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When you truly love your MINI, you want to protect it in the best way. That's why we created MINI Protect, our comprehensive range of insurance products designed to help maintain that sense of adventure, whilst protecting you from damage costs.
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At a Glance:
- Cover available for 2 or 3 years
- Available for new and Approved Used MINIs up to 7 years old at the start of the policy
- Repairs can be carried out at your local MINI Retailer or by our mobile repairer network
- Pay for your policy upfront or in 12 monthly payments (at no extra cost)
- 5 year guarantee on cosmetic repairs carried out under this insurance
- You have up to 60 days to purchase your policy after you have collected your MINI. Cover will start after you have purchased the policy
- Up to £250 contribution towards a body shop repair for damage that falls within the size parameters but cannot be cosmetically repaired
Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. This website only provides a summary of the cover provided by MINI Cosmetic Repair Insurance and does not include the full terms, conditions and limits of cover. Please refer to the policy document below.
Contact your participating local approved MINI Retailer and get your quote today.
For full terms and conditions of this product, see the policy wording document available online at mini.co.uk/insurance or by calling MINI Protect Services on 0330 400 1516 .
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Making a claim.
In the unfortunate event that you need to make a claim, MINI Protect Services are available to assist you. If you purchased your policy before 1 April 2018, please call 0345 641 9736. If you purchased your policy on or after the 1 April 2018, please refer to the policy document below for full details of how to make a claim.
>> Find out more about MINI Cosmetic Repair Insurance.
>> MINI Cosmetic Repair Insurance Policy.
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If you need further help, you can call MINI Protect Services on 0330 400 1516. MINI Protect Services lines are open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm.
MINI Cosmetic Repair Insurance is administered by Abraxas Insurance Administration Services Limited, registered in England and Wales with company number 02928787 and its registered office is at One Victoria Street, Bristol Bridge, Bristol, BS1 6AA. Abraxas Insurance Administration Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Insurance is underwritten by MAPFRE Asistencia Compania Internacional de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A. Dixon House, 72-75 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BR. Company Number: FC021974. Branch Number BR008042. MAPFRE Asistencia Compañía Internacional de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A. is authorised by Direccion General de Seguros y Fondos De Pensiones and is subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are available on request.


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Beyond the cyber-threat, an increasingly complex regulatory environment brings its own risks to businesses. Wherever you operate and whatever the regulation, nCipher Security solutions can help you achieve, and maintain compliance, improving your security and managing your risk.
Where do you do business?
Our data security solutions play an essential role in helping companies achieve compliance wherever they operate.

subset: commoncrawl


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As the West warms, a drier Colorado River system could see as much as a one-in-two chance of fully depleting all of its reservoir storage by mid-century assuming current management practices continue on course, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder study.
The study, "Water Supply Risk on the Colorado River: Can Management Mitigate" in press in the American Geophysical Union journal, Water Resources Research, looked at the effects of a range of reductions in Colorado River stream flow on future reservoir levels and the implications of different management strategies. Roughly 30 million people depend on the Colorado River -- which hosts more than a dozen dams along its 1,450 journey from Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California -- for drinking and irrigation water.
The Colorado River system is presently enduring its 10th year in a drought that began in 2000, said lead study author Balaji Rajagopalan, an associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering. The river system entered the drought with the reservoirs at approximately 95 percent of capacity. The reservoirs are presently at 59 percent of capacity, about the same as this time last year, said Rajagopalan, also a fellow at the university's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
The research team examined the future vulnerability of the system to water supply variability coupled with projected changes in water demand. The team found that through 2026, the risk of fully depleting reservoir storage in any given year remains below 10 percent under any scenario of climate fluctuation or management alternative. During this period, the reservoir storage could even recover from its current low level, according to the researchers.
But if climate change results in a 10 percent reduction in the Colorado River's average stream flow as some recent studies predict, the chances of fully depleting reservoir storage will exceed 25 percent by 2057, according to the study. If climate change results in a 20 percent reduction, the chances of fully depleting reservoir storage will exceed 50 percent by 2057, Rajagopalan said.
"On average, drying caused by climate change would increase the risk of fully depleting reservoir storage by nearly 10 times more than the risk we expect from population pressures alone," said Rajagopalan. "By mid-century this risk translates into a 50 percent chance in any given year of empty reservoirs, an enormous risk and huge water management challenge," he said.
But even under the most extensive drying scenario, threats to water supplies won't be felt immediately. "There's a tremendous storage capacity on the Colorado River that helps with the reliability of supply over periods of a just few years," said Rajagopalan.
Total storage capacity of reservoirs on the Colorado exceeds 60 million acre feet, almost four times the average annual flow on the river, and the two largest reservoirs -- Lake Mead and Lake Powell -- can store up to 50 million acre feet of water. As a result, the risk of full reservoir depletion will remain low through 2026, even with a 20 percent stream flow reduction induced by climate change, said Rajagopalan.
Between 2026 and 2057, the risks of fully depleting reservoir storage will increase seven-fold under the current management practices when compared with risks expected from population pressures alone. Implementing more aggressive management practices -- in which downstream releases are reduced during periods of reservoir shortages -- could lead to only a two-fold increase in risk of depleting all reservoir storage during this period, according to the study.
The magnitude of the risk will ultimately depend on the extent of climate drying and on the types of water management and conservation strategies established, according to the study.
"Water conservation and relatively small pre-planned delivery shortages tied to declining reservoir levels can play a big part in reducing our risk," said Ken Nowak, a graduate student with the Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems and a study co-author.


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Nate McMillan played 18 minutes before leaving with an as-yet unidentified leg injury. Frankly, I think it hasn't been identified because it doesn't exist. I think Mac wanted attention and Lord knows he wasn't going to get it on the Supersonics – the best team that no one really wants to watch. This won't affect […]Please, blog, may I have some more?
Ken Norman
My sleeper pick in this NBA draft class was the no. 11 overall center from Vanderbilt, Will Perdue, but I'm thinking I might want to have stopped one short and taken a second look at Willie Anderson. In his first NBA game, the kid went 30/5/6. I know the Spurs don't have much else going […]Please, blog, may I have some more?


