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The Interestings
Publisher's Summary
"Remarkable.... With this book [Wolitzer] has surpassed herself." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A victory.... The Interestings secures Wolitzer's place among the best novelists of her generation.... She's every bit as literary as Franzen or Eugenides. But the very human moments in her work hit you harder than the big ideas. This isn't women's fiction. It's everyone's." (Entertainment Weekly)
A New York Times best-selling novel by Meg Wolitzer that has been called "genius" (Chicago Tribune), "wonderful" (Vanity Fair), "ambitious" (San Francisco Chronicle), and a "page-turner" (Cosmopolitan), which The New York Times Book Review says is "among the ranks of books like Jonathan Franzen's Freedom and Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot."
The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts become inseparable. Decades later the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. In The Interestings, Wolitzer follows these characters from the height of youth through middle age, as their talents, fortunes, and degrees of satisfaction diverge.
The kind of creativity that is rewarded at age 15 is not always enough to propel someone through life at age 30; not everyone can sustain, in adulthood, what seemed so special in adolescence. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, eventually resigns herself to a more practical occupation and lifestyle. Her friend Jonah, a gifted musician, stops playing the guitar and becomes an engineer. But Ethan and Ash, Jules's now-married best friends, become shockingly successful - true to their initial artistic dreams, with the wealth and access that allow those dreams to keep expanding. The friendships endure and even prosper, but also underscore the differences in their fates, in what their talents have become and the shapes their lives have taken.
Wide in scope, ambitious, and populated by complex characters who come together and apart in a changing New York City, The Interestings explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; the roles of class, art, money, and power; and how all of it can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a friendship and a life.
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What members say
- Beth Anne
- 24-05-13
Top Listen for 2013 - A+++
one of the best books i've read this year. definitely on my top five for 2013 (so far).
like other reviewers, i cannot believe that i haven't heard of meg wolitzer before. she's written a ton of books, and if they are anywhere close to as good as this one was, i'm excited that i've discovered a "new" writer so that i can go back and read all of her work.
this book was so realistic. it was the story of six teenagers who meet at art camp and it follows their lives through the years into their 50s. the narrator shifts between three of them, but is mainly told by Julia dubbed early on "Jules". she's such a tender and relatable character. she's welcomed into this group of "interestings" -- without fully understanding why. she feels they are the apex of coolness and style, and that she's somewhat unworthy. from her first time in their "inner circle" (in the teepee of art camp) through the last page we see of them together, she's got doubts and questions...lack of confidence...and insecurities as to why and how she belongs.
the story is told over the years, jumping back and forth from past to present to somewhere in the middle..and seamlessly unfolds this story of friendship, marriage, success, failure and love.
Jen Tullock was, to me, the perfect narrator. she embodied Jules perfectly - but also played Ash, Ethan, Jonah, Dennis so well. She even gave ancillary characters their own perfect spin, voice and piece of the puzzle. I loved her reading of this book.
18 people found this helpful
- Tango
- 12-04-13
Needs a better title, but a good read (listen)
I debated a lot on my rating with this book. Lots of pre-release hype means that expectations are high, but this book did not totally satisfy me. On the other hand, I had a hard time shutting it off and I think job one for a novel is to "hook me" and The Interestings did do that. And, although Wolitzer was compared to Franzen and Eugenides in Entertainment Weekly, I found her voice unique - not like anyone's else's but pretty terrific all on her own. I found myself quite "taken" with her words. So, I ultimately rounded my 3.8 up to 4 stars because I especially enjoyed Wolitzer's style.
The book covers several decades and the plot encompasses major world events (first reports of AIDS, September 11th, etc.), normal individual tragedies (autism, cancer, rape, etc.), as well as a lot of minutiae, but is ultimately driven by the characters and their evolving relationships with each other and themselves. Much of how you feel about the novel will boil down to how much you like character-driven fiction and how much you like and/or relate to the characters. So I will just relate what I most liked and didn't like and I hope this helps you make a decision.
1. Male characters were especially nuanced. All the major male players were uniquely drawn - distinct talents, motivations, reactions, challenges, morals, physical appearance, etc. Meg Wolitzer's men were far more interesting than most "relationship fiction" men and much more interesting than the women characters.
2. Wolitzer uses NY City very effectively to set a tone as the decades change.
3. Wolitzer throws amazing metaphors and descriptors around so abundantly some of them slid right past me and I had to rewind to catch the wording. This woman can turn a phrase with the best of them and I paid more attention to the "set the scene" sections of this book than I often do because the descriptions were so unique, apropos, and entertaining. "This thin man in his 60's with the soft androgynous face that aging seemed to bring as though all the hormones were finally mixed up in a big coed box because it just didn't matter any more." Just one example - not even close to the best of 100's of "grace notes" in this book.
4. Fluid movement, not totally linear, through the decades as well as the shifting of POV kept my interest throughout the book.
5. Jen Tullock does a good job with voices and there is a fair amount of dialog. She can do male voices that won't make you wince and she makes it easy to tell who is speaking.
1. Female characters were amazingly flat. Ash - can't help but like her, but in the way you like cotton candy. She's sweet, pretty, wispy - never a deep thought and never changes. Jules - starts out as a self absorbed teenager lacking in self confidence, always sure the grass is greener on the other side. Ends up a self absorbed middle aged woman lacking in self confidence, always sure the grass is greener... Kathy - very little information beyond surface detail in the intro teen period. Kathy comes to a crisis that clearly changes her life enormously, but, we the readers (listeners) only hear 2nd hand about Kathy after the big crisis. She drops from the immediate circle of friends and she is never a POV character. Jules provides POV for much of the novel and I found her rather unlikable and I couldn't relate to her constant angst at all.
2. All of the characters are relentlessly East Coast metropolitan, politically liberal, religiously agnostic/atheistic. That doesn't mean they won't be interesting to people who don't share that background - and I don't share that background but found the male characters very interesting - but it may make it harder to relate to these characters. This group really doesn't have a Jane Everywoman in it. For me, the single oddest thing about this group was the almost total lack of spiritual development of any kind. Even for an atheist, some existential contemplation might be expected as one approaches middle age or deals with a personal crisis. But, other than a brief encounter with the Moonies (which seemed more designed as historical reference than character development), none of these people seems to have any type of spiritual facet to their lives. We see the physical, emotional, psychological, financial, mental aspects of these characters, but never their souls.
3. Wolitzer's amazing metaphors can get a bit contrived at times and pull the listener out of the narrative. I found this particularly true during the sex scenes. Some of the fancy metaphors/similes that Wolitzer throws out there in her sex descriptions are a bit over the top and sounded overly coarse as though the author is trying to prove that she can be cleverly earthy. (This could also be my tendency to be hypercritical about sex scenes in novels.)
4. Jen Tullock reads like she was racing someone. I have NEVER heard a narrator read so fast. I did sort of adjust, but this is a bit of a challenge on the ears. Her voice is really OK, but whoa, Nelly - way too fast
If you like a character driven novel and enjoy listening to an author throw some triple flips with words, you will probably like this book. If you are a Boomer, you may enjoy the historical walk down memory lane. If you are a New Yorker, you will probably relate to the settings even if you don't relate to the characters. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
72 people found this helpful
- Mel
- 11-04-13
Post Baby Boomer Bildungsroman
What immediately struck me upon finishing this book was the truth in the saying that everyone has a story. We just don't have Meg Wolitzer to tell that story. I begin with that thought for a reason...
I started this read hopeful, how could I not with such fanfare proceeding its release. A good enough start, six teenagers meet at an exclusive summer camp for the arts, each with distinct traits and talents, and form a group--a grand starting point for a novel, but not an entirely original concept. Autumn approaches, camp comes to an end, and the friends scatter back into their individual lives connected by their camp experience and the notion that they are special, they are *interesting*. How these six teens' lives progress and stay connected from that naïve summer, when they looked at the generation ahead of them so sure they would do better, have better, be better, is the story. At some point I thought, none of these 6 characters are larger than life, they were very real and almost familiar--this could easily be any group of friends' story.
Wolitzer engages us, the listeners, by creating believable and flawed characters that, as they grow and experience life, stir our personal memories. What first seemed like a slow-moving and pointless novel to me, finally became experiential and moving. You begin to watch these people like you have watched your own friends through the years. The world spins around this nucleus of friends, historical events marking the decades; you remember with them--Nixon, the soapy taste of that new herb cilantro, the first (two-handed) cell phones, the Moonies, the onset of the AIDS epidemic, the World Trade Center attack (like so many of us remember and feel "where were you the day Kennedy was shot" or "what were you doing when we landed on the moon"). You recall your own life-story along with them as they struggle, succeed, fail, have children, lose family members. The emotional landscape of friendship also becomes physical with the inescapable ups and downs--they feel love, happiness, resentment, envy and jealousy ("Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend's success" Oscar Wilde).
Where's it all going; What's the plot; What happens? ...Life happens. And in Wolitzer's hands, it happens with great skill, intelligence, and grace. That simple axiom captured by Wolitzer is what won me over by the end (because truthfully, I experienced it as a little slow and unnecessarily lengthy--but felt less that way by the time I finished). Like life, this story is made up of the special relationships and shared events, good and bad, that shape us and fill our hearts. Suggest for those interested in a contemplative, character driven novel; similar to the works of Franzen and Eugenides.
60 people found this helpful
- L. Barrell
- 02-07-13
Where does The Interestings rank among all the audiobooks you've listened to so far?
Ultimately, this audiobook lands at the bottom of my total library audiobooks in terms of overall enjoyment. Although it started out sounding like it would be an interesting story by about halfway through it started to feel like it was too long and I found myself wishing it would end.. The narration became tiresome, despite the speed of the narrator's reading. She read it so fast that it took a few minutes for me to adjust to it but within a short while I no longer had any problem following the story,
Who was your favorite character and why?
The protagonist who is the main focus was an interesting enough character but rather predictable. Initially it was easy to relate to much of the friends and their subsequent lives from the summer they all met. As a teenager from the metropolitan New York City area myself, there were many references made that brought back memories from my own life.But after a while, there was simply too much predictable elements to the story and it became boring.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
The narrator sounded very rushed as if she could not read the words fast enough. But I quickly got accustomed to the fast pace although it was initially irritating. The irony is that by about halfway through the audiobook, I was wishing it would go faster! The narrator was still reading at the same speed, but the story was making it seem drawn out.
Any additional comments?
Perhaps the problem for me with this particular book is me and my personal opinion of this novel. Most people seem to have really enjoyed it but I just could not keep interested in the story or the development of the individual characters. I got impatient with it and simply lost interest. I do not want to give others who may read this review the idea that this was all that bad an audiobook. But frankly, the vast majority of the many audiobooks I have listened to in the last few months were on average, very enjoyable and quite a few have been outstanding. As my mother used to say "There's no accounting for taste". This book was not to my liking: "one man's meat is another man's poison" EB White said, I believe. It just was not for me.
6 people found this helpful
- Laura
- 20-04-13
Outstanding Characters, Compelling Reading
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Would highly recommend this book to my late 50 year old friends. This book will be something that touches your experiences and makes you grieve that it is over.
6 people found this helpful
- Katherine
- 18-12-13
Even in moments when I could technically relate to the characters in The Interestings, I found myself annoyed and resistant to do so. While I appreciate the idea of a novel that follows the humdrum life of children assumed to become wildly successful in the arts, it's way too self-conscious, and the tone persists in being teenage precocious even after the characters become adults.
It almost feels like YA fiction, with a few sex scenes (which were actually well-written, I have to give credit where credit is due). I am the demographic who ought to relate to this novel and I found it far too self-conscious. I imagine Wolitzer's cache of cultural and literary references to be like a word bank she lifts from with clockwork regularity: I, too, read and related to The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds during my high school years, but the mention of it here felt forced, a nonsequiter.
I liked the reader's pace, it felt natural and excitable. Too bad the novel itself didn't match Jen Tullock's enthusiasm
4 people found this helpful
- tooonce72
- 14-04-13
And They're Off...............................
The Interestings is a traditional novel, set within the baby boomer's time setting, focusing on friendships lost and cherrished within a thirty year span. It's not a warm or endearing story , but rather a breathtaking character study during a time when a portfolio displayed artwork not numbers. I laughed out loud and pushed the "I need to hear that again" button more in this novel than in any other audio book that I have listened to previously.
The books main character, Jules, is the best friend of the "it" couple, Ash and Ethan. The numerous other characters are on different tiers of closeness around this threesome. I relished each person's story. I loved being reminded of the uniqueness of the times.
The theme that most rang true to me (and there are numerous within) was the serendipity of life. How one thoughtless decision – one kind word – one sympathetic moment – one chance meeting – sets the path of each person's life long providence.
The writer's command of the subject matter and her lyrically flowing sentences makes this Meg Wolitzer novel just delicious. This is a wonderfully rich novel. Is it an enjoyable easy to listen to audio book?..... Not so much.
It's a pity that this audiobook was narrated at breakneck speed. This lovely beautiful story will be lost on many listeners that don't have the time and patience it takes to get involved into the story. It required my undivided attention and numerous chapter repeating to get a grasp of the large ensemble. After each break in listening, I stuggled for awhile till I could adjust once again to the narrator's frantic pace. It STILL was a book, and ending, that was well worth the credit and effort.
14 people found this helpful
- Stacy
- 16-07-13
I just don't care about these people
I can't exactly say why I'm not interested in them- just nothing much is going on. Meg Wolitzer writes lovely sentences and the reader is good, and still, I can't get through this book. I keep trying to make myself listen to it, but I just don't care about these people. I've listened to about 5 hours--I don't think I'll sacrifice the other 10...sadly, moving on to something else.
8 people found this helpful
- ibillinsly@gmail
- 12-07-19
4.41 stars
While this audiobook might not blow you away, it's quite good. The story focuses on characters and relationships. The plot is not a fast moving one, if that's what you're into, but it's interesting and should keep your attention. Plus, the narrator is really good. Judging by this novel and her latest release, The Female Persuasion, listeners can expect consistent, high quality work from Meg Wolitzer.
Overall rating: 4,41 stars
3 people found this helpful
- Molly-o
- 09-06-13
Interesting yes, compelling no
I went to camp,made good friends and grew up on the east coast so this book was an okay read. The characters were well drawn but almost too pat and the story sagged in the middle which I believe is one of the possible shortcomings for a story that takes place over so many years. I enjoyed it and didn't stop reading it, but I wouldn't highly recommend it.
7 people found this helpful
- ros
- 07-01-20
Tying with The Goldfinch as my favourite audible listen
It took me a little while to get into this book to start with, as there are quite a few characters, and I needed to listen to the first couple of chapters a couple of times to learn their names.
I love Jen Tullock's mellow narration, which changes depending on who is speaking. Each character is recognisable in their timbre of speech and Jen Tullock has written a group of wholly believable people with their own distinct take on the world. The Interestings is beautifully descriptive without being flowery and she paints New York through the times of these friends, with clear knowledge and insight, peppering the story with real events.
Not since I've listened to The Goldfinch, have I been so wholly absorbed in a book. You travel with each individual, changing how you feel about each one as the story moves on; with their ups and downs and growing maturity. The group of friends began to feel like my own; they make you giggle, angry or let you down. At times I gasped audibly as secrets were revealed or the plot unfolded. No character is a stereotype or perfect, but each totally rounded and relatable.
As with Donna Tartt, I look forward to listening (or reading) any future book by Meg Wolitzer and would highly recommend it for any book club.
1 person found this helpful
- Tara Shaw
- 08-10-19
Immersing story of childhood friendship into adulthood
Warts and all depiction of growing up with hopes and dreams then managing reality, life, love, parenthood and New York.
1 person found this helpful


