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Zachary Chesser's Treason: True remorse or Taqiyya?
His attorney, federal public defender Michael Nachmanoff, said Chesser is "deeply remorseful" for his actions.
"This case is very different from some of the recent terrorism cases that have been in the news," Nachmanoff said after the hearing. "Mr. Chesser has renounced violent jihad and he's accepted responsibility."
Who knows? Seriously. I ask that question. It's one I struggle with a lot. As a westerner, I'd like to believe that he's seriously sorry. But I can't help that needling doubt about it, especially since I know that Islam permits lying to kafir (which our government most certainly is!) to further the cause of Islam. It's called Taqiyya – you can read about it here and here. I am sure that Zackie boy is well-versed in the teaching. So how the heck are we to trust him? Simply put, we can't. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but when you are known to teach that lying is ok, anything that comes out of your mouth could be a lie.
I actually feel sorry for his parents and for his wife's parents as well. All indications are that they were not in agreement with the behavior of their children. Proscovia's mom took her daughter's passport so as to prevent her from going to join Al-Shabab. No doubt the woman actually cares about her grandchild and understood the implications of what her idiot daughter was planning to do. More power to you, mom!
So anyway, in this story from WTOP, the story seems to imply that Zachie boy pled guilty in order to lessen the penalty to his wife. Maybe he's still more westernized than I gave him credit for.
The plea bargain spares Chesser's wife, Proscovia Kampire Nzabanita, from being prosecuted as Chesser's accomplice, although she is expected to plead guilty to lesser charges of giving false statements to authorities.
Chesser's parents, who were in court for Wednesday's hearing, declined comment.
I sincerely hope that the judge throws the book at both of these kids. A strong message needs to be sent. Zack spent many, many hours posting all sorts of threats and implied threats on the internet – many of them documented here. The FBI watched him patiently for quite a while and built quite an extensive library of these threats I would think. The evidence is overwhelming, and hopefully the court will remember this when it comes time for sentencing. I would also hope that Zack spends his time behind bars in solitary confinement, so that if this is taqiyya, he will not be able to further poison the already tumultuous prison population with his violent jihadism.
In reality, Zack should be being tried for treason.
Oran's Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as "…[a]…citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]."
There is little doubt that Zack's intentions were to instigate acts of war in our country and/or seriously injure our nation by way of killing it's citizens. This is the US Law on Treason:
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
From the original article:
In a statement, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil MacBride said: "Zachary Chesser seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come. His solicitation of extremists to murder U.S. citizens also caused people throughout the country to fear speaking out _ even in jest _ lest they also be labeled as enemies who deserved to be killed."
If that's not treason, I don't know what is. From Wikipedia again:
…the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. § 2381 states "whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States."
Treason should most definitely be added to the charges – specifically. People who betray our country need to know that we don't take it lightly. 20 years imprisonment is an understandable at a minimum – and it needs to be fully served out. Otherwise we just invite others to play Zack's game with our laws.


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Heads up! Knowledge coming… in… 3… 2… 1… The CLP Teensburgh blog is going away in favor of Tumblr – starting (like) TOMORROW!
Check it out and follow us for the same great brand of crazy/awesome you're used to getting here on the blog. Just think of it… info on stuff going down at the Library as well as rockin' book, music, and movie suggestions all alongside cats and Nicolas Cage… yeah, mind blown.
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subset: commoncrawl


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CALGARY - After leading Canada to a 10-0 win over Japan, Greg Westlake was more excited about earning the opportunity to play in front of a national television audience in the World Sledge Hockey Challenge final.
The native of Oakville, Ont., scored a pair of short-handed goals and added three assists against Japan in semifinal action Thursday at the Markin McPhail Centre.
"I just can't wait to play (in the final) on Saturday," said Westlake, who serves as Canada's captain. "We get one game a year on TV."
Canada will now battle the United States in the tournament final. The U.S. downed Norway 4-1 earlier Thursday to earn the other berth.
"We don't like each other, that's fine," said Westlake of the rivalry against the Americans. "They might be decent guys, but they're between me and some goals that I've set for myself. They're in the way of what we want, so we've got to go through them."
Canadian coach Mike Mondin said Westlake did a great job of motivating his teammates prior to a 4-1 preliminary round win over the U.S. on Wednesday.
"He did a real good job in the dressing room of keeping the guys nice and loose so they weren't real tensed going up going into the game," Mondin said. "That was a big part of our success."
Canada jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period against Japan and added seven more goals in the second to cruise to an easy victory.
"We came here to get into the gold-medal game, so we got that opportunity," Mondin said.
Westlake's linemates Dominic Larocque and Brad Bowden both had two goals and one assist during the win over Japan.
Larocque stressed that he and his teammates will have to be ready for a tough battle against the U.S. on Saturday.
"They're our biggest rival," said Larocque, who was chosen as Canada's player of the game. "It's a hard game every time against the U.S."
Defenceman Adam Dixon had a goal and three assists against Japan, while Kevin Rempel and Billy Bridges each scored once and set up two others.
Tyler McGregor scored his first-ever goal for Team Canada.
"We had a guy on our team who got his first career goal today," Westlake said. "That was a lot of fun. You feel bad celebrating on the 10th goal, but we were really happy for him. He's worked so hard to get to where he is now."
Canadian goalie Benoit St-Amand made five saves to record the shutout.
Mitsuru Nagase was much busier at the other end of the ice as he stopped 26-of-36 shots he faced in the Japanese net.
Westlake opened the scoring at 8:12 of the opening period while Canadian forward Kieran Block was serving a holding penalty. Just 16 seconds later, Larocque counted another short-handed goal before Bridges scored late in the first to put Canada up 3-0.
Dixon, Rempel and Larocque scored early in the second period before Bowden had back-to-back goals to extend Canada's lead to 8-0.
After Bowden's second goal at 10:01 of the middle period, Westlake scored his second of the game just 40 seconds later. Both goals were scored while Canada was shorthanded.
McGregor scored with one minute to go in the second, before the teams battled to a scoreless third period.
Earlier in the day, Daniel McCoy had two goals for the Americans in their win against Norway, while Josh Pauls and Kevin McKee also scored. Jan Roger Klakegg counted the lone goal for Norway, which will battle for bronze against Japan on Saturday.
Notes: Canada won gold with a 4-1 win over the U.S. at the last World Sledge Hockey Challenge in November 2011. ... Canada also captured the April 2011 edition of the World Sledge Hockey Challenge in London, Ont., with an 8-0 win in the final over Norway. ... The U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in the semifinals of the 2012 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships in Hamar, Norway last April and then went on to win the gold medal with a 5-1 victory over Korea in the final.


