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On February 22nd, the New York Times published a fifteen-hundred-word story about Sheryl Sandberg on its front page. It wasn't the first time Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, had been featured prominently in the paper, but this story, written by Jodi Kantor, concerned a personal project that Sandberg had been pursuing outside of her work at Facebook. Drawing on her own experience in the corporate world, Sandberg has taken up the pressing question of what's stopping more women from rising to the highest positions of power. (Ken Auletta wrote about Sandberg and Silicon Valley's male-dominated culture for The New Yorker in 2011.) She wrote a book— "a sort of feminist manifesto," as she's described it— called "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead," which will be published on March 12th, and created a foundation that will support what she calls "Lean In Circles," a program for professional women that encourages them to review social-science research, share stories, receive instruction on career development, and "lean in" to (as opposed to opt out of) their careers.
Kantor's piece, which detailed Sandberg's plans in a tone of subtle disdain, was notable less for what it did say than what it didn't. Although there were plenty of skeptics quoted in the piece—the business consultant Avivah Wittenberg-Cox accused Sandberg of "blaming other women for not trying hard enough," for example—Sandberg herself had not participated in the story. And though Kantor disapprovingly quoted from guidelines for the lean-in circles that she acquired from a project advisor, the circles themselves hadn't even begun. The piece also focussed on a disagreement (which it portrayed as a kind of catfight) between Sandberg and her "chief critic," Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Princeton academic and former State Department official, who wrote a wave-making cover story in The Atlantic last August announcing that women could not "have it all," and thinks that Sandberg holds women to an unfairly high standard. (In reality Sandberg and Slaughter are less ideological opposites than dissenting allies.) But what was most problematic about the piece was Kantor's use of a truncated quote that was taken out of context, which prompted a series of hastily written critical pieces about the Lean In project that revealed a reflexive closed-mindedness about the idea of a corporate leader who also identifies as a feminist.
On its own, that quote—"I always thought I would run a social movement"—sounded unappealingly arrogant and naïve about history. But the comment was only part of an interview that Sandberg gave for the feminist PBS documentary "Makers: Women Who Make America," and her full statement actually conveyed something quite different: "I always thought I would run a social movement, which meant basically work at a nonprofit," she said. "I never thought I'd work in the corporate sector." (In her book, Sandberg explains how her parents—her father was a physician, and her mother was a teacher and a human-rights activist—instilled in her a sense of social justice.) But the damage had been done.
Kantor's piece for the Times first ran online on February 21st; the next day, Britain's Daily Mail ran an absurd, unsourced, and unreported story that called Sandberg's "feminist project" a "failure" and compared her to Gwyneth Paltrow, who lends her name and efforts to a lifestyle Web site. On February 23rd, Kantor's Times colleague, the columnist Maureen Dowd, published an op-ed about Sandberg that picked up on the skeptical tone of the original piece. Dowd, deploying her signature alliteration, was withering about Sandberg, calling her an "It Girl," quoting from a piece about her in Vogue magazine, and snarking over Sandberg's supposed fondness for Prada ankle boots. (Ironically, the column's title, "Pompom Girl For Feminism," was pulled from another comment made by Sandberg that had been removed from its context.) Though Dowd may have been right to point out that social- and economic-justice movements usually grow from the bottom up, her column repeated, with some glee and derision, the out-of-context quote that had appeared in the Kantor piece, and alleged that Sandberg's efforts were solely in service of padding her bank account. Dowd accused her of coöpting "the vocabulary and romance of a social movement not to sell a cause, but herself."
By the 26th, the Times had seen fit to run a correction to Kantor and Dowd's stories, announcing that the pieces "quoted incompletely from an interview [Sandberg] gave for 'Makers,' a new documentary on feminist history" but the paper's suggestion that Sandberg was an opportunistic one-percenter had already metastasized. A blogger for Forbes who hadn't read the book weighed in. In the Washington Post, on February 25th, the writer and activist Melissa Gira Grant dismissed "Lean In" as a vanity project, and, echoing Dowd, accused Sandberg of cynically exploiting feminist language to burnish her own image. (Gira Grant, who also questioned Sandberg's legitimacy by noting that the married executive "employs a staff to help keep house, raise her children and throw her women's leadership dinners," had not read the book.) That same day, Joanne Bamberger published a piece in USA Today drearily titled "The New Mommy Wars" that focussed not only on Sandberg but on the newly appointed Yahoo C.E.O. Marissa Mayer. Bamberger, whose story gave no indication that she had ever cracked open a copy of "Lean In," accused Sandberg of inflaming working mothers' guilt over, among other things, "not acting with more ambition" and clucked that "Sandberg's argument… just requires women to pull themselves up by the Louboutin straps." (That line was apparently so Dowdian that the Times stylist herself couldn't resist quoting it approvingly in her next column, which came out the following day.) When, on February 26th, the New Republic published yet another piece critical of Sandberg's efforts—this piece, too, included a veiled admission that its writer, Michael Kazin, had not read her book—the situation seemed to have reached a nadir.
Part of what was so galling about the pile-on was the subtext that because Sheryl Sandberg is rich she can't possibly be sincere in her advocacy for women. Much of the criticism presented Sandberg as a superficial, fashion-obsessed Marie Antoinette muscling her way into a milieu she didn't belong to and couldn't possibly understand. (Online commenters, as they so often do, took the implication and made it explicit. Readers of Dowd's February 23rd column dubbed Sandberg a "huckster," an "arrogant narcissistic upstart," and "Paris Hilton in disguise.") But anyone who had read her book would have known that Sandberg herself is the first to acknowledge the debts she owes to the women who came before her, not to mention her youthful naïveté and eventual engagement with gender politics. "I headed into college believing that the feminists of the sixties and seventies had done the hard work of achieving equality for my generation," she admits early on in "Lean In." "And yet, if anyone had called me a feminist, I would have quickly corrected that notion."
There was also a peculiar irony in so many writers accusing Sandberg of being craven and covetous. It didn't seem to occur to these critics that accusing Sandberg of cashing in or cynically embracing gender politics for personal gain—especially without having read her book—might come across as hypocritical or similarly self-serving. Nor was there any acknowledgement that feminist activism, coming from the C-suite or elsewhere, has never been a moneymaking endeavor, and, anyway, Sandberg is not exactly strapped for cash. As the feminist writer Jessica Valenti pointed out, with appropriate sarcasm, in the Post, "If there's anything wealthy women are desperate for, it's the chance to lead a social movement."
What felt wrong was not that Sheryl Sandberg was being criticized—Gira Grant and even Dowd, while rhetorically over-the-top, had one or two useful points to make; others, like Forbes' Bryce Covert, wrote smart pieces that relied more on substance than style—but that normally thoughtful writers issued such damning verdicts on a book they had not even bothered to read. Perhaps more distressingly, after being called out on their mischaracterizations and the questionable ethics of writing about a project with which they had not familiarized themselves, some critics dug in their heels and avoided direct engagement over their journalistic clumsiness; Gira Grant defended her response as "a moral & tactical crit of feminist myopia on race & class." (One would hope that engaging directly and responsibly might entail reading the text in question.)
Critics like Gira Grant seemed to come to their conclusions not as journalists but as activists. That's not to say that all activists felt the same way. There was Valenti, who marveled at "how radical Sandberg's messages are for a mainstream audience." There was Naomi Wolf in Project Syndicate and Jill Filipovic in the Guardian. Among the ranks of writers with more traditional journalism backgrounds, there were Joan Walsh and Irin Carmon in Salon, Nisha Chittal in the Huffington Post, and Michelle Goldberg in The Daily Beast, who lamented the "strange sour backlash…aimed less at what the book says than at who Sandberg is." Connie Schultz, whose fair-minded book review for the Washington Post, published on March 1st, was nonetheless accompanied by the inflammatory headline "The Elitist's Guide for Working Women," acknowledged that Sandberg is "bubbling with contradictions": "Stand up for yourself, but don't tick off the boss. Seek help from more experienced women, but don't ask for a mentor." She also charged Sandberg's critics with being too simplistic in their criticisms.
To be fair, Sandberg and her handlers bear some responsibility for the tumult. In the weeks leading up to the book's publication, reps for her publisher, Knopf, were either unwilling or unable to distribute enough galleys to fulfill the avalanche of requests that were pouring in. But the initial, heedless reactions to Ms. Sandberg's book spoke to a larger problem, namely the pressures that the twenty-four/seven hamster-wheel pace of the contemporary media puts on writers: to speed up rather than to slow down, to shoot first and ask questions later, to create drama, and, sometimes, to operate from a place of bad faith and fixed biases. "Unfortunately, in the stumble that has become women talking about powerful women, you only get to the reasonable part of the conversation after you go through every possible iteration of figuring out how terrible all the powerful women are," wrote the Atlantic Wire's Rebecca Greenfield, on March 1st.
Tellingly, many of the most full-throated defenses of Sandberg came from women who had actually met her. Last autumn, Sandberg's P.R. team invited a group of about twenty writers—including this one—to a dinner at Estancia 460, a restaurant in lower Manhattan. The evening started with cocktails, then proceeded to a dinner at the back of the restaurant, where guests sat at tables arranged in a square. I ended up seated directly next to Sandberg, where, in the course of three intense hours, I was able to observe her interactions with the rest of the group. I found her extremely impressive: smart, curious, sincere, funny, and warm. It was clear that she'd done her homework on every single woman in attendance, and she was frighteningly well-informed about the structural issues and challenges that working women are up against. (The evening's conversations were off the record, so I can't comment on specifics.) To say that I left that dinner feeling simultaneously inspired and sheepish would be an understatement.
Even so, my initial hesitations didn't abate until I actually read her book, in early February. (Over Christmas, my discerning, second-wave mother absconded with my galley copy and returned it to me with the pronouncement, "This was very interesting!") Part of my skepticism came from the very same biases and impulses that I suspect fuelled many of the more uninformed commentators who weighed on the book: that the C.O.O. was more Fortune 500 than feminist; that power is always antithetical to progress. And no matter how much I'd like to believe otherwise, it's possible that my suspicions about the book reflect the widely held ideas about women with ambition and authority. (Sandberg addresses this issue within the first twenty pages of "Lean In," explaining that ambitious women "often pay a social penalty.")
As for "Lean In" itself, I believe that many, many women, young and old, elite and otherwise, will find it prescriptive, refreshing, and perhaps even revolutionary. As for those who complain that it's heteronormative and anemic on the subject of class differences, they're right—but to a point. In much of the commentary, I've encountered the erroneous assumption that the book is written for corporate power players, which it isn't, and an odd expectation it should speak for all women, which it shouldn't. As Erin Matson, writing in January on another high-profile and controversial feminist agitation, Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," put it: "In my experience, people can speak profoundly well for themselves, and do both themselves and others a disservice when they try to speak for everyone else at the same time." Judged on its merits, "Lean In" is an inauguration more than a last word, and an occasion for celebration. Its imperfections should be regarded not as errors or exclusions but opportunities for advancing the conversation.
Correction: This piece originally referred to Maureen Dowd repeating "mischaracterizations of 'Lean In,' " in Jodi Kantor's piece. We have changed that to "the out-of-context quote." We also have removed a sentence that said that Kantor had not done "much original reporting." Kantor did read an early copy of the book, and she did obtain and publish previously unseen documents from Sandberg's Lean In Foundation.
Anna Holmes is a writer in New York and the editor of the upcoming "Book of Jezebel," to be published this October by Grand Central Publishing.
Photograph by Michele Asselin.


