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Donna Giancola, PhD
Associate Professor, PhilosophySend a Message
Director, Religious Studies Program
Professor Donna M. Giancola has co-authored a book on World Ethics (Wadsworth, 2001) and written numerous articles in comparative philosophy and religion, ethics, women and spirituality and feminist ethics. She has lectured extensively in international forums from India to Hawaii, and delivered a paper at an international conference at Oxford University on Women's Leadership in 2004. She is currently working on a book project entitled "Women's Voices for Global Justice."
- PhD, Boston University
- MA, Boston College
- BA, Assumption College
Areas of Specialization
- Ancient Greek Philosophy
- Comparative Philosophy and Religion
- Ethics
Areas of Competence
- Eastern Philosophy
- Feminist Philosophy
- History of Philosophy
- Social Philosophy/Philosophies of Non-Violence
National Endowment for the Humanities; Brown University. Seminar on "Justice and Compassion in Buddhist and Christian Traditions," June-July 1996.
- World Ethics, co-author, Dr. Wanda Torres-Gregory, Simmons College. Wadsworth Publishing Co., June 2002.
- Women's Voice for Global Justice, Dr. Donna Giancola, Dr. Virginia Millhouse, Undine Pawlowski, JD., Anne York, Indiana University Press submitted July 2005.
- Excerpts from "Her Underground" (an eco-feminist novel) co-authored with Undine Pawlowski, Sinister Wisdom, Issue # 75, Lesbian Theories/Lesbian Controversies, forthcoming 2008.
- "Women, Culture and Identity in Buddhism and Christianity." New Thinking Journal, Fall, 2003.
- "Parmenides and the Buddha: The What Is Is." International Journal for Field-Being, The International Institute for Field Being Fourth Symposia, Summer 2001.
- "Toward a Reinterpretation of Parmenides B 3." Journal of Philosophical Research Vol. XXVI (2001): 635-653.
- "Justice and the Face of the Great Mother." Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy. Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity, 2001.
- "1999 Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy: International Conference Bhubaneswar, India," Conference Review, Foru., The Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy 32 (Spring 1999): 8.
- "The Only Tradition by William Quinn, Jr." Philosophy East and West 49, 2 (April 1999: 219-221).
- "Justice in Parmenides' All/One with Special Reference to Sankara." Invited article. Cupey, Vol. XIII (1996): 198-226.
Paper and Panel Presentations
- "Maya and Dike and the Principals of Eco-Justice, International Conference on Philosophy, Athens Institute for Education and Research, Athens, Greece, June 2006.
- "Mays, Shakti-Devi, The Mother of Eco-Justice, American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, Chicago, Illinois, April 2006.
- "Women and Justice: Towards an Archaic Future." International Women's Leadership, Oxford Round Table at St. Anthony's College in the University of Oxford, Oxford, England. Invited Participant, August 2004.
- "Eco-Feminism and Eco-Being." Fifth Symposium: Field-Being and the Non-Substantialistic Turn, International Institute for Field Being, Fairfield University, CT. August, 2001.
- "Eco-Feminism and Eco-Justice; East and West." Congress of Indian Philosophy, Delhi, India, January 2001.
- "Conceptions of Time and History East and West." Panel Chair and Discussant. 4th International Research Conference of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Colombia, MO. September 2000.
- "Parmenides and the Buddha: The What Is Is." Invited paper. Fourth Symposium on Field-Being and the Non-Substantialistic Turn, The International Institute for Field Being, Fairfield University, CT. August 2000.
- "Maya: A Feminist Perspective." International Conference of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. Jan 5, 1999.
- "Justice and the Face of the Great Mother." Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy. Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity. Boston, August 13, 1998.
- "Multiculturalism, East and West: A feminist Critique." Panel Paper. Third International Research Conference in Asian and Comparative Philosophy, University of Hawaii, January 1998.
- "Women and the Ways of Magic." Invited Paper. Women and Spirituality Series, Simmons College, Spring 1998.
- "Justice in Parmenides' All/One with Special Reference to Sankara." Seventh Annual East/West Philosopher's Conference: Justice and Democracy, University of Hawaii, Spring 1995.
Invited Lectures
- "Parmenides and the Buddha" Philosophy Department, Boston College, 2003.
- "Health and Well Being; East and West." Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Program, 2001.
- "Women as Healers." Harvard Vanguard Community Health, 1999.
- "Health, Medicine, and Meditation; East and West." Harvard Community Health, 1998.
- "Parmenides and Eastern Philosophy." Philosophy Department, Boston College, 1996.
- "The Faces of Justice and the Great Mother; East and West." Philosophy Department, Simmons College, 1996.
- "Buddhism and Ethics." Philosophy Department, Boston University, 1995.
- "Parmenides: A Defense of Monism." Faculty Seminar Series, Suffolk University, 1994.
- "Gandhi and Non-Violence." The Institute for Philosophy and Religion, Boston University, 1994.
Research Work in Progress
- Notions of Restorative and Embodied Justice. Research project.
- The Implications of Spinoza's Ethics for Self Liberation and Social Justice. Article in progress.
- Parmenides: A Re-interpretation, book project.
Special Programs and Activities Coordinated as Director of Religious Studies
- "The Burnings Times Re-Visited," Dr. Mary Daly, Invited Speaker, Spring, 2002.
- "Karma Yoga in the Baghavad Gita," Dr. Bina Gupta, Invited Speaker, Fall 2001.
- "Peace and Well Being" Religious Studies Speaker Series in conjunction with Simmons College. Speakers included Gordon Fellman, Jeffery Timm, and Victor Kazanjian, 1999- Spring 2000.
- "The Dancing Church." Lectures and video by Rev. Tom Kane, The Paulist Center, April 1999.
- "Judaic Culture and Society." Lecture series by Hebrew College Faculty at Suffolk University , Spring 1998.
- "The Earth, the Sky and Religious Practices." Lecture by Dr. Barbara Darling-Smith, November 1996.
- "Re-Calling the Outrageous Contagious Courage of Women." Lecture by Dr. Mary Daly, October 1995.
- "Fire from Heaven." Lecture by Dr. Harvey Cox, March 1995.
- "Krishan Consciousness." Lecture by the International Society for Krishan Consciousness, October 1994.
Awards & Honors
- Faculty Leadership Award, Student Government, Suffolk University, 2000.
- Faculty Leadership Award, Women's Center, Suffolk University, 1999.
- Teaching Award for Excellence, Boston University, 1990.
- M.A. awarded with Distinction, Boston College, 1982.