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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating sank by 27 percentage points in the last three weeks, a poll showed on Saturday in the strongest evidence yet that the recent wave of street protests sweeping Brazil poses a serious threat to her likely re-election bid next year.
The share of people who consider Rousseff's administration "great" or "good" plummeted to 30 percent from 57 percent in early June, according to a Datafolha opinion poll published in local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
The drop was the sharpest for a Brazilian leader since 1990, when Fernando Collor outraged the population by freezing all savings accounts in a desperate attempt to stop hyperinflation. Two years later, Collor resigned the presidency as Congress moved to impeach him over corruption allegations.
Voting intentions on Rousseff in next year's election also slumped, dropping to 30 percent from 54 percent in a similar survey conducted in December, Datafolha added later on Saturday. Former environment minister Marina Silva and Minas Gerais Senator Aecio Neves appeared as her strongest adversaries, with 23 and 17 percent of the voting intentions respectively.
Until recently, Rousseff had enjoyed some of the highest approval ratings of any leader in the Western world, largely thanks to record-low unemployment. But her popularity started to slip in early June as rising consumer prices began to eat away at Brazilians' purchasing power, a sure recipe for trouble in a country with a long history of runaway inflation.
Then came the nationwide street demonstrations of the past few weeks, which have sent shockwaves through Brazil's political establishment. While the protests have not been directed at a single leader or party, widespread discontent with a ruling class that is seen as self-serving and corrupt is eroding the popularity of politicians at all levels, including Rousseff.
The Datafolha poll was the first taken since more than a million Brazilians poured on to the streets in recent weeks to protest against a litany of grievances, from corruption and poor public services to outrage at billions of dollars in taxpayer money being spent to host the 2014 soccer World Cup.
The president's approval rating fell sharply in all regions of the country, the poll showed. In the Northeast, birthplace of her popular predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and a stronghold of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), the share of people who view the administration favorably sank to 40 percent from 64 percent in a poll on June 8.
The poll also asked Brazilians if they were in favor of the protests, the largest to hit Brazil in two decades. Eighty-one percent of respondents said they support the demonstrations. Asked if the protests had resulted in positive changes, 65 percent said yes.
The unrest has prompted a flurry of promises to improve public services and other measures aimed at quelling the protests. In the past week alone, Brazil's Congress voted on a battery of bills promoting issues popular with the protesters, and the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of a lower house representative convicted of corruption.
Rousseff shocked Brazil on Monday by proposing a constituent assembly to overhaul the country's political system, but withdrew the plan a day later after it ran up against widespread opposition, even from within her own party.
She is now seeking congressional support for a non-binding plebiscite to ask Brazilians how they would like to see the political system changed. In the Datafolha poll, 68 percent of respondents said they backed the idea of a plebiscite.
The drop in Rousseff's popularity comes at a delicate moment for Brazil's economy, which barely expanded last year and relies on an ambitious agenda of infrastructure projects to return to sustained growth in coming years.
The approval rating of Rousseff's economic team, led by Finance Minister Guido Mantega and central bank president Alexandre Tombini, dropped to 27 percent from 49 percent.
The Datafolha poll, which was conducted on June 27-28, surveyed 4,717 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Editing by Vicki Allen; Editing by Sandra Maler