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Oscars 2012: VFX artist says 'Potter' best pic snub 'a shame'
Warner Bros. campaigned heavily for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" with hopes that the final installment in the eight-movie series could get some awards attention in best picture and best adapted screenplay categories. But the Oscar nominations announcement revealed Tuesday morning that the fantasy film would only get attention in technical and craft categories.
The movie, based on the second half of J.K. Rowling's seventh book in her beloved series, received Oscar nominations for visual effects, makeup and art direction.
"It's a shame it didn't get more nominations in categories like best picture," said Tim Burke, one of the filmmakers sharing the visual effects nomination. "It's difficult to know quite why ['Harry Potter' films] are often shunned by the academy and especially in the U.K. -– where it's homegrown –- with the BAFTAs. Maybe it's negative response to the commercialism, that these are very successful films at the box office that puts people off."
Burke said he was still "absolutely thrilled" to learn about his nomination when he saw several texts from friends and family from London upon waking up in his Los Angeles hotel room. The visual effects artist is currently in L.A. working with Disney on a project in development.
Burke, who supervised visual effects on all eight "Harry Potter" movies, earned Oscar visual effects nominations for two other films in the franchise. He won the award in 2001 for "Gladiator."
Despite any lingering disappointment at "Harry Potter's" snubs in other categories, Burke noted there's still cause for plenty of butterbeers and fire whiskeys -– or at least the Muggle alternatives.
"There will be a few drinks when I get back to London with my crew," Burke said. "We'll have a little toast to the success of 'Harry Potter.'"
PHOTOS: 84th Academy Awards nominees
Power Players: Warner Bros. hoping 'Harry Potter' conjures Oscar nods
-– Emily Rome
Photo: Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi HG, I love hummus but don't love all of the fat and calories. Do you have a low-fat recipe for hummus? Desperate for Dip
Hi DD,
The problem with hummus is that a serving size is relatively small -- just two tablespoons. So even though the stuff isn't crazy-high in calories, it's way too easy to overdo it by eating too much of it. Luckily, I DO have a recipe that's SUPER-LOW in fat with a pretty large serving size. It can be found exclusively in the "Dip It Good" chapter of Hungry Girl 200 Under 200. But since you're desperate, I'll give it to you right here and now...
Hungry, Hungry Artichoke Hummus
PER SERVING (1/8th of recipe, about 1/4 cup): 56 calories, 0.5g fat, 400mg sodium, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 1*
1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup fat-free vegetable broth
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (like Fage Total 0%)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
One 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Optional garnish: additional parsley flakes and paprika
Place all ingredients except chickpeas and optional garnishes in a blender. Set aside.
Place chickpeas in a bowl and thoroughly mash with a potato masher or fork. (If you have a super-strong blender, feel free to skip this step.) Transfer to the blender. Puree until smooth, stopping and stirring if blending slows.
For best flavor, refrigerate hummus for several hours. Before serving, garnish with a sprinkle each of additional parsley flakes and paprika, if you like. Dip away!
Hope you love this recipe as much as I do! P.S. It's reeeeally good with baby carrots and red bell pepper strips!
Hi Hungry Girl, I try to include vegetables with my meals as often as possible, but lately I'm running out of ideas for fun, tasty ways to pair them with my usual grilled chicken. Do you have any suggestions for how to add a lot of flavor -- but NOT a lot of calories -- to my favorite veggies? Veggin' Out
Hi Veggin',
I definitely have some tips for you! Here goes... Frank's RedHot Original + Reduced-Fat Parm - I love to splash some Frank's on steamed broccoli and then sprinkle it with reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping (like the kind by Kraft). The hot sauce doesn't have any calories, and the cheese only has about 30 calories and 1.5g of fat per tablespoon. Awesome! This combo makes veggies taste like hot wings. Land O Lakes Seasoning - This line of sprinklable spice blends is a LOT like those old-school popcorn seasonings. Flavors like Ranch and Sour Cream & Onion make veggies super-delicious for very few calories. A 1/2-tsp. serving has just 4 - 6 calories and no fat. So good! The Laughing Cow Light Cheese - The running joke here at the HG HQ is that everything tastes better with Laughing Cow. Failed recipe? Add Laughing Cow. Bland vegetables? Add Laughing Cow! Melt a 35-calorie wedge with a small amount of fat-free sour cream for a creamy, Alfredo-like sauce. Top it off with some of that Parm-style topping, and you've got one seriously good veggie side dish! Newman's Own Lite Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing - It's good for more than just salads! Toss some with broccoli slaw or sugar snap peas in a skillet, and you've got an amazing Asian-inspired yum-fest. P.S. I recently fell in love with the honey mustard dressing in Newman's light lineup -- it rocks HARD. Over steamed or skillet-cooked spinach... tangy and AMAZING! My last tip is for the veggies themselves. Don't get stuck in a rut with carrots and peas. Be adventurous -- try bok choy, kabocha squash, Brussels sprouts, artichokes... Go for it!
It's Shape Up With Pickles Time! (Seriously... The whole week.) Dangle a gherkin in front of your treadmill and get movin'!
Have a question for Hungry Girl? Send it in! She answers new Qs each week (but cannot respond to emails personally).
SmartPoints® value not what you expected? Click here for more info on how the values are calculated, plus more FAQs about PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values on our website.


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Blizzard Entertainment has found a sure fire way to raise a lot of money for charity. The developer has decided to sell off around 350 retired HP p-Class server blades on eBay to the highest bidder. Each one has spent time helping to keep World of Warcraft online, and there's a good chance if you're a long-time player of the MMO you've set foot on one of these blades.
Blizzard is classing the servers as having been honorably discharged from service and has turned them into collectors' items. Each one has a plaque stating the WoW realm name it served along with the month and year of its active duty. There is also a description of why the blade servers are so important to the game, and the signatures of the World of Warcraft team have been included at the bottom. You can see an example of the plaque up close below:
This round of auctions have been running since January 23, but will continue until January 30 giving you ample time to try and win one. You do need to take into account shipping though, as each blade measures 28 x 10.3 x 1.7-inches, and weighs 18lbs.
100% of the proceeds from the auctions will be heading to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It focuses on research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. By supporting St Jude, you ensure no family ever pays for their child to have treatment there, and could help save a few young lives.
Full details of the auctions you can bid on can be found at the eBay information page. Blizzard also has a web page dedicated to the charity auctions.


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The University Libraries of the State University System of Florida contain, in addition to book and serial collections, invaluable research materials concerning the history of Florida and its citizens. These materials include family papers and records, diaries, letters, business records, maps, photographs, and other materials that are unique and important for historical research.
Florida Heritage Collection Statistics:
Each of the participating libraries--especially their special collections and archives departments--are contributing materials from their collections to this Project. Some of these are local history books and booklets, advertising materials from the Florida Boom, Civil War letters, and other materials that each add to some understanding of Florida's history. Many of these materials are regional or local in scope. This is because as the state universities evolved, a number of them specialized in local and regional history. For example, the University of West Florida has strong collections concerning the West Florida region while the University of South Florida has resources on the Tampa area. In addition, all of the libraries have Floridiana collections so collections will include local as well as statewide research materials.
It is important that researchers should also understand that much of Florida's history is that of an emigrant state--people moving to Florida from other states of the Union, especially retirees--and bringing with them family records and papers. For that reason, it is imperative that researchers not only utilize the Florida Heritage Project digitized materials, but also contact individual libraries for further information. Florida's claim to Spanish treasure fades in significance to the historical treasures awaiting in its many archives and libraries!


