text:
Kick over the wall 'cause government's to fall
How can you refuse it?
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D'you know that you can use it?
Free Radical
Situated with my friends, with a job and nice apartment in Ballard, I wanted to do more than work and watch movies. First, I wanted to find and join some leftist activists. In particular, I wanted get involved in the No Nukes/antiwar movement. Somehow I was dissuaded. I became disenchanted by the prospect, or distracted, somehow. I only remember two small incidents; I can't help thinking there must have been something more that I can't recall. On May 3rd, there was a huge anti-war rally, and all three of us went to it.
At the rally, I talked with a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, the same group that had been at the center of a melee I was in the day before at First and Pike.The RCP's stated goal: the violent overthrow of the US government by the end of the 80s. I wasn't a communist, but I was certainly leaning toward socialism and was adopting an anti-capitalist attitude that made me at least somewhat sympathetic to 'mainstream' communists. But the RCP's program of violence, even civil war, elicited no such sympathy. As my thinking became more radical with regard to change, I also was beginning to see the further one moved from the center, the less freedom was valued. The radical, the ideologue, far enough to the left or to the right, is no friend of the Bill of Rights. Those rights stand in the way of burning down the City and remaking it according to the Perfect Plan. My opposition to violence and basic belief in the Bill of Rights wasn't going to make me a very good radical.
"Let me ask you something," I said to him. "You want to take over the government. Make a new constitution."
"What's your position on freedom of religion?"
He hemmed and hawed. "Well," he said cautiously, "religion is one of the major problems in the current power structure."
"People in this country wouldn't have religious freedom under your regime, would they?"
That means forced renunciations or – for those won't – prison, re-education, death.
"That's what I thought."
Turning away, I said to Troy, "At least he's honest."
I was thinking, Crap, I'm marching in the same rally with this goon. Someone who'd put a bullet through the head of everyone in my family, if he had the power.
It's funny. That was a conversation that could just as likely have taken place in 1969. As in Missoula, there was this subculture frozen in time, as if Nixon were still president and bombing Cambodia, and J.Edgar Hoover was spying on them. The world was changing around them and the agents of change had parked themselves in a timeless echo chamber, with street theatre puppets, Grateful Dead concerts and Marxist dogma.
Around that time, I went to the office of the historic underground newspaper, Northwest Passage. I told a guy there my newspaper background and said I'd like to help out. Without showing the least interest, he said maybe I could help with production. I could check back later and he offered a time I could do so.
"Actually, I'm interested in writing, too."
"Yeah, well, we've got plenty of writers."
I went back and worked an evening on production, although I don't remember it; I just have letter that says so. In it I also say that all three of us wanted to work there in the fall. We never did, though. I suspect I didn't really believe that I would get the opportunity to write. Even though the paper was known for accepting articles from readers, and getting a lot of submissions, now I got the impression they had more than they needed.
By themselves, I don't think either of these events dissuaded me from activism. Perhaps they damped my enthusiasm, though. At 16 I had been welcomed warmly by the small cadre of peace activists at the University of Montana, even though all I had to contribute was my enthusiasm and commitment. But Seattle had thousands of activists, splintered into their little constituencies, none of whom, I thought, would care that I wanted to write for their cause. That's what most of them were already doing themselves.
Another factor was the anger and pessimism I sensed. Perhaps I was projecting, but for a town that was firmly of the left, where they held political power and cultural dominance, Ronald Reagan really had a lot of folks in a lather. Things seemed pretty rotten, I suppose, if your goal in life was turning America into one big petroleum-free food co-op with no national defense.
But not so bad if you concentrated on the positive, like getting high and doing The Pogo.
Prior Engagement
My interest in writing wasn't in any way diminished, and I have a note recording my first serious thought about filmmaking. On April 22, Mark and I had a conversation about writing and making a film. I got very excited about the idea, but I had no idea what it would involve.
That conversation never developed into a script or anything beyond. But it was the impetus for me to start some screenwriting, which I believe I first put my hand to in the fall. What's most interesting about my note is that I immediately worried that if we went forward with such an idea (making a film), it could scuttle or delay our Europe plan, and interfere with my seeing Anna. I was trying to stay focused, but having such a hard time!
Mark and Troy both knew that regardless of what I was doing in Seattle, come summer I was going back to Missoula. Classes let out at Cornell, and Anna would be returning on Memorial Day weekend. At some point though, Mark decided he was coming back for the summer as well. Troy and I didn't care for the idea. We thought it might be hard to make ends meet, especially if we didn't land summer jobs as we hoped. But he wanted to go, and felt sure he could at least get some work from his mom.
We returned to Missoula on May 28th. Our manager at the King Cinema said we could have our jobs when we came back. She probably couldn't have promised it, but we did go back to work there when we returned to Seattle.
We had been in Seattle for only little over three months. Already it looked as if our plans had little hope of success. Our earnings did not exceeded our expenses, and our whole plan depended on saving money. Beside that, without any of us knowing it, our resolve was so precarious that only one change of circumstance would be enough to chuck the whole idea aside: something like a falling out, or a girlfriend or another idea.
A better idea.


text:
JERUSALEM — Tony Orlando, the popular 1970s American pop singer, said he visited the families of three Israeli teens missing in the West Bank, and called on his fans to hang three yellow ribbons in solidarity with the youths.
The teens disappeared while returning home late last Thursday from their Jewish seminary in the West Bank. Israel believes the militant group Hamas abducted the boys, and has launched its most significant military ground operation in more than five years to destroy Hamas infrastructure in the West Bank.
In a videotaped statement Tuesday from the home of one of the teens' families, Orlando said he was on a pilgrimage in Israel and was encouraged by friends and Israelis at his hotel to do something in support of the teens.
"I want Israel to know that I intend to go back home and do everything I can to ask the people of America to tie those yellow ribbons, three yellow ribbons, to show support for the three young Israeli boys," Orlando said.
The 70-year-old Orlando was the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn. His 1973 No. 1 hit, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree," became an anthem when American prisoners of war returned from Vietnam, and again became popular with Americans with loved ones serving in Iraq.
The song lingers on in pop culture, and yellow ribbons often serve as a symbol for missing loved ones. In the hometown of recently freed U.S. prisoner of war Bowe Bergdahl, trees have been bedecked with yellow ribbons.
"Children should not be touched," Orlando said, explaining his message. "To the captors: please bring those children home."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Breedlove still in state tourney hunt
Kewanee's Mark Breedlove remains in the medal hunt at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament.
Breedlove lost his 132-pound quarterfinal match Friday by technical fall to J.J. Wolfe of Dakota, then rebounded to pin Bailey Menees of Frankfort at the 3:35 mark in their first-round wrestleback.
Breedlove (41-4) will wrestle Shaun Wollenweber (33-11) of Plano in the quarterfinal wrestlebacks Saturday.
Breedlove needs two wrestleback wins today to advance to the third-place match.
Kewanee sophomore Bo Walters was eliminated at 126 pounds Friday.
Walters dropped a 3-0 decision to Nathan Olsen of Dakota in the quarterfinals, then fell on a second-period pin by Devon Fenton of Litchfield in the first round of wrestlebacks. Walters finishes the season with a record of 31-12.
Kewanee junior Omar Delgado didn't get into the wrestlebacks Friday and concludes the season with a record of 27-10.


text:
The Miami Hurricanes football staff is changing again.
Second-year offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch is leaving for the same job at the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Sun Sentinel confirmed Saturday morning. ESPN first reported the move.
"I want to thank president [Donna] Shalala, athletic director Blake James, coach [Al] Golden, the coaching staff and all of the incredible student-athletes that I have come in contact with since joining the program [in] January 2011," Fisch said in a news release issued by the school.
"There are 32 NFL offensive coordinator jobs and the opportunity to become the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator this year was based on all of the successes our program has had in the past two years. I am so excited to watch the Miami Hurricane and Jacksonville Jaguar football teams compete for and win championships this year and the years to come. There is no doubt that this program is one of the premiere in the country and I am grateful that I can always say I am part of the Hurricane family."
Golden added, "It's been a great week for the University of Miami and the NFL as evidenced by the hires of Marc Trestman (Chicago Bears) and Rob Chudzinski (Cleveland Browns) as head coaches, having the most former players participating in the conference championship games Sunday and now the hiring of Jedd Fisch as the offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We are happy for Jedd and his family. Jedd has done a great job for us here at the University of Miami and we are proud of the contributions he made to our program over the past two seasons. We wish him and Amber and the Jacksonville Jaguars the best of luck for years to come."
The departure, though not entirely surprising, comes at a difficult time on the football calendar. UM is currently hosting a huge crop of recruits with three weeks remaining before the Feb. 6 national signing day.
Fisch becomes the second staff departure since the end of the 2012 season. Wide receivers coach George McDonald left in mid-December for a job at Arkansas, but was named Syracuse's offensive coordinator next week.
Former FIU coach Mario Cristobal was hired to replace McDonald's vacancy earlier this month. He's the assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
Cristobal has never served as an offensive coordinator in previous stops, but has coached tight ends and offensive linemen in jobs with Miami and Rutgers.
Fisch returns to the NFL where he coached previously. He came to Coral Gables after a season as the Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach. He's also worked for the Ravens, Broncos and Texans in previous stops.
At Miami, he led the nation's No. 36-ranked offense that had a hot and cold 2012. The Hurricanes scored 31.4 points a game with first-year quarterback Stephen Morris and freshman running back Duke Johnson leading the way.
Fisch, a 1998 University of Florida graduate, led a fast-break offense charged with piling up points to offset a struggling defense.
Follow our UM coverage on Twitter at @ByCasagrande and Facebook and click here for text message alerts.


