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Kay Scott of Planned Parenthood of Georgia should see maafa21 and the latest from live action videos. Geveryl Robinson is telling the truth. She gets it…
In a letter to the editor, Planned Parenthood Director Kay Scott denies the obvious. She should view the following:
Letters to the editor Monday
Posted: April 11, 2010 – 12:18am
Planned Parenthood no eugenics plot
It's a shame that the Savannah Morning News would print such a misguided opinion column, full of misinformation and hysteria ("Children need more stones," Geveryl Robinson, March 21).
Planned Parenthood works harder than any pro-life protestor ever will to help educate all communities so that they can make the best health care decisions for themselves. No one works harder than Planned Parenthood to provide the health care services that help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies while also providing cancer screenings and other essential services.
The founder of Planned Parenthood lived 80 years ago and brought birth control information and services to all those who requested them. This was a time when just talking about birth control could land you in jail and before abortion was legal. What she said about eugenics has never been a part of Planned Parenthood's beliefs.
Women who face challenges getting affordable preventive services often face higher unintended pregnancies as well as many other preventable illnesses. Instead of using race to divide our communities, we should all be working with Planned Parenthood to ensure that all women get affordable health care services.
President/CEO Planned Parenthood of Georgia
Robinson: Children need more stones
Author: GEVERYL ROBINSON
Albert Einstein once said, "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
I was reminded of this statement when I became aware of billboards in Fulton and DeKalb counties in Atlanta that proclaimed the following:
"Black Children Are An Endangered Species. TOOMANYABORTED.COM"
I am pro-life. I believe the abortion of any child of any race is murder.
However, in this country, abortion is legal; thus, women have the right to make that choice. In addition, I am not a conspiracy theorist, and I tend to become irritated with those people who are.
But after researching Planned Parenthood and speaking to Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation and the man responsible for the billboards, and Catherine Davis, Minority Outreach Director for Georgia Right to Life, I am 100 percent certain that Planned Parenthood targets minorities – namely, Black people.
My statement is not based on a conspiracy theory or paranoia. It's based on facts.
Bomberger was put up for adoption after his mother was raped. He has said his campaign doesn't target black women. Instead, it exposes an industry that he believes targets African-Americans.
During my talk with him, he added, "This is not propaganda; this is the truth. It's amazing how people can have the truth in black and white, and still try to deny it."
For those who may not know about Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, she was a eugenicist who spearheaded the birth control movement and Planned Parenthood for one reason. On page 12 of "Morality and Birth Control," Sanger wrote, "Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race."
She believed there were certain people who should not pro-create. She focused on one group in particular and put her plan, which she called the "Negro Project" in motion.
Here's what she wrote on Dec. 19, 1939, in a letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble:
"We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."
The billboard campaign has come under fire, and Loretta Ross, the executive director of theSisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective in Atlanta, said the billboards painted black women as either monsters intent on destroying their own race or victims of whites who control abortion clinics.
"The reason we have so many Planned Parenthoods in the black community is because leaders in the black community in the '20s and '30s went to Margaret Sanger and asked for them," Ms. Ross said. "Controlling our fertility was part of our uplift out of poverty strategy, and it still works."
I'm going to guess that Ms. Ross is probably not a Rhodes scholar. I am not aware of any correlation between abortions of black children and uplift out of the poverty strategy of the black race. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure blacks are at the bottom of the poverty chain. In addition, Sanger's plan didn't really take effect until the 1940s, so Ross's claim that in the '20s and '30s black leaders went to Sanger and asked for Planned Parenthood is ludicrous.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's research arm, "In the United States, the abortion rate for black women is almost five times that for white women, and 43 percent of all black pregnancies end in abortion." Those are pretty high statistics, considering that blacks nationally comprise only13 percent of the population but account for36.4 percentof all abortions.
In Georgia the toll is worse. According to the Georgia Department of Community Health,58 percentof all abortions committed in 2008 were on black women, even though blacks comprise 30 percent of the state population.
I have often wondered how many pro-life advocates would be willing to "put up or shut up. How many would be willing to adopt a child whose mother kept her child?
Some have said trying to fight against organizations like Planned Parenthood is like David battling Goliath. If people rallied to fight for things in which they believed, I'm sure Goliath would attest that it's amazing what small stones can do.
Geveryl Robinson, formerly of Savannah, lives and writes in Knoxville.


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Caught a little jewel chat with great people like Tony Rock, RT Stekel, Dannon Green, Shang, Sidney Castillo,Deon Cole, David Golstan, Al Walser & so many more. So lets get to my first jewel chat with Tony Rock. Now alot people know Tony because his big brother is hilarious funny man Chris Rock. But dont get it twisted this young comic has made a name for himself and do to his roles on numerous tv shows & performances in numerous comedy tours there is no question that the Showtime at the Appollo Host is blazing his own trail. When i asked him about his relationship with Tommy & what he thought about the show.
He said and i quote "Indirectly I started Chocolate Sunday's" Not meaning to be arrogant. Only menaing that he was the original first host of the show and he created the name.
He says Tommy is a great choice for the show. He says they have been friends for a long time due to the fact that he is the little brother of Chris Rock. Which has been friends with Tommy for years. He says he has the most respect for him and believes that Tommy being apart of Chocolate Sundays is only going to make the show bigger & better.
You can catch Tony as a new cast member on the Hit BET show "Reed Between the Lines".
He is currently on the Royal Comedy Tours with Bruce,Bruce Semmore, Dl Hugley & so many more.Also he will be on the Rock The Mic tour. Ccheck him out on twitter @TonyRock or Instagram Tony_Rock.
Up next I talked to my very funny friend and one of the performers on Chocalate Sundays RT Steckel. I asked what he thought about the party and his response was " Pookie Put together a hell of a party".. He's so funny. He went on to say how proud he is to be apart of the show & how much he respects Tommy Davidson
He finds him to be professional & hilarious.He"s always been inspired through comedy from greats like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy & Goerge Carlin just to name a few and that those were the comic that gave him passion to be a comedian, Catch RT on Chocolate Sunday"s premiering on Showtime Sunday & on The Real Husband's of Hollywood.
[email protected] & facebook.com/RtSteckel
Now by this event being thrown during Grammy Weekend it wouldnt be a proper party without seeing some nominee's. I ran into Grammy Nominee Al Walser the Liechtenstein native has created quite a buzz with his unexpected nomination. He admits to being the under dog in the category but coming from being the only bi-racial kid in a country of 35,000 under dog doesnt seem so bad. Now before i go i have to dish about my jewel chat with Shah's of Sunset Cast member. Actor/comedian David Golshan this guy is too funny. When i asked him was he enjoying the party his reply was "Hell Yes" he say he loves being in diverse enviroments and around so may talented people. He also finished by saying he thinks he is mixed with black because he doesnt like to swim.
That was so random and had nothing to do with our interview.But it was kinda funny.Loved it. Checkout David Golshan as a new cast ember on Parks/Recreations & Shah's of Sunset.He is also touring.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey! I didn't know your birthday was last month! Happy belated. Hope it was great.
Thanks for "getting" me. I think seldom people do. Take care, and keep partying like it's your birthday.
Hey Tim,
Thanks for the commnet. Would have responded, but I see thread got locked. Political opinions are fine, I wish people would be more respectful of religious perspectives. Have they ever tried opening a thread to discuss religion, or would that wax dangerous, with more rapid flare-ups than a person suffering from...? Well, I'll leave it at that.
Do take care.
Sure thing, T**. (Don't want to post your full name in public.) I'll send with you mine in turn, and keeping in touch sounds like a lovely idea. It's always good to share positive vibes.
Michelle's Bodyguard
Proud Mommy of Three Angels and Proud Kwanaddict!
"Focus on the journey, not the destination."


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California's job numbers look bad, with unemployment sitting at above 12 percent, more than three points higher than the national average.
But Steve Levy, perhaps the leading expert on the California economy, writes at Healthycal.org that when you look inside the numbers, the picture is brighter.
In short, most of the state's job loss has been in construction and in government. Subtract those two categories, and California's job market is growing relatively rapidly. Writes Levy:
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"California's job picture improves markedly once construction and government job losses are removed from the data. In these data, California job growth more than doubles for 2010 and outpaces the nation."
Given that construction is driven by housing (which is itself shaped deeply by government), what we may be seeing is the drag of the persistent budget crisis on jobs. If we can get a handle on how we govern ourselves fiscally, California may be in a strong position to recover.


