text: Korean Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Is this what we have become? Speak Korean Now! Korean Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Is this what we have become? Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Current Events Forum View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message some waygug-inJoined: 25 Jan 2003 Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 4:47 am Post subject: Is this what we have become? http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,1489147,00.html Dilawar was a taxi driver who appears to have driven past a US military base soon after a rocket attack. Habibullah was handed over to the US by an Afghan warlord, and was identified as the brother of a Taliban commander. Both men were seized in late 2002, interrogated, beaten and killed in a hangar used for holding detainees who were being vetted for dispatch to Guantánamo Bay. The two were chained to the ceilings of their cells for days at a time and beaten on the legs. They had been subjected to a blow known as the "common peroneal strike", aimed at a point just below the knee and intended to disable. Coroners in the Habibullah case said his legs "had basically been pulpified" and looked as though they had been run over by a bus. Last October, the army's criminal investigation com mand found probable cause to charge 27 officers and enlisted soldiers with offences ranging from dereliction of duty to maiming and involuntary manslaughter in the Dilawar case. Charges were also recommended against 15 of them for the Habibullah case. Only seven soldiers have been charged, all junior ranks. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=640070 The report reveals that Dilawar, a taxi driver, died despite the fact that most of the interrogators were convinced he was innocent. He screamed out, 'Allah! Allah! Allah!' and my first reaction was that he was crying out to his God," Spc Jones said. "Everybody heard him cry out and thought it was funny." The report says it became a running joke and prison guards kicked Dilawar just to hear him scream "Allah". "It went on over a 24-hour period, and I would think that it was over 100 strikes," he said. During an interrogation, the severely injured Dilawar begged a translator to get him a doctor. The translator says he told the interrogators, but one replied: "He's OK. He's just trying to get out of his restraints." An autopsy found that Dilawar died of heart failure caused by "blunt force injuries to the lower extremities". The coroner, Lieutenant-Colonel Elizabeth Rouse, told a pre-trial hearing that his legs "had basically been pulpified ... I've seen similar injuries in an individual run over by a bus." Back to top R. S. RefugeeJoined: 29 Sep 2004Location: Shangra La, ROK Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:33 am Post subject: I read that article somewhere else and I'm so numbed by the incessant hatred and vilification of Muslims so prevalent on this board (and other places) -- y'know, they're the savages, uncivilized, cruel, and a menace, while we are the "good guys," pure, noble, and "civilized" -- that I didn't even think to post it, because it would touch none of the haters here, but most likely just bring more pleasure to their "civilized" hearts hearing about it. One of them will probably respond to your post as they did to mine when I posted something about the savagery that our "civilized" culture has brought to bear on innocent people simply because of their religious/cultural background, "Please, spare me your angst, fella," he replied. Thanks for posting it anyway. Oh, in answer to your question, regretably the answer seems to be, "Yes."Last edited by R. S. Refugee on Sun May 22, 2005 9:25 am; edited 2 times in total Back to top Big_BirdJoined: 31 Jan 2003Location: Sometimes here sometimes there... Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:16 am Post subject: I read the OP and I felt sick. I don't know how anyone could have mocked Darwin for pointing out how much we resembled apes. Savage apes at that. Back to top The BobsterJoined: 15 Jan 2003 Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:38 am Post subject: From a rather long article in the NYTimes last Friday : In U.S. Report, Brutal Details of 2 Afghan Inmates' Deaths Specialist Damien M. Corsetti, a tall, bearded interrogator sometimes called "Monster" -he had the nickname tattooed in Italian across his stomach, other soldiers said - was often chosen to intimidate new detainees. Specialist Corsetti, they said, would glower and yell at the arrivals as they stood chained to an overhead pole or lay face down on the floor of a holding room. (A military police K-9 unit often brought growling dogs to walk among the new prisoners for similar effect, documents show.) "The other interrogators would use his reputation," said one interrogator, Specialist Eric H. Barclais. "They would tell the detainee, 'If you don't cooperate, we'll have to get Monster, and he won't be as nice.' " Another soldier told investigators that Sergeant Loring lightheartedly referred to Specialist Corsetti, then 23, as "the King of Torture." A Saudi detainee who was interviewed by Army investigators last June at Guantánamo said Specialist Corsetti had pulled out his *beep* during an interrogation at Bagram, held it against the prisoner's face and threatened to rape him, excerpts from the man's statement show. Last fall, the investigators cited probable cause to charge Specialist Corsetti with assault, maltreatment of a prisoner and indecent acts in the incident; he has not been charged. Back to top Summer WineJoined: 20 Mar 2005Location: Next to a River Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 5:08 pm Post subject: I am sorry for America that it has come to this. But I am not surprised in the least. Gestapo Officers, tactics and methodology were not destroyed after WW2 as they should have been, but were transfered by US military personnel to South America to help train anti communist militaries in South America. It has been previously noted that some training was even given to US personnel. Why should we be surprised that Gestapo tactics still exist today, when they weren't destroyed at the proper time. Back to top dulouzJoined: 04 Feb 2003Location: Uranus Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: We didn't become this, we always were like this. It was just a matter of pushing it off. The manner of humanity we afforded was the kind we could afford but these asymmetrical wars are expensive in many ways. It was only a matter of time before things like this emerged. We don't want to be in Afghansitan this fashion or any place else in a similar situation for that matter but we have a very serious and I'm afraid to say for all real reasons an eternal problem. The other options are massive bombing and a very destructive war. Choose your poison. I'm also cynical enough to say that this manner of behavior is permissible under multiculturalism. Many many asylum seekers arrive at our shores from many countries, tell horror stories of this nature and then are allowed asylum. Most of the critisism is levied against the West for not accepting the applicants while the generating countries recieve scarcely a complaint or sanction. Even blessed Thailand is still sending out refugees and we often talk about how cute the Thais are and what a great place Thailand is. Back to top some waygug-inJoined: 25 Jan 2003 Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 1:04 am Post subject: I seem to recall that massive bombing has already taken place. This however seems completely unnecessary and out of place. The only things this incident and others like it serve are to further stoke the fires of anti-American hatred, give even more incentive to would be jihadists, destroy any and all hope of achieving a lasting peace in the region............... and on and on. It seems to me it was just about THE WORST F*************G THING THEY COULD HAVE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is, unless your goals are to further provoke violence and terrorist acts in the region. Back to top guanghoJoined: 19 Jan 2005Location: a spot full of deception, stupidity, and public micturation and thus unfit for longterm residency Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 5:52 am Post subject: From Mrs. Turham in Olathe, Kansas: "Another raghead?" (Yawn.) Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Current Events Forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Forums:----------------FAQJob-related Discussion ForumGeneral Discussion ForumOff-Topic ForumTravel ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumBuy/Sell/Trade Forum You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. 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If one were going to circumcise
Ok, there are lots of posts on reasons to not circumcise. But if one did decide to knowing all the reasons not to but still decided to for whatever reason, What is the safest and best way to have it done, who should you have do it, what questions should you ask them, what is the best way to care for the penis after?
No flames and all. Please just post in answer to the question. We all know the reasons not to and that it is not necessary and the post on the reasons not to is readily available, but some people may have personal or religious reasons to choose to circumcise and want information on the best way.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
I don't know the "best" way... my son's doctor that delivered him performed it a day or two later in the hospital after he was born. As for care, we just kept it covered in vaseline until it was fully healed.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
We took our son to a urologist to have it done. When you are looking for someone to do it, keep in mind many places do not use any anesthetic at all. So if that is important to you, you should ask first. There are also techniques for doing it. We wanted the plastibell method b/c we felt it kind of ensured it would be straight(er) and even(er) than a doc doing it free-handed. I don't remember the other techniques, but researching the different ways it's done and deciding which one you would prefer could help you in knowing what to ask when you call around. It was scary to me how many docs performed the procedure free-handed, with NO anesthetic at all.
My DS has not had any complications. But it was quite traumatic for me. I won't go into detail on that part, but if you care to do so, you can look up my thread about it, or you can PM me if you want to hear about it.
I am not pro or anti-circing. I am not an intactivist. I believe each family should be able to make the choice that best suits them. However, as a result of my personal experience last time, I will not be circ'ing next time (I'm due in March with our second son).
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
My son's was done by his pediatrician using the plastibell and local anethetic. There was no special care at all. They told us no vasaline or gauze needed. It healed great and we had no problems. I don't know what the "best" method is, I just know that's what his pediatrician used. My son cried while they did it, but calmed down in just a few min. and was his normal self again the rest of the day. They did tell us to give him tylenol for two doses (8 hours) and to change his diaper frequently.
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Last edited by slimy72; 11-29-2012 at 12:02 PM.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
I made a lot of phone calls, asking different places about their method. LO was born at home so I had to arrange it afterward.
You may have been aware that Jews typically circumcise on the 8th day; studies have demonstrated that newborns' clotting factors are highest on the 8th day.
To increase his ability to clot well, we also opted to have the vitamin K shot. Hospitals do this routinely but midwives, like with everything else, inform patients of the risks and benefits and alternatives and let the patient choose.
I chose the pediatrician whose answers I liked best, about how the procedure was done. I liked that when I asked if I could come in, he said he'd prefer it if I did.
My son was 16 days old so he was more alert and responsive than a younger newborn; the doctor suspected he'd show more discomfort than most but commented after that he didn't.
I helped hold DS's arms while his dad let him suck sugar water off his finger (DS has never liked pacifiers). The sugar water apparently helps calm them, as of course sucking does.
The doctor made a circle of small injections to numb the skin area and then did one injection that I think was a nerve block? I forget what the technical term is, but it was to numb the penile nerve I believe.
Little man didn't show any discomfort during the cut, just while it was cleaned up after. Still he cried less than he had the day before when he'd gotten a little hand sanitizer in his eye.
I mixed Herb Pharm Trauma Oil and lanolin and vaseline to help it heal up, along with cotton flat diapers, a wool cover, and just a scrap of flannel to protect the diaper from the Vaseline. The midwife checked on us the next day and couldn't believe the circumcision was only 24 hours old.
He came home with gauze and vaseline, and the first bandage change was not fun. He had a trickle of a bleed but, as the doctor had said, 30 seconds of pinching that spot made it quit. I let him go diaperless on my lap for quite awhile.
The Herb Pharm Trauma Oil has arnica for bruising, hypericum for pain, and calendula to help skin heal ... in an olive oil base. I can't recommend it highly enough. Great for the umbilical stump too.
I think it also mattered a lot that when he was born, his cord wasn't cut until quite awhile after he was born, to make sure he had as much of his own blood as he could get (to put it crudely). He's clotted extremely well since birth (so well that for his PKU test, it took forever to get the test paper saturated).
Oh and nursing immediately after the procedure did a lot of good.
I still wouldn't recommend the procedure to anyone who wants it just for cosmetic purposes, or for anyone not willing to accompany and comfort their son through the procedure. But I don't feel that it was a traumatic event for my son, and if I have another boy I will have it done again (we're Jewish and I don't want to burden him with the choice later in life, when it's a major surgery).
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
No plastibell, yes anesthetic and use a pediatric urologist.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
I guess it depends on the reasoning. If the family in question is Jewish, a mohel must do it or it doesn't count.
Outside of that though, a pediatric urologist with adequate pain management. EMLA cream prior to a nerve block, let the nerve block take full effect and plenty of pain medicine afterwards. Definitely no plastibell.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
We are not Jewish but it was a Jewish Dr. recommended by our pediatrician who preformed the procedure our pediatrician had seen several cases of plastibell circs that didn't heal well or the skin started healing around the plastibell and needed a lot of care or to be re-done so we opted for the more "traditional" method.
We used Vaseline and gauze for the first week to keep it from sticking to the diapers (I just used disposables during that time). I nursed both boys right after and gave them Tylenol (at the doctors recommendation) as well. One boy was much more upset than the other but I think it had more to do with being held immobile than anything (to this day he hates being "stuck"). They both calmed down quickly though and didn't seem to show any discomfort after.
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Re: If one were going to circumcise
I personally feel it is not a pediatrican's place to do so, though they will if asked. Most OB's are surgeons, and if you are doing so religiously, ask your OB if they know a Mohel who is ALSO a surgeon. This way you are covered both religiously as well as physically safe. JMO.
Buy plenty of vaseline, preferably in the squeeze tubes so you can squeeze out and not have to dig in a jar. Purchase sterile individually wrapped gauze pads. Do not worry about overpurchasing as they are useful with scrapes as child ages.
With pee, the bandage does not get moved, changed, or re-vaselined. With poop, clean the poop around it, carefully remove the bandage, clean with cloth wipe saturated in warm water, and then pat dry. Squeeze vaseline onto middle of gauze square, place over tip of penis, and then the pad will sort of "seal" shut using the vaseline as it squeezes around the tip.
I am not familiar with plastibell.
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We had our Pediatrician do our DS's. He gives Tylenol and a local anesthetic. DS slept through his procedure. They used one of the clamp methods (not the Plastibell). My much younger brother had the Plastibell and his foreskin kept growing forward, which I have heard is common. We haven't had any problems or issues with DS's curc at all. We used Vaseline and gauze for the first 2-3 days and Neosporin for the first day. I would definitely curc another DS. I have known too many men w/problems as adults to consider skipping.
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Jan. 27, 2007
Fond memories of North Carolina have been few for the Lady Bisons basketball team.
They closed out a two-game trip east Saturday with a 66-59 Atlantic Sun loss at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C.
In the first half the lead changed 17 times with the Lady Bisons holding a 28-26 lead at the half thanks to a pair of free throws by center Penny Jones with 32 seconds left.
The Lady Bisons stayed in control early in the second half, leading by seven (33-26) with 18:52 left to play.
Gardner-Webb tied the score at 33-33 with 15:33 on the clock and took a four-point lead (37-33) with 13:52 left.
The Lady Bisons tied the game for the eighth time at 40-40 with 11:26 remaining on a lay-up by guard Toia McGowan. She was fouled on the play and gave the Lady Bisons a 41-40 lead when she hit the free throw.
Gardner-Webb answered with a lay-up by Shameka Smith for a 42-41 lead. The Lady Bisons were not able to tie the game or regain the lead again.
Junior guard Dana Carrigan scored 18 points to lead the Lady Bisons, her fourth straight game in double figures and sixth out of her last seven. Catie Woods added 12 points, also her fourth straight double figures game and sixth out of her last seven.
Jones led the Lady Bisons with nine rebounds, her eighth time to lead on the boards.
The Lady Bisons shot 31.1 percent from the field, hitting 19-of-61 attempts. From the 3-point line the Lady Bisons hit seven-of-23, 30.4 percent. The Lady Bisons hit 14 of their 18 attempts from the free throw line, a 77.6 percent success rate.
Gardner-Webb held a 42-39 advantage on the boards. Smith and Brittany Harmon each grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Harmon finished with a double-double scoring a game-high 19 points. Candyse Kelly added 14.
Gardner-Webb hit 25-of-61 shots from the field, 41 percent and six-of-11 from 3-point range, 54.5 percent. At the free throw line Gardner-Webb hit 10-of-15 shots, 66.7 percent.
With the loss the Lady Bisons are 5-14 overall, 3-6 in the conference. Gardner-Webb is 7-13, 4-5 in the A-Sun.
The Lady Bisons are back in Allen Arena Thursday night at 7 for a visit from Kennesaw State.


