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This is not "news." I've been saying it for decades, as have countless nutritional researchers and clinicians the world over. Dr. Royal Lee, called the "Einstein of Nutrition" and the "Father of Holistic Nutrition," proved it out a century ago. Oh, medical science is so slow in arriving at the truth; so full between its ears of its own mind-made intelligence and arrogance that it hasn't been able to hear the truth. Read the article and learn the facts about the truth of the matter — that is if you don't already know them. (My apologies to my already awake, aware and informed readers.)
Dr. Weston Price, like Dr. Royal Lee, was a dental physician who considered teeth but a reflection of total body health, being a part of the body itself. Dr. Lee's approach was to feed the body nutrient rich foods and in that you heal the teeth. In his own words:
One of the greatest tragedies of human civilization is the precedence of chemical therapy over nutrition. It's the substitution of artificial therapy over natural, of poisons over food, in which we are feeding people poisons trying to correct the reactions of starvation. (click to hear his voice).
A contemporary colleague of Dr. Lee, Dr. Price spent his years researching, documenting an publishing scientific information on the impact of nutrition on health and disease. So, your brain is in good hands here. Enjoy this article from the Weston A. Price Foundation.
WASHINGTON, DC,, Aug. 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Deficiencies of vitamins A, D, K, B1, B3, B6, B12 and folate, and of minerals iodine, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, chromium and manganese can all contribute to mental instability and violent behavior, according to a report published in the Spring 2013 issue of Wise Traditions, the journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
The article, Violent Behavior: A Solution in Plain Sight by Sylvia Onusic, PhD, CNS, LDN, seeks reasons for the increase in violent behavior in America, especially among teenagers.
"We can blame violence on the media and on the breakdown of the home," says Onusic, "but the fact is that a large number of Americans, living mostly on devitalized processed food, are suffering from malnutrition. In many cases, this means their brains are starving."
In fact, doctors are seeing a return of nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy and pellagra, which were declared eradicated long ago by public health officials. Many of these conditions cause brain injuries as well.
Symptoms of pellagra, for example, include anxiety, hyperactivity, depression, fatigue, headache, insomnia and hallucinations. Pellagra is a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin B3. Zinc deficiency is linked with angry, aggressive, and hostile behaviors that result in violence. The best dietary sources of zinc are red meat and shellfish.
Leaky gut and gluten sensitivities may exacerbate nutrient deficiencies. Gluten intolerance is strongly linked with schizophrenia.
Things have gotten even worse since Lee's and Price's day with all the chemicals we now have and are adding to our foods, such as MSG and Aspartame, to enhance flavor and attack obesity. Little wonder our guts are eroding and leaking undigested proteins into our blood streams, the underlying cause of food sensitivities and allergies. Read on.
"Making things worse are excitotoxins so prevalent in the food supply, such as MSG and Aspartame," says Onusic. "People who live on processed food and who drink diet sodas are exposed to these mind-altering chemicals at very high levels." In an effort to curb child obesity, the dairy industry recently petitioned FDA to include aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in dairy beverages featured in school lunches, without appropriate labeling. Recent research has established the fact that aspartame actually leads to weight gain because of its effect on insulin.
Other ingredients in the food supply linked to violent behavior include sugar, artificial colors and flavorings, caffeine, alcohol and soy foods. The toxic environmental burden includes mercury, arsenic, lead, fire retardants, pesticides, heavy metals and Teflon. Adding psychiatric drugs to this mix puts everyone at risk.
Whole foods is the only answer, and you won't get what your body and brain need from synthetic, isolated vitamins in a "one-a-day" Centrum tablet, or gummy bears. Only from food-based nutritional therapy using whole-food supplements.
"The only solution to the mounting levels of violence is a return to real, nutrient-dense food," says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. "We must create a culture in which eating processed food is seen as uncool, and in which home cooking is embraced as a life-enhancing skill."
The Weston A. Price Foundation has pointed out the poor nutritional quality of school lunches and the flaws in the USDA dietary guidelines, which schools receiving federal funding are required to follow. At a press conference in January, 2010, the Foundation proposed guidelines that include eggs, organ meats and healthy animal fats. "Our brains need cholesterol to function properly," said Fallon Morell, "and our children need cholesterol-rich food for optimal mental and emotional development." Studies have shown that depressed individuals, offenders who show the most violent behavior, and the most violent suicides have low cholesterol levels.
That's not surprising, as the brain is one big mass of cholesterol, the stuff cardiologists of today are trying to reduce in Americans with their Statin drugs. I say "Americans" because it's only in America, where drug companies make Statin drugs, that cholesterol has become a "marker" in diagnosing coronary heart distease — and it became a marker just about the same time Statin drugs appeared on the market. Not only does medicine create drugs for diseases; it also invents diseases for its drugs! Wake up Americans!
If you want the premier hallmark wholefood supplement Dr. Royal Lee formulated and made available to the world called "CATALYN," drop me an email and I'll mail you a large bottle (360T for $45), postage included. That's a 60-day supply if you're deficient and a 120 days supply if you only need maintenance and insurance against malnutrition.
I welcome and love comments on my blog posts. My email address is email@example.com. Until next post,
Here's to your health and sanity,
Anthony Palombo, DC, ACN
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 16,500 members, supports 574 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly international conference. The Foundation phone number is (202) 363-4394, westonaprice.org, firstname.lastname@example.com.
For further information: www.westonaprice.org/environmental-toxins/violent-behavior-a-solution-in-plain-sight
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Let the little ones come to me……………
Kids are priceless and their innocence precious. Sometimes though, sometimes they ask in their little voices very difficult questions, questions you would rather the Earth open up and swallow you before you answered them………
When I say I am babysitting; I really mean that I'll find something on the TV that we can all watch and (try to) keep them out of trouble until their mom comes pick them up.