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Midnight trains to Georgia
The Peach State prepares for a political frenzy as a pair of January runoffs determine the balance of the Senate—and the shape of the presidency
The Peach State prepares for a political frenzy as a pair of January runoffs determine the balance of the Senate—and the shape of the presidency
European nations try to stem rising COVID-19 cases while weighing the costs
Dominion Voting Systems and other election software have vulnerabilities, but layers of security guard against widespread fraud
As states certify voter results, Republican hopes fade for Trump's legal challenges to the election
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On a weekly basis Christopher Hitchens sits down to a keyboard in Washington to write 1,000 words or so in support of the president's war on terror. He has debated the topic with film director Oliver Stone, Hardball's Chris Matthews, University of Michigan history professor Juan Cole, Georgetown Middle East expert John Esposito, and others. On a daily basis he takes abuse from liberal blogs, where he stands accused of "robotic flag-waving" (Daily Kos) and is dubbed "a self-appointed knight, coming to save us from all alleged war criminals" (American Prospect). For all that, he's never been allowed to vote in a U.S. presidential election.
"I can be drafted," he deadpans a little defensively. At 57, the Oxford grad with the brooding look of Richard Burton has spent nearly half his life in the United States on a green card (and has three American daughters to show for it). "This being the generous country that it is, I was quite prepared to go on as an Anglo-American. I don't particularly want to vote. But after September 11th, I thought I was cheating on my dues."
Mr. Hitchens quit a 20-year-running column with The Nation over the war. The liberal magazine, he says, became part of "the feedback loop of those who believe the Falwell-Robertson line, who believed that this was a judgment on the United States. The will to capitulation involved in that is very sinister to me." But his reputation as a contrarian has only grown since, as the libertarian, hawk, literary critic, and author of 16 books now produces prose at once gritty and laser-guided for Slate, Atlantic Monthly, Vanity Fair, and others. When he's not typing, he's talking, giving hundreds of speeches and interviews on national security more normally attributed to conservatives and a religious-right president.
Unlike other expat legends-rock stars Bono and Neil ("Shock & Awe") Young come to mind-who fashion themselves as U.S. foreign policy experts while keeping their citizenship and their vote elsewhere, Mr. Hitchens had a change of heart after terrorists attacked New York and Washington. He watched the Pentagon burn from the rooftop of his apartment in northern Virginia and later lost a mailman to anthrax. So one day this month he will walk into a government office just outside Washington, pledge his allegiance to the United States of America, and become a citizen.
"I realized that when I was reading arguments after 9/11 that said there was the American view and there was the European view-that sort of tripe-that as far as I could tell the American view is the one that I took. I felt a much stronger identification than I had before," Mr. Hitchens tells WORLD. "Before I was ready to curse alone. I was an outsider in both countries. But it felt like, feels like, is a gesture of solidarity."
Solidarity with what, exactly, in a country cleanly divided over war in Iraq and led by a president whose policy toward terrorism has dropped his poll numbers into the dustbin?
"It's fallen on the United States to be the country that resists the renewal of barbarism, of religious barbarism in the world," Mr. Hitchens answers. "It doesn't particularly want the job, it doesn't do it terribly well-and I think would have escaped it if it could-but there's something about the United States that makes it both hated and antagonistic to this barbarism." He adds, "If one wants to defend the deployment of forces of fellow citizens, one probably ought to be a fellow citizen."
As a journalist Mr. Hitchens extensively covered the Bosnian war and the Gulf War, yet describes 9/11 as "an exhilarating moment" because it crystallized his views. "Everything I hate is on one side, and everything I love is on the other. I'm never going to get bored with this."
What does he hate?
"Religion. I quite simply identify it with barbarism and backwardness and human stupidity. The methods of theocracy in action are a cult of death." The jihadists, he says, "say they love death more than we love life, and we have to prove that wrong. They're right on the first; they love murder, in which they exult, and suicide, in which they take pride." Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, he says, want to turn the Islamic world back to the seventh century and take the West with them. "Opposed to these and hated by them is scientific inquiry and philosophical inquiry, the emancipation of women, the secular state, and other very hard-won achievements of civilization. And it's good to be reminded they are fragile, they can be destroyed. We can be pushed back into the childhood of our species again."
Turning back clocks doesn't interest Mr. Hitchens, who began his political life as a member of the British Labor Party and joined a Marxist faction even before arriving at Oxford to push revolution in the turmoil of 1968. "The promises of the '60s came true in 1989-in exactly the way we would not have imagined," he notes. The Cold War and leftist politics left him drained, he says, by the mid-'70s, and by the fall of the Berlin Wall he was ready for something "kind of banal, like how to bring together a market economy and democratic society."
When the Cold War ended, he wanted to go back to writing about literature, not dreaming that the so-called peace dividend, by his calculation, was to last "only about 150 days." When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and Slobodan Milosevic tried to annex all of Yugoslavia into a greater Serbia, Mr. Hitchens says, "I found myself in Sarajevo. And I found myself in northern Iraq in Kurdistan. Seeing people who'd been gassed, people who were still dying from Saddam's brutality . . . some I met were old comrades, but it was a pretty plain new enemy we had."
The reality that totalitarian dictatorships like those in Iraq and Serbia could continue into the post--Cold War era hit him hard. "You may think you can give up politics but you can't, it won't give you up. Politics will come and find you." And the trials, at the same time, of his close friend, author Salman Rushdie, made him aware of the creeping threat of jihadism.
Feb. 14, 1989, as Mr. Hitchens describes it, was a day that changed his life and moved him further from the leftist camp. That was the day Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran issued his now infamous fatwa against Mr. Rushdie for his depiction of Muhammad in his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses. The ayatollah's edict included a $3 million bounty and ordered Mr. Rushdie's execution. It was only partially rescinded in 1998.
"It wouldn't have made any difference if he wasn't a friend, because here is the religious dictator of a foreign state offering money in his own name for the murder of a writer of fiction, who is not even an Iranian living in exile. This is the most frontal assault on all the values of free expression that make my life possible and my living possible."
Mr. Rushdie spent nearly a decade in hiding, and spent part of that time living with Mr. Hitchens in his Washington apartment. The author and his round-the-clock armed security holed up with Mr. Hitchens, his wife, and a new baby until New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd "annoyingly published" Mr. Rushdie's location, and he again had to take flight.
Mr. Hitchens soon after began receiving calls from counterterrorism officers at the State Department. They'd picked up intelligence from Tehran suggesting Mr. Hitchens' life, too, was in danger. He was encouraged to move and change his phone number, particularly after arranging a meeting between Mr. Rushdie and then-President Bill Clinton in late 1993. Mr. Clinton refused to have his picture taken with Mr. Rushdie, and later described it as "a surprise meeting" -one of many episodes prompting Mr. Hitchens to write a book about the Clintons in 1999, No One Left to Lie To.
Mr. Hitchens says of that time: "There was this other thing, a permanent silhouette below the horizon. I could feel the shadow of it but I couldn't measure it very well: Islamic totalitarianism."
But the British journalist didn't move and the threats haven't stopped. "It's a depressing week when I don't get them," he says. "No bravado here. I think of it as a compliment, and it's the least I can do considering the risks other people take. It's not guarding a polling station in Anbar Province in the hot sun. I'm doing what I think is the civic minimum. Who in the United States would not be willing to say, 'I wouldn't mind these people hating me personally?'"
He gets plenty of ongoing hate from the left as well. After he called Michigan history professor Juan Cole "a minor nuisance on the fringes of the academic Muslim apologist community," Mr. Cole last month accused him of theft. Mr. Cole's statements at issue ("I object to the characterization of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as having 'threatened to wipe Israel off the map'"), he said, were lifted from a closed online chat. Before it was over leftist blogs were so full of venom toward Mr. Hitchens, calling him a thief and "that British drunk," that blog-father Andrew Sullivan stepped in to mediate, mostly on Mr. Hitchens' side. Mr. Hitchens simply took his pack of Rothmans and his unapologetic taste for Johnnie Walker double blacks to the next speaking engagement. These days he is talking mostly about Iran and Mr. Ahmadinejad, whose statements he describes as "principally the ravings of an unwashed taxi driver."
Following his own standard on the civic minimum, however, aligns Mr. Hitchens with a president he says he doesn't particularly like. "He's not my type" says Mr. Hitchens, but he says that he "adores" first lady Laura Bush and does agree with Mr. Bush on key issues: He does not like abortion. "I'm a materialist and I'm a parent. I've looked at sonograms, and I don't know a lot of embryology but I know enough. The concept 'unborn child' seems to me to be a factual statement. . . . On that he [Bush] is not a fanatic, either." And while he describes himself as a Darwinist and an "orthodox Freudian," Mr. Hitchens thinks the president is right that "we should teach the argument" when it comes to intelligent design (a term he describes as "creationism, pure and simple").
Mr. Hitchens says he can overlook the president's religious views-"I don't mistake him for a fundamentalist, the Robertson kind, there's none of that stuff"-because he is "right on the main point. It is a war and we are in our life radically incompatible with totalitarianism, including the theocratic version. He understands that. And I can trust him while I sleep that he's not going to change his mind. This is not true of people who are supposedly more intelligent and better educated, like, for example, the senator from Massachusetts-either senator from Massachusetts-or many others."
And lest anyone doubt where he stands on religion: "I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain." In debates he is quick to call himself an "anti-theist." Why not simply an atheist?
"An atheist can still say he wishes it was true. It would be nice if it was true. I can't see why it would be nice if it was true. I simply can't see that. To have pre-cradle to post-grave round-the-clock supervision and surveillance by someone with a very devious form of morality," he says, "who wants this to be true? I'm delighted that there's no reason to think that it's true. It's humanity's most obvious falsification."
In what for Mr. Hitchens is a rare moment of less-than-astute analysis, he says Jesus on the cross "is scapegoating that absolves one of all responsibility in return for the acceptance of the incredible and the undesirable. And then with the other shoe, the other hand, says if you don't believe it, then we have a real program of torture that will go on forever. It's disgusting. It was completely invented by very underdeveloped human beings," he says, astoundingly citing Augustine and Aquinas. "These are peasants; the sort of people we are up against now, with wild looks in their eyes and living in caves."
So where's the continued evolution of the brain in that?
"There is no evolution in that. My agreement with you, with them, is that they leave you alone. But they won't, they can't leave you alone. The other thing is that they want and need the world to come to an end. Eschatology is indivisible from this. They have to look forward to the destruction of the world. We're just marking time until the real stuff. There's a suicidal and destructive element in it, a wish for death.
"You can't wait for this life to be over. But I think it's all we've got."
Challenged On professing Bible knowledge while eschewing biblical faith, Mr. Hitchens said, "I don't have the nostalgia for the lost period of faith. I'm glad it's over and my children won't have to know about it. Except from me."
WORLD: From you?
HITCHENS: I teach them this stuff and they don't know what I think.
WORLD: How do you teach them without them knowing what you think?
HITCHENS: You are not educated if you don't know the Bible. You can't read Shakespeare or Milton without it, even if there was nothing else of it. And with the schools now, that's what I hate about secular relativism. They're afraid of insurance liability. They don't even teach it as a document. They stay out of the whole thing to avoid controversy. So kids can't quote the King James Bible. That's terrible. And I quite understand Christian parents who want to protect their children from a nihilistic solution where there's no way of knowing what's been discussed.
WORLD: And I guess that's what I'm trying to understand about you, you say you have no nostalgia-
HITCHENS: I have none for myself. I doubt it but I'm very glad I was taught it. I was taught it as revealed truth.
WORLD: But doubting hasn't left you a relativist?
HITCHENS: I'm not a relativist. Most of the little boys and girls with whom I was taught in school aren't even agnostic or atheist; they're just totally indifferent toward religion. That's why I almost wish they would restore compulsory prayer in schools. It's the only thing-as in Europe-that leads to the mass production of atheism.
I think philosophy begins where religion ends. As with the discussion about Darwin, how are you going to teach it if you don't know what the other side is? I know the King James Bible pretty well. It's a fantastic document. I could not imagine my life without it. You couldn't read Paradise Lost. You couldn't read William Blake. Knowing about it is absolutely vital to me.
There was a very interesting dispute between [George] Orwell and [W.H.] Auden. Orwell when he saw the Spanish workers burning the churches because they were so fed up with the priests, he was fairly breezy about it. Auden, who was more pro-communist than Orwell, said he couldn't possibly bear to live in a country where there were no churches.
WORLD: Could you?
HITCHENS: No. There's very slight danger of it, anyway.


