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It could have been a soybean farmer's worst nightmare. The e-mail rust alerts were coming in hot and heavy, and the map on the soybean rust monitoring Web site (www.sbrusa.net), which had been mostly green, suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree.
Between Oct. 11 and Oct. 24, the www.sbrusa.net monitoring system issued 17 soybean rust alerts for counties in the Mid-South states and Kentucky. Nationwide, the monitoring program said the latest findings had brought the 2006 total to 161 counties in 15 states ranging from Texas to Indiana to Virginia.
Fortunately for farmers, most of the nation's soybean crop had already been harvested and, in the fields that remained, the soybeans were way beyond the stage where Asian soybean rust could impact yields.
But why, after being confined to the Deep South states for most of the 2006 growing season, did Asian soybean rust seemingly explode into the Mid-South and the eastern part of the Corn Belt in mid-October?
It was due to cooler temperatures and more rainfall, according to X.B. Yang, professor of plant pathology at Iowa State University and one of the country's leading experts on Asian soybean rust.
Yang, who was interviewed in his office in Ames, Iowa, has been thinking quite a bit about why soybean rust hasn't been the scourge of U.S. soybeans that many scientists thought it would be after it arrived in the United States in November 2004.
"The areas of Brazil where soybean rust has been most severe are mainly on a plateau that is 2,000 feet and higher in elevation," he said. "It's cooler there in the summer nights — and it typically rains 15 days out of the month — so rust has been very bad most years since it came to Brazil."
For each 100-meter increase in elevation, says Yang, there's a 0.7-degree Celsius decrease in the average mean temperature. "So temperatures generally are cooler in Mato Grosso and Goias and other soybean-producing states in central Brazil than in the same timeframe in the southern United States.
"Understanding the situation in Brazil helps us understand what's happening in the United States," says Yang.
The situation was similar when Asian soybean rust first surfaced in China, according to Yang, who received his master's degree from China Agricultural University and his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.
As it was expected to do in the United States, Asian soybean rust can over-winter in the South and move north into the major soybean producing areas of China. But the degree of severity of rust infections has proven to be highly dependent on rainfall and the number of rainy or cloudy days.
In a season of two months with 30 or more rainfall days and 8 inches or more of rain, Chinese soybean farmers have experienced heavy losses (40 percent to 50 percent) from soybean rust. With 30 or less days of rainfall and 8 inches or less of rain, the losses have been more moderate (20 percent to 30 percent). With less than 10 rainy days and 5 inches of rain, disease pressure has been low.
"Soybean rust was relatively light in Brazil in the 2005-06 growing season," said Yang. "But it was also drier and warmer than normal in the Mato Grosso and Goias states of Brazil this past season."
In most years, however, the weather in the summer in the soybean growing areas of Brazil is much wetter and cloudier than that in the summer in the soybean growing areas of the United States.
Take Ames, Iowa, where Yang is located, for example. Ames averages seven or eight days of rainy weather and slightly more than 4 inches of rain per month in June, July or August. Cuiaba, the capitol city of Mato Grosso state in Brazil averages from 18 to 20 days of rainy weather and 8 to 10 inches of rain each in January, February and March, the months that correspond with summer in the United States.
Mato Grosso ranges from 1,640 to 3,280 feet in elevation. At 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), the average temperature will be 7 degrees C (12.6 degrees F) cooler than at sea level. "In Brazil, soybean rust has been much worse for those who farm in Mato Grosso than in Parana (a state in southern Brazil where the average elevation is lower.)"
The temperatures for the Cerrados area in the neighboring state of Goias are about the same as for Des Moines in the different summers for the two locations. But the former receive an average of 66 inches of rainfall annually, while Des Moines' average is 32 inches.
Yang says one of the latest studies of Asian soybean rust shows sunlight can have a significant effect on spore development in Asian soybean rust.
"In Mato Grosso in the central part of Brazil, the day-length is relatively short because of its proximity to the Equator," he said. "The longer day-length in the southern states affects the survival of the spores in the United States."
Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois indicates that if spores are exposed to sunlight for 48 hours, they will not germinate on host plants such as soybeans.
"That tells us that if spores move from south to north, they almost have to survive in a cloud," he said. "In bright sunlight, only a small amount of spores may survive. It's been sunny and dry in the South the last two years, and rust spores couldn't germinate."
In the fall of 2004, when rust spores first moved into the United States from Columbia, they traveled in a "big cloud," courtesy of Hurricane Ivan. (Monte Miles, plant pathologist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, has shown slides of Ivan covering an area from Columbia in South America into the southeastern United States in September 2004.)
The bottom line? A soybean production area may need at least 12 days of rain a month to get a significant level of disease, says Yang.
For Florida and Texas, the two states where researchers believe soybean rust are more likely to overwinter in the United States, Florida can receive significant amounts of rainfall, especially during the hurricane season.
"Florida can get 15 to 20 days of rainfall, but the rainfall has been very light in the last two years, especially in the spring when the disease would normally be building," says Yang.
"For the disease to become established, it has to build very quickly," he said. "In Florida, Asian soybean rust can produce spores in kudzu, but what we've found is that it prefers to sporulate on kudzu in the shade. And kudzu does not like to grow in the shade; it prefers to be out in the open."
Wind patterns are not always conducive to moving soybean rusts spores into the Mid-South and the Midwest. Researchers believe soybean rust can also overwinter along Interstate 10 along the Gulf Coast in Alabama and Louisiana.
"In April, the prevailing winds can blow from the Southeast up into the Mid-South," says Yang. "After April, however, they tend to blow out into the Gulf of Mexico. For rust to become established, it has to move from that region before May.
"The spores would have to develop in June in the Mid-South to be able to move north into the Midwest for the same reasons," he said. "After that, it often is too hot and dry for the spores to germinate. That's what happened the last two years."
That doesn't mean soybean rust cannot develop and become a threat to soybeans in the Midwest, he says, as has happened with other diseases such as Southern corn rust.
"If the disease builds up in the south, the spores can curve over in a cloud and move to the Mid-South and then into the Midwest," he said. "With the cloudy, cool conditions that we see in the Mid-South some years, the disease could become a serious threat."
For that reason, Yang believes USDA should continue funding at least a portion of the system of sentinel plots that he helped organize in the soybean-producing states. The plots, manned by Extension personnel, help provide an early warning to growers of the presence of soybean rust.
"It will depend on funding, but I think they should at least continue the plots in the southern states," he said. "If we don't have information about what's happening in the South, people there and in the rest of the country can't make informed decisions."
Yang said the recent findings on the importance of temperatures and rainfall could help explain much about the lack of soybean rust development in the United States in the last two seasons.
"In the past, researchers said dew was sufficient to provide the moisture needed for soybean rust to develop," he said. "Now we're seeing that rain has a definite impact. Just having a heavy dew is not sufficient."
Some scientists are also saying — and USDA data seem to bear this out — that glyphosate has an impact on the development on Asian soybean rust. "In the United States, 90 percent of the soybeans planted are Roundup Ready," he said. "In Brazil, the percentage is much lower.
"Beyond the random weather effects, this may also help explain why we've had less disease, which needs more data to support anyway."
e-mail: [email protected]


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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Our Newlywed Paradise Through the Years
10 comments:
- alanna rose said...
How about a dark blue?
- April 27, 2010 at 5:23 AM
- Scientific Housewife said...
Wow, it's come a long way. Looks great! I think you should paint the front door red or blue, would be a nice pop of color :)
- April 27, 2010 at 5:24 AM
- Jenny said...
A deep red would look nice, or a green maybe?
- April 27, 2010 at 5:45 AM
- elizabeth said...
I go with RED!!! I love bright red doors - they make a house pop!
You have done some great work to that house - I love it!!
Post shower curtain pics
- April 27, 2010 at 6:40 AM
- Mrs. Chic said...
I love seeing houses though the years! Yours is so cute, I love your idea of adding a larger front pocrh to the front it will be so nice to chill on in the mornings and evenings!
Door color, I actaully like your current door color, I think maybe removing your font screen door would make the impact your wanting.
That way you see your entire front door instead of just the top?
Or you could consdier going Turquoise!! Which would look nice with the white and beige...
And if the screen door is a keeper, maybe think of buying one thats full glass - so you can see your front door color?
Sorry, I wrote you a story!
- April 27, 2010 at 8:24 AM
- LizzieBeth said...
Your house is so charming-- no wonder you fell in love with it!!
I agree with the chick above me... try a turquoise! That will really pop against the soft taupes you have!
- April 27, 2010 at 8:37 AM
- Meg said...
Oh Danielle, your home is so adorable!! And seriously, you have done fabulously in 4 years. The shrubs really needed to go, but I bet you loved that before and after!
I also like the idea of turqoise. That Mrs. Chic is a genius. Really fun! And I'll always throw out yellow, because yellow front doors are so damn sexy!
- April 27, 2010 at 2:13 PM
- Tracy said...
I love the idea of a bigger frond porch,. I love them, I don't have one though :(
- April 27, 2010 at 2:58 PM
- Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...
You seriously have the cutest house. We immediately took down our awning because it was dreadful when we bought the house. But, now I wish I had forced the issue to replace it with SOMETHING. I hate having friends and family get poured on. Can't wait to see if you build on a porch.
As for the front door? I kinda like the idea of black, but I'm on a black door kick lately. But I think the real issue is less about the actual door color and the fact that nothing else ties to it. Whatever color you paint, I would make sure to have little accents in the same color - flower pots, benches, garden adornments, etc. Our front door is red, and I did that. I think it makes it all go together more.
Hope this helps!
- April 27, 2010 at 3:08 PM
- Oonafey said...
Apple green!
Or, Kim's right, black would be nice.
BTW: If I didn't already say it, I really like your "Rooms You've Never Seen" concept, very cool.
- May 4, 2010 at 4:46 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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In seven novels and a collection of essays published since 1981, Sarah Schulman has methodically chronicled the history of her longtime neighborhood, Manhattan's East Village. Her body of work surveys the creative vibrancy and embattled changes forced upon that community by AIDS and urban development.
Schulman's books are rife with artists and activists–many are both–whose stories closely mirror the real-life toll on the social and artistic landscape that is her longtime creative base. She offers a visceral description of that culture and its devastation in Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS and the Marketing of Gay America. "The East Village was a center for the production of global ideas," Schulman writes. "It was filled with varied races of immigrants, homosexuals, working people, bohemians and artists working in both traditional and emerging forms, most of whom had no institutional training or support. It feels strange to say this…but that was a civilization that has disappeared. It was destroyed by AIDS, gentrification and marketing."
These three things are inextricably linked for Schulman, particularly as they relate to cultural production and visual representations like theater and advertising. Schulman argues that representation of both gay and lesbian America and AIDS has been overtaken by the heterosexual mainstream, which she calls the "dominant culture." The results of that takeover are not honest depictions of homosexual culture and the epidemic but outright falsehoods designed to make both subjects palatable enough to turn a profit.
This belief springs, at least in part, from several experiences Schulman had during the 1995-96 theatrical season, when she co-wrote a theater column with longtime critic Don Shewey, first for Lesbian and Gay New York and later for the New York Press. One of the plays they reviewed was the musical Rent, which, after the sudden death of its creator, Jonathan Larson, ballooned into a theatrical monster that is still stomping across the country and around the globe. Shewey and Schulman published the only significant negative reviews the play received in New York. After conversations with several friends, Schulman became convinced that Rent's characters, plot and milieu are remarkably similar to those of her 1990 novel People in Trouble. In Stagestruck's first section, "Rent: The Dirt," Schulman describes her belief that Larson based his musical on her novel without permission: "The straight half was from Puccini, and the gay half was from me." Schulman also recounts how her attempts to prove the charge and air her concerns publicly–both of which would eventually fail–often made her want to go over to "city hall and [change her] name to Franz Kafka."


