text:
Shania Twain kicks off Las Vegas residency
Singer SHANIA TWAIN took to the stage for the first time in eight years on Saturday night (01Dec12) to kick-off her 24-month Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace.
The country star went on hiatus in 2004 after losing her voice to a condition called dysphonia, but she showed no sign of vocal problems as she dazzled the packed crowd during a 90-minute, 18-song set at the Colosseum.
Clad in a lacy black bodysuit, she rode in on a high-flying bike and opened with I'm Gonna Getcha Good, later fighting back tears as she told her fans, "You're going to get me all emotional and my eyelashes are going to fall off!"
The 47 year old, whose younger sister Carrie Ann works for Twain as a back-up singer, made a number of costume changes, eventually putting on a pair of pink cowboy boots to perform I Ain't No Quitter atop a black horse and Still The One on the back of a white beast.
Closing out the gig with hits From This Moment and Man! I Feel Like A Woman, Twain added, "It's been a lot of years for me since I've been here. I realise what I've been missing, thanks to you."


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Wadmalaw Island
Wadmalaw Island
Where the perfect blend of style, lifestyle and nature come together... Wadmalaw Island. Located on South Carolina's central coast, between Johns Island to the northeast and Edisto Island to the southwest, lies Wadmalaw. The island is considered the most unspoiled of all of Charleston's islands. There are rural meandering roads lined with farms, woodlands, marshes and produce stands. The island remains intensely rural, with farming, fishing, crabbing and shrimping as the occupations of choice by most of the locals.
Wadmalaw Island is located generally to the southwest of Johns Island and is more than halfway encircled by it. To the north it is bordered by Church Creek; to the northeast and east by Bohicket Creek; to the south by the North Edisto River; and to the west by the Bohicket Creek. The island's only connection to the mainland is via a bridge over Church Creek. The island is about 10 miles long by 6 miles wide. It has a land area of 108.502 sq km (41.893 sq mi). The 2000 census reported a population of 2,611 persons. Charleston is the largest city near Wadmalaw Island.
Wadmalaw Island was landed upon by Captain Robert Sandford and the crew of the Berkeley Bay in mid-June 1666 after an excursion up the Bohicket Creek. It is believed that Sandford landed where Rockville, South Carolina now sits. On June 23, 1666, the captain and crew carried out the ritual of turf and twig, claiming the land for England and the Lords Proprietors.
In 1670, 148 colonists arrived and settled on the west bank of the Ashley (Kiawah) River. They survived the first four years of poor crop production through the generosity of natives who shared beans and corn. They later moved to what is now Charleston.
In 1890, planters organized the first sailing regatta at Rockville, less than a mile from the tea plantation. The 120th Rockville Regatta was held in August, 2010.
In more recent times, The Lipton Tea Company operated an experimental tea farm on Wadmalaw Island from 1960 to 1987, when it was sold to Mack Fleming and Bill Hall. These gentlemen converted the experimental farm into a working tea plantation. The Charleston Tea Plantation utilized a converted cotton picker and tobacco harvester to mechanically harvest the tea. The Charleston Tea Plantation sold tea mail-order known as American Classic Tea and also produced Sam's Choice Instant Tea, sold through Sam's Clubs. American Classic Tea has been the official tea of the White House since 1987. In 2003, Bigelow Tea Corporation purchased the Charleston Tea Plantation and temporarily closed the plantation in order to renovate it. The plantation reopened in January 2006. Tours are now offered of this last remaining working tea farm in America. Wadmalaw now produces Firefly, a sweet tea flavored vodka. It is popular throughout the southern United States because of its recognizable flavor and cultural significance. Wadmalaw Island is located southwest of Johns Island in Charleston County. Driving onto the island on SC 700, you can stop and visit America's only working tea plantation.
The rich soil and temperate climate of Wadmalaw Island has supported commercial and family farms for generations. Long famous for tomatoes, the island is also dotted with u-pick family farms and Community Sponsored Agricultue cooperatives. The Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea plantation in America, finds Wadmalaw provides the ideal conditions for growing tea.
The Gullah Festival is hosted here. This is a celebration of the traditional arts and crafts of the African American culture so prevalent in Charleston. Wadmalaw is also home to a local vineyard that hosts special events throughout the year, inviting the public to tour their facilities.
The development regulations for Wadmalaw are strict. The newly built homes found here are on large, sprawling parcels of land and mostly take advantage of the waterways that criss-cross this island. There are no subdivisions, no planned urban development - just lazy lanes and friendly neighbors.
If you are looking for a private, slow-paced way of life in an unspoiled coastal environment, then Wadmalaw may be the place for you.
Wadmalaw Island Market Update
Community Listings
Average List Price: $245,766
Average Days on Market: 434
6125 Drop Anchor Lane Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
6392 Ranch Road Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
0 Bears Bluff Road Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
000 Sea Island Yacht Club Road Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
7033 Maybank Highway Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
5896 Maybank Highway Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
6125 Maybank Highway Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
6125 Maybank Highway Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
0 Boy Scout Road Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
Lot 17 Anchor Watch Drive Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
2355 S Rockland Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
6110 Drop Anchor Lane Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
18 listings found. Showing 12 per page.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Who Won?
Congrats Kid_Matthew on winning this contest!
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- jSoftApps
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Re: Who Won?
If it isn't obvious enough, Matthew won!
jSoft Apps Software Innovations - App, Games and More!
Visit our Website!
jSoft Apps is now on indie db!
Visit our Website!
jSoft Apps is now on indie db!
Re: Who Won?
lol ya
is there a 2nd and 3rd place?
is there a 2nd and 3rd place?
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Re: Who Won?
Hirato. And, I beleive Cork...
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text: Show Hide image Politics 8 September 2011 Perpetual warfare As the ruins of the twin towers still smouldered, the west plunged into a series of conflicts it could not win. Can it now confront its diminished place in the world? Sign-up The 11 September 2001 attacks were a new kind of warfare. Waged by small, decentralised, highly mobile groups not identified with any state or government, this hypermodern type of conflict aims not to conquer territory or destroy the enemy's military forces, but to weaken the adversary's society internally. For all its medieval trappings, al-Qaeda is deeply modern: its ideology owes more to Lenin than to Islamic theology, while its organisation is that of a decentralised global franchise operation. The US response was a variant of conventional warfare: a Vietnam-like counter-insurgency directed against the Taliban in Afghanistan - only incidentally connected with al-Qaeda but an equally elusive force - followed by an attack on the state of Iraq, the effect of which was to allow al-Qaeda to build a presence in the country that it had lacked when Saddam Hussein was in power. The new type of war was not understood, and the failure of the US-led riposte was preordained Terror is not a nebulous, all-pervading, demonic force. In more clear-thinking times, events that are now routinely described as acts of terrorism were seen as episodes in normal historical conflicts. Politicians and military people spoke of civil wars, insurrections and political assassinations rather than lumping together all forms of political violence into a single terrorist threat. It was also understood that political violence can never finally be eradicated. Today such sobriety is rare. Suicide bombing is interpreted as the expression of a religious culture of martyrdom, when it is a technique that was first developed by the Tamil Tigers, a Marxist-Leninist group. The 1995 Oklahoma bombing and the 22 June massacre on Utøya island show that indigenous, far-right ideas can also have deadly effects; the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan would have wreaked cataclysmic damage if it had been able to implement its plan to use anthrax against the population. In Britain, far more people have been killed and injured by offshoots of the Irish Republican Army than by Islamist groups. If we are to talk of terrorism, the intimidation and murder by some American fundamentalist Christians of doctors who perform abortions also falls into that category. The threats to peace and security that we face are more specific and more diverse than the global evil posited in the "war on terror". When it launched the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda demonstrated a firm grip on strategic logic. Nothing could be better calculated to throw western governments into panic than an assault on the World Trade Center - a monument to faith in the civilising magic of affluence. Later attacks in Bali, Madrid, London and elsewhere demonstrated the capacity of the network to operate on a global scale. A sober response to 9/11 would have involved focusing resources on intelligence-gathering and using the results to deter and disable terrorist activity in the countries that al-Qaeda was targeting. Instead, the west's response has been much as al-Qaeda's strategists intended: a succession of costly, unwinnable conflicts that have eroded the west's freedom and diminished its security, while exacerbating the serious but not unmanageable threat posed by al-Qaeda itself. If it is true that the danger may now be receding, it is because new movements of change are making al-Qaeda increasingly irrelevant. The conflicts triggered by 9/11 have all been fought on false premises. Bombing al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan was a legitimate act of self-defence and, in the context of US politics, may have been inevitable, but it was not the only option. The relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda has never been simple or unproblematic, and there is evidence that the Taliban may have been considering expelling al-Qaeda from Afghanistan when the bombing campaign got under way. Whether an alternative strategy, focused on convincing the Taliban regime to enforce such a policy, could have been effective is uncertain. What is clear is that, ten years later, the US-led coalition has been exploring a similar scenario - tacitly recognising that the fundamental problem has never been military. Even more than the Soviets - whose ruthless occupation some Afghans now remember as being preferable to the chaos of the present conflict - western forces have fought a war that lacked any achievable political goals. Unfortunately, the prospect of an orderly exit may prove to be just another mirage. Welcomed by many Afghans and by some of the Taliban, the initial objective of ejecting al-Qaeda from the country was soon achieved. It is doubtful how much western security was improved. Al-Qaeda does not need permanent bases and has moved on to Pakistan, Yemen and post-Saddam Iraq. As the US became ever more preoccupied with a non-existent threat from Iraq, Afghanistan was forgotten and the Taliban returned. The war has continued, with a series of shifting goals - installing democracy, promoting economic and social development, battling the drug trade and the like - all of them unrealisable. Building schools and hospitals may be a fine thing, but it will count for nothing when teachers and doctors are terrorised and killed after allied forces make their inevitable withdrawal from much of the country. Linking the Afghan mission with the nonsensical "war on drugs" has been predictably counterproductive. Destroying drug production - the Americans at one point thinking of spraying the whole of Helmand Valley with weedkiller to wipe out the opium fields - would also have destroyed much of the Afghan economy. There is constant talk of preparing government forces to take over responsibility for security, Bamiyan being the first province handed over, on 17 July. But where government is weak and lacking in legitimacy, and where allegiance to any authority has long been a tradable commodity, it should be obvious that improving the training of local forces will not ensure their loyalty. Presiding over a territory that has never been ruled by a modern state, the Afghan government is not much more than a funnel for endemic corruption. In the event of a full-scale pull-out of US-led forces, it would be lucky to survive for more than 48 hours. In the blind rush to export an idealised version of western governance, it has been forgotten that democracy comes in several versions, some of them highly illiberal. If a functioning democracy were to develop in Afghanistan in the current conditions, it would most likely be a variant of the Rousseau type that exists in Iran. The effect could be to entrench the power of the Taliban. Built up by elements in Pakistani intelligence and financed with Saudi money, the Taliban waged a pitiless war on Afghan culture and traditions. At the same time they flouted the most basic human values. Stoning gay people and women who are victims of rape is barbarism pure and simple. Rather than preventing such atrocities, an Iranian-style Afghan democracy could instead confer legitimacy on those who commit them. It is hard to imagine any kind of democracy in Afghanistan in the foreseeable future. In the event of a full drawdown of western forces, a many-sided civil war would ensue and the hapless peoples of Afghanistan would face a future without effective government, democratic or otherwise. At this point, the analogy with Vietnam becomes misleading. In Vietnam, the US retreat allowed the well-organised and competent government in the North to take control of the country. In Afghanistan, departing US-led forces would leave an ungoverned space. Again, the underlying problem is political rather than military. There can be no peace in Afghanistan for as long as it is used as a theatre to play out regional conflicts. Without a solution to the division of Kashmir, the Afghans will continue to be pawns in the struggle between India and Pakistan (both nuclear powers) while Iran, Russia and China watch alertly on the sidelines. Perhaps Washington could once have brokered a settlement in the region, but with President Barack Obama having declared victory 18 months in advance of a US retreat, that time is gone. A pull-out would create a geopolitical vacuum in the region. That is why - assuming a worsening economic crisis in America doesn't force the issue - US forces are unlikely to make anything like a total withdrawal any time soon. In contrast to Afghanistan, where even the Soviets could not instal a modern state, Saddam's Iraq was a thoroughly modern despotism. If western intervention in these quite different