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Editorial: April 2002
Much has been written over the years about the importance of leadershipsetting a course and then rallying the troops, no matter how unpopular or difficult the mission. In this month's issue, we look at leadership in a variety of contexts: At Kaiser Permanente, CEO David Lawrence's controversial decision to centralize IT was born of business urgency. For Georgetown computer science professor and encryption expert Dorothy Denning, it was born of intellectual curiosity mixed with business need. And for Kevin Ashton, head of MIT's Auto-ID Lab, it was born of a passion for a cutting-edge technology that is yet to be realized.
In 1997, in an effort to cut costs and boost patient care, Kaiser CEO David Lawrence issued an ultimatum to the far-flung divisions of the nation's largest HMO: Centralize IT or face immediate IT budget cuts (see "Shock Therapy at Kaiser Permanente"). The goal was the Holy Grail of the healthcare industry, which is struggling against mind-boggling complexity and costs, outmoded legacy systems and cultural resistance to change of any kind. Five years later, the cultural battles continue, but the cost of care in some Kaiser units has decreased, and error rates are down, thanks to the hard-won effort to digitize patient records.
Dorothy Denning has been a leader in the fight against computer hackers and content pirates since the 1970s. Now, she's helping Hollywood. Her 1998 patent for geo-encryptiona way to encrypt data based on the location of the recipient determined by GPS satelliteswould allow movie studios to send you a movie via the Web knowing that you and only you received it (see "How Geo-Encryption Makes Copyright Protection Global"). Denning, who also serves on the new White House Advisory Group on Homeland Security, will continue to outpace hackers. She's still tweaking her new system, but typically, change only eggs her on.
Kevin Ashton, a former marketing guy at P&G in London, became frustrated with the inefficiencies in the consumer product giant's supply chain. His idea: to use radio frequency sensors to keep track of how fast goods fly off the shelves. Ashton's persistence and ability to communicate his ideaand lead change around ithas taken him from a middle-management job at P&G to chief of MIT's Auto-ID Laboratory (see "RFID From Just-In-Time to Real Time").
The lessons here? Leadership requires risk. And it doesn't simply come from the top, nor should it. This month, we surveyed CIOs and other IT executives on the role of the CIO (see "The CIO's Role"). Among the results: The top two attributes CIOs see as being required for their jobs are business understanding and leadership ability, yet many said their skills fall short in these areas. That may not be an especially stunning finding, yet it speaks to the fact that, more and more, CIOs see themselves not just as technology executives but as would-be business leaders. Perhaps it's fitting, then, that on this, the 12th issue of the magazineCIO Insight is a year old and countingwe look at leadership and the critical role of the CIO in taking hold of technology and making it work in the service of business strategy.
This article was originally published on 04-01-2002


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Genetic study suggests causal link between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension
New genetic research provides compelling evidence that low levels of vitamin D have a causal role in the development of high blood pressure (hypertension). The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, suggest that vitamin D supplementation could be effective in combating some cases of hypertension.
"In view of the costs and side effects associated with antihypertensive drugs, the potential to prevent or reduce blood pressure and therefore the risk of hypertension with vitamin D is very attractive", explains study leader Professor Elina Hyppönen from the University of South Australia.*
There has been considerable interest in the role of vitamin D in hypertension, but until now, a direct causal link has not been shown. Results from observational studies have suggested a strong association between low vitamin D levels and increases in blood pressure and hypertension, but randomised trials have not provided consistent evidence.
This Mendelian randomisation study used genetic data from the D-CarDia collaboration, involving over 146 500 individuals of European ancestry from across Europe and North America.
Researchers used two common genetic variants that affect circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D concentrations (which are generally used to determine a person's vitamin D status), to measure the causal effect between vitamin D status and blood pressure and hypertension risk. They found that for each 10% increase in 25(OH)D concentration there was a drop in diastolic blood pressure (-0.29 mm Hg) and systolic blood pressure (-0.37 mm Hg), and an 8.1% decrease in the odds of developing hypertension.
According to Professor Hyppönen, "Mendelian randomisation helps to determine cause and effect because by using genetic data we can better avoid confounding, reverse causation, and bias. However, because we cannot exclude the possibility that our findings were caused by chance, they need to be replicated in an independent, similarly powered study. Further studies using randomised controlled trials are also needed to confirm causality and the potential clinical benefits of vitamin D supplementation."*
Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Shoaib Afzal and Dr Børge Nordestgaard from Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark say, "Although [this] study is an important step towards delineation of the role of low vitamin D concentrations in the pathogenesis of hypertension, much remains unknown. Confirmation of these results in independent, similarly powered studies will be necessary, as will evidence of a corresponding benefit for the prevention of diseases caused by hypertension such as stroke. Finally, randomised intervention trials will be needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation can be used to prevent or treat hypertension before such a strategy can be used clinically."
Provided by Lancet


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Equity futures are higher this morning, below is a snapshot of the overnight action and the ramping that began with the FOMC announcement yesterday:
The dollar is about level from yesterday's close, bonds are down slightly, both oil and gold are up slightly.
Yesterday's FOMC announcement was more of the same, bottom line is that they are still claiming to end many of the support programs, HOWEVER, should the economy not hold up they are ready to jump in, steal some more and will continue to destroy the rule of law along with what's left of our economy. Isn't that what you heard? That's what I heard.
Then we had to endure the most bizarre State of the Union Speech I have ever witnessed. The vast majority of it was spent talking about the economy. What I heard are the same old and tired central banker boxed in arguments. In what was simply a redress of his worn out campaign rhetoric, he talked mindlessly about spending massively to help this group, then swung wildly to keeping our deficits under control, and then back to massive spending, yet more lip service to being fiscally responsible.
In terms of fixing the economy, how's this for a plan? "We're going to DOUBLE this nation's exports within the next five years!!" Say what? Really? That is exciting, and it would truly be a miracle of mathematically impossibility, perhaps he is the messiah! Because last time I checked, we are manufacturing less and less of anything worth exporting. So, exactly how are we going to do that? Well, he's going to appoint a commission to promote exporting.
Does this make you feel secure in our future? Yes, it is possible to double our exports in five year, here's how… you measure your exports in dollars instead of actual products. Then, you crush the value of your money by spending far more than you take in. Wah-lah, value of money cut in half, exports double. See, it's as easy as reconfirming Ben Bernanke.
Now, I was amazed that he spoke to the very political reform that is contained within Freedom's Vision! Yes! Support from the big guy! He actually spoke of separating special interest money from politics! I was feeling like a lone wolf on this last year, and now the President is speaking about it. He also spoke about limiting lobbying, and about getting earmarks under control. AND, he even slammed the Supreme Court for their ruling last week basically stating that corporations are PEOPLE and that they have the same rights as real people and thus can spend unlimited funds, which of course, real people could never hope to accumulate. BRAVO! He is, in my opinion, correct on all accounts. Now, where is the action to back up the rhetoric? Was a plan presented to achieve these things? This from an administration that has more central bankers in it than any other in the history of this nation.
Here is the full, and lengthy, State of the Union Address for those who missed it. This is a different type of atmosphere for America, we are changing, but I am not liking the change I am seeing.
Taking credit for 2,000,000 jobs "saved" when 6,000,000 were actually lost in the past year is a new low for truth in government.
Today is the vote to reconfirm Bernanke. He put on a full-court-press over the past week, visiting members of the Congressional Banking Committee… there is speculation that there was deal making taking place. In other words, if you reappoint me, I will continue to crank out the money that will keep you in office. Seriously, the number of contacts he had in the past week is evidently a record.
Our country has sold itself out to debt backed money. Listening to Obama, I just wanted to scream that REAL solutions do exist. They are contained within the pages of Freedom's Vision! It begins by removing our ties to central bankers and debt backed money, and takes back the money system of the United States, truly accomplishing that to which he is giving lip service. Of course in order for that to happen it is going to take the people DEMANDING that it happen.
It is time to get out of the central banker debt based box and begin looking at the problems with a fresh set of eyes:
To today's economic news…
The weekly Jobless Claims fell by 8,000 to 470,000. This was worse than the 440,000 that was expected. Here's Econoday:
Jobless claims fell 8,000 in the Jan. 23 week to 470,000 (prior week revised 4,000 lower to 478,000). The improvement was smaller than expected given that the Jan. 16 week was inflated by holiday processing delays, which the Labor Department said have now eased. Expectations, at 440,000, were looking for a return to the prior trend of late December and early January. The four-week average, up 9,500 to 456,250, rose for the second straight week, a disappointment that ended a string of improvement going back to the beginning of September.
Continuing claims for the Jan. 16 week fell 57,000 to 4.602 million with the insured unemployment rate dipping 1 tenth to 3.5 percent. Improvement here is distorted to a degree by the expiration of benefits which are pushing the jobless out of the insured workforce. Those receiving extended benefits edged lower to nearly 262,000 with those receiving emergency compensation falling a little more than 300,000 to 5.35 million (these data are for the Jan. 9 week).
Today's report is a disappointment pointing to no improvement, and even the risk of a set-back, for monthly payroll data. Stocks and the dollar edged lower in reaction to today's 8:30 data that included a smaller-than-expected gain for durable goods.
People are now falling off not only the regular rolls, but their emergency benefits are running out too. This was the first week in quite some time that the year over year total combined number is actually down from 5.7 million last year to 5.6 million this year:
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.3 percent during the week ending Jan. 16, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,605,729, a decrease of 185,351 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.3 percent and the volume was 5,715,432.
Durable Goods orders came in way below expectations but is slightly positive for the month, .3%, but the consensus was for a 1.6% jump, and it is still down 3.1% over the height of the crisis last year.
Today's durables report is showing the manufacturing sector continuing to slowly gain momentum. Despite a December gain, the immediate question for the markets is whether a disappointment on headline expectations is offset by upward revisions to November and favorable detail for December. New orders for durable goods in December rebounded 0.3 percent after a revised 0.4 percent drop in November. The November number had previously been estimated to be a 0.7 percent decline. However, the December gain fell short of the market forecast for a 1.6 percent spike. But weakness was the lack of a rebound in Boeing orders. Excluding the transportation component, new durables orders advanced another 0.9 percent, following a 2.1 percent rebound in November.
Excluding the weakness in civilian aircraft, December was positive overall. Also, there is an indication of growing optimism by businesses. Nondefense capital goods orders excluding aircraft increased 1.3 percent in December after jumping 3.1 percent in November.
Year-on-year, overall new orders for durable goods improved to minus 3.1 percent in December from minus 6.9 percent the month before. Excluding transportation, new durables orders returned to positive territory, rising to plus 0.5 percent from down 5.5 percent in November.
Despite a shortfall in headline expectations for December, upward revisions to November, a jump in ex-transportation in December and another gain in nondefense capital goods ex aircraft may turn the report into a net positive-even compared to overall expectations. However, initial jobless claims were worse than expected.
Remember, we fell off a cliff and we simply landed with a thud. It will take years of incremental gains to get even close to where we were. And the landing that's been achieved was achieved at the expense of trillions of dollars. What happens as that support is no longer there? Is there fundamental improvement? NO, keep your eye on the debt. Until the debt is cleared our economy will not move forward when measured in real things. This is exactly what the Administration fails to take seriously and what they continue to make worse. Yes, they came in with a mess, but you cannot solve a debt problem with more debt.
In terms of the market, we went right down to critical support and bounced. It did appear to be a short wave 5 down that completed yesterday. That means that we likely witnessed the first part of wave 2 up that follows the 600+ point decline of wave 1. Wave 2 is likely to retrace 61.8% of wave one and that would roughly target the 1,125 area. Of course it can be anywhere from here to the old high, but that is the most common wave 2 retrace. Remember, we just had a VIX market buy signal. Failing to reach 61.8 would mean a very weak retrace. Wave 3 down (of the larger wave 1) should follow that.
So far the bounce looks weak for a wave 2. With Beranke and fourth quarter GDP to come tomorrow, I would be ready for anything in here.
Yesterday's action produced hammers on most of the daily charts and the XLF was strong. This is usually a sign of bottoming but needs confirmation from today's action. 1,090 is still the working support pivot, 1,107 is the next higher hurdle, and should we break down, 1,080 is still key support 1,061 the next lower pivot.
I note that the futures have made a W looking formation. These formations can be bottoms, but if they fail, can also be continuation patterns. The tell for me is that at the end of the W there is usually a retrace lower… if that retrace stops above the half way point and bounces, the odds are that we are going higher. If, however, it breaks below the half way mark, odds change to lower. As I type we are about the half way mark now:
Yesterday's speech reminded me more of British politics. Perhaps that's what we degenerate to when people are frustrated? Hey, if you are trying to teach a pig to fly (debt backed money), you are going to be frustrated because pigs don't really have wings!
Pink Floyd- Pigs On The Wing:


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FOOD- THE DISH- Sideways on the Mall: VAvino becomes enoteca
Megan Headley and co-manager Marisa Catalano will take you to Italy via enoteca, the Mall's new Italian wine bar.
For several years now, Virginia oenophiles on the Mall have been able to satisfy their cravings at VAvino, as the cork-filled windows testified. Even when a 2005 federal ruling prohibited Virginia winemakers from self-distributing, throwing something of a wrench into VAvino's initial concept, the wine continued to flow as owner Michael Shaps began offering an array of international selections.
However, as many a restaurateur is wont to do when the man comes knocking, Shaps sold VAvino to restaurant collector Coran Capshaw, who continued to fill the windows with corks while he contemplated a new concept for the space. As it turns out, the new concept didn't fall far from the vine.
"I fell in love with the wine bars of Florence when I went to school there," says Megan Headley, who ran VAvino for Capshaw and helped re-conceive it as enoteca, an Italian-centric wine bar scheduled to open the first week of June. "That's one thing we really didn't have in town."
Although Headley and co-manager Marisa Catalano didn't know each other when they moved to Charlottesville last year, the two women quickly realized they had led parallel lives when they began teaming up to teach cooking classes at the Seasonal Cook. Both women are graduates of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, both did time in the New York restaurant world, share a love of Italian wine, food and culture, and fell in love with Charlottesville.
"I went to school at UVA," says Headley. "and I've always felt that Charlottesville was a very sophisticated place when it came to food and wine."
With 40-plus wines by the glass, highlighting the best of Italy's 20 wine-growing regions, enoteca (yeah, they like that lower-case spelling) will be a veritable Italian vacation on the Mall. In addition, Headley says the two plan to serve up the traditional foods served in the enoteche of Italy, including bruschetta, regional cheeses and meats, panini, and seasonal dishes like sun-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and sweet basil this summer, and fresh figs paired with peppery baby arugula and silky prosciutto di Parma come fall.
As Headley points out, the emphasis will be on fresh produce, as there is not a full kitchen at enoteca. "Our goal is to turn out amazing food with very little equipment," she says.
Headley also hopes that non-oenophiles will be able to "get an education and explore wines in an unintimidating atmosphere." To that end, she says well-trained and educated staff will be on hand to help patrons learn which cheese goes with that Chanti and what characterizes the regions of each wine.
Of course, there's one downside to all this. With so many international restaurants on the Mall these days, it hardly makes sense to travel.
Bazaar feast fundraiser
Matteus Frankovich at the Tea Bazaar on the Mall tell Dish that he plans to hold a series of Mediterranean Feast brunches featuring authentic foods from the regions of Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon prepared in the classic mezza style, which is a mix of cold and hot offerings.
The brunches, which will be held at the Tea Bazaar on June 3 and 1o at 1pm, are part of a fundraising effort for their cook and kitchen manager, Rick Easton, who's planning a six-week trip to the region to "talk with locals about their cuisine, visit markets, and experience traditional street food in its full glory"– and, we hope, also to bring all that tasty knowledge home!
The price is $20/person and space is limited, says Frankovich, so sign up at the Tea Bazaar pronto, or call Rick Easton at 434-825-7471.
California dreamin' at the Clifton Inn
It appears the Clifton Inn is also working the oenophile crowd. On May 29, the renowned Inn held the first of its two scheduled spring wine dinners, featuring a selection of Spanish wines. On June 26, the Inn sets its sights on California vintages, including hors d'oeuvres, a five-course meal, and a "comfortable and conversational" approach to wine education.
"Too often people feel that a wine evening like this might be over their heads," says Clifton Inn manager J.F. Legault. "Our approach is exactly the opposite. It's a no-pressure environment where the focus is on mutual discovery much more than it is about lecturing."
"As a chef and as wine buff, the journey you take by tasting and educating your palate through wine is incredible," says executive chef Dean Maupin, who works closely with Clifton's Farid Lebbar to plan the evenings. "I tend to keep the food very simple on these evenings and let the wine take center stage."
Hmm... sounds oenophilatic!


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Canadian top prospect Connor McDavid didn't have to wait until the 2015 NHL Draft to hear his name called.
Unfortunately for the projected No. 1 pick, his name dropped lower than he expected.
McDavid, a 17-year-old point-getting phenom for the OHL's Erie Otters, was selected Thursday in the second round (77th overall) by Medvescak Zagreb of the Kontinental Hockey League.
The Newmarket, Ont. native becomes the latest high-end NHL prospect to be selected in the KHL's entry draft.
Taylor Hall, Victor Hedman, Zach Kassian, and Erik Gudbranson were taken in the Russian super league's draft back in 2009.
But surprisingly, he wasn't the first North American skater taken this year.
Travis Konecny, of the OHL's Ottawa 67's, was picked 25th overall by Dynamo Riga.
McDavid, who tallied 28 goals, and 99 points in 56 regular season games this season, will more than likely never suit up for the Croatian hockey team.
Zagreb now holds the rights to McDavid, if for whatever reason he decides to join the club.
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Since its very first class in 2002, the Tire Rack Street Survival program has educated more than 21,000 young drivers about the maintenance needs of their vehicles and the maneuvers that will keep them safe in emergency situations. After 16 years, the program is still well received around the country. Just check out some recent media coverage in the Youngstown Vindicator, WFMJ-TV and Spectrum News in Upstate New York.
The need for Tire Rack Street Survival's curriculum remains high. According to the most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, nearly 4,000 youths ages 15 - 20 are involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes annually in the U.S. Learning critical on-the-road survival skills may help save lives.
Each Tire Rack Street Survival class teaches licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 21 important, potentially life-saving skills such as how to maneuver through a skid and how to avoid distractions while driving. In many classes, students get to sit behind the wheel of a semi-truck to experience the vehicle's significant blind spots for themselves. Because students use their own vehicles during the program, they also learn how to check the air pressure of their tires, check the oil level and perform other routine maintenance to understand the responsibility that comes with driving their vehicle.
Tire Rack Street Survival schools are facilitated by chapters of the Sports Car Club of America, BMW Car Clubs of America and Canada, Porsche Club of America, Audi Club of North America, the National Corvette Museum and other auto enthusiast clubs where a trained volunteer instructor base can be utilized. For more information and a schedule of upcoming Tire Rack Street Survival® classes taking place in various locations across the country, visit www.streetsurvival.org