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I try to follow the political discussion in the U.S. and am amazed how much effort it takes even to begin to be well-informed. If you are serious about being informed, you can't be the least bit lazy and depend on a couple of pundits to shape your world view. You have to get out there and study the people you disagree with — in their own words, not the pundits' words. Information comes at you like a fire hose and you better not be off to the side sipping out of a dripping garden hose.
I was just reading some editorial about how President Barack Obama is so naive and goes around the world apologizing for past American actions. The premise is that our foreign policy is in shambles because of him. That is so naive.
These people need to take a sip from the fire hose. Take the Middle East. Major changes are going on. Dictators are being booted out and previously powerless are gaining power in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya. It looks like Syria might also flip. Do you know what this means? Sure, Islamists may appear to gain power and they may say anti-American things for a while, but the Islamists can't sit on the side lines and carp anymore. They are now responsible for creating jobs and security for the people. Nothing moderates one's politics more than the responsibility of governing. I think it is great that this evolution in the Middle East is empowering the younger generation with hope and dignity.
Take Iran. The right wing narrative is that Mr. Obama has caved or doesn't know what he is doing. Look at what is actually going on. Instead of a military strike that would unify all Iranians against the U.S. in a nanosecond, a tightening noose of world pressure is forcing the issue. The Iranian oil market is being reduced and the Iranian banks ability to do international transactions is being restricted. Iran is reeling from the economic pressure and showing signs of cracking. Iranians are divided and mostly against their government. They want change. A military strike by the U.S. on Iran's nuclear facilities is still on the table, but if we can get the job done with "smart power," why not? Stay tuned.
If Syria flips, or should I say when it flips, Iran will be isolated. Hezbollah and Hamas will lose their conduit to Iran. The dynamics around Israel will change completely. Iran is supporting Bashar Assad in Syria and most of the newly empowered masses in the Middle East support the overthrow of Mr. Assad, against Iran's interest.
This is great stuff for the interest of the U.S., not to mention the Middle East itself. The people there want jobs and security. They want to get married and have families. They are tired of oppression and extremism. Sure, they have some rough times to get through and the learning curve for governance is long and difficult. But because of the Obama administration the U.S. finds itself on the right side of history. Instead of the empty bluster of a Dick Cheney creating enemies and ridicule at every turn, we have smart power sculpting events behind the scenes.
You guys on the right with your naive Obama apologizing narrative are missing the whole show and you are certainly on the wrong side of history.
Avery Harden, Towson


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Using online and wireless communication to organize large, diverse groups of people has been a key component of the nonviolent Arab Spring uprisings. But these tools aren't just for deposing dictators -- organizers are finding new ways to use them here in the U.S., from defending individuals under threat of deportation to spurring nationwide public rallies around key political issues. As Jeannie Choi writes in our cover feature, "A Web of Power," the best tech-savvy organizers are rooted in the same priorities that have shaped successful movements for decades -- listening to, learning from, and communicating with people to mobilize them to create change.
We're finalizing this issue soon after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Some former Bush administration officials have claimed that without so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," bin Laden never would have been found. But CIA chief Leon Panetta explained that such techniques actually provided false leads in the search for bin Laden. Writing in The Washington Post, torture survivor Sen. John McCain countered the Bush officials' claims and asserted the need for moral clarity when it comes to torture: "Ultimately, this is more than a utilitarian debate. This is a moral debate. It is about who we are."
The church ought to be a source for such moral clarity -- but in fact many American Christians are in favor of the use of torture. In "The Body in Pain," Robin Kirk, executive director of the Duke Human Rights Center, writes about efforts by church activists, ethicists, and leaders to educate Christians on why torture is anathema to our faith and to spur more of us to lift up a voice of conscience in the public debate.


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Zachary Quinto, known for his turn as Spock in the "Star Trek" reboots, made his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams' semi-autobiographical classic "The Glass Menagerie."
Quinto stars as restless son Tom alongside Cherry Jones as Southern belle and overbearing matriarch Amanda in the new revival that opened Thursday in New York's Booth Theatre.
They have experience playing mother and child: The American Repertory Theater production was staged earlier this year in Cambridge, Mass., before transferring to Broadway.
John Tiffany ("Once") helms the memory drama that paints a portrait of shattered family through Tom's lens. So is the revival as potent as the 1944 masterpiece that first put Williams on the map?
PHOTOS: Hollywood stars on stage
The New York Times Ben Brantley calls Tiffany's "Menagerie" the "most revealing revival of a cornerstone classic for many a year to come." He adds that Quinto and Jones give "career-defining performances," and the cast has honed an "emotional sharpness" beyond their "fine" performances in Cambridge.
Elysa Gardner of USA Today gives high marks to Jones in this "magnificent and harrowing" new revival that will "leave a glow in your heart." She writes that Jones' turn as Amanda will "amaze even her most ardent admirers in its depth and compassion."
Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News writes that "Menagerie" should break your heart, and this "striking" revival "cracks it wide open." He adds that the Bob Crowley's "strong, spare scenery" match the "lean and natural" performances.
David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter writes the "transfixing" production taps into the intimacy of the nearly 70-year-old play "in ways that give the impression you're seeing it for the first time."


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BERLIN- After finishing a close second in the Maryland Class 3A-2A-1A regional meet last weekend, Stephen Decatur's fledgling boys' and girls' varsity swim teams are ready to take their marks in the state championship meet that gets underway tomorrow.
In just its second year of existence, and its first as an officially sanctioned team sport, Decatur's boys and girls varsity swim teams have already made a big splash. Last weekend, the Seahawks came in a close second in the state Class 3A-2A-1A east regional meet with 262 total team points, just behind Cambridge-South Dorchester, which won the event with 280 total team points.
As a result, the Decatur swim teams will be well represented at the state championship meet this weekend at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. A total of 11 girls' will compete in 16 individual events and eight Seahawk boys will compete in 11 individual events. Decatur will also compete in four relay events at states.
Five Seahawk girls will compete in multiple events including Taylor Blazer, 200-meter freestyle and 200 medley relay; Brianna Carroll, 200 individual medley and 200-meter medley relay; Catelin Geiser, 50-meter freestyle and 200-meter medley; Jessica Giles, 100-meter breast stroke and 400 freestyle relay; and Katie Hansen, 500 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay.
Decatur female swimmers competing in single events at states this weekend include Lindsey Bankart (200 freestyle), Sarah Meadows (100 butterfly), Rachael Pacella (200 medley relay), Laura Prengaman (200 medley relay), Jenny Sullivan (100 backstroke), and Krysten Wolinski (100 meter breast stroke).
On the boys' side, Jake Blazer will compete in the 200-meter freestyle and the 200-meter medley relay; Austin Deppe is slated for the 200 individual medley and the 200 medley relay; and Stephen Kosinski will compete in the 200 freestyle and the 200 medley relay. Other Seahawks scheduled to compete include Bo Deskins, Brandon Flakowitz, Robert Layton, Garrett Neville and Christian Yandle, each of whom will compete in the 200 medley relay.


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Sunday, December 08, 2013
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Bring your pets into Photography by Angel's Studio for pictures with Santa!
Call (708)361-7750 for more info and to make your appointment.
Additional prints/sizes may be ordered. Appointments ARE necessary. Pets must be leashed and well trained.
A portion of your order will be donated to Animal Welfare League!
Photography by Angel
Studio & On-location photography services
11416 S. Harlem Ave., Worth, IL 60482
Babies * Children * Maternity * Families * Pets * Special Events
www.angelmphoto.com - www.facebook.com/photographybyangel
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The Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) solicits contributions in honor of the life and legacy of Charles P. Parkhurst (OC '38) to an endowed art conservation fund in his name. Throughout his career, the preservation and study of high quality works of art was always at the forefront of Mr. Parkhurst's efforts. As a tribute, many of his students, colleagues and friends – as well as those who did not know him, but appreciate the great importance of preserving the treasures of the past – set up the Charles P. Parkhurst Art Conservation Fund, to care for works in the AMAM collection. The Parkhurst Fund provides a consistent base of funding to help the museum support the preservation of original works of art.
Please contact the Office of the Director at 440-775-8665 to contribute to the Charles Parkhurst Art Conservation Fund. Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Charles P. Parkhurst, a distinguished art historian, museum director and seminal figure in the history of Oberlin College's Allen Memorial Art Museum, died June 25, 2008 at his home in Amherst, Massachusetts. He was 95.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Parkhurst attended grammar school and high school in Oberlin and earned his MA in art history from Oberlin College in 1938, studying under the legendary Clarence Ward. At Mr. Ward's urging, Mr. Parkhurst went on to earn his MFA at Princeton University in 1941. During World War II, Mr. Parkhurst served as one of the "Monuments Men," a team of art historians and curators tasked with tracking down works of art lost or stolen during the war. Mr. Parkhurst was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government for his work in restoring French art to its rightful owners.
In 1949, Mr. Parkhurst became head of Oberlin's Department of Art and Professor of the History and Appreciation of Art, as well as director of the AMAM. He held those posts until 1962. Many of the AMAM's most renowned paintings and sculptures were acquired during Mr. Parkhurst's tenure as director. He is still widely remembered for recommending the purchase of the AMAM's undoubted masterpiece, the Hendrick ter Brugghen painting, St. Sebastian Tended by Irene.
While at Oberlin, Mr. Parkhurst also co-founded the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA), in 1952, which was located on the Oberlin College campus for decades, before it relocated to Cleveland in 2003. The ICA was the nation's first non-profit regional art conservation center.In 1962, Mr. Parkhurst became director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, a post he held until 1970. As president of the American Association of Museums from 1966 to 1968, he developed an accreditation system for museums similar to the one used by universities. He was named assistant director and chief curator of the National Gallery of Art in 1970, as the museum prepared to break ground for the construction of its East Building. After retiring from the National Gallery in 1983, Mr. Parkhurst taught and held museum positions at Williams College and Smith College.