Their tiny minds are like sponges absorbing all sorts "knowledge" so one must filter carefully what reaches through.
One of my nieces wanted to be a pilot from when she could talk until accidentally catching a scene from an episode of some "seconds from disaster mayday air collision" type TV series; promptly put an end to that dream.
The other day whilst watching Zootopia, you know the place; where anyone can be anything? I decided to ask a niece what she wanted to be….
"A Disney Princess" said a little voice with a big dream (after binge watching episodes of Sophia The First)
"Sure darling you can be a Disney Princess" I replied. Who am I to deny a girl her dreams?……
This other time we were scrolling channels looking for something to watch when a commercial for feminine hygiene products come on. You know the type with a catchy upbeat jingle about staying dry always and a lady with an umbrella is dancing in the street; a voice narrating how the new design and "wings" give extra protection:
The Niece turns to me and asks "Are those like the Elastoplast® in the drawer?" (The Band aids) we always keep some around because the little hands and legs always getting into scrapes.
I replied with a quick yes and hoped that was the end of that, but a few seconds later;
"How come she is singing and dancing if she is hurt?" asked a little voice.
"Where is she hurt?" another little voice asked
"You cant see it__" I started to reply then decided to go with "Anyway, she isn't hurt bad__ ….she is fine now…."
In my head I was thinking oh lawd where is their mother; as I changed the channel. On the next channel there was another commercial, its almost as if there is schedule that such commercials show during this particular segment.
This time it was a bunch teenage girls in a classroom dancing and singing a catchy tune about checking for leaks as always. I guess it was a regular commercial because the little ones were singing and dancing along…….
A tiny hand was pulling my leg trying to get my attention and I could just tell that they had a question to ask…. And I probably would get myself tangled into a web I was not equipped to deal with so I changed the channel again…..
On the next channel, there is a Cadbury chocolate commercial. A lady pregnant with triplets is eating Cadbury chocolate.
The "babies" in her tummy loving it so much they start singing Joy a song by The Soil (which happens to be my favourite song from my favourite accapella group)
"I got joy in my heart
And you know it's the kind of feeling
Followed by a sense of healing, "
What happens next you can definitely imagine:
"Do babies like chocolate?" a little voice asks
"Where do babies come from?" another asks as well
"Chocolate!!!!" another replies
"So…. If you eat chocolate______" another little voice starts to speak………………
Thank you very much Cadbury
PS what interesting situations have little voices gotten you into?

subset: commoncrawl


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Illinois Commerce Commission grants rate hikes to Illinois American Water
Rates are going up for most of Illinois American Water's customers.
The Illinois Commerce Commission, the state's utility regulator, on Wednesday voted 4-0 to approve a rate hike, though it won't be as big as the company wanted.
Last year, Illinois American filed a proposal with the ICC for a rate increase that would have generated an extra $35.4 million in annual revenues. But the ICC's action authorizes a boost that will produce about $26 million in additional revenues each year for the company.Illinois American provides water throughout the state, operating districts in Lincoln, Peoria, Pekin, Streator, Pontiac and other communities. It serves customers as far north as the Chicago area and as far south as the Illinois suburbs near St. Louis.
The size of the new rate hikes will vary, depending on the district and on a customer's classification.
Unlike most of the company's customers, those in the Lincoln district will see a rate decrease. Overall, their rates will drop 0.76 percent.
But customers in the Peoria, Streator and Pontiac districts will see an overall increase of 14.9 percent. The company had asked for a 20 percent boost.
Customers in the Pekin district will see an overall increase of 21.2 percent, or less than the company's requested increase of 26.7 percent.
When the company filed its proposal with the ICC last August, officials said the hikes were needed to pay for infrastructure improvements and rising operating costs. They said the Lincoln customers were being spared from a rate increase because new security technology enabled the district to cut expenses.
On Wednesday, Illinois American spokeswoman Karen Cotton said the company had no comment yet on the ICC's action.
"The ICC has approved an order, but the order itself is not available yet," she said. "Once we have received it and reviewed it, we will be issuing news releases and communicating with our customers throughout Illinois."
Exactly when the new rates will take effect wasn't clear on Wednesday, but it could be in a couple of weeks.
ICC spokeswoman Beth Bosch said Illinois American must calculate the new rates and submit that information to ICC staff to ensure compliance with the commission's order.
Critics pointed out that the new water rate hike will hit consumers who already are struggling with higher costs for electricity, gasoline and groceries.
"It's obviously good news only for Illinois American," said Pekin Mayor David Tebben.
"We continue to believe that Illinois American does not deserve the rate hike it requested," said Jim Chilsen, a spokesman for the Citizens Utility Board. "A $26 million increase is never good news, but it's even more aggravating with the slumping economy and out of control energy prices."
Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217) 782-6292 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Sec. 452. [42 U.S.C. 652] (a) The Secretary shall establish, within the Department of Health and Human Services a separate organizational unit, under the direction of a designee of the Secretary, who shall report directly to the Secretary and who shall—
(1) establish such standards for State programs for locating noncustodial parents, establishing paternity, and obtaining child support and support for the spouse (or former spouse) with whom the noncustodial parent's child is living as he determines to be necessary to assure that such programs will be effective;
(2) establish minimum organizational and staffing requirements for State units engaged in carrying out such programs under plans approved under this part;
(3) review and approve State plans for such programs;
(4)(A) review data and calculations transmitted by State agencies pursuant to section 454(15)(B) on State program accomplishments with respect to performance indicators for purposes of subsection (g) of this section and section 458;
(B) review annual reports submitted pursuant to section 454(15)(A) and, as appropriate, provide to the State comments, recommendations for additional or alternative corrective actions, and technical assistance; and
(C) conduct audits, in accordance with the Government auditing standards of the Comptroller General of the United States—
(i) at least once every 3 years (or more frequently, in the case of a State which fails to meet the requirements of this part concerning performance standards and reliability of program data) to assess the completeness, reliability, and security of the data and the accuracy of the reporting systems used in calculating performance indicators under subsection (g) of this section and section 458;
(ii) of the adequacy of financial management of the State program operated under the State plan approved under this part, including assessments of—
(I) whether Federal and other funds made available to carry out the State program are being appropriately expended, and are properly and fully accounted for; and
(II) whether collections and disbursements of support payments are carried out correctly and are fully accounted for; and
(iii) for such other purposes as the Secretary may find necessary;
(5) assist States in establishing adequate reporting procedures and maintain records of the operations of programs established pursuant to this part in each State, and establish procedures to be followed by States for collecting and reporting information required to be provided under this part, and establish uniform definitions (including those necessary to enable the measurement of State compliance with the requirements of this part relating to expedited processes) to be applied in following such procedures;
(6) maintain records of all amounts collected and disbursed under programs established pursuant to the provisions of this part and of the costs incurred in collecting such amounts;
(7) provide technical assistance to the States to help them establish effective systems for collecting child and spousal support and establishing paternity, and specify the minimum requirements of an affidavit to be used for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity which shall include the social security number of each parent and, after consultation with the States, other common elements as determined by such designee;
(8) receive applications from States for permission to utilize the courts of the United States to enforce court orders for support against noncustodial parents and, upon a finding that (A) another State has not undertaken to enforce the court order of the originating State against the noncustodial parent within a reasonable time, and (B) that utilization of the Federal courts is the only reasonable method of enforcing such order, approve such applications;
(9) operate the Federal Parent Locator Service established by section 453;
(10) not later than three months after the end of each fiscal year, beginning with the year 1977, submit to the Congress a full and complete report on all activities undertaken pursuant to the provisions of this part, which report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) total program costs and collections set forth in sufficient detail to show the cost to the States and the Federal Government, the distribution of collections to families, State and local governmental units, and the Federal Government; and an identification of the financial impact of the provisions of this part, including—
(i) the total amount of child support payments collected as a result of services furnished during the fiscal year to individuals receiving services under this part;
(ii) the cost to the States and to the Federal Government of so furnishing the services; and
(iii) the number of cases involving families—
(I) who became ineligible for assistance under State programs funded under part A during a month in the fiscal year; and
(II) with respect to whom a child support payment was received in the month;
(B) costs and staff associated with the Office of Child Support Enforcement;
(C) the following data, separately stated for cases where the child is receiving assistance under a State program funded under part A (or foster care maintenance payments under part E), or formerly received such assistance or payments and the State is continuing to collect support assigned to it pursuant to section 408(a)(3) or under section 471(a)(17) or 1912, and for all other cases under this part:
(i) the total number of cases in which a support obligation has been established in the fiscal year for which the report is submitted;
(ii) the total number of cases in which a support obligation has been established;
(iii) the number of cases in which support was collected during the fiscal year;
(iv) the total amount of support collected during such fiscal year and distributed as current support;
(v) the total amount of support collected during such fiscal year and distributed as arrearages;
(vi) the total amount of support due and unpaid for all fiscal years; and
(vii) the number of child support cases filed in each State in such fiscal year, and the amount of the collections made in each State in such fiscal year, on behalf of children residing in another State or against parents residing in another State;
(D) the status of all State plans under this part as of the end of the fiscal year last ending before the report is submitted, together with an explanation of any problems which are delaying or preventing approval of State plans under this part;
(E) data, by State, on the use of the Federal Parent Locator Service, and the number of locate requests submitted without the noncustodial parent's social security account number;
(F) the number of cases, by State, in which an applicant for or recipient assistance under a State program funded under part A has refused to cooperate in identifying and locating the noncustodial parent and the number of cases in which refusal so to cooperate is based on good cause (as determined by the State);
(G) data, by State, on use of the Internal Revenue Service for collections, the number of court orders on which collections were made, the number of paternity determinations made and the number of parents located, in sufficient detail to show the cost and benefits to the States and to the Federal Government;
(H) the major problems encountered which have delayed or prevented implementation of the provisions of this part during the fiscal year last ending prior to the submission of such report; and
(I) compliance, by State, with the standards established pursuant to subsections (h) and (i); and
(11) not later than October 1, 1996, after consulting with the State directors of programs under this part, promulgate forms to be used by States in interstate cases for—
(A) collection of child support through income withholding;
(B) imposition of liens; and
(C) administrative subpoenas.
(b) The Secretary shall, upon the request of any State having in effect a State plan approved under this part, certify to the Secretary of the Treasury for collection pursuant to the provisions of section 6305 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954[195] the amount of any child support obligation (including any support obligation with respect to the parent who is living with the child and receiving assistance under the State program funded under part A) which is assigned to such State or is undertaken to be collected by such State pursuant to section 454(4). No amount may be certified for collection under this subsection except the amount of the delinquency under a court or administrative order for support and upon a showing by the State that such State has made diligent and reasonable efforts to collect such amounts utilizing its own collection mechanisms, and upon an agreement that the State will reimburse the Secretary of the Treasury for any costs involved in making the collection. All reimbursements shall be credited to the appropriation accounts which bore all or part of the costs involved in making the collections. The Secretary after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury may, by regulation, establish criteria for accepting amounts for collection and for making certification under this subsection including imposing such limitations on the frequency of making such certifications under this subsection.
(c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall from time to time pay to each State for distribution in accordance with the provisions of section 457 the amount of each collection made on behalf of such State pursuant to subsection (b).
