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Uncyclopedia:How To Get Started Editing
This article is part of Uncyclopedia's HowTo series.
See more HowTos
- 1 Creating articles
- 2 On editing existing articles
- 3 How to Upload Images
- 4 Some advice about userpages, subpages, and their role in creating new content for Uncyclopedia
- 5 Creating a Menu for your Subpages
- 6 Give UnNews a try!
- 7 Deletions
- 8 A few words about personality conflicts
- 9 If you get ICU'd
- 10 How to improve articles that have been ICU'd
- 11 Collaboration
- 12 If (when) your work gets edited
- 13 If you get banned
- 14 Before you get infinitely banned, read this
- 15 How to make your own userpage userbox templates
- 16 Another way to use templates
- 17 Signature templates
Creating articles[edit]
Uncyclopedia is a wiki, which means that anyone can add content to the site, anytime, anywhere, confident in the knowledge that it'll likely get deleted within the hour. If you think you have a really funny idea for an article (even though you probably don't), you can add the article to Uncyclopedia via this easy step-by-step process:
- Type your article's title into the "Search" box on the top right of the page, and click "Go".
- If your chosen title already exists in Uncyclopedia, consider contributing to that article instead of creating your own. Otherwise, try a new title in the Search box.
- On the search results page, there should be a red link at the top (Results 1-X on Uncyclopedia for: blank). Click that link to create your page.
- See the following sections for information on how to format your article properly.
- If you create a short page that you intend to expand later, add a {{construction}} tag to it. Additionally, you can share a message with everyone to let them know you're happy for them to add their own content if they feel like it by using the following format (change the message as approproate and use the PREVIEW button to make sure it works: {{WIP|I am happy for anyone to add to this article as I've run out of ideas}} This should keep admins and other users from moving or deleting the page without your consent.
On editing existing articles[edit]
Be cautious in updating certain pages.[edit]
Some edits are more significant than others. The cabal (there is no cabal) doesn't mind a little unannounced tweaking on a random page here or there, but some edits are more significant than others.
In particular, before doing something major such as changing templates, namespace menu pages (aside from your userpage's menu page, of course), reskins, and pretty much anything else that will affect the Uncyclopedia experience of a substantial portion of the user population, please give people a heads up in the Village Dump (there's an easy to use menubar that allows you to create a new forum topic; don't forget to link to your forum from the talk page of any relevant article you may have already created so people can find it!). This will allow for feedback and keep people working together. Collaboration works better than chaos, and changes that have a heavy impact are better discussed than simply done.
Generally speaking, the more your edit changes Uncyclopedia, and the more people who are likely to see it, the more cautious you should be about making it without heading to the Village Dump first.
Don't mess with success[edit]
It's tempting to work on Featured Articles and classics: your work will be seen, and it's satisfying to feel that you've contributed to a quality article. However, the better the article, the more likely it is your edit will decrease its quality rather than increase it- even if you are a good writer. Be conservative with the good articles; if you feel like being experimental then create a new article or edit a bad one.
Think about being a surgeon. Every time you operate, you could improve things, or you could screw it up and end up with a corpse on the operating table. Doctors take this into account, and don't operate unless they think the benefits outweigh the risk. Although our work at Uncyclopedia is only occasionally so bad it actually kills, being a writer is a bit similar. Good comedy writing depends a lot on style, tone, and the "voice" of the writer being carefully balanced. A few poorly placed lines about Oprah and Zombie Jesus can kill an article's humor as quickly as slicing through a jugular vein kills the patient. Doctors operate on unhealthy people, not healthy, fit ones. Edit the bad articles to make them better, and leave the good ones alone unless you're sure you know what you're doing. Remember, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And please read How To Be Funny And Not Just Stupid if you haven't already!
How to Upload Images[edit]
As for how to upload images, log in, click upload file from the left hand menu, and fill out the form that pops up. It's easy! Just be aware that if you upload a lot of stupid images that other people don't find funny, it could get you banned. Be aware that if a file you upload is for your userpage, let people know that so it will be less likely to get erased (there's a comment box to explain why you're uploading the image in the form).
Now that you've uploaded your image, you have to put it in your page, right? It's easy, just type the following code into your page [[Image:Filename.jpg|thumb|caption]]. You can also format it in different ways to get it in different sizes and different areas of the page. Look around at other articles' code to figure out how to do what you want.
Some advice about userpages, subpages, and their role in creating new content for Uncyclopedia[edit]
This is a page of useful information for new users.
Unless you have a full-blown idea for an article that's completely written and in final form, it's generally a bad idea to put it into the Uncyclopedia main space as a new article. (see below) This is because short material is generally deleted by other users for quality assurance.
If you have an idea, but don't have the time or the ideas to expand it into a full article, try adding it to an article that already exists instead of creating a new article. It is generally a lot easier to add to a new article and have your changes survive on the site than it is to create a totally new article.
If you still want to create a new article, instead of creating it in the main space, try putting the article on a subpage to your userpage. That way you can be free to complete it at your own pace without being subjected to deletion and ICU tagging of your work.
It is not necessary, but it is advisable for you to register and establish a userpage. Otherwise, you will have to use your IP address as your userpage. This is inadvisable, since other users could share an IP address with you.
If you are logged in, you can create a user page by clicking on your username at the top of any page. It's at the very top in the middle of the page next to the icon of a dismembered torso. Once there, if you're not presented with an edit box, click the "create this page" link and go at it. Tell us who you are!
Once you've created your userpage, you can type your page contents into the userpage like any other article on the site. Check out other peoples' userpages for ideas on how to organize and format your page.
(below) You can create subpages to your user page also, just type in "User:<insert name here>/MySubPage" in the search box, and create the page just like you created your user page. Make sure you remember to add a link to your subpage from your userpage by typing something like this somewhere on your user page: "here's how to get to my subpage:
[[User:<insert name here>/MySubPage|MySubPage]]". You can use subpages of your user page for anything, but a great way to use them is to work on articles without worrying about them being deleted.
Having a userpage and subpages is important, because it allows you to keep track of what you're writing, and to control the pace and quality of your own work, before finalizing it and eventually putting it into the main space. Even after putting a finished article into the main space, it may be a good idea to keep an archival copy on your userpage in case it gets deleted and you want to continue working on it.
It is important not to forgot to type "user:" in front of the name you registered as, and your subpage location, since if you don't do this, your subpage won't link up correctly to your user page, and will be considered to be in the main space and may be deleted.
Creating a Menu for your Subpages[edit]
Now that you have created subpages to your userpage, you need to create a menu, or else you'll lose track of them (they will be there, but you may forget where they are, and as you make more subpages, it can be problematic to link them all to your main userpage, as it tends to take up too much space).