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Heard: How to Place Bets on Housing's Recovery
After hitting a 14-year low, loans are starting to flow back in the home construction industry. But investors eyeing the home-builders need to know that more than ever, it really is all about location, location, location. Heard on the Street's Justin Lahart discusses on MoneyBeat. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I ... for the new year lol Lone Star flow back into the home construction industry ... could see that story on page one of his Wall Street Journal ... but investors eyeing the home builders to look at the home builder's ... more than ever it is really ... all about location location location ... heard on the streets just my art to dig deep dive into the data ... here with his insights ... on you really get it ... deep dive into that isn't very interesting ... um thanks very much ... that tells the story on YouTube ... you look it basically gives the United States ... and saw where this land when there's unlimited right right right ... it's an interactive is well yes as to what I did was on there there's that there's an economist MIT is the result size he's done this work using satellite data ... to figure out how constrained or unconstrained ... differ metropolitan areas are so some areas are super constraints and has a inner city ... of some places to Wichita of ... noble and as far as the eye can see right and this really in a row lease with with with price very strongly so more constrained areas generally saw during the boom years they so much higher price increases ... during the boss they so much higher much bigger crops ... and aims to better recovery says well ... now ... I mean ... you know that ... the suspect just bought it we all know that right ... the good pleasure becomes really interesting is when you store ... putting that on top of the home builders and where they are and and yelled affordability all those things which are taken the bigger picture about it ... how does this tie in with the home builder's this to what I did was to Deutsche Bank has some some somehow so of we are all home builders are ... in matching that data with the Albert size Danone Lee and constraints of basically what home builders are really operating in much more when constrained areas and which ones are are are are not in the looser places her ... in to the point is is that ... these are very um yeah I can see that one hundred builder is better or worse than the other ... they're just very different in different kinds of investments so ... for sample on TRI Pointe Homes By point is that California builder ... super constrained markets ... right in that one of investment you might expect of more volatility in their portfolio ... also ... might offer a high return ... rate whereas LGI ADI Texas based builder to a lot of that lot of alot of communities in Texas and Texas is very unconstrained right so ... so that it's going to be served me be more staid ... investment if you think about the stock's to ... you you little odd that the economy the Fed all the stains ... I how how much differently a look at the ... wheel homebuilders is as ... in a morgue in the morning and treats them is one thing right how different are the ... yet I mean they are very different right we for example a mean it's you know very concentrated teleported there are spinning their portfolio they're buying some some some of the Weyerhaeuser ... of home builders dove into this is but even then aam ... is to be served worldwide constraints so ... you know they're they're working in those in these kinds of markets ... aam you know those kinds of markets also have a big moats around them pretty hard for pick someone else's culminates a ... candidate in the home builder in this market right this is not that much money and available ... right ... to wear as these other guys really it's almost like an income on CanFest an almost of manufacturing right we cheaply and ... returning the houses ... we sell ... I just quickly that this think you're a much related story on page C1 of the paper and get it WS J dot com ... given that interactive data as well


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Important Notice
Arrangement regarding the regional outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Asia
and 11 Special Announcements
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Chengdu, 12 July 2016 - Dream Cruises, the first-ever Asian luxury cruise line, today held a roadshow in Chengdu, with hundreds of trade partners and travel media representatives experiencing the luxury that will be featured onboard its inaugural cruise ship Genting Dream.
Dream Cruises is Genting Hong Kong's new cruise line, catering to the large and rapidly growing high-end market in China and Asia. The cruise line offers inspirational luxury, which is Asian at heart and international in spirit, delivering the highest levels of onboard guest service and spacious comfort in the region. Genting Dream, currently undergoing fit-out at shipbuilders Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, will debut from her homeport of Guangzhou (Nansha) in November this year.
Mr. Thatcher Brown. President of Dream Cruises said, "The Western China high-end travel market, especially Chengdu, has become one of the target markets for cruise travel, and it is my pleasure to introduce Dream Cruises and its inaugural ship Genting Dream to the market through our roadshow in Chengdu. Dream Cruises aims to redefine vacation travel with a transformational journey at sea, by offering guests the finest Asian and international dining, exceptional service, enthralling entertainment and inspirational experiences."
Not long before, Dream Cruises announced that guests on board Genting Dream will be entertained and enthralled by 'China's Got Talent' – The Dream Experience, the first 'China's Got Talent' show at sea. It will be a 45 minute theatrical representation of the worldwide hit TV series held in the Zodiac Theatre, the cruise ship's 999 seat state-of-the-art venue. An energetic, booming opening montage, complete with the same lighting, set design and theme music as the main China's Got Talent show will set the scene.
'China's Got Talent' – The Dream Experience is just one of the many exciting entertainment options that will be available onboard Genting Dream. Legendary Singaporean nightspot Zouk is renowned for hosting the edgiest parties in Asia, and is bringing its unforgettable parties to the sea for the first time. Entertainment under the sea is also possible with two state-of-the-art submersibles on board with Dream Cruises.
Genting Dream will accommodate some 3,400 guests, attended by 2,000 crew members, forming the leading crew to guest ratio in Asia-based cruising. Accommodation aboard Genting Dream reflects both size and choice for guests with 70 per cent of staterooms featuring private balconies and over 100 connecting rooms catering to extended families and groups.
For the ultimate in luxury accommodation, Dream Palace provides a 'ship-within-a-ship' experience, featuring highly-personalised European-style butler service. These two duplex villas are elegantly designed and amongst the largest at sea. Dream Palace guests enjoy exclusive and discreet facilities in one of the 142 spacious suites, whether it's the luxurious comfort of the private sundeck and pool, fine dining at the private restaurant, your own private gym, or quiet reflection at the private lounges.
With a culinary emphasis on Asia, 'Genting Dream' will offer discerning guests a highly diverse range of the finest dining for an unprecedented culinary experience. Showcasing an eclectic array of over 35 restaurant and bar concepts, guests can indulge in the very best of Chinese regional, Asian and international cuisine, with an emphasis on quality and authenticity. A 610-metre wraparound promenade allows for dramatic sea-side dining and lounging from sunrise-to-sunset in a multitude of themed venues.
Inspirational onboard experiences will include a comprehensive and ever-changing self-enrichment program, one of the world's largest Asian reflexology spas at sea, over 1,100 sq.m of retail space for duty free shopping, mahjong room, as well as a plethora of activities for family fun such as pools, water slides, video game centre, 3D cinema, mini-golf, ropes course and rock climbing wall.
For more information about Dream Cruises, please visit dreamcruiseline.com,and follow us on Facebook, Weibo and Wexin.
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Rails Rumble is an annual 48-hour web developer challenge. This site is a showcase of some of the many applications that were developed during contests past and present. Only the apps that are still online are listed.
For more news and information, please visit the blog or peep our tweets.
Looking for something specific? Use the filters to search the archive.
Beer Checkin
Collect and share every beer you drink.
Created by muanis, cainanunes, gcirne, peleteiro
Choons is a service that allows people to organize their album collection through an easy-to-use interface.
Created by hidenowt, juliogreff, rafaelmarin, rodolfo3
Where is this place? Get a picture and try to guess the place!
Created by pellegrino, RamonPage, tapajos, viniciusteles
Have you ever had difficult times to organize your local dev conference? This app aims to help with conference organization, call for papers, voting on speakers and the basics, like collecting feedback from crowd, schedule planning, etc. A must for l...
Created by qmx, andersonleite, vinibaggio


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On November 15th Orthodox Christians begin a forty day preparation period to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Below are a few links which explore the themes and way of life emphasized during this period.
The Nativity Fast, Otherwise Known As Advent, Has Begun
Why the Nativity Fast Has Been Established
The Nativity Fast
The Nativity Fast and Orthodox Tradition
Reflections On The Nativity Fast
On the Benefits of Forty Liturgies For the Departed
Orthodox Christmas Resource Page


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If you're reading this then you must have some general interest in making awesome armies with LEGO. Alternatively, you're curious on how I do this. Well, it doesn't matter why you're here, I'm going to go into this! More importantly, I will literally be using this topic to showcase building my next army. That's right! Rather than wait for the final reveal, which I typically do, I'm going to walk through my process and thoughts as I build my next army.
Let's get into this!
For starters, what the heck is an army?
According to the Webster, it is an organized military force equipped for fighting on land.
"Duh, Nick, we already know that!" Of course you know that! I specifically want to highlight the whole, "organized military force," bit of it. Now, a lot of times when people want to put together a LEGO army, the first thing they think of is this:
This is a massive clone army. People are taken in by the sheer number of minifigs and set that as their primary goal. That's fine; shoot for the stars! However, acquiring that many minifigs can be a daunting task. More importantly, the average LEGO enthusiast, you don't have the resources to do so! That's 100% fine! Why? Because an army doesn't need to consist of massive troop numbers. Truth be told, for MOC'ing purposes, most people typically end up using 30-35 minifigs. Others might have specialized groups that are roughly a size of 10. Of course, some go for smaller numbers. In the end, it doesn't quite matter; they just need to be an organized military force. I'll touch on the whole "organized" thing a bit later.
Now, before you even consider building an army, the following questions need to be answered:
1) Where is your army from?
- Everyone has a home, even if it's the road.
2) Who's leading this army?
- Are they a King, a Queen, Emperor, or is this a motley group of militia led by a village elder?
3) Under what banner/colors do they unite?
- All armies need some form of recognition! Maybe it's an emblem that exists, maybe it's the colors, perhaps it's the type of weaponry they use.
These three questions should give you a solid foundation for starting your army. I should mention that at this stage of planning, you probably won't have any minifigs assembled yet. That's okay! You shouldn't have any minifigs built, or if you do have any, they should be at very low numbers.
"Can you show us an example?" Sure thing! Without further ado, let me introduce the next army I'll be building!
The next army is *drum roll please* ...
The Army of Bara-Gol (Orcs).
1) The orcs are from the lovely little land of Altrairia (left side of the map).
2) Warchief Gromack Urgol
3) They unite specifically under the following emblem:
And there ya go! The first couple of questions answered! From here, I'll be able to build off of this and eventually create a complex faction!
Anyways, that's all for now! Next time, I'll talk about the, "The Number Game," which will fully delve into army sizes and divisions.
Hope you enjoyed, and have an awesome day!


