to find perspective, to find comforting thoughts that would digest a nightmare. Thousands of miles from Newtown, Conn., parents understood they would have to explain unthinkable terror to children who should have been years away from its harsh touch.
But what if you lived in Newtown?
What if your child was an alumna of Sandy Hook Elementary?
And what if one of her favorite teachers was soon to become one of the faces of this heartbreak, her smiling face beaming across newspapers and newscasts, forever 27 years old, forever a reminder of a heroic cost?
"That," Monte Frank says, "is a conversation that will haunt me the rest of my life."
Sarah Frank is 11 years old, a sixth grader, but three years ago her regular teacher went on maternity leave and was replaced by a young woman named Victoria Soto. Teacher and pupil hit it off immediately, they stayed in regular contact even after Sarah was promoted to fourth grade, even after she left Sandy Hook for middle school.
"Such a wonderful person, such a wonderful teacher," Monte says. "My daughter loved her."
He pauses.
"You can imagine," he says, "what it was like to have to tell her …"
Actually, it's unimaginable what Monte Frank, what any Newtown parent, had to tell their children on the afternoon of Dec. 14, when the news bulletins began to stick, when the scope of the shootings began to take hold, when the names of the 20 students and six staffers were revealed.
In a moment of catastrophe, in its aftermath, the instinct is to want to do something. Anything. Monte Frank had an idea. He has been a competitive cyclist for years, and suddenly found himself, along with many others, wanting to make a statement about what he calls "sensible gun legislation."
Yesterday morning, that notion became something else. Early on a sunny Saturday, Frank and 25 other elite cyclists, dubbing themselves "Team 26," gathered in Newtown to begin a four-day trip to Washington, D.C. They were sent off by the Connecticut Congressional delegation and will be welcomed to the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday by the same lawmakers, and along the way will spread a message borne out of sadness but grounded in hope.
"I don't think anyone will ever forget what happened," Monte Frank says. "But if there can be a positive element that comes out from this tragedy, if we can help curb gun violence and raise awareness … maybe that'll mean we did a small part of the healing."
Essentially, Team 26 will be a rolling rally across 350 miles, making stops in Ridgefield, Conn., and Morristown, N.J., and Baltimore. In Frenchtown, N.J., there will be a ceremony featuring Mike Pohle, whose son, Michael, was among the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.
And in what probably will be the most emotional leg of the journey, Team 26 will be joined Tuesday in College Park, Md., by a group of riders from the Virginia Tech Victims Riding Team, and together they will cover the final 15 miles to the Capitol.
"It's an example of how united we are in this cause," Frank says. "We like to say that 'We are Virginia Tech.' And they say, 'We are Sandy Hook.'"
Three months after unimaginable darkness descended upon Newtown, its citizens are hoping to grow the light. Maybe then those unthinkable conversations between parents and children, begun that awful afternoon, can finally be given a closing chapter.
Whack Back at Vac
Jim Burns: Now that the Mets have leased Amway a storefront at Citi Field, is it true that the stadium's parking lot attendants will now also be squeegee men, and gambling will be allowed in select restrooms?
Vac: A word to the wise: Beware the gentlemen selling popcorn, peanuts, and three-card Monte.
Stephen Macary: Thanks for putting into words what every fan is going through with Mariano. It's a very sad day. I will enjoy each and every game Mariano pitches this season because it is truly the end of an era. For me, first was Bernie, then Jorge, now Mariano and one day Andy and Derek.
Vac: You want to know a good definition for "icon?" You see it there. Only first names are necessary.
@OpinesMine: J.R. Smith is a feast-or-famine guy, capable of extraordinary highs, backbreaking lows. But [at the end of Thursday's 95-94 loss to the Thunder] Mike Woodson must run a play there. Has to!
@MikeVacc: I think Woodson has done a terrific job. But it does seem he had a lot stronger hand with his players when he took over last year as a temp than he does now as a perm.
@defiantlydutch: Your last line in last Sunday's column, suggesting John Idzik follow Brian Cashman as a skydiver, is now an all-timer: "Although … it couldn't hurt."
@MikeVacc: Other pearls of advice for Idzik: "Take the Titanic, and thank me later" … "I would definitely DVR '1600 Pennsylvania Avenue'" … "Extend Sanchez."
Vac's Whacks
I Spent many a night early in my career at West Point's Christl Arena watching some not-so-good Army teams fight and flail away. So I am delighted for Zach Spiker's Black Knights, who this week clinched the program's first winning season since 1984-85, when the great Kevin Houston, Pearl River's own, was a sophomore.
* Honestly, couldn't the suits at NBC and ABC do everyone a big solid and consolidate two terribly flawed shows and give us something much, much better called "Smashville?"
* It makes me feel bad as a baseball fan, and as an American, that I don't care about the World Baseball Classic more than I do.
* Somewhere in the city, there are former Mets fans who defected to the Yankees the past few months and are already wondering if Phil Hughes, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are their fault. Which, of course, serves them right for defecting in the first place.