(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall not approve the initial and annually updated advance automated data processing planning document, referred to in section 454(16), unless he finds that such document, when implemented, will generally carry out the objectives of the management system referred to in such subsection, and such document—
(A) provides for the conduct of, and reflects the results of, requirements analysis studies, which include consideration of the program mission, functions, organization, services, constraints, and current support, of, in, or relating to, such system,
(B) contains a description of the proposed management system referred to in section 454(16), including a description of information flows, input data, and output reports and uses,
(C) sets forth the security and interface requirements to be employed in such management system,
(D) describes the projected resource requirements for staff and other needs, and the resources available or expected to be available to meet such requirements,
(E) contains an implementation plan and backup procedures to handle possible failures,
(F) contains a summary of proposed improvement of such management system in terms of qualitative and quantitative benefits, and
(G) provides such other information as the Secretary determines under regulation is necessary.
(2)(A) The Secretary shall through the separate organizational unit established pursuant to subsection (a), on a continuing basis, review, assess, and inspect the planning, design, and operation of, management information systems referred to in section 454(16), with a view to determining whether, and to what extent, such systems meet and continue to meet requirements imposed under paragraph (1) and the conditions specified under section 454(16).
(B) If the Secretary finds with respect to any statewide management information system referred to in section 454(16) that there is a failure substantially to comply with criteria, requirements, and other undertakings, prescribed by the advance automated data processing planning document theretofore approved by the Secretary with respect to such system, then the Secretary shall suspend his approval of such document until there is no longer any such failure of such system to comply with such criteria, requirements, and other undertakings so prescribed.
(3) The Secretary may waive any requirement of paragraph (1) or any condition specified under section 454(16), and shall waive the single statewide system requirement under sections 454(16) and 454A, with respect to a State if—
(A) the State demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the State has or can develop an alternative system or systems that enable the State—
(i) for purposes of section 409(a)(8), to achieve the paternity establishment percentages (as defined in section 452(g)(2)) and other performance measures that may be established by the Secretary;
(ii) to submit data under section 454(15)(B) that is complete and reliable;
(iii) to substantially comply with the requirements of this part; and
(iv) in the case of a request to waive the single statewide system requirement, to—
(I) meet all functional requirements of sections 454(16) and 454A;
(II) ensure that calculation of distributions meets the requirements of section 457 and accounts for distributions to children in different families or in different States or sub-State jurisdictions, and for distributions to other States;
(III) ensure that there is only one point of contact in the State which provides seamless case processing for all interstate case processing and coordinated, automated intrastate case management;
(IV) ensure that standardized data elements, forms, and definitions are used throughout the State;
(V) complete the alternative system in no more time than it would take to complete a single statewide system that meets such requirement and
(VI) process child support cases as quickly, efficiently, and effectively as such cases would be processed through a single statewide system that meets such requirement;
(B)(i) the waiver meets the criteria of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1115(c); or
(ii) the State provides assurances to the Secretary that steps will be taken to otherwise improve the State's child support enforcement program; and
(C) in the case of a request to waive the single statewide system requirement, the State has submitted to the Secretary separate estimates of the total cost of a single statewide system that meets such requirement, and of any such alternative system or systems, which shall include estimates of the cost of developing and completing the system and of operating and maintaining the system for 5 years, and the Secretary has agreed with the estimates.
(e) The Secretary shall provide such technical assistance to States as he determines necessary to assist States to plan, design, develop, or install and provide for the security of, the management information systems referred to in section 454(16).
(f) The Secretary shall issue regulations to require that State agencies administering the child support enforcement program under this part petition enforce medical support included as part of a child support order, whenever health care coverage is available to the noncustodial parent at a reasonable cost. A State agency administering the program under this part may enforce medical support against a custodial parent if health care coverage is available to the custodial parent at a reasonable cost, notwithstanding any other provision of this part. Such regulation shall also provide for improved information exchange between such State agencies and the State agencies administering the State medicaid programs under title XIX with respect to the availability of health insurance coverage. For purposes of this part, the term "medical support" may include health care coverage, such as coverage under a health insurance plan (including payment of costs of premiums, co-payments, and deductibles) and payment for medical expenses incurred on behalf of a child.
(g)(1) A State's program under this part shall be found, for purposes of section 409(a)(8), not to have complied substantially with the requirements of this part unless, for any fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 1994, its paternity establishment percentage for such fiscal year is based on reliable data and (rounded to the nearest whole percentage point) equals or exceeds—
(A) 90 percent;
(B) for a State with a paternity establishment percentage of not less than 75 percent but less than 90 percent for such fiscal year, the paternity establishment percentage of the State for the immediately preceding fiscal year plus 2 percentage points;
(C) for a State with a paternity establishment percentage of not less than 50 percent but less than 75 percent for such fiscal year, the paternity establishment percentage of the State for the immediately preceding fiscal year plus 3 percentage points;
(D) for a State with a paternity establishment percentage of not less than 45 percent but less than 50 percent for such fiscal year, the paternity establishment percentage of the State for the immediately preceding fiscal year plus 4 percentage points;
(E) for a State with a paternity establishment percentage of not less than 40 percent but less than 45 percent for such fiscal year, the paternity establishment percentage of the State for the immediately preceding fiscal year plus 5 percentage points; or
(F) for a State with a paternity establishment percentage of less than 40 percent for such fiscal year, the paternity establishment percentage of the State for the immediately preceding fiscal year plus 6 percentage points.
In determining compliance under this section, a State may use as its paternity establishment percentage either the State's IV-D paternity establishment percentage (as defined in paragraph (2)(A)) or the State's statewide paternity establishment percentage (as defined in paragraph (2)(B)).