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Remembering the Big Storm
Blizzard of 1978: 35th anniversary of the storm unleashes a flurry of memories
On Feb. 6, 1978, future Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, then 12 years old, stood on the bare ground of his front yard, wondering why school had been dismissed early.
A big snowstorm had been predicted, but so far, nothing was happening.
"And then this big flake, the size of my palm fell out of the sky," Boughton said. "That was the start of it."
The Blizzard of 1978, for Connecticut, was the worst snowstorm of the 20th century, the storm that forced Gov. Ella T. Grasso to close the state's roads for three days.
The storm, which hit the state 35 years ago Wednesday, brought 23.5 inches of snow to the area, according to the records of the Connecticut Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University.
Combined with winds of 70 mph, it meant huge drifts.
"I remember driving by Danbury City Park," said Don Taylor, a longtime Danbury farmer and now a City Council member. "There were drifts there that must have been 12 feet high."
The storm started slow, then intensified late in the afternoon Feb. 6, becoming brutal by Monday evening and continuing with snow into Feb. 8.
Statewide, volunteers were vital in helping authorities to protect the safety of residents, said Larry deBear, Grasso's former press secretary. More than 400 owners of four-wheel drive vehicles answered the call to patrol state highways for stranded drivers, transport patients to hospitals, and other tasks.
"That was an important factor in there not being any loss of life on the state highways because Gov. Grasso was very concerned about people being stuck on the highways," deBear said.
Boughton's father, Don Boughton, who was Danbury's mayor in 1978, canvassed the city with road crews. At one point the first night, Don Boughton pulled up in front of the family house in a town truck, and told his son to get ready to help. Mark said he spent part of the night driving with road crews, shovelling out stranded motorists on Main Street.
"I had a corduroy jacket with a fur collar," Boughton said. "The fur was completely frozen when I got home."
Though the southwestern part of the state received less snow, 18 inches in Stamford, the blizzard posed other hazards.
Large chunks of ice from Long Island Sound were washing ashore in Greenwich, into neighborhoods and blocking roads, said Dan Warzoha, Greenwich's emergency management director. At the time, he was working in the sewer division of the Greenwich Department of Public Works, and was an assistant chief with the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company.
"It was a winter hurricane," he said. "It was a pretty crazy event."
In Milford at the height of the storm, 25 firefighters were treated for frostbite as they battled blazes in two homes in frigid waist-deep water.
In Westport, the National Guard came to the rescue of dozens of residents stranded at their shoreline homes by the rising tide, taking them to higher ground in amphibious vehicles.
Dealing with the blizzard could have been worse if not for the accurate predictions, which were unusual for 35 years ago.
The predictions lent credence to the somewhat fledgling and unproven use of computer-driven numerical analyses to forecast the size and track of storms, said Louis W. Uccellini, director of the National Centers for Environmental Protection, a division of the National Weather Service.
"The predictability limits that were accepted for predicting major storms was still just 12 to 24 hours even into the mid-1970s," Uccellini said. "One of the reasons this storm was so intriguing to meteorologists is that it was like tripling the level of predictability that we had."
Those who lived through the Blizzard of 1978 remember the days of continuous heavy snow which brought regular daily life in the state to a halt.
Bob Young, now the chairman of the board of directors of the Danbury Museum and Historical Society, was working at the health clinic at the Federal Correctional Institution at the time. Because he lived nearby, he walked to work. Because the roads were closed, no one else did.
So for 2½ days, Young said, he was the only staffer in the clinic. He slept on prison cots, with security guards manning the clinic phone while he slept.
The winds, he said, created huge drifts in the prison's inner courtyard.
"On one side, there were drifts up to the second story," Young said. "On the other side, the ground was bare."
Mary Ann Guitar, of Redding, had just been elected first selectman in November, 1977, the town's first woman in that post and a Democrat in a town where Republicans had held sway for decades.
Guitar got a ride to Town Hall in a town truck. Her fellow Democrat, Selectman John Atwood, skied into work. The two spent the day answering two phones, in the day when telephones were the primary way of communicating.
Guitar's Republican opponents were sure the Democrats would never come to work on such an impossible day. One climbed up the snow pile outside of Town Hall to peek into the first selectman's office just to make sure.
But, Guitar said, the Blizzard of 1978 proved she could handle the job.
After that, she said, "it was easy sledding, so to speak."
Staff writers Martin B. Cassidy, David Hennessey and Daniel Tepfer contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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VSC needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 116 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
Interactive Resourcing
We have been providing recruitment services to the social housing arena for 18 months. We are now targeting the Social Care sector and whilst there are similarities between the 2, our approach to each will differ slightly.
To demonstrate our specialism across the 2 different sectors we will be designing 2 websites. Whilst the company name, Interactive Resourcing will form the primary logo, we will also be using the tag lines: "partners in social care recruitment" and "partners in social housing recruitment" for each of the 2 markets.
The plan is to colour code each of these areas so the chosen logo will "work" with more than one colour scheme. Initially I am looking for the primary brand logo with different colours to represent "Social Housing" and "Social Care"
Within this competitive market and particularly in the current climate, we aim to be different to our competitor's but still need to demonstrate a corporate and professional image which also indicates empathy within both sectors. Please also see below our target market which incorporates public sector so typically being traditionalists I don't want anything too "off the wall".
Interactive Resourcing is symbolic of our passion for developing close relationships with both clients and candidates in order to gain a thorough understanding of the organisations with which we work. All UK based.
Our target clients are typically private companies, Local Authorities, Charities and not for profit organisations.
I have searched for logos that have some elements I like. The first is favourite purely because of the shape and to me represents care, partnerships and communities. Don't like the black text below though:
(I like the fact that this symbolises caring due to the heart symbol but also partnerships by the joining of hands. Although I don't like the black text or font)
(I like the graphics in the logo for Personallydriven and the blue and green colour scheme work well together)
(I like this logo as the logo potentially represents partnerships/people interaction)
Please note that there are only certain bits of each that I like so am looking for someone to create a unique logo using parts of these and taking full consideration of the brief.
Likes: bright colours, particularly the primary colours, green, blue and orange. Colour's representative of "caring" for the social care logo and "environmental" for Housing but open to suggestions. Must be vibrant, fresh, modern yet corporate.Like geometrical shapes, although this is not a pre-requisite.
Dislikes: Anything dull or 'run of the mill'; Red; Anything "twee".
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The editors of National Review and the Weekly Standard have teamed up to publish a joint editorial urging Congress to "Kill the bill." The bill is of course the comprehensive immigration reform bill that has now passed the Senate and moved to the House. NR editor Rich Lowry has posted the editorial here. Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol has posted the editorial here. We agree with every point made in the editorial and add our voice to the chorus of conservative opposition to this misguided monstrosity.
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


text: On the 12th of January 33 years ago, we released the very first issue of 2600. On that same date in 2017, we are officially releasing the brand new Winter Issue. (Incidentally, you could find all sorts of fun facts like this if you had your own 2017 Hacker Calendar.) It's never been easier to get the latest issue. Subscribing means you barely have to move. If you feel like going outside, you can find the current issue at all sorts of bookstores and newsstands. For those who prefer to go digital, we have Kindle subscriptions available in the United States and United Kingdom, and other digital subscriptions in those and other countries through Google Play and the Nook. And, of course, you can also get available back issues digitally or in print. A lot has happened since 1984. We suspect a great deal more is looming on the horizon. We hope you join us for the journey.


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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s famous father was a political iconoclast who captured the imagination of voters with stirring assurances in his speeches like, "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, he sends a tiny ripple of hope out into the world."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., seen commenting during the opening minutes of an interview with journalist Charlie Rose in January in Dallas, will be the speaker at next month's University of Memphis law school graduation.
(Photo: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Next month, the younger Kennedy will bring a community-minded call-to-arms reminiscent of his father's when he takes the stage as the official speaker for the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Class of 2013 graduation ceremony.
But there will be at least one difference.
Whereas his father, who was killed in 1968 running for the Democratic presidential nomination, is remembered for his political idealism, Kennedy Jr. is an environmental business leader, lawyer and advocate who says he's not much inspired by the modern political landscape.
He thinks it's too choked by a cult of personality and by too much money greasing the wheels for politics to be considered as a force for good.
Kennedy Jr. will tell those lawyers-to-be during the May 12 ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts that "more and more it's falling to the lawyers" to work to make peoples' lives better.
"It's the obligation of lawyers to make sure that the marketplace and the government serve the public and not the powerful or corporations," Kennedy said by phone from New York by way of previewing his remarks. "I'll be talking about the idea that democracy and the environment are intertwined and that they're intertwined with issues that affect our prosperity, our moral authority and our national security.
"We're living in an era where we see democracy being threatened by large corporations. We need to get money out of politics. The amount of money flowing into our political system from corporations paralyzes the process. And we can't have a strong environment without a robust democracy."
Kennedy, of course, is a well-known environmental advocate. He was arrested earlier this year during a climate change rally along with other protestors who had latched themselves to the White House gate in a protest against the Keystone Pipeline.
Kennedy is a professor of environmental law at Pace University School of Law and serves as co-director of the school's Environmental Litigation Clinic. Among his other accomplishments, he serves as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, is president-at-large of the Waterkeeper Alliance and is a partner on the CleanTech investment team of Silicon Valley's VantagePoint Capital Ventures among other things.
Local investment firm Duncan-Williams Inc sponsors this year's University of Memphis law school graduation. The graduating class approached Kennedy about speaking at the event, and his history of public service and passion for environmental law resonated with the student body, according to the school.
The students in this year's class also have demonstrated a commitment to using their abilities for public service, with several having garnered statewide service-related awards and founded nationally recognized nonprofits.
The law school's interim dean, William Kratzke, said in a statement that Kennedy's participation makes the ceremony a "tremendously exciting occasion."
"We are hopeful that his visit and speech will inspire and motivate our students to achieve the many things we know them to be capable of after law school," Kratzke said.
Kennedy is quick to draw on favorite quotes to illustrate his political perspective. He cites one from Abraham Lincoln: "I have the Confederacy before me and the bankers behind me, and for America I fear the bankers the most."
Theodore Roosevelt, Kennedy said, insisted that U.S. democracy wasn't vulnerable to defeat by foreign enemies but that it would be "subverted from within by malefactors of great wealth." Kennedy, meanwhile, will tell the law school graduates that the country still has plenty of strong institutions – some of the most important being the courts and the bar.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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Mission San José
6701 San José Drive
San Antonio, TX 78214
United States
Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) – Southwest TX Archaeological Society (SWTAS) will participate in Archaeology Day at the San Antonio Missions on October 13, 2012, held at San Jose Mission, San Antonio, TX. SWTAS will present information about the AIA and SWTAS, the AIA local chapter, plus present activities suitable for children centered on ancient writing systems. Children will be provided with information about alphabets and syllabaries for Ancient Egyptian, Greek (Linear B and Classical), Mayan, Ancient Celtic Ogham, and Roman numerals. Children will be taught how to write their names in ancient letters and how to translate a short quote. Through this learning activity, children will learn how ancient peoples thought about the world and how they described it through their texts.
Archaeology Day at the Mission is an annual event in San Antonio, hosted by the National Park Service at the Spanish Mission of San Jose. It includes participants from several regional archaeological and historical organizations. Each organization presents information about itself, as well as some activities for children. AIA-SWTAS has participated every year for the last five years. Last year, about 2000 children attended the event, and at least that many are expected this year.
AIA Tours


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do you have someone that comes out to site like YMCA to talk to children?
No, we do not. I suggest you contact your local dietetic association, a local hospital with an outpatient department, or a college with a nutrition program to locate someone who might be willing to come or can refer someone.