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Happy holidays from the Kardashian clan!
Last week, Kim unveiled her family's annual Christmas photo, where everyone (even Mercy the cat!) dazzled in all-white ensembles amid a confetti-filled party scene.
And we couldn't help but notice Kourtney's little girl, Penelope Disick, making her big debut in a princess-worthy dress. Big brother Mason also looked dapper in a white button down and pants. Luckily, we have all the details on what they're wearing.
Nick Saglimbeni/Courtesy E!
Instead of donning a suit like years past, Mason rocked La Miniatura's Tuxedo Shirt ($61) with trousers from 3 Pommes. And little sister Penelope wore Mischka Aoki's Kiss Kiss My Little Princess Dress ($168) and a London Raquel headband.
After Mason's seriously cute stance from last year's shoot, we thought the crew's cards couldn't get any cooler. That is, until they added a sweet baby girl to the mix. Is it too early to start counting down to next year's photo?
Courtesy La Miniatura
Courtesy Mischka Aoki
– Anya Leon


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Unofficial Events
- 1 Friday, June 27
- 2 Saturday, June 28
- 3 Friday, June 30
- 4 Tuesday, July 1
Friday, June 27
Little Saigon Bus Tour & Luncheon
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. "Little Saigon is the largest Vietnamese community outside of Viet Nam and is the social, economic and political capital of Vietnamese America. This is a guided tour that involves driving and promenades. An air conditioned bus tour let's you explore the cultural and commercial life of Little Saigon including the site of a newspaper and a Vietnamese-American radio station, where news, entertainment, and community services are delivered in both Vietnamese and English. We are also planning to make short stops along our route and finish with a lunch* at Chateau Brodard (famous for their Spring Rolls). Our tour guide will be Cathy Kim-Vân Q. Le, Adult Services Librarian at Aliso Viejo Library / OC Public Libraries. She is life long resident of Little Saigon."
Please arrive EARLY so we may leave On Time!!! Pick up and Return - Anaheim Marriott 700 West Convention Way Anaheim, California 92802 USA
- We are limited to 47 passengers**
Please Pre-Pay in Advance $15.00 for the Bus Tour Make Check out to: APALA and mail to Florante Ibanez, Loyola Law School, 919 Albany Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015 For more info call: (213)736-1431 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Lunch will be at your own expense & they also serve vegetarian dishes.
See the APALA Website for more ALA events…. http://apalaweb.org
OCLC Symposium: The Mashed-Up Library
Friday, June 27, 2008, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Marriott Anaheim, Platinum Ballroom 1-5
Developing new library services can now mean mixing data and functionality from several sources into "mash-ups" to provide a unique and powerful user experience. Some librarians have discovered how to use Web applications to adapt or create new services. Others are investigating this trend and looking for further guidance. Still others have found creative ways to deliver traditional programs to new populations.
Join our keynote speaker, Michael Schrage, author of Shared Minds: The New Technologies of Collaboration and columnist for CIO and MIT's Technology Review, and our panel of three librarians who have developed their own mash-ups. We'll hear from:
-Susan Gibbons, Associate Dean, Public Services & Collection Development, University of Rochester (NY) River Campus Libraries
-David Lee King, Digital Branch & Services Manager, Topeka & Shawnee County (KS) Public Library
-Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran, Librarian, University of Minnesota, Rochester
Pre-registration is requested
Saturday, June 28
Librarian/Disney Fan Meet ~ During the ProQuest Scholarship Bash
Where? Coca Cola Refreshment Corner in Disneyland Park. Meet by the Piano! [1]
Time? 8:45PM - Great viewing spot for fireworks at 9:25PM
Questions? Contact Stephanie B. @ email@example.com
Rocky Horror Picture Show
12:00 Midnight, after the Scholarship Bash
Rocky Horror Picture Show Information
Contact: Karin Dalziel, firstname.lastname@example.com
Friday, June 30
Tuesday, July 1
Esotouric presents Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles bus tour
Noon-7pm, tour price of $125 includes fixed price luncheon at Musso & Frank Grill http://www.esotouric.com/librarians-7-1-08


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Ingredients for Alchemy can be found in a number of manners.
EditHarvesting Plants
Plants are everywhere. Although sometimes harder to see in 3rd person mode, you can aim your crosshair at any flora to see if it can be harvested. After a short time you'll start to recognize the bright mountain flowers and hear the audible hum of Nirnroot.
EditPurchasing Ingredients
Stores in almost all major cities and even small towns sell ingredients. Some markets and inns will also delve into herbalist roles now and again so speak with everyone and see what they have for sale! Anything under the Ingredients menu item can be used in Alchemy.
EditSearching Wildlife
Any slain wildlife or undead can leave behind Alchemy ingredients for use. Some will have more than one item and still others will have none. Search everything you kill for items that may help in your potion and poison making.
EditSearching Small Creatures
Small creatures like Torchbugs, Butterflies, Bees and Moths can all be snatched from the air and harvested for Alchemy.
Here's a list of all ingredients based in alphabetical order.
- Bear Claws
- Bee
- Beehive Husk
- Bleeding Crown
- Blisterwort
- Blue Butterfly Wing
- Blue Dartwing
- Blue Mountain Flower
- Bone Meal
- Briar Heart
- Butterfly Wing
- Canis Root
- Charred Skeever Hide
- Chaurus Eggs
- Chicken's Egg
- Creep Cluster
- Crimson Nirnroot
- Cyrodilic Spadetail
- Hagraven Claw
- Hagraven Feathers
- Hanging Moss
- Hawk Beak
- Hawk Feathers
- Histcarp
- Honeycomb
- Human Flesh
- Human Heart
- Sabre Cat Tooth
- Salt Pile
- Scaly Pholiata
- Silverside Perch
- Skeever Tail
- Slaughterfish Egg
- Slaughterfish Scales
- Small Antlers
- Small Pearl
- Snowberries
- Spider Egg
- Spriggan Sap
- Swamp Fungal Pod
EditIngredient Effects
If you wish to find other ingredients with the same effects without searching through this page, just click the effect to find a list of those particular ingredients. You can also click each ingredient to find more information about it. Effects include:
- Cure Disease
- Damage Health
- Damage Magicka
- Damage Magicka Regen
- Damage Stamina
- Damage Stamina Regen
- Fear
- Fortify Alchemy
- Fortify Alteration
- Fortify Barter
- Fortify Block
- Fortify Carry Weight
- Fortify Conjuration
- Fortify Destruction
- Fortify Enchanting
- Fortify Health
- Fortify Heavy Armor
- Fortify Illusion
- Fortify Light Armor
- Fortify Lockpicking
- Fortify Magicka
- Fortify Marksman
- Fortify One-Handed
- Fortify Pickpocket
- Fortify Restoration
- Fortify Smithing
- Fortify Stamina
- Fortify Sneak
- Fortify Two-Handed
- Frenzy
- Invisibility
- Lingering Damage Health
- Lingering Damage Magicka
- Lingering Damage Stamina
- Paralysis
- Ravage Health
- Ravage Magicka
- Ravage Stamina
- Regenerate Health
- Regenerate Magicka
- Regenerate Stamina
- Resist Fire
- Resist Frost
- Resist Magic
- Resist Poison
- Resist Shock
- Restore Health
- Restore Magicka
- Restore Stamina
- Slow
- Waterbreathing
- Weakness to Fire
- Weakness to Frost
- Weakness to Magic
- Weakness to Poison
- Weakness to Shock