(2) For purposes of this section—
(A) the term "IV-D paternity establishment percentage" means, with respect to a State for a fiscal year, the ratio (expressed as a percentage) that the total number of children—
(i) who have been born out of wedlock,
(ii)(I) except as provided in the last sentence of this paragraph, with respect to whom assistance is being provided under the State program funded under part A in the fiscal year or, at the option of the State, as of the end of such year, or (II) with respect to whom services are being provided under the State's plan approved under this part in the fiscal year or, at the option of the State, as of the end of such year pursuant to an application submitted under section 454(4)(A)(ii), and
(iii) the paternity of whom has been established or acknowledged,
bears to the total number of children born out of wedlock and (except as provided in such last sentence) with respect to whom assistance was being provided under the State program funded under part A as of the end of the preceding fiscal year or with respect to whom services were being provided under the State's plan approved under this part as of the end of the preceding fiscal year pursuant to an application submitted under section 454(4)(A)(ii);
(B) the term "statewide paternity establishment percentage" means, with respect to a State for a fiscal year, the ratio (expressed as a percentage) that the total number of minor children—
(i) who have been born out of wedlock, and
(ii) the paternity of whom has been established or acknowledged during the fiscal year,
bears to the total number of children born out of wedlock during the preceding fiscal year; and
(C) the term "reliable data" means the most recent data available which are found by the Secretary to be reliable for purposes of this section.
For purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (B), the total number of children shall not include any child with respect to whom assistance is being provided under the State program funded under part A by reason of the death of a parent unless paternity is established for such child or any child with respect to whom an applicant or recipient is found by the State to qualify for a good cause or other exception to cooperation pursuant to section 454(29).
(3)(A) The Secretary may modify the requirements of this subsection to take into account such additional variables as the Secretary identifies (including the percentage of children in a State who are born out of wedlock or for whom support has not been established) that affect the ability of a State to meet the requirements of this subsection.
(B) The Secretary shall submit an annual report to the Congress that sets forth the data upon which the paternity establishment percentages for States for a fiscal year are based, lists any additional variables the Secretary has identified under subparagraph (A), and describes State performance in establishing paternity.[196]
(h) The standards required by subsection (a)(1) shall include standards establishing time limits governing the period or periods within which a State must accept and respond to requests (from States, jurisdictions thereof, or individuals who apply for services furnished by the State agency under this part or with respect to whom an assignment pursuant to section 408(a)(3) is in effect) for assistance in establishing and enforcing support orders, including requests to locate noncustodial parents, establish paternity, and initiate proceedings to establish and collect child support awards.
(i) The standards required by subsection (a)(1) shall include standards establishing time limits governing the period or periods within which a State must distribute, in accordance with section 457, amounts collected as child support pursuant to the State's plan approved under this part.
(j) Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there is hereby appropriated to the Secretary for each fiscal year an amount equal to 1 percent of the total amount paid to the Federal Government pursuant to a plan approved under this part during the immediately preceding fiscal year (as determined on the basis of the most recent reliable data available to the Secretary as of the end of the third calendar quarter following the end of such preceding fiscal year) or the amount appropriated under this paragraph for fiscal year 2002, whichever is greater, which shall be available for use by the Secretary, either directly or through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements, for—
(1) information dissemination and technical assistance to States, training of State and Federal staff, staffing studies, and related activities needed to improve programs under this part (including technical assistance concerning State automated systems required by this part); and
(2) research, demonstration, and special projects of regional or national significance relating to the operation of State programs under this part.
The amount appropriated under this subsection shall remain available until expended.
(k)(1) If the Secretary receives a certification by a State agency in accordance with the requirements of section 454(31) that an individual owes arrearages of child support in an amount exceeding $2,500, the Secretary shall transmit such certification to the Secretary of State for action (with respect to denial, revocation, or limitation of passports) pursuant to paragraph (2).
(2) The Secretary of State shall, upon certification by the Secretary transmitted under paragraph (1), refuse to issue a passport to such individual, and may revoke, restrict, or limit a passport issued previously to such individual.
(3) The Secretary and the Secretary of State shall not be liable to an individual for any action with respect to a certification by a State agency under this section.
(l) The Secretary, through the Federal Parent Locator Service, may aid State agencies providing services under State programs operated pursuant to this part and financial institutions doing business in two or more States in reaching agreements regarding the receipt from such institutions, and the transfer to the State agencies, of information that may be provided pursuant to section 466(a)(17)(A)(i), except that any State that, as of the date of the enactment of this subsection, is conducting data matches pursuant to section 466(a)(17)(A)(i) shall have until January 1, 2000, to allow the Secretary to obtain such information from such institutions that are operating in the State. For purposes of section 1113(d) of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978[197], a disclosure pursuant to this subsection shall be considered a disclosure pursuant to a Federal statute.
(m)[198] Comparisons With Insurance Information.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary, through the Federal Parent Locator Service, may—
(A) compare information concerning individuals owing past-due support with information maintained by insurers (or their agents) concerning insurance claims, settlements, awards, and payments; and
(B) furnish information resulting from the data matches to the State agencies responsible for collecting child support from the individuals.
(2) Liability.—An insurer (including any agent of an insurer) shall not be liable under any Federal or State law to any person for any disclosure provided for under this subsection, or for any other action taken in good faith in accordance with this subsection.
(n) The Secretary shall use the authorities otherwise provided by law to ensure the compliance of the United States with any multilateral child support convention to which the United States is a party.
(o)Data Exchange Standards for Improved Interoperability.—
(1) Designation.—The Secretary shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Office of Management and Budget and considering State government perspectives, by rule, designate data exchange standards to govern, under this part
(A) necessary categories of information that State agencies operating programs under State plans approved under this part are required under applicable Federal law to electronically exchange with another State agency; and
(B) Federal reporting and data exchange required under applicable Federal law.
(2) Requirements.—The data exchange standards required by paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable
(A) incorporate a widely accepted, non- proprietary, searchable, computer-readable format, such as the eXtensible Markup Language;
(B) contain interoperable standards developed and maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the National Information Exchange Model;
(C) incorporate interoperable standards developed and maintained by Federal entities with authority over contracting and financial assistance;
(D) be consistent with and implement applicable accounting principles;
(E) be implemented in a manner that is cost- effective and improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and
(F) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary.
(3) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a change to existing data exchange standards found to be effective and efficient[199].
