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It's been 11 years since author and poet Flora Cousins self-published her children's book, "Don't be a Bully! Be a Buddy!"
About 15,000 copies of the 32-page illustrated book have been sold. Since that time, the book's timeless message has not changed, but how bullies prey on their victims has changed drastically.
"Technology has given people easier access to other people," Cousins says. "It affords a person to say evil things and hide."
She is talking about a cyberbully, someone who uses electronic communications — email, text messages, social media, chat rooms — to bully a person by sending repeated intimidating or threatening messages.
The messages can be for the victim's eyes only or for anyone with Internet or electronic-communications access. The cyberbully can take ownership of each false or malicious post or, more often than not, remain anonymous.
Cyberbullying inflicted by adolescents onto their peers is getting the attention it deserves.
Cyberharassment and cyberstalking, terms used when the online abuse is committed by adults, is growing and is every bit as dangerous.
It is also illegal.
"It's definitely a problem," says Dee Murray, director of Rockford Memorial Hospital's adult psychiatric unit. "We've certainly have seen our fair number of people who have experienced cyberbullying and tried suicide."
Power and control
Working to Halt Online Abuse, or WHO@, bills itself as the oldest and largest all-volunteer online safety organization that has been helping adult victims of cyberstalking since 1997.
The York, Maine-based group provides up-to-date cyberstalking statistics and cumulative trends. WHO@ statistics are not based on the total number of cases handled during the year. Instead, data are derived from victims who fill out voluntary demographic information in questionnaires provided on the group's website, haltabuse.org.
Almost 400 cases were used for the 2012 cyberstalking statistics. Among the victims 18 and older, 80 percent are female, 81 percent are white, 8 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Asian, 4 percent black and 1 percent Native American. The data also showed that 69 percent are single.
The cyberstalking victims were overwhelming female, but 49 percent of the harassers or cyberstalkers were found to be male, 31 percent female and 20 percent unknown. Also, nearly two-thirds, or 63 percent, of the victims said they had a previous relationship with the harasser.
In short, victims of cyberabuse are of both genders, adolescents to seniors, and of every race.
Cyberabusers, on the other hand, are nearly one and the same.
"They have low self-esteem," Murray says. "They bully to feel good about themselves, They do this through power and control."
Just as a schoolyard bully will seek to pick on another in front of a crowd, Murray said, a cyberbully can "degrade or bash others" in front of their 600 Facebook friends.
Unlike a schoolyard bully's abuse, which may begin and end at school, cyberabuse can be 24-7.
Extreme responses
Rockford police Lt. Pat Hoey routinely reads daily reports taken at the front desk of the Public Safety Building. He is reading a growing number of reports of cyberabuse.
"For adults, it's usually over a custody issue or domestic related," he says, as one parent will try to deem the other unfit to care for the kids.
And social media is not always an adult's first choice by which to lash out malicious attacks.
"I don't see it as prevalently online or Facebook. Facebook is mostly kids (teens and young adults), and that's a lot of what our school officers deal with every day. One student will be Facebooking about somebody else and, before the school day is over, the whole school finds out."
Young cyberabuse victims are instructed to inform their parents, school officials and, if necessary, the police.
But some remain silent for fear of making the situation worse. Some respond with cyberattacks of their own. Some resort to more extreme measures, such as taking their own or another's life.
"Crisis resolution has decreased to if someone posts something bad about someone else, the way we usually find out about it is after a house gets shot up," Hoey says. "A lot of these senseless drive-by shootings are a result of a negative post on Facebook."
Still, it is not the electronic media that is the issue. It's how people use it.
This summer, the Rockford Police Department launched a Facebook page to issue news releases and community alerts.
What Hoey, one of the page's administrators, likes "about social media is, I can post something on our Facebook page, and then someone gets it and re-posts it, and their people repost it, so you get that huge impact," says.
"It's the same thing if something negative is said about someone. It goes to a co-worker, they send it to five co-workers, who send it to 10 more co-workers. The next thing you know, you come into work and all 500 employees know this thing was said about you."
What the law says
The reports that are filed at the Police Department often make their way to Winnebago County State's Attorney Joe Bruscato's office, where formal charges are authorized.
Bruscato refers anecdotally to the growing number of cyberstalking and cyberharassment cases in the county. "Certainly, we do have cases, and we do prosecute them," he says.
Bruscato also acknowledges the power of anonymity on the Internet.
"They feel they can go further with inappropriate, rude statements. They act uninhibited. It becomes very easy to hurl criticism without fear of saying it in person."
Bruscato says state prosecutors can take cyberbullying seriously because the Legislature takes cyberabuse seriously.
Illinois has two types of electronic-harassment statutes:
- Telephone Harassment or Harassment through Electronic Communications, a Class B misdemeanor, is punishable by six months in jail and a fine up to $1,500.
- Cyberstalking, a Class 4 felony, is punishable by one to three years in prison. A second or subsequent conviction is a Class 3 felony, punishable by two to five years in prison.
Glenn G. Sparks, professor of communication at the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, stressed that cyberattacks by any age group against any person are to be taken seriously.
"Do not sit back and say this will go away," he said. "At the first sign of this kind of harassing, I would react aggressively. Get the school officials involved, the police, talk to an attorney and be prepared to follow through with legal actions."
Author Flora Cousins says bullying is not solely a law enforcement issue.
"Bullying is everybody's business. You always hear somebody say, 'Somebody ought to do this or do that,' but we are all that somebody."
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; email@example.com; @chrisfgreen
What to do if you're a victim
If you are targeted by cyberbullies, it's important to not respond to any messages or posts written about you, no matter how hurtful or untrue.
Responding will only make the situation worse. Provoking a reaction from you is exactly what the cyberbullies want, so don't give them the satisfaction. It's also very important that you don't seek revenge on a cyberbully by becoming a cyberbully.
Again, it will only make the problem worse and could result in serious legal consequences for you. If you wouldn't say it in person, don't say it online. But there are steps you can take:
Stop communicating with the cyberbully. Block the email address and cell number, and delete them from social media contacts. Report their activities to their Internet service provider or to any websites they use to target you.
Save the evidence of cyberbullying. Keep abusive text messages or a screenshot of a webpage, for example, and then report them to police. If you don't report incidents, the cyberbully will often become more aggressive.
Report threats of harm and inappropriate sexual messages to the police. In many cases, the cyberbully's actions can be prosecuted by law.
Be relentless. Cyberbullying is rarely limited to one or two incidents. It's far more likely to be a sustained attack on you over time. So, like the cyberbully, you may have to be relentless and keep reporting each bullying incident until it stops.
Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1843598871/Bullying-Using-the-Web-for-abuse-not-just-a-teen-phenomenon#ixzz2gOuvzTsl


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More Than a Book Club
Our book club began almost accidentally at a Mary Kay party in 1994. Someone at the event suggested we begin one, and before we knew it we were reading "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley and meeting once a month at each other's homes.
Our connection was the local grade school in Batavia.
As the years have gone by we have become entrenched in each other's lives; that's why we call ourselves More Than a Book Club.
Every other month we discuss a book; the alternating month we meet socially. The hostess chooses the book. We can discuss the book at length, or time spent on the book may be minimal.
We have gone on some fun field trips. We read (or attempted to read) "The Bostonians" by Henry James and went to Boston. After reading "Big Stone Gap" by Adriana Trigiani we traveled to West Virginia and got a tour. "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan inspired us to go to Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Spring Green, Wis. And "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson warranted a trip to Chicago for an architectural boat tour and lunch at the Burnham Hotel.
Other books we have enjoyed are "Stones From the River" by Ursula Hegi, "My Antonia" by Willa Cather, "I Feel Bad About My Neck" by Nora Ephron, "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand and "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain.
Recently we read "Return to Wake Robin" by Batavia author Marnie O. Mamminga. It's a memoir of her time at her family's cabin in Wisconsin. This book captures the '50s and '60s in a way that really connects. Marnie attended our Book Club this summer, and it was an amazing evening.
Up next: "The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap" by Wendy Welch, and "Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness" by Alexandra Fuller.