text:
Product Description
Kris Dim - Dimvasion
He is now established as one of the top pro bodybuilders in the world and the best Asian bodybuilder of all-time, as well as a successful businessman and family man, but in the beginning the odds were stacked against Kris Dim. He was born on May 7, 1973 in the war-ravaged and impoverished land of Cambodia, where one out of every four citizens died under a barbarous dictatorship.
When Dim was four he escaped with his family, immigrating to America. A refugee, he quickly grew to love his new country. Dim and his family lived for eight years in Arlington, Virginia. Then, when he was 12, they moved to Northern California, eventually settling in Sacramento, where he has remained ever since. He played soccer throughout his youth, but it was wrestling in high school that introduced the 98-pounder to bodybuilding.
Dim first lifted weights at home, but when he was 15 he joined a commercial gym. Noting his mass improvements, Dim's wrestling coach suggested he try a bodybuilding show. At 17, he entered and won his first contest, the teenage division of the North Bay Bodybuilding Championships. A year later, he won the Teenage California. When Dim won the middleweight class of the 1996 California Bodybuilding Championships, he was introduced to one of the sponsors, Max Muscle stores. "I didn't know what they were, but when I found out, I just knew right away what I wanted to do. I wanted to own one," Dim declares.
When he inquired about a franchise, it seemed an idle fantasy to everyone but him. He had very little savings, he was attending college, and he and future wife, Sylvia, were expecting their first child. Still, Dim wouldn't be deterred. He quit school and took on a second full-time job. Less than a year after he first heard of Max Muscle, Dim had saved enough to open his own Sacramento franchise. He was 23. He managed the store from opening to closing. My biggest fear is failure, Dim explains, and because of that, I always motivate myself twice as hard. The store thrived. Today, Dim continues to keep the same long hours behind the counters, wedging his bodybuilding into the time not occupied by his family and his business.
When 24-year-old Dim finished sixth in the middleweight class of his first pro qualifier, the 1997 USA Championships, he was confident his hobby would soon become a profession. Little did he know then it would take 10 additional tries before he earned pro status. In 2002, Dim came in leaner and fuller and won the light-heavyweight class of the USA Championships. Many felt his was the most impressive physique in the show, but he failed to take home one of the two pro cards. Next came two second-place finishes, at the 2002 Nationals and again at the 2003 USA.
The 2003 Nationals was a blowout, with Dim easily winning the light-heavyweight class and a pro status. The only controversy was his not taking the overall title. In 2004, Dim accomplished the rare feat of qualifying for the Mr. Olympia in his first IFBB contest (the San Francisco Pro Invitational). He then went on to establish himself as rookie of the year with a twelfth place finish in the Mr. O and three straight posedown finishes in the European Tour, qualifying for the 2005 Mr. Olympia.
For unfaltering support, Dim credits his wife, Sylvia; sons Joshua and Nathan; half-sister Julie; nutritional advisor Milos Sarcev; and training partner/business mentor Leonard Crabtree. In the end though, Dim's drive to succeed as a bodybuilder and businessman comes from somewhere deep inside, born somewhere far away a never-ending quest for betterment. In only his rookie year in the IFBB, he beat such established pros as Gustavo Badell, Ahmad Haidar, Troy Alves and Markus Ruhl. The Dimvasion of the pro ranks has begun. Considering how far he's already come against such great odds, there's no limit on how far Kris Dim can go in the future.
Running Time: 200 mins
* Available in NTSC DVD Only (Region Free)
* THIS DVD WILL PLAY ON ANY DUAL SYSTEM NTSC / PAL DVD PLAYER AND TV. Or any PC DVD.
Share on Facebook
Customers who bought this product also purchased...
Kris Dim - Dimvasion
$39.95 $29.95
25% off
NOTE: Reviews may require prior approval before they will be displayed
Current Reviews:


text:
Expert's Rating
- Good 3D support and image quality
- Bluetooth keyboard remote
- Dual-band Wi-Fi support
- Not many ports
- Audio quality is mediocre
- No USB multimedia playback support as shipped
Our Verdict
Vizio's giant LED-backlit set bundles generally good image quality with solid connected TV features and 3D support at a reasonable price; multimedia playback is promised via a firmware upgrade.
If you've been waiting for a full-featured, big-screen LCD TV (and by big, I mean 5-feet-plus on the diagonal) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, the Vizio XVT3D650SV may well be the answer to your prayers. For $3700, this 65-inch LED-backlit set delivers good image quality and 3D support, plus tons of user controls and great connected-TV features, all easily accessible via Vizio's usual first-rate user interface and a nifty Bluetooth remote with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
Okay, $3700 isn't dirt cheap, but only a few years ago an LCD TV this size would easily have set you back more than $5000. Plus, there's so much to like about this set and relatively little to complain about.
It is not, however, the greenest set around—in our tests, average hourly power consumption ran 123.6 watts when in use and 0.8 watt even when turned off, which is high for an LED-backlit set. The audio is just adequate, but otherwise its only real flaw is the lack of media playback support, despite having three (!) USB 2.0 ports. Vizio promises to deliver this functionality via a firmware upgrade in the not-too-distant future. (This seems to be a recurring issue with Vizio sets: I had the same experience with a previous model, and the firmware upgrade did eventually arrive.)
With a screen this big, flaws in image quality can be magnified when you're seated up close, but in our juried picture quality tests, the XVT3D650SV earned generally good scores, especially for handling motion; it ran our panning clip nearly flawlessly. Judges found colors to be bright without being oversaturated, although at least one judge remarked on a greenish cast compared to others in its test group. The Vizio's scores may not have been the highest, but it generally held its own in a strong field that included sets from top-tier vendors LG, Samsung, and Sharp.
Audio played through the set's two 15-watt speakers with Vizio's simulated surround sound technology is unremarkable at best. However, I suspect that many people who buy a set this large with 3D support will bypass the speakers in favor of a home theater audio setup to enjoy true surround sound.
Our juried test clips don't yet include 3D content, but in my hands-on evaluation I was impressed by the 3D effects in a Blu-ray Disc of The Last Airbender. Even better was the set's ability to recognize the presence of 3D content on a Blu-ray disc with both 2D and 3D versions, and then ask whether I wanted to don special 3D glasses or stick with the 2D version. The set lets you toggle between three types of 3D content technology (and according to Vizio's spec sheet, it supports a couple more), but I never had to actually choose a 3D mode: When I clicked the option for viewing The Last Airbender on Blu-ray in 3D, the set automatically chose the right 3D setting. Vizio includes four sets of polarized glasses with the set. (It's worth noting, however, that the smart-dimming technology Vizio uses to help improve contrast and overall image quality works only for 2D video.)
As usual, Vizio provides a wealth of on-screen controls for tweaking images to your liking, as well as preset adjustments intended to optimize the image for different types of content such as sports, movies, and gaming. The on-screen options (which also include the usual parental controls, channel lineup options, and picture-within-picture features) are easy to access via the remote, and as you scroll through them, explanations appear at the bottom of the screen.
The remote itself is shorter than most, about the height of a cordless phone, so it has fewer controls than the longer, skinnier remote you get with many sets; this offloads a lot of options to the on-screen display, but also makes for a less formidable and potentially less confusing remote (although a light would have been nice to help in dark rooms).
Out of the box, the remote communicates with the set via a conventional infrared sensor, and you can continue to use it that way. But if you follow the manual's clear instructions for using the remote in Bluetooth mode (including pairing the remote with the set), you won't have to worry about the line-of-site access that infrared requires. As usual, Vizio's documentation is second to none, with both a printed manual and a quick-start guide that are also available online as PDFs.
The slide-out QWERTY keyboard can be helpful when using any of the Vizio Internet applications (VIA) that require user input: Even though the rubbery keys are small, they beat clicking through a software keyboard. Vizio does its usual good job of presenting the apps via a customizable dock that appears at the bottom of the display when you press the VIA button on the remote; you can create different profiles for different users and populate each user's dock with up to 17 different apps. Vizio also lets you determine which users can customize their docks, and which only you can control.
Vizio may not have the largest collection of Internet apps, but it covers the key bases, with Yahoo widgets, Vudu's HD movie rental service, Flickr, Rhapsody, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon on Demand.
In appearance, the XVT3D650SV adheres to the general aesthetic for large sets, with a shiny black bezel. Vizio's logo underneath the screen lights up white (but not too annoyingly so) when the set is on, and orange when it's in standby mode. (You can't, alas, turn it off completely while watching.) The port configuration is a bit skimpy in some respects—the TV has no composite or S-video support, and only one set of component inputs—but you do get five HDMI ports (most sets stop at four) and an RGB port for PC hookups. There's also a standard 1/8-inch mini-stereo input (for PC audio) as well as analog stereo and optical audio outputs.
The HDMI ports, the audio outputs, and the aforementioned three USB ports are sideways-facing and slightly recessed on the left back side of the set; the rest of the ports, including the ethernet and coax ports, face downwards. In general, the position of the ports isn't ideal: Because the side-facing HDMI inputs are recessed, you have to wiggle the cable a bit to line it up properly, and the downward-facing ports are tough to see, but this is a problem only during setup.
Although the ethernet hookup is optimal for streaming media apps, Vizio generously outfits the XVT3D650SV with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi support, a real plus (although I had some difficulty setting up the lab's test network; the set repeatedly refused to recognize the password). Many sets support only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, but 5GHz Wi-Fi, if your network router supports it, typically provides better multimedia support since it has more channels and is therefore less subject to interference than the narrower 2.4GHz band (which also competes with Bluetooth, microwave ovens, some cordless phones, and the many neighboring 2.4GHz networks you typically find in cities these days).
Macworld's buying advice
I wish Vizio would stop shipping its TVs without multimedia playback support (it shouldn't be that hard, right?), but overall, the XVT3D650SV delivers the company's usual solid bundle of good image quality and current technology extras at a competitive price. If you're in the market for a supersized Smart TV with future-proofing in the form of 3D support, this set is definitely worth considering.