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I am not a scout and do not pretend to play one on the Internet. I'm not a personnel guy. I don't know squat about grading players or projecting players. My gig is to tell you what the scouts I speak with tell me.
But I know a good football player when I see one. And I know a great one when I see one.
I haven't watched Rolando McClain enough to give a fair judgment on whether he's good or great. But in watching the videos below I kept waiting for the monster raves about to show up. And I waited. And I waited.
And that guy never showed.
I expected Ray Lewis. I expected Mike Singletary.
I got Rolando McClain. Just Rolando McClain.
I saw a guy that made routine plays. I saw a guy that didn't seem faster or more explosive than everyone else on his defense. I saw a guy that tackled high. I saw a guy that usually took the right path to the ball carrier, but not always. I saw a lot of tackles in which he cleaned up, rather than was the first guy on the scene. I saw a good, not great, blitzer.
I was impressed by McClain's ability in pass coverage. That stood out for me.
But dominant as a run-stopper? A man to be game-planned for? A game-changer?
I failed to see that.
What am I not seeing? What am I missing here?
All the draft pundits claim McClain is special, that he's the second coming of Dick Butkus. Well, McClain won the Dick Butkus Award last year, but I failed to see him as Dick Butkus.
I saw a player that played well on an outstanding defense. I saw a guy that obviously understood his assignments and carried them out. But this guy isn't even Patrick Willis, in my humble opinion.
So watch the videos and you tell me. What am I missing?
I'm two people from the magic 3k on twitter. Get me there and I'll stop whining about it already.


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NSA: 'Anonymous Might One Day Hack Power Grids!' Anonymous: 'Huh?!?'
from the cyberfud deptThe fight to ramp up the fear mongering over cybersecurity has reached new and even more ridiculous levels -- in which an "anonymous" government source claims (without quotations) that the head of the NSA, Gen. Keith Alexander, recently briefed the White House claiming that the non-group Anonymous might be able to mount a cyberattack to take down parts of the power grid. The dubious sourcing already makes the story suspect, and without more context, the whole thing seems silly -- especially given that anyone who actually has any inkling of how Anonymous actually functions would question why it would ever seek to shut down a power grid. Anonymous tends to do things either for fun (i.e., for "the lulz") or (more frequently) out of a more vigilante sense of justice (sometimes misguided, but usually well meaning). The attacks are pretty carefully focused on causing temporary inconveniences, rather than lasting damage, as a sign of protest, or on revealing secret info that it feels deserves a wider airing. Attacking the power grid fits with exactly none of that -- a point that Anonymous itself made in response to this claim:
Why would Anons shut off a power grid? There are ppl on life support / other vital services that rely on it. Try again NSA. #FearMongeringBut, even more to the point, the WSJ piece is so ridiculous that it's hard not to laugh when you read the following part:
A stateless group like Anonymous doesn't yet have that capability, officials say. But if the group's members around the world developed or acquired it, an attack on the power grid would become far more likely, according to cybersecurity experts.I think Jerry Brito summed this up perfectly by saying:
Shorter version: Anonymous doesn't have the power to attack the grid, but if they were able to get it someday, then they would have it. Got it.You could go even further. I mean, why not just start listing out other hypotheticals using those ridiculous two sentences as a basis. I'll start:
- That baseball player doesn't yet have the capability to hit a baseball thrown by a pitcher, officials say. But, if he somehow developed or acquired it, his likelihood of being able to play baseball effectively would become far more likely, according to sports experts.
- An infant doesn't yet have the capability to drive, officials say. But, if toddlers around the world develop or acquire it, automobile accidents would become far more likely, according to automotive experts.
- Prisoners don't yet have the capability to shoot each other, officials say. But, if inmates around the world developed or acquired it, gunfights in prison would become far more likely, according to anger management experts.
- Techdirt readers don't yet have the capability to make clueless government officials get transferred to jobs washing toilets, officials say. But, if the community there develops or acquires it, dumb politicians being out of work would become far more likely, according to political pundits.
Furthermore, you have to get 10 whole paragraphs down in the article, before it's mentioned that there really isn't any real "cyberthreat" to the power grid. It seems like that sort of information belongs at the top of the article, along with a message about how the rest of the article is fear mongering about stuff that really isn't likely to happen.
Filed Under: anonymous, cybersecurity, fud, nsa, online security, power grids


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Aid Principals Call For Action To Increase Humanitarian Access And Funding For Syria Crisis
Statement by Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director UN World Food Programme, Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Anthony Lake, Executive Director UN Children's Fund.
The Syria conflict has become the greatest humanitarian tragedy of our times. The suffering of the Syrian people is immense. 9.3 million Syrians are in need of assistance, the number of those who are internally displaced has grown to 6.5 million and there are more than 2.2 million refugees who have fled their country. Half of those affected are children, the most innocent and vulnerable of all.
The United Nations' sixth revised appeal for Syria and the neighbouring countries launched two days ago is the largest UN appeal ever and reflects the staggering scale of humanitarian needs. We truly fear the worst as another harsh winter brings nearer the risk of even greater suffering among people already severely tested by two and a half years of deprivation.
We call on the international community to continue to rally to the aid of the Syrian people, as well as the neighbouring countries which through their generosity and solidarity are bearing an immense burden.
It is our sincerest wish that the Geneva II Conference on 22 January 2014 will bring about a political solution and an end to the Syrian war.
Irrespective of this hoped-for outcome, we call on all parties to ensure the safety and protection of each and every civilian, and remind them of the absolute necessity to fully respect International Humanitarian Law.
We call on all parties to the conflict to respect and not to abuse the delivery of humanitarian aid. All those engaged in fighting bear a heavy responsibility to address humanitarian concerns as a matter of absolute priority. With the increasing needs inside and outside Syria, we urge all the parties to the conflict to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian organisations throughout the country. A humanitarian cease-fire would allow aid convoys to deliver assistance to communities which remain out of our reach.
We reiterate that humanitarian aid is being and will continue to be channelled in a way which fully respects the humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality. It should not be made a hostage of military or political considerations. The suffering of the Syrian people must end.


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Summit County cops report no public marijuana consumption issues on 'Green Wednesday'
A quiet New Years Eve for Summit County law enforcement officers was followed by an even less eventful New Year's Day, despite it being "Green Wednesday," or the first day of legal retail marijuana sales in Colorado.
For law enforcement officers throughout the county the theme was the same — there were no retail marijuana-related incidents reported and by press time not one officer in Summit County had even issued a ticket for public consumption.
Sgt. Mark Heminghous, of the Frisco Police Department, and Officer Bryan Wagner, of the Dillon Police Department, both attributed the quiet holiday to the cold and snowy weather. Summit County Sheriff John Minor said the lack of marijuana-related calls was due to extensive coverage in the media about what is and what isn't legal.
But Mark Hanschmidt, chief of the Silverthorne Police Department, commended Summit County's entire law enforcement community for building partnerships with local recreational marijuana establishment owners.
"We worked closely with Nick Brown, the owner of High Country Healing, and put together an information sheet about what is legal," Hanschmidt said. "He's attaching that to each package that goes out the door, so whether you are local or from out of state, you're getting the same information.
"We're really not having any issues here and I attribute that to the working relationship we have with Nick."
Although day one appears to have gone off smoothly, Minor said that doesn't mean the county won't have issues to address and still unanswered questions to answer in the future. Minor predicts Summit County, like much of the rest of the state, will have a whole gamut of issues to address, including odor complaints, how to regulate pot tourism locally and determine what constitutes private property, where marijuana consumption is legal, versus public property, where it is illegal.
As it stands, the only decision law enforcement officers have made in regards to the public versus private property issue is to allow homeowners to consume marijuana on their deck or in their yard, Minor said.
But county officials will begin to address some of these questions soon, Minor added. He has requested recreational marijuana be on the agenda during the next Summit County Commission meeting. Commission meetings are scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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AUSTIN, Texas, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Once a Formula One wasteland, the United States is suddenly being viewed as a land of promise for the world's glamour circuit with F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone calling for up to three races in the U.S.
After a five-year hiatus, F1 makes its long-awaited return to America this weekend, resurrecting the U.S. Grand Prix and along with it hopes that the series may finally be ready to conquer a market it has long coveted.
With the newly constructed $400 million Circuit of the Americas providing the spectacular beach head, a successful race in the Texas capital could pave the way for even more grands prix in the U.S. with possible races in New York and Los Angeles.
F1 teams up and down the Austin paddock could not hide their delight at being back in the U.S. while Ecclestone gushed a new found enthusiasm for a market he had once dismissed.
"The Americas are probably big enough to have five or six grands prix," Ecclestone told reporters. "We're trying to get something sorted out in New Jersey/New York, we've had a lot of requests.
"Maybe we can do something in LA (Los Angeles) in the future.
"It's a shame it (New Jersey) didn't go through as planned, it won't happen in 2013 and hopefully we can resurrect it in 2014."
Unable to find a permanent home, F1 has barnstormed its way around the U.S. with Austin becoming the 10th city to host the series after Sebring (Florida), Riverside (California), Watkins Glen (New York), Phoenix (Arizona), Dallas (Texas), Detroit (Michigan), Las Vegas (Nevada), Long Beach (California) and Indianapolis (Indiana).
But with the country's first purpose built F1 track already drawing rave reviews and a 10-year contract in place, the series appears ready to take up residence in Texas while looking to spread the F1 gospel to the rest of the country.
"It is imperative to stay here a long time and consider this as a starting point," Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali told reporters. "We have the duty to teach the American public the sport.
"For me the most important thing from now, this weekend forward, is to make sure our American friends speak about Formula One every day."
Teams would not be against three stops in the U.S., which is the biggest market for many outfits, including Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes Benz.
"It's crucial for Formula One to be a true world championship you've got to have a race in America, said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. "For the first time ever we've got a circuit that's been specially made to bring out the best and showcase Formula One cars.
"It's a crucial race for Red Bull. America is Red Bull's biggest market."
Certainly, F1 will have to produce more than one good race weekend if it is to stake out a place on the ultra-competitive U.S. sporting landscape.
Ecclestone admits he does not know why F1 is so popular in some countries yet virtually ignored by others, including the U.S.
"It's a strange thing I don't no, no idea," said Ecclestone. "When I arrived here the guy at customs said, he had not heard of Formula One."
In Texas, NASCAR is king and it is likely more eyeballs and television remotes will be focused on Homestead, Florida where the Chase championship will also be decided on Sunday.
Forcing their way into the U.S. sporting spotlight will not be easy but it is fight F1 teams say they are up for.
"We have to make sure, as Formula One as a whole that we put on a show this weekend and over the coming years we build this into a fantastic event, which clearly the foundations are here," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
"This is the country of the automobile and we've never come here and done a good enough job to create interest.
"We have a very different product from NASCAR, I see NASCAR reaching their exciting finale this weekend which is an unfortunate coincidence but I think we have to work very hard to be as commercially smart as NASCAR to compete.
"We've got to now work very hard we sell it (Formula One) in America in a way we haven't done in the past." (Editing by Julian Linden)