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U.S. Rep. Asks Halt to FEMA Trailer Sales
April 8, 2010 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on U.S. Rep. Asks Halt to FEMA Trailer Sales
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was asked today (April 8) to block the distribution of tens of thousands of trailers sold through government auctions, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a letter to Holder that flooding the market with more than 100,000 units produced for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the wake of the deadly 2005 hurricane season could cripple the market. He wants the Justice Department to re-evaluate its decision to allow the trailers to be sold.
Thompson said there's also a safety issue. Many of the trailers, already contaminated with formaldehyde, now have mold and mildew after being exposed to weather conditions for nearly five years, he said.
The Justice Department approved the sales after determining they didn't violate antitrust laws, according to the letter. But Thompson said the federal agency's method was flawed.
"An analysis that examines each individual sale does not consider the 'big picture' and thus cannot purport to scrutinize the effect on the market," Thompson wrote.
Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said Holder's office would respond to the letter.
The trailers haven't been released to buyers yet.
FEMA bought 145,699 travel trailers and mobile homes at a cost of about $2.7 billion to provide shelter to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More than 130,000 had been offered for auction, said FEMA spokesman Brad Carroll.
GSA auctioned large lots of trailers that had been staged in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas earlier this year. Thompson said those sales totaled 103,000 units.
He said he's concerned because the industry estimated a total of 159,500 travel trailers were sold in 2009, and 203,500 are expected to be sold this year.
Thompson said "dumping" more than 100,000 more used units in the stream of commerce would create a "substantial and negative effect on the price and supply of trailers."
Bill Gapow, executive director of Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA), said he's more concerned about unsuspecting buyers.
"There's concern that they could end up in the general marketplace. They could be traded in on a brand-new unit. The dealer may or may not realize that the unit was a FEMA trailer," Gapow said.
Some dealers say they're feeling the effect of smaller lot sales held last year by GSA.
Jimmy Bankston, owner of Reliable RV Center in Biloxi, Miss., said that before Katrina he was averaging about 40 sales a month. Now, he's selling less than half that. Bankston said people are buying the auctioned units because they get a better deal.
Units sold at auction average about $1,300, said J.D. Harper, executive director of Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association. He said the cheap prices have led to upstart operations.
"Just outside of Little Rock, an abandoned manufactured home lot that's been vacant for several years now has a temporary office and has an inventory of travel trailers that are showing up for sale," Harper said. He said some of the dealers aren't licensed to sell the units.
In Louisiana, gas inspectors have come across resold FEMA units that have had problems with the propane systems. Terry McLain, who works for the state's LP Gas Commission, said some of the units may have been sold without being tested.
"If someone didn't know and they turned it on, you have a massive gas leak that could end up an explosion," said McLain.
Henderson Auctions, based in Livingston, La., conducts gas pressure checks of its units before they're sold, said Janet Henderson Cagley, co-owner of the business.
Henderson Auctions bought "a very large lot" through the GSA auction and has been selling units for $2,000 to $15,000, depending on the model, Cagley said.
The company has sold about 6,000 within the past six months.
So far, there have been few complaints, she said.
"Many of them don't even look like they've been lived in," Cagley said. "People have been very satisfied."