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The children who arrive at the Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center all have one thing in common. They suffer from some disability.
"We work with kids with attention deficit disorder, autism, physical disabilities, mental retardation, Down syndrome, almost anything," Executive Director Mari Parino said.
They come looking for the chance to ride a horse, but they receive a great deal more.
"When someone sits astride a horse, their hips move in the same way they would if they were walking," she said. "We see kids with spastic cerebral palsy arrive in wheelchairs, but after their muscles have been warmed up and experienced those neurological sensations they can walk out of the arena with assistance.
"We have autistic children who are unable to develop relationships with people because there is too much sensory input. Horses don't give off that input, so they're more willing to bond with a horse. We use that bond to help kids develop."
The center was founded by Judy Lazarus, who began with one horse and two students in a borrowed Martinez facility 19 years ago. It now operates on a 3-acre plot in Orinda, with a covered arena, where seven part-time instructors and more than 100 volunteers serve 48 students from Contra Costa and Alameda counties every week. More are on the waiting list.
Lazarus received a lifetime achievement award last week at the Contra Costa Council's Philanthropy Awards Breakfast, where she was applauded by a roomful of business and political leaders who came to celebrate the spirit of giving.
She first explored therapeutic riding as a way of reaching her autistic son. They both loved horses, which became their common ground. The more she saw of the results, the more enthused she became. "Physically, it strengthens weak muscles and improves balance," she said. "Psychologically, it helps self-esteem and confidence."
Parino, who originally joined Xenophon as an instructor, said there is a magic relationship between kids and horses. A "side-walker" accompanies each youngster to ensure safety, but the chemistry is between student and horse.
She recalled an autistic child, who never had spoken, uttering his first words at the center. After six weeks of using hand signals to indicate when he wanted his horse to move, one day he blurted out the command "walk on!"
"Everyone was in tears, his mom included," Parino said. "That experience unlocked the door, and from that point on the child was verbal. It was the horse that did it."
Another favorite story is of a wheelchair-using youngster who was so weak when he first arrived that after five minutes on horseback he slumped over in the saddle.
"By the end of the season," she said, "he could ride the entire 30 minutes and keep himself upright. At the end of the year, we had a horse show, and this little guy did a backward somersault off the horse."
Kids are encouraged to play games that build motor skills and participate in cognitive recognition drills. Volunteers and instructors engage them to develop their social skills.
Parino believes the whole process works because kids don't realize they're in therapy. They're weary of lengthy sessions with specialists at clinics, but horseback riding is fun.
She says every day is its own reward: "We get to see miracles when we go to work."
Contact Tom Barnidge at email@example.com.


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In 2012 the Dallas Stars missed out on the playoffs for the fourth straight year. After being eliminated in the final game of the season in 2011 by the lowly Minnesota Wild, the Stars were spared some of that heartache by missing the cutoff by six points in 2012. The Stars were 17th in Fenwick Close, and when you finish in the middle of the pack in possession the chances of your season ending early increase.
Despite missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, the Stars weren't a disaster under first year head coach Glen Gulutzan. They have their issues going forward, but the club has a solid developing core of young players that should carry the team back into contention at some point in the near future.
This offseason was the first in several years where the Stars organization had some money to spend and with that infusion of wealth they set their sights on three key areas: special teams, depth, and possession.
Get This Man Some Vitamin B Complex
Joe Nieuwendyk had few options for shaking up a stagnant franchise prior to the 2012 season. With no money and the loss of Brad Richards the young GM's hands were tied. The Stars were also unhappy with the less confrontational Marc Crawford that showed up to camp two years earlier.
Enter Glen Gulutzan, former head coach of the Texas Stars. Gulutzan had an up and down debut season behind the bench. An aspect of his style that drew early criticism was the way he handled his young players. He showed a surprising lack of faith in them early on despite the fact that he was promoted from the Stars AHL affiliate in Austin where he developed a working relationship with them (namely Tomas Vincour and Philip Larsen). He also showed a stubbornness that kept Jamie Benn on the second powerplay unit. As evidenced by the picture above, he really could have used some Vitamin B Complex.
The situation was less than ideal, particularly for a rookie head coach, but it wasn't all bad. His midseason handling of Mike Ribeiro showed that he is willing to try new, seemingly out-of-left-field tactics when his current tactics aren't cutting it. Gulutzan goes into 2013 behind the bench of a reborn organization with a year of experience that he can draw from.
Dallas AARP Membership Doubles
The Stars additions of Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr seem strange at first glance, and they took their fair share of criticism. The trade of Mike Ribeiro for Cody Eakin and continued commentary of GM Joe Nieuwendyk signalled that the Stars were focused on moving forward with their youth playing key roles. Signing 40 year old Whitney initially cast some doubt on that plan. The further signing of Jagr opened the plan to more criticism.
Signing 40 year olds to big money deals is a risky strategy. Teemu Selanne excluded, 40 year olds are on the wrong end of the development curve. Older players are more prone to the physical rigors of an 82 game NHL season. Players eventually breakdown. Either Whitney or Jagr (or both) could breakdown in 2013 thus leaving the Stars in the same position they were in prior to the ink drying on the deals. Yet the main point of consternation arising from the signings were the immediate images that came to mind of Mike Modano wearing a Red Wings jersey.
Modano leaving was a traumatic experience for the Stars fanbase, and the inevitable parallels were drawn when the Stars signed two 40 year olds to fill a role fans felt Modano could fill two years ago. The Stars roster construction is much different now than it was when they let Modano walk though. Unlike Modano, Jagr and Whitney currently both fill needs. In the final month of the season both Adam Burish and Steve Ott were skating in the top six. Adding proven top six scoring wingers like Jagr and Whitney should protect the Stars from something similar happening in 2013.
They could have filled those holes internally in training camp. Being a team in transition, the idea that they should give more opportunity to younger players made some sense in theory. In practice, however, the Stars betting wholly on youngsters and incumbents would have been shooting themselves in the foot before the first puck dropped. Handing top six roles to unproven prospects by choice can be a recipe for disaster. The Stars most obvious potential top six option, Reilly Smith, got his late season audition. In a limited sample, Smith proved he was completely unprepared for the NHL. Click here for visual evidence of his defensive "prowess".
The additions of Jagr and Whitney put the Stars in position to protect their youth a bit going forward. They also shouldn't be forced to depend on a subpar third line. Defensively the trio of Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak, and Eric Nystrom were adequate. They were forced into the role of a checking line due to the Stars lack of depth though, and it wasn't a fit. The trio had a very difficult time counter attacking against more offensively gifted competition. They generated the fewest shots collectively out of the Stars four lines, and got stuck in their own end too often. The Stars newfound depth will push Nystrom and Fiddler further down the lineup into more appropriate roles thus giving them more opportunities to succeed.
Similar motivations were behind the Stars essentially swapping Mike Ribeiro for Derek Roy. Ribeiro was a below average possession player last season in sheltered minutes playing with the Stars top wingers. No one is going to accuse Derek Roy of being a shutdown defensive player, but he has proven the ability to produce without being sheltered as evidenced by his 44 points in 80 games with the Sabres matching him against the top competition of the opposition on a nightly basis. By being able to handle more difficult minutes he allows the Stars to be more flexible in how they deploy Jamie Benn. Roy and Ray Whitney both bring similar dependability to a Stars top six that desperately needed it.
Not So Special Teams
The Stars special teams as a whole weren't good, although the penalty killing settled in at the middle of the pack. The powerplay was the main problem, finishing the season 1/10th of a point behind the Phoenix Coyotes for last in the league. The Stars, for whatever reason, were unable to generate much in the way of shots with the extra man. They generated only 39.8 S/60 on the powerplay which again was dead last behind the Coyotes. The last team before the Stars to generate so few shots on the powerplay was the 2007/2008 Edmonton Oilers.
Jamie Benn led the Stars in S/60 on the powerplay, but his 39.5 isn't among the better totals in the league. The top players in the league are generally in the 50's. The past two years the Stars generated 47.5 and 60 S/60 with Benn on the ice. Mike Ribeiro, normally a proficient powerplayer, was last among Stars regular skaters in S/60. Something in the Stars powerplay tactics really supressed their shot totals. They will need to figure out what that is to take another step forward. The additions of good powerplay players like Whitney, Jagr, and Derek Roy should inject plenty of new blood into the unit, especially since all three would have been the Stars top average shot generator with the extra man last year.
Unfortunately for the Stars these powerplay changes won't be able to make a difference if they are unable to get on the job more often. Only four teams were on the powerplay less often than the Stars. Part of the problem is that the Stars themselves were often in the penalty box. Only five teams were shorthanded more often. The Stars special teams time differential of -42 minutes was dead last in the league by almost a full seven minutes, and the worst since the 2008/09 Flyers hit -54:27.
They have taken some moves to address this issue. Stars pest Steve Ott was dealt to Buffalo. Penalty machine Brenden Morrow is going to be taking a smaller role next season. Yet the biggest dent in the deficit will come from letting Souray walk. Souray took 23 penalties last season while drawing only four. That's to be expected to some degree while playing in a defensive role, but putting the Stars behind the eight ball an extra 19 times is excessive.
Youth Movement
Luckily for Stars fans, the club isn't only setting up a convalescent home for aging stars. The Dallas organization has some capable youth on the horizon including Philip Larsen, Tomas Vincour, and Brenden Dillon. All three are expected to be on the NHL roster this coming season. Larsen grew significantly during the 2012 season. As the season progressed he got more and more comfortable with the physical game which allowed him to be a much more consistent defensive contributor. Vincour, despite still being raw offensively, was among the Stars top possession players. Ryan Garbutt, a 26 year old rookie , was very impressive in his debut. He showed potential as a physical depth forechecker.
Dallas' AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, will have some legitimate potential NHL talent for the first time in their existence. Prospects Reilly Smith, Austin Smith, Scott Glennie, Jack Campbell, Jamie Oleksiak, and Alex Chiasson should all be on the roster. Big blueliner Patrik Nemeth should see ice time as well. This group lacks superstar-level ceiling, but they make up for it by having high enough floors to suggest they should all be NHL caliber players down the line.
The group likely isn't going to be together in Austin for long. Glennie is probably already a legitimate bottom six option. The Stars really like his game, and it's easy to see why. He has developed into a very good forechecker who plays with a good amount of energy. Relly Smith might not be in Austin long either. The Stars thought highly enough of Reilly Smith to sign him to an entry level contract at the end of last season, so they are probably thinking he can make the roster soon as well. Alex Chiasson might be the best of the forward group though. He was physically dominant in the NCAA tournament last year, and in the Stars recent rookie development camp he put his offensive skills on display.
I Want Me Some Glory Hole
Via user Sanewspaper123 on Wikipedia Commons
When Jerry Jones uttered this wonderful phrase at his annual State of the Cowboys press conference he was speaking confusing sentiments that could be applied to both the Dallas Cowboys and Stars. The words aren't as important as the ideas he was trying to convey. The Cowboys, like the Stars, long for the glory days when they were respected. Both franchises appear to be on the right track.
The Stars went item by item down their offseason agenda checking off one need after another. They improved their depth. addressed their powerplay, decreased their tendency to take penalties, and did so without sacrificing any significant future assets. They likely haven't made themselves into a top team yet, but some of the subtle changes they've undergone should put them back in the playoffs as early as 2013.
Recently on NHL Numbers
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I want to thank each and every member of the RACHC who came to the March meeting to get to know me. I enjoyed answering your many questions about health care.
It has taken me some time, but I've even learned to use your blog in order to continue our dialogue. See, you can teach an old perro new tricks!
I would like to be the one to announce, in response to your request, that the Rio Arriba Board of County Commissioners will be supporting the work of the health council with seed money in the upcoming fiscal year. It won't replace the zeroing out of health council funding by the Department of Health, but it will enable you to continue the outstanding work you have been doing.
Several nights ago, I had the opportunity to speak to the League of Women Voters in Los Alamos. Many questions were asked about water and the environment. While I did not have the opportunity to speak with the RACHC about Rio Arriba's water resources, I realize that the issue is important to your membership. I would like to share some of my thoughts with you now.
Continue reading »