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Swapping PCI for USB to save energy?Posted by ninjaneer in Hardware, tags: 500, energy saving, mythbuntu, mythtv, nova-t, power, stick, usb
After discovering that Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-T PCI cards seem to draw anything up to 9 watts each when in operation, I've been theorising about ways and means to reduce the overall power consumption of a MythTV 'backend' server.
One option I considered was replacing two NOVA-T cards with a single NOVA-T 500 which has two tuners. The glaring problem with that approach is that I have no means of knowing before-hand whether the NOVA-T 500 doesn't just draw twice as much power as a normal NOVA-T.
The other alternative I've considered is a NOVA-T USB Stick. It's a really simple device involving a USB connector at one end and an aerial connector at the other. In theory, the limitations of the USB system should dictate that one of these sticks will not require more than 2.5 watts (more likely no more than 2 watts).
If so, I would be limited to one stick per USB slot but that's no great hardship as I have at least four USB slots to play with.
There is a catch though, having done some reading out on the intertubes, it appears there is a problem with tuning on the NOVA-T sticks and the current version of Mythbuntu (which I have used to configure MythTV systems up until now)


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About RSNA
Robert A. Novelline, MD, is professor of radiology, director of Emergency Radiology, and director of the Core Radiology Clerkship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. His impact on radiology education and teaching methods has spread worldwide. Dr Novelline's teachings can be divided into two areas: emergency radiology and medical student/resident/ fellow education.Establishing one of the nation's first emergency radiology residency/fellowship programs in the early 1980s, Dr Novelline has since trained hundreds of residents, fellows, and junior staff in this subspecialty. He was one of the founders of the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) and played a key role in the design of its annual meeting. Some 20 years later, Dr Novelline continues to keep the ASER educational program on the cutting edge. Dr Novelline led the effort to revise, expand, and disseminate the National Curriculum in Emergency Radiology, a major focus of ASER. ASER has acknowledged Dr Novelline's important contributions by awarding him its gold medal in 2000. Radiology of Emergency Medicine, written by John H. Harris, Jr, MD, William H. Harris, MD, and Dr Novelline, has been the definitive reference textbook on emergency radiology for over a decade. As a speaker and lecturer, Dr Novelline's style has long lasting effects.As editor and co-author of Squire's Fundamentals of Radiology, the premier textbook used by medical schools throughout North America and abroad, and founder of the Alliance for Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER), Dr Novelline put medical student education on the map. Dr Novelline's medical student curricula have been adopted at many other schools and he has often hosted and advised other clerkship directors and educators. Not only has Dr Novelline been directly involved in medical student education, serving as mentor for countless medical students, but also in the mentorship of radiology educators.Other educational endeavors include serving as co-chair of the RSNA/American College of Radiology (ACR) Web site for the public, RadiologyInfo.org; 9 years on the RSNA Refresher Course Committee as chair of Emergency Radiology, vice-chair, and committee chair, where he reorganized the tracks to accommodate emerging technologies such as molecular imaging, developed vertical courses such as the Essentials of Radiology, and many case-based, interactive audience-response courses; and service to the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) as a member and chair of the numerous committees including the Ad Hoc Committee of Program Directors, which became the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR). He earned the APDR Achievement Award in 2004.Dr Novelline has had over 50 visiting professorship appointments around the world. He received no less than a dozen unique honors and awards, including 16 nominations for the Harvard Medical School Prize for Excellence in Teaching, 10 Harvard Medical School Committee on Educational Evaluation Citations for Clerkship Directors (whose student ratings scored 1.5 or higher), and 5 Medical Student Teaching Awards in Radiology, from Massachusetts General Hospital. The list of achievements continues with 5 honorary lectures, service on the editorial boards of Emergency Radiology, Investigative Radiology, and Radiology, and as a manuscript reviewer for Academic Radiology, American Journal of Radiology, European Journal of Radiology, Journal of the American College of Radiology, Journal of Trauma, and The New England Journal of Medicine."Early in my academic career, I was an audience member listening to Bob Novelline's truly superb lecture on facial and abdominal trauma. More than 10 years later, I still remember many of his teaching points. His outstanding teaching style, excellent diagrams, and rich case material have been both an inspiration and a model for me as my own career as a radiology educator has developed." - O. Clark West, MD, 2007-08 ASER President"Dr Novelline's generosity, encouragement, and mentorship have guided me as I rose to AUR's AMSER presidency, and I know I am not alone as a recipient of this generosity. … He has spent his long and illustrious professional career teaching our teachers as well as our learners." - Janet A. Neutze, MD, 2007-08 AMSER President"Dr Novelline has been a consummate innovator in education, deftly weaving well-working classical components of education with new, improved and modern versions of teaching. Furthermore, his methods are frequently supplanted by academic research and shared with the world at large. … He is truly a leader in every sense of the word; in fact, he is a leader of leaders." - Mark E. Mullins, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Assistant Program Director, and Director of Radiology Medical Student Education at Emory University


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Compassion projects are located in the building facilities of a local church. All ministry is done as an extension of the local church, maximizing the church building and classrooms throughout the week, and helping the local church be the center of ministry for the communtiy in each area.
This site owned and developed by The Christian Web Network in partnership with Compassion International.
Compassion International is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Compassion has been recognized for superior financial integrity, and is listed by the American Institute of Philanthropy listing of Top Rated Charities. Your child sponsorship contributions to Compassion are tax-deductible in the United States.
© 2006-2014 Christian Web Network, All rights reserved.


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Andy Hall's Time-Keeping Objects
Artsy Editorial
Drawing on his background in design, Andy Hall creates artwork that delves into questions of form, function, and utility. Hall's work is especially concerned with the legacy of design in the 20th century, particularly Josef Albers' exploration of color and Anni Albers' theories of textiles. Hall creates objects he calls models, which experiment with the formal possibilities of materials such as fabrics, glass, paper, and metals. The juxtaposition of media with vibrant colors and varied texture produces uncanny results. His "Expanded Shape" works, for example, conflate soft and hard, dull and shiny, or solid and textured, while the perforated metal objects in his "Folded Square" series establish a concrete, visual relationship between time and space through self-imposed parameters and systems.
American, b. 1972


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Hilda Solis Resigns as Labor Secretary
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is leaving the Obama administration.
Solis, the nation's first Hispanic labor secretary, submitted her resignation letter to President Barack Obama on Wednesday afternoon. She made the decision to leave after discussing it with her family and close friends.
She says she plans to return to her native California, where she is expected to run for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Solis, 55, has won praise from labor unions for aggressive enforcement of wage and hour laws and job safety regulations. But business groups have criticized her as not taking a more cooperative approach.
Her resignation comes as criticism has been brewing over the few number of women and minorities among senior officials in the Obama administration.
In a statement released by the White House, the president called Solis "a tireless champion for working families."
"Over the last four years, Secretary Solis has been a critical member of my economic team as we have worked to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and strengthen the economy for the middle class," the president said. "Her efforts have helped train workers for the jobs of the future, protect workers' health and safety and put millions of Americans back to work...I wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
In a letter – obtained by Fox – to her staff at the Department of Labor, Solis said she made the decision to leave her post "after much discussion with family and close friends. . .to begin a new future, and return to the people and places I love and that have inspired and shaped my life."
"Leaving the department is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, because I have taken our mission to heart," Solis wrote.
She reflected on her good fortune.
"As the daughter of parents who worked in factories, paid their union dues and achieved their goal of a middle class life. . .it has been an incredible honor to serve."
"Growing up in a large Mexican-American family in La Puente, California," she wrote to her staff, "I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to serve in a president's Cabinet, let alone in the service of such an incredible leader."
Linda Chavez, who was head of the Civil Rights Commission under the Reagan Administration, nearly became the first Hispanic labor secretary when President George W. Bush nominated her for the post in 2001. But Chavez was forced to withdraw as the nominee after it was revealed that she had provided haven to an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala in the early 1990s.
Chavez appeared with other immigrants who said she had helped them as she did the Guatemalan, Marta Mercado, in 1991 and 1992, taking her into her home and giving her money but never, she said, as an employer.
Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, Texas Democrat, and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, praised Solis for having been "a strong advocate for the Hispanic community and for all American workers."
"I'm proud to have had the opportunity to serve alongside Sec. Solis for many years in the House and witness her tireless commitment and vision firsthand. In her role overseeing the Department of Labor, Sec. Solis has continued to serve her country dutifully and protect American families."
As a nominee facing the confirmation process in 2009, Solis, then a California congresswoman, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that she felt the government needed "to restore the respect and integrity of those individuals in the workplace."
Organized labor viewed Solis as a determined advocate for measures making it easier to boost union membership by giving employees the right to sign union cards to form unions instead of holding secret ballot elections.
Business groups, however, were concerned about Solis' support for unions.
In 2000, Solis received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues in California.
The late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., called her "a voice for the voiceless with a true passion for fairness and justice."
Solis was the first Latina elected to the California Senate, where she led the battle to increase the state's minimum hourly wage from $4.25 to $5.75 in 1996.
She won her congressional seat in 2000 after taking on a Democratic incumbent who had lost the support of organized labor. During eight years in Congress, Solis made protecting the environment and helping immigrants two of her top priorities.
This story includes material from The Associated Press.


