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host of young clerics, of whom Mr. J. Adderley may be taken as the type and, in some sense, the leader. Mr. G. Russell, M.P., represents the Union in the Government; and Alderman Phillips combines with his membership the presidency of one of the newest labour combinations. Its official organ, the 'Economic Review, seems destined to secure a permanent place in current literature. In the more popular journalism, the Union may be said to enjoy the regular patronage of the 'Daily Chronicle.' The Christian Social Union is especially strong in the ancient Universities, where many names of weight are found in the list of members. This may be, perhaps, to some extent due to the neutral character of the Union, a character which we sincerely trust may not be forfeited by its conversion into a fighting organization through the mistaken zeal of the London branch, which has already figured prominently in municipal contests, and may be led to do so still more prominently in the future. There are all the signs of life and prosperity about the Union, and neither economist nor Churchman can be indifserent to the direction in which so much learning, enthusiasm, and self-sacrifice are to be bestowed. We propose, therefore, to examine a few specimens of its literature, with the view of appreciating its position, and of stating with necessary brevity some of the reasons why, both as economists and as Churchmen, we regard it with considerable misgiving. Any tendency, however unauthorized it may be, to link the fortunes of the Church of England with those of the New Unionism, and to pledge the support of historic Christianity to the cause of State Socialism, may well move the anxiety of Churchmen, and compel their severest scrutiny. We trust that our criticism will not be misunderstood. We deplore, as sincerely as the members of the Union themselves, the reality of many of the evils which they combat. We clearly recognize the good objects for the furtherance of which they have banded themselves together. We warmly appreciate the excellence of motive, the disinterested ability, earnestness, and energy which they bring into the conduct of their cause. But the more elevated the enthusiasms which inspire the Christian Socialists, the more dangerous they may become, if they are directed towards unwise ends or lead to an imprudence of speech and writing which identifies the Union with aims and methods that lie outside their sympathies and range of action. We begin by reminding ourselves that the increased interest in what are called Social questions arises from causes at once adequate, obvious, and creditable. That the spirit of ChrisB 2 tianity tianity should imbue and guide our business and economic lives as well as our private conduct is, we imagine, an incontrovertible proposition. The infusion and extension of this spirit into relations where it formerly did not enter is the end to which the characteristic movements of the century—political, social, ecclesiastical—have uniformly tended. Statesmen and Churchmen have thus from their respective standpoints found an increasing attraction in social questions. For the one, the wide diffusion of political power has invested with a new importance the circumstances in which the masses of the voters live. For the other, this political cause has synchronized with a great awakening of the religious sense and a consequent quickening of the social conscience, which, perhaps, will in the long run be seen to constitute the principal glories of the nineteenth century. However it may be explained, the fact is certain: social questions have forced themselves to the front, and now exact from both politicians and Churchmen a measure of attention which can scarcely any longer be secured for the
familiar subjects of party conflict and ecclesiastical ambition. That the Church should concern herself with the material condition of the multitude is neither astonishing in itself, nor unwarranted by the experience of the past. The impartial historian of society counts the Church as one of the most potent promoters of that material well-being which is on the whole distinctive of Western civilization. The novel element in the existing situation is the tendency which has manifested itself with very marked results during the present century, and which, as we have seen, seems likely to affect very powerfully the younger generation of English clergy, to abandon the attitude of reserve which the Church has generally taken up towards schemes of social change, and to embrace with enthusiasm the ideals, and even the practical proposals, of Socialism. This tendency derives strength from a reaction, which if extreme is not altogether unjustified, from the hard theories of economic science, inadequate rather than mistaken, which held sway in England far into this century. The humanitarian sentiment of the upper classes, at once eager and ignorant, has found the benevolent professions of Socialism supremely attractive. Veterans may shake their heads over projects that depend for their success on the masses of the population possessing resources of character which human experience has never yet acknowledged; but the general attitude of philanthropists is something more than sympathetic. The clergy have reasons of their own for regarding with kindly eyes a movement which combines an undoubtedly "democratic' character with a liberal liberal profession of unselfishness. They are sadly conscious of the wide gulf which now severs the Church from the main body of the artisans. They are not disposed to criticize with excessive severity a policy which may bridge that gulf, and reconcile to religion the alienated multitudes. Thus circumstances are favourable for a resuscitation, under somewhat altered conditions, of that interesting blend of religion and economy which Frederick Denison Maurice conceived and defended under the name of "Christian Socialism." But the new movement is far more revolutionary than the old. Scientific Socialism has little in common with co-operation. It is perhaps matural that much of the literature before us should be disfigured by exaggeration. The authors are generally either preachers or popular writers, and exaggeration is the recognized privilege of both. Yet it must be allowed that, though easily explicable, this trait is not therefore the less unfortunate in discussions which above all things demand selfrestraint and sobriety of judgment. And it will be found that, even in descriptions of the evils which it is proposed to redress, wide discrepancies of observation exist. Where the imagination of Canon Scott Holland beholds nothing but hideous anarchy working out in oppression and squalor, the at least equally experienced gaze of Canon Barnett sees redeeming elements of comfort and hope. Thus while the former speaks" of 'the intolerable situation in which our industrial population now finds itself,' and demands "urgency' for the "social question,' the latter bidst us remember that "the majority of the people are occupants of happy homes'; that 'excessive poverty is no more common than excessive wealth'; that "there is more of good-will than of ill-will among men'; that "unhappiness, like disease, is the exception: happiness, like wealth, is the rule'; that "there are few sweeter sights on earth than a workman's home, and there is a sort of blasphemy in the exaggerations which speak of universal wretchedness.' It is well to remember this significant divergence between men who are both endeavouring to describe the same conditions of popular life. The literature of Christian Socialism is thus very unequal in merit: it would not be difficult to establish against it a charge of self-contradiction; it is almost always disfigured by an excess of rhetoric over argument. In many cases the ardour of the writers' feelings, rather than the soundness of their judgment or the strength of their intelligence, is most conspicuous. In all this, however, it but corresponds to the familiar type of philanthropic and propagandist composition. Exaggeration may be pardoned to earnest men, who feel strongly about great evils, and are entirely free from self-seeking or other personal motives. We may remind ourselves that no crusade can be successful which is not preached with the enthusiasm of strong convictions, and that the inseparable adjunct of such enthusiasm is exaggeration. But exaggeration is not the most serious defect of the Christian Socialists. They are open to the graver accusation of perilously misconceiving the problem, of which they propose the solution. There is underlying the servid rhetoric and forcible argumentation of these writings a mistaken conception of the ultimate origin of the evils which unquestionably afflict modern society. "Moral" law is continually opposed to 'economic' law as in some sense its superior, and always its antagonist. Thus Canon Scott Holland describes," as the bases of membership in the Christian Social Union, these "two convictions: first, that the present situation is intolerable; and, secondly, that its solution must be found in the unfaltering assertion of moral as supreme over mechanical laws.' This sentence enshrines the cardinal fallacy of Christian Socialism. It explains the copious abuse of the 'dismal science' of political economy, and the righteous wrath which a reference to its 'inexorable laws' never fails to arouse. The fallacy consists in the assumption that "moral' and 'mechanical' laws admit of comparison. They operate within different spheres: they deal with different subject-matters. Neither is above or below the other, since they have no relation. The loftiest moral purpose may not alter the axioms of Euclid, or over-ride the laws of arithmetic. Equally futile is it to suggest a moral control of economics, or a 'Christian organization of industry.' The morality of economics can only mean truth; the Christianity of industrial organization can but mean its soundness. There are manifest objections to the discussion of one class of subjects in the distinctive terms of another. A visionary economical project will not become practicable because it is labelled Christian. No amount of morality can confer value upon goods for which there is no market. The singular conception of economic law as subject to moral law came prominently into view during the recent coal strike, when it inspired the demand for a 'living wage.' The Christian Socialist leaders endorsed the cause of the miners with fiery zeal. No serious attempt was made to define a 'living wage,' but it was none the less declared to represent the requirement of Christianity itself. Wages, it was affirmed, ought to determine prices; and not prices wages. It was forgotten that prices are but the convenient registrars of the ever-varying desires of men; and that the claim to fix wages by an ethical standard, independently of the market, really involves the assertion that human desires can be, and ought to be, unalterable in direction, and constant in extent. This aspect of the question never seems to have occurred to the enthusiastic Christian apologists of the Miners' Federation.
* Christian Social Union Papers. f "Lombard Street in Lent, p. 85. and * Christian Social Union Papers. affirmed, * "Economic Review, vol. ii. No. 4, p. 442. t Ibid. p. 446. Ibid. p. 450. who
In other directions, however, the same temper is apparent. An almost pathetic belief in the efficacy of exhortation is strangely linked to an overweening confidence in the power of organization. Organization is Canon Scott Holland's formula of battle; the 'free labourer' is his bete noire. If only the workers were organized, the abominations which constitute the "Social Question' would speedily cease. This ample faith in organization inspires his indignant demand that the Church shall not only tolerate, but sanction, advocate, and, in a manner, enforce the programme of the 'New Unionism.'
'No! It is not the mood of one adopting an appropriate attitude that we should look for in the Church. Rather it is the eager and active movement of one who instinctively apprehends what is forward, and comes forward with both hands to greet what is so intimately congenial to his own temper.' * So the Church is to add her influence to the other forces which are driving the workman to join the Union.
'Labour which would be free must be combined labour. Isolated labour means enslaved labour. The Church should know this by her native instinct.' f
Lack of skill and character are the real conditions of that powerlessness to obtain employment which Canon Scott Holland means by slavery. The additional disqualification of 'isolation' is the creation of the Unions, which now use it as an argument for their own necessity. "Combination would cure sweating,' we read, but this statement is almost immediately contradicted by the assertion that "labour combinations . . . . fail to touch the most serious and terrible evils incident to our present system—the evils of the unskilled, sweated population.'f Thus the eloquent Canon does not after all carry us very far; and the article from which we have quoted concludes rather helplessly with a renewed profession of faith in "combination.'
"An unorganized trade is a demoralized trade; it opens the door to the sweater; it creates an unhappy population of casual workers,


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'Tis the season for Christmas movies and our beautiful state is the setting for some classics, as well as some newer films.
The two most popular are "Christmas in Connecticut" and "Holiday Inn."
The 1942 film "Holiday Inn" is set in a Connecticut inn that is only open on holidays. The movie, set in fictional Midville, was actually shot in California. The inn in the film was later revamped to be a Vermont inn in the movie "White Christmas."
The 1945 film, "Christmas in Connecticut," is about a food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife and goes to elaborate lengths to cover up that lie when her boss and a returning war hero invite themselves to her Connecticut home for a traditional family Christmas.
The film was not actually shot in Connecticut. Instead it was shot at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. The film was remade in 1992.
Connecticut native Wally Lamb's novel, "Wishin' and Hopin'" was turned into a 2014 film and it was shot in Norwich and Willimantic. It's set in the fictional town of Three Rivers in the 1960s.
The Hallmark Christmas movie, "Broadcasting Christmas," stars Melissa Joan Hart, who lives in Connecticut, and Dean Cane.
Hart plays a human interest reporter for a Connecticut station in this love story about two news broadcasters fighting for a coveted position as a morning talk show host.
What's your favorite Christmas movie?
What's your favorite movie based in Connecticut?

subset: commoncrawl


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India's supreme court has commuted the death sentences of three men convicted of assassinating Rajiv Gandhi, the country's former prime minister, in a case that has riveted the nation for 23 years.
The court said there had been an exceptional delay in considering the accused's mercy petitions and reduced their sentences to life in jail. The government of Tamil Nadu state can now decide whether or not to release the men.
Rajiv Gandhi was the scion of India's most important political family – his mother, Indira Gandhi, was prime minister and his grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of India's founding fathers. His wife, Sonia Gandhi, heads India's ruling Congress party and his son, Rahul, is touted as a prime ministerial candidate in upcoming elections.
Rajiv Gandhi was killed when a Tamil suicide bomber blew herself up after touching his feet at a campaign rally in May 1991 in the town of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Fourteen other people died including a photographer who had inadvertently captured the assassin and Gandhi on film.
A special anti-terrorism court eventually found four people guilty in 1998. They included a woman, Nalini, who gave birth to a daughter while in prison. She was granted mercy when Rajiv's widow, Sonia, intervened but three others – Santhan, Perarivalan and Murugan (Indian Tamils do not use surnames) – were to be executed in September 2011 when the Madras high court intervened, citing their mercy petitions.
On Tuesday the supreme court said keeping the men on death row indefinitely was wrong and granted them mercy.
Perarivalan's family reacted with relief and joy in Chennai: "It's an emotional moment," his aunt told NDTV. "When you see him, he's a good human being. He will be released and will be enjoying family life."
She was asked what would she say to the victims' families. "Twenty-three years have passed … so definitely we want our son to be released. Other families, they are suffering, we have regret for that, but our son cannot be punished."


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VILNIUS - Free choice, democracy and fundamental human rights are key to tackling poverty, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has told the United Nations. In her statement to the 68th General Assembly debate on Sept. 26, Grybauskaite stressed that "Development cannot be imposed, development must be promoted."
She noted that the international community has an obligation to offer support, based on principles of ownership and empowerment, but instead, there are still member states who seek to enforce a specific course of development on others by "economic pressure, energy levers or cyber tools, by distorted information, or threats."
Addressing heads of state and government and other high-level officials, Grybauskaite called for an end to power games. "The 21st century must be the age of solidarity, equality and sustainable development. It cannot be an age of power show-off, zero-sum games or buffer zones."
Turning to the experience of Lithuania and the Baltic States, she said that for many years, these countries worked hard to reach national agreement on reforms. A path that would have been easier if their free will had been respected and their decision supported in good faith and with encouragement by those who could provide such support, Grybauskaite said, instead of facing trade restrictions, bans on goods, price manipulation for energy supplies, the use of pressure and open disrespect displayed in the information space.
Meanwhile, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia stressed how modern information and communication technologies drive development, while he urged the importance of Internet freedom, in his speech to the United Nations on Sept. 25.
"The main driver of sustainable development is inclusive and responsible policies in economics," President Ilves told the General Debate of the Assembly's 68th session.
"Freedom of opinion and expression - online or off - is a cornerstone of every democracy and constitutes a fundamental human right."
He added that the UN Group of Government Experts affirmed that international law is essential in promoting an "open, secure and accessible cyberspace."
Ilves added that modern ICT solutions are a key enabler to foster such growth, leading to better governance, access to public services, job creation, transparency, accountability and civil society participation.
The president also called for the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria while he praised recent governmental elections in Mali.
The Baltic leaders are among scores of leaders to speak at the annual UN session at which heads of state and government will present their views and comments on issues of individual national and international relevance.
This year's theme focuses on accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and on laying the foundation for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda. The General Debate wraps up on Oct. 1.


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List Price: $385,000
Bedrooms: 3
Full Baths: 2
Half Baths: 0
# Stories: Other-See Remarks
County: Accomack
Year Built +/-: 2006
SqFt +/-: 2016
Type/Style: Condo
Apx Age: 5-15 yrs +/-
Subdivision or Area: SUNSET BAY
Town: CHINCOTEAGUE
Waterfront: WATERFRONT
Lot Size +/-: condo
Water Frontage (Feet) +/-:
Water View-Wide Long Limited:
Exterior: Vinyl Siding
Foundation: Crawl Space, Block, Other
Heating System: Heat Pump
Cooling Systems: Ceiling Fans, Central A/C
Roof: Composition
Water: Public
Water Heater: Electric
Garage: None
Dining Facilities: Eat-in Kitchen, Dining Area
Fireplaces: None
Storage: None
Interior Features: Walk-in Closet(s), Smoke Detector, Window Treatments, 1st Floor Bedroom, Vaulted Ceilings, Washer/Dryer Hookup, Whirlpool, Dining Room, Cable TV
Exterior Features: Pool, Paved Driveway, Deck, Pier/Dock, Community Amenities
Street #: 6321-216
Public Remarks: REDUCED WATERFRONT Sunset Bay unit with BOAT SLIP! Gym & Pool on site! Water views from open concept kitchen, dining & living room! NEW Mannington, Luxury Vinyl Plank/waterproof hardwood. Balcony access. You will love the Kitchen cabinets & Island with double sink & dishwasher. Master Suite with bed & comfy chairs facing the WATER VIEW, mirrored his & her closets, whirlpool tub, double sink, tile shower in master bath. Two additional bedrooms with POOL VIEW, nice in size with tasteful decor. Guest full bath. Washer & Dryer. Ceiling fans in almost every room. Open up balcony doors & smell the sea breeze! Successful rental, turnkey ready, conveys FULLY FURNISHED, income helps cover mortgage & HOA fees. Rentals must be honored. Database may convey with fee. Walk to shops, restaurants & park.
Farm: No
County Taxes +/-: 1727
Town Taxes +/-: 247


text:
As I travel the path I am on
The twists and turns I can't see beyond
The day is here now it's gone
What's around the bend? carry on
The dreams like rainbows shine
The past gone the storm left behind
Treasures gifts sublime
The pot of gold in my rainbow mind
As the stars some streaking shoot by
Spreading mystical wings through the heavens I fly
Like the eagle and goose high in the sky
Such a beauty such darkness fills my eyes
Time and space and my place within
Before the sun shines I begin
The morning with a grin
As I look ahead to where I have been
Dreams like eagles flying with the goose
Only let you fall if you let them loose
It doesn't matter where you eat or where you roost
Live your dreams give your soul a boost
Sometimes I may take a bumpy ride
Be forced to swallow my foolish pride
Sleep on a bench no one to wipe the tears I cried
Yet I always come up standing as I rise
If I never reach my elusive dream
I have the treasures serene
Gathered along the way it would seem
From the things around the bend
I can't yet see
Thank you all for allowing me to share a thought or two, sometimes it seems we wait to long to follow our dreams. Things happen and challenge us sometimes doing damage to our self esteem. Someone commented to me the other day as I tore out carpet soaked in dog urine from a rather large house that I seem like I feel above that work and entitled to something. I smiled and said I am entitled to the 100 dollars I am getting paid for the days work it will take me to get the carpet out. I smile and hold my head high in dignity I am obviously doing this and you are not. How can you say I feel I am above doing this I am doing it and have busted my butt to do a good job. I suppose I am sharing the thought that even the crappiest jobs don't have to take away your dignity or self esteem.. I find sometimes it makes me a better person than I was before the experience by not being above or below anything, even nasty carpet and curious observers.
I hope we can all share a smile and share some love and help make our world a better place for all we share it with. Thank you for your time your smiles and for being the change positive our world needs to be a better place for all we share it with!:)


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Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (TN) insisted that shutting down the government should be "on the table" as Congress and the Obama administration deal with passing a continuing resolution, raising the debt ceiling, and addressing the sequestration cuts.
Appearing on MSNBC on Monday, Blackburn echoed a growing consensus within the Republican party, insisting that lawmakers should close the federal government or allow the United States to default on its debt if President Obama does not agree to drastic spending cuts. "We are going to look at all of these options," Blackburn insisted. "You know, there is the option of government shutdown. There is an option of raising the debt ceiling in short-term increments":
CHRIS JANSING (HOST): [But are your constituents] willing to see the government shut down? Are you hearing that, Congresswoman?
BLACKBURN: Yes, they are. Yes, they are. But they want us to be thoughtful in what is done. And this is the good thing. You know, maybe it's better to keep it open so we can keep cutting it. […]
JANSING: Would you be willing if you don't get the kind of cuts that you think are necessary, would you be willing to go into default or to shut down the government?
BLACKBURN: I think that there is a way to avoid default. If it requires shutting down certain portions of the government, let's look at that. Let's put these options on the table, be very thoughtful, but get this spending pattern broken. We cannot afford a $4 billion a day deficit and trillion dollar plus deficits every single year.
Watch it:
Jansing warned that should the government shutdown, the FBI would stop working, "prisons won't operate, the court system closes, tax refunds won't go out, the FAA would go off line." But Blackburn dismissed these concerns by arguing that Republicans will set priorities for government spending and start eliminating "waste, fraud, and abuse."
The line of thinking has caught fire with "more than half" of the Republican House caucus. As House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) told Politico, "I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we're serious." "We always talk about whether or not we're going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we've come to the end of the road."


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The OSU Testing Center's mission is to support and advance the mission and vision of Oklahoma State University by providing high quality testing services adhering to National College Testing Association (NCTA) Professional Standards and Guidelines. Such services include national, state, and local test administration, test proctoring, and test scanning services that meet the needs of OSU students, faculty, staff, and administration as well as surrounding local and state communities.
The OSU Testing Center is funded through fees collected for administering tests and does not receive funding from tuition or student course fees.
NEW for 2020: FAA Airman Knowledge Tests (AKTs) to be taken at the OSU Testing Center are now scheduled directly with PSI. Click here for more information and a link to the online appointment system.
All individuals who wish to take the ACT Residual at the OSU Testing Center MUST have submitted a current application to OSU before being allowed to register for the exam. Additionally, the ACT Residual is ONLY available to students (including concurrent) unable to take the National ACT on a regularly scheduled test date in time to meet OSU's enrollment deadlines. OSU highly encourages students to take the National ACT over the ACT Residual as scores on the National ACT are accepted by more institutions and scholarships than the ACT Residual. Only one ACT Residual Exam per year (from Nov. 1 to Oct. 31) can be used for high school students seeking concurrent enrollment at OSU. Click here for more information on the ACT Residual at OSU. All ACT Residual Exam appointments must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance. The ACT Residual is offered most Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:30AM during the following testing windows:
- For students planning to enroll at OSU in the Fall 2020 semester ONLY, ACT Residual test dates will be offered July 21, 2020 through August 14, 2020. Students can call the Testing Center for appointments beginning July 13, 2020.


text:
This is alert Info
To fulfill the requirements of the major, all students in this program will take the following coursework in a sequence determined in collaboration with a faculty advisor. All students must also fulfill Liberal Arts Core and University requirements, and some of the following courses may also fulfill those requirements.
Applied Arts courses are open only to declared majors and minors in the Fashion Merchandising or Fashion Design program.
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text:
Net Neutrality
on January 6, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Chapter: comic
Who knows what any of this actually means.
We can only hope freedom of expression will continue on.
But we are to used to the convenience of the internet.
Sometimes you have to get back to the primitive, back to your roots.
In my day we had to get our smut from newsstands.
We may have to make paper magazines great again.
Just Sayin'.


text:
Book & Lyrics by Jonathan Lee & Justin Anthony Long
Music by Joanna Burns, Amanda Duncan, Jonathan Lee & Justin Anthony Long
2017 ASCAP/Dreamworks Musical Theatre Workshop
2015 Invited to Show at NYMF
2011 NYMF Next Link Finalist
2011 NJ Playwrights Contest Finalist
A Brief Synopsis…
Figuring out who you are, where you belong and what you're supposed to do with your life is hard…especially after being kicked in the head by a horse and losing all your memories. Welcome to Shoofly where the Button M. Britches Annual Shoofly Bakeoff is bigger than Christmas! When a mysterious amnesiac stumbles into Shoofly and threatens to dethrone the reigning champion, the Bakeoff goes awry and causes absurd hysteria in the small southern town. Add three cups of fun, a teaspoon of love and a whole lot of heart and you've got all the right ingredients for this wild and charming original musical romp!
"Death to the Losers"
Live at 54 Below
Show Demos
Creative Team
Jonathan Lee Music, Book, Lyrics
Jonathan Lee is an actor, singer, writer, and photographer. Acting credits include Thuy in Miss Saigon, Ito in Mame, Jack in Into the Woods at the Oguma Playhouse, Henry in Next to Normal, and more. As a writer, he co-wrote the music, lyrics, and book to the new musical Welcome To Shoofly as well as the award winning short, Take Out. He also co-writes, edits, and stars in the musical web-series, City of Dreams, which has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Stage17.tv, Playbill and Broadway World.www.jonnyleejr.com
Justin Anthony Long Music, Book, Lyrics
Justin Anthony Long is an actor, writer and director. He recently starred as Joseph in Marc Kudisch and 3DT's production of JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Some other acting credits include Gabe in NEXT TO NORMAL, Emcee in CABARET and a featured role in Martin Scorsese's Oscar nominated film THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. Justin co-wrote, directed and starred in the musical web-series CITY OF DREAMS (NY Times, USA Today & Playbill's Broadway on the Web). Other writing credits include COOKIE SOIRÉE (Audience Choice Award for Best Musical at Sound Bites & Winner of Ken Davenport's 10-Minute Play Contest), TAKE OUT (AAFL Top 10) and WELCOME TO SHOOFLY (invited to show at NYMF 2015, 2011 Next Link Finalist, 2012 NJ Playwrights Contest Finalist). Justin is a graduate of Montclair State University at the Upright Citizens Brigade Improv program. More at
Joanna Burns Music
Joanna Burns is a singer-songwriter and composer based in New Jersey. In the 5 years post college (Montclair State University BFA Musical Theatre Performance), she toured the U.S. performing her music. Her current LP, The Green Year (available on itunes), is self produced, save for two tracks courtesy of Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, A Great Big World). Some composer/arranger credits include: the web series CITY OF DREAMS (NY Times, USA Today) featuring Laura Osnes and Billy Porter among others, and the new musical WELCOME TO SHOOFLY (invited to show at NYMF 2015). She is currently a first- year composer at the BMI Lehman Engle Musical Theater Workshop.
Amanda Duncan Music
"Welcome to your happy musical punch in the face," says Amanda Duncan from the stage as she flashes a knowing smile. Once she starts to sing, the big question is, "How does that huge sound come out of that little body?" Never quite blessed with height, Amanda was blessed with one roaring set of pipes and a knack for writing some of the catchiest songs you'll ever hear; a skill reflected in her 5 Independent Music Award nominations and 3 wins these past 4 years. She has shared the stage with such names as Dierks Bentley, Lindsay Stirling, and Eric Hutchinson.
As a spectator, you'll probably be impressed by her hummable
melodies and powerful vocals but what she'd rather is that you find a little bit of yourself in her lyrics and leave a little happier than when you came in.


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For a runway collection that boasts seductiveness and texture, look no further than Lanvin's Fall 14 collection, now available at Net-a-Porter. Feathers, faux-fur and fringing adorn this luxe array of pieces, in classic black and white, with a few pops of bright colour and bold print thrown in too. Choose from metallic, lace and satin finishes as well and be sure to make a statement in these bold pieces. After all, if you're going to splurge, then you may as well make it count.
Lanvin Feather-Trimmed Metallic Fil Coupe Mini Dress $4,245
Lanvin Feather-Trimmed Wool-Blend Mini Skirt $2,110
Lanvin Pleated Faux-Leather Midi Dress $3,675
Lanvin Leopard Jacquard Mini Dress $3,985
Lanvin Embellished Satin Dress $4,900
Lanvin Frayed Boucle-Tweed Peplum Jacket $3,435
Lanvin Ruffled Satin Dress $5,790
Lanvin Fringed Wool-Blend Tweed Jacket $4,145


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Tennis is a game that a lot of people enjoy playing and is a fun sport. Whether you are young or old, playing tennis can be a lot of fun. If you are always playing tennis with your friends, you can show off how much joy tennis brings you with this Take Joy in Tennis decal.
Can be used on just about any smooth surface such as: cars, windows, laptops, mirrors, walls, glass, metal, plastic and so much more!
What's your joyful inspiration?
Click here for more Take Joy In decals.
Type: Sports & Hobbies


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Created these cute little boxes for tea!! Because I am mailing off these gifts I made the box so it would be collapsible and lay flat for mailing. It can be easily made dimensional again to hold the tea bags I am sending along!! Again, these souvenirs feature the postcard images nicely matted with red accents on the front of the little boxes!!
The sides and bottom fold out for mailing and then pop back towards the inside of the box to make it dimensional.
It was cool to invent this little box and it worked perfectly for my purposes of storing the little tea bags.
Have another busy week so I hope you enjoy these creative little gifts I created as souvenirs of my trip!!
Monday, February 08, 2010
Tea souvenirs - collapsible tea boxes
Posted by Therese at 6:27 am No comments:
Labels: decorative box, pop up, postcard art, small gift
Tea souvenirs - mailable folders
I created these folders for mailing tea to several friends and family! They feature the matted photo images from the postcards and hold two little packets of tea. The front flap tucks into the two photo corners I added to the bottom edge. I made them from cardstock so they would be sturdy.
Posted by Therese at 6:22 am 1 comment:
Labels: folio, postcard art, small gift
Tea souvenir - magnet
I have been working on more of my souvenirs from the London trip. This is a magnet I created using the small photo images from the postcards we purchased there. Just layered onto black glossy cardstock and then added a large thin magnet - business card magnets - to the back.
Made a cute little gift for several of my family and friends!!
Made a cute little gift for several of my family and friends!!
Posted by Therese at 6:18 am No comments:
Labels: magnets, postcard art, small gift
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[QUOTE=plgnply;3339314]Do any of you actually end up with Novacom being installed to your program files (or program files x86)?
On an xp system they are located in /program files/palm, inc/
You might also find them in \Program Files (x86)\HP webOS\SDK\bin
Also, have you all tried installing the drivers using the standalone jar installer by jason robataille?
[url=http://code.google.com/p/universal-novacom-installer/]universal-novacom-installer - Universal Novacom Installer - Google Project Hosting[/url]
One last thought is to ensure that you have your TP in the bootie recovery mode.
[i]First, turn the touchpad off as directed above (shut it down completely, and disconnect the usb from your computer). Second, while the touchpad is OFF, hold the volume-UP button (i.e. left side). Third, while holding this button, plug the touchpad into the computer via USB and continue to hold the volume-UP button until you see the USB symbol on the TP's screen. This -should- get bootie up and running and show you an USB symbol on the touchpad screen.[/i][/QUOTE]
How to go back to normal screen
EDIT - got it


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Nearly thirty people were arrested in what is considered the largest international casino cheating scam in history that went on between 2002 and 2007 and raked in more than $30 Million from dozens of mostly US and Canadian casinos, but everyone involved (including all those with the last name Tran and all the other big-casino-cheat honchos and inside casino employees involved) except for forty-six year-old Mike Waseleski pleaded out and received probation or relatively short prison terms. Waseleski, who compromised his casino, the Ameristar Resorts Casino in East Chicago, Indiana, refused to cop out to being in on the huge baccarat cheating fix and was subsequently convicted yesterday of one count of conspiring to commit various offenses against the US government, whatever that means??? I don't know why taking part in cheatng a casino is conspiring against the US government, but that's what the court records say.
Waseleski, who helped the Tran Organization scam $1.5 Million from Ameristar, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The mastermind of the scam, Phuong Quoc Truong, was sentenced to 6 years in prison earlier this year, so it is hard to imagine that Waseleski, despite his refusal to accept a plea bargain, will get more than a couple of years.
To read more about this huge international baccarat scam, search "Tran Organization Baccarat Scam here.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
NBC's "Poker After Dark" is Cheating You With Bullshit Just As Much As GSN's "High Stakes Poker!
|The Poker Cheats Cheating You!
Evidence: Doyle Brunson has played Ace-Queen against three players on the show. But Brunson, who really is the king of poker cheats, says he refuses to play that same AQ starting hand in real money games not televised. And apparently he does not generally play that hand.
There are also just way too many hands where more money is thrown into the pot pre-flop on bad hands, with several top pros involved at the same time. This kind of action is just not kosher and is practically never seen at the WSOP, nor in its side cash games.
Moreover, there is an all-in move every two episodes and they get called a much higher percentage of the time than in real brick and mortar cash games, solid evidence that this is all full of shit. It seems that there is the pressure for all-in-and-call because of the time constraint of the show. After all, since an episode is approximately forty-five minutes of poker time, there are only around forty-five hands dealt in two episodes comprising ninety minutes. In REAL poker games when money is REALLY exchanged between pro players, these players show lots more discipline and don't just call any all-in bet. Many players can sit hours at a time without calling a single all-in bet.
Doyle Brunson has said that he refuses to play AQ because it "bumps into too many problems." Meanwhile, he plays 10-2 because they were the winning cards on a WSOP final table he won.
PLEASE...gimme a break!
Posted by Richard at 7:54 AM Links to this post
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Was $1.5 Million Armed Bellagio Casino Heist Really Worth It?
|Actaul surveillance pic of robber
So, how the HELL is this guy gonna cash out those chips?
He's not...that's the answer, especially for any chips above the $1,000 denomination, which, given the fact that all the chips he robbed fit into the sack he carried along with gun, had to be most of them. Whatever $100 and $500 chips he bagged, he will be able to cash out fairly easy in the Bellagio because the casino sees tons of big action and lots of circulation of those denomination chips. For the $1,000 chips he'd best use cohorts to break them down into $500 and $100 chips at craps and other tables (why not the same table he robbed? LOL) and then cash them out at the casino cages.
But $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000 chips? Forget, buddy, they are going to be nothing more than collectors' items, and not the kind that priceless stolen artworks are. No mysterious and secretive collector is gonna pay squat for those big Bellagio humdinger chips. And what's more: after a period of time, probably a few years at the most, the Bellagio, like all casinos cyclically do, will discontinue its current series of casino chips and replace them with a new one with a new design. At that time, exactly 120 days after the chip-changeover, ALL Belagio's chips will be unredeemable.
And forget about cashing them out at other casinos in Vegas. All casinos will be on the lookout for people trying to cash out or exchange Bellagio chips.
So back to the question "Was it worth it?"
Absolutely not! The most this guy and whatever partners he may have had are gonna get out of this heist is probably ten or twenty grand--not much for risking a ten-year prison sentence--at least.
Regular non-violent casino cheating is much more lucrative--believe me!
Posted by Richard at 9:43 AM Links to this post
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Anyone Out There Have Any Info on Sam Simon's Huge Online Poker Cheat Scams?
|Sam Simon
However, I have heard of no incidents or reports backing up any of these claims, and was wondering if maybe you have. Simon has allegedly also been speaking publicly about other huge online poker scams he's heard of firsthand from cheat victims, mostly collusion scams, which is nothing new to any of us.
My take: Well, if Simon's claims are true and not just a figment of the same fertile imagination that created "The Simpsons," I sure hope that the victim is one of the poker-cheat assholes that cheat us with their acting-jobs on the Game Show Network's "High Stakes Poker."
Posted by Richard at 8:37 AM Links to this post
Monday, December 13, 2010
Why Was (or is) Poker Called "The Cheating Game"?
Well, for those of you who still don't get it, the reason Poker was originally called "The Cheating Game" is because nearly everyone who partook in it cheated. The massive all-around cheating at poker started in the Mississippi riverboat days (1840-1880), but it really took hold in the legendary American era we call "The Old West" (1870-1895). There, anyone who was worth his weigh in anything turned to cheating at poker.
The two preferred forms of cheating were marking cards and hold-out gadgets that allowed poker cheats to switch cards out of the game and stick them in a device rolled up their arm inside their sleave, and then sneak them back in play when they were needed to make a hand. Poker cheating collusion hardly existed back then as each cheat was in it for his own.
My favorite form of Old West American poker cheating was a method poker cheats used to mark cards. Called the "sun-dry marking card" method, it was done exactly as it was called. Poker Cheats would take the aces out of the deck and lay them backs-up flat on a table underneath the hot sun. After several hours of exposure, the backs of the cards would dry out and turn a slightly lighter shade of red or blue. The key was to take them out of the sun at the right time, before the color change would be noticeable to someone sitting in the poker game not in on the cheat.
As for poker being called the cheating game today, I think it still should be. After all, there is widespread cheating going on in poker today and there are certainly much more forms of it, and these are improved forms.
As for online poker, is it called "The Online Cheating Game"?
Well, it certainly should be!
Posted by Richard at 8:07 AM Links to this post
Labels: Poker called the cheating game
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Lemoore Naval Air Station (NAS) is home port for the Pacific Fleet's Strike Fighter Jet Aircraft community. Currently, 10 of the Fleet's F/A-18 "hornet" fighter squadrons are located at the NAS. The base, located south of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley, encompasses 29,794 acres and employs about 6,300 people. There are three basic areas at NAS Lemoore; operations, administration and housing. In the operations area are two 13,500 foot runways, aircraft hangars and parking aprons, maintenance facilities, ordnance storage, an operations building with control tower, and other structures. NAS Lemoore is a training facility for Navy fighter pilots, and often collaborates with NAS Fallon, which is a similar facility in Nevada. The helicopter-equipped Search and Rescue team based at NAS Lemoore is quite busy rescuing hikers and backpackers from the nearby Mount Whitney vicinity, and from the surrounding recreational area of the southern Sierras.
Lemoore Naval Air Station
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By kjfitz @ 2005-08-01 13:24:39
Links: www.globalsecurity.org


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Why is IPF diagnosis challenging?
Video transcript
Luca Richeldi explains why IPF diagnosis is challenging
So the diagnosis of IPF is particularly challenging because the symptoms are very subtle in the beginning, the disease is progressive, plus chest x-ray is not very useful for the diagnosis and even lung function in the early phases can be normal.
The diagnosis of IPF requires the expertise of different medical specialties including radiology, pulmonology, pathology, rheumatology- so this is basically confined to expert centres and this is a further challenge for the diagnosis of these patients!
Read more on differential diagnosis.


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Upcoming Event:
Ottawa 24 April 2020
John McCrea Auditorium,
Library and Archives Canada,
395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
Regular registration is $60 and student registration is $40. Pre-registration is required at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accessing-historical-records-on-intelligence-and-international-affairs-tickets-90965296651 .
|Arrival / Coffee
|Welcoming remarks
|Alan Barnes,
Sarah-Jane Corke
|Keynote Speaker [TBC]
|Alan Barnes
|Access Challenges for Researchers in Canada
|Alan Barnes
|Panel 1: Experiences of Other Countries
– Michael Warner (NSA)
|Sarah-Jane Corke
|Buffet lunch
|Panel 2: Making the ATI Process Work
– [TBC] – LAC Access to Information
– [TBC] – GAC Access to Information
– [TBC] – Office of the Information Commissioner
|Panel 3: Declassification Initiatives
– [TBC] – Public Safety Canada Declassification Project
|Concluding remarks
|Alan Barnes
Sarah-Jane Corke
Project Leaders
- Alan Barnes – Senior Fellow, Centre for Security, Intelligence and Defence Studies at the Norman Paterson School of International Studies, Carleton University – email@example.com
- Timothy Sayle – Assistant Professor, Department of History, and Senior Fellow, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto – email@example.com
Project Partners
- Luc-André Brunet – Deputy Director, Cold War Studies Project, LSE IDEAS and Lecturer, Department of History, The Open University
- Kevin Brushett – Assistant Professor, Department of History, Royal Military College of Canada
- David Charters – Senior Fellow, Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, University of New Brunswick
- John Dirks – Sessional Lecturer and Researcher, Trinity College, and Visiting Faculty, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, University of Toronto
- Michael Goodman – Professor of Intelligence and International Affairs, Department of War Studies, King's College London and Visiting Research Professor, Norwegian Defence Intelligence School, Oslo
- Kurt Jensen – Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science, Carleton University
- Greg Kealey – Emeritus Professor of History, University of New Brunswick
- Arne Kislenko – Associate Professor, Department of History, Ryerson University and Instructor, Trinity One International Relations Program, Trinity College, University of Toronto
- Dennis Molinaro – R. Roy McMurtry Fellow, Trent University
- Cees Wiebes – Senior Research Fellow in the research program Governance of Intelligence and Security Services at the Institute Security and Global Affairs, University of Leiden
- Alex Wilner – Assistant Professor, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University
- Matthew Wiseman – SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto
Institutional Partners
- Centre for Security, Intelligence and Defence Studies, Carleton University
- Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, University of Toronto
- Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies
For information on becoming a CFIHP partner, please contact Alan Barnes at email@example.com.
The Canadian Foreign Intelligence History Project (CFIHP) seeks to encourage the study of the history of the foreign intelligence assessment function in Canada by facilitating the exchange of information among researchers and providing a forum for formal and informal collaboration through workshops and conferences.
This collaborative effort will provide a foundation for the greater integration of the history of intelligence assessment into the broader study of Canadian foreign and defence policy in order to inform students, scholars and policy-makers.
Research Focus
While not excluding related subjects, the CFIHP will principally concentrate on:
- The management structures governing foreign intelligence in Canada
- The organizations involved in foreign intelligence collection and analysis in Canada
- The foreign intelligence assessments produced by these organizations and their impact on Canadian foreign and defence policy decisions
- The comparison of the Canadian foreign intelligence analytic structure and assessments with those of other countries, particularly Canada's main intelligence allies
The CFIHP aims to complement—without duplicating—the work that is being done on the history of security intelligence in Canada, including study of the RCMP Security Service and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
The CFIHP Collaborative Network
CFIHP partners engage in active collaboration in various ways:
- Sharing draft and finished research via the CFIHP website, workshops and conferences
- Sharing published articles and other finished research for inclusion in the CFIHP database
- Coordination of ATI requests and the sharing of best practices in accessing the ATI request process
- Sharing documentation obtained via ATI requests for inclusion on the CFIHP database
- Sharing of archival finding aids and other research tools
CFIHP Database
The CFIHP has created a database of declassified and unclassified documents related to the history of intelligence assessment in Canada. Most of these records were obtained through a comprehensive and continuing campaign of requests through the Access to Information (ATI) process. Access to this database is currently limited to CFIHP partners, who are encouraged to contribute additional documentation.
In due course, the database will be integrated with the Canadian National Security Archives that is currently in development in order to make the documentation available to researchers outside the CFIHP network.
Database Contents
The CFIHP database is continually being updated with new material as it becomes available through ATI releases. A large proportion of the documents are from the period 1942-1971, but there is a growing number of documents from the period 1971-1993, as well as some more recent documentation. Most of these records have not previously been available to researchers. The documents are stored in the form of PDF files. The following description is intended to provide a broad illustration of the types of records that are available to CFIHP partners. The actual contents will change as new documents are added to the collection.
- Archival files released under the ATIA
- The archival files currently available are from Library and Archives Canada and include records primarily from the Department of National Defence, Department of External Affairs, Privy Council Office and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, largely from the period 1945-1990.
- In the near future some archival files from DND Directorate of History and Heritage from the period 1945-65 are expected to be added to the database.
- Other records released under the ATIA
- Records from the Department of National Defence, Privy Council Office, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Security Intelligence Review Committee, Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP, dating from after 2000.
- Selected documents
- Several thousand documents related to intelligence assessments, organizational or community management issues have been extracted from the archival files and tagged with keywords to facilitate searches. In addition to the material obtained through the ATI process, selected documents held by LAC and DND/DHH that are open to researchers have been digitized and included in the database.
- Documents include:
- Over 290 Canadian Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) assessments, 1946-71
- A limited number of Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC) assessments, 1971-95
- Assessments produced by the Foreign Intelligence Bureau of the Department of External Affairs, 1985-92
- JIC minutes, 1942-57
- JIC documents dealing with work plans and organizational issues, 1942-66
- IAC documents dealing with work plans and organizational issues, 1972-90
- Chiefs of Staff Committee minutes dealing with intelligence issues, 1945-62
- Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) reports, 1948-68
- Special Research Bureau (SRB) reports, 1968-76
- Cabinet Committee on Security and Intelligence (CCSI) documents, 1963-80
- Inter-departmental Committee on Security and Intelligence (ICSI) documents, 1972-91
- Research aids and ATI Request Log
- LAC and DND/DHH finding aids related to intelligence assessment and organizational issues
- Log of completed and pending ATI requests to facilitate effective coordination of new requests
- Histories, Articles, Drafts
- Draft history of the Canadian intelligence community, 1945-70, prepared for PCO by Dr. Wesley Wark
- Articles and draft papers shared by CFIHP partners
- 12-14 November 2020 – Annual Conference, North American Society for Intelligence History and Canadian Foreign Intelligence History Project, Trinity College, University of Toronto
History of Canadian foreign intelligence assessment and related subjects
Scott Anderson. "The Evolution of the Canadian Intelligence Establishment, 1945-1950" Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 9 No. 3 (July 1994) pp. 448-471
Lawrence Aronson. "Preparing for Armageddon: JIC 1 (Final) and the Soviet Attack on Canada", Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 19 No. 3 (Autumn 2004) pp. 490-510
Alan Barnes. "A Confusion, not a System: The Organizational Evolution of Strategic Intelligence Assessment in Canada, 1943 to 2003," Intelligence and National Security, 34:4, 464-479
John Bryden, Best Kept Secret: Canadian Secret Intelligence in the Second World War (Toronto: Lester 1993)
Kurt F. Jensen, "Canada's Foreign Intelligence Interview Program, 1953-90″, Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 19, No. 1, Spring 2004, pp. 95-104
Kurt F. Jensen, Cautious Beginnings: Canadian Foreign Intelligence, 1939-51. (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008)
Wesley K. Wark. "The Evolution of Military Intelligence in Canada" Armed Forces and Society, Vol. 16 No. 1 (Fall 1989) pp. 77-98
History of intelligence assessment in other countries
Richard J. Aldrich, Rory Cormac and Michael S. Goodman. Spying on the World: The Declassified Documents of the Joint Intelligence Committee, 1936-2013 (Edinburgh: University Press, 2014)
Huw Dylan, Defence Intelligence and the Cold War: Britain's Joint Intelligence Bureau 1945–1964 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014).
Lawrence Freedman. U.S. Intelligence and the Soviet Strategic Threat (Princeton University Press, 1986)
Michael S. Goodman. The Official History of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Volume 1: From the Approach of the Second World War to the Suez Crisis (London: Routledge, 2014)
Gerald Haines and Robert Leggett, eds. CIA's Analysis of the Soviet Union 1947-1991: A Documentary Collection. (Washington DC.: Central Intelligence Agency, 2001)
John Hedley, "The Evolution of Intelligence Analysis," in Roger George and James Bruce (eds.) Analyzing Intelligence: Origins, Obstacles and Innovations. (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2008)
Richard Kerr, "The Track Record: CIA Analysis from 1950 to 2000," in Roger George and James Bruce (eds.) Analyzing Intelligence: Origins, Obstacles and Innovations. (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2008)
Scott Koch (ed.), Selected Estimates on the Soviet Union, 1950-59. (Washington D.DC.: Central Intelligence Agency, 1993)
Paul Maddrell (ed.). The Image of the Enemy: Intelligence Analysis of Adversaries since 1945. (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2015)
E.R. May (ed.). Knowing One's Enemies: Intelligence Assessment Before the Two World Wars. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986)
Willard Matthias. America's Strategic Blunders: Intelligence Analysis and National Security Policy, 1936-1991. (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001)
L.L. Montague, "The Origins of National Intelligence Estimating", CIA Studies in Intelligence Vol. 16 No. 2 (Spring 1972), pp. 63-70 https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol16no2/pdf/v16i2a05p.pdf
John Prados, The Soviet Estimate: U.S. Intelligence Analysis and Russian Military Strength. (New York: Dial Press, 1982)
Donald Steury (ed.), Intentions and Capabilities: Estimates on Soviet Strategic Forces, 1950-1983. (Washington D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 1996)
Gregory Treverton, The 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities (Washington D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 2013) https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/csi-intelligence-and-policy-monographs/pdfs/support-to-policymakers-2007-nie.pdf
Gregory Treverton and Renanah Miles, Unheeded Warning of War: Why Policymakers Ignored the 1990 Yugoslavia Estimate (Washington D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/csi-intelligence-and-policy-monographs/pdfs/unheeded-warning-yugoslavia-NIE.pdf
Larry A. Valero, "The American Joint Intelligence Committee and Estimates of the Soviet Union, 1945-1947," CIA Studies in Intelligence (Summer 2000)
Garry Woodward, "Enigmatic Variations: The Development of National Intelligence Assessment in Australia", Intelligence and National Security Vol. 16 No. 1 (2001), pp. 1-23
Internet Resources
Declassified US National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs): CIA Freedom of Information Act Reading Room "National Intelligence Council Collection" – https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/collection/national-intelligence-council-nic-collection
National Security Archive, George Washington University – http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/


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Benjamin Abraham, MD
Primary Location
Marymount Hospital
- Appointment:
- 216.587.8830
- Fax:
- 216.587.8944
Additional Locations
Pain Management
Elyria Family Health Center
303 Chestnut Commons Drive
Elyria, OH 44035
Driving Directions
- Appointment:
- 440.366.9444
- Fax:
- 440.204.7856
Treatment & Services
- Celiac Plexus Block
- Cervical, Thoracic And Lumbar Epidural Injections
- Cervical, Thoracic And Lumbar Facet Joint Blocks
- Cervical, Thoracic And Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation
- Comprehensive Pain Management
- Diagnostic Epidural Differential Blocks
- Discograms
- Epidural Steroid Injection
- Epiduroscopy
- Facet Median Nerve Branch Block
- Implantable Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems
- Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulaters Therapy
- Intradiscal Intervention (idet, Biacculoplasty)
- Intradiscal Procedure For Pain Relief
- Intrathecal Baclofen Pump
- Joint Injections
- Management of Back and Neck Pain
- Occipital Nerve Block
- Occipital Nerve Stimulation
- Pain Management
- Peripheral Nerve Blocks
- Placement Of Cervical And Lumbar Tunneled Epidural Catheters
- Second Opinion Neuropathic Pain
- Selective Nerve Root Injection
- Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Splanchenic Nerve Block
- Sympathetic Nerve Blocks
Specialty in Diseases & Conditions
- Abdominal Pain
- Angina
- Arachnoiditis
- Arthritis
- Back Pain in Athletes
- Bursitis
- Cancer
- Central Pain Syndrome
- Chronic Back Pain
- Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP)
- Chronic Neuropathic Pain
- Cluster Headaches
- Coccydynia
- Facet Joint Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Hemophilia
- Herniated Disc
- Interstitial Cystitis | Pelvic Pain
- Knee Injuries
- Lateral Epicondylitis/tennis Elbow
- Musculoskeletal Pain
- Myelography
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome
- Neck Pain
- Nerve Injuries
- Neuropathy
- Neuropathy - Diabetic
- Occipital Headache
- Osteoporosis
- Overuse Syndrome
- Pediatric Migraine Headache
- Pediatric Pain
- Peripheral Artery Disease
- Radiculopathy
- Raynaud's Phenomenon
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: How to Treat
- Sciatica
- Shingles (Varicella-Zoster Virus)
- Spasticity
- Spinal Fractures
- Spondylitis
- Spondylosis
- Stenosis - Spinal
- Tension Headaches
- Trichinosis Overview
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Vertebral Compression Fracture
- Whiplash
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About Benjamin Abraham, MD
Education & Professional Highlights
Education & Fellowships
Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic
Pain Medicine
Cleveland, OH USA
Residency - Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH USA
Medical Education - State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, NY USA
Undergraduate - Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD USA
- Anesthesiology
- Anesthesiology - Pain Management
Specialty Interests
Multimodal treatment of painful conditions
Research & Publications
See publications for Benjamin Abraham, MD.
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Industry Relationships
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As of 1/29/2020, Dr. Abraham has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
154 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.
|Star Ratings
|Courtesy, Respect & Concern
|Patient Rating of Doctor
34 Patient Comments
Reviewed on Feb 20, 2020
Dr. Benjamin listens to my concerns and addresses each of them. He gives me options on treatment and I feel he genuinely interested in my well being.
Reviewed on Feb 18, 2020
the Dr was very nice and he answered all my questions
Reviewed on Feb 5, 2020
very fast reception and ability to see the doctor
Reviewed on Feb 5, 2020
doctor told me of a procedure that I wasn't informed of until now
Reviewed on Feb 4, 2020
Dr. Abraham is the best pain management specialist I've had in 20 years dealing with my injury.
Reviewed on Jan 23, 2020
Excellent doctor excellent with concern for patient
Reviewed on Jan 2, 2020
dr Aberham is great
Reviewed on Dec 13, 2019
nurses and medical assistants nice. Dr. could smile, we are already in pain when we come. not everyone is looking for drugs. some are really looking for a solution.
Reviewed on Dec 13, 2019
I have been with Dr Abraham and I think he's great - a very caring person.
Reviewed on Dec 5, 2019
dr actual listened to me and explained everything
Reviewed on Nov 29, 2019
I was concerned about pain and the doctor suggested I go buy a TENS unit. I had to call the office and I found out the unit was covered by my insurance. The doctor did not care if I was in pain, he just said it would get better with the procedure but didn't offer anything until the procedure.
Reviewed on Nov 26, 2019
came in thinking I was going to get some kind of nerve block or something to ease the pain instead I get meloxicam which really is not helping me I think ibuprofen was helping more... this is physically more painful than any kidney stone I've ever had in my life and I've probably had over a hundred and still am not getting any help or relief from my pain.. very disappointed in that aspect was also looking to figure out how to get a CAT scan or MRI besides x-rays which come to find out has to do with insurance purposes.. dr. Abraham was nice just need more attentive care for patients when it comes to people that are in severe pain
Reviewed on Nov 22, 2019
as I said in previous answer, Dr. Abraham and his staff are excellent.
Reviewed on Nov 21, 2019
I thank God for Dr?s like Dr. Abraham He is caring passionate most of all he listen to me .Dr Abraham acted on the pain in my eyes ,and face.God sent
Reviewed on Nov 7, 2019
Dr. Abraham is an extraordinary physician. He excels is all aspects of patient communication. He is patient, listens carefully, explains things well, and is compassionate and kind. When performing pain management procedures, e.g., injections, he is highly skilled. I have never been treated by a better doctor.
Reviewed on Oct 16, 2019
Dr. Abraham is great doctor all around. Very caring and thorough.
Reviewed on Oct 8, 2019
This care provider relied on my medical history and didn't form his own opinion or diagnosis. A cpap was recommended however he did not have a copy of my sleep study. I was there because I heard a podcast he did about the Fibromyalgia Clinic. The Clinic was not mentioned to me. I was very disappointed with this provider.
Reviewed on Oct 3, 2019
Dr Abraham was very caring.
Reviewed on Oct 1, 2019
Dr. Abraham's Office is great to contact. The hospital portal's are terrible.
Reviewed on Sep 5, 2019
Was a god experience. Dr. Abraham s very kind and knowledgeable.
Reviewed on Jul 17, 2019
Dr Abraham is very caring and a super doctor
Reviewed on Jul 12, 2019
I'm Very satisfied with my Doctor. I'm very confident in his abilities and knowledge. Extremely Proffesional and caring!
Reviewed on Jul 9, 2019
Dr aBraham diagnosed me with facet joint syndrome. he wanted me to start taking paroxetine. I told him I had problems with ssri's in the past and did not want to take it. he gave me no other options for treatment (physical therapy) and told me if I change my mind about that drug to call and make an appointment. so my choice was to be in pain or take a drug that may cause serious side effects. I chose to be in pain.
Reviewed on Jul 5, 2019
Dr. Abraham make it easy to discuss my care openly and frankly. He explains things thoroughly, addresses my concerns, discusses options and makes sure we are on the same page concerning my care. All my questions are answered before our appointment ends, something very important to me. He is a keeper...
Reviewed on May 30, 2019
very good cuteThe doctor pay attention to me when was explaining my illness.m to him
Reviewed on May 15, 2019
appt time was 2:40. did not see the doctor until 3:50. the assistant at one point told me the doctor was behind, but never explained how far behind he was. I had to take an hour of vacation for this appt and this office could have saved me that time by communicating before hand to me the delay.
Reviewed on May 3, 2019
Dr. Abraham is great. He really cares about you. I appreciate him so much!
Reviewed on May 3, 2019
I had the strangest appointment with this Doctor. I left wondering, What just happened? I had a long wait time and then the visit was over very quickly. I was asked to get a blood test for my thyroid and have yet to get verbal results. I was told to decide what I want to do and given a letter stating the same. then let him know what I decide? weird! follow up in 6-8 weeks but I am not clear what I am following up for.
Reviewed on Apr 30, 2019
I had a list of questions for Dr Abraham. He answered them in great detail, pulled out my x-rays to use in some of my questions and even provided me with additional options and suggestions. He never hurried me and acknowledged my concerns and thoughts.
Reviewed on Apr 25, 2019
LOVE Dr. Abraham!! He takes the time to explain my situation & compare it to a normal spine!! Has been a GREAT help to curing my shingles pain!!!
Reviewed on Apr 4, 2019
Dr Abraham is wonderful and spent a lot of time with me and gave me his undivided attention. He answered all questions and explained everything in detail. He is very compassionate and caring and has a lot of patience.
Reviewed on Mar 26, 2019
dr was awesome. he was kind amd has a very good bed side manner. he listen to me as he saw the pain on my face.
Reviewed on Mar 5, 2019
Dr.Abraham is very professional and caring .He is very knowledgeable and personable.
Reviewed on Feb 6, 2019
dr. Abraham was a professional and showed a true and compassionate concern for my health
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Unless you build a brick oven in your kitchen, it's not possible to duplicate pizzeria style pies at home. Commercial pizza ovens can reach 800 degrees, home ovens just can't compete. That said, homemade pizza is delicious even if different from the pies you get when you eat out. The crust is chewier, crisper, and not nearly as greasy. To ensure good homemade pizza, here are a few things to know.
Use Tiles or a Pizza Stone
Baking pizza on tiles or a pizza stone is a must because crusts baked on a pizza screen (a perforated pan) or a baking sheet is not as crisp and chewy. Unglazed quarry tiles made of terracotta are porous and absorb heat better than a metal baking sheet, thus, they transfer more heat to whatever food is cooked on them. Pizza crust becomes especially crisp and well browned on the bottom when cooked on tiles. Look for 1/2-inch thick tiles – they come in 6-inch squares and can be cut at a tile store to fit your oven rack perfectly. If using tiles, simply line the bottom rack of your oven with them – you will need six or eight, depending on the size of your oven. But if you don't want to bother with tiles (they can chip and I have lost one on occasion) consider a pizza stone.
Pizza stones (also called baking stones) are prized for their ability to retain heat and lessen the effects of temperature fluctuations in home ovens. Pizza stones are usually made of clay or ceramic (although soapstone and composite cement stones are also available). When coupled with extreme heat they absorb moisture, producing crisper, drier pizzas, breads, and calzones.
But not all pizza stones are created equal. Lipped edged pizza stones inhibit easy placement and removal of food and some stones are extremely heavy (I've seen one that weighed a whopping 19 pounds). There are stones that are too big to fit in most home ovens or too small to handle a large pizza. My recommendation is to chose a good-size stone (about 16 by 14 inches is idea) with smooth edges and don't equate a higher price with a better stone. In terms of whether to buy tiles or stone, we think a stone is easier to store, but if you already own tiles, use them – they work very well.
Preheat the Oven
An oven temperature of 500 degrees is your best bet. When cooked at a lower temperature, the crust is not as crisp. Remember to heat the oven (and stone or tiles) for at least 30 minutes.
Use a Peel
A pizza peel is the best tool for getting topped pizza dough onto a heated stone. The long handle on the peel makes it easy to slide the dough onto tiles or a stone in a hot oven. Although a rimless metal baking sheet can be used in this fashion, the lack of a handle means your hands are that much closer to the oven heat, so use caution. When shopping for a pizza peel, note that there are two choices. Aluminum peels with heat-resistant wooden handles are probably the better bet because they can be washed and cleaned easily. Peels made entirely of wood can mildew when washed, so it's best just to wipe them clean. Either way, make sure your peel measures at least 16 inches across so that it can accommodate a large pizza with room left around the edges.
Prevent the Dough From Sticking
Pizza dough is sticky. There are a few options for preventing your dough from sticking to the peel. With its fine, sandy texture, semolina does a good job at helping pizza dough slide off the peel. Cornmeal can also be used, as can flour. Alternatively, if parchment paper is handy, you can simply stretch out the dough onto the parchment and slide the pizza, paper and all, directly onto the stone. Although this method works well, I like the crunch and flavor the semolina or cornmeal gives to the bottom of the crusts. But the choice is yours!
Bake Fully
Depending on your oven, the type of stone or tiles used, and the amount of topping, pizza may be done in as little as 6 minutes or may take as long as 12 minutes. Don't pull a pizza out of the oven until the edge of the crust is golden brown and the toppings are sizzling.
If you are looking for an easy pizza dough recipe, please click here


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Dr. Vazquez de Anda is the Coordinator of Critical Care Medicine at ISSEMYM Medical Center, Toluca, Mexico – a publicly funded, high-care, specialty, university/teaching hospital with approximately 28,000 patients per year. In this interview with Amanda Heggestad, Dr. Vazquez de Anda shares his experiences and vision for the future of management of critical care.
Can You Briefly Describe Your Professional
I received my certificate as a Medical Doctor, specialist in critical care medicine from the Mexican Board of Critical Care Medicine. My Master's degree was in Clinical Research. In 2000, I completed my PhD studies at the Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus University Rotterdam under the supervision of Prof. Dr. B. Lachmann. Back in Mexico, I was promoted to Head of the Respiratory Care Service at the Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Mexico City. In 2003, I was nominated to my current position. Presently, I am a member of the National Research System, of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, and of the National Academy of Medicine. I am also Professor in the Clinical Research Master Program at the medical faculty of the State of Mexico Autonomous University. My continuous research work focuses on Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, monitoring of lung function, ARDS, severe sepsis, quality system in critical care, and costs in critical care.
What does Your Typical Day Look Like?
My typical day as Coordinator of the Critical Care Division (Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Respiratory Care Service) starts at 07h30 with a cup of coffee and a review of the nightshift reports followed by a quick round to check the patients who were admitted at the ICU and the critical care area in the ER. At 8h00, I usually attend meetings at the Director's office to participate in several committees. At 9h00,I complete paperwork and then I have a supervision visit at the ER and ICU to verify all kinds of process errors during the last 24 hours and to discuss clinical cases with attending physicians. At noon, the chief of nurses and I go on a checking round with a particular check list which includes items such as patient's head position at 30°, prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis, insulin therapy, sedation, antibiotics, ventilator-associated pneumonia, presence of multiresistant Pseudomonas, vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, etc. Between 14h00 and16h00 I spend time on research work for discussions and revisions. On Thursdays and Fridays, in the afternoon, I attend meetings with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to these activities, the costs of the ICU are monitored during the whole week. Once a month we also have a "Quality" meeting to discuss errors during the processes and to suggest recommendations for improvement. Every six months our hospital is audited by an external, private company in order to meet the ISO 9000-2001 certification requirements.
What Management Issues Take Up Most of
Your Time?
We keep our records on paper and all data are registered by hand (audit books) so most of our time is expended on checking and updating our database for the Quality System and reminding all staff members to keep recording our Quality Processes.
What Sort of Personnel Issues do You Deal
with on a Regular Basis?
Communications skills. Under my supervision I deal with highly educated people (doctors, masters, specialists), professionals (nurses, engineers), technicians (respiratory technicians, paramedics), and also with people with basic education. There have been communication problems in the whole team and for that reason, recently, we (the whole staff of the ER and ICU) had our first meeting on improvement of communication. We have learned that every person plays an important role in the process of patient care and that effective care depends on our teamwork and communications skills.
Describe in More Detail Your Quality Control/
Performance Assessment Procedure
We follow the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000-2001, which focuses on the customer (patients and relatives) satisfaction. The ISO quality management system strives to achieve defined targets with continuous improvement and certified by a third party.
Our hospital follows two macro processes (ER and external consultation) with 16 micro processes (laboratory, ICU, supplies, etc). In our ICU we follow five main processes of Quality Management: admission to the ICU-Mortality Rate, blood transfusion, nosocomial infection, commitment in surviving sepsis campaign, and cost. As improvement, we are working on mechanical ventilation, full equipment function and a hand-washing program, among others.
We measure these processes on a daily basis. Every month we measure the customer satisfaction and every four months we perform an internal audit. We also perform error management and data analysis in order to be able to take corrective measurements and improve the process and to establish preventive policies during patient care.
What are Your Goals for Your ICU/Emergency
In the short term, we aim to establish full control over our quality processes and in the long term, to reach high quality according to the international standards by improving patient safety and reducing professional malpractice, ER and ICU length of stay, mortality rate and costs of attention.
Are there Particular Areas in Which You
Feel Your Department Excels?
In Mexico, our hospital and department have earned a good reputation concerning our standard of treatment mainly in quality care, severe sepsis and mechanical ventilation.
Why? We are one of the few hospitals certified with the ISO 9000-2001 Quality System. To keep such certification we need to keep full records of our processes and to show control and improvement. The track of every patient in the ER and the ICU has been recorded and followed-up on since our opening in January 2003. This database is our main tool for comparison with other Mexican ICUs. Our results have been presented at national and international meetings.
Please give Examples of Two Extremes that
You Face During Your Work?
The first example would be trying to introduce the change from the traditional way of working in the ICU to a better organized, teamwork care and secondly, keeping the balance between administrative and clinical work while lowering mortality rates and keeping cost efficiency in mind. For example, in the last six months we have decreased our mortality rate from 27% to 20% with less expenditure than in the first semester of 2005.
What is the Hardest Decision You have had
to Make as an ICU/Emergency Department Manager?
To accept when I am doing something wrong, to slow down when I am going too fast, and to correct things on time.
What has Been Your most Satisfying Experience
as Head of Your Department?
The most satisfying experience has been seeing the results of the three and a half years work in a team of young and enthusiastic people – from designing and planning a brand new ER/ICU with the latest equipment and medications for critically ill patients, to developing a working quality culture that has decreased our mortality rate at lower costs.
What Skills do You Feel are Most Essential
to Being an ICU Manager?
Knowledge, vision and leadership.
What are the Most Important Issues that
You Feel the ICU Community Currently Needs to Address?
Management skills. Two years ago, I was invited to attend a meeting on Excellency in Critical Care given by Dr. Tom Steward and his team. This meeting inspired me to work on improvement of our performance in ICU. Critical care is 100% teamwork with a multidisciplinary r e l a t i o n s h i p between ICU members and other specialties. Any failure in the chain of attention may affect the patient's clinical evolution. We have to work as a team, managing communication skills, negotiation, motivation, and improvement of patient safety. For us, working towards this goal has been a very satisfying experience.


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The Trick of the Psychopath's Trade: Make Us Believe that Evil Comes from Others
Popular culture sees psychopaths as characters such as Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs, that is, as serial killers. However, while a certain number of psychopaths are criminals and have had run-ins with the law and some are, in fact, serial killers, there are a great number of them that never fall afoul of the law. These are the smarter ones, and they are the ones that are the most dangerous because they have found ways of working the system to their advantage.
There are a number of traits that we find in psychopaths: An obvious trait is the complete lack of conscience. They lack any sense of remorse or empathy with others. They can be extremely charming and are experts at using talk to charm and hypnotize their prey.
They are also irresponsible.
Nothing is ever their fault; someone else or the world at large is always to blame for all of their 'problems' or their mistakes.
Martha Stout, in her book The Sociopath Next Door, identifies what she calls the pity ploy.
Psychopaths use pity to manipulate.
They convince you to give them one more chance, and to not tell anyone about what they have done. So another trait - and a very important one - is their ability to control the flow of information.
They are also incapable of deep emotions.
In fact, when Hare, a Canadian psychologist who spent his career studying psychopathy, did brain scans on psychopaths while showing them two sets of words, one set of neutral words with no emotional associations and a second set with emotionally charged words, while different areas of the brain lit up in the non-psychopathic control group, in the psychopaths, both sets were processed in the same area of the brain, the area that deals with language. They did not have an immediate emotional reaction.
Our whole emotional life is a mystery to them, while at the same time providing a tremendous tool for them to manipulate us.
Think of those moments when we are strongly affected by our emotions and how our ability to think is impaired.
Now imagine that you were able to feign such emotion, remaining cool and calculating, while the person you were exchanging with was really trapped in an emotional cauldron. You could use tears or shouting to get what you wanted, while your victim was driven to despair by the emotions they were living.
They also seem to have no real conception of past or future, living entirely for their immediate needs and desires. Because of the barren quality of their inner life, they are often seeking new thrills, anything from feeling the power of manipulating others to engaging in illegal activities simply for the rush of adrenaline.
Another trait of the psychopath is what Łobaczewski calls their "special psychological knowledge" of normal people.
They have studied us.
They know us better than we know ourselves.
They are experts in knowing how to push our buttons, to use our emotions against us.
But beyond that, they even seem to have some sort of hypnotic power over us. When we begin to get caught up in the web of the psychopath, our ability to think deteriorates, gets muddied. They seem to cast some sort of spell over us.
It is only later when we are no longer in their presence, out of their spell, that the clarity of thought returns and we find ourselves wondering how it was that we were unable to respond or counter what they were doing.


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We love the whole "I love you more" idea. I'm not sure how it started with us other than I remember feeling, as every Mother does, an incredible amount of love for my child. And when you hold that little child and they say "I love you Mommy", you can only think that there is no way they could ever love you as much as you love them, hence the "I love you more" sentiment. Then, when my girls were a bit older, we watched one of our favorite movies "What a Girl Wants". In that movie, the mother-daughter characters say "I love you more than 100 swedish fish"...things like that. (By the way, swedish fish are a candy:-)
Anyway, I am going to look for Laura's book. I have saved a few of my daughter's favorite childhood books and this one will deserve a place with them, I'm positive. How smart was Laura to take a sweet moment between mother and child and turn it into a book for parents to share with their own children. This morning, read some reviews by other parents and apparently the book is written so that you read it through and then flip it over and can read it back again, I think from the child's perspective and then the mother's perspective. This must be to show the love is never-ending and that is just so true. Laura, thank you for your beautiful note and I can't wait to read your book.
I love you all more than warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk!


text: Just wanted to say excellent job on the new madCodeHook release with Vista support. I've recommended your package/collection to many developers and with every release things just get better You have my support 100% Mathias! Again, thank you for all your hard work because your collection is simply brilliant. It's no wonder I've posted so many times on your forum, I believe in your product.


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Beauty | The Drugstore Dior Dupe
A little while ago, Barry M released their Aquatics Collection which, owning enough nail polish for a lifetime, I'll admit I wasn't overly excited about except for this little guy in Treasure Chest. It's a stunning foil-gold topcoat that instantly revives a polish - I cannot tell you how many compliments I have gotten wearing this!
But it wasn't until this afternoon when realised that it's pretty much an exact dupe for Dior's Diorific Golden Shock Gold Leaf Effect Topcoat which certainly sports some prettier packaging - but is all that extra money really worth it? It's a nail polish - it's practically meant to chip and be chopped and changed after a week!


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He likes Clint's work as an actor, even more so as a director.
But how about the piece of work the Oscar winner turned into at the Republican convention the other night, weirdly conversing with a chair to while trying to score points about the President's supposedly inept leadership.
Well, Obama took the high road–if not the high chair–with his reply.
He said that for those who are either the President or running for President, "If you're easily offended, you should probably choose another profession."
That was an excellent way to handle this.
Coming out swinging against an American legend–especially one who made such a poignant fool of himself the other night–would seem ungentlemanly and utterly distracting from the real issues.
This way, Obama lets the Republican's mistake fester by itself, with everyone else in the world crying "foul," as he stands back and looks dignified and unharmed.
But the best news of all is that the Dems aren't planning any such shtick at their own convention coming up.
"I think we'll be playing this straight," assured Obama.
Oh, good.
No Streisand talking to a dog strapped to the hood of a car?