subset: commoncrawl


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Opinion: Rand Paul's Marathon Mouth
Editorial board member Matt Kaminski on Rand Paul's filibuster. Photos: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... that would go ... for another twelve hours ... to try to break from covers record but I've discovered that there are some limits to filibuster ING and ... a map to take care of one and assumed few minutes here ... I was Senator Rand Paul wrapping up his historic thirteen hour filibuster this week what he was trying to do was ... to wad he was demanding of the administration that the president to shore him the military drones in the United States are not going to be shooting Americans at cafes ... the Konicki the editorial board of the missed ration of respond in kind others to respond again essentially saying we don't intend to but if it's a combatant we do have the right to do the real thing she did the right answer ... well yes I mean legally speaking I think politically you is is a species of different issue ... but legally in terms of laws of war ... aam attorney General Eric order to reduce peak sent to Senator Paul letter ... saying that ... we drones have never been used over U S territory they had no intentions and groans eReaders territory ... but hypothetically speaking ... on the eve ... of the guard didn't make ... any combatants ... would you create a war on the U S on US territory ... the president does have the authority to order the full force ... with a Buy drone know already Abrams tame Qurna or eight hundred and sixteen ... against them ... on now and in fact we have our killed the U S citizen overseas in this case not in the United States but they were all Joaquin was making more of the United States' rights activists of your your your passport ... aam ... is immaterial to whether you are ... an enemy of this country ... and will work to do Americans could join the Nazis couple of them ... actually snuck back on US soil ... to try to post acts of sabotage ... the look on they were tried in military court in secret and or executed and the Supreme Court upheld the winner on ... the same thing applies here I mean I'm that that the one thing which is unclear last night that ... you know it's their policy well we know it it is an American could be targeted by grown ... know the present has no right to target innocent Americans for extermination ... we're not ... on the county ... auditor has stakes in a letter today ... clarifying that point ok I think that gets to the of the heart of this issue which is were talking about drones let's look at the political fascination but as you point out ... it can be any weapon ... I think the a League ... question here that what Americans would have is ... how much power does the president of ... without a court to say this ... American citizen is affiliated with ok and I mean is there a danger that beckoned me ... that could be ... abused not that he wants all ok guys I'm there with and when that they wanna get all kinds of Miranda rights but is there concern ... that only concern about the abuse of power by our government and Americans should always be vigilant when the Democrats in Congress will have elections ... that's a legitimate concern ... in this particular case Mrs. get this week only ... you're the reason why we have grown program ... in the first place ... which is targeting is to be clear it is using the remote areas of Pakistan and Yemen ... against terrorist hideouts where we can send soldiers ... to the right to detain these guys or ... if I can get away but the reason why this is happening is because after nine eleven ... Congress passed a resolution that authorized the president ... that that that they declared a state of war ... as the present as the executive under the Constitution ... can do what it is necessary to defend the US though God does apply to all the way through ... the ... question here is ... you know ... has is the present being clear about this should be asking for new and Thor ization ... if that's legitimate ... I think that was lost in the series points were lost in the PR tricks of the Astra ok what more about that and I would argue quickly here but in terms of the presidential message and and what seems a contradiction when I we have the drone program here and basically ... asserting that ... the president's right to defend the country to attack combatants ... I've that we see on Thursday the news that ... Osama bin Leyden son in law is now in New York in the cost and the FBI which ... seems to be trading it is a law enforcement matter even though he has appeared in our favor videos after nine eleven saying we're to get you ... United plays in that sense or someone who would fit into combat category one is he doing in what appears to be a civilian ... justice process well if present Obama was still in the Senate ... and the book was was was still in office he'll be on the floor there in joining whoever was filibuster in the Bush area that is how does the policy ... and research the an indictment of the Republicans who joined the filibuster ... is pure politics and a solid and ... I mean the pump from Pres Obama that as a Senator as a candidate he promised I want this to be long Forstmann issue ... he became president he got a bit more complicated ... today he did close some of these blocks I see promise to close Guantanamo ... but he is use executive authority to defend the US against terrorist attacks ... because he knows it attacks succeed it'll be on him you know the target price but thank you


text:
These games teach valuable skills and have a high fun and educational rating.
Your child develops an understanding of synonyms by defining the actions and feelings of the dog in the lab.
Your child develops spelling and logical thinking skills by sorting letters in alphabet soup to spell the answer to a riddle.
Your child learns about gradable adjectives (e.g. big, bigger, biggest) while organizing animals at the circus.
Your child develops an understanding of vocabulary and sentence structure by choosing the correct words to complete the sentences.
Your child develops writing skills while filling in the blanks of a story.
Your child develops trivia knowledge by answering questions in a face off.
Zoodles 11.8.7 Copyright (c) 2014 Inquisitive Minds, Inc. All rights reserved.


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FBI reportedly eyed Joe Montana, then dropped probe
The FBI sting operation that snared state Sen. Leland Yee and Chinatown tong leader Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow was snooping around an even bigger Bay Area name - 49ers football legend Joe Montana - but came up empty, according to informed sources.
Montana, the Hall of Fame quarterback who has dabbled in development deals since retiring from football after the 1994 season, was contacted by an undercover FBI operative about an unspecified business proposition during the Yee-Chow investigation, according to one source familiar with the case.
"Nobody has said he did anything wrong," said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
Fear that Montana's name would bubble up as part of the FBI's corruption probe is among the reasons U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer plans to issue a protective order barring prosecutors and defense attorneys involved in the corruption case from disclosing certain evidence to the public, including wiretaps and recordings, according to sources.
"It's important that people who are innocently involved are not subjected to undue speculation," Breyer said in open court April 17.
Breyer would have known about any sensitive contacts the FBI made during the Yee-Chow investigation, because he was assigned to review law enforcement requests for wiretaps.
The protective order was foremost on the minds of defense lawyers in the Yee-Chow case when, after hearing from Breyer, they huddled in the attorneys' lounge on the second floor of the federal courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue to discuss legal strategy.
Attorneys' chat
It was there that James Brosnahan, attorney for one of the defendants, former San Francisco school board President Keith Jackson, told his colleagues that Montana was among those the government was looking to shield from unfair scrutiny, multiple sources say. Brosnahan is one of the lawyers on the defense team who was negotiating terms of the protective order with federal prosecutors.
"I have nothing to say affirmatively or negatively" about that, Brosnahan said when we contacted him about Montana.
Just why the FBI would take an interest in a retired football great as part of a probe that netted Yee on public-corruption charges and Chow for alleged money laundering is an open question. The FBI itself isn't saying.
"I wouldn't be able to confirm or deny that interaction," said FBI spokesman Peter Lee.
Montana's longtime attorney, Rob Mezzetti, said it was all news to him.
"If the FBI was reaching out to Joe, I would know about it - and nobody has reached out to him," Mezzetti said.
At least no one who identified himself or herself as working for the feds.
If there was an attempt to lure Montana into something illicit, his attorney says, he's not worried.
"We don't take any shortcuts," Mezzetti said.
As we reported last week, the FBI ran a series of stings in addition to the Chow-Yee operation - including using an operative posing as an Atlanta developer looking for business opportunities to contact at least two San Francisco supervisors and two Oakland City Council members.
In his post-football life, Montana has pursued a couple of politically sensitive development deals in the Bay Area - a luxury hotel next to the 49ers' new Santa Clara stadium and a $300 million transit village next to the South Hayward BART Station.
Hotel development
Just within the past two weeks, Montana signed a term sheet with the city of Santa Clara to develop a 200-room hotel, offices and a restaurant bearing his name on 9.5 acres of city land next to Levi's Stadium.
The $400 million Centennial Gateway project would be developed jointly by the Montana Property Group and Lowe Enterprises.
City Councilwoman Lisa Gillmor said the city hopes to have the financial terms for leasing the property worked out within the next 45 days, with a goal of having the hotel open by the time Super Bowl L is held in Santa Clara in February 2016.
Business partner
Montana's business partner on the Santa Clara deal is Kurt Wittek, a developer who also teamed up with the former quarterback on plans to develop the transit village - 12 acres of housing and commercial space next to the South Hayward BART Station.
To help kick-start that project, Montana's and Wittek's JMJ Development LLC was awarded $47 million in state bonds in 2009.
The project, however, has yet to get off the ground, and Montana and Wittek are trying to sell their interest, according to David Rizk, director of Hayward's Development Services Department.
Wittek was convicted of bank fraud by a federal jury in 1992 after he helped a business associate secure an illegal loan to buy a North Carolina savings and loan. He later got part of the case tossed on appeal, and his five-year prison sentence was reduced to probation.
San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail email@example.com.


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It's been discussed that the person most responsible for The Strokes' 'look' back in their initial 2001 heyday was none other than* Albert Hammond Jr*. As fashion goes, it's a retro-loving aesthetic straddling that muddy late '70s, early '80s period. A time when one decade was coming to a close and the other was still struggling to forge an identity of its own.
Transfer the motivation behind his sartorial choices to the sounds heard on his sophomore solo LP, ¿Cómo Te Llama?, and it's clear that Hammond is at heart a pop classicist, one whose entire way of life seems hell-bent on emulating and celebrating a narrow slice of recent history. It's a feat he accomplishes by rounding off the edges of his day job and openly exploring and reworking the guitar pop sounds of yesteryear. Opener 'Bargain of the Century' toys with the machine gun stutter of early Strokes before sticking in a big, beefy chorus that tips its hat towards the '70s power-pop triumvirate of Big Star, The Raspberries and Cheap Trick.
Admittedly, it's a well-worn path that, since being blazed decades ago, leaves little in the way of surprises. Yet while Hammond may not be tearing up the rulebook on 'Lisa' or 'In My Room', he brings a Bolan stomp to 'Rocket' that makes it difficult to dismiss_ ¿Cómo Te Llama? _as just the indulgent noodlings of that fellow who likes to hold his guitar at nipple height in all the videos.
It's an album high-water mark and it's one he capitalises on with the stripped-down white-boy funk of 'Victory at Monterey' (Lower East Side R&B, anyone?) and the string-filled, doo-wop croon of 'You Won't be Fooled Like This' – a song that asks us to consider what Buddy Holly would sound like if thrust into modern day Manhattan with a model girlfriend glued to his arm.
Of course, this being a solo record means that Hammond feels the need to show us he's capable of spreading his vintage-clad wings. So taking a cue from the original punks, he does it by layering a light slab of reggae onto 'Borrowed Time'. It may read like a recipe for disaster, but he just about scrapes by with a strategy that ensures nothing ever veers too far from his power pop template.
This is also where we come to ¿Cómo Te Llama?'s problem. Hammond does successfully replicate the pop-rockin' sounds of the past and does it with considerable style to spare. The man is an apt pupil of the power-pop school; that much is clear. But like many students attempting to impress their teachers, much of ¿Cómo Te Llama? fails to push things past the established curriculum set by the originators. Instead, Hammond seems content in merely regurgitating what he's studied, safe in the knowledge that what's produced here will sit comfortably amid the racks of similar artists.
Still, ¿Cómo Te Llama? may not be a breakthrough, but it does prove that there's more to Hammond than just a curly mane of hair and a closet of old clothes. He's earned our attention for album three – let's just hope he finally takes the risks needed to keep it.
6Charles Ubaghs's Score