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February 17, 2013
Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons but if it wanted to, the United States could not thwart it, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday.
"We believe nuclear weapons must be abolished and we have no intention of building" such weaponry, Khamenei said in remarks posted on his website leader.ir.
But, Khamenei said, "if Iran had such intentions, the US could in no way prevent it" from building an atomic bomb.
The West and Israel suspect the Islamic republic is masking the development of a nuclear weapons capability under the guise of a programme Iran insists is purely aimed at peaceful purposes.
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Wednesday, July 23, 2014
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2 comments:
- bonenb said...
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Frank Wooldridge, a Boylston resident and World War II veteran, was honored on Oct. 23 at the Indian Meadows Country Club in Westboro by the country of France when he and five other veterans received the Chevalier de la Legion d�Honneur, or, �Knight of the Legion of Honor,� from Fabien Fieschi, the consul general of France.
Fieschi acknowledged in his remarks that though the medals were more than 60 years in coming, the French people have not forgotten the exceptional bravery and sacrifice exhibited by these and other veterans.
�It is an honor for me and all in France to honor these six distinguished veterans for their outstanding contributions to the liberation of Europe ... I am here to deliver thanks to them from the many Europeans who escaped the tyranny of war, and enjoy freedom today,� Fieschi said.
The honor Fieschi conferred is the most distinguished in France, according to the Consul.
�This medal was first established by Napolean Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize exemplary military and civilian service. It is the oldest and highest honor in France,� Fieschi said.
Wooldridge�s pleasure was obvious.
�I would like to thank the government of France for this honor,� Wooldridge said after the French Consul pinned the medal on Wooldridge�s lapel.
After receiving the award, Wooldridge smiled broadly as he returned to his seat and joined his son, daughter-in-law and friends who had come to share the honor with the Army medic.
The six veterans honored at the ceremony are all members of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. When the group formed 20 years ago, there were initially five members, but that number grew quickly. Recent times, though, have seen the number of members fall off as the age of the group has increased and health deteriorates.
Spirits were high, though, among the Battle of the Bulge group, younger soldiers and family members who were in attendance at the ceremony in Westboro. Other speakers included Christian de Marcken, of West Boylston, who believes strongly in the importance of the awards.
De Marcken, a veteran and historian, and his wife, Jeanne, worked a year to secure this high honor for 11 area recipients last year. After another year of work, six recipients received their medals this year. The de Marckens are currently working to secure eight more medals for deserving recipients next year.
Other speakers in Westboro were: Cheryl Lussier-Poppe, deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Services; Denny Drewry, representing Senator Scott Brown; Lieutenant Colonel Ciro C. Stefano, department head of the Army ROTC at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and John McAuliffe, Chapter 22 president of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge group.
State Representative Harold Naughton Jr. also spoke at the event. Naughton is a major in the U.S. Army Reserves. Naughton encouraged veterans present to pass on history by sharing their experiences.
�Tell your stories,� Naughton said. �How else will future generations know what got us here today?�
Naughton related his own experience. Harold Naughton Sr. was a World War II veteran who participated in the D-Day invasion. When the representative was being deployed to Iraq, he asked his father to share some of his own stories. His father promised to do so over �a couple of brews,� when his son returned from the Middle East.
�Unfortunately, my father passed away the February before I came back, so we never had the chance to share stories,� Naughton said.
According to Frank Wooldridge�s son, Carl, of Charlton, talking about war times wasn�t easy for his father.
�When I was growing up, and we�d have a World War II project to do, I�d always ask my dad about the War, but he just wouldn�t talk about it. He said it was too many bad things, young people dying, a lot of blood and gore, all kinds of ugly things.
Wooldridge�s membership in the Battle of the Bulge group changed the veteran�s perspective, according to his son.
�Since he joined the Battle of the Bulge group, though, he talks about things a lot more. He seems like it�s so much easier, now. He�s OK with all of it,� Carl Wooldridge said.


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According to JTA, the Geonosis Arena packs are still in the red packaging at the request of Target! Now that's a wow. Apparently Target wanted a uniform look to their exclusive, so that the packaging could also form a full circle.
Does anyone know, which sculpt the R2 that comes with this set uses?
I picked up 1 thru 5 this morning. 6 was MIA. Really not crazy about the Anakin and Obi-wan sets.
Were they bad sets?
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When IHRSA proclaimed that it wanted to grow the club marketplace to 100 million members worldwide by 2010, the association realized that the industry wouldn't hit that magic number by relying on prayer and a little luck. IHRSA knew it required a strategy, a plan to bring more people into health clubs.
"We began asking ourselves, `What do we need to do to accelerate the growth of membership in health clubs in the United States?'" recalls John McCarthy, IHRSA's executive director. "And it surfaced very quickly that we needed to strengthen and broaden the image that health clubs have in the United States." So IHRSA pledged $350,000 ($250,000 of its own money plus $100,000 donated by industry suppliers) to do just that.
And that wasn't all. IHRSA sent out requests for proposals (RFPs) to 12 companies, seeking an agency that could spearhead an image campaign for the fitness industry. IHRSA whittled the respondents down to four semi-finalists, then two finalists, and then the winner: Ketchum, a large and respected San Francisco-based public-relations firm.
Ketchum prevailed because of its focus on fitness's future, according to McCarthy. "Basically, the first and foremost project that Ketchum proposed to us was to fundamentally redefine fitness," he says. "That's a huge undertaking. But we want to redefine it in such a way so that fitness and fitness clubs will appeal to a much broader segment of the total marketplace."
The total marketplace, yes, but the campaign will pay particular attention to Generation Y, also known as the echo boomers. This population, currently between the ages of 5 to 23, boasts 74 million people, McCarthy claims. "So this monster generation is beginning to join health clubs," he says.
And it's not a generation the club industry can afford to lose. Baby boomers - who are between the ages of 37 and 54, and have a population of 76 million - have already embraced fitness. By emphasizing the industry as young, vital and contemporary, the campaign hopes that Generation Y will follow the baby boomers' lead.
The Next Generation Opening health clubs to a new generation is important, believes Herb Lipsman, vice president of development for the Houstonian Club, and the chairperson for IHRSA's public-relations committee. The fitness industry has focused a lot of energy on baby boomers, he notes, but aging boomers will plateau. That's why the industry must make itself look hip to younger generations.
There's also something to be said about catching potential members while they are young. Lipsman cites the tennis industry as an example. "One of the things that helped fuel the tennis boom was putting tennis rackets into the hands of children," he says.
Fitness Fuel Similarly, if younger generations get interested in fitness now, they could fuel growth in the club market later. And their numbers are in our favor. In its overview of the fitness industry, Banc of America Securities reported that the echo-boom population trend is "clearly on the side of this [club] industry."
That being said, however, there's no guarantee that Generation Y will march into clubs without provocation (although early research indicates that this generation is receptive to health clubs, claims McCarthy). Just because the population is large doesn't mean the echo boomers will turn out in droves.
"Build it and they will come is a bad business plan," reminds Steve Schwartz, the president of Tennis Corporation of America (TCA). "You really do have to market."
Gary Cooper, a Banc of America research analyst who follows the leisure industry, agrees that Generation Y is a population worth pursuing for health clubs. However, he wouldn't necessarily discount baby boomers, either. Granted, baby boomers are already well represented in health clubs, but, as Cooper notes, boomers also earn the highest salaries. Therefore, in terms of market segmentation, this older population provides some significant opportunities for the industry.
In a letter to Club Industry, Peter Davis, CEO of IDEA The Health & Fitness Source, adds that older adults need fitness. And, he argues, an image campaign that focuses on youth will only intimidate older adults and the deconditioned.
Don't Forget the Deconditioned "The fitness industry has long been associated with an image that stresses being young, fit and physically appealing," Davis explains, "and unfortunately, this frequently creates a negative impression with the very people in need of exercise - the deconditioned and inactive population.
"As the United States' aging population grows to over 100 million people and has 80 percent of the nation's wealth," he continues, "it is important that the industry also make a concerted effort in attracting this huge market and overcoming the old belief systems about clubs."
McCarthy counters that the image campaign will make an effort to attract older adults. True, everything in the campaign will pass through "a Generation Y filter," but attempts to draw younger people won't alienate baby boomers, he claims.
"The one thing we really, really, really know about baby boomers is that they want to feel young and they want to look young and they want to be with young people," McCarthy says. "If any generation worships youthfulness, it's the baby boomers. So we don't think clubs having a youthful spirit about them is going to do any damage."
Fitness for Everybody Furthermore, the campaign won't exactly ignore the elderly, according to Drew McGowan, the Ketchum account supervisor who is running the day-to-day operations for the IHRSA account. As a matter of fact, the campaign won't ignore anyone.
"We definitely want to attract the younger generation, but that's not to say in any way, shape or form that we are not going to engage the baby boomers and the seniors," McGowan stresses. "What we are trying to do is develop a comprehensive program that fits and meets the demand of every population across regions, across age groups, whatever. We want to reach everybody."
"I think one of the real messages here is that clubs are where anybody can feel at home," McCarthy notes emphatically. "Please don't imagine that health clubs are filled with a lot of perfect male and female bodies, and a lot people who are so athletic and fitness-oriented that they are almost fanatics about sports and fitness. We are trying to soften the image of what goes on in a club to continually reduce the intimidation."
New and Improved One way the campaign plans to soften that image is to show the new things that clubs are providing - things many nonmembers may not even realize. Nowadays, for example, strength training among women and older adults is common; it's not just young guys hanging out in the weight rooms. Another example: Mind/body classes are helping members eliminate stress from their lives.
"There are a lot of new things going on in clubs that would appeal to all sorts of people," McCarthy says. Still, many people "have an image of health clubs that is much more restrictive." And that's unfortunate.
Not only will the campaign emphasize the new programs and services available in clubs, it will look for the next big trend in fitness - something that will help sell the industry.
"What we are trying to find is some profound new research to see what is next in the fitness industry, and see where we can use that new insight to forge a campaign that is going to help reshape the industry," McGowan says.
Fearing the Findings At the moment, nobody knows what that profound new research will be. And with nothing firm to examine, some club operators and owners are afraid of what Ketchum may come up with. One club manager, requesting anonymity, describes this scenario: Ketchum's research convinces consumers that they should seek out not-for-profit wellness facilities. If this happens, the for-profit clubs that IHRSA serves would lose out.
McCarthy dismisses this possibility. "This new image of fitness is something you will find, live and breathe in clubs," he says. "This campaign has no negative messages whatsoever. It will be all positive, but it will be all club-centric."
It will also engage clubs. While Ketchum will eventually share its research and fitness messages with the media, the image campaign will ultimately depend upon clubs to be the industry's spokespeople in their communities.
"Fundamentally, we will be sending a lot of communication to major media, but we will also be sending a lot of communication to clubs to let clubs adapt and adopt the communication that we are sending to the major media and the media in their own communities," McCarthy shares.
This communication will also in-clude promotions and programs that can help clubs. For example, the campaign will share the best practices it finds in the industry, so all clubs can benefit.
"There are many clubs out there right now that are doing amazing things; they are really trendsetters," McGowan notes. "What we are going to try to do is work with those clubs to lift up the idea of best practices in the industry because there are so many clubs that are doing so well already. We want to find those clubs and highlight them and show their good ideas to the other clubs that are out there so we can all borrow and learn together."
Re-Educating Consumers While illustrating the club industry's best practices, the campaign should also dismiss the old, negative stereotypes that plague clubs, Cooper believes. Consumers need to realize that they have pricing options, and that they won't get hit with the hard sell the moment they step into a club. They also need to know that a club won't take their membership dues, shut down the facility and disappear with the money.
"People - particularly people who have worked out in their younger years and stopped working out to raise a family, [and] may or may not be considering coming back to the industry - still have those old images in their head and they are not entirely accurate," Cooper says. That's what the campaign must emphasize - that those images are inaccurate.
Regardless of how the campaign progresses, one thing seems certain: This is just beginning. McCarthy says that the campaign will be an annual initiative - an initiative that Lipsman believes will grow.
"I would tell you that we have a sizable budget [and] we believe that if we tell enough of a compelling message that we'll be able to attract sort of a coalition of other organizations...that might chose to partner with us to help make that fund bigger," Lipsman says.
And with a bigger fund, IHRSA's image campaign can deliver a bigger message.
Webster's Third New International Dictionary (unabridged) defines fitness as "the quality or state of being fit or fitted."
Since Webster's makes fitness sound so dull, it's only natural that IHRSA and Ketchum hope to redefine fitness with an industry image campaign. But how should the new definition read? Club Industry wrote to John McCarthy, executive director of IHRSA, asking him to educate us. "I cannot be very succinct about this," he wrote back, "but the new definition of fitness involves a broader understanding of `exercise' that leads to a broader definition of health.
"To be specific, the new definition of fitness includes yoga and Pilates and tai chi and meditation and outdoor exercise and strength and endurance and flexibility and balance and stress management, and intelligent eating and drinking, and the right balance between work and family and play and rest. And it means being smart about prevention and smart about exercise and smart about wellness and smart about lifestyle, so that everything one does facilitates leading a healthy, energetic, self-directed and balanced life."
Got all that, Mr. Webster? Good. Now start reprinting those dictionaries.