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The recent revelation that the Syrian blogger activist "Gay Girl in Damascus" was actually "Straight American Man in Scotland" Tom MacMaster sent ripples through international media circles and left deep scars in the LGBTI community.
But why is this hoax so potentially harmful?
It comes down to identity and rights. This case touches on some of the core issues surrounding identity and human rights – especially online.
Real LGBTI people living in repressive societies often assume false identities when they go online – it is an important safety measure. It is this very capability that draws many LGBTI people to the internet in the first place – as a safe communications and community space.
The rights to anonymity and privacy online must remain respected and protected. A recent UN report on freedom of expression and the internet
noted that throughout history willingness to engage in debate on controversial topics in public spaces has been linked to the ability to do so anonymously.
APC's exploratory EroTICs research from Lebanon carried out just last year shows that since the 1990s the internet has served as an essential platform for queer women to seek each other out privately and anonymously, without the fear of prosecution (homosexuality is illegal in Lebanon as it is in Syria). Our research in South Africa also demonstrates that transgender people find the internet a safe space in a frequently hostile society for experimentation and self-discovery.
Now the integrity and the safety of this platform is at risk.
MacMasters, in claiming that his fictitious lesbian persona had been arrested by Syrian authorities, lends credence to the claim of many repressive regimes that LGBTI movements within their countries are somehow alien or under foreign influence.
His actions have dealt a massive blow to the credibility of the very people he claims he was trying to help. Worse, he may put real people at risk.
"Ironically Mr MacMaster's defence — that he was afraid to speak out for fear of ridicule or harassment — speaks to the very fears that lesbians in many countries experience on a daily basis," says Joy Liddicoat of APC's Connect Your Rights! Campaign.
In addition his unlicensed use of Jelena Lecic's image is a harmful theft of her identity and a violation of her right to privacy.
Finally MacMaster's approach was flawed. Lesbians and other sexual minorities are not the only people who care about LGBTI rights. Anyone regardless of their sexual orientation can stand up and show that the rights of LGBTI are important to them.
The message from APC: Join the movement – don't undermine it. "Real men" will openly stand up for human and LGBTI rights.
- 30 –


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Situated in the southeastern corner of California, bordering Arizona and Mexico, Imperial County has long depended on agriculture and cash crops that grew from the good earth.
But lately the region — which carries the dubious distinction of having the state's highest unemployment rate at 25.5% — is betting its future on a different kind of farm: green energy.
Spurred by a state mandate that requires utilities to get a third of their electricity from green sources by 2020, renewable energy companies are leasing or buying thousands of acres in Imperial County to convert to energy farms providing power for coastal cities — bringing an estimated 6,000 building jobs and billions in construction activity to the county.
Although renewable energy projects are sprouting up across the Golden State, no county needs them as much as Imperial, which has consistently ranked as the worst-performing region of California even in boom times.