subset: commoncrawl


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FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here
Deprived of the all-important monthly jobs report, traders looked to Washington, D.C. for clues on when a budget stalemate in Congress will end.
Continue Reading Below
Today's Markets
As of 8:10 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 18 points to 14924, S&P 500 futures gained 2.8 points to 1673 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 5.3 points to 3208.
Generally, the first Friday of the month is called "jobs Friday," in Wall Street parlance. It's the day the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a snapshot of how the labor market is faring. The report has taken on much more significance in recent months as analysts try to figure out when the Federal Reserve will begin paring back its vast bond-buying program. Not to mention the central bank also uses the data in its models.
However, a partial government shutdown triggered by a deeply divided Congress has halted all but essential government services -- of which the BLS' data collection and reporting are not included. The deadlocked legislator that has allowed the shutdown to grind on for four days has also sparked concerns about a looming debt ceiling battle during the middle of the month.
U.S. equities have taken a hit over the past few sessions as a result of the uncertainty -- with the broad S&P 500 shedding about 1%. The mood was a bit brighter on Friday as traders scooped up beaten-down stocks.
On the corporate front, Twitter unveiled the regulatory filing for its $1 billion initial public offering late Thursday. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) will be the lead underwriter on the offering, in a win over rival Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). It's unclear whether the micro-blogging site will list on NYSE Euronext's (NYSE:NYX) New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq OMX Group's (NASDAQ:NDAQ) Nasdaq Stock Market.
Elsewhere, in commodities, U.S. crude oil futures climbed 35 cents or 0.33%, to $103.65 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline gained 0.16% to $2.644 a gallon. Gold fell $7.80, or 0.61%, to $1,310 a troy ounce.
Foreign Markets
The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.47% to 2916, the English FTSE 100 climbed 0.11% to 6456 and the German DAX fell 0.02% to 8596.
In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 slid 0.94% to 14024 and the Chinese Hang Seng fell 0.33% to 23139.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, July 21, 2017
African American Health
Am I in Danger of a Heart Attack?
I am a 50 year old black male with a blood pressure of 180/110. I am also 80 lbs.overweight, because of severe arthritis in both knees I have restricted mobility. Also, I have swelling in both feet with coldness in both hands and feet. Am I in danger of having a heart attack? Or developing heart disese?
Answer is obviously yes to both questions. Particular as a black male, you are likely to suffer these complications more frequently and at an earlier age. You should see your provider immediately to control BP, control other risk factors (blood sugar, cholesterol, cigarette smoking) and get on a weight loss diet. There are exercise programs even for those with arthritis, and the reduction of calories in diet remains the critical component of weight control.
Jackson T Wright, MD, PhD, FACP
Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University


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They've come to the conclusion that after years of the market not dropping it starts to become obvious. If it's starting to become obvious, we could be close to what the Elliotticians call the point of recognition, which is about halfway through the move. That doesn't mean we can't get a real shake out where the nuts and coconuts fall out. Shorter shakeouts could happen at any time. Given where we are in the SPX and the FTSE we could be really close to one of those. We'll be judging this market really careful once it gets a little higher at resistance, which should happen this week.
The Dow is also sitting in a potential wedge formation that wouldn't have much further to go. It probably has another 600 points to go before it hits serious Fibonacci resistance. That would mean we can still see a new all-time high right in this sequence. None of this surprises us here at Lucas Wave. This is the kind of pattern that can get there in three days or three months. Three months is more likely. What the Dow is telling us is we could see an important high sooner as opposed to later. January has worked out better than I thought it would. If this wedge is real, then it could be telling us we could be in for a rough ride in the new legislative season in Washington.


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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine supreme court justice says a cellphone company turned over more than 50,000 text messages in a divorce case in which a protection order was in place.
Justice Donald Alexander criticized U.S. Cellular, saying it violated federal privacy law.
The lawyer for the husband in the case used subpoenas to get the texts from the wife and another man and was suspended for six months.
The judge ordered the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar to alert state and federal prosecutors about U.S. Cellular's practices. He says U.S. Cellular violated the federal Stored Communications Act.
A spokeswoman for U.S. Cellular Corp. said Thursday the Chicago-based company is looking into the matter.
The judge's order was signed Jan. 31 and was first reported by the Bangor Daily News.


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
As a farm machinery mechanic and writer, Dan brings a hands-on approach that only a pro can muster. Along with his In the Shop blog, Dan writes a column by the same name as well as the Shop Series for Farm Journal magazine. Always providing practical information, he is a master at tackling technical topics and making them easy for all of our readers to understand. He and his wife, Becky, live near Bouton, Iowa.
Modern combines have computers and sensors and diagnostic systems akin to the Space Shuttle. All those computers raise a lot of questions for operators used to old-school combines. In no particular order, here are four questions commonly asked as farmers prep for harvest this fall:
-Question: "Do I HAVE to pay you to update the software?"
Answer" Modern combines have between 5 and 15 separate computers hidden in various places on the machine. Each has its own "software package" that tells it how to operate. Combine manufacturers are CONSTANTLY tweaking software packages to "improve and enhance" performance--computer-speak for, "Oops, we found a bug or glitch that we need to fix." So the answer is, No, you don't have to pay to have the software upgraded. But there's a reason for the upgrade, and if you have problems with that combine system this fall, the first thing the mechanic will HAVE to do to diagnose the problem is...upgrade the software to possibly cure the hidden bug or glitch.
-Question: "A warning code keeps coming up on the screen every time I start the combine. I can clear it, but it's a nuisance. How do I keep it from coming back?"
Answer: If a warning code can be cleared, it means the combine thinks something is wrong somewhere in the machine, but the problem isn't currently bad enough to cause catastrophic damage. The next time the code comes up, write down the numbers and explanation, call the dealership and let them determine how quickly you need a service call and what it will entail. If a warning code CAN'T be cleared, the problem needs to be addressed immediately.
-Question: My grain yield monitor is inaccurate; or, my autosteering system wanders like a drunken snake; or, my automatic header float control hops like a bunny rabbit. What's wrong?
Answer: Any system that "automatically" does things on a combine probably has sensors that allow the machine's computers to monitor and adjust that system's performance. Those sensors must not only be calibrated before operation, but can require recalibration during the season due to wear in mechanical linkages, etc. "Automatic" systems that misbehave usually generate a warning code that tells which sensor is causing the problem. Note the warning code, use it to identify which sensor is out of range, then try to recalibrate to clear the problem. If recalibration doesn't cure the problem, it's probably time for a call to the dealership, 'cause sensor diagnostics can be tricky.
-Question: I'm tired of calibrating sensors, clearing codes and messing with all this computerized foolishness. I don't want to fly to the moon---I just want to harvest crops. Can I get a combine without all this complicated stuff on it?
Answer: I think there are foreign manufacturers who still make bare-bones combines. But you'll be operating a 4-row, low-powered combine without air conditioning, without a stero system, without a yield monitor, without an automatic header height control system, without grain loss sensing, without low shaft speed monitoring, and without rear-view cameras. You'll have to steer it yourself, the cab will be screaming loud because all the hydraulic valves and controls will be mounted in or under the cab, and you'll have to get out of the cab and turn levers and rotate cranks to adjust the concave, rotor speed, sieves, cleaning fan and other adjustments. You'll come home every night filthy dirty and dog-tired, and finish harvest sometime after Christmas because of the limited capacity of the old-school machine--and you'll be working alone, because your wife or father or father-in-law will refuse to run that bare-bones but "simple" combine.
(If, by this time you're grinning, you're a modern farmer. If you're reaching for the phone to order one of those combines, you're a tough old bird, pretty darn stubborn, and I salute you.)
Farmers always seemed to get things done for years without all of these computers on combines and they still would of they had those combines today. Think how much cheaper a combine could be if it had just the things needed and not the things that cost so much and give so much trouble. The new machines are nice when they work but a pain when they don't. If depends if a farmer wants profit or convience.


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I stand by my assertion, you only take a special stick along to touch something. You're planning on it from the begining.
Absolutely WRONG! I carry a sand spike as a tool to help me stay immobile in any kind of water. I can push it into the sand and use it to position myself. I can hold my camera with the spike in the same hand and use it like a monopod. It really helps get that focus lock.
Anyone who thinks "using one finger" on a rock is better that the tip of a sand spike is nuts.
As far as "not touching anything"....what do you do when a sea creature demands that you touch them? I have had groupers swim right up to me begging to be stroked. I have had octopus crawl up my hand, sit on my arm, and absolutely purr when it is stroked. When it turns bright blue, it is happy. A gentile nudge is less stressful than the bigger fish rushing at it for less loving reasons.
Please, don't pat your dog....you're stressing it!!


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FAYETTEVILLE Gov. Mike Beebe's office confirmed Friday that John Tyson has resigned from the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.
Tyson resigned Feb. 8, but the university says it wasn't aware of the decision until Arkansas Business reported it on its website Friday.
In a letter to Beebe, Tyson writes he is thankful for the opportunity he had to serve, but decided to resign after "careful consideration and deliberation."
Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Friday that Tyson felt his schedule would not allow him to continue as a board member, which Tyson states in the letter.
"... My schedule in recent months has made it increasingly difficult for me to attend meetings and be an effective board member," Tyson wrote. "I do not see that changing, and because of that, and the fact that I have become increasingly frustrated with the Board's inability to make meaningful change in the structure and delivery of higher education in Arkansas, I think it is best that I step down now."
"(Tyson) has always been someone to speak his mind and to make strong decisions," DeCample said.
DeCample said a decision on a replacement would come as soon as possible.
Tyson states in the letter he informed UA System President Don Bobbit and Chancellor G. David Gearhart that he planned to resign about a year ago, but both asked him to stay on through the transition period of Bobbit becoming president.
Tyson is Chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods Inc., a position he's held since 1998. He was CEO from 2001 to 2006.
Read more details in Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
John Tyson resigns from UA Board of Trustees in letter to BeebeView
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A Texas teenager who successfully battled her parents in court for the right to choose life for her baby is being hailed as a hero by the women and men of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.
"No one – not a husband, not a boyfriend, not even a minor's parents - has the legal right to force a pregnant woman to have an abortion," said Campaign co-founders Janet Morana and Georgette Forney. "A woman's right to choose has to include the right to choose life."
Many women whose abortion stories are featured on the Silent No More website talk about the ways they were coerced into having an abortion. Threats of violence and abandonment are common, and parents often tell teenage girls they won't be able to live at home if they continue with their pregnancies.
"The irony is that what is promoted as a woman's choice is all too often forced by a young woman's parents," said Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and pastoral adviser for Silent No More. "Abortion is not about freedom of choice. It's about feeling you have no freedom and no choice."
Father Pavone also hailed the victory in Texas.
"Parents who force abortions on their daughters can be charged with multiple violations of the law," he said. "We will see to it that more parents and their daughters are aware of that."
Since the launch of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign in 2003, 5,612 women and men have shared their testimonies publicly at over 1,195 gatherings in 48 states and 10 countries. More than 12,865 people representing 77 countries are registered to be Silent No More. Raising awareness about the hurtful aftermath of abortion and the help that is available to cope with the pain are two of the Campaign's goals. The Campaign has over 1,718 testimonies posted here, with over 214 that are shared via video!
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is a joint project of Anglicans for Life and Priests for Life. For more information, please visit our website:


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D Jake Dotchin [5], 6'2" 207 lbs, Owen Sound (OHL), Shoots: Right
CSS #139 North American Skater, RLR #109 Overall
2011-2012 Statistics: 64 GP, 3-16-19, -2, 77 PIM
The Lightning opt for another late bloomer in big Owen Sound defenseman Jake Dotchin.
Pros: Big, strong young man who is a hitter. Good awareness and good positionally. Reads the play well. Big hard shot. Shot up developmentally, as he had zero major junior experience before this season.
Cons: Skating has improved, but he's still on the slow side with poor footwork. Outlet passing needs work, as well.
Red Line report projected Dotchin as a depth defenseman in the stay-at-home mold and compared him to Mark Fraser.


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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Julianna Margulies says playing a wronged political wife on TV gives her compassion for what Anthony Weiner's spouse is going through.
Watching Huma Abedin stand by New York mayoral candidate Weiner at a recent news conference reminded Margulies of how she played a similar scene in "The Good Wife" pilot.
Marguilies says she feels empathy for Abedin because people are quick to judge and comment.
But "The Good Wife" star said sexting scandals like that involving Weiner are the gift that keeps on giving for the CBS drama, keeping the show fresh.
RecommendedLiberally Biased Press Coalition Sues President Trump For 'Stifling Free Speech And The Free Press'
Beth Baumann
It's a reaction that makes her feel slightly guilty, Margulies told the Television Critics Association on Monday.
"The Good Wife" starts its fifth season Sept. 29 on CBS.


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Story posted December 14, 2004
First-year student Peter Hudson '08 began his day with a good cardiovascular workout - he spent the snowy December morning "surfing with the seals at Popham Beach."
"It was awesome," he says, dropping into a seat that afternoon in Associate Professor of History Sarah McMahon's first-year seminar class, Utopia: Intentional Communities in America, 1630-1997. "The seals came up really close and looked at us."
Just moments later, Hudson's heart is beating fast for another reason: fourteen of his classmates are looking at him while he gives a 10-minute oral presentation on his research about two communes from the late 1960s. It's a subject he has researched for the past month and about which he will soon have to write an essay - an important research and writing assignment for the class.
His talk varies from a slightly jittery reading of organized notes to a detailed, colloquial description of daily life in the communes. His eyes meet his audience. His hands only occasionally jam into his pockets. He seems to know his subject, and if he can ride the wave of nerves successfully, he will make it smoothly to the question and answer period at the end of his talk. More importantly, says his professor, "he'll be well on his way to having the communication and organizational skills to prepare him for the rest of college."
Hudson is participating in one of six first-year seminars that are part of Bowdoin's new Oral Communication Presentation Skills Project. The program is designed to increase students' public speaking skills, help them build persuasive verbal arguments, and increase poise - or at least comfort - in speaking up in groups.
As did many colleges and universities, Bowdoin used to include a course in Oral Communication as part of its required curriculum. That course - as well as others such as Hygiene and Physical Education - was eliminated when colleges began loosening requirements in the 1960s. Now many colleges are acknowledging the importance of public speaking to the academic success of their students.
Oral communication also may be among the most important portable skills graduates can have. According to a 1998 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, good communication is the top personal quality sought by employers. Verbal communication skills were rated more highly even than written or computer skills.
While many colleges and universities have begun designating some classes as "speaking intensive," Bowdoin's approach is to embed public speaking into the first-year seminar curriculum, where students can develop these important skills from the get-go.
Public speaking is a critical complement to written communication, says McMahon, and often gives new college students the confidence to share their ideas informally as well as formally. "It's amazing how many times people with something really important to say don't say it, because they don't know how," she says. "I never had any instruction in public speaking; I just learned by watching others model it. Presenting is something we expect students to do, but we don't teach them how to do it."
McMahon's students must give two short oral presentations during the semester. Today's presentation is their second. It is designed to help them focus their thinking about their research before they write, gain more experience in public speaking, and get feedback from their classmates.
While McMahon advises them on their research proposals and progress - and grades the students' presentations -- the bulk of their one-on-one presentation instruction has come from a fellow student, Christie Gannon, '06. She is one of seven Bowdoin student speaking-facilitators trained to lead oral-presentation prep sessions with students.
"I thought it would be great to do," says Gannon, "because public speaking is something I like to do. If I'm presenting my own research, it gives me a rush - it's a way of showing the hard work you've done. By speaking, rather than reading, it becomes a personal statement. It's a great way to actually show who you are as a person along with your work."
Gannon met with small groups of McMahon's students over four presentation-prep sessions, teaching them physical presentation skills ("Make eye contact. Don't put your hands in your pockets. Take your time."). She also helped each student with organizing the content of their presentation, offering various organizational strategies to bring their thesis to life.
"The biggest thing is getting your main point, your central argument, out front," she says. "Some people like to do creative openings as well. But you shouldn't make your audience work to know what you're talking about. It needs to be placed right out there."
Gannon received her oral-communication training from Bowdoin alumnae Kerry McDonald '99, a Cambridge, Mass.-based communications and leadership consultant. McDonald has been working with Bowdoin faculty and students for two years to bring this project fully to life.
"The College does a terrific job of developing students' writing skills," says McDonald, "but many colleges now realize it's just as important that students learn how to speak persuasively to an audience about their ideas."
McDonald began with professors. In 2003, she led a faculty seminar on incorporating oral communication assignments into the syllabus. In the spring of 2004, Associate Professor of Art History Linda Docherty piloted the first speaking-intensive seminar course. The next semester, McDonald began offering non-credit public speaking workshops to students in the evenings and eventually recruited seven students to become student-speaking facilitators.
By 2004, McDonald had recruited six professors willing to revise their seminar curriculum to include oral presentations, devoting one-quarter of their class grade to the new format. Other professors currently participating in the Oral Communication Presentation Skills Project include: De-Nin Lee, Stories and Scrolls; Susan Tananbaum, Players and Spectators: History, Culture, and Sports; Ray Miller, The Culture of Nationalism; Allen Wells, The Cuban Revolution; Roy Partridge, Racism.
McMahon says the extra work has paid off beyond her expectations. "I have been listening to reports for years and have never heard anything like these," she says. "As a consequence of their work in the presentation-prep sessions, they are farther along on these papers than students in this class have ever been before."
Even extreme surfer Peter Hudson has to admit the adrenalin-rush of public speaking "was pretty intense."
"This time my mind didn't freeze up," he says. "This is the first time I've had any training in speaking in my life. It helps a lot. And I know much more about where my research is going."
Presenting is something we expect students to do, but we don't teach them how to do it.
— Sarah McMahon


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NEW YORK, U.S. - Days after Wall Street Journal reported that Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is preparing to step down, the Wall Street giant is now said to have picked Co-President David Solomon to succeed Blankfein.
Lloyd Blankfein, who is one of the longest-serving Wall Street banking chiefs, is said to be preparing to step down, possibly later this year.
The report earlier the week sparked questions on who would replace Blankfein, who was expected to step down from his role around the lender's 150th anniversary in 2019.
With Goldman Sachs co-chief operating officer Harvey Schwartz set to retire from the Wall Street giant next month, many suggested this clears the path for David Solomon to eventually become the next chief executive of the investment bank.
Schwartz and Solomon jointly hold the positions of co-chief operating officer and president and both had been considered likely successors to Blankfein, who would end his 12-year stint at the helm.
When the Wall Street Journal first published the story on Friday, Blankfein took to Twitter and said the announcement was like "Huck Finn listening to his own eulogy."
Goldman shares on the day jumped, signalling that investors might not be sorry to see him go.
On Monday, Goldman Sachs officially announced that the Group Co-President and former CFO Harvey Schwartz will retire April 20.
However, people familiar with the inner decision making revealed that Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s board of directors had picked Co-President David Solomon to succeed Blankfein when he steps down, likely in the next couple years.
The source said that the board had chosen 56-year-old Solomon, over fellow Co-President Harvey Schwartz, at a meeting in February.
Adding that the firm issued a press release announcing Schwartz's retirement only after the decision on Solomon was communicated to the Wall Street firm's senior managers at a meeting on Monday.
Solomon, who helped to build and expand Goldman's debt-underwriting business, has a roster of corporate CEOs as clients and has, over the past two years, worked closely with Goldman's trading division.
Blankfein meanwhile said in the statement, "Harvey has been a mentor to many, and his influence has made an indelible impact on generations of professionals at Goldman Sachs. I look forward to continuing to work closely with David in building our franchise around the world, serving our expanding client base and delivering strong returns for our shareholders."
The Wall Street powerhouse is pushing to overhaul its business strategy after 2017 became one of its worst years since the financial crisis a decade ago.
The firm turned in a worst-in-class performance last year in the highly profitable business of trading stocks and bonds.