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Story highlights
- CNN is upgrading its comment system
- New features make it easier to follow conversations and share them with your social networks
- We are listening to what you tell us and adding your perspective to CNN's coverage
If you've been reading the comments on CNN stories, you've probably noticed that things look a little bit different. We've updated our comment system to include some new features that will improve the discussion and hopefully build a greater sense of community on the site.
A lot of the changes are designed to make it easier for you to keep up with the conversations you're interested in. You'll get real-time notifications when someone mentions you or replies to one of your comments, so you can respond right away. You can also find the most active discussions and see what our top commenters are saying.
It's also easier to share comments on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks so you can see what your friends and followers have to say about a story.
The other big change is that we've removed the "like" button and replaced it with up-and-down arrows so you can "downvote" the comments that don't add to the discussion as well as "upvote" those you think are interesting. You can still flag comments that violate our community guidelines, and moderators will take appropriate action.
One thing that won't change is that CNN will be listening to what you want to tell us, whether it's in the comments, on social media or on CNN iReport.
Everyone has a unique perspective on how the news affects their lives, and we want to make sure we include as many voices as possible in our news coverage. We've found that we have users who are experts on almost every imaginable topic -- from nuclear physics to grammar to where to get the best sandwich in St. Louis on a Tuesday night.
We get a lot of great ideas from the comments, and our producers are always experimenting with new ways to share your stories with the world. You can see some of our latest examples on our comments Tumblr.
If you have questions, suggestions or complaints, let us know in the comments below. We will be checking in throughout the day to respond. If you have a concern that you don't want to raise publicly, feel free to e-mail me at email@example.com, and I'll respond as soon as possible.
Thank you for being a part of the conversation.


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A few weeks ago we noticed irregular breathing, and certain listlessness when our Lab puppy is playing. I happen to suffer from an occasional bout of Atrial Fibrillation, ( a form of arrhythmia) so was convinced that it might be the case in our pup. My wife and I grew very concerned and had her "Lexie" checked out. Nurse couldn't hear anything.
Last night, we heard it again. Wife was freaked out, and I sat down and really listened. "A-fib" is an almost random contraction of the Atria of a human heart and can yield some pretty wild syncopated rhythms . That is not what I heard last night. The beat was irregular, but it was ON beat. What they call Serial in heart terms. I did some research and found this posting:
Q. My 1-year-old dog has an odd heart rhythm. It goes thump… thump, thump, thump…thump. I am so very worried. What should I do?
A. You have done an excellent job of recording your dog's heart rhythm. Your description of the thumping almost perfectly describes a sinus arrhythmia, a normal heart rhythm which can sound alarming at first. During sinus arrhythmia, the heart rate increases when your dog breathes in, and then slows down while he is breathing out. As long as this variation is regular, it is completely normal. You may want to listen a little longer to make sure this is true.
Did you know that an EKG (heart rhythm test) will change if there is another heart within 10 inches of the one being measured? The energy put out by one heart will affect the energy of the other heart. This is the reason you should hug your loved ones often, human or dog. Let them feel your love.
This explains lots. When Lexie sleeps in our bed, she always nuzzles her back into my chest so that she can feel my heart. In the morning , when I first sit down on my easy chair to begin working on my laptop, she will stand up on it and drape herself over me so that our chests are pressing against each other. I never knew this, but she is feeling my heart beat. The first time she did that, I WAS in A-FIB and I swear she picked up on it. That was the first time my wife noticed her irregular heart beat.
When i am "normal" or sinus, now, I think she uses my heart to help regulate her own, much like they do their mothers hearts when they are in the pack as little ones. I wont be so quick to push her away because I am busy, or have to pee and she is standing on my bladder. A little human time might just be what she needs to keep her heart healthy!