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via CAAI
Is this really the end of capitalism's global resurgence?
Investment Advisor | February 1, 2011 | By John Sullivan, AdvisorOne
Author and foreign policy expert Ian Bremmer recounts a meeting with a highly-placed Chinese official in the wake of the recent financial crisis in which the official began, "Now that the free market has failed …"
The Chinese official isn't alone in his supposition. The Irish are drinking (again). Greece and Portugal are basket cases, with Spain not far behind. The only EU bright spot appears to be Germany. How this will affect the long-term viability of the union remains to be seen.
So is this really the end of capitalism's global resurgence?
The 2011 Index of Economic Freedom, released Jan. 12 by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, answers with a resounding "no."
According to the release, the Index records countries' commitment to the capitalist system by measuring 10 categories of economic freedom: fiscal soundness and openness to trade and investment, government size, business and labor regulation, property rights, corruption, monetary stability and financial competition.
The good news, according to the analysis? One hundred and seventeen countries, mainly developing and emerging market economies, improved their scores.
Countries like Cambodia, Ghana, Nigeria and Kazakhstan, all of whom appear in the middle of the list and are being rewarded (many for the first time) with capital inflows and investment. These countries and others are discussed in Savita Iyer's cover story on the opportunity in so-called "frontier markets," and why legendary investors like Franklin/Templeton's Mark Mobius are giving them a hard look.
The one depressing note from the report? The United States dropped to ninth place in the 2011 Index, with its lowest economic freedom score in a decade. The United Kingdom fell even further, all the way to 16th place.
"Economies that stuck to the principles of economic freedom are recovering more quickly from the recession and financial crisis, and growing faster than countries whose governments tried to spend their way out of trouble," according to the analysis. "There's an amazing 4.5 percentage point difference in average growth rates between the big spenders and those governments that kept their budgets under control."
Given all we're hearing of debt ceilings, debt commissions, federal debt, state debt, sovereign debt, mortgage debt and quadrupling of the debt, is anyone really surprised?
About the Author »
John Sullivan is the editor of Investment Advisor magazine and the editor of the Retirement Channel for AdvisorOne.com. Sullivan is the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.


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You may also like these photo galleries
The first flights to Australia by the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be made by the airline rated the best in the world.
Qatar Airways announced Thursday that it would begin flying Dreamliners on Doha to Perth flights from February 1 next year.
Australian passengers flying the route will also be able to take a Qatar Dreamliner on to London's Heathrow airport.
The airline's Dreamliners are fitted out with 254 seats across business (22 seats) and economy (232 seats) classes, in a 1-2-1 configuration in business and a 3-3-3 configuration in economy. Qatar Airways has a total of 60 Dreamliners ordered as part of a $US50 billion dollar order for 250 new aircraft, including Boeing 777s and Airbus A380 superjumbos.
Qatar Airways was rated the best airline in the world at this year's World Airline Awards, run by research company Skytrax. The airline is expanding its presence in Australia, with daily flights from Melbourne and Perth.
Qatar does not fly into Sydney and does not intend to until the airport becomes a 24-hour operation, CEO Akbar Al Baker recently told Traveller columnist Clive Dorman.
"We are keen to fly to Sydney. I don't see any reason why it's not a 24-hour airport," he said. "Residents must keep in mind that with today's new technology, planes have [the latest] 'stage four' noise emissions, so as soon as they take off and get to 500 feet, you can hardly hear them.
"All the fuss is being made by greenies, but they still want to travel in planes, yet [they] are restricting the growth of aviation and the economic benefits to the country."
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a revolutionary aircraft, the first to be built from composite-plastic fuselage and wings, instead of aluminum.
Other design improvements of the new aircraft include a wider cabin, larger overhead bins and electronic dimmable windows. Boeing also claims the air is fresher as it is drawn directly from outside the plane and not through the engines as in other aircraft, and that the air is more humid, making the flight more comfortable for passengers.
The Dreamliner has not been without its problems though. There were years of delays before the first commercial flight finally occurred with launch customer All Nippon Airways in October last year, and just last week the US Federal Aviation Administration ordered safety checks on all 787s after the discovery of fuel leaks.
This came shortly after a brand-new United Airlines Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing after a generator on board failed, just eight days after the jet had entered service.


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The Campus Dedication Ceremony at Nationwide Children's Hospital
After nearly seven years, the largest pediatric expansion project in U.S. history is officially dedicated during Monday morning's ceremony; current and former patients take part in this special program, marking a major milestone in Nationwide Children's 120 years
Monday, June 11, 2012
10:30 a.m.
*Ceremony starts promptly at 10:30am; arrival in the media parking lot, as specified below, suggested shortly after 10 a.m.
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, OH 43205
*Ceremony will take place on the Southeast corner of Parsons and Livingston Avenues (in the former KFC lot)
**Parking for media is available in the surface lot behind CVS and accessible off of Parsons Avenue
- Current and former patients of Nationwide Children's
- Current and retired staff of Nationwide Children's
- The Honorable John Kasich, Governor, State of Ohio
- The Honorable Michael B. Coleman, Mayor, City of Columbus
- Mrs. Abigail S. Wexner, Chair, Nationwide Children's Hospital Board of Directors
- Dr. Steve Allen, CEO, Nationwide Children's
The very same heart transplant patient who shared her story and participated in the new main hospital groundbreaking ceremony four years ago in 2008, is the very first patient to open the dedication ceremony of that very same building Monday morning at Nationwide Children's Hospital. A major milestone in the hospital's 120-year history will take place as the seven-year campus expansion officially comes to a completion – the largest pediatric expansion project in U.S. history.
Numerous current and former patients and current and retired staff members will take part in a very special hour-long dedication ceremony. Their stories are documented in the official program guide and some will be shared on stage during the event. Media interviews will be available upon request at the ceremony.
The hospital truly affects each and every one in this community and it's never been more apparent than during Monday morning's ceremony. Daytime fireworks will close the event, marking not the end, but the very beginning of transforming the way pediatric health care is delivered and researched right here in central Ohio – so that no child will ever have to leave Columbus to seek world-class medical care.
Mary Ellen Peacock, Erin Pope or Pam Barber
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Media Relations
Cell: (614) 937-7316


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tom Sawyer: The Adventure Begins
"For the moment anyway, all of the invisible baggage I'd schlepped from my hometown was trumped as I emerged onto 42nd Street, and experienced the excitement, the mid-morning energy, the thrill of finally being there, in Manhattan! The place in which I knew I belonged."
"My first order of business after the train from Chicago brought me into Grand Central Station had been to cash in the return–part of the round-trip ticket my mother insisted I purchase…"
"That first morning in Midtown the freedom, the tingle I felt at the back of my neck as I melded into the crowd of self-involved, rapid walkers and honking drivers at the bottom of that incredible canyon, and began absorbing their energy – the thrill of it still resonates for me."
"Less than a week after arriving in New York City, my abundant chutzpah and invulnerability to rejection began to pay off for me when a comic-book editor looked at my drawings and remarked: "Kid, yer stuff isn't very good. You really oughta go back to Chicago." My instant reaction, was: this guy has gotta be out of his fucking mind."
"It would be a long, long time before I'd come to appreciate what a unique and amazing gift that was… And, hell, for much of my life I figured everyone was similarly equipped, as immune to negative responses as I was…"
"I didn't discount the validity of that comic-book editor's negative reaction to my artwork. I've never had a problem accepting constructive criticism – especially from qualified individuals – only outright dismissal. And in pitching my wares at a few more publishing houses, and listening to their comments – and especially the subtext – I quickly realized I'd need better samples. Comic-book pages that walked the walk and talked the talk, that looked more like those they bought from working artists, rather than the assortment of strips and individual panels I'd produced before leaving Chicago."
A chance meeting with Tex Blaisdell lead to Tom 'picking up some background work' from Leonard Starr who, Tom writes, "was one of the most prolific and gifted people working in a business where, at that time, except to aficionados, artists were largely anonymous, rarely signing their work."
Of his first days working in Starr's studio apartment, Tom recalls, "There I was, the kid from Chicago, alongside colorful, working artists and writers, earning my first few real professional dollars while laughing and telling jokes."
"Leonard Starr appeared several days later, in town from his home in Centerport, on Long Island's North Shore. His presence didn't disappoint. Handsome, tall, blonde, self-assured, witty and, true to Tex's billing, striking in a star-quality way. We hit it off immediately, beginning what would become the single closest friendship I would ever have – the kind where, even after weeks or months without contact, our wide-ranging conversations would resume as if there had been no interruption, endlessly stimulating as always. Books, art, movies, theater – and especially, once he'd educated me about it, music."
"And among the best of all, for me, was the fact that he liked my work, quickly 'promoting' me from merely doing backgrounds to handling 'breakdowns' as well. Another new piece of terminology, this consisted of taking the scripts he was given, and laying out the pages, deciding on panel-size and shape, rough-penciling the figures, arranging and loosely lettering dialogue balloons so that the lettering-man had sufficient space. Storytelling, actually, and in a cinematic way."
"Through Leonard, John [Augustin] and Tex, I began to meet and socialize with other artists, some who'd drop by the studio, several of whom would become close friends, meaningful players in my life for years to come, Stan Drake, Warren King, John Prentice and Howard Post, to name a few."
With Leonard Starr's encouragement, Tom began seeking out his own assignments. One of his first came by way of a true comic industry legend, Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, who was then the Editor-in-Chief at the publishing house, Ziff-Davis.
With a script in hand and Siegel's complimentary remarks ringing in his ears, Tom writes, "As I headed uptown, my feet barely felt the pavement."
"In truth, my drawing ability at that point wasn't terrific – certainly not by Milton Caniff nor Leonard Starr standards. But it was improving, coming closer in reality to my ahead-of-my-own-curve confidence-level. I realized a few years down the line that during that period, and for some time after, there was always this gap; at any given moment I thought my work was better than it actually was. But hey, it did the job for me."
"A few months later, Ziff-Davis dissolved its comic-book publishing entity, but by then, I'd moved on to other gigs, for other comic-book houses: DC, Avon and a couple of others, including a writing assignment or two which I didn't solicit, but gladly accepted – and enjoyed."
"Along the way, I was absorbing life-and-writing-and-drawing lessons, some of them throwaway lines, jewels, really, that would stay with me forever. Like the one from a crusty editor, gesturing at the penciled pages I'd presented for his okay to go ahead and ink them: "One thing you gotta remember, kid – even yer bad guys hafta be attractive."
*Jim Amash conducted an excellent and very thorough interview with Tom Sawyer in Alter Ego #77, which is still available from the publisher.
*Many thanks to Dr. Michael J Vassallo for all of today's scans!
All of this week's content is Copyright © 2008 by Tom Sawyer Productions, Inc.
My Tom Sawyer Flickr set.
6 comments:
You've gotta love those artists who could write. It's clear from his biography that Sawyer has a way with words (I love the story of how he cashed in his return ticket so he was working without a net). It's also clear that Sawyer had an eye for talent, and found it in Starr; his description of the early days in Starr's studio makes me salivate. I've never met a more erudite man than Starr, and I envy Sawyer's working relationship.ReplyDelete
... and those writers who can draw!ReplyDelete
I should mention that I (unfortunately) had to heavily edit Tom's memoir excerpts for the blog this week. The details he describes are indeed 'mouth watering' and we can only hope that the complete memoirs will be published in book form some time soon.
If you left in "this guy has gotta be out of his fucking mind," it's hard to imagine what you felt it necessary to take out!ReplyDelete
But you're right, I would love to read the book.
- Anonymous12:27 AM
Do you think he was looking at Alex Toths work (who was also doing romance comics)?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous6:11 PM
Tex Blaisdell ghosted the Heart of Juliet Jones for perhaps a year in the early 60's and I was his model. I have many polaroids of me posing for the lines that he took and some of the matching strips, but would like to get copies of the other strips. Anyone have any ideas about how to go about that?ReplyDelete
Linda; If you go to Amazon.com and search Stan Drake Juliet Jones the first result will be the new collection (Vol. 1) of the first three years of the strip. This new book just came out late last year and I believe further volumes are planned.ReplyDelete