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meet the team
Marianna Mao
Traveling Team
Fremont, CA
Mission San Jose High School
Grade: Senior
piano, cross-country, biking, photography, music (last.fm)
Math Club, Academic Challenge, The Smoke Signal (school newspaper), Speech and Debate
Contest/Competition Experience or Honors: China Girls' Math Olympiad Bronze Medalist (2007), USA Math Olympiad qualifier (2006-2009), Intel Science Talent Search Finalist (2009), Siemens Competition Semifinalist (2008-09, 2007-08), Siemens Award for Advanced Placement (2009), National Merit Winner (2009), US Physics Olympiad team member (2008) and semifinalist (2007), Research Science Institute Scholar (2008), USA Mathematical Talent Search Gold Medalist (2008), US Biology Olympiad Semifinalist (2008), National Science Bowl 9th place (2007)
I was born and raised in the sleepy town of Slidell, Louisiana, where I spent the majority of my time catching lizards or crashing my bike into mailboxes. That was when I still cherished hopes of becoming a manga artist, decorating my notebooks with sketches of girls with spookily large eyes. After moving to California's Bay Area in fifth grade, I was introduced to an education system with a strong emphasis on math and science. Having recognized how awful my drawings were, I looked for another interest and found it in junior high, when I was captivated by the challenges of problem solving in the Mathcounts competition. As I wrote in last year's biography, my experiences with math competitions led me to the Physics Olympiad in ninth grade.
Though I didn't know it then, my introduction to physics through the Olympiad would be richly rewarding in terms of the amount I would learn, the experiences I would live, and the people I would meet. I soon began to understand physics not as a set of equations and symbols but as a part of the age-old quest to "follow knowledge like a sinking star beyond the utmost bounds of human thought." I got the chance to further pursue my interests through last year's Olympiad camp and also through the Research Science Institute, which matched me with research mentors at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics. The knowledge I gained through the Physics Olympiad was instrumental in the project I did at MIT, which involved building a model for gravitational wave signals. Since then, I have to come to love this field, and I now hope to study physics and applied math at Harvard this fall. I look forward to reuniting with old friends and making new ones at this year's camp!
Disclaimer: Information in Physics Team profiles is provided by the Team members and is in no way a reflection of AAPT's opinions or views.


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In class yesterday I was trumpeting the virtues of Google Reader in newsgathering.
But when it came to creating a feed for static pages (of which there are many when it comes to tracking local news sources) it didn't seem to be working.
That would be because Google switched this feature off at the end of last month. Elsewhere, on an unofficial site, it is claimed Google have said not many people used the function. Once again (as with the recent demise of Bloglines) it just goes to show how vulnerable specialist research tools can be.
Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives out there, including:
That said, the only way to avoid the inconvenience of other (mostly free) services going belly up, is to get your sleeves rolled up, learn a bit of programming, and do your own scraping. There are no shortages of tutorials on how to use iMacros or Python for screen scraping. It's just a matter of how much time you have to put words into practice (I keep telling myself)…


text: I thought that the browser would contain the session cookies and that it would save them to the autosave file. But it does not do that, since the browdat.txt is empty after I run the program. So can you tell me how I can submit the login form and get the authentication cookies that I can use to view the next pages?


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NEW YORK (AP) — Artist Jasper Johns will testify against a foundry owner charged with trying to sell a fake bronze sculpture of his iconic 1960 painting "Flag" for $11 million, a prosecutor told jurors at the opening of a federal criminal trial Wednesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Feingold said Johns will say he never gave Brian Ramnarine the sculpture as a gift despite the defendant's claims.
"You will hear from Jasper Johns that the stories the defendant told were outright lies," Feingold said. "He'll tell you he never knew these knockoffs existed."
An indictment charged Ramnarine, 59, with three counts of wire fraud, saying he used molds he acquired while working for artists at his busy Long Island City foundry in the late 1980s and early 1990s to stamp out more than a dozen unauthorized copies of sculptures that he tried to sell for tens of thousands or millions of dollars.
Feingold said Johns hired Ramnarine to make a wax impression of his famous painting in 1990, but the mold was never returned. The prosecutor said Ramnarine tried to sell the knockoff in 2010 as he struggled financially, but the buyer suspected a fraud and went to the FBI, which taped a meeting he had with Ramnarine that will be shown to jurors.
"Flag" the original 1960 encaustic and paper collage rendition of the stars and stripes, was sold at auction in 2010 in New York City for $28.6 million. The prosecutor said the real version of the sculpture Johns created in 1990 is displayed at Princeton University.
Defense lawyer Troy Smith told jurors Ramnarine came to the United States in the mid-1970s "functionally illiterate," unable to read or write, but became so successful at the craft of making sculptures that "artists were coming to the foundry in droves."
Smith said Johns will testify he had no contract with Ramnarine, just an understanding.
"He was an artist first and a businessman later," he said of his client.
The lawyer said oral agreements between artists and Ramnarine were common, and artists sometimes paid him with copies of their artworks for the expensive liquid metals he poured into their molds.
"There were times, often times, no money was exchanged," Smith said.
Smith noted that a former assistant to Johns has been charged with selling 22 works he allegedly stole from the pop artist's Connecticut studio. The government says Ramnarine pleaded guilty in state court in Queens in 2002 to falsifying business records in connection with schemes that prosecutors say were nearly identical to those now facing him.
Initially, Ramnarine was charged in Manhattan only with trying to sell the fake Johns piece. But Feingold said Ramnarine continued his scheme after his arrest, trying to sell sculptures purportedly created and authorized by artists Robert Indiana and Saint Clair Cemin. In court papers, prosecutors said Ramnarine defrauded a Queens art gallery owner of more than $34,000 for 12 fake sculptures.
Cemin, the trial's first witness, conceded he once gave Ramnarine two candle-shaped sculptures as a gift.
He said he spotted two of Ramnarine's fake versions of his sculptures when he visited a doctor's home in 2001.
Cemin said he went to Ramnarine's foundry "very upset" and saw a fraudulent version of one of his sculptures.
"I smashed it to the floor, breaking it, and I left," Cemin testified.
Asked if he ever saw Ramnarine again, he said: "Never."


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Virginia Tech: Peace and Healing
By: Legacy Staff
6 years ago
Five years ago today, April 16, 2007, tragedy struck in Virginia, reverberating around the nation and the world. A single gunman opened fire at two different locations on the Virginia Tech campus, killing 32 people and wounding 25 others. Almost unprecedented in its scope and horror, the shooting left the campus in deep mourning.
The rest of the nation mourned with them. Legacy.com provided a Guest Book for all victims, as well as individual Guest Books for each of the victims, and we saw a massive outpouring of condolences and support from near and far. Combined, the Guest Books have received more than 50,000 entries.
Today is a day when we remember the lives lost on April 16, 2007. We'd like to do so by sharing the words of just a few of the thousands who stopped to express their condolences in the Guest Books that day.
As a '06 Virginia Tech graduate, I cannot fathom the events that occurred there today. The rather beautiful, tranquil campus will never be the same. To all of the students, teachers and families, my deepest sympathies go to you. Hokies are a proud people who overcome, even in the wake of disaster. Pray and remember all those who were lost and injured on this dark day.
~ Joe Eichorn, Charlotte, North Carolina
I lift up the family, friends, students and faculty in prayer as this will be a very difficult process. May your strengthen come from your loves ones and God.
~ Callene Reese, Orlando, Florida
As bereaved parents ourselves, we know only too well the pain you are suffering and how hard the future will be for all the parents as they try to learn how to live without their precious child(ren). The entire country mourns with you. We wish you peace, and gentler days. May God comfort you in this time.
~ Leigh & Todd Moss, Covington, Georgia
To: My home state of Virginia
From: Tampa, Florida
My heart and tears go out to all.. my prayers to all the families and all that are suffering.. my candles are lit.. God please, please help all the kids, and there families thru this.. SPECIAL HUGS TO ALL
~ gina hayes, Norfolk, Virginia
My profound condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those slain today. My prayers are with you today and in the days to come. Our tears mingle with yours.
~ Heather Hay, Ottawa, Ontario
I was saddened of the news this morning, so many people affected, this truly is a catastrophic event. In a place that should never see violence like this, In a place where there are so many young bright people trying to better their world as well as ours, my thoughts and prayers go out to the students, staff, and familys of everyone affected by the events of today. I hope you find comfort in the warmth of your family and friends.
~ Tod Nuetzman, Queen Creek, Arizona
I'm a Virginia Tech student from Hickory, NC, and it is just impossible to put into words what we are going through right now. Please keep our campus in your thoughts and prayers.
~ Jennings Bray, Blacksburg, Virginia
The Virginia Tech community continues to mourn, five years later. As today brings painful memories to past and current students, faculty and staff, we wish them peace and healing.