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quote:
Originally posted by aturner
How many times and ways do I have to ask!? I just want to know if you think the lessons from 1980's Afghanistan can help us decide on the best path for Iraq?

"Bush took 14 months of pleading with the UN to force Iraq to live up to it's post Gulf War agreement to rid itself of WMD, etc.
Hardly a rush to war and the delay gave Saddam time to hide or remove to other countries the WMDs that we knew he had or was in the process of acquiring". - quoted from an excerpt on this page:  Stop blaming America for terrorism
The United States was trying to keep Western Europe free from Soviet domination. We have idly sat by, these past 20-someodd years, threatening to invade Iraq if they did not comply with the agreement that ended the Gulf War.
The best path for Iraq cannot be decided by a group of people who believe that dying as a martyr will ensure you entry into heaven.
The best path cannot be decided by the United States, who's real goal is not only to keep a nation from "amassing" biological and nuclear weapons, but also to keep communistic governments from controlling the oil fields.
All that we've learned over the past years that you cannot make idle threats. There are way too many people (all over the world) that perceive the U.S. as the big bad wolf. But I see just the opposite. So do we make our house out of straw, or do we make it out of reinforced concrete?
I'm sure we could easily "huff and puff and blow the [intercourse]ing shit out of the entire contry" but then everyone (the rest of the world) would make their house out of reinforced concrete.
We fight with one arm tied behind our back, as the other arm is busy writing pleas to the UN.


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The Blue Jays held a press conference yesterday to publicly discuss their mega-trade to obtain, among others, Jose Reyes, their controversial signing of Melky Cabrera and the hiring of John Gibbons as manager. Meanwhile, the Royals announced they had inked Jeremy Guthrie to a three-year, $25 million contract.
On the surface the two major baseball stories of the day have little in common. But let's see if I can connect the dots to R.A. Dickey or — more rightfully — why the Mets have to seriously consider trading the NL Cy Young winner, as painful as that might be.
First, let's take the Blue Jays, currently the most go-for-it team in the AL. They sensed vulnerability in the AL East with, among other items, the Yankees hoarding pennies and the Red Sox trying to regain their bearings after a 2012 combustion.
In response, the Jays have added eight major leaguers since the season ended: Giving a three-year contract to essentially a backup infielder (Maicer Izturis), a two-year contract to a drug cheat (Cabrera), trading their manager, John Farrell, to Boston for Mike Aviles and then dealing Aviles and Yan Gomes to Cleveland for reliever Esmil Rogers, and also swapping seven young pieces to the Marlins for Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck. That latter deal added $146.5 million to Toronto's future payrolls and you can think of that as a poker stake moving the Blue Jays all in.
Yet, they are still looking for a top-of-the-rotation starter.
No one would confuse Guthrie with the members of that genre. In the 3 1⁄2 years he spent with Baltimore and Colorado before being traded to Kansas City last July 20, the righty was 33-57 with a 4.64 ERA. Desperate for starting pitching, the Royals overlooked the big sample — Guthrie has the worst winning percentage (.417) among active pitchers with at least 175 starts — to hope his 14 starts for them (5-3, 3.16 ERA) were representative of what he is going to be in his age 34-to-36 seasons.
The Royals similarly threw a Hail Mary in acquiring Ervin Santana from the Angels after the righty produced the majors' fifth-worst ERA (5.16) among 88 qualifiers. In fact, at this moment, KC has four of the 11-worst ERAs from last season in its rotation: Luke Hochevar (5.73, second worst), Santana, Bruce Chen (5.07, sixth) and Guthrie (4.76, 11th), though Hochevar could be a non-tender candidate. Still, after doing quite a bit of work to try to make inroads toward the top of the AL Central, the Royals sure look as if they need a top-of-the-rotation starter, too.
So let's do a little summing up here: The early free-agent signings are honoring the worst fears of many organizations, that the flood of money in the game is going to mean longer, more expensive contracts than in recent offseasons — just check out what far-from-sure-things Izturis, Cabrera and Guthrie received in multi-year deals. That has led to many executives telling me they plan to investigate the trade market even more thoroughly to see if better bargains can be found there, especially when it comes to starting pitching.
In the Blue Jays and Royals you have motivated clubs, with deep farm systems, who have each indicated their next big move will be to trade for a front-of-the-rotation-type starter. And they are not the only teams that could use someone like, yep, Dickey. The Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Angels, Rangers and Brewers also are looking at that commodity.
Dickey is due $5 million next year — a price any team could afford — but what was interesting was how many outside executives suggested the Mets could expect even more back if they gave a window to an interested team to work out an extension.
Jeff Wilpon told reporters yesterday it is still the Mets' hope to extend both David Wright and Dickey. However, as I reported from the General Managers Meetings, the Mets were not talking to other teams about Wright, but were about Dickey. And it is conceivable, since the knuckleballer does not appear to be asking for top-of-the-market dollars, he would be amenable to doing an extension if traded to a place he favors.
There also was something else from the GM Meetings — it was hard to miss how much time Mets and Blue Jays executives spent together. Also, keep in mind one of the keys to facilitating the Marlins-Blue Jays deal was new Miami manager Mike Redmond had just spent two years managing in the Toronto system so he was familiar with the talent. Influential Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi was the Blue Jays' GM from 2001-2009 and, for example, drafted Jake Marsinick, a key player who just went from Toronto to Miami.
The recent influx of talent plus a strong system leaves Toronto with, among other things, two power-hitting young catchers in Travis d'Arnaud and J.P. Arencibia (drafted by Ricciardi), two athletic center fielders in Rajai Davis and Anthony Gose, and two high-end pitching prospects who just completed Low-A, Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Sanchez.
Several executives I spoke to said they could not imagine Toronto giving up a player from each of those subsets for Dickey in just 2013, but believe it would be more open-minded to doing so if Dickey were willing to do an extension. The Mets could use the catcher and center fielder now, and hope the high-end young starter eventually joins Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler in a powerful rotation.
But this is just me imagining what a trade could look like. The key element — the one that is obvious, not imagination — is the current state of the free-agent market and/or the hunger to compete next year by many teams such as the Jays and Royals could create a market for Dickey that the Mets, at the very least, must explore thoroughly.


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Manya Shorr
I've worked in libraries for more than half my life. I began as a Page (shelver) at the Huntington Research Library in Southern California. I worked at my college library and public libraries ever since. I currently work for Omaha Public Library in Omaha, NE. I recently made the switch from a decade in youth services to adult reference and programming.
I have a passion for outreach and programming for micro-communities. I believe that while new technologies are great, the way we market ourselves is even more important. We have to prove to people that libraries are still relevant to their lives and I have some opinions on how to do that.
Emerging Leaders is a wonderful opportunity for me. I am looking forward to connecting with other library folks and figuring out how to be the best librarian I can be.