[195] See Vol. II, P.L. 83-591, §6305.
[196] See Vol. II, P.L. 100-485, §111(f)(3), with respect to the Secretary's collection of data necessary to implement the requirements of this subsection.
[197] See Vol. II, P.L. 95-630, Title XI, §1113(d).
[198] P.L. 113–183, §301 redesignated the second subsection 452(l) to 452(m); added new subsection (n). Effective September 29, 2014.
[199] P.L. 113–183, §304 inserted subsection (o). Effective September 29, 2014.


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All in vain. I will cease now
My long absorption with the plough,
With the tame and the wild creatures
and man united with the earth.
I have failed after many seasons
In the mind's precincts do not apply.
But where to turn? Earth endures
After the passing, necessary shame
Of winter, and the old lie
Of green places beckons me still
From the new world, ugly and evil,
That men pry for in truth's name.
by R. S. Thomas
from Song at the Year's Turning (1955)


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Looking for Lansbury – St James Street Theatre, until 17 October 2015 (Future dates click here)
The target audience for Looking for Lansbury may be one that is already quite well-versed in the life of its subject. However if Fiona-Jane Weston's one-woman show exploring the life of Angela Lansbury provides little in the way of revelation (even to a novice Lansburyian), it does a creditable job in avoiding falling into sugary hagiography.
Weston pitches her all-singing, some-dancing, variety show part way between biographical lecture and conversational cabaret. It starts off with a strong statement of intent as Weston sets out her case but as Lansbury's career as a leading light of the stage begins to take off it increasingly resembles a procession of Broadway belters interspersed with conversational snippets.
The opening provides a backstory that takes in Angela's grandfather, George Lansbury (former Labour Party leader) and his role as a social reformer. We get a potted history of her English upbringing before being whisked across the Atlantic, and into her remarkable early successes in film – two Oscar nominations in her first two roles (Gaslight and The Picture of Dorian Gray) – before charting her life on stage and screen.
A slight problem is that Lansbury is an intensely private individual; there is little in the public domain to draw on and much content is given by way of inference or supposition. The snippets we do get, such as a Hollywood magazine article on her first husband Richard Cromwell, are uncomfortably salacious for a show that seems to wish to avoid the tittle-tattle of unauthorized biography.


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I've had my ear to the ground regarding these pieces of anti-choice legislation since the legislative session started, since this is the biggest attack on my personal human rights and bodily integrity I have ever faced, and the last gem of the previous post (ASC requirements) is one that could put me out of work. The dates and days and nights in orange at the Capitol became a blur, and I am still physically and emotionally trying to recover from these "Special" Sessions. I've gotta rest up so I can get back out there again for the THIRD! Thank science for time stamps so I can tell you that my journey into this fray started with a simple sidewalk protest on Monday June 17th, around 5pm, just as I was becoming aware that orange is now the color of Reproductive Justice. I made a sign that read:
Perry, Perry you're so scary
You've hit an all-time low
You took our voice, we have no choice
And you forgot all about Roe!
Total hours at the Capitol: 2
- Thursday June 20th me and my co-workers from both of my jobs, as well as another 700+ pro-woman Austinites, spent our afternoons and evenings at the Reagan building, testifying against the First Special Session omnibus bills in the House. That night supporters from all over the nation bought pizza and coffee and donuts for us so we could carry on into the wee hours of the morning. Since anyone in the testimony room had to respect all 175 pages of the rules of "decorum" jazz hands were initiated there. After waiting from 6pm to testify, when the Chair shut the whole thing down sometime after midnight for being "repetitive," I just walked up and gave them the punchline to my testimony. And shortly after I left some vagilante male allies shone the bat signal for all the world to see. "Let her speak!" became our rallying cry and the #CitizensFilibuster was officially underway.
Total hours at the Capitol: ±6
Sunday June 23rd I waited in line with many other eager Texans in orange to bear witness to the Texas House of Representatives debate the Senate omnibus bill. I arrived around 1:30pm. The House recessed for a long while, during which lots of us in orange, the #TangerineVagilantes and #FeministArmy gathered in the rotunda to chant, clap, stomp and hold up our ever-witty signage.
The discussion had started with House Dems debating whether they were dealing with calendar days or legislative days, to which Austin's own RH Reality Check Reporter Andrea Grimes tweeted, "We can laugh about counting calendar days, but when #txlege outlaws birth control, that's a skill we'll all need to bone up on. #hb60." The House didn't reconvene until around 6:30pm, I think. So I gathered with the raucous bunch in the auditorium overflow room, which was just as well, since we didn't have to abide by decorum.
I had to go to work from 4:45 to midnight but my co-workers and I (at a domestic violence non-profit) were watching the Texas Tribune live feed and guffawing at the risk of arrest for jazz hands and the ridiculousness that is ALEC's newest It Girl pawn, "Representative" Jodie Laubenberg and #OtherThingsRapeKitsDo, and cheering for Representative Thompson hanging a hanger from her mic to punctuate her speech. By that time #TXlege #StandWithTXWomen (and variants) and #HB60 were also trending worldwide on Twitter.
I returned to the Capitol just after midnight and was in the gallery to see Representative Wu kicking ass. Kudos to Farrar, Dukes, Wu, Menendez, Lee, Mary Gonzalez, Dutton, Eddie Rodriguez, Howard, Burnam, Naishtat, Turner, Thompson and others for killing it on the floor and battling for women's reproductive justice. Intersectionality at its finest. And kudos to the thousands of people who donated water, food, coffee and good vibes to keep us all going!
The reason we needed to prolong this process as much as possible, why hundreds of us came to add our voices at the Committee hearing and why our tireless Dems threw question after question around, was that the first special session was scheduled to end at midnight on Tuesday. If we could delay the vote on the bill so much that the legislature literally ran out of time, we would win, at least for a little while….