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Ok, we're sorta starting raw...
I've had it - almost $15,000 worth of vet bills for a 20 month old dog, and we still have no diagnosis and still intermittent vomiting. So, I went today and spoke to some very knowledgeable people about diet. Tommy is sooooooooooo much better than he was, but we're still on the vomit cycle, a few weeks good and then a few days of vomit and that simply cannot be healthy for him long term. Antacids haven't stopped it, they simply cut it back a bit, and I'm tired of seeing my dog be queasy all the time. Since medicine isn't working we're exploring diet alternatives a bit more.
They gave me a couple of sample raw medallions to try (along with a ton of literature, and massive amounts of support!). I've got slippery elm, too, and we'll be continuing his digestive enzymes and probiotics.
The hardest part is going to be getting him to eat it, but once we leap that hurdle is there anything I should be looking out for? Any advice? I figured the medallions were the easiest way to go, if it turns out that raw is better for him then we'll have to look at making it ourselves since I can't justify spending that much money for what amounts to pureed groceries, lol. But it's an easy way to start.
Is there really a 'detox' period like they warned me about? If so, at what point should I start to worry that it's not detox but just not agreeing with him?
that this is maybe part of the solution... because it just breaks my heart to see him smack his lips all night and puke daily like he has this week. He's fine, he's healthier than he ever has been, and he's not losing weight - but I can't sit back and let him be like this for the next 15 years or so without trying something else!
Duffy only ever had a little casing on the stool, started 2 days after she started raw & only lasted a couple of days.
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Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
Last edited by growler~GateKeeper; May 14th, 2008 at 02:36 AM. Reason: add copyright info
I don't know what to tell you other than I have been following Tommy from the beginning and it breaks my heart that the poor little one still has to go through these episodes. I hope you stumble upon the right treatment for him soon, but it's good to read that he is doing far better than a year ago. for sweet Tommy
Lukka Jan.20 2006 - Aug.19 2008
Thanks Growler, that's great info!
And thanks Lukka'sma... Tommy actually is doing GREAT, 'cept for the whole vomiting thing. He looks great, he's at a great weight, you would never think anything had been wrong with him. He's not even upset when he vomits, he just goes and eats afterwards. I just figure that he's still sooooooo young, if we can keep tweaking things here and there and help him feel better now it'll pay off in the long run and he'll live a longer and happier life.
Hope Lukka's feeling good too, and that her leg is all healed up!
My dog experienced the detox period and it lasted for about two weeks. I read that they may release it through one of their weaker parts, in her case it was through her respiratory system. There was a lot of snorting sounds and a lot of hacking. She experienced a short case of diarrhea and some vomiting. I was worried for a little bit, but stuck to it. All the research I read said that this may happen and it did. After the two weeks was over, she was back to normal, actually she was much better. I am a firm believer in raw! Good luck!
Bulldogs are adorable, with faces like toads that have been sat on ~Sidonie Gabrielle
"The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards so that he can breathe without letting go." ~Winston Churchill
Lukka Jan.20 2006 - Aug.19 2008
Aww, sorry to hear she's still limping. Here's hoping she'll be as good as new soon, now that warm weather is here and there is no more nasty snow and ice to strain her even more.
Well, Tommy refuses to eat the raw I got. Any tricks to help get him started? I withheld his regular food to ensure he was good and hungry, and he'll lick some off my hand, but he's totally not interested. I can't simply not give him anything tonight, since not eating causes worse tummy issues for him, but I'll give it one more try with the raw before I cave and give him his Orijen. I've simply offered the raw repeatedly today, and removed it when he doesn't eat and offered it again later. He sniffs, he licks, he walks away - not interested in any way, shape or form. I've warmed it slightly but he doesn't care.
If he continues to refuse, should I consider trying a different protein? He adores real pork and lamb (and anything covered in bbq sauce) so should I try one of those instead? Or is there something in a different type of pre-made raw rather than the patties, in case it's the texture he doesn't like?
In the past, if we've put down a plate of leftover bbq'd pork or something, he'd either eat it or not depending on whether he was hungry... but he would NEVER choose his kibble over the cooked meat. With this raw, he seems to really prefer his kibble, he actually went and found a few pieces that had fallen under the edge of the couch to eat. Is it just possible that this particular brand/flavour just isn't tasty enough for him?
Don't "starve" him until hungry into eating the raw, it could make his resistance to it even stronger.
Try "accidentally" dropping a small piece while in the kitchen at the counter or table, especially if you are cooking something else. This usually works since they think they've "stolen" something tasty
Yes, try other proteins he may just not like what you've got. Duffy loves cooked beef but won't eat raw beef she prefers bison
You can also try a tiny amount of melted butter drizzled on it, or a treat/kibble on top
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
Hmmmm... he's not really big on eating things I drop or anything else (I'm probably the only dog owner who has to clean up their own spills in the kitchen), but maybe I should head back to the store and see if they have some kind of little variety pack of flavours, so I can try a few different kinds. No matter how good it might be for him, it's not doing him any good if he won't eat the darn stuff eh!
Is it bad if he eats some raw and some kibble? Normally when we give him bits of our dinner we give him a plate beside his bowls after we're done eating. Maybe if I give him his kibble like normal, and then put down a plate of raw after we eat, he might be fooled into thinking it's our food? I tried that tonight but since he already knew I'd been trying to feed him this stuff today, he was too smart to fall for it, lol. He might forget by tomorrow evening though.
He downed all his Orijen though, so he WAS hungry just not for raw - at least I got the slippery elm into him that way, I'm hoping that makes a difference for him too.
Tommy doesn't do clean up boy
If feeding raw and kibble make sure you have about 8 hrs between the raw and kibble meals because they digest at different rates.
I mentioned the treat/kibble on the raw just as a temptation, like 1 piece to get him to taste it.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
There are only two rules at my house: House rule #1. Cats rule. House rule #2. See rule #1.
That's a great idea, I'm going to look for those. I went to a store we have in town that is completely dedicated to raw feeding, and the patties I tried were samples they gave me for free to try and get started. I'll head back there tomorrow and see if they have the Nature's Variety medallions instead (I'm sure they do, they seemed to have everything there for raw feeding!).
Cool. Even if you decide to use another brand, getting some samples of different flavors at least will let you know what he might like, and then in the future you can buy him his favorites and change them up.
Today I got his regular Lamb and some beef, as was suggested.
There are only two rules at my house: House rule #1. Cats rule. House rule #2. See rule #1.
Since we seem to have dogs with similar issues, perhaps the things I've figured out for Streets might be of help with Tommy too.
In my experience pre-made raw is often pretty bone heavy. I've never gotten an actual % from Nature's Variety, but other producers I've spoken to tend to use anywhere from 20-40% bone in their formulas. If one were to follow a prey model diet the recommended target amount is closer to 10% bone.
The up shot of this is that if a dog has a wonky stomach they may have trouble with a really bone heavy food. I use 50% pre-made raw and 50% muscle meats, organs and eggs (w/ground shell). This works much better for my two.
The other thing is that, although this seems totally counter intuitive, often the stomach needs to be more acidic, not less, which means that antacids are actually perpetuating a horrible cycle. Ditch them, especially if they're not really helping (which they didn't with Streets either).
ETA: One last thing, I've noticed that switching meat types can sometimes trigger stomach unease, but you also want to be feeding as much variety as possible. The best balance I've come up with it to feed one of two things for a while, like chicken and turkey, then move to chicken and bison for a week or two, then turkey or duck, then back to chicken to that the variety comes over weeks, not days.
Finally, in case you're not already doing this, a digestive enzyme can be really helpful. I'm not sure what the dose would be for Tommy, but we use about 1/2 the human dose for Basil and Streets who are 60 and 50lbs respectively.
I hope you can get him to eat the raw, switching has done nothing but good things for Streets.
Last edited by pitgrrl; May 15th, 2008 at 09:30 PM.
Thanks, Pitgrrl... it actually hadn't occurred to me that not all raw would be the same. Our dogs do seem to have similar issues, just that mine expresses it out the front end and yours seem to prefer the back end, LOL - so I'm going to look into the bone percentages a bit more closely.
I took Tommy off the antacids a few weeks ago - they helped, but didn't totally stop the vomit, and I just can't see putting a 20 month old dog on chemicals for life that don't actually solve the problem anyway. I didn't realize that they could actually make it worse - thank you for pointing that out!
We use digestive enzymes, it's one of the few things that's ever made a difference for us, but I wonder if they're strong enough? Is there a brand that you recommend? I give him Prozyme, along with a dose of human acidophilus + bifidus probiotics.
Have you consulted with a homeopathic vet? I finally found a holistic vet here, but I'm a wee bit reluctant to call... their website has lots of really, REALLY alternative type stuff (animal communicators, magnetic forces type of stuff) that is a bit further out there than I think I believe. I might still call to see if I can get a consult for diet and herbal remedies, etc. Apparently they're also trained in traditional chinese medicine. I guess I'd just have to kind of make it clear how far I'm willing to go - traditional chinese medicine, yes... herbs/roots/etc, yes... acupuncture/diet changes/supplements, yes... communicating telepathically with my pet, umm, that would be a no.
(Quite frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to know what he would say to a communicator, anyway - I'm pretty sure it would be something like 'yeah, I growl when they pick me up cuz I just don't like it. Quit waking me up when I want to nap. I growl when they dry my paws from the rain because I don't like it. Quit waking me up. I need more of the curly type toys. Quit waking me up. Vacuum more because I keep getting hair in my mouth when I spread my cookie crumbs around. And please, quit waking me up!')
If you're going to use pre-made raw, pay attention to the ingredients. Some use a huge amount of veggies, most, if not all have a lot of bone, etc. None of this might matter to your average dog, but it could make all the difference for Tommy. My experience is that little to no veggies or dairy and about 10% bone works best, but each dog is different.
I'm trying to find alternatives that are more easily available. I'll let you know if I find anything.
I would kill to find a vet in Montreal who practices TCM, so if it were me, I'd go for it if you have the resources available.
Pitgrrl, thank you soooooooo much for all of the information! I hate the thought of anybody going through the same stuff I go through with Tommy, but you're an absolute angel for sharing your experiences and knowledge so much.
Isn't it so frustrating dealing with the bile vomiting? Virtually everything else has some kind of treatment that works... and Tommy no longer vomits any food... but the darn bile just doesn't seem to respond to much. I just worry that vomiting bile on a fairly regular basis is going to have some kind of impact on his health in the future... he might not have any disease they can find, but the simple act of vomiting might cause damage in the long run.
I think I'll call the holistic vet tomorrow and at least see what we can do. I've spent so much money on this, what's one more vet visit? Perhaps we can get a better grip on some herbal supplements to try, see if we can tweak things a bit more like you have.
I'll re-visit the raw store and get some better info on them about the percentages in their foods... now that you've mentioned it, most of their packages have quite a bit of veggy in them. So, you feed your dogs mostly meat then - meat and organs? If you don't feed much veg or bone, is that all that's left? I suppose they get most of what they need that way anyway, don't they, as long as you vary meat sources a bit? I've done so much reading on this stuff but quite honestly, for everything one source says, there are always a few sources saying something else. So basically what I'd be looking for then is more just the meat packages that some companies do, and then adding my own other stuff to it, right? It seems so overwhelming, but I'll get the hang of whatever I have to in order to help this little fuzzbutt get better!
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
Tommy may not have a problem with this at all, I just thought I'd mention it since Streets seems to have a limit of how much bone he can digest before he either pukes it up or passes it in such bone filled stool that it irritates the other end
He also can't deal with bones from bigger animals. Chickens and turkeys are fine, but I tried bison patties at one point and that led to disasterous puking.
ETA: On the bone topic, I actually recently spoke to yet another naturopath who thought at first that I fed only pre-made raw and the first thing she mentioned was that a lot of them have far too much bone and that may be adding to the problem, so it seems like I'm maybe not the only person ever to have noticed this.
.......and one last unrelated thing, when Streets starts to get nauseous, Rescue Remedy often helps. I don't know why it works, but it seems to in the less sever cases, so it might be worth a try.
Last edited by pitgrrl; May 16th, 2008 at 09:31 AM.
Well, the raw isn't going so well. Tommy simply is NOT interested in any variation that I try, picky little bugger! I think he just doesn't like the texture; he's never cared for canned food either, maybe he just doesn't like mushy stuff? He'll eat meat cooked rare/medium, loves his steak and pork chops and lamb chops done that way, so maybe I have to work him into it from that end and just keep cooking his food less and less.
The people who were so wonderful at the raw store have washed their hands of me, too... they are of the opinion that I should feed chicken even though he's allergic to it (they believe that no dog is truly allergic to anything other than preservatives in dry food), and simply starve him until he eats the raw. According to them, dogs can go 23 days without eating so I should just let him go as long as it takes. I don't agree. I'm probably not headed back there again any time soon. I did find another store though where they seem pretty helpful, so if we do continue that route they carry quite a bit of pre-made raw.
I think we're going to have to put this off for a bit though because we've had a whole weekend of doggy vomit all over the bed. I had to resort to using some pepcid just to give him a bit of a break yesterday, I was worried we'd end up at the e-vet due to dehydration. I have an appointment with a holistic vet to look at some traditional chinese medicine ideas next week, I think I'm going to hold off on any other changes right now until we meet with her. I don't want to upset his tummy even further at the moment, I just want to keep him hydrated and eating as much as possible for the next week until we see what she has to say.
Wish me luck - I'm really interested to see what the holistic vet has to say about all of this!
I can't believe what those people said to you. So your dog should starve until he's so hungry he'll eat anything?
You should have said to them "Well if you don't like something and it's fed t you do you starve until you can't take it anymore and eat it?"
That's just insane troll logic!
There are only two rules at my house: House rule #1. Cats rule. House rule #2. See rule #1.
Isn't that crazy? I mean, she just kept repeating the 23 days thing - would ANYBODY let their dog go 23 days without food? Come on. Not a chance!
I feel bad for their pets.
Heck, if I see my guys not interested in their food by the second daily feeding, I'm looking for something I know they will like.
And yeah, we've all read that raw is the ideal way to feed, but if your pet isn't into it why are you going to force them? I think you are doing psychological harm to just think "He's going to like it or starve."
There are only two rules at my house: House rule #1. Cats rule. House rule #2. See rule #1.
A dog can go several weeks without eating as long as they have water but I don't know why anybody would want to intentionally do it.
I think the appointment with the holistic vet is the best route to go for Tommy ......good luck and let us know how it goes.
i believe ADULT dogs can go quite a few days without eating but i would imagine it would be quite bad for a younger dog.
have you tried a whole chicken back?? you mentioned he may be allergic to it... but would you feel comfortable giving it a try?? Mister doesnt mind eggs if they are mixed in with ANYTHING to give it some consistency but will not eat it straight up.
Pastafarians Unite!
Swift Tribe-
Chris- Husband, 04/30/77
Cailyn- Daughter, 07/05/99
Jeffrey- Son, 03/24/06
Alex- Son, 03/25/09
Mister- Black LabX, M, 08/06(?)
The Shadow Stalker- Gray Tux DSH, M, 04/04
The Mighty Hunter- Black Tux DSH, M, 04/04
Baby Girl- Tabby DMH, F, 12/03(?)
Frances- Tortie, DSH, F, 2007(?)
He does love other meats though, but I think I'll end up having to cook them and slowly wean him off the cooking, just keep making them more and more rare until he gets used to it.
I'm sure the holistic vet will give us a bit more guidance on some of this, too (hopefully, since they cost so darn much... although just as I typed that, he jumped up on my lap and stretched forward to give me kisses, so I guess the money is well worth it).
are you just feeding the pureed medallions?? maybe he wants a whole piece to chew apart?? duck, pheasant... they all should have soft enough bones right??
Pastafarians Unite!
Swift Tribe-
Chris- Husband, 04/30/77
Cailyn- Daughter, 07/05/99
Jeffrey- Son, 03/24/06
Alex- Son, 03/25/09
Mister- Black LabX, M, 08/06(?)
The Shadow Stalker- Gray Tux DSH, M, 04/04
The Mighty Hunter- Black Tux DSH, M, 04/04
Baby Girl- Tabby DMH, F, 12/03(?)
Frances- Tortie, DSH, F, 2007(?)
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Ryan returning to House Thursday
Rep. Paul Ryan is planning to return to the Capitol Thursday, his first appearance with his House Republican colleagues since being selected as Mitt Romney's running mate.
The news, confirmed by several Capitol Hill sources and then by the Romney campaign Monday, served as a reminder of how much life has changed for the Wisconsin Republican. When the House recessed in early August, he was telling reporters and colleagues he intended to vacation with his family.
Story Continued Below
Then the House Budget Committee chairman was tapped as Romney's vice presidential running mate, and Ryan has been on the campaign trail full-time since mid-August.
Ryan will return to a Congress that's not doing a lot. The House is back in session this week after a month-long recess, and is expected to recess until after the election after just eight days.
The latter part of this week will include some of the House's heftiest work, including reauthorizing parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and a bill that would fund the federal government until April. The House will also vote on legislation that's meant to pressure President Barack Obama to submit a plan to replace automatic defense cuts that are scheduled to go into effect in 2013.
Sherman reported from Washington, Summers from Portland, Ore. John Bresnahan contributed to this report.