Using the same procedure you used to create your subpage, create a page called User:<insert name here>/Menu, and edit the page, typing something like "This is an index to my subpages" and then typing "My subpage [[User:<insert name here>/MySubpage]]. Get into the habit of updating your menu whenever you create a subpage. You can also organize the menu by type of subpage. See User:Hrodulf/menu for an example of how to do this.
Now you'll always be able to find your subpages. Be sure to put a link to your menu page on your main userpage also by typing [[User:<insert name here>/Menu]] at the top, for easier navigation. Put a link to the menu at the top of all your subpages also, for the same reason.
Give UnNews a try![edit]
An option, if you don't have time to write a lengthier article, or just don't have that much to say, is to make an UnNews piece out of it. This is not to say that you can just write anything you want there and it won't be ICU'd or deleted, but generally UnNews pieces are allowed to be shorter than Uncyclopedia articles, so it's a great place for new users to flex their comedy muscles. Read other UnNews articles to get an idea of the style and format you should use, and remember to focus on a fractured take on current events, or a zany event that isn't actually happening, but would make the world a more interesting place if it were.
Also, see Help:How to write an UnNews article
One way to think of sculpting, say, an elephant is to start with a block of rock, and then remove everything that doesn't look like an elephant. The point being that art is just as much a process of removing as a process of adding, the "creative process" can be incredibly destructive.
The upshot is: you don't have to be a good writer to contribute to Uncyclopedia. If you've got an eye for good writing, you can contribute just as much to the quality of Uncyclopedia with what you delete as what you add. If you see something of marginal quality, report it to our Vote For Deletion and its fate will be decided by a jury of its peers. If it's recently created and needs help, stick an ICU (Intensive care unit) tag on it. If it's a true, shoot-on-sight abomination, like Karl Rove, do a QVFD (Quick Vote For Deletion). Uncyclopedia has thousands of pages, so taking the time to take out our trash is much appreciated. And if you're up for doing that, I've got a bunch of trash in my garage I seriously need cleaned out as well.
A note of caution- different people have different senses of humor. As you'll see in our Featured Article discussions, one person's Featured Article is sometimes another persons Vote For Deletion. If something doesn't appeal to you but you think someone else might get it, then either leave it be or do a VFD where its fate can be hashed out by committee. Focusing on the worst articles will do the most good with the least collateral damage. Think of it as being a cop who's out to get the serial killers instead of the guy smoking a joint. Delete the worst articles, and let the marginal ones see another day.
A few words about personality conflicts[edit]
During your time at Uncyclopedia, it's possible that you may have problems with other people here. Part of life is learning to deal with other people whose ideas or goals are different than yours. Just like in real life, other people on Uncyclopedia won't always be respectful to you, or nice.
You have to decide for yourself how to deal with this, but keep in mind that if you let a few people you don't get along with get to you, you're going to find it difficult to deal with many real life situations involving people not related to you.
Remembering a few simple rules will help avoid major personality conflicts:
- If you're really mad, just turn the computer off for awhile. Don't type mad. Remember, you might not be mad forever, but whatever words you save here will be here forever.
- Remember that this is a comedy site, a parody of Wikipedia. It isn't the most important thing in the world. Try to keep things in perspective.
- If you're still upset, take it to the village dump and get other people's perspective on your problem. This may help you understand the other person's point of view, and defuse any major problems you have with other people here.
- Don't make it personal. Chances are you don't know the people here, and they don't know you. What's the point of getting mad at people you don't even know?
- If despite all of the above, you've stumbled into an argument, about anything, and there's no chance of ever convincing the other person to accept your way of seeing whatever you're arguing about, just acknowledge that you have a difference of opinion, if it comes to that, and that this is normal and totally acceptable, and that whatever the issue you were arguing about will probably work itself out in time anyway. Hard to keep an argument going after someone says that.
If you get ICU'd[edit]
If despite everything, you still get ICU'd, try contacting the person who placed the ICU, and find out why if you can. If you can't, you have to decide whether to try to improve what you wrote, or let it be huffed.
If you decide to improve it, put it on a subpage of your userpage as noted above and try to fix it. Otherwise, let nature take its course and just wait for some admin to huff it.
However, if you are planning to improve the article within the course of the seven days, you can replace the {{ICU}} with {{construction}}, saving it from deletion at the end of seven days, unless the article is not edited for seven days straight in which case it will still be deleted.
How to improve articles that have been ICU'd[edit]
The major ICU issue for most users is length. If an article is only a few lines long, it really just isn't an article, it's an idea. Try to elaborate your idea if you can, if you can't, chances are it really wasn't such a worthwhile idea in the first place. Move on to something else that you can write more about.
This is trickier, but some users dislike childish or stupid humor. While it may bother you to have to change what you think is funny, to a certain extent, everyone on Uncyclopedia, regardless of their unique sense of humor, has to conform, to at least some degree, in return for the privilege of being allowed to edit here. You may think something like, say, putting goatse all over your article is hilarious (for the record, it is). However, most of Uncyclopedia (the part that isn't me) would probably disagree.
Developing ideas[edit]
One way to develop ideas is to get a piece of paper, and write your idea in the middle. Then, in circles around it, write other ideas, and how they are connected to your main idea. This is called free-association, and can be a great way to develop a structure or content for your article. You can also do this using index cards, but you may want to try on one piece of paper first. It's simpler that way.
Satire is key[edit]
Not all the humor on Uncyclopedia has to be satire, but satire is a great way to develop ideas. We all have experienced things in life that are ridiculous, for instance, advertisements on television or radio that make a product of suspicious or in fact, little actual value, seem desirable and worthwhile. Or the greed and corruption of all too many of the powerful and influential in this world of ours. Or the stubborn refusal of many people to abandon beliefs that are obviously nonsensical and/or destructive, be they political, economic, religious, ethical, et cetera. You get the idea. Have a pet peeve? Think some aspect of your everyday life is the stupidest thing imaginable? Hate the fact that you're twenty years old and some insurance lobbyist convinced the government decades ago that, for the sake of all that is holy and good on planet earth, it should be illegal for you to drink a beer? Write about it in a satirical way! You won't change a thing, but we'll all have a laugh.
Research can spur your creativity[edit]
I'm not proposing that you plagarize or use actual facts. What I am proposing is that you get information from somewhere, and use it as a "diving board" into creating your own ideas. For instance, if you're writing an article about, say, lions, look up lions on the internet, and find some text about them. By learning about real lions, and what they actually do, you may be able to do a better job writing an article about fake lions, and what they don't do.
Don't be afraid to give up and start over[edit]
While writing requires effort and a lot of revision, that doesn't mean that every idea you have can or should be developed into an article. If you've been working on the same idea for awhile and haven't had much progress, it's probably time to move on to something else. You can always save what you did and revisit it later, or find some other way to use the same or a similar idea in a new way. Avoid getting into a rut and always working on the same material; that isn't conducive to creativity.