countries has failed in similar ways, one reason is that, in both cases, the west was unprepared to deal with the condition of anarchy that it had created. Regime change in Iraq was engineered in the belief that something like liberal democracy would emerge of its own accord. But after nearly a quarter-century in power, Saddam's dictatorship was practically coextensive with the Iraqi state, and toppling the tyrant meant destroying any kind of government in the country. US policies - such as disbanding the Iraqi army - hastened this outcome, but it was principally a consequence of regime change itself. As the scale of the disaster began to unfold, it became conventional wisdom to claim that insufficient thought had been given to post-invasion planning. But before the war started it was clear that no one had the skills required to govern the failed state that the overthrow of the regime would create. The result - the Kurds hiving off as a de facto independent state and the rest of what had been Iraq governed by a shifting coalition of sectarian parties, with Shia politicians increasingly under Iranian influence - was in no way surprising. If there had been any serious forethought, the invasion would not have been launched. It is not often that foreign policies come to grief because of an intellectual error, but this has been the case ever since the idea of humanitarian war took hold during the 1990s. Semi-successful in the Balkans, humanitarian intervention fuelled the illusion that - with only a small dose of force - freedom and democracy could be implanted anywhere in the world. Since then, the western elite have been gripped by the idea that authoritarian regimes are atavistic relics that will soon be swept aside in the grand march of history. There is nothing atavistic about tyranny - Nazism and Stalinism were unequivocally modern, like al-Qaeda today - and freedom is not the same as democracy. Neoconservatives talk sagely of being "on the right side of history" - as if a process of evolution had begun, at the end of which all of humankind will at last become like the neocons. Rather, what is happening is that the world is returning to the normality of only a few centuries ago, when power and wealth were more evenly distributed between east and west. There is nothing that need be feared in this shift, but it destroys the myth that the west is a model for the whole of humanity. The notion that the Arab spring is a rerun of Europe's 1848 revolutions is an example of this kind of thinking. Those who make the comparison are asserting ownership of movements that owe very little to the west. When Tony Blair and his fellow neocons tell the Arab world that it must modernise, they assume that modernisation is a quick and peaceful process that ends with the adoption of "democratic capitalism". A little history shows a different picture. The popular protests of 1848 were soon defeated. Europe became democratic only after two world wars and a long cold war. Building a Europe of democratic nation states was a lengthy and violent business, involving ethnic cleansing between the two wars, and then again after the fall of Yugoslavia in 1991. Nor is the global order that was then put in place in any sense stable. The European project is coming apart at the seams, while in the US - only a few years ago incessantly lecturing the world on the need to embrace the "Washington consensus" - the financial system has collapsed. Supposedly the end of history, "democratic capitalism" of the sort that prevailed over the past two decades now looks like a blind alley. In this light, why should the peoples of the Arab world retrace the west's journey? They would be better off striking out on paths of their own. Western declarations of support for the new Arab protest movements are in any case selective. Not much outrage is voiced at torture and murder in Bahrain - home to a US navy base, and a vital link in the supply of oil from Saudi Arabia. Lying behind these inconsistencies is an awkward geostrategic fact. When they give rhetorical backing to protest in the Middle East and North Africa, western governments are speaking as they did when they backed democracy in the Soviet bloc. Yet while the fall of communism seemed for a time to enlarge western power, the west now finds itself in the position of the former Soviet Union, losing control of events as popular uprisings threaten regimes it has kept in power for decades. It is often claimed that the uprisings in the Arab world show that the west has been short-sighted in pursuing stability over more high-minded goals. It was not western realpolitik which triggered the protests, however. Much has been written about the role of social networks in powering the uprisings, and new media were undoubtedly an important factor. But, to an extent that has not been appreciated, the Arab protest movements emerged as an unintended consequence of western weakness. The demand for change had a specific cause: the steep rise in food prices that was produced by the liquidity released by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, into global markets. Quantitative easing (QE) is, in effect, a policy of creating new money and, just like money-printing by governments and central banks in the past, it tends to produce inflation. In this case, the inflation showed up in asset prices - in stock markets and on the commodity markets. The protests in Tunisia began as bread riots, and though graduate unemployment may have been a larger factor in Egypt, the protests there occurred against a background in which the country - one of the world's biggest importers of wheat - was facing a steep rise in the price of food. Not only in the Middle East but in the world as a whole, there is a looming problem of food scarcity, which is partly a result of the sheer growth in human numbers, projected to increase from roughly seven billion at present to more than nine billion in 2050. The sudden rise in the cost of food was not only a result of increasing demand, however. Another factor was the Federal Reserve's attempt to refloat the sinking American economy with a flood of cheap money, beginning with the ultra-low interest rates engineered by Alan Greenspan from 2001 onwards, which led to a speculative boom in commodity prices. Driving up living costs in poor countries that import much of their food, American monetary policy has been a potent force for regime change. In an ironic twist, US weakness has unwittingly sparked revolution in the Arab world as its blundering attempts to impose regime change by force have been swallowed by the sands. There are some who see the entire war on terror as a cover for neo-colonialism. Behind all the proclamations about democracy and human rights, they say, the real goal was building pipelines in Afghanistan and seizing oilfields in Iraq. In fact, the course of events has been much more absurd. There is no evidence of consecutive thought of the kind required to make any conspiracy theory credible. Certainly there has been disinformation - plenty of it - but rather than concealing any covert strategy, it masked the lack of any strategy at all. Despite denials at the time, oil was a crucial factor in the decision to invade Iraq, but western companies cannot operate effectively in conditions of near-anarchy, and it was only at the start of this year that Iraqi oil production reached levels it achieved under Saddam. Again, there was never any realistic chance of western forces using Afghanistan as an energy corridor or of harvesting the country's abundant mineral wealth - if any country benefits, it will be China, which by standing aside from the conflict does not face the security problems of western businesses and has a better chance of establishing a long-term presence in Afghanistan. The wars of the past decade have been colossally expensive, costing billions of dollars and accelerating the US decline into national bankruptcy. As an exercise in neocolonialism, perpetual warfare has been strikingly unprofitable. More than by disinformation, the decade of war has been shaped by delusion. Today, for western leaders, the utility of force is not so much to achieve any specific goal as to preserve a sense of their importance in the world. Wealth and power are flowing to the east and south, but Europe and the US still claim global leadership. More than by any humanitarian impulse, it seems to have been this need to reaffirm a distinctive western destiny that motivated the Libyan adventure. Fearful of being dragged into the chaos that will ensue if Libya fragments, the Obama administration has not been a cheerleader for this intervention, which is primarily a European folly. The commonplace that Nato forces lack a clear exit strategy misses the point. How could they have such a strategy, when they have no rationale for being in Libya in the first place? Intervention might have been justified if the objective had been simply to prevent carnage in Benghazi - though the risk of killing on the scale that is happening in Syria, where the west has shown no interest in intervening, seems to have been small. But an end to violence could be secured only by negotiating with Muammar al-Gaddafi and leaving him in power, an outcome unacceptable to David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, insecure and impulsive leaders anxious to make their mark on the international scene. So, Britain and France have opted for regime change, risking creating another failed state. Libya does not have the religious divisions of Iraq, but now that the fragmented opposition finds itself struggling to govern a still tribal and fractured country, it must be an open question whether a tolerable level of order can be maintained without further engagement by the west - including boots on the ground. The posturing that has surrounded the Libyan adventure highlights the contradictions of humanitarian warfare. Its advocates declare that the west has a duty to protect universal values, with neoconservatives railing against critics as feeble moral relativists. Coming from neocons, who more than anyone else undermined the ban on torture - one of the fixed points in any civilised ethics - the assault on relativism has a hollow ring. However, the contradictions of humanitarian warfare affect its more principled advocates as well. Contrary to postmodern relativists, some values are humanly universal. The trouble is that these values are often in conflict. Peace and justice are universal goods, but they are at odds in Libya. Branding Gaddafi a war criminal (as the International Criminal Court did on 27 June) may have been right in terms of justice. Whether he would have chosen to leave if the way had been smoothed for him (as some in the Obama administration seem to have wanted at one time) cannot be known. But closing off any exit for the Libyan tyrant could only have had the effect of prolonging the war. Humanitarian military intervention is exposed to these conflicts of values just like any other kind of warfare. The illusions of liberal intervention are screening out the risks faced by western countries. One comes from upheaval in the Gulf. Peak oil leaves Saudi Arabia the world's pivotal producer. Any disruption in production resulting from conflict in the Gulf would detonate an oil shock bigger than any other in the past. Contrary to what some on the left believe, the greatest danger of war may not come from the US or Israel. Upheaval in Bahrain illustrates the mounting risk of conflict between the Saudis and the Iranians, which Olivier Roy ("The long war between Sunni and Shia", New Statesman, 20 June 2011) has described as the defining schism in the Middle East - a schism whose depth was revealed when a former head of Saudi intelligence warned Nato officials in June this year that the kingdom would build nuclear weapons once Iran acquired them. As it drifts away from Europe, Turkey, too, is becoming an increasingly powerful player in the region. The west would be wise to curb its dependency on oil, but that will not remove the risk of resource wars. The coming conflicts will not be mainly between the west and the rest. Advancing industrialisation has set in motion a new Great Game in which western states are not the most important players. China is the world's largest energy consumer after the US and will soon be first; but its fiercest rival for oil in future is likely to be India, rather than the US. The danger comes not only from peak oil. Peaking minerals, arable land and fresh water are likely to inflame existing conflicts and spark new ones in many parts of the world. As Mark Lynas has noted ("Panic stations", New Statesman, 21 March 2011), countries that reject nuclear power are likely to turn to coal and gas, speeding up global warming as a result. Some countries may well try to control the climate through geo-engineering, and it would not be surprising if weather-modifying technologies were turned to military use. If a new pattern of conflict is developing around natural resources, another is emerging in cyberspace. There are those who argue that the danger is being exaggerated, but there can be no doubt that as the economy and infrastructure become more reliant on computers, they become more vulnerable to cyber-attack. Practically every part of an advanced modern society can be disabled in this way - power supply, airports, banks, companies, television stations and personal computers, for example. Cyber-attack already occurs frequently, with episodes reported in the Baltic countries and the Middle East, among other places. Touted as a realm of freedom and transparency, cyberspace has become another site of conflict. Our present insecurity is not a passing phase - a station on the way to a state of peace and stability. Insecurity will be the common condition in any future that is realistically imaginable. Our leaders should be looking for intelligent ways of adjusting to this state of affairs. But it is precisely the capacity for realistic thinking that is lacking. Talk of victory in Afghanistan is delusional - just as the idea that liberal democracy would follow regime change in Iraq was delusional. Yet the role of such discourse is not to represent things as they are, nor even as they might some day become. It is to create a pseudo-reality that insulates rulers and those they rule from painful facts. The September 2001 attacks succeeded in producing what their perpetrators intended: a suspension of rational thought. Beginning as an ill-considered response to a new type of conflict, the permanent warfare that followed became a displacement activity, the function of which has been to distract attention from the west's problems - declining skills, falling living standards, debt and festering unrest. Sooner or later, the cost of maintaining the west's illusions will become prohibitive. Countries whose economies are floundering cannot for long sustain vast, costly and ineffective military-industrial complexes. To be sure, the retreat of western power will not usher in any age of peace. War will not cease, if only because conflicts over natural resources are certain to increase. The normal conflicts of history - including many types of political violence - will continue. But the curtain is about to fall on the absurd and gruesome spectacle of the past decade, when the west waged unceasing war in order to avoid confronting its true position in the world. John Gray is the NS lead book reviewer. His most recent book is "The Immortalization Commission: Science and the Strange Quest to Defeat Death" (Allen Lane, £18.99) John Gray is the New Statesman's lead book reviewer. His latest book is The Soul of the Marionette: A Short Enquiry into Human Freedom. Subscribe £1 per month This article first appeared in the 05 September 2011 issue of the New Statesman, 9/11 SUBSCRIBE More