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Tomorrow the choice is Taylor Park or the Blue Mesa Reservoir wind tunnel, check the fukcasts in the morning. It would be nice to get TP in north winds, also should be good snow and HILLS there! But, their wind forecast there is lighter than BMR (let's hope they're wrong). On BMR today, I got there late, just missed the strong wind and passed on the whiteout snow squall that SN was riding through, powered up on a 8m. I figured the 20 mile by 2 mile lake wasn't big enough for both of us in those conditions. When visibility improved, I got going and was slightly under powered on the 11m. Snow conditions were glazed windslab with patches of thin pow on BMR.
Let's Ride, Tony
(PM or email me for directions)


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Pets pets pets
Our first attempt was a huge success, so we are doing it again. Hempstead Town Shelter and Last Hope Animal Rescue will be co-hosting the 2012 Bully Breed Brigade on Sat., Sept. 22 from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. Our special guest- Tia Torres from Pit Bulls & Parolees on Animal Planet- plans to attend, as she did last year. This time Tia will be coming from her rescue headquarters in New Orleans, where there was substantial damage by Hurricane Isaac. (More about that later.)
Are you aware of the Pit Bull plight and the overwhelming number of Pit/Bully breeds languishing in our Town shelters? The second annual Bully Breed Brigade is a day designed to promote Pit Bull awareness/ welfare, as well as to show solidarity among LI area shelters and rescues on behalf of these often maligned and mistreated, yet deserving dogs. This year, rescue dogs will be attending from NYC and Connecticut too, because we are all encountering the same Pit predicament.
The rescues, vendors, demos and the stage will be in front of Hempstead Shelter (3320 Beltagh Avenue in Wantagh) with the overflow next door at Last Hope (3300 Beltagh). Each shelter and rescue will be bringing up to three "ambassadogs," their "cream of the crop" Pits who will parade down the street and then across the stage at around 1 p.m. (time is not firm yet). The public is invited, but we are not encouraging people to bring their own dogs, unless they've adopted a well-mannered, dog-friendly Bully from a shelter or rescue. There is no admission charge.
The day will run like a Bully block party. We expect other Town shelters including Babylon, Islip, North Hempstead, Huntington, Brookhaven and Southampton, as well as additional local rescues like Bobbi & the Strays, Almost Home and Guardians of Rescue, to name a few, plus distant ones such as Meriden Humane and Bully Breed Rescue Inc. in CT. Each group will have a table so they can promote adoptions.
Dog advocacy groups including Adopt NY and Bruised Not Broken will be providing support to the effort and will emcee the parade. Hopefully, each dog/handler team will get to saunter across the stage as the dog's name and rescue source is announced. Last year the Town sent an event stage with only one staircase so the microphone was moved to ground level, lessening the impact. This year we are promised a stage with on/off steps.
Demos will take place throughout the day. Roman Gottfried, founder of Holistic Pet Services in Greenwich, CT, will be returning to demonstrate the tremendous insight he has into the human-canine bond. During the first Bully Breed Brigade, he adopted Goliath (now "Siggi"), a Pit who became incorrigible after he recovered from a leg amputation, as a "pilot" dog rehab project with Hempstead Shelter. Next week's column will provide more details about Siggi's remarkable metamorphosis under Roman's care.
A weight-pulling contest will be added this year. This relatively new sport called LugNuts™ is part of the Training Wheels® program which addresses the many problems that Pits encounter in lower socio-economic areas. LugNuts™ is a positive, yet still competitive, alternative to dog fighting. These strong dogs are hitched with padded harnesses to plastic sleds loaded with bags of dog food. Lured by hotdogs, the muscular dogs race each other, as their fans cheer them on.
Last year, Hempstead Shelter Director Cindy Iacopella reached out to Tia Torres, Pit expert and star of Pit Bulls & Parolees for help with six Elmont Pits, tortured in a dog fighting ring. Not only did Tia promise to take them to Villalobos, her rescue sanctuary, but she drove cross country from California in a van on her first-ever trip to NY to fetch them herself. She arrived just in time to meet an adoring crowd at the Bully Breed Brigade. A few of us were fortunate enough to witness Tia adopting the Elmont Six, renamed the "Hempstead Hopefuls." The memorable event was filmed as a webisode for her show.
Since then, Tia has relocated her Villalobos Rescue Center to New Orleans which was hit by Hurricane Isaac several weeks ago. Tia and company came to the aid of many folks and animals left stranded. Her main shelter was unharmed but some of the foster "satellite" homes and Tia's house suffered lots of damage. Despite this horrible ordeal, she plans to be at our Bully Breed Brigade sometime Saturday afternoon…which brings me to the kick-off event, designed to help Tia and others:
Announcing "Yappy Hour," the prequel to the Bully Breed Brigade… Hempstead Shelter and Last Hope are also hosting a fundraiser to benefit Tia's Villalobos, Roman Gottfried's Holistic Pet Services and Last Hope on Fri., Sept. 21 from 6-9 p.m. at Mulcahy's Pub, 3232 Railroad Avenue in Wantagh. It's a multi-faceted event. Entertainment will be by John Larocchia aka "NY Fire Comic;" music will be by "PayBack." You can see video clips of Tia Torres' Pit Bulls & Parolees webisode at last year's Bully Breed Brigade, and of Roman Gottfried's transformation of Goliath/Siggi, the amputee Pit with an attitude from Hempstead Shelter. There will be an appetizer buffet; beer/wine/soda; coffee and dessert as well as raffles. Tickets are $35pp in advance; $40pp at the door. For advance tickets go to paypal at www.lasthopeanimalrescue.org homepage or call 631-671-2588.
For Adoption at Babylon Shelter (631-643-9270) Lamar St. W. Babylon: I would like to feature two special long-timer Pits. "Onyx," a dark brindle, has been at the shelter for a year. He sits in his run quietly while visitors pass him by even though he is a mush. "Demi," a redhead came in about six months ago as a puppy with severe demodectic mange. She was basically bald. With TLC, her coat grew back nicely. Both "Onyx" and "Demi" displayed exemplary manners at the Dog Day Afternoon pet fair at St. Joseph's College last Saturday, and they both got along beautifully with my Last Hope country boy, "Elmer" a Bluetick Hound mix from Kentucky. "Elmer" loved them, and so will you.