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Bethlehem's injunction, animal cruelty claims case continues in Bantam Superior Court
LITCHFIELD >> Despite indications in December that a settlement was near in the civil action by the town of Bethlehem against the Monroe man charged with 62 counts of cruelty to animals for the alleged living conditions of dogs in a Litchfield County barn, the case resumed Thursday with the accused, Frederick Acker, taking the stand--and no talk of a settlement.
The case involving Bethlehem's filing of an injunction seeking control of the dogs' future, reimbursement of costs for their care, and an order preventing Acker from caring for dogs in a shelter environment, stretched over the course of Thursday in Bantam Superior Court, and is scheduled to resume Friday morning.
Acker, who operates the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA, which is not affiliated with ASPCA), was questioned by his attorney, Alice McQuaid, and also by Bethlehem town attorney Anthony DiPentima.
DiPentima asked about fees the SPCA charges those who adopt dogs--the Bethlehem barn on property Acker does not own was functioning as a shelter--and about expenses and the salaries Acker and his employees earn for their SPCA activity.
Acker, 62, of 359 of Spring Hill Road in Monroe, also faces the criminal charges in connection with the alleged living conditions of the dogs that were being kept at a partially finished barn off Route 63 (Watertown Road) in Bethlehem.
In the criminal case, he is charged with failing to provide adequate food, water and shelter for 62 dogs, according to the arrest warrant. State Police and animal control officers confiscated the dogs after more than one visit to the site by the animal control officer for Bethlehem and Woodbury.
During questioning Thursday, Acker told attorneys he has been in the animal rescue business for 14 years, and that prior to that he ran an investment firm.
As previously reported in The Litchfield County Times, Acker said he was in the process of upgrading the heat and insulation in the barn, but that October's Superstorm Sandy and a subsequent snowstorm delayed the process.
"[The] barn was a work in progress," said Acker.
According to Acker, since the dogs were seized in November, insulation was completed in center of the building where animals would be housed, concrete floors with drains were completed, electrical work was done and an industrial heater was put in place.
However, there is still no certificate of occupancy for the organization to house these animals. The building inspector is expected to inspect the barn Friday, testimony revealed.
Bethlehem Animal Control Officer Judy Umstead had the dogs confiscated in November and taken to a local veterinary clinic based on what she observed during her visits, according to the affidavit of arrest.
Umstead has said the temperature was 31 degrees in the barn on the day of the raid, which was after a written warning had been issued to Acker during an earlier visit when she measured the temperature of 28 degrees.
In testimony Thursday, Acker told the court that his organization provides extensive veterinary care and takes animals that have serious issues.
Veterinary costs are in excess of $100,000, Acker said. The organization has four employees that have not been paid in the six weeks since the animals were seized from the property, and Acker said he pays his employees $9 to $13 an hour.
"The ones that work for me, work for me because they love animals," said Acker.
Most of those who adopt dogs are homeowners with good jobs and he is highly selective in the adoption process, Acker said in court. Those interested in adopting an animal from the shelter typically fill out an application, and can do so online for an application fee of $20; there is no fee if an interested party comes to the location.
Acker said his organization survives primarily on donations and adoption fees.
"We have to raise every dollar," he said.
Elaborating on the costs involved in adopting a dog, he said it could range from $1 to $395--and that $395 is the standard charge for an animal to receive full veterinary care before being placed.
"We want to rehab and re-home animals," said Acker.
Acker was questioned about his assets as well. SPCA, he said, owns a property on Huntington Avenue in Waterbury but does not occupy it because the city doesn't recognize the organization's 501c3 nonprofit status. The issue has been in court litigation for several years, he said.
Cross examination continued with the discussion of Acker's salary. He said he takes home $250 a week.
Acker moved SPCA to Bethlehem from Monroe because of capacity, he said. In Monroe, the organization was only allowed 29 dogs. There is currently zoning litigation in Monroe involving Acker's organization.
Acker told DiPentima during questioning that he felt Umstead was not qualified to serve as an animal control officer.
"I have placed 9,100 animals successfully, she has only been on the job since January," said Acker. "I don't trust Umstead."
"At 9,100 dogs at $395 that's a lot of money," said DiPentima.
In 2011, SPCA received $85,000 in contributions, and there was was $95,471 generated in fees in 2011, testimony showed.
The total cost for the veterinarian used by the organization was $57,000. Acker said he pays the vet in increments of $1,000.
DiPentima said that in 2011 Acker told the IRS he earned $13,000 a year. This is a salary he has had since 2008.
"SPCA is generating a fair amount of fees," said DiPentima.
McQuaid asked Acker during testimony whether adoptions have been declined since the seizure of the animals.
"Adoptions are way down. Our donations are down substantially," said Acker.
Meteorologist Art Horn, a former employee of NBC 30 who currently teaches at Tunxis Community College, was called to testify and explain the use of a temperature gun by Umstead. Acker has claimed previously that Umstead was not correctly measuring the temperature at the barn.
"It just reads the surface," Horn told attorneys. "It cannot read through glass surfaces."
The testimony continued with Horn talking about the weather on the day of the seizure and how he makes a clear determination of temperatures and weather conditions.
The last to testify in the court proceedings Thursday was Umstead.
Umstead stood behind her testimony and temperature readings and said, "Cold is cold."
Umstead was questioned about the costs of veterinary services since the dogs were seized and brought to various locations throughout Connecticut.
"It was our decision at that time to get them in the best facility; it's a constant change," said Umstead.
Once court proceedings are completed, the judge will have four months to issue a decision.
On Friday, four or five more witnesses are expected to testify for the defendant, and proceedings could end tomorrow.
Acker's criminal case proceedings, meanwhile, will continue on Jan. 23.


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The United States Postal Service needs help.
Online retail sales are on the rise, which means people need all those packages delivered. The USPS knows this, but right now, it can't fully take advantage of it.
Why is that?
It just doesn't have the technology.
That's why it posted a "request for information" on a U.S. government website. It's looking for advice from private companies or individuals about routing packages, though it's not offering any compensation right now, Elvina Nawaguna at Reuters reported.
The USPS needs a "dynamic routing system" so that it can deliver packages more efficiently outside its everyday routes. It also wants to offer services like same-day delivery and store pickups.
Here's what USPS spokeswoman Sue Brennan had to say in an interview with Reuters:
"There's an upside and a downside to the Internet. It has decreased our first class mail, but what it's done is that people are shopping online and they need someone to deliver these packages.
... We're looking for a system that will enable expedited delivery of packages in a delivery sequence that makes best use of our resources: employees, their time, fuel, etc, outside of regular carrier routing ... Someone could just be delivering packages and it wouldn't be every house in a neighborhood - so what's the best way to get to all the addresses in a specific geographic area or ZIP Code?"
FedEx and UPS have both been using dynamic routing for years, which has let them to "do more with less," according to Reuters. The systems are "fairly complex" and they're constantly being invested in and updated.
UPS, for instance, uses computer modeling to avoid left turns whenever possible. This way, drivers can turn right on red lights (where it's allowed) to save time.
The USPS wants something to help it deal with traffics, turns, customized delivery deadlines, speed limits, and more.
"Ultimately, USPS is looking for a flexible and robust system, but also one suitable for quickly scaling up to the full USPS network," according to Post & Parcel.


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How to Make Holiday Candy
Get tips, tricks, and recipes for making homemade candy, from divinity to buckeye balls.
Holiday Candy How-To's
Intimidated by the thought of making your own candy this holiday season? Check out our how-to videos and recipes and discover how easy it really is to make divinity, buckeye balls, pralines, and more.
Buckeye Balls
These classic holiday temptations are a delicious blend of chocolate and peanut butter shaped into irresistible bite-sized treats.
Recipe: Buckeye Balls
Learn the secret to making this favorite Southern candy.
Recipe: Buttermilk Pralines
Peppermint Bark
Crushed peppermint candies meet sweet, melted milk chocolate in this refreshing holiday candy.
Recipe: Peppermint Bark
Similar to nougat and marshmallow, light and fluffy divinity candy is easy to make if you follow our quick tips.
Recipe: Mrs. Floyd's Divinity
Peanut Brittle
Make this old-fashioned favorite at home by following these simple stovetop instructions. You'll get crunchy peanut brittle in no time!
Recipe: Classic Peanut Brittle
Making Candy in a Slow-Cooker
Making Candy in a Slow-Cooker Tout
Slow-cookers aren't just for soups and stews - they're also a great help when it comes to holiday candy making.