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"Summer in the City" -- Mac and Dr. Hawkes investigate why an expert skyscraper climber plunged to his death while scaling the Empire State Building and the key to the case is the CSI's smallest witness ever -- a mosquito, on the second season premiere of CSI: NY, Wednesday, Sept. 21 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. David Von Ancken directed the episode written by Pam Veasey, who is also one of the series' executive producers.
The CSI's offices have relocated to a Manhattan high rise which includes new labs, a staff break room and new office equipment with state-of-the-art technology. Also, after expressing his interest in moving out of the coroner's office, Dr. Hawkes joins the team in the field and his first case has him working with Mac on the death of a skyscraper climber. Although hundreds of witnesses were on hand to see the climber fall, the team suspects foul play and believes someone may have caused his death. Meanwhile, Stella and Danny investigate the murder of a New York fashion designer killed while wearing an eight million dollar diamond bra from his own collection.
CSI: NY, a crime drama inspired by the Number One drama series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," is about forensic investigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes in the Big Apple. Det. Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise), a dedicated and driven crime-scene investigator who believes that everything is connected and everyone has a story, is a decorated Marine who served in Desert Storm and dabbled in war photography. The job is his life; he focuses on cases until they are solved. He and his partner, Stella Bonasera (Melina Kanakaredes), a well-traveled, well-educated detective, an orphan who flourished in spite of the system, share a passion for the job. Stella is a jack-of-all-trades and has an unmatched desire to find answers for the victims of violent crimes, due in part to questions about her past. They lead a team of experts through the gritty and kinetic city that never sleeps.
The team includes Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo), an investigator with an unflappable spirit and a troubled family history, which he uses on the job as he blends his own set of hybrid ethics. Messer was personally selected to join the team by Mac, and he attempts daily to live up to that honor and responsibility. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper) is the crime lab's former coroner, a brilliant Ph.D. who recently made the transition to the field team. Joining them is Don Flack (Eddie Cahill), an edgy, hardcore homicide detective with a quick wit, impressive forensic insight and a long family history in law enforcement. Rounding out the team is Aiden Burn (Vanessa Ferlito), a smart and sexy investigator whose chameleon-like behavior allows her to adapt to any situation. The New York CSIs may have a different process from those in Las Vegas or Miami, but they are guided by the same steadfast determination. These skilled investigators follow the evidence as they piece together clues and eliminate doubt, to ultimately crack their cases.
CSI: NY is produced by CBS Productions and Alliance Atlantis Communications, in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Jerry Bruckheimer, Anthony E. Zuiker, Jonathan Littman, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Danny Cannon, Andrew Lipsitz and Pam Veasey are the executive producers.
Det. Mac Taylor: Gary Sinise
Det. Stella Bonasera: Melina Kanakaredes
Danny Messer: Carmine Giovinazzo
Aiden Burn: Vanessa Ferlito
Dr. Sheldon Hawkes: Hill Harper
Det. Don Flack: Eddie Cahill
Dr. Evan Zao: Ron Yuan
Zack Shannon: David Julian Hirsh
Woman/Connie Williams: Alla Korot
Eli Bishop: Tom Schanley
Adam Sorenson: Jamie Elman
Nicole Jordan: Katherine Boecher
Brenda Dillard: Amy Stewart
Regina Bowen: Elizabeth Bennet
Fred Becker: Peter Dobson
Whitman Price: Mark Alken
D.J. Pratt: Chad Williams
Officer: Allen Lulu
Fashion Photographer: John Johnson
Bodyguard: Gary Kasper
RATING: To Be Announced