text:
A collection of items (instead of individually) sell for more money.
Customer Testimonials
"I made over $200 with Sell Junk in Your Trunk. They are dependable, knowledgeable, and professional. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to get rid of stuff around the house and make easy money."
Tom, Ann Arbor, Michigan
"Sell Junk in Your Trunk made it easy to sell my cuckoo clock. They did all the work! Plus, I made more money than if I had sold it at a garage sale or consignment shop."
Melissa, Ann Arbor, Michigan


text:
"Thirty years ago, 'mindfulness' was a Buddhist principle mostly obscure to the West," Jeff Wilson writes in Mindful America. Today, however, it has managed to reach nearly every institution of American society (a tendency that is growing in Europe as well, although more slowly). How did this happen?
In Mindful America, Wilson explores the origin of the mindfulness movement. The book offers one of the first critical descriptions of the movement, which is focused on more that the movement's practices. A key point is that mindfulness could only grow by distancing itself from Buddhism as a religion. This process took place in the 1980s through magazines, films, TV programs and, in particular, through bringing mindfulness into a medical context, where it later would open up a completely new field of research. Whether Buddhism really is a religion is something that has been debated before the era of mindfulness, but it is true that mindfulness (or the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or MBSR-program of Jon Kabat-Zinn) would probably not be a part of more than 700 medical schools, hospitals, and health care programs worldwide if it were "sold" as religion.
Wilson wants to be neutral in his study, but this is difficult for him. "I do happen to be a Buddhist but am drawn to study mindfulness because of its prominence in the United States," he writes. Being a Buddhist is both an advantage and disadvantage in his work. Wilson knows what he writes about, but it colors his perception at times. For example, he can't help but see mindfulness as a second-rate Buddhist practice. He sees the maneuver of bringing mindfulness from Buddhism into a non-Buddhist context as problematic—a purely business practice; he fails to notice the extent to which it actually has contributed to something such as wellbeing.
Wilson favors a certain kind of origin of mindfulness as if there were only one right way to practice Buddhism. A bit similar if one were to criticize contemporary American pragmatics like Robert B. Brandom or Cheryl Misak because they diverge from the founding fathers Charles Sander Peirce and William James. Evolution is creative. Furthermore, the Dalai Lama looks positively on the matter of how Buddhism or aspects of Buddhism may contribute to reducing suffering in the West.
Having said the above, I still believe that Wilson has written a book that was highly needed. As with all things when they become popular, mindfulness attracts people who are mindful for the sake of money, not for the potential liberation of one's mind. For example, one so-called mindfulness author writes, "mindfulness helps you fall in love," while another writes, "what can that moment-to-moment awareness do for our sex lives" and "another bonus of eating mindfully is that it improves self-esteem." Of course, by targeting sex and food, mindfulness is stretched to fit a need among white middle-class people. In addition, the focus on self-esteem (and worse, on identity) is problematic since among the more serious teachers of mindfulness, the "self" is a process. After all everything changes; everything is impermanent.
The critique that Wilson raises can be raised for the majority of the self-help industry. It targets people who seem to be existentially frustrated, perhaps even bored, rather than those that suffer socially or financially. A title like The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, for example, tells us all we need to know about whom the book is targeting.
Mindful America does a very good job in exploring the mindfulness movement. In its transition from a Buddhist practice strictly for monks to a practice for mainstream Americans, it has had some ups—but mostly downs. The book is not an introduction to mindfulness; rather, it locates this transition in a sociological and cultural setting. It that sense, the need for mindfulness tells us more about the times we live in than about the actual practice itself. Sometimes it can be attractive to become what you're not.
As Wilson says, "Today mindfulness is, quite simply, everywhere." This assertion is both true and false. As a commercial concept it is indeed everywhere, but as a practice, it is not. If it were, the world would be a little bit more caring. Actually, if people were mindful then they wouldn't buy books about mindfulness and sex and shopping and accounting, but simply be mindful.
This review was published in Metapsychology (Volume 19, Issue 32).


text:
You may have heard of the phrases "high fantasy" and "low fantasy." Or perhaps you haven't; while they're used very commonly in an academic sense, they aren't as common outside those circles. As is so often the case, this leads to some confusion in the definitions. And so I decided to give you a quick overview of the topic. That's what this blog is for, after all! Continue reading
Tag Archive: Stargate
Highs and Lows
Filed under: Writing Tips — Leave a comment
October 3, 2013
Tags: A Song of Ice and Fire, Conan the Barbarian, Definitions, Eureka, Fantasy, Game of Thrones, High Fantasy, High Science Fiction, Horror, Low Fantasy, Low Science Fiction, Roleplaying, RPG, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Stargate, Supernatural, The Dresden Files, The Lord of the Rings, Warehouse 13, Wordsmithing


text:
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- Seventh-ranked LIU Post will play for the NCAA Division II national championship after a 12-9 win against top-ranked Adelphi in a national semifinal clash Sunday at Motamed Field.
The Pioneers' appearance in the national title game is the fourth in program history, and the third under head coach John Jez. Jez guided the Green and Gold to the title in 2009 and '10, the latter of which was played at this year's host site, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
LIU Post (11-5), looking to avenge an earlier regular-season loss to Adelphi, held a 4-2 lead at the conclusion of one quarter of play. Tied 1-1, junior midfielder Connor Drost scored an even-strength goal, and assisted on an Anthony Berardis man-up tally a little more than two minutes later for a two-goal cushion.
The Panthers struck first in the second quarter to cut the deficit to one (4-3), but the Pioneers netted three unanswered goals in a two-plus minute stint to widen their advantage to 7-3. Sophomore attackman Ryan Slane tallied a goal and two assists in the spurt. One of those helpers came on a marker by sophomore attackman Matty Beccaris, who finished with a game-high seven points (5 goals, 2 assists).
The Green and Gold would eventually carry a 7-4 cushion into the intermission. Adelphi owned a 20-19 edge in shots, while LIU Post won the ground ball battle (13-10) in the half.
Adelphi came out with a vengeance in the third quarter, rattling off three consecutive goals in 1:46, to even the score at 7. Junior midfielder Brandon Goodwin had two of the goals. Sophomore attacker Salvatore Tuttle added one.
Though the Pioneers rang three shots off the iron in the period, they were rewarded at the 1:34 mark, en route to regaining a one-goal edge. Drost ripped a shot past AU graduate goalie Aidan Bennardo, off a feed from Slane.
Early In the final 15-minute session, Beccaris and graduate attackman/midfielder Joe Costello scored only 36 seconds apart to make it a 10-7 contest.
In the final minutes of regulation, however, Adelphi closed the gap to 10-9 with a chance to tie it. Yet, a one-minute illegal body check penalty assessed to the Panthers' Cory Stavis sealed their fate. On the restart, Beccaris, following an LIU Post timeout, fired the ball into an unguarded cage.
Overall, both squads attempted 40 shots and picked up 25 ground balls. The Pioneers were an impressive 13 of 23 (56.5 percent) on face-offs, 14 of 14 on clears and 5 of 6 on extra-man opportunities.
Between the pipes, graduate goalie T.J. DiCarlo made 10 saves for the Green and Gold. Bennardo turned aside six shots for the Panthers.


text:
Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Notify me of new posts by email.


text:
Column: Selfless Hatchell faces leukemia diagnosis
Sylvia Hatchell is always thinking of others: her players, those who helped her get started in coaching and cancer patients, to name a few.
But when it was announced Monday the University of North Carolina women's basketball coach is "temporarily stepping away from her on-the-court coaching responsibilities" after a leukemia diagnosis, it was the move she had to make for her own health.
In the coming weeks and months, Hatchell is sure to receive an outpouring of the type of support and love she has imparted to so many through the years.
"Coach Hatchell definitely has a heart for people and making a difference in the lives of the people she's connected with," said Elon head coach Charlotte Smith in a phone interview Monday night. "I can only imagine what her cell phone and email looks like right now because there's a lot of people whose lives she's touched."
Smith, a Shelby native, is a former player and assistant coach for Hatchell who hit the winning shot to lift the Tar Heels to the 1994 national championship. She couldn't help but think of all the great insight her coach has provided through the years to so many players.
"I'm sure she's reflecting on all of those words and all of the advice," Smith said. "Those are words to live by."
Smith said Hatchell's impact on her own life has been immense.
"She's definitely had a huge impact on my life. She's basically like my mom," Smith said. "She's been there for me through the death of my mom and my dad."
Hatchell, a Gastonia native, was in Shelby this May for a YMCA leadership event and took the time for an interview before speaking to the group. It was a great opportunity to talk to one of the sport's best, a 900-game winner and Hall of Famer.
But what stood out the most about Hatchell was her appreciation for others. She had embarked on a "900 Wins Thank You Tour," visiting those who helped her along the way in her career. Hatchell also mentioned a blueberry patch in her summer home in Black Mountain. She encourages groups to go there, pick blueberries and mail a donation to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
For someone who has accomplished so much, the focus is still outward. That humility and grounded nature have helped Hatchell reach such great heights in her profession.
She was excited about welcoming the No. 1 recruiting class in the country this fall. Let's all hope and pray she can get back with those players as soon as possible.
Hatchell also was great friends with the late Kay Yow, the former N.C. State coach and outspoken advocate for cancer research while facing her own battles with breast cancer. Hatchell saw firsthand Yow's determination and ability to be a source of inspiration to others in the face of her own adversity.
Hatchell is now able to serve as a similar source of hope for those with leukemia. And with her history, you can bet she'll give it everything she's got.
Reflecting on her coach's diagnosis, Smith recalled a story of a game in Atlanta when she was an assistant for Hatchell. After the contest, they went to a burger joint, the two of them locked eyes and a race to the restaurant door was underway.
"Coach Hatchell's a fighter. She doesn't like to lose in anything," Smith said. "That competitive spirit and nature I know definitely will bring her through this challenge."