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Luxurious wood paneling and butter soft, leather seats help turn this media room into a space where you can explore the farthest reaches of, as yet, undiscovered galaxies or relive the days of Jurassic history on our own world. Above, a few wisps of earthly cloud float past the night sky's constellations.
Howdy pardner. Settle yerself down, kick off yer boots, and get ready for an evening of classic Westerns. Chairs are rugged and comfy with an outdoor-themed pattern matched by desert sand leather, there's a blanket box that doubles as a coffee table, and if you're overcome by the urge to sing along with the mariachi band, you'll even find a sombrero to add authenticity.
There's plenty of space here to experience the vastness of the ocean from aboard a pirate ship, the intricate complexity of a strand of DNA, and everything in between. Only two pairs of matched chairs create a spacious, uncluttered look accented by contemporary minimalist side tables. Nothing to distract from the main feature event. Just recline your chair and enjoy the show.
back to Home Theaters


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By John Goralski
Sports Writer
Midway through Lincoln College's 13-game winning streak, a colleague cornered Preston Beverly in the halls of the school. He told the first-year coach that the Wildcats might want to consider losing a game just to find out what it's like to lose before the postseason. Beverly didn't know what to say about it. In fact, he hadn't even considered the winning streak in that way before.
Of course, a fluke loss in the regular season finale finally put an end to the team's unprecedented streak. It didn't really matter much. Beverly's team had already secured the regular season championship. Roxbury Country Club, the streak spoiler, had already secured their own spot in the regional tournament this weekend.
The only thing it really changed was the focus of historians and statisticians.
"We never really looked at the winning streak as this big burden," said the coach. "I know that some people think of it as a big deal, but for us it was never something that we looked at to define us. You have to rack up wins to reach the goals that we set as a team. We're more upset that we lost than that we lost the streak. We wanted to go into the playoffs with a win."
On the other hand, it's hard to discount a winning streak that accounted for more wins than any previous season total. It's also hard to minimize a streak that propelled the Wildcats from a competitive 8-5 team into a legitimate contender for the national title.
Still, Beverly and his team have tried hard to keep it all in perspective as they try to start a new winning streak in a hunt for a national championship.
"I don't think about winning streaks," he said. "The kids don't think about it. We're only thinking about how we can win this game. We don't care about the last game or the next one. We just remember that last loss, and we don't want it to happen again."
Even before the streak began, Beverly and his coaches knew that the Wildcats were a top contender. Three of those early losses were decided by a combined total of four points. The other two losses were against scholarship schools from higher divisions. Even the loss in the finale came against a tournament team, so Beverly doesn't get too caught up in the excitement of any particular game.
"All my guys remember those losses, and they remember what it felt like," he said. "We've talked about it. We've watched the films to see what we did wrong. This streak was great. We appreciate that they've been able to do this, especially here with a school with a limited athletic history."
Lincoln wrapped up its regular season this week with a pair of overtime victories and the five-point loss to Roxbury. Both wins came in overtime battles. The loss was contested right until the end. As the top seed in the upcoming tournament, Beverly knows that his team is going to continue to face opponents with that bullseye on their backs.
Perhaps that's the best part of surviving such a long winning streak, and it's the lesson that Beverly wants his team to remember.
"One of the things I talked about to the group after those overtime games is that now we can legitimately say that we have found every possible way to win a game, whether it's overtime, a buzzer beater, a three pointer at regulation or being able to maintain a big lead or small lead," he said. "When you talk about all those facets of a basketball game, we've gone through all of them this season."
On Thursday, the Wildcats had to overcome a first half deficit for the first time in weeks. Lincoln turned to their offense in the second half and began to pick away at the lead. Kojo Lockhart finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Taylor scored 19, and Kyre Jackson scored 16. Chris Austin and David Jalen scored 15 points apiece, and the Wildcats surged for 17 points in the overtime period to secure the win.
"When you talk about the best four teams in the region, they are definitely among them," said Beverly. "They've got a great scoring guard, Shane DaRosa (26 points), and he caused us some trouble in the first half and going into the second half. For us, it wasn't as much being able to score but being able to key on and focus on their go-to player to limit his production in order for us to win."
Two days later, the Wildcats had to overcome a hot perimeter team that went 7-for-14 from the three point line in the opening half. In the second half, Lincoln's defense held them to just four three pointers in just as many attempts. Lincoln answered with six players in double digits and out-scored Gateway, 15-5, in the overtime period.
"When you go 7-for-14 from the three point line, that definitely keeps you in the game," said the coach. "It was a drastic difference in the second half, and we did a little better job of keying on some of their bigger shooters. I think they just got tired legs and couldn't keep making threes at that great pace."
On Monday, Feb. 24, the winning streak finally came to an end. The loss was the team's first since Tuesday, Dec. 2, and it was the team's only home loss of the season. It was no surprise that Lincoln finally broke into the top 10 in the national rankings with the final poll on Tuesday.
Lincoln (19-4) will try to continue their story this weekend at the District VIII Championship in Boston as the tournament's top seed. If the Wildcats win on Saturday at 4 p.m., they will face the winner of the other semifinal on Sunday at 3 p.m. All games are scheduled to be played at the Bunker Hill Health & Wellness Center.
For now, Beverly is just enjoying the ride.
"We have been in that play-in game. A sixth seed is the best that we've ever been," he said. "Now, to bypass that play-in game to get to the seimifinals? For Lincoln College, we're making more school history. We're regular season champions, but we don't want the story to end there. We want to keep writing that story, and all our guys are focused on that."
Win streak ends in finale; Lincoln enters the postseason as the No.1 seed
By John Goralski


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Green Day Unleash New Song 'Kill the DJ'
Green Day struck gold with 'Oh, Love,' the lead single off their '¡Uno!' album, but how would they do with their follow-up? The band just let go of their song 'Kill the DJ,' which is a more upbeat track with a somewhat sinister feel.
If you didn't guess it by the title, singer Billie Joe Armstrong clearly has it out for the man behind the decks, rattling off such suggestions as "Hold him under water until he suffocates and drowns" and within the repetitive chorus begging, "Someone kill the DJ, someone shoot the DJ," before finally finishing with the request "Keep the DJ down."
Armstrong recently told Rolling Stone, "Mike [Dirnt] asked me to write a song with a four-on-the-floor rhythm. I'd never done it before. It's kind of like 'Sandinista!,' Ian Dury's 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll,' and the Tom Tom Club song 'Genius of Love.' We were trying to figure out how to make dance music without turning into a dance band."
The song definitely will get kids on the dance floor, but it's still features that Green Day vibe. It's got the instantly infectious lyrics, some solid guitar and bass work from Armstrong and Dirnt, and a beat that won't stop from drummer Tre Cool.
Keep an ear out for 'Kill the DJ' among the tracks on Green Day's '¡Uno!' release Sept. 25.
Listen To Green Day's 'Kill the DJ'


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Brent Crude Set to Take Over as Global Standard
The long-standing reign of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude as the international benchmark for crude oil pricing has been eroding for a couple of years. Now, there is a virtual certainty that WTI will be replaced next year by Brent crude as the international standard.
The S&P GSCI commodities index has already raised its weighting on Brent to 22.34% of the index beginning in January, and lowered the weighting of WTI from nearly 31% to 24.71%. The reason is simple: there are more Brent barrels available. Higher volume means more liquidity and more opportunities for trading.
The problem with WTI is that it is landlocked within the U.S., and pricing is settled at Cushing, Oklahoma, where there is limited pipeline availability to move WTI. Virtually none is loaded on tankers for sale anywhere else in the world, and notwithstanding recent projections from the International Energy Agency, it is not likely that significant volumes of WTI will ever be sold abroad.
The situation is even more lopsided in futures, where Brent futures traded on the InterContinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) now outnumber WTI futures traded on the Nymex by about 30,000 contracts a day. The combined volumes on both exchanges still favors WTI, but Brent is rapidly closing the gap according to a report at CNBC.com.
The options market is where Brent has made its largest gains although it still trails WTI by a substantial margin. The CNBC.com report notes that both Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV) and Delta Air Lines Co. (NYSE: DAL) have switched to Brent to hedge their exposure to jet fuel prices.
Brent trades today at a spread of about $23 a barrel higher than WTI. That gap, due in large part to increased production in the U.S. and a lack of infrastructure to move WTI out of the Midwest, is expected to close with WTI prices rising to meet Brent pricing. Oil producers will welcome the shift, refiners will not, and U.S. drivers will end up paying higher prices at the pump. It may take a while for this all to shake out, but the first big step has already been taken.
Paul Ausick
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Commodities, International Markets, Oil & Gas Tagged: DAL, ICE, LUV


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30% OFF! - A Man Thing 8x11 Photobook
By Caroline B
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Product Information
- Type: Photobook Template
- Designer: Caroline B
- Download Size: 117.1 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Digital Papers: 6
- Page Elements: 35
Designer Notes
A 20-page Album made with my "A Man Thing" kits. NOTE : With albums, you have not only perfect templates created by designers, but also the papers and embellishments used in it, put in separate folders, that you could re-use separately in another projects.


text: Naturalizer knows that style and fit go hand in hand. This season, stand out in polished dress boots for women, perfect for the office or a night on the town. Equally comfortable and stylish, our women's leather dress boots are quickly becoming a favorite of fashionable women everywhere. Traditional or updated styles with thoughtful details create a sophisticated look that stands out this season. With rich leathers, soft suedes and intricate details, Naturalizer ladies dress boots are a must-have to complete any modern woman's wardrobe. From black dress boots to leopard and taupe styles, find the look that suits you best.


