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Obama administration to blame for jailing of hero Bin Laden doctor, says Pakistani report
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/31/us-to-blame-for-jailing-hero-bin-laden-doctor-says-pakistani-report/#ixzz2UuDFeIDq
t was the Obama administration that sealed the fate of the Pakistani doctor jailed for helping nail Usama Bin Laden, by divulging key details after the fact and dooming any chance Shakil Afridi's cover story could win his freedom, according to a confidential Pakistani report.
When former Secretary of Defense and ex-CIA Director Leon Panetta publicly acknowledged Afridi's role in the ruse which helped the CIA pinpoint Bin Laden's presence in an Abbottabad compound, any chance that Pakistani authorities could help him get out of the country vanished, according to what some have called Pakistan's version of the 9/11 Commission, a 357-page report from an independent body set up to probe the aftermath of the 2011 raid by Navy SEALs in which the Al Qaeda leader was killed.
"The statement by the U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was the CIA Director when May 2 happened, confirming the role of Dr. Afridi in making the U.S. assassination mission a success, rendered much of what Afridi told the Commission very questionable if not outright lies," states the report, which has not been released, but which FoxNews.com has viewed.
"The lesson from the Afridi episode is, if it suits the political purpose of the Obama administration, you'll be exposed and placed in jeopardy."
- Thomas Fitton, president of Judicial Watch
Indeed, Panetta and others in the Obama administration were sharply criticized domestically for discussing the raid and efforts involving Afridi to obtain DNA from the compound's occupants by posing as a medical team offering vaccinations. Nearly five months before Afridi's sentencing, while the doctor was being held and interrogated by Pakistan's shadowy intelligence agency , Panetta spoke on record in an interview to CBS "60 Minutes" confirming Afridi's role in late January 2012. The statements came after Afridi had testified to the commission, and sharply contradicted his story.
"This was an individual, in fact that helped provide intelligence, that was very helpful in regards to this operation and he was not in any way treasonous towards Pakistan," Panetta told the program in January, 2012, in the first acknowledgement of Afridi's role.
That prompted the Pakistani commission to conclude in its report that "Dr. Afridi had been cultivated by the CIA and ultimately used in its project to assassinate Usama Bin Laden."
Panetta did not respond to multiple requests for comment. His spokesman, Jeremy Bash, had earlier told a Fox News Channel correspondent that Panetta wasn't willing to talk to media.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., Afridi's most vocal supporter in Congress, has been critical of the Obama administration's handling of Afridi's case. But he said he is skeptical of the report placing all the blame for his imprisonment on the U.S.
"It doesn't take genius to figure out that the Pakistanis have been betraying us all along and Dr. Afridi is being used as a pawn in their game with the United States," Rohrabacher said.
The Commission Report itself recommends a retrial for Afrid, who is now appealing his case. His family is holding out hope that American pressure can win his freedom, while his U.S. supporters have been critical of the Obama administration and State Department for its muted approach to the matter.
"We need to continue to put pressure on the Obama administration and the State Department to advocate for the immediate release of Dr. Afridi, not just a retrial," said Rohrabacher, who wants the doctor to be recognized as an American hero
Afridi's lawyer in North West Pakistan has argued that Panetta's statement further complicated an already convoluted matter concocted on trumped up charges without laying blame on U.S. or Pakistan. Afridi is serving a 33-year term in Peshawar Central Jail after being convicted by a tribal council of colluding with local militant group Lashkar-e-Islam. American lawmakers, diplomats and administration officials all believe the charges are a proxy for his role in assisting a foreign spy agency.
"The lesson from the Afridi episode is, if it suits the political purpose of the Obama administration, you'll be exposed and placed in jeopardy," said Thomas Fitton, president of Judicial Watch.
Panetta's disclosure robbed Afridi of "plausible deniability" of a role in the episode. Even if Pakistani officials did not believe Afridi's account, his story may have provided cover for a diplomatic solution had Panetta not undermined it, he said.
The U.S. intelligence community was alarmed at the Obama administration's loose-lipped attitude toward the raid, according to New York Times reporter David Sanger's book "Confront and Conceal," which claimed leaks prompted then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to angrily confront Obama's National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon.
"I have a new strategic communications approach to recommend," Gates is quoted as telling Donilon. "Shut the f@*k up!"
In addition to Panetta's interview, Kathryn Bigelow, director of "Zero Dark Thirty" the Hollywood movie which depicts "Operation Neptune" that killed Bin Laden, was given exclusive access to classified information.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/31/us-to-blame-for-jailing-hero-bin-laden-doctor-says-pakistani-report/#ixzz2UuDFeIDq


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Interactive Directory Pilot for City of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario – youRhere Inc. is pleased to announce that it has completed the installation of an interactive directory for the City of Toronto. Located inside the main entrance to the (new) Toronto City Hall, the directory was unveiled at a press conference hosted by Deputy Major Denzil Minnan-Wong. The directory was installed as part of an ongoing strategy to enhance customer service at the City.read on

subset: commoncrawl


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from THE TIMES
Workers at Goldman Sachs have racked up an average $527,192 (£324,607) in salary and bonuses so far this year after the American investment bank made a $3.1 billion profit in the third quarter.
Average pay for staff at the group, which employs around 5,500 staff in London, is 46 per cent higher compared to last year. The news is likely further to enrage taxpayers who blame excessive risk-taking by banks for the global recession.
So far, over the first nine months of its financial year, Goldman Sachs has set aside $16.7 billion to compensate its 31,700-strong global workforce — a 46 per cent rise in the same period in 2008. The bank needs to top $21 billion to match the bumper bonus year of 2007. more


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Thank you for visiting our new Internet site. As an up-to-date business, we want to give you the opportunity to stay in touch with our company and our offers. A new content management system will enable us to always keep you up to date.
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In the meantime you can reach us at 508-366-1418 and by fax at 509-271-9661. We are looking forward to hearing from you. You can also contact us at our e-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you are not familiar with our company and your first contact with us is online: We would be pleased to hear from you! Please let us know what your needs and questions are, we will be more than happy to help.
In brief, you should know the following about us: our company was established in 2000 and had been responsible for providing outstanding translation and interpretation services ever since. Our business is located at 1805 Windsor Ridge Drive, Westborough, MA 10581, USA.


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Once again I am delighted to have a forum where both sides of community issues can be discussed. I am also more than happy to answer questions to the best of my ability in order to further clarity and discussion.
First of all I would like to thank Bella for correcting my spelling. Always open to correction. Now on to the other questions...
"Did you have a financial relationship with Save Our Future/Youthbuild, in which you accepted money in exchange for advertising?"
Yes. They took out an ad between Aug 2009 and Aug 2010
"If you had a financial relationship with Save Our Future, did you disclose this as a possible conflict of interest when writing about your consistently positive articles about them,"
Please publish the dates and locations of these "consistently positive articles". The only time I have written anything, is in this current issue. I did not write any articles about them positive or negative during or after their advertising period other than this issue. So it would be helpful to know which articles you are referring to. Please answer.
"or at any point when you were criticizing the actions of CD 10 officials? "
I have been shining a light on Councilman Wesson's activities for 2 ½ years. It is not a pleasant job but somebody has to do it and I'm the only publication willing to do so and you may be surprised to know the amount of community support I get for doing so. Once again, I have only written this one article about the school and they have not had an ad with me since last Aug.
"Were you personally given information and supporting documents, over a year ago, to show that Save Our Future had previously operated a school in Council District 9 on un-permitted premises, and had been issued an order to comply at this school address in CD 9 by the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety? "
I was given some documents awhile back but honestly can't remember the contents. I do remember wondering what relevance they had to the current issues. I'm curious….You don't say if your research showed whether or not they complied in CD9. Do you know?
"If you got this information, did you ever mention it in any of your writings about Save Our Future?"
See above.
"Did you speak to anybody in any organization in West Adams, such as the West Adams Avenues Association, so that your writings might reflect more than one point of view? "
I spoke to two people familiar with the concerns of the community but as you will notice, this article was not an investigation into this issue, it was meant to shine a light on Councilman Wesson and his office CD10. They not only did not take a leadership position and work with both groups in the community to come to clarity (and I disagree that it is not their job to do this) but they interfered (once again) with city agencies. Two people, Staci Edwards, Chair of the Church Board of Trustees and Charlotte Jordan were told by a Building and Safety employee that CD10 had contacted him and told him to stop assisting the Church in their effort to get the variances and permits CD10 had insisted the Permit office ask for and which the church was willing to get. Because two people witnessed this I felt very comfortable including this info in the article. This kind of interference on the part of CD10 is not untypical.
"Did you familiarize yourself with any of the code regulations or zoning regulations before making allegations that city officials had behaved improperly?"
No. Did you ever get together with the church to familiarize yourself with the documentation and information they had that allowed them to move forward? Never mind…you will be given the information shortly.
"When you said that CD 10 officials had never made any attempt to resolve the issues with the parties involved, did you make even one phone call to or ask one question of anyone at CD 10 to find out whether your assertion was correct? (It was not, incidentally). "
No. Unfortunately, as many of the current candidates mentioned at our Forum and as many people in the community will tell you, CD10 is not the most accessible council office. Especially if it has to do with an issue they'd rather not discuss. They will either ignore or redirect or misinform. This has been documented. Frankly because of several past experiences where they gave out misinformation, I don't trust information that comes from that office. Sad to say but I'm not the only one in this community with this experience. There are some very nice people in that office and then again…..
Information will be coming your way that will clarify your concerns about what is goin on. Hope this has been helpful.
FIRST SOME BACKGROUND ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: According to Wikipedia, "In 1852, the...
People living on the street are visible everywhere, and the situation is only getting worse....
Dear anonymous West Adams Avenues resident. Thank you for your response below regarding the...
Currently are 24 guests and no members online


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Delight yourself in our exclusive Mexican resorts located in the ultimate settings. Unparalleled beauty accompanied by rich cultural experiences awaits you.
Carretera Costera Norte km 5.8 | Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77600
Ideally located on the island of Cozumel, the Meliá Cozumel Golf & Beach Resort is truly one of the most impressive all-inclusive hideaways in all of Mexico. Featuring an array of amenities, facilities and unlimited amounts of fun, this beautiful beachfront resort is directly across the street from the island's premier golf course designed by the Nicklaus Design Group and just three miles from San Miguel, Cozumel's main shopping area.
Meliá Cozumel | Accommodations | Dining | Activities | Gallery
Paseo de la Marina Sur #7 Marina Vallarta Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco), Mexico 48354
Meliá Puerto Vallarta is a paradise for families and couples, where there is something for everyone and where everything is included. A wide variety of snacks and meals, domestic and imported drinks and recreational activities for all ages, spectacular evening shows performed by professional dancers, with a different program every night, and the largest pool in Vallarta!
Meliá Puerto Vallarta | Accommodations | Dining | Activities | Gallery
Kukulcán Boulevard km 16.5, Zona Hotelera, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77500
Housed within Tower One of the 5 Star Gran Meliá Beach and Spa Resort is the spectacular Club Meliá at Paradisus Cancún. This Resort is situated on the 17-mile island of Cancún and boasts a vast shoreline of snow-white beaches, clear turquoise waters and year-round sunshine. Cancún is a popular playground for families, newlyweds, singles, and couples because it offers something to satisfy every taste and budget.
Paradisus Cancún | Accommodations | Dining | Activities | Gallery
Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Esmeralda
Located in a stunning little bay, Paradisus Playa del Carmen is the superior luxury resort in the Riviera Maya, combining a prestigious Caribbean setting with world-class facilities, including family concierge, the ultimate in spa treatments, a relaxed ambience, and flexible meeting spaces with state-of-the-art equipment.
Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Esmeralda | Accommodations | Dining | Activities | Gallery


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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, broadcast, clubbing, cocktail, contemporary, event, excess, live, nottingham
Friday 28 June 8pm – 1am, Free
The Space, Nottingham Contemporary
Broadcast online via tethervision.co.uk and extended into a virtual 2nd room for online clubbing by itsourplayground.com
A night of live electronic music, cocktails, visual art and excess to celebrate the closing of Mark Leckey's "The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things"
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, contemporary, discussion, green screen, guerrilla tv, made for tv, nottingham, talk show
Broadcasting live from Nottingham Contemporary, 15 June, 2.30pm, a specially created artist production crew will direct the pilot for a TV talk show.
Hosted by artist and Social Media Takeaway presenter Bruce Asbestos, invited experts will speak on a variety of subjects around the history of artist broadcasting.
Speakers include:
Johan Grimonprez (Director of the iconic Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y)
Kris Paulsen (Assistant Professor, Film and Media, The Ohio State University)
Colin Perry (Reviews Editor, Moving Image Review & Art Journal)
This event will be broadcast live online by a specially created artist production crew including Vanilla Galleries, Superlative TV & AKGBtv
Use the hashtag #M4TV
Visit the special microsite for the project at http://www.tether.org.uk/madefortv
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, discussion, outsourcing, survey, Writing
by Eve Pierce.
Installations are artistic interventions aimed to involve its audience and make us rethink our values, whether politically, emotionally or intellectually. The 'intent' is more important than the form. As Pablo Picasso enigmatically said, "Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth". Installation art is a powerful way to demand its audience's attention. For many, it makes a gallery visit much more meaningful and enjoyable.
Hosting an art installation
Installation art is part personal expression, part physical experiment and part designed space. Over the last decade, installation art has moved from the periphery of art culture and become a mainstream art form. Installation works are entering the collections of museums, galleries and institutions at an unprecedented rate. Many galleries now have a dedicated space available to host installations, a space large enough to cope with the sometimes difficult and complex nature of installation itself. London's Barbican Centre has 'The Curve', currently hosting 'Rain Room' a 100 square metre field of falling water that uses special movement sensors that allow visitors to walk through it and not get wet. While last summer, Tate Modern added three new underground spaces for art installation and performances. The Tanks at Tate Modern are dedicated to exhibiting live art, performance, installation and film works.
Audience Interaction
Art was once considered something only an elite and privileged few would enjoy. Today, it is much more accessible. Contemporary artists and modern galleries aim to introduce and encourage interaction and discussion of art to the wider public. Many installations are interactive. They involve the audience by making them part of the art, allowing them to walk through it, touch it, and really immerse themselves in the exhibit. Tether's Black Swans is an example of this; an art-themed quiz show, it was filmed in front of a live audience and explores art using the premise of a game show, while Murder In The Kremlin placed the audience inside the art, allowing them to discover clues and come to their own conclusions about our age of CCTV. Installation art is now a staple of the music festival, placed under the stars for revellers to marvel at and dance alongside. In the summer months, public spaces are awash with installations. Art is becoming a fluid relationship between the artist and the audience. The spectator becomes a participant, an exciting prospect that attracts people who may not even realise that they enjoy art. Installation has changed the face of modern art. Audiences expect to respond and be included in the work and it is often their participation that reveals and sets in motion the meaning of the installation.
Installation art is rarely sold at auction, if it is an installation that uses perishable materials it can't be sold in the same way as more traditional forms of art. Critics of art installations often talk about the temporary status of such work. 'Melting Men' is part of artist Nele Azevedo's Minimum Monument Project. This is a series of art installations where Azevedo carves hundreds of ice figures and places them on city's monuments. Crowds watch as each figure slowly melts and disappears. Each ice figure represents an ordinary person, the common man and was conceived as a criticism of monuments in cities, but has also been commissioned by some environmentalists as warning of climate change. It can be very difficult to set a monetary value of this type of artwork, nevertheless, these works do have high artistic value and galleries still need to protect and cover them against theft and damage.
Installation as Art History
Installation art is essentially an ephemeral activity, it exists and is enjoyed for only a short time. But with it's increased popularity, questions are being asked for ways to retain and preserve this form of art history. Nico de Oliveira, Nicola Oxley and Michael Petry were founding directors of London's Museum of Installation. This was an exhibit space that exclusively showcased temporary installations and ran from 1990 to 2005. They also are the authors of the books, 'Installation Art' (1994) and 'Installation Art in the New Millennium' (2003), these books seek to record the efforts of the installation artist worldwide. In a 1994 interview, Nicola Oxley asserted that installation art is "a serious thing which is not going to go away, that even though it is by its nature temporary it does have a place.". They began to archive the installations through video, photos, written accounts and catalogues. In a more recent interview, Nico de Oliveira acknowledges the importance of media coverage of installations and states, "for work to have an impact… it need not be around forever, it just needs to be chronicled and disseminated properly."
Filed under: Tethervision | Tags: art, broadcasting, discussion, event, made for tv, nottingham, screening, television, tethervision
We've been working on two events that are taking place in The Space at Nottingham Contemporary this June:
Friday 14 June, 12pm – 7pm
A screening of artists' works Made For TV will be presented on monitors in The Space including works by John Hoppy Hopkins, Ilene Segalove, Ann Magnuson, Stuart Marshall, General Idea and Michael Smith.
15 Jun 2013, 2pm – 5pm
Taking the form of a pilot for a TV talk show, invited experts will speak on the subject of artist broadcast include Johan Grimonprez, Kris Paulsen and Colin Perry. This event will be broadcast live online by a specially created artist production crew. Book a space in the audience.
Filed under: Tethervision | Tags: art, film, new art exchange, nottingham, primary, screening
Friday 31 May
Doors at 7.30pm
Screening: 8pm – 8.45pm
Bar and Discussion: 8.45pm – 9.30pm
Venue: Primary, 33 Seely Rd, Nottingham, NG7 1NU
Presented in association with New Art Exchange
The Last Angel of History is one of the most influential video-essays of the 1990s, influencing filmmakers and many others. The film is an engaging and searing examination of the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel, and rapidly progressing computer technology.
The screening will be followed by an informal discussion and drinks.
Admission: £4.50 (£3 concession). Please be aware that places are limited. To book in advance please call 0115 924 8630.
Filed under: Tethervision | Tags: art, live, nottingham, performance, primary, research, tethervision, tv
Live from The Caretaker's House, Primary.
Live online at http://tether.org.uk/tv/archives/607
Saturday July 7 2012, 7pm
On July 7 1456, Joan of Arc is acquitted of heresy, 25 years after her death. On July 7 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company sells sliced bread for the first time. On July 7, 1954, Elvis Presley makes his radio debut in Memphis with "That's All Right".
On July 7 2012, Tethervision launch their latest series live at Primary in Nottingham and broadcast live online.
The event features a performance from London-based artist David Raymond Conroy alongside a newly developed work from Internet, an artist collective whose members include Siân Robinson Davies & Diego Chamy.
Following the performances, we will be screening Video Show curated by Chris Coombes, Simon Raven will present his long awaited DJ set and Tether will serve a specially developed cocktail.
"What I hope is to evoke the idea that maybe it is all a fake, or a performance, like the things I'm talking about, but that is a peculiarly sharp way to get to something with which we can empathise."
Read the full press release at http://bit.ly/Pu4KHZ.
Filed under: Tethervision | Tags: art, event, funeral party, internet, live broadcast, nottingham, performance, primary, streaming, tethervision
From the Caretaker's House. Episode 1
Featuring Dave Charlesworth
Four years ago, the world was startled by the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, arguably the most impressive visual spectacle of modern times. But amidst the rockets fired to create the perfect weather, the digitally composited footstep fireworks and that ugly child with the perfect voice being hidden away in a broom cupboard, there emerged an element of deception that only became apparent because of mankind's fondness for suspicion.
On 24 April 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots married François, the Dauphin of France. On 24 April 1704, the first newspaper in the United States, the 'News-Letter', was published in Boston, Massachusetts. On 24 April 1967, Vladimir Komarov became the first human fatality during a space mission in the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 1.
On 24 April 2012, Tethervision will launch Caretakers House, their latest series live at Primary in Nottingham and also streamed live online.
Wake – the first programme in the series features a performance of 'A Struggle Told 5 Ways' by London-based artist Dave Charlesworth.
With the analogue to digital switchover, the kindle and the iPad, we are entering the final stages of the inevitable transition to a new, non physical materialism. Wake will mourn this slow passing of the analogue and look to the coming years to be spent with it's new, energised replacement.
The event at Primary begins at 8pm. To book a space for this, visit http://wake.eventbrite.com
Wake will also be broadcast live online, Tuesday 24 April, 9pm BST at youtube.com/tethervision


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I was 17 when I took the job at the nursing home.
I was living a lost life and the nursing aid job, sports and high school studies kept my head barely above water.
My senior year I worked night shift, went to school and basically got shit done while in a complete sleep deprived state. I was in survival mode.
One cannot achieve happiness in life without skill. Live a skilled life.- Gio Cabrera Mioletti
I lived a life of very little skill. Emotionally deficient, a low emotional IQ, a pension for victimhood and blaming. A life full of dramatic occurrences, over and over. I was a hot head, quick to judge and quick to act irrationally. I was always in the right and everyone else was stupid.
Happiness comes with a connected body and mind. It comes with holding oneself accountable via extremely high standards. Happiness comes with obtaining skills that contribute to the improvement of our society. It comes because we demand that we use our natural gifts and worked for gifts for the betterment of all and not just ourselves.
Living a skilled life is a never-ending process. It is more than just punching a time clock to pay bills. Living a skilled life will have you appreciating daily what has happened and looking forward to the next even if it's going to be hard as hell.


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Portfolio Assessment
A portfolio is a selection of documents, work, papers and tests compiled over a period of time, which is used for assessing performance and progress.
This concept of student learning in elementary and secondary school is well documented. Arter (1990) sums it up concisely in this definition - "a portfolio is a purposeful collection of a student's work that tells a story of a student's efforts, progress or achievement. It must include student participation in the selection of portfolio content, criteria for selection, criteria for judging merit and evidence of student self-reflection."
Portfolio assessment enables teachers to continually assess the student's progress with regard to the learning processes used by the teachers and the output by the students. Pierce & O'Malley (1992) believe that this form of assessment allows students to use their higher-order thinking skills and create a collaborative approach to assessment, enabling teachers and students to interact in the teaching and learning process.
According to Taylor (1994), the collation of work produced over a period of time demonstrates the student's performance, progress, achievement, experience, knowledge and skills acquired. The assessment element compares the work accomplished relative to specific instructional goals set by the teacher. The collated work should represent a record of a variety of modes of learning the student has been taught, showing the depth, breadth and development of their competence.
Teachers can use portfolios as a source of information to make decisions regarding a student's progress and program evaluation to document their growth. Ohlhausen and Ford (1990) propose that portfolios can also be used as a means of reflection and self-evaluation for the student. The collection of work should provide teachers, parents and the student a comprehensive illustration of the student's abilities over a long period of time.
Portfolios act as a vehicle for connecting prior and present learning. The student's awareness of benchmarks of their learning is a central concept of portfolio, which can be facilitated in conversion with the teacher. Knowing which tasks are easy and difficult give the student valuable information toward self-understanding as a learner.
Danielson and Abrutyn (1997) suggest that portfolios can achieve the goals of authentic assessment, in respect of engaging students in learning content, skills of reflection and self-evaluation and document student learning. Portfolios allow students to take responsibility for their learning and solve problems independently. They also provide teachers the opportunity to consider different sources of data when assessing student progress, and gain a more complete picture of the student's strengths and learning needs.
Use of electronic or digital portfolios for authentic student assessment offers a number of benefits over traditional paper-based portfolios. These advantages include portability from one institution or application, to another, wider accessibility, and reusability of artifacts. The ability to create multiple portfolios is another distinct advantage.
A study by Meadows and Dyal (1999) reveals that students strongly agree portfolio assessment measures academic performance more adequately that traditional comprehensive examination process. It examines performance but also provides authentic appraisal of student performance, enables a student to exhibit examples of achievement and gives a reflection on their work. Advocates of portfolio assessment argue that proper use can lead students to master a broad range of material. The portfolio is a collection of key pieces that provide evidence in important areas of learning. These may vary with differing curriculum and degree of learning.
Critics of portfolio assessment like the emphasis on demonstrated writing skills but argue that there is a lack of traditional tests of factual recall. Advocates of standardized testing propose that portfolio assessments are slow and cumbersome. They also suggest external assessment is based on subjectivity and unreliability. Holland highlights the issue of cheating, as scorers have no way to tell if the samples of work originate from the student, other person or Internet download.
Portfolio assessments have been adopted within many teacher education institutions for prospective teaching candidates. In some education establishments, portfolios are also incorporated into the structure of teacher performance appraisals. They can be used to evaluate leadership skills and accomplishments.
It is suggested that the use of this type of assessment could provide a more accurate and authentic assessment of candidate's knowledge, abilities, competencies, experiences, ultimately determining their potential of success in the field of educational leadership. Examples of components of a prospective educational leader may include a current resume, credentials, transcripts and diplomas, references, personal education platform, artifacts and evidence of leadership potential, indicators of professional success.


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It has been years since I have last kept a journal. The idea of it has always been inviting to me and yet the past few years I have no bothered to keep one. I think the main reason is I had decided to set down the old pen and paper journals and use blogs instead as my journal. Well that idea has basically fall through time and time again as I have started and abandoned several journals over the past two years. And then something happened recently. Over the last few weeks I have been cleaning out our house, throwing out old junk, donating clothes that we have outgrown and reorganizing to allow out limited space to be used more efficiently. As I was doing this I stumbled upon a box that contained some of my stuff from when I was younger. The items contained in this box variety greatly, I was not the best packer when I first moved out of my parents house, but one thing I found was an old journal of mine.
Instantly I put a halt to the cleaning and sat down to look at it's contents. To my surprise there was only a single entry in this journal. That single entry spoke of a dream I had, and still have for that matter, to go and see Africa one day. I mentioned the heavy costs of the trip, how my family did not approve of this idea and how no matter what I would one day see that I went there. Well I have yet to go to Africa however I still dream of it. Often times I look through websites for details on safari's and various vacation options. I am still as determined to go there as I was the day I wrote that journal entry – which by the way was written eight years ago.
This is not the only thing I was reminded of. I also remembered how much I loved to write in journals, even when I thought I have nothing to say I could easily fill up several pages without even thinking about it. Sadly most of my journals have been lost in multiple moves over the years but this one journal with it's single entry meant the world to me. I suddenly had the desire to continue this journal. So after tidying up a bit more, because the room was a mess from digging around in boxes, I took this journal to my desk and had every intention of adding to it. However I did not. As much as I wanted to add to it I decided that it would be best if I started fresh, with a brand new journal.
So this weekend we headed out on a shopping trip, which by the way takes all day considering we have to drive several hours to get to a major city where there are more than one store at our disposal. The first stop we made was at Chapters. I first browsed through the magazine section, then I tracked down a book that I needed for a series I am currently reading after which I finally made my way over to the journal section. This was the hardest decision I made that day. I painstakingly scoured over a huge assortment of journals looking for just the right one. Finally I found it. When I pulled this journal off the shelf I knew if was destined to come home with me, the feel, the smell, the thickness, everything about it was perfect.
Satisfied with my choice I happily made my way over two the counter and paid for my purchases. The rest of the shopping trip I kept thinking about this new journal and how I was going to write in it as soon as I got home. Well I didn't. Sadly by the time we got home, unloaded the truck and put everything away I was exhausted. So I told myself I would write in it tomorrow, which happens to be today. But first there were chores to do, since laundry won't do itself, and then dinner to cook and before I knew it the day had nearly ended. Finally after the kid was put to bed I sat down, pulled out my journal and a brand spanking new pen and went to write something in it's crisp new pages.
But my pen hesitated, hovering just above the pages surface. What if I write the wrong thing? What if I put something stupid in here? Several what if's floated around my mind and prevented myself from placing that pen on the paper. I don't ever remember having this problem when I wrote in my journals in the past. Perhaps it's because back then I wrote without any thoughts of what others would think if they stumbled upon my journal. The chances are very slim that anyone would read my journal so I can't explain the hesitation. However as it stands right now my journal is still blank and I continue to hesitate to write with it, yet I have no problem at all talking about it here. Perhaps it is because when typing you can easily go back and change what you have typed, fix spelling and grammar errors and if you change your mind completely you can simply delete the whole thing. It is possible that technology has made me fearful of putting my thoughts down on paper because it seems more permanent then placing them in a blog where a post can easily be deleted.
In the end my journal shall remain untouched, in it's clean and new state for another day, but I do hope to one day add my thoughts to it. Until then it shall sit upon my desk and wait for my writing courage to return.


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One of the top leagues in the world is the English Premier League. This is because of the amount of money that is in the league.
Money allows organizations to push their brands to wherever they think their clients maybe. Thus the English brand of football has travelled well.
Also a helping factor is that the English colonised a great majority of the world, therefore the reach of anything British is huge. But now the EPL is possibly larger than the monarchy.
Players in the league have become more popular than some members of the Royal Family. Just some members, did you know online casino players most of the time place their bets on the players that are on Premier League visit online casino usa to play.
It is difficult to beat the Queen in popularity. But you could have a hard time naming the youngest prince?
Maybe not, so if you are in the UK but this is true in many former colonies including the United States, Australia and Canada. Players like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and John Terry have become household brands.
Some of these stars are getting jobs after retirement as celebrity footballers in countries that do not have a well-developed soccer culture.
Their presence in the teams increases the number of people that attend matches. Also there are significant rises in team merchandise sales. When Beckham moved to Real Madrid the merchandise sales rose.
And, as Real Madrid is a big team with many big name players, imagine the effect that his arrival in the United States had on match attendances and LA Galaxy merchandise sales.
The teams themselves are bigger than these individual players. Even after the most popular players leave the clubs, the clubs fan remain which encourages younger generations to join the legion of supporters. It is this loyalty to the clubs that has led to the growth of the league.
Whenever there is a lot of passion, there is growth and success. Regardless of whether you are passionate about online casino games or cricket, whatever it is visit https://www.casinous.com/mobile-casinos/ ,it will be successful. The Indians are passionate about cricket and their league has become the largest and richest in the world.


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Why you shouldn't waste time on Online Personal Branding…
or should I say, not ALL your precious time?…
Hi there!
I don't know how about you, but you see them everywhere: the online challenges, the online webinars, the videos.
Social media is everywhere.
Blog, tweet, sell yourself online to death.
Yell as loudly and as frequently as possible online.
Because if you don't, you don't matter.
Almost 20 years ago Tom Peters wrote an article called "A brand called YOU". it is said that Tom Peters is the guy who came up with the term "Personal Branding". The concept existed long before that, but Tom Peters gave it a name.
His idea was: "We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You."
Back in 1997 he received a lot of negative feedback and today that still is the case. I even think the amount of negative feedback has increased a lot.
Some people tell it to my face, others behind my back. That's OK. Personal Branding is for some of us a "4 letter word".
And I've got the feeling it's mainly the ONLINE Personal Branding that has caused the idea that Personal Branding is fake, not authentic.
How about you – what do you think?
Some people tell me, Personal Branding is all about bragging and shouting out loud that you exist. And thanks to social media, that is not too difficult.
And I admit, I sometimes wonder too: "Isn't that guy working too hard on building his (online) Personal Brand instead of focusing enough time and attention on building his business?"
And that's when things go wrong. This is not what Tom Peters intended and it sure is not what I intend when I work with my clients on their Personal Brand & Businesses.
In my opinion, and that's what I keep telling my clients, and that's what I keep repeating in my blog, and when I'm 'on stage':
- Personal Branding is about becoming an industry expert, influencer, about becoming the go-to-person in your field.
- It's about developing meaningful relationships with your clients and ambassadors.
- It's about showing the value of your services. Not telling. Value, as in, how is your service of real value to your (potential) client.
It is not…
- It's not about you bragging and showing off.
- It's not about building a network of thousands of superficial connections.
- It's not about "fake it until you make it".
- It's not about being popular.
Do you start seeing the paradox?
- You need a large network, but one with meaningful & authentic relationships
- You need to be the go-to-person, but not the popular guy who doesn't get anything done
- You need to show your added value, but you must not brag….
- You need to spend time on your marketing & branding, but not so much time that you are no longer delivering a super service to your clients…
It's a tough world 🙂
Or so it seems.
It doesn't have to be though.
Call me old-fashioned, but how about the good old face2face contacts?
How about having coffee or lunch with your (potential) clients, friends, family, colleagues…?
People relate to other People. People hire People. People want to do business with other People. As Simon Sinek put it, "The goal is to do business with people that believe what you believe."
Spending all your time online feels like becoming more machine than human, more processed than raw and more fluff than substance. And shouldn't it be the other way around?
Shouldn't we be focused on becoming more human in how we relate to those around us and less machine?
Is it any wonder that more and more people decide to go offline?
When I started my YouBrandBuilder business, I wanted to build a successful business as fast as possible. So, I hid behind my desk, worked on my website, my programs, my brand, my social media presence etc etc.
Very hard.
Very efficient.
No time to waste seeing people face2face.
Hurray for Skype and GoToMeeting.
And I was wrong.
I know there are many people who are very successful building an online business and spending 100% of their time online. When you think of it, it's a great way to make money. When and where you want.
And that's why you see all these online businesses, online challenges popping up.
And that's fine.
But it is not me.
I wasn't being true to myself when I was focusing solely on the online business.
It was not authentic.
And Personal Branding is all about being authentic.
So I'm seeing people face2face again.
All right, I still write blogs, am omnipresent on social media, organize online workshops & trainings…
But what I love the most, is getting out there, and spending valuable time with people.
Turns out it is a very good way to do business, to attract clients, to build a meaningful network.
Sounds interesting, doesn't it?
How about you? Online or Offline?
Anyway, I've learned my lesson, and luckily I keep learning.
So here are my lessons learned – you don't have to agree with me, I'm just sharing my point of view:
- There's more in life than the online world
- Get out there and build meaningful, authentic relationships. Quality is more important than quantity.
- Spend time on your (online) Personal Brand but do it in a way that suits you.
- Spend time on building your (online) Personal Brand but don't forget to spend time on building your business too.
- Never forget to create real value for your client. It all starts with delivering an outstanding service. "Over-deliver, Under-promise", remember?
- Your campaign is not more important than the quality of your product or service.
- It's important to get noticed and be recognized by your peers and clients and hiding inside a clam shell is not the way to go. So be visible, but don't exaggerate and have your own hones voice.
- Be visible by showing your work and ask your happy clients to vouch for you. Social proof.
- Having a well-articulated (online) personal brand doesn't mean you're a sellout. It doesn't mean you have to be a chameleon or anything other than you.
- Your real self is all you have to be. When done right [read: effective] branding isn't about creating artifice—it's about revealing yourself.
- Be passionate about your topic
- Have yourself a digital detox treatment once in a while.
- And go out there, see people face2face. Genuinely listen to them.
- Be real!
What do you think of this whole (online) Personal Branding subject?


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Bleak House / Charles Dickens
Bleak House defies a single description. It is a mystery story, in which Esther Summerson discovers the truth about her birth and her unknown mother's tragic life. It is a murder story, which comes to a climax in a thrilling chase, led by one of the earliest detectives in English fiction, Inspector Bucket.
Absalom's Daughters: a novel / Suzanne Feldman
Self-educated and brown skinned, Cassie works full time in her grandmother's laundry in rural Mississippi. Illiterate and white, Judith falls for "colored music" and dreams of life as a big city radio star. These teenaged girls are half-sisters. And when they catch wind of their wayward father's inheritance coming down in Virginia, they hitch their hopes to a road trip together to claim what's rightly theirs. In an old junk car, with a frying pan, a ham, and a few dollars hidden in a shoe, they set off through the American Deep South of the 1950s, a bewitchingly beautiful landscape as well as one bedeviled by racial striving and violence. Absalom's Daughters combines the buddy movie, the coming-of-age tale, and a dash of magical realism to enthrall and move us with an unforgettable, illuminating novel.
The Turner House / Angela Flournoy
A powerful, timely debut, The Turner House marks a major new contribution to the story of the American family. The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street for over fifty years. Their house has seen thirteen children grown and gone–and some returned; it has seen the arrival of grandchildren, the fall of Detroit's East Side, and the loss of a father. The house still stands despite abandoned lots, an embattled city, and the inevitable shift outward to the suburbs. But now, as ailing matriarch Viola finds herself forced to leave her home and move in with her eldest son, the family discovers that the house is worth just a tenth of its mortgage. The Turner children are called home to decide its fate and to reckon with how each of their pasts haunts–and shapes–their family's future. Already praised by Ayana Mathis as "utterly moving" and "un-putdownable," The Turner House brings us a colorful, complicated brood full of love and pride, sacrifice and unlikely inheritances. It's a striking examination of the price we pay for our dreams and futures, and the ways in which our families bring us home.
Orhan's Inheritance: a novel / Aline Ohanesian
When Orhan's brilliant and eccentric grandfather, who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs, is found dead in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the decades-old business. But his grandfather's will raises more questions than it answers. Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger thousands of miles away, an aging woman in a retirement home in Los Angeles. Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery of why Orhan's grandfather would have left their home to this woman rather than to his own family. Intent on righting this injustice, Orhan boards a plane to Los Angeles.
The Nest / Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Gathering to confront their older brother, who has recently been released from rehab after a drunk driving accident, the Plumb siblings watch as the trust fund left by their father rises and falls according to self-inflicted problems.
Island Girls / Nancy Thayer
When the will of a recently deceased ladies' man mandates a summer-long reunion for his daughters from different marriages at his posh Nantucket house, the three sisters are forced to confront long-festering resentments and misunderstandings as well as challenges in their private and professional lives, a situation that is complicated by a shocking revelation and the arrival of their mothers.
The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs / Nick Trout
After fifteen years, Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to rural Vermont to inherit the Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the failing veterinary practice of his recently deceased and long-estranged father. Cyrus, a veterinary pathologist far more comfortable with cold clinical facts than living, breathing animals (not to mention their quirky, demanding owners), intends to sell the practice and get out of town as fast as he can.
The apple Orchard / Susan Wiggs
Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace–despite Tess's advice. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories. But Tess's own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel. The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half-sister she's never heard of. Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. A place where falling in love is not only possible, but inevitable. And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don't believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.
That Summer / Lauren Willig
Inheriting a London house from an unknown relative, Julia begins work on the house at the side of an alluring antiques dealer before discovering an old painting that reveals the house's shrouded history and the story of a mid-nineteenth-century woman trapped in a loveless marriage.


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Ever been interrupted by a call that seems important but when the person comes on the line, you find out that someone (telemarketer) is trying to sell you something. Often, I just ask if this is a courtesy call and if so, I request them politely to add my name to their do-not-call list. However, sometimes I still get calls from the same telemarketing company and no requests to be removed from their list are heeded to.
Matthew 5:37 counsels us – "Simply let our 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No'". This should work wonders with Telemarketers, I think. I am yet to validate this.
But the next time, you have a persistent telemarketer calling, do the following –
- Take the call
- Let them introduce themselves
- Tell them that you are more interested in sharing something with them
- Tell them that your master (Jesus Christ) has counseled in his Word (the Bible), that our 'Yes' should be 'Yes' and our 'No' should be 'No'. (anything else is from the evil one). Dont call them evil by any chance.
- Now ask them, would you like to know more about this Jesus Christ. There is a high degree of possibility that they will hang-up on you and probably add you to their do-not-call list. 🙂
- If they stay on the phone with you, tell them that you have more to give that they can offer and best of all – it is FREE. Share with them that acknowledging Jesus as Lord, Believing in Him and Confessing our sins will be more valuable that anything anyone can sell.
- Ask to pray with them and pray with them.
Telemarketers have a work to do and so please be polite with them when reaching out to them.
Matthew 5:37
37. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.


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One of our LAPL collegues sent me a link to a RAND corp. study that says:
To examine the effects of family process variables (specific things families do) and family status variables (who families are) on students' academic achievement and nonacademic outcomes, the author uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a U.S. longitudinal dataset that follows a nationally representative sample of children from kindergarten through fifth grade, and the Programme for International Student Assessment, a cross-country cross-sectional dataset that assesses academic achievement of 15-year-old students. The U.S. data indicate that even after controlling for demographics and school inputs, student achievement was associated with such process variables as parental expectations and beliefs, learning structure, resource availability, home environment, parenting and disciplinary practices, and parental involvement. In addition, doing homework more frequently, having home Internet access, and owning a community library card had higher returns in terms of student achievement for black children or children from low socio-economic families than for their counterparts. U.S. students did not fare as well as their peers in other countries and economies, and family process variables, especially considered collectively, are important factors in explaining student achievement in an international setting.
Here is the link to the entire article: http://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/RGSD256/


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Fluidity in All Things
Long-time client Pentair, one the world's leading providers of water/fluid management and treatment solutions needed our help. The team was growing and new spaces with new thinking were required. It was essential to use existing with updated furniture, create flexible work areas, private offices, collaborative spaces, and storage.
Attention to detail, extensive product knowledge, and a vision for a flexible work environment created a space that brings tradition and function to a modern office. Maximizing natural light and providing ample storage, this space incorporates the needs of the user and provides ergonomic solutions for everyday use. Natural wood tones and a soft color pallet maintain the cool, calm environment of Pentair's workspace.


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Facts :
1)Assessee, a builder/developer, entered into agreements with prospective buyers to construct flats, etc., and thereafter sell same with some portion of land against valuable consideration.
2)Assessing Authority in terms of circulars dated 7-5-2013, 4-6-2013 and 10-2-2014 providing for levy of VAT on builders, etc., levied VAT on transaction of sale of flats, floors and villas effected by assessee.
3)Assessee filed writ petition for declaring provisions which include value of land for charging VAT on developers to be ultra vires the Constitution.
High Court held partly in favour of assessee as under :
a)From a consideration of various decisions of the Supreme Court arising under article 366(29A) of the Constitution, it follows that the agreement between the promoter/builder/developer and the flat purchaser to construct a flat and thereafter sell the flat with some portion of land does involve construction which would be covered under the term 'works contract'.
b)Rule 25 provides for exclusions in respect of labour, services and other like charges and does not provide for any mechanism for exclusion of the value of land. Wherever developer/builder/promoter or the sub-contractor who carries on construction work in a works contract maintains proper accounts, it shall be on the basis of actual value addition on account of goods utilized in the property. Rule 25(2) provides for deduction of charges towards labour, services and like charges and where they are not ascertainable from the books of account maintained by a developer, etc., the percentage rates are prescribed in the table provided in the said rule.
c)It is necessarily required to provide mechanism to tax only the value addition made to the goods transferred after the agreement is entered into with the flat purchaser. The 'deductive method' thereunder does not provide for any deduction which relates to the value of the immovable property. The legislature has not made any express provision in rule 25 for exclusion of value of immovable property from the works contract and its method of valuation has been left to the discretion of the rule making authority.
d)Essentially the value of immovable property and any other thing done prior to the date of entering into the agreement of sale is to be excluded from the agreement value. The value of goods in a works contract in the case of a developer, etc., on the basis of which VAT is levied would be the value of the goods at the time of incorporation in the works even where property in goods passes later on.
e)Further, VAT is to be directed on the value of the goods at the time of incorporation and it should not purport to tax the transfer of immovable property. Consequently, rule 25(2) is held to be valid, but State Government shall bring necessary changes in the said rule inconsonance with the above observations - CHD Developers Ltd. v. State of Haryana (2015) 57 taxmann.com 315 (Punjab & Haryana).


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Workshop Sustainable Open Data Business Models for NMCAs
The concept of open data is gaining momentum as open data are often associated with realizing many government ambitions, such as increased economic value and solving societal problems. However, to implement an open data policy and maintain high quality data in a sustainable manner may pose a challenge to the traditional business models of National Mapping & Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs). Especially self-funding NMCAs have to find a balance between generating sufficient revenue to cover a substantial part of their operating costs and at the same time comply to open data principles. The traditional business models of NMCAs are based on generating revenue from licence fees for their datasets, which contain authoritative and authentic data used as register data. A shift from supplying licenced data to open data not only means a loss of revenue in the short term but also a loss of control over the reuse of the data and customer contact. A decrease in revenue may pose a risk to data quality or to the level of services.
On the other hand, open data may also offer direct benefits to NMCAs, for example, more feedback on data quality by citizens and companies, or more efficient use of resources. However, it is by no means a certainty that the much-lauded indirect benefits of open data will outweigh the direct costs the NMCAs incur to supply open data according to the open data principles. To be able to adapt their business model, will require NMCAs to think out of the box. EuroSDR, in cooperation with Eurogeographics, commenced a research to assess the effects of open data policies on the business model of NMCAs. This includes the way NMCAs are able to (re)finance their operational costs and to ensure long-term sustainability of their (open) data.
This workshop will bring together the NMCAs to present and share their experiences of open data and discuss the research results with representatives of academia. Issues that will discussed will be:
- What were the outcomes of the online survey of April 2017?
- Which funding models can be utilised by NMCAs and how sustainable are these?
- What have the effects of open data been on the operational costs of the NMCA?
- Which options do NMCAs have to their disposal to refinance their operational costs?
- Is the supply of open data living up to expectations?
- What are the non-financial challenges to implementing open data?
- Is there a future for a pan-European open data infrastructure?
When: 18 - 19 September 2017
Where: Berlage Rooms, Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Registration: firstname.lastname@example.com
Detailed information can be found here.


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Mesa Parks, Recreation & Community FacilitiesHome Menu
Volunteer Coaches Needed!
Our sports leagues depend on the kindness of volunteers to coach our teams. Youth Sports believes getting parents/guardians and community members involved with our league really adds to the quality of our program and its overall success. Without you, we are unable to provide our league. Ask us about our coaching discount incentive! If you are interested, please contact Lacy or call 480-644-PLAY (7529).
Volunteer Coach Application
Volunteer Coach Information Winter 2020:
Deadline: March 4
- Must be 18 years old and older
- Volunteer Coach Application, web based background check, fingerprinting, and ID badge.
- Attend Mandatory Coaches' Meeting.
- Abide by the Coach's Code of Ethics, Coach Handbook and League Rulebook.
Volunteer Coaches Receive:
Training with expert guest speakers
Practice facility space (outdoor space includes lights)
Sports equipment to use during practices and games
First Aid kits
Health and wellness educational material
Practice management resources
Working with kids and parents resources
Awards and recognition
Youth Sports program discount incentives:
As a thank you, the coach of each team will have the opportunity to earn one free registration for a future Youth Sports program after the season has ended. This is only given if a coach completes the entire season and fulfills all requirements.


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To say the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a little sliver of swampy land off the coast of Queens, is a beautiful place would be an exaggeration — it's still very much a part of New York City. You can see One World Trade Center a dozen miles away, you can hear trucks rumble past on their way to the Rockaways. There's trash strewn about. Most of the wildlife there, at least during my visit on a warm Saturday in June, consisted of thousands of tent caterpillars crawling over every surface, some smushed into little lines of pulp by visitors. But by New York standards, this place is pretty wild. To David Karopkin, it's one of many goose graveyards across the city.
Karopkin first saw geese being slaughtered seven years ago, when government officials entered Prospect Park in Brooklyn, a few blocks from his childhood home, rounded up 368 geese, placed them in crates, and drove off to a goose gas chamber. They did this without any notice to the public. It was 2010; It had been a year since the "Miracle on the Hudson" — when U.S. Airways pilot Sully Sullenberger safely landed an Airbus A320 that had been struck by geese safely on the Hudson River. Despite those being migratory geese, i.e. not the geese that regularly nest near New York's airports, the city government was scared into doing something about its goose population.
Karopkin is a kind of goose medium, seeing dead geese where everyone else only sees parks and and golf courses and tarmac.
The city then went on an avian murder spree, capturing and gassing birds, oiling and shaking their eggs so they wouldn't hatch, shooting them out of the sky near airports. Since the day Sullenberger landed his plane in the river, the city has killed 70,000 birds. And though geese account for only about 2,000 of those deaths (seagulls made up the majority), Karopkin has taken up their cause. He has a fondness for the goose, an animal no one but he and about a dozen other volunteers for his animal-rights group, Goose Watch, seem to like.
Karopkin started Goose Watch after the Prospect Park incident. It's is a loosely-affiliated group, a kind of collective goose detective agency of a few dozen people on an email listserv. They share tips, scoops from Freedom of Information Law requests filed with the city to see where, when, and how many geese they plan on killing or have killed recently. Volunteers will go out to see if they can catch government agencies in action. It's also one of a few groups around the city trying to save animals everyone else considers pests — there's one for wild coyotes on Long Island and another one for wild parakeets in New Jersey.
And though Karopkin has stepped down from a leadership role at Goose Watch late last year, he's still a kind of goose medium, seeing dead geese where everyone else only sees parks and and golf courses and tarmac. Several weekends a year, he'll go out to Jamaica Bay and other goose-gathering locations, and write down his observations. Other volunteers at Goose Watch often try to catch government animal control agents in the act, shooting or gassing geese, or oiling their eggs (you can watch their videos on YouTube).
Jamaica Bay was apparently once a veritable Gooseville, with hundreds or thousands of geese. We saw about ten geese on our trip there last month, prime goose-spotting season. In Karopkin's eyes, we were walking through a goose ghost town.
Karopkin seemed somewhat shaken as we made our way through the park. He's 32, a little nerdy and reserved, a lawyer for the state during the week. He was wearing an "I Heart New York" shirt with a picture of a goose instead of the usual heart logo (he insisted I not photograph it, for fear of being targeted by New York State's copyright lawyers). He perked up when he saw a pair of geese, and took some photos.
"What kind of city doesn't have wildlife," Karopkin said. "That's probably not a question I would have asked myself ten years ago. It's because of the killing of these geese that I have a new appreciation for wildlife, because I look at wildlife now and go, "some asshole wants you dead.'"
But there weren't enough geese to satisfy Karopkin. Not as many as when he was here last summer. The further we walked, the sadder he looked.
We saw a red truck parked on the far side of an inlet. Galicia Outes, a 37-year-old paramedic who volunteers with Goose Watch and who was on patrol with David that day, thought the trucks looked like the ones they use to round up geese. We raced over to check it out. It was nothing, just some parks people.
Goose roundups are less common these days, partially because Goose Watch has put pressure on the government to stop them, and partially because there aren't that many geese left to kill. Often, the United States Department of Agriculture, which is contracted by the Port Authority and is granted permits by the wildlife refuge, comes in and sprays oil over the eggs of geese and other birds so they don't hatch, or they'll "addle" the eggs — shake them until the embryo collapses. This way, the goose moms stay nesting and relatively undisturbed. But a chick will never hatch from such eggs.
We were only a few miles from JFK, and later we headed to the edge of it, just a mile or so from one of its runways, trying to catch a glimpse of one of the government's more brutal management techniques. From this vantage point, looking over the Atlantic onto one of JFK's runways you can often hear, and sometimes see, Port Authority employees using a shotgun to kill geese and other birds out of the sky
"We try to provide a healthy habitat and ecosystem for the animals here. We try to avoid active management," Patti Rafferty, the chief of resource management for the Jamaica Wildlife Refuge and the encompassing Gateway National Park, said. "But that's not always possible in an urban habitat when we have lots of external forces."
Karopkin and his fellow volunteers understand that birds do present a danger to planes. He doesn't want to underplay that. They just don't think the harm of killing them justifies any theoretical reward.
"Is there a risk of another flock of geese or other birds hitting a plane? Sure, of course," Galicia Outes said. "But we're like flying metal tubes through the air. There are a lot of different risks involved in that."
Goose Watch has had its share of critical press. In 2011, the New York Post called Goose Watch "goose-rights wackos." A year earlier, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the Wall Street Journal that in his view, goose management was a zero-sum game — geese vs. human beings, and he was firmly on the side of humans. But Goose Watch's recommendations — to stop culling the goose population and start focusing more on other, more humane management methods — are more in line with current academic thinking about geese and planes than the anti-geese press would have you believe.
A study by the Federal Aviation Authority in 2011 found that planes hitting birds (officially called bird strikes) actually peaked in 2000, and declined by 29 percent since then, despite the number of takeoffs and landings increasing each year. (There's no proof that shooting geese or capturing them contributed to that decline.)
What kind of city doesn't have wildlife?
One promising and burgeoning method of goose control method is bird radar, which has been studied extensively by Yossi Leshem, a researcher in the zoology department of Tel Aviv University. Approximately 500 million migratory birds fly through Israeli airspace each year, and Lesham has worked with the country's Air Force to track the location and flight patterns of birds and warn pilots of where to avoid them in real-time.
"I have no doubt that if LaGuardia Airport had bird radar, they would have seen the geese over the Hudson [that hit Sullenberger's plane]", Lesham said.
JFK is one of the busiest airports in the world, and its proximity to the ocean and the wildlife refuge means bird strikes aren't uncommon — there were 23 reported last year, according to the FAA, but none of them caused major damage. That doesn't mean the next one won't be more deadly.
Lesham said that it wasn't realistic for cities to rely solely on radar, because you can't change flight patterns for every single takeoff and landing when there are more than a thousand a day. But, Lesham told me, you need to do something besides kill the birds.
"Killing a big mass of birds doesn't solve the problem," Lesham said. "After you kill 40,000 geese, another 40,000 will come."
Missy Cummings, a professor at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, said there were several potentially more effective methods than bird culling: you could build large, fancy versions of scarecrows at airports, you could use drones to scare them off, or you could use radar, and sound-emitting devices. Guns and culling, she said, should be an area of last resort.
"It's such a drop in the bucket to the bird problem," she said. "Even if you gave [the Port Authority] M16s and they were shooting all the time, you'd still have birds."
Part of the problem, according to Karopkin and other Goose Watch volunteers, is that the Agriculture Department gets paid to kill birds, just like a private exterminator would. According to documents Goose Watch obtained via Freedom of Information Law requests, the USDA was paid approximately $200,000 over three years to cull geese and other birds. That, Karopkin said, gives them a perverse incentive to exaggerate the bird problem, and sell airports on geese capture and egg oiling. The department has landed in hot water before for its extermination practices: an investigation last year by Harper's Magazine found the agency regularly tortured wildlife and killed endangered species without any clear justification that it was for ecological integrity or the safety of humans.
But the bigger problem, to Karopkin at least, is that hardly anyone likes geese, and so they're easy to kill. They poop everywhere, they defend their turf with loud sounds and quick movements. They're not cute and cuddly. As a GQ article last year ranking the "lamest birds in the world" said: "Fuck geese. Geese are assholes."
And this attitude, more than anything, is what riles up Karopkin. It gets to the hypocrisy he sees central to not only goose-human interaction, but all human interaction: we create the conditions that cause geese to bother us, and then we blame the geese. The solution, he says, is to change the conditions.
A very brief goose history: there used to be hundreds of millions of Canada geese and other waterfowl throughout North America. But European colonizers and their offspring liked to kill them, along with many other native birds, for their feathers and their meat. A popular hunting method in the late 1800s involved using a "decoy" flock of geese. Essentially, hunters across the U.S. would keep a population of geese in a field so that migratory populations would swoop in to meet their goose friends and they could get an easy shot. Goose-hunting using decoys was so popular that, by the early 1900s, Canada geese were nearly extinct in the United States and Canada. Bans and limits were put in place by the federal government and several states on hunting geese and on maintaining decoy flocks.
The leftover decoy geese were often let go, but their ancestral instincts had been erased: most no longer knew how to migrate, and so they settled in our parks, on our streets, near our houses, anywhere they could. And even though we hated them, their preferred habitat — short grass and still pond water — was amply available across the continent in the form of well-manicured lawns, the fountains that ordain the plazas of corporate complexes, golf courses, and refuges next to airports. And then it was decided there were too many of them, that they were assholes, and potential plane killers. They needed to go.
Since the day Sully Sullenberger landed his plane in the Hudson, the city has killed 70,000 birds.
The last time Karopkin saw the government round up geese and take them to slaughter was in the summer of 2013, in the same park we walked around a few weeks ago. A dozen or so USDA employees wearing rubber gloves drove up in pickup trucks, caught a few dozen geese, placed them in orange crates with their gloved hands, loaded them onto the back of the trucks, and carted them to a gassing facility at an undisclosed location. Karopkin filmed the whole thing, holding back tears.
"There's something heartbreaking to me about disappearing these animals," he said. "It was just, 'Goodbye, get in the truck, you're gone.'"
Sitting on a bench overlooking Jamaica Bay, Karopkin began talking about the way we treat each other in New York. We've created a hellscape, cramming ourselves on top of each other in apartments, shoulder to shoulder in our underfunded subways. But, slowly, we've learned to not take out the problems of the world we've designed on each other. Murder — human murder — is at a multi-decade low, Karopkin said. Maybe we could learn to extend the same respect to the goose.


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You can't wait for the grand adventure that will be your honeymoon, so for the time being, you grab these cute coasters to try to calm your travel excitement. Made by Kate Aspen, these coasters come in two personalized prints featuring a vintage compass look and an "Our Adventure Begins" banner design. Use them as part of your bridesmaids' gifts or hand them out as party favors!
Features and facts:


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There are two main bursae involved in heel bursitis, the subtendinous calcaneal bursa and the subcutaneous calcaneal bursa. Both of these bursa are located near the Achilles tendon. The subtendinous calcaneal bursa, which is also referred to as the retrocalcaneal bursa, is on the back of the heel and is deeply situated between the Achilles tendon and the calcaneus. The subcutaneous calcaneal bursa, which is commonly referred to as the Achilles bursa, is located near the bottom of the heel between the skin and the distal aspect of the Achilles tendon. It?s much more superficial to the Achilles tendon than the subtendinous calcaneal bursa.
Overtraining in an athlete. Tight or poorly fitting shoes that produce excessive pressure at the posterior heel. Haglund deformity. Altered joint axis. Inflammation of the calcaneal bursae is most commonly caused by repetitive (cumulative) trauma or overuse, and the condition is aggravated by pressure, such as when athletes wear tight-fitting shoes. Retrocalcaneal bursitis may also be associated with conditions such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and seronegative spondyloarthropathies. In some cases, retrocalcaneal bursitis may be caused by bursal impingement between the Achilles tendon and an excessively prominent posterosuperior aspect of the calcaneus (Haglund deformity). In Haglund disease, impingement occurs during ankle dorsiflexion.
Pain at the back of the heel, especially with jumping, hopping, tip-toeing, walking or running uphill or on soft surfaces. If tendonitis is also present, the pain can radiate away from the bursa. Direct pressure on the bursa will exacerbate the pain and should be avoided if possible. Tenderness and swelling which might make it difficult to wear certain shoes on the feet. As the bursa becomes more inflamed you will experience swelling and warmth. In severe cases, the bursa will appear as a bump, called a "pump bump", and is usually red, and extremely tender. Swelling can cause difficulties moving as the range of motion in the ankle can be affected. Limping due to the pain may occur. If you press on both sides of the inflamed heel, there may be a firm spongy feeling. Weakness in the tendons and muscles surrounding the bursa can develop as the pain worsens and the inflammation in the area spreads. Possibly a fever if you are suffering from septic bursitis (You will need to see a doctor for medication to get rid of the infection). Pain at the back of the heel makes it difficult to continue wearing shoes, especially high heels with straps or shoes that don't fit properly.
Your doctor will examine you, including an evaluation of your gait, while you are barefoot, your doctor will ask you to stand still and to walk in order to evaluate how your foot moves as you walk. An examination of your feet. Your doctor may compare your feet for any differences between them. Then your doctor may examine your painful foot for signs of tenderness, swelling, discoloration, muscle weakness and decreased range of motion. A neurological examination. The nerves and muscles may be evaluated by checking strength, sensation and reflexes. In addition to examining you, your health care professional may want to examine your shoes. Signs of excessive wear in certain parts of a shoe can provide valuable clues to problems in the way you walk and poor bone alignment. Depending on the results of your physical examination, you may need foot X-rays or other diagnostic tests.
Non Surgical Treatment
Most patients with achilles and retrocalcaneal bursitis heal well with appropriate physiotherapy and other usual bursitis conventional and natural cures being administered. Specific treatments for ankle / heel bursitis may include footwear correction. Get well-fitting, soft-backed (or even open-backed whenever possible) shoes for both day to day wear and exercise. High-heels should really be a no no or worn sparingly, ladies. Heel protectors. Heel pads and heel lifts are great simple solutions to cushion and protect the Achilles area from the irritation of the shoes. Orthotics. There are various orthotic devices out there (some only available over-the-counter). One example is a custom arch suppport. These can control abnormal motion in your feet by lining them up correctly in your shoes to help you move in the right matter so the bursitis heals faster and does not return back again. Exercise modification Stretch your heel, mainly Achilles tendon, frequently, particularly before and after excercise or prolonged sitting. If you are a jogger, try to run on softer surfaces (no hard concrete, please). Running uphill training is best to be avoided by Achilles and retrocalcaneal bursitis sufferers.
Surgical Treatment
Bursectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove an inflamed or infected bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between tissues of the body. Because retrocalcaneal bursitis can cause chronic inflammation, pain and discomfort, bursectomy may be used as a treatment for the condition when it is persistent and cannot be relived with other treatments. During this procedure, a surgeon makes small incisions so that a camera may be inserted into the joint. This camera is called an arthroscope. Another small incision is made so that surgical instruments can be inserted to remove the inflamed bursa.


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Page Prediction is a browser feature or script which, when enabled, tells the browser to download resources the user is likely to visit before any user requests for the content are made. Page prediction improves performance by enabling almost instant loading of predicted content. However, page prediction may also download content a user does not request.
Some web applications include a prediction feature completing search text and address bar URLS based on browsing history and/or related searches. For example, as the user types in the address bar, the browser might send the current text in the address bar to the search engine before the user submits the request.
While browser page prediction and prediction services enable faster page loads, badwidth may be wasted and websites and any embedded content that are pre-loaded may set and read their own cookies as if they were visited even if they weren't.
See also


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We made it! Cheers~
Hello! Hello! Attention!
So, our February event has been successful! Yehey! Though people knew that they won't get anything from this event, they still chose to participate to show their support and love for the OS events. With that, THANK YOU ALL from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you also to our staffs who posted their entries. Everyone's drawings and pictures are amazing! All of your entries are much appreciated and we are looking forward to your future entries for our next OS events (with medals or username colors hopefully). Next up would be the OSCA so stay tuned~
Choosing one for each category is difficult but with the help of our beloved Dudette09, Qualtz, and mlcdl everything went fine. Without further ado, I would like to announce the "BEST" entries for both categories. *applause*
Best entry for the Symbol of Love category is... *drum rolls*
- wright405
Link: https://imgur.com/mHSuBfk
Originally Posted by wright405
We chose this entry because as simple as a flower indeed it puts a smile unto someone's face. We don't need fancy gifts, all we need is heartily given gift and the thought that counts.
And the best entry for Picture Perfect category is none other than...
- Tiotsh
Link: https://scontent-mrs1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...1a&oe=5A9A1B4C
Originally Posted by Tiotsh
We chose this because what's more fun and memorable experience to have good food but most importantly having the people you love around you laughing and enjoying every second you are all gathered? I think that's the best moment of our lives.
Congratulations to the both of you and to all the participants! Kampai~ *confetti and fireworks*
We are hoping to see you all again on our next events! See yah~
~I actually don't know how to put into words why we chose the entries even after they helped me. I'm doomed! *facepalms*
Here are all the entries...
~Symbol of Love category entries:
Awesome XD - https://imgur.com/a/ynwbZ
NyteStalker - https://imgur.com/gallery/fkr46Originally Posted by Awesome XD
Lucky16GhurL - https://www.flickr.com/photos/162750...4/26625934698/Originally Posted by NyteStalker
CatTrain - https://i.imgur.com/1LlWyYB.jpgOriginally Posted by Lucky16GhurL
Originally Posted by CatTrain
~Picture Perfect category entries:
wright405 - https://imgur.com/fVIHS0f
Originally Posted by wright405
Special participations:
Dudette09 -Spoiler :
Qualtz -Originally Posted by Dudette09Spoiler :
Originally Posted by QualtzAll Hail OS~


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Tag: Lake George
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Interview: June 25, 2010
Linda Castillo's latest novel, PRAY FOR SILENCE, is the second installment in a series featuring Kate Burkholder --- a former member of an Amish community who returns to her hometown as head of their local police force. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Castillo explains how she first became interested in the Amish lifestyle and what she finds most appealing about her protagonist's flawed personality. She also discusses what prompted her to start a crime thriller series after penning 20 romantic suspense novels, reveals where she finds inspiration for the dark and disturbing acts of violence featured in her work, and mentions some recent memorable reads to recommend to others.
Bookreporter.com: PRAY FOR SILENCE, your new Kate Burkholder novel, is one of the most startling books I have read this year, as well as one of the darkest. Set in what would normally be considered a peaceful, crime-free setting --- Amish Country --- it begins with the unspeakable murders of seven members of an Amish family. As Burkholder and the police force she commands investigate the murders, additional new horrors are revealed. It was one of those books that I couldn't stop reading and has given me nightmares since I finished. Let's start with the murders that open the novel. I vaguely remember a case where a farm family was murdered under mysterious circumstances. Are the murders in PRAY FOR SILENCE based upon a real-world occurrence? Which do you prefer: bringing the crimes and sins of the real world to your books, or creating your own?
Linda Castillo: This is probably one of the best interview questions I've ever received. The horrific murders portrayed in the book are a product of my imagination. (That may be a scary answer in itself.) I'm sure there have been similar crimes in real life, unfortunately. But when I conceived the idea for that particular scene, I knew exactly what I needed to happen to make it work for the book.
As a crime fiction writer, I do spend quite a bit of time reading about crimes and watching crime programs on cable TV. The mind of a killer, his thought process and the motivations that drive him are so foreign to the rest of us. Frankly, it's a scary place. But in order to write a villain with credibility, it's important for a writer to have some understanding of what drives them psychologically and emotionally. Sometimes I'll take one small element of a true-life crime and then set my imagination to work.
BRC: One of the underlying themes of PRAY FOR SILENCE, as well as SWORN TO SILENCE, is the friction that occurs between the Amish and English --- non-Amish --- cultures even as they peacefully, though occasionally uneasily, co-exist. The Amish have an innate distrust of the English, while the English find the Amish way of life quaint at best and bizarre at worst. Burkholder was raised as Amish but is under the meidung --- expulsion from the Amish community --- for refusing to follow religious guidelines as a result of a number of traumatic events that she experienced as a teenager in the area where she is now the police chief. The plots of these books slice in and out of Amish life and customs with a detail that is close and personal. Where and how did you acquire your knowledge and expertise regarding Amish life? And --- understanding that there are few conversions from the English to the Amish --- have you ever been tempted to convert to Amish beliefs yourself?
LC: I went to school with an Amish girl for a few years. At the time --- being a teenager --- I didn't realize how interesting the culture was. My fascination with the Amish didn't come into play until I conceived the idea for the series. At that point, I read everything I could get my hands on. John Hostetler's AMISH LIFE has been invaluable. I also made contact with a formerly Amish woman from Pennsylvania, but our communication is hit or miss at best. I've also travelled to Amish Country twice and spent several days talking to people and taking in the sights. The contrasts really are very stark.
BRC: You reside in Texas, but your Burkholder novels are set in Painters Mill, a small town in Holmes County, Ohio. Having lived in near proximity to Holmes County for the majority of my life, one of the elements of PRAY FOR SILENCE that I enjoyed most was the attention to the geographical and cultural details. How did you acquire this? Were you raised in Ohio? If so, what chain of events resulted in your move to Texas? And what steps led to you to decide to write a series based in East Central Ohio?
LC: I grew up in Western Ohio's farm country. I've always heard the phrase, "write what you know." I know the rural lifestyle. Until I conceived the idea for this series, I had always considered that knowledge pretty useless. I moved to Texas is 1985 after meeting my husband, and I've lived here since. I do visit Ohio on occasion and that part of the country will always be special to me. One of the elements I love about this series is the juxtaposition of the wholesome Amish Country setting versus the dark tone of the crimes.
BRC: Someone reading PRAY FOR SILENCE might think that it exaggerates the frequency and violence of rural crime, yet the truth is that rural crime in some areas is the equal of its urban cousin. What factors do you think contribute to rural crime that you don't necessarily find in urban areas?
LC: With regard to the series, the amount of violent crime is exaggerated quite a bit. I think this is one of those times when the crime fiction reader must [happily] suspend his or her disbelief.
BRC: How did Kate Burkholder come into being? Is she based upon someone --- or a composite of people --- you have met? Is she someone that you might have been if your life had taken a different turn? Or is she someone else entirely, created by you from whole cloth?
LC: I love writing police officers or any kind of law enforcement, but I'm not nearly brave enough to be one in real life. I couldn't imagine stopping a car at three o'clock in the morning on some dark country road. Could you? Kate Burkholder is completely born of my imagination. All writers draw from their life experience, and so to a degree she may be a composite of people I've known. But mostly she is from my imagination. One of the things I love about her is that she is flawed. She breaks the rules. She makes mistakes. Sometimes she behaves badly. Kate feels things deeply and her heart is always in the right place. Those things make her real and very human to me.
BRC: PRAY FOR SILENCE presents some interesting heroes and some equally chilling villains. James Payne was definitely first among equals on the villain side of the equation. Payne, in my opinion, is too chilling a character to fade away, quietly or otherwise. Do you have any plans for him to be back in a future novel?
LC: I'm so glad you mentioned James Payne. He was strange and chilling and, as a writer, a pleasure to write. He is also a creation of my imagination. I think you're correct in that he is a memorable character perhaps because he is so bizarre. We, as human beings, I think, have a need to understand the things around us. Even monsters like Payne. I may find a place for him in future books.
BRC: The Burkholder novels represent somewhat of a shift in genres for you, given that they are thrillers as opposed to the romantic suspense novels you wrote throughout the majority of the 2000s. In retrospect, one can see that your work was gradually moving in the direction of the thriller genre prior to SWORN TO SILENCE. What prompted you to make the jump, so to speak, to this genre?
LC: I've always had a thriller trapped inside me. I loved writing romantic suspense, and I firmly believe the genre was a powerful force with regard to my growth as a writer, particularly when it comes to writing emotion or relationships. That said, I love a high level of intensity in the books I write. I also love to push the envelope. When I was writing romantic suspense, there were times when my editors had to pull me back or reel me in. Some of the things I wanted to write were too graphic for the romantic suspense genre. Some of my ideas were simply better geared toward crime fiction. I had been wanting to make the change for quite some time before I actually did it. I'm always thinking of stories and getting ideas. When I conceived the idea for the Kate Burkholder series, I knew I was onto something. With the help of my brilliant agent, I wrote a proposal and the rest is history.
BRC: Looking back upon your writing career, is there anything that you wish you would have done differently? And what do you consider to be the best decision you have made with respect to writing?
LC: I've always loved to write and wrote my first book when I was 13 years old. As I grew older, went to school and began my corporate career, writing went by the wayside. As a Midwesterner with a strong work ethic, I thought it wasn't a practical vocation. If I could do things over, I would have pursued a writing career from the time I was in high school and college instead of going into the corporate world for 12 years. The best decision I ever made was when I decided to write thrillers. It was a risk at the time, but I wanted it so badly I was willing to take that risk. And it paid off.
BRC: You have been writing for several years. How has your writing schedule changed, if at all, since you started professionally? Do you, or have you, had any problems sticking to a schedule?
LC: I'm a morning person and I adhere to a pretty strict writing schedule. I'm a schedule person and I always have been. Having worked a full-time job and written for so many years, I have a lot of self-discipline. Just in the last few years have I let myself relax and enjoy a bit more leisure time --- which I enjoy immensely!
BRC: On a related note, have you ever had any problems with writer's block? How do you overcome it? Have you found that writing in a variety of genres helps to avoid it?
LC: I'm lucky in that I've never experienced writer's block. That's not to say the words come easily. They don't. In fact, some days getting those words on the paper is akin to having a tooth pulled with no anesthesia. The key, I think, is to keep it interesting. Always challenge yourself. Not only with the writing itself, but also strive to come up with fresh ideas. Don't ever relax your standards and don't let your writing become stale. Not only will you become discontent and bored, but your readers will too.
BRC: All great writers start out as vociferous readers, and often the authors they have read early in life influences their own work. What authors, of any genre, inspired you to begin writing? And is writing something you have always wanted to do?
LC: I can't really think of one work or genre that inspired me as a youngster. But I've always loved to write stories. I loved inventing characters and putting them into suspenseful and/or difficult situations [yes, even as a teenager, I was a budding thriller writer].
BRC: What would you be doing for a living if you weren't writing?
LC: I'm really not sure. Writing is the only thing I'm really good at. And it's the only vocation I could really love. If I had to guess, I think I would be training horses and/or competing.
BRC: What books have you read in the past six months that you would like to recommend to our readers?
LC: The first book that comes to mind is Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD. It is a very powerful post-apocalyptic novel I absolutely couldn't put down. I was lucky enough to snag an advance copy of Chevy Stevens's STILL MISSING. It's not out until July, but thriller readers are in for a real treat. Dan Simmons's THE TERROR. Chelsea Cain's Gretchen Lowell series. Cody McFadyen's thrillers. Brian Freeman. C. J. Box. Lisa Scottoline. John Hart. John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series. All of these authors are mega-talented, and I can't get my hands on their books fast enough.
BRC: I understand that you are currently working on the next Kate Burkholder novel. What can you tell us about it? Will there be any major changes in her life? And do you plan to keep the series going for as long as you can, or do you have a definite ending planned for the series?
LC: I recently turned in the third book of the series. My editor promptly responded by telling me it was the strongest book to date, which I was very pleased to hear. There are no major changes in Kate's life --- not in the third book, anyway. But change is coming and not all of it is good.
As a writer, one of my personal rules is to strive to make the current book better than the last. That's a tall order. But I think it's vital to the survival of a series. Currently, I don't have an ending planned for Kate Burkholder or John Tomasetti. They are such fascinating characters with so much to draw upon. I'd like to continue writing them as long as readers will continue to read and love them.
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