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Using Psychwiki to enhance Professional Development Meetings at your school
From PsychWiki - A Collaborative Psychology Wiki
Almost every department has Professional Development meetings where students gain valuable knowledge and skills on a variety of topics to help them develop into independent researchers and teachers.
- How can PsychWiki be used to enhance professional development meetings?
- Using the content within the "KnowledgeBase" on the mainpage as a resource for the information presented at your Pro Dev meetings.
- Creating a stand-alone webpage for your school's professional development talks to help coordinate and preserve the information from your meetings. See an example from the USC Psychology Department.
- How does creating a stand-alone webpage within PsychWiki enhance your school's professional development meetings?
- Before the meetings:
- the webpage serves as the centralized information hub for the meetings including presenting a schedule of upcoming events (e.g., dates/times of the meetings, topics of each meeting, names of speakers, etc.),
- the unique ability of a wiki to allow anyone to add content to the "Article" page means that prior to each meeting students can easily post questions to the presenter, which then allows the presentation to be tailored to the student's needs and concerns,
- After each meeting:
- another benefit of being able to easily input content to the "Article" page is that the information presented at each meeting can easily be posted on the website,
- posting this information to the website creates an easy-to-access database of the information presented at your professional development talks.
- this helps your school by allowing continuous access to the information to both the students who attended the presentation and those who may have missed the presentation, including all those students who enter the program year after year.
- this helps everyone, including your school, by allowing experts from different schools to add their advice and expertise on any of the topics at any time so that the website can grow and evolve even after your pro dev talk is over.
- How do you post this information to the website?
- If your professional development meeting was about a topic already listed on PsychWiki, then simply import your information into the existing link.
- If your Professional Development meeting is on a new topic, then simply post that link to a new page when your meeting is over.
- You can also list the same links on your school's stand-alone professional development webpage so that there is a record of all prior talks. See an example from the USC Psychology Department.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Second-line therapy combining ramucirumab with best supportive care significantly improved overall and progression-free survival in patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, researchers reported here.
In a population of patients who failed first-line platinum and/or fluoropyrimidine-containing combination therapy, ramucirumab and best supportive care increased overall survival by 22% (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.99, P=0.04) and progression-free survival by more than 50% (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.62, P<0.0001) compared with placebo and best supportive care, said Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., at poster session during the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
Action Points
- This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
- Second-line combination ramucirumab therapy with best supportive care significantly improved overall and progression-free survival in patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, a study found.
- Note that ramucirumab, a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody, targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-receptor 2.
The disease control rate also was significantly higher among patients treated with ramucirumab compared with those on placebo (49% versus 23%, P<0.0001), Fuchs and colleagues reported.
The results suggested that "the survival benefit appears comparable to what has been previously reported in phase III studies of standard chemotherapies," Fuchs told MedPage Today, adding that "if you look at the toxicity profile, I'd say it compares favorably to chemotherapy."
Ramucirumab, a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody, targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-receptor 2. The authors noted that "VEGF and VEGF receptor-2 mediated signaling and angiogenesis may contribute to gastric cancer pathogenesis.".
The phase III study, known as REGARD, evaluated safety and efficacy of ramucirumab with best supportive care in 355 patients from around the world with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma progressing on first-line platinum- and/or fluoropyrimidine-containing therapy.
Participants were randomized two-to-one on 8 mg/kg of drug or placebo every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or death, they wrote. Patients' disease had progressed up to 4 months following first-line therapy or up to 6 months following adjuvant therapy.
The study endpoints included overall survival, progression-free survival, 12-week progression-free survival rate, overall response rate, and safety.
Overall and progression-free survival rates were higher among those treated with ramucirumab than with placebo. Those patients also had a greater 12-week progression-free survival rate (40% versus 16%), greater overall response rate (3.4% versus 2.6%), and greater disease control rate (49% versus 23%).
After completion of the study, more patients who were treated with placebo used a different anti-cancer therapy than those who were treated with ramucirumab (39% versus 32%, respectively).
Patients who received drug treatment experienced a number of grade 3 adverse events. Frequency of grade 3 events in drug treatment versus placebo arms was mixed, including:
- Hypertension: 7.2% of patients receiving ramucirumab versus 2.6% of placebo-treated patients
- Anemia: 6.4% versus 7.8%
- Abdominal pain: 5.1% versus 2.6%
- Ascites: 4.2% versus 4.3%
- Fatigue: 4.2% versus 3.5%
- Decreased appetite: 3.4% versus 3.5%
- Hyponatremia: 3.4% versus 0.9%
Drug group patients experienced no grade 4 adverse events, though rates of death were similar in both arms (10.6% with ramucirumab versus 13% with placebo).
Fuchs noted a number of possible areas of follow-up could include combining ramucirumab with chemotherapy -- an question asked in the RAINBOW trial -- or testing the drug as a first-line treatment.
He also noted that studies should look at new cancers as possible targets for the drug, adding that studies are currently looking at it as a treatment for breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colon cancer, and lung cancer.
No conflicts of interest were declared.
Primary Source
Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium
Source Reference: Fuchs CS, et al "REGARD: a phase III, randomized, double-blind trial of ramucirumab and best supportive care (BSC) versus placebo and BSC in the treatment of metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma following disease progression on first-line platinum- and/or fluoropyrimidine-containing combination therapy" GiCS 2013; Abstract LBA5.