Adding links[edit]
Good articles always link to other articles. This is to make sure you're conforming to the site continuity, as well as allowing people to browse articles more easily. The easiest way to add links is to print your article out, and with a hi-lighter, or colored pen, circle the words you think you can link.
Then surround those words in your article with square brackets ([[]]) like this: [[linked words]]. And if you want to use words other than the name of the article you're linking to to create your link, surround the phrase with brackets, but put a pipe between the name of the article you're linking to, and the text you want to appear on the screen as the link. For example, [[phrase 1|phrase 2]] will appear as "phrase 2" in your article text, but link to an article with a name corresponding exactly to the text contained in "phrase 1." It's important to get the capitalization, spelling, and punctuation of the article you're trying to link to exactly right, otherwise the link won't work.
Remember to be careful and make sure the articles you're linking to actually exist! Otherwise, the links won't work and you may get a "remove the redlinks" notice.
If you get into a situation where someone else contributes to an idea you originated in an article, it may be a good idea to put a note on the talk page of the article, or on your userpage, acknowledging the contribution, and giving credit for the contributor. This will not only acknowledge their work, but may encourage more people to contribute to your articles.
If you end up working with one or more people jointly on an article, you may find the creation process is easier, since everyone can come up with their own ideas, and play off each others' ideas, coming up with concepts that they may not have thought of had they been working alone. To a certain extent, this is one of the reasons the wiki-format is powerful; it's a way for hundreds or even thousands of stangers to collaborate in ways that would never have been possible otherwise. If, in your time at Uncyclopedia, you have the opportunity to actively collaborate with one or more other users in creating or improving an article, I suggest that you do it; it's a great opportunity to learn how to work with other people, and the results can often be better than they would be if you were working alone, if for no other reason than that ideas that are only funny to you will be shot down by your co-authors.
Remember, if while working together with others, you get into a significant disagreement, read "A few words about personality conflicts" above and keep in mind that you have to make a decision about what's more important to you in this situation: being "right," or getting something accomplished. Working with others means that your ideas won't always be what gets used. And that's ok. If you have an idea that isn't used, you can always save it on your userpage and use it for something else later, so try to realize that it's not that big a deal if the other people you're working with don't agree with your sense of humor, or see the subject of the article the same way you see it.
If (when) your work gets edited[edit]
This is a user-edited web site, the nature of which is that its content will be, you guessed it, edited. By users. It has its plusses and minuses. Yes, somebody may ruin the timing of your joke or add some unfunny nonsense. But your fellow Uncyclopedians may also help make a marginal article into a feature-worthy gem. When it works, it can work beautifully, sort of like a potluck meal: one person supplies the premise, other people add some jokes, others do some editing, rewriting and formatting, somebody else photoshops an image. It's a bit hard to let go of your article sometimes, but remember, once you put it up here, it's a community article. Try to think more in terms of the Uncyclopedia community, and less in terms of your individuality. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
As you're getting started, you should probably ignore edits to your article, for several reasons:
- If you change it back, you can start a pointless and energy/time consuming revert war.
- Maybe you're wrong and it's really better the new way.
- It's more constructive to start a new article than to obsess over guarding an old one against any changes, and
- If everybody reverted everything they wrote back whenever someone else changed it, there'd be virtually no progress in the quality of the articles here.
In other words, it's my personal belief that allowing things to be changed is more likely to produce good results than reverting back to old versions.
I practice what I preach. Compare my last edit of skeletor with the current version. I think the new version, which I did not write, is better. Perhaps you agree with me.
Also, compare UnNews:Al Qaeda's number Two Operative in Iraq Flees Moon, Captured in Iraq with the previous version that I wrote: (earlier version). In this case I felt my prior edit was better, but decided that reverting it back would not be constructive and just lead to an edit war. So instead, I just added a link to my previous version of the article to my userpage, and went on to write a new (and in my opinion, better) article on UnNews.
This isn't a hard and fast rule, it's just a guideline; a lot of issues between people here would probably resolve themselves if more people followed it and generally tried not to be too possessive about their writing generally.
If you get banned[edit]
- If you get banned, and it isn't for an extended period, try to figure out why you were banned (if there was a reason) and avoid doing whatever you did in the future after the ban expires. While it's understandable that most Uncyclopedians, being prone to see the lighter side of life, may have an innate distrust and/or disrespect for authority, on Uncyclopedia, the admins are the authority, and just like in real life, like it or not, they have the power, and most of you don't. Act accordingly, or you'll find that what happens to you in real life if you flout authority will happen to you here also.
- If you get banned, and it is for an extended period, either plead for mercy in #uncyclopedia at server irc.freenode.net (thereby probably tripling the length of your ban), or just find something to do other than editing Uncyclopedia. Stamp collecting is very nice, and nobody has ever been banned from it . . . yet. If you don't know what IRC or mIRC is, look it up online.
- Log out and edit.
- Then go throw some feces on your computer screen. It activates the Uncyclopedia web page
Before you get infinitely banned, read this[edit]
- Life is full of "meaningful downturns." Consider why you were banned, and try to change, before it becomes infinite. Part of living in human society is learning how to accept that certain restrictions on our liberties as individuals are necessary for our freedom to be preserved and society to work; this applies to Uncyclopedia (or any other wiki) no less (and possibly a lot more, actually) than it does in any community.
- There's a reason why Libertarianism isn't that popular in most countries; power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Similarly, Uncyclopedia is absolutely powerful.
- It's worth spending time learning what works in this community, and what doesn't, and directing your efforts and creative energies towards what works, instead of crashing and burning as an infinitely banned user, which, in the end, accomplishes nothing for anybody, least of all yourself.
- If you've already been infinitely banned, please refer to point two of "if you get banned" above. If you don't like stamps, there's always the little stickers that come on fruit at the supermarket. Nobody's been banned from collecting those yet, either. My favorite one had a picture of the planet Saturn on it. Cool!
How to make your own userpage userbox templates[edit]
First, don't actually create them in the "Template:" namespace! They will get erased!
You have to understand that any code at all can be a template. You can insert any code from any page onto any other page just by putting the name of the page between double brackets. For instance, {{User:Hrodulf/ExampleTemplate}} will copy this "dummy" example template anywhere you want it, like this:
See, it's that easy!
And you don't have to do it with userboxes, images, and text: any code from any page you put in between double brackets will be put anywhere you place the double bracketed pagename. Not that you should go around doing that willy-nilly, that's vandalism and will get you banned, but it can be useful for things like creating userbox templates for your userpage. Here's how to do it:
Type in User:<insert name here>/MyTemplate into the Uncyclopedia search box
Click search, and click on the red link at the top of the page that says User:<insert name here>/MyTemplate.
