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Inaccessible Site DemonstrationAugust 13, 2003
Sooner or later you'll find yourself wondering what the difference is between an accessible web site and one that isn't.
The UK Disability Rights Commission has a fantastic demonstration of just a few things that can cause major problems for even the slightly disabled, and I'd highly recommend checking it out as soon as you have a moment. Three short Flash demonstrations require no more than 3 or 4 minutes, and only one actually pertains to screen readers.
(Thanks to Keith Bell and Accessify for bringing this to my attention.)
Reader Comments
Great link Dave. Also quite unnerving how easy it is to design from your own perspective. Even if you do allow for accessibility. Judging a site because you like it is one thing, liking it because it works, despite your disabilities, is whole different ball game.
The DRC's demonstration is also like walking around with a blindfold for a day so that you can pretend to know what it's like, or how about one of those strap-on pregnancy bellies. In the end you gain merely a slither of understanding of what it's like.
The screen reader demo is what really got to me. I sat here with my hands on the keys, looking out the window thinking, "okay, technically, I am navigating this page… but my god, is this really what they have to put up with? I wouldn't even bother."
It would be nice if schools teaching the web would set aside a few sessions for their designers to watch people of varying disabilities struggle their way through existing sites. There's only so far words can take you, it's actual demonstrations like this that clue you in to the relevant issues.
Thank you for the link, it was very insightful. And hilarious, but that would have been laughing away my shame.
How fitting that a demonstration on inaccessibility is done in Flash ;)
This is great! A quick and easy tool we can turn to when trying to explain to anyone (the curious, the client, the CEO) some of the problems people with disabilities encounter on the Web and why our sites should be accessible. Even the accessible design looks OK!
I had a hard enough time trying to find the items with the original design WITHOUT the flying cursor, blurred screen, etc. The colors on the original design all run together for me, and that damned 4pt. text that the kids find so cool today made it impossible to read.
The key is not convincing CEO/Marketing Manager that the website is inaccessible, the trouble is convincing them that "those people" (as they often refer to them) are worth reaching. Personally I think "they" are, but this is a tough sell to most people who have made their way to the top. It's never a "yeah, accessibility is just a decent thing to do" its, "do you have any stats on how many blind people use the web." Sad.
To people with disabilities, speak up! Please, we (developers/designers) want to help you, but you need to make it clear to the marketing wonks that you are a potential customer. We try and try, but they just don't believe us.
"The key is not convincing CEO/Marketing Manager that the website is inaccessible, the trouble is convincing them that "those people" (as they often refer to them) are worth reaching"
that's why i think legislation such as the Disabilities Discrimination Act (for the UK … and - wherever applicable - equivalent legislation in other countries) are a good thing. it makes convincing the higher-ups a lot easier if you say "you're breaking the law, and we could face a potentially expensive and damaging (PR wise) law suit"…
US Courts have already ruled that the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) does not apply to web sites. They did not meet the legal definition of "public place" because the court does not consider them a "place".
I'm not really sure which side I agree with. I would like to see some legally compelling reason to make sites accessible. On the other hand I would not want myself or a client to get sued because I forgot an alt tag or didn't make perfectly valid code.
I think the best solution all around would be for a disabilities organization to lobby large sites (in a constructive manner) to increase accessibility. I know some have approval or certification programs, but these are always construed more as businesses than vehicles of social change.
although the screenreader demonstration was meant to ram the point home, i think it should be noted that software such as JAWS provides a selection of far more sophisticated methods for moving around a site than the simple previous-link/next-link method that was simulated, e.g. list all links (which you can then sort and rearrange by different criteria), list all heading, move to next heading at same level, move to first form field (in a form, obviously), etc
of course, this is not a substitute for accessibly designed and structured webpages…i just wanted to ensure that people here don't think that all screenreaders do is let you tab between links and read out what's there… ;)
"How fitting that a demonstration on inaccessibility is done in Flash ;"
the fact that it's in flash in not the problem (as it needs to be a simulation of how different users may perceive a site, there really is no way around using something like flash/shockwave/java)…the fact that there is no londesc (e.g. "this flash movie simulates how a user with a mobility impairment, having difficulty using a mouse, may experience the inaccessible demonstration site. mouse movements within this flash movie are exagerated, increasing the difficulty for the user to accurately position the mouse pointer over a link to select it…" or something like that)
well, apparently the DDA (following the publication of a governmental code of practice) does now seem to officially apply to web sites/services in the UK (although we're still "anxiously" awaiting a test case). thing is, in most - if not all - cases, any dispute won't automatically result in a hefty fine or even a court case. there will be a chance to make reasonable changes to a site in order to avoid a case ever being followed through. even in the famous Sydney Olympics case (SOCOG) the organising committee had the chance to change their site to ensure at least a baseline level of accessibility. however, because of budget and time considerations (as the lifespan of the site was pretty much limited to the duration of the games), they decided not to make the changes and instead simply pay the fine and be done with it…
FWIW, I personally am against the "try it for a day" approach to disability awareness… Some studies (don't have them handy, but can find if anyone is interested) show that instead of opening minds to the various disability experience, it creates a bit of a "poor them" attitude. As Dave said: "but my god, is this really what they have to put up with?".
As redux pointed out, real screen readers offer more options, and a person using this software day in/day out will have a familiarity with it that can blow your mind (a friend of mine has his set on such a rapid read rate that I can't figure out what's said, but he's not missing a thing).
While sitting in a wheelchair and having to deal with sidewalks, steps, etc can give you a very faint idea, you cannot experience the "real thing" with just sitting in the chair a few times. Heck, I have *fun* wheeling around (especially with my new wheels http://bmee.net/temp/sweet.html ). It's not dreary and desperate all the time. It's just one more aspect of my life.
So it is difficult for someone not having a disability to really judge what it's like, and a momentary thing can only give you a glimpse.
The site is good in that it gives an idea of a barrier. But remember, don't judge the whole thing based on your perception of it. You don't have the day to day experience, you haven't developped your own "hacks" to handle situations.
I'm not saying not to build accessible… Just pointing out you're only seeing the tip of the iceberg
"Your task: find the link for information about this week's top selling CDs."
And now try this on the accessible page …
In reply to Eric Savage, some clarification is in order. One case in the US District Court has said that ADA does not apply to websites. This particular case is pending an appeal. There is another District Court case where websites have been ruled within scope of the ADA - this is the MARTA case which happened simultaneously to the Southwest Airlines case. The rulings are contradictory, but it is expected that the appeal to a higher court will establish that ADA does indeed apply to websites. I've detailled these cases here:
Great for demonstration purposes….but….
With the blurry option: (http://www.drc.gov.uk/newsroom/website3.asp)
"Your task: find the link to sign up to an email newsletter."
….now try the same task in the "Accessible" version….
Call me a Rubenesque Waffle Whacker, but I found both propositions equally tough…perhaps a need for review?


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One of the world's largest wind farms is now operational in the area surrounding Roscoe, Texas, E.ON Climate & Renewables (EC&R) announced Thursday.
The series of 627 wind turbines providing a 781.5-megawatt capacity covers about 100,000 acres and four Texas counties. But it's not an isolated wind farm per se, nor a uniform series of turbines.
The wind complex is a collaborative wind project with the community that included negotiations with over 300 landowners, and a mix of different turbines made by several companies including Mitsubishi, General Electric, and Siemens.
"Texas continues to lead the nation in the development of renewable energy and has more wind generation capacity than any other state and all but four countries," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement.
The project took approximately 500 workers, and an investment of over $1 billion dollars to be implemented, according to EC&R.
But the investment should pay off in the end. At 781.5 megawatts, the Roscoe wind complex has the capacity to power 230,000 residences, according to EC&R.
The company said in a statement that the Texas project is "the completion of the world's largest wind farm near Roscoe, Texas (sic)" and that once completed, its London offshore wind project will be "the largest offshore wind farm in the world."
The announcement follows Perry's Wednesday meeting with Texas business leaders to express his views against proposed federal carbon cap-and-trade legislation, which are in opposition to those who feel the bill would encourage green technology innovation.
"Texas has shown you don't need federal mandates to improve the environment or foster the next generation of energy technology," Perry said in a statement.
"Texans should be wary about a cap-and-trade bill that would not only impose the largest tax hike in the history of the United States, but also inject the federal government further into every Texas home, farm and workplace," he said.
SDCC, the biggest convention ever, had a very small start: What started as a gathering in a basement has exploded into one of the world's biggest cultural blowouts.
Spider-Man: Far From Home a perfect Endgame epilogue: Swing back into the MCU with Tom Holland's Peter Parker in this joyous globetrotting adventure.