text:
Ode to Odette – "The Best Restaurant in Asia"
[UPDATE: Odette has retained its position as The Best Restaurant in Asia as number 8 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list 2021. ]
Julien Royer, formerly head chef of the acclaimed Jaan, now has his own restaurant in the form of Odette, a bread roll's throw away from his alma mater, within Singapore's stunning new National Gallery. Odette is named in homage to Royer's grandmother. And the family theme continues as the dreamy design is down to artist Dawn Ng – wife of the restaurant's co owner, Wee Teng Wen of the Lo and Behold group – in conjunction with Universal Design Studio.
With its romantic, cream interiors, Odette is the White Swan to Lo and Behold stablemate, Black Swan nearby in the CBD. But back to the food. Royer is continuing to mix classical French with modern techniques in his new home. Some of his greatest hits from Jaan are on the menu: Mushroom "tea"; 55 mins Onsen Egg; Heirloom Beetroot Variation; and Hay Smoked Pigeon.
In it's new incarnation though the Pigeon is served two ways: the breast cooked sous vide then grilled and the leg cooked for six hours. And the Onsen Eggs are smoked on a bed of pines – foraged by the chef's father and sent over from France (another family link).
Royer has also added some new creations such as the standouts Hokkaido Uni with Apple, Mussel and Caviar and Trout with Miso Glazed Kurobuta Pork. The welcome champagne trolley includes Chartogne-Taillet rose, Henri Giraud for Odette and Krug – said to be Royer's favourite.
Desserts, by pastry chef Nicolas Vergnole, are also impressive including Confit Victoria Pineapple (below): toasted coconut ice cream, banana cake, passionfruit coulis, tapioca and Kaffir lime.
This piece was originally published in 2016


text:
Judith Pinborough-Zimmerman
A news bomb about the theft of student data exploded in Utah's Deseret News last July, but nobody noticed, apparently.
The article's headline — "Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Puts Spotlight on Utah Autism Rates" — focused primarily on things other than the data theft. It highlighted former University of Utah research professor Judith Zimmerman's allegations that university researchers were falsifying Utah's autism rates.
But to me, the unheadlined bomb that the article dropped was the 750,000 students who had their data and their families' data stolen by unauthorized "researchers". The families now have no way of knowing this happened.
Zimmerman was fired for raising concerns about protected student data that she said the researchers had "compromised and accessed without proper authority." She told the Deseret News that unauthorized individuals took 750,000 sensitive records with neither parental nor schools' consent. This private "medical and educational information" included "names, birthdays, information about medical characteristics… special education classification and parents' names and addresses," reported the Deseret News.
How would these families now be notified? I wonder: with the whistleblower fired and with a years-long lawsuit and likely gag orders pending, the only people who now could potentially contact those families would be still employed at the university –who, being accused of the wrongdoing, certainly won't go out of their way to inform the affected families right now.
I'm not going to discuss the ways in which the stolen records, and the children they represented, are vulnerable to potential crimes of credit card fraud, health insurance identity theft, crimes of predatory stalkers or the mandates of well-or-ill-intentioned governmental activists.
I'm here to ask –and answer– a very simple question that I hope readers are asking: how could this have happened? How were three quarters of a million records of children just lying around under the noses of any unscrupulous university researchers?
It's simple. Utah has a STATE LONGITUDINAL DATABASE SYSTEM (SLDS) and it's managed by the UECP at the University of Utah.
You, your children, and your grandchildren are in the SLDS whether you like it or not –unless you pay 100% of your own money in tuition for a 100% private school, and always have. There is no other way to opt out. I've tried.
Don't get me started about how blindly stupid Utah is (all states now are) for having –and continuing to support– the SLDS.
We're subject to this SLDS data surveillance system simply because in some USOE cubicle, some clueless grant writer responded to Obama's mess of pottage and decided that the state of Utah might exchange students' privacy for a $9.6 million dollar federal grant.
Utah traded all students' data records, longitudinally (permanently) into this data-slurping machine, euphemistically titled the State Longitudinal Database System, which the feds designed and oversaw— all for the love of money and nonconsensual research.
Without parental consent, Utah children's data now is daily being collected –using schools to vaccum it up. This is not a legitimate situation, but you can't blame schools. They are being used. They have to give daily data to the state/fed system, or they lose funds/grind to a halt. In a recent Utah rulemaking statement, we read: "all public education LEAs shall begin submitting daily updates to the USOE Clearinghouse using all School Interoperability Framework (SIF) objects defined in the UTREx Clearinghouse specification. Noncompliance with this requirement may result in interruption of MSP funds."
So we can't believe the ear candy we're told, about how this data mining is about keeping data on kids so teachers can do their best teaching. It's not staying in the local school for teachers and administrators to legitimately peruse, but it goes into the federally designed, federally interoperable SLDS database held at UECP/U of U which many state agencies can peruse and which the feds can already partially peruse.
(Side note: the feds are feverishly working to get much greater unit-record access as we speak. If you're interested, livestream the CEP's federal public hearing on that subject today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvvatB_NBWI )
Every state has an SLDS system. The feds paid the states to build them. The feds told the states how the SLDS's had to be built. Utah got nearly $10 million to make Utah's federal SLDS in 2009. And the grant's been renewed to keep trading cash for students, in recent years.
Utah children and their families thus have their data sucked away to where unelected, unaccountable "researchers" are entrusted with data via SLDS. The University's "Utah Education Policy Center" (UEPC) is a founding partner in the Utah Data Alliance, which controls Utah's SLDS system. According to UEPC's website:
"Five other partners include the Utah State Office of Education (public education), Utah System of Higher Education, Utah College of Applied Technology, Utah Education Network, and the Department of Workforce Services. UEPC serves as the research coordinator for the Utah Data Alliance. UEPC coordinates access for individuals and organizations interested in collaborating with the Utah Data Alliance, or researchers interested in accessing data for research purposes."
That's a long answer to a short question. That's how the data got stolen.
Here's the follow up question: what's keeping the other millions of records of students from going the same way that those 750,000 records went?
Ask your legislator that question. Ask him/her to show you any proper privacy protections that are actually in place. (FERPA was shredded; don't let them pretend there's protection anymore under FERPA.)
We do not even have the freedom to opt out of SLDS tracking. But all of this can change– if more good people speak up– act.
How did the fox persuade the gingerbread boy to get on his back? The fox said that he would never eat him, but would surely protect the gingerbread boy from everyone who was trying to eat him on the dangerous side of the river.
On shore stood the hungry horse, the farmer, the dog, the others– and the fox said that he could help the gingerbread boy to get away. The fox protected the gingerbread boy like the federal government is protecting your child's personal data.
Every time I read an official promise like this recent CEP statement (and there are so many; even the federal alterations to FERPA sounded like the CEP statement) –I think of the gingerbread boy. The CEP (federal "Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking") promises that the government only wants more individual "data in order to build evidence about government programs, while protecting privacy and confidentiality." I think of the fox "protecting" the gingerbread boy.
That fox wanted to eat the boy just as much as the dog and the farmer and everyone else did. Even the gingerbread boy probably suspected it, but he really, really wanted to cross that river.
When the government says that it can and will protect privacy while accessing greater amounts of data, I think:
River = money
Gingerbread boy = a child's sensitive data
Horse = educational sales corporations
Farmer = educational researchers
Fox = federal government
Dog= state government
The oven where the boy was born = SLDS database


text:
It's no wonder that Broccoli is a favoured vegetable amongst Italians - historically, it dates from Roman times, but I am very aware that this love isn't shared by a good portion of the general population.
When it comes to making a dish with broccoli, I want to make it something a little different, perhaps to encourage those that aren't fans to give it another chance.
I'm hoping that this Sformato di Broccoli will be the answer.
The best way to describe a sformato - well, it's a bit like a souffle, in that the texture is very light but unlike a souffle, it is extremely simple to get right. It's highly adaptable, you can substitute virtually any vegetable and the foundation of any variation is always a thick bechamel.
[Serves 4-6 as a starter]
250 grams broccoli (approx), cut into florets, stalk included
30 grams butter
30 grams cornflour
250mls milk
salt and white pepper
50 grams grated parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Goat Cheese Sauce
soft/young goat cheese (chevre)
Prepare the broccoli:
Boil the broccoli in lightly salted water until soft. Drain and the process until smooth. It should have a nice green specked appearance. Pour into a bowl and set to one side.
Make the base:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and once melted add in the cornflour. Stir to form a smooth paste and then add in the milk, a little at a time, until it has dissolved the paste. Take a whisk and whisk until it starts to thicken (using a whisk will stop any lumps forming). Season with a little salt and white pepper and once quite thick, remove from the heat and whisk in the grated parmesan.
Pour the base into the pureed broccoli - whisking until evenly distributed. Keep whisking as you slowly pour in the lightly beat eggs. The mixture will be quite slack at this stage - that is normal.
To finish:
I used individual soufflé dishes and depending on the size you'll get anywhere from 4 to 6 "sformati" from the mixture.
Butter the dishes well and line the base with a circle of baking paper - this will help with the un-moulding. I like to also dust the moulds with a mix of fine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan.
Pour the batter into the moulds - aim for about ¾ full.
Bake in a preheated 170°C until puffed and golden and cooked through - these took around 35 to 40 minutes. Let them sit for a couple of minutes before un-moulding - they will deflate a little but that won't affect the taste.
To serve:
Another really simple and quick idea that lifts the dish is the Goat Cheese Sauce. I find the tang of goat cheese works particularly well with broccoli, but you can do something similar using blue cheese if you prefer.
Crumble the goat cheese into a small saucepan and place over a low heat - pour in few spoonfuls of cream and then stir. Under the gentle heat the goat cheese will soften and melt into the cream to form the sauce. Once it reaches serving temperature it's ready.
Serve it under the sformato or drizzle over the top - the choice is yours.


text:
MATLAB and Simulink Training
Explore courses by topic, level, or product.
Select a Web Site
Choose a web site to get translated content where available and see local events and offers. Based on your location, we recommend that you select: .
You can also select a web site from the following list
Select the China site (in Chinese or English) for best site performance. Other MathWorks country sites are not optimized for visits from your location.
Contact your local office


text:
Lombard Summer Banners!
My summer banners are up! I want to thank Bridget Doyle, Communications Coordinator for the Village of Lombard for giving me the opportunity to make some art for my town! I really enjoyed painting the images of summer. Here are some of the steps I took to make the paintings.
I always start with thumbnails of drawings they help me get the composition right. It's also a great way to get a lot of ideas out of your head and on to the paper. You can see all 43 thumbnails here.
After Bridget and her team picked the ones they like best I did some more detailed sketches. This helps me get an even better idea of what I want the final image to look like. You can see all 8 of the detail sketches here.
Then I set out to painting them. I did 6 in all. One that wasn't included in the detailed sketches were the fireworks paintings. I made 2 versions of the fireworks. I was just trying something out for the first time. I had no idea how I would paint fireworks in watercolor. But I kind of like how they turned out. Let me tell you Lombard really puts on a great fireworks display every 4th of July!
Okay that's me at The Corner House in Lombard. Every chance I get I like to hang out there and doodle something. So if you see me there you better bring your sketch book!
Also thanks to the Daily Herald for wanting to do a story on me. You can read the full story here at the Daily Herald
Yup, that me and my banner….