Now you can edit the code for the page. I recommend you cut and paste the example template code for now. Cut and paste the following into your new page:
<div style="float: left; border:solid black 10px; margin: 1px;">
{| cellspacing="0" style="width: 338px; background: orange; font-size: 26px; font-family: impact"
| [[Image:Testpattern.jpg|200px]]
| This is a test
Now you can edit the code! Change the image from Testpattern.jpg to whatever you want, change the image size (200px means 200 pixels) to whatever you want, change the background color from orange to whatever you want (experiment and look at other pages' codes to figure out the details), change the border from solid black to another color, or make it invisible by making it white instead, or change the font codes (the text doesn't doesn't have to be large and bold, again, look at other articles to get ideas about how to format your text). If you can't figure out how to do something, ask for help in the village dump, or look around until you find something you like, and copy and paste the code for it.
Click save to save your template.
Now anytime you code {{User:<insert name here>/MyTemplate}} into a page, your template will appear.
Another way to use templates[edit]
Want to invoke a template code, but don't want a link from the template page to the page you're editing? Invoke the template this way: {{Subst:User:<insert name here>/MyTemplate}}. It will have the same effect, only instead of linking the template page to the page you're editing, it will actually insert the template page code natively onto the page you're editing. This can be useful if you want to change part of the template every time you use it, for instance, if it is a signature template, and you want to change the time and date every time you make use of it. That reminds me, I forgot all about . . . .
Signature templates[edit]
Notice how some users have lots of cool colors and pictures when they sign on talk pages and in the village dump? Well, you can have that too, if you want! First, just create this page. In that space, put your code for your signature template. (If you need to, check out other users' signature templates for ideas on colors and formatting. (Don't swipe sig templates wholesale, but if you're clueless about coding and need some code, you can take the base code from someone else and modify by changing colors, text and images)).
Once you have your sig template made up, head up to your preferences (very top of the page) and add {{Subst:Nosubst|User:<insert name here>/sig}} to the Signature field. Check "I want to use wikitext in my signature" and you're good to go. Now when you click the signature button or type four tildes your sig will automagically show up.
Keep in mind that there are a few restrictions on signatures. We're trying to keep things somewhat legible and uniform around here. Be as creative as you want, but please stay inside those boundaries.


text:
About us
The Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies (CBSPT) is actively involved in both fundamental and applied research on a range of problems associated with bulk solids and particulate technology. Research areas include storage, flow, processing and transportation of bulk solids. CBSPT also provides specialist courses for industry through its professional development programs.
CBSPT is a world leader in applied and fundamental bulk solids handling research. In 1995, it was established and supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) as one of a prestigious handful of national Key Centres of Teaching and Research between the University of Newcastle and the University of Wollongong.
The Newcastle node of CBSPT is located at the University in the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER). It continues its research programs through competitive research grants from such bodies as the Australian Research Council and Industry and supports currently 17 Post Graduate Research, and Master's and Bachelor Degree level final year students, both nationally and internationally. The Centre's Newcastle Node is strongly linked with TUNRA Bulk Solids and the Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. The mission of the Centre is to pursue excellence in teaching, research and industrial development in bulk solids handling and particulate technologies.
The CBSPT is actively involved in both fundamental and applied research on a range of problems associated with bulk solids & particulate technology. The research areas include storage, flow, processing and transportation of bulk solids. In addition to the research activities, CBSPT conducts specialised education strands in bulk solids and particulate technologies for:
- Bachelor of Engineering undergraduate degrees
- Supervision for candidates enrolled in research higher degrees such as Masters and PhD programs
- Short intensive professional development programs across a broad range of bulk solids handling and particulate technology topics.
The Centre has an ongoing commitment to continuing professional development courses in Bulk Solids Handling in Australia as well as other countries; the latter includes the USA, UK, Norway, Turkey, South Africa, India, Singapore, China and Germany.
The professional development and recognition of the discipline of Bulk Solids Handling in Australia and indeed, world-wide, is due in no small way to the contribution of the University of Newcastle through CBSPT and TUNRA Bulk Solids. There is no doubt that Australia is setting the standard as the leading country of the world in the research, industrial practice and professional development of the discipline of bulk solids handling. The Newcastle node of CBSPT operates at the cutting edge of bulk solids and particulate knowledge through a world-recognised applied research and development program. It is uniquely equipped to assist processors and manufacturers with industrial troubleshooting, technical assistance and education.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, October 30, 2020
US reverses plan to close PLO Washington office
Rhiannon F.
- November 28, 2017
Main News
Peace Process
] [
US foreign policy
Send by email:
The US State Department has quietly taken back its decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Washington office over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The PLO office was to be closed due to alleged Palestinian violation of the Anti Terrorism Act.
Under the law, there are two conditions for continued US support; no Palestinian call for Israel or its citizens to be tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as no PLO attempt to achieve UN member state status.
In September Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN they had asked the ICC to open an investigation of Israeli officials regarding illegal settlements and aggressive use of force against Palestinians.
PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi believes the US administration are attempting to punish the people of Palestine for trying to hold Israel accountable through the ICC, she stated in a press release.
"It is ironic that the U.S. is taking steps to punish the victim (the occupied) and not the perpetrator of the crime (the occupier)," Dr. Ashrawi said.
It has long been a battle for the PLO to exist and function in the US, after the introduction of the Anti Terrorism Act in 1987, also making it illegal for the PLO to spend money and collect money from American citizens to serve their interests.
The US president reserves the right to waive the law for six months at a time, allowing the PLO office to function.
In a briefing to foreign media by Member of Fatah Central Council and official spokesperson, Dr. Nasser Al Qudwa said the last waiver was signed by US President Donald Trump in May.
The waiver ended on November 17, therefore automatically triggering the Anti Terrorism law, allowing the administration to call for the PLO office closure.
The US administration's threat aimed to pressure the PA into peace talks with Israel, declaring the office could reopen within 90 days without any of the restrictions currently in place if they enter "into direct [and] meaningful negotiations."
Ironically, the action by the US resulted in the opposite, with the PA declaring they would cut any communication with the US, calling the threats "blackmail and coercion."
The PLO further said the US actions would hinder any Middle East peace deal.
Dr Al Qudwa stated "the US president is determined to present a vision, a peace plan" for Israel and Palestine.
"At the same time, his assistants are very inclined to accept Israeli arguments, [so] it's very difficult to imagine," Dr Al Qudwa continued.
Dr. Ashrawi also added the US still hasn't presented any peace initiative.
"Conditioning the renewal of the waiver on the Palestinians' sticking to 'direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel' is actually superfluous since negotiations are nonexistent," she said.
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What a brutal interview! I've always had a good opinion of Burnett, now... not so much.