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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 12, 2013) – Seventy-five players have been named to the initial watch list for the ninth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, and junior Buccaneer right-hander Will Chesney (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been selected to the list.
Chesney – who didn't allow an earned run in 10 of his 13 appearances – went 1-0 along with striking out seven and issuing one walk in 11.2 innings pitched in 2012. The Knoxville, Tenn. native earned the win after tossing one inning of one-hit ball versus Mercer and pitched two perfect innings at UNC Asheville.
Chesney and the Bucs open the 2013 campaign on Friday afternoon when ETSU hosts Penn State at 2:35 p.m. from Thomas Stadium.
Fans looking to purchase tickets to Friday's season opener or season tickets for the 2013 season can do so by calling (423) 439-3878, or by clicking here for online purchasing.
About the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award
Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relations contacts. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 16, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 5, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional tournament competition.
From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner. The ninth annual winner will be announced in Omaha on Saturday, June 15, the opening day of the College World Series.
Texas hurler J. Brent Cox won the inaugural Stopper of the Year Award in 2005, with Don Czyz of Kansas claiming the honor in 2006 and Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State winning it in 2007. Georgia's Joshua Fields topped the field in 2008, San Diego State's Addison Reed grabbed the honor in 2009 and Texas' Chance Ruffin earned the honor in 2010. Knebel won in 2011 with Southeastern Louisiana's Stefan Lopez picking up the honor in 2012.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's top player. It also selects All-America Teams for all Divisions, a Division I Freshman All-American team, Division I and III Players of the Week, Division I District Players of the Year and Division III Players of the Year.
For more information on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, contact Judy Willson at the Mountain West Conference at 719-488-4052.
2013 NCBWA Stopper of the Year key dates:
• Thurs., Feb. 7: Preseason Watch List
• Week of April 16: Midseason Watch List
• Wed., June 5: Stopper of the Year finalists announced
• Sat., June 15: NCBWA Stopper of the Year announced (Omaha, Neb.)
ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for "Buc Updates." Click here to sign up today!
For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball page.


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ensure-memory-after-store is a synchronization function which ensures order of memory between operations in different threads.
See Ensuring order of memory between operations in different threads for a full description and example.
You should have a good understanding of multiprocessing issues at the CPU level to write code that actually needs this.
LispWorks User Guide and Reference Manual - 20 Sep 2017


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ALL UPDATES After original post BELOW – Need Viral Assistance.
For A Shortcut – The conclusion is HERE
The White House has refused repeated attempts by journalists to produce pictures of President Obama and his team in the White House Situation Room during the 9-11 Benghazi terrorist attacks [3:30pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time].
Personally, after researching the offical reports minute by minute, and comparing them to the media released statements, I believe the Situation Room was empty.
Today the White House released this picture taken on 9-11-12. It was included in a White House FLICKR Album "The Year In Pictures". You Decide:
(Sept. 11, 2012) – "Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, left, updates the President and Vice President on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Chief of Staff Jack Lew are at right." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
A couple of notes: It's twilight outside, so this is close to sunset on September 11th. The vehicles are noted through the window and you can tell it is twilight. Sunset Was 7:22pm, with end of civil twilight at 7:49pm on Sept 11th 2012. The metadata embedd shows the picture was taken at 7:26pm.
So this picture was taken four hours after the fire-fight started, and they are NOT in the "situation room". We know the video & audio feed from the Benghazi faux-State Dept. Consulate was live; So, simultaneous to this photograph it was 1:26am Benghazi Time. That is the exact time (01:30am) the rescue team of Navy SEAL's Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty arrived back in the CIA annex with the body of Sean Smith.
The first Reuters report did not hit the media until 00:30am on Sept. 12th, and was not reported on TV until approx 00:45 eastern (6:45am Benghazi) as a "breaking story".
POTUS "Schedule Binder" is on the couch in front of Donilon, it is closed. Someone is visible in the reflection at the collar of McDonough. Someone else is visible (seated) in the reflection over the shoulder of Lew. Neither are the photographer.
Biden is holding scratch notes [of events?] including people. One of the first notes is "Rice to BD or BB" (?) (Click HERE For BIG VERSION) [4096 x 2731 pixel]
What is written on the paper in the hands of VP Biden?
Again – A Big Downloadable Version Is HERE – Does anyone have good imaging software to clean up the pixel distortion? [Here is another image black/white blown up from Reegs]
Reports 'after the fact' stated President Obama went to bed at 00:30am – while Ambassador Stevens was still missing. President Obama spoke in the Rose Garden at approximately 11am 9/12 before flying to Nevada for a campaign fundraiser.
Linked at iOTW -and- Free Republic – Thanks.
HatTip Recoverydotgod for an example of Biden's handwriting (link):
Update 1. Here are some graphics to understand camera angle:
Update 2. Need Comparison Timeline from "official" WH/state dept. reports as to who was where, when. So we can compare them to "official" state dept./Pentagon timeline for actual attack happening on ground in Benghazi.
Also, what were offical schedules for players? on that date.
Update 3. Possible the notes in Biden's hand have to do with phone call earlier to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which occurred on same date. White House Link
Sept 11, 2012 President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu for an hour tonight as a part of their ongoing consultations. The two leaders discussed the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, and our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues. (link)
and CNN Story Link.
Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Tuesday night about the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, according to a White House statement.
Obama placed the call to Netanyahu, a senior administration official told CNN. […] The Obama administration pushed back later Tuesday… (link)
However, non of this changes the aspect of inquiry. If the attack began at 3:30pm (DC time) 9:30pm (Benghazi) – Then what was happening at 7:30pm when this picture was taken? Obviously POTUS was not situationally aware. Was this the "first" notification of the crisis? Yet it is a FULL FOUR HOURS after the attack began?
Update 4. Here is a brief timeline: Compiled from HERE and HERE
Timeline of 9/11 Benghazi Consulate Attack According to CBS:
Ambassador Stevens sent cables to DC citing security incidents and "growing frustration with police and security forces who were too weak to keep the country secure."
CBS elaborated on the video protest in Cairo, nearly 750 miles away.
9:00 p.m. – Ambassador Stevens goes to bed. There are five security agents on site, three based in Benghazi and two traveling with Stevens. The front gate is staffed by Libyan security guards.
9:40 pm – Gunfire is heard and dozens of armed people flow through the gate at the main entrance. The CIA security team in the annex and the Libyan 12th of February Brigade, which they claim is one of the most powerful militias serving as a presence in Benghazi. The embassy in Tripoli and State Department command are notified.
State Dept. Diplomatic Security follow the events in real time via audio.
All but one agent in the compound leaves to get gear in another building. The mob sets fire to the Libyan barracks on site. The agent with the Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, Scott Strickland, secures the men in an unvented windowless room.
The attackers get into the building where the Ambassador, Smith and Stickland are hiding. They set it on fire. Strickland leaves by a window but the two men are not behind him. He returns to look for them several times but can't find them because of the heavy smoke. He goes to the roof and radios the other agents.
Three agents return to look for the men and find Smith's body which they take with them.
Hillary Clinton is told of the incident shortly after it began at 4 pm DC time, 10 pm Benghazi time, and she in turn calls Libyan President Mohammed Magariaf to enlist his support.
10:05 pm: government and intelligence agencies re alerted including the White House Situation Room, the office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI. They are informed that "US Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack" — "approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well. Ambassador Stevens, who is currently in Benghazi, and four COM (Chief of Mission/embassy) personnel are in the compound safe haven."
10:25 pm: A six-member CIA team arrives at the annex with 40 to 60 members of the Libyan brigade. They remove Smith's body.
10:54 p.m. (4:54 p.m. ET): An alert from the State Dept. Operations Center: "the firing… in Benghazi has stopped. A response team is on site attempting to locate COM personnel."
11 p.m. (5 p.m. ET): Just ahead of the weekly meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey, White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon tells President Obama of the attack and the fire at the main villa. The president is updated several times throughout the evening.
At the compound, the 17th of February Brigade says they can't hold the perimeter and withdraws.
DS agents make final search for Stevens and leave with the CIA team in an armored vehicle heading for the annex, taking fire along the waInside room of murdered U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens
Of note, when CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer visited the compound in one of several trips to Libya, she found little evidence of an extensive firefight at the compound's walls and main gate, likely indicating the fiercest fighting occurred away from the compound.
Midnight (6 p.m. ET) Agents arrive at the annex, which receives sporadic small-arms fire and RPG rounds over a roughly 90-minute period. The security team returns fire and the attackers disperse.
12:07 a.m. (6:07 p.m. ET): An alert from the State Dept. Operations Center states that the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli reports the Islamic military group "Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibilty for Benghazi Attack"… "on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli."
Around 12:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. ET): The Pentagon issues an order to a special operations team in Europe to move to Sigonella, Sicily – less than one hour's flight away from Benghazi. Over the next three hours an additional special operations team based in the U.S. is ordered to deploy to Sigonella. Neither arrived in time.
1:00 a.m. (7 p.m. ET): The first of two unmanned U.S. Predator drones, which already had been flying over eastern Libya, is diverted to Benghazi, as reported by CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson and David Martin on Oct. 15.
1:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. ET): A U.S. security team from Embassy Tripoli lands in Benghazi and learn that the ambassador is missing. They try to arrange for transportation into town, with the goal of locating Stevens.
4:07 a.m. (10:07 p.m. ET): Secretary Clinton issues a statement acknowledging the death of one State Dept. officer.
5:00 a.m. (11:00 p.m.): A second U.S. Predator drone arrives, per CBS News' Attkisson and Martin.
5:15 a.m. (11:15 p.m. ET): The U.S. Regional Security Office in Tripoli gets a phone call from an Arabic-speaking source who says a Westerner has been found in Benghazi and is perhaps at a hospital. It's believed to be Ambassador Stevens. Transfer to airport is arranged.
At around the same time, the additional security team finds transportation from the airport under the escort of the Libyan Shield, another local militia, but decides to head to the annex after learning that Stevens was almost certainly dead. Just after their arrival, the annex takes mortar fire, sustaining three direct hits. The precision of the attacks indicates a level of sophistication and coordination.
Former U.S. Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty are killed in the mortar assault, which lasts just 11 minutes before dissipating; a DS agent and annex security member are severely wounded.
After the mortar attack, about 30 Americans evacuate the annex and head to the airport, with the assistance of the Libyan security convoy.
Ambassador Stevens is confirmed dead later that morning, as Americans see his body at the airport
The plane is too small for all of the Americans, so the first flight out takes U.S. diplomats and civilians to Tripoli, leaving behind security staff and bodies.
8:00 a.m. (2 a.m. ET): The second flight leaves Benghazi for Tripoli with U.S. security members and bodies.
President Obama is told of Stevens' death. State Department tells all diplomatic posts around the world to review their security posture and to take all necessary steps to enhance it
Update 5. More people concur, the notes in Biden's hand pertain to the phone convo with Netanyahu – not benghazi. There is a time of 6:2(?) written in his notes. This could be a Benghazi convo immediately following that phone call. (*off subject* funny how the media never reported Biden was on the phone — propping up inept Obama?)
However, knowing with specific certainty that this picture was taken at 7:26pm, if you really think about the prior reported timelines from the media –including those above – this photograph appears to destroy many of those previous timeline narratives regarding who was doing what, and when. Specifically it would be interesting to know where was Panetta and Dempsey when this photo was taken?
Previously Reported @ (5 p.m. ET): Just ahead of the weekly meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey, White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon tells President Obama of the attack and the fire at the main villa. The president is updated several times throughout the evening….
…"updated several times thoughout the evening"…. was this an update? Remember, again, this photo is FOUR hours after the attack began. Would POTUS take a previously scheduled call with Netanyahu at 6:30 ish (1:30am Israel) three hours into a known embassy attack ? Yeah, he was getting beat up by the Republicans about ignoring BiBi, but was that worry stronger than the situation in Benghazi? Lots of questions….
and where is Hillary?
Update #6 – Mystery Solved Maybe Congressional Investigators will get on board now. ==> CONCLUSION HERE