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George W. Bush was not impeached.
After Inauguration Day Bush left office and is living a life of privilege and comfort.
Cost of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan
An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed violently since the US invasion. More than 4 million Iraqis have now been displaced by violence in the country.
Regardless of the horrendous damage Bush has inflicted upon Iraq and this country, George W. Bush is planning to walk away from the greatest crime ever committed by an American President.
He took this country to war under false pretenses.
He lied to the Congress and the rest of the American people in order to start his war with Iraq.
How can we let this happen? Is there anything we can do about it? Vincent Bugliosi has come up with a remarkable solution in his latest book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.
After reading the book it becomes obvious that impeachment, even if it was "on the table," was not justice.
Source: http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/143772/index.php
"Bugliosi meticulously lays out a case against George W. Bush for purposefully deceiving the United States into war, thereby causing over 4,000 U.S. soldier deaths and 100,000-plus civilian Iraqi deaths and counting."
"Bugliosi is in a good position as a former prosecutor to ask--on behalf of millions of people--why should someone who accidentally kills a person in a liquor store holdup be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, yet someone who creates death and destruction on an unimaginable scale sail off into the sunset and have a library named after them? Is U.S. law based on justice, or whim?"
From the The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder website:
"A searing indictment of the President and his administration, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder also outlines a legally credible pathway to holding our highest government officials accountable for their actions, thereby creating a framework for future occupants of the oval office."
Any state attorney, and many county-level district attorneys, can prosecute George W. Bush for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. To establish jurisdiction for murder, a U.S. soldier who died in Iraq would have to be from that state, or from that local county. And every U.S. state has lost at least one resident to the war in Iraq.
We couldn't do anything about George Bush while he was in office. But now some brave prosecutor in this country, armed with the information in Mr. Bugliosi's book, can bring this war-criminal to trial.
Head to the Mission page to read how we can help make that happen.
A documentary of The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder has been produced.
After viewing the trailer please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/bush. In the spirit of grassroots political campaigns, THE PROSECUTION OF GEORGE W. BUSH FOR MURDER team is starting to raise money from the public in small donations to help market this historic film.


text:
AVC Delegation visits NORCECA in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, October 24, 2013 – A delegation from the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), headed by its president Dr. Saleh Bin Nasser and FIVB Honorary President, Mr. Jizhong Wei, is visiting the headquarters of NORCECA Confederation as part of a cooperation program between the two institutions.
Mr. Essa Hamza Ahmad, FIVB Executive Vice President, Mr. Atsuchi Katoch, AVC Tokyo Office Director, and Mr. Kojima Kazuyuki, executive member of Japan Volleyball Association, are also part of the delegation.
The Asian group was greeted on Thursday outside the premises of NORCECA in Santo Domingo by its president Mr. Cristobal Marte Hoffiz, the general manager Mr. Nelson Ramirez and Mr. Mushtaque Mohammed, president of development commission.
They will be holding two-day meetings with the directors of the different departments of NORCECA to discuss bilateral relations and benefit from their mutual experiences in the different areas.
The exchange presents a unique opportunity to reinforce existing links and sharing thoughts on the current challenges facing by both confederations, specifically in the daily operations and development programs.
"The friendly ties between the people and officials of the two confederations are strengthened by this kind of exchanges and must continue to help the growth and development of our national federations," Marte Hoffiz stated.


text:
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
tutorial: how to make cute bento picks
Step 1: Gather your supplies.
You'll need picks.
Regular tooth picks and bamboo forks are really easy to find - I've seen the bamboo forks everywhere from Target to party supply stores. I like the plastic picks because they are washable and sturdy...I found this box at Dollar Tree.
You'll need stickers.
Any small stickers will do. I really like the little plastic stickers that are kind of bubbly and thick. I found cute Halloween ones at Target. The fall stickers are from either Target's Dollar Spot or possibly the cheap bins at Michael's. I got those last year and can't recall exactly.
You'll need a glue gun, possibly. Definitely if using the cute little plastic stickers, but not for regular paper stickers.
Step 2: glue stickers on picks.
Like I said, this is not rocket science. :)
Just a dot of glue will do.
Place sticker on glue. Smile at the cuteness.
To help ease the stickiness on the back of the sticker you can rub a drop of dishsoap and rinse off.
alternate Step 2 for paper stickers.
For these picks I used stickers that were mirror images. The same size, same shape, same image, just facing opposite directions.
See the two turkeys where the toothpick is pointing? Those are perfect.
Take the two like-stickers and sandwich a toothpick end between them and press firmly.
If you don't have mirror-image stickers you could easily cut a small piece of paper to use on the back. In that case you may need a drop of glue. These stickers were not very sticky and a dab of glue could have helped them seal up better. That's what I get for buying dollar bin stickers. :)
Making your own picks can be a fun craft to do with your kids. Homemade picks may be a good option if you have kiddos who "accidentally" don't remember to bring home their regular bento picks, or for field trips (or other days a disposable lunch is needed), or to spice up a food tray at a class party!
14 comments:
- Rina said... [Reply to comment]
Brilliant idea, especially using it for field trips.Besides,they are super cute!!I'll definitely try making them with my hubby and son,a family project.
Thanks for the tutorial :)
- October 25, 2011 at 8:53 AM
Great Idea.... Thanks
- October 25, 2011 at 9:21 AM
- The Currens said... [Reply to comment]
Super cute idea! My 2.5 year old loves to have her fruit and veggies on the picks, but she also LOVES to help clean up. She doesn't usually mind if they are just plain toothpicks, but I like it to be cute. The regular toothpicks with cheap stickers on them will be great for her, since she loves to throw them away when she is done.
- October 25, 2011 at 9:23 AM
- The Mom Chef said... [Reply to comment]
Fantastic idea; thanks! I was going to print out some and then just use my scrapbooking tools to cut them out. This is much less work. Many thanks.
- October 25, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Do you reuse them? How do they hold up to washing?
- October 25, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Just a fun thought...you could use shrinky-dinks and glue them to the top of the plastic picks, they wouldn't last forever, but would stand up to several more washings than the stickers...and you could make them for whatever holiday/them you wanted :) ...you can find blank shrinky-dink paper at JoAnn's and Michaels.
Thanks so much for your wonderful blog!!! My kids love their bento lunches!
- October 25, 2011 at 10:59 AM
shrinky dinks!! BRILIANT!
- October 25, 2011 at 12:36 PM
- Diana - FreeStyleMama said... [Reply to comment]
So cute! Can I use this tutorial over at Bento Blog Network for one of the weekly meme challenges? I will direct people here to read the tutorial and then they will submit bentos they've created with homemade picks. If it's OK it wills start Nov 25.
Thanks! Diana
- October 25, 2011 at 2:46 PM
- Melissa said... [Reply to comment]
Great idea to use Shrinky Dinks! Does that material bond well with hot glue? I'll have to try that!
Diana, that would be fun. :)
- October 25, 2011 at 2:58 PM
- Nathalie said... [Reply to comment]
These are very cute! Fun idea!
- October 25, 2011 at 5:55 PM
- Jenn @ BentoForKidlet said... [Reply to comment]
That is such a great idea!! I need to find some cute bubbly stickers now :D
- October 25, 2011 at 7:28 PM
- Stephanie @ bentofabulous said... [Reply to comment]
I do this for almost every holiday, it's the best way to get themed bento picks!
- November 8, 2011 at 8:38 PM
Excellent idea, I use Cartoon cheap stickers to décor my bento picks. My 6 year old boy loves this creative thing. Thanks
- July 5, 2012 at 9:44 AM
- MyNoble Baby said... [Reply to comment]
Brilliant Melissa,
I may tries this out for my girl Halloween Theme and I can get her to involve. Thanks alot.
- October 2, 2012 at 7:07 PM


text:
I think that I have read a thousand articles with this same title. I have also borrowed books on the topic and am currently registered to take an online course about the same thing. Query Writing is offered at every conference and seminar for writers. All of these facts should tell us something. It. Is. Important. Please read that last word with an underscore, italics and bold font. (I won't put them in so that no one feels I'm yelling at them).
After finishing a 300 page manuscript, I too, feel as if a 1 page letter, with only a paragraph to describe my book, is impossible. The task is daunting. It can be easy to spend very little time on the query and hope that when the agent reads the opening pages, it will catch him or her. The scary thing is, if the agent doesn't like the query, there is no reason for them to read even the first 3 pages. It doesn't even matter that they are right below it in your email.
If we call ourselves writers and our goal is to be published, then we need to think about our craft as more of a business. OK, how many people just navigated away from my blog? It true anyway. Whether you read it here or not. Books are on paper because someone is making money. It is a business. So, the gatekeepers out there (agents) are reading as much as they can, as quickly as they can, in the hopes of signing the next book to make some income.
Once the agents signs you and your book, they still have to try to sell it, just like you did. They sell it to a publisher. Please don't shoot yourself in the foot. Be salable. Be marketable. Don't limit your mind to only seeing writing as an art, not if you want to get it to a publisher. Do your best on the book, then write a query that gets agents reading. You can't sell it if no one reads it.
I know that I said there are tons of ways to learn about writing a query, but I just finished a free downloadable book by Noah Lukeman that is worth the time. It was very good, and it will save you from reading 1000 separate articles. He says it all, and he says it well, right here: http://www.lukeman.com


text:
This pledge closed almost 4 years ago
Puppy Doe's Campaign to STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST ANIMALS.
YOU can help put a STOP to VIOLENCE against animals.
Don't be afraid to "Speak for those who can't!"
Remember that you are one of many thousands of animal loving humans worldwide who stand beside you on this very important issue.
Never to commit violence against animals, Never to excuse violence against animals, and Never to remain silent about violence against animals!
Do you swear to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against animals?
I do.


text: Susan Robinson is a Partner at EY as well as the National Leader of their People and Organizational Change practice. She spent the bulk of her career in consulting and industry roles in change management and HR. She has extensive experience leading client engagements by supporting people and understanding the cultural impacts of transformational change in domestic and international markets across various industries. Susan has led HR transformations and large-scale, complex business transformations in Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.