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Hydraulic Press Bats Leadoff in this Lineup
|Capitol Stampings' 400-ton Macrodyne hydraulic press receives robotically loaded blanks that are stamped lube-free. the press's ability to dwell at the bottom of each stroke has improved form-angle repeatability, regardless of variations in steel properties among blank stacks.
Make no mistake, the firm can stamp parts. Its 181,000-sq.-ft. plant in the heart of Milwaukee, WI, houses some 30 mechanical-press lines from 90- to 1000-ton capacity. The factory can churn out stamped metal parts in a variety of sizes from a wide range of material types and thicknesses. But with a focus on delivering on its promise to provide business solutions to its customers, Capitol has devoted boundless energy in recent years to evolve into a fully capable value-added contract manufacturer.
"We once were devoted primarily to the power-transmission market," says company president Gary Wenzel, referring to Capitol's legacy of manufacturing sheave and drive pulleys, idlers, sprockets, gears, spindles and similar parts to customers in the lawn and garden, agricultural and other industries. Much has changed, though, since Wenzel and others acquired the company in 2006, with a commitment to broaden its horizons. Lawn and garden now represents only half of the company's top line—a top line, adds Wenzel, that has grown by 60 percent since 2009.
Hydraulic vs. Mechanical
The newest project fueling the firm's top-line growth hit the shop floor earlier this year, when one of Capitol's customers handed over a set of six dies it had been running to stamp large parts for electrical enclosures.
"It needed to pull cost out of the parts," says Wenzel, "and asked us to take a look at the process (which includes resistance welding reinforcement components to the panels), and even inherit an existing mechanical-press line. After reviewing the process and equipment, we felt that in order to truly reduce costs, we could justify investing in a new and completely automated press line."
Parts for the job are large, heavy and flimsy—14-gauge panels measuring 22 by 90 in.—so material handling proves taxing and labor intensive. Therefore, as Wenzel's team went to work devising an optimally efficient process, automation topped the wish list.
"We felt that if we could introduce some new technology and automation to the job, we could offer a significant cost savings to the customer," shares Mike Krajna, Capitol Stampings' director of operations. The new technology of which Krajna speaks: Moving the dies off of its customer's mechanical press and onto a new hydraulic press—a 400-ton model from Macrodyne, Concord, Ontario, Canada.
Why hydraulic? For starters, the ability to adjust stroke based on part-design requirements "is profitable for us," says Krajna, noting that the new press's design allows stroke length to vary from 36 to as little as 10 in., "which means there's minimal air time," Krajna adds.
The Automation Equation
…features press-tending robots (refurbished Fanuc models) stationed at the front and back of the press. One robot feeds blanks into the die and the second robot moves formed parts out of the press and onto the bed of a press brake for additional processing. The production cell also includes automated conveying of stamped and fabricated parts to a manual resistance-welding station, where small reinforcement pieces are assembled to the panels.
With the cell's design calling for robots in front and back, dies must move in and out of the press through the window. Here's where the flexibility afforded by a hydraulic press paid off yet again. To accommodate through-the-window die changes, Macrodyne customized its 400-ton 48-in.-bolster press to create 52 in. between uprights.
A robot stationed at the rear of the hydraulic press moves stamped parts from the die to the bed of a 12-ft. press brake for additional processing.
The switch to a hydraulic press also allowed Capitol to eliminate the use of lubricant on the blanks. "We're able to complete three 90-deg. forms and extrude pockets in the tool using only the mill oil," says Krajna, "which brings significant benefits."
Among the benefits of a lube-free process: Capitol's partner company Hartford Finishing, which powder-coats the panels, enjoys a much simpler and less costly cleaning process prior to coating; and manipulating the panels with robotics and end-of-arm suction tooling proves much more reliable, says Krajna, than if the panels were covered in lube.
A $1-Million Investment, with a Tight Timeframe
The production cell—a $1 million investment for Capitol Stampings—turns out 2500 panels/week running one shift/day. Cycle time through the cell—stamping, bending in a two-station press-brake setup, and manual resistance welding—is 45 sec. Tops on Krajna's list of challenges to yielding A-1 part quality through the cell: bending a severe z-pattern on one end of the panels in the press brake.
"The part design prohibits the robot from maintaining its grip on the panel during bending in the brake," says Krajna. "It has to let go, so we had to engineer and construct a system of programmed cylinders to follow and support the part during this bend sequence."
The press brake is a 350-ton 12-ft. Cincinnati—refurbished and added to the cell by system integrator Promatech (also in Milwaukee). In fact, Promatech oversaw the entire cell's specifications and acquisitions.
"We had only 6 months from when we specified the cell until launching production at our facility," says Wenzel, "and Promatech played a key role in making that happen. Another critical success factor was Macrodyne's use of online press diagnostics."
"During initial trial runs through the cell, Macrodyne engineers were able to, from their offices in Canada, have complete visibility into our process," adds Krajna. "They could recommend changes to any part of the process and even adjust the press programs on the fly. This was critical, because the press arrived at the plant just two weeks before the tools arrived, so we had little time to test it."
This online and offsite technical support promises to continue to play a pivotal role as Krajna and his production team look to bring in additional work for the cell."We've already justified the investment in the automated production cell," notes Krajna, "with an estimated 3-yr. payback period. In addition, with Macrodyne's continued support, we view the cell as in investment in the future, based on its flexibility and adaptability to other jobs." MF
See also: Macrodyne Technologies, Inc., FANUC America, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Automation, Fabrication, Presses


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Watch: 'Aquaman' Star Jason Momoa Teases 'SNL' Hosting Gig...with Steamy Shower Vid
Jason Momoa, who will star in the upcoming DC Comics film "Aquaman," shared a video of himself coming out of the shower...to tease that he'll be hosting "Saturday Night Live."
The vid comes from the official "SNL" account and in the clip, Momoa is seen getting out of the shower. He says: "Hello everyone. So, this is my second day and we just finished the promos and we're going to meet the cast and we're going to go over sketches. "I'm so excited. I did my tune in and it went really well. I can't tell you how honored I am to be here, especially to go meet the writers right now. Alright let's go.
"I LOVE MY LIFE!" the actor yells as he walks down the backstage "SNL" hallway.
Check out the clip below.