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20 Jun 2012 09:07:10 AM
Sign of the Apocalypse #103: The UFC is Offering Full Refunds for UFC 147
(A typical WNBA game, or a preview of UFC 147?)
We may have been forced to watch every UFC card planned for this summer slowly disintegrate into a vapid shell of what they once were, but even the precogs we keep chained up in the basement of CP headquarters could not see this coming. Due to the seemingly endless string of injuries that has threatened to consume UFC 147 in a fiery ball of mediocrity, the UFC is offering any fan who already purchased a ticket for said event a full refund.
It should be noted that this has never happened in the history of the UFC.
Although we imagine most fans who met that criteria likely took to Ebay after it was announced that Vitor Belfort had broken his hand, we still can't believe that the UFC is essentially admitting defeat on a card that somehow still remains at pay-per-view status. Let us drop some knowledge on you: The last UFC PPV that failed to break the 200k buy mark was UFC 55: Fury, which topped off at a little over 125,000 buys. Featuring what was essentially a squash match heavyweight title fight between Andrei Arlovski and Paul Buentello (which was over before those in attendance could order a soft pretzel), as well as Forrest Griffin vs. Elvis freakin' Sinosic as the co-main event and Chael Sonnen's continuing struggle to defend a triangle choke, UFC 55′s pay-per-view numbers were simply an accurate reflection of the card's weakness.
Needless to say, UFC 147 looks like it is primed to shatter that record by a good fifty or sixty thousand buys in the opposite direction.Read More DIGG THIS


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Ray Smith's "Unguernica" Pays Homage to Picasso's Startling Anti-War Painting
Ray Smith emerged in the 1980s, and has been pursuing an inclusive, collaborative approach to art-making ever since, producing—often with the input of his longtime studio assistants—exuberant paintings and sculptures characterized by a blend of magical realism, Surrealism, and Modernism. His inimitable style and subject matter reflects his bi-cultural American and Mexican heritage, his early studies of fresco painting with traditional practitioners in Mexico, and an indebtedness to Picasso, the Surrealists, and the politically daring Mexican muralists. Contorted and morphed human figures recur throughout his work, as do images of dogs and other anthropomorphized animals and fantastical, part-human, part-animal hybrid beasts. Through these varied beings, as well as images of distorted timepieces, Smith reflects upon the complexities and absurdities of society, family, politics, culture, war, and the human condition itself, framed by birth and death.
American, b. 1959, Brownsville, Texas, based in Brooklyn, New York and Cuernavaca, Mexico
Ray Smith's "Unguernica" Pays Homage to Picasso's Startling Anti-War Painting
Artists as Curators and Leaders: Mana Contemporary Upends the Art World Status Quo
Artsy Editorial


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As I begin taking photos of spring events with flowers blooming in the background, I find myself looking for products and looks that will help me embrace the season. I feel the need for things that hint at warming weather, flowers in bloom, and an overall happiness as the new year gets into full swing. Today I have three suggestions: a color combination, a pattern, and a growing trend – bees on supplies.
First up, I've seen a lot of aqua + coral or pinkish red tones together in the clothing departments lately. I think it will be a really fun combination for both spring and summer scrapbooking. (American Crafts swatches are shown below.)
Then there is a pattern that is not only versatile, but very spring friendly as well. It's been showing up in my girls' clothes as well as in favorite scrapbook brands. The Girls' Paperie (shown below in yellow), Jillibean Soup (shown below in pink), Little Yellow Bicycle's Clothesline collection, and Jenni Bowlin are a few companies that come to mind when I think of cute gingham patterned paper. Bazzill has some cute gingham ribbons, and the Homespun Chic line by Melody Ross is a great example of both spring colors and cute checkered patterns. I've been seeing checks and gingham everywhere – and I love it!
I am not finding bees replacing butterflies this season on my own pages, but the buzzy insects do seem to be a growing trend in products. In addition to papers from Nikki Sivils (one shown above), Pink Paislee has a Queen Bee collection, Martha Stewart has a bumble bee punch, and the Dear Lizzy line even has a bee paper.
I am enjoying the traditional spring colors right now, and I made a layout to share here with some favorites from the Jillibean Soup Egg Drop Soup collection that is perfect for spring crafting. This is one of my favorite spring themed lines this year. I added in some texture with a favorite CHA pick (Nikki Sivils buttons) and the canvas flowers from Jillibean as well. Adding in a few bits from another favorite spring line (Dear Lizzy) was the icing on this creative cake.
Supplies: Jillibean Soup papers, tag, flowers, and letter stickers; Nikki Sivils buttons; American Crafts (Dear Lizzy) dimensional stickers; Sakura pen.
With warming weather and flowers beginning to bloom, I find myself inspired to make pages that feel like spring to me, and projects that come together quickly are especially appealing.
Summer is just around the corner – and I will be back here sharing more seasonal ideas. What products and patterns are you reaching for? Please do feel free to share!


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School�s out for summer and suddenly the schedules of kids across Gulf County have freed up.
School�s out for summer and suddenly the schedules of kids across Gulf County have freed up.
For parents and guardians who are shackled to the 9-to-5 year round, the first question in mind is how to keep the little ones busy. Luckily, Port St. Joe offers three great summer programs to keep kids occupied and the learning process going.
The 21st Century Summer Enrichment Program, run by Elementary Principal Designee, Jo Clements, took place at the Port St. Joe Elementary School and ran Monday through Thursday for the month of June.
The program welcomed students in grades kindergarten through sixth with over 80 enrolled. The program�s curriculum covered science, reading, art, music and math. 21st Century even provided an hour of music and art each day to explore creative avenues for children.
Now in its twelfth year of operation, the Port St. Joe STAC house, operated by Jewell Hopper, runs programs for elementary students weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon ET and for middle school students from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
The STAC house has plenty to keep kids occupied during daytime hours with pool tables, foosball and plenty of video games, board games and coloring books. Kids are encouraged to get physical with activities like foursquare, basketball or a romp around the on-site playground.
The money that kids spend at the snack bar goes toward purchasing more entertainment for those long summer days.
Hopper, who works in the gym at the elementary school, enjoys being able to interface with the younger kids who will be making the transition from kindergarten to first grade.
�It�s nice for them to see a friendly face in the school,� she said.
In addition to five employees, seniors from Gulf County High Schools can apply for paid positions over the summer months.
Recent Port St. Joe Jr./Sr. High School grad Carley Clements spent her second summer working at the STAC house. She also volunteered at the 21st Century Summer Enrichment Program.
�Being with kids runs in my blood,� said Clements, referencing her mother, Jo. �It�s a great mix of people, and though everyone comes from a different background, you learn the importance of treating everyone the same.�
At its peak, the STAC house welcomed 52 children for the summer. Parents can call the STAC house to register their youngsters.
Over at the Washington Recreation Center coordinators Johanna White and Sandy Quinn celebrated the third year of their summer program. This year, they played host to 70 kids, ages 5-17, with the mission of education and providing one hot meal each day.
Funded by the Jessie Ball DuPont Foundation and the Gulf County Workforce Board, kids in the program have access to science labs where they learn about marine life, a 15-station computer lab that helps reinforce math skills and allows students to stay updated on current events in the community. Kids also have �quiet time� for an hour and a half each day where they are encouraged to read.
Kids also attend a weekly art class with Leslie Wentzell of the Artery, and a basketball camp run by Pete Smith, a professional player in the European League.
�It�s an awesome summer program,� said White, now in her second year as a coordinator. �The kids have fun, but they�re also learning.�
Quinn, a physical education teacher at Port St. Joe Elementary, has been involved from the start and has enjoyed fostering an educational environment that ensures kids will be ready for school when it resumes in the fall.
�It gives the kids something to look forward to,� he said.
In addition to her staff counselors, White has 20 interns who help with the camp and throughout the community. Local students can apply and go through an interview process in hopes of landing a paid position. These students also receive on-the-job training including telephone etiquette, finances, and interviewing skills.
Students from the University of Auburn are also on-hand and volunteer their time to helping the kids learn.
Kids enrolled in the program take field trips once a week, whether it�s to the Bay to investigate sea life, or for a ride down the Apalachicola River. At the end of the summer, kids will be treated to a day of fun at Shipwreck Island Waterpark or a cruise on the Sea Dragon Pirate Ship in Panama City.
�The students build social skills and have a lot of fun,� said White. �These kids grab your heart.�


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Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune is reporting on his blog [5] that the Lightning have struck a deal to acquire the rights to potential UFA winger Brian Rolston. Rolston, 35, has scored 96 goals over the course of the past three seasons with the Minnesota Wild.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have traded forward Brian Rolston to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a conditional draft pick. The Wild will get a selection in either the 2009 or 2010 draft. The pick will depend on whether Tampa Bay re-signs Rolston before they know what pick Minnesota will get in the deal. Rolston is due to become a free agent July 1, but by making the move the Lightning get a day of exclusive negotiations with the forward. He scored 31 goals and had 59 points last season. The move caps a busy weekend for the Lightning, who acquired the rights to Ryan Malone [6] and Gary Roberts [7] from Pittsburgh on Saturday. "As we said earlier this week and we are trying to prove after making our deal with Pittsburgh (Saturday), we will work feverishly to improve the Lightning team for the 2008-09 season,†owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie said in a joint statement. "We believe getting the Lightning a head start in the negotiating and signing process can help us secure the players we are targeting. Nothing is guaranteed here, but we hope to have a chance to get another quality player in a Lightning uniform sooner rather than later.â€


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|OJIN News -- October 6, 2010
New Topic: Moral Courage Amid Moral Distress: Strategies for Action
Volume 15, Issue 3 - September, 2010
OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing has just posted a brand new topic: Moral Courage Amid Moral Distress: Strategies for Action.
Moral Courage in Healthcare: Acting Ethically Even in the Presence of Risk by Colonel John S. Murray, PhD, RN, USAF, NC, defines moral courage, describes ongoing discussions related to moral courage, explains how to recognize moral courage, and offers strategies for developing and demonstrating moral courage when faced with ethical challenges.
Strategies Necessary for Moral Courage by Vicki D. Lachman, PhD, MBE, APRN, presents strategies for operationalizing moral courage, organizing the discussion around the CODEacronym.
Creating Workplace Environments that Support Moral Courage by Cynthia Ann LaSala, MS, RN and Dana Bjarnason, PhD, RN, NE-BC, describes the concept of moral courage and explores personal characteristics that promote moral courage, including moral reasoning, an ethic of care, and nursing competence.
Moral Courage for Nurse Leaders by Cole Edmonson, MS, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, reviews sources of moral distress among nurse leaders, discusses the nurse leader's responsibility for demonstrating and supporting moral courage, identifies threats to moral courage among nurse leaders, offers strategies to promote moral courage, and makes recommendations for the continuing development of moral courage.
Moral Distress in Academia by Kathryn M. Ganske, PhD, RN, discusses moral distress as it may occur in the academic setting. She reviews literature related to moral distress in nursing education and considers seeds of moral distress in nursing education, such as dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism; grade inflation; and incivility.
Only ANA members have access to this current OJIN topic. Members will be able to read the current topic once they LOGIN. This topic will be available to all viewers after January 31, 2011. Articles on Previously Posted Topics and Columns are available to all viewers.
Articles on Previously Posted Topics
Improving Quality and Patient Safety by Retaining Nursing Expertise by Karen S. Hill, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE reviews the novice to expert trajectory, describing differences between novice and expert nurses, and reporting the relationship between nursing experience and quality outcomes as measured by nurse sensitive indicators.
Educating Nursing Students about Health Literacy: From the Classroom to the Patient Bedside by Kari Sand-Jecklin, EdD, MSN, RN, AHN-BC; Billie Murray, MSN, FNP-BC; Barbara Summers, MSN, RN; Joanne Watson MSN, RN discusses the significance of inadequate health literacy and shares strategies for identifying and intervening with patients who have limited health literacy.
Electronic Personal Health Records That Promote Self-Management in Chronic Illnes s by Beverly Mitchell, BScN, MSN, RN; Deborah L. Begoray, PhD provides an overview of COPD management, self-management programs, health literacy, and the use of electronic PHRs and self-management tools, emphasizing that PHR programs must match the patient's level of health literacy.
Ethics: Patients' Rights and the Code of Nursing Ethics in Iran by Tahmine Salehi, Msc, BSc in Nursing; Dehghan Nayeri, PhD, Msc, BSc; Reza Negarandeh, PhD, Msc, BSc
Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor by Smith on "Growing Future Nurse Leaders to Build and Sustain Healthy Work Environments at the Unit Level"
Letter to the Editor by Epstein on Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy
Letter to the Editor by Headen to Legislative: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: What's in it for Nursing?
OJIN is a peer-reviewed, online publication that addresses current topics affecting nursing practice, research, education, and the wider health care sector.
Editorial Staff:
Harriet Coeling, PhD, RN, CNS
Jackie Owens, PhD, RN, COHN-S
The journal editors invite you to share your response to this OJIN topic by sending a Letter to the Editor or by submitting a manuscript that will further the discussion of this topic which has been initiated by these introductory articles.
|© 2010 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved
American Nurses Association - 8515 Georgia Avenue - Suite 400 - Silver Spring, MD 20910
ISSN: 1091-3734 | 1-800-274-4ANA | Copyright Policy | Privacy Statement


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"Divergent," an upcoming sci-fi movie to be filmed in Chicago starting in April, will be looking for background actors in the film while they are in the city this weekend.
Atmosphere Casting of Chicago wants hundreds of extras for the film, and the casting call takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. Here are the type of people they're looking for:
- People with a "rural" farmhand look
- People with military, weapons or martial arts training
- People with stunt and/or stage combat training
- People with a "hippie" or Bohemian look. Longer hair preferred (both men and women)
- People with visible tattoos and/or piercings
- Ages 16 and up, all ethnicities
You must be an Illinois resident to be eligible and must bring a state-issued ID to the audition. The company asks that those interested also bring a candid photo of themselves, about 4 inches by 6 inches. They also must be available for shooting from April through July of 2013.
"Divergent" is based on Northwestern grad Veronica Roth's best-selling novel, a "thrilling action adventure set in a future world where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities." It stars Shailene Woodley and is directed by Neil Burger.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.


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To an audience of several thousand OS X and iOS developers, Apple executives today unveiled several expected products at its WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) in San Francisco: The iOS 6 mobile operating system used in the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch; additional features for the previously announced OS X Mountain Lion; and both an all-new thin MacBook Pro design and hardware upgrades to its existing MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptop lines.
But the company also announced a few surprises, such as an effort to put its Siri voice-based assistant technology in cars.
[ InfoWorld's Galen Gruman shows how Apple is moving beyond iOS and OS X. | Subscribe to InfoWorld's Consumerization of IT newsletter today. | Get expert advice about planning and implementing your BYOD strategy with InfoWorld's 42-page "Mobile and BYOD Deep Dive" PDF special report. ]
iOS 6: Greater cross-platform integration and expanded Siri services
Apple revealed a slew of new capabilities for iOS; the iOS 6 update is expected to ship this fall. It will run on the iPad 2 and later, the iPhone 3G S and later, and the fourth-generation iPod Touch. Registered developers can download the beta software today.
Among its new capabilities are an updated Phone app that lets you tag incoming calls for follow-up, such as for when you are in a meeting. Apple is also unifying the Apple ID across OS X and iOS devices so you can answer a call on any device you happen to have handy.
As widely expected, Apple has replaced its Google-based Maps app and service with one of its own creation; Apple did its own cartography work and took its own images for on-the-ground photos. The Siri-enabled app's services include local business search, traffic conditions, 3D flyover and on-the-street views of cities, and turn-by-turn navigation that will update the suggested route based on traffic conditions.
And Apple's FaceTime videoconferencing service for iOS and OS X devices will now work via cellular connections on iOS devices. iOS 6 is also adopting the "do not disturb" capability from OS X Mountain Lion that lets you turn off alert notifications until you want to see them; all notifications received during that quiet period remain available in the Notification Center. iOS 6 lets you schedule the do-not-disturb periods, such as for recurring meetings. Safari in iOS 6 can upload photos as well as support the iCloud-synced tabs capability introduced in OS X Mountain Lion. And Photos can now share photos with other iOS uses. The Mail app gains the ability to open password-protected Office documents, and it adopts the VIP-tagging capability introduced in OS X Mountain Lion.
Apple is addressing one long-standing criticism of iOS by enabling individual mail signatures per account; iOS has always used one signature for all accounts. Other new capabilities include Chinese search and social network integration, as Apple is also doing in OS X Mountain Lion. Apple also says it is working with manufacturers to iPhone-enable hearing aids.
New apps include Passbook, which lets you store all electronic boarding passes and other tickets from multiple airlines, rail systems, hotels, and entertainment venues in one location. The app even displays your ticket on the lock screen when you arrive at the airport or theater.
The Siri voice-based personal assistant in the iPhone 4S is being made available for the third-generation iPad. For both the iPad and iPhone 4S, it is also being updated to support more contexts, such as sports, dining, and movie information. Also new is support for launching apps by voice command, for the Open Table restaurant reservations service's iOS app, and for Facebook, including an API that third-party apps can use to work with Facebook via Siri.
On the automobile front, Apple is working with Audi, BMW, Chysler, General Motors, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota to Siri-enable their cars, so you can control the iPhone or iPad via voice through the car's stereo system.
A few surprises for OS X Mountain Lion
Apple also revealed the ship date for OS X Mountain Lion, the update to OS X Lion that it announced in February; it will ship in July for $20. As previously revealed, it supports direct access to iCloud storage for apps sold via the Mac App Store, a VIP-tagging capability in Mail for people whose email you want quick access to, a standardized Share menu for applications, iCloud-synced tabs and unified address and search bar in Safari, and the adoption of iOS's Notification Center, AirPlay screen mirroring to an Apple TV, and its Notes, Messages, and Reminders apps.
New features revealed today are universal dictation (based on the dictation feature that debuted in the third-generation iPad), a redesigned Dock, support for links and images in the Notes app, a new way to browse tabs in Safari visually, and the ability to back up and update software while asleep that apple calls Power Nap.
Apple's iWork suite will also be updated to support iCloud storage.
Thin new MacBook Pro unveiled, with updates to other MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs
As widely expected, Apple today announced a redesigned MacBook Pro that is 0.71 inches thin -- about as thin as the MacBook Air's thickest portion -- that features a Retina display similar to that in the third-gen iPad, with more than 5 million pixels (for 220ppi pixel density), and a weight of 4.5 pounds for the 13-inch model. The new MacBook Pro uses Intel's new "Ivy Bridge" Core i5 and i7 processors, as well as a new USB port that supports both the 3.0 and 2.0 standards. (PCs that provide USB 3.0 use a separate port for each standard.) Its SSD drive can be as large as 768GB; there is no magnetic hard drive available. Apple has also used the low-power Bluetooth 4 technology in the new MacBook Pro, in addition to 802.11n Wi-Fi.
Gone are the Ethernet and FireWire ports; Apple now sells dongle adapters for these, and you can use an Apple Thunderbolt Display as well to gain these ports. The new MacBook Pro also uses a new, thinner power connector design and provides a second Thunderbolt port. Prices start at $2,199.
To take advantage of all those pixels, Apple is updating its iPhoto and Aperture photo-editing apps and its Final Cut Pro X video editing software, and Adobe will update Photoshop and AutoCAD will update its drafting software as well.
Apple also unveiled today its updated "regular" MacBook Pro series to use the same processors and 3.0/2.0 USB port. The new 13- and 15-inch models cost the same as the previous generation (starting at $1199) and are otherwise essentially the same. (Apple did not mention the 17-inch model; that unit has been removed from Apple's online store.) Likewise, Apple has updated the thin-and-light MacBook Air lineup to use the new Core processors, which it says will boost both computational and graphics performance. The Airs can also now be outfitted with SSD drives with storage of up to 512GB, up from 256GB in previous models. They too come with the dual 3.0/2.0 USB ports. Available today, pricing starts at $999, which is $100 less than for the previous generation.
Not announced as expected today was a new version of Apple's Mac Pro power-user desktop line.
This article, "Apple unveils new, thin MacBook Pro, iOS 6, and more OS X features," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in business technology news and get a digest of the key stories each day in the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.
Read more about mobile technology in InfoWorld's Mobile Technology Channel.