As predicted the bill did get through this second reading around 3:30am, so my activist friends and I from Get Equal Texas encouraged everyone leaving the gallery to stop on the 2nd floor outside where the representatives normally enter/exit so we could shame them to their faces. I led the charge with a classic borrowed from the LGBTQAI movement: I am somebody! And I deserve full equality! From there a huge contingent of people stood chanting pro-choice slogans like My Body, My Choice and We Won't Go Back! The kicker was everyone getting fired up and chanting "Shame!" until some of the Reps who spoke up for us came out to thank us. That was the night I learned to use Twitter for real.
Total hours at the Capitol: ±7.5
Stay tuned for the next exciting post on Texas' woman problem: Wendy Davis' filibuster.
Related articles
- Decorum, Dissent, & the Texas Democratic Party (manyfesto.net)
- Texas Omnibus Abortion Bill Faces Procedural Obstacles and Crowds of Opponents (lawprofessors.typepad.com)


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|Nehez, Cleveland News: The Flying Turns
Early one summer morning when I was about 14, I took my 9-year-old brother for a day of adventure at Euclid Beach, without telling anyone our plans. We'd been to the park many times, but never on our own.
First, my brother and I stopped at the nearest Cleveland Trust branch, where I withdrew some money from my passbook savings account.
After an interminable streetcar ride from Cleveland Heights, we arrived at the park. I bought a few tickets, and we began our rounds of the rides. The Flying Turns (pictured here) was one of the most exciting rides in the park, and we were looking forward to it!
The park seemed full of kids our age, each wearing a tag. Standing in line for a ride, I talked with one of the kids and learned that it was the annual orphans' day picnic. That meant the orphans could ride as often as they wanted for free! The kid generously offered me his tag, and his buddy handed a tag to my brother. I said, "What will you do?" He said they'd just go get replacements.
My brother and I were astounded by the wealth of opportunity that suddenly opened to us. We rode one ride after another, losing track of time. The only money we spent during the rest of the day was for popcorn balls and Euclid Beach taffy. We felt like we had just won the sweepstakes!
Finally, when the orphans had to leave the park, we reluctantly had to find the streetcar and rode home, exhausted but happy. At dinner, my mother (Marian McClure Wood) asked where we'd been all day. We told her we'd been "orphans" for the day and had ridden all the rides at Euclid Beach for free. She was mortified.


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The Story of the American Mixologist
Photo courtesy of the New York Public Library.
Chefs have it easy. Their title conveys a sense of rank and is easily bandied about without someone getting all up in arms about the origin, meaning, and intention. When you call someone a bartender, sure, it conveys the stuff we want, but there's also a missing dimension. Not all bartenders make their own bitters, research antiquated recipes, or use mushroom stock in drinks (not that I recommend it). So some bartenders want to spiff up their title.
The term "mixologist" made its debut in 1856 in Knickerbocker Magazine:
Who ever heard of a man's coming to bed in the dark and calling the barkeeper a mixologist of tipicular fixing unless he had gray eyes, razor handled nose, short hair and a coon-colored vest.
In 1870, it appears with a more serious tone in "Westward by Rail," according to Richard Hopwood Thorton in his 1912 American Glossary:
The keeper of the White Pine Saloon at Elko Nov informs his patrons that, "The most delicate fancy drinks are compounded by skilful mixologists in a style that captivates the public and makes them happy."
I like the latter usage -- and perhaps the term would be more useful if it didn't draw a red squiggly line under the word in our mental processor. Some think it's a nonsense word, others think it sounds pretentious. There's a sense that it's like saying "hair stylist" instead of "barber," or "custodial engineer" instead of "janitor."
Other difficult terms include "bar chef" and "mixicologist." The bar chef Albert Trummer is purported to have been the first to use the term "bar chef," and it makes sense -- especially if he was looking to identify with the kitchen. In an interview with Gothamist Albert explains, "A bar chef is a little different. A bar chef is someone who works closely with the kitchen -- not someone who puts three raspberries in a cocktail."
OK, "mixicologist" is seldom used but does come from the title of a 1895 bar book by C.H. Lawlor, who referred to his position behind the stick as "chief bartender" despite the book's title. That's damn close to chef.
Yet I don't feel comfortable with "bar chef." For some reason that makes me feel that we're playing second fiddle to the kitchen, so much so that we need to take on their terminology. The bar is something distinct, it's not derivative of any other restaurant function in my mind. In a way, it encapsulates them all.
That means we're stuck with the same old term, bartender. It seems every other one is mired in controversy. There are also those patrons who simply bang on the table, wave money, or shout, "Dude." They bypass the whole stupid argument.


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Schleiden, Matthias Jakob
Schleiden, Matthias Jakob mätē´äs yä´kôp shlī´dən [key], 1804–81, German botanist. He was professor at the universities of Jena (1839–63) and Dorpat (1863–64). With Theodor Schwann, he is credited with establishing the foundations of the cell theory. Schleiden's paper Beiträge zur Phytogenesis (1838), although mistaken in some aspects, recognized the significance of the nucleus in the propagation of cells.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Horticulture: Biographies


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Can The Expiration Date Of Harvested Organs Be Extended?
Currently, once a donated organ has been harvested it only has a few hours on ice before it "expires." Lengthening this time period would be an incredible breakthrough that would allow patients in a wider area to potentially receive a transplant and also it would reduce some of the insanity surrounding the time pressures of organ transplantation.