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Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods" picked up a James Beard award for TV Show, On Location at Friday night's Book, Broadcast and Awards. Zimmern, the headliner for this Saturday's Foodie Experience event at the Hippodrome, won an individual James Beard award in 2010 for TV Food Personality.
The award for TV Show, Fixed Location went to "Chopped," and its host, Ted Allen, won this year's award for Media Personality/Host. The media awards are a table-setter for the James Beard Foundation awards for chefs and restaurants, which are to be handed out on Monday night at Lincoln Center.
You can see a recap of the media awards here.


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You are here: Home Rentals
The Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club is a non-profit organization for cross-country skiing enthusiasts in the Kitimat and Terrace area. The club runs and maintains the Onion Lake Ski Trails located half-way between Kitimat and Terrace. The club is run entirely by volunteers through the support of people like you, local governments and local businesses.


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Sep 10, 2011
Aston Martin One-77 display technology made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show March 3, 2009. Chassis # 1 was exposed as a set throughout the show detailing the epitome of Aston Martin's engineering and design.
The Aston Martin One-77 sports car is ultimately the one that embodies everything that Aston Martin technology, craft, aluminum panels hand-rolled to the attention to detail. The highlight of each year marks the know-how, the Aston Martin One-77 offers an effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with the potential to eclipse any previous performance Aston Martin.
Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez to reveal Aston Martin One-77 secrets be a proud moment: "From the beginning of the project vision of Aston Martin One-77 was very simple: it combines high-tech hand-built craftsmanship, and to demonstrate the unique skills and passion for our designers, engineers and technical partners.


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Press Release
Mark Mitchell
State of Oklahoma Invites Vendors to Register Online at http://www.vendors.ok.gov�
OKLAHOMA CITY – June 15, 2009 – Vendors interested in conducting business with the state of Oklahoma can now register online through the Department of Central Services' (DCS) Vendor Registration System at http://www.vendors.ok.gov. By registering online, vendors receive email notifications of opportunities to do business with the state when prospects become available.
Since August 2007, over 2,000 vendors have registered through the system with approximately 1,475 registered as small business owners. Registration entitles a vendor to receive all bid notices for the commodity classes specified by the vendor in the registration process for one year. The registration fee is $25.00 for each commodity class for which the vendor desires registration, and can be renewed annually through the online service. Examples of the commodity classes would be the computers, vehicles, and office equipment needed for the states' daily operation.
The DCS Online Vendor Registration System accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and checking/savings account payments for registration and annual renewals. The payments are processed through a secure payment engine, which abides by rigorous policies and procedures to ensure that vendors can be confident that their payments are safe, private, and secure.
The DCS Online Vendor Registration System is a product of a partnership between the Department of Central Services and OK.gov, Oklahoma's Official Web site.
About the Department of Central Services�
About OK.gov OK.gov (http://www.OK.gov) built and manages the official Web site for the state of Oklahoma and partners with state and local entities to bring new government services online. OK.gov is managed by the Oklahoma Office of State Finance and eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV).
About NIC NIC is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 95 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.


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Danfoss, manufacturer of high-efficiency electronic and mechanical components and controls for air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration, and motion systems, recently named Smardt Chiller Group Inc., Montreal-based manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal chillers, the winner in its third annual EnVisioneer of the Year award competition.
Smardt installed three 560-ton water-cooled chillers integrated with Kiltech controls at the Goodyear, Ariz., manufacturing facility of Sub-Zero, maker of high-end refrigeration equipment. The chiller plant, which includes six variable-speed water pumps and three cooling towers, provides chilled water for the entire 452,000-sq-ft facility.
Each Smardt chiller is equipped with four Danfoss Turbocor variable-speed oil-free compressors. The chiller-plant control package uses a custom-made algorithm that models the energy consumption of the chillers and associated devices, optimizing their sequence of operation and delivering total plant performance equal to or better than 0.5 kw per ton of cooling load.
The chiller plant is 61 percent more efficient than a plant using oil-lubricated screw chillers, providing annual savings of 3,033,280 kwh, or approximately $371,700. Annual carbon-dioxide emissions are 3,697,568 lb less than they would be with a conventional chiller plant.
John Galyen, president of Danfoss North America, presented the award to Richard Taft, general manager, North America, Smardt Inc., during the Alliance to Save Energy's 2012 Energy Efficiency Global Forum, held March 27-29 in Orlando, Fla.
Launched in 2010, the EnVisioneer of the Year award recognizes North American end users, building owners, and original equipment manufacturers that introduced a new product, opened a new facility, or invested in a building or system upgrade over the previous 18 months using Danfoss products or solutions, realizing significant energy and/or environmental savings.


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(visited by Frederic Bizet)
02-Sep-2009 -- This Confluence is located about 20 km north of Zinder, it lies about 3.5 km east of the road linking Zinder to Tanout. The point is situated in the middle of the fields.
Coming from Zinder, the best way seems to be on the road to Tanout, 13 km after the blue water tower of Zinder, to leave the road to the East at the "Goal" advert signboard, then navigate with the GPS to find the best oriented track to the point.
After leaving the main road, it was quite complicated to reach this point because all the fields were cultivated - the season to cultivate fields lasts only 2 or 3 months - so it was not possible to go straight to the point with the 4x4 I had. I had to go through a labyrinth of really small tracks to reach that point. I drove until getting the closest I could - 200 m from the point - then I walked for that small distance. Regarding the quantity of cultivated fields, I didn't expect to arrive so close with the car.
In the surroundings I crossed many nice small villages with houses made of mud and some granaries made of mud and/or straw.
I got the opportunity to realise this Confluence because I was working for my company near the Zinder raffinery. I am a land surveyor, that should explain my interest in the Degree Confluence Project!


