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The question of "The role of God in my life" requires definitions – of "God" and of "my life."
The challenge the title poses reminds me of an invitation I received in 1988 to deliver the Georgetown Bicentennial Address. Since it was at the university – not just the medical school – and since I had never been at Georgetown before, the President made what he thought was a helpful suggestion for a theme: "build your talk around the single book that, in your entire lifetime, you went back to most often for inspiration or stimulation."
I chose the Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats, for that was a book I had read, over and over again, while courting my wife, celebrating the birth of my children, or seeking solace or perspective from the hurts of the world.
The problem was that, while I loved Yeats's poetry, I was not a Yeats expert, and the setting for the address was to be at a university with plenty of poets and scholars. This evening I find myself, once again, in a similar situation – giving an address in a church, talking about "God," and I am certainly not a theologian.
I will therefore approach the task with an emphasis on something about which I do know – "my life" – and will try to define a concept of "God" that began in a first generation Irish household in the Bronx. The immigrant relatives I can recall, had a deep faith in the Roman Catholic Church, and much of the cycle of our lives was defined by weekly Confessions, Lenten fasts, First Friday Masses, Baptisms, Confirmations, and the celebrations of the joy of life at the birth of the baby Jesus at Christmas or the Resurrection from the dead on Easter morning.
Nevertheless, this immigrant clan was not afraid, at least in the privacy of the home, to question both the pronouncements of religion and the logic of clergy, especially the official hierarchy.
There was a fundamental respect and loyalty to the Church but, again, this was tempered by a deep suspicion of pomposity and assumptions of unquestioned authority. We were told to beware of those "who genuflect too much", who deferred too easily to "the cloth," when they should be seeking justice and equity and truth, whatever that was. Also, as was typically Irish, dinner conversations were filled with probing questions regarding the mysteries of life.
My father was the first physician in a generation of police officers, and seemed to have inherited the mantle of family chieftain – at least for that part of the clan that multiplied in cold water flats from Fordham Road to Hells Kitchen, and later out to Breezy Point and Belle Harbor. He had been well trained in Jesuit logic – some people claim that is an oxymoron – and he encouraged his children to parse and analyze diverse intellectual positions. At the end of the day he would probably accept an ex cathedra declaration by the Pope, but he sure didn't like it. He didn't want to miss the chance to argue every facet, to see and appreciate every nuance of every issue.
I can recall him, many times, at our diner table dissecting some arcane theological argument with the local priest. It was an unfair intellectual battle, for the priest, who undoubtedly possessed profound faith had, nonetheless, little capacity to explain the basis for his devout beliefs, and my father would pursue the poor man till he surrendered with a defensive mutter: "Ah, but it's God's will."
My father was a wise physician, and he knew life was rarely that simple. He would be the devil's advocate, one night defending monotheism, and the next arguing passionately for the rights of atheists or agnostics. We were expected to stand our ground, and defend our assigned positions.
Looking back on those wonder-filled years I am reminded of the dilemma faced by the Irish sisters in Brian Friel's play, Dancing at Lunghasa, when their beloved brother, a missionary priest in Africa, having gone "slightly native," comes home and tries to explain the universality of religious beliefs, and the indigenous celebrations he would lead for his parishioners in appeasing a reluctant "rain God." The traditional Irish villagers didn't want to hear this heresy – they had their faith and their "God" - a complex Father, Son, and Holy Ghost arrangement – and that should be enough for anyone, especially a priest.
But is it? My early kitchen table education was broad and good enough to incorporate other views and, as I began my own life's journeys, I was very grateful for the stimulating, sometimes perverse, and peculiar philosophical foundation of youth. When I first went to India – more than 50 years ago – I worked in Calcutta, where the Hindu majority believe cows are sacred, and even flies and mosquitoes might possess, in their tiny bodies, a previous being. By the time I left Calcutta, after 4 months, I really wasn't certain that I might not be a cow in the next life, and I wasn't really certain it mattered much.
Helping people mattered. Seeing the unique, the beautiful – call it a soul, spirit, the hand of "God" – but finding something special in every human being became the raison d'etre for my life. Obsession with theological conformity and liturgical niceties simply didn't seem very important, as you discovered "God" in the Somali bush, or in a totally Islamic culture.
We lived for several years in the Middle East. When our second son was born there, I became very friendly with a local Italian missionary who baptized him. Fr. Ruffino once told me that as a young priest, he would measure his success in his first Chinese mission by the number of baptisms he would perform in a year and he would happily send an annual report back to the Vatican. After decades of this satisfying service to the Church he was sent to Egypt where proselytizing for a non-Islamic religion was strictly forbidden, and converting and baptizing were grounds for expulsion. He had to change his criteria; he would give witness by simply being there, but all his other ceremonial roles as a priest were over. There was but one God, and Mohammed was his Prophet. Gradually Fr. Ruffino came to accept that his Arab neighbors were his family, no better, no worse than those he once washed free of original sin in the sanctified waters of Christ.
So where does this leave me in my search for "God"? A poet – who happened to be a Jesuit priest – once wrote of the odd manifestations of the Almighty. Gerard Manley Hopkins discovered Christ, not in vestments, or on an altar, but in everyday life:
Glory be to God for dappled things - For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings; Landscape plotted and pieced-fold, fallow,
And plough; And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange; Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
I think that is where I come out. After many years of medical practice,
long periods of loneliness and reflection in what some would call the God-forsaken deserts of Somalia, or the swamps of Sudan, or working all over the world amidst refugees in the chaos that follows war and natural disasters, I found my own spiritual strength.
I can identify with the Christ who came down to wash feet, know rejection and die on a cross. Hidden in the humble, sacred pockets of life are the good thieves who will go to paradise, the trusting leper who will be cured.
The Resurrection, to me, is reflected every day in the tenacity and nobility of sick people, and the remarkable resilience of men, women, and children, often against overwhelming odds.
For many years I have devoted much of my non-clinical energies in trying to identify workable bridges between medicine, public health, and the softer discipline of diplomacy. One only has to work in conflict zones for a very short time to appreciate the dehumanizing effects of fear, injury, rape, or even of survival under appalling refugee conditions. No avenue can be left untried in the search to heal the wounds of war and build a new peace.
When combatants can agree on little else they sometimes – not always – will cease killing and maiming only for a humanitarian effort – one that can often help both sides. Using this respect for health projects, we established "corridors of tranquility, neutral areas in bitter civil wars.
These pauses allowed for discussion and dialogue; no matter how brief, they can provide the foundation blocks for eventual reconciliation.
It is sometimes difficult to talk about "God" to those intent on destroying their enemies, and formal religions have had a pretty dismal record in the search for peace. An inordinate amount of people still die because of differences over what is considered "the true faith," surely an odd justification for the slaughter of neighboring innocent civilians. In the former Yugoslavia, both Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Lord David Owen tried for three years to find a compromise to end the killing. They told me, in deep frustration, that none of the religious leaders –Muslim, Orthodox, or Roman Catholic – ever found the courage to move beyond their parochial concerns.
At The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation we have recently initiated a project that will try to identify universal values, the common spirituality that seems to exist in all cultures, even during wars. All over the world different civilizations have developed methods — sometimes positive, sometimes negative —to prevent the worst excesses of war. These strands of humanitarian decency must be emphasized, and woven, not only into Geneva Conventions and legal documents, but into some commonly accepted fabric so that we can learn to survive together, not threatened by, but actually celebrating the diversity of, mankind.
It is in this search for universal values, a search that may allow peace to be reborn from the ashes of war, that today I most clearly see "God." It is into that troubled gray zone of conflicts and reconstruction that I hope "God" will help and guide me in leading a better life of service to those in need.
*As a distinguished doctor of medicine, Dr. Kevin Cahill Cahill began his medical career in 1961, studying tropical disease in the slums of Calcutta beside Mother Theresa.
Cahill has cared for patients in 65 countries in some of the most war-torn places in the world, and was among the first to predict the famine in Somalia.. He treated Pope John Paul after his assassination attempt and also President Ronald Reagan. He is President-General of the American Irish Historical Society
This is an essay in To Bear Witness: A Journey of Healing and Solidarity which will be published by Fordham Univ. Press in 2013.