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CARFAX One-Owner. Clean CARFAX.
22/30 City/Highway MPG
Used 2019 CadillacCTS 2.0L Turbo Sedan
- Stock: CK0544
- Odometer
- 5,438 miles
- Fuel Economy
- 22.0/30.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- Black Raven
- Interior Color
- Light Platinum With Jet Black Accents
- Body/Seating
- Sedan/5 seats
- Transmission
- 8 speed automatic
- Drivetrain
- rear-wheel
- Engine
- 2 2.0L Turbo I4 DI DOHC VVT
Cadillac CTS
Highlighted Features
- Automatic temperature control
- Emergency communication system
- Wireless phone connectivity
- Parking sensors
- Exterior parking camera rear
- Front dual zone A/C
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Memory seat
Detailed Specifications
- 1-touch down
- 1-touch up
- Air conditioning
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Automatic temperature control
- Driver door bin
- Driver vanity mirror
- Emergency communication system: OnStar and Cadillac connected services capable
- Front beverage holders
- Front dual zone A/C
- Garage door transmitter
- Illuminated entry
- Memory seat
- Overhead console
- Passenger door bin
- Passenger vanity mirror
- Power windows
- Proximity keyless entry: doors and push button start
- Rear beverage holders
- Remote engine start: keyfob
- Remote keyless entry
- Speed control
- Telescoping steering wheel
- Tilt steering wheel
- Alloy wheels
- Four wheel independent suspension
- Front anti-roll bar
- Power steering
- Rear anti-roll bar
- Speed-sensing steering
- Sport suspension
- 1st row LCD monitors: 2
- AM/FM radio: SiriusXM
- Diversity antenna
- Primary LCD size: 8.0"
- Radio data system
- Smart device integration: Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- Steering wheel mounted audio controls
- Turn-by-turn navigation directions: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation
- Wireless phone connectivity: Bluetooth
- Front center armrest: w/storage
- Front seats: bucket
- Genuine wood console insert
- Genuine wood dashboard insert
- Genuine wood door panel insert
- Leather shift knob
- Leather steering wheel
- Max seating capacity: 5
- Power 2-way driver lumbar support
- Power 2-way passenger lumbar support
- Power driver seat
- Power passenger seat
- Rear seat center armrest
- Rear seats: bench
- Compressor: intercooled turbo
- Cylinder configuration: I-4
- Drive type: rear-wheel
- Engine liters: 2.0
- Engine location: front
- Fuel economy city: 22mpg
- Fuel economy combined: 25mpg
- Fuel economy highway: 30mpg
- Fuel tank capacity: 19.0gal.
- Horsepower: 268hp @ 5,600RPM
- Manual-shift auto
- Mode select transmission
- Number of valves: 16
- Recommended fuel: Premium Unleaded
- Torque: 295 lb.-ft. @ 3,000RPM
- Transmission: 8 speed automatic
- Variable valve control
- Bumpers: body-color
- Door mirrors: body-color
- Heated door mirrors
- Power door mirrors
- Rear cargo: trunk
- Tailpipe finisher: chrome
- Turn signal indicator mirrors
- Compression ratio: 9.50 to 1
- Curb weight: 1,657kg (3,652lbs)
- Engine bore x stroke: 86.0mm x 86.0mm (3.39" x 3.39")
- Engine displacement: 2.0 L
- Engine horsepower: 268hp @ 5,600RPM
- Engine torque: 295 lb.-ft. @ 3,000RPM
- Exterior body width: 1,834mm (72.2")
- Exterior height: 1,453mm (57.2")
- Exterior length: 4,966mm (195.5")
- Front headroom: 1,026mm (40.4")
- Front hiproom: 1,367mm (53.8")
- Front legroom: 1,161mm (45.7")
- Front shoulder room: 1,445mm (56.9")
- GVWR: 2,180kg (4,805lbs)
- Interior cargo volume: 388 L (14 cu.ft.)
- Interior maximum cargo volume: 388 L (14 cu.ft.)
- Passenger volume: 2,747L (97.0 cu.ft.)
- Rear headroom: 953mm (37.5")
- Rear hiproom: 1,354mm (53.3")
- Rear legroom: 899mm (35.4")
- Rear shoulder room: 1,392mm (54.8")
- Turning radius: 5.7m (18.5')
- Wheelbase: 2,911mm (114.6")
- Compass
- Delay-off headlights
- Display: analog
- Exterior parking camera rear
- Front reading lights
- Fully automatic headlights
- Low tire pressure warning
- Outside temperature display
- Parking sensors: rear
- Rear reading lights
- Rear window defroster
- Tachometer
- Trip computer
- Variably intermittent wipers
- Voltmeter
- 4 wheel disc brakes
- ABS brakes
- Adjustable head restraints: driver and passenger w/tilt
- Anti-whiplash front head restraints
- Brake assist
- Dual front impact airbags
- Dual front side impact airbags
- Electronic stability
- Ignition disable
- Knee airbag
- Occupant sensing airbag
- Overhead airbag
- Panic alarm
- Perimeter/approach lights
- Rear side impact airbag
- Security system
- Tracker system: OnStar Guidance
- Traction control
Dealer Notes
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 3.0
Close but no cigar
By yikesboy on Saturday, March 14, 2020After owning this car -- from a brand that I never thought I'd own I must say -- I have come to terms with its shortcomings and learned to enjoy its strengths. Re my aversion to the brand, when I was younger, my impression was that Caddys were driven by middle aged cigar chomping buffoons who didn't care about handling, gas mileage etc. Just looking for a sofa on wheels that stated that they were successful. Well, I got over that brand aversion when I test drove one. First off, if there was a handling score here, I'd give it 5 stars. It's balanced, agile and thoroughly confidence-building in its ability to negotiate pretty much anything I throw at it. All the while, it's a pleasant freeway ride too. Kudos to the team for creating one of the best handling cars I've ever experienced. Likewise, I enjoy the luxury appointments and look and feel of the cabin and styling. It's body style and aggressive front end is aging pretty well (2 years can be a long time in the automotive world). Trunk space is a tad tight but works well for my needs -- a weekend musician who needs to carry around pro audio product. Room is the back seat may be on the edge of punishing for anyone over the age of 14, but the front part of the interior is very comfortable with quality seating and good general UX. So now on to the less-than-stellar. My twin turbo 4 cylinder engine generates some decent horsepower but the turbo lag feels like I have an 1980s engine under the hood. Stab the accelerator pedal and wait...and then finally things start to happen. And yes, this happens even in the sport mode. Also, when the transmission is cold, it tends to slip in first couple of minutes as the car warms up. Moving to the most annoying part of this car, I have to call out the CUE system. I use Apple Car Play pretty much exclusively and have found that it's well implemented in pretty much every other car brand that I've tried (I travel a lot and rent lots of brands). Day to day, the Caddy often won't launch Car Play and I need to replug it in via the USB cable to wake up the CUE system that there's a phone on the other end asking for the screen. Even worse, once every month or so, the CUE system gets even more confused. Even though disabled in the System settings, the screen indicates that CUE is trying to fire up Android Auto and blasts radio at an uncomfortably loud volume. This is really annoying and requires that I literally unplug the phone and start again. Even when Car Play is connected and working "properly", there appears to be an audio glitch playing music from my phone every so often (and yes, I've swapped out USB cables etc). I'd wager that the CUE head doesn't have enough memory to be able to cache the song playing from my iPhone. It's noticeable in the range of milliseconds of dropout, but as a musician, I find it really annoying. The sad thing about this is that the sound system, as much as I usually dislike Bose product, is really good. On my soapbox here, I think that car companies either have to acknowledge that they are incapable of providing a system that can meet Apple's or Android's (in terms of functionality, navigation etc) and fully embrace providing a host system to accommodate them, or take a page out of Tesla's book, and really go to town on creating a great one that exceeds the phone's. So on the upside, there's great handling, attractive styling, and a luxurious and comfortable interior (for the front occupants). Things that bring down my rating are: 1980s style turbo lag, a lack of spaciousness in the back seat, and a really poorly implemented infotainment system (CUE). To be fair, it has been a very reliable car from the standpoint of starting up everyday with nothing falling apart or breaking off, but this is something we expect now in the cheapest vehicles. So much potential here just missing some refinement!
- 5.0
Nice car. Fun to drive. Handling is excellent.
By Dr. Joel on Sunday, September 27, 2020I drive this car every day. The handling on curves and the acceleration are excellent. The magnetic ride control is great except over abrupt bumps. For a fairly large heavy vehicle the gas mileage is good. I like the V6 engine. I have driven the 4 cylinder turbo and although the 4 is quick, the V6 is much more gratifying. Cadillac makes a nice car and does not get enough credit.
- 4.0
Nice car
By AJBCARS on Saturday, April 20, 2019I have owned every german manufactured vehicle and this was my first american car. Love the looks, options and performance. I have had no issues with the car other than normal maintenance, i.e, oil changes and one software upgrade. Looking to trade in my german SUV on a V model cadillac.
All vehicles, new or used, are subject to prior sale. Net prices are after rebates and discounts are applied and do not include dealer add-ons. Special financing may be available in lieu of rebates and discounts. Ask dealer for all the details. $85 dealer documentary fee. All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. Contact dealer for most current information. The advertised price does not reflect the final selling price. The advertised price of new and used vehicles does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, finance charges, documentation charges, and any other fees required by law. We attempt to update this inventory on a regular basis. However, there can be a delay between the sale of a vehicle and the update of the inventory. Pricing and availability may vary based on a variety of factors, including options, manufacturer employee pricing, specials, fees, and financing qualifications. The estimated selling price that appears after calculating dealer offers is for informational purposes, only. You may not qualify for the offers, incentives, discounts, or financing. Offers, incentives, discounts, or financing are subject to expiration and other restrictions. Vehicles labeled Coming Very Soon are currently not for sale, awaiting title. For informational purposes only. See dealer for qualifications and complete details. Sales Price does not include dealer installed products, $395 for 3M Clear Shield and $299 for Phantom Footprint.
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SUSAN CAMPBELL: Guns the last-ditch equalizer for the angry young man
The Newtown shooter was a young white man, but you don't hear that discussed much as we sift through the carnage he left.
Since that awful Friday in December, conversations about how we can stop the next school shooting have run the gamut from gun control, to better access to mental illness treatment, to eliminating or limiting violent video games.
These elements are part of the answer, certainly. And so this legislative session, our elected representatives will talk about how they can best restrict access to guns, though the shooter had access to an impressive array of artillery through his mother, who'd purchased them legally, and who, it appears, brought her son to gun ranges -- also legally.
We are talking about increasing access to mental health care, and that, too, is important, though from what we know of the shooter, he showed no sign of violent behavior prior to Dec. 14.
We are also talking about video games. A Southington organization is collecting violent video games and handing out $25 gift certificates in trade. A Connecticut grandmother has started a MoveOn.org petition asking that a North Haven theater remove violent video games from its lobby -- especially those that include realistic-looking guns -- though we don't yet know the role such entertainment might have played in the shooter's life.
While there's much we don't know about the shooter, this much we do know: Like so many other mass shooters in our modern era, the Newtown shooter was young, and he was Caucasian. If we want to say "never again" and mean it, shouldn't his gender and race be part of the discussion?
Back in 1999 -- the year of the Columbine shootings -- the people at the Massachusetts-based Media Education Foundation produced a documentary, "Tough Guise: Violence, Media, and the Crisis in Masculinity, " that examined how we raise boys to men in this country, and what role the media plays in that education. If you were to believe Hollywood's example, real men carry guns. They don't ask questions, and they never back down.
The documentary included a section on school shootings. Sadly, not much has changed in the interim, says Sut Jhally, MEF founder and executive director. The perpetrators continue to be, for the most part, the bullied and overlooked young white man. Was the Newtown shooter bullied? It seems important to know that.
"You can go back to Columbine," said Jhally, "and the perpetrators are not the big, tough jocks, the aggressive bullies. Put a gun in their hand, and for these guys, the moment they felt the most normal was when they had people cowering in front of them. Guns allowed them the guise of masculinity."
Guns, then, add weight and heft and height and respect -- but mostly, they instill fear. And they're the last-ditch equalizer for the angry young man. Otherwise, wouldn't we have more young women shooters?
Young women play video games. Young women live with mental illnesses, and suffer disappointments just like their male counterparts, and young women have access to guns, too, but the incidence of them committing mass murder is rare indeed.
But "if you inhabit this tough notion, real men are men who intimidate other people," said Jhally. "Real men don't back down. That's what respect means. When people respect you, they're scared of you."
We should not think of Newtown as an aberration. School shootings happen every day, and for at least some of the answers, we need to look at what motivates our young white men. Sometimes, the answer -- or a big part of it -- is as plain as the nose on our face.
Susan Campbell is an award-winning author of "Dating Jesus" and former columnist at the Hartford Courant. Her new biography, "Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker," is coming soon. Email her at email@example.com. Follow her blog at www.hot-dogma.com. Follow her on Twitter @campbellsl


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As all South African's are aware, our President has ordered a complete lockdown of the country. We fully support this in the fight to beat the current pandemic.
Unfortunately our online store services do not form part of the essential services approved by the President.
|Battery Required
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|Toy safety warning 4
|Toy safety warning 5
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|Toy safety warning 1
|For use under adult supervision only. Do not leave babies or children unsupervised.
|Battery Type
|Battery Included
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|Item Length Measure
|Length (cm)
|Min Unit Measure
|Toy safety warning 1
|Please remove and discard all packaging materials before giving this product to a child.
Question : How much will I pay for shipping?
Answer : Shipping is based either on the number of products and the size of the products you purchase or the monetary value of your order. You will see the shipping prices during the check out process before placing your order.
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