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My secret Melbourne: Kate Forster
Author Kate Forster grew up in Brighton and Mount Eliza and spent many weekends as a child exploring the city with her family. With a photographer's eye for detail, she's an expert on hook turns, a fan of Heronswood and the NGV and has a special fondness for the Eagle at Docklands.
What artwork has best captured your sense of the city?
I've always had something in my heart for Bruce Armstrong's work and I love the Eagle at Docklands. He also did the guardians of the National Gallery of Victoria - those huge, red gum dogs that used to sit near the water wall. At 16, I used to go to the gallery with my best friend. Armstrong's work symbolises Melbourne for me because it was my first experience of the city. The dogs were the guardians of the NGV but, in some respects, they were the guardians of me entering the city as a young adult.
Which doorway would you most like to go through?
I managed to talk my way through many doors in the city when I did my photography for VCE and my camera became my pass. There's a door on Russell Street that I'm obsessed with now. It's red and it has a very ornate carved number on it and within the carving is an owl and peacock. Underneath that there is a pair of embedded glasses in the door, like a peephole. I've taken photos of it, lurked outside it, researched it - this door never opens. The Daphne (from Scooby-Doo) inside me really wants to know what's going on.
Your favourite childhood haunt?
I loved the Fairy Tree at Fitzroy Gardens when I was little. It's a big tree with fairies carved into it. I was big into whimsy from ages seven to 13. Every Sunday we would have a family trip to the city. My parents were quite urbane and we had a lot of family history in the city. We'd have Chinese at the Rickshaw Inn or a doughnut at the Vic Market.
What place most surprised you?
I got a real surprise when I went to the Ian Potter Centre at the NGV for the first time and saw all the Australian art. I felt really proud. It was the beginning of the end of the cultural cringe for me.
What's your favourite sign?
I feel really smug when I see the hook-turn signs in the city because I know how to do them. When I learnt to drive, I had a very intense driving instructor who made me drive around the city and Carlton, even though I was living in St Kilda. They kind of don't make any sense to anyone except to Melburnians, sort of like the AFL. I know people who will do anything to avoid hook turns.
Your favourite escape?
The Mornington Peninsula because I spent the second part of my childhood there. I really love Heronswood - it's my fantasy house, view and garden. I have dreams of being the chatelaine of Heronswood but so far no luck. We had a day trip down there as a family recently and went to Sorrento and had vanilla slices, hung out at Shelley Beach, had a playlist on iTunes for the trip down.
The place that sums up your sense of Melbourne?
It's hard to choose one place but, for me, it's probably the Reading Room at the State Library. That's where I studied in year 12. Because we went to school in the city and came from different postcodes, we would meet at a general place to study - I don't know how much study we got done. I think we felt infused with knowledge, sitting in such a grand room.
When did you begin to feel like a true Melburnian?
My friend, Kyra, and I did art together at school - I did photography and she did sculpture and we went to all the art galleries together. It was 1987 and the beginning of my journey into photography. The photo is of us in the laneways around Prahran near our school discussing my photography pieces. I was very arty, already a true Melburnian, wearing only black. It was the beginning of my love affair with the arts. My daughter is in the same school and I drive past the lane now and think that's where I used to wag year 11 maths.


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An 11-month-old boy in North Carolina has died, two days after being injured in one of a series of tornadoes that hit in the state, authorities said.
An 11-month-old boy in North Carolina has died, two days after being injured in one of a series of tornadoes that hit in the state, authorities said. The fatality came on a weekend of potent thunderstorms that lashed wide areas of the South and unleashed deadly tornadoes in the Midwest.
Julia Jarema, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, said the boy died in a hospital Sunday but she didn't release further details or the boy's identity. More than a dozen people were reported injured and around 200 home and businesses destroyed or heavily damaged in Friday's scattered tornadoes in North Carolina.
On Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory toured that and other storm-struck areas of the state and said his prayers go out to the boy's family. He pledged to seek state and federal government assistance for the victims.
Elsewhere, a new round of powerful storms hit around the Midwest and the South, spawning several tornadoes, including one that claimed lives in a small northeastern Oklahoma city and another that carved a path of destruction through several northern suburbs of Little Rock, Ark.
Forecasters, meanwhile, said they were checking radar reports suggesting possible tornadoes had developed Sunday evening in five locations in north Mississippi though none of those apparently touched ground.
Meteorologist John Sirman in the National Weather Service office in Memphis, Tenn., said those possible twisters appeared to have sprung out of two storm cells that swept through the northern part of Mississippi within two hours before those cells weakened.
Although one possible touchdown was reported near the Panola-Quitman county line in Mississippi, officials in both counties told The Associated Press on Sunday night that that seemed to have been just a close call.
"We don't have any damage in Panola County right now that would confirm it ... Several funnel clouds came over, and the tail would come down and go back up," Emergency Management Director Daniel Cole told AP.
Cole said there was one accident on a local road but no one was seriously hurt during the storms.
Forecasters warned stormy weather was in store for a wide swath of the South in coming days. Forecasters warned the strongest storms were capable of damaging winds and hail, lightning, hail and flash floods.
The severe weather threat prompted Barksdale Air Force Base near Bossier City, La., to cancel its air show on Sunday. The National Weather Service said northern Alabama could see rain and flash flooding, while central and northern Georgia could see storms and heavy rain early entering the work week.
Sunday was the third anniversary of a 122-tornado day, which struck parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia and killed 316 people.


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This story has been updated to show the headquarters of Williams Cos. is in Tulsa, Okla.
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Williams Cos. said it continues to shop around for pipeline assets after losing a nearly $6 billion bidding war for Southern Union, as the energy infrastructure business continues remains a hotbed of activity.
Williams Cos. WMB, +1.69% CEO Alan Armstrong told analysts that the Tulsa, Okla.-based energy firm continues to be "very interested" in infrastructure assets.
"We think we are very well positioned as a company to grow in that space and we'll continue to look aggressively at any opportunity we see out there to do that, so you should expect to see us ... continue to be aggressive in that space," Armstrong said.
Taking aim at the broader marketplace for pipelines and other infrastructure to serve domestic energy production, Armstrong acknowledged a "a lot of competition for assets" which will lead Williams to "look where we have unique advantages" in places such as the Marcellus shale fields of Pennsylvania.
The comments from Armstrong came after Southern Union Co. SUG, -4.50% agreed in July to a cash-and-stock buyout from Energy Transfer Equity LP ETE, +1.14%, beating out Williams' bid of $5.6 billion.
Last month, Kinder Morgan Inc. KMI, +0.24% said it would pay $21.1 billion for El Paso Corp. EP, -3.70%
In a smaller acquisition, Plains All American Pipeline LP PAA, +1.75% is attempting a hostile $1 billion takeover of SemGroup Corp. SEMG, +4.68%.
As part of the deal flow, both El Paso and Williams plan to shed their exploration and production units to focus on pipelines.
Williams said Wednesday it continues to plan to spin off its exploration and production unit, WPX Energy, in the form of common stock to its shareholders. Williams has said it may also raise cash by selling shares of WPX Energy in an initial public offering.
Turning to its third-quarter results, Williams swung to a profit of $272 million, or 46 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $1.26 billion, or $2.16 a share. Income from continuing operations increased to 40 cents a share, from 22 cents. Revenue increased to $2.7 billion, from $2.3 billion.
Wall Street analysts expected Williams to earn 42 cents a share on revenue of $2.6 billion, according to a survey by FactSet Research.
Williams also said it fourth-quarter dividend will double to 25 cents a share.
Looking ahead, Williams said it plans to continue to increase its dividend by 10% to 15% annually.
Williams Pipeline Partners WPZ reported third-quarter earnings of 91 cents per unit, above the target of 89 cents a unit.
Shares of Williams rose 2.6% to $30.12 on Wednesday as energy stocks advanced. Williams Pipeline Partners dipped 11 cents.
In another pipeline deal on Wednesday, Enterprise Product Partners EPD, -0.52% said Chesapeake Energy Corp. CHK, -0.56% signed up for 75,000 barrels a day out of a total 125,000 barrels per day capacity of its proposed ethane pipeline. The pipeline would stretch 1,230 miles from the Marcellus shale field of Pennsylvania and West Virginia through the Utica shale field of Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile shares of Quanta Services PWR, +0.21% rallied 10.9% after it was tapped for a joint venture that will build 1,179 miles of pipeline and related infrastructure from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Neb.
The project, known as the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline, is headed by TransCanada TRP, -0.20%, which is still awaiting final approval for the pipeline's construction. Quanta said it would hire at least 2,000 construction workers for the project.


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Floorbay has many years of experience in delivering quality luxury vinyl flooring. We deliver directly to you at unbeatable prices. We hold substantial stocks for next day delivery. Our range of Almodo, Amtico, Cavalio, Polyflor and Karndean flooring comes highly recommended. Each floor range combines great looks with sensible prices. Call us for samples!
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Made by the James Halstead Group, the new and exiting Cavalio range offers a fresh and exciting range of beautifully reproduced wood and tile effects in luxury vinyl tiles.
Contemporary living has never been more stylish or easy to maintain since the arrival of Cavalio – a fantastic collection of laminate floors.
The Cavalio luxury vinyl flooring range is the perfect choice for any room in the home, from bathrooms and kitchens to living areas and bedrooms.
Amtico Flooring
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Polyflor Flooring – Confidence in Quality
Polyflor is an international manufacturer of commercial vinyl flooring – safety flooring, homogeneous vinyl floors, sports flooring, acoustic flooring, heterogeneous floors, luxury vinyl tiles, semi-flexible tiles, electrostatic discharge (ESD) flooring.
Based near Manchester, England, Polyflor is a major manufacturer of commercial floor coverings, operating successfully throughout the world.
Polyflor have dedicated personnel within its salesforce, technical department and design team to provide comprehensive customer support.


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At about 110°C/230°F, the tubing shrinks by up to half its diameter with no change in length, molding around surface irregularities or items of different diameters. The tubing is simple to use; just slide it over the connection you want to bind and heat it with a torch or heat gun for a few seconds.
This creates a seamless jacket that offers good electrical insulation and is strong, flexible and resistant to water, abrasion and solvents. While commonly used for sheathing wire connections, shrink tubing has numerous uses around the shop, from color-coding bits and cables to replacing whipping on cord ends (like a shoelace tip).
A great assortment to have at hand.