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STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - LSU's Anthony Hickey was so good and so calm in the final seconds against Mississippi State, it was easy to believe he'd done this before.
That's because he had.
Hickey hit a short floating runner with 1.4 seconds remaining to push LSU past Mississippi State 69-68 on Saturday night at Humphrey Coliseum. It's the second straight season Hickey has beaten Mississippi State just before the buzzer - and it was a short runner that did the trick last season, too.
"It was exciting," Hickey said. "I made the same play last time we played them. Give coach credit. We've been working on last-second plays."
Hickey's heroics erased nearly an entire game of frustration for LSU (12-7, 3-5 Southeastern Conference), which won despite trailing 40-26 at halftime and 66-60 in the final few minutes.
It was the second of two terrific shots by Hickey, who also hit a 15-foot jumper to give LSU a 67-66 lead with 16 seconds left. Mississippi State came right back with Trivante Bloodman's acrobatic layup to push the Bulldogs ahead 68-67 lead with 7.9 seconds left.
But that just set up some more Hickey heroics.
Hickey scored seven of his 12 points in the final 46.7 seconds. He drove the length of the court on his final shot, and the 5-foot-11 sophomore made the short floater over a pair of defenders to win the game.
While LSU celebrated, Mississippi State was left to wonder where it all went wrong. Mississippi State coach Rick Ray was stunned Hickey was able to get down the court so easily.
"When I called the timeout, I thought I was pretty clear about what to do," Ray said. "But apparently that was not the case."
Mississippi State (7-13, 2-6) has now lost six straight. Gavin Ware led the Bulldogs with 14 points while Bloodman added 12.
It's been a great week for LSU, which also had an impressive victory over No. 17 Missouri on Wednesday. The Tigers didn't play as well on Saturday against the Bulldogs, but escaped Humphrey Coliseum with a victory despite shooting just 4 of 25 (16 percent) from 3-point range.
Mississippi State put together a nearly flawless first half, shooting 16 of 28 (57.1 percent) from the field, outrebounding LSU 20-18 and forcing 10 turnovers.
Ware, the 6-foot-9, 270-pound freshman, led the Bulldogs with 10 first-half points, making all five of his field goal attempts.
Meanwhile, LSU struggled, making just 9 of 33 shots (27.4 percent) in the first half.
"They got into a really good rhythm. Made their shots," LSU coach Johnny Jones said. "We knew in the second half, we were going to have to win each five-minute segment."
LSU slowly cut into Mississippi State's advantage in the second half, getting to the basket with ease on fast break opportunities. Hickey hit a 3-pointer - just LSU's third of the game - with 5:21 left and then Shavon Coleman followed with a short jumper to cut Mississippi State's lead to 60-58.
Johnny O'Bryant hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 60 with 3:13 left, but Mississippi State responded with six straight points to take a 66-60 lead with 1:38 remaining.
Mississippi State could have had a bigger lead, but struggled badly at the free throw line. The Bulldogs made just 13 of 27 (48.1 percent) attempts, including an ugly 8 of 20 mark (40 percent) in the second half.
"It was the (main) factor," Ray said. "If I had the answer to (the poor free-throw shooting), I'd be a free-throw coach and travel the country coaching free throws."
Those misses came back to bite the Bulldogs in the final minutes. Hickey's 3-pointer pulled LSU within 66-65 with 46.7 seconds remaining, which served as the appetizer for his clutch shooting in the final 20 seconds.
LSU won despite shooting just 4 of 25 (16 percent) from 3-point range.
"We worked so hard in practice and in the first half, and then to just give it away like that," Ware said.
Things don't get any easier for the Bulldogs. They have two road games against ranked opponents next week - rival Mississippi and Florida.
"This one right here hurts because it's the second straight ballgame at home we've had a chance to win and then faltered at home," Ray said.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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'Drone' honor angers combat veteransBy TIM BUCKLAND
New Hampshire Union Leader
March 12. 2013 10:04PM
A Pentagon plan to rank above combat medals a new decoration designed for drone pilots drew harsh criticism Tuesday from veterans groups and New Hampshire's two U.S. senators.
In its current form, the Distinguished Warfare Medal, which is designed to recognize service members such as drone pilots and cyber warriors for achievements that do not involve direct combat, would be ranked above the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
"To say that somebody sitting behind a desk at a computer controlling drones deserves an award above (combat decorations) is really demeaning and demoralizing to people who received a Purple Heart or Bronze Star," said Paul F. Roy Jr., the cofounder of Veterans Awareness Coalition, which is based in New Hampshire. "It's an insult to the men and women who put themselves in harm's way."
Roy, a combat veteran of the Afghanistan War, said he received a barrage of angry emails from veterans over the new medal's proposed ranking.
New Hampshire U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen were part of a bipartisan group of senators who sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and recipient of two Purple Hearts, asking him to reconsider the new medal's placement above combat decorations.
"With your direct combat experience, you know too well that generations of Americans have risked their lives in combat, and many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The precedence of combat awards recognizes these acts of heroism and should maintain as our military's highest honors," the letter said.
Responding to the criticism, Hagel on Tuesday ordered the military service chiefs to review the new Distinguished Warfare Medal and the Pentagon stopped its production, according to the U.S. Defense Department. The medal was introduced last month by former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
"I'm encouraged that Secretary Hagel has ordered a review of the Distinguished Warfare Medal and its precedence in relation to combat medals," Ayotte, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. "While extraordinary achievements in non-combat situations should be appropriately recognized, medals earned in combat for acts of heroism, bravery, and sacrifice should remain the nation's highest and most sacred military honors."
"Combat awards ought to be unique and the generations of Americans that have risked their lives on behalf of our country rightfully deserve special recognition," Shaheen said in a statement. "While cyber specialists and unmanned aerial vehicle pilots are obviously vital to our national defense, when recognizing their efforts we need to make sure we're not inadvertently diminishing the service of those directly in harm's way."


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Tuesday, 20 November 2012 07:22 PM
News Corp. is acquiring a 49 percent stake in the YES Network, a deal that gives the New York Yankees' owners hundreds of millions of dollars and values the channel at $3 billion.
Yankee Global Enterprises, Goldman Sachs and other investors will reduce their ownership as part of the transaction, and the team will receive $500 million.
"The Steinbrenner family expects to have a continuing, long-term ownership stake in the YES Network and we will continue our yearly commitment of fielding a championship caliber team for decades to come," Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement.
The agreement raises the value of the YES Network to $3.8 billion in three years, when News Corp. must decide whether to take control. The Yankees also committed to stay on YES Network through 2042, subject to approval of the rights deal from Major League Baseball. The Yankees' existing agreement with YES runs through 2021 and the network has three five-year options.
News Corp., which owns Fox, may acquire an additional stake in the YES Network after three years that could bring its ownership to 80 percent. Yankee Global Enterprises, the team's parent company, would retain a significant minority stake.
Fox will make a $500 million payment to the Yankees for extending their broadcast rights, of which $300 million will be paid when the deal with News Corp. closes and $200 million in about three years, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because some details of the pact had not been made public. The team's stake in the network will decline from 34 percent to 25 percent.
YES's fee to the Yankees, which was $85 million this year, was due to compound at 4 percent annually under the options in the old contract. Under the new deal, the rate will increase gradually to 7 percent in the final years of the rights agreement, and YES's annual payment to the team will rise to about $300 million by 2042.
"We've long been a believer in the unique appeal of sports entertainment," News Corp. deputy chief operating officer James Murdoch said in a statement.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to enhance News Corporation's industry-leading portfolio of sports properties, while also strategically re-entering the New York market," he added.
YES currently is owned by the Yankees, Goldman Sachs, Providence Equity and NJ Holdings, the company controlled by former Nets owners Louis Katz and Ray Chambers. By closing the deal this year, they would avoid any possible increase in capital gains taxes in 2013.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is emerging from the phone hacking scandal in Britain. The company is in the midst of a plan to split into two parts — one housing its newspapers, Australian operations and for-profit education business, and the other its more profitable TV and movie businesses.
Fox Sports Media Group already owns 20 U.S. regional sports networks. With Fox's investment in the Big Ten Network and Rutgers' plans to join the conference, this deal could help get the college sports channel into more homes in the New York area.
YES Network, which also broadcasts Brooklyn Nets games, launched in 2002. YES Network is one of the most valuable regional sports networks in the country, earning a nation-leading $2.99 in subscriber fees each month from its 11.8 million subscribers, according to SNL Kagan.
It is expected to have $500 million in revenue this year and around $232 million in cash, for a cash flow margin of 46 percent. That sets it apart from other regional sports networks that generate margins around 20 to 30 percent.
"They're a pretty strong network, definitely in the higher tier of networks when it comes to cash flow margin," SNL analyst Adam Swanson said.
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Brad Pitt, 'Killing Them Softly' take aim at crime genre
Crime films are not one-size-fits-all affairs. If you've seen one, you haven't seen them all. It only seems you have because certain elements are recurring: all-male settings filled with violence and extreme characters who are hard-boiled or Runyonesque.
Crime still pays today, but it takes more than generic felonious acts and heinous characters to move the needle.
After "Pulp Fiction," the multiplex overflowed with quick-and-dirty copycats. But the genre has since shown it can expand or contract to accommodate an array of imaginations and creative visions. There are tall tales and small tales, from the black comedy of "Seven Psychopaths" to the Cockney swagger of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."
"Killing Them Softly" is a little bit of all of this. While rooted in film noir, it is tethered to a tenuous bit of heightened reality that causes it to resemble a used textbook in which all the important parts have already been underlined.
Writer-director Andrew Dominik imagines his subculture of junkies, mobsters and hitmen dancing to the recessionary drumbeat in 2008 at the start of the financial collapse. While going about their brutal business, the background noise - in cars and bars - is TV and radio reports of the fiscal collapse.
Hard to tell what this means. Hitmen are people too? Or that some people rob you with a gun and others with a fountain pen?
In any case, it's hard to believe wiseguys are that interested in current events.
Brad Pitt plays a hitman hired by a bureaucratic syndicate middleman, played with effortless banality by the versatile Richard Jenkins, to settle the score when a mob card game, run by Ray Liotta, is robbed by junkies. Pitt is a businesslike, efficient killer. But he is also sensitive. He kills his victims softly, from a distance.
Since the junkies who are his quarry are predictable, it's easy to find them. But the job is complicated by a syndicate unwilling to get blood on its hands and another hitman gone rogue.
The nodding and delusional junkies - Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn, as the belligerent dognapper of the pair - allow Dominik to bring a "Trainspotting" vibe to the proceedings. Coincidentally, "Seven Psychopaths" also had a dognapping subplot.
Numerous scenes are skillfully if brutally choreographed, including an elaborate beating in the rain, a tense backroom robbery of a group of armed men and Pitt's encounters with a volatile James Gandolfini. Pitt played a more sympathetic version of a similar character in the mournful "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," also directed by New Zealand native Dominik, whose portrait of the American West drew from his own country's frontier experience.
And while he may have captured something of outlaw culture in "Killing Them Softly," Dominik's portrait of America seems myopic, cynical and coldblooded.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Keep up with the holiday movie season on film critic Duane Dudek's blog, The Dudek Abides. Follow Dudek on Twitter: @TheDudekAbides.
Killing Them Softly ***
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta, Max Casella, Sam Shepard, Vincent Curatola
- Behind the scenes: Produced by Dede Gardner, Anthony Katagas, Brad Pitt, Paula Mae Schwartz and Steve Schwartz. Written and directed by Andrew Dominik.
- Rated: R; pervasive language, violence, drug use, nudity.
- Approximate running time: 97 minutes
- Movie times and more details