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- View Video Interview with Andre Kiehne, Vice President Cloud, Fujitsu Technology Solutions (German only)
- View Video Statement with Jan Stötzel, Head of Services Marketing, Fujitsu Technology Solutions (German only)
Why Fujitsu
For more than a decade, Fujitsu has been creating the building blocks of cloud computing, and we are investing heavily in cloud-based development on a global scale. These investments are bearing fruit in the form of industry recognition from analysts and the media, and from our customers of course.
Year on year, Experton Group publishes the Cloud Vendor Benchmark and ranks with it the key players in the German cloud market. In 2013, the German analyst published its 4th edition of the independent annual benchmark study, and Fujitsu remains one of the key players. During a three-month research process over 500 providers were examined and at the end 133 providers were classified as relevant. These were then analyzed and evaluated in 14 categories. Fujitsu was ranked as a leader in six categories, including all variations of Infrastructure as a Service and our ability to deliver cloud services for the midmarket and SMBs. Experton states that our global delivery capability is one of the most important cornerstones in meeting customer requirements.
For the second year in a row, Fujitsu won the highly sought after "Best in Cloud" award from COMPUTERWOCHE in 2012. We won the "Audience Award" in cooperation with our cloud partner SSP Europe and our reference customer MEILLERGHP. Dedicated Secure Data Space is an enterprise-grade software solution that allows team-based data sharing, collaboration, and backup. This solution brings an end to problems around large email attachments, FTP downloads, and file versioning problems - and is readily available on the Fujitsu Cloud Store.
The IT Innovation Award is presented annually by the Initiative Mittelstand, awarding the best innovation in IT for medium-sized companies and is presented at CeBit. What makes this award exceptional, and therefore highly sought after, is its jury of 100 professors, economists, and journalists. Unlike other innovation awards this large jury guarantees a high degree of objectivity in its due process. The IT Innovation Award from the Initiative Mittelstand is recognized by customers as a seal of quality and trust. In 2012 the Initiative Mittelstand IT Innovation awards were held under the auspices of IBM and the German Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology and State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Fujitsu won this award for its Cloud Store. Additionally, our cloud partner VERPURA also won this prestigious award. VERPURA is an Austrian web-based business software provider offering leading CRM, ERP, and team collaboration solutions - and is readily available on the Fujitsu Cloud Store.In Experton's extensive 2012 study, which examined more than 100 cloud providers in the German market, Fujitsu has already emerged as a clear leader in providing cloud services to business users. Validating the company's ongoing Billion-plus dollar investment in cloud, the independent report positions Fujitsu as a strategic pace-setter and Cloud Leader in seven categories, including the critical fields of Cloud Services (Managed Cloud, Managed Private Cloud, IaaS Public Cloud, SMBs, Enterprises), Cloud Technologies (Infrastructure) and Cloud Integration.
The European Software Excellence Awards are the only pan-European awards which recognize the crucial role that Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) play in the delivery of real world solutions, and attracted entries from 18 countries. Entries were submitted by ISVs describing the solution provided and each had to be supported by an endorsement by the client. 36 companies from 14 countries made the finals in 2012. The winners were selected by an independent panel of consultants and editors.
There were 2 awards for suppliers to ISVs and the award for Application Delivery Platform was awarded to Fujitsu. Fujitsu's application was submitted and endorsed by our software partner TecArt Group, a specialist for browser-based enterprise software. TecArt-CRM is a browser-based software that revolutionizes existing IT infrastructures - quickly, easily, and online. The cloud delivery model increases long term efficiency, transparency and speed of business processes, workflows and communication. TecArt-CRM focuses on CRM, Groupware and contact management - and is readily available on the Fujitsu Cloud Store.
Fujitsu won the "Best in Cloud" award in the category cloud enabling software from the IT magazine Computerwoche in 2011. With the help of our Business Enablement Services, our software partner Kendox was cloud-enabled within a very short time, and was therefore able to win new customers faster for its product Diperia - Digital Personnel File. A particular advantage of this solution is that Kendox can keep all personnel-related documents easily, safely and inexpensively in a highly available and secure environment - and is readily available on the Fujitsu Cloud Store.
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Those who fail to read stories or sing to their youngsters threaten their children's future and the state must put them right, Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said.Amusing quotes on "supported."
Their children's well-being is at risk 'unless we act', she declared.
And Mrs Hughes said the state would train a new 'parenting workforce' to ensure parents who fail to do their duty with nursery rhymes are found and 'supported'.
The call for state intervention in the minute details of family life followed a series of Labour efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve educational standards by imposing rigorous controls on the lives of the youngest children.Fasbos? Apparently, these are "Foetal Anti-Social Behaviour Orders."
Mrs Hughes has established a national curriculum to set down how babies are taught to speak in childcare from the age of three months.
Her efforts have gone alongside a push by other ministers to determine exactly how parents treat their children down to how they should brush their teeth.
Tony Blair has backed the idea of 'fasbos' - efforts to identify and correct the lives of children who are likely to fail even before they are born - and new laws to compel parents to attend parenting classes are on the way.
This autumn is likely to see an extension of parenting orders that can force parents to attend parenting classes so that they can be used on the say so of local councils against parents.How utterly alien! That could never happen here, right?
For the first time, parenting orders are likely to be directed against parents whose children have committed no criminal offence.
The threat of action against parents who fail to sing nursery rhymes was unveiled by Mrs Hughes as she gave the first details of Mr Blair's 'national parenting academy', a body that will train teachers, psychologists and social workers to intervene in the lives of families and become the 'parenting workforce'.
I refrained from singing to my kids because I believed that I sang off key and that I would cause them to have a poor sense of pitch. Was I right or wrong? I don't know. But I used my judgment. I also refrained from playing children's songs after I got the idea that rock and roll songs from the 50s and 60s were kind of like children's songs but were much more appealing. I can just imagine how I would have flipped out if some government functionary had tried to instruct me that I was wrong.
Of course, the government agent would have no intellectual depth about what was good and bad and no ability to discuss it. She -- it would be a she, don't you think? -- would only insist that I follow the instructions. And if the day comes when the experts decide that children need to learn how to think for themselves, will there be anyone around who even knows how to do it?


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Item #0300
63 days. These dark green, glossy beans are stringless and smooth, they develop early and are fantastic fresh, steamed, pickled, or blanched and frozen to enjoy all winter! Compact plant is great for container gardening. Resistant to bean common mosaic virus and anthracnose.
This packet sows up to 20 ft.
Seedling Image
Days to Emerge:
Seed Depth:
Seed Spacing:
Row Spacing:
When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost, and when soil temperature is at least 65°F, ideally 70° ?85°F. Successive Sowings: Every 7 to 14 days up to 80 days before first fall frost. NOTE: In very hot summer areas, sow as recommended above but skip the heat of summer as daytime temperatures consistently above 90°F will cause bean flowers to drop off (no bean formation).
When to start inside: Not recommended.
Harvesting: Ferrari snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form and the pods are 4"-5" long. Hold the stem with one hand, and the pod with the other hand to avoid pulling off branches, which will continue to produce. At season's end, plants are great compost material if they are disease-free.
Artist Susan Rubin
Item #0300
15.00 grams
Much like homegrown tomatoes and many other vegetables, beans' flavor diminishes in storage, which is why fresh from the garden is notably more…More…


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Riff rush: Party anthems make you smile
CD Review
The Donnas
Spend the Night
I'm ashamed to say that The Donna's new album, Spend the Night, (Atlantic) is my latest guilty pleasure. Nobody takes The Donnas seriously, and for good reason.
With album titles like Get Skintight and Turn 21 (insert "The Donnas" before each title)– songs that revolve around the triad of parties, getting laid, and drinking– and a sound that's an amalgamation of the best of Kiss and AC/DC, "serious" isn't in the band's repertoire. But sometimes you need something to clear your musical pallet, so to speak, to remind yourself that life is about living and lovin', and music doesn't always have to be the serious study of feedback and dues that's dominated the underground since the late '80s.
The Donnas are Donna A. (Brett Anderson) on vocals, Donna C. (Torry Castellano) on drums, Donna F. (Maya Ford) on bass, and Donna R. (Allison Robertson) on guitar. The group began playing together at the ripe old age of 14 as the punk group Ragady Anne.
They then morphed into "riot grrl" speed-metal outfit The Electrocutes, and before long were approached by Darrin Rafaelli of the band Supercharger to record some songs he had written, under a new moniker, The Donnas.
After releasing a number of singles and their first self-titled album on Rafaelli's own Super*Teem record label, the band decided they had had enough of Rafaelli's puppetry and began to write their own songs. Around this time they also jumped to Lookout! Records, the West Coast punk label home of Rancid, The Queers, and many others, and quickly put out their next album of mostly original tunes, American Teenage Rock and Roll Machine.
Spend the Night is the group's fifth studio full-length, and it's a rush of riffs and pop melodies- the perfect thing to get you through these cold, snowy winter nights (and days). Donna R. is an able student of the Izzy Stradlin (Guns 'N Roses), Angus Young (AC/DC) school of big guitar, and though I am sure some of the chops here have been copped, it's kind of a non-issue in the sample-happy world we live in (that's pretty much the history of rock, anyway).
Vocalist Donna A.'s half lived-in voice (wait until she's 30!) pulls off any vocal gymnastics that her band-mates call for with ease. Drummer Donna C.'s got the whole Tommy Lee from Motley Crue thing down (plenty of cowbell).
Highlights include "Who Invited You?" (about a party), "Take Me to the Backseat" (self-explanatory), and "Too Bad About Your Girl" (about trying to get with a gentleman with a girlfriend)– which features the priceless chorus "It's too bad about your girl, she doesn't look like she's much fun / It's too bad you've a date tonight, cause you're looking like you're the one."
With one utterly putrid exception– song five, "Dirty Denim"– the album is one big never-ending slab of riff rock -led party anthems. The Donna's Spend the Night will make you smile, get loose, and shake it, all night long.