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- Race:
- European Grand Prix
- Championship:
- FIA Formula One World Championship
- Drivers:
- Rubens Barrichello
- |
- Lewis Hamilton
- |
- Kimi Räikkönen
- Circuits:
- Valencia Street Circuit
Rubens Barrichello made best of a heavy fuel load, superb tactics and a critical error from McLaren to win the 57-lap European Grand Prix in Valencia. He took the chequered flag two seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton and in doing so moves second in the championship race, 18 points behind Brawn Mercedes team-mate Jenson Button who finished in a distant seventh place.
Hamilton looked to be in complete control of the race in the early stages as he stormed away from the pole position with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen backing up Barrichello and allowing the Hungarian winner to pull a small advantage. Barrichello, however, was able to run close behind Kovalainen and with his heavier fuel load was able to gain second position following the first round of stops.
With his rear gunner now consigned to third, Hamilton pushed hard to keep the gap to the Brawn racer between three and four seconds. However, it was all for nothing as on lap 38 Hamilton peeled off into the pit lane only to find the team had not prepared the tyres. As the crew scrambled around, the valuable seconds ticked by and after 14 seconds Hamilton was back in the race. Barrichello by this point was now six seconds up the road and the race was lost for McLaren.
It was a superb drive from Barrichello who may well have taken the victory regardless of Hamilton's problem, but it would have been a whole lot closer. With Red Bull enduring an awful race weekend, Barrichello moved ahead of Mark Webber in the championship as the Australian finished ninth and out of the points. Sebastian Vettel suffered a fuelling problem and then another engine failure to record his second consecutive retirement.
Kimi Raikkonen qualified sixth and made use of KERS off the line to vault to fourth by the first corner. From this point the 2007 champion drove his usual solid race, gaining third from Kovalainen in the second and final stop. Team-mate Luca Badoer had reasonable pace in race conditions, but his return after a decade on the sidelines in place of the injured Felipe Massa was littered with small errors leaving him 17th at the chequered flag.
Kovalainen will be disappointed with fourth position after running second through the first stint but the Finn held off the charging Nico Rosberg to the line and recorded his best finish, in what has been a difficult second season with McLaren Mercedes.
Rosberg continued his string of points scoring results with a fine fifth, while team-mate Kazuki Nakajima's race was compromised in qualifying with mechanical isues and then destroyed in the race by a right rear puncture. The Japanese racer has yet to score this year.
Fernando Alonso chased Rosberg for much of the race before settling for sixth position at his home grand prix in the leading Renault while championship leader Button had a poor race to seventh position and just two championship points.
Starting fifth, Button made a good start to the race to run alongside Sebastian Vettel into the first turn. Perhaps with his large championship lead in his mind, Button backed off and this allowed four cars to stream through. The Brawn driver soon passed Webber, but was judged to have cut a chicane to gain an unfair advantage and was forced to relinquish the position. The British driver would gain the place from Webber in the final round of pit stops, but it was a poor performance from a driver aiming for the ultimate prize.
Robert Kubica claimed the final point for the BMW Sauber team with a solid run to eighth position, while Webber looked lost all weekend and finished a dismal ninth and out of the points. Red Bull Renault therefore leave Valencia having failed to score and are now 27.5 points behind Brawn Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm not rich or cool enough to live in Manhattan, so each evening I slog home from Jalopnik world headquarters to scenic Jersey City, NJ.
But it ain't all that bad. Yes, I live one block from where Snooki and JWoww did, but last night I discovered that our Deputy Mayor drives a green Porsche Cayman R.
It appears Deputy Mayor Raj Mukherji made the money for the Cayman through Impact NJ, a New Jersey based lobbying firm. If true, that means there is at least one NJ politician that didn't get it through corruption, the mafia, or other dubious means. Yay!
And because he made more than $500,000 from that job in 2011, he decided to only accept $1 as his salary for being the Deputy Mayor. He is still a part owner of Impact NJ, but is no longer involved in daily dealings.
Taxpayers only pay his health insurance, since he no longer receives it from Impact.
But who cares about those formal political dealies? He drives a Cayman R. That alone makes him ok in my book.


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Murdoch to reappear before MPs in phone-hack case
Simply can't do without his company
MPs are expected to grill James Murdoch for a second time, but no date has been set by the media, culture and sports committee yet.
The News International chairman, son of News Corp mogul Rupert Murdoch, will be asked in to Parliament again only after the MPs Tom Watson, Louise Mensch and their committee colleagues have heard evidence from Les Hinton, an unnamed representative from Farrer & Co solicitors and lawyer Mark Lewis.
A media, culture and sports committee spokeswoman confirmed to The Register that no date had been set for either session yet.
She added that James Murdoch would only be recalled after his father's right-hand man for 52 years, Hinton – who resigned in July amid allegations of widespread phone-hacking at the now-defunct NI Sunday tabloid News of the World – had appeared before the MPs.
Lewis, who represents murder victim Milly Dowler's family, and Farrer & Co – which acted for NI subsidiary News Group Newspapers in handling claims issued by former Football Association boss Gordon Taylor – will also be asked to give evidence before Murdoch is asked to reappear before the committee.
Separately, it has been reported by the Guardian that the mother of 7/7 bombing victim Christian Small is to pursue a civil case against NI over alleged voicemail interception. ®
Sponsored: Your Guide to Becoming Truly Data-Driven with Unrivalled Data Analytics Performance


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"The Australian cricket captain is the Prime Minister Australia wishes it had. Steve Waugh is that man, Michael Clarke is not." - Jarrod Kimber
RIP Fardin Qayyumi and Craig Walsh - true icons of CricketWeb.
Think "poised to" is overstating the case slightly. NZ might decide to give him a swerve completely. Keen as they are on converted Saffers/Aussies, none of the imports to have made the full Black Caps sides had already played full internationals for another test nation.
Wonder who the last player to do so was, actually? Wessells would be my guess.
Cricket Web's current Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"Ben Stokes, that most unlikely saint, worked the second of the two miracles he needs for his canonisation." - The Guardian's Andy Bell on the England all-rounder's Headingley ton
He would still have to push his way past KVW, Watling, De Boorder and Tom Latham. I'd like to see one of those 4 following a top 6 of:
Rutherford (gamble but a leftie who can score big)
McCullum (to be a swashbuckling senior pro at no 5 - ala Astle/McMillan)
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
Kiwi's really that desperate to cap a 31 year old Aussie looking for a couple of international games before he retires?
So dire how one can just switch countries to get a couple of games under their belt. I have no problems with the players themselves wanting to do it, I understand they want to further their careers, but it just feels wrong.
1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Nov 9-11, 2011 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
1) Ross is Boss.
2) See point 1.
Leading the charge against nuances being used in posts.
Overrated XI M Bracewell, Burns, Rahane, Don Voges, Bairstow, Alecz Day, Donovan Grobelaar, Luke Ronchi, Faulkner, Dan Christian, Permaul
Ronchi should make NZ's shorter format teams. Reckon he'd be a success especially at home playing on some of those smaller grounds and it wouldn't be the worst idea having an experienced campaigner like him in the team with the next World Cup obviously being in Australia.
I wouldn't pick him for Test Cricket though. He is capable, but so is Van Wyk.
Ronchi will have to score truckloads to get in the mix. He's got Ryder/Taylor/Williamson/Guptill/McCullum and probably Franklin ahead of him at this stage. Unless Brendon doesn't want the gloves, then he's a good chance - Watling isn't really a ODI option despite continued selection.
NZ do not need batsman they need a better bowling attack
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Beth Whittenberg necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 33 diseños de 6 diseñadores freelance.
Whittenberg Photography
Whittenberg Photography is all about personality. When I photograph a wedding or individuals, I want the personality of those that I am capturing to come out in every photo. This is why I love it so much. I love those candid moments that show each persons individual qualities. Photographs that have a story behind them make the memories even better.
I mostly do wedding photography, senior portraits, and family photography.
I really like the use of initials along with the full business name. I like abstract designs that have a lot of flowing swirls and the like. But I dont want it to be over done. I like the colors, black, white, red, and grey. I really would like a brand/logo that can be used easily on my webpage, letterhead, and business cards.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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It has come into sight that the popular "Knock" feature, dubbed as the KnockON will be officially available on all key mobile devices that are released at a later point of time. LG has reportedly disclosed that it has plans to upgrade this functionality by bestowing it past the LG G2 and for the L Series II smartphones.
The Knock functionality was initially introduced on the LG G2, which assisted individuals to turn ON/OFF their smartphone by tapping or knocking twice on display. This useful facilitation proved to be a beneficiary because of the fact that users could easily perform their intended actions, without worrying about using the power button on the back. It is regarded that this functionality will arrive on the L Series II smartphones after LG rolls out a global maintenance update in January 2014.