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Trimble recently introduced the WM-Topo survey system, a portable topographic data collection solution for water management which includes a Trimble Nomad handheld computer and a pole-mounted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver.
The announcement was made at the Farm Progress Show.
The lightweight WM-Topo system can be carried into hard-to-reach areas such as:
- Ditches and steep terrain—areas with challenging terrain or ditches are typically inaccessible to tractor or truck-mounted survey equipment.
- Muddy fields—frequently surveying is done at times of the year when it is very wet and often impossible to drive a vehicle through the field.
- Fields with mature crop cover—customers may want to survey a field when the crop is in, which makes vehicle access prohibitive.
Farmers and drainage and leveling contractors can use the WM-Topo system to collect topographic data across a field that can be transferred to Farm Works Surface software or the FmX integrated display via a USB stick, or wirelessly via Trimble's Connected Farm solution. The data can then be used to create a 3-D model of the field. The WM-Topo system can also be used to calculate the grade between two given points in a field in order to determine the existing slope or check the grade accuracy of newly installed pipe. This information allows users to make better water management decisions.
"We understand that water management is top of mind today. The addition of the WM-Topo system to Trimble's product mix continues our goal of providing solutions to better meet our customers' growing water management needs," said Erik Arvesen, vice president of Trimble's Agriculture Division. "The portable WM-Topo system is an ideal tool to survey hard-to-reach areas with challenging terrain, crop cover or in adverse weather conditions."
The WM-Topo system can be used as an alternative to, or to supplement, survey work previously conducted on the FmX display, providing a more portable option for data collection in terrain that is difficult to access. The system is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2012. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.
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Today is Mother's Day, the second Sunday in May that Americans set aside to recognize the efforts of those women who sacrifice to nurture their families and, in turn, make our communities stronger.
Today is Mother's Day, the second Sunday in May that Americans set aside to recognize the efforts of those women who sacrifice to nurture their families and, in turn, make our communities stronger.
There's no question that, over the years, the role of mothers and the make-up of modern families have changed considerably. There are certainly fewer "traditional stay-at-home moms" these days than in previous decades.
It's not easy raising kids. And, today, more mothers — sometimes single-handedly — juggle their careers and often multiple jobs and responsibilities with meeting the needs of their children and families.
Every mom can use an extra hand at times. So it's important that we not only recognize the biological and adoptive mothers among us, but all those who take on maternal duties, too.
Some fathers may take on the roles of both dad and mom. In other cases, grandparents have taken on or shared the role of mother for their grandkids — even after they've raised their own kids. As more of us live longer, in many families, adult children take on a maternal role in helping to care for their elderly parents, returning the care and sacrifice offered to them earlier in life.
Mothers can come from all walks of life. Let's not forget about the foster parents who open their hearts and their homes to children without a stable place to call home and offer comfort to children facing some very difficult circumstances of abuse or neglect.
Witness the story of Fall River foster mom Nanci Fiddes, who — at age 66, long after her own adult children left the nest — opened the home she shares with her husband, David, to two siblings, ages 2 and 3, without a home of their own.
The Fiddeses fell in love with their foster kids and decided to adopt the brother and sister last year, who are now ages 6 and 5, creating a second family to care for in their older years. They even took in another 3-year-old foster child. "It's wonderful," Nanci Fiddes said. "Just to hear them laughing and running around and having so much fun. It just makes you feel great."
The Fiddeses' story reminds us that there are many children in our community who need a loving family in their life. Loving, motherly support can come from people from all walks of life and circumstances.
For some whose mothers are no longer with them, today is a bittersweet day to look back fondly on memories of Mom, but also miss her. On this day set aside to thank those wise, nurturing people in our lives, may we all strive to emulate the example of a mother's love in our own lives.
If you are a mom — in any way — take a bow today. And be sure to recognize the moms out there — and do something nice to thank them for carrying out the most important job in our ever-changing world. Happy Mother's Day!


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For something considered a byproduct, molasses has certainly made a tasty impression on foods we know and love. Gingerbread, muffins, licorice, baked beans and barbecue sauce are just a handful of the creations made richer by what I like to call the "black gold" of the culinary world.
In Regan Daley's book, In the Sweet Kitchen, she says that blackstrap molasses should not be used as the primary sweetener in a recipe or to replace any other product, but is best used in combination with other sweeteners to add flavour and moisture to dark gingerbread, certain spice cakes, as well as icing, candies and confections.
This recipe is from the revised edition of Julie Van Rosendaal's great book One Smart Cookie (Whitecap Books). The author notes that it's funny how, when you ask someone what their favourite cookie is, the answer is generally chocolate chip or peanut butter, yet every time she pulls out a batch of these cookies, everyone says they are No. 1.
Molasses Crinkles
Makes 20 cookies
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 to 14 minutes
2 tbsps. butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
2 tbsps. canola or flax seed oil
1/3 cup dark (cooking) molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg or 2 large egg whites
2 tsps. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tbsp. cinnamon
11/2 tsps. ground ginger
1/2 tsps. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
* granulated sugar for rolling
Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine the butter or margarine, oil, molasses, brown sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla until well blended and smooth.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt; add to the molasses mixture and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough.
Roll dough into 1 to 11/2-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar to coat.
Place them about two inches apart on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until just set around the edges.
Don't over-bake them -- they need to stay chewy.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool or serve warm.
Store extras in an airtight container or freeze.


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How To Repaint & Stencil Ugly Rental Vinyl Tile Flooring
Apartment renters share common challenges, whether it be unsightly overhead lighting covers or looking for easily removable decor solutions which won't result in forfeiture of our deposits. In our case, the eyesore lives in our bathroom and kitchen, where an ugly, yellowish roll vinyl flooring has always bothered us. We finally found the initiative and opportunity to do something about it!
Vinyl tile can be repainted a new colour and even embellished, but we discovered it does require some planning and patience. Because vinyl flooring is a high gloss surface, the first half of this project requires prepping the surface, while the second is primarily painting and sealing your new surface application. It's been a fun, if not somewhat demanding project that was just completed this afternoon in the nick of time (the plan was to redo the bathroom floor as a surprise before my better half Emily returned from her holiday visiting her family in Texas). Here's how and what I did…
What You Need
Equipment and Tools
- 180 grit sandpaper
- Sanding pole
- TSP solution (tri-sodium phosphate)
- Deglosser cleaner
- Small paint roller
- 3-4 small paint trays
- Mixing sticks
- Mask
- Latex gloves
- Latex primer/sealer
- Paint brush(es)
- Exterior "porch and floor" or vinyl siding paint
- Stencil (we used Ed Roth's Stencil 101 Decor)
- Blue painters masking tape
- Polyurethane sealer
- Stenciling brush
- Optional: small fan to help airflow/drying times
1. Getting down to the nitty gritty: here's where you get to rough up your floor using some sandpaper and sanding block. Start off by washing the floor with TSP solution, a powerful cleaner which will reach some of the uneven surfaces that may have accumulated dirt. We started off using a sanding pole attachment, which allowed us to give the floor a good abrasive wipe down standing up; we then returned with new sheets of sandpaper and a painter's mask to hand scrub down sections we couldn't reach using the pole (our bathroom is small, so there were plenty of these nooks and crannies).
2. Deglossy Jr. High: after sanding down as much of the vinyl clear coating away as possible, it is recommended to degloss the vinyl surface with a specially formulated deglosser to remove an remaining finish. The 1-2 combination of sanding and the deglosser is all to give your new paint something to hold onto when applied later. If there's a lot of gloss finish remaining, let the formula sit for about 10 minutes before wiping off. We recommend doing this step with windows/vent open, a mask on and latex gloves. After we finished this step, we swept and vacuumed the whole surface clean.
3. Prime time: now that your floor has been stripped of all its former glow, it's time to give it a nice even coat of primer. Prep the area by masking off any walls or detailing that you don't want painted. We applied the first round of primer on the peripherally using a small paint brush, creating a frame of sections where we'd fill in; two coats was sufficient enough for us to create an even-smooth surface. Let dry overnight.
4. Time to roll: with the primer all dried and one quick dry wipe or gentle vacuum (you don't want scratch the primer surface like we accidentally did), now is the time get to the part where you start believing all this hard work is paying off. We used an outdoor paint formulated for hard wear.
Follow the same procedure as the primer, starting from the outside border with a brush, then roller painting the center. Go on light the first round, let dry, then do once more for a solid coverage. We used a pure white semi-gloss. Let dry overnight with the aid of an open window and small fan if available.
5. Pencil, then stencil: now here's where we wanted to impart a little flair onto our new glowing white floor. Ed Roth's Stencil 101 Decor is chockfull of great design patterns and stencils, so we choose a geometric that hinted at traditional tile design, but with a vinyl paint colour that complemented the rest of our bathroom. The book has a lot of helpful tips and we watched the instructional videos on Ed's site to get a handle on how to effectively stencil a surface. Using the stencil, we marked off the grid in which we'd position and then later paint the design.
6. Apply dryly: Best tip we learned was to use a stencil brush and practice the dry brush application technique beforehand. You want to just barely get paint onto the brush and gently sweep from the outside inward all around the stencil pattern. Too little paint is better than too much if you want crisp lines. It was on our 4th stencil sheet round that we began getting the technique down, so consider practicing on a piece of cardboard to improve results on your actual surface.
Because the paint requires time to dry, we had to jump around to different sections of the floor to optimize application time. We'd also like to note this whole process is best done knowing your bathroom (our only bathroom) may be unavailable for blocks of time. A detail worth seriously noting. Really.
7. Patience is a virtue: since the bathroom had plenty of hard to reach spaces where the stencil could not easily fold into place, we resorting to make our own stencil using painters tape. This allowed us to get around the toilet, sink counter and around the tub. It also resulted in some razor sharp painting!
8. Almost done: with the pattern completed, let it all dry sufficiently agin (we think at least half a day). Return with a gentle dry wipe with a soft cloth and/or light vacuuming to pick up an residual paint debris or dirt. Now is also a good time to go in with a little bit of Magic Sponge or similar material to clean up any smudges, alongside add any touchup paint where your stenciling may have gone awry.
9. Clearly finished: all this hard work deserves a protective coat (actually 2 or 3 coats) of clear polyurethane. This will make the finish durable and waterproof, protecting your new paint job for at least a couple of years, depending on how much traffic the surface endures (we're a no shoe household, so it should last a long while).
10. Call everyone over with ugly rental vinyl flooring and proudly show off your handiwork and paint splattered clothing. Now for the kitchen…
Additional Notes: We recommend having on hand several stencil paint brushes of various sizes. We only one broad sized one and it limited access to certain sections.
Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home?
We're looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too!
(Images: Gregory Han)