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Former Elmbridge Eagles youngster Harvey Burnett has been given 12 months to impress London Broncos head coach Joey Grima.
The 18-year-old outside back, who currently srtars for the club's U19s team, penned his first professional deal that will see him join up with the current first team squad next season.
Fellow U19 stars Toby Everett and Joe Keyes have been handed three-year contracts from next term.
Burnett, who had attracted interest from other Super League clubs, started his career at the Claygate-based Eagles before teaming up with the Broncos academy system and he is out to make the most of his dream shot at life as a professional sportsman.
"I'm one hundred per cent happy," said Burnett.
"It's been a dream of mine for a while. It's great to get in the squad and see what Joey can do next year.
"It makes a massive difference to our game to train with the first team. When I go back to the U19s, the training gives me a massive improvement.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how the club develops with new staff and new players next year."
Grima added: "It's been something we've spoken about as a club since I took over. It's important to us that we secure the future of the club.
"Certainly Harvey, Toby and Joe are three key players that will play first team next season or maybe even this season.
"The signings show the Academy and U16s players and the rugby league community there is a clear pathway from junior level to first team."


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Windows boss Stephen Sinofsky has ended months of speculation with the first (fairly) detailed drilldown into Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform, and says it should be ready for a simultaneous launch with its x86/64 counterpart.
Devices running WOA will come with both a Metro touch-based interface and the more traditional desktop, and will run Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications with full document compatibility with x86/64 systems. Photo sharing, calendar, mail, storage and contact applications will also be the same as on ARM and x86/64. But that's it for compatibility – all other apps on WOA have to be Metro-style WinRT and come via the Windows Store.
Office 15 Excel will be compatible with your desktop
Virtualized code on the platform is out too. The process of running emulators for x86/64 applications was far too battery and processor-heavy, and too unstable Sinofsky said, so they would have to be built in an entirely new style. That said, Microsoft said it is making life as easy as possible for developers to compile WinRT applications in Visual Studio.
"If we enabled the broad porting of existing code we would fail to deliver on our commitment to longer battery life, predictable performance, and especially a reliable experience over time," he said. "The conventions used by today's Windows apps do not necessarily provide this, whether it is background processes, polling loops, timers, system hooks, startup programs, registry changes, kernel mode code, admin rights, unsigned drivers, add-ins, or a host of other common techniques."
Metro-only on most WOA apps
WOA will come with Internet Explorer 10, support for HTML5 , hardware accelerated graphics and also makes greater use of integrated hardware subsystems for more power efficiency. Sinofsky claimed this would make multitasking, such as playing a movie and reading a document, much more power efficient.
Power is the key the whole deal. WOA devices aren't designed to be switched on and off, but left in standby, for weeks it is claimed. Sinofsky stressed how closely Redmond was working with Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments to develop these devices – almost exclusively fondleslabs one would imagine - that can match what's on the market today, with the iPad the obvious target.
The first devices should be in the hands of a few, pre-picked developers next month and Office 15 is already out to a similar group of Microsoft testers. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is also due out next month, and Sinofsky pointed out the name change from "beta" was because, to some companies (no names mentioned,) the meaning of the term beta as "testing release available for free to try out," seemed to have changed.
Microsoft is stressing that the two different styles will be distinctly branded to avoid consumer confusion and would have standardized connections via USB 3.0 and Bluetooth. The clunky units in the blog video will be replaced with fondleslabs designed around "industrial design, long battery life, and integrated quality," Sinofsky promised. ®


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Some things in life just CLICK.
See, feel, and hear the leak-proof guarantee every time you CLICK the lid in place on this adorable cup.
Toddlers and messes go hand in hand, but you can eliminate at least one kind of leak with Munchkin's Click Lock® insulated straw cups, which come with a 100% spill-proof guarantee! Featuring beloved Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster, these innovative toddler cups feature a simple locking lid that closes to create a leak-proof seal. You can see, hear and feel the cup lock in place, so you have triple assurance against dribbles and drips. This cup won't even leak if the straw is in the open position! Munchkin even backs this no-leak promise with a 100% replacement guarantee. Secured, and rest assured - this might just be the sippy cup of your dreams.


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Upside, The PG-13
play trailer
Play Trailer
DetailsComedy , Drama
Play Trailer
Inspired by a true story, The Upside is a heartfelt comedy about a recently paroled ex-convict (Kevin Hart) who strikes up an unusual and unlikely friendship with a paralyzed billionaire (Bryan Cranston).
DetailsComedy , Drama
1 hr. 58 min.
Opened January 11th, 2019
Rated PG-13 for suggestive content and drug useCastBryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman, Julianna Margulies, Aja Naomi KingDirectorNeil BurgerWriterJon Hartmere


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Church Web Site:
General Information
Postal Address:
427 West Side Ave
PO Box 4397
Jersey City, NJ 07304
Commemorations for Mesra 9
Martyrdom of St. Ari, the Priest of Shatanouf On this day, St. Ari (Ori), the priest of Shatanouf, was martyred. He was exceedingly merciful, pure in soul and body, to the extent that he was worthy to foretell future things by the Divine Inspiration. When the governor of Nakios, heard about him, he had the Saint brought before him and ordered the Saint to offer incense to the idols. When St. Ari refused, the governor tortured him much, then sent him to Alexandria, where he was also severely tormented with excruciating tortures. Then they cast him in prison, where God wrought many miracles on his hands. His news spread and many came to him from everywhere. When the governor heard this, he ordered him beheaded. Thus he received the crown of martyrdom.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
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J The S (Feat. B.o.B) - Another Round
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Jennifer Kay Ney and Cameron Lee Werth were married Aug. 10, 2013, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Great Bend, with Father Ted Stoecklein and Father Alvin Werth, great-uncle of the groom, officiating.
Parents of the couple are Tom Ney, Topeka, and Tammy Ney, Great Bend, and Mark and Simone Werth, Hays.
Grandparents of the couple are Fred and Pat Rankin, and Dorvan and Marge Conell, all of Great Bend, the late Milton Ney, Francis and Jacquelyn Braun, McCracken, and Kenneth and Elaine Werth, Schoenchen.
The bride was escorted by her father.
Honor attendant was Kathryn Ney, sister of the bride. Attendants were Jordan Werth, Anna Bennett and Emily Dougherty, all friends of the bride, and Haley Olson, friend of the couple.
Best man was Leighton Werth, twin brother of the groom. Groomsmen were Tyler Hallagin, Trenton Roth and Trevor Ottley, all friends of the bride, and Nicholas Ney, brother of the bride.
Ushers were Nolan Kempke, Lance Schmidtberger, David Lang and Josh Post, all friends of the groom.
Candlelighters were Breanna Braun and Brittany Werth, both cousins of the groom. Flower girl was Briella Torres, cousin of the bride. Ringbearer was Logan Olson, friend of the couple.
The bride is a graduate of Great Bend High School, Barton Community College with an associate of science degree in accounting, and Fort Hays State University with bachelor of business administration degrees in accounting and finance. She is a certified public accountant with with Cummins and Coffman CPA in Topeka.
The bridegroom is a graduate of Thomas More Prep-Marian High School and FHSU with bachelor of business administration degrees in accounting and finance. He is a CPA with Wendling Noe Nelson and Johnson LLC in Topeka
Following a wedding trip to Maui, Hawaii, the newlyweds are at home in Topeka.