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The BreepBroop (nickname) is a standard RepRap Mendel. It's the original design, and was printed during the main build rush after the Mendel came out. Chorca printed the parts on Mack's MakerBot over a period of about a month. It is all ABS aside from the frame vertexes which were purchased from the RepRap Forums, from Joshua Updyke in particular. This style of Mendel is rarely made anymore due to it's complexity. The much simpler Prusa Mendel is more commonly built, due to the large reduction of printed parts and hardware, and the simpler pulley and bearing systems used. Digitalman2112's RepRap is a Prusa.
The BreepBroop originally used a Techzone Gen3 electronics set, which needed a good amount of touch-up and had some issues. Chorca replaced this.
- Currently using a RAMPS 1.2 board donated by Digitalman2112
- Bed heater is hooked into an Omron 15A SSR, which is controlled by the DC heater output from the RAMPS. It modulates the SSR, and detects the temperature via a thermistor kapton-taped to the bed.
- With the RAMPS, the steppers are now all drive via the Pololus onboard the RAMPS board.
- Arduino MEGA on loan from Digitalman2112
Most mechanical functions of the BreepBroop are according to the original build specifications. A few modifications have been made:
- Using a Wade's extruder on the OpenX carriage.
- Hot end is a LulzBot Budaschnozzle 1.0.
- Bed has been modified to a 1/8" thick aluminum plate, using a 110v silicone mat heater from McMaster Carr (Part number: 35765K482), controlled by an SSR.
Chorca is currently using the following:
- Latest version of Sprinter firmware
- Host software is Pronterface, using SFACT to interface with Skeinforge
Print Status
The printer is now working great.
After a rebuild with a new X carriage (which works very well), a new extruder (Greg's Accessible Wade's), the Lulzbot Budaschnozzle hot-end, a new bed, SSR for controlling it, and RAMPS kit with a Mega, things are beginning to come together.
I found that I had a little lash on my X axis after all that, and after some helpful advice in the #reprap chat on FreeNode, I found that Nophead's pulleys for the belts are NOT for XL-toothed belts, the kind I got from McMaster. They are for T5 belts, more common in Europe. I therefore printed a new pulley for the X axis, and the issue is gone! I need to do the same for the Y axis, which I somewhat dread because it means disassembling the bed once again (and having to re-level it).
However, the print quality right now is superb. Some of the issue I was having with printing seemed to be due to the white PLA I was using. Once I ran out of that and switched to green, many problems disappeared. I also noticed that I'm getting a grey plastic ooze coming out of the budaschnozzle in some spots, but that seems to have largely stopped as I've begun using green PLA.
I've printed a full set of frame vertexes with feet which I plan to install shortly (about the same time I replace the Y pulley) and I need to start getting the printer more self-contained (small onboard power supply, RAMPS enclosure, etc.
Current Work
Swapped out all the electronics mess with a RAMPS RAMPS platform. This integrates all components onto one shield for the Arduino MEGA, reducing footprint and making everything a lot easier to run. The following are current plans for work:
- Get a second SSR and set it up for the new heater block
- Incorporate a thermal fuse to prevent runaway of the heater
- Build a box for the RAMPS, and install a onboard power supply to help self-contain the unit
The following are current plans for work:
Replace copper bed with aluminum bed to lower stress on Y axis and prevent wobbleThis is actually not due to the wobble of the bed, but due to using the wrong kind of pulley on my machine. The pulleys that Nophead has made and which are widely used on thingiverse are NOT the correct type for american XL-style belt tooth profiles. His are made for european T5 belts. The proper pulley for XL belt is Here


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You are such a kind person. I hope everyone who has a sick dog can have someone like you in their corner.
plebayo wrote:
I think Hogan's story is really important just to remind us all not to give up, and that the best things in life are good snacks and good people
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Sunday News Round-Up – Dolly Parton Flips the Bird Edition
Tennessee state Senator Stacey Campfield brought back the "Don't say gay" bill to forbid teachers from discussing sexualities other than heterosexuality. He was rightfully mocked on the Colbert Report for this and other bills he's filed. The bill (SB 234) technically forbids discussion of anything "inconsistent with natural human reproduction" – because, you know, all sex results in reproduction and all straight people are capable of reproducing. Worst, though, is that it requires teachers and school counselors who talk to a student who might be questioning their sexuality to notify the parents right away. So, good on you, Campfield, making sure K-8 students potentially get abused and/or kicked out of their homes.
I understand the sentiment (such as from LeftWingCracker) that paying any attention to Campfield distracts us from real damage our GOP-controlled legislature is doing elsewhere in less noisy ways. But I also think that fostering an environment where it's okay to encourage counselors to snitch on kids in ways that may physically and psychologically harm them *is* real damage to our state (even if the bill doesn't pass). Just being out there, these bills tell our vulnerable people what we think of them, and it demands objection.
Tomorrow I'll have a post up on the forced ultrasound and waiting period bill proposed in Tennessee.
This grosses me out: Scientists Discover Children's Cells Living in Mothers' Brains. The way the article starts out by acting like all mothers and their children exist in some happy bubble of perfect bonding and contentment is also kinda gross.
Call for submissions to a collection on mothering in conflict areas.
At the Crunk Feminist Collective: Immigration Reform: What Queer & Trans Immigrants & Our Allies Need to Know
New report from the CDC (in the MMWR): Progress in Increasing Breastfeeding and Reducing Racial/Ethnic Differences — United States, 2000–2008 Births
Recent stuff at Our Bodies Our Blog (also see @oboshealth):
- Getting Personal: What It's Really Like Living With a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) (guest blog from Jenelle Marie)
- In Armenia, Abortion Rates are High and Access to Contraception is Limited (guest blog by Taleen K. Moughamian)
- New Study Shows Excellent Outcomes in Birth Centers (from me, after a ton of discussion with the team and helpful responses from the authors)
Possible elimination of abortion access in North Dakota and South Dakota.
From The Rachel Maddow Show, GOP War on Women Continues to Rage in the States.
At CureThis, something I think is really important:
Mississippi's last abortion clinic, and the silence of healthcare providers
So, physicians in the state, especially the state's medical association, which supposedly speaks on behalf of physicians and is vocal about the government not intruding on physicians' rights and clinical judgment, must be up in arms, right?
There are tons of states where legislatures have or are trying to restrict abortion by intruding on medical practice, by requiring ultrasounds, biased consent, forbidding telemedicine, or other provisions. If doctors want to keep wondering why patients don't always just trust them and take their word as shiny beacons of highly educated authority, they should remember that we saw them, when they wouldn't stand up for us, even when not doing so affected their ability to make professional judgments. See Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health for one example of docs actually trying to do something, but these restrictions are many and widespread – individual clinicians in every state could and should be pushing back.