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DA 560mm F5.6 ED AW - Overview
Descriptionread more
Outstanding image rendition of distant subjects
When mounted on a PENTAX K-mount lens-interchangeable digital camera body, this super-telephoto lens offers an equivalent focal length of approximately 859mm in the 35mm format. Since its unique telescope-type optics requires fewer optical elements than conventional lens optics, it assures sharp, well-defined images, particularly with distant subjects. Also by incorporating two ED (extra-low dispersion) optical elements, it delivers bright, high-resolution images even at the edges, while effectively minimizing chromatic aberration.
New, high-grade HD Coating
This lens is treated with HD Coating,* a high-grade multi-layer lens coating newly developed by PENTAX. Compared with conventional multi-layer coatings, this new coating provides higher light transmittance with reduced reflection, to deliver sharp, clear images free of flare and ghost images, even under demanding lighting conditions such as backlight.
* HD stands for High Definition, and signifies the lens's capacity to reproduce images that excel in transparency, definition, resolution and rendition.
Dustproof, weather-resistant construction
As a new model of the AW (All Weather) series, this lens features a dependable dustproof, weather-resistant construction with 29 special seals to effectively prevent the intrusion of dust and water into the lens interior. By coupling this lens with a dustproof, weather-resistant PENTAX lens-interchangeable digital camera body such as the PENTAX K-5 or PENTAX K-30, the user is assured of a durable, reliable imaging system that performs superbly in demanding outdoor settings — even in rain or mist, or at locations prone to water splashes or spray.
New exterior design signifying HD series
The lens exterior has been painted an elegant white to minimize heat haze generated inside the lens barrel due to a blazing sun. Featured in the middle of the lens barrel is a red almite ring that serves as a distinct, radiant symbol of the new HD PENTAX lens series. Strap lugs are made from machined aluminium to enhance its exclusive appearance.


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Suske en Wiske - Angst op de Amsterdam
Paul Geerts was the successor of Willy Vandersteen on the popular Flemish comic 'Suske en Wiske' for many years. Born in Turnhout, he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp at the age of 14, and worked as an window-dresser at the Innovation department store. His first illustrating assignments included advertisements for cinemas and silkscreens. Geerts made his comics debut in magazine Trouw en Lente with 'De Chorowietjes', written by E.H. Jan Hillen. Later on, he was also present in publications like Het Volk, 't Kapoentje, Ohee and Gazet van Antwerpen, and created the science fiction story 'De Melkweglopers' and 'De Verdwenen Smirrel' (collected in album in 1970).
Suske & Wiske - De Parel in de Lotusbloem (Tibetan version)
In 1967, while working in a printing firm, he applied for a job at Willy Vandersteen's studios. After a trial period, he was hired and commenced working at Studio Vandersteen in January 1968. He started out working as an artist and writer on 'Jerom' stories for the German market, and as an inker on 'Bessy', 'De Rode Ridder', and 'Biggles'. Geerts soon became Vandersteen's assistant on the 'Suske en Wiske' series. He eventually gained sole responsibility for this series, starting with the episode 'De Gekke Gokker' in 1972.
Suske en Wiske - De Krachtige Krans
Geerts continued the extremely popular Flemish series for many years, making it a little bit more realistic and maintaining a steady production of 4 albums a year. Some of the highlights of his work are 'De Raap van Rubens', 'Angst op de Amsterdam' and 'De Parel in de Lotusbloem', which was an homage to Willy Vandersteen. In 2001, he stopped working on the regular 'Suske en Wiske' stories, and handed over his position as main writer and illustrator to Marc Verhaegen.
De Hemelboom
A biography about Paul Geerts' work was published in 2005. It also contained a new comic story, 'De Hemelboom', the result of a trip Geerts made to North-Vietnam with his travel companion Freddy Vangansbeke. After his retirement, he also took up painting again. He was named Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2007.
In 2011 he paid graphic homage to Pom in the collective tribute album 'Op Het Spoor van Pom' (2011).
Paul Geerts, signing in Erlangen (Photo courtesy of Henrik Bernd)
Spike and Suzy on the WWW
(in English, French and Dutch)


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Official movie thread for discussions and announcements regarding the upcoming film "Sabungero" starring Joel Torre.
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Azana owner: Our hearts are broken
Spa shooting victims' official causes of death released
The four people who were killed Sunday at the Azana Salon and Spa all officially died from gunshot wounds, according to the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office.
The autopsies showed Zina Haughton, 42, died from multiple gunshot wounds; Maelyn Lind, 38, died from gunshot wound to the head and chest; and Cary Robuck, 35, died from a gunshot wound to the neck.
The gunman, Radcliffe Haughton, 45, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Three of the other other shooting victims remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon at Froedtert Hospital in satisfactory condition. One person was released Monday afternoon.
The owner of the spa held a brief news conference Tuesday, thanking the community and emergency responders.
"Our hearts are broken over the loss of our colleagues. They were heroic in their actions and protected each other to the end," Tami Gemmell said.
Gemmell said said she hopes that this leads the community to open "a serious dialog about domestic violence."
The salon owner also extended prayers to the three shooting victims who remain hospitalized, and made it clear the business here will resume at some point.
"My top priority and concern is for my employees, our clients and their loved ones. Buildings can be restored. Equipment can be replaced, but the human loss can never be measured," Gemmell said.


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Across the country there are people who are holding their breath waiting to see what happens with this year's Hall of Fame vote. Many believe that this may be the first time that no players who currently eligible under normal standards will be elected (others could still be elected such as broadcasters, owners, older players who are no longer eligible). If no players are elected, this could mean that there is not as much interest in the Hall of Fame this year, and could lead to decreased attendance at the induction ceremonies which occur in the summer.
Already many articles are pointing at the potential economic impact that this may have for Cooperstown, where the Hall of Fame is located. The LA Times notes that some stores do about 15% of their annual sales during the induction weekend. Professor McDonnell in this article of Forbes discusses the tie between Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame:
The village of Cooperstown is just as anxious to hear the Hall of Fame results as the candidates themselves. Cooperstown's hospitality and tourism industries are inextricably tied to the Hall of Fame's fortunes. They can ill afford to have a half empty dais on Hall of Fame weekend due in part to protest or lack of interest. Likewise, they need Main Street to be bustling with visitors who are spending their disposable income at the local restaurants, shops, motels and inns. A summer without a single living member of the Class of 2013 or a boycott of any kind by fans or current Hall of Famers could be detrimental to business owners that rely heavily on the allure of baseball's history.
I understand that there is a good deal of business in hospitality and tourism that revolves around the Hall of Fame, but the Hall of Fame itself has been losing money over the last several years. While it is a big deal for many local businesses, I begin to wonder how much we should be worried about the economic impact of the Hall of Fame vote. Yes, some individuals and businesses will be affected, but at the same time, one has to question whether Cooperstown has literally put all of its eggs into one basket. Furthermore, if we are talking about the vote mattering for the economy, then will not some writers feel more pressured to vote yes for individuals they think shouldn't be in the HoF, all for the sake of propping up some businesses that have a great dependence on a event for a few days every year.
I hate to sound like I am not sympathetic, but at the same time I have to shake my head when I hear all this talk of the economic impact of the Hall of Fame vote. It wasn't like people knew this problem, I think better business planning and strategies needed to be created to try and offset some of these issues.


text: I'm Just a Caveman - The Hanselman Corollary to the Clarke/Wheeler Laws March 13, '08 Comments [21] Posted in ASP.NET | ASP.NET MVC | DevCenter | Learning .NET | Programming Sponsored By Any problem in computer science can be solved with one additional layer of indirection. But that usually will create another problem. - David Wheeler Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke. These are two classic truisms. Recently while staring at some code trying to figure out what the heck was going on, I realized the obvious. One additional layer of indirection is indistinguishable from magic. - Scott Hanselman, this morning in a rare moment of clarity while hopped up on Diet Coke. In recent talk at Mix on ASP.NET MVC (there's video there also) I mentioned that a certain line of code was magic: public void Update(int id) { try { viewData.Product = db.Products.Single(p => p.ProductID == id); //MAGIC STARTS HERE Binding.UpdateFrom(viewData.Product, Request.Form); //END MAGIC db.SubmitChanges(); RedirectToAction("List"); } catch (InvalidOperationException err) { viewData.ErrorMessage = err.Message; RenderView("edit", viewData); } } Why did it feel like magic? A few reasons. It does a LOT. It takes all the values from a Form POST and lines them up with the public Properties in an object instance. This is done in the context of a Form POST to a Controller Action in ASP.NET MVC. It isn't named well. Update is a verb, so that's cool, but the "From" makes me feel inverted. The parameters are (possibly) in the wrong order. Given the name, I'd have expected UpdateFrom(Form, Product), but even then it doesn't feel write. All of this adds up to an impedance mismatch, IMHO. It's too confusing and I'm just a caveman (video). As such, I declare it as black magic. This magic was brought up to the team (I think I remember hitting someone, there may have been some swearing. ;) ) and Rob changed it in a number of good ways. It's discoverable. He hung it off of the Request where you can actually stumble upon in. It's named directly. Rather than the inverted UpdateFrom, it is now DeserializeTo which reads better left to right as in Request.DeserializeTo(product). It's simpler. Because it's hanging off the object that was previously a parameter, it has one less parameter and again, reads nicely left to right. //FEELS LESS MAGICAL Request.DeserializeTo(viewData.Product); Jeff Moser's (see I told you I'd mention him twice) fine post talks about how cognitive "chunks" that represent solutions to problems can be more easily stored in our brains if they flow. Scott Bellware has called this concept "solubility." Code that uses frameworks with some balanced between focus on aesthetic and usability is more easily grokked. I don't know if this is the final method, it's probably not, but I really enjoy discussions like this that aim to make things less like magic and more obvious and discoverable. About Scott Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author. About Newsletter Sponsored By Hosting By Comments [21] Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or use the Permalink