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Quick Links
CEA News and Information for 2018
Archived news stories for 2018
Happy Holidays, From CEA
CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas and President Jeff Leake send season's greetings to all CEA members in this video message.
Victory for Wallingford Teachers, Students, but Fight Continues Against Mega High School
A week after coming out in force to oppose school closures and consolidations, Wallingford teachers again expressed their support for keeping all schools open at a follow-up Board of Education meeting last night.
The December-January Edition of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
Uncovered in a growing number of schools, mold is making teachers sick. Find out what CEA and local associations are doing to keep you safe in your classroom.
Wallingford Teachers Support School Renovation Plan That Puts Students First
Wallingford teachers turned out in force, and in #RedforEd T-shirts, to ask for a school renovation plan that puts students first.
Teachers Honored for Commitment to Excellence, and to Children
For 2019 Connecticut Teacher of the Year (TOY) Sheena Graham, making personal connections with the young people in her classroom is all in a day's work—and one of the things that has endeared her to generations of students.
Windsor Choral Teacher Cheers on Former Student, Finalist on The Voice
A teacher's good work often shines in her students, and for Windsor High School choral director Tracee White, the product of her hard work now shines on television.
Labor's Statements on Fiscal Stability Commission's 2.0 Recommendations
The Connecticut AFL-CIO, Connecticut Education Association, AFSCME Council 4, and AFT Connecticut made the following statements in response to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth's 2.0 recommendations.
CEA and Education Stakeholders Well Represented on Governor-Elect's Policy Committees
A standing-room only crowd of nearly 500 people gathered this morning at Eastern Connecticut State University, eager to help shape the future of their state.
Teddy Bears on Ice Benefit Connecticut Students
When the Bridgeport Sound Tigers hockey team scored their first goal of the night Friday, amid the usual cheers of the hometown crowd, hundreds of teddy bears rained down onto the ice.
Treasurer Details State's History of Underfunding Teacher Retirement
As it decides what recommendations to make toward putting Connecticut's pension funds on more secure footing, the state's Pension Sustainability Commission today heard from State Treasurer Denise Nappier about the history of funding for the teachers' retirement fund, the largest pension fund overseen by the treasury.
Find Out How You Can Help a Child This Holiday Season
Many families across the state are facing unexpected hardships, but you can make a difference this holiday season by sponsoring a child through the Holiday Bear Project.
Wildfires: How You Can Help
As the extent of the damage caused by wildfires across California becomes fully evident, educators are asking how they can help survivors and communities recover from these terrible disasters.
CEA and iHeartRadio Team Up for a Brighter Holiday for Children
CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas took to the airwaves to let listeners across the state know about the 20th annual Holiday Bear project, which brings holiday cheer to hundreds of Connecticut children in need.
Teachers Play Key Role in Electing Pro-Education Candidates
Thanks in large part to teachers who were determined to make their voices heard and their votes matter, pro-education candidates chalked up significant victories in the 2018 midterm elections.
Mrs. Hayes Goes to Washington
Teachers celebrate former National Teacher of the Year's win in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District.
CEA Condemns Political Hate Mail
Anti-Semitic mailer targeted Jewish candidate for State Senate.
Jahana Hayes Delivers Inspiring Message at CEA's New Teacher Conference
"You chose this profession because you wanted to make a difference, and that means standing on the front lines for democracy," CEA President Jeff Leake told nearly 200 educators gathered for CEA's 18th annual New Teacher Conference on Saturday.
Connecticut Senator's Proposal to Arm Teachers Sparks Outrage
Educators say school safety is an issue, guns not the answer.
Brooklyn Teacher's Pastime Is a Major-League Hit
Brooklyn Elementary School fourth grade teacher Sean Maloney, a fan of Kevin Costner's character in Field of Dreams, has turned part of his four-acre Woodstock property into a replica of Fenway Park—Red Sox championship banners, scoreboard, stadium lights, and all.
Meet Connecticut's 2019 Teacher of the Year
Bridgeport music teacher Sheena Graham takes top honors.
NEA, CEA Members and Leaders Support Jahana Hayes
With less than four weeks left until Election Day, dozens of CEA members, staff, and leaders—joined by NEA Vice President Becky Pringle—came out to Danbury this weekend in a show of support for 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes, who is running for office in Connecticut's Fifth Congressional District.
Teachers Hit the Pavement for Colleagues, Children in Need
Braving brisk temperatures and morning showers, teachers and their families came out to support CEA's charitable arm, the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF), now in its fifth year as an official charity of the Eversource Hartford Marathon.
Stefanowski's Economic Plan Would Cut Education Funding, Hurt Students
Fraudulent scheme has caused disaster elsewhere.
Help Those Affected by Hurricane Michael
In the spirit of solidarity and compassion, NEA is asking its members and the public, as we did last year after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and just last month after Hurricane Florence, to help educators and schools affected by Hurricane Michael.
The October-November Edition of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
Connecticut's major-party gubernatorial hopefuls, Ned Lamont and Bob Stefanowski, have very different ideas about public education, teachers' pensions, and your right to negotiate for fair wages and working conditions. Get the facts on where they stand and what that means for you.
Enfield Teachers Donate 1,400 Books to Local Families
For the second year in a row, the Enfield Teachers' Association (ETA) is adding to local families' libraries through its community outreach efforts.
CEA Condemns Legislative Candidate's Hate Speech Directed at Student Survivor of Parkland Shooting
Connecticut Education Association President Jeff Leake today criticized Steve Baleshiski, candidate for State Representative in the 30th District, for comments that came to light this week attacking high school student David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland High School shooting.
Report Cards for Legislative Candidates Help Guide Educators' Decisions in the Voting Booth
CEA Report Card measures overall support for public education; honor roll recognizes education champions.
CEA Advocates for Improved Classroom Safety Bill
At its second meeting today, the classroom safety working group continued an ongoing discussion seeking to come to agreement on language for a bill that could be raised by the General Assembly in 2019.
Help Your Fellow Educators Rebuild Their Lives
Hurricane Florence is having a devastating impact on thousands of NEA members and their families in the southeastern United States. If you would like to help, please consider making a donation to the NEA Hurricane Florence Relief Fund.
Retired Teachers Urged to Speak Up and Vote
Members reminded how much the outcome of the election this November will matter for schools and public education.
CEA, Other Educators Join Chris Murphy in Saying No to Arming Teachers
CEA joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy and other Connecticut leaders in education at a news conference calling on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to abandon plans that would allow the use of federal funds to arm teachers.
After a Fire, Plainfield Memorial School Community Shows What's Possible
Just two weeks ago, Plainfield Memorial School students and teachers had no idea where they'd be starting their school year after a fire caused extensive damage to their school building.
Back-to-School Means Time to Reconnect With Fellow Union Members for Windsor Teachers
"This is a great way to start the year off right,"" said Clover Street Intermediate reading teacher Terri Faucher, who gathered with her fellow Windsor Education Association members for a social earlier this week at Carbone's Kitchen in Bloomfield on Windsor teachers' first day back at school.
A New Beginning
CEA's new leadership team welcomes you back to school with a fresh perspective on Connecticut public education and our future.
Haddam-Killingworth Teachers Start the Year with a Splash
Forget the crowded auditorium and the motivational speeches. At Haddam-Killingworth schools, convocation is about dunk tanks, pool races, DJs, and human games of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Guilford Education Association Serves Up a Day of Fun and Fellowship
Following their convocation, Guilford teachers were treated to a pizza lunch, courtesy of the Guilford Education Association.
Litchfield Teachers Kick-Off the Year on a Bright Note
Litchfield faculty and staff enjoyed a rousing back-to-school welcome from HoWiE Roll, a band made up of faculty, staff, and a student, who brought a musical touch and upbeat energy to this morning's convocation.
A Warm Waterbury Welcome for New Teachers
"Welcome, all of you," Waterbury Teachers' Association (WTA) President Kevin Egan greeted more than 60 new teachers during an orientation program at the Waterbury Career Academy.
Special Edition of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
With a new school year Connecticut teachers are facing many challenges and opportunities, some familiar and some new. Learn more about the union pay advantage, the top 10 ways your CEA membership works for you, how your union protects your job, and much more in this issue.
Help CTA Members Affected by California Wildfires
Members may offer assistance by making a donation to CTA's Disaster Relief Fund.
Commission Explores Method to Shrink State's Unfunded Pension Liability
The state's unfunded pension liability will surely be discussed at length this election season, but a state commission created by the legislature is already at work this summer exploring ways to address the problem.
Change Is on the Horizon This Back-to-School Season
Superintendents and other education leaders attending the Commissioner of Education's annual back to school conference looked ahead to some changes that could have a big impact on Connecticut classrooms.
Making History
2016 National Teacher of the Year Wins 5th District Democratic Primary.
Teachers Rally for One of Their Own
Chanting "Labor is your neighbor," dozens of union members—including fellow educators—gathered on the Meriden town green Saturday to show their support for teacher-turned-Congressional-candidate Jahana Hayes.
Teachers Support Teacher Running for Congress
Teachers get the word out about Jahana Hayes, the Waterbury teacher and 2016 National Teacher of the Year who is running for Congress.
CEA Summer Conference, Day Two: The Deep Dive
Energy levels remain high on day two of CEA's Summer Conference, where hundreds of teachers have reconvened in Cromwell for intensive training, networking, and the sharing of ideas, concerns, and best practices.
New CEA President Kicks Off Summer Conference
Newly elected CEA President Jeff Leake welcomed more than 300 Connecticut teachers to CEA's annual Summer Conference in Cromwell, featuring workshops for educators at every stage of their career looking to strengthen their profession and their collective voice.
New CEA Treasurer Elected
The CEA Board of Directors elected Waterbury teacher Kevin Egan to the office of CEA treasurer.
CEA Endorses 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes for Congress
The National Education Association (NEA) Fund for Children and Public Education and the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) today announced the endorsement of Jahana Hayes for Congress in the state's fifth Congressional District.
Teachers Cheer Yard Goats and New CEA President
CEA President Jeff Leake kicked off Teacher Appreciation Day at the July 27 Yard Goats baseball game by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
Hear from CEA's New President and Vice President
Watch video of CEA President Jeff Leake and CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas.
CEA Continues Push for Bill to Ensure Classroom Safety, Support for At-Risk Students
The legislature may have refused to override the governor's veto of a crucial school safety bill earlier this summer, but it's not an issue teachers will walk away from.
The Summer 2018 Edition of the CEA Advisor is Now Available
Check out the online edition of our Summer CEA Advisor.
Teachers Hit the Links to Raise Money for Students in Need
More than 200 Connecticut teachers, supporters, and CEA staff hit the links at Glastonbury Hills Country Club as part of CEA's largest fundraiser of the year to benefit public school students in need.
$5,000 Scholarship Drawing for NEA Members
NEA Member Benefits has teamed up with Sallie Mae, provider of the NEA Smart Option Student Loan Program, to offer NEA members a chance to win $5,000 cash!
Former Manchester Charter School Principal Forced to Surrender Certification Over Sexual Harassment Complaints
CEA calling for actions to be taken against charter officials who ignored teacher complaints; more oversight of charters.
Connecticut Educators Reenergized by Work at NEA RA, Ready to Face New Challenges
After a week full of hard work on behalf of the more than 3 million NEA members around the country, CEA members who were elected to represent Connecticut teachers are now heading home from Minneapolis reenergized and ready to share lessons learned with their colleagues.
Path Academy Surrenders Charter, Will Close
The State Board of Education received notice this week that Path Academy, a Windham school run by a charter management organization, will voluntarily surrender its charter.
CEA Members Inspired by Former Political Prisoner's Commitment to Students
Standing up for students and the teaching profession is central to what it means to be a teacher, but in some places around the world, it can land you in prison.
Teachers Stand Strong With Their Union in Minneapolis
This RA is taking place in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, a case bankrolled by corporate interests, which seeks to weaken labor unions and steal the voice of students and teachers. However the Janus case isn't the only attack educators have been uniting against recently.
Connecticut Teachers Join National Colleagues for 2018 NEA RA
Some of your Connecticut colleagues are in Minneapolis this week as members of the world's largest democratic deliberative body: the NEA Representative Assembly.
Supreme Court 5-4 Decision Seeks to Undermine Worker Rights
CEA vows to stand strong, stand up for educators.
Educator Certification Shortage Areas for 2018-19