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School Superintendent Mike Hopkins, addressing the City Council last week about the shortcomings of East Rochester School, suggested that the cost to bring the school up to snuff will likely exceed $10 million. How much in excess of $10 million will not be known until next month, although it is worth noting that back in October, the price tag for ERS's "Option 3" was between $7.8 million and $8.7 million. That's the sort of shifting target that makes cautious taxpayers and fiscally conservative elected official nervous, and not without reason.
The case for adding classroom walls into a school once trumpeted to be on the cutting edge of education is hard to resist, however. Notwithstanding the fashionable philosophy of the 1970s, when open concept classrooms mania swept the nation, the cons of such architecture seem to outweigh the pros, as judged by the number of schools that have since reverted to the more traditional classroom. The one-room school house on steroids idea seems to have been deemed a mistake — and a costly one at that.
It is possible, of course, to comb through websites where civilized discussion between teachers, parents and members of the public includes the attributes and the drawbacks of classrooms without walls, but we would suggest that, on balance, the debate is over. Walls and common sense have won. Years ago, in fact, most open concept teachers marked off their territory with bookcases and tall filing cabinets, thwarting one of the educational theorists' goals — that of allowing children to move freely around the open space.
Unfortunately, book cases and cabinets can't keep down the accumulated noise of multiple teachers trying to convey information and keep order, and while some students may be able to function adequately in low level "mayhem," as School Board member Sue O'Connor expressed it, not all youngsters can.
Hopkins also made the important point that all classrooms in the open concept part of East Rochester School share the lighting system. Problems arise when one class wishes to watch a film or screen presentation with the lights off, while other classes are doing regular work.
The cost of the mistake becomes apparent when a school, like East Rochester School, wants to rejoin the fold of traditional learning environments. It is not just the lighting systems that have to be revamped — the whole HVAC layout has to be reconfigured — heating, ventilation and air conditioning ducts will have to be replaced, which translates into major rehabilitation work. On the bright side, it may help to give the flagging local construction industry a boost, but it will certainly be reflected in property tax bills, though by how much is still uncertain, for there is a risk of price creep with this project. "Likely to exceed $10 million" is a worrisome phrase.
We are sure that most school board members and city councilors will be keeping an eagle eye on costs, if this project gets the go ahead — and given the circumstances, it is hard to see it being blocked.
The lesson to be learned by decision makers in the education field must be to beware of fadism and to look at the next fashionable idea that comes down the pike with a jaundiced eye, while, at the same time, welcoming truly progressive advances, such as more technology in the classroom — the classroom with walls, that is.


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Watching Our Backs
Currently, we are storing archival content (described here: formats on a Linux server, in the directory structure described here: Organization_of_completed_content_for_long-term_storage. Content which we want included in LOCKSS (ADPNET) is linked into Manifests (as described here: File_Naming_and_Linking_for_LOCKSS.
Once this archival content is placed into storage, anything linked into the Manifest.html pages should NOT be changed. However, since our new delivery platform derives from this stored content, we need to be able to update the metadata as needed. Hence, the primary metadata file is copied as a versioned file, and the versioned file is what is linked into the Manifests for LOCKSS pickup. The metadata file which is NOT versioned is the most recent, and over-writeable, copy.
MD5 Checksums
For the content which is not allowed to change, we have scripts running weekly to verify that the md5 checksum has not changed, prior to the full tape backup. If there's an error, we are notified in time to retrieve a good copy from a previous backup, before the corrupted item can be written to tape.
On libcontent1, in /srv/scripts/md5/cya/, the script which calculates and checks sums is called "dirs". First it looks for new content; if there is any, it calculates the sums for that content. Second, it checks the checksums for existing directories. If they have changed, it outputs an error. Third, it checks the checksums for existing files. If they have changed, it outputs an error. If there are no errors, it copies the sums /srv/scripts/md5/cya/backups in a tar.gz compressed form. Backups older than a year are deleted. Errors are sent to firstname.lastname@example.com and email@example.com. The script then logs in with the checkscripts database on content.lib.ua.edu to verify that it ran, the timestamp, and any errors.
Checksum Backups
After this script completes, another one in the same directory, on the same server runs. This one is called "storesums" and that's just what it does. Existing sums are checked against those stored in a MySQL database on another server (content.lib.ua.edu); if any have changed, or new sums were created, these are added to that database; no existing sums are overwritten (and of course, a datestamp is kept for each checksum). This script also logs in with the checkscripts database on content.lib.ua.edu to verify that it ran, the timestamp, and any errors.
Automated Script Verifications
Once a week, a script called "checkscripts" on content.lib.ua.edu in /home/jlderidder/scripts/cya looks through the entries in the checkscripts database for the past week, and compares them with the list of entries of existing cron scripts and when they are due to run. If any scripts did NOT run, which were scheduled, or any of them logged errors, this script sends emails to notify us of problems. Of course, this script also logs in with the checkscripts database to verify that it ran, and when.
Then, since any server can go down, and multitudes of error possibilities exist, a third script on a third server ("checkscriptcheck" in /home/jlderidder/cya on libapp.ua-net.ua.edu) runs to verify that the checkscripts script ran as it should. Again, this one sends us any errors, and it logs in with the checkscripts database.
Database Backups
Since the checksums are backed up in a MySQL database, and a second MySQL database manages the scripts, there's a cron script (called "backups") on both content.lib.ua.edu (in /home/jlderidder/scripts/cya; backups go into /contentdbs/backups/databases/) and libcontent1.lib.ua.edu (in /srv/scripts/cya/; backups go into /srv/backups/ ) which backs up selected databases monthly. Both scripts delete backups over a year old. Currently the list of databases backed up on content.lib.ua.edu is this:
- checkscripts
- InfoTrack
- md5sums
- mysql
And the list of databases currently backed up on libcontent1.lib.ua.edu is this:
- InfoTrack
- mysql
These lists are subject to change.
Index Backups
And since CONTENTdm seems to be so prone to corruption, we also have a script called "indexes" in /home/jlderidder/scripts/metadata/backups/ on content.lib.ua.edu which backs up both the indexes and the binary index monitor files, for all content currently in the CONTENTdm database. These are .tar.gz compressed and stored in /contentdbs/backups/indexes, and this script also checks in with the checkscripts database, and deletes backups over a year old.


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Part# RAM-B-166-TO6U
The RAM-B-166-TO6U, twist lock suction cup mount consists of a 3.3" suction cup locking base, socket system and custom high strength composite cradle for the TomTom GO. The mount is designed with a RAM 1" diameter patented rubber ball and socket system that has adjustment points at both ends of the double socket arm; this allowing for almost infinite adjustment and perfect viewing angles. Simply attach the suction cup base to the windshield of your vehicle for an easy and safe way to view your handheld device in your vehicle. High quality materials ensure your electronic device is safe, secure, and within easy reach. RAM's patented design also dampens shock and vibration helping to extend the life of your mobile device.
RAM® Yoke Clamp Base with Ball
RAM® Handlebar U-Bolt Base for Rails 0.5" to 1.25" in Diameter
RAM® Motorcycle Brake/Clutch Reservoir Ball Base
RAM® Strap Hose Clamp Ball Base
RAM® Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base with M8 Bolts
RAM® Torque™ Large Rail Base
RAM® ATV/UTV Ball Base for Rails up to 3.15" in Diameter
RAM® Diamond Ball Base
RAM® 11mm Bolt Head Adapter Ball Base
RAM® Offset Reservoir Cover Ball Base
RAM® Portable Friction Dashboard Base
RAM® Composite Double Ball Swivel Adapter
RAM® Double Ball Adapter
RAM® Screen Magnifier for Handheld Devices
RAM® EZY-Mount™ Quick Release Adapter Kit


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Events » Show
Dwarves Night Out
Date: Dec 10, 2018 - switch instance
Time: 02:30 PM
Reoccurs: Weekly on Mondays
Posted by: Omali
Category: Alliance
Alliance Event: Yes
Social event. Get together to share songs, tales, and have a good time together before going questing together. Weekly time to socialize, with songs, tales, and riddles. Everyone is welcome to come as well as participate.


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With lions lurking in the long grass, a barefoot Masai warrior gallops into a sprint and swings his spear arm, delivering a fast-paced cricket ball straight at the wicket.
Dressed in flowing red skirts and draped in colorful bead necklaces, the warriors from the legendary Kenyan tribe are one of the world's most unusual and unlikely cricketing teams.
"It is a sport that at first seemed very strange to us," said Robert Kilesi Piroris, 28, Masai warrior and cricket player.
"But today the game brings us and the community together, and we love it," he added, speaking as he waited to bat in a friendly match against India's Ambassadors of Cricket on a pitch mown out of the rolling grass savannah of northern Kenya, with giraffes strolling past in the distance.
It is doubtful that one could find a place more different from the birthplace of the sport on the manicured grass of England's famous Lord's Cricket Ground.
Yet that is exactly where the Masai hope to go, after they were invited to join an international competition at the renowned venue in August, at the Twenty20 cricket "Last Man Stands World Championships" in London.
"We can show the world that we may look different to those dressed in cricket whites, but can still play the game," captain Sonyanga Ole Ngais said.
The team need to raise funds by drumming up support and sponsorship for the trip, but have already shown their ability to take on an international tour, playing in South Africa last year in short-format Twenty20 games.
Freddie Grounds, a major in the British Army, which trains troops in the Laikipia region of Kenya, joined the match to make up numbers on the visiting Indian team.
"It's an amazing experience and sight to see them play here," Grounds said, but added that it would be nothing compared with the sight of the warriors playing at Lord's.
"Lord's is the spiritual home of cricket... I guess that the traditional members of the MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club, the owner of Lord's] will find it all a bit bizarre, but if they can get there — and let's hope they can raise sufficient funds to do it — you know, people just won't be able to believe themselves," Grounds added.
British troops stationed in Kenya keen to encourage the Masai are even helping out to clear a cricket field for the team, since the players currently have to walk for several hours from their dispersed and remote villages to reach a training ground.
However, the Masai team are not simply about playing a good game, but also about raising awareness of key issues that their community faces.
They visit schools to talk about AIDS prevention, early marriage, gender equality, environmental protection, and battling alcoholism and drug addiction.
School children who turn up to watch the games are treated to entertainment on the sidelines and during breaks in the game such as simple dramas and songs focusing on HIV awareness.
Tents alongside the grounds also offer HIV tests to encourage people to know their status.
Another key issue that the cricketers flag is the impact rampant poaching is having on wildlife.
"We've come to watch the game, but we learn about the problems of poaching too," said Murunga Tialolo, a schoolboy at the match, proudly showing the posters displayed near the pavilion of British Army canvas tents.
Cricket, imported into Kenya during British colonial rule, is played in scattered schools and in the east African country's largest cities.