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Event Archive - Jillian Lebeck
Tue. March 4th 2008 @ O'Doul's Restaurant and Bar (All Ages)
9pm - 12am
Event CategoriesMusic: Jazz / Blues
ReviewsNo articles have been linked to this profile
Jillian Lebeck
A Vancouver native, jazz pianist/composer/vocalist Jillian Lebeck is one of the most dynamic and exciting voices on the West Coast Jazz scene. Her compositions are individualistic and innovative and her music style can be best described as modern mainstream jazz with ECM, pop, and classical influences. Some pieces are collective improvisations. Jil... more info


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UPDATED, 12:42 p.m. EDT: Obama: Health care ruling "a victory" for all: President Obama, speaking from the White House, said in remarks on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act: "Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country." He added, "I know the debate over this law has been divisive … It should be pretty clear by now that I didn't do this because I believed it was good politics."
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has upheld the individual health-insurance mandate that is at the heart of President Obama's landmark health care law, saying that it is permissible under Congress' taxing authority.
From the Washington Post:
The potentially game-changing, election-year decision — a major victory for the White House less than five months before the November elections — will help redefine the power of the national government and affect the health-care choices of millions of Americans.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. sided with the majority in voting to uphold the law, Obama's signature domestic initiative.
Passage of the legislation by the Democratic-controlled Congress in 2010 capped decades of efforts to implement a national program of health care. The legislation is expected to eventually extend health-care coverage to more than 30 million Americans who currently lack it.
Republicans in Congress and GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney have vowed to try and repeal the measure after the November elections.
The health-care issue thrust the Supreme Court into the public spotlight unlike anything since its role in the 2000 presidential election. The court's examination of the law received massive coverage — especially during three days of oral arguments in March — and its outcome remained Washington's most closely guarded secret.
The court reviewed four questions: whether it was within Congress's constitutional powers to impose an "individual mandate" to purchase health insurance; whether all or any additional parts of the law must be struck down if the mandate is rejected; whether an expansion of Medicaid was unduly coercive on the states and whether all of those questions can even be reviewed before the mandate takes effect.
Read more at the Washington Post.


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Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE)
- Promising Practices to Improve Community Performance and Sustainability: Part II, Tips for Better Care (PDF) (38pp, 8.9 MB) is now available.
- EPA is offering a Grants 101 Tutorial to assist communities in understanding the grants process
- Videos are available for two CARE projects in Hawaii and New York
- What businesses are saying about CARE
- Learn how our CARE Communities are making a difference and using innovative ways to create healthier environments! (PDF) (32pp, 3.9 MB, About PDF )
NAPA Evaluation of CARE
Putting Community First: A Promising Approach to Federal Collaboration for Environmental Improvement (PDF)(104p, 2.4MB, About PDF )
Past Conferences
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment. Through CARE, a community creates a partnership that implements solutions to reduce releases of toxic pollutants and minimize people's exposure to them. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA helps CARE communities get on the path to a renewed environment.
Currently, there are no plans to publish a Request for Proposal for the CARE program due to lack of congressional funding. The CARE principles are being integrated across other Agency community-based programs to preserve the good practices and lessons learned. The Agency is incorporating lessons from the CARE program as part of EPA's Theme and Cross-Agency Strategy "Making a Visible Difference in Communities". To learn more about this theme and strategy, please visit: (https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epas-themes-meeting-challenge-ahead) (https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan) pages 57-59
Explore the CARE Program:
Basic Information - An overview of the CARE program including its goals and strategies.
Cooperative Agreements - Information on funding available through the CARE program.
Community Profiles - Descriptions of community projects undertaken through CARE.
Resource Guide - The CARE Resource Guide is a tool to help you find information related to community-based environmental protection.
Publications - A listing of documents that provide information about, and are relevant to the CARE program.
CDC/ATSDR Collaboration - Information on EPA's and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's joint effort to support community environmental and health goals.
See also the Added Benefits for CARE Communities.


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A creamery located in the Midwest required a replacement heater for one of their spray drying systems that processes powdered milk. In addition, it was required that the equipment be manufactured in accordance with USDA guidelines.
Their existing heater was no longer
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Toys coming out of China have long had a bad rap. There's often talk of lead paint, dangerous and sometimes exploding parts, but the overall argument against Chinese toys is that they're boring and low quality (not Western branded toys made in China). Despite all it had going against it, a small Chinese toy company has "made it", and for the past three years has been churning out some of the coolest toys available.
The almost appropriately named Dam Toys company, based out of Hong Kong, makes toys you wouldn't expect from Chinese company; they specialize in 1/6 scale action figures of the US Army. That's right, a Chinese company making US Army-themed toys.
Many of the figures produced by Dam Toys are based on different soldiers, everything from regular infantry to marines, but they also make their own line of gangster figures, which are relatively new to their catalog. These gangster figures look almost as if they've stepped out of a Rockstar game.
Perhaps the most awesome thing about these toys is that they're so detailed. For instance, the 12-inch US navy seal corpsman has a medical supply set in its backpack, which opens up. In the medical supply set, there are miniature bandages and tools—the scissors actually work!
While they're currently focusing their toy lines on the US military, Dam Toys says they're looking into expanding their gangster line, as well as designing a Chinese military figure.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


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Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Man From Mundania - Xanth 12
Chapter Analysis of Man From Mundania - Xanth 12
Click on a plot link to find similar books!
Plot & ThemesComposition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 10%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 10%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 40%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 40% Tone of book - very upbeat FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past Romance - Yes Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Human/magical couple? - Yes Type of couple: - Both human, she has magical powers
Main CharacterIdentity: - Male - Female Profession/status: - student Age: - a teen
SettingTerrain - Water - Mountains - Forests Earth setting: - current (early 21st century) A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society Takes place on Earth? - Yes Planet outside solar system? - Yes
Writing StyleAccounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Books with storylines, themes & endings like Man From Mundania - Xanth 12
|Real Magic by Lissa Michaels
|Where Flows the Water by Sean Michael
|The Dreams of Darkness - Everdark Wars 1 by Elizabeth Burton
|Stolen Magic by Mary Jo Putney
|The Truth-teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn


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Animal Planet is trying to help save an endangered species with the three-part special, Battleground: Rhino Wars.
The series, which was filmed in South Africa, features current and former members of the U.S. Special Ops as they work to fight poachers from killing rhinos for their lucrative horns.
"We're problem solvers," the group's leader Craig "Saw" tells TVGuide.com. "We travel internationally and solve problems that can't be [dealt with] diplomatically or militarily or through any other means. We're a last ditch effort and this crisis is really at that level."
TV Scorecard: Has your favorite show been renewed?
In the interview below, Saw and his partners Jeff "Biggs" and "Oz" talk about how dangerous their mission was and how people can help them fight this escalating battle.
Battleground: Rhino Wars airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Animal Planet.


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Looking for an RV topic? Search the entire forum HERE
Walmart is building a store right down the street from me in the best part of town.
A trailer park in the best part of town
A real nice KOA
I can guarantee that town with pass a local ornitaze banning overnight parking
Might be time to move to the nice new WM parking lot
I hate to tell you this but you have given me yet another reason to NOT LIKE Wal*mart.That said. Glad you like it.