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Dinner Tonight: Roasted Beet Salad with Guajilo Chile Dressing Recipe
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
Beets paired with goat cheese is nothing new. They just go together, the creamy tang balancing out the strong flavors of that root vegetable we all loved to hate as kids (though if you simply roast it, as in this recipe, it's as sweet as candy).
Taking a cue from Rick Bayless, I tried to bring something a little more interesting to this classic pairing. Turns out the earthiness of beets plays superbly with the earthiness of dried chiles, which are the soul of this absolutely addictive dressing. Briefly fried in olive oil with cloves of garlic, the guajilo chiles are then pulsed in a food processor with sherry vinegar, the garlic, and the oil. The result is sweet, vinegary, smoky, garlicky--it's wondrous. I'm going to start keeping this around all the time.
To finish out the salad, I wilted the stems and leaves from the beets, because that's what I had, though next time I'd also cook some Swiss chard to bulk it out. It would also do nicely on some spring greens, baby spinach, or watercress.
What's New On Serious Eats
- Yield:4
- Rated:
- 1 pound beets, washed and cut into small wedges
- 3/4 cup oil (neutral, olive, or a combination)
- 2 medium dried guajilo chiles (or substitute New Mexico chiles)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- salt to taste
- 4 handfuls beet greens, swiss chard, spring greens, spinach, or watercress
- 2 ounces goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the beet wedges with olive oil and salt and arrange on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven until a fork easily penetrates, 30-45 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to caramelize them.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a small skillet and add the garlic. While it is heating, tear off the stems from the chiles and split them open, shaking out the seeds. When the garlic is sizzling vigorously the oil is hot enough; lay the chiles flat in the oil and toast for about 30 seconds, until they smell "toasty" and and insides have turned lighter in color. Remove the pan from the heat.
Carefully transfer the chiles to a blender or small food processor and add the vinegar plus a teaspoon of salt. Blend or process for 30 seconds. Once the oil has cooled somewhat (at least 5 minutes) add it along with the garlic, then blend until smooth and emulsified. It may take a minute or more. Season to taste with salt.
If using the beet greens or Swiss chard, add them to the skillet with 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt and cover. Cook over medium heat until wilted, then uncover and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Divide amongst plates, top with the beets and drizzle with plenty of dressing. Crumble goat cheese on the plate and serve.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
3-Port USB-C Hub with Power Delivery - USB-C to 3x USB-A - USB 3.0 Hub - White
Turn your laptop's USB Type-C port into three USB Type-A ports (5Gbps), plus power and charge your laptop
Product ID: HB30C3APDW
- TAA Compliant
- Compact and portable hub that adds three USB-A ports to your laptop through a USB-C port
- Supports USB Power Delivery 2.0 (up to 60W) to power and charge your laptop, when coupled with the laptop's USB-C based power adapter
- Built-in, extended-length (34 cm) USB Type-C cable provides flexible desk placement options
- Universal, multi-platform compatible with fast, easy installation and native support in most operating systems (Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux)
- Plug-and-play, and supports hot-swapping or hot-plugging
- Integrated cable features a small and reversible USB-C connector, and it's Thunderbolt™ 3 data port compatible
- Backward compatible, for use with your older USB 3.0 and 2.0 devices
- Dongle-style hub provides three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 Gen 1) ports, with throughput support up to 5Gbps
This TAA compliant 3-port USB 3.0 hub lets you expand the functionality of your MacBook Pro, MacBook and other USB-C™ enabled laptops by adding three USB-A ports. The compact USB hub supports USB Power Delivery, which means that you can power and charge your laptop through its USB-C port while simultaneously powering the hub.
Take it with you wherever you go
With its compact and rugged design, you can take this portable USB 3.0 hub anywhere you go. It's easy to tuck into your laptop bag and only takes up a small amount of desk space when you connect it to your workstation. For portable applications, having the integrated host (USB-C) cable means one less thing to remember to carry with you.
Carry fewer cables and power adapters
This USB-C 3.0 hub supports USB Power Delivery 2.0 pass-through up to 60W to power and charge your laptop. Now, instead of carrying multiple cables and power adapters, you can use your laptop's USB-C power adapter to power both your laptop and the hub. By using just a single power adapter instead of two, you can eliminate clutter and hassle when you work.
Connect from a comfortable distance
The 3-port USB 3.0 hub offers a built-in USB cable that's long enough to reach your laptop or tablet's USB 3.0 port, regardless of where the port is located. This gives you more desk placement options, which makes it easier to create a comfortable and space-efficient work area.
Add three USB 3.0 ports in seconds
This USB-C expansion hub is multi-platform compatible, which means it will work with a wide range of laptops. It also works with a range of operating systems such as Windows®, macOS, Linux® and Chrome OS™. It installs automatically once you connect it to your laptop, so you can be up and running in seconds.
The HB30C3APDW is backed by a StarTech.com 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.
- Carry the hub with you while you're traveling and connect virtually any USB peripheral to your laptop wherever you go
- Power both the hub and your laptop simultaneously using your laptop's USB-C based power adapter
- Use the USB-C port on your port-limited MacBook Pro, MacBook, Ultrabook™, Chromebook Pixel™, or laptop to expand your connection options by adding extra USB-A ports
Product Numbers
Ingram DK
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|2 Years
|Bus Type
|Chipset ID
|Fast-Charge Port(s)
|Industry Standards
|USB 3.0 - Backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1
|USB-C Device Port(s)
|USB Power Delivery
|USB-C Host Connection
|Maximum Data Transfer Rate
|5 Gbps
|Type and Rate
|USB 3.0 - 5 Gbit/s
|Connector Type(s)
|3 - USB Type-A (9 pin) USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) Female
|1 - USB-C (24 pin) USB Power Delivery only Female
|1 - USB Type-C (24 pin) USB 3.0 (5Gbps) Male
|OS Compatibility
|OS Independent; No additional drivers or software required
|Special Notes / Requirements
|The hub's USB-C port is for USB Power Delivery only. It does not support DisplayPort alt mode, or data transfers.
|Not all USB-C ports support the full functionality of the USB Type-C standard. Ensure that your host laptop's USB-C port supports USB Power Delivery 2.0
|The hub can connect to a host laptop's USB-C port that doesn't support USB Power Delivery 2.0. However, in this configuration if a power adapter is connected to the hub, it will not pass power through to your host laptop.
|USB 3.0 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1; this connectivity standard offers speeds up to 5Gbps.
|System and Cable Requirements
|Available USB Type-C port - USB 3.0 (5Gbps) (to ensure the hub powers and charges you laptop, your host laptop's USB-C port must support USB Power Delivery 2.0)
|Optional: USB-C power adapter (for example, your laptop's USB-C based power adapter)
|LED Indicators
|1 - Power (Blue)
|Power Delivery
|Power Source
|0~90% RH (Non-condensing)
|Operating Temperature
|0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F)
|Storage Temperature
|-20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
|Physical Characteristics
|Cable Length
|340 mm [13.4 in]
|Form Factor
|Product Height
|1.1 cm [0.4 in]
|Product Length
|75 mm [3 in]
|Product Width
|72 mm [2.8 in]
|Weight of Product
|61 g [2.2 oz]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|21.3 cm [8.4 in]
|Package Length
|40 mm [1.6 in]
|Package Width
|14.3 cm [5.6 in]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|176 g [6.2 oz]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - USB 3.0 hub
|1 - quick-start guide
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Portable Docking Station | Mac & Windows® | GbE | Thunderbolt™ 3 Compatible
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Add four USB 3.0 ports to your laptop or Ultrabook using this slim, portable hub with an extended-length cable
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Rugged Hard Drive Enclosure - USB 3.0 to 2.5in SATA 6Gbps HDD or SSD - UASP
Gear up for the field with portable hard drive protection
eSATAp / eSATA or USB 3.0 External 2.5in SATA III 6 Gbps Hard Drive Enclosure with UASP – Portable HDD / SDD
Turn a 2.5" SATA III HDD / SSD into an external hard drive that can connect to your computer through either eSATAp at 6 Gbps, or USB 3.0 with UASP at 5 Gbps
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USB 3.0 Cable - A to A - M/M - 3 m (10 ft.)
Connect USB 3.0 USB-A devices to a USB hub or to your computer
1,8m (6 ft.) Black SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Cable A to A - M/M
Connect USB 3.0 A devices to a USB hub or to your computer
1,8m (6ft.) Black SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Cable A to B - M/M
Connect to your external solutions and transfer data at 10x the speed of USB 2.0
3 m (10 ft.) Black SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Cable A to B - M/M
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USB-C to USB-A Cable - M/M - 1,8m (6 ft.) - USB 2.0 - USB-IF Certified
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Connect your USB Type-C devices to your laptop or desktop computer
Product Support
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Buy
It is possible to use some USB hubs without a power supply, however, doing so may prevent certain high-power USB peripherals from operating.
When a power adapter is not used on a hub that comes with a power adapter, power is drawn from the USB port on the computer and then divided between the ports on the hub. This reduces the power delivery to individual ports and high-powered USB peripherals, such as external hard drives, may not start.
On USB hubs that can use a power adapter, more power can be supplied to USB ports than what is possible with a single USB port.
If your USB peripherals require power adapters, they probably do not require power from the USB port and can be used on a USB hub without a power adapter. With USB peripherals that use power adapters, the USB ports on the hub are only used for data transfer and do not draw power from the hub.
USB peripherals that require low power (for example, keyboards and mice) can be used on hubs without a power adapter, in conjunction with other low-power USB peripherals. In this case, power is drawn from the computer's USB port, as described above.
USB-C is a type of USB connector that is capable of supporting the following:
- Data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps, if you use USB 3.1.
- Bi-directional power delivery up to 100W, if both the USB host connection and the device support it.
- Alternate modes, which deliver different types of data at different speeds. For example, DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode).
If using Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C, the connection is capable of additional features. For example, Thunderbolt 3 is capable of 40Gbps of total bandwidth. For more information, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/thunderbolt-3-port-capabilities.
Not all USB-C ports or devices are capable of supporting all of the features listed above, or all of the features at the maximum capabilities. If you require a specific USB-C feature, your USB host connection, cables, and device must all support the feature that you require. For more information about whether your components support specific USB-C features, refer to the information provided by the manufacturers.
To use all of the features of this USB-C device, it is required that all of the following components support USB Power Delivery 2.0:
- The USB-C host connection.
- The USB-C cable.
- The USB-C device (for example, a hard drive docking station).
To check how much power this device requires, visit the product page, and look on the Technical Specifications tab.
For more information about the power delivery capabilities of your other components, refer to the information provided by the manufacturers.
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