text:
(Department of "You were promised an oppressive cyberpunk dystopia")
Still officially offline, but: while I was off in East Thrace the server that hosted chrononaut.org was hit by something, for the second time in a few weeks, and to save ongoing headaches for myself and for Brandon, who gets the complaints from the hosting company when people complain that chrononaut.org/discontent.com is attacking them with zombie botnets, I decided it was time after fifteen years to get out of the business of being my own webmaster and move this site to WordPress.com.
As you can see it's still a work in progress—moving all the posts from my most recent WordPress installation (ca. 5 years ago) was pretty quick but the links and images are still mostly broken and there's still the archives from my two earlier blog incarnations that need to be converted from flat files into something WordPress can import, but I hope to have that done in a week or two. I'm afraid the permalinks I went to so much trouble to preserve when I went off MoveableType are no longer perma-, but at least all the posts should be there.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled no programming.


text:
Departmental Examinations May 2014 - Instructions
- Applications are invited from the candidates for admission to the Departmental Examinations May 2014 through "FULLY ONLINE" mode. Filled-up Online Application Forms will be electronically transmitted to the TNPSC Office and hence there is no need to send the application by post. However, those who are applying for the test codes 001, 085, 115, 131, 148, 164 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214 and 215 MUST send the Online Application Form and the Identification Slip to TNPSC Office by post with relevant details of previous examinations, Work etc.
- Fully Online registration for Departmental Examinations May 2014 is available for candidates applying from all the 33 Centres, from 01/03/2014 to 31/03/2014.
- CANDIDATES WILL NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FEE OF Rs. 30/- WILL HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE POSTAL RECEIPT APART FROM THE FEE FOR THE TESTS APPLIED FOR.
- Total Fees should be paid through postal receipt only except the candidates opting NEW DELHI as Centre.
- Examination / Registration Fees: Kindly make sure that you have the Postal Receipt for the requisite number of tests that you will be applying for, before registering online. (Calculate the Total Fee using Fee Calculator)
- Procedure to apply online :See : Instructions to the Candidates for applying through Online in Tamil | English
- Kindly send WITHOUT FAIL the online Application form & Identification Slips to TNPSC by post those who are applying for the test codes 001, 085,115,131,148,164 209,210,211,212,213,214 and 215 with relevant details of previous examinations, Work etc. before April of this year. Candidates applying for other than these tests need not send the application form to the Commission by post.
- Last date: This facility will be available till 5.45 P.M. on 31/03/2014.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
Johnson City, Tenn. -- The East Tennessee State women's tennis team took the first three singles matches as well as all three doubles matches en route to a 5-2 win over UNC Asheville Friday afternoon in the Memorial Center.
Leading the Bucs at No. 1 singles was senior Paty Vega. Vega handed UNC Ashevilles Stefanie Shuba a 6-1,6-4 defeat. Mami Inoue had no trouble at No.2 singles as she handily defeated Nancy Livesay 6-0,6-0. In the No.3 singles, Jessica Irey also had no problems and cruised to a 6-1,6-2 win over Sarah Cox. In No.4 singles, Tatiana Arriaran found herself in a tight match with Ashley Jones. In a very close affair, Arriaran bested Jones 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 7-5.
The Bucs earned the doubles point by sweeping all three doubles matches. Inoue and Vega teamed to defeat Shuba and Jones by an 8-3 count. ETSUs Arririan and Susan Torbett were challenged by Cox and Livesay but outlasted the Bulldog pair by taking an 8-6 decision. The final doubles match saw Irey and Aimee Villavicencio take an 8-3 win over Stacey Witkowski and Emily Acker-Estes.
With the win, the Bucs even their season record at 1-1. UNC Asheville falls to 0-2 on the season. The Bucs will return to the courts on Feb. 17 as they open the Southern Conference season on the road at Georgia Southern. Singles 1. Paty Vega (ETSU) def. Stefanie Shuba, 6-1,6-4 2. Mami Inoue (ETSU) def. Nancy Livesay, 6-0,6-0 3. Jessica Irey (ETSU) def. Sarah Cox, 6-1,6-2 4. Tatiana Arriaran (ETSU )def. Ashley Jones, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 7-5 5. Emily Acker-Estes def. Aimee Villavicencio (ETSU) 6-1,6-3 6. Andrea Knight def. Susan Torbett (ETSU) 6-1,6-1 Doubles 1. Vega/Inoue (ETSU) def. Shuba/Jones, 8-3 2. Arriaran/Torbett (ETSU) def. Cox/Livesay, 8-6 3. Irey/Villavicencio (ETSU) def. Witkowski/Acker-Estes 8-3


text:
Dare to dream: Powerball surges to $400 million
DES MOINES, Iowa – Lottery officials say there was no jackpot winner in Saturday's Powerball drawing, adding the current estimated jackpot has jumped to $400 million or $227.8 million in cash value.
Powerball said the next drawing will be Wednesday, Feb. 19. It added in a statement that the previous estimated jackpot total was an annuitized $330.8 million, or $188.4 million as a cash option.
Powerball is played in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of matching all six numbers in the game are 1 in about 175 million, according to statistics of the nonprofit Multi-State Lottery Association whose members offer one or more of the association's games.
Follow The News-Star on Twitter @TheNewsStar


text:
"Many Canadian nationalists harbour the bizarre fear that should we ever reject royalty, we would instantly mutate into Americans, as though the Canadian sense of self is so frail and delicate a bud, that the only thing stopping it from being swallowed whole by the US is an English lady in a funny hat."
EDIT: As I should have at the start, I need to put the above quote into context. It was written (or said) years ago, long before the current US administration was even a glint in anyone's eye. I can't find a date for it, but I know this because I "liked" it on my Goodreads page in 2014.
It refers to the collective Canadian desire and ongoing struggle to figure out how we are different as a culture, rather than a strong will not to be Americans. It's about what defines us as Canadians. And it was written with affection for our southern neighbours, who we love.
I apologize to anyone who took it in anything but the spirit in which it was intended.
If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the "One-Liner Wednesday" title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you're pinging back to is this week's! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.
NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you're self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It's bound to be short and sweet.
Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there's no need to stick to the same "theme."
The rules that I've made for myself (but don't always follow) for "One-Liner Wednesday" are:
1. Make it one sentence.
2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.
3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.
4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!
5. Have fun!


text:
Jack B. Kubisch Papers
Jack B. Kubisch, a Central College graduate from 1942, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1974 and was also keynote speaker for that commencement ceremony.
Dr. Kubisch donated a portion of his personal papers to the Smiley Memorial Library collection in 2000. Many of these documents were originally classified by the federal government. They have since been unclassified. A brief listing of the materials donated is available below. All information contained can be accessed by visiting Smiley Memorial Library.
Listing of Materials
News Releases
Ambitious Agenda Proposed for Initial World Trade Organization Ministerial. From Institute for International Economics, September 30, 1996.
G-7 has Declined Drastically: Exchange Rate and Financial Reforms Required. From Institute for International Economics, June 4, 1996.
G-7 Leaders should Broaden Anticorruption Agreement. From Institute for International Economics, June 16, 1997.
Globalization Requires Positive Government Policy Responses. From Institute for International Economics, March 13, 1997.
Japan Must Provide Strong Leadership for Upcoming APEC Summit. From Institute for International Economics, October 12, 1995.
Japanese Barriers Block $9-$18 Billion of Annual American Exports, comprehensive New Policy Package Needed. From Institute for International Economics, June 15, 1993.
Misc. Documents
Dua, Andre and Daniel C. Esty. Sustaining the Asia-Pacific Miracle: Economic Integration and Environmental Protection [draft copy]. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, n.d.
National Security and the Origins of Conflict: Syllabus Unit 1. National Defense University: The National War College, August 15-September 1, 1977.
Institute for International Economics Working Papers Series
Atje, Raymond and Gary C. Hufbauer. The Market Structure Benefits of Trade and Investment Liberalization. No. 96-7.
Bergsten, C. Fred. APEC After Osaka: Toward Free Trade by 2010/2020. No. 96-1.
Bergsten, C. Fred. APEC in 1996 and Beyond: the Subic Summit. No. 96-12.
Bergsten, C. Fred. APEC: The Bogor Declaration and the Path Ahead. No. 95-1.
Bergsten, C. Fred. Competitive Liberatization and Global Free Trade: a Vision for the Early 21st Century. No. 96-15.
Bergsten, C. Fred. Open Regionalism: No. 97-3.
Frankel, Jeffrey A. with Shang-Jin Wei and Ernesto Stein. APEC and Regional Trading Arrangements in the Pacific. No. 94-1.
Graham, Edward M. Towards an Asia Pacific Investment Code. No. 94-2.
Graham, Edward M. Competition Policies in the Dynamic Industrializing Economies: the Cases of China, Korea, and Chinese Taipei. No. 96-9.
Jaggi, Gautam, Mary Rundle, Daniel Rosen and Yuichi Takahashi. China's Economic Reforms: Chronology and Statistics. No. 96-5.
Jaggi, Gautam. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA): Chronology and Statistics. No. 95-4.
McFadyen, Jacqueline. U.S.-Japan Civil Aviation: Prospects for Progress. No. 97-2.
Noland, Marcus, Sherman Robinson, Monica Scatasta. Modeling Economic Reform in North Korea. No. 96-10.
Noland, Marcus. Chasing Phantoms: the Political Economy of USTR. No. 97-1.
Noland, Marcus. China and the International Economic System. No. 95-6.
Noland, Marcus. German Lessons for Korea: The Economics of Unification. No. 96-3.
Noland, Marcus. Has Asian Export Performance been Unique? No. 95-3.
Noland, Marcus. Implications of Asian Economic Growth. No. 94-5.
Noland, Marcus. Public Policy, Private Preferences, and the Japanese Trade Pattern. No. 96-2.
Noland, Marcus. Restructuring Korea's financial Sector of Greater Competitiveness. No. 96-14.
Noland, Marcus. Research and Development Activities and Trade Specialization in Japan. No. 96-4.
Noland, Marcus. Some Unpleasant Arithmetic Concerning Unification. No. 96-13.
Noland, Marcus. The Future of US-Korea Economic Relations. No. 96-8.
Noland, Marcus. The North Korean Economy. No. 95-5.
Noland, Marcus. Trade, Investment, and Economic Conflict Between the US and Asia. No. 96-11.
Noland, Marcus. US-China Economic Relations. No. 96-6.
Schott, Jeffrey J. From Bogor to Miamiââ'¬Â¦ and Beyond: Regionalism in the Asia-Pacific and the Western Hemisphere. No. 95-2.
Wonnacott, Paul. Merchandise Trade in the APEC Region: Scope for MFN Liberalization? No. 94-3.
Wonnacott, Paul. The Automotive Industry in Southeast Asia: Can Protection be Made Less Costly? No. 94-4.
Briefing Records
Secretary Kissinger's Participation in the 28th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September-October 1973. Daily Briefing Book.
Latin America Reference Briefing Book. Set II, vol. 1, 2 & 3.
Book of various briefings from 1972 & 1973, concerning Cuba and Latin America Economic Integration, Panama and National Security Council.
Secretary Rogers Trip to Latin America, May 1973.
Meeting of Foreign Ministers, April 1974.
Briefing Book, June 1973.
Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Mexico City, February 1974.
Memoranda of Conversations, 1974.
Peron Funeral, July 1974.
Bilateral Briefing Book, Washington Meeting of Foreign Ministers, 1974.
Follow-up Plan for Secretary's Latin American Initiatives, ca. 1974.
Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Washington, D.C., April 17-18, 1974.
Secretary Rogers trip to Latin America, May 1973.
The Record. Meeting of Foreign Ministers, Mexico, February 1974.
President Nixon's Visit to Mexico, August 20-21, 1970.
IX Annual IA-ECOSOC, 1974.
Inauguration of President Echeverria of Mexico, June 1972.
General Assembly of the Organization of American States Briefing Book, April 1974.
Various Files
"Mr. Kubisch", May 29, 1973. Swearing in as Assistant Secretary.
"NODIS", November 14-16, 1973. Foreign Ministers Meeting--Bogota.
Daily Activities Report to the Secretary.
"Kubisch LA Trip", February 1974.
[unlabeled file with miscellaneous correspondence received. 1974-1975.]
"Special Papers Prepared for Secretary", 1973.
June 17, 1974. House Appropriations Committee (Passman).
"Open and Executive", September 28, 1973. Sub Committee on Refugees and Escapees, KENNEDY-Subject: Chile.
"Mr. Kubisch", June 1973. Visit to Lima, Peru -- OAS Meetings.
"Mr. Kubisch", February 8-13, 1974. Sub-Regional COM Meetings.
"Open", September 20, 1973. Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs, FASCELL - Subject: Chile.
"Executive", September 12, 1973. Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs - MCGEE - Subject: Chile.
"Mr. Kubisch (Open)", March 26, 1974. Hearing Before Fascell Subcommittee, Mexico MFM/Wash MFM/OAS-GA Atlanta.
Secretary's Staff Meeting.
"Mr. Kubisch". Representation Funds.
"Mr. Kubisch", May 1973. Questions & Answers for Nomination.
"Mr. Kubisch". Speeches - Press Conferences.
Miscellaneous Washington Papers--Classified.
Secretary's L.A. Initiatives.
1974. MFMs and New Dialogue.
[Unlabeled file containing Kissinger's schedule for October 4, 1973.]
"Paris": 1971-73.
"Paris Inspection" - 1972.