It's certainly interesting how one word in a post will get it deleted out of and,,,mysteriously,,mysteriously....
No mystery, just recognition that a message will likely become a lightning rod, followed by a discussion going downhill. FWIW nothing was deleted
My RV does not run or else it would be an option.
There is a post that has disappeared. It listed five reasons for defending your RV.
I've never had a problem while overnighting in the RV at a Walmart or other parking area, but I have been approached by a panhandler with a similar sob story while in my car in a parking lot. I told the fellow I had no cash, but I would call 911 for him and have an officer come help him find an agency to assist him. He grumbled a bit and then left...
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(RNN) – Many post-collegiate graduates aren't moving on into "the real world" – they are moving back in with mom and dad.
According to a new Gallup poll, 14 percent of adults between the ages of 24 and 34 reported living with their parents.
By comparison, 51 percent of young adults ages 18 to 23 and pursuing higher education still live in their childhood homes.
Gallup suggests that many factors contribute to one in seven millennials returning to their parents' house: finding a job, their own place to live and finding a spouse and beginning their own families.
"There are potential roadblocks on the path to independence that may force young adults to live with their parents longer, including a weak job market, the high cost of living, significant college debt and helping care for an elderly or disabled parent," Gallup said.
Job status ranked as the second most important factor of whether millennials lived with a parent or not; marital status ranked as the top factor.
Of those polled, 75 percent of millennials age 24 to 34 are single and live at home, compared to just 35 percent who aren't living with their parents; 12 percent of married couples live at home, compared to 46 percent of those who are on their own.
The marital status of many millennials is reflected in a 2013 Gallup poll that reported nine percent of people ages 18 to 34 aren't and don't want to be married.
The data showed that those more likely to live with their parents are unlikely married, did not finish college and are underemployed.
However, Gallup says that "an improved job market and economy should lead to a decrease in the percentage e of young adults living with their parents."
Do you like to tweet? I do – follow me on Twitter @TanitaG_RNN.
Copyright 2014 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.


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Avon Instinct for Her Campaign 3 Sales Price $12.00 Express Delivery @ www.KarensAvon.com Incite your primal desires with this intense fusion of sparkling greens, exotic camellia and a touch of sensual sandalwood. 1.7 fl. oz Avon Instinct for Him Campaign 3 Sales Price $12.00 Feel the magnetic energy of this powerful fusion of wild mandarin, …
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Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens. Family: Solanaceae
Capsaicin, capsacum, African chili, chili, hot pepper, Louisiana long pepper or sport pepper, paprika, red chili, spur pepper, tabasco pepper
Cayenne is a hot chili pepper extract. It's commonly used in cooking. Bell pepper and paprika are the mild forms of this pepper.
When you apply it to your skin (topically), cayenne works to relieve pain. It contains capsaicin. This is used in ointment form for pain relief. Ointments made from cayenne stop muscle and joint pain by "confusing" pain transmitters. They also block pain messages from the skin.
When taken by mouth, cayenne may also aid in digestion and improve circulation. It may also reduce cholesterol and blood fat levels and decrease obesity.
Cayenne is commonly used in these ways:
Topical analgesic. It desensitizes local nerves and decreases pain due to certain conditions. These include post-herpetic neuralgia caused by shingles. Studies show that applying 0.025% to 0.075% capsaicin cream topically may also aid in short-term pain relief. It eases pain from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriasis. It also relieves pain due to neuralgias. These include shingles and diabetic neuropathy.
Diaphoretic. This promotes sweating.
Sialagogue. This increases the flow of saliva.
Rubefacient. This increases surface blood flow when applied to the skin.
Self-defense. It is used in pepper spray.
There may be benefits that have not yet been proven through research.
Cayenne pepper may help the circulatory system. It may help control blood flow, and ease symptoms of Raynaud's disease helping blood flow. It may also strengthen the heart, arteries, capillaries, and nerves.
It may act as a tonic. This may help your digestive system work better. It may also stop bleeding from ulcers and help flatulent dyspepsia. It is also claimed to decrease obesity.
In the respiratory system, cayenne may help break up congestion due to bronchitis. Cayenne may also help to prevent infections. These include colds and chills, sinus infections, and sore throats. As a gargle, cayenne can be used for laryngitis. It works well with myrrh.
When you apply it externally, it may help with toothache, lumbago, arthritis, and rheumatism.
Cayenne is available in many forms. It comes as an ointment, oil or entire plant, in dried fruits, and crushed or powdered. It's best to keep it in a sealed, light-resistant container.
The fruit is the part of the plant that's used. It should be harvested when fully ripe, removed from the calyx, and then dried in the shade.
For external use, follow the instructions on the package as dosage and frequency may vary based on age and reason for use.
Excessive consumption of pepper that has capsaicin in it can cause problems. These include acute gastritis and hemorrhagic gastritis. You should not let cayenne touch your mucous membranes, especially your eyes. In rare cases, this can cause urticaria or skin irritation.
Do not use cayenne if you have an active gastric or duodenal ulcer, diverticulitis, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Do not apply cayenne to injured skin. People who are allergic to cayenne should not use it.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to their healthcare provider before using any herbal medicines.
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To learn more about our Massachusetts health plans, please visit our Plans & Products page, where you can compare Massachusetts health insurance plans, buy health plans online, and get Mass health insurance quotes.
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text:
They own me, they can do whatever they want with me,...
I met an angel37942411
- by Niallerxxx
- Rating:
- Published: 27 Jan 2014
- Updated: 30 Jan 2014
- Status: In Progress
Niall ran away from home and have no idea what a normal life is. He escapes from everything that hurt him and becomes homeless. Harry's the opposite. He has rich parents can afford to throw money at nothing and he lives a good life. Still, it's something with Niall that catches his interest. During the dirty face are a wonderful person and it's not long before Harry realizes who he loves.
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text:
"Will Provide Easier Path to Health Care and Benefits"
Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Korea will have an easier path to access quality health care and benefits under a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) final regulation that will expand the dates when illnesses caused by herbicide exposure can be presumed to be related to Agent Orange.
"VA's primary mission is to be an advocate for Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki "With this new regulation VA has cleared a path for more Veterans who served in the demilitarized zone in Korea to receive access to our quality health care and disability benefits for exposure to Agent Orange."
Under the final regulation published today in the Federal Register, VA will presume herbicide exposure for any Veteran who served between April 1, 1968, and Aug. 31, 1971, in a unit determined by VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) to have operated in an area in or near the Korean DMZ in which herbicides were applied.
Previously, VA recognized that Agent Orange exposure could only be conceded to Veterans who served in certain units along the Korean DMZ between April 1968 and July 1969.
In practical terms, eligible Veterans who have specific illnesses VA presumes to be associated with herbicide exposure do not have to prove an association between their illness and their military service. This "presumption" simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits and ensures that Veterans receive the benefits they deserve.