text:
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text:
The Fear of the Known
By Robert Dorit
Publishing the genetic sequence of a transmissible influenza virus might be scary, but harder decisions are yet to come.
Publishing the genetic sequence of a transmissible influenza virus might be scary, but harder decisions are yet to come.
Spring, 1918: The war, thought to be "the war to end all wars," had dragged on pointlessly for close to four years. The United States had only entered this conflict a year earlier, its isolationism finally overcome. By the spring of 1918, some 1.5 million U.S. servicemen had been shipped to the European theater. This number would grow to more than 4 million by war's end. Many of these soldiers found themselves involved in trench warfare, where ground was gained, lost and regained. More than 50,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors eventually died in battle.
At about the same time, a second front, both subtle and no less deadly, was opening up far from Europe. On the morning of March 11, 1918, Albert Gitchell, a cook at Camp Funston, showed up at the camp's infirmary complaining of a bad cold. By the end of that week, soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas, where Camp Funston was located, were falling ill at an unusually high rate. The first deceptively simple report of what was to become one of the greatest human pandemics appeared in one sentence in the weekly journal Public Health Reports: "On March 30, 1918, the occurrence of eighteen cases of influenza of severe type, from which three deaths resulted, was reported at Haskell, Kans." This was, for the moment, a highly contagious—but not highly lethal—strain of influenza. Most of the people afflicted by the first wave of infection would recover. But these same infected soldiers were being shipped to the European front at a rate of 10,000 a month, carrying influenza to a continent devastated by war. Placed in close quarters under unsanitary and stressful conditions, American soldiers were transporting an already potentially dangerous virus into virgin territory. Sometime between late spring and early summer of 1918, the virus evolved: It now easily infected young men and women, a cohort comparatively spared from infectious diseases. Afflicted individuals reported violent symptoms from the outset. Soon, their fevers spiked, their breathing became labored, their headaches shattering. Hours—or at most a day—later, many patients would die, drowning in their own secretions, gasping for breath.
The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 eventually claimed 57,000 American soldiers—more than died in the war itself. The movement of soldiers and civilians from infected areas disseminated this more lethal form of the influenza virus back to the United States and around the world. By the time the worldwide influenza pandemic flickered out in 1919, more than 50 million deaths could be blamed on it. Out of a world population of approximately 1.85 billion, an astonishing 25 percent may have been infected during the outbreak.
Eighty-seven years later, the first full-length portrait of the virulent 1918 influenza strain was finally completed. By piecing together fragments of the virus isolated from pathology samples preserved by the army and from the body of an Inupiat woman buried in ice for more than 75 years, scientists deciphered the full sequence of the virus.
The imminent publication of the reconstructed 1918 sequence generated considerable anticipation, but also significant anxiety. Could publication of the sequence amount to handing bioterrorists the blueprint for a lethal weapon? This issue had been carefully considered by the authors of the papers, the editors of the journals where they were ultimately published, and by a specially appointed committee of biosecurity experts (the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, or NSABB). All considered the benefits of publication to far exceed the risks. Despite this process, publication was nearly thwarted by last-minute concerns from U.S. government agencies and the secretary of Health and Human Services. But on October 6, 2005, the sequence of a 1918 influenza strain was finally published in Nature, and, the following day, a companion paper in Science described the effects of the reconstructed virus on mice.
As I write, a new controversy surrounding the publication of research on the influenza virus has erupted. This time the work involves the identification of a small number of mutations in the influenza genome that affect transmissibility. Two investigators—Yoshihiro Kawaoka, from the University of Tokyo and the University of Wisconsin, and Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam—independently obtained similar results. Their papers (one of which I have not yet seen) report the creation and characterization of a strain of avian influenza (H5N1) that, in carefully controlled laboratory settings, evolved to exhibit airborne transmissibility between mammalian hosts. The experiments used ferrets as the host species, at least partially because ferrets show symptoms similar to those exhibited by humans after contracting the flu. When they get the flu, ferrets get runny noses, spike fevers, cough and, we have to assume, feel lousy. The starting point of the Imai et al. experiment was a deliberately created H5N1 strain. Influenza viruses are classified based on their two principal surface proteins: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). These two proteins define the outer appearance of the virus, and mediate the virus's interaction with the host's cells and its encounters with the host immune system. The H5 class HA of the starting strain meant that it was particularly effective at targeting surface receptors on the cells of birds, but comparatively inefficient at sneaking into human cells with their characteristic mammalian cell surface receptors. Taking advantage of the fragmented nature of the viral genome (more about this below), the investigators created a deliberately weakened laboratory strain of human influenza capable of expressing the H5 surface protein. Equipped only with the H5 coat protein, this strain was initially not transmissible between mammalian hosts. In order to examine whether this feeble chimera could be turned into a strain capable of ferret-to-ferret transmission, the investigators used an ingenious strategy that mimicked and accelerated the evolutionary process. To do so, they first deliberately introduced mutations in the region of the HA protein that directly interacts with host cell receptors, thus increasing the raw material on which evolution depends. They then triaged millions of viruses—each with a slightly different version of the HA protein—based on their ability to bind to engineered cells that were coated with the human form of the influenza receptor. Eight—and only eight—variants of the original strain emerged from this rigorous screen, each of them capable of binding tightly to the human form of the receptor in vitro. Eventually, only one of those variants, now placed against the genetic background of a more aggressive pandemic strain, would prove capable both of binding to the mammalian-type receptor in the lab and of successfully replicating in a deliberately infected ferret. This variant (HA N158D/N224K/Q226L/CA04) was then deliberately inoculated into the nasal cavity of ferrets, and healthy ferrets were placed in nearby cages. The naive ferrets (a description that suggests they had never seen the selected influenza strains before) could not contact or interact directly with the sickened ferrets, but the cages were designed to allow air to flow between them. Six days later, two of six naive ferrets had developed influenza: The strain had evolved the capacity to survive, reproduce and be transmitted via airborne droplets from one ferret to another. In subsequent experiments, this newly transmissible strain would acquire additional mutations that increased its infectivity and transmissibility.
These experiments showed that an H5N1 virus that was previously transmitted only between birds could, after a few generations of selection, travel between mammals in airborne droplets (such as those generated by ferret sneezes). What disconcerts is the ease with which this lock was picked: Only a handful (four to five) of recurrent mutations were necessary to account for this evolution.
Impressive as these results appear, however, context is important. Ferrets, after all, are not an exact counterpart of human beings. Like all model systems, they capture important aspects of the system we are interested in (ourselves), but they are not precise replicas. Although there can be no question about the inherent value of identifying mutations associated with increased transmissibility, we cannot assert that these ferret-adapted strains are capable of infecting humans. Also lost amid the public and regulatory anxiety surrounding these results was the observation that the lethality of these viruses was comparable to, if not lower than, that of seasonal influenza (which kills less than 0.1 percent of those it infects), a fact for which the ferrets are surely grateful. Finally, it is worth remembering that the evolved version of the HA protein resulted in successful airborne transmissibility in the context of the rest of the influenza genome in which it occurs: Other strain-specific mutations in other genes likely play a critical role in the success of this engineered virus.
In 2011, when the ferret influenza papers were submitted for publication, they triggered a review by the NSABB. This time, the review board was far from comfortable with publication. Their concern, at least initially, centered on the possibility that knowledge of the sequence changes—changes presumably tied to increased transmissibility—could be misused by enemy states or other entities to engineer a particularly threatening strain of influenza. Reconstituting a virus with the 1918 genome from scratch had always been seen as a fairly daunting task that would require considerable technical expertise. In contrast, engineering a handful of mutations into an existing avian influenza strain appeared comparatively straightforward.
In December 2011, the NSABB recommended significant changes in the manuscripts and urged that critical details of the experiments be omitted. Following a significant debate in the scientific community, the committee revisited the issue. By March of 2012, it had reversed its recommendation, arguing that the benefits of the work outweighed its potential risks. Publication has been further delayed by concerns raised (and hurdles imposed) by both the U.S. and Dutch governments. On May 2nd, the first of the papers was finally published.
To be sure, the transmissibility work, the sequencing of the 1918 influenza strain, and an increasing amount of other research in the life sciences can, in principle, be misused. Fields that deal with infectious disease, in particular, often undertake research and generate results that could be used—by agents so inclined—to design more effective biological weapons, to reduce the effectiveness of current antiviral and antibiotic therapies, or to create conditions favoring the spread of infection. But the general anxiety surrounding the publication of these latest influenza papers, much as the anxiety that surrounded the publication of the 1918 influenza genome, rests on three fundamental misunderstandings: one about the nature of the scientific enterprise, one about the character of viral evolution and one about the causes of epidemic outbreaks.
Seen from the outside, the world of professional science appears regimented and controlled. Experiments are carried out, hypotheses tested, manuscripts submitted and peer reviewed, results reproduced and confirmed. This stately flow of knowledge is certainly an important part of what we do. But coupled to it is a much more freewheeling enterprise: We converse in the elevator, send e-mails, engage in gossip around the espresso machine. While scientists can be discreet and at times secretive, we do love to talk about each other's work. And the social structure of grant writing, conferences, posters, manuscripts, blogs and social networks means that experiments are described and discussed before, during and after they are carried out. Finally, training in science operates much like a medieval guild: Students and postdocs are mentored by one or a few individuals, and there are not many secrets in a lab.
These social trends lead directly to an inescapable conclusion: The rationale, methods and conclusions of the ferret transmissibility experiments have already been seen, heard or discussed by many individuals. While preventing publication of the manuscript would certainly limit the number of people acquainted with the results (or, more precisely, limit the rate of spread of the information), knowledge of this sort, particularly in the age of the Internet, is unlikely to be contained. Nor should it be. In the end, with very few exceptions (work that is classified from its very inception, for instance) transparency and the flow of information are central to the self-correcting nature of the scientific enterprise.
The evolutionary success of the influenza virus rests on two clever strategies: pack light and venture far. The influenza genome is a minimalist masterpiece, containing the sparest of genetic information: At 13,800 nucleotides long, its genome is roughly 100,000th the size of our own and is divided into eight RNA segments that encode 11 proteins. Like all viruses, influenza cannot replicate on its own. The information in the viral genome ensures that the virus can enter the cells of the host and, once inside, co-opt part of the machinery of the host cell for its own ends.
That light luggage is coupled with a mechanism for copying genetic information that has evolved to be remarkably … inaccurate. When influenza replicates its genetic information, it makes roughly one mistake in every 100,000 nucleotides it copies; under certain circumstances, it may make as many as one mistake for every 5,000 nucleotides. In contrast, our own replication machinery makes no more than one mistake for every 50,000,000 nucleotides copied.
The reduced fidelity of viral replication is no coincidence. Instead, it is a strategy evolved to cope with the myriad challenges facing the influenza virus, from the deadly scrutiny of the host immune system to the complex challenge of adapting to a new environment—or host. Inaccurate replication is shape-shifting at its best. As new sequences for the surface proteins of the virus result from this constant rain of mutations, these proteins take on new shapes, enabling them to evade—if only temporarily—the vigilant scrutiny of the host immune system. On occasion, two different strains meeting in the same host will take advantage of the segmented character of the influenza genome to swap entire fragments, once again giving the virus a temporary edge over the immune system.
The characteristically high mutation rate of influenza viruses has profound implications for the reports of increased transmissibility. In retrospect, the mutation rate helps explain why, after only a few rounds of selection using the ferret model system, airborne transmission evolved. The low fidelity of viral replication ensures that these mutations, and billions of other combinations of new mutations, have been—and are constantly being—generated as part of the natural history of influenza. The mutations seen in the ferret experiments are not new. They are only new to us. We had simply never seen them before in a characterized strain—possibly because in the much harsher viral world outside of the laboratory, these particular strains would not stand a chance.
Combinations of mutations that increase transmission, infectivity or virulence arise constantly. We, the human hosts, are saved by the fact that the viral lifestyle involves a set of competing claims: Mutations that increase transmissibility may inadvertently reduce the virus's ability to enter host cells. Seen in this light, the influenza genome represents a compromise solution to a set of sometimes contradictory challenges. We are also helped by the virus's complete dependence on its host. Influenza viruses cannot simply invade our bodies and promptly kill us off in an orgy of viral replication—that would be suicide. Instead, viruses must manage their hosts. A less transmissible strain that keeps its host alive, mobile and capable of interacting with other naive hosts may well outcompete a virus that is highly transmissible, aggressively infective and fulminating in its consequences.
Viral outbreaks are by definition the result of the interplay among virus, host and a variety of environmental, demographic and social factors. As a result, we cannot really say that the 1918 genome explains the pandemic any more than we can say that the murder of Archduke Ferdinand, by triggering the war, accounts for the pandemic. Unquestionably, certain strains of influenza are more dangerous than others: The 1918 strain made people far from the trenches in Belgium and France very ill. But the fate of even the most virulent of strains is not written solely in its genes.
In all likelihood, enough has changed over the past several decades that the 1918 strain would no longer cause a worldwide pandemic were it released today. Today's population has been exposed to related (but less harmful) influenza strains, providing a measure of immunity. Further immunity derives from the nearly 450 million doses of flu vaccine administered worldwide annually. The advent of antibiotics would significantly reduce the development of secondary infections, one of the leading causes of influenza-related mortality in 1918. These and other changes in the overall health and nutritional status of the human population have altered the landscape of potential epidemics in radical ways. This is in no way meant to suggest that the human population in its current status is not fertile soil for pandemics. As recent experiences with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H5N1 influenza suggest, emerging infectious diseases are constantly smoldering beneath the surface, just waiting to break out into full-fledged epidemics.
Seen in this light, the publication of the sequence changes resulting in mammal-to-mammal transmission (or of the sequence of a 1918 strain) can no longer be considered a reckless or naive act. Rather than being alarmed about the potential misuse of this research, we should be paying more attention to the detection and worldwide monitoring of new strains capable of holding their own against existing strains, and to strains exhibiting surface characteristics unfamiliar to the immune systems of much of the human population. And we should only really worry when such strains gain a foothold in parts of the world where poverty, malnutrition or unrest preclude an effective public health response.
The Kawaoka paper has now been published, and the Fouchier paper cannot be far behind. This is the proper outcome. These findings are dispatches from deep within enemy territory. The information they provide enhances our understanding of a fearsome rival and provides new targets for drug and vaccine development, as well as enhancing our monitoring capabilities. This controversy, in the end, is not really about the risk of disseminating these scientific findings. What this episode has done instead is uncover deficiencies in our ability to classify, monitor and regulate so-called dual-use research—legitimate studies whose results could also threaten public health and security. And this problem will only grow more acute. As our ability to manipulate and customize life forms using experimental evolution, brute-force screening or synthetic biology improves, we will be facing more—and more complicated—dilemmas about what research can and should be done. I cannot easily predict what form this monitoring will take, although I suspect it will be a combination of self-policing by scientists and more rigorous scrutiny of research proposals by granting panels and biosafety committees. But for now, the genie is out of the bottle, and any solution predicated on shoehorning him back in will inevitably fail.
Click "American Scientist" to access home page