text:
2012 Automobile Magazine All-Stars
Related Video
Choosing The Winners
What's the best car? Everybody wants to know. It's a difficult question, really. There is no single best car. But when you drive as many different new vehicles as we do, people expect you to have an answer, and we do. The best new car introduced in the past year is our Automobile of the Year. For 2012, the winner is the Audi A7.
As for our All-Stars, any car on sale in America in the current model year -- whether an existing or all-new model -- is eligible to be selected to our prestigious list of ten winners. When we choose our All-Stars, we look for greatness wherever it might be: sports cars, small cars, family cars, luxury cars, utility vehicles. Whatever their category, the All-Stars stand above the crowd, which isn't easy to do in these times of keen competition. The 2012 Automobile of the Year and All-Stars are our answers to the question: What's the best car? Read on to learn why.
Audi TT RS
All Grown Up
The sporty TT coupe has been on our list of delightful cars since the day we drove it through the Italian countryside and sharp-eyed grandmothers walking along the roadside yelled, "Che bella macchina!" as we passed. Beautiful it most definitely was, a stunner from the fertile pen of Freeman Thomas (now in charge of Ford's dream-car studio), who had just delivered the Volkswagen Concept 1. But the luscious TT lacked the sizzle promised by its charismatic shape.
O, precious day! It seems that Audi can do it all now. Today's TT RS -- freshened with a more sinister face -- lives and breathes R8 from every pore. It is Audi's very own Porsche Cayman -- close, personal, fiery, rewarding, and cosseting all at once. The soul-stirring sound of its turbocharged five-cylinder engine (magnified by an optional sport exhaust) is so stunning as it roars to its 7000-rpm redline that you want to jump out and make someone else drive it past you, just to hear that killer soundtrack from the great outdoors.
Along with twice as much horsepower as the original 2000 TT produced comes virtually twice as much torque -- a massive 343 lb-ft -- fully delivered by 1650 rpm and managed with a six-speed manual transmission that is a quintessential component of this TT's perfection. The TT RS is a brilliant road car with none of the petulance of its hot-dog, bully-boy track competitors. Its superior Quattro traction had us spoiling for a rainstorm. Or a wide, gravel rally road. Nirvana!
The TT RS doesn't cost twice as much as the original TT, but it is very close to twice as much car -- not just a beautiful machine inside and out but a soul-stirring one, the epitome of everything that Audi means to us. It's a perfect tool for driving perfectionists, worthy of a choice parking spot in your dream garage.
-- Jean Jennings
ENGINE: 2.5L turbocharged I-5, 360 hp, 343 lb-ft
BMW 3-series
The car guy's car.
How good is the 3-series? If it had been eligible, it would have received serious consideration for Automobile of the Year even though the current E90-chassis edition is about to be replaced by an all-new 3-series sedan. In fact, the current 3-series was named AOY when it debuted in 2006, and it's been an All-Star ever since.
This past year, the car came in eighteen distinct models of coupes, sedans, convertibles, and station wagons powered by five engines ranging from a 36-highway-miles-per-gallon diesel to the 414-hp V-8 screamer in the M3. But all 3-series, whether targeted at hausfraus or would-be racers, share two characteristics: they're rewarding to drive, and they're happy to be driven hard. It's as if a car guy is always in the room when a 3-series is being designed, engineered, and built. How else can you explain why features such as seating position, pedal placement, steering feedback, brake feel, and engine sound always seem just right? Still, if we had to pick one 3-series, we'd choose the 335is coupe for its unparalleled blend of performance, panache, and practicality. The creamy 3.0-liter in-line six generates 320 hp, and the twin turbos spool up so willingly -- making maximum torque of 332 lb-ft at 1500 rpm -- that the car seems almost as quick as the M3, which is priced $8000 higher.
Meanwhile, the sport-tuned suspension ensures that the admirably balanced chassis performs with elan no matter how hard it's pushed, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is so good that it renders the six-speed manual nearly superfluous.
The current coupe, convertible, and station wagon will remain in production into 2012. And the 3-series may well make yet another appearance -- its twenty-third -- on our All-Stars list. Unless, that is, the all-new F30-chassis 3-series sedan is named Automobile of the Year.
-- Preston Lerner
ENGINES: 3.0L I-6, 230 hp, 200 lb-ft; 3.0L twin-turbocharged diesel I-6, 265 hp, 425 lb-ft; 3.0L turbocharged I-6, 300 hp, 300 lb-ft; 3.0L twin-turbocharged I-6, 320 hp, 332 lb-ft; 4.0L V-8, 414 hp, 295 lb-ft
Dodge Charger
Last man standing
We had some issues with the old Charger: It had an interior made of recycled sporks, and firing up the base 2.7-liter V-6 was like lighting a giant sign that said, "I got the full-size upgrade at Enterprise!" Also, its styling was akin to a giant hood ornament in the shape of a middle finger.
The new Charger is more polished in style and execution, but it's like a reformed criminal or an Australian -- beneath the dapper duds, you know it's capable of some mayhem. Just because the Charger is now available with highfalutin options like an eight-speed automatic transmission and a Nappa leather interior doesn't mean that it has forgotten its role as the quintessential un-front-wheel-drive mainstream American sedan.
The Charger is a big car for big people who like big power. With the new Pentastar V-6 as the base engine, you're getting 292 hp. Hooked to the optional eight-speed automatic, the V-6 shoves this battleship to a 31-mpg highway rating. Want all-wheel drive? You can get it. Want 0 to 60 mph in less than five seconds? You can have that, too, with the SRT8. But at $30,820, the 370-hp R/T is the sweet spot. You know you're getting a lot of car for the money when the closest competition is a two-year-old Hyundai Genesis.
You can't even complain about the interior anymore. That big piece of aluminum-looking trim around the gauges is an actual hunk of aluminum. Another telling detail: the A-, B-, and C-pillars are upholstered in fabric, which doesn't sound like a big deal but is one of the many small signifiers that Chrysler cared about getting this car right.
Chargers are all over the place. We're used to them. But every now and then -- like now -- we need to take a step back and celebrate the fact that Dodge still makes a car like this. Because nobody else does.
-- Ezra Dyer
ENGINES: 3.6L V-6, 292 hp, 260 lb-ft; 5.7L V-8, 370 hp, 395 lb-ft; 6.4L V-8, 470 hp, 470 lb-ft
Ferrari 458 Italia & Spider
Rationalizing a no-brainer
You might think naming a Ferrari an All-Star is a no-brainer. It's not. We drive dozens of high-performance, high-style, high-dollar machines that, at the end of the day, aren't much more than a regular car wrapped in a svelte body and stuffed with oversize machinery. The 458, the first Ferrari on our All-Stars list since 2004, is nothing like this.
The 458 isn't built of enlarged versions of parts that are found in economy cars. Instead, it's a roadgoing interpretation of everything that Ferrari has learned in Formula 1 racing. Part of what makes the 458 so alluring is that it's not trying to be sexy: its sultry sheetmetal looks as good as it does because it achieved the correct aerodynamic function in a wind tunnel.
The F355 existed for its sex appeal, with a mezzo-soprano forty-valve V-8 and the feminine looks to match. The 360 Modena's V-8 matured into a tenor, but the car introduced awkward technology that wasn't quite ready for street use. The F430, although no work of art, was brilliant to drive, and, frankly, we didn't think a supercar could ever outdo its baritone V-8 and its single-clutch automated manual.
Then came the 458. The trademark Ferrari flat-plane V-8's vocal chords have once again deepened, but at 9000 rpm, the thundering bass exhaust note is no less intoxicating than before. The technology that held back previous Ferraris now only serves to make this one faster: a computer-controlled differential, a dual-clutch automatic transmission, and stability control that ushers a 458 around a racetrack as if guided by the hand of a supreme being.
Add a perfectly tailored cabin stuffed with rich materials and endowed with genuine usability, and the 458 marks a genuine departure for Ferrari. In graduating from finicky objet d'art to engineering masterpiece, this 458 has become one of the most desirable cars of the modern era.
-- Jason Cammisa
BASE PRICE RANGE: $236, 182-$263,350 (est. )
ENGINE: 4.5L V-8, 562 hp, 398 lb-ft
Ford Focus
Worth the wait
When the Focus debuted in late 1999, it was immediately a hit with both critics and consumers. We proudly named it our Automobile of the Year for 2000, and it received four subsequent All-Star awards. As time went on, though, Ford neglected the American-market Focus, even as it gave European buyers a new generation and numerous racy variants of the model.
A decade is a long time to wait for anything, but Ford hit another home run with the all-new 2012 Focus. It easily triumphed over five other top compact cars, most of which were equally new, in a recent Automobile Magazine comparison test ["The Small Car 6-pack," July 2011] and continues to impress us every time we drive one.
The Focus sedan starts at $17,295, and a very appealing, more useful hatchback costs as little as $18,995. If you think that seems expensive for a lowly Focus, dear enthusiast, you just need to spend some time behind the wheel to experience the car's impeccable ride-and-handling balance, flexible powertrain, comfortable seats, and abundant available luxury features.
The manual transmission is only a five-speed, but the gearshifter feels fantastic in your hand and the pedals beg for heel-and-toe action. Most buyers will choose the sluggish $1095 dual-clutch automatic, and they'll have no idea what they're missing. Pity. Fuel economy with either gearbox is very good but comes up slightly short of the 40-mpg landmark unless you opt for the SFE model. Even better mileage can be had with the Focus Electric that goes on sale in the spring. But we're way more excited about the pending Focus ST, which will arrive in time for summer and will feature a 247-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual, and other performance-oriented upgrades.