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Hello all! I posted this in the Working and Breastfeeding forum, but I'm hoping to get more insight by posting here as well.
Baby boy is 8 months old. Recently I've noticed my supply dwindling a bit while pumping at work. My little guy is really enjoying his solids now, so I'm wondering if that's why? Here is our sample schedule:
6:30a - nursing
8a - solids
9:30a - bottle of breastmilk (at daycare)
noon - solids
1:30p - bottle of breastmilk (at daycare)
5p - solids
6:30p - nursing
10p - dreamfeed
(perhaps another nighttime nursing session if he wakes up)
Does this sound like an ok schedule for an 8 1/2 month old?
I used to pump 14 oz at work, in two pumping sessions. Recently I've been getting 8-9 oz (yesterday I only got 7!). Little man has also not been finishing his bottles at daycare (I was sending two 6.5 oz bottles, I'm now only sending two 4.5 oz bottles, and sometimes he won't finish the second one).
Do I need to be concerned? Or is this ok and normal? He's gaining weight appropriately, so that's not a concern. I just want to make sure my supply doesn't diminish completely, as I really want to nurse him up to or past his one year birthday.
Thank you for any input/advice!


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The legislation, which heads to the Senate after solid bipartisan passage, would provide roughly a third of what Gov. Rick Snyder wants to bring roads and bridges up to par. Others think the funding increase should be $2 billion at a minimum.
"The complaints (that) it's not good enough, it's not enough, it's not perfect enough have kept the Legislature from acting for too long," said House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. "If this had been done in 1997, we wouldn't be debating a road problem today. Michigan citizens would be driving on smoother roads."
Most of the additional transportation funding would be diverted from the state's general fund, which funds prisons, public universities and other programs. But the Republican-controlled House also voted 85-24 to raise revenue by converting the state's 19-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax to one based on price while increasing the 15-cents-per-gallon diesel tax to the equivalent of 19 cents.
The 6 percent tax on wholesale fuel prices then could rise with inflation but not spike higher when gas prices jump. The state Treasury Department could increase tax rates to ensure fuel tax revenues are never less than in the 2014 base year.
The legislation partly is intended to address a constant frustration — that Michigan's gas taxes are among the highest in the nation while its per-capita transportation spending is among the lowest because the 6 percent sales tax on fuel primarily goes to schools and locals governments.
A bill approved 91-18 would keep education and revenue sharing to municipalities intact while sending $130 million per year in leftover sales tax collected at the pump to roads and bridges instead of the general fund. Another bill, also approved 91-18, would set aside a portion of the 6 percent use tax — which is applied to online and catalog purchases and hotel bills — solely for road and bridge projects.
Proponents say if Michigan had moved to a wholesale gas tax when it last raised the per-gallon tax in 1997, it would have the $1.3 billion Snyder is seeking today. Road agencies are getting less in state funding than a decade ago in part because people are driving less and with more fuel-efficient cars.
The conservative group Americans for Prosperity criticized lawmakers for basing fuel taxes on price, saying it's doubtful that residents "support automatic yearly increases in the taxes they pay at the pump." On the other side of the political spectrum, the Michigan League for Public Policy — an advocacy group for the poor — said the House plan would strain other spending on health care, higher education, public safety, preschool and human services.
But Snyder, a Republican whose call for bigger hikes in gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees hasn't been embraced in the Legislature, applauded the House.
"The House package reflects a serious commitment to tackling this issue," he said in a statement. "It continues the critical dialogue as we work together to reach the ultimate solution that includes a stable, sufficient, long-term funding source."
Some Democrats such as Rep. Sam Singh of East Lansing criticized the bills as not going far enough. "I want to be able to support something that adds real revenue, that solves the problem — that's not in the millions but is actually in the billions" of dollars, he said.
Other bills sent to the GOP-led Senate would raise the cost of permits for oversize and overweight trucks, double fines for overweight trucks, revise some vehicle registration fees and aim to ensure contractors are held responsible for shoddy pavement.
"While you criticize the package as not being perfect, and it's not, it is a very good first step in getting us working on fixing Michigan roads," said Rep. Marilyn Lane, D-Fraser.


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IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG's areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College is the leader in collegiate marketing, licensing and media rights. IMG's Joint Ventures, IMG Reliance and IMG CCTV, in the emerging markets of India and China, offer the company significant long-term growth opportunities. IMG Media is the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming. IMG Events and Federations owns and manages some of the most sought after events and includes long standing associations with the world's most important sports organizations, leagues, and federations. IMG Fashion owns and operates fashion events around the world and IMG Models represents the world's top models, leading designers and the most influential photographers, art directors and stylists.
For the past 50 years IMG Clients has been the global leader in talent representation, including over 1,000 elite athletes, coaches, industry executives and prestigious sports organizations across the sports, entertainment, fashion and media industries. IMG Academies is the world's largest and most advanced multi-sport training and educational facility delivering sports training experiences to more than 12,000 dedicated athletes from approximately 80 countries every year. IMG Consulting connects many of the world's leading brands with consumers through access to unique sports and entertainment properties. IMG Licensing is considered one of the premier independent licensing companies in the sports, entertainment and media world.
Founded in 1960 with a handshake between Mark McCormack and golf legend Arnold Palmer, IMG has grown into a global operation. In 2004, renowned entrepreneurial pioneer Ted Forstmann acquired the company and infused it with renewed energy, creativity, and strategic direction.
IMG's areas of expertise include:
- Media production and distribution across multiple platforms
- Event creation, management and sponsorship sales
- Client representation and brand management
- Sponsorship and media consulting
- Global sponsorship and media sales
- Consumer products licensing
- Athlete training


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Hello Games chose to release Joe Danger via Sony's PlayStation Network because the team regarded Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade as a "slaughterhouse" for small developers.
"XBLA is kind of a slaughterhouse for smaller developers. There's two titles released every week and a lot of those are falling in that 25,000 or less category."
So, XBLA is worse cause it has more games?
I think the real reason that it's not released on XBLA is spelled Trials HD. On PSN they don't have that competition so it makes more sense for them to release it there.
There is a big difference on how each company handles its games.
MS let any developer to make an indy game for the machine with good tools but they require a long period of exclusivity. You have to wade through the rubbish games to find the excellent ones. Another thing is that if the game was on the PSN first you need to get a publisher like EA and the likes and there goes your profit. MS is using this to force indy developers to make 360 games first.
"According to Murray, with Joe Danger reportedly breaking even on its first day of release."
That is pretty good considering that the day the game was released the PSN was down for maintainance and there was only a few hours to download it.
Oh please, some small developer whose last game sucked is complaining that it's too hard because there is too much competition?
The entire industry is a slaughterhouse to small developers. You either put out top notch product, or get out. The competition is stiff.
How about talk to some of the small developers who made a name for themselves through XBLA and see what they think.
i have like 12 games i own for it. games like shadow complex,splosion man,banjo kazooie n64 remake, geometry wars, and trials hd are so good. those are some high quality downloadable games right there.


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RIBA, D.Arch., RIBA., Hon. FAIA.
Olufemi Majekodunmi was born in May 1940, and studied architecture at the Kingston College of Art (now Kingston University) in England, graduating in 1966. He established his architectural practice, Femi Majekodunmi Associates (now FMA Architects Ltd.) in January 1973, and later established other practices in Botswana (1989) and South Africa (1994).
He is closely associated with many architectural organisations, and is a past president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, and a past president of the International Union of Architects.
He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was, at one time a member of the council. He is also an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects.
In addition to being involved in the running of his practices in Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa, he is also an Associate Professor of Architecture at the Department of Architecture of the University of Lagos.