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Tim Drake at the NCRegister reports today on a Rolling Stone interview with Bono in which the singer/songwriter says U2's single, 'Magnificent', from this year's album 'No Line on the Horizon' is based on Mary's Magnificat.
Go to the Register to read all about it. I'm posting it here as an excuse to share a great song.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
'Magnificent' is Bono's Magnificat
Posted byJack Smithat4:19 PM


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I'm posting this in a moment of overwhelmed weakness. Overwhelmed. Did you know whelm is a word? Whoever uses it? It means to submerge under water or to overwhelm. Responsibility is whelming me. Lol. I know I'm allowing it to, and I make it worse with procrastination. Tasks seems piled up around me and they are never-ending.
The thing is, I know I'm not the only person in this world that has more than their fair share of responsibilities to handle each day. I have a blessed life, a very blessed life. I don't have to struggle in the work force to please others or to meet quotas of any kind. Most of my goals are self-imposed, most of my workload is what everyone has to do to maintain a home.
Honestly, I think having dh out of commission due to back surgery/pain is taking its toll. I often feel utterly alone in the household/family responsibilities and thus overwhelmed. Right now I know the kitchen floor needs to be swept and mopped, as do the bathroom floors. I have a load of laundry to do today, my desk is cluttered (bad habit of mine), the garage has items to go to Goodwill and trash to be hauled away with which I don't have a truck to do it with but don't want to bother anyone else. The house needs dusting, lessons need to be done, Jack needs to go to the vet, Danny needs to go to the doctor for immunizations and a check-up, I haven't changed my name on my social security card yet and it's been 6 years since we got married. Yup.
The yard needs to be mowed, and I find myself coming up short each and every day because..taa daaaa I'm overwhelmed and then I procrastinate. I've also been going 100 miles an hour for the last 3 months with this move and although I've taken time off and I've gotten a lot of things done, I still feel like I'm climbing uphill everyday.
I'm waking up at 6 am and going to bed between 10-11 pm. I have exactly 1-2 hours to myself a day and that's it and most of that is spent watching tv at night or reading a book. What kills my spirit is that it is now 8:30 am and although the kids and I have given Jack a bath, I've ran the dishwasher, taken a shower and fed the kids- my dh is still in bed. He'll wake up and tell me how much pain he's in and I will say I'm sorry. He'll go to his office for a few hours and then come home, again telling me that he's in pain or relay the events of his day. I want so much not to resent him for his pain! This is where I feel I'm failing the most, my heart is aching so much for myself and my current circumstances that I feel my heart has hardened towards him.
He went to a new doctor this week who told him that his previous surgery was performed incorrectly without seeing his records or anything, just based on dh's condition. The Dr. said that dh shouldn't be in pain anymore and there are other physical attributes that are suspect of a surgery performed wrongly. I don't know if this means another surgery or what. I'm sure it does. The health care costs of all of this is weighing heavily upon us, which is another thing I stress about as the one who takes care of the finances.
I feel very much like David in Psalm 38
Psalm 38
1 A psalm of David. A petition.O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me. 3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. 4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. 6 I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. 7 My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. 8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. 11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbours stay far away. 12 Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception. 13 I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips. 17 For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. 19 Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous. 20 Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good. 21 O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour
I know there are other families who have worse circumstances, their bread-winner has just been laid off or their house is being foreclosed. There are families who are struggling to put food on the table and both parents are working 2 jobs to make ends meet. I have no right to complain, fuss or otherwise feel downtrodden. We have a roof over our heads, clothes on our bodies, food to eat and many blessings in our lives. In writing this post I've gone from feeling down to feeling positive, I know the Lord will not forsake me, I know He's not far from me. So today I will lean on Him.


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Senseo - Recalled by CPSC
Saturday, April 18, 2009
I meant to post this the other day but I forgot:
April 15, 2009
Release #09-194
Firm's Recall Hotline: (866) 604-0051
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Senseo One-Cup Coffeemakers Recalled by Philips Consumer Lifestyle Due to Burn Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Philips Senseo One-Cup Coffeemakers
Units: About 155,000
Distributor: Philips Consumer Lifestyle, of Stamford, Conn.
Hazard: An electrical fault and the build-up of calcium from hard or medium water can cause an obstruction in the coffeemaker. If this happens, the boiler can burst, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported in the United States. The firm has received 17 reports of incidents in Europe, including six reports of minor personal injury involving first degree burns to the hands, arms and abdomen.
Description: This recall involves Senseo one-cup coffeemakers with model numbers HD 7810, HD 7811, HD 7815, HD 7820, HD 7832, and HD 7890. Model numbers are located on the bottom of the coffeemaker. Date codes are printed on the bottom of the coffeemaker. Coffeemakers made in China have date codes 0727 through 0847; coffeemakers made in Poland have date codes 0627 through 0847.
Sold at: Wal-Mart, Target and Safeway stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com between July 2006 through March 2009 for between $60 and $140.
Manufactured in: China and Poland
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Philips for instructions on receiving a free replacement unit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Philips toll-free at (866) 604-0051 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays. Consumers can also visit the firm's Web site at www.senseoexchange.com
To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:
I have one of these so I have to check it out. I don't even use the thing anymore and now I'm glad I don't!


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Your Search Results
Marketing Tech, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, 1M-5M amount
1 Companies
Marketing Tech • Software
Our purpose at Proof is to make the internet delightfully human. Our platform harnesses the power of social proof that you often see offline and helps bring it online. Over 15,000 websites trust our software to increase conversions.
12Local Employees


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The future of luxury hospitality is upon us, as Four Seasons introduces the industry's first fully branded private jet experience.
Scheduled to take its maiden flight in 2015, the Four Seasons' retrofitted Boeing 757 will take 52 lucky guests (each trip) on multi-city journeys. These personalized itineraries include air travel, ground transportation, planned excursions, all meals and accommodations at a Four Seasons in each city. There are currently three trips open for reservations: Around the World, February 2015; Backstage with the Arts, April 2015; and Around the World, August 2015.
Continue reading "Four Seasons Introduces First Fully Branded Private Jet Service – Travel News" »


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If James Cameron gets his way, Mars could be getting the Pandora treatment when NASA launches its newest rover Curiosity on an ambitious mission to the red planet next year.
The famed "Avatar" director, whose own 3-D camerawork has revolutionized the cinematic industry, has convinced NASA to mount a 3-D camera on top of Curiosity's mast for the upcoming Martian mission, scheduled to launch in 2011.
Cameron believes that including a camera with 3-D capabilities will help engage the public and generate more excitement about Curiosity's work.
IN PICTURES: Mars Spirit Rover
"It's a very ambitious mission. It's a very exciting mission," Cameron said according to the Pasadena Star-News. "(The scientists are) going to answer a lot of really important questions about the previous and potential future habitability on Mars."
Cameron spoke in a Tuesday event at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which is near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena where the Curiosity rover is being built.
Cameron lobbied the space agency to include the 3-D camera on Curiosity's mission after JPL scaled back plans for such a device in 2007, as a way to compensate for the $2.3 billion mission being consistently over budget and behind schedule.
In January, Cameron met NASA chief Charles Bolden and was able to convince him and the space agency to purchase a 3-D camera for Curiosity, the director said. It would replace the mast camera (without 3-D capabilities) that has already been built and was delivered to JPL this month.
While the Curiosity team is unsure whether the new camera will be ready in time, they are eagerly anticipating the camera's potential to record Martian movies at a rate of 10 frames per second, reported the Star-News.
"You could take a movie and image clouds moving in the sky or a dust devil moving," said Joy Crisp, JPL deputy project scientist on Mars Science Laboratory, the official name for the rover project. "As you're driving, you could take a movie."
Now, it will be up to the Malin Space Science Systems, the San Diego-based company charged with building several of Curiosity's cameras, to scramble to build the 3-D camera in time.
"It's a thrill to be on even a tiny part of the mission," Cameron told the Star-News.
Cameron also spoke about the Earthly inspirations used to create the fictional world of Pandora, the moon location of his mega-hit "Avatar."
The filmmaker revealed that Pandora was created to look exotic and foreign, while still maintaining elements that audiences could identify and relate to.
"We tried to make it not completely fanciful," Cameron told the audience at the event titled "Is Pandora Possible?" "If it was too outlandish, there would be a believability gap."
To achieve this, Cameron took cues from flora, fauna and various other phenomena on Earth to create Pandora, which was conceived as a moon in the Alpha Centauri system.
- The Best and Worst Mars Landings Ever
- Most Amazing Mars Rover Discoveries
- 'Avatar' Director Talks Space Fact and Fiction with NASA Chief


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Perhaps the most compelling and original science fiction setting in massively multiplayer online gaming, Funcom's Anarchy Online has been in operation since June of 2001. About time for a facelift, wouldn't you say? Let's take a look at the changes being made to this elder statesman of the sci-fi MMO scene.
To the layman it might not look like anything special, but to the veteran Anarchy Online player this video is a stunning revelation. The aging engine currently powering the game has seen its fair share of tweaks over the years, but nothing quite as expansive and sweeping as this. Dynamic grass, shadows, water, god-rays; it's like a whole new game.
According to an interview with game director Fia Tjernberg, environments aren't the only feature getting a makeover in the coming months. A new starter experience will allow players to master their chosen profession before heading out into the world of Rubi-Ka proper, while mechanics are being tweaked to give players more control over their character's development.
And the faces are finally changing. Each of the game's 362 heads is getting upgrade from 200 polys to a more respectable 2,000, with bodies getting worked over as well.
What's taken them so long? Anarchy Online features a very distinctive look and feel that could be completely ruined by a poorly-designed upgrade. Hopefully the Funcom folks are on the ball, and who knows? Perhaps this upgrade can finally bring this AO veteran (and former ARK - volunteer player helper) find his way home again.
Anarchy Online Interviews: Fia Tjernberg Interview & New Engine Video [MMORPG.com - Thanks Danilo!]


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CI´BYRACI´BYRA (ἡ Κιβύρα: Eth. Κιβυράτης; Adj. Κιβυρατικός).
1.MAGNA the chief city of a district Cibyratis. Strabo (p 631) says, that the Cibyratae are called descendants of the Lydians, of those who once occupied the Cabalis [CABALIS], but afterwards of the neighbouring Pisidians, who settled here, and removed the town to another position in a strong [p. 1.615]place, which was about 100 stadia in circuit. It grew powerful under a good constitution, and the villages extended from Pisidia and the adjoining Milyas into Lycia, and to the Peraea of the Rhodians [CARIA]. When the three neighbouring towns of Bubon, Balbura [BUBON; BALBURA], and Oenoanda were joined to it, this confederation was called Tetrapolis. Each town had one vote, but Cibyra had two votes; for Cibyra alone could muster 30,000 infantry and 2000 cavalry. It was always under tyrants, but the government was moderate. This form of government terminated under Moagetes, for Murena put an end to it, and attached Balbura and Bubon to the Lycians. The conventus of Cibyra, however, still remained one of the greatest in Asia. The Cibyratae had four languages, the Pisidian, the Hellenic, the language of the Solymi and of the Lydians; but there was no trace of the Lydian language in Lydia. It was a peculiarity of Cibyra that the iron was easily cut with a chisel, or other sharp tool (see Groskurd's Note, Transl. Strab. vol. ii. p. 633, where he unnecessarily make a distinction between τορεύεσθαι and τορνεύεσθαι). The first part of this extract from Strabo is not quite clear. Strabo (p. 629) does not fix the position of Cibyra precisely. After mentioning Antiochia on the Maeander as being in Caria, he says, "to the south the great Cibyra, Sinde, and the Cabalis, as far as Taurus and Lycia." Ptolemy (5.3) places Cibyra in Great Phrygia, and assigns the three cities of Bubon, Balbura, and Oenoanda to the Cabalis of Lycia, which is consistent with Strabo. The latitude of Ptolemy as it stands in his text is at least 1° 40′ too far north. The site is now ascertained (Spratt, Lycia, vol. i. p. 256) to be at Horzoom, on the Horzoom Tchy, a branch of the Dalamon Tchy, or Indus, in about 37° 10′ N. lat, The place is identified by inscriptions on the spot. "The ruins cover the brow of a hill between 300 and 400 feet above the level of the plain, and about half a mile distant from the village of Horzoom." The material for the buildings was got from the limestone in the neighbourhood; and many of them are in good condition. One of the chief buildings is a theatre, in fine preservation: the diameter is 266 feet. The seats command a view of the Cibyratic plain, and of the mountains towards the Milyas. On the platform near the theatre are the ruins of several large buildings supposed to be temples, "some of the Doric and others of the Corinthian order." On a block there is an inscription, Καισαρεων Κιβυρατων ἡ βουλη και ὁ δημος, from which it appears that in the Roman period the city had also the name Caesarea. The name Καισαρεων appears on some of the coins of Cibyra. A large building about 100 yards from the theatre is supposed to have been an Odeum or music theatre. There are no traces of city walls. The stadium, 650 feet in length and 80 in breadth, is at the lower extremity of the ridge on which the city stands. The hill side was partly excavated to make room for it; and on the side formed out of the slope of the hill "were ranged 21 rows of seats, which at the upper extremity of the stadium turned so as to make a theatre-like termination." (View in Spratt's Lycia.) This part of the stadium is very perfect, but the seats on the hill side are much displaced by the shrubs that have grown up between them. The seats overlook the plain of Cibyra. The seats on the side opposite to the hill were marble blocks placed on a low wall built along the edge of the terrace, formed by cutting the side of the hill. Near the entrance to the stadium a ridge runs eastward, "crowned by a paved way, bordered on each side by sarcophagi and sepulchral monuments. At the entrance to this avenue of tombs was a massive triumphal arch of Doric architecture, now in ruins." The elevation of the Cibyratic plain is estimated to be 3500 feet above the level of the sea. It produces corn. The sites of Balbura, Bubon, and Oenoanda, which is on the Xanthus, being now ascertained, we can form a tolerably correct idea of the extent of the Cibyratis. It comprised the highest part of the basin of the Xanthus, and all the upper and probably the middle part of the basin of the Indus, for Strabo describes the Cibyratis as reaching to the Rhodian Peraea. The great range of Cadmus (Baba Dagh), said to be 8000 feet high, bounded it on the west, and separated it from Caria. The upper part of the basin of the Indus consists of numerous small valleys, each of which has its little stream. Pliny's brief description (5.28) has been derived from good materials: "the river Indus, which rises in the hills of the Cibyratae, receives sixty perennial rivers, and more than a hundred torrents." Cibyra is first mentioned by Livy (38.14) in his history of the operations of the consul Cn. Manlius, who approached it from the upper part of the Maeander and through Caria. He probably advanced upon it by the valley of Karaook, through which the present road leads from the Cibyratis to Laodicea (near Denizlee). Manlius demanded and got from Moagetes, the tyrant of Cibyra, 100 talents and 10,000 medimni of wheat. Livy says that Moagetes had under him Syleum and Alimne, besides Cibyra. It is conjectured (Spratt, Lycia, vol. i. p. 254) that this Alimne may be identified with the remains of a large town on an island in the lake of Gule Hissar, which> island is connected with the mainland by an ancient causeway. This lake lies in the angle between the Caulares [CAULARES] and the river of Cibyra. The last tyrant of Cibyra, also named Moagetes, was the son of Pancrates (Plb. 30.9). He was put down by L. Licinius Murena, probably in B.C. 84, when his territory was divided, and Cibyra was attached to Phrygia. Pliny states that twenty-five cities belonged to the Jurisdictio or Conventus of Cibyra; and he adds that the town of Cibyra belonged to Phrygia. This, like many other of the Roman political arrangements, was quite at variance with the physical divisions of the country. Laodicea on the Lycus was one of the chief cities of this Conventus. Under the Romans, Cibyra was a place of great trade, as it appears (Hor. Ep. 1.6. 33). Its position, however, does not seem very favourable for commerce, for it is neither on the sea nor on a great road. We may conclude, however, that the Roman negotiatores and mercatores found something to do here, and probably the grain of the valley of the Indus and the wool and iron of Cibyra might furnish articles of commerce. Iron ore is plentiful in the Cibyratis. We know nothing of any artists of Cibyra, except two, whom Cicero mentions (Verr. 2.4. 100.13), who were more famed for their knavery than for artistic skill. Cibyra was much damaged by an earthquake, in the time of Tiberius, who recommended a Senatus Consultum to be enacted for relieving it from payment of taxes (tributum) for three years. In this passage of Tacitus (Tac. Ann. 4.13), it is called "civitas Cibyratica apud Asiam." [ASIA p. 239.] Three Greek inscriptions from Cibyra are printed [p. 1.616]in the Appendix to Spratt's Lycia. All of them contain the name of the city, and all belong to the Roman period. One of them seems intended to record a statue, or some memorial set up in honour of L. Aelius, the adopted son of Hadrian, and it mentions his being in his second consulship. Aelius died in the lifetime of Hadrian, A.D. 138. L. Aelius Verus was consul for the second time in A.D. 137 (Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, vol. ii. p. 255), and we may assume that he was alive when this inscription was made. Hadrian certainly was alive then, as we may infer from the terms of the inscription. But Hadrian also died in A.D. 138. The inscription, therefore, belongs to A.D. 137.


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Join physiotherapists Maggie and Krista for a 60 minute, mobility class focussed on targeting the connective tissues of the body. Break down tension and knots using lacrosse balls, foam rollers, deep stretches and yoga poses. All the while improving your mobility and alignment.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: August 6Stretch + Release
Later Event: August 9Stretch + Release


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Icom IC-703 Memory Keyer
IC-703 Memory Keyer
The Icom IC-703 has a built-in CW memory keyer with three memory locations and up to 50 characters per memory location. Other keyer features include a variable CW pitch control (300-900 Hz); operation with a bug, iambic paddles or straight key. All these functions are available, even in the low current mode.