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Schlage makes it simple to get started with remote home security with this kit. Everything you need to make sure your home and family are safe and secure when you're not there is available in one box . Getting notified any time your loved ones come home or leave the house. Assigning codes to let in chosen guests. Turning on a light at night in an empty house making it look full of life. Nexia security features come together in a system you can manage and monitor any time, whether from your office computer or on the go from your tablet or smart phone.
Products Included in this Kit
- Nexia Bridge - Nexia Bridge is your system's workhorse, required to make Nexia Home Intelligence work. The Bridge connects all your Nexia products and (along with a Nexia subscription) allows you to remotely manage your home security and energy usage from the Internet.
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Please Note: In order to properly work Nexia Home Intelligence products require a Nexia Bridge (or former Schlage LiNK Bridge) included with this kit. The bridge connects your Nexia Home Intelligence Z-Wave components to your router, which in-turn allows you to control them. If you already have a bridge this product can be simply integrated into your existing network. It is important to note that this product will only work on Schlage's Nexia Home Intelligence system.
Additional Note: Remote management directly from your mobile device or computer with Nexia Home Intelligence requires a monthly subscription of $8.99 which can be activated with the manufacturer at any time upon setup of product. This standard subscription plan is really the best way to truly automate every aspect of your home and provides you with the most flexibility to run your home from wherever.
Nexia Home Intelligence is a smart, Internet based system that allows you to control your home from anywhere with most web-connected computers, tablets or smart phones. Wirelessly connect many compatible Z-Wave products through the Bridge to create a Nexia system that fits your life and family.
With Nexia Home Intelligence and a Schlage Home Keypad Lever you can:Dimmer Module
- The Nexia Bridge allows you secure home management through your online Nexia subscription.
- The Nexia Bridge connects to your router to allow you to control your home through a broadband Internet connection. It communicates wirelessly with many other Nexia-compatible Z-Wave products so that you have complete control over your home, whether you're at home or away.
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Keypad Lever
A Schlage Home Keypad Deadbolt makes it easy for you to know who's coming and going in your house. Entry codes help you control traffic and improve your sense of security when you're not there. Use Nexia Home Intelligence and Schlage to keep tabs on the front door, or check to make sure you locked up the house when you left for work.
- Grant entry to your home from anywhere when you need to let someone in but can't get there. You can activate your wireless lock from your Nexia subscription.
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- Add, delete or change user codes remotely.
- Confirm the status of your wireless lock anytime, from most web-connected computers, tablets or smart phones.
- Up to three years of battery life
- A Nexia product that blends easily into your smart home system
- Shows you battery level at the lock and online using your Nexia subscription
- Simple installation and setup - easy for non-do-it-yourselfers, too
- Paired with the Nexia Bridge, you'll be connected quickly
- Non-wearing keypad, lighted for nighttime use
The Schlage Home Dimmer Module puts smart home lighting control in your hands, from anywhere. All you need is Nexia Home Intelligence and most any web-connected computer, tablet or smart phone. It lets you do so much more than turn on a light.
- Set Nexia to automatically trigger 'lights on' with a Schlage Home Keypad Lock when you enter your code at the door.
- Reduce energy use and save money by turning lights off after you leave the house.
- Control table and floor lamps remotely through your Nexia subscription.
- Brighten or dim a room on your way home to prepare a comfortable setting.
- The Home Dimmer Module expands the reach of Nexia in your home by extending its range up to 200 additional feet so you can add more Nexia devices.
- The Home Dimmer Module provides one Nexia AC outlet and one standard AC outlet so you're not sacrificing any outlet space.
- Nexia Bridge - Nexia Bridge is your system's workhorse, required to make Nexia Home Intelligence work. The Bridge connects all your Nexia products and (along with a Nexia subscription) allows you to remotely manage your home security and energy usage from the Internet.
General Specifications Manufacturer Schlage Manufacturer Product No. FE599GRNX CAM 505 UPC 043156296286 Bridge Specifications Dimensions 4.8" H x 4.0" W x 1.4" D Weight 7 ounces Indoor / Outdoor For indoor use only Communication Z-Wave, FCC certified Manufacturer Warranty 2 Years Specifications Type Specification Keypad Lever Specification Dimensions 5.42" H x 3.17" W x 2.18" D Weight 5.8 pounds Keying 5 pin tumbler C keyway with 2 nickel silver keys Door Range 1.375" to 1.75" (35mm-44mm) standard Backset Size Universal latches and deadbolts fit 2.375" (60mm) or 2.75" (70mm) backset Security 128 bit AES encryption Communication Z-Wave, FCC certified Manufacturer Warranty Lifetime limited mechanical and I year limited electronics warranty Dimmer Module Specifications Dimensions 6.0" H x 4.4" W x 3.0" D Weight 8 ounces Indoor / Outdoor For indoor use only Communication Z-Wave, FCC certified Signal Frequency 908.42 MHz Bulb Compatibility Incandescent table and floor lamps Maximum Bulb Power Rating 300 Watts Power 120 VAC, 60 Hz
- 1x - Nexia Bridge
- 1x - Schlage Home Keypad Lever
- 1x - Schlage Home Dimmer Module
- 1x - Nexia Bridge


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Land Rover Roadside Assistance | Land Rover Potchefstroom
Being stranded on the side of the road can be a dangerous event in anyone's life – the proximity of the other vehicles rushing past or the threat of potential robbery in some areas means that you should never be left without the availability of assistance when you need it.
Land Rover has created Land Rover Assist for our Owners – and is your 24/7 dedicated roadside assistance helpline. Should you need any roadside assistance with mechanical or electrical breakdowns – as well as minor roadside emergencies, which require an immediate response – Land Rover Assist is there for you.
Please note that depending on the model, benefits apply during the first 3 years or 100,000km; or 5 years 100,000km whichever comes first and are limited to your country of residence.
Land Rover Roadside Assistance Contact Numbers
For any roadside assistance and emergencies for South African customers contact –
0861 LR Assist (0861 572 774 78)
For any roadside assistance and emergencies for Botswana & Namibia customers contact –
+27 11 9918765
When you dial in for assistance, be sure to have your VIN number handy for quick validation and assistance. If it is not available in your owner's manual, you will find your VIN number on your vehicle registration disc – it is an alpha numerical 17 digit number.
The Land Rover Assist benefits do not apply to:
- Any vehicle outside the warranty period.
- The cost of repairs or parts at the time of the incident.
- Expenses occurred by the owner when assistance was not requested via the Land Rover Assist call centre.
- Ensure you see the Land Rover, branded and numbered ID card from the Service Provider.
- Do not sign paperwork presented by a towing or roadside assistance service provider if you have not read thoroughly and understood clearly - especially after an accident.
- Refer to your owner's manual for technical enquiries regarding indicators on your dashboard or otherwise.
- Should you need technical advice please contact your nearest dealerships during office hours.
- If you are travelling outside the borders, ensure to request extended territory insurance from your Insurance Broker or Insurance Company.
- In the event of an accident, please ensure that your vehicle be towed to an Approved Body Repair Centre.