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Address by the National Teacher of the Year
An address to the 1994 RA by Sandra McBrayer, the national teacher of the year, given at New Orleans, Louisiana to the NEA Representative Assembly on July 5, 1994:
It's wonderful to come home to teachers, it's interesting. I'm not sure if many of you know, but when I was asked to fill out an application for the teacher of the year, I said, "No, No, No, I don't have time. I'm too busy, I have a class you know." And over the years my superintendent kept asking me to fill it out.
One day I happened to catch the paper and saw that Miss America had just won her title, and she got $50,000 and a Ferrari. And I was filling out that application for teacher of the year the next day, because I knew that was a lot of money.
Well, in reality, I received a set of encyclopedias. Now I have to say I whined a little bit, and I complained, and I went to my superintendent and I might have said, "It's not fair," and he said to me, "Sandy, you have to make your own award."
So I learned. What does that mean, my own award? He taught me this really cool trick. He said moments before you walk on stage, you find the wealthiest person in the room, and you ask to borrow their watch. Now if it's a really good watch, you forget to return it.
I don't know if I should tell you what you need to hear, or what you want to hear. I don't know if I should talk about the extended school day. If I should talk about women's rights. If I should talk about equitable education.
But there are things I want to talk about. Things that are important to me. Things about children.
You see, when I found out I was going to speak here, I started looking at speeches of other people, trying to help me with a message to you. I looked at a speech from President Clinton, and he started talking about goals.
And I looked at Colin Powell for advice, and in his speeches he often talks about potential. I looked at Janet Reno, and she talks about persistence and decision making. I looked at Secretary Riley and he talked about effort.
They all forgot something, they forgot you, they forgot teachers and they forgot children. They didn't say you are the backbone of our country, they didn't say that without you we cannot exist in this country.
It is true that I teach homeless children who live n the streets, the kids to whom schools have said, "we don't need you, we don't want you." Kids who have said to public schools, "you don't have what I need to survive."
You see, I teach children that our society doesn't even want to know exist, children that people don't even want to know live. Think about that for a moment.
In San Diego, there are 1,500 homeless children on our streets on any given night. In Chicago, where I was just recently, they have 7,000 homeless children on their street on any given night. And what do I mean when I say children?
I'm talking about unattended youth, children who live on their own on the streets, children between the ages of 12 and 19 who literally live on rooftops and abandoned buildings, who live under freeways, who live with pimps and johns and chicken hawks – children who have no hope for the future.
You know, I look at a saying on the wall that says you can't look into a sick child's eyes and not care. You can't look into any child's eyes and not care.
I'm going across this country with two messages and it's interesting, because I find that my messages are scaring people who are not into education.
But you see, the first message I have is that all children, all children, have a right to an education in our country. And you notice there was a period at the end of that sentence; I didn't say anything else.
And the other thing that I believe in is that all children have the ability to learn. Every child who walks into our school has the ability to learn. Never will I believe that there is a child who cannot learn.
You see, I teach kids called throwaways. A throwaway: a child who has come home from school and their parents have moved.
I teach a young man by the name of Andrea Jacobs. Andrea came home from school one day and he knocked on the door to his dad's apartment, and no one answered. And a neighbor came over and said, "Andrea what are you doing here? Your dad moved this morning."
That was two days before Christmas last year. Ladies and gentlemen, Andrea's never seen his father again.
I teach kids who literally have been abandoned. I teach children who are so physically and sexually abused that they cannot survive. Throwaway kids. Children who are pregnant and are told, "As long as you are pregnant you cannot live here".
I often tell this story of Anna. When Anna was 14 years old, ladies and gentlemen, she was raped. The religious beliefs in her family told her she could not terminate the pregnancy, but her mom told her she could not live at home as long as she was pregnant. I met Anna on the streets at 14 trying to live.
I teach a young man by the name of Corey. Corey wears size 54 pants. Most of his family wears the same size. But when Corey was 16 years old, his parents told him, "You cost too much to feed," and he was thrown out.
It's a phenomenon that's happening across this state. I was just in Columbus, Ohio and I saw the same thing, children who were told they cost too much to feed, and are sent to the street.
I teach children who are gay – that's a scary thing for people to talk about. I don't care what you believe. You have taken the role of a teacher to protect all kids. Thank you.
You see, we are teachers, we're there for everybody. Our schools are there for everybody.
Think about a young man by the name of Jeff. Jeff was in his second semester of high school. Senior year, he was this close to graduating.
Jeff didn't wake up one moment and was gay. He had been gay for a long time. But one day in school he got beat up, and he went to his teacher, and his teacher looked at him and said, "Well, Jeff, look at the way you act." His teacher did not protect him.
And about three weeks later, Jeff got beat up again. This time, he went to his school counselor. His school counselor said to him, "Well, can't you dress a little different? Maybe it might help."
The third time Jeff was beat up it was by his father, who told him he was not man enough to live in the home. I met Jeff, at 17 years old living on the streets, living in a park – a senior in high school prostituting in order to feed himself, because we forgot to stand up for him, because we forgot to protect him.
He was thrown away. He was thrown away by his family. He was thrown away by this society. And he was thrown away by his school.
If we do not stand up, who will? If we are not the ones to take the lead, we have seen that there is no one else, that there is no one else standing up for kids.
I teach children who attend my school who are so physically and sexually abused they honestly believe that it is safer under a bridge. They honestly believe it is safer with a pimp than in their own home.
I'm talking about kids like Tina, who was sold to a crack house at the age of 13 to pay her mom's bill to the crack dealer. Tina sexually served anyone who came for their drugs to be cut.
Tina thought it was her new home. She didn't know that's not what life was about.
I teach a girl who has an iron imprinted on her stomach. Because she did not iron her clothes correctly, her mom taught her a lesson.
I teach a young man by the name of Chris whose father plays an interesting game. Every night he takes a cigar and he burns Chris's arm with it.
And if Chris screams, he's a chicken and needs to sleep on the street. If Chris takes it like a man, he's more than welcomed to spend the night in a garage.
Why am I telling you? People in the audience are saying, "I'm not a homeless teacher. Every one of my children went to public school."
Every one of my kids are your kids, so it makes them our kids.
I read an article once about myself, and it said I was a revolutionary and I cried. I cried – you know why – because a "revolutionary" means that I'm by myself, that I'm alone.
And yet I can cry again because I look at this room and see that I'm not alone, that there are dedicated professionals, that there are people who are willing to risk and reach, willing to not accept the norm or the status quo.
I guess that's one of my messages to you, the NEA members. Never accept the status quo. Just because it has not been done before doesn't mean you can't do it.
Just because there's a rule or a law, doesn't mean you can't break it in two. I'm asking you to reach.
You see, an interesting thing happened when I started teaching homeless kids. I found out that they were hungry. And I can remember going to my district and saying, "My kids are hungry, I need to feed them."
And they got this really cool white book out. It was called the Education Code. In California, there were 19 volumes. Now there are only 15 – I've gotten to four and burned them. I'm still working on it.
You see, they took that book and opened it and the said, "well, are you Chapter 1? Are you Headstart?"
They started going down a list, and I didn't fit. They said I couldn't feed my kids because it wasn't in the book.
So I learned very quickly. I said, "Wait a minute, I teach home economics. Every morning I asked them what they want to eat – that's a menu planning."
We've got a kitchen now. I feed my kids.
I remember my kids starting to come to school, and I have to say they smelled a little funny. I got tired of teaching with my nose all crinkled up. So I said to my district, "I need showers."
And they took out that cool white book again, and they looked up all those things that I wasn't.
They came back to say, "You don't fit. You can't have showers."
And then I thought of something else. I teach physical education twice a day. We've got showers now.
I teach children that we call system kids – kids we have forgotten, kids to whom we have said, "We will house you, we will clothe you."
But we forget to parent. We forget what our responsibility is, to produce a productive adult, to produce young people who believe in themselves and believe in their community and their country.
System kids come to me with no knowledge of the real world. I read a report, a sorry report, from CNN that said every year our system releases 60,000 kids to the street that it can't afford to care for. Just out on the streets.
I think, what do system kids know? They don't know how to love; they don't know how to respect. They certainly don't know how to communicate.
When I was very young, about last year, I took a group of system kids to a museum. And it was interesting. You see, I have this thing in my pocket. It's called museum etiquette.