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Flattering me, the world's best long line strapless bra, offers real support, natural cleavage and comfort. Great as a bridal bra bustier, to use under your wedding gown or under most special occasion dresses. A dream come true of longline strapless bras and a great piece of lingerie.
Copyright © 2008 www.flattering.com. All rights reserved.


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Parents Now Incapable of Teaching Kids Basic Human Interaction
Kids these days: are they monsters who grew up on Mars and you shouldn't even bother trying to communicate with them, because they're monsters from Mars? As their parent, you know the answer to this is "Yes sir." That's why you are "outsourcing" the teaching of basic social skills to your own children. Who has the time?
The WSJ has the scoop on the latest parenting trend among horrible wealthy post-yuppies who have no time to interact with their own spawn: placing their computer-zombified kids into expensive classes where a paid professional—like Faye Rogaski of, ugh, Jesus Christ, "Socialsklz:-)," for fuck's sake—will teach them how to behave like moderately passable humans.
Ms. Rogaski now offers classes that range from $150 for a one-day workshop to $540 for a 12-week after-school program, with sections for children as young as 4. The classes cover skills as varied as how to host play dates, talk on the phone and hold a conversation.
Why teach anything to your own children when you could simply pay "Socialsklz:-)" hundreds of dollars to remedially instruct them how not to be totally social inept? At least until Siri learns how to teach this stuff.


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The perfect hue for holiday - CABERNET! Long sleeve deep V bodysuit.
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Orders will take 1 business day to ship with all orders being placed by 5 PM MST will ship the next day. All other orders will ship out the following day (we do not ship Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays). Your order will be shipped via standard shipping which is a USPS 2 day rate nation wide.
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Operatic Bouquet to Feature Excerpts from Five Operas
The Department of Performing & Visual Arts at Augustana College will present "Love's Many Faces: An Operatic Bouquet," a special vocal event directed by Dr. Lisa Grevlos. The performance, which features 18 students, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Kresge Recital Hall.
Performers will present excerpts from five different operas by Mozart, Puccini, Donizetti, Delibes and Pasatieri.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and free to students K-12. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 605.274.5320 or online at augietickets.com.
"The performances will be costumed and staged to illustrate the passion and power of these operatic masterpieces. This is an excellent introduction to the world of opera for young people and an exciting showcase for those who already love the grand art form," said Dr. Ivan Fuller, chair of the Performing & Visual Arts Department.
Performers include: Ryan Becker (Le Mars, Iowa); Callie Berg (Northwood, N.D.); Heather Disbrow (Sioux Falls, S.D.); Logan Enze (Sioux Falls, S.D.); Ali Hoffman (Colton, S.D.); John Hokanson (Cottonwood, Minn.); Rachael Hoogendoorn (Sioux Falls, S.D.); Matthew Hugen (Sioux City, Iowa); Christina Johnson (Maple Grove, MN); Melissa Johnson (Inwood, Iowa); Kristen Meidinger (Colton, S.D.); Hannah Patzer (Marshall, Minn.); David Stadem (Blomkest, Minn.); Trey Sutherland (Upton, Wyo.); Abby Trei (Rock Rapids, Iowa); Brandon Varilek (Clark, S.D.); Tyler Wasberg (Slayton, Minn.); and Ben Winkler (Cottage Grove, Minn.).
Kelly Sprecher
Director of Communications & Media Relations


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Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, checks out of the church-run residence on March 14, where he had been staying in Rome. Pope Francis returned on Thursday to the Church-run residence where he was staying before becoming pontiff, and insisted on paying the bill, despite now effectively being in charge of the business, the Vatican said.
Marcos Brindicci / Reuters
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to lead the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
By Alastair Jamieson and Claudio Lavanga, NBC News
The Latin American pope's election shattered Europe's centuries-old grip on the papacy, and his choice of name — in honor of the 12th century saint from Assisi — is widely seen as a nod to a new era of simplicity.
Lombardi said Pope Francis declined the official papal car for his first journey from the Sistine Chapel, choosing instead to board a bus with cardinals who had just elected him.
Later, at dinner, the new pope prompted laughter by responding to their toast with the remark: "May god forgive you for what you have done."
Francis returned Thursday to the church-run hostel where he had stayed ahead of the conclave and insisted on paying the bill.
"He was concerned about giving a good example of what priests and bishops should do," a Vatican spokesman said. He did not disclose how much the bill totaled. Read more.
Story: Trading in the bus for a butler: The new pope's new lifestyle
Editor's note: NBC News received this photo on March 15


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Super PACS have gotten plenty of air time lately for the role they've played in the GOP primary's ad war, and Thursday night, they got some air time on "The Colbert Report," too.
Stephen Colbert explored the rules governing super PACs, which are not allowed to coordinate in any way with the candidates they support but which may be helmed by people close to the candidates.
Take, for example, ad buys for Jon Huntsman by his dad's super PAC — or a pro-Romney super PAC with which Romney insists he doesn't communicate "in any way, shape or form." ("It is the exact same relationship he has with voters," Colbert joked.)
U.S. & World
So if the faux right-wing TV host wanted to run for president himself, what would he do with his own super PAC? Why, turn it over to his Comedy Central late-night colleague Jon Stewart, of course. Stewart showed up on Colbert's show Thursday night to do just that — and to take a crash course in the legality of super PACs.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive


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John Ashdown is a burglar. He is in fact part of a sophisticated team of burglars who operate from a Kings Cross hideout in London village. John and his pals use their cunning skills to rob of our time everyday. How many times during your working day have you tried to shield your pc from your boss because instead of rolling the Yen you're sneaking a look at the sports pages on the Guardian website?
"Everything is hunky dory, Japan can sleep tight" I say to the aforementioned boss whilst trying not to scratch my nose or blink. These lies are for a good reason though. Ashdown has got a shoe in each of the following delights; The knowledge, Today In Sport, The Fiver (of course The Fiver), daily transfer gossip and a plethora of other gubbins and, furthermore, the whole Jewson lot is bloody marvellous.
So clearly, John Ashdown - like Manchester before him - has so much to answer for. So without further ado (get on with it you lemon - Ed.) here's an EFW exclusive with the man they're calling John Ashdown:
Here is a little tip for you chaps at The Guardian that you might want to think about covering: the World Cup in South Africa 2010 - starts today. If you take that on board, what are they likely to have you doing for it? They've already brought out the manacles. We've got reports, blogs, live coverage, podcasts, videos, tweets and news galore. Personally, I'll be concentrating on perfecting my pretending-to-work-while-surreptitiously-watching-the-football schtick.
Likewise John, likewise. What's your favourite World Cup memory? David Platt's goal against Belgium in 1990 'in the last minute of extra time'. Nine years old. In the White Hart (with my dad, I should add). Way past my bedtime. And one of the most criminally-underrated goals in World Cup history. Magic.
Do you think En-ger-land will win it? 'Fraid not. Quarters, probably. Semis, possibly. I have a sneaking suspicion it'll be Holland's year.
Enough of the World Cup already. You've given EFW some welcome coverage on the Guardian pages. Are there any other football blogs that tickle the Ashdown fancy? Twohundredpercent is a fantastic site, one that gives plenty of exposure to the little guys of the football world. Their series on Chester during the winter was exceptional. One other I have a real soft spot for is Tony kempster - a stats site keeping track of scores, tables and attendances right the way down the league pyramid. If you want to know how many came through the turnstiles for Pease Pottage Village v St Francis Rangers in the Sussex League Division Two in the 2004-05 season (and, let's face it, who doesn't), it's there (35, by the way). It was run by the eponymous Tony until he died last year (almost exactly a year ago now) and now stands almost as a memorial, like a stopped clock.
How did you end up at Guardian Towers? Same old story, I'm afraid - not what you know but who you know. A university lecturer helped me bag two weeks work in the summer of 2002. That turned into a month. Then the season. I'm still clinging on.
Clinging on and going great guns but it's 2010 and you're not on Twitter Mr Ashdown. Time to get down with the kids no? It's bit poor isn't it? I tend to use it quite a bit (@badjournalism is a particular favourite) so I'm beginning to feel like a Twitter leech (or Tweech, if you like) - taking what I want out of it without putting anything in. I'm sure I'll be on there soon, though the thought of Barry Glendenning 'following' me is slightly unsettling.
The Knowledge on the Guardian website is a thing of rare beauty. Are there any cunning or inane questions and answers that stand out? My favourites tend to fall into two categories. There are the deep research ones - an afternoon with my head stuck in old Rothmans or Guardian archive pages is something close to my idea of nirvana. Of that ilk the recent question on the pointlessness of taking three goalkeepers to a World Cup is a perfect example - it's not something I've ever seen anywhere else and it was an excuse to spend all day looking at every single World Cup line-up since 1930.
The other category of great questions are the ones where you get fantastic anecdotes or info from readers. Have any football matches been captured on Google Earth? Well, yes they have. From which train trip in Britain can you see the most league football grounds? This one, actually. You just couldn't do those questions without an army of trivia-loving readers pitching in.
And occasionally you get emails out of leftfield that really make your day. The one from David White's dad, for example.
Genius, surely there is a book in that isn't there? Why, yes there is! Available in all good bookshops etc and so forth. My Knowledge colleague James Dart put it together so he scoops all the vast royalties.
Stinker. Who is the biggest football anorak at The Guardian? Smyth. Without question. Though I did once out-anorak him at a football-based quiz by knowing that Edgeley Park is the closest ground to the Mersey and recognising a bearded early-80s Martin Jol.
Has anyone ever disagreed with Jonathan Wilson on a 'football tactics' issue or do you all just agree with everything he says and then pass it off as your own thoughts down the pub? I find it rarely pays to disagree with Jonathan about anything. He seems to know pretty much everything about about pretty much everything. We once spent a four-hour train journey from London to Sunderland together and he regaled me with stories of the various features of the north-east coast as we went past, pointing out of the window at some 14th century castles and revealing who lived there, what they used to have for their tea and what their dog was called. When I went to Amsterdam for a weekend last year he recommended the Indonesian rijsttafel. Now I'm a bit of a gourmand, but I'd never heard of it - turns out it's ruddy amazing. So in the face of such knowledge I'd never dream of questioning him on tactics, and, yes, in the right company (ie people who haven't read much of Wilson's stuff) dropping 'Actually I reckon the full-back is the most important player on the pitch' into a conversation can make it sound like you know what you're talking about.
Rather embarrassingly Mr Fuller from The Ball is Round and I got locked inside Wembley Stadium a few weeks back. You've got previous in this department have you not? Alas, yes. It's happened twice, with varying degrees of embarrassment. Basically on both occasions the shoddy broadband at Loftus Road and Hillsborough meant I had to pop back to the press box to file match reports rather than utilise the press lounge. And on both occasions, I returned to the press lounge to find doors locked and lights going off. At Loftus Road I accidentally scared my other half by ringing her and saying I was 'stuck in the ground'. She thought I'd fallen down a hole. After wandering round the pitch I managed to get out through the players' tunnel. That wasn't an option at Hillsborough - it was locked for a start, but I'd also left my keys in my bag in the press lounge. I don't really want to go into the unedifying details. Suffice to say they include increasingly frantic banging on a door, increasingly loud and colourful swearing, and, eventually, rescue from a understandably nervous looking local journalist.
You like your cricket as well. Would you prefer an afternoon at Lords watching England rip through the Aussie card or a seat at the World Cup QF watching England unexpectedly overcome Portugal on penalties? I'd have to say Lord's. I'm not an England-hater, but I do find it increasingly hard to get behind the national side. Too many dislikable characters. That said, even when I was a kid I'd have taken a Sheffield United FA Cup win over an England World Cup victory.
My wife wouldn't agree but I don't actually digest that much football media during the week. The thing I do make a point of listening to each week though is the Football Weekly Podcasts. Are they as much fun to record as they are to listen to? Probably more. It's far more shambolic than you'd ever imagine having downloaded from iTunes, which is a testament to the skills of Producers Pete and Ben. That sitting around chatting to such footballing brains as Raf Honigstein, AC Jimbo and others is an occasional part of my job is a real privilege.
Do you have a favourite James Richardson pun? There was that one about Sharon Stone and Nicklas Bendtner. But as we don't have the option of bleeping it out, it probably can't be repeated here.
How do you think Football Weekly differs from TheGame podcast and The Football Ramble? I suppose on a spectrum of seriousness, if you had the Game at one end and the Football Ramble at the other, we'd be floating in the middle. I imagine if you like football and enjoy podcasts you probably subscribe to all three. I certainly used to, though it's just FW and the Ramble for me these days.
I don't suppose you all queue up to do those minute by minute reports do you? They're wonderful to read but no so good for repetitive strain injuries I'm guessing? I genuinely always enjoy doing them, although it's very difficult to get a proper impression of the match because you're always watching them out of the corner of your eye. And, yes, they do make you yearn for a touch-typing class.
How much sport do you watch a week? Not as much as you might think. When you work in a sport environment all day it's nice to get away from it when you leave the office. For example, I'm currently listening to a Radio 4 report on krill. That said, it's probably still far too much.
Barry Glendenning is bezzy mates with Dara O Briain (check him out). Who is the most famous person in the Ashdown mobile? O Briain? Pah! I used to have Barry Chuckle's number in my mobile. I curse the day a bike-riding local youth nicked it (the phone, not the number). Glendenning and Dara can keep their dry Irish witticisms. As far as I'm concerned comedy reached its zenith with 'to me, to you.'
Tee hee, thanks a million for talking to EFW John and keep up the good work old chap. Cheers. It's been a pleasure.
So there you have it folks, John Ashdown is not only a top man (see above) but, he won't mind me telling you that he recently cemented his 'football guru' status by predicting Blackpool would be relegated from the Championship last season, Oh. I'm off to get a train from Plymouth to Aberdeen, 11-and-a-half hour journey that takes in 20 (twenty) league grounds in case you didn't click on the link earlier. £180 well spent and no mistake.
Read up on John's work at The Guardian HERE. To get tip-top satirical daily football email The Fiver delivered to your inbox click THERE and you'd be an absolute radish if you didn't download the Football Weekly podcast - again for free - HERE each week.
- Feel free to comment below -


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The Okome Matsuri, or Rice Festival, is being held at Yokohama's Aka Renga Soko this weekend. My family and I went to it yesterday afternoon and enjoyed the sunny weather and plenty of food.
Aka Renga Soko is often used as the site of many events. Oktoberfest is also there. At the festival, there were several tents set up for food vendors, which were selling a large variety of interesting foods. I'd like to talk about what I ate, since everyone was there for the food.
In addition to the above food, we also had 6 kinds of rice. There were 12 types of rice available, but we chose 6. Honestly, I didn't find much of a difference between them.
There was a lot of good food, and I enjoyed trying it. I filled up on rice and plenty of meats. It's running until tomorrow (November 18), so if you want to check it out, I definitely recommend it.