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- Genre
- Virtual Pet
- Rating
- Rated "E"
- Summary
- Designed for girls ages four and older, Bratz Ponyz 2 for the DS allows players to develop their passion for fashion by participating in the Bratz Ponyz Town beauty pageant. Players can choose from four different Bratz Ponyz, which they can dress-up with accessories collected throughout the game's fashion, beauty, music, dancing, and arts and crafts-themed adventures. Players can also guide their Bratz Ponyz through the tropical islands to meet and befriend other Bratz Ponyz characters, exchange pictures, race their friends and compete in a drawing contest using the platform's wireless connection.


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No. 7 Northwestern rolls to semifinals for sixth-straight year
By Jake Knabel, assistant to the media coordinator
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - (Box Score) It's near impossible to rattle three-time defending champion Northwestern (Iowa) on a court that has become like a second home. The seventh-ranked Red Raiders pushed their national tournament win streak to 18 with laser-like second-half efficiency on the way to a mild, 87-77, upset of No. 2 Saint Francis (Ind.) on Saturday. The win pushes Northwestern (26-7) to the semifinals of the State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championships for the sixth-straight year.
"We're excited about today," Red Raider head coach Chris Yaw said. "We found ourselves in a great battle, particularly in that first half and through most of that second half until the very end. We're excited with the way we played today. I'm most excited with the heart. This team showed a tremendous amount of heart in the first half for sure."
The battle between the five-time national champion Red Raiders and the Lady Cougars (32-4), looking for their first ever national title, remained tight throughout the early part of the second stanza after a 36-all tie at the half. That was until Northwestern surged with a 13-0 run to take control.
"We took some punches and were down early, but we battled back to just be even at half," Yaw said. "And then we came out in the second half and were the aggressors and did not let the halftime break take away the momentum we had. I'm just proud of them."
The spurt featured a picture-perfect fast break in which Kendra De Jong fed Allie Dunkelberger for the easy lay in and culminated with a Karen Hutson bucket in the paint at the 3:04 mark. Northwestern led 75-61 at that point, vanquishing the Cougars' chances of a semifinal appearance for the first time since 2006.
A key point in the intense battle occurred 8:21 mark of the second half when De Jong drove to the lane and was originally called for a charge. The call was reversed and the Saint Francis bench was tagged with a technical foul on top of it. De Jong then made 3 of 4 free throws for a 59-56 Northwestern advantage.
They physical game was right up the alley of a Northwestern team that led the powerful GPAC in rebound margin and loves to play hard-nosed basketball. The Red Raiders outrebounded the Cougars 49-36.
"Give Northwestern credit. They're a great team," Saint Francis head coach Gary Andrews said. "They're big, strong and well-coached. They're going to be tough to beat here."
Saint Francis raced out to leads of 11-1 and 19-6 before Northwestern, behind its large contingent of fans at the Tyson Events Center, finally got rolling. The Red Raiders got right back into it by getting hot from long range as they knocked down treys on three of four possessions (by three different players) to get within 22-15.
Northwestern's Allie Dunkelberger drilled a 3-pointer at the 5:45 mark to provide her team its first lead at 26-24. The 24-5 Red Raider run was complete after Kendra De Jong's layup off a beautiful find from Dunkelberger and then a Mackenzie Small offensive rebound and putback that made it 30-24.
The bright lights of the national championship stage failed to deter Saint Francis freshman Brooke Ridley, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The Cougars had to play the final 5:25 without the services of Ridley due to her being whistled for her fifth foul.
De Jong, a double-double machine, posted 21 points and 13 rebounds. Hutson tied Ridley for a game high with 22 points of her own while making 10-for-12 from the free throw line. Dunkelberger chipped in 17 points.
Northwestern moves on to play Monday's first semifinal contest against Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference champion and sixth-ranked Davenport (Mich.) at 6 p.m. The Panthers squeaked by Eastern Oregon, 62-60, in Saturday's first quarterfinal game.


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This is how conspiracy theories are born.
A technical glitch briefly blackened the screen during "The Daily Show" Tuesday night while host Trevor Noah was speaking with ACLU executive director Anthony Romero about President Donald Trump's immigration ban.
About 15 minutes into the show, the screen went dark just as Romero was explaining the legality of the recent executive order which bars entry to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The outage lasted for about a minute, leaving viewers with nothing but a black screen and the Comedy Central logo.
Comedy Central confirmed that the abrupt interruption was a glitch, despite what some conspiracy-minded social media users thought.
An uninterrupted version of Tuesday night's episode is available for streaming on the network's website.


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Say you're a fugitive from justice. If you're added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's "Ten Most Wanted" list, are you more likely to get caught?
We asked this while perusing the news about James "Whitey" Bulger, the longtime (alleged) Boston mob figure who was arrested Wednesday in California after more than a decade on the lam. He'd been a "Most Wanted" for years but was nabbed only after the FBI started republicizing his case. The bureau had begun circulating pictures of his girlfriend, Catherine Greig, on daytime TV, among other things.
It turns out that if a criminal is placed on the iconic list, he or she is as good as found, if you look at long-term statistics. According to the FBI, 494 fugitives have been placed on the Top 10 list since its inception in 1950. Of those, 465 have been apprehended or located. That's a 94 percent success rate, by our calculation. (Mr. Bulger is included in this accounting, in case you're interested.)
Of the 465 nabbed, 152 have been arrested because of citizen cooperation, according to the FBI. And where did the citizens who helped get their Top 10 info? Not from standing in line at the post office and reading the bulletin board – at least, not so much anymore. The biggest source of publicity leading to fugitive arrests is the Fox TV show "America's Most Wanted." It's led to 10 such criminals being brought to justice.
In the future, social media might become the FBI's best publicity tool. The Top 10 is on Facebook. And, yes, there's an iPhone app for that.
Bulger's arrest is typical in that it occurred far from the site of his alleged crimes. Over the past 20 years, only 15 percent of the Top 10 fugitives have been found in the city of their last known address. Fully 42 percent have been found in foreign countries.
But it turns out that Bulger's ability to elude the FBI was atypical. Sixty percent of "Top Tenners" are arrested, located, or otherwise dealt with within a year of being placed on the list.
In addition, Bulger is the oldest person ever placed on the list. But he does not appear to have been the dimmest. That might be Donald Bussmeyer, a bank robber and career criminal who was nabbed shirtless in Upland, Calif., in 1967. The G-men knew they had their man because he'd tattooed his name on his chest.


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It used to be that studios spent vast amounts of resources and publicity getting the news out about the latest actors cast in upcoming films. There were press conferences, phone calls - and later emails were introduced. Now, whether it's due to laziness, convenience or perhaps both, cast announcements are now being made via Twitter.
Such is the case with the newest addition to the Marvel movie pantheon. Sony Pictures' twitter account just tweeted to the world:
Yup, there's nothing like saying it in less than 140 characters.
Ever since Spider-Man 4 was delayed to the point that Sony decided to kick everyone off the project and go with the reboot option last year, speculation has been swirling around who would play Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Taylor Lautner, Jim Sturgess, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Logan Lerman, Jamie Bell, and most recently Josh Hutcherson were all in the mix at one point to play the high school nerd turned superhero.
In an unscientific Screen Rant reader poll with over 500 votes, Andrew Garfield just edged out Alden Ehrenreich for 2nd to last place as the person people would most like want to see as Spider-Man, so of course that is the person Marc Webb and Sony Pictures choose – the front runner.
Garfield was pretty good in the mostly overlooked film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and we'll see what he is made of in the upcoming David Fincher film The Social Network where he plays Eduardo Saverin. Director Marc Webb seems to be enthusiastic about the casting saying:
"Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity."
Of course, Webb isn't likely to say "we just made a really bad choice and I need a drink now" when commenting on casting decisions. I kid, of course. Garfield looks young and is quite charming - here's a video of him shot a year ago, after he received a BAFTA award:
It was previously stated that the new Spider-Man reboot was to go back to high school and would be darker and more brooding – you know, like Twilight but with webs. That means Parker will only be about 17 or 18 max for the first film - but Garfield is almost 28... well above high school age. Of course, using older people to play younger teen roles is nothing new. Just look at the cast of 21 Jump Street or Ralph Macchio, who was 23 when he played the 18 year old Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid.
The Spider-Man reboot is being directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and will be written by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2) and will have Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad serving as producers.
I made this prediction before but I'm making it again – Garfield will only have to play Peter Parker because Sony will go all "Na'vi" with Spider-Man, making him completely mocap CGI. With the film slated to be shot in the same style 3D as James Cameron's Avatar, I don't think my prediction is too out there.
What are your thoughts on Andrew Garfield being cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man for the reboot?
[poll id="57"]
Follow us on Twitter @Walwus and @ScreenRant
Source: Sony Pictures, Heat Vision (thanks to Filmonic for finding that video)