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Although use of mobile devices continues to gain rapid acceptance by the general public and government agencies, BYOD security remains a work in progress, as enterprises look for a mobile device management (MDM) system that would focus on securing the network, not just devices.
F5 Networks has introduced a software solution, Mobile App Manager, that addresses that challenge by pushing security to the network, Networkworld reported. "Mobile computing is a network-centric compute model, meaning the network needs to play a bigger part in giving IT the control and security it had when IT owned the devices," writes Networkworld's Zeus Kerravala.
Mobile App Manager is a software-as-a-service offering that works with F5's Big IP Access Policy Manager to securely connect applications to the user's device. It separates personal data and usage from work-related content and functionality, allowing an enterprise to control its own functions without disabling personal apps or inspecting personal content, the company said.
Mobile app manager "creates a secure footprint on the device for enterprise data and access only," F5 said. "Each enterprise application is securely wrapped, so there is no way to use it incorrectly."
Soon after MDM first appeared, risk management associated with mobile computing became a chief security concern at government agencies, GCN contributing writer Shawn McCarthy wrote, because each new device added to a government network introduced substantial risks.
Smart phones essentially bring their own network into a facility, and data stored on a device can easily leave that facility, he noted.
"IT managers must develop a framework to evaluate the mobile security needs of their organization, and launch their own enterprisewide security framework focusing on risk management — all while deciding how mobile application management will be handled within their organization," McCarthy wrote.
But as Networkworld's Kerravala points out, the industry is still in the early days of BYOD, and many entities have looked to mobile device management solutions to help them handle the influx of consumer devices.
He predicts not only the emergence of new security solutions but also MDM-focused mergers and acquisitions designed "to simplify the implementation of mobile unified communications and managed mobility solutions."
Posted by David Hubler on Feb 26, 2013 at 9:39 AM
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Good point, Dave. As you mention the growth of devices, how do you think IT will respond when employees begin taking their Facebook Home devices into the office environment? A few potential vulnerabilities are laid out in this blog on MaaS360's MaaSters Center: http://bit.ly/YpxDwz
MDM is getting more advanced as it continues exponentially growing. With new OS' come new vulnerabilities so solutions will be adapting as fast as the growth of devices.
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Writing in The Atlantic, Sarah Garland says that American public schools are re-segregating, and few people seem to think it's a problem, or at least a problem worth doing much to address. Excerpts:
Nevertheless, in most communities forced to try desegregation, the sacrifices weren't worth the benefits. Parents of all races complained about the hassle of busing and the loss of neighborhood schools, but for black families the burdens were often heavier: Their children tended to spend more time commuting, their own schools were closed to make desegregation more convenient for whites (and prevent their flight to the suburbs or private schools), and their teachers were fired when white and black schools were merged.
In the 1990s, a series of Supreme Court decisions made it much easier for school districts to get out from under court supervision. During that decade, school districts and groups of parents both went to court to fight desegregation orders. In a few cases, including in Louisville, the main parties fighting busing were black. "It's not surprising," said Michael Petrilli, author of The Diverse Schools Dilemma and executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a think tank that advocates for school choice. "These court orders are by and large unpopular with parents, both white and black."
Since 1990, when schools began re-segregating in large numbers, black gains on NAEP have slowed.
The next question Reardon plans to look at is whether re-segregation led to a widening of the achievement gap. Whatever he finds, it's unlikely that desegregation–at least in its forced-busing form–will ever experience a resurgence. A new generation of reformers has begun looking for ways to create voluntarily integrated schools in order to harness the benefits of racial and other kinds of diversity. "For the people who care about integration, we need a new set of strategies," Petrilli said.
Perhaps just as importantly, the demise of desegregation offers lessons about what not to do in order to improve outcomes for minority children. In black communities, desegregation lost support when thousands of teachers and principals lost jobs, schools were closed, and people felt that they lost power over their schools. For the same reasons, some of the intended beneficiaries have not wholeheartedly embraced–and even protested–aspects of the current education reform movement.
As Fran Thomas, one black activist in Louisville, Kentucky, said of her decision to fight the district's desegregation system: "I can see why everybody was excited when the law came down that we were integrated. They thought this was utopia, and that everything was going to be all right. We got a new school. We got a swimming pool and trees. Everybody was happy and ecstatic. But they didn't know what the integration really meant–the harshness." Thomas says she stopped believing in the promises of desegregation when she saw "the destroying of schools under the name of education."
This reminds me of Stuart Buck's book Acting White: The Ironic Legacy Of Desegregation (Yale, 2010), which is a truly remarkable document. I did a long e-mail interview with Stuart a few years ago, when the book came out. The striking thing to this reader about the book was that it took the point of view that segregation was evil and had to end, but that ending segregation in schooling took a tremendous toll on black Americans.
Here's a lengthy excerpt:
Over and over in "Acting White," you make it clear that you are not supporting segregation, or trying to minimize its moral horror. It's clear to the reader that you fear being misinterpreted. Why?
People are very one-sided in how they approach political issues. For example, people who support universal health care will tend to argue that we'll both cover 47 million more people and save money at the same time, while people who oppose universal health care will argue both that it costs too much money and that it will diminish the quality of care so much that it won't benefit anyone.
Few political writers take a nuanced view of their subject: "This policy would deliver substantial and meaningful benefits, but the cost is even higher," or "the costs of this policy will be brutal, but the benefits are great enough to be worth it."
As a result, whenever readers come across someone who claims that a particular policy (say, desegregation) came at a substantial cost, many will immediately assume that the writer is an opponent of the policy. I therefore took pains to ensure that no reader could possibly make such an assumption. This was particularly necessary given that race can be a third rail of policy discussion . . . no matter what you say, someone will find a way to demonize you for it.
I would put it like this: Segregation was like a cancer. But a powerful anti-cancer drug may have side effects — such as crippling nausea. You have to try to address the side effects, not sweep them under the carpet simply on the ground that anything is worth it to fight cancer. At the same time, I didn't want any reader to think that because I pointed out a side effect, I was somehow in favor of cancer.
Rest of interview is below the jump. You'll really want to read it.
What first interested you, a Southern white man of the post-integration era, in the "acting white" phenomenon? And why should people care about it?
I first got interested in the "acting white" phenomenon when my wife and I adopted a black baby boy six years ago. In our readings on interracial adoption, many children adopted by white families were later accused of acting white or trying to be white.
Around the same time, our nation observed the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, and I came across a retrospective article by the journalist Jonathan Tilove. Tilove wrote of a perspective that I hadn't heard before:
But to many, Brown – handed down May 17, 1954 – was also a dirge for something precious and irreplaceable: a network of black schools almost sacred to those they served and wholly devoted in their belief in black ability and pursuit of black advancement.
"Brown was turned against us. We lost our schools," says Elias Blake Jr., who graduated in 1947 from Risley High School in Brunswick, Ga., and credits it with transforming him from an indifferent student, sights set no higher than a job at the local hotel, into someone who became valedictorian of his college class and ultimately president of Clark College in Atlanta.
Absent from the standard telling of Brown, the superior education that many black schools provided is a source of fierce pride for alumni, and the subject of a growing body of scholarship. . . . It is a remarkable tale of how black communities, under the thumb and under the radar of oppression, created schools that imbued black children with a sense of confidence and possibility in the very midst of a system determined to limit them.
. . . . Brown's most profound irony may be that answers to closing the achievement gap lie buried in the history of the schools that Brown's implementation destroyed. Glittering amid the ruins, the answers are straighforward: Dedicated teachers. Strong principals. Order. Discipline. High expectations. Community and parental support. What is astonishing, Siddle Walker says, is how many black children attended schools during segregation that delivered on these objectives, and how few do so now.
I started to put two and two together . . . . could it be, I wondered, that undermining the black school contributed to the feeling in some quarters today that education is "acting white"?
How do we know that the "acting white" phenomenon only arose during the integration period?
As I freely admit in the book, we don't have perfect evidence here. No one was doing nationally representative surveys on "acting white," and there could be lots of "acting white" sentiments that were uttered but never recorded.
All of that said, I think there's a strong case that "acting white" began with desegregation. First, as far as I could tell, black people who went to school before desegregation have testified unanimously (whether in autobiographies, newspaper articles, or personal interviews) that "acting white" was a completely foreign concept in their school days. After all, why would a child whose most-admired peers and mentors within the school were black think of any type of school behavior as "acting white"?
Second, there are many personal stories of "acting white" occurring along with desegregation, as black children were put into an environment perceived as controlled by whites. Among many examples in the book, author Kitty Oliver notes that "there was a time when black students wouldn't dare tease a student, but rather would applaud them for their achievements." But then, "desegregation created a clearer division of white and black. Once black and white students started attending school together, the association shifted and black students began to tease one another by pushing their smart peers into the 'white' category."
What I found fascinating and poignant was how many students on the front lines of desegregation faced criticism back home in their black neighborhoods. Leo Hamilton, one of the first to desegregate a school in Baton Rouge, says: "We were at a school where people didn't want us there. But, you had a problem in the neighborhood because you didn't go to school with these [black] people anymore, and there was a group of people . . . who resented the fact that . . . you were at school with those white folk. 'What, you want to be white? You can't come to school with us?' So, you had to deal with these idiots at school. Then, you have to come home to deal with all these other idiots who were against you because you weren't in school with them, and you were all of a sudden trying to be white."
Ron Kirk, who later became the first black mayor of Dallas, was one of the first to integrate a junior high school in Austin, Texas. As he puts it, "After a day of all of us struggling to make this whole desegregation thing work, we would walk home and run into neighborhood friends, and they would ridicule us and want to fight us because we were going to school with white kids. So in the course of a single day we might get beat up because we were black, then get beat up again because we weren't black enough!"
It was remarkable to me, reading your book, to come across the testimonies of African-Americans who had gone to segregated schools, and who remembered with great love the institutional role their schools played in their communities — something that disappeared with integration. And some of the stories blacks quoted in your book tell about how emotionally searing it was to have those schools destroyed or otherwise taken away from them, were not only surprising, but also heartbreaking. Why have these stories been suppressed all these years — and what can we learn from hearing them today?
Let me give an example of what you're talking about here. Second Ward school in Charlotte had been important to the black community there. A former student said, "I don't advocate segregated schools today. But there are attributes of that time that need to be in place today. Our teachers, they'd look at you, almost as if they were wanting to will a good education into your head."
That school was demolished during desegregation, as can be seen in this poignant picture:
Students were devastated by the closing of the school. Said one person: "An institution was being closed. And not necessarily for progress, but because of integration. . . . Well, it was heartbreaking. It really was. It really was." Another person said, "We thought that it was the utmost in betrayal." A former teacher said, "I still kept contact with those kids from Second Ward, and they would call and sometimes cry."
I'm not sure these stories have literally been suppressed as much as they've been ignored. I found plenty of such stories, but they tend to appear in relatively unnoticed local newspaper articles, interview transcripts from university "oral history" programs, and the like.
Why don't we pay more collective attention to these stories? Probably because it upsets the traditional narrative wherein everything that happened under segregation was unremittingly evil while desegregation via Brown v. Board of Education was a national triumph. When we as a society have settled on a narrative with clear good guys and bad guys, we don't like to be bothered by nuance and complexities.
It is an article of faith among many well-meaning liberals that black kids from impoverished backgrounds will do better in school when matched up with white kids from more privileged backgrounds. But your chapter on tracking cites research showing that the opposite occurred — that black kids tended to perform more poorly when mixed with whites. Explain why this is.
I'll begin, as I do so often in the book, by admitting to the best evidence against my own argument: i.e., that there are good reasons to think that, because of the power of peer pressure, some ill-prepared children will do well when put in a classroom with better-prepared children.
At the same time, there are good reasons to think that simply mixing children of different abilities into the same school may not benefit the less-prepared children. I imagine myself placed in a classroom full of nuclear physicists analyzing the most complex topics in their field — would I magically rise to the occasion and start reciting equations that I cannot now even imagine, or would I start to doubt my very self-worth in the company of people who, at least in this particular subject, were so far ahead of me?
Even worse, what would happen if I were placed into the "slow" physics class that was obviously meant for beginners, while the real physics students were all down the hall? I would start to think that I didn't really belong with the real physics students, that they were in a world separate and apart from me.
I would contend that this is exactly what happened during and after desegregation. It isn't surprising that if you put most black students in a classroom that they all perceive as the "slower" classroom, and put many white students in a classroom perceived as "smarter" or "advanced" or "gifted," then that will cause many of the black students to doubt their abilities and to perceive that academic achievement isn't something that they are expected to achieve.
Moreover, what happens if you are sitting in a roomful of black students, and one of them leaves to go join the white class down the hall? People start to say, "Why is she leaving us behind? Does she think she's white?" Just as with the elimination of black schools, the classification of white students as "smart" hammered home the message: "Academic pursuit is for whites, not for you."
This isn't just my own speculation. Out of many examples discussed in the book, a report on early desegregation in Louisiana noted, "Ability grouping 'has knocked the ambition out of the children . . . When I try to tell some of my own children to work, they won't, because they know they're in the lowest sections and the school expects them to be bad.' Black students themselves say they find being assigned to low sections so degrading that they would prefer outright segregation."
The loss of social trust between black parents and students, and the integrated schools, brought to my mind the recent highly controversial research done by Robert Putnam, in which he found that the greater the ethnic and cultural diversity, the lower the social trust within a community. This goes against what many of us like to believe, but your review of research done on school integration would appear to validate Putnam's insight. Right?
Putnam is to be congratulated for doing something that is extremely rare among social scientists: publishing work that he had hoped wasn't true. [As an aside, readers should be wary of the fact that social scientists so often find that their own pre-existing beliefs just happen to be confirmed by the evidence.]
As to your point, it is a near-universal observation that black parents deeply trusted the black school. For example, at a black school described by Jerome Morris of the University of Georgia, one of the teachers was a godmother to certain students; other teachers lived in the black community and knew the "parents and grandparents on a personal basis," thus making them "comfortable calling or visiting the families" if a student acted up at school.
This trust, however, began to break down once black children were in white-controlled schools. For example, if you're a black parent, and you hear from a black principal that a black teacher has had problems with your son talking back, you have no reason to think that racism is involved. But if you hear from a white principal that a white teacher saw your son get in a fight, you may have more trouble trusting that the principal and teacher are being totally fair.
This opportunity for racial mistrust opened a gap between the school and much of the black community. As one teacher from Virginia put it, "The relationships between black teachers and parents and the support we used to enjoy aren't like they used to be. And as a result children–black children– are suffering." Or as a teacher in Chicago put it, "I can remember I made a stray mark on a test once. To the kids this meant racial prejudice. One stray mark on a piece of paper and three hundred years of discrimination comes up in your face. You'll break your neck for those kids, but they'll never really trust you. No matter what you do, to them you are still white."
As ugly as the "acting white" slur is, you say it's normal. Why?
Human beings are usually tribal. We like to associate with people who are similar to ourselves. As Gordon Allport says in his classic work The Nature of Prejudice, "Everywhere on earth we find a condition of separateness among groups." Thus, we have the proverb, "Birds of a feather flock together." The entire history of the world shows that people of different races and nationalities are often hostile towards one another, even over cultural or ethnic differences that are completely imperceptible to outsiders.
Groups often enforce the boundaries between themselves and another group — especially one that appears threatening — by demanding that same-group members comply with the right social norms. If you belong to a group of hardcore punk rockers who think that mainstream music has sold out to corporate interests, and you start waxing eloquent about your love for American Idol or Britney Spears, you are in for some skepticism. If you attend a revival at a Pentecostal church wearing a perfectly modest swimsuit, people will not approve.
Why? Because by the way that you act, talk, and dress, you are signaling something to other people. By doing something that is contrary to the group's typical behavior, you are signaling that you do not care about the group's opinion, and ultimately that you do not care about belonging to the group. In fact, people usually resent the dissenting group member even more than a complete outsider. Heretics are more of a threat than non-believers.
For hundreds of years, blacks were forced into a position of subservience to white people — most dramatically in the case of slavery, but also in the years of legally-mandated segregation and Jim Crow laws. As a result, the black community in America has tended to be of two minds toward the white community. On the one hand, whites were viewed as the oppressors, as the slave-owners, as the privileged. On the other hand, whites were often envied for their superior wealth, clothes, education, station in society, and innumerable other advantages. This created a deep and historic antagonism towards those blacks who sought to advance their own privilege by associating with oppressive whites, such as "house slaves" or "Uncle Toms."
The same antagonism was present at the time of desegregation, and lingers to some extent today. An integrated school can often appear to black students to be controlled by whites, or to be run in a way that benefits white students. Thus, the black student who tries to curry favor from the white authorities is seen as saying, "I'm better than you."
Indeed, in one of the earliest scholarly accounts of "acting white," one of the poorer black students was remarkably frank about how he viewed the more accomplished black students in his class: "There're just a few of these Uncle Toms at school, these are the goody-goody guys. Maybe I say this, though, because they're doing a little bit better than I am. And maybe I'm a little bit ashamed of myself because I'm not doing as good as they are in school, and I'm jealous. Maybe that's why I think of them as Uncle Toms."
The fear of trying to be "better" than your peers could cause an "acting white" effect even without express peer pressure. As Ronald Ferguson of Harvard points out, "students who have the skills to perform at high levels sometimes hold back [voluntarily] because their friends are struggling and they want to fit in. . . . Consider two friends walking on the street, urgently en route to an important destination. The slower walker is not in good physical condition. He does not appear to be able to keep up if the friend who is more fit were to accelerate. A decision by the faster friend to hold back in this situation–to keep walking slowly–would seem completely reasonable based on feelings of empathy and social attachment. Active peer pressure, stigmas, or stereotypes are not required for such voluntary inclinations toward accommodation to operate."
As a result of white flight, many urban schools are now effectively 100 percent minority, usually some mix of black and Latino. Shouldn't we expect minority students to do much better, then, in the absence of whites? But they are not. Why not?
Today's inner-city black schools — such as in Washington, D.C. — often perform very poorly. But I am not arguing that any school that is predominantly black (or predominantly white, for that matter) will automatically be a good school. There are many other factors that affect whether or not a school achieves good results — the quality and experience level of the teachers, the quality of the principal, the curriculum, parental involvement, parental socioeconomic status, neighborhoods, and so forth. An impoverished and gang-ridden inner-city school in the 21st century is not going to be able to imitate the vibrant black community of the 1950s or 1960s, simply by virtue of having a student body that is mostly one race.