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This is a guest post by CFR senior fellow Frank Klotz.
President Obama's April 2009 speech in Prague won widespread acclaim for its commitment "to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." It also laid out a fairly specific agenda for moving toward that goal. Several "concrete steps" were proposed, including the completion of three major treaties: a new strategic arms control agreement with Russia, a global ban on nuclear tests, and a new treaty to cut off production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons.
The successful negotiation of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia marked the first major accomplishment in this ambitious work plan. Almost immediately after its ratification by the Senate last December, senior Administration officials announced their intention to move out on the other steps outlined in the Prague speech, including pursuing even further reductions in strategic nuclear weapons and, for the first time, limits on tactical and non-deployed nuclear weapons.
Now, barely ten months later, several observers have taken the Obama Administration to task for supposedly making little progress on the Prague agenda. As The Atlantic recently reported, "many of those following weapons policy say Obama's effort to begin reshaping the U.S.'s own massive nuclear arsenal in light of the zero goal has proceeded far more slowly than expected."
In fact, U.S. arms control officials have been remarkably active on a number of different fronts. That's certainly the impression Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller conveyed last week in a speech to the First Committee of the U.N. General Assembly. Her wide-ranging account of ongoing arms control efforts belies the notion that the U.S. Administration has put the Prague agenda on pause.
With respect to further reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, Gottemoeller noted that both the United States and NATO are currently examining their strategic requirements and options for the future. "While this work is proceeding," she added, "the United States is ready for serious discussion with Russia of the conceptual, definitional and technical issues that will face us in the next phases of negotiation."
Gottemoeller also reaffirmed that the Obama Administration remains committed to U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which is key to the treaty entering into force on a global basis. The United States actually signed the CTBT during the Clinton Administration, but it has languished in political limbo ever since supporters failed to muster the necessary votes when the Senate considered it in 1999. Current Administration officials acknowledge that a renewed debate over CTBT will be "spirited, vigorous, and likely contentious," and have not set a timeframe for a renewed bid for Senate ratification. For now, they are concentrating on laying the groundwork for a push when the time is right, emphasizing the non-proliferation merits of CTBT, as well as the steps taken to mitigate previously-expressed concerns about monitoring treaty compliance and ensuring the reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapon stockpile without full-scale testing.
Finally, Gottemoeller stated that the United States was eager to begin negotiations on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, which has been an objective of the arms control community for years. U.S. officials have made no secret of their frustration with lack of progress within the Conference on Disarmament – the 65-member forum with responsibility for multilateral arms control and disarmament. While continuing to profess that the CD is the proper venue for negotiations on cut off treaty, the United States has joined in discussions with the "P5" group of declared nuclear powers on ways to encourage CD action during 2012.
Achieving a final agreement in any of these areas in the near term will be difficult. Fundamental differences remain between the United States and Russia on missile defense, tactical nuclear weapons, and conventional global strike weapons. Additionally, the current, highly-charged political atmosphere in Washington would certainly mean tough sledding for any new nuclear arms control initiative requiring Congressional approval, especially with attention now riveted on impending budget cuts and the 2012 election campaign beginning to heat up.
But, the reality is that arms control has almost always been a painstakingly slow process. The iconic nuclear arms control treaties of the Cold War era – SALT I, the INF Treaty, START I – took years to conclude, in some cases spanning more than one presidential term. Considerable effort and time were required to grind through countless arcane technical issues, and to satisfy disparate domestic constituencies. No one should ever expect quick results in the arms control business. Preparing the proverbial battlefield is an indispensable first step to success in any negotiation, and that takes a lot of hard work, persistence… and patience.
Frank Klotz is a Senior Fellow for Strategic Studies and Arms Control at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the former commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. While serving on the National Security Council staff from 2001 to 2003, he participated in negotiations leading to the Moscow Treaty.
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As Jono said, it looks like we will be getting Evazan, Ponda and the Rebel Trooper,
Given the track records of a lot of these rumors that get spread around, I think I'll keep posting that I want a Fleet Trooper. I believe someone said (in a stupid rumor) he was going to happen last year, and the year before... Hasbro in a Q&A I think said "eventually".
A new Rebel Fleet Trooper has not been slotted in yet, but we are looking for an opportunity to get it in, hopefully in 2010.
I got 5.1. Luke Skywalker Falcon Gunner2. TIE Fighter Pilot3. Grand Moff Tarkin4. WED-15 Droid5. Wedge Antilles (SA)6. Bon Vidim7. Bannis Keeg8. Silver DS Droid9. Death Squad Commander10. R5-K6This year:1. Tarkin2. Bannis Keeg3. R5-A24. Death Squad Commander5. Bon Vimdim6. Luke Skywalker Falcon Gunner7. 2X-3KPR Droid 8. Tall Jawa9. Rebel Fleet Trooper10. Dr. Evazan
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Creators, inventors, startups, makers…whatever you call them, they're our kind of people. Never content with the status quo, they've been a part of the Avnet story from the beginning. Today, we're taking our commitment to hardware creators one step further by announcing our partnership with Kickstarter and Dragon to help guide independent hardware creators in mastering the challenges of design and manufacturing.
Together, we're launching a program to offer the resources and support to guide the hardware community as they design a product, develop a plan and manufacture within the world of Kickstarter. Creators will be able to benefit from our well-known expertise in helping customers design, make, supply and deliver their ideas to market, backed by Dragon's expertise in helping hardware teams navigate the tricky path from a prototype to high-volume factory production.
"Together with Kickstarter and Dragon Innovation, this initiative will provide creators with the tools, expertise, advice, and resources required to make their inventions a reality. This collaboration is uniquely structured to guide today's ideas into tomorrow's technology," said Avnet CEO William Amelio.
Set to launch this September, Hardware Studio, our collaboration with Kickstarter and Dragon Innovation, will have two offerings uniquely built to help creators get their product into the hands of customers:
Hardware Studio Toolkit will be a new community site where anyone with an idea for a hardware project can learn from Dragon and Avnet engineers, Kickstarter staff, experienced creators, and industry experts. It will host a series of tutorials, live webinars, and powerful tools to help creators get ready for production.
Hardware Studio Connection will connect creators of more advanced projects with Avnet and Dragon, which offer design, prototyping, and manufacturing services. Creators will receive strategic advice and feedback from Dragon and Avnet engineers, discounts on components and services, and access to Dragon's Product Planner tool, which helps hardware builders select parts and develop cost estimates. Creators can apply for this program through a simple application, and participating projects may be highlighted on Kickstarter.
Technology and design projects have raised more than $1 billion on Kickstarter helping to spawn a global ecosystem of independent hardware creators and the companies that serve them. Both Avnet and Dragon have guided dozens of Kickstarter Creators through the manufacturing process. The collaboration will open up access to information about that process and help more creators get through it smoothly.
"At Kickstarter, our mission is to help bring creative projects to life," said Yancey Strickler, the company's cofounder and chief executive. "We've found that for hardware creators, lots of planning before a Kickstarter launch can make a big difference when it's time for manufacturing. Through this collaboration with Avnet and Dragon, many more independent creators will be able to get some help as they work to make their ideas real."
To be the first to get the latest news on how Avnet, Kickstarter and Dragon can help bring your inventions to reality, get registered at kickstarter.com/hardwarestudio.


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On the Redmond Developer News site, there's a new article about a new idea stemming from the mashups that have become so popular - "feed bleeds".
I call them "feed bleeds." That's because syndicated feeds can be easily bled into one another to form aggregated streams of content. Not only that, users and developers can increasingly control the content mix.
Zend is already playing a part in the development of these "bleeds" via their contribution (a collaboration with IBM) - the QEDWiki software (based on the Zend Framework).


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When interviewed by Splash magazine last September on her goals for the Chicago Sinfonietta, Music Director and Conductor Mei-Ann Chen said she wanted the Sinfonietta to become "the most impactful boutique orchestra" there is. If their "Día de los Muertos" concert is a bellwether, they are well on their way to meeting that goal.
With Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, in English) as the theme, the Sinfonietta not only plunged us into beautiful music by Latin composers but also gave us a romp through European notions of death with Mozart's Requiem with an imaginative twist.
As the orchestra begins its musical exploration into mortality, mists swell up around the players. Then skeleton clad chorus members from DePaul University Singers filed into the Gallery above. That was the setting for Ainadamar (Fountain of Tears) by Osvaldo Golijov and libretto by David Henry Hwang. If you were a bit comfy from the pre-concert complimentary glass of wine that sure snapped you into attention. They drew us in and then soloist Elizabeth Norman delivered a highly professional and beautiful performance.
Tough act to follow, but with the help of Redmoon Theater, the entire DePaul University Singers now filed in wearing skeleton costumes and holding oversized skull placards—sometimes in front of them as they sang, sometimes at their side. Each section of the chorus—sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones-- moved in concert as a section, sometimes leaning left or right, sometimes akimbo.
The uplift in the crowd was obvious when most retreated to the Symphony Center Grainger Ballroom where the second of three complimentary wines were served that matched the music. There was a very friendly atmosphere where people would just as easily chat up the person next to them on line as those with whom they came. That it was a tasty Diseño Malbec as a teaser to the "Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" performance to follow was a nice tie-in.
Piazzolla's "Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) provided a showcase for Adé Williams, a 16 year-old violin virtuoso talent discovered by the Sinfonietta when she was only age 6.
The last piece, "El Sombrero de tres picos (Three Cornered Hat, Suite No.2) by de Falla wrapped up the evening.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the evening was in catching snippets of conversation in the concert hall. To example, one young man is asking those around him what an English Horn looks like. Two young women in the ballroom had never been to a classical music concert before.
Chicago Sinfonietta is creating an audience for classical music and doing it with great imagination and boldness. If you are seeking the consummate classical music performance the Chicago Sinfonietta might disappoint. But if you want to share in the enthusiasm of a crowd heavily populated with people hearing classical music for the first time you can do no better than attending a Sinfonietta concert.
The imaginative touches they make—whether adding sips of wine to make for congenial chats at intermissions to the mists and costumes of Day of the Dead-- are making classical music way cool. Bravo!
Visit the Chicago Sinfonietta website (http://www.chicagosinfonietta.org/) for more information on the 2014 concerts to come.
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Photos: Ocken Photography. Grainger Ballroom photo by Peter Kachergis


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Meet Robert A. Leonardi, MD, Cardiologist with Lexington Cardiology
We asked Dr. Leonardi why he chose to pursue cardiology and what he likes about the job.
LMC: Why did you want to become a doctor?
Dr. Leonardi: I was a wildlife biology major at Clemson and thought I would pursue a career managing private hunting and fishing properties. But during an animal physiology class, I became interested in cardiac physiology. That's when I started working toward medical school.
LMC: When did you know that you wanted to be an interventional cardiologist?
Dr. Leonardi: In medical school, I was working a shift in the emergency room when a hospital employee suffered a STEMI, one of the most dangerous types of heart attacks, where an artery is completely blocked. I was able to observe the cardiologists unblock the artery in a catheterization lab procedure. Their work produced an immediate result, stopping a life-threatening heart attack.
LMC: What are your favorite parts of the job?
Dr. Leonardi: I've completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and structural interventional cardiology. I enjoy performing procedures that can help fix problems related to the structure of the heart and the heart valves.
Lexington Cardiology has two locations.
Downtown Columbia
2601 Laurel Street
Suite 260
Columbia, SC 29204
(803) 744-4900
West Columbia
131 Sunset Court
West Columbia, SC 29169
(803) 744-4940