subset: commoncrawl


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Eggs of the Golden Variety
Papi didn't have life insurance. He worked part time for four different companies. But he didn't have anything to leave us when he passed. Mama was distraught. She was too used to being able to be pretty, nails done, hair cut every week, too used to being pampered to accept the death of the only man who ever truly loved her. My brother left town, on some bender through the next several towns on his way to Santa Monica. I was left with the baby, and the birds.
We had four chickens, Allah, Monica, Veronica and Dolce, one goose, Ricardo, and an old rooster named Bernardo. They lived in a coop in our back yard, and the noise they made sometimes kept the baby awake during her naptime. Little Isadora never did sleep very well. She kept us all awake at night with her crying, unless Papi came home, and held her. He sang to her, little songs from his homeland. I loved those songs.
Life was dull, colorless, without Papi's songs, without his strength. I took to selling the eggs in the morning so that we could buy milk for Isadora, and bread and cheese. I barely felt it one morning when Ricardo nipped my fingers so hard they bled. We were all different, now that Papi was gone. Armando hadn't been back home in weeks. Mama wouldn't come out of her room, and spent all her time talking on the phone to grandmama in Oregan. I think she might have been planning to move us out there.
One day, though, there was a new bird in the coop. Isadora babbled on my hip, old enough to walk, but still easily tired out by the distance between the back door and the coop, reaching for the new bird. It was… beautiful. It shone in the sunlight like gold, it's eyes dark and fathomless. Long plumes like a peacock I'd seen once at the zoo spread out behind it. Dolce was cozied up to it's side, cuddling up like she did with any bird that sat still long enough, and she looked drab in comparison. This new addition lifted it's head, and then, I swear to God above, spoke.
"Mi Flora, take a feather. Sell it, and use the money to buy food. Sell the eggs no longer." It was Papi's voice. It was Papi's voice, coming from the bird, and I was going loco. Isadora squealed, and I must have put her down without realising it, because she toddled over, and just like Dolce, cuddled up to the bird's side. The bird nuzzled her with it's beak, and she burbled at him in baby language. Him. Oh god, now I was thinking of it as Papi.
I stepped closer, and again, I must have taken a feather without realizing it. The bird was singing, one of Papi's old songs, and the golden feather was warm in my fingers. I must have dozed off, to the sound of Papi singing. Isadora and I woke up with the chickens clucking around us, and the strange bird gone. I sold the feather for a fifty in the city, and paid it forward to the landlord. He was happy. Mama asked me where I got the money, but I shrugged and didn't answer, scraping the last of the mac and cheese out onto Isadora's little baby plate.
It happened again the next day. And the day after that. Months passed, and we were caught up, had food on the table, Isadora had new clothes and a new blanket. Papi came and sang for us every morning while I fed the birds, and Ricardo got fatter, and the girls' feathers were shining and their eggs had tripled. Life was good.
Then one day, Mama came out of her room. She took money from the pretty yellow jar I'd found for the extra money. It looked like an egg, and Isadora loved playing with it. She disappeared for hours, and came back dolled up. This became the new routine. Weeks passed. We grew wealthier. I put a new roof on the house. The garden started growing better with the fertilizer we bought. Mama got prettier each day.
I came out every morning and spoke to Papi, and he sang, and then one day, Mama must have heard… because she found us there, and gasped. "Orlando?" She breathed, and Papi turned his golden head to her.
"Mi corazon, te amo, you are more beautiful than ever."
Mama wept. She cried all day. All day and all night. And then, the next morning, when I went out to feed the birds and listen to Papi sing…
He was dead. Again. Mama sat next to his headless body, and held handfuls of swan-feathers, none of them gold. None of them glittering. Isadora screamed, and then cried. And the world turned grey once again. Papi was dead.more


text: I try out a lot of recipes from the Food Network, magazines, Pinterest, make up my own, etc. Sometimes they turn out, sometimes they don't. Sometimes I like a recipe, but I don't love it. I will only post my recipes that I really enjoy, and only after I have had time to tweak them to what I think is shareable. That means that sometimes our guests will get to try things that I may never post. I made some lemon sugar cookies the other day that I thought were good but I was not overjoyed by them, so unfortunately you will not see those. If you stayed with us though and really love them, let me know and I will share the recipe with you. This next recipe is one that I got off of Pinterest, but had to work really hard at tweaking. It just was not working out for me, but I knew it had potential. So, I added a few a things and minimized a few others and I have to say, I think they are pretty darn good and very summery, which I am trying to make happen. I hope you enjoy. Mixed Berry Muffins - Serves 18(regular size) 2 C plus 2 TB flour , 1 C sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 C vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 2/3 C Greek Yogurt, 1 1/2C mixed berries. I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Streusel Topping- 2/3 C brown sugar, 1/3 C flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 1/2 TB butter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a med bowl, mix together 2 C flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, add vegetable oil, eggs and yogurt and whisk to combine. As liquid mixture to flour mixture and until just combined. In a separate bowl, combine fruit with 2 TB flour ( to prevent berries from sinking to the bottom and clumping together). Fold the berries into the batter gently. Put into muffin liners or your muffin tin. Combine your streusel ingredients not it is crumby. Sprinkle streusel on top of muffins and bake 20 minutes. Garnish with raspberries to dress it up.


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Imperial Rome
DEPARTURE 15.00 P.M. (Year Round Daily, every afternoon)
Departure from Piazza dell'Esquilino ( Bus Terminal) - Piazza Venezia, Rome Historical Centre with "The Vittoriano" the altar dedicated to the King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1911 - The Capitol Square is a work of Michelangelo dating back to the 16th century together with a marvellous stairways called "The Cordonata" (Visit) - The Roman Forums were the political, military and social centre of the whole Roman Empire - Temple of Julius Cesar - Basilica Emilia, the Arch of Titus and the holy road (Visit) - Colosseum, the Rome's greatest amphitheatre built by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.C. (Visit) .
End of the tour at approximately 6.00p.m. Clients will be returned back to their respective hotels, or in the immediate vicinity


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Life's stressful, we're all busy, and sometimes it all gets too much. But hey, it doesn't have to be like that: it's all just a matter of perspective.
Next time things get on top of you, take a second to think about your place in the world. Just like XKCD points out, we're all here thanks to basic chemistry, time and lucky coincidence. And that's kinda comforting. [xkcd]


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Rick Ross has issued an official apology to his former business partners at Reebok and women's rights organizations for making light of date rape in the lyrics of a new track.
Ross was dropped as a Reebok spokesman on Thursday following the controversy surrounding his pro-rape lyrics on Rocko's U.O.E.N.O. song.
Outraged activists urged Reebok bosses to dump the heavyweight hip-hop star over the ill-advised rap and now Ross admits he understands the hurt and pain his lyrics have caused.
A statement from him, released on Friday, reads: "Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the world. So for me to suggest in any way that harm and violation be brought to a woman is one of my biggest mistakes and regrets.
"As an artist, one of the most liberating things is being able to paint pictures with my words. But with that comes a great responsibility. And most recently, my choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart. And for this, I apologize. To every woman that has felt the sting of abuse, I apologize."
And he's now urging his male fans not to take date rape lightly, adding, "To the young men who listen to my music, please know that using a substance to rob a woman of her right to make a choice is not only a crime, it's wrong and I do not encourage it. To my fans, I also apologize if I have disappointed you. I can only hope that this sparks a healthy dialogue and that I can contribute to it."
And it appears he has no hard feelings towards the Reebok officials who opted to drop him as a partner. In a tweet, he writes: "I want to thank Reebok Classics for their hard work and dedication over this past year. Good partners, good shoe. continued success."


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Statewide News Conferences, Precinct Walking, Phone-Banking
BURLINGAME – Thousands of CTA members and coalition partners hit the streets, figuratively and literally, to encourage voters to vote, and to vote YES on Prop 30 and NO on Prop 32.
CTA's State Council of Education members organized events in 25 cities across California, kicking off the final campaign push before the November 6 election. Educators, joined by labor unions and coalition partners, were knocking on doors, making phone calls, marching in rallies and holding news conferences. Educators were assisted by policy-makers, too, including Governor Jerry Brown and State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
CTA members are asking their communities to pass Proposition 30 to stop billions in immediate school cuts and to defeat the deceptive Prop. 32.
"This election is critical for our students and California's future. Prop. 30 is the only ballot measure that will stop $6 billion in immediate cuts to our schools, colleges and universities," said Dean E. Vogel, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. "Prop. 32 is another deceptive attempt by powerful corporate interests to write their own rules and silence the political voices of working people in our state. When teachers can't advocate, our students pay the price."
Here's what happened this weekend at a just a few of the 25 locations.
Gov. Jerry Brown joined a packed CTA news conference here on Saturday to stand with California educators fighting to pass his Proposition 30 and to defeat the deceptive Prop. 32. Educators knocked on doors across the state to talk to voters about what's at stake in the Nov. 6 election. Events continued Sunday and will continue through Election Day.
The governor spoke about Prop. 30 being what the state needs to get back on the road to recovery, and said the mysterious anonymous new millions pouring into the No on 30 and the Yes on 32 campaigns is another reason to vote against the measure.
"Proposition 30 is the key to building our future," Brown said. "Proposition 30 is about a lot of things. It's about kids, it's about teachers….it's about hope, and it's about those who've been most blessed to have an opportunity to give something back," the governor said of how the initiative only raises taxes on households earning more than $500,000. "We have a close election, I believe we are ahead, but we can't be complacent."
The governor and CTA Vice President Eric Heins blasted the recent donation by a shadowy Arizona group of $11 million to the California Small Business Action Committee to defeat Prop. 30 and to pass Prop. 32, the deceptive ballot measure that weakens unions so millionaires and billionaires can have even more influence in government. Brown wondered if unknown powerful donors in California might be "laundering" campaign funds by sending them to the Arizona-based Americans for Responsible Leadership group that does not have to disclose who its donors are.
"Some things in life we have to say 'no' to, and that's Proposition 32," Brown said firmly.
Heins said Prop. 32 amounts to "the most blatant con job that California voters have ever seen." He noted the hypocrisy. "On one hand they claim their ballot measure is about campaign finance reform, but on the other hand they're hiding who their donors are from voters."
Watch CTA video clips of the governor's remarks on Saturday in San Francisco on Proposition 30 here and on Proposition 32 here.
Speaking in Culver City on Saturday to teachers mobilizing their communities, CTA President Dean E. Vogel said, "CTA members all over the state are going to go out there and do what needs to be done for kids the same way they do it every single day in their classrooms. The public trusts teachers and they're going to listen to what we have to say."
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson held a news conference with Silicon Valley teachers at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, at the CTA San Jose office, 4810 Harwood Road, San Jose, 95124.
From Chico to San Diego, the voices of teachers were heard loud and clear as they met to reach out to voters in 25 cities:
"There are people who don't want us to succeed in passing Prop 30 and they're trying to do something about it. Prop 32 is their attempt to take us out of the picture so they can have unchecked influence in Sacramento. It's no accident that the Small Business Action Committee and millionaires like Charles Munger are funding both the No on 30 and the Yes on 32 campaigns. They want to silence our voice and cut our schools, but we're not going to let them." - Brian Guerrero, President, Lennox Teachers Association.
"Everyone with us here today know what it means for our school districts if Proposition 30 fails, an additional $6 billion dollars in devastating cuts. In the Hawthorne School District, we are looking at losing another $3.7 million this academic year, with a possible 15 additional furlough days, and that's on top of the five we have already! Our students can't afford to miss 20 days of school. We cannot allow the children of California to be deprived of a quality education anymore! Our students deserve better." - George Amaya, President, Hawthorne Elementary Teachers Association.
"Prop 32 is the biggest fraud, sham and piece of hooey on the ballot. In a textbook example of irony: Prop 32 supporters claim their ballot measure is about campaign finance reform, but then they hide who they are from voters and refuse to even disclose who is making their million-dollar donations. You don't have to be smarter than a fifth grader to know this is just plain wrong." - Mikki Cichocki – CTA Secretary-Treasurer
"I am from a district that is having a lot of problems like so many other districts. We are finding that 20 percent of our students are now homeless. That means that students are coming to our classrooms stressed and tired, and they are coming to class sizes that have grown immensely. We used to have 18 to 20 students in our lower grades and now we're up at 33, an increase of 50 percent. With so many students, they get so little individual time. So I ask everyone to vote Yes on Prop 30 to right these wrongs." - Carol Rodrigues, President, Salinas Elementary Teachers Council
"I'm here because Prop 30 is very important to all community colleges. Community colleges educate 70 percent of our state nurses and 80 percent of our firefighters and emergency personal, and nearly 50 percent of our veterans attend a community college for workforce training. They need us, and right now we are turning these people away as colleges have had to cancel summer sessions and some winter sessions. We're not available to those who have suffered job losses and they need somewhere to go to get training and enhance their schools. Pass Proposition 30 to support California workers." - Carol McEwan-Suarez, Gavilan Community College, California School Employees Association.
"We can't continue cutting education and higher education and have a strong economy. Prop. 30 is the only measure on the ballot that will stop another $6 billion in cuts to K-12 schools, the community colleges, and the state's universities….Prop. 30 guarantees that the money goes into a special account for local funds. It's the only measure on the ballot that syncs with Proposition 98, the school minimum funding guarantee in the state Constitution." - Kevin Merrit, president of the Chico Unified Teachers Association.
"This is a grassroots effort.. Going out to meet the public is something we need to do because it lets them know that teachers care about these issues." - John Anderson, president of the Tracy Educators Association, who walked voter precincts in Ceres.
"I'm participating because funding Higher Education is essential to California's future. My students are facing increased fees and fewer courses. We all need to work together to help our students K-16." - Lee Haggerty, Professor, Saddleback College.
"I believe in public education. I believe in standing up to those who don't. I also teach at the community college and I've seen them struggle with higher fees and trying to make ends meet." - Pamela Greenhalgh, speech pathologist, Maxwell School in Magnolia Elementary district.
"It is absolutely vital that my four and five-year-old transitional kindergarten students get individual attention, something increasingly difficult for me to provide as class sizes continue to grow as the result of all the recent budget cuts. That's why I'm walking San Bernardino County neighborhoods this weekend to urge citizens to vote YES on Prop. 30 and NO on Prop. 32. I'm fighting for my students, our schools and the middle class in California." -- Tracey Douglas, transitional kindergarten teacher, NEA Jurupa Association.
"As a high school government teacher who works every day to help my students understand the political process, I'm keenly aware of how Prop. 32 would silence my ability as a union member to actually participate in that process. That's why I'm pounding the pavement this weekend in south San Diego County to help people understand the importance of the voice of educators' to advocate for the needs of students and schools." - Roberto Rodriguez - Otay Ranch High School government teacher, Sweetwater Education Association.
"We've seen teacher education programs all over the state – including ours at Cal State San Marcos – hit with a triple whammy because of the cuts over the last few years. Not only is the number of students applying for teacher education programs been cut in half, but fewer of those who do apply are being accepted. Yet, because faculty numbers have been slashed, I've seen my class sizes increase, making it harder to provide my students with the attention they need. If Prop. 30 doesn't pass, the California university system will be cut an additional $250 million on top of the $1 billion in cuts we have endured the last four years. I'm doing everything I can this weekend to make sure Prop. 30 passes." - John Halcon, teacher education instructor, Cal State San Marcos Faculty Association.
"In nine years of teaching and coaching in Palm Springs Unified, I have never found coping with funding cuts, in order to help my students learn, to be more difficult. If Proposition 30 doesn't pass, not only will its failure exacerbate the existing issues of increased class size and reduction of teachers, but we will see shortened school years of up to 20 school days." - James Workman Middle School teacher Mark Acker.
"If proposition 30 does not pass, our students, who are already under privileged, under represented, and under prepared, will be hit with yet more obstacles." - Coachella Valley Unified teacher Richard Razo .
"Just as we will be doing this weekend, educators are always advocating for students and public education – for adequate school funding, smaller class sizes, school safety requirements, and reforms that actually improve learning. Prop. 32 supporters know if it passes, they'll be free to push their own profits-first agenda at the expense of California's students." – Desert Sands Unified educator Mona Davidson.
The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
© 1999-


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She is so excruciatingly, insufferably, painfully stupid, shallow, pandering, desperate, and without ethics.
Kirsten Gillibrand. United States...
What do you think the bias of Guest Writer - Right is?


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A major insurer has cut the annual cost of car insurance by an average of $200 per car in the Toronto area, but whether the good news will spread is unknown for now.
Co-operators Group of Guelph has reacted in a bold fashion to a dramatic decline in accident injury claims during 2011, by giving drivers in some Toronto neighbourhoods reductions as high as 34 per cent.
But other insurers are being more cautious. They are awaiting the outcome of a massive backlog of disputes about bills and benefits for mainly minor injuries, a new definition of catastrophic injuries, and the impact of new recommendations for fighting fraud.
"I don't think there is any dispute that the frequency and cost of injury claims has gone down," says veteran actuary James Christie. "But insurers will be wondering: Is this the new norm, or a one-time aberration?"
"Rate changes in Ontario are awkward to do. It takes six to nine months (to get approval from regulators). So companies are reluctant to drop rates if they might have to raise them again soon."
Insurers were blind-sided in 2009 and 2010 when the number of injuries reported in and around Toronto rose wildly out of line with both the number of collisions and the rest of the province.
Now they are reserving judgment on a report by the General Insurance Statistical Agency that injury claims fell by 11,925, or 28 per cent, in 2011. The agency estimated there were would be savings of nearly $1.6 billion or $842 per private vehicle.
Related: Car insurance: 10 things you need to know
Nothing like this was seen in the rest the province. There, the total cost of injury benefits has been relatively stable. By GISA estimates, costs there were about $200 less per car outside of the Toronto area during 2011.
This year the average cost of insurance fell across the province by only 0.28 per cent, according to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. But FSCO does not report separate results for the Toronto region.
"There is no question we are seeing a decrease (in the frequency of claims) from 2010 to 2012," says Brian Kirkconnell, national claims director for Co-operators.
"We have taken a total of four (premium) decreases across 2012," adds his colleague Mark Feeney, a regional vice-president, noting reductions were larger in the Toronto area.
Holding the line on premiums is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. The earlier bulge in injury claims stung State Farm the worst. It is the only insurer dedicated exclusively to auto insurance. It lost $1.83 billion from 2009 to 2011 before finally turning profitable this year.
Industry leader Intact Financial, which is expanding by buying smaller insurers, predicts rising premiums in 2013.
Chief executive Charles Brindamour told stock analysts recently that his company's earnings are healthy, but "a number of industry players continue to be in a loss position."
"Political changes in Ontario and the prorogation of the legislature creates uncertainty as to the timing of upcoming changes such as that of the definition of catastrophic impairment and other proposed measures from the (Ontario Auto Insurance) Anti-Fraud Task Force," he added.
"Given the uncertainty around these changes and the improvement in the industry's results, we can expect industry premiums in Ontario to be up in the low single-digit range in 2013."
The price changes at Co-operators were not uniform across Ontario, or within the Toronto area. The average decline was $150 a car in Toronto, and $200 in nearby municipalities, the company told the Star.
Premiums were cut by only 2 per cent in certain low-income suburbs, but as much as 34 per cent in richer neighbourhoods, where more families have two cars, additional insurance benefits, and fewer minor injury claims.
Industry-wide figures for 2011 reveal that residents of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham paid an average premium of $2,001 to insure a personal vehicle.
In other districts, residents were already paying much lower premiums: $1,523 per car in the Halton to Hamilton area, $1,476 in and around London, $1,374 from Brantford to Waterloo, $1,142 around Ottawa and $1,093 from Peterborough to Kingston.
Related:101 ways to save on insurance
Karin Ots, senior vice-president for regulatory and government affairs at Aviva Canada, says insurers face uncertainty due to a mix of government action and inaction.
Ontario introduced new rules, definitions, and language in relation to benefits for minor injuries in September, 2010. It limited payments for supplementary treatment and assessment of minor injuries at $3,5000. It let motorists buy less coverage for more serious injuries, and drop coverage for help around the home. Most have done so. Regulators also encouraged insurers to reject unreasonable claims.
Before and after these changes, thousands of claimants — or the clinics they visited — applied to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario for mediation to resolve disputes with insurers.
At one point, the backlog of disputes reached 36,000, compared with about 67,500 injury claims in all of Ontario last year. There are still more than 20,000 disputes unresolved, consultant and former FSCO employee Willie Handler has learned.
"I think it has really been a case of more disputes than the system can handle," said Ots. "FSCO was not nimble at adding resources, and there were a number of underlying issues (such as an increase in fraud and questionable billing practices of clinics) that caused the number of disputes to go up," she added.
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled late in November that anyone whose dispute is not mediated within 60 days may choose a more costly forum: arbitration before the Financial Services Commission of Ontario or the courts. "This decision has the potential to add significant costs," said Ots.
FSCO has warned that the wait time for arbitration is already six to eight months, while the pace of mediations is speeding up. An external firm, ADR Chambers, is handling 2,000 additional mediations per month.
Ots said there is also uncertainty about future costs after two court rulings awarded million-dollar benefits to a man and a woman who each reported psychological consequences after leg injuries that were severe, but not regarded previously as being eligible for catastrophic injury benefits.
Ots said she was encouraged, however, that the Ontario Auto Insurance Anti-Fraud Task Force urged the government to regulate the entire auto insurance marketplace, including the business practices of rehabilitation clinics, assessment providers, and tow truck operators.
In addition, FSCO is to undertake a two-year study into limiting the treatment of injuries to techniques supported by scientific evidence.


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The quintessential elements of classic down-home style are creatively seamed into one comfy look. Patchwork quilting, soft cottons, a whimsical embroidered hem, and prismatic colors form the charm and comfort of the Perky Shirt Striped Patchwork Bedding Set. All set components are 100 % cotton and can be machine washed in cold water. Hang to dry. Do not dry clean.
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Cucumber Recipes
Bresaola and Cucumber Finger Sandwiches
These charming finger sandwiches were probably the only thing I could have prepared in the tiny kitchen of the Roman apartment we rented while in the capital city of Italy last week. But it didn't stop me for preparing yummy sandwiches for Aria and me, using local products such as ricotta pannarella and black Angus bresaola meat.
Bresaola is salted lean and succulent beef that is air-dried until the meat turns dark red. It originated from the Lombardy region in Northern Italy. And I first discovered out-of-this-world ricotta pannarella while ordering a cheese platter in a restaurant in Rome. We asked the waiter to give us his best selection and I have to admit it sure was! Now I'm just hoping I'll be able to find some back in the US!
I prepared the finger sandwiches with crust-free, sliced white bread, a mixture of caramelized fennel and ricotta, sliced cucumbers and of course, freshly-made mozzarella cheese and delicious bresaola meat.
Full Recipe...
Basil Cucumber Water Recipe
My husband Lulu and I recently stayed in a very nice hotel that served cucumber water. The drink was so refreshing I recreated it as soon as I came home. I added a few twists with chia seeds and some basil leaves.
The beauty is that you can prepare a lot of flavored water in advance of any type of party. You can use the combination of herbs, citrus, seeds and even berries you prefer. I've had a berry water with raspberries and blueberries that was absolutely wonderful. It's so easy to make, you have no excuse for buying flavored water that's probably filled with indescribable preservatives and additives.
Full Recipe...
Roasted Bell Pepper and Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe
Sometimes the simplest things make the most delicious dish. My husband Lulu planted Persian cucumbers this year and lately he's been harvesting 2-3 cucumbers a day. I love the flavor of Persian cucumbers and have had a lot of fun coming up with simple recipes that showcase them.
Salads are a great way to enjoy cucumbers and this recipe is no exception. Since cucumbers have a high water content, I salted them to draw out moisture for a crisp result. I paired them with roasted red bell peppers and seasoned the salad with a simple lemon and extra-virgin olive oil vinaigrette. I also sprinkled a few toasted pine nuts for texture and added fresh dill because this herb marries superbly with the vegetable.
This salad will be a hit at any picnic, pool party or barbecue. It tastes like summer!
Full Recipe...
Gazpacho Soup (Chilled Tomato Soup Recipe)
Gazpacho is a refreshing first course I just had to make before the summer ended. The preparation is very easy. Cucumber, roasted red bell peppers, onions and fresh tomatoes are blended together. I flavored the cold soup with garlic, lemon, tarragon, a bit of agave nectar and extra-virgin olive oil. To provide a touch of saltiness, I topped the soup with oil-cured olives.
I served it chilled with "oeuf à la coque"-style quail eggs ("soft-boiled eggs" in English). Accompany it with lightly toasted noor thin bread from the folks at California Lavash and you'll have a truly fun summer dish!
Want some lavash to try out the recipe yourself? Don't forget to enter our contest in the box below!
Full Recipe...
Cucumber and Yogurt Salad Recipe
I'm still working on using the cucumbers from our garden. I know my husband Lulu spent a lot of time planting all the vegetables so I try my best to make flavorful dishes using the results of his hard labor.
Today I used Marketmore cucumbers and served them as a first course. The dish was composed of seeded, sliced cucumbers, finely chopped pickled grape leaves and diced red bell peppers. I tied the flavors of the salad together with a dressing made with yogurt, mustard and olive oil.
I understand that the process of planting, watering and caring for the vegetables requires a lot of work, so I definitely feel responsible for creating unique dishes that showcase the quality of the ingredients. Love you Lulu! Don't we make a great team?
Full Recipe...


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Nation & World
Mosul Christians' flight triggered by leaders' refusal to meet Islamists
Abu Imad wasn't particularly worried when masked gunmen from a range of militant Islamist groups took control of the northern city of Mosul, where he lived.
"When they came in June and drove out the army, things became normal quickly. I didn't see any reason to flee," he said, sitting in St. Georges Syriac Catholic Church in Bartella, a dusty flyspeck Christian village less than 20 miles from Mosul.
"There were no problems at first, and the only sign of a change was that the traffic police were men that we did not know," he said. "Some were Iraqi, and others spoke (classical Arabic) so it was hard to tell where they were from. Some didn't speak Arabic at all, but they treated everyone in a good way, and so I didn't want to leave."
But then on July 12, Islamists marked Abu Imad's house with an "n," for Nusari, a derogatory Arabic term for a nonbeliever. "When I asked them why, they said, 'To mark your house as protected if outsiders come to Mosul.' That's when I grew worried," he said.
A week later, Abu Imad, a Syriac Catholic, had packed up and left.
He and the rest of northern Iraq's multitude of Christian sects have plenty of reason to worry about the self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate that's taken hold in much of northern and western Iraq and eastern Syria since Mosul fell to the Islamic State on June 9. The men who lead the caliphate adhere to the most austere and literal interpretation of Islam, one that subscribes to the notion that improperly pious Muslims can be killed and that Christians, Jews and other monotheistic minorities must pay a protection tax or face a similar fate.
"It's a financial punishment for refusing to become Muslim," said the rector of St. Georges, Father Ammar, explaining "jizya," a tax the ancient caliphates levied on non-Muslims. Father Ammar, following local custom, gave only his first name.
Christians _ Syriac Catholics, Chaldeans, Yazidis and a slew of other smaller sects _ have been part of the social fabric of northern Iraq and eastern Syria for centuries. They enjoyed protection from secular governments, including the late Saddam Hussein's in Iraq and President Bashar Assad's in Syria. They even benefited under the Shiite Muslim government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, who's preferred to focus sectarian repression on Sunni Muslims, the Shiites' historical political and religious rivals. That's helped the Christians avoid the charge of regime collaboration, which their community has often been accused of in Syria and Iraq.
"Maliki ignored the Christians, which for them is probably a good thing," summed up an Iraqi journalist in Baghdad, who didn't want his name attached to the comment because of stringent anti-criticism laws imposed on the country's news media. As for Saddam, he loved the Christians because they were the one group he knew could never overthrow him, the journalist said.
Not so with "daash," as nearly everyone in Iraq calls the Islamic State, using its Arabic acronym. Within weeks of its takeover of northern Iraq, it's shown that Christians are expected to obey the rules, whatever century they may come from.
Within days of the appearance of the scarlet "n" on Abu Imad's house, the Islamic State's Islamic law council demanded a meeting with the top religious authorities from the Christian sects in Mosul, in many cases calling on the officials to come to Mosul from Baghdad for the session.
"They really think they're an Islamic state and can just call a meeting with other legitimate religious leaders. It's insane," said Father Ammar, whose Baghdad-based bishop was summoned to the session but chose not to attend. "I'm not even a bishop and am from Qarakosh, but I wasn't going to go to negotiate jizya."
The meeting was announced for June 17, and when not a single religious leader from any of the Christian communities attended, the Islamic State took offense.
"The next day we received the notification. We had only two choices, and jizya was not one of them," said Abu Imad, who admits that he was likely to have considered paying a reasonable tax to keep his home. "Convert to Islam or leave."
"You could have stayed and died," Father Ammar pointed out, noting the third option.
Abu Imad, however, left. "At each checkpoint out of town, daash searched our belongings," he said. "They stole anything of value: gold, money, laptop computers. When they found something they wanted, they just shouted 'jizya' and took it."
As many as 6,000 Christians are thought to have fled Mosul in the wake of the order to convert. About 400 have come to Bartella, where they've been taken in by the town's residents. Many more are waiting for processing in the nearby town of Qarakosh, where a small amount of United Nations-supplied emergency aid is available.
How many Christians remain in Mosul and its suburbs is an open question. The community hasn't been large for centuries, and emigration has shrunk it further since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The United Nations estimated that the community stood at about 35,000 in 2005. Rumor has it that three families stayed behind and converted _ a number so precise that it raises questions about its credibility.
Father Ammar worries that more Christians will arrive, driven from other villages under Islamic State control, and that it will be difficult to accommodate them in Bartella and Qarakosh, which together have just 60,000 residents.
"We'll have to start sending people to Kalak," he said, referring to a growing refugee camp halfway between Mosul and Irbil, where U.N.-supplied tents house increasing numbers of refugees who can't afford to rent homes in Kurdistan's skyrocketing real estate market and don't want to return to life under the Islamic State.
Father Ammar also worries about what's to become of Christian life in an area where the faith has existed for more two millenniums. Already, the Islamic State, whose fundamentalist beliefs prohibit any form of idolatry or artistic representations of the human form, has made a point of clearing the city of images it finds offensive, removing or destroying the ubiquitous statues of the Virgin Mary and burning a collection of portraits of past Syriac Catholic bishops kept in the 1,800-year-old monastery where Father Ammar's order is headquartered. So far, Father Ammar said, the monastery itself survives.
"They have only destroyed Muslim tombs used by the Shiites and the Sufis so far," he said. "But we fear the worst for so much of our history. Mosul goes back to the oldest Christian communities in the world, one of the first places where Christ was accepted by an entire community."
Bitterness abounds. In Qarakosh, where fighters from the Kurdish peshmerga militia maintain a front line just a mile or so from Islamic State positions and regularly come under sniper and mortar fire, one refugee from Mosul said he knew exactly whom to blame for the situation.
"Goddamn George Bush," Abu Fadi spat out in English as he stood in line in the 100-degree heat to register for aid. "He removed Saddam, and this is all his fault."
Then, in Arabic, he turned his anger on the current U.S. administration, which is still formulating what, if anything, it will do in response to the rapid advance of the Islamic State.
"Tell Obama I lost my house because of America, and now he's a coward and won't come save us from these animals," he said.


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Lindsay Lohan's home in Hollywood Hills was burglarizied by thugs who ripped a safe off her wall and stole her high-priced fashion accessories in what her dad believes is an "inside job," according to reports.
The starlet's mother, Dina, said Lindsay is upset about the break-in, which she reportedly discovered when she came home early this morning to find her mansion ransacked and her personal belongings missing.
"She is okay, but upset," Dina told People.com.
"The safe was ripped out of the wall, and the door was off the hinges and door handles removed," mom Dina told the magazine. "Bags, shoes and jewelry were taken too. Thank God she wasn't home."
LiLo reportedly called her father once she saw her pad had been ransacked, according to the gossip website TMZ. He claimed the robbery was "an inside job" because the alarm was never activated.
"I am not going to put up with individuals violating my family," Michael Lohan told TMZ. "This is a personal violation and it has got to stop."
Mom Dina said the starlet was planning to move from the California home before the incident.
"(Sister) Ali and Linds just left me in New York, and left people in charge to pack, as we are moving her to a safer place."
Lindsay came home around 3 a.m. and discovered her mansion had been ransacked and called her father. Police said they got a call sometime before 7 a.m. to report a possible break in but no arrests have been made.
In May, cops were called to the address after surveillance video showed what looked like an attempted break-in.


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Not too long ago I served as a "dance host" on a two-week cruise from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
What is a dance host? Many cruise ships hire gentlemen who are accomplished dancers to be available to dance with women. Our typical daily schedule involved being on the dance floor at six o'clock every evening and dancing four of the six hours until midnight.
Our first day on the cruise was a "sea day," but our second was our first port of call, at Puerto Montt in the Lake District of Chile. Many people signed up for "shore excursions," including me. I signed up for "zip-lining."
We traveled more than an hour to the base of the beautiful Orsono Volcano, standing guard over Lake Llanquihue. The weather was awful, raining so hard that the jeeps used to transport us up the mountain were unable to negotiate the rugged road. Half the group decided to return to the cruise ship; the rest of us kept going and hiked up the mountain.
We climbed ladders to a small platform surrounding the trunk of a large tree. As I looked out and saw the steel cable we were to "zip" across, I was shocked-it stretched across a deep ravine as wide as five football fields, a distance so great that the cable sagged, drooping like a "U." Would I gain enough momentum? Or would my 220-pound frame get stuck in the middle, unable to make it up the tail end of the "U" to the next tree?
"Will I be able to make it to the next tree?" I asked Enrique, our staff person. "Am I too heavy?"
"No problema," he responded. "The heavier you are, the greater speed you generate when you slide down the steel cable."
He then reassured me that I could slow down by using my leather glove to pull down on the cable, creating friction. He added that I'd have to press down extra hard today because of the rain, which reduced friction on the cables. He also assured me that there was an "arrester system"-a man on duty with a device to brake me in plenty of time before I hit the tree.
"No," Enrique said, "you are committed now. There is no turning back"
Enrique was right. When it was my turn, I gathered speed as I hurtled down the cable toward the middle of the huge ravine, and I had plenty of momentum to continue on up the last half of the U-and more. I started pulling on the cable with my glove…nothing. I pulled harder. No luck.
In front of me was a huge tree, getting closer by the second. As I neared the tree, I saw the staff person holding the safety brake. Yes! I'll be okay, I thought as I watched him pull it. And then, Oh, no! as I continued to race down and…
Holy cow!
I slammed into the tree trunk and crashed to the narrow wooden platform in a heap. The staff person immediately came to my aid, asking if I was OK. I assured him I was fine,but when I tried to get up, I realized I wasn't OK after all. My left leg. especially my left knee, felt awful. But I finished out the course-10 more zip-lines-then headed back to the ship with the rest of the group, where I promptly I visited the doctor. He looked me over, gave me two ibuprofen, and told me to let him know if the pain continued.
Over the next few days, I continued to fulfill my dancing responsibilities, followed by a trip to the doctor the next morning. He would give me more ibuprofen each time and then, finally, a knee brace. But nothing seemed to help.
The pain continued for every night of the remainder of the two-week cruise, still bothering me when I arrived in Buenos Aires, where my two kids joined me. The three of us spent the next two weeks hiking through and exploring Patagonia, Buenos Aires, and Iguaçu Falls, capping it off with a few days of Argentine tango lessons in Buenos Aires before heading back to the States.
Left to right: Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile; Glacier National Park, Patagonia, Argentina; Perito Moreno Glacier
Back in the U.S., I decided I should have another doctor take a look at my leg, which was still was giving me pain. The results of an MRI showed my left leg to be broken, a compression fracture just below my knee.
The doctor said to stay off the leg for four weeks. Well, it was a little late for that-given that I'd been dancing and hiking on it for the last four weeks since I broke it!
Lesson learned? I am unstoppable. I danced, hiked, and continued my life for four weeks on a broken leg.
And, as far as zip-lines are concerned? I should have realized that I was unstoppable!


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UPDATE: U.S. covert paramilitary presence in Afghanistan much larger than thought Written by By Craig Whitlock and Greg Miller,Washington Post Staff Writers,Wednesday, September 22, 2010. Our story below outlines the further extent of the use of paramilitary forces to assassinate "terrorists, insurgents, and others that are against U.S. policies". This is not new news, but it is new to our Media. Where's the reporting? It's time to stop printing government press releases and begin "reporting" again. Read on:
The following interview of Ex-CIA Operative, Duane Clarridge "Defends the Empire", Oct. 16, 2008. If it is in our National Security Interest, we can eliminate the threat anytime we wish, do you belive that? This video was taken from the article below the video. View this:
Mass Assassinations Lie at the Heart of America's Military Strategy in the Muslim World
By Fred Branfman, AlterNet
Posted on August 24, 2010, Printed on September 15, 2010
Read the full story here, click this link.
"[General McChrystal says that] for every innocent person you kill, you create 10 new enemies." — "The Runaway General," Rolling Stone, 6/22/10
The truth that many Americans find hard to take is that that mass U.S. assassination on a scale unequaled in world history lies at the heart of America's military strategy in the Muslim world, a policy both illegal and never seriously debated by Congress or the American people. Conducting assassination operations throughout the 1.3 billon-strong Muslim world will inevitably increase the murder of civilians and thus create exponentially more "enemies," as Gen. McChrystal suggests — posing a major long-term threat to U.S. national security. This mass assassination program, sold as defending Americans, is actually endangering us all. Those responsible for it, primarily General Petraeus, are recklessly seeking short-term tactical advantage while making an enormous long-term strategic error that could lead to countless American deaths in the years and decades to come. General Petraeus must be replaced, and the U.S. military's policy of direct and mass assassination of Muslims ended.
The U.S. has conducted assassination programs in the Third World for decades, but the actual killing — though directed and financed by the C.I.A. — has been largely left to local paramilitary and police forces. This has now has changed dramatically.
What is unprecedented today is the vast number of Americans directly assassinating Muslims — through greatly expanded U.S. military Special Operations teams, U.S. drone strikes and private espionage networks run by former CIA assassins and torturers. Most significant is the expanding geographic scope of their killing. While CENTCOM Commander from October 2008 until July 2010, General Petraeus received secret and unprecedented permission to unilaterally engage in operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, former Russian Republics, Yemen, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, the Horn of Africa, and wherever else he deems necessary.
Never before has a nation unleashed so many assassins in so many foreign nations around the world (9,000 Special Operations soldiers are based in Iraq and Afghanistan alone) as well as implemented a policy that can be best described as unprecedented, remote-control, large-scale "mechanized assassination." As the N.Y. Times noted in December 2009: "For the first time in history, a civilian intelligence agency is using robots to carry out a military mission, selecting people for killing in a country where the United States is not officially at war."
This combination of human and technological murder amounts to a worldwide "Assassination Inc." that is unique in human affairs.
The increasing shift to direct U.S. assassination began on Petraeus's watch in Iraq,where targeted assassination was considered by many within the military to be more important than the "surge." The killing of Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was considered a major triumph that significantly reduced the level of violence. As Bob Woodward reported in The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008:
"Beginning in about May 2006, the U.S. military and the U.S. intelligence agencies launched a series of top secret operations that enabled them to locate, target and kill key individuals in extremist groups. A number of authoritative sources say these covert activities had a far-reaching effect on the violence and were very possibly the biggest factor in reducing it. Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) responsible for hunting al Qaeda in Iraq, (conducted) lightning-quick and sometimes concurrent operations When I later asked the president (Bush) about this, he offered a simple answer: 'JSOC is awesome.'" [Emphasis added.]
Woodward's finding that many "authoritative sources" believed assassination more important than the surge is buttressed by Petraeus' appointment of McChrystal to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan. McChrystal's major qualification for the post was clearly his perceived expertise in assassination while heading JSOC from 2003-'08 (where he also conducted extensive torture at "Camp Nama" at Baghdad International Airport, successfully excluding even the Red Cross).
Another key reason for the increased reliance on assassination is that Petraeus' announced counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan obviously cannot work. It is absurd to believe that the corrupt warlords and cronies who make up the "Afghan government" can be transformed into the viable entity upon which his strategy publicly claims to depend — particularly within the next year which President Obama has set as a deadline before beginning to withdraw U.S. troops. Petraeus is instead largely relying on mass assassination to try and eliminate the Taliban, both within Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The centrality of assassination to U.S. war plans is revealed by the fact that it was at the heart of the Obama review of Afghan policy last fall. The dovish Biden position called for relying primarily on assassination, while the hawkish McChrystal stance embraced both assassination and more troops. No other options were seriously considered.
A third factor behind the shift to mass assassination is that Petraeus and the U.S. military are also determined to attack jihadi forces in nations where the U.S. is not at war, and which are not prepared to openly invite in U.S. forces. As the N.Y. Times reported on May 24, "General Petraeus (has argued) that troops need to operate beyond Iraq and Afghanistan to better fight militant groups."
The most significant aspect of this new and expanded assassination policy is President Obama's authorizing clandestine U.S. military personnel to conduct it. The N.Y. Times has also reported:
In roughly a dozen countries — from the deserts of North Africa, to the mountains of Pakistan, to former Soviet republics crippled by ethnic and religious strife — the United States has significantly increased military and intelligence operations, pursuing the enemy using robotic drones and commando teams, paying contractors to spy and training local operatives to chase terrorists (Military) Special Operations troops under secret "Execute Orders" have conducted spying missions that were once the preserve of civilian intelligence agencies.
Read the rest of the story here, click this link.
Fred Branfman, the editor of "Voices From the Plain of Jars: Life Under an Air War" (Harper & Row, 1972), exposed the U.S. secret air war while living in Laos from 1967 to 1971.
© 2010 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/147944/


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Ken Riley: The Importance of Drawing
The pieces above and below, excerpted from Frederic Whitaker's article in the June 1958 issue of American Artist magazine, are described as being "charcoal on a toned ground" (above) and "charcoal with grey and white gouache accents" (below).
I suspect the three pieces below from 1960 were similarly drawn in charcoal.
Whitaker writes, "There may be important artists who can't draw, but... drawing demonstrates two capabilities, that of analyzing what is seen or thought, and that of recording it, and these two faculties in combination constitute the very foundation upon which art production is based. The importance of draughstmanship was instilled in Riley personally by Thomas Hart Benton."
All of this is greatly impacted as well by an understanding of the nature of composition - and Ken Riley's vituosity at composing a picture is handily demonstrated in our final example below. Riley reinforces the importance of drawing to his working method when he says, "I make a number of thumbnail compositions in pencil. As I have said before, I think best in terms of line. After the line comes the masses. Design, which after all is an abstract matter unrelated to the appearance of reality, is the most important part of any picture [bold type mine] and this I seek to define with the lines and solid shapes."
My Ken Riley Flickr set.
4 comments:
these all have great draughtsmenship, leif....riley is great...the last? i heard he was still living, in his late 80's...there was a nice book i found on him at the strand book store years ago....it dealt with his western paintings....he also did many readers digest condensed books...and,by the way....i'm fairly sure he was a student of harvey dunn...best,brian...ReplyDelete
Yes Brian, he was a student of Harvey Dunn and before that a student of Thomas Hart Benton in 1938 at the Kansas City Art Institute. He had a very solid and varied education in art and illustration, and is very intellectual about the process of creating his paintings... a very interesting guy with a ton of talent.ReplyDelete
Tom Watson
Wonderful work! Thank you for posting this. I am going to try to find one of his books!ReplyDelete


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AHL Game Night: 2-10-13 Crunch at Phantoms
Last night's collapse continues into today's match.
Riku Helenius allowed 4 goals on 14 shots for the loss before giving way to Dustin Tokarski, who allowed 2 on 12 shots the rest of the way. At some point you'd like one of your two championship pedigree goaltenders to step up and act like it and steal you a game rather than getting lit up like Roman candles.
First Period
ADK Gustafsson, (4) , 7:02
Second Period
ADK Mangene, (2) (Sim), 0:37
ADK Dimmen, (3) (Mangene, Sim), 10:56
ADK Laliberte, (2) (Syvret, Akeson), 12:34 (PP)
Third Period
ADK Eddy, (2) (Wellwood, Lauridsen), 1:30
ADK Laliberte, (3) (Akeson, Noebels), 13:21
SYR Johnson, (23) (Connolly, Neilson), 18:38 (PP)
This is the kind of embarassing loss where you'd expect Julien BriseBois to start looking to make some moves, now. The Crunch let some valuable veteran components like Segal, Smith, and Jackson walk over the offseason with the thought there was enough good youth to handle it. And, yes, there is a lot of good youth. But, in my mind, a piece needs to be added to, at the very least, try to fill some of what was lost between Conacher and now, possibly, Alex Killorn, to Tampa Bay.
Box score from TheAHL.com.
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Thank you for your comments in: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xsl-editors/2007AprJun/0000 For version 2.0 of XSL the WG has decided to rewrite the text of the table formatting objects to be independent of the CSS2 Recommendation in order to be able to specify more fully the expected results that in many cases are left open by the current text with its references. The lack of precision that you have identified will be corrected. As these modifications will lead to some of the existing implementations becoming non-conformant (having taken a different imlementation choice, that is permitted in XSL 1.0 and 1.1, than what will become normative) the WG feels that this cannot be part of an erratum to 1.0 or 1.1, but will have to wait until 2.0.Received on Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:51:37 UTC
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Here's December:
so a couple more motifs have been stitched since November:
Slow, but getting there :-)
I hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas and a happy and healthy 2011 to you all.
Due to the amount of spammers we are currently getting, I have changed the comments to Authors only Sorry I have had to do this!
Here's December:
Posted by WelshHelen at 17:20
Labels: December 2010 progress
Good progress for busy December! I love all the shades of blue.
Great stuff Helen Keep it up, we will both reach the end!!
Thanks, girls. I finished one of the motifs tonight and started another, so already progress for January :-)


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Serious birth problems are twice as likely to affect IVF babies than those conceived naturally, according to researchers.
A study, which compared the outcomes of hundreds of thousands of births, looked at the risk of stillbirth, low birth weight, premature birth and infant death.
Both traditional IVF, involving fertilisation in a glass dish, and the injection of sperm directly into eggs increased the chances of complications, the Australian researchers found.
But a leading British fertility expert stressed that many of the problems may be related to patients' infertility rather than IVF treatment.
Scientists from the University of Adelaide studied 17 years of data from more than 300,000 births in South Australia, of which 4,300 were the result of assisted reproduction.
All forms of available fertility treatment were assessed, including traditional In-Vitro Fertilisation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (Icsi) - injecting sperm straight into eggs - ovulation induction, and freezing embryos.
"Compared with spontaneous conceptions in couples with no record of infertility, singleton babies from assisted conception were almost twice as likely to be stillborn, more than twice as likely to be pre-term, almost three times as likely to have very low birth weight, and twice as likely to die within the first 28 days of birth," said study leader Professor Michael Davies, from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute.
"These outcomes varied depending on the type of assisted conception used. Very low and low birth weight, very pre-term and pre-term birth, and neonatal death (infant death) were markedly more common in births from IVF and, to a lesser degree, in births from Icsi.
"Using frozen embryos eliminated all significant adverse outcomes associated with Icsi but not with IVF. However, frozen embryos were also associated with increased risk of macrosomia (big baby syndrome) for IVF and Icsi babies."
Significantly, the study also looked at birth outcomes for women who found it hard to get pregnant but never received intensive fertility treatment.
Their chances of experiencing complications were much higher than average.
"Women in this group who eventually conceived without the help of invasive assisted reproduction gave birth to babies who were nine times more likely to have very low birth weight, seven times more likely to be very pre-term, and almost seven times more likely to die within the first 28 days of birth," said Prof Davies.
"This may be due to the underlying medical conditions related to their infertility, or the use of fertility medications or therapies that are not recorded."
Fertility expert Dr Dagan Wells, from Oxford University, said this finding indicated that fertility treatment may not be to blame for the higher risk of birth problems seen in patients.
"Perhaps the most striking finding is that rates of prematurity, low birth-weight and infant death were highest of all for couples who had a fertility problem but eventually succeeded in conceiving without the help of IVF," said Dr Wells.
"This suggests that the problems seen for babies born after IVF may be related to the patient's infertility rather than the treatment itself. In fact, for couples with reduced fertility, IVF seemed to lessen these risks compared to natural conception."
He added: "It is very important that patients are provided with useful information concerning the risks as well as the benefits of any medical interventions they might undertake so that they can make an informed decision about whether a given procedure is right for them.
"Although this study suggests that some adverse outcomes are higher in pregnancies conceived using IVF, it is important to understand that the overall risk of these problems remains low. As such, I doubt these findings will deter many infertile couples from using IVF."
Sheena Lewis, professor of reproductive medicine at Queen's University, Belfast, agreed. She said: "We have known for some time that couples conceiving spontaneously after a period of infertility have poorer outcomes. This indicates that these problems may come from the disease rather than the fertility treatment.
"Also a very positive finding in this study is that the use of frozen embryos eliminates all the adverse outcomes following Icsi. Freezing embryos is a routine procedure in fertility clinics and may be a useful option for those couples concerned about these findings."
The research is published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
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One of London's largest Royal Parks, Regent's Park is a must-see for any visitor to the capital. With London's largest outdoor sports area, a distinguished open-air theatre, beautiful landscaped gardens, cafés, restaurants and a whole lot more there's plenty to explore.
Regent's Park is home to a number of festivals and events throughout the summer, including Taste of London festival which regularly attracts London's finest chefs, restaurants and food experts to share their expertise with thousands of visitors to the park.
Radisson Blu Edwardian Grafton Hotel
The Radisson Blu Edwardian Grafton Hotel sits near the South East corner of Regent's Park on Euston Road. On arrival at the park you'll pass Chester Gate and visit the celebrated Avenue Gardens. Walking across York Bridge will take you to the famous Queen Mary's Garden where you can enjoy refreshments at the café whilst taking in the beautiful landscaped gardens.
Find out more about the Radisson Blu Edwardian Grafton Hotel


text: Crawling the PAX exhibition hall this afternoon I stumbled upon a smallish booth for Gunnar Opticks. The company is dedicated to making glasses for computer users. The idea is that the special glasses cut down on glare, and reduce distracting external light to reduce eye strain. The wrapped frames and lenses are crafted, I was told, to create a "microclimate" around your eyes, blocking out dry air and slightly increasing humidity around the eyes. Initially it sounds a little silly, but the more you think about it the more sense it makes. I know my eyes are usually pretty worn out after a day of blogging and gaming. The company recently started selling their glasses and have already started plans to craft glasses designed specifically for gamers, in particular PC gamers. The gamer glasses will have offer all of the same benefits, plus special stems designed to be more comfortable under headphones. I plan on checking out a pair and writing up my impressions in about a month. I can see gamers getting behind the idea, even if only for the look of the glasses. Gunnar Optiks


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- About this brand
- Reviews
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GK Natural Creations
GK Natural Creations is a handmade eco-savy pure soap company. They use recyclable packaging and reuse as much as possible, making products in small batches by hand.
Their Soaps are made following the traditional cold process method or hot process method, using only the finest, carefully sourced, sustainable vegetable oils, butters and pure essential oils.
Carefully selected natural herbs, botanicals and clays give texture and colour to the finished bars. Because of the handmade nature of the soaps, shape and size can vary slightly.
UK ECONOMY FREE (3-7 days)
UK PREMIUM £2.95 (1-2 days)
UK PREDICT NEXT DAY £4.95 (FREE ON ORDERS OVER £60). Order by 2pm for next working day delivery, we'll even tell you what time to expect your delivery. Please note: orders received before 2pm will be dispatched the same day for next working day delivery. Orders received after 2pm Friday and anytime on Saturday & Sunday will be dispatched the following Monday. Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. UK Mainland only, excludes Scottish Highlands.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS £4.95 - Delivery by Royal Mail 1st Class Airmail. Orders posted to countries outside the EU may be subject to import charges.
INSURANCE - We automatically insure your parcel so you never need to worry about being out of pocket if your parcel gets lost or stolen. Our insurance does not cover parcels delivered to any safe places you may nominate to have your parcel left when you are not home at the time of delivery. It is your responsibilty to make sure the nominated place is safe!
You can expect nothing less than five star treatment when you order from mypure. Find out more here
For more information on delivery please visit the mypure delivery page
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text: Hey boys, it's time to get your cocks out and join me for some flirty fun. I always have so much getting naked for you, especially when I am dressed up in a sexy formal dress and heels. I always feel so prim and proper, but not for long cause my naughty side shines through.


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Perfect for parlor and stage performers, the Hummingbird Reel is used to make silks, dollar bills, and other lightweight objects fly into your hand from up to 20 feet away!
It's the world's smallest electronic reel; only 1 1/2 inches long by 1/2 inch in diameter! Precision machined from brass, the Hummingbird Reel houses an industrial micro motor that is whisper quiet. The thread locks automatically as you pull it out, so there's no tension until you press the switch to reel it back in. Battery included.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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African American Art
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Band Merchandise
Baskets, Trays
Baseball Neon Clocks
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Bath Decor, Body Sets
Bedspreads, Table Linens
Pillows, Sachets, Throws
Beer Signs, Beer Clocks
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Betty Boop Collectibles
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Birdhouses, Bird Feeders
Books, Metaphysical
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Buttons, Bands
Candles, Oil Lamps
Tealights, Votives
Candle Holders, Snuffers
Cars, Jets, Trains
Cars Diecast
Cartoon, Disney
Celebrities, Marilyn, Elvis
Celestial Sun Moon Stars
Celtic Design
Chess Sets, TicTacToe
Clocks, Wall Clocks
Clocks Neon A to H
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Clowns, Jesters
Coca-Cola, Pepsi
Diner Neons, Nostalgia
Commercial LED Signs
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Crosses, Inspiration
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Dolls, Victorian Gifts
Dragon Collectibles
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Dragon Table with Glass Top
Round glass table top on fierce green dragon base. Makes a great conversation piece!
Handpainted polyresin base 24" high, clear glass 20" diameter top.
Item #DG34738
Copyright 2012 {Mystic Unicorn} All rights reserved.


text:
Marketing is an art and a science, and students in PC's Department of Marketing are empowered to excel in both. Of course, they learn theoretical concepts and acquire the tools and analytical skills they need to succeed. But they also learn to think critically about the impact of marketing on global society. Through engaging, hands-on learning opportunities and the diverse perspectives they encounter in their core classes, our students gain confidence that sets them apart. In turn, they're able to market what is most important: themselves.
Bachelor of Science
Marketing costs absorb about half of each buyer's dollar, with its activities being performed in both business and nonprofit organizations, and on both a domestic and international stage. Marketing activities help businesses generate profits and help fuel the global economy. New technology has dramatically expanded marketers' ability to connect with customers and socially responsible marketing can promote the welfare of consumers and society.
Marketing involves an examination of the exchange processes by which consumers and organizations satisfy their wants and needs. Thus it requires an understanding of consumer behavior, motivation of sales personnel, the impact of advertising and promotion on potential consumers, cultural differences in the global marketplace, market research techniques, and the role of marketing on the Internet.
Success in marketing requires both quantitative and qualitative skills. Our program is designed to develop these skills through a broad-based business curriculum coupled with a functional knowledge of marketing. Our small class sizes offer students opportunities to interact regularly with faculty. Many classes have team projects, which develop interpersonal and leadership skills. Effective oral and written communications are stressed throughout the program. Furthermore, excellent career opportunities are available to students through our marketing internship program.
The marketing program helps students become familiar with the marketing process and with the theoretical concepts, tools, and skills necessary to successfully enter and advance in the global marketing arena.


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My blog has moved onto my site!
Come check out my latest post (and see what goes on behind closed fire doors) here.
Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tales from the Hotel "No-Tell"...
Posted by Steve Maxwell at 5:06 PM
4 comments:
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When life is fair, there will be a mile-long line of senior citizens in their best Tarzan and Jane outfits on the opening day of the proposed zip-line facility to be located at the Okatie Regional Park across from the mecca of vim, vigor and vitality, Sun City.
At this past week's Beaufort County finance committee a draft version of a proposed contract between the county and a nonprofit corporation called Direct Instruction Support Systems, Inc. was brought up for discussion.
The company proposes to "invest up to Four Hundred Forty-One Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($441,000) in the construction of a canopy tour and associated structures in the Okatie Regional Park. Said tour to include such towers, zip lines, and sky bridges using such structures, poles, and trees as may be necessary to create a two and one-half hour tour and supporting activities to increase public enjoyment of the park."
This contract is hopefully to be a template for future private-public ventures between the county and other qualified companies that will begin to make use of the thousands of acres the Rural and Critical Land program has purchased with taxpayer dollars.
Up to now the majority of this land that we have acquired in order to stop ourselves from destroying it or allowing ill-advised development, has sat virtually unused by the same public that paid for it. It is time to paraphrase Ronald Reagan's call to tear down those gates and fences and let the public enjoy these properties without trampling it down.
This proposed use of the land will be stewarded by an environmentally-sensitive organization interested not in profit but in both the preservation of the property and educating the public of its importance.
Moreover, an added incentive is that it should cost the taxpayers of Beaufort County virtually nothing to prepare, run or maintain since the operators will bear the majority of the opening costs and the county will take advantage of about $175,000 set aside by the previous owners of the parcel to be used only in the continuing care of the property.
Of course, one drawback to an otherwise informative meeting was that one participant questioned the location of the proposed park near Sun City stating that it probably will receive little or no participation from the residents of Sun City and nearby retirement communities, shame, shame, shame on that individual.
I for one would be willing to wager that the majority of its long-term business will come from exactly those locations as we seek to let loose on our longing to swing through the trees giving forth our best Johnny Weissmuller imitations. I think I will prepare by starting to call my wife Jane.
In the meantime, you can contact Joe Croley at email@example.com.


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Are you wondering whether group treatment or individual treatment will produce better speech and language outcomes for infants with a speech or language disorder? Or whether oral sensory-motor treatment (other than e-stim) will improve functional swallowing outcomes in adults?
Well, you can find the answers to these and many more treatment questions in ASHA's collection of evidence-based systematic reviews (EBSRs). These EBSRs, which are formal studies of the amount and quality of the published scientific evidence surrounding clinical questions of interest to ASHA members, can be used to inform your treatment decisions.
Want to get involved? ASHA's National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders is currently seeking nominations for future reviews.
- Nominate your clinical question(s) related to intervention and to diagnosis, screening and detection.
- Questions submitted by March 31 will be considered for next year's EBSRs.
- Those submitted after March 31 will be considered for reviews to be conducted in 2014.
Submit your nominations today. Your suggestion could be a topic for a future ASHA EBSR!
Floyd Roye is the project administrator for the treatment outcomes program at ASHA's National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders.


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Even for non-majors, a little more mathematics can be a competitive advantage.
Professor Adam Piggott, mathematics, says the nature of his discipline is often misunderstood. For evidence, he cites the oft-used phrase "do the math." "When people say 'do the math,' they really mean 'do the arithmetic,'" he explains. "Arithmetic is to mathematics what grammar is to writing a novel. Where's the creativity, the wonder, the joy?"
According to Piggot, students in mathematics move beyond computation to analysis, deduction and interpretation. A t-shirt designed for graduates of his MATH 280 says it all: 'My Brain After MATH 280' written across the back with an image of a brain twice the size of the 'My Brain Before MATH 280' featured on the front.
"MATH 280 is where our students learn to write proofs," Piggott says. "They have to figure out what they know, what they can deduce from what they know – this requires creativity – and how to communicate their reasoning with precision."
Although learning how to think creatively and communicate abstract and technical concepts with precision are skills that have a wide range of applications, Piggott says it's often difficult for students to picture where a major in mathematics might take them. He points out that here are few professions with "mathematician" in the title. Instead, he says, students should think of the word "analyst."
Thanks to popular films, students can easily imagine themselves handling statistics for an athletic team. "But what about actuaries and computer programmers?" he asks.
Mathematics majors, he points out, generally do exceptionally well on LSATs and MCATs. "Even for non-majors," Piggott says, "a little more mathematics can be a competitive advantage." He cites a letter he received from a recent graduate saying the probability theory she learned at Bucknell has been invaluable to her in graduate school where she is studying biomedical informatics. How helpful? Three of her four new textbooks begin with a review of probability.
Posted October 3, 2013


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Zipped, canvas camper bag to stow cover parts.
All prices exclusive of VAT.
Other Fairline covers and parts available on request.
Traditional marine canvas range with exceptional UV & UPF protection qualities. Wide range of colours.
A lightweight and strong easily maintained PVC material which is 100% waterproof with excellent UV and mold resistance.
A flexible and lightweight material for solar protection and privacy screens.
Waterproof and breathable lightweight material. Ideal for tender and rib covers.


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Love your tassel earrings. They are unique and simply stunning. Thank you!
Thank you @lovebudsbyamy for your amazing service and kindness… Can't wait to wear your gorgeous earrings at my Baby Shower!
hi amy, received my parcel today. thankyou so much! i love my earrings and the Anzac day ones are perfect! thanks for the little gift, they are awesome, your such a sweetie xx
Just love your glass studs Amy, they are my favourite pair of earrings!
Got my earrings in the post today! Love, love, love them !!!! Thanks you so much xx
I absolutely LOVE love buds….
I have had Amy custom earrings for social events and also my business shoots.
Always so well made and nothing at all is a trouble.
I actually think i have an addiction lol.
Highly recommend Love Buds to everyone
Received my earrings in the post today LOVE Them!!!
Yayyy! I received my custom order today and they are even more amazing than expected! Thank you so much for such amazing work; cannot wait to order more pieces xx
Amy – thank you, received my earrings. Was actually away for 2 weeks, was just in your neck of the woods actually (Nerrandera) on the way back from Adelaide! Looooooove the earrings – thank you!
Love the amazing jewellery that you make. The prints/patterns are so quirky and unique. The quality of your jewellery is above amazing too, as I've got sensitive ears and find some other jewellery really reacts to my skin but yours doesn't!
{PLEASE READ…. WELCOME TO OUR NEW LIKERS…. HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT LOVE BUDS} https://www.facebook.com/lovebudsbyamy/posts/917297241628783 I know a lot of you probably will scroll past this… And that's if it even makes it to your news feed (thanks Facebook for hiding me unless you pay for advertising!) I just wanted to take the […]