text:
Bill also reflects on his conversation a decade ago with Nobel-prize winning novelist Doris Lessing who passed away in London at the age of 94.
When Bill asks Lessing, whose literary career spanned six decades, if she ever stops writing this is how she answered: "No, I'm compulsive and I deeply think that it has to be something very neurotic. And I'm not joking, it has to be. Because if I've finished a book and this wonderful release, which I'm now feeling; it's off, it's in a parcel, it's gone to a publisher. Bliss and happiness. I don't have to do anything, nothing — I can just sit around. But, suddenly it starts, you see. This terrible feeling that I am just wasting my life."


text:
So the opening of the Yakuza exhibit in Rome at Officine Fotografiche was fantastic. So heartwarming the welcome when I arrived, so professional the help to get the installation built, so overwhelming the opening night... An incredible experience all around. Thank you Tiziana and Emilio for welcoming me, and for trusting me to deliver... and what a great festival fotoleggendo is.
I like to get my hands dirty. For an exhibit installation, usually they expect the artist to kind of "hang around", giving directions when needed and such. Not me... I am first in, last out, working hands on with everyone all the time. Even if all is planned as much as possible, with layouts and 3D models and exact measurements & positions... at that moment, none of that counts anymore. It's the people and their dedication that really make it happen.
And of course always Diego Orlando is there... as a curator, photographer, close friend and absolute eagle eye, it's him who somehow always makes that extra magic happen. I constantly nag him at every build up, telling him I'm waiting for his "genius moment" to come, and that he'd better hurry.
"NOW Diego, it's time for your genius. NOW."
Of course there is no such thing as planning a genius moment. Yet I feel that moment should always happen. It will happen, as long as the energy in the room is right. It's something unplannable, but to me, it's required to make things one hundred percent perfect. So all I can do is be open for the moment... I can never push it, nor expect it. I can only allow it to happen...
In this case, at the very last minute, we decided to change half a dozen images that were already installed 12 feet high up on the walls (you know how it goes, you change one image and the whole edit falls apart). On top of that, we kind of felt that a double row of rice papers instead of the planned single one would be better....
...and you know that the decision has been a good one when you both look back and think: now, now this is killer.
Up to now I've never been bitten by allowing things to happen.... and I hope I won't ever be... or at least not too often. It's just too much fun.
Here's to Diego, Tiziana, Emilio, Elena and everyone else at Officine: thank you... great times. Hope I can return to Rome soon...
(the exhibit still runs until nov 7, so if you're around, come visit!)


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Ladies and gentlemen, the last hour of the 8th greatest Western of all time is playing on Cinemax East from 8:00-9:00. See if this rings any bells: "Regulators! Mount up" Nope, not the Warren G song, it's this. Yep, good luck Joe and Brett, you're up against Young Guns. With Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Philips, and Charlie Sheen, not to mention to Jack Palance as the nemesis, you aren't coming out on top no matter how big of a "gunslinger" (couldn't resist) you are. It's a shame HBO is setting Joe Buck up for this immediate failure, I would have liked to have seen it be more drawn out.
You're still thinking that you'd rather watch the Favre interview, complete with requisite excuses for retire, un-retire, retire, un-retire? Maybe I need to refresh your memory about the ending of the movie. It is a classic Western setup with the protagonists holed up in a house and surrounded by their enemies, in this case the U.S. Calvary, bounty hunters, various lawmen, and an angry Jack Palance. If this wasn't enough to get you excited, here's a quote from William H. Bonney leading up to the final confrontation (which turns out to be bloody and over-the-top. Nice.)
"Hey, Peppin. I see you got Charley Crawford down there with you."
"Yeah, that's right, Bonney. We got a whole.."
[Billy the Kid shoots Charley Crawford]
"Hey, Peppin. Charley Crawford's not with you anymore."
Simple and funny, yet incredibly intimidating.
You know the rest, escaping the burning house in a trunk, slow-motion gunplay and screaming, and finally Emilio Estevez' amazing shot from up on a horse, right between Jack Palance's eyes from about 50 yards away. You now have the Ranter's permission to go search YouTube for any and all, Young Guns clips, I'm not so naïve as to believe you have not done so already.
Enjoy, the movie tonight.... wait, you're still trying to figure out the top 7 Westerns of all time aren't you?
Update: Franklin's Top 7 Westerns of all time
- The Searchers (aka The Lions looking for a win)
- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (aka The Packers, The Vikings, and the Bears)
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (aka Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings)
- The Magnificent Seven (aka The Packers Front Seven)
- Unforgiven (aka Brett Favre on the Vikes)
- Rio Bravo
- Tombstone (aka Cutler's Future in Chicago)