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They can't bend over to tie their own shoes and wake at night gasping for breath because of the fatty folds pressing on their airways.
Some have bowed legs, enlarged hearts or the fat-engorged livers of alcoholics. The list of illnesses they confront — afflictions that were once only seen in adults — keeps growing: "adult-onset" Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, cyst-filled ovaries in girls and, for both sexes, psychological torment and bullying that can cut as deeply as any physical injury.
Canada's obesity epidemic is damaging some children so badly that surgeons are turning to an aggressive remedy once reserved for adults: weight-loss surgery.
As more children develop "severe complex obesity," doctors say the only option left for many is to expand access to stomach-shrinking operations for children and adolescents as young as 12.
But the move is making critics uneasy. Some see the operation as a risky surgical fix that does nothing to address a fundamental issue that few seem willing to talk about — the role parents are playing in the nation's obesity epidemic.
Nonetheless, some of the nation's leaders in the treatment of obesity say the risks of using staples, stitches or silicone bands to shrink a child's stomach from the size of a football down to a golf ball must be weighed against the risks of opting to do nothing at all — including the increased risk of a premature death.
Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children recently became the first pediatric hospital in the country to offer weight-loss surgery for 12- to 17-year olds.
"I've had emails and desperate letters from parents from Newfoundland to B.C., saying, 'Why isn't there anything we can do here?'" says the program's director, Dr. Jill Hamilton.
Sick Kids has operated on children with a body mass index of 60. A "normal" BMI is under 25.
Dr. Thomas Inge, director of the world's first surgical weight-loss program for teens at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital Medical Centre, once operated on a 16-year-old boy who had reached a weight of more than 700 pounds.
"Three hundred and 19 kilos, to be exact," says Inge. Three years after surgery, "he was down to the 360 pound range."
Cases like these have prompted some to ask: When does childhood obesity constitute neglect, or even abuse?
In 2007 the British Medical Association considered a motion calling for parents of obese children to be charged with neglect and their kids placed under state supervision. If starving a child constitutes neglect, advocates argued, so should overfeeding.
The resolution — opponents called it "bonkers" — was defeated. But a paper published recently in the British Medical Journal says childhood obesity — especially in cases where children are morbidly fat and facing potentially life-shortening complications — "can be seen as a failure to adequately care for your children by failing to provide a healthy diet and sufficient activity," either through direct neglect or, more subtly, through an inability to deny children the pleasures of fat-drenched foods or all the TV they desire.
Dr. Maggie Mamen calls it the pampered-child syndrome, whereby parents are unable or unwilling to make children do anything they don't want to do.
The phenomenon, she says, feeds off a child-driven parenting philosophy that suggests that parents have no right to impose any rules on children and that making kids do something they don't want to do is tantamount to abuse.
"This has become such an entrenched approach for many parents. The idea of saying no to a child — 'No, you can't eat that, no, I'm not going to buy that, no, that's not going to be in my home' — is beyond the belief of most parents," says Mamen, an Ottawa clinical psychologist who has worked with children and their families for more than 30 years.
"I've heard some really quite outrageous stories of children who are totally in control of the fridge and totally in control of everything that comes in the house and the parents are just running around trying to meet the child's every need," she says.
"It's this whole notion of saying no to a child that sends some parents into a panic. Even with young children, parents say, 'Which cereal do you want?' They'll do anything to avoid the complete meltdown."
She and others are troubled that surgery to seal off the bulk of a child's stomach — a procedure with significant risks, including bleeding, intestinal leakage, blood clots and death — could soon become more common.
But experts say the stark reality is "behavioural" or lifestyle interventions can barely touch children with extreme obesity.
Even with the best programs, "I think a lofty goal is about a 10 per cent reduction in body mass index," says Dr. Geoff Ball, director of the Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital.
The program is in discussions with two bariatric surgeons in Edmonton to begin offering weight-loss surgery for teens with extreme obesity.
"We've had some kids who are 300 pounds, 400 pounds. A 10 per cent weight loss is something — it often leads to improvements in metabolic risk factors," Ball says. "But they're still overweight and obese."
Surgery, he says, "doesn't make everyone skinny." But it does improve a child's physical health, "and social and psychological improvements come along with that."
Ball says numerous factors are at play in the obesity problem, and that weight is often a consequence of things that are going on in the home, including substance abuse or marital problems.
One thing is certain, he says: "We need to exponentially increase services to address the situation."
The statistics are sobering. Obesity among children and adolescents in Canada is tracking at an even faster pace than obesity among adults, and obesity-related health complications — including degenerative joint disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — are now occurring in younger and younger children.
According to Statistics Canada, 17 per cent of children in Canada are overweight; nine per cent are obese. The proportion of teenage boys classified as overweight or obese has more than doubled since 1981, climbing from 14 per cent, to 31 per cent in 2009. Among teenage girls, it jumped from 14 per cent to 25 per cent.
Experts are seeing more overweight babies and toddlers.
"We've seen an increase in the number of kids who are referred for really impressive weight gain in the first one, two or three years of life," says Dr. Jean Pierre Chanoine, head of the endocrinology and diabetes unit at the B.C. Children's Hospital. "I can't really find an explanation for it."
One Toronto nurse tells in her blog of a 12-year-old girl who was five feet tall and weighed 170 pounds. The girl needed an intravenous line. The nurse struggled to palpate a vein. She couldn't feel one, let alone see one, because of the rolls of fat on the girl's arms.
"Thank God," she remembers thinking to herself, "we don't need emergency venous access."
The rise in childhood fatness has been pinned on human biology and genetics, including genes that control appetite and how much energy our gut expends processing a meal. Others point to an "obesogenic" environment filled with junk food commercials, huge portion sizes and foods with high-fructose corn syrup.
More than 60 per cent of 860 pediatricians and family doctors in Canada who were surveyed in a study published last year identified parents who are overweight themselves — parents who become defensive when the topic of their child's weight is raised and parents who show little interest in helping their child lose weight — as fundamental barriers to curbing the growing numbers of children who are growing up fat.
Mamen is currently treating a 300-plus pound 15-year-old boy who, unmercifully bullied, has been out of school for months. She isn't suggesting parents alone are responsible for the childhood obesity dilemma.
"I don't use the word 'blame'. I don't use the word 'fault', either," she says.
But people are so skittish about treading on parental autonomy that we've backed off parents, she says, "and parents therefore have started to believe they don't have any influence or responsibility.
"It's our responsibility to raise our children, and we're accountable for that," she says. "We're accountable for the choices that we make, and if I've made a choice that I'm going to drive my son every day to the 7-Eleven, which is at the end of the block, to buy a case of 24 cola that he insists on drinking, then I should take responsibility for that decision.
"If somebody is going to say to me, 'Maybe you shouldn't drive him, maybe he could have something else, like water,' I should not be wincing about people 'blaming' me. It was my decision, my choice."
Mamen says parents need help learning to set boundaries for a generation of children who have grown up with an exaggerated sense of entitlement, and to learn how to reclaim their role as leader instead of servant.
Parents, she argues, can control what food is available in the home; they can control portion sizes and rituals around mealtimes and how much time kids spend plopped in front of a screen.
"Most importantly, parents can control their own lifestyle choices," she says.
It's an upstream battle, she adds. But the alternative is more overweight kids who grow into obese adults — and more desperate measures, like surgery to shrink a child's stomach to make it harder, though not impossible, for them to eat more.
Surgery may be necessary in extreme cases, she says. "My concern is this propensity for the shortcut approach — 'If we're going to get to the surgery sooner or later, well we might as well do it now.' It's like pills for all kinds of things for children now.
"It just seems to me that children are not in that kind of cognitive head space to take into account all the ramifications of fairly dramatic surgery like this."


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Howard Stern kicked off his 2012 by "drunk dialing" his fans to wish them a Happy New Year.
The King of Media and his wife tweeted to his over 900,000 followers on Saturday night, "Beth and I are drunk dialing. What's your phone number?"
And it appears that some of Stern's biggest fans got to hear his famous voice at the other end of the line. He retweeted the responses he got and added little messages like, "Good talking dogs with you" and "Have fun with the party."
"Candace & KC Whitten, Alabama cutest couple waiting on your call" pleaded @kc_whitten. "Nice speaking you really r the cutest couple," Stern responded.
If no one picked up, Stern did not give up. He left voicemails and let his fans know when he did.
"Btw, my wife and I adopted 2 adult cats cause if ur advice [sic] and love them!" wrote @smbonneau, to which Stern replied, "Just called to hear about the cats. Got voicemail."
A few hours later, the Sirius XM radio host ended his drunk dialing spree and said he had a great time. "Great speaking to so many of you. Amazing how great the conversations were. Really great."
His fans were equally ecstatic. "Howard Stern just called me!" wrote one person, who Stern said was playing video games when he called. "This new year rules already!"
Another fan wrote, "OMG! It was like the best thing ever! I started crying after we hung up!"
Selected Reading: The Today Show