Click on these links to learn about Veterans' diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure <http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp> at http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp and birth defects in children of Vietnam-era Veterans <http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/birth_defects.asp> at http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/birth_defects.asp.
VA encourages Veterans with covered service in Korea who have medical conditions that may be related to Agent Orange to submit their applications for access to VA health care and compensation as soon as possible so the agency can begin processing their claims.
Individuals can go to website http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm <http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm> to get a more complete understanding of how to file a claim for presumptive conditions related to herbicide exposure, as well as what evidence is needed by VA to make a decision about disability compensation or survivors benefits.
Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services for Veterans exposed to the chemical is available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/> .
The regulation is available on the Office of the Federal Register website at http://www.ofr.gov/.


text: Dickens' Victorian story of a boy in a London workhouse and his adventures on the way to his family. Lionel Bart's most successful musical contains some of the great villains of all time including Fagin and Bill Sykes. The songs include "Food glorious food", "You Got to Pick a Pocket or Two", "Who will buy this wonderful morning", "I am reviewing the situation" and "Consider yourself at Home".


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I've been thinking a lot about eyeglasses lately.
I was sitting at the steering wheel ready for my three hour drive home after spending the day out of town with friends.
One of my friends saw a defect in my eyeglasses and asked if he could fiddle around with them. He has lots of experience fixing glasses. I appreciated his offer, let him tinker with them and didn't think twice.
Minutes later he returned with a very apologetic face. One of the lenses was split into two, and the frames were unusable. "In all my years, this has never happened to me," he said. I was speechless.
I tried my best to make him feel that I was not angry, and my wife, who loathes driving long distances at night, took over.
Within days, my friend quickly made amends and everything is back to normal now. But I'm still thinking about eyeglasses. I have very poor eyesight and prior to that mishap, I don't remember the last time I had to see blurry for such a long time.
Eyeglasses first appeared in Pisa, Italy, around the year 1286 and only in the late 14th and 15th centuries did they begin to be mass-produced on some level. What did people with poor eyesight do before eyeglasses were invented? How did they live?
Thank God I live in a world where my problematic eyesight is so easily fixable. But what's with God? Since He's perfect and all-powerful, why did He create so many of us with faulty vision?
He didn't give us fingers that would only work if we attached a metal or glass mechanism to them. Yet according to the Vision Council of America, approximately 75% of adults use some sort of vision correction. Why did God make a world where the vast majority of people need corrective lenses in order to see properly?
There is very powerful lesson here. We have eyes but we cannot see. We are incapable of clearly seeing anything without help.
We look at everything in the world and we think we are seeing it unmistakably. We think we see exactly what is there in front of us in plain sight.
But in reality, we are always seeing blurry.
Do we look for the good in people or for their faults?
We judge other people. We condemn situations and circumstances. Yet, we actually possess very poor eyesight. We need to attach the 'proper lenses' to give us the right perspective and vision in order to look at the world appropriately. Do we look for the good in people or for their faults? Do we look at situations as random occurrences or do we try to see the underlying message guided by Divine providence?
An unkempt man was touring the Louvre with a group of tourists. As they were scanning Rembrandt's works the man yelled, "Yogurt!" Everyone thought he was nuts. But he said it again, "It looks like yogurt to me."
Then they passed by the Mona Lisa. Again he exclaimed, "Yogurt!" A wise man on the tour looked at the fellow. "Let me see your glasses."
He gave him his glasses. "What did you have for breakfast today?" he asked.
"Some cereal and yogurt," he answered.
The wise man cackled. "Look at your glasses! They are dotted with yogurt! No wonder everything you look at appears as yogurt!" (Parable of Rav Mordechai Pogramanski, pre-WW2 European scholar)
Everything we look at depends upon the lenses we are looking through.
A person with the quality of a good eye and a clean, positive lens, does not hate others, nor does he get angry with them. He does not covet what others have, because he sees everything positively without any 'yogurt.' If he is lacking something it is because God is telling him that he doesn't need it, and he is happy for his friend who does have it.
We have eyes but we need to correct our vision and work on seeing people in a positive light. These are the eyeglasses we must wear at all times.
The Sages tell us that the 2nd Temple was destroyed as a result of baseless hatred, sinat chinam. During this period of the Three Weeks leading to the mournful day of Tisha B'Av when the Temple was destroyed, we are all trying to improve ourselves and our relationships with others.
One key way to better our relationships with others is to judge them favorably, looking at them in an positive way. When we live with this attitude in the courtrooms of our minds, we avoid the roots of negative vibes which often lead to hatred.
Now's the time to get your eyes examined and check your glasses, and wipe away any remaining yogurt.


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The first weekend of the high school football postseason for all but the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, which started with quarterfinals last weekend, features 21 games involving Baltimore-area teams in state regional semifinals and MIAA A, B and C Conference semifinals. Here is a look at the top six games to watch this week:
MIAA A Conference semifinals
McDonogh (3-7) vs. No. 1 Gilman (7-2)
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Archbishop Spalding
Coaches: Dom Damico, McDonogh; Biff Poggi, Gilman
Last meeting: Gilman won, 48-12, on Oct. 27
Outlook: At the beginning of the season, Poggi said McDonogh probably had more talent than any of the Greyhounds' other A Conference opponents, but the Eagles were young and they went through some growing pains. Three weeks ago, Damico switched talented freshman quarterback Jansen Durham for senior Travis Woods and the Eagles beat Mount St. Joseph, 24-0, and topped Loyola, 28-7, in last week's quarterfinal. In between, however, Gilman easily handled the Eagles with its combination of versatile offense, led by QB Shane Cockerille, and a stalwart defense. The defending MIAA A Conference champions have allowed an average of 8.8 points against A Conference foes and have won by an average of 32.6 points.
Mount St. Joseph (4-6) vs. No. 2 Calvert Hall (7-2)
When: Saturday, 11 a.m.
Where: Archbishop Spalding
Coaches: Blake Henry, Mount St. Joseph; Donald Davis, Calvert Hall
Last meeting: Calvert Hall won, 27-21 in 2 OTs, on Oct. 6
Outlook: Mount St. Joseph didn't win a regular-season A Conference game but came awfully close to beating Calvert Hall last month. In last week's quarterfinal, they finally broke through with an impressive 19-13 win over then No. 10 Archbishop Spalding behind RB Nevone McCrimmon (176 yards, 2 TDs). The Cardinals suffered their only A Conference loss to Gilman. Kevin Nickel's 10-yard scoring run made the difference in the double-overtime win over the Gaels last month, but the Cardinals played the first half without 15 players, including eight starters, who were taking the SAT exam. This time, the Cardinals will have everyone suited up at kickoff as they aim for a rematch of last year's title game against Gilman.