If you're working under an endorsement that is considered a shortage area you may be eligible for benefits such as loan forgiveness and mortgage assistance.
Legislators Fail Students; Undermine Safety and Support for At-Risk Students
CEA vows to continue to push for change and accountability.
Heartless Assault on Immigrants Must Stop
We've all seen the heartbreaking scenes of parents being arrested along our country's southern border as their sobbing and traumatized children are stripped from their mothers' protective arms and taken away by border patrol agents.
Path Academy Charter School Given One Week to Address Serious Problems—Or Lose Charter
The deeply troubled Path Academy has been given a week to propose a solution to the multitude of problems plaguing the charter school and its operators, according to a decision by the State Board of Education.
Watch: Teachers Share Why Bridgeport Strike Still Relevant Today
What do the events of 40 years ago have to do with teachers' lives today? A lot, it turns out.
Despite Concerns, State Board of Ed Renews Charter School Contract
CEA has repeatedly drawn attention to the lack of financial accountability and oversight for charter management organizations (CMOs) in Connecticut.
The May-June Issue of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
This is our moment. This is our movement.
State Board of Ed Moves Forward With Revoking Path Academy Charter
The State Board of Education voted unanimously to begin the revocation process for Path Academy Charter, a Windham school run by a charter management organization.
Courtney Slams Devos for Failing to Respond to East Hartford High Letters
Rep. Joe Courtney on Tuesday lashed out at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for her failure to respond to letters from Connecticut officials and students who were offended by her disparaging remarks about East Hartford High School a year ago.
CEA Criticizes Practices at Corporate-Run Charter Including Apparent Fraud and Overbilling Taxpayers $1.6 Million
The Connecticut Education Association supports the State Department of Education's revocation proceedings for Path Academy Charter School in Windham and its charter management organization (CMO), Our Piece of the Pie.
Teachers Elect New Leaders
In contested races, 428 teacher delegates elected a new president, Jeff Leake, and vice president, Tom Nicholas, to lead the Connecticut Education Association for the next three years. The election took place on May 19 at the 170th CEA Representative Assembly (CEA RA).
CEA and You
CEA RA Video: A year in review.
Teachers Gather to Remember Landmark Bridgeport Strike
Hundreds of active and retired teachers, some of whom hadn't seen each other in decades, gathered to commemorate a historic milestone—the Bridgeport teachers strike of 1978—which, for many, has brought to mind the wave of uprisings and walkouts happening across the country today.
Retired Teachers Applaud Legislative Funding, Ready to Stay Active and Engaged
"Those of you who went to retired lobby day, who reached out to your legislators, I can't thank you enough," CEA Executive Director Donald Williams told members of CEA-Retired gathered for their annual spring meeting.
Legislators Pass Bill to Improve Classroom Safety
In an important step toward ensuring the safety of Connecticut students and teachers, the State House and Senate have both passed SB 453.
#RedforEd Donations
Arizona has followed in the footsteps of West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and now Colorado - fighting for quality public education for our students.
Administration's Refusal to Hire Substitute Teachers Shortchanges Bridgeport Students
Hours before a drastic budget measure affecting the district's public schools was set to take effect, Bridgeport teachers held a news conference drawing attention to school officials' refusal to hire substitute teachers for the month of May—a decision that threatens to disrupt learning and jeopardize student safety.
Teachers, Registrars to Students: Your Vote Matters
Hours before a drastic budget measure affecting the district's public schools was set to take effect, Bridgeport teachers held a news conference drawing attention to school officials' refusal to hire substitute teachers for the month of May—a decision that threatens to disrupt learning and jeopardize student safety.
Register to Vote Campaign
CEA is proud to partner with the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut on a month-long, non-partisan voter registration drive in Connecticut's high schools, beginning May 1, and you can help.
Westport Teachers Wear Red for Ed
Like their colleagues standing up for fair wages and education funding across the nation, Westport teachers came together, wearing red, in a show of strength and solidarity before the town's Board of Education.
For English Learner Turned Ivy-Leaguer, Public School Teachers Made the Difference
On the morning of their promotion to middle school, fifth-grade girls from the Walsh School in Waterbury had a special visitor.
CEA Helps Schoolchildren and Families Receive Free Dental Care
CEA partnered with the Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach this year to get the message out about a no-cost clinic at Torrington High School April 20-21.
The April Issue of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
As the saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. But this year it is not going out like a lamb, because a growing community of student, teacher, and parent activists are roaring until something is done to end the scourge of violence in our schools.
Touchdown for Waterbury High School Football
The football equipment necessary to ensure students' safety can be expensive, and in a district like Waterbury, funding for sports programs is in short supply.
Teachers Ask for More Protection Against Unruly Students
Kicked, bitten, and thrown to the ground. Connecticut teachers say they've had enough.
Support #OKwalk4kids Lunch and Buses
Oklahoma educators, support professionals, parents, students, and community members have been PACKING the Oklahoma State Capitol this week to speak up on behalf of Oklahoma's children! Can you support them by buying them lunch?
'I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn't Have To'
Teachers from Avon, Bloomfield, Cheshire, Clinton, Cornwall, Coventry, East Hartford, Killingly, Manchester, Mansfield, Newington, Norwich, Tolland, Trumbull, and Waterbury—as well as retired educators from around the state—participated in the student-led March for Our Lives ast the nation's capital.
Enough is Enough: Thousands of Teachers Join Students in March to End Gun Violence
Chanting "enough is enough" and "we want gun control now," students, teachers, parents, and community members marched from the Corning Fountain in Bushnell Park to the steps of the State Capitol for the March For Our Lives Rally.
CEA on Radio: Legislators Must Act to End Assaults by Students
As surprising as it may sound, students biting, kicking, throwing furniture, and hurting other students and teachers has become common in schools across Connecticut, CEA Program Development Specialist Robyn Kaplan-Cho told WTIC's Ray Dunaway during an appearance on his radio show.
Teachers Share With Legislators Heartfelt Stories of Being Assaulted
Although it was after ten o'clock last night by the time the legislature' Education Committee heard public testimony on a bill to help ensure classroom safety and address student assaults, CEA members and staff made sure they were present to testify so that legislators could hear their stories.
Teachers Organize Walk-Ins for School Safety
Teachers and school staff in Amity, Darien, East Haddam, Marlborough, Manchester, Stamford, West Hartford, and elsewhere throughout the state gathered in their schools' parking lots and snowy courtyards in a show of support and solidarity for communities ravaged by school gun violence.
Rise in Aggressive Student Behavior in the Classroom Impacting Students, Teachers
Teachers calling on legislators to enact policies and procedures to keep classrooms safe.
CEA Leaders and Staff Testify Before Legislature's Education Committee
Its a busy day at the legislatures Education Committee, with senate and house members hearing from the public on bills that cover a range of topics from remedial reading instruction to virtual learning to Education Savings Accounts.
CEA Leaders Share Their Opinions on Keeping Schools Safe in Connecticut and Around the Country
CEA President Sheila Cohen and CEA Executive Director Donald Williams offer their insights on gun laws and school safety.
Oklahoma Teachers' Union Sets Strike Date for April 2 After Teacher Outcry
The Oklahoma Education Association announced on Tuesday night that schools would shut down across the state if the state legislature does not pass a $10,000 pay raise for teachers and increased funding for schools by April 23.
Agreement Reached Between West Virginia Educators and State
Thank you to all of you who sent messages of support to our West Virginia colleagues. They have stood in solidarity and made their voices heard to demand recognition of their professionalism and dignity.
Shelton Teachers Raise School Safety Concerns; Security Lapses Tied to Funding
In one of the city's largest public forums—with a crowd of over 200—more than 60 Shelton teachers shared their concerns and ideas regarding school safety with colleagues, administrators, and community members.
2018 CEF Read Across America Reading Bus Tour Makes Final Stop in Plainfield
Neither rain nor snow nor sleet would keep the bright blue bus from reaching its final destination on this blustery day.
CEO-Led Commission Raises Taxes, Takes Aim at Worker Freedoms, Teacher Pensions
Raising the state sales and gas taxes, eliminating the estate and gift taxes, selectively raising business taxes, eliminating collective bargaining for state workers, and reforming the Teachers' Retirement System are just a few of the recommendations released today by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth.
CEA, Union Leaders, Legislators Fight for Freedoms and Rights of the Middle Class
CEA leaders were joined by labor leaders from across the state and legislators in speaking out to protect the rights and freedom of workers to negotiate together and fight for decent and equitable pay, affordable health care, quality schools, and vibrant communities.
The Wheels on the Bus Go Read, Read, Read
February 26 marked the kick off of the Connecticut Education Foundation's 2018 Read Across America Reading Bus Tour, featuring a 38-foot bus decorated with characters from popular Dr. Seuss books and outfitted with bookshelves, benches, carpeting, and 3,000 donated books.
Stop Putting Children's Futures at Risk
Teachers call for real reform, fairness in education funding for all students.
No Guns in School
The Connecticut Education Association does not endorse the idea that teachers should bring guns into the classroom.
Education and Student Leaders to Lawmakers: Help Us Take Back Our Schools
CEA joined with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) in a press conference at East Hartford High School demanding meaningful legislative action on school safety.
The February-March Issue of the CEA Advisor is Now Online
Protecting public education and the teaching profession: Together, we have the power.
Connecticut Teachers Honor Educators, Students Killed in School Shooting
High school teacher Scott Beigel left this earth the way he had lived his life: looking out for the young people in his care.
Reading Bus Tour Rolls into Northeastern Connecticut
Connecticut Education Foundation brings the joy of reading to students.
State Board of Education Acts on Teachers' Concerns: Rejects Charter Expansion
The State Board of Education today listened to teachers' concerns about fairness in education funding and responded by rejecting increases in enrollment for three charter schools that would have cost the state $627,000.
State Board of Education Urged to Reject Costly Charter School Expansion
Critical funds being drained from neighborhood public schools; hurting students in state's poorest districts.
CEA Joins Labor Leaders Calling for Bold Reforms to Move CT Forward
Labor advocates urge fiscal stability commission to take high road to achieve economic growth in Connecticut.
What Does Connecticut's New General Assembly Session Mean for Teacher Pensions, School Funding?
Though his opening address to the 2018 General Assembly emphasized Connecticut's tradition of fairness and the state's future generations, the governor's new budget proposal delivers mixed news for Connecticut students, teachers, and schools.
Statement from CEA President Sheila Cohen on the Governor's State of the State Address
While Governor Malloy's message in his address to the General Assembly emphasized Connecticut's tradition of fairness and concern for future generations, his budget proposal is anything but fair for Connecticut's students and public schools.
Enfield Teacher Wins Grand Prize Vacation Package from CEA Member Benefits Sweepstakes
Kim Sweeney is the winner of a nine-day NEA Adventures prize package summer vacation to Costa Rica. The trip—the grand prize in CEA Member Benefits' first-ever "Explore & Score" eight-week sweepstakes—includes meals, hotel accommodations, and tours of a cloud forest, hot springs, and volcano.
Underfunding by Legislature Leads to Changes to Retired Teachers' Health Insurance
A change to the retired teachers' health insurance program that was adopted by the State Teachers' Retirement Board (TRB) this month will impact retired teachers and spouses who are on—or will soon be on&mdsah;the TRB's Medicare supplement (65 and older) plan.
CEA County Forums Bring Members Up to Speed, Stress Need to Stand Together
Teachers across Connecticut are coming out to their local CEA County Forums to stay on top of new threats to their profession and public education—and to learn how they can protect themselves.
Teachers, Parents Calling for Transparency Shut Out of Stratford Board of Education Meeting
Public officials are elected to represent the interests of local residents, but members of the Stratford Board of Education abdicated their responsibility to town residents by shutting them out of a public meeting.
Teachers Show What Democracy Looks Like at Connecticut Women's March
People from around Connecticut gathered Saturday in Hartford for the 2nd annual Connecticut Women's March—and among the attendees were many teachers.
CCJEF Ruling Fails Connecticut Students
State Supreme Court ruling in the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) v. Rell delivered a mixed verdict—bad for school funding, while rejecting the lower court's attempt to create burdensome schemes for testing, teacher evaluation, and education policy.
CEA Members Continue to Press for TEAM Funding
After state funding for the program was unexpectedly eliminated from the new state budget, CEA has continued to strongly advocate for a restoration of TEAM funding.
CEA President Sheila Cohen on State Supreme Court Ruling in CCJEF Case
Ruling fails to protect education funding, and opens the door to an unprecedented assault on our schools and children.
Our Students Can't Wait: Address Education Funding Now
Legislators must address education funding and reverse the additional $58.2 million in cuts to public schools before the start of the regular legislative session.