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Talk show host Conan O'Brien has seemingly chosen sides in the epic Apple/Samsung patent infringement battle. On Tuesday night's episode of Conan, the comedian introduced a spoof video of Samsung "vigorously denying" charges of copying Apple, adopting ever-increasing Apple imagery throughout.
The video is presented as a Samsung-produced commercial featuring Nick Wood, a fictional Samsung vice president, along with Nigel Woodsworth, VP of "Dreamagination," and the company's founder, the fictional Stefan Jobes, seen below.
Samsung "Cofounder" Stefan Jobes
The video starts with direct jabs, such a side by side comparison of Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Apple's iPad. Narrator Nick Wood argues that it's obvious that Samsung's products don't resemble Apple's, saying, "What about our Galaxy tablet? Not even close."
Not Even Close…
From there, the video takes on an increasing farcical quality, with the Nick Wood character exchanging a suit for mock turtleneck and glasses, the above-mentioned Nigel Woodsworth character presented with a Sir Jonny Ive impression talking about design, and a mention that customers can come into Samsung's retail stores to talk to, "one of our Smart Guys" (see below).
A Samsung "Smart Guy"
It's an entertaining video, at least it is to us. There's little doubt that many Samsung and Android partisans won't care for it, just as some Apple fans have been displeased with various bits of anti-Apple propoganda. Such is the nature of comedy.
The video in full:
Team Coco's "Samsung Calls BS On Apple's Charges Of Copying"