Regional semifinals
No. 11 South River (8-2) @ No. 9 Old Mill (8-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Region: 4A East
Coaches: Lance Clelland, South River; Chad McCormick, Old Mill
Last meeting: South River won, 36-35, last Friday
Outlook: The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth with last week's victory over the defending Class 4A state champions. QB Connor Cox scored the game-winning points on a conversion run after throwing a 39-yard touchdown pass to Eric Young with less than two minutes to go. Cox has thrown for 38 touchdowns and more than 2,800 yards in leading the Seahawks to their second straight playoff appearance. For Old Mill, Shawn Brown ran for three touchdowns and Marcus Hicks added two scores as the Patriots rallied from a 21-0 deficit to take a 35-28 lead. Last year, Old Mill won the regular-season finale over South River and went on to win the following week in the playoff opener. That might seem to bode well for the Seahawks, who are looking for their first state crown, but the last time the Patriots lost their final regular-season game (2009), they went on to win their first state championship.
James M. Blake (6-4) @ No. 5 Westminster (10-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Region: 4A North
Coaches: Tony Nazarro, Blake; Brad Wilson, Westminster
Last meeting: First meeting
Outlook: The Owls are cruising behind their passing offense, led by QB Deryk Kern (52 TDs, 3,004 passing yards) and a strong corps of receivers, including Garrett Bean (15 TDs) and Bradley Metcalf (14 TDs) and RB Dan Johnson (2 rushing TDs, 8 receiving TDs). After missing the playoffs last season when they had to forfeit a game for using the same player in a varsity and JV game in the same week, the Owls are looking for their first state title in their fifth appearance in the playoffs. Blake, from Montgomery County, who is in the playoffs for the first time, also has a multifaceted offense with strong running and passing games.
Douglass (7-3) vs. Edmondson (9-1)
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Poly
Region: 2A North
Coaches: Elwood Townsend, Douglass; Dante Jones, Edmondson
Last meeting: Edmondson won, 14-6, on Sept. 14
Outlook: The Ducks may be the best 7-3 team out there, losing only to No. 8 Dunbar, 8-6, No. 14 Milford Mill, 18-16, and to Edmondson. While Baltimore City teams nearly always rely on the run, Townsend opted for a passing attack with senior QBs Brandon Oliver and Dontrell Kelly. The defense has also come a long way, allowing only 93 points after giving up 230 last season when they went 3-7. Edmondson, which has allowed only 88 points and lost only to Dunbar, 13-8, reached the state semifinals last season and aims for a second title to go with its 2006 state championship. Douglass will have to stop a strong Red Storm running game to get its first playoff win.
Manchester Valley (7-3) vs. Reginald Lewis (9-1)
When: Saturday, 1
Where: Poly
Region: 1A North
Coaches: Tony Shermeyer, Manchester Valley; Donte' Foster, Reginald Lewis
Last meeting: First meeting
Outlook: In its fourth season as a varsity program, Manchester Valley is in the regionals for the first time, while the Falcons are still looking for their first playoff win in their third trip to the postseason in five years. Senior RB Donnie Neal, who has gained 100 or more yards in 19 straight games and has 143 carries for 1,199 yards and 13 touchdowns, leads the Falcons. Senior QB Dominick Frank, who has 1,112 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 973 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns, leads a versatile Mavericks offense.
The first weekend of the high school football postseason for all but the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, which started with quarterfinals last weekend, features 21 games involving Baltimore-area teams in state regional semifinals and MIAA A, B and C Conference semifinals. Here is a look at the top six games to watch this week:


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In the anguished debate over the value of a college education vs. high costs and declining opportunities, a new Pew Research Center study weighs in resoundingly on the side of higher education.
"On virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment—from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed full time—young college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education," reports the 66-page Pew study, which was released earlier this week.
Indeed, the report, entitled The Rising Cost of Not Going to College, goes farther in stating that the disparity in economic outcomes between those with and without college educations "has never been greater in the modern era."
The report, likely to provoke a heated response from college skeptics, demonstrates this conclusion by contrasting the economic performance of "millennial" generation full-time workers, ages 25 to 32.
In constant dollars, those with just high school diplomas make just $28,000 a year compared to their early boomer counterparts in 1979, who earned over $32,000 annually; the slope goes steadily downhill from there.
In contrast, an opposite upward slope marks the path of college graduates with bachelor's or higher degrees from the silent generation, who in 1965 earned nearly $39,000 a year vs. their contemporary 20-something counterparts who earn $45,500, again, in constant dollars.
What's more, far fewer college-educated millennials are unemployed (3.8%) compared to high school graduates (12.2%), living in poverty (5.8% vs. 21.8%) or living in their parents' homes (12% vs. 18%); and a greater percentage are married (45% vs. 40%).
Those with two-year degrees fall consistently between those with college or high school degrees in all these categories.
College has conferred many other advantages on millennials, according to the Pew Study, including a career path rather than just a job (86% of college grads vs. 57% for those with high school degrees); the training needed to advance in their jobs (63% vs. 41%); job satisfaction (53% vs. 37%); and the feeling that their education prepared them for their professional lives (46% vs. 31%).
Past Picture
One of the key conclusions of the Pew report, however, is that a mere high school education delivers less than it did in previous generations. In constant dollars, early boomers circa 1979 enjoyed a median household income of over $50,000 compared to millennials who bring in just under $40,000; suffered a 7% poverty rate compared to 22% today; and had an 87% likelihood of lifetime employment compared to 82% today.
An overwhelming percentage of college graduates then and now believe their college degree did or will pay off, despite the financial investment; and the study shows a hierarchy of college graduates positively evaluating their academic preparation, with science and engineering students rating themselves most prepared, followed by business students and last social science/liberal arts/education majors.
The study's stark contrast between the fortunes of college and high school graduates is sure to receive criticism from those who see higher education as costlier and less rewarding than in the past.
Richard Vedder of Ohio University's Center for College Affordability and Productivity has published colorful statistics showing that the number of janitors with bachelor's degrees now surpasses 115,000 or that 15% of cab drivers have such degrees today (vs. less than 1% in 1970).
In a widely referenced 2012 article for Bloomberg Businessweek, Vedder took the "college premium" argument head on, saying that that the $1 million-plus increased lifetime earnings was not traceable to the degree itself but to the higher intelligence and better work habits of college graduates.
He added that more than 40% of higher ed students exit college without a degree, even within six years, but with higher debt and lost working years. Vedder also warned against misinterpreting averages, saying:
"A non-swimmer trying to cross a stream that on average is three feet deep might drown because part of the stream is seven feet in depth. The same kind of thing sometimes happens to college graduates too entranced by statistics on averages," he wrote, noting widely varying outcomes between, say, engineering and ethnic studies majors.
Finally, he invoked changed market conditions, with a higher supply of college graduates meeting reduced growth in professional employment, and argued that high school students should select a path in line with their past preparation and future opportunities.