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The Marquette University Counseling Center (MUCC) always has a therapist available for walk-in appointments during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.). These appointments are reserved for individuals who are in crisis and need to be seen urgently, and who cannot wait for a scheduled appointment. Individuals who attend a walk-in appointment will be asked to complete a brief information form prior to seeing the on-call counselor.
You may call and leave a message at the MUCC by calling our regular phone number 414-288-7172. Alternatively, if you are in crisis after-hours, you can contact the Marquette University Police Department (MUPD), who will put you through to a counselor who works at the MUCC. The after-hours counselor will help identify the problem, assess for safety, and help the caller make a plan. You can contact MUPD by calling 414-288-6800.
If you are worried about the safety of a fellow student for any reason (e.g. suicide, homicide, intoxicated, etc.), please call MUPD at 414-288-6800. MUPD can provide safe transportation to Aurora Sinai Hospital, if necessary. If you are off-campus, call 911 or go to your local ER.


text:
Response to Washington Post's Try 'Pakistan First'
Zahir Ebrahim
April 27, 2008.
© Project HumanbeingsfirstTM. Permission granted to use freely as per copyright notice.
Document ID: PHBFZE20080427 URL: http://humanbeingsfirst.org. | Print | PDF | Comment.
To: Mr. Jim Hoagland <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Washington Post
Dated: Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Subject: Try 'Pakistan First'
Dear Mr. Jim Hoagland
I read your oped piece of April 27, 2008 in the Washington Post online just a few moments ago [where you stated: "Pakistan, with its two dozen nuclear weapons, popular and official support for Kashmiri and Taliban terrorism, and political instability, is ultimately a greater threat to world peace than Afghanistan and Iraq combined. That is the unavoidable reality that campaign promises should not obscure." ]
While you may surely be right on the 364 'unbirthday parties' with the 'Mad Hatter' thumping to the beat of "United We Stand" with 'Alice', for that one real birthday when 'Alice' is wide awake, please permit me to point your kind attention to three short essays which betray a different, even more grotesque reality of the 'Grand Chessboard':
From Balance of Terror to Unilateral Terror on the Grand Chessboard!
'Bin Laden': Key enabler of "imperial mobilization" ... and nuclear attack on Iran–Pakistan
The attack of 'Al-Qaeeda' and Pakistani 'loose nukes'
And for you kind convenience, I take the liberty of including the text of the first one below. I just composed it earlier this morning, and it would appear, rather clairvoyantly in anticipation of your oped! Please feel free to browse the world on that one real genuine birthday at http://humanbeingsfirst.org
We live and die once in our tiny existence (on the cosmic scale). While a vast majority of us have no choice but to face the grotesque reality head-on in our daily meager existence, the handful few among us privileged enough to be living in our comfortable homes in the West, can at least venture to 'call a spade a spade'! Yes I hate truisms too, and I do beg your pardon for stating the obvious.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have questions.
Kind Regards,
Zahir Ebrahim
Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
From Balance of Terror to Unilateral Terror on the Grand Chessboard!
The author, an ordinary researcher and writer on contemporary geopolitics, a minor justice activist, grew up in Pakistan, studied EECS at MIT, engineered for a while in high-tech Silicon Valley (patents here), and retired early to pursue other responsible interests. His maiden 2003 book was rejected by six publishers and can be read on the web at http://PrisonersoftheCave.org. He may be reached at http://Humanbeingsfirst.org.
Copyright Notice:
All material copyright (c) Project HumanbeingsfirstTM, with full permission to copy, repost, and reprint, in its entirety, unmodified and unedited, for any purpose, granted, provided the URL sentence and this copyright notice are also reproduced verbatim as part of this license, and not doing so may be subject to copyright license violation infringement claims pursuant to remedies noted at http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html. The rights of the author to express these views are based on inalienable rights noted at http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html, and to do so freely without suffering intimidation and duress. All quotations and excerpts are based on non-profit "fair use" in the greater public interest consistent with the understanding of laws noted at http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html. Full copyright notice and Exclusions at http://www.humanbeingsfirst.org.
Response to Washington Post's Try 'Pakistan First'


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National Geographic Information Systems Laboratory
Nearly all of BSC's bird monitoring datasets are geo-referenced, meaning that their analytical value and utility can be extended within a GIS environment, where, for example, relationships between birds, habitats, and stressors can be discovered and analyzed. Moreover, spatial tools allow science staff to visualize and query their data in ways that are not possible otherwise and which facilitate the formulation of innovative research questions.
Some recent projects include:
Bird Conservation Regions - On behalf of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), BSC maintains and distributes the authoritative version of the Bird Conservation Regions spatial layer and associated products. Both terrestrial and marine BCRs are included. Click here to access the files and the metadata.
Breeding Bird Atlases - a geographer's dream, these projects rely heavily on spatial analysis and mapping. Every atlas project in which BSC is involved has a map-based interface to allow project participants to view the results of their efforts and to share the information with the general public. Map libraries of project results can be viewed at each project's website: Ontario | Maritimes | British Columbia | Manitoba | Quebec.
Other Projects - Important Bird Areas - Download KMZ or shapefile or printable PDF maps for each IBA in Canada, as well as browse our interactive map | Christmas Bird Counts - Browse the interactive map and download printable PDF maps for each CBC circle in Canada | Maps and analyses for Saving our Shared Birds: Partners in Flight Tri-National Vision for Landbird Conservation.
Bird Studies Canada employs the ArcGIS suite of GIS products for the majority of its work. Staff:
Andrew Couturier (lead)
Eva Jenkins
Amanda Bichel
Sonya Richmond
Contact us: birdmap [AT] birdscanada [DOT] org