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After three hellish days in detox, Abby is finally feeling well enough, relatively speaking, to settle into a routine of sorts at the inpatient rehab center she's checked herself into. Throughout the detox process, throughout the tremors, nausea, debilitating headaches, and insomnia, all she's thought of (other than having a drink) is Lee and Lily. She's cried more than she'd ever admit, missing her husband and daughter and home almost to the point that she feels it physically. She almost regrets saying she needs to do this alone, but knows she'd never be able to do it if this wasn't her decision and hers alone.
But she still needs them. More than she's ever admitted to herself before. She takes a shower, subconsciously wanting to be fresh and clean for her first allowed phonecall after a successful completion of the detox process. She makes her way from her room to the main floor where she waits, impatiently, for her allotted time slot to begin.
When she finally gets on the phone, she freezes for a moment, her fingers forgetting what to do, what numbers to dial. When she shakes herself and dials the familiar numbers of Lee's phone, she can feel her heart banging around in her chest. What can he think of her now? Maybe he won't even want to talk to her. Maybe he's relieved to be rid of her and the mess she's made of her life. She wouldn't blame him, and she can feel her palms sweating as she listens to the phone ring.
He tries to pull her back, sorry that he's said anything. I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that. This is, it's been hard. And I miss you.
She sighs, relieved, as she lets him pull her back. I miss you too. You're all I've been thinking about. You and Lily.
He tightens his arm around her. You're constantly in my thoughts too. How you're doing, if you're finding the help you need. When you'll be coming back home.
She shifts Lily so the little girl is sandwiched between her parents, so Abby can wrap an arm around Lee's middle. I'm getting better. It's true; she believes she is. It's a six-week program, you know that.
He nods. Doesn't mean I don't think about how much longer that is. He smiles at Lily as the little girl looks up at him. And I'm glad you feel like it's working for you. He clears his throat then, unsure of how she'll react to what he has to say next. I've ah, I've gone to a few Al-Anon meetings since you've been here.
She looks up at him in surprise. Yeah? How...how is it? She's slightly wary; she's never been to an Al-Anon meeting nor known anyone who has, but she can't help but imagine them as alcoholic-bashing, venting sessions.
He hesitates to answer, her reaction making him doubt the decision to tell her about the meetings. It was nice to know that I'm not the only one dealing with the other side of alcoholism and that I'm not being unreasonable with the way I've felt about it.
That's good...His answer makes her feel even a little more apprehensive, though she's glad he's finding the meetings helpful. She clears her throat. What way you've felt?
He sighs. Like this is my fault. That I should have been able to do something for you before it got so bad. He looks away, not wanting to admit where he was wrong but doing it anyway. Realizing that all I was doing was enabling you.
She'd expected feelings towards her like anger and disgust, not this. While she's relieved in a way, she's also dismayed; she can't say to him that he hadn't been enabling her and yet she won't use his mistakes as an excuse for her own downward spiral. Instead, she turns her head so her face presses against his shoulder. I love you.
He rests his cheek against the top of her head. He doesn't know what she expected him to say and he won't ask. I love you too, I'm not going to stop loving you Abigail.
She nods, tightening her arm around him. Thank you.
He nods slightly. I don't know how to not love you and I refuse to learn.
She feels tears pricking at her closed eyelids at his words, but she's brought out of the moment by Lily's little hands patting her face. She opens her eyes and smiles down at their daughter. And we love you too, Lilybug. Yes, we do.
Aww, Mama. The little girl continues to pat her face, mimicking the way her father coos at her when she's upset.
Lee can't help but smile at Lily's actions. I don't know where she picked that up.
Lee can't help but smile at Lily's actions. I don't know where she picked that up.


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Finra Narrows the Scope of its Suitability Rule
Brokers may be breathing a little easier. Wall Street's self-regulator has scaled back its interpretation of who counts as a customer, alleviating broker concerns about being held liable for recommendations made in pitches to prospects.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the rarer the room ... I was worried it back to his inability will can bring a little bit easier ... this is the beest Caitlin is ... sick and impress on my sweats in ability ... so certainly isn't a ... piece and the broker had ... to make sure that every recommended securities transaction or ... investment strategy is suitable for the client base ... clients investment ... I'm so what if in a say about this this summer ... so this summer and a beefed up its suitability rule ... on it added to the lives of customer information better broker must generally tried eclectic in Alliance before making a recommendation ... and also conforms brokers liable for corporate committee said ... it isn't the explicitly tell a customer data to stick with existing investment ... on what had brokers a look here and once there is broad interpretation of ... who counts as a customer you face an informal relationships accounts ... and tidy can cover recommendations made to the potential and after a ... while ... so that that's a pretty broad umbrella when that this December they ... updated the selection yet so in December that production additional guidance on on the wall ... I didn't speak a scaled back the possible circumstances in which the suitability obligations that the trigger ... on any cited that potential investor ... might actually become a customer ... in order to to trigger the ruling and the brokers obligation ... interesting ... so the Phillies brokers that a lot of responsibility to that system counter protest in it so they have to worry about on ... ever Mindy Sandy to someone who doesn't act on and where to execute that transaction away from their firm or on their own ... on the brokers ... don't have to be very concerned about stability in general ... on and stability is one of the most common claims brought an arbitration and ... it is something that brokers have to really focus ... that said thank you so much in the gym ...


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Teaching an old ninja new tricks.
Have you ever dreamt that there was more to your past than you thought you knew?
That you were, in truth, really the heir to a distant country or a descendant
of some great hero? In my case, the dream has come true, for I am not what I seem
to be. You see, while many of you know me as Brian Gee, Game Revolution geek,
I am actually Brian Gee, Super
As a child I was raised by a small yet rabid pack of ninjas who instilled
in me lethal skills that no mortal man could comprehend. I could sneak undetected
into the most heavily guarded areas, leap through treetops as if I was walking
through a park, even kill a man with a grain of rice. Sadly, however, all these
skills came crashing to a halt at the tender age of four after a freak accident
during a game of Dodge the Burning Shuriken. These days, I simply master the
arts of the whirling control pad and live the life of what-could-have-been on
a TV screen.
for me, Sega has revived a classic ninja game through which I can relive my
glory days. Shinobi, Sega's ninja game for the next generation, pits
players against legions of hell-spawned adversaries in a quest to stop an evil
sorcerer from unleashing eternal darkness upon the world. It's got a lot of
the classic ninja action we've come to expect from the Shinobi series,
but like me, that old ninja magic has lost a bit of its luster.
You're Hotsuma, the leader of the ancient Oboro clan of ninja. One day a massive earthquake hits and reawakens an extremely powerful (and pissed off) sorcerer whose scrawny butt was kicked by your ancestors. This time, though, the bad guy wins and takes revenge by slaughtering your entire clan – minus you, of course. Things get even worse when he reanimates your fallen comrades and send them all out to kill you. What a bummer. Hope none of them owed you money.
So off you go on a nice little third-person action romp to stop the mad magician
from unleashing hell on Earth. You'll hack, you'll slash and you'll bounce all
over the place like a little ninja gummi-bear on speed. Eventually, you'll meet
up with some boss and hack and slash his butt, too. It's a little disappointing
that the gameplay hasn't changed at all over these many years, as this basic
formula has been applied to a ton of games before. Still, Shinobi does
have enough tidbits of ninja goodness to hold your attention.
The first thing you'll probably notice is the awesome FMV that populates the
areas between levels. In-game visuals aren't too shabby either, thanks to a
solid framerate and nice textures. Players are able to choose from the original
Japanese dialogue and a surprisingly good English dub. Not a bad presentation
at all…so what's the game like?
Shinobi vaguely reminds me of what Capcom's Onimusha
Warlords would look like if it starred Todd McFarlane's Spawn with
a big sack o' shuriken. Hotsuma looks a lot like Spawn in his 26-foot long red
cape (how the hell does he get his ninja on in that thing?) and his cursed blade
is cut from the same mold that gave Samanosuke his Ogre power. Instead of sucking
souls, the cursed blade Akujiki draws power from enemies' deaths and becomes
temporarily more powerful. But of course, if you neglect to feed little Akujiki,
it will start to gnaw on the soul of the one who wields it. This makes it vital
to move quickly through a level, for a slow ninja is a dead ninja.
That's pretty much what Shinobi's gameplay boils down to – speed. As
you progress through each level you'll be challenged to stay ahead of both enemies
and your sword by killing often and quickly. A cool ninja dash is one of the
abilities you'll rely on to get places fast and avoid those unseemly death chops
from adversaries. Using this dash not only speeds you around to the backsides
of your enemies, it will also trick the bad guys into following the shadow that
you leave behind. It's definitely a handy little ability for those claustrophobic
And speaking of handy abilities, who can forget the ninja magic that was a
staple of classic Shinobi? Uh, the developers, that's who, because the
ninja magic has taken a nosedive toward the abyss of uselessness. Three powers
are available for use, but only one of them is worth executing. Since such a
large part of the game is speed, you'll constantly be avoiding enemies, making
the Shield power near useless. It only lasts a few seconds and won't save you
much time even if you are low on life. The Projectile magic is also pretty useless,
since Hotsuma is already equipped with plenty of shuriken. The only magic you'll
ever need is the Explosive magic that unleashes a powerful blast on enemies.
Best saved for boss battles, this magic can mean the difference between victory
and yet another retry.
ninja ability you'll need to perfect is the ability to hop from wall to wall.
Like Spider-man, Hotsuma can run along smooth vertical surfaces with no trouble.
Some levels are almost exclusively a wall crawl and the slightest mistake will
send you plunging into the mysterious depths.
Consiering the fast action, tight control is a necessity for a good experience.
While Shinobi's control does most of the work it needs to, there is definitely
one aspect that you'll wish you could cut out with your sword. For some reason,
Hotsuma's momentum factor is inconsistent. On many occasions, I would run and
jump toward a flying opponent, only to have Hotsuma pop straight up into the
air. On other occasions, I would double-flip, ninja dash over a gap only to
stop suddenly and take the plunge mere inches from safety. And sometimes, things
would work out just like they were supposed to. Inconsistency at its finest.
The camera also has trouble keeping up with the speed and you'll find yourself constantly hitting the 'center view' button. It gets really hairy with multiple enemies or in close quarters, so you'll just have to hack, slash and speed your way out of it.
Some of you may be thinking that you'll just speed through the entire game.
This isn't the case, as Shinobi's high level of difficulty will make
sure your ninja skills are appropriately challenged. Some levels come down to
trial and error and some of the repetition can be frustrating, but for the most
part you'll be greatly challenged to become a master of all ninja abilities.
Finding the secret crests of the Oboro clan that are hidden throughout the game
will lead to a few unlockables and a little more replay value, but there's nothing
to get excited over.
And that's pretty much what Shinobi is like – nothing to get excited
over. Classic gameplay appears in a flash with great presentation to beef it
out, but its appeal can disappear in a puff of smoke with numerous annoying
issues and ramped up difficulty. This ninja needs a little more training before
he becomes the perfect weapon.


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Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
A disturbed-looking woman named Anna enters a Paris apartment building where white-collar professionals conduct business from their homes. The concierge--whose chronic involvement in a dopey soap opera is a wink to the melodrama at work in ordinary lives--tells her that Dr. Monnier's practice is on the fifth floor. Anna takes the elevator, chooses a door and is admitted by William, whose secretary has left for the day. Obviously upset, Anna explains it's an emergency. With minimum prompting from William, she quickly reveals she's been married for four years and works in an upscale luggage boutique. Her husband is unemployed, and, although their love life was formerly quite satisfying, they haven't had sex for six months. She thinks she's going crazy. Talking seems to make Anna feel better and she spontaneously proposes a date and time for their next appointment. She then leaves without having given her name or phone number. Later, William explains his predicament to ex-wife Jeanne; the audience discovers that although he does have a couch in his office and there was a book about psychoanalysis on his desk, William is actually a financial planner specializing in tax problems. Psychiatrist Dr. Monnier, whom Anna meant to see, has an office a few doors down on the same floor. Jeanne, who's traded in the unassuming and fastidious William for outgoing hulk Luc, tells her former love that he must come clean. But although William does his level best to remedy the misunderstanding, Anna doesn't let him get a word in edgewise on her subsequent visit as she spills ever more intimate details about her private life.


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So you're a billionaire Emir and you're convinced all those South Asian temporary workers building up your next 90-story development are going to revolt against you any day now. You need a Dakar-grade escape vehicle, but which one? Kamaz is here to help you decide.
This is the 2003 International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, and those are Russian Kamaz trucks strutting their military-grade stuff in front of prospective buyers. As you can see, they come in eight-, six-, and four-wheel drive, and if you skip to 0:50 in the video, you can see they can handle getting airborne, too. Nothing but the finest for our oil magnate overlords.


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And it was all just a 'Dream' – "Bobby, it was awful" .
Time to wake up !
And it was all just a 'Dream' – "Bobby, it was awful" .
Time to wake up !
Recently I viewed a video of an interview between Russell Brand and David Icke which can be found at the bottom of the article . In the video, David Icke compares our reality to a 'Lunatic Asylum' . I have used this metaphor many times but watching the video, the analogy really hit home .
The Lunatic Asylum is a very large hospital and at present, holds approximately 7 billion human inmates . The vast majority of the patients have no idea that they live in an asylum, as they have all been born into the hospital and believe there is nothing outside it . Very few ever question the situation and accept the strange customs of the hospital without thinking, as this is the way it's always been .
The patients divide themselves into different groups which they call countries and they continually fight amongst themselves . A lot of the patients are bullies and they are always looking for fights with the weaker members of the asylum, for power and control . All the patients will eventually die but it is replenished with new inmates, as the patients reproduce .
The grounds of the asylum are actually very pleasant . It has breathtaking scenery with beautiful green fields, rivers and mountains and supplies an abundance of everything but the patients squabble amongst themselves and attempt to keep this abundance for themselves . Sometimes groups are not able to feed themselves because the greediest take what they can and won't share it with the rest of the patients . And even though the grounds are beautiful, some of the inmates don't care and poison them so they can get more .
The asylum has Staff to look after the patients . As the patients can be a bit hyperactive, the staff have devised various techniques and games to drug the inmates to keep them under control . One of the most popular games is 'Monopoly ' . In this game, the patients attempt to accumulate as many bits of paper, coin, shiny bits of metal and land as they can and the winners of the game are very proud of themselves and believe they are better than the other patients .
The staff also like to keep everyone busy and have invented a system called 'Work' where from a young age the patients go to different establishments within the hospital and are kept busy doing useless and repetitive tasks . And it is only when they are very old does the work stop . Another technique to keep everyone distracted are recreational films and television which the patients really like, and they are also used by the staff to tell the inmates what to do and think . The male patients enjoy physical sports such as running and playing games with balls and these games are shown a lot on the tele-visual screens, and everyone gets really excited about them . And the staff have arranged a competitive game for the female patients – "Who is the prettiest Princess ?" .
Actually, the staff are not staff but are in fact, patients who have taken control of the hospital and like to tell the other inmates what to do but have put on a white coat with a badge titled 'Staff' on the lapel, which makes them think they are really important . And the staff have convinced other patients to control the rest of the hospital with force and violence if they think it is necessary . But like the patients, the staff are unaware they are in a Lunatic Asylum but in the Boardroom of the hospital, the directors are fully aware of the situation but want to keep everyone within the asylum, for their own reasons, and ironically declare that patients who say the hospital is an asylum are 'Mad' .
But there is another facet to the Lunatic Asylum which the patients don't know and that is, there are not a multitude of patients but in fact only one patient and the Asylum does not really exist . This patient is very scared and suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and has retreated into a make believe world where he imagines that he is many separated individuals all alone in the world . He is, in fact a voluntary patient in his own hospital and out of fear has become institutionalised . Not a good prognosis for the patient .
But there can be a happy ending for the patient . The patient is not really mad at all you see, but is only dreaming of Madness in a nightmare of death, fear, scarcity, greed, hate and guilt . And even more encouragingly, the 'Cure' is surprisingly simple . All he has to do is let the nightmare go and wake up .
The alarm clock is ringing .
Everything we see in this world is just a 'Substitute' for the real thing .
From 'A Course in Miracles' :
The world you see is vengeful world, and everything in it is a symbol of vengeance . Each of your perceptions of "external reality" is a pictorial representation of your own attack thoughts . One can well ask if this can be called seeing . Is not fantasy a better word for such a process, and hallucination a more appropriate term for the result ?
You see the world that you have made, but you do not see yourself as the image maker . You cannot be saved from the world but you can escape its cause . This is what salvation means, for where is the world you see when its cause is gone ? Vision already holds a replacement for everything you think you see now . Loveliness can light your images, and so transform them that you will love them, even though they were made of hate . For you will not be making them alone .
We are always looking back in time .
From NASA :
By combining the power of NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes and one of nature's own natural "zoom lenses" in space, astronomers have set a new record for finding the most distant galaxy seen in the universe.
The farthest galaxy appears as a diminutive blob that is only a tiny fraction of the size of our Milky Way galaxy. But it offers a peek back into a time when the universe was 3 percent of its present age of 13.7 billion years.The newly discovered galaxy, named MACS0647-JD, was observed 420 million years after the big bang, the theorized beginning of the universe. Its light has traveled 13.3 billion years to reach Earth.
And Jethro Tull with "Living in the Past" .
It's 'Time' to leave the past behind and move into the 'Present' .
"You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"
Hotel California – The Eagles
One of the Ego's most cunning plans is to make us believe we have no choice . It tries to convince us there is only one way and there are no alternatives .
Many individuals feel trapped . This maybe work, marriage, the kids, addictions etc or even a metaphysical prison, and they feel imprisoned in the physical world from which they cannot escape, and look to Death to relieve their pain and suffering . There is always a choice and we are only trapped by our belief system .
"Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device" .
The physical world is an addiction . We have been caught in a Venus Fly Trap entranced by the smells and colours and only too late we realise the mistake we have made, but by then we are hooked . And we keep on coming back again and again in the vain hope that this time it may satisfy us but like all addictions, it only does for a short period and then we want more .
But Life is 'All There Is' and there can be no more than Life . The only alternative to Life is Death, but that doesn't exist apart from in our imagination . However, the addiction does serve a purpose . It keeps us away from what the Ego fears most – our spiritual Self and hidden beneath all our fear, guilt and hate is our Self, safe from the storm that surrounds it .
There is always a choice and we make it every day of our lives . Do we choose to see the world through the eyes of the Ego or the eyes of our Self . Do we listen to the loud voice shrieking in our ears, barking out orders like a Regimental Sergeant Major or do we listen to the quiet calm voice which says 'everything's ok and always has been, and always will be' .
We can leave "Hotel California" anytime we want . First, we have to know we can .
From 'A Course In Miracles' :
"The veil across the face of Christ, the fear of God and of salvation, and the love of guilt and death, they are all different names for just one error – that there is space between you and your brother, kept apart by an illusion of yourself that holds him off from you, and you away from him .
The sword of judgment is the weapon that you give to the illusion of yourself, that it may fight to keep the space that holds your bother unoccupied by love . Yet while you hold this sword, you must perceive the body as yourself, for you are bound to separation from the sight of him who holds the mirror to another view of what he is, and thus what you must be .
The saviour's vision is as innocent of what your brother is as it is free of any judgment made upon yourself . It sees no past in anyone at all . And thus it serves a wholly open mind, unclouded by old concepts and prepared to look only on what the present holds . It cannot judge because it does not know ."