Let's hope that Ford is relentless about improving its excellent Focus this time around, as the company has proven adept at doing with cars such as the Mustang, which also happens to be a member of this year's All-Star team.
-- Rusty Blackwell
ENGINE: 2.0L I-4, 160 hp, 146 lb-ft
Ford Mustang Boss 302
The best of the bunch
The Boss 302 is the best Mustang ever, but that's merely a footnote to the real story. The big news is that Ford's newest bad boy not only puts an epic whupping on its traditional rivals -- we're talking to you, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger -- but also stands tall against perennial bullies like the BMW M3.
The 5.0-liter V-8 found in the Mustang GT has been upgraded with a new intake manifold, forged rods and pistons, high-lift cams, and other hot-rod hocus-pocus to produce 444 hp at a free-revving 7400 rpm. Straight-line enthusiasts will geek over 0-to-60-mph times near four seconds flat and quarter-mile blasts in the mid-twelves. But even more impressive is how well the Boss handles despite a live rear axle seemingly designed when Henry Ford was a young punk. The standard model benefits from stiffer springs, a beefier rear antiroll bar, and five-position manually adjustable dampers. Or you can upgrade to the Laguna Seca package, which includes rear seats replaced by an X-brace to improve structural rigidity, snug-fitting Recaro seats, grippy nineteen-inch R-compound PZero Corsa tires, a serious front splitter, a hefty rear wing, brake-cooling ducts, and a Torsen differential. Although the $7000 premium sounds pricey, this gives you a $48,000 track-day car that can crush competitors costing twice as much.
Yet the Boss manages this feat without overwhelming the driver. On the contrary, everything about it just feels right -- the Alcantara steering wheel; the confidence-inspiring Brembo brakes; the close-ratio, short-throw six-speed manual with the throwback ball shift knob. Oh, and it also looks pretty sweet and sounds positively wicked -- and that's before getting rid of the easily removable exhaust baffles. The new Boss many not ever be worth as much as the original 302 sold in 1969 and 1970, but it might make you king of the hill in 2012.
-- Preston Lerner
ENGINE: 5.0L V-8, 444 hp, 380 lb-ft
Honda Odyssey
Ask it to do anything
No matter how much pleasure we derive from sporty cars, there's no denying the usefulness of a utility vehicle. Having lived with an Odyssey -- an All-Star winner last year -- in our Four Seasons fleet for eight months, we've had plenty of time to examine the minivan's finer points. We've also had plenty of time to confirm our initial impressions. No surprise, then, that this minivan earns another All-Star award for 2012.
Power sliding doors, a power tailgate, and rear-seat entertainment systems are widely available in the minivan set, but the Odyssey shines in the details. The interior is flexible enough to haul four-by-eight-foot sheets of plywood or move up to eight people -- many vans seat only seven. Honda was first to offer a DVD entertainment system in a minivan back in 2002. Now, the Odyssey's 16.2-inch screen raises the standard with an HDMI input and split-screen viewing, so siblings have one less thing to fight about on a long trip. Premium materials in top-spec models elevate the Odyssey to luxury-car levels of comfort.
However, what really makes the Honda Odyssey stand out from the rest of the minivan segment is how well it drives while executing the usual chores. Steering weight and feel are about as good as it gets for a van, as are ride and handling. Honda's Variable Cylinder Management system enables the 3.5-liter V-6 to run on as few as three cylinders, resulting in an EPA rating of up to 28 mpg on the highway.
One of our drivers called our Four Seasons Odyssey "the best family road-trip vehicle" in the fleet, but that's just one of the many hats this Honda can wear, including cargo van, soccer shuttle, pulse accelerator, and sensible commuter. Capability, capacity, comfort, and efficiency in the same package? An All-Star, indeed.
-- Phil Floraday
ENGINE: 3.5L V-6, 248 hp, 250 lb-ft
Range Rover Evoque
Staking a claim
are you old enough to remember when new cars weren't intended to become and weren't regularly identified as iconic -- that is, being emblematic of a whole time or movement? Cars like the original Volkswagen Beetle, the gull-wing Mercedes-Benz, and the Lamborghini Countach were admired, but only time could tell us that these were machines that would stake eternal claims on our consciousness. Today we are impatient, and when not copying and cribbing shamelessly from the past, we often prematurely pronounce iconic status for new cars. Then again, we've seen enough icons by now -- real and pretend -- that we've grown pretty good at calling them on arrival.
That's why we dare broach the dreaded I-word in connection with the new Range Rover Evoque. For one thing, icons are something Land Rover has specialized in. From the earliest mud-pluggers to the latest third-generation Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport, the company has demonstrated an uncanny ability to find increasingly small, sometimes tiny, holes in the market and fill them with capable off-roaders whose style expertly complements their serious substance.
Like the Range Rovers that -- image-wise, at least -- tend to make high-priced BMW and Mercedes SUVs seem second-place swanky, the Evoque has arrived out of nowhere to create its own sub-sub-genre in the "compact" SUV class. It makes similarly priced X3s and GLKs look like yesterday's gruel. Welcome, then, the luxury four-cylinder SUV that delivers 28 mpg and rides as well as many cars yet has considerable off-road skill and timeless looks. Possibly iconic looks, even.
The Evoque is first and foremost a design triumph. Easily the best work credited to designer Gerry McGovern's studio, it telegraphs the new truck's off-road chops while carrying a heavy load of aspirational snob appeal. Only time will tell if the Evoque becomes a real member of the enduring line of icons, but right now we're saying to this All-Star, welcome to the family.
-- Jamie Kitman
ENGINE: 2.0L turbocharged I-4, 240 hp, 251 lb-ft
Porsche Boxster & Cayman
The stuff of supercars
Earlier, you'll find our celebration of Ferrari's divine 458 Italia. Can't muster the $236,000 it takes to own one? You're in the right place, because the Boxster and Cayman are your ticket to the 458 Italia experience at three-quarters the speed and one-quarter the price.
Credit the Boxster and Cayman's transcendence to a basic architecture that's the stuff of supercars -- a howling, normally aspirated engine set behind the driver and powering the rear wheels. Instead of pretentious styling and unusable power, the Boxster and the Cayman boast a measured restraint that entices you to drive with absolutely no restraint at all. The flat-six engines sound tantalizing at full throttle and are just powerful enough to move the chassis around at will. The steering is precise, body control is confident, and grip is tenacious. At the limit, the mid-engine Porsches possess the unflappable balance of a trapezist, the assuring forgiveness of the ordained, and the unfiltered communication of a psychic.
In fifteen years, the Boxster and the Cayman have accrued nine All-Star awards and one Automobile of the Year honor. As they head out for their final lap, the 987-series cars recapitulate the Porsche tradition of unlocking more power and more performance. Last year saw the introduction of the Boxster Spyder, a hardened, minimalist model with a striking manually operated rag top. For 2012, the fixed-roof Cayman R repeats the formula with a stiffer suspension, ten more horsepower, and a 121-pound diet that cuts out the radio, the air-conditioning, and the door handles (which are replaced by fabric pulls). Overkill? Absolutely. The base Boxter and Cayman embody the core virtues just as well, but with a lineup this engaging and rewarding, we can't help but love every model.
-- Eric Tingwall
ENGINES: 2.9L flat-6, 255/265 hp, 214/221 lb-ft; 3.4L flat-6, 310/320/330 hp, 266/273 lb-ft
Volkswagen GTI & Golf TDI
Without peer
Long before Ford brought us the globally developed Focus that also graces these pages, Volkswagen was, with little fanfare, offering Americans its own quintessentially European small cars in undiluted form. Two years removed from its last redesign, the Golf remains a good choice in any form for its well-appointed interior and well-tuned suspension. However, it's a truly accomplished car in its sportiest (GTI) and most efficient (TDI) variants.
The GTI requires little explanation -- it has earned four All-Star awards and two Automobile of the Year honors from this magazine in the last six years. As always, we love the punch and growl of its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, its tossable yet poised suspension, and its Audi-quality interior. The fact that in our recent Four Seasons test the GTI proved reliable (requiring one minor warranty repair in 30,650 miles) and cheap to own (thanks to VW's free maintenance plan) only enhances our enthusiasm. The Golf TDI earns mention here for sharing much of the GTI's appeal while achieving a politically correct 42-mpg EPA rating on the highway. No, its 140-hp diesel four-cylinder can't quite keep up with its gasoline-powered counterpart, but the TDI is still engaging to drive and uncommonly refined, especially when paired with the optional six-speed dual-clutch automatic (also offered in the GTI).
The compact-car segment in the United States has greatly improved in the last few years, but the TDI and the GTI, which both start at about $25,000, stand apart for the fact that they're not simply nice, fuel-sipping compact cars. They're German enthusiasts' cars that just happen to be compact and efficient.
-- David Zenlea
ENGINES: 2.0L turbocharged I-4, 200 hp, 207 lb-ft; 2.0L turbo-diesel I-4, 140 hp, 236 lb-ft
MotorTrend Recommended Stories
Trending Pages
3-Row SUV Big Test! Kia Telluride vs. Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-90, Hyundai Palisade, Subaru Ascent, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Access (Cab) Denied: Why the 2024 Toyota Tacoma XtraCab Went Two-Door
Access (Cab) Denied: Why the 2024 Toyota Tacoma XtraCab Went Two-Door
Ford Just Made a Brilliant, Blindingly Obvious Move by Embracing Tesla Charging
2023 Lexus RX500h F Sport Performance First Test: Focus on the Big Picture