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mitchweight necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 63 diseños de 10 diseñadores freelance.
We provide our customers with demographic information about the people who visit their websites. We need a reporting page that's easy to understand and navigate.
We want a reporting page designed that is clean and easy to use. Our clients are businesses that want to learn more about their customers, including; age, gender, income level, types of websites they visit, etc. Right now our reports are delivered in Excel, but we want to be able to provide the reports online.
Resource files can be found at http://www.advoyant.com/Interface.zip
- Download the resources file
- Create a page using our existing header, logo and footer of our website (http://www.advoyant.com)
- Layout the content similar to "omniture_screenshot.png" from the resources file
- Include the report from "Display.xls" into the layout
- Make sure the chart is similar to "Chart_2D_Doughnut_2.png" from the resources file
The colors should match the colors of our website http://www.advoyant.com. We really like futuristic, space-age design elements that are clean and crisp.
- Item 1...


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The Wings for Life World Run is the only race where everyone who starts is guaranteed to reach the finish. Why? Because the runner doesn't come to the Finish Line – the Finish Line comes to the runner!
The launch of the first Wings for Life World Run in 2014 pioneered the concept of a "moving Finish Line" of Catcher Cars.
Think that keeping ahead of a moving vehicle sounds impossible? Think again. The 2016 men's Global Champion, Giorgio Calcaterra, achieved 88.44 kilometers, keeping ahead of the Catcher Car in Milan for five and a half hours before his race was done. Even participants who had never raced a day in their lives managed a minimum of 30 minutes on the course – running, jogging, walking or rolling a wheelchair. Here's how it works:
The half-hour head start
All over the world, runners begin the race simultaneously, whether it's day or night in their location. Thirty minutes later, a Catcher Car sets out on the same course, pursuing the runners at a precisely determined (and very slow) pace. The moment that a runner is "caught" – that is, passed – by the Catcher Car, he or she has finished the race. The Catcher Car pursuit continues until only one man and one woman are left running worldwide: the Global Champions.
So just how fast does a Catcher Car go? The pace starts out at 15 km/h and increases at strictly regulated intervals, according to a rigid global schedule:
11.30 UTC – CATCHER CAR START – PACE of 15 km/h (approx. 9.3 mph)
12.30 UTC – PACE INCREASES TO: 16 km/h (9.94 mph)
13.30 UTC – PACE INCREASES TO: 17 km/h (10.56 mph)
14.30 UTC – PACE INCREASES TO: 20 km/h (12.43 mph)
16.30 UTC – PACE INCREASES TO: 35 km/h (approx. 21.75 mph), which remains steady until the final participant is passed
Adding to the fun and excitement, the Catcher Cars are driven by celebrities, from popular television personalities to stars of the sporting world. Each driver has a trained expert along as a wingman to help navigate the course and adhere precisely to the acceleration schedule.
The finish is just the beginning
What happens to the participants once the Catcher Car passes them? Back at the starting area, they begin celebrating their success and the difference they've made for spinal cord injury research.
And that's the point. Whether you outlast the Catcher Car for a half hour or many hours, for one kilometer or dozens, your participation is helping spinal cord researchers move in the right direction, to one day make spinal cord injury curable. It's a race result everyone can be proud of.
100% of all entry fees and donations go directly to spinal cord research projects. Please make a donation.
Astrid Kaltenböck, Local winner in Brazil 2015 and Verona 2014
Catcher Car driver, Adolfo Aguilar in Lima, Peru
Lemawork Ketema, Global Champion 2014 and 2015
The Woody Foundation
Hayley Newman, participant 2015


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jayluoma necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 93 diseños de 31 diseñadores freelance.
Portland Mood Disorders Clinic
We are a specialty clinic that focuses on providing evidence-based, compassionate psychotherapy services to people who are suffering with depression and other mood disorders.
Our clients are people who are depressed. We want to appeal to a wide range of people from varying ethnic backgrounds. We are located in Portland, Oregon, which has a fairly young, computer-savvy culture that is often fairly liberal. We often get many of our referrals from the internet. We also want to reach out to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer community.
1-3 colors (color, not simply black and white, but black might be good to be one of the colors). The logo will be used primarily on our website, but also on some print advertising, so black and one other color might be best.
We like the green on our website right now (http://www.portlanddepressiontreatment.com/) , but that's not a necessity by any means. We tend to like designs that are more
organic in nature, that are more fluid and suggestive of shapes found
in nature rather than linear and geometric.We are looking for your creativity and help!
A logo is our primary interest, but if it could also be incorporated into a banner for the website, that would be a bonus.
I use Macromedia Fireworks 8 for simple graphics design and manipulation, so something that was in vector graphics and editable in that program would be what I'd want. Photoshop files are usually importable into png files, but I'd want to make sure that it retained its appearance when it was exported to a png file. I think photoshop has the capability to export to png.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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What started out on the court, got adopted on the street. Converse started as a rubber company, transitioned to sneakers and boots, and then found basketball and reinvented the sport.
The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker became the court sneaker; it stood for the game. And just when it seemed to be destined for athletes only – something happened. Converse sneakers showed up in rock clubs, on the streets, on rappers, on icons, on rebels and originals. It became the sneaker of choice for individuals.
Displaying items 1 - 6 of 6


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5-13-09 PNC Park
I knew today would be a tough day snagging wise from the start. If you recall reading my entry from the Pirates Caravan, I won an opportunity to change 3rd base during the game and be recognized as the fan of the game.
When I received my letter from the Pirates with information, it stated that I needed to be in the security office by 5:30PM to check in, or I would jeopardize the opportunity to change 3rd base. This means that I would have less than a half hour to snag.
My wife and I arrived at the stadium and were near the end of the line to get in. When we did get into the stadium, the minutes ticked away without me snagging anything.
I got nothing from the Pirates.
It was about 5:20 and I still had no balls. Was I going to get shut out for the first time since August of 2008?
Luckily, no. All of the Cardinals pitchers were still warming up in right field when the Cardinals began hitting.
We waited on the field for about 50 minutes before I was introduced. Some movie "star" named David Conrad was to throw out the first pitch. He stood next to us on the field the entire time, but we didn't talk. Only one person from the crowd recognized him and asked him for a picture. He is in the cast of the Ghost Whisperer on CBS, and also had a small roll in Wedding Crashers.
Here he is:
Do you recognize him? I didn't. My wife didn't.
We then had to LEAVE the stadium, and re-enter through the gates to go to our seats. Why they wouldn't let us take the elevator up to the main concourse, I don't know. So, I used 4 tickets for the 2 of us (I used 2 of my season tickets for the first 30 minutes so I could snag a ball).
We reported to guest services in the 6th inning and were taken back down into the tunnel, where I joined the grounds crew. No one really said much to me. One guy said, "Here's the base." No instructions.
A few pictures:
I got to watch an inning from the top step:
The third out came, and all of the ground crew and myself rushed onto the field.
I went to third base, as Freddy Sanchez walked right past me and changed the base. It came right out, and was changed in a matter of seconds.
After changing the base, I was going to do a Rickey Henderson pose,
But decided I'd better just do a generic pose.
And that was it. We went back to our seats and watched the rest of the game. The Pirates won the game, and I was shut out at the dugout by the umpire.
Here's the one ball I got:
Game: 1 Ball (1 device) (worst snagging day of the season for me)
Season: 108 balls (47 hit, 48 thrown, 13 device)
Games: 20 Games (17 with BP, 3 without)
Average: 5.4 balls per game
Career: 274 balls


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The RECCO® Rescue System is two-part technology. Ski resorts and rescue teams carry RECCO® detectors. The detector sends out a directional search signal, which is echoed by RECCO® reflectors worn by skiers, riders and other outdoors people.
See movie (2.48 min) Share on Facebook
Development of the RECCO® Rescue System started back in the 1970s, and like any early electronic device, it was big and heavy. For more than 30 years RECCO® has remained dedicated to improving the technology and its products. The first detectors used by rescuers had to be carried on a large backpack and weighed 16 kg. Today, rescuers use the ninth generation detector that weighs less than 1 kg. About the size of schoolbook, the detector is easy to carry.
Get a closer look at the functionality and usage of the RECCO® Rescue System.
See movie (2.48 min)
The RECCO® Rescue System is two-part technology. Ski resorts and mountain rescue teams carry RECCO® detectors, which send out a search signal. RECCO® reflectors worn by skiers, riders and other outdoors people, bounce back a directional signal that directs the rescuer straight to the reflector. Unlike other technologies, multiple RECCO® reflectors on a person can improve detection.
The RECCO® Rescue System is sophisticated radar technology, but for the end user it is easy to use. Organized rescue teams can use the lightweight hand-held detector on the ground or from a helicopter, which allows for fast searching of large or dangerous areas. Skiers and riders are equipped with RECCO® reflectors that need no attention or effort. The only requirement is that skiers and riders make good decisions to avoid avalanches and other mountain dangers.
RECCO® reflectors do not prevent avalanches, nor do they guarantee location or survival of a buried or lost person. Reflectors are also not a substitute for an avalanche rescue beacon. However, when someone needs more help than their friends can provide, RECCO® reflectors do provide another chance.
Knowledge is key, get educated right here and right now!
You can find RECCO® reflectors in products delivered by hundreds of top brands.
Wherever you like to ski or ride, chances are good that your local resort is equipped with the RECCO® Rescue System.