No matter what I'm wearing, I've got museum etiquette. Whenever I walk into a museum, I walk a little slower, I speak a little softer, and I don't touch a thing.
I didn't know system kids didn't have this museum etiquette, and I took them to a natural history museum. I failed as a teacher, because I didn't listen. I didn't question.
There was a pendulum that swung back and forth and it knocked over dominoes to tell you what time it is. My kids thought you were supposed to swing it to see how many dominos knocked over before it stopped swinging.
There was a polar bear; it was huge. It had no rope, it had no fence. It does now. It didn't then.
I had shown them a film on a man with a shark tooth necklace. They thought, wouldn't it be cool to have a polar bear tooth necklace? So they kind of climbed up it a little bit.
I had my name tag off, I was no longer going by "Sandy." I didn't know who that Sandy girl was, but thought she had better control those kids.
They came to show me a skull they had picked up from a wooden box. They wanted to know if it was a product of a drive-by. You see, that is the reality of children all over this country. What do they see every day?
I teach in a university, and I ask new teachers to park three blocks from the school they are going to teach and walk to campus, to see what their kids see, to understand the look on their face when they finally get to the campus.
Think about what the teachers at my site see. They see children being sold for $5. They see pimps, they see drunks and winos. My children have to walk over them every day to get to class.
They see what we as a world don't even want to believe exists.
It's not in another country, it's not San Diego's problem or California's problem. It's everywhere.
In every city I travel to, I can find it in 30 minutes. I have people in that city say, "Wow, I never knew that was there."
In every city I go to, there are homeless children who have been thrown away or who have escaped, and who we have tossed to the streets.
It's not about San Diego. It's about children. It's about believing. It's about reaching.
I think of a young girl name Tina – you know, when I met her at 13 with that crack house. Every teacher who had ever had her had given up on her.
They said she can't learn, listen to her. I did listen; she talked about my momma more than I did. I started asking her how to spell some of those things.
But I kept trying, because I believed. I kept saying, "It's all right Tina, let's try again." I didn't say that I only work six and three quarter hours a day. I was there all the time.
Teaching isn't about a contract. It's about a belief. Teaching isn't about a textbook. It's not about average daily attendance. It's not about the class test.
It's about believing. It's about reaching.
What is my message to you? It's Tina. Tina graduated from high school with me and she went on to college.
As an educator that's supposed to be my level of success, I was happy. But that wasn't my level of success.
You see, Tina had a baby during the time she was in school. But what happened was that Tina started treating her child much like she herself was treated.
She started hitting her, pulling her hair, dragging her around. Day in and day out, I said, "Sweetheart, there are other ways to discipline. You don't have to hit your child."
You know, I didn't find that in my curriculum, I didn't find that in my core framework, but that doesn't mean I didn't teach it. And every day I would tell her that.
I never thought Tina listened until about two years ago, when I saw Tina getting on the trolley with her daughter. And I came up behind Tina to say hello, but there was a woman standing at the trolley and she was hitting her kid.
I listened to Tina lean forward and say, "Excuse me lady, there's other ways to discipline, you don't have to hit."
The point I'm trying to make is this. I looked in my textbooks. I went back to my colleges. I even looked at my contract. There was so much left out that I was finding myself doing every day.
But I didn't stop doing just because it wasn't there. I knew it was the right thing. I knew it was the best thing.
In California in the last 20 years, we've built 28 prisons and jails and one university. Tell me where the expectations of my state are.
I need your help, I need you to believe. I need you to risk and reach all children, each and every day.
In California, I received a letter from the Department of Education with three questions on it. The first question said, "Are homeless children innately capable of graduating from high school?" And the third question said, "Are homeless children innately capable of going to college?"
My college taught me well; I knew what "innately" meant. Whether it's homeless kids, whether it's children of color, whether it's gay kids, whether it's obese kids, whether it's special ed kids, there are people in our world who believe they don't deserve an education.
There are people in our world who don't believe they have the ability to learn. And we must stand up. We must be the ones who carry the torch.
We cannot now or ever accept the role of a victim. Never can we say, "It's never been done." We must say, "We will try." We must say, "We will reach."
We must say that we have the power to be different. I'm asking you to be different. I'm different. As a matter of fact, I'm real different.
I found out how different I was. I'll tell you a funny story. When I was named one of the four finalists for the Untied States teacher of the year, I was flown back to Washington, D.C., and I had 15 interviews in a four-day period.
They wanted to see if I had stamina. But during one of the interviews, they asked me a question. They said, "What advice would you give a new teacher?" and I thought for about a second and a half. Maybe two. I said, "Never startle a man going to pee."
You see, I teach at the corner of Thirteenth and Market. And in any city you are from, you know what your Market Street looks like. I don't know how that happens, but it's always in a bad neighborhood.
I have a plate glass window behind my head, behind my desk. It's darkened so you can see out and not see in. And next to my desk is a little alcove kind of thing. And for some reason, the men think it's okay to step into this alcove and urinate, which means it's by my head.
Now, they think that the room is empty. But it's hell on a science lesson. It destroys any literature I'm reading at the moment when this happens.
And one day this man was urinating in my alcove and I was teaching literature. And Madeline Hunter's six-step lesson plan could not save it, I'm sorry.
But I realized as he continued to urinate – and I swear it was 30 minutes – I had to go out and ask him to stop, so I opened the door ever so carefully, and I said, "Excuse me sir," and he turned.
I have given that advice to new teachers, and no one else has had to have their shoes cleaned. Needless to say, the committee said, "You're not a regular teacher are you?" I looked at my credentials. "Regular" wasn't on there.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in a couple of months 88,000 school doors are going to open. Some 42.6 million children are going to enter those school doors. That's 600,000 more than last year. About 6.2 million of those are going to be limited English speakers, 4.6 million are going to be physically challenged. 2 million of them are not going to speak a word of English, over 1 million of them are going to be abused and battered. About 500,000 are going to be homeless, living on the street somewhere.
It is not about your kids and my kids. It's about our kids. It's not about waking up and saying you're going to teach. It's about waking up and saying, "I'm going to change the course of a life. I'm going to change the course of a city and a state and country. It's about making a difference.
My children are dying every day. If we do not stand up for them, they will continue. About a week ago in a speech that I gave, I mentioned I had lost four kids since December.
I flew home last Saturday, because one of my kids was stabbed to death. And I was given about four hours in my schedule to try to talk to my other kids. I sat in a funeral home with my students and I looked around, and you know what I thought? I wondered who was next. I wondered who I was going to fly home to next and put under the ground.
No child should die without being loved, without being respected. No child should die without someone believing that they're the most important person in the world.
That's what education is about. You want to see your test scores go up. You want to be the best in math and science. You want your kids to go to college.
Respect them, listen to them. Don't ever be afraid to love them. Give them what you need.
I have never had a child enter my program and say, "No thanks, Sandy, I've had enough love this week. I don't need any."
I'm asking you to believe. You see, this is what education is about. It's about caring for the souls of children. Every day they enter our school campuses and say, "Believe in me."
"Protect me," they say, "Empower me and nurture me." They say, "Don't tell me I'm not on the right page on the right day or the right line. Don't tell me what my brother and sister did last year. Tell me I can own the world. Tell me I'm somebody."
I want to tell you a story of another girl. In third grade she got arrested for the first time. You notice I said the first time. She learned that if she got taken home in handcuffs, she got an awful lot of attention.
So she continued that pattern. In sixth grade, she was suspended from school. She caused a strike because she didn't agree with the rules of the school. And in ninth grade, she got in one too many fights, because she thought that was the way to solve a conflict.
In high school, a school counselor wrote her a note, and the note said, "Why are you wasting our time?" She left school and she got home and she went back.
You know why she went back? Because they got her angry, and that's why she graduated.
She graduated because she said, "You can't win. I can do this." And she went to college –the first of six kids to ever go to college. She graduated, and, on the graduation field, there were 7,500 other graduates.
She turned to the man next to her with the little cap and gown on and she said, "Boy, did I trick this school." You see, she believed she wasn't intelligent. She still believed she didn't have a lot to offer.
She still believed that she didn't know how to make a difference. She still believed she didn't have any power. And today she stands at this podium.
But you know what, this is what I want to tell you: I found the power. I am no different than any of you. I have the same power you have. It is the power that keeps us up late at night and gets us up early in the morning.