text:
In this documentary, striking political science students concerned with the democratization of their university occupy the offices of the Political Science Department at McGill University. The issue: greater student control over the hiring of faculty. The film crew lives with the students and follows their action through confusion, argument, dissent, and negotiations with faculty. The result is an intimate view of a student political action.
Occupation, Bill Reid, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
What a bunch of petty whiners! They are all probably the same age as my dad (over 60). Are they proud of themselves? Millions of people around the world live in a far worse situation than they do. These "students" should be embarrassed at how ungrateful they were.sixam, 17 Aug 2013


text:
The University of British Columbia University Sexual Assault Panel's report, which provides recommendations for both the university's stand-alone policy as well as their sexual assault action plan, goes to President Martha Piper today, and it will have its public release at a date soon to be determined. I have spent the past three months working weekly with a group of excellent and committed UBC faculty members on this report. We have all put in more hours than originally anticipated, and in the last few weeks in particular I have been living and breathing this report every single day. This has been difficult, and I must emphasize, completely voluntary work. It has been work that comes with more costs than it does rewards.
And there have been costs for me, ones that I cannot even yet fully grasp.
While it has been a choice to go public and to advocate for change around sexual assault in educational institutions, it has also changed my life irrevocably, and not always for the better. I have given up my privacy. In many cases, I have given up my dignity: the most traumatic incidents of my life have become fodder for trolls on the internet. In being such a vocal critic of universities, I have also potentially signalled my liability as an employee in academic spaces. I do not have the protection of job security or the academic freedom that comes with a tenured position. I have tried to do all of this work while also balancing my research and my teaching. It is financially precarious, emotionally and intellectually arduous, and often frighteningly lonely.
In doing this work, I have also lived and re-lived some of the most humiliating and traumatizing incidents of my life. It is no coincidence that of the six incidents of sexual assault I have experienced since 2002, five of them have taken place on the campuses of educational institutions, UBC included. As is evident by so many of the stories coming out in the press, educational spaces are ones in which violence often goes un-checked, or worse, covered-up. Policies are lacking. Resources are non-existent or understaffed. Education around responding to disclosures is not always present or consistent. In the past three months, as I have had to give more thought to how UBC should be better equipped to respond to reports and disclosures of sexual assault, I have thought about my own assault that took place at UBC more than five years ago, one that I pushed as far into the recesses of my mind as possible so that I could focus on my doctoral degree.
But something did happen.
A few weeks into the spring term of 2011, just over a year into my doctoral program, I was sexually assaulted in the graduate lounge of my department, by student who had recently graduated from the program. I will spare you the preamble and the gory details, not because I am ashamed, but because they don't particularly matter, and I am, despite my public persona, an intensely private person. But what you need to know is that I was terrified. Having someone's arm crushing your sternum, and very nearly your throat, will do that do you. And afterwards, I was lost. I sought help at the Sexual Assault Support Centre, which, at that time, was located at the back corner of the old Student Union Building, right on the edge of what used to be MacInnes Field. In order to get to the front door of the SASC, you had to walk through and past all of the SUB's garbage and recycling bins. I hope I do not need to explain that the fact that accessing support services adjacent to the building's trash disposals made me feel as though I, too, was trash. Having tried to report sexual assault during high-school (and getting nowhere) and reporting stalking in my time at SFU (and only getting a rape whistle and a pamphlet), I knew that I wasn't about to try yet again to receive any sort of justice. So I said nothing. And I did my work. It wasn't the first time I'd been assaulted, and as it turns out, wasn't the last. Somehow, violence can take on a strange sense of ordinariness. It becomes a thing that just happens before you get back to work.
Except when you dream about it. Except when it affects every single moment of your life. Except when you're in crowds, or small spaces, or big crowds, except when you don't have a seat close to the exit in the room, except when someone frightens you. Except then.
If this is the way things are for me, I want things to be different for others.
Truthfully, I want to live in a world where sexual violence doesn't exist at all, but if that can't happen, I want to live in a world where survivors of sexual assault are supported and believed, and where there are robust systems of accountability for both perpetrators and institutions. I believe that the judicial system is flawed, and that we need better options for education and rehabilitation.
I know that I don't have all the answers.
But what I know is this: I want to live in a world where my fellow survivors and allies do not have to file human rights complaints (Mandi Gray – York University, Glynnis Kirchmeier – University of British Columbia) against their institutions because they are being failed; where we do not have to go to the media because the schools we attend will not listen otherwise. I want to live in a world where survivors do not feel as if they have no choice but to drop out of school, as recently happened at Simon Fraser University. I want to live in a world where survivors, like Lizzy Seeberg, do not take their lives because they are, as Rehtaeh Parsons' father put it regarding his daughter's suicide, "disappointed to death" by systems that re-traumatize and re-violate survivors.
I know that the report will not fix everything.
Nor will the policy. Nor will all the blue phones in the world. Because horrible things still happen. Nor do I think everything at UBC is broken, either. There are many good people working in a complicated and often-broken system, one that is ultimately dependent on the fact that a university is not simply a place of learning, but also a business. There are already so many front-line workers (those at the SASC in particular, under the leadership of the incredible Ashley Bentley) and staff members who provide services to sexual assault survivors at UBC every day.
There are UBC faculty who have signed the petition demanding better for their students, and apologizing for not having done enough. They organized a fantastic day of discourse and dialogue around sexual assault in February of this year. I am grateful especially to other students who are doing such amazing work: the ones who worked tirelessly in the decades before I even arrived on campus, the ones who I have stood with in my own time as a student, the ones who take up the torch now. This journey has connected me to so many of you, not just at UBC, but across the country, and although we have come together under such awful circumstances, I am so glad and grateful to know you. I wish you didn't have to go through this. I know it's such hard work. I keep a fire for you in my heart, always.
At the end of the day, I am not a faculty member, nor an administrator, nor a politician. I do not hold exceptional power within the UBC system. I am just a person who has been fortunate enough to hear stories that have been disclosed to me in whispers and private messages and phone calls. I am humbled by those stories, even as they keep me up at night, worried. I am just a person who has gone through some extremely difficult experiences, ones that I don't care for anyone else to have to go through. That these experiences have occurred in the context of my schooling is painful; painful because school has otherwise been a place of joy for me, painful because sexual violence formed part of a curriculum I had no desire to have delivered to me. I have, as Raymond M. Douglas writes in his book On Being Raped, gained knowledge, but "not the sort that does you, or anybody else, any good. When I was raped, I learned things about myself and the world I live in that it would have been far better not to know. And for most of my adult life, the knowledge has been killing me" (4). I could have happily gone through my educational career without these particular insights. I could even have written my dissertation on representations of sexual violence without the added expertise of lived experience.
Having finished my PhD, I now leave the hallowed halls of UBC behind, hoping that in some small measure, they have become a better place for survivors because I and others have spoken up, and because panels like the one I was privileged to be a part of are doing the work that they are doing. I am aware of the fact that the increased scrutiny of the university's response to sexual assault has been a nightmare for students, faculty, staff, and administrators alike.
But I don't think that the fact that UBC is currently under pressure to respond thoughtfully is a bad thing. Following the publication of his book Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Jon Krakauer faced incredible amounts of backlash by the town of Missoula itself, by the University of Montana, and by the police force. As reported by Jacob Baynham on Outside Online, one woman left this comment on Krakauer's Facebook page: "I am so disappointed in the title of your book," said one woman on Krakauer's Facebook page. "I hate to see a lovely town's reputation get destroyed." But as Krakauer points out, Missoula is just one example of the epidemic of sexual violence across America. Missoula could just as easily be Stanford, could just as easily be here in Vancouver. But the conversation sparked by such intense scrutiny has, at least as far as is being reported, created actual change. After a town hall forum in Missoula, Baynham reports that Krakauer was asked if he'd send his daughter to the University of Montana. "I would," he said. "I think the university is safer now than most schools. Missoula is a lot better than most places. You have this big problem, but you've gone a long way toward fixing it."
I think that the University of British Columbia can be a Missoula: not the school to be made a painful and humiliating example of, but the school that paves the way for comprehensive change at all levels of administration and campus life, and does in a way that does not simply prioritize supporting sexual assault survivors because it will look like a better strategy for fundraising. Call me an idealist, but I think it's possible. And there are so many people, myself included, who want to make that happen. There are countless people with whom our panel consulted of the course of our work. The university's draft sexual assault policy has been released, and both campus and community stakeholders are invited to give feedback here.
But for now, I take my leave from my alma mater, look for brave new worlds. There is so much anti-violence work out there to do, and I will continue to do it. May the development of the UBC sexual assault policy and the action plan be an honest process, tempered by humility and by courage. For all of the survivors of sexual assault who live and work at UBC: I love you, I am in awe of you, I believe you.
Much luck and much love,