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The mocker-in-chief
The sarcastic bear is loose, and he's loving every minute of it.
President Barack Obama is letting his inner Don Rickles run free, mocking climate deniers as the crowd who used to think the moon was made out of cheese or spineless dopes who can't or won't listen to science even though the science is all overwhelmingly pointing in one direction. Their heads are in the sand. They are members of the Flat Earth Society.
Story Continued Below
For the White House it's about getting the liberal base excited for the midterms. It's a confidence that climate change has shifted in voters' minds. It's a broader play against congressional Republicans as obstructionists.
( Also on POLITICO: Obama mocks climate skeptics at LCV dinner)
And for Obama, it's a good time. Wednesday night, Obama ripped into his opponents in front of a League of Conservation Voters crowd so friendly that some were pumping their arms in the air as he spoke.
"It's pretty rare that you encounter people who say that the problem of carbon pollution is not a problem," Obama said. "In most communities and workplaces, they may not know how big a problem it is, they may not know exactly how it works, they may doubt they can do something about it. Generally they don't just say, 'No I don't believe anything scientists say.' Except, where?" he said, waiting for the more than accommodating crowd to call back, "Congress!"
Obama smiled — not his big toothy self-satisfied grin, but his stick-it-in-the-ribs smirk.
( Also on POLITICO: Shrinking economy trouble for Dems)
"In Congress," he said. "Folks will tell you climate change is hoax or a fad or a plot. A liberal plot."
Then, Obama said, there are the people who duck the question. "They say, hey, I'm not a scientist, which really translates into, I accept that man-made climate change is real, but if I say so out loud, I will be run out of town by a bunch of fringe elements that thinks climate science is a liberal plot so I'm going to just pretend like, I don't know, I can't read," Obama said.
"I mean, I'm not a scientist either, but I've got this guy, John Holdren, he's a scientist," Obama added to laughter. "I've got a bunch of scientists at NASA and I've got a bunch of scientists at EPA."
"I'm not a doctor either, but if a bunch of doctors tell me that tobacco can cause lung cancer, then I'll say, okay. Right? I mean, it's not that hard," Obama said, managing not to mention that he kept smoking himself at least through his first term.
( Also on POLITICO: Biden sets immigration meeting)
If Obama's talking about regulations, he's losing. If he's talking about carbon caps for power plants or energy emissions for air conditioners, no one cares. But if he's talking about crazy Republicans who don't make any sense — and by the way, are putting children at risk, he charges — well, that's an argument he can wrap his arms around.
"Humor is a very, very good thing — especially in a place where voters just don't understand why folks in Washington don't get what they get," said White House political director David Simas, ahead of Obama's speech.
There isn't much to lose for the White House here. The Republicans aren't coming back to work on a new cap-and-trade bill and they're not going to praise his new EPA rules on power plant emissions no matter what.
But this isn't just about climate change. As confident as Democrats are that they can gin up suburban moms and inner-city voters by really leaning into the argument about children with asthma that Obama chose as the framing for how he talked about the emissions rules earlier this month, they believe they've got an opening to an argument that gets at the heart of the attack they're trying to make on Republicans for November.
"To stand in the way of action on this puts you on the side of polluters — I think that's a very simple dynamic," Simas added. "People are in a problem solving mode—'Washington, do something!' And not only are they saying no, but denying that the problem exists at all — that comes off as detached, out of touch and sticking to their talking points."


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Hastings comes together for World Mental Health Day
Published on by Emily Huelin (author)
Love Hastings Love Yourself creates a fun-filled day of events supporting victims of mental health.
Seaside towns being washed away with rising levels of debt
Published on by George Puttick (author)
Figures released today have shown young families living in Seaside towns in England and Wales are experiencing the worst levels of debt.
Acid attack on two men in Hastings
Published on by Elisha Atkinson (author)
This year has seen an alarming rise in acid attacks taking place in the UK, and on the night of Friday 13th two young men in Hastings were affected.
Local residents gearing up for annual beach clean
Published on by Jacob Kensley (author)
Hastings autumn beach clean is just a couple of weeks away and local residents are coming together to remove the plastic from the shores.
Hastings Week Celebrations go on with a bang
Published on by Marina Turay (author)
The spectacular torchlight procession happened on Saturday where thousands of observers turned out to see the fireworks display.


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With MyRIDE® Suspension System
The new TimeCutter® HD zero-turn mower does more than cut grass to perfection. It can also cut your mowing time almost in half*. But when you're bouncing around on rough terrain, speed won't do you any good without superior comfort to match. The smooth MyRIDE® Suspension System** features a suspended operator platform that cushions you from bumps and vibrations, so you can be more productive and stay comfortable. And the heavy-duty GRADE 50 high-strength steel deck is nearly 50% stronger than other decks***, so you can power through tough grass. You'll not only enjoy mowing - you'll enjoy more free time. * Time savings are from 2008-2012 survey results for Toro residential zero-turn mowers, as reported by owners. **Available on select models. ***Compared to regular 11-guage steel decks.


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Firefox 3 alpha 8 has officially been released and is now available for download. The last alpha release coincided with Gecko 1.9 freeze, and this release coincides with front-end feature freeze. There are no additional features planned for inclusion beyond this point. Much of the work leading up to milestone 9—scheduled for release in October—will involve resolving bugs and finishing the new interface elements.
This release includes many new features, several of which we have tested at length in nightly builds. The new bookmark interface—which supports tagging—has been implemented, but is still undergoing refinement. The old Remember Password dialog has been replaced with a new interface strip that appears at the top of a page, much like the popup-blocking notifier. The new download system is also included in this alpha 8, but it still needs a lot of work. There are many other bugfixes included in alpha 8 as well.
I've been using Firefox 3 nightly builds as my primary browser for several weeks now, and despite occasional crashes and some minor recent performance regressions, it has provided an outstanding user experience. It lacks polish in many places, particularly the download dialog, but it is definitely progressing at an impressive rate. Download links and additional information can be found in the official release notes. This is still a pre-release alpha build, so users who wish to test it should do so with an alternate Firefox profile.


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A Collection of Radii
Designed for the ARTCRANK MSP 2012 show, our newest poster is an ode to all the radial objects in our life. With a bicycle wheel at the hub of the design, a hindu goddess, a space station and even a nipple made it on to the final print (not to be confused with the aureole that also appears, but we digress). These were printed on one of our six Heidelberg cylinder presses (insert bragging here) on Crane Lettra Flo White 110c stock with one ink. Every print also got a blind hit of our studio seal, which required a second inkless run through the press.
Yes, you can buy one in our store.


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New Jobs Report: Older Workers See Gains
By Carole Fleck , November 02, 2012 10:05 AM
Companies did more hiring than firing in October and older workers caught some of that action. A higher-than-expected 171,000 jobs were added to the economy last month as jobless levels for people 55 and older tapered off, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The jobless rate fell to 6.1 percent in October from 6.4 percent the month before for men 55-plus. One year ago, the rate for this group was 7.2 percent.
For older women, the unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent last month from 5.6 percent in September. It had been 6.5 percent in October 2011.
Nationally, the unemployment rate ticked up one-tenth of 1 percent to 7.9 percent last month. More than 12 million people were out of work.
October's unemployment report, the last one before the Nov. 6 election, was seen as important to both presidential candidates. Jobs and the economy figured prominently during this campaign season.
Meanwhile, hiring appeared to be stronger than we knew in the third quarter. The BLS revised up by 50,000 the number of jobs added to the economy in August to 192,000. For September, the jobs created figure was also revised up by 34,000 to 148,000. All in all, the economy has seen 25 consecutive months of jobs gains but generally at too slow a rate to make a big dent in unemployment levels.
"Private payrolls have now been steadily increasing by an average of 173,000 over the past four months," says Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics. "That still isn't great but if sustained, it should be enough to bring the unemployment rate down gradually."
The improving pace of hiring seemed to indicate that businesses are somewhat less fazed by the impending fiscal cliff, a slew of tax increases and spending cuts for next year if lawmakers fail to act.
While that is welcome news, a big problem remains. The ranks of the long-term unemployed, people out of work for six months or more, remained at 5 million. Of those, 53 percent were 55 and older.
Among older adults, the average duration of unemployment crept up last month. For those 55-plus, it took an average of 57.7 weeks to find work, up from 55.7 weeks the month before. For those under 55, the duration climbed slightly to 37.8 weeks in October from 37.2 weeks a month earlier.
Professional and business services, health care, retail and leisure and hospitality saw the biggest gains in hiring last month, the BLS reported.
The upswing in jobs growth has apparently buoyed consumer confidence, a measure that rose to a near-five-year high of 72.2 in October from 68.4 in September. Moreover, households that say jobs are hard to find compared with those that say jobs are plentiful also fell to a four-year low of 29.1 from 32.6.
However, one report seemed to indicate otherwise. It says planned job cuts by U.S.-based employers surged 41 percent in October to 47,724, its highest level in five months. Despite the increase, the planned cuts were still well below last year's pace, according to the report released Thursday by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consultancy firm.
The automotive sector led the hike in planned job cuts, which included positions in U.S.-owned auto plants in Europe.
If you're looking for work, visit AARP's free service called Work Reimagined. The social networking site partners with LinkedIn to help you find information and job openings.
Photo credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Follow me on twitter @cfleck1


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The Police have warned potential troublemakers ahead of the Leeds FA Cup match.
A heavy Police presence will be outside the ground and in the city centre, both before and after the game, with a spokesman telling the Hereford Journal: "The match is a ticket only affair for both sides and we would strongly encourage those without a ticket not to travel to Hereford as they will not be able to gain entry to the football ground.
"We will not tolerate anti-social behaviour, as it not only spoils things for the genuine supporters also local residents and the general public in the city centre."
Meanwhile, a steady queue was seen at the club for most of the day. Season ticket holders could purchase their tickets from noon, and can also purchase all day tomorrow.