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The Colts' Reggie Wayne dropped off his 2007 Bentley at a valet in Indianapolis on Saturday night. When he went to pick up his baller status ride on Sunday morning, he found it was gone, taken, and drunk driven by the hotel's 21-year-old valet.
That's probably not what he expected.
Wayne told police he dropped off his Bentley at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis around 6:30 PM Saturday night. The valet who took his car, 21-year-old Gunner Belcher, never clocked out when he left work at 9 PM that night.
At 2 AM, some cops found Belcher a few blocks away from the hotel, drunk driving the Bentley. By noon on Sunday, the cops had figured out that the Bentley was Wayne's and returned it. At least it wasn't wrecked, as other valets have done.
All in all, this is yet another reason why we will never let a valet park our car, ever.
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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From the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire:
Sign up to eCops to receive email updates from your local policing team. As a subscriber you will receive regular updates about crime and anti-social behaviour in your area, as well as feedback from your team about what they're doing to tackle it.
It's a great way of staying in touch with community issues, which can also be shared with family, friends and colleagues.
You can also email your policing team through eCops to share any concerns you have or help local officers with their enquiries, providing feedback on incidents or appeals for information.
eCops is a free service that gives you direct and easy access to your local policing team at a time convenient to you.
If you live or work in Cambridgeshire, why not sign up? All you need to join is an email address. Subscribe today and join our online network to learn more about policing where you live. www.ecops.org.uk


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Well, I'm having a mixed reaction. I received a rejection on one of those manuscripts that I've been telling you about. The thing about that is, I feel inspired. Form rejections are pretty common I hear. In the past, I've seen my share, but lately they've slowed down. I'm much more careful where I am sending my queries. My writing is improving, and I am learning. So, I hold on much more tightly to my projects.
About the rejection. It was so nice. It really was. I have a pretty good imagination, and I can see agents at desks overflowing with slush, email inboxes blinking large red words like *TILT*. There just isn't enough time to read everything carefully, without bias, in a good spirit, and then respond thoughtfully. BUT, this agent whom I entrusted my precious with, was kind. She was guarded, and careful with her response, but what I saw was that she really did like it. I knew when I sent it that the genre isn't exactly flying off the shelves. It will take something miraculous to get it into print, but it is good. It's fun and ornery, and mischievous. Its good, but its no YA paranormal romance. That would sell.
OK, back to agent. She liked it. She got it. She told me so in the covert way that she can. It was daring on her part really. What if I freaked her freak and started YELLING AT HER??? If you liked it, why not agent it?? Huh??? Huh??? I'm guessing that agents get a lot of that. Anyhow, like I said, I have a big imagination. But, it tickled me that she tried to tell me, and so I sent her a line telling her that I appreciated it.
I do appreciate it.
Another day, then.
For today, I am smiling, rejection or no. She liked it.


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Search for "Ambulance Service" - The top results (relevance sort) are listed below:
NCSU Data Collection[ Hide ] Possible Related Terms:
Airplane Ambulances, Ambulances, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Personnel, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Departments, Fire Stations, Helicopter Ambulances, Search And Rescue Operations
Legacy denotes outdated data. A more recent version likely exists. Consider an "External Data Source" option linked above, or click the Collection link for updated source options.
Contact a Data Services Librarian for help.


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The Timely Guide to On-Demand Delivery
Discover how same-day delivery can increase sales and create a unique shopping experience for your customers.Start reading
5 chapters
1. Understanding On-Demand Delivery3 min
Learn about last mile delivery and how same-day and on-demand delivery are helping solve an age-old problem in shipping and fulfillment.
2. How On-Demand Delivery Works1 min
Understand the logistics, price and service that goes into on-demand delivery. Same-day delivery of packages requires pin point accuracy. Here's how it's done.
3. Increase Sales by Offering Same-Day Delivery4 min
On-demand delivery is a marketing asset. Actively advertise same-day shipping, run local campaigns and create a memorable experience for customers.
4. On-Demand Delivery Success Stories1 min
See examples of how companies are shipping products with on-demand delivery. Case studies for same-day shipping and more.
5. Setting Up On-Demand Delivery for Your Shopify Store1 min
Already on Shopify and ready to take advantage of on-demand shipping? Here's a quick summary of how same-day shipping can be enabled through the Shopify Admin.
Join 446,005 entrepreneurs who already have a head start.
Get free online marketing tips and resources delivered directly to your inbox.


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Kuwait's appeals court Sunday scrapped a three-month prison term against Islamic activist and columnist Salah al-Rashed, jailed for criticising the justice department, his brother said.
The court in a final ruling "refrained from issuing any sentence" against Rashed, which amounted to the jail term being annulled. He was expected to be freed later the same day, his brother Tareq al-Rashed told AFP.
However, the court asked him to "maintain good conduct" for three years.
Rashed, a professor of psychology, was convicted of violating Kuwait's press laws in a May 1998 newspaper article in which he wrote that the justice department was so bureaucratic that it deserved to belong to former occupier Iraq.
A criminal court issued its three-month prison sentence in Rashed's absence earlier this year. Rashed gave himself up on November 13 and was jailed.
Rashed, who runs a private clinic for Islamic counseling, is a former head of the Islam Presentation Committee which in the past decade has helped more than 17,000 foreigners living in Kuwait to convert to Islam.
A university professor, Ahmad Baghdadi, was jailed in Kuwait for 13 days last year after he was convicted of blasphemy against Islam. He was sentenced to a month in jail but was pardoned by the emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah – KUWAIT CITY (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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Whether your child is in crisis or you just sense something isn't quite right, you know you need to take action.
But with thousands of therapists, programs, support groups, special schools, wilderness programs and much more, designing the right plan for your family can feel daunting and overwhelming. That's where we come in.
For more than 30 years, Bodin has been the nationally recognized leader and pioneer in helping families find solutions for emotional problems, drug and alcohol issues, and complex learning challenges.
Let us help you design the best path for your family's success.


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Nov 17, 1869 - Apr 18, 1954
Photo provided by Ron Crawford
Contributed on 4/27/11
Record #: 515199
Thank you for visiting the Arkansas Gravestones. On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arkansas, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 4/27/11 • Approved: 4/27/11 • Last Updated: 8/8/12 • R515199-G0-S3


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How Billy Preston Helped the Beatles "Get Back"
Did you know the Rock Hall is home to among the largest collections of Beatles memorabilia in the world?
McCartney came up with the idea that the band should perform a live or taped television broadcast in front of an audience. A venue could not be agreed upon, so just to get things rolling, it was suggested that they at least start rehearsing at Twickenham Studios. The rehearsals were filmed for potential inclusion in a television broadcast or a proposed "Beatles at Work" film.
On January 10, the rehearsal came to a crashing end when McCartney and John Lennon had a bitter argument and Harrison, fed up with the bickering, walked out of the studio. He returned five days later and said he was leaving the group unless the television show idea was dropped. He wanted to work on an album, and he wanted to bring along a friend.
Billy Preston first met the Beatles in Hamburg in 1962. Preston was playing keyboards for Little Richard, and the Beatles were huge fans. Harrison, the youngest of the Beatles and only 18 at the time, bonded with the 15-year-old Preston, and they remained life-long friends. Harrison went to see a Ray Charles show in London, where Preston was playing as a sideman. Harrison got the idea to recruit Preston to play with the Beatles on the Get Back project. Preston's contributions to the project were more than musical. Harrison likened Preston's effect to a feuding family staying on its best behavior in front of a guest – hoping that bringing in an outsider would make the others "be nice" and make the Get Back set a happier place to be. "It was a struggle for (the Beatles)," Preston recalled about the Get Back sessions in 2001. "They were kind of despondent. They had lost the joy of doing it all." The combination of Preston's sterling musicianship and his happy, open demeanor and spirit did the trick, and he has been credited with no less a feat than keeping the band together for a time.
During a Get Back meeting on January 26, the idea came up for the Beatles to give a live performance the next week on the roof of the Apple office building. So, around noon on a cold and windy London rooftop, January 30, 1969, with Preston on keyboards, the Beatles began what was to be their final live performance. Preston contributed tasty, soulful and jazzy keyboard accents to the 42-minute show, with his solo on the song "Get Back" a particular highlight.
Preston remained close to Harrison, and besides his contributions to Let It Be (as the Get Back film and album came to be titled) and Abbey Road, he performed at Harrison's 1970 all-star charity Concerts for Bangladesh. Preston also served as sideman on solo records by Harrison, Starr and Lennon. He was also signed to the Beatles' label, Apple, and made two albums produced by Harrison: 1969's That's the Way God Planned It and 1970's Encouraging Words. Preston paid tribute to his dear friend when he performed at the tribute concert held in Harrison's honor on November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of Harrison's passing. In 2004, Preston told the Chicago Sun-Times that musically, his favorite moment ever was "on the roof for Let It Be." Preston passed away in 2006.
WATCH: Billy Preston in the studio with the Beatles
WATCH: The Beatles with Billy Preston perform "Get Back" during the group's final live performance.