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Red Light Cameras On The Decline, As Everyone Realizes They Don't Make Roads Safer, They Just Make Money
from the good-riddance dept
The anger over these tactics has been increasing quite a bit over the past few years and a variety of cities decided to cancel their programs, causing the leading company providing these systems (who takes a large cut of every ticket), Redflex, to face some financial difficulties.
It appears that the trends are definitely against red light cameras. Cyrus Farivar has a great article (though, annoyingly paginated) about the decline in red light cameras, noting that 2013 was the first year where more red light camera systems were turned off than turned on.
Redflex's US operations took a hit in 2013 as the company installed 54 new systems—but removed 101. Redflex's recent fiscal report (PDF) shows that its after-tax net profits in a six-month period have dropped by half: plummeting from $7.1 million in the first half of 2012 to $3.6 million in the first six months of 2013.Meanwhile, the article also takes on the various "competing studies" concerning red light cameras, and pointing to one study that compared a whole bunch of the studies, evaluated their methodologies, and found that the ones that showed benefits to red light cameras, almost invariably had dreadful methodologies that didn't take into account the basic variability in accidents at any given intersection, and the likelihood of a return to the mean (in short: intersections with an abnormally large number of accidents frequently see that amount go down the following year -- and red light camera makers and the studies supporting them rarely took into account that variability, but assigned such a decrease to the cameras). When correcting for such problems, the study of studies found the data showed that red light cameras are a problem, not a solution:
The meta-analysis concluded that, when only the best studies were considered, "The results of the meta-analysis are rather unfavorable for RLCs... According to the results from these studies, right-angle collisions are reduced by about 10 percent, rear-end collisions increase significantly by about 40 percent, and the overall effect on all types of crashes is an increase by about 15 percent. Only studies with weaker study designs yield results that are more favorable for RLCs."The study which those researches said had the best methodology also found significant negative impact overall:
the increase in costs from the increase in rear-end crashes more than offset the reduction in costs from the decrease in red light running crashes.Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end for red light cameras. We're all for making intersections safer, but the way to do that is to increase the time on yellow lights -- and for places that still don't have this: have a brief interval where lights in both directions are red, rather than switching simultaneously to red in one direction and green in the other. And yes, every time I make that last point, people who don't live in places where that's the case marvel that any place in the world has this, but it's true in many, many places. Switching that to having an interval with both directions red, plus a longer yellow light, will actually make people safer, and yet... it doesn't make any more money, so very few have been willing to make this simple switch.


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Time to give up on Toyota for good
Many of things I write on this outlet are nationalistic, and for people like me who believe unconditionally that this country and its citizens deserve the best lives possible simply because we are the best, this Toyota meltdown is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Now don't get me wrong here, because you and I both know that Toyota makes an excellent product, and has done so for nearly 20 years. Its Lexus brand is one of the most foolproof purchases that anyone could make. This company has slowly and surely taken over America and a good portion of younger baby boomers/Gen X'ers.
These people are about 30-55, have decent incomes, and bought their first Toyota in the late 80s or early 90s. These same people also buy Hondas.
Their first Corolla or Accord or Camry was a great car. It lasted a long time, it had few problems, and when it came time to get a new one in '96 or '97, they renewed their pact with Toyota or Honda. Can you blame them? Not really.
Back when they were buying their first Toyota in 1993, let's look at the American options.
Please feel free to take a picture of yourself while you make disgusted faces as you imagine these models:
Chevy Corsica
Chevy Beretta
Chevy Cavalier
Chevy Lumina
Geo Prism
Geo Metro
Oldsmobile Achieva
Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
Ford Tempo
Ford Topaz
Ford Festiva
Ford Taurus
Dodge Spirit
And the list goes on and on, and friggin on. Just complete garbage. Utter worthlessness.
And that is how Toyota took over America. They simply made a better product than us for nearly 20 years (with the exception of trucks, SUVs, and musclecars). Owner recidivism among Toyota and Honda owners is the highest in the world, another reason why The Big Three has had difficulty getting repeat Toyota offenders to actually give their new products a fair shake. Despite enormous strides by GM (and Ford especially) in the last 3 years, Gen X'ers have refused to budge off their Japanese high horses and support American companies and American workers. In the '90s, I couldn't blame them. Now I can, because Toyota's rapid expansion in the last 10 years has now created some of the demons that the American companies have had to overcome.
If you were to poll a number of Americans on the following question, I believe their answer would be yes:
If a car made by an American company was equally dependable, priced, and desireable to that of a Japanese one, would you choose that vehicle over the foreign one?
If they were to say no, well, let's just excommunicate and deport them, because they are simply part of the problem. Back to the argument though...
Toyota has simply developed the same out of control "hugeness" that companies like GM developed. There are simply too many cars being made in too many places. The demand for vehicles like the Prius, Camry and Corolla as well as constant market pressure from Honda, has forced Toyota to bite off more than they can chew (obviously).
In fact, it is thought that they expanded operations and production so quickly that they simply couldn't do it alone, forcing the outsourcing of a number of parts and processes to inept Chinese companies. This is in addition to the fact that they rushed through testing and design of a number of things.
What it all comes down to is hubris.
It's the same thing The Big Three felt. It's the feeling of "we can do no wrong". It's the feeling of "people will always buy our product no matter what we do."
Well, in this changing economic landscape, people are making safer moves with their large purchases. The educated consumer won't buy things anymore just because you made it and slapped that weird looking firefly "T" on the hood.
If you need more reasons not to buy a Toyota, here are some more:
-- Two of their most popular vehicles the Prius and Corolla have put your life in danger
-- Countless other models could take off on you, including a nearly 6,000 lb V8 Toyota Tundra truck
-- We're not talking about one problem here. We're talking about gas pedals getting stuck on most of their cars, brakes failing on 2010 Priuses, and the steering on Corollas becoming a danger to its passengers.
That is three things on all different kinds of models. Quality control and design issues are widespread.
-- They refused to acknowledge the problem. They swept it under the rug. They lied to you. Finally, they begrudgingly recalled the cars with the gas pedal problems, but continued lying about the Prius's brake problems and refused to admit the Corolla's steering issues.
This isn't supposed to be a sleazy fly-by-night organization, but they're sure acting like it.
This final reason should make you sick to your stomach, and you should never consider buying one of these vehicles again as a result.
In Fremont, California, Toyota has been manufacturing vehicles at the Nummi plant since 1984. This state of the art factory has been one of the most efficient, productive, and problem-free facilities in the country. It is completely up-to-date, and can easily be revamped to produce nearly any model.
An intriguing aspect of this plant is that it a joint operation between GM and Toyota, bitter rivals, who somehow found a way to coexist for 25 years. Most recently the models produced at the Nummi plant were the Corolla, Tacoma, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe.
In August of '09, GM was forced to commit infanticide, and killed its own child, Pontiac. Therefore, GM withdrew from the plant.
Shortly thereafter, Toyota announced that it didn't give a damn about American workers and the fact that 3 of their best-selling models were produced to exact specifications there.
In April of 2010, despite desperate pleas from all around the state, Toyota will put 4,700 Californians out of work and shut down the Nummi plant for good. The ramifications of this plant closure will in effect put closer to 6 or 7,000 people out of work, because of the myriad of supporting businesses that have done business with the plant. That's everyone from the guy working at the Quizno's counter down the street to the night security guards.
Toyota can't blame this on GM. They only made one car there, and it was based on the Matrix. I get that it is more expensive to build cars in California than in some godforsaken hellhole in Southeast Asia, but lower shipping costs must offset some of that. In addition, they could make the Prius in Fremont instead of Japan, market it truly as "California's Car", so that the liberals buying them could point at their hybrid-instect car being made in California and feel even more self-righteous than they did before.
Any of you who haven't been to California would be shocked at the amount of Priuses out here. THEY. ARE. EVERYWHERE. This state is truly the Prius's biggest market, and it would be a boon to both Toyota and California's effed up, 12% unemployment rated economy.
Of course The Big Three has shut down their share of plants recently, but it's only because they absolutely had to. They got too big, they had too much going on, and they lost their ability to control the quality of manufacturing.
Does that sound familiar?
It's time to give up on Toyota for good. It's simply the wrong automaker for America, and the wrong car for your garage. Buy American.
Labels: California, Chevy, Ford, Fremont, GM, Liberal, Nummi Plant, Toyota


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Mr. Asvazadourian is managing director for France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg within Accenture Strategy His role focuses on advising companies and governments on business strategy, operating models digital strategies and innovation, cost management, customer strategies, human capital management, large-scale business transformation and organizational change.
Mr. Asvazadourian has more than 25 years of experience in the financial sector. He joined Accenture in 2015 and was previously the Accenture Strategy lead for France. He has also acted as a senior player-coach within Accenture Strategy for the banking industry.
Prior to joining Accenture, Mr. Asvazadourian worked at Oliver Wyman where he eventually become Country Managing Partner for France and then as Global Head of Financial Services at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He holds a strong point of view on financial service industry transformation in today's digital world. Besides, Mr. Asvazadourian was for seven years the Chairman and CEO of a printing company.
Mr. Asvazadourian has an engineer degree from the Ecole des Mines de Paris. He is based in Paris, France.