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Harvard opens the 2011 schedule with seven-straight home contests (Gil Talbot).
The Particulars
The Harvard men's volley ball team opens its 2011 schedule with a home match against Newbury, Tuesday night at the Malkin Athletic Center. The match-up between the Crimson and the Nighthawks will be the fifth of the series that began in January 2005. Newbury won the first two meetings between the schools, while Harvard has captured the two most recent meetings including last season's 3-1 win at Newbury.
Starting Fresh
After last season's 5-16 overall record and 3-5 mark in the EIVA Hay Division, the Crimson will be seeking to improve on both and return to postseason play this season.
Five freshmen join the 2011 squad for the Crimson and they bring with them some much desired height. Harvard's three tallest players are all rookies this season: Michael Owen (6'7"), Kyle Rehkemper (6'6") and Nick Madden (6'5").
Scouting the Crimson
In addition to five new freshmen joining Harvard in 2011, lone senior Shaun Mansour will return to the court after an injury forced him to miss the 2010 campaign.
Junior co-captains Matt Jones and Dan Schreff will take the leadership reigns of the young Crimson squad, both having played integral roles on last season's team. Jones led the team in aces per set (.30) a year ago.
Sophomore setters Rob Lothman and Derek Jansma will also play key roles within the Crimson offense this season. Lothman averaged 9.73 assists per set last season. Classmate, and middle blocker, Paul Glootz also returns for his second season and will play an integral role in Harvard's success this year.
Scouting The Nighthawks
Newbury enters the match against Harvard with a 2-4 overall record. The Nighthawks captured one of three matches this past weekend at the Stevens Tech Tournament, downing Hunter College, 3-2, on Saturday.
Newbury's first 10 matches of this season are all either road or neutral contests. So far the Nighthawks are 1-1 on the road and 1-3 at neutral sites. Newbury is a mix of young and old with six freshmen and four seniors on the roster, as well as one sophomore and two juniors.
Starting at Home
The Crimson will open the season with seven home games at the Malkin Athletic Center. Harvard will make its first road trip on Feb. 18 when it travels to St. Francis (Pa.).
Getting Started
Harvard is the final EIVA Hay Division team to begin play this season. The Crimson's first divisional match-up comes on Feb. 19 when it heads to Juniata.


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Careers rarely develop the way we plan them. Our career path often takes many twists and turns, with particular events, choices and people influencing our direction.
We asked Mary McCaughey from EU Careers to give some advice for people considering this job:
Written interview unavailable...
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
688118 Registered Members


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Home > Specials > Outdoor Fabric & Cushion Clearance Sale! > Fabric Short Ends - SALE > Planosol Stripes - Short End 1.5m - Lumera Sahara
120cm wide
Planosol Stripes Lumera Sahara - Short End
1.5 metres
You can only purchase this once.
Planosol is woven from 100% acrylic fibre • Rot and fade resistant for 7 years under normal exposure conditions • Air permeable • Water repellant • Excellent UV – U.P.F 50+/SPF 100 • Market leading quality and durability • Proven in New Zealand conditions for over 30 years. Our Planosol range of acrylic canvases are ideal for premium awning, outdoor furniture, cover and shade sail applications that require greater UV protection and will keep looking great for years.


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Pre-owned guitars differ from our new guitars in that they have been previously owned and played and therefore have already started their journey of musical development.
In selecting guitars for our pre-owned page we look for a high standard both physically and musically, for guitars that have been cared for and which have brought a huge amount of enjoyment to their owners.
The buying of a pre-owned guitar differs from that of a new instrument in that the buyer will quite often question why the owner is selling such a lovely guitar and the answer is generally that the guitar has succeeded in taking the owner to a higher level of playing and has awoken a desire to experience the musical qualities of different makers instruments.
Not all of us have the time, space and finances to own several guitars and so there is a need to sell one guitar to finance another.
At Stafford Guitar we do not accept for sale all the guitars we are offered, only those that meet our exacting standards.


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Part 2: Exercise and various cities in the US
Living in lots of cities recently has made me aware of the fact that the amount of exercise I get depends on where I live. In LA, walking is out of the question unless you are walking inside a mall. To quote the movie Clueless, everywhere in LA is 20 minutes away, but you have to be driving. Miami and Jackson are driving cities as well. Chicago has great public transportation and so you walk to and from "L" stops. Palo Alto is a biking town, which as an Angelino has been hard to get used to.
So America, a lot of what influences your health has already been decided for you. If you live in an area that encourages walking, you will walk. If you live in San Francisco, you will walk up hills and you will walk down hills. If you live in Boulder you'll likely bike, hike, ski, or snowboard – and that's on a workday. If you live in Chicago you're going to spend a lot of time trudging through and shoveling snow. If you live in a town like LA though, you will spend lots of time in your car.
My point is simply to point this out to you, so that you can discover ways to keep yourself fit. Hopefully you won't have to move, no pun intended.
What is the transportation style where you live? Does it impact how much exercise you get? Can you come up with a strategy to get more exercise in your locale?


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Today you can catch our dear friend Elizabeth Esther on Anderson Cooper's daytime show bravely confronting the abusive teachings of Michael and Debi Pearl. (Check your local listings for times.) Elizabeth grew up in a cult-like religious environment in which these teachings were implemented, so it was quite an act of courage for her to face this man on TV. But she did so in hopes that speaking out will stop the abusive tactics that have already killed three children, and for that she is a true woman of valor.Eshet chayil!
Through their "No Greater Joy Ministries," Michael and Debi Pearl teach a method of child discipline that centers around "breaking a child's will." The Pearls advocate using switches on babies and young as six months, and spanking older children with belts and plumbing tubes. Their book, To Train Up a Child has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and, under the guise of "biblical discipline," encourages parents to beat their children into submission, withhold food, and hose them down outside when they soil themselves.
Here's a quote from to give you an idea of their approach:
Never reward delayed obedience by reversing the sentence. And, unless all else fails, don't drag him to the place of cleansing. Part of his training is to come submissively. However, if you are just beginning to institute training on an already rebellious child, who runs from discipline and is too incoherent to listen, then use whatever force is necessary to bring him to bay. If you have to sit on him to spank him then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he is surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally. Accept no conditions for surrender. No compromise. You are to rule over him as a benevolent sovereign. Your word is final.
The Pearls' teachings have been linked to the deaths of Sean Paddock, Lydia Schatz, and Hana Grace-Rose Williams.
But it's not just children who suffer from "No Greater Joys" ministries. When I was conducting research for "A Year of Biblical Womanhood," I read Debi Pearl's popular book, Created to Be His Helpmeet…which I threw across the room a total of seven times.
The writing is awful, the biblical exegesis deplorable, but what troubles me the most is that the book reads like a manual for developing abused wife syndrome. Citing New Testament passages that instruct wives to submit to their husbands, Pearl advocates a system in which godly wives live as complete subordinates to their husbands, with no "equal rights."
At one point, Pearl encourages a young mother whose husband routinely beat her and threatened to kill her with a kitchen knife to stop "blabbing about his sins" and win him back by showing him more respect
Sudden aggressive outbursts are part of what it means to be a man, according to Pearl. "The wisest way to handle the aggressive husband is by not taking personal offense," she advises. "Avoid provoking him."
In an appendix at the end of the book, Michael Pearl weighs in and writes:
"Has your husband reviled you and threatened you? You are exhorted to respond as Jesus did. When he was reviled and threatened, he suffered by committing himself to a higher judge who is righteous. You must commit yourself to the one who placed you under your husband's command. Your husband will answer to God, and you must answer to God for how you respond to your husband, even when he causes you to suffer.Just as we are to obey government in every ordinance, and servants are to obey their masters, even the ones who are abusive and surly, 'likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands'…You can freely call your husband 'lord' when you know that you are addressing the one who put him in charge and asked you to suffer at your husband's hands just as our Lord suffered at the hands of unjust authorities…When you endure evil and railing without returning it, you receive a blessing, not just as a martyr, but as one who worships God."
It seems the Pearls believe that a wife should submit to her husband, even if it means her death…and presumably, the death of her children.
Why bring this to your attention? Because the Pearls are inexplicably popular in certain Christian circles, and abuse in the name of God must be spoken against.
If your church is considering using books by the Pearls as part of its curriculum, please say something. If you see friends or family employing their tactics, confront them. This is not simply a matter of different parenting methods or relationship styles—like Sears vs. Ezzo, or cloth diapers vs. disposable diapers, or complementarianism vs. egalitarianism—it's a matter of abuse.
There can be no more beatings, no more deaths…especially not in the name of Christ.
Please, speak up on behalf of the defenseless and speak out against Michael and Debi Pearl.
(And, if you think of it, shoot Elizabeth Esther a message of encouragement today. What she did was very brave.)
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Fire- and multi-protection
The first time. The final game with your favourite team playing. Lottery win. There are times when a guy should be on fire. But never at work. At the workplace, sparks and flames must be kept in check. And that's easy with flame retardant Dimex workwear. Multi-protected products also offer protection against static electricity, chemicals and the thermal hazards of an electric arc.