I am you. I sit in the classroom and wonder: Am I good enough? I sit in the classroom and say, "Is this the right thing?" I go to meetings and say, "I have ideas. I have beliefs, please listen to me."
We are one. We have the same power. It is the power to make a difference. It is the power to reach and to risk. It is the power to care for the souls of children.
I'm asking you to use your power. I'm asking you to quit knocking on the doors lightly. Knock them down. I'm asking you to stand up and shout.
We must stop being polite and changing things politely. The time is now.
Malcolm X once said if you have not found something to die for, you are not fit to live. I found it. It is children. It is public education. It is the right of children to go to school.
I'm asking you from this day forward to never, ever give your power away, and never, ever not stand tall with it. I'm asking you – you must unite for children, each and every day, for each and every child. That is our message.
I'm reminded of an old woman. It was very early in the morning, and she was walking on the beach. I knew she was an NEA union member, because she was up so early in the morning.
She was walking on the beach and up in front of her, she saw something and she wondered what it was. So, she decided to walk closer. She was curious, maybe even a little nosy – not that union members are nosy.
She walked closer and you know who she saw? She saw a child moving on the beach and she wondered what she was doing. She got even closer to the child and saw that the young girl was picking something up from the beach and throwing it out into the sea.
And she said, "What in the world is she doing?" So she walked up right next to the child, and she aw that the young girl was picking starfish up from the beach and throwing them out into the sea.
So she asked one of the higher level critical-thinking questions, we're taught to ask: "What are you doing?"
The young girl, being ever so polite to the teacher, said "Old lady, I'm throwing the starfish into the sea. You see, the morning sun is going to come up. It's going to bake them on the beach and they will surely die."
The old woman looked up and down the beach, and she turned back around and said, "There are miles of beaches and millions of starfish. How are you going to make a difference?"
The young girl took the starfish that was in her hand, and with all of her might, threw it into the sea. And she turned back around and she said, "Made a difference to that one, didn't it?"
I'm asking you for my children who have died. I'm asking you for my children who are living. I'm asking you for children all across this country, to gently throw starfish back into the sea, each and every day. Each and every child.
I'm asking you to stand up for kids. And stand up for public education, because we have the power and we will make the difference.
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text:
SOMERSWORTH — An independent auditor's report concluded a number of preventive controls were missing within the Somersworth Housing Authority over a six-year span — a period during which more than $700,000 was stolen by the organization's former fiscal director, Lisa Reid.
On Dec. 6, 2011, Reid reportedly admitted to SHA director Beth Salinger that she had stolen the funds amid personal financial troubles. Somersworth police approached Reid later that same day, but she requested a lawyer, effectively shutting down communication with law enforcement.
Reid was found dead the next morning from an apparent suicide by drug overdose.
The auditor's report — completed by the firm Hurley, O'Neill & Company of Quincy, Mass. — ultimately cites a lack of internal controls that could have prevented the loss of approximately $780,000 at the hands of the SHA's former fiscal director.
"Management and the Board of Commissioners have not operated a control environment conducive to the prevention and detection of fraud and illegal acts as evidenced by fraud perpetrated by a former employee, which resulted in the theft of over $780 thousand from the Authority over a period of more than six years," the report reads.
And the report, which was conducted through Dec. 31, 2011, outlines a number of factors that enabled Reid to commit — and conceal — the fraudulent acts.
First, the report states Reid processed checks written to herself on the check stock of certain checking accounts of the authority. It also says Reid endorsed the checks by scanning signatures from other legitimate checks and then printing them on the checks generated from her personal computer.
Additionally, Reid recorded the transactions in the general ledger by netting her thefts against proceeds from third parties for management fees earned by the authority. For example, if the SHA earned $20,000 in a month for management fees and Reid stole $8,000, she would subsequently record management fee revenue of $12,000.
Reid further concealed her criminal acts when she prepared the annual budgets. The report states it appears the former fiscal director intentionally underestimated the revenue to be earned from management fees which would ultimately appear consistent with the actual results that had been underreported by the amount of her fraud. For the year that ended on Dec. 31, 2011, the SHA budgeted management fee revenue of $260,000. However, the actual management fee revenue — exclusive of effects of fraud — was actually $360,000.
"The employee relied on the failures of management and the Board of Commissioners to implement effective controls," the report reads. "Proper segregation of duties in various controls activities would have reduced or eliminated the opportunity to commit fraud and basic monitoring procedures would have detected it."
Hurley, O'Neill & Company conclude Reid took advantage of an opportunity to commit fraud created by a "lax control environment, a lack of effective monitoring and control activities, and an absence of segregation of duties." Specifically, the report says five factors directly contributed to Reid's ability to commit fraud undetected.
One was management's failure to perform an adequate risk assessment — an action which would have evaluated where the SHA was susceptible to acts of fraud.
A second factor was that management did not properly safeguard assets. Reid had unmonitored custody of the SHA's cash assets. "The employee had access to the check stock and signature stamps which enabled her to bypass the authorization function — approving cash disbursements and signing checks," the report state. "Bank statements and canceled checks were received directly by the employee and were never reviewed by management."
Reid also had unmonitored control of the general ledger and recorded all transactions necessary to disguise her fraud. She also performed bank reconciliations of the accounts from which she stole funds. But these bank reconciliations were never reviewed by management and gaps in the check sequences went undiscovered or uninvestigated by management.
Lastly, Reid prepared the annual budgets without being monitored by management — a component that allowed her to manipulate the budgets in order to hide her fraud.
In conclusion, the auditor's report recommends SHA management assess the critical components of internal control and consider implementing a comprehensive internal control policy. "Segregation of duties should be analyzed to ensure that the basic functions of control are separated, with those functions generally being; authorization, recording, custody of assets, and reconciliation or audit," the report concludes. "The Authority should also consider implementing comprehensive fraud policy to establish how dishonest activity will be handled, including terminating employment and reporting the matter to law enforcement authorities."
In their response, SHA management agreed weak internal controls gave way to an opportunity for fraudulent behavior to take place. Management has since taken corrective action to improve fiscal controls and awareness of the control environment.
Seeking to recoup its losses, SHA filed suit in January against Reid's husband, Scott Reid, who now controls his late wife's assets. SHA is asking a superior court judge to put a temporary freeze on those assets, which include property, vehicles, and income from the couple's furniture store in Rochester.
Emails furnished by Reid's husband during the court battle have tipped investigators off to the existence of at least two online trading accounts Lisa Reid operated before her death, according to court documents.
The housing authority is anticipating that it may need a court order to determine if the accounts are still active, and whether they contain funds. Scott Reid has indicated he will cooperate with the housing authority in the investigation, according to court documents.
Scott Reid and his attorney were scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 20 for a hearing regarding the fate of Reid's assets. The hearing was continued until Jan. 4, 2013, at the request of the housing authority, which cited the discovery of the online trading accounts as the cause. SHA will seek to lump together any money in the accounts with Lisa Reid's other assets.
Earlier this year, a superior court judge denied a request by the housing authority to grant a temporary restraining order against Lisa Reid's assets without holding a hearing on the matter. The order would keep Scott Reid from selling or giving away any of his late wife's assets.
In March, the housing authority and Scott Reid came to an agreement to put off further legal action for 90 days. The agreement was meant to allow attorneys to determine the ownership of all assets once owned by Lisa Reid.
In the interim, Scott Reid voluntarily agreed to provide at least 10 days notice to an attorney representing the housing authority before transferring any asset of his late wife's worth more than $1,000. He also agreed to place all income from the couple's furniture store, Cozy Home Primitives, into a trust fund.
The housing authority, through its attorney, contends several assets now under Scott Reid's control were potentially purchased with funds stolen from the SHA. Those assets include time shares and/or condominiums in Florida, a Jeep, a recreational vehicle and the money used to lease space for the couple's furniture store.
Democrat staff writer Jim Haddadin contributed to this report.
Report: Lack of controls led to Somersworth Housing Authority thefts
SOMERSWORTH — An independent auditor's report concluded a number of preventive controls were missing within the Somersworth Housing Authority over a six-year span — a period during which more than $700,000 was stolen by the organization's former fiscal director, Lisa Reid.