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This is a"mini velo" type bike I saw in the Roppongi neighborhood of Tokyo. In Japan, Mini velo bikes include anything with small wheels, including Moultons, Bike Fridays, and a whole host of Japan only bikes, but not exclusively folding bikes.
Just a few more days till my homeboy and me jump a bullet train for Kyoto and attempt to ride back through the mountains of central Japan. Currently enjoying not working in a bike shop.


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A few generations ago, we didn't think much about babies' brains. We knew about reflexes, such as the rooting reflex that causes a newborn to turn his head when you gently stroke his cheek. But for the most part, parents, physicians, and researchers thought of the newborn's brain as little more than a blank slate waiting to be written upon by his environment.
But the more we study infants, the more we realize that their brains and senses are remarkably active, even at a very young age. We can even get some indication of their personalities during the later stages of pregnancy. (Ask any new mother whose child seemed to be kicking field goals or doing gymnastic flips in the womb!)
Some of the clues to babies' brain development are obvious; others are quite subtle. While research psychologists and pediatricians use all sorts of sophisticated electronic equipment to study babies' brains in action, you can get some of the same basic information with little more than a set of keys, some makeup, and a bit of patience.
Here are a few things you can do that will help you see the incredible ways in which your infant is able to use his brain to handle the challenges of early life. I like to think of these as games that the two of you can play together. The early ones are extremely simple, but if you know what to look for, they can also be extremely revealing.
Age: Newborn
Long before your baby can talk, his expressions and physical reactions tell you a lot about his personality and developing sense of recognition. One thing body language communicates is a baby's temperament, which reflects his personal style and sensitivities. For example, while all babies cry, some do so more easily or keep crying longer than others. Understanding your child's temperament will make it easier for you to care for him -- if you know he's sensitive, you can help shield him from excess stimulation.
Hold your baby with your left hand under his body and your right hand supporting his head. Quietly say his name. Pay close attention to his muscles and his appearance. Becoming tense, arching his back, or spitting up are signs that he's feeling overwhelmed. If that's the case, decrease the stimuli around him. Dim the lights. Shut off the radio. Lower your voice to a whisper and say his name again.
Odds are that he'll turn his head in your direction. This is a reflex action. It occurs even in the dark, which tells us that the turn isn't simply a way for him to locate the source of the sound with his eyes. If you pay close attention, you'll see that your newborn moves differently than older children. Instead of responding immediately, he waits a few seconds and then turns his head very slowly.
If your child is comfortable, keep talking quietly to him. Tell him how smart and handsome he is. Impress him with the fact that his brain will double in size over the next year, and will double once again by the time he's 6.
While you're talking, watch his eyes. Does he stop looking around and focus on your face? (If he doesn't, don't worry. He may just be tired. Try it again another day.) Move your face to his left while you speak to him, and he'll probably follow you with his eyes. This is an important accomplishment. Researchers have shown that a 2-day-old infant looks at his mother's face longer and differently than he looks at the faces of other women. In that brief time, your baby has figured out who you are.
Baby See, Baby Do
Age: 8 Weeks Old
During the first few weeks you may notice that your baby is looking at your face quite intently. When this happens, try a new game: Stick out your tongue. Your baby will probably do the same thing. Then try wrinkling your brow. About 50 percent of babies this age will mimic you.
You can try other expressions as well. Stick out your lower lip in a pout. Open your mouth and eyes wide. In each case, she will probably change her own expression to try to match yours.
If you'd like more evidence of how closely your several-week-old child is watching you, add another element to this game. Wait until your baby's awake and alert. Start talking to her and watch her eyes focus on your face. Then suddenly stop talking and keep your face frozen.
Watch your baby's reaction. She'll probably scan your face with her eyes, looking from your eyes to your mouth and back up again. Then she'll wrinkle her brow and, perhaps, stick out her lower lip in apparent frustration. Next, she'll move her face and arms, trying a variety of things to get you to respond to her.
This tells you how much she feels a part of your conversation with her, even though she doesn't understand your words. It also lets you know how important you are in her life and how highly attuned she is to your actions and expressions. Her reaction will show her nature as an active seeker of social activity, and not just a bystander to the interactions of those around her.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Age: 4 Months Old
To play this game, you'll need something new and exciting that your child will want to touch (I often use a set of keys) and a baby blanket. If you show your 4-month-old baby a shiny set of keys, he'll probably want to reach out and grab them. But if you show him the keys and then hide them under the blanket, he'll stop looking for them. It's as if the keys suddenly ceased to exist.
This tells you that the sophisticated idea that objects are still around even when they're out of sight -- what psychologists call "object permanence" -- doesn't make sense to him yet. By the time he's about 10 months old, it will. If you put the attractive item under the blanket, a baby this age will simply reach under the barrier to find it. He gets it: Objects (and people) can be hidden and still exist!
The Baby in the Mirror
Age: 10 Months Old
This is one of my favorite games because it's so simple and so revealing. All babies like to look at themselves in the mirror. But what do they see? A few years ago Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Ph.D., and Michael Lewis, Ph.D., came up with an elegant way to answer at least part of that question. You can try it when your baby is about 10 months old, and then repeat it every few months thereafter. All it takes is a mirror and a little lipstick.
Let your baby look at herself in the mirror for about a minute. Then pick her up, dot a small amount of lipstick on her nose or cheek, and place her in front of the mirror again. Most babies less than 12 months of age pay no attention to the smudge. A few smile or frown, indicating that they notice something is different.
Slightly older babies often pay close attention to the smudge. They may reach toward the mirror, demonstrating that they don't yet understand that they're looking at a reflection of themselves. By the age of 18 months, about half of all babies will notice the reflection and reach up to touch the smudge on their own face. This tells us that they not only recognize that the mark is out of place, but that they know they're looking at their own image.
With all of these games, it's important to keep in mind that there are tremendous differences among children who are developing normally. A sensitive newborn is not "better" or "worse" than a more easygoing baby. Similarly, a baby who touches the smudge of lipstick on his face a few weeks ahead of another is not necessarily "smarter."
Infants learn so much so quickly that they'll amaze you with new talents and skills almost daily. Since you're the expert on your baby, you can use this as a starting point to come up with your own games to enjoy the astonishing adventure of watching her mind bloom.
Contributing editor Lawrence Kutner, Ph.D., is co-director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media and the author of five books on child development and parent-child communication.


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All these problems go away if Hillary offers Sanders vice president. That's a long shot, though. The markets have him as only the seventh most likely Democrat VP. With over 40% of Democrat votes coming from non-whites, putting two whites on the ticket inherently threatens the unity of the Coalition of the Fringes. Yet Tim Kaine, a heterosexual white goy, is perceived as the most likely pick. Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren, both white (Fauxcahontas notwithstanding), come in ahead of Sanders as well, and Mark Warren's odds are judged to be as good as Sanders', so the idea that an exclusively white ticket is perceived to be untenable isn't the only reason.I was in elementary school when Bill Clinton was inaugurated so I'm a generation removed from firsthand experience with the taken-for-granted assumption that the Clintons are deft, astute political operators. I'll defer to Derb with regards to Bill.
Commenting on Bill Clinton's interaction with BLM protesters, the Derb provides another explanation:
Commenting on Bill Clinton's interaction with BLM protesters, the Derb provides another explanation:
What's going on here is a classic pivot to the center. The Clintons had to be nice to blacks when the Southern primaries were in play. There are a lot of blacks down there, and Bonnie and Clyde wanted to get them out to vote. Now that's all over, the nomination is sewn up, and the Clintons are looking to the general in November. For that they need to get working-class white votes; so the blacks can go pound sand
My impression of Hillary, though, is that she's a flat-footed, shambling behemoth who is as likely to lose a battle as she is to win one when she goes in with a massive numerical troop advantage. She's more a late-life Pompey than she is a Julius Caesar. She lost to a mostly unknown upstart in '08 and she's having a hell of a time with with a long-known and long-dismissed out-and-out socialist who looks like he crawled out of another century.
On the other hand she did learn from '08 that there is no winning the Democrat nomination without winning blacks so maybe I'm not giving her enough credit.
I'm not the first to notice Trump laying off Sanders as of late. This even though the vast majority of the rabble-rousing criminal miscreants at his rallies are, to the extent that they're politically engaged at all, claim to a person to be Sanders supporters.
As mentioned above this makes sense as a means of picking up some disaffected white men who are finally coming to terms with the fact that the influence of white men on the Democrat party is weak and getting weaker. But will Trump go full monty and actually offer Sanders a spot in a Trump administration? Agnostic writes:
Maybe head of the Federal Trade Commission, though, restoring the agency to its original function as trust-buster rather than milquetoast "consumer protection" stuff.Whatever its demerits, a Trump administration with Sanders somewhere in the mix would accelerate the Republican = white, Democrat = non-white political dynamic that is probably a prerequisite for steering the American segment of the European diaspora off the slow, steady suicidal slide it's on now and for that reason alone I'd like to see it.