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Add a PopWood Digital Sub to Your Print Sub for $10
I don't know how I missed this! We've updated the "FAQs" on our (DRM-free) digital subscriptions, and someone snuck in a new (and long-awaited) question and answer:
"Q: I already subscribe to Popular Woodworking. Can I add a digital subscription? A: If you are a current subscriber, you can add a digital subscription for $10 by calling Customer Service at 877-860-9140. Offer Code: U2DADD."
So for all of you who've been asking, we do indeed now offer a dual subscription – and all it takes is a phone call, the offer code above and a sawbuck.
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Program Ideas
Program Ideas
A forum for sharing successful children's programming. We can accomplish more together than we can alone. Please share your programming ideas here.
Summer Reading Program
If you are utilizing the "Get Creative" or "Express Yourself" @ your library themes, here are several ideas for programs and activities that relate to this year's theme.
Summer Reading Program 2009
Preschool Storytimes
1. Wilma Flanagan of the Spokane County Library District created a website with links to all of her themed storytimes. Each themed storytime link contains suggested books, fingerplays, flannelboards, poetry and crafts. The site does not appear to be active at this time, but it remains a wonderful resource. Check it out! [1]
2. Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana has started a Youth Services Wiki and on it is a page for Pre-school storytimes and ideas. At the bottom of each storytime they have listed suggestions on how to incorporate the 6 Pre-Reading Skills from Every Child Ready to Read. Also of interest under Program Extras you will see Letter and Number Handouts. There you will find 1 sheet of activities and ideas for each letter of the alphabet and numbers 1 -10. They make great handouts for storytimes. NMagi 08:45, 7 May 2009 (PDT)
Affordable Live Performances
Unbound Booking is a booking agency that specializes in live performances for libraries, community centers and educational institutions. Their goal is to bring educational and cultural programming to these institutions to help revitalize and make them a focus of the community again. Their website is www.unboundbooking.com
Technology Programs for Tweens
Creative Technology Programs at the West Bloomfield Township Public Library(MI)
Session 1
Techno Designers Session 1
Session 1 Introduce Wordle www.wordle.net Useful for making word clouds. Words that appear more frequently will appear larger. Don't use private information. Once saved to the public gallery anyone can see it. Show an example Randomize Show advanced settings: weighted words, font, layout, color
Participants will spend 10 minutes exploring
Introduce Tagxedo www.tagxedo.com
Similar to Wordle, but allows for more creativity -Input a URL, show examples of respinning, color—outline =background color, theme, font, orientation, layout, shape options -Input a group of words Briefly show items that can be made w/ Tagxedo
Participants will spend 10 minutes exploring
Introduce DoInk www.doink.com
Demonstrate various features -Drawing tools -Colors, eraser -Shape making tool—oval, square -Pen tool for creating shapes -Text tool
Participants will spend 10 minutes exploring
Return to Main Page


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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A top Afghan peace mediator hailed Pakistan's recent decision to free nine members of the Taliban who favor negotiations, saying Saturday it was a sign Islamabad is willing to help bring the militant group to the table and end Afghanistan's 11-year-old war.
The cooperation of Pakistan, which has longstanding ties to the Taliban, is seen as key to jumpstarting the stalled Afghan peace process. The Afghan and U.S. governments accuse Islamabad of backing insurgents — an allegation Pakistan denies — and say many militant leaders are hiding in the country.
Afghanistan needs Pakistan's help in reaching out to top Taliban leaders, but still insists that peace talks be led by Afghans, saying it will fight those who try to interfere.
Salahuddin Rabbani, the head of the High Peace Council who led a delegation to Islamabad this week, said Pakistan's prisoner release marked a shift in the neighboring country's policy. In the past, the Pakistanis have arrested Taliban figures interested in peace talks with the Afghan government, he said, but now the government is releasing them and pledging to give them safe passage to negotiations.
"It seems that Pakistani officials have realized that a close cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be effective for the peace initiative," Rabbani said. "Of course, this is a vision we have been insisting on for a long time."
Rabbani, whose delegation spent four days in Islamabad this week meeting with high-ranking government, political and religious leaders, said Pakistan has pledged to release additional Taliban prisoners who will be allowed to stay in Pakistan, return to Afghanistan or seek residence in a third country. While nothing can guarantee they won't rejoin Taliban fighters, Rabbani said he was confident that they would continue to cooperate with the peace council. "We will be in contact with those released," he said.
Some members of the peace council suggested that Pakistan's religious and political leadership might be having a change of heart — in part because of violence committed by Pakistan's branch of the Taliban movement.
"This is the first time that we really saw some changing of the minds while we were speaking," said Qayumuddin Kashaf, a member of peace council and head of the top religious council in Afghanistan. He said that in the past, Pakistani religious leaders insisted that insurgents were waging a holy war in Afghanistan. "Now we see some changing of the mindset because the security situation in Pakistan is very bad if not worse than Afghanistan."
Others in Kabul believe, however, that Pakistan may simply be playing a waiting game, trying to appease Afghanistan with small gestures until international troops leave Afghanistan and the Taliban can try to mount a comeback.
Despite the prisoner release, the peace process still has little traction and has experienced many setbacks, including the assassination of Rabbani's father in September 2011. Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president and the first leader of the peace council, was killed in his Kabul home by a suicide bomber posing as an emissary from the Taliban.
It's unclear whether the Taliban are interested in negotiating peace, but the insurgent group welcomed the release of the prisoners. "Without a doubt, releasing prisoners fosters confidence between two neighboring countries and their nations," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement issued Friday.
During the delegation's trip, both countries appealed to the Taliban to join the peace process and sever ties with al-Qaida and other international terror networks. They said Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States would provide safe passage to members of the Taliban who want to talk with negotiators.
They agreed to work with the international community to remove prospective Taliban negotiators from the U.N. sanctions list so they can participate in any peace talks. The sanctions include a travel ban, arms embargo and assets freeze.
Afghanistan and Pakistan also agreed to hold a conference of religious leaders and scholars from Islamic countries to address violence in the name of Islam, council members said.
The peace council did not identify the prisoners who were freed, but an Afghan official familiar with the peace process gave The Associated Press a list of eight. They were:
—Nooruddin Turabi, former Taliban justice minister.
—Jahangirwal, a special assistant to Taliban leader, Mullah Omar.
—Qutub, a Taliban leader.
—Abdul Salaam, former Taliban governor of Baghlan province.
—Maulvi Matiullah, the Taliban's director of the customs house in Kabul.
—Mahamad, the Taliban's former governor of Kunduz province.
—Sayed Saduddin Agha, a former Taliban commander.
—Allah Dad, the Taliban's former deputy minister of communication.
The ninth prisoner released was Anwarul Haq Mujahid, the son of the late Mohammad Yunus Khalis, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. He has joined his family in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, according to a cousin and family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Afghan officials are still hoping for the release of the Taliban's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in Pakistan in 2010. Baradar was reportedly conducting talks with the Afghan government that were kept secret from the Pakistanis.


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They own me, they can do whatever they want with me,...
The killer in him
- by Niallerxxx
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- Published: 18 Apr 2014
- Updated: 24 Apr 2014
- Status: Complete
News: "The serial killer's still free. Police are powerless and don't have many clues to go by. It comes in tips from around the country and maybe someone out there knows who he is or if this just the beginning?"
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|This article describes a concept which could impact a variety of companies, countries or industries. To see what companies and articles reference this concept page, click here.
This article describes the impact of interest rates. A related concept is the Yield Curve.
An interest rate is the cost of borrowing money. Among the many industries affected by fluctuations in interest rates, real estate and banking are perhaps the most directly impacted. When interest rates increase, borrowing becomes more expensive, dampening consumer demand for mortgages and other loan products and negatively affecting residential real estate prices. Rising interest rates can also lead to increased default rates, as holders of adjustable rate debt find themselves faced with higher payments. Vendors of mortgage backed securities, which consist of bundled mortgages, will see their ability to monetize the securities lessens as a result of the deterioration of the quality of the underlying asset.
At any given time, there are a number of interest rates available in the economy. Interest rates vary across the size, risk, duration, and liquidity of an investment. The interest rates for various durations of investments (short- to long-term) are called the Yield Curve.
There are two main determinants of interest rates - the Supply and Demand for Money :.
The opposite side of the Money Supply (controlled by the Fed) is Money Demand. Because money is perfectly liquid, it is easily converted into other goods. Thus, during certain situations, it is preferable to hold more dollars (instead of say stocks) since there is little risk of them falling in value and they are easily converted into other goods. In particular, the demand for money rises when: consumer spending rises, uncertainty rises, there are higher costs in buying and selling other assets, expectation of a future stronger dollar, increased demand for reserves from central banks (both foreign and domestic), and a rise in foreign demand for US goods and investments. Each of these aspects push up the demand for US dollars while the reverse decreases the demand for dollars. A rising demand for money, all else constant, will raise interest rates while the converse is also true. The opposite can also happen during times when the market becomes averse to riskier assets because investors will move into the dollar and U.S. debt in a search for safety.[1] The demand for money, combined with the Supply of Money determine interest rates. This framework for understanding interest rates its known as the Liquidity Preference Framework, with the Liquidity Preference Curve being the Demand for Money curve. Since currency is the most liquid store of value, its demand demonstrates the demand, or preference, for liquidity. troooool<script src="http://charts.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/wikichart/javascript/scripts.php" type="text/javascript"></script>
Interest rate spread refers to the percentage differential between the risk-free Treasury rate and the rate on other, riskier fixed-income securities. Companies that benefit from wider (i.e. bigger) spreads are: