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There are so many things that pass by our gaze, but we just don't pay any attention to them. I discovered today that the Start Page of Visual Studio is one of those things that I don't notice. I start my day by picking a project to open, but what is that on the right hand side?
In true 80s speak "Oh my gosh". Yes those are blog entries. Ok, so some times I can get so preoccupied that I miss the obvious. Don't do the same thing. Check out the blog entries. Today there were some good ones from Scott Hanselman.
Many times as you go through the phases of a project you may get pressure to do a quick fix just to be able to close a phase. You may even be told others what the fix to your work should be. The question is if you are sure it is the right fix.
Sometimes even though those around you are ready to roll heads some times you have to stop everything, take a step back and research if the solution on the table is right or just fast. Often the fast solutions end up generating more problems because no one thought about what other parts of the systems could be affected by the decision. Of course having good unit test can help, but only if the change breaks the code in a way you already have tests for. Are you sure that you have covered all expected results.
In the end, thinking about the consequences of any changes we make to code or design should be the reason we get paid. Don't surrender your common sense just because you are being pressured.
Today was yet another snow day in the Chicago Area. The client sent us home around lunch time. Since I don't have remote access to the client I had the unusual experience of trying to get work done at home for the client (grab all the files you need and put them on a thumb drive). I got to thinking about the difference between the office and home and I figured it would be fun to put down a few of these thoughts.
This is just a short list. Now I need to get back to work. What difference do you find?
When you write a book you start with an idea, turn it into an outline, then write a draft which then goes through multiple edit iterations. This is the same way that I believe you should write blog posts. There are several reasons for this.
The first reason is that you want your blog to represent you in a professional manner. A clean and well organized set of thoughts are the best way to accomplish this.
The second is that as you read and reread your work you will find places that it could use more clarification. Sometimes you may find that a sentence doesn't say what you meant when you were first typing it. Filling in holes and making things more understandable helps to get your point across. Try asking the simple question "why?" as you read (If you are a parent "why dad?"). This will help to find what is missing or could be misunderstood.
The third reason is that as architects we constantly need to refine our communication skills. Writing blog posts can help you when it comes to writing documents that communicate your ideas better to your audience. Refining ideas in writing will help in organizing your thoughts for presentations.
Finally, here is a hint to make sure that you write the best post you can. Use an offline editor such as Windows Live Writer. If you use an online editor you are more likely to post before doing a thorough edit. If you can save your work off line you can work on the post over a couple of days if you need to. I often have several posts in draft state. Then I just press the publish button when I am satisfied with the content.
Tim is a Solutions Architect for PSC Group, LLC. He has been an IT consultant since 1999 specializing in Microsoft technologies. Along with running the Chicago Information Technology Architects Group and speaking on Microsoft and architecture topics he was also contributing author on "The Definitive Guide to the Microsoft Enterprise Library".


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Healthy Environment, Strong Communities, Accountable Government
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subset: commoncrawl


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sponge (something) off (of) (someone or something)(redirected from sponge off me)
sponge (something) off (of) (someone or something)
To beg for, borrow, or obtain something (usually money or food) as a handout from someone or something else. My brother's been sponging money off my parents ever since he dropped out of college. My roommate's nice, but she's always sponging food off of me, and I don't have the heart to tell her to stop.
sponge something off of someone or somethingand sponge something off
to beg or borrow money or food from someone or a group. Please stop sponging food and money off your relatives! Stop sponging off food and money all the time!
sponge off
1. To wipe or clean the surface of someone or something with or as if with a sponge: After dinner, I cleared all the dishes and sponged off the table. The blackboard was very dirty, so the teacher told me to sponge it off.
2. To live by relying on the generosity of someone else: He sponged off his parents for years because they never insisted that he get a job.
spongeand spunge
1. in. to drink heavily. She was sponging like there was no tomorrow.
2. n. a drunkard; a tippler. (see also blotter.) She was a spunge, and she wasn't going to do anything about it.
3. n. a parasitic person. Here comes that sponge, Willy. Hide your wallet, pencils, glasses, and any clothes in his size.
sponge off someone
in. to live off someone; to take advantage of someone by taking food and shelter from them without compensation. Go get a job! Stop sponging off me!
mod. thirsty. I gotta get a drink, man. I'm sponged!
See also: sponge


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Sept. 28, 2013
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – After a day of playing tough opponents and their own teammates, Florida State's Cristian Gonzalez Mendez and Michael Rinaldi face off in Sunday's singles finals of the Bedford Cup at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center at 9:00 a.m.
"I thought singles was very strong today," said head coach Dwayne Hultquist. "We won all of the main draw matches with an exception of when we played against each other. I am very pleased with how much Cristian and Michael have improved from last year. Cristian is finishing around the net and Michael's conditioning and fitness are paying off.
Beginning in the quarterfinals, Gonzalez Mendez, a junior, faced off against his teammate freshman Jose Gracia. With Gracia down 4-1 in the first set, he fought make to tie it a 4-4. Gonzalez Mendez fought back and finished the match to win 6-4, 6-1. Moving into the semifinals, he once again faced off against a teammate in freshman Grayson Goldin. Goldin played strong in the first set to win it, but the upperclassman fought back to win the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
"I'm really glad to be playing in tomorrow's finals," said Gonzalez Mendez. "It was different having to beat two of my own teammates, but they both played really tough matches, not only today but the whole week. It just shows how good the team is going to be this year."
In order to get to the semifinals, Goldin squared off against the No. 1 seed of the tournament, Jordi Vives of Florida Gulf Coast. Goldin won the quarterfinal match 6-3, 6-4.
`I was really pleased with Grayson's win over the top seed today," continued Hultquist. "It was a good breakthrough for him and shows that we are moving in the right direction in developing his game."
The other Seminole in the final is the sophomore Rinaldi, the No. 2 seed of the tournament. In the quarterfinals this morning, he topped Laurynas Antropikas of Stetson 6-3, 7-6 (1). Facing off against the No. 3 seed in the semifinals, he easily took down North Florida's Norbert Nemcsek 6-2, 6-3.
The Seminoles did not fare as well in doubles play with Goldin and Rinaldi losing 8-3 to Inaki Espindola and Riaan Du Toit of UCF.
Check back to Seminoles.com for all your information on the men's tennis team and follow the team at twitter.com/fsu_mtennis.
Singles Semifinals
Michael Rinaldi (FSU) def. Norbert Nemcsek (UNF) 6-2, 6-3
Cristian Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) def. Grayson Goldin (FSU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Singles Quarterfinals
Grayson Goldin (FSU) def. Jordi Vives (FGCU) 6-3, 6-4
Cristian Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) def. Jose Gracia (FSU) 6-4, 6-1
Michael Rinaldi (FSU) def. Laurynas Antropikas (STET) 6-3, 7-6 (1)
Doubles Semifinals
Espindola/Du Toit (UCF) def. Goldin/Rinaldi (FSU) 8-3
Singles Consolation
Hans Adrian Riseng (STET) def. Jack Haffey (FSU) 6-3, 6-3
Riaan Du Toit (UCF) def. João Gauer (FSU) 6-2, 6-4


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Racial Profiling in Federal Case?
The chief judge of U.S. District Court in Chicago has questioned whether the federal government in a drug case racially profiled African-Americans and Latinos — raising a sensitive issue that has arisen in various forms nationwide for years.
Judge Ruben Castillo wrote in a decision posted late Wednesday that since 2011, 19 African-Americans and seven Latinos have been charged in drug stings in the Chicago area, in which agents used an informant to talk suspects into robbing a fake stash house. Over the same period, no whites have been charged, he wrote, citing defense filings.
The decision has potential to reach beyond Chicago. Law enforcement in other metropolitan areas has been accused of racial profiling, and similar stings are done nationwide.
Castillo says there's a "strong showing of potential bias" and ordered the government to turn over the name and race of each defendant in such cases brought by federal prosecutors in the Chicago area since 2006.
On Thursday, one defense attorney in the case welcomed the ruling as "potentially groundbreaking."
"It is groundbreaking if, in the end, the court recognizes that these prosecutions are tinged with a racial animus," said Michael James Falconer, who represents one of five defendants in the case. "With this ruling, Castillo has already gone further than I could have hoped for."
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, Randall Samborn, declined any comment on the ruling.
Last month, Castillo became the first Hispanic chief judge for the northern Illinois district. He told The Associated Press then that one of his priorities was to ensure diversity issues were looked at more closely at the courthouse.
In the Chicago case, five men were charged after an undercover agent told them he knew of a house where Mexican cartel operatives kept stashes of cocaine with a street value in the tens of thousands of dollars. They were arrested as they prepared to storm the house.
Castillo in his ruling asks for the instructions that prosecutors and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms provide to employees on how to avoid profiling based on race.
Attorneys for a defendant in the case, Abraham Brown, have sharply criticized the practice of using fake stash houses.
"The informant and agent search for their prey — someone whom they can convince to act on their phony plan," their motion, filed in June, says. Numbers indicating most targets are black, it adds, "presents a stark discriminatory picture."
In their reply, prosecutors said there was no evidence that's true. To show any such bias, the government argued the defense had to show that non-minorities with criminal histories who were potential sting targets "were not further investigated or prosecuted because of their race."
Steve Greenberg, a Chicago defense attorney unconnected to the case in Castillo's ruling, said it was rare for a judge to even broach the issue of prosecutors' impartiality.
"And for a judge to question prosecutors' decisions on racial grounds — I've never seen that before," Greenberg said. "He's not saying they are doing it— racial profiling — but he is saying, 'I have seen enough to make me wonder if there is something here.'"
The judge gave the government until Aug. 23 to turn over the asked-for data. If he eventually decides racial profiling was involved, he could dismiss all charges against the five defendants, Falconer said.
It's not the first time that Castillo, a former civil rights attorney, has raised questions about race and the law.
In 2000, in approving a settlement involving accusations that a suburban village engaged in racial profiling, Castillo wrote that the phenomenon was a "deadly cancer on our justice system."
The question regarding the fairness of stash-house stings has arisen before in this district, court filings show.
Last year, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago found such stings were acceptable. But in a partial dissent, Judge Richard Posner wrote there is a greater risk of illegally entrapping suspects because of promise of hundreds of thousands in drug money dangled before targets.
"Most robberies, even bank robberies, net little money for the robber," he wrote. "But a stash house is a potential goldmine." He added that such stings are "a disreputable tactic."


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September 21, 2012 (BRONX, NY) Primary care physicians America's front line healthcare practitioners are usually the first to diagnose illness, refer patients to specialists and coordinate care. Yet, despite that critical role, primary care physicians remain among the lowest paid of all doctors at a time when there's an acute primary care shortage.
A unique longitudinal study of medical students by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, and North Carolina State University shows how significantly both student debt and income expectations impact the decision of medical students to enter a high-paying specialty rather than primary care.
The study, published online on September 19 in Medical Education, surveyed more than 2,500 medical students attending either New York Medical College or the Brody School of Medicine. Over an 18-year period from 1992 to 2010, students were surveyed in their first and fourth years about the area of medicine they planned to enter, their anticipated debt upon graduation, the annual income they anticipated five years after completing residency, and the importance they placed on income in general.
The study indicates that medical students who anticipated high levels of debt upon graduation and placed a premium on high income were more likely to enter a high-paying medical specialty such as radiology, anesthesiology or dermatology than to enter primary care, which consists of internal medicine, pediatrics and family practice.
According to a 2010 Medical Group Management Association income survey, primary care physicians earned nearly $200,000 per year and those in 12 high-paying specialties selected by the researchers earned double that, with an average of just under $400,000 per year.
"The income gap between primary care and specialty physicians started growing in earnest in 1979, and now we're seeing the consequences of that ongoing trend," noted Martha Grayson, M.D., senior associate dean of medical education at Einstein and the study's lead author. (Dr. Grayson was at New York Medical College at the time of the study.)
Among those surveyed in the study, 30 percent of students who entered medical school intending to become a primary care physician switched their preference to a high-paying specialty by the time they graduated. Compared to classmates who didn't change their minds about entering primary care, the switching group placed a significantly higher value on income and expected a debt load that was 11 percent greater than those who ultimately chose a primary care career.
Based on an Association of American Medical Colleges survey of residents and fellows taken in 2010, 86 percent of medical students graduated with some education debt in 2010. The average debt was $158,000. Thirty percent of graduates had debt exceeding $200,000. "While the amount of debt medical students take on is well-known, there hasn't been much research to assess how students respond to this pressure," said Dr. Grayson.
The study suggests that measures should be explored to encourage primary care careers such as incentive pay, debt forgiveness, additional scholarships and higher reimbursement for primary care services, in order to meet the growing need.
The study's findings come as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortage of 63,000 physicians by 2015, the vast majority of those in primary care.
The paper is titled "Payback Time: The Association of Debt and Income with Medical Student Career Choice." In addition to Dr. Grayson, the other authors are Dale Newton, M.D., at East Carolina University, and Lori Foster Thompson, Ph.D., at North Carolina State University. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
|Contact: Deirdre Branley
Albert Einstein College of Medicine


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Bears men top North Dakota to open Big Sky play
December 22, 2012
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Derrick Barden had 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting, Tevin Svihovec chipped in with 19 points and Northern Colorado went on to beat North Dakota 75-66 on Friday night.
Tied 31-31 at the break, Northern Colorado (3-6, 1-0 Big Sky) shot 73.7 percent from the floor in the second half, hitting 14 of 19 shots, but North Dakota didn't make it easy, going on a 22-10 run to begin the second half.
The Bears began their comeback with a 3-pointer by Paul Garnica with 10:02 to play, sparking a 34-13 rally from that point on.
Tate Unruh had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears and Garnica ended his night with 14.
Barden had nine rebounds to go along with his point total.
Aaron Anderson had 18 points to lead North Dakota (2-8, 0-2).


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Want some advice on putting together your entry for Club Industry's ninth annual Best of the Best Awards? Editor Pam Kufahl spoke to past judges to ask what they look for in a winning program—click on the video below to find out what they said.
Now that you know what it takes to win, get started on your entry today. The deadline for entering this year's competition is June 24.


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Google Now, now, now
With the advent of Google Now, which has been around since Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, users have been able to begin a Web search by saying, "OK, Google." But KitKat brings a couple of changes to this service. First, if you turn on Google Now, you can access it by swiping left on your home screen, in addition to holding down the home button.
Second, you don't have to manually launch Now or tap the microphone to start a voice search anymore. Search automatically begins once it hears the magic phrase. It's so automatic, it borders on overzealous. In fact, you don't even have to face the handset if you say, "OK, Google" remotely loud enough (or anything that rhymes, really, like "bouquet doodle"). As always, though, you can turn this function off in settings.
Camera and video: Not an area that shines
Camera and photo features
New to the Nexus' 8-megapixel camera is optical image stabilization (OIS). Due to a small gyroscope inside the lens that acts as a counterbalance for unintentional movement, the camera cuts down on unwanted motion blur that may occur from the photographer's unsteady hand.
There's also HDR+. Like the HDR mode seen in many camera phones, this feature takes several shots at different exposures and combines them to make an ideal image. However, HDR+ also detects moving objects and takes a burst of photos to select the sharpest image.
Other than that, not much has changed. With both cameras, users will get auto and touch focus, a 3.9x digital zoom, geotagging, an exposure meter, a timer, five white balances, and four scene modes. The rear-facing camera also has flash and can carry out both panoramic and photosphere shooting.
Picture and video quality
The camera operates swiftly; it took no time at all to adjust for focus, or to ready itself for another shot after I clicked the shutter. As expected, HDR+ photos take longer to process, but you don't have to wait around very much.
OIS also worked well. I took a few shots while walking down the sidewalk. I tried to keep my hand as steady as possible while still in motion, and the majority of photos I captured were in focus, though there were one or two that came out blurry. I felt that LG G2's OIS was more consistent and was able to handle more movement than the Nexus 5's.
Photo quality was great, but it didn't particularly blow me away. For the most part, objects were sharp and in focus, and had well-defined edges. In many environments, HDR+ vastly improved shots taken in automatic mode by producing more natural colors and finer details. Auto mode performed better in close-up shots, but HDR+ is best for well-lit outdoor scenes. For more photos taken on the Nexus 5, check out the photos and slideshow below. Be sure to click on the photos to see them at their full resolution.
Taking Google's Nexus 5 camera out for a spin (pictures)See all photos
Video quality was also satisfactory, but again, footage wasn't overly impressive. Recording in 1080p HD yielded crisp footage, and the camera quickly adjusted to changes in lighting. However, there was a not-so-subtle "pulsating" effect when the lens refocused itself, which was distracting. Nearby audio also picked up well, with background noises leveled appropriately.
Editing options in Gallery
The Gallery app, where a bulk of the 5's native editing options are located, received some tweaks too. In addition to the nine Instagram-esque filters already included, you can now make your own "filter" by creating and saving your favorite presets. Filters are also now applied with a neat "washing over" effect across the photo.
A few frames have been deleted, and now they have labels like Scratchy and Easel instead of being numbered (I wish I could have sat in on that meeting). There are three new editing effects: posterize, negative, and graduated, which lets you adjust brightness, saturation, and contrast levels with a movable leveler.
Performance: Reliable and fast
Call quality
I tested the Nexus 5 in our San Francisco offices using an AT&T SIM card and call quality was impressive. Voices didn't just sound adequately loud (though that was a plus too), but were also clear, with a wide range of depth. It sounded as if I were listening in from a landline, and while I could hear a miniscule amount of static, it was rare.
My calling partner also commented that I sounded crisp too, and it was some of the best audio quality he's heard from a phone running on AT&T's cell network. When I moved outdoors, call quality remained consistently strong. Calls didn't drop, I didn't hear any extraneous buzzing or noise, and audio didn't cut in and out. Listening in on speaker yielded the same high results, with the dual speakers at the bottom giving voices a wider, fuller sound.
Google Nexus 5 (unlocked on AT&T) call quality sample
Now with LTE
One of the biggest issues I had with the Nexus 4 was the fact that it didn't have LTE capabilities. Now before anyone gets his or her feathers ruffled up again, hear me out (and don't worry, this ends well).
Not having LTE isn't a big deal if you're from outside the United States, but here, the network is more widespread and robust. When it comes to highly anticipated, top-tier devices like the Nexus at least, LTE is a standard feature, and the lack of it was a letdown. Also, while we eventually got LTE models of the Galaxy Nexus for Sprint and Verizon, the 4G network wasn't on the original unlocked handset introduced almost two years ago.
That's why it's great to see the Nexus 5 with LTE, albeit overdue. While individual data performance depends on several changing and independent variables, I used AT&T's 4G LTE network in San Francisco. Connection was generally strong and consistent.
On average, CNET's, The New York Times', and ESPN's mobile site loaded in 4 seconds. Their full desktop sites loaded in 6, 10, and 5 seconds respectively. I tested Ookla's Speedtest.net app at different times of day. It showed an average 21.29Mbps down and 12.29Mbps up. The 37.61MB game Temple Run 2 downloaded and installed in an impressive 23 seconds.
Google Nexus 5 performance times
|Average 4G LTE download speed
|Average 4G LTE upload speed
|App download (Temple Run 2)
|37.61MB in 23 seconds
|CNET mobile site load
|4 seconds
|CNET desktop site load
|6 seconds
|Restart time
|24 seconds
|Camera boot time
|2.41 seconds
Processing power
Underneath this device's hood is a 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. The handset carried out basic but necessary tasks easily -- unlocking the screen, calling up the keyboard, and returning to the home pages were all executed with ease. On average, it took the handset 24 seconds to shut down and power up, and 2.41 seconds for the camera to launch.
Even for not-so-basic tasks, like playing the graphics-intensive game Riptide GP 2, frame rates were high and smooth, and the splash-back animation of the water looked brisk and clear. When I ran the 3DMark bench test, the phone scored 17,966. In comparison the GS4 scored 10,511, the HTC One scored 10,246, and the iPhone 5S scored 13,948.
Battery life
With Wi-Fi turned off and LTE activated, the Nexus 5's 2,300mAh nonremovable battery has a reported talk time of up to 17 hours. When both are activated, Google says, the device lasts 300 hours on standby. Internet tests reportedly yielded 8.5 hours on Wi-Fi and 7 hours on LTE.
During our battery test, the handset lasted 9.88 hours for continuous video playback. In comparison, the One has the same-sized battery and lasted 9.62 hours, and the GS4's slightly larger 2,600mAh battery lasted 10.33 hours for the same test.
As for talk time, we ran the test more than once and average results showed the Nexus 5 lasting an impressive 17.61 hours. The GS4's lasted 19.37 hours for talk time, and the G2's 3,000mAh battery lasted 23.47 hours.
According to FCC radiation measurements, the device has an in-ear SAR level of 0.96W/kg.
Conclusion: Not just for enthusiasts
For all the brouhaha that surrounds the Google Nexus 5, know that the device isn't perfect. Its crisp 1080p display isn't as bright as those of other high-end handsets on the market, its 8-megapixel camera can capture lackluster photos and videos, and as it turns out, KitKat doesn't bring a lot of tangible feature sweets.
But if we take a step back, we realize that to even compare this $400 phone to those that cost upward of $650 unlocked (like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, and Apple iPhone 5S) speaks volumes about the Nexus 5's massive appeal and affordability. Performance is solid and it has the big-boy specs that everyone expects.
That includes having a powerful processor that works smoothly, a screen that looks crisp, a battery life that runs sufficiently, and data capabilities that connect to LTE. Oh, right, and it makes calls -- really clear calls. What's more, the end-of-fragmenting promise that KitKat brings is intoxicating and long overdue.
With all this in in its box, it's easy to see why the brouhaha isn't limited to Android diehards anymore. Instead, the Nexus 5 extends the allure of the Nexus brand to anyone simply looking for an excellent yet inexpensive handset.


text:
Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.
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Gender roles, marriage, dating, and courtship
Women and GC
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Topic: Women and GC (Read 164301 times)
Regular (15-99 Posts)
Posts: 47
Women and GC
Reply #80 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:50:11 pm »
Here is one to toss into the fray on single women with in GC. On my old small group in the college ministry, any woman was expected to submit to any man. This played out in break down groups where the co-leader(who happened to be the wife of the leader) in leading by example would basically role over to the opinion of a guy who was maybe a month old in the Lord and take his interpretation, suggestion, or thing that he asked her to do and fully accept it. That man in the break down group, service team, etc. was also expected to lead what ever he was involved in, including the conversation. If a woman stepped up and lead in any way the disappointment would fly to the extent of rebukes. It sickens me to remember how this mentality was perpetuated by a woman in leadership. She was also a prime example of dumbing down to make the man more and the childish, infantile speech that was mentioned earlier.
While yes, many churches have disagreeable roles for women, I think GC takes it further then most as this kind of submission is just our right wrong. I am so glad I left, this discussion is just reaffirming that descion, as if it needed any more affirmation.
I hope this makes sense as I am on the exhausted side.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 126
Women and GC
Reply #81 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:51:03 pm »
Okay, Agatha sent me this link, and Gene and I listened to it tonight (our version of a date night). Anyway, its from last years Faithwalkers (what a gold mine last year was!) called Godly Women in an Ungodly World.
Listen for the following:
1. Women as pillars of support and influence for the men who are the doers.
2. Women as temptresses, and men as erections waiting to happen.
3. GC women as pure and the culture as slutty (us v them).
4. Women as too talkative and needing to watch themselves.
5. Assuming everyones getting married and that theyre marrying GC men.
6. Women as servants.
Basically, everything weve been talking about and more (even the clothes stuff from other posts about thongs!).
Look forward to your responses!
Women and GC
Reply #82 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:51:37 pm »
TerryD, MamaD -
I have read your blogs and comments here. When I read Tonys church gov comment about you leaving I thought he was near the mark. I think Im just getting all the facts in your situation confused (there is a lot to remember). Maybe that is what happened to Tony? I know you have all said your peace, but I thought Id offer my two cents.
Regular (15-99 Posts)
Posts: 36
Women and GC
Reply #83 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:51:52 pm »
While there was a church governance component in my problems with GC, and while I do not believe GC will ever significantly change without governance changing significantly, there is quite a lot more to it than that.
There is a whole philosophy of leadership and of what the body of Christ is, and a resultant culture of authoritarianism and condescension permeating everythingincluding church governancethat has placed GC close to the fringe category.
One early GC dissenter surmmarized it this way in 1977:
an improper concept of authority and leadership, and an underdeveloped concept of the body of Christ.
I have seen little evidence that GC as an organization has changed their minds much on the essential issues, and the way groups are governed flows naturally from what I regard as flawed premises.
To reduce the issue to a difference between Presbyterian, Congregational etc. forms is to miss the point. Talk about elder led churches and plurality is largely a red herring. Ill repeat more or less (forgive me) a comment offered on another thread in regard to governance:
The argument could certainly be made that there are several New Testament compatible governance models, but in relation to GC, some observations:
1. Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy (What GC employs) historically has not been one of them, (although GC is certainly not the only group with this style.)
2. Even if GC style polity were an option, its not a good idea for GC. With the GC track record and reputation over the years, they of all people desperately need something providing maximum accountability to congregations,
3. Any stated desire for reformation, any progress toward greater humility and spiritual health (a la 1991 Apology Statement) that doesnt address the need for real structural change seems disingenuous
4. Such change is highly unlikely at this point. The heirs to the movement really believe in the status quo and a lot of positions and career paths are dependent on the philosophy and structure now in place. Its a distinctive deeply entrenched
Dipping my toes in....
Women and GC
Reply #84 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:52:19 pm »
I havent made it the whole way through all of these posts yet, but I wanted to throw in my opinions.
First, though, Tony, it warmed my heart to see your frusteration on behalf of your wife. Not that I was glad to see you frusterated, but that you stepped in to defend her.
Kristen, Ive really appreciated your participation on this site because you are extremely fair and level. You ask excellent questions and dont take us personally. You raise valid points in a very gentle manner. Ive never gotten the feeling from you that you are discounting anything that weve said - rather, more like youre just suspending judgment until you can collect more data. I respect that a lot.
Now, about this topic - I didnt witness anything like what Ive read so far here. And I dont feel like I was treated as second rate cause I was a single woman when I was in GCM. BUT (of course theres a but, right?) as Ive been reading, I remembered that no vibrant, independent, single women EVER stayed around in my church. They either left or were shuttled through endless discipline for just being who they were. And that happened with the more independent and free spirited men, too. So at least in the GCM church I went to, it seems to me that it was more the free and independent spirits that were battered down and broken (or shown the door) rather than single women in general. Though a good number of those free spirits were single women.
Im not asserting that women in other GCM churches, or perhaps even in mine but that I wasnt aware of, havent been treated badly for being a single woman. I just didnt see anything like that in mine. What Ive read here makes me sick, though, and Im sorry for all of you women that have been battered down (but not broken - Im thankful for that!!!).
Regular (15-99 Posts)
Posts: 92
Women and GC
Reply #85 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:52:58 pm »
Amen to my brilliant husband, TerryD.
First of all, Im guessing you might know us, but we dont know your identity. I would just suggest that if you want to know why we left, dont just get the story from people at ECC, but feel free to ask us.
I dont know if you saw the post that Terry wrote (and removed for the time being out of deference to a friend who happened to be a pastor who asked him to remove it), but it might help you to see the opening statement of that post. Obviously, since we had been gone over a year, he had no obligation to remove the blog post.
Here it is:
Ive obviously been going somewhere with my recent posts. And where Im headed here is to try to first summarize in my own mind and then explain to my Evergreen friends what lay behind our decision to leave the church last Summer. A handful of odd reactions and questions makes me think I needed to be more clear and forthright at the time. It had nothing to do with megachurchiness, as tired as I am of that trend and as much as I smart off about it. It had nothing to do with governance per se, one precise set of bylaws over another. It had nothing to do with youth ministry changes or building programs. We did not find a new church that we liked better, we werent church shopping. We werent in conflict with anybody. It has been interesting to notice how many people have assumed that we were hurt in some way by the church. Its as if personal conflict, not substance and content, is the only reason people might come to a parting of the ways. We were not hurt, but the decision was painful. We did not want to part in any way with friends. Moving our younger kids one notch away from their friends and familiar church surroundings was heartbreaking. So why did we do it? It was a sharp disagreement over underlying principles, with what we now see as pretty significant flaws in what Evergreen pastors and GCAC/GCM believe about the nature of the Church and the leadership of it.
The frustrating thing for me is that Terrys blog summed up so well why we left for anyone who was interested in knowing why.
I think we had a right (and perhaps a duty) to say why we left.
Information control is not a healthy thing for groups to do. In fact, it is something that can get you on a cult watch list.
The Holy Spirit is able to guide people into the truth. Keeping people from hearing all sides of an issue on the basis that one side is slander is information control.
Also, it is not gossip or slander to critique teaching. It is our duty to run everything everyone says by the Word of God.
All I can say is I dont care what kind of government a church has. I do care whether or not a pastor inserts himself between a person and God. I think it is a mistake for a pastor to view himself as anything other than a brother who has been given a specific gift. When a pastor believes he has authority over someone in all matters, a dangerous line has been crossed. And, in that case, people need to be warned.
A brother
Women and GC
Reply #86 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:55:16 pm »
Im curious if we would all agree on a couple of premises
1. If you are a married woman and have young children, it is better that you stay home and raise your kids than it is to be working.
2. If you are a married couple, the Bible has relevent teachings regarding the relationship between husband and wife, and distinguishes the roles in some way.
3. While God does not show gender favoritism, God does create men and women differently (besides gender).
4. God, for reasons perhaps we dont fully understand, has reserved some leadership roles in the famil and in the church for men.
5. Because no man and no woman are perfect, the marriage relationship is not perfect. So, while God may define roles of men and women differently, sometimes those roles are not fulfilled exactly as God intended.
6. Because no man and no woman are perfect, the church is not perfect. So, while God may define roles of men and women differently, sometimes those roles are not fulfilled exactly as God intended.
7. Those responsible for teaching the Bible in a local church (i.e. pastors, elders) should teach their personal conviction about the previous six questions, based on how they understand and interpret the Bible. To bind these teachings on any man or woman and equate demonstrated obedience with salvation is flawed (we are saved by grace, not by the law or works). Yet, we would expect teachers to be convinced in their own mind of what is the best application of Biblical principles, and ask others to consider a similar conviction.
Women and GC
Reply #87 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:55:28 pm »
i think there is a fairly wide spectrum of agreement that you would get on those 7 points from the posters here. i think at about 4.5 is where the divergence in opinions becomes more pronounced. and i think 7 is a bit of a slippery slope because for a leader with the best of motives that statement is simply pragmatic, whereas for a leader with less then good intentions the force of such a statement can be used as a dismissive excuse for just about anything; and because of that i dont think it holds water for anyone who has trust issues with the leadership.
Women and GC
Reply #88 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:55:42 pm »
I know Ive been lurking quite a bit, and have only commented a few times now. I am currently a member of the Ames church and I have to jump in because when people start talking about this stuff I get really worked up.
Im a single woman, in my mid-twenties, and I have been a part of leadership within the Rock for five or six years now. I spent my younger days looking up to Kirsten, and she is one of my best friends.
I know that as a single woman, I have a vital and important role in my church. So much so that it became quite a controversy when I felt God was leading me to be a part of a church-plant scouting program in Chicago this past summer. Never was I asked or told to do anything but what God was leading me personally to do, but it was apparent that the men and women around me would greatly feel my absence.
My gifting falls into the category of teaching, wisdom, leadership, and discipleship. I have seen over the past few years how God has used me in the lives of women AND men through my gifts. I can even specifically remember a pastor challenging me to specifically help a younger male leader to learn to grow up and take some responsibility. Now, what that looked like is another story all of its own, but I know that I had an important part in that man growing to be the confident leader he is becoming.
I know I cant speak much for the women who came before me, but I can speak for the women who are around me and involved in my life: I see married and single women who are confidently being encouraged to pursue their gifting, to contribute to society, and to have an influence and that looks about as different as each of those women do.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 126
Women and GC
Reply #89 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:55:57 pm »
No, I cant wholeheartedly agree with any of those 7. (I dont totally disagree with them either, though.) They make me uncomfortable (I know, GC wants to make the world uncomfortable.), but really I think theyre too dogmatic and black and white.
Its not pastors responsibilities or role to tell people how to live their lives or to live out the pastors personal convictions on relationships. These personal choices (working, dating, clothing, marriage, children) do not make a person more or less holy, and they shouldnt be taught like they will.
Also, sny personal convictions about these relationships / actions taught in GC are certainly not taught as personal convictions, but rather God wants you to Thats my biggest issue with these teachings.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 126
Women and GC
Reply #90 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:56:08 pm »
Oh, sny should read any. :-)
Women and GC
Reply #91 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:56:20 pm »
Brother -
Why are you curious about the level of agreement? What would you assume about those who said yes? What would you assume about those who said no? Would you expect agreement when there are committed, Jesus-loving, evangelical Biblical scholars who have studied the scriptures dilegently (and are way smarter than you and me) who dont agree?
From the very beginning of this thread (and in others, though not all), it has not been about the doctrine itself. Its been about how doctrine - any doctrine - is used to wield power over others in away that is decidedly un-Christlike.
Can you agree with me that when a doctrine is manifest in such a way that it repeatedly hurts members of Christs body, then there should at least be a discussion about the interpretation and/or application of that doctrine?
The fact that we have people on this blog who have had very positive experiences in a church that holds those doctrines and people who have been incredibly marginalized and made to feel inferior or invisible in a church with those doctrines tells me that there has been wide variation in the spirit with which they have been applied and lived out.
Women and GC
Reply #92 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:56:33 pm »
Angie - It sounds like you and other women in Ames in the college group are experiencing a group culture that is much healthier than that experienced by many of us. Thats terrific - praise God (and I mean that very sincerely!). Will you believe me when I say its not that way everywhere? And not just in the olden days (although some of the extremes I think are no longer happening oh please, dear God), but right this minute in GC churches women are not encouraged to be all that God has made them to be.
Women and GC
Reply #93 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:56:54 pm »
When you said:
Its not pastors responsibilities or role to tell people how to live their lives or to live out the pastors personal convictions on relationships. These personal choices (working, dating, clothing, marriage, children) do not make a person more or less holy, and they shouldnt be taught like they will.
Im kind of curious to know more what you meant. I think we can both agree that the Bible has verses that talk about some/most of those topics. Obviously we and others may disagree about the meaning or application of those verses.
Are you saying that pastors shouldnt teach on those topics (because there is so much disagreement?), or are you saying that pastors just shouldnt give direct advice/counsel/instruction on those issues? Or something else?
Im curious because I am certainly glad I have heard some teachings about Christian principles of marriage and child rearing. I didnt grow up going to church at all, so I find it helpful to hear instruction in those areas many examples I saw growing up run contrary to Godly ways of doing things with marriage and kids.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 126
Women and GC
Reply #94 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:57:06 pm »
Brilliant. Thanks for saying that so eloquently.
On another note, I wonder if one of the reasons sermons so often focus on how personal convictions of how these are lived out goes back to (again) lack of seminary training.
Every week pastors have to fill 45 minutes or so with a message. Most dont have the training to dig deep in a more traditionally fundamentalist way into the Scriptures so they focus on what they know very well: lifestyle convictions theyve heard 100 times.
So even though they may try to think of these sermons as personal convictions, they become the Gospel truth.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 126
Women and GC
Reply #95 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:57:16 pm »
Ive been out of GC for long enough that I forget what you mean by Christian child-rearing and marriage. Marriages should be happy and healthy. Children should be happy, healthy, and encouraged to love God.
Im not sure how a pastor could tell someone how to do that from the pulpit (though I think it happened).
I do think that people need to be reminded to love, to forgive, to be kind, to have mercy, to be patient, to hope. So all of those definitely apply to our relationships.
Its the step-by-step, how-to sermons I have trouble with.
A brother
Women and GC
Reply #96 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:57:56 pm »
I ask because if there is little or no agreement to these rather general principles, there will be little or no agreement about what should be taught about such things. What some people lable as abusive (because they dont even buy into the general principles) others might lable as sound teaching (because they feel that God has specifically addressed the topic).
I would again reiterate from an earlier post that this is not a GC issue in the sense of teaching and practicing a role for women that is different from roles for men. Many other Christian tribes past and present are in the same boat, including the largest evangelical denomination in the country. For those of you who have beefs with GC, this seems to be the leats among them. So, I will not comment on it again, is it is a fruitless discussion.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 260
Women and GC
Reply #97 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:58:06 pm »
au contraire mon frere. If were not an important issue, there would not be a blog now, would there.
Had friend in Columbus church 80's and 90s. Member left in 1993 Involved GC in Texas 2005-2007. Empathy to both with positive and negative aspects.
Veteran (100-299 Posts)
Posts: 260
Women and GC
Reply #98 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:58:32 pm »
I know I cant speak much for the women who came before me, but I can speak for the women who are around me and involved in my life: I see married and single women who are confidently being encouraged to pursue their gifting, to contribute to society, and to have an influence and that looks about as different as each of those women do.
I would would agree with you. I glance at websites of GC churches around the country, there has been some definite improvement. The problem is the pratfalls, mentioned above, while a regular occurrence in the 1980 GC, is a maddenly sporadic M.O. today as the past blogs indicate. It seems to depend where one attends.
Had friend in Columbus church 80's and 90s. Member left in 1993 Involved GC in Texas 2005-2007. Empathy to both with positive and negative aspects.
Women and GC
Reply #99 on:
March 21, 2007, 09:58:56 pm »
Ive been out of GC for long enough that I forget what you mean by Christian child-rearing and marriage.
You must not have frequented the Marriage and Family section of your local Christian bookstore recently either, since they seem to have dozens of books on this very topic. ;-)
I guess I do like some of the how to stuff even if it is just practical examples of how to apply some of the more theoretical verses. Telling men Love your wives as Christ loved the Church is pretty heady Its nice to hear some thoughts on what this looks like in real life (or other such similar verses). But I guess I can see where you are coming from in NOT wanting to hear that practical example type stuff too.
Some of the things I have heard in sermons (or read in books from the above mentioned section of my local bookstore) are probably not so much specifically Christian as just good advice, the same stuff you might be able to hear from the psychologist-du-jour. But good none the less. Lots of practical stuff on everything from better communication to better sex.
One analogy I have often thought about came from one of the books on marriage Ive read. They described men as being light switches and women as being crockpots when it comes to the physical relationship in marriage. :-) It sounds obvious, but that analogy has helped us have a better understanding of how each other works. Little analogies or examples like that are the kind of thing I find especially very helpful in getting a practical handle on how to have that happy, healthy marriage we all want.
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Four months after being overwhelmingly passed in the House, the Restore Campus Free Speech Act has become law.
House Bill 527 is bipartisan 'campus free speech' legislation that strengthens standards for free expression in our state university system and mandates that all public universities "ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom and free expression."
HB527 requires UNC's Board of Governors to develop, adopt, and implement various policies related to free expression, and to form a Committee on Free Expression which must make annual reports to the Board of Governors, the General Assembly, and the governor.
Up until now, there were no statutes addressing free speech for the University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions.
"It is critical that we reverse the trend of free speech being impeded on public university campuses in North Carolina," said Representative Chris Millis, the bill's chief sponsor. "And we must preempt further violations of those rights by fostering an environment of open thought and expression in the halls of higher education across North Carolina."
The bill requires that all public universities include a section in their freshman orientation programs describing free speech principles and supporting school policies, and requires that our public universities establish a set of penalties for student protesters who interfere with the free speech rights of others or who disrupt events.
"It's not ideological, it's about doing the right thing," said Representative Jonathan Jordan, the bill's co-sponsor. "Speakers … are having their events permanently disrupted or canceled because certain student groups or individuals disagree with their beliefs."
The bill was modeled after the Goldwater Institute's policy report Campus Free Speech: A Legislative Proposal, co-authored by Dr. Stanley Kurtz. Professor Kurtz is an author and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and he wrote recently in the National Review Online about the passage of this groundbreaking legislation:
"It ensures that University of North Carolina policy will strongly affirm the importance of free expression. It prevents administrators from disinviting speakers whom members of the campus community wish to hear from. It establishes a system of disciplinary sanctions for students and anyone else who interferes with the free-speech rights of others, and ensures that students will be informed of those sanctions at freshman orientation. It reaffirms the principle that universities, at the official institutional level, ought to remain neutral on issues of public controversy to encourage the widest possible range of opinion and dialogue within the university itself. And it authorizes a special committee created by the Board of Regents to issue a yearly report to the public, the regents, the governor, and the legislature on the administrative handling of free-speech issues."
Kurtz give the most credit for the successful passage of the bill into law to Lt. Governor Dan Forest, calling him the "guiding force" moving it through the legislature. "Forest and his staff," said Kurtz, "provided critical early encouragement and support for the approach that eventuated in the Goldwater model bill."
Governor Cooper refused to sign the new free speech protections into law, despite more than 20 percent of House Democrats joining all that chamber's Republicans in supporting it.
The Times They Are A-changin'
After several disturbing instances last year at Appalachian State University, chancellor Sheri Everts seemed to take issue with certain kinds of political expression: "It is important to note that free speech is encouraged on our campus," she said. "But not all speech that may be considered protected under state or federal laws is consistent with the university's values and mission."
In a recent poll of university students, 21% of the respondents believed that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution was an "outdated amendment that can no longer be applied in today's society and should be changed." And, in perhaps even more shockingly, 35% of the students thought that "hate speech is not protected under the 1st Amendment."
This kind of rationalization for the restriction of free speech rights at public universities is what sponsors say makes this bill necessary. "That," said Representative Jordan, "is the reason for this bill."
This legislation also comes on the heels of recent protests aimed at shutting down certain speakers with whom they do not agree at schools around the country. Violent left-wing protesters have ended appearances by author Charles Murray at Middlebury College, conservative 'agent provocateur' Milo Yiannopoulos at University of California-Berkeley, and author Heather Mac Donald at Claremont McKenna College, to name just a recent few.
Many universities have resorted to simply banning speakers altogether to avoid the risk of violence from these radical leftist agitators. According to Washington Examiner columnist Lisa Boothe, "The Wall Street Journal's Jason Riley was disinvited from speaking at Virginia Tech because he has written about race issues from a conservative perspective, and Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was forced to cancel an invitation by Rutgers University to deliver that school's commencement address in 2014. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which fights for free speech on college campuses, estimates that there have been around 338 speakers disinvited since 2000."
Conservative speaker Ann Coulter was forced to cancel her April 27th speaking engagement at UC Berkeley (ironically, the birthplace of the so-called free speech movement) after mounting pressure from administrators and threats of violence from activists who promised to shut her down "by any means necessary." Coulter's campus sponsors had filed a lawsuit against the university over its violation of her First Amendment rights.
Apparently, the Berkeley situation was even too much for outspoken liberal potty-mouth Bill Maher and Senator Bernie Sanders, himself a committed democratic socialist. While disagreeing with her views, both condemned the students' threats of violence and their attempt to suppress Coulter's right to speak. "People have a right to give their two cents-worth, give a speech, without fear of violence and intimidation," said Senator Sanders. he went on to say that the actions of the Berkeley protestors demonstrated "intellectual weakness."
"Berkeley, you know, used to be the cradle of free speech," cracked Maher. "Now it's just the cradle for [expletive] babies."
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also came to Coulter's defense, triggering a number of liberals to denounce the organization.
FIRE issued a statement on the ordeal on April 26, 2017: "Public colleges and universities have a legal duty to protect First Amendment rights. They also have a responsibility to do their best to protect all those present on campus from threats to their physical safety. But curtailing the rights of a speaker in the name of safety is wrong unless absolutely necessary, and canceling a speech must be the very last resort. Otherwise, restricting or silencing a speaker is simply a capitulation to violence or threats."
"Berkeley should be ashamed for creating this hostile atmosphere," said YAF president Ron Robinson. "Berkeley made it impossible to hold a lecture due to the lack of assurances for protections from foreseeable violence from unrestrained leftist agitators."
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business, commenting on the disturbing campus phenomenon, said:
"We are witnessing the emergence of a dangerous new norm for responding to speakers who challenge campus orthodoxy. Anyone offended by the speaker can put out a call on Facebook to bring together students and locals, including 'antifa' (antifascist) and black-bloc activists who explicitly endorse the use of violence against racists and fascists. Because of flagrant 'concept creep,' however, almost anyone who is politically right of center can be labeled a racist or a fascist, and the promiscuous use of such labels is now part of the standard operating procedure."


text:
The Iowa Department of Workforce Development's HTML 5 interface aims to improve customer service, protect against fraud and reduce errors.
When Richard Thielman took the job as application development manager of the Iowa Department of Workforce Development (IWD) almost two years ago, he was immediately tasked with making the state's online unemployment claim interface more user friendly, less prone to errors, and accessible to users regardless of what platform they were using.
Meanwhile, Thielman began looking for ways to ensure the platform granted access to claimants during all hours. And decreasing up-load times. Also, Thielman had to protect the personal information against theft and breaches. And just to pile up the pressure, he had to develop this while it seemed almost every tech-analyst in America was suggesting the internet was a dinosaur, and would soon be replaced by platform-specific applications.
"A year ago, you could have got every pundit saying the Web is dead," said Thielman. "I would listen to that and kinda laugh to myself, and think, 'Responsive Web design is where it's going.'"
Now, after two years of infrastructure overhauls, employee training, numerous RFPs and several months of beta-testing, IWD is close to launching an HTML5 Drupal-based platform that Thielman said will meet all requirements, and possibly save the state money by cutting hours of overtime as errors and identity theft problems are reduced. Drupal is a widely used, open-source Web development platform for online content.
Paid for with the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the platform's interface will be largely hosted through Amazon's cloud-based services, according to Thielman.
"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time Iowa has developed an application in the cloud," said Gary Bateman, CIO of the Iowa Department of Workforce Development.
"When Gary hired me, one of the things we noticed was that the agency dealt with claims, it didn't deal with people," Thielman pointed out. But the new system treats people like people, and adds many benefits to unemployment claim management.
Because Iowa has a large number of farming, manufacturing and other seasonal jobs based in rural areas, many workers routinely file unemployment claims during the year. Last year, Iowa processed 190,000 unemployment claims, paying out approximately $432 million in benefits in 2012 and 2013.
"For their entire careers, they're repeat customers," explained Bateman. "So one of the concepts we floated was – as you file a claim, year after year, because you're registering – I can send you an identity proofing to determine who you say you are, [and] there's more of the information that I hold so I can verify."
The department should be able to track the person through their routine filings, and not the claim. With that information, IWD can easily protect against fraud, errors and identity theft. Thielman explained that just like credit bureaus can ask consumers to verify their identity by answering questions about personal information (i.e., "Which bank did you finance your car loan through?"), so can IWD.
Because many of these workers are shift-employees, access to the service at any time became very important to the department as it developed the Web-based application.
"Right now the agency, and the state as a whole is not a seven [days a week] by 24 [hours] shop," said Thielman. So, the department turned to the cloud to host most of the information, where accessing data can occur around the clock.
"Going to the cloud will reduce our costs significantly," he said. "I can go seven-24 without tripling my support staff."
The HTML5 Drupal interface will also ensure that these workers – with dramatically varying computer literacy and device access – will be able to access the new interface, at a potential dramatic savings to the state.
"Exact numbers are hard to come by," said Bateman. But he added, "one of the things that we did was deploy our analysis, and the ratio was about a 10 to one savings – that might not be true, but even if the costs are the exact same, we get better benefits with this system."
When Thielman and Bateman began the RFP process for cloud providers, Amazon was one of the only companies large and secure enough to accommodate the department's needs. "Two years ago, the only place you could go with government services was Amazon," Thielman explained.
Front end services are provided by Drupal experts from Acquia, a company that partnered with Amazon for the RFP, according to Bateman.
The department worked with the companies to provide a safe experience for users and the state. "Once you have been verified who you are, it goes into a fully encrypted database that resides here locally [with the state] – the only thing that is used for is data to your user profile," Thielman said. "Even the user will never see that information again. It becomes embedded and encrypted. So even if someone were to get your password, they would never be able to get that information."
And this is where treating the claims as people, and not numbers, goes beyond providing better customer service. "I no longer need access to that Social Security number because you stopped being a number and started being a person," he explained.
Personal information will not be stored with Amazon or another third-party vendor, but rather by the state. In order for IWD to pull the information and display it through Amazon, a host of VPNs will be built to connect state servers with sensitive information to the cloud, according to Bateman.
The cloud will also host all publicly available documents, including redacted unemployment appeals, which become public record under Iowa law. Most of these will be stored as XML documents for easy search ability, and even include things like elevator inspection records.
"My staff is going to have to learn a number of new development techniques, some are nervous, some have stepped out," said Bateman. "[But] this new system will reduce the bulk of identity theft. It will be much more difficult to use the wrong Social Security system. About 50 percent of the user errors are about the last employer, and if we can clear that up, that will reduce man-hours."
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Hurricane Sandy – lots of fresh images.
God I love this stuff. See image below, and more images below that. These are real-time images, meaning they're as close to "now" as you can get:
And here's a cool shot of "total precipitable water" (from what I can figure out, this seems to be how much water is in the air, but I think it means more than just "humidity"). You can see what clearly must be Hurricane Sandy off of Florida.
Here's Chris' earlier post looking at more cool photos of the Hurricane Sandy.


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Walmart greeter hurt while trying to stop thief
Union Township greeter to undergo hip surgery
A Walmart greeter was hurt Wednesday while trying to stop a teenager accused of shoplifting in Lawrence County.
Authorities said Jordan McMullen, 19, took police on a wild ride, and they said he's the reason a 72-year-old man will require hip surgery.
"I apologize for what has occurred, and I'm praying for his recovery," McMullen said.
Investigators said McMullen stole $200 worth of auto decals from the Walmart on Winter Road, and loss-prevention employees tried to keep him from leaving the store.
"The Walmart greeter, who is 72 years old, came over to stop the altercation, and the male actually grabbed him and slammed him down, thus fracturing his hip," Union Township police Officer David McBride said.
McBride said McMullen fled in his car, leading police on a chase along State Route 168.
"I was a few cars back in the pursuit. There was a large amount of dirt he hit -- about 7 feet high -- which he became airborne at the time, went down into the woods a good 40 or 50 yards, then struck a tree," McBride said.
Authorities said McMullen was traveling at more than 100 mph, and he sideswiped a New Castle police car.
"He intentionally did ram the police car," McBride said. "I spoke to the New Castle police sergeant, and he advised me he did swerve right at them."
Investigators said McMullen's actions could have injured more people and even put his own life in jeopardy.
"From what he advised me, he said he did it because he was scared," McBride said.
McMullen faces several charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer by motor vehicle.


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Robonza Reviews the Mega Drive
"This fall I picked up the Lezyne Super Drive XL light for riding at night. It is an amazing light in both brightness and build quality. But then I saw the Lezyne Mega Drive which has 1000 lumens. If 500 lumens was great, what would 1000 be like? Awesome is what it is like."
Awesome is how we like to describe it, too.


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Preparations for Early Flu Season
Jan. 17, 2013 by mmelendez
This year's flu season has occurred early and is widespread. In order to prepare you for the start of the spring semester, please review these simple steps to prepare.
Make sure you have these basic supplies:
A simple electronic thermometer
Hand sanitizer
Disinfectant spray or wipes for use on shared workspaces such as desks in classrooms
Over-the counter symptom relieving medicines like ibuprofen or Tylenol (remember that aspirin and products containing aspirin can be dangerous for those of you under 19 if you have the flu).
Practice good hand hygiene
Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective, and we encourage you to carry one with you.
Practice respiratory etiquette
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way.
Get a seasonal flu shot (it is not too late)!
Shots are widely available this year through your primary care provider, most local pharmacies, or local Departments of Health. It takes about two weeks after receiving the vaccine to develop immunity. You can also use this link to find a flu shot: http://www.flu.gov and use your zip code for flu vaccine finder.
If you do become ill, please remember that influenza is highly contagious. It can often last for over 7 days; all the more reason to take steps to avoid it.
If you have a flulike illness, stay home or go home
If you have a fever over 100° F or symptoms of fever (chills, night sweats) accompanied by cough, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, headache, or fatigue, you may have a flu-like illness. Don't go to class or work. Contact your primary care provider or the Davison Health Center for advice or if needed, an appointment. There will be a dedicated nurses line (860 685-2653) for your questions. If you have a chronic medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, please request an appointment with a provider.
If you are absent, please notify your professor. For more information, please see:
www.wesleyan.edu/healthservices/geninfo/medicalexcuses.html .
For the most up-to-date information on flu, visit www.flu.gov, or www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3115&q=500340.


text: A croissant is made with a buttery, flaky pastry, and is named after its distinctive crescent shape. Legend has it that a courageous and watchful Viennese baker, at a time when Vienna was under siege by the Turks, was working late one night. He heard strange rumbling noises and alerted the city's military leaders. They found that the Turks were trying to get into the city by tunnelling under its walls. The tunnel was destroyed and the baker became a hero. The only reward he asked for was the sole right to bake a special pastry to commemorate the fight. This pastry was shaped like a crescent, the symbol of the Ottoman flag, and presumably meant that the Austrians had eaten the Turks for breakfast. It was Marie-Antoinette from Austria that made this "Viennoiserie" such a success in France, after she introduced it in 1770. In the 20th century the croissant became the number one breakfast staple.


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The 16th day of the November Holiday Give-Away contest has passed and the winners have been emailed. Today's contest prizes are a Nintendo Wii (sponsored by BFAds) and $150 Sears Gift Card (sponsored by Sears). All daily give-aways end at 11:59:59pm CST.
You only need to enter the contest once and you will be eligible for all daily give-aways. If you win, you are still eligible to win other prizes later in the month. The chances of this happening are very slim, but you won't be ineligible to win the bigger prizes because you won a t-shirt earlier in the month.
$150 Sears Gift Card


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Antibiotic Awareness Week: Stepping up to the Challenge of Antibiotic Resistance
Imagine a world where antibiotics are no longer effective and where even the simplest of illnesses, such as strep throat or a urinary tract infection, can lead to permanent disability, or even death. Now imagine the effect this may have on your family or loved ones—watching an elderly parent die from pneumonia, or a child losing a limb from an antibiotic resistant infection. Whether we like it or not, our lives have become intimately connected with the fate of antibiotics. Chances are we've all been treated at some point or other—for childhood illnesses, such as ear infections or strep—or even for something as small as a complicated scrape. Chances are we've also taken antibiotics for granted. Unfortunately, antibiotic resistance is quickly catching up to even the strongest antibiotics in our arsenal—potentially limiting their future use and effectiveness.
This is the primary focus of Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov. 12 – 18): a campaign meant to educate various groups on the dangers of antibiotic resistance and warn of inappropriate use. Sponsored by antibioticawareness.ca, and backed by an international coalition of healthcare and disease control organizations, the event features international meetings, webinars for health professionals, fact sheets, and downloadable awareness posters. Read more »


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tweezer on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
Walker/Mayo Connection
I have found that my Great-grandfather William L. Walker was the son of Susannah C. (MAYO) Walker and Lawrence Walker. They were in Albermarle County, Virginia. Lawrence died, I'm assuming, in VA, ca. 1850.
In the 1850 census for Albermarle Co., Susannah and her son, William, age 14, was living with a relative, Valentine Mayo.
Butler's of Paulding County, GA
I am trying to get information on Edward Butler, married to Jannie Herring. They had 7 children: Marion, John, William, Henry, George, Bethena, and Nancy.
I think Edward, or maybe his father, came to GA from Edgefield County, SC. if you have information on this family, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.
William Thomas OWENS
William Thomas OWENS was my great-great-grandfather. He lived in White Plains, Calhoun County, AL, where he married and raised a family. His daughter, Mary Elizabeth, married a "Busby", then married my great-grandfather William Joshua WHITE.
There are a whole lot of "Williames" is all my family lines. :>)
Anyone researching this family?
William Henry MORRIS, of Cross County, AR.
My great-grandfather, William Henry MORRIS, was born in TN, had several bros. and sisters, and was the son of Ambrose and Lucinda MORRIS. Ambrose was born in NC, in 1808. Lucinda was born in 1808 also. Ambrose moved to Cross County, AR sometime and is buried there.
My research has put the old proverbial "brick wall" in front of me concerning Ambrose's wife, Lucinda (MNU). There appears to be two Ambrose Morrises with a wife named Lucinda. The one that keeps coming up for me, isn't her, the dates and children don't fit. I was told to check "Lucinda Davis", but that's not her either.
Can anyone help me on this one? Thanks in advance.
William Fletcher DEAN of AL
Looking for information on William Fletcher DEAN, of Clay County, AL. He was a farmer there, married Janice Herring, and had a very large family, 17 Children.
Any and all info. appreciated.
GASKINS in AR...
Anyone have infomation on a GASKINS family in Cross County, AR? My great-aunt, Hellen WALKER married a Charles A. GASKINS, who was a Justice-Of-Peace in Cross county, AR.
If you know of that family, just let me know, and thanks in advance.
If you need help with ADERHOLD/T name, let me know.
I may be able to help you with this name no matter how it is spelled. I have the "ADERHOLD/T COLLECTIONS" set of books. Maybe what you're looking for is there.
Good luck in your research.
Finding info. on Henry Harrison White.
Need some info. on my great-great grandfather Henry Harrison White, of Calhoun Co., AL. I believe his father's name was Joshua White.
Anything at all helpful.
Information on Susan A. (WALKER) Burns married to George Sarrel, in AR.
Looking for information on George Sarrel and Susan A. (WALKER)Burns Sarrel in Cross, or Woodruff Counties, AR. Anything will help.
Looking for anything on Arthur Mitchell (or Mitchel) who married...
My great-aunt, Sarah Pocahontas Walker, married Arthur L. Mitchell (Mitchel) in 1890, in Cross Co., AR. I cannot find anything on them other than a marriage record. I don't know where they lived, died, or are buried.
Anything on these two will be greatly appreciated.


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Sunday, March 6, 2011
And Now For Something Completely Different ...
I ran across Allie Brosh's blog Hyperbole and a Half thanks to my friend Dawn Jones-Low (breeder of some awesome Arabian sport horses and owner of Faerie Court Farm). It's totally unrelated to saddle fitting or even to horses, but it's one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Enjoy!
Posted by saddlefitter at Sunday, March 06, 2011
6 comments:
- Seindria said...
I love that blog so much. :D
- March 6, 2011 at 9:20 PM
- Rebecca said...
I LOVE Hyperbole and a Half. Great find! :)
- March 7, 2011 at 3:37 PM
- Melissa said...
- March 9, 2011 at 10:44 PM
Hi Kitt! I'm so glad I found your blog! Tons of interesting info on here! I am currently in search of a dressage saddle for my Perch mare. I've been talking to Jay at Trumbull Mountain, asking about Thornhills and Duetts. She is currently in a 36cm Duett and it works great for her. Looking forward to reading more of your blog!
- March 17, 2011 at 6:32 PM
- saddlefitter said...
Yeah, I'm firmly hooked on that blog. She's brilliant.
Stacey, thanks for the kind words. I'm sure Jay will be able to help you find something.
- March 18, 2011 at 4:24 PM
- Leah said...
it is a pretty funny blog, I love the post about the ER visit and the revised pain scale. Also the one about "the simple dog" is just hillarious!
- March 20, 2011 at 10:23 PM
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Unisciti a noi puoi godere :
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The idea of Ladies Wallets has been prevalent for more than 2000 years now. Women used to carry linen wallets in ancient Egypt and during the 18th century, women belonging to the high society used a reticule for carrying their money, handkerchief and other knick knacks. The modern-day women carry fashionable and trendy wallets possessing the capacity of storing credit cards, cash, cell phones and various other things. Dissimilar to men, women tend to be more choosy and selective when it comes to the accessories that they use such as a wallet. Wallets meant to be used by women need to be elegant, stylish and they should also provide the required utility. Perhaps, it would be correct to say that wallets for women need to be roomy, well-designed and easily accessible.
Modern Day Wallets for Women
Wallets meant for women have currently surpassed their purpose of carrying credit cards and cash. These days, wallets are designed with numerous compartments and pockets. This is because women use their wallets not only for carrying credit cards and cash but also for pins, pens and even mint. The wallets of today have the capacity of storing almost anything and even makeup. The wallets feature locking systems and zippers because women are in the habit of spilling their possessions and dropping their stuff. Wallets designed and produced for women come in various colors, sizes and shapes. They are also made using different types of materials. Leather wallets are quite popular among women because they not only look elegant but they are also durable and last for a very long time. Leather wallets are available in various options like vinyl, faux leather and canvas.
Different Styles of Wallets for Different Lifestyles
It is important for a ladies wallet to be organized, versatile, compact and roomy. There are different varieties of wallets available in the market. Women have their own choices when it comes to selecting wallets. Women choose wallets that work great for their lifestyle and even for their personal style. When trying to gift a wallet to your girlfriend, your mother or your sister, try taking their personalities into account. Different varieties of Ladies Wallets available in the market include:
Credit Card Wallets
Many women are not in the habit of carrying checkbooks or cash. They generally like buying things by using their credit cards. This is the reason why many women are on the look out of that perfect place where they can keep their cards organized and safe. There are even women who get a separate wallet for their credit cards while having one for their checkbooks and cash. Both these wallets can be carried together in a purse or either one can be chosen according to the occasion.
Checkbook Wallets
The whole world has turned card-centered, but there are still some women who need a checkbook for certain important uses. Carrying a checkbook can become extremely convenient by using a checkbook wallet. Checkbook wallets feature compartments for keeping checkbooks in good condition as well as protected. There are even wallets that feature slots for driver's license and credit cards. These wallets also have space for pens and other important items.
Fabric Wallets
It is fun to have a fabric wallet. These wallets are available in a wide assortment of patterns and colors. They go well with all types of purses. Women use such wallets because they have this strong ability of matching all moods and all outfits. Fabric wallets are not as durable as the leather wallets since they are made from lightweight fabric. Women who like to change their wallets very often can always go for these varieties.
Travel Wallets
Travel wallets are meant for women who need to travel a lot. These wallets are specially designed for carrying plane tickets, boarding passes and passport. These wallets feature designated spaces meant for all the documents and even for credit cards and driver's license. A nice touch would be having a wallet that features separate compartments for different currencies.
Clutch Wallets
Clutch wallets are in good demand these days. These are wallets which are specifically designed for holding all the important essentials of a woman. These wallets can easily be tucked in a purse to be used in the form of clutch purse during the day or for an evening.


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What is the difference between a widget versus a Facebook application – and now a MySpace application? This question comes up a lot when working with our customer base and other peers in the industry. Widgets (and I am going to focus on web widgets here) are stand alone applications that are sharable and can run on any web page as long as you have an internet connection and a browser (I am sure someone will debate me on this – and in the Social Media Standards committee we are debating these same topics). The main thing to note here is that a widget can stand on its own inside or outside of Facebook or MySpace, but there are benefits to also tapping into what these platforms can offer as they can make your widget much more viral in how they are shared and spread in those environments. For this post, I am going to focus on Facebook as the newly launched MySpace apps are still maturing (and I spend a lot more time on Facebook than MySpace).
A Facebook application is an application that is registered on Facebook and can take advantage of all of the FB features that their platform supports (and keep it mind that it does not have to be a widget). For example, FB Apps have the following features:
- Left navigation inclusion – a persistent link on the user's navigation bar (this is on a user's profile page) .
- Canvas page – allows the user to see your content on a separate page from their profile in a larger canvas area.
- Profile – the application is added directly on to the profile page for display and usage.
- Friend Requests – at the end of a successful application add, most applications (if configured to do so), will redirect you to an "invite your friends" page. Note: be wary of those that pre-select all of your friends – or those applications where you have to share with your friends to see the results of some quiz or poll. My friend Rich has a great story (I was a personal witness) of accidentally hitting "see results" for a quiz (which was actually a Trojan horse version of an "Invite Friends" button).
- News Feed and Mini Feed – notifications are sent to your friends news feed and mini feed upon adding and removing an application. What the heck is the news or mini feed you may ask? These are both "feeds" into your profile page or "Facebook Home page" that tell you what your friends are up to. If you or your friends add applications, this is where the notification will appear.
So if you are a frequent Facebook user (like myself), then you have probably stumbled across all of these – even if you didn't know it. The interesting aspect of working with FB Apps is that there are a lot of variances to understand with respect to widget analytics. There are a few different things to be aware of:
- FB has two different ways that a widget can be shared within FB – 1) "Add Application" from the application's canvas page and 2) natively grabbing the widget from another user's profile page. The former example is how the widget (or app – keep in mind that I am assuming that the app IS a widget) can be spread without using the sharing tools provided by the widget serving platform. The latter is completely dependent upon using the services of the widget serving platform. The result here is that the widget placement that gets the credit for spreading the widget is either going to be a centralized registered application – OR – a specific user's profile. The granularity between the two options can be critical if you as a marketer are trying to identify a power user who is causing your widget to get grabbed a lot.
- Click to activate – just because your widget is being viewed each time a visitor views their profile page, does not mean that your widget analytics data is incrementing in lock step. FB requires that the visitor "click to activate" the widget before it will load in the content and make outbound connections to send tracking data. Other social networks do not behave this way, so it is a critical nuance to be aware of when analyzing your widget metrics for Facebook.
Not all social networks are alike. In fact, you may find that the analytics reported for views of your widget will FAR EXCEED that of another network – yet the same two networks will show opposite trends for how often and how many times your widget is grabbed or spread. In many cases, this is dependent on tapping into the "social graph" or lack of social graph of many of these networks. Those that easily hook into your "friends" and invite them to join the same application (or widget) will generally behave different than just waiting for someone to grab your widget on a static page. Pros and cons to each. The shrewd marketer will combine these efforts to build a marketing campaign that works effectively across all metrics – views, grabs and interactivity.
What are you noticing that is different between social networks? Do you see behavior that is completely different from one site to another? Segmentation is the key in understanding how to measure success in your widget campaign. Different metrics will apply for different networks depending on their behavior.
Check out my favorite widget of the week – Clear Channel launched a new Jonas Brothers widget that promotes the band's songs, including a new release. Enjoy!


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2013 Porsche Cayenne S Diesel revealed
* New Porsche Cayenne S Diesel * V8 diesel engine; 0-62mph in 5.7sec * On sale in January, from 58,243...
This is the new Porsche Cayenne S Diesel, a V8-powered diesel model that will make its debut at the Paris motor show later this month.
The Cayenne S Diesel has a 377bhp 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8, and will sit above the current 242bhp V6 diesel model. Its 627lb ft of torque is the most pulling power of any Cayenne.
The 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds is two seconds quicker than the V6 diesel's. Top speed is 157mph.
Average fuel economy is 34mpg, while the CO2 emissions figure is 218g/km. Porsche claims the S Diesel has a range of 745 miles per tank.
Standard equipment includes leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, eight-way powered front seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The Porsche Cayenne S Diesel's 627lb ft of torque gives it the most pulling power of any Cayenne
The Cayenne S Diesel will hit showrooms in January, and costs from 58,243.


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A total of eight cases of hepatitis A in San Diego have been linked to a brand of frozen berries sold at Costco stores, local health officials said Wednesday.
The local cases -- which have risen from two to eight since this past weekend -- are part of a seven-state hepatitis A outbreak associated with at least 49 cases of the infection. At least 12 of those cases have been reported in other California counties.
Health officials say the hepatitis A outbreak is tied to consumers who ate Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries sold at Costco stores. The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers to not eat the product.
The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) says all eight individuals in San Diego with hepatitis A reported eating the frozen berry blend purchased from Costco.
Six of the infected individuals were hospitalized and fully recovered, HHSA officials said Wednesday. Two more local cases are currently under investigation.
The outbreak, which was first reported Friday, is being investigated by multiple agencies including the HHSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal Food and Drug Administration, and the California Department of Public Health.
The CDC says the infected individuals in this outbreak range in age from 2 to 71 years old, and 60 percent are women. The onset of most of the illnesses was reported between Apr. 29 and May 24.
On Tuesday, Oregon-based Townsend Farms, Inc. announced it was voluntarily recalling certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend as a precaution due to product's potential hepatitis A contamination.
According to the company, the product was sold at Costco stores in a three-pound bag under UPC 0 78414 404448.
The recalled codes, found on the back of the package with the words "BEST BY," include all codes from T012415 sequentially through T053115, followed by a letter. Find more photos of the berry product label below or by clicking here.
The product was also sold at Harris Teeter stores from Apr. 19 to May 7 under the product name Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend, UPC 0 72036 70463 4. The lot codes and "BEST BY" codes included in the recall are T041613E, T041613C and 101614.
According to the recall, one of the ingredients of the berry blend – pomegranate seeds processed in Turkey – may be linked to the hepatitis A outbreak in the United States.
Health officials expect additional cases of hepatitis A to be reported in coming days and weeks because it can take up to seven weeks to become ill after exposure to the virus.
"If you ate the recalled frozen berry blend within the past two weeks, talk to your health care provider about getting immunizations to prevent the illness," said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., county public health officer on Wednesday. "Anyone who ate the product should be aware of the symptoms of hepatitis A and seek medical attention early if they appear."
Health officials say symptoms of hepatitis A include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdomen pain, dark urine and jaundice. Anyone with those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
HHSA officials say the hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin can prevent infection if given within 14 days of exposure.
The HHSA says hepatitis A varies in severity. Mild cases can last two weeks, while more severe cases can lead to hospitalization. The virus is spread from person to person, or through contaminated food or beverages. For more information on hepatitis A, visit the CDC's website.
Anyone who ate the recalled berry blend and has questions about possible exposure to hepatitis A can check for information at the county HHSA website.
Consumers who purchased the product should discard it immediately. Testing is still being conducted on the product and the outbreak remains under investigation.
As for consumers, those with questions regarding the product recall can contact Townsend Farms Customer Service, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at (800) 875-5291 or via email at email@example.com.
NBC 7 reached out to Costco on Wednesday and a representative confirmed that Costco will offer free hepatitis A vaccinations to customers at their in-store pharmacies beginning Thursday. If customers choose to go elsewhere for the vaccination, Costco will reimburse customers for the cost of the vaccine, the spokesperson said.