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The Power of Song for Those With Alzheimer's & Their Caregivers
By Sally Abrahms , April 12, 2012 07:00 AM
Tired of feeling like the caregiver and wish you and your ailing spouse, parent, or relative could do something fun together outside your "roles"?
Twenty-two people, half with early- to middle-stage dementia, the others their family caregivers, feel the same way. So, they are belting out tunes side by side as part of a New York City first-ever chorus known as The Unforgettables. The chorale conductor is a music therapist and musician.
It seems to be more than just a feel-good get together. Mary Mittelman, an epidemiologist at New York University Langone Medical Center who founded the chorus, tracked the group before they started rehearsing (two hours a week), midway through, and after the group's first concert last September.
The results after 13 rehearsals and the concert? Better quality of life, self-esteem and mood, including less depression, for both groups, and a way to forget about being The Caregiver and just be husband/wife and parent/child again.
There's thought that music can activate parts of the brain not impacted by dementia until the late stage of the disease.
The isolation a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer's can be profound. Here, caregivers socialize during the break and find support in one another. No one has dropped out of the group. In fact, when one of the care recipients died, her daughter asked to remain part of the group. Watch this video of The Unforgettables
The first year's project was privately funded. The singing duos wanted to continue after that period, and now contribute whatever money they can.
Mittelman, a researcher at NYU Medical's Center of Excellence on Brain Aging, is hoping to receive funding to conduct a larger study. "I want to show the wider medical care community that treatment isn't just about reducing pain and giving medical care, but also providing pleasure," she says.
Participants and spectators are singing the program's praises, and there's interest from other parts of the country. Mittelman hopes to be able to train more conductors so there's a common set of techniques.
If you're the musical type and find this model appealing, you might talk to your local Alzheimer's association or The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function.
There are other stimulating and fun programs that bring caregivers and those with dementia together. I highlighted the Museum of Modern Art's program in an earlier blog and a piece on a cool movie program in Massachusetts in a longer AARP piece.
But, you don't have to be in a chorus or have Alzheimer's to enjoy time with your loved one. How about sharing something you both like to do? Cook. Garden. Take yoga together. We need to change the emphasis, Mittelman believes, from being the caregiver of a sick person to the two of you being together.
Don't forget what the Unforgettables teach us: "There are not just ill people, they are people," says Mittelman. Their next concert: May 3 at Saint Peter's Church in mid-town New York.
Stay tuned.
Follow Sally Abrahms at www.sallyabrahms.com and on Twitter at @sallyabrahms.


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Female Farmers: The New Food Industry Frontier
When Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger started farming as a side job in 1995, they couldn't produce enough food. They wanted better tools. A rototiller that wasn't so unwieldy. A shovel that they could easily plunge into the earth. Farm equipment was designed for men, they realized, and men's bodies were different.
Why, they asked, does chicken feed have to come in 50-pound bags?
Farm equipment has been designed for men, because farming has long been the near-exclusive province of males. But this dominance has been challenged in the last 15 years, and challenged ever faster. The last Department of Agriculture Census showed an almost 30 percent increase in female-operated farms since 2002, a leap from the 13 percent growth in the five years previous. Fourteen percent of farms are now female-owned.
When women gain a voice in a traditionally male world, some of the basic assumptions of that world tend to unravel. When women entered academia, suddenly the pronoun "he" didn't seem so neutral. With female farmers now a significant presence in the industry, a shovel is no longer just a shovel. It's a shovel made by men for men.
Adams and Brensinger launched Green Heron Tools in 2008, the first company in the world to make farm equipment designed exclusively for the female body. Thanks to two grants from the USDA, they are releasing their Hergonomic Shovel-Spade (HERS) in the next couple weeks. Every feature is scientifically based on how a woman shovels. It's the first tool of its kind.
Not only are women a growing force in the farming industry as a whole, they're the engine of today's food movement: the constellation of food producers, preparers and activists fighting our industrial food system and the damage its wreaks, like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, the "food deserts" of poor urban neighborhoods, the fossil fuels spewed, the chemicals dumped, and the animals slaughtered into cheap supermarket fare.
Women are overrepresented in every strand of the alternative food movement. Kitchen Gardeners International, which promotes home food growing, has over 8,000 fans on Facebook, and 78 percent of them are women. KGI launched the petition that successfully pressured the Obamas to plant an organic garden in the nation's most symbolic lawn. According to Roger Doiron, the founder of KGI and winner of the 2009 Heart of Green Award, the vast majority of the over 110,000 signees were female.
Slow Food USA has a staff of five men and 14 women, and a membership that's three quarters female, according to a recent survey.
Roots of Change, a network that's fighting for food sustainability in California, is run by one man and four women. Seventy-one percent of their 25,000-plus Facebook followers are female. Edible Schoolyard teaches public school children how to grow and make their own meals. Seven of the nine teachers are women.
The staff of Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) is seven women, two men. At the Wholesome Wave Foundation it's 11 women, three men. At FoodCorps it's five women, one man.
This gender imbalance may not be so obvious to the casual bystander of the American food movement. After all, its figureheads speak in more of a baritone: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Will Allen, August Schumacher, Jr., Joel Salatin. The Chez Panisse Foundation, founded by Alice Waters, the greatest exception to this rule, has an advisory board that reads like the green glitteratti. That board is majority male.
Even the fight for school lunch reform, the movement most likely to be helmed by a female, has Jamie Oliver as its charming mouthpiece.
This is an old trend in the world of food. While women cook most of the meals in America, the ones doing it for money are by and large men. Of the eight seasons of "Top Chef," seven men have taken the crown. Women are better represented in our country's Fortune 500 boardrooms than in the "25 Most Successful Celebrity Chefs" list compiled by The Daily Meal.
It was Anthony Bourdain who first widely publicized the violent macho-ism of professional cookery: tales of heat, scars, drugs, sex, and organized crime -- like war stories from behind the swinging doors. The domestic kitchen: gender female. The restaurant kitchen: gender "don't touch my dick, don't touch my knife."
The 10 most followed food critics on Twitter, according to The Daily Meal, are all men. That is, until Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle tweeted that perhaps she deserved the No. 9 spot.
But it is mothers, far more than fathers, who prepare dinner for the kids, pack their lunches, shop for good value fish sticks and Clementines. It's no coincidence that female-owned farms and food-based business have grown in synch with America's food consciousness. As Michael Pollan writes in TheNew York Review of Books, "food in America has been more or less invisible, politically speaking, until very recently." The same could be said of the women who grow it.
Our recent awareness of the horrors of the industrial food system was piqued by mad cow disease in the late 1980s. But it was really Eric Schlosser's 2001 best-seller "Fast Food Nation," Marion Nestle's 2002 "Food Politics," and Morgan Spurlock's near fatal plunge into fast food in his 2004 documentary "Super Size Me" that proved a three-pronged attack on the nation's love affair with cheap, fast eats.
As the guardians of the household diet, women have always cared more about the health value of food: the balance, the proportions, the preparation. Of the Americans who turn this into a career as registered dietitians, around 97 percent are female. And since the introduction of the Secretary of Health and Human Services in 1980, there have been more women in that position than in any other Cabinet role: four. That's four times as many women as have served as Secretary of Agriculture in its 122 years.
When the way that food was grown became a public health issue, scores of women began doing it themselves. Most female-owned farms are small-scale, over half under 50 acres. They're also largely sustainable and organic operations, producing farmers' market favorites like Thai basil, Ozark plums, and heirloom tomatoes the shade of a bruise in each stage of healing.
"You see the numbers and there's clearly something going on here," said Lisa Kivirist, the author of "ECOpreneuring: Putting Purpose and the Planet Before Profits" and the head of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Rural Women's Project.
"There's a strong message to what women farmers are doing. Women are starting farms and food-based businesses with a real passion for changing the way we eat."
Many female farmers add that women's sociability lends itself to the small-scale farm, which involves more person-to-person selling. Strolling through a farmers market you can feel the neighborliness, as farmers chat in the lulls, sharing techniques.
"If I don't do this, I'm going to get a job at T.J. Maxx," said Suzy Dare, who's been running Cherry Lane Farms, N.J., since her husband passed away. "I just like talking to people."
And female farmers, like minorities in many fields, have taken a more collaborative approach to their craft. Starting in the mid-1990s, Women's Agriculture Networks began blossoming in big farming states, like Pennsylvania, Iowa, Kentucky, and Vermont, offering workshops, classes, conferences and social events for women who own farms, or hope to.
Others have a simpler explanation for why women have chosen alternative agro-food. "Big Ag is like a big corporation," said Trina Pilonero, who raises Highland cattle, chickens, vegetables, and herbs on her 20 acres in the Catskills. "You hit a glass ceiling."
Female farmers are the first to point out women's ancient and intimate relationship with the earth. As Kivirist put it: "This is the oldest newest movement." When humanity transitioned from hunting and gathering to agriculture, women were the first to till the soil, while men were out finding and slaughtering the protein. "There's a web between women, health, food, medicine, herbs," said Adams. "That's always been there historically."
In what has become known as the McElvaine Thesis, the shift to agriculture caused a revolution in gender norms. Farming devalued the man and his role as hunter, which sparked a backlash, captured elegantly in the metaphor of farming itself. Men were the seed sowers, the authors of life, while women were the fertile soil, the expectant, passive receivers.
Leaping ahead several thousand years, farming in the United States became one of the more macho day jobs, epitomized by the yee-hawing cattle rancher, who can roll a cigarette on horseback. One-handed.
Of course, women were there too. "They've been seen not as farmers themselves," said Brensinger, "but farmers' wives."
That change began in the 1870s, according to Maria Trumpler, the director of Yale's Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, a History of Science scholar, and former dairy farmer, who teaches the popular seminar "Women, Food & Culture." Farming at that time developed a zealous confidence in science. Federally controlled land was given to the states to establish land-grant universities with a focus on agriculture, science, and engineering -- a more practical counterpart to the abstract philosophizing of liberal arts schools.
The science of farming, and the institutionalization of that science, split men and women into separate "gender appropriate" realms. "They were set up to teach Midwesteners to run their farms better," said Trumpler. "The men studied that. The women studied home economics."
Dairy farming, in the past, was a particularly female domain; women took care of the cows, milked them, and sold the products for extra income. There's no male equivalent of the milkmaid.
"With the advent of pasteurization, women don't know what they're doing" explained Trumpler, impersonating a 19th century farmer. "We need to send the milk off the centralized dairies." Herds ballooned from a manageable five or 10 cows into four digits, far too much bovine for a few milkmaids to handle.
Farms have exploded in size in the last half century, mass-producing a handful of cheap commodity crops, which are processed and traded by a few mega-agribusinesses. "They're almost like Wall Street," said Trumpler. "Too big to fail."
The growing food consciousness of the last 15 years has been bad PR for the country's largest industrial growers. They've caught on that the public, and in particular the female public, cares more than ever about how their food is produced.
So the National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board began training female farmers earlier this year to be spokespeople for Big Ag, in order to cultivate a softer image. Or in the words of St. Louis Today, it's an "attempt to put a more feminine, friendly and empathetic face on large-scale agriculture by using women farmers to appeal to suburban and urban grocery shoppers -- most of whom are women themselves."
Making women the face of Big Ag is slightly inaccurate. As the Environmental Working Group reported, the boards of the five largest lobby organizations, which represent the five largest commodity crops -- corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice -- are only 1.3 percent female.
Women have almost entirely chosen the underdog route, growing the organic produce that counts for just 3.7 percent of overall food and beverage sales in America. But its sales numbers have made hopeful strides, from $1 billion two decades ago to $24.8 billion today. "Artisinal cheeses from Vermont are never going to challenge Kraft Singles," said Trumpler. "The key is to have a robust alternative."
But even in this sector, women have to work a little harder for the respect handed to men. On a visit to the Union Square Greenmarket in New York one Wednesday morning in August, almost every female farmer has a story.
Suzy Dare, between weighing piles of plum tomatoes, explains that food purveyor never paid her for $1,400 of strawberries. He ripped off a friend too, another woman. It wouldn't have happened if she was a man, she thinks.
When Lynn Fleming ordered goat feed from a new company, the man dropped the 100-pound bags across town. "You don't have cows, so you're not a real farmer," she said, from behind her spread of chevre logs and blocks of brine-soaked feta.
Trina Pilonero was manning her stall a few weekends back, while her husband, an engineer, was sitting to the side, reading the newspaper. Although she was the one with the apron, people kept turning to him with their questions.
"I wasn't offended by it. I don't want to live being offended," Fleming said. "I don't like to think about gender."
What about the big bags of feed, AOL Jobs asked.
"Yeah," she paused. "Why do they have to be 50 pounds?"
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In terms of nutrition and good health, you are what you eat -- no matter what age you are. For seniors, particular attention needs to be paid to a good diet since other factors such as illness and medications may exacerbate their well-being and impinge on nutrients. Eating well, along with exercise, can help safeguard your health as well as extend your life.
"A senior's nutritional needs differ from that of someone younger in that they should focus more on the benefits of healthy eating, such as increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, a more robust immune system, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems," says Neha S. Patel, Registered Dietitian with Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital.
In addition, eating well can also be a key to a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced as we develop a positive relationship with food. Eating is fun and enjoyable and those aspects need not be lost when considering good nutrition.
Nutrition and aging
Seniors need to be on the lookout for certain medications and medical conditions that can adversely affect their nutrition.
"(Medications and conditions) can negatively affect appetite and taste, which may lead seniors to add too much salt or sugar to their food," says Patel. "They can always ask their doctor about overcoming side effects of medications or specific physical conditions."
In addition to medications, the aging process also affects taste.
"Seniors' taste and smell senses diminish with age and they tend to lose sensitivity to salty and bitter tastes," says Patel. "They can use herbs, seasonings, and healthy olive oils to season food instead of salt. Similarly, instead of adding sugar to foods, they can try increasing sweetness to meals by using naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or yams."
Aging can also mean weight gain if food intake isn't adjusted. "Every year over the age of 40, metabolism slows down a little more," says Patel. "What this means is that if seniors continue to eat the same amount as when they did when they were younger, they are more likely to gain weight because less calories are being burned. Also, seniors may be less physically active."
Conversely, malnutrition is also seen in seniors, says Patel. "Seniors are at risk for malnutrition as it is a critical health issue among this population caused by eating too little food, too few nutrients, and by digestive problems related to aging," she says. "Malnutrition can cause fatigue, depression, a weakened immune system, anemia, physical weakness, digestive, lung, and heart problems, and skin concerns." The aging process also affects certain vitamin assimilation, such as B12, B6 and folic acid, as the digestive system slows down, producing less saliva and stomach acid. Patel says simple steps to prevent malnutrition include, eating nutrient-packed foods, having flavorful food, snacking between meals, and including a variety of foods in your diet. She also suggests drinking a lot of water to aid in overall digestion and to prevent mental confusion and other health issues.
Eat well, have fun
The three chefs at Senior Star at Weber Place -- Sue Iverson, Donald Reid, and Thomas Mendenhall -- take good nutrition into account when planning dining options for their community, but they've taken eating well a fun step further. Senior Star, a continuing care community in Romeoville, offers free cooking classes to residents as well as the public that take place one Wednesday a month in Spiritual Gardens, a meeting room with a demo kitchen. The event begins with lunch at noon and the cooking class immediately follows at 1:30 p.m.
"Our primary focus is to engage seniors in the cooking process, teach new methods and to enjoy the company of each other in a humorous, fun, enthusiastic environment," says Reid. "We hope to inspire new interest in cooking as well as teach seniors how to take their favorite recipes to a new level -- healthier, more nutritious and always delicious."
Reid says the demonstrations started with a simple thought: "'How do we reinvent some classic recipes that our residents love in a healthier way?' We have a favorite on our menu -- chicken fried steak -- which typically has about 35 grams of fat per serving. After switching the beef to chicken and the coating to a lighter bread crumb and finally, oven baking instead of frying, we lowered the fat to about 9 grams." It's not unusual, says Reid, to have a resident approach him and share a treasured family recipe they would like reinterpreted.
"By bringing back classic dishes that our residents were brought up with and reinventing them in a healthy, nutritious and modern approach is (one reason) why I love food," adds Mendenhall.
While Senior Star does not offer any special dietary meals, the chefs do offer a varied menu and watch their use of salt and offer sugar-free dessert alternatives. Iverson, who also serves as the community's food and beverage manager, warns against too much reliance on convenience foods in this age group.
"Many seniors are eating quick convenience foods that are high in sodium or fat because they either choose not to cook or are not able to cook for themselves," she says. "Here at Senior Star we have seen how beneficial eating three healthy meals a day has been. It has improved the residents' overall well-being -- physically, mentally, and socially. Continuing to learn new ways to eat is such a bonus for them."
The next free class open to the public at Senior Star is "Crepes For All Meals," Wednesday, June 22. Registration is not necessary and for more information, call 815-439-2033.
The how tos
Avoid the pitfalls of poor nutrition, Patel says to follow the USDA's new nutrition guidelines that promote good health for all ages.
"Seniors should focus on eating a variety of foods," she says. This includes half the plate of fruits and vegetables, one-quarter of the plate from grains, and one-quarter of the plate from protein and to a lesser degree dairy. "Fruits and dairy, such as yogurt, can be eaten as snacks, or even part of the meal," she adds. "Some of the healthier oils to use are olive and canola. They can also include healthy fats from avocados and nuts."
Patel says creating a well-balanced diet includes preparing your meals instead of choosing convenience foods, which are usually loaded with sodium or unhealthy fats. "If seniors are not capable of cooking, home delivery meals are an option. Seniors should definitely try to avoid skipping meals. This may cause metabolism to slow down, which leads to feeling sluggish and poorer choices or larger meals later in the day."
Reid says eating as a senior is the same as eating at any age. Portion control, balanced meals and wholesome nutritious food are all important. Learning to eat for vitality is key at the senior level and being focused on proper nutrition is just part of the equation.
"Sharing mealtime with friends and family is critical to our well-being," he adds, "and eating nutritious, wholesome meals is the added bonus."
In terms of nutrition and good health, you are what you eat -- no matter what age you are. For seniors, particular attention needs to be paid to a good diet since other factors such as illness and medications may exacerbate their well-being and impinge on nutrients. Eating well, along with exercise, can help safeguard your health as well as extend your life.


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Rolex is known for its industrial-strength Submariner dive watches that can take more of a licking than a Timex. But Tudor, Rolex's baby brother, might steal its thunder with a watch that tightens around a diver's wrist the deeper they go.
The new Pelagos features an extending clasp—like most professional dive watches—allowing it to be worn over a thick wetsuit. But the deeper you go underwater, the more pressure there is acting against you. Which causes a wet suit, and even your body, to compress. When that happens, a watch that was tight when you first entered the water, won't be anymore.
So the clasp on the Pelagos features a special mechanism that contracts as you go deeper and deeper, ensuring your watch doesn't slip off and end up in Davy Jones' locker. And while Tudor is often looked at as being a cheaper alternative to a Rolex, you'll still have to fork—or trident—out around £2,800 to own one. [Tudor via Hodinkee]


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A's aren't waiting for Winter Meetings
OAKLAND -- At least from the perspective of those sitting in the A's front office, the Winter Meetings are seemingly over.
And they haven't even started.
OAKLAND -- At least from the perspective of those sitting in the A's front office, the Winter Meetings are seemingly over.
And they haven't even started.
Billy Beane's fast-paced maneuverings this week perfectly encompassed the frenzy that is the predictably unpredictable offseason, as he lit up the hot stove with a flurry of impactful moves.
In doing so, landing All-Star pitchers Jim Johnson and Scott Kazmir in a single day, followed by outfielder Craig Gentry and setup man Luke Gregerson, the A's general manager relayed a strong message -- as if it wasn't known before -- this organization is serious about trying to make a deep postseason run.
Johnson and Kazmir will cost the club $33 million.
"It's not that surprising," said manager Bob Melvin. "Billy had his ducks in order, knew what he wanted to do, and it just all came together at the same time. He's done a terrific job in getting us in this position. He's still trying to improve the club. That's a constant."
The A's, who also reeled in Nick Punto last month, have won back-to-back American League West titles, tallying a combined 190 wins along the way. But they've been bounced in the AL Division Series by the Tigers both times, and their last World Series appearance was in 1990. They want to go further, and their window of opportunity only stays open for so long in this market.
In short, they're very much in win-now mode.
"We've never really straddled the fence," Beane said. "We don't have a five-year plan here. We have a year-to-year stadium lease, so how can we have a five-year plan? We have to recognize opportunities when they're there. We've always operated either all in or all out."
"It seems like they're putting the right pieces in place to get us to that next step, to get us over that hump," said reliever Sean Doolittle. "We're not going out and making those super blockbuster trades, but all of these trades look like they're going to be moves that help us take that next step.
"It's really exciting to think about all these pieces that we're bringing into the mix. I don't want to say it raises our expectation level, but we've been so close each of the last two seasons and, theoretically, they're giving us more tools and making us a better team, where you're thinking this year or next year could be our year. "
Beane and his staff, along with every other club's front-office personnel, will soon take their ongoing work to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where the annual Winter Meetings will be staged at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort. They begin Monday and conclude with the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 12.
The A's don't typically make much noise at the Meetings, partly because Beane doesn't particularly enjoy all of the added fanfare that comes with them. The work he gets done in his hotel suite, never too far from a lobby overflowing with reporters, can just as easily be managed from the comfort of his office back in the Bay, he maintains.
Still, he acknowledges such a setting can often expedite a deal already in the works, or spark the creation of a new one. But just how much can be left on Beane's to-do list at this point?
"I don't think it's in our nature to sit here and take the rest of the winter off," he said. "We're always going to be looking to explore new ideas and ways to help ourselves, whether it's for right now or down the road."
There's always a card or two left to play, and Brett Anderson may be the A's final one of the winter. With the Major League roster essentially set for next season, Oakland could potentially use Anderson as a trade chip -- he's owed $8 million next year -- to add depth in the Minors, especially after the loss of Michael Choice, dealt to Texas for Gentry in a four-player deal.
Without Anderson, the A's would still have Kazmir, Sonny Gray, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily in their rotation, along with Tommy Milone as another option.
No matter the outcome, the lefty should at least provide fodder for the A's at the Winter Meetings, which otherwise figure to result in yet another quiet stay for Beane and his crew.
Jane Lee is a reporter for MLB.com.


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News » Religion
Watch: Pat Robertson Says LGBTQ People Have 'Infiltrated' Society, 'Dominating' Straight People
On his "The 700 Club" show, televangelist Pat Robertson continued to make his outrageous anti-gay claims, this time saying the media, the entertainment industry, and academia have been "infiltrated" by LGBTQ people, who are "dominating" heterosexuals, Right Wing Watch reports.
"We have given the ground to a small minority," Robertson said on his show. "You figure, lesbians, one percent of the population; homosexuals, two percent of the population. That's all. That's statistically all.
"But they have dominated-dominated the media, they've dominated the cultural shift and they have infiltrated the major universities," he continued. "It's just unbelievable what's being done. A tiny, tiny minority makes a huge difference. The majority-it's time it wakes up."
For his "solution," Robertson suggests making a movie with Kevin Sorbo, the right-wing actor and Trump supporter best known for playing Hercules on the TV series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" in the 90s. More recently, he starred in the Christian film "God's Not Dead."
"Kevin Sorbo brought me some scripts so I just finished reading some scripts," Robertson said. "I got one that I think would make a pretty good movie. I'm going to talk to Kevin to see what he thinks. We gotta make some more movies."
Watch the clip below via Right Wing Watch.


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LONDON — Changes in fans' attitudes and the way stadiums are configured and managed have all contributed to the decrease in violence and mayhem around English soccer in the last 20 years. But perhaps the biggest change has come in the way the sport is policed.
"Football violence and disorder hasn't gone away; it's just better managed and controlled," said Andy Holt, head of the football policing unit for the Association of Chief Police Officers of England.
Each Premier League team is assigned a full-time police officer to work with the team and with fans' groups in spotting and preventing trouble. Aided by security guards employed by the teams, the police patrol the stands and arrest people who are drunk, disorderly or abusive; bar violent fans from matches; use police "spotters" and security cameras with facial-recognition software to identify wrongdoers and catch barred fans who try to sneak in; ensure that groups of opposing fans are kept separate so they will not attack each other; and assess each match to figure out how much security is needed, from no officers to hundreds of them, sometimes on horseback, in riot gear or with sniffer dogs.
Just as terrorist threat levels are set according to the authorities' perception of the current risk, so each soccer match is awarded its own risk level, from A to C, with C being the highest.
Variables are considered, including whether the teams are sworn enemies, as with Manchester City and Manchester United; whether fans have a history of bad temper or fighting at previous encounters; whether kickoff time is late in the day, meaning fans are more likely to be drunk; and how crucial the match is to the teams' fortunes.
"If the winner is going to get promoted or the loser's going to get relegated, there's something to play for and that might increase the level of disorder," Holt said.
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The police tend to know which fans are likely to cause trouble — these are called risk supporters. The police know which pubs they congregate in, and even which buses and trains they are likely to take when traveling to away games. "If we want to go and confront the risk supporters, we can go and occupy their pub," Holt said.
The police can also issue so-called banning orders, which make it illegal for violent fans to go anywhere near their teams' stadium on match days. Most banning orders last for five years; there are currently some 2,500 in effect in England.
The orders have proved particularly effective when teams play abroad. Holt compared the levels of security used to keep violent fans from leaving the country to the layers of an onion, with each layer being more stringent. Some fans are required to turn in their passports; others have to report in person to their local police station during the match. In some cases, the police alert immigration authorities at major exit ports to look out for the miscreants "in case they try to use their brother's passport," he said.
The police also sometimes bar busloads of away fans from stopping on the highway on the way to the match, to ensure that they drink less and all come as a supervised group. They can, and often do, require fans sitting in the away section — typically filling about 5 percent to 15 percent of the seats in a stadium — to wait until the rest of the stadium is cleared, postmatch, before leaving their seats.
They can meet trainloads of supporters at the train and subway stations and escort them to the match. And in extreme situations, they can put the away fans in a "bubble," meaning they are under guard from the moment they leave their hometowns to the moment they return. This happened recently in a match between Hull City and Huddersfield Town, where the only way for the away Hull fans to get tickets was to travel on special buses under tight supervision.
After the match, they were escorted back to the buses and driven back to Hull.
The tough approach has been credited with helping change the game's tone and reputation. But fans' groups say they often feel patronized and made to suffer for the sins of the few.
"The police have plenty of powers without having to use draconian powers like carting people around in convoys," said Steve Powell, director of policy and campaigns for the Football Supporters' Federation. "We are totally against violence. What we don't want is the peaceful majority being criminalized just for being football supporters."