One proposed method of extending an organ's shelf life is to alter the internal cell biology to allow cells to live longer at lower temperatures. The State University of New Jersey Rutgers-Camden just received a $385,419 grant from the NIH to study an enzyme system, AMP phosphatase, and how it can potentially create cold-tolerant Drosophila. The enzyme was originally identified in ice worms as the key enzyme that allows them to survive in glaciers. The researchers hope that if they are able to utilize this enzyme system to create a cold-tolerant fruit fly, then they would be able to apply that knowledge to donated organs. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*


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When the U.S.S. Enterprise receives a distress call from the planet Platonius, Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to the planet's surface. There they find the planet's leader, Parmen, with a badly infected leg. The Platonians, while powerful psycho kinetics, have no resistance against physical injury. As Parmen's wife tells them, a cut or break in the skin can literally cause death. The only resident of Platonius that doesn't have "the power" is Alexander, a dwarf, who is everyone's jester and slave.
When Parmen's wound has healed and the landing party prepares to leave, they find the U.S.S. Enterprise's controls are frozen. Parmen has decided that it would be beneficial for them to have a resident doctor and tries to convince McCoy to remain. When he refuses, Parmen and the others try to convince him by subjecting Kirk and Spock to several humiliating scenarios. Still the doctor refuses and the three officers are locked away to ponder their plight.
After questioning Alexander, McCoy determines that the Platonians probably got their mental powers from eating the local foods. Something about Alexander's metabolism has kept him from acquiring those powers as well. McCoy prepares concentrated doses of kironide, the substance in the local food, and injects it into Kirk and Spock. Alexander, given the chance, refuses an injection. He doesn't want the same powers that his masters have.
As they discuss their next move, the shimmering of a transporter beam appear in the room and Lieutenant Uhura and Nurse Chapel appear. Without a word, they are jerked out of the room, as if controlled with invisible strings, and disappear. Kirk comments grimly that the men were apparently not entertaining enough for the Platonians.
Later, Uhura and Christine join the other officers, dressed in sparkling gowns and lavish makeup. Christine's is even vaguely Vulcan with slanted eyebrows and partially covered ears. What follows is a series of "games" designed to humiliate the U.S.S. Enterprise crew members and entertain the Platonians. McCoy, seated in a place of honor beside Parmen, is expected to accept the leaders offer to stay and serve as their physician.
Kirk and Spock are forced to fight each other and Spock is made to sing "Maiden Wine" to the two women. Finally, Spock is paired on a loveseat with Christine, while Kirk shares one with Uhura. They are forced to make advances on the women. The play gets nasty then, as Kirk and Spock take up whips, which they snap at their respective partners. By now, however, the doses of kironide are beginning to take effect and both officers now resist the Platonians powers and throw down their weapons.
Kirk tells Parmen that they can recreate this power whenever they want and if the Federation finds that Parmen and his people have fallen back to their old ways, there will be trouble. With this, Kirk calls for the U.S.S. Enterprise to beam them aboard ... along with Alexander, who will be coming with them to start a new life.


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Search is the fastest way to find a specific record you need. To find a record in OroCommerce/OroCRM:
- Click the search icon at the top of the screen.
- Type the search key into the text field.
- Click Go or press Enter on the keyboard.
For example, we are searching for "Ann" all over the system:
These are our search results:
The search returned 28 records, two of which are Accounts, two are Contacts, six are Magento Shopping Carts, etc. You can scroll through the entire list of results or select a specific entity in order to find the desired record faster.
If you wait a few seconds before clicking Go, you will see a drop-down list of the most relevant results. If the one you are looking for is in the list, you can immediately click it to open.
Modify the Search
To save time, you can limit a search by a certain entity. For example, if you know you're looking for a certain account, you can look for "Ann" in Accounts only.
Search by Tag
To see all the records with a specific tag anywhere in the system, you can search by tag.
You will see a page that looks similar to the search results and that contains all the records with this tag.


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COMMENTARY: Coverage of the Los Angeles Kings' meteoric rise and dominating run though the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs by out-of-town media has focused too much on some tired story angles. Also, for many local hockey fans, the Kings' playoff run is very hard to believe.
LOS ANGELES — As the Los Angeles Kings have blown through one opponent after another in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, some of the stories that stand out, outside of those describing what has happened on the ice, have been a bit surprising, and sadly, some have been rather disappointing.
Some of the "roll your eyes" story angles:
- The "discovery" of center Anze Kopitar (see 2012 Stanley Cup Final: Eastern Media's Ignorance Of All Things LA Kings, Shines Through).
- Trying to find a story in forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter being traded away by the Philadelphia Flyers, bringing up the ancient "Dry Island" story.
Fact is, that's all really old news that no one cares about anymore. Even the fact that the trades happened this season is ancient history, in terms of why the Flyers traded them away. To be sure, although both are part of Flyers' history—Richards was their captain—they are now destined to be remembered for their accomplishments with the Kings, not with the Flyers.
- Out of town media still working off the tired premise that Los Angeles is not a hockey town.
This angle has been ongoing since the Kings made the playoffs this season. Come to think of it, this is a story angle that comes up every season, at some point, and will probably never die.
During the first round against the Vancouver Canucks, questions based on this were brought up by Vancouver media. To their credit, we did not hear much of these questions from St. Louis or Phoenix media during the second round or the conference finals, not that they would have any basis to ask such questions, with the teams they cover in the same boat as the Kings, in that regard.
But with the Kings in the Stanley Cup Final facing the New Jersey Devils, a team that has won three Stanley Cups, the assumption from so many (not just the media) is that there is no hockey tradition here, that Southern California hockey fans are not real fans, and could not possibly know anything about the game.
Even one of the questions during the press conference following the Kings 4-0 win in Game 3 on June 4, with Carter, Kopitar, and right wing Justin Williams, was based on those assumptions…
…and was quickly shot down by Williams.
"Ever since I've been here, this place has been sold out," Williams said, with a rather perplexed, maybe even a mildly disgusted look on his face.
Only now are out-of-towners beginning to get a glimpse (yes, just a glimpse) of the truth…that the Los Angeles area is a hockey town, and has been for years and years. The difference is that, unlike most other National Hockey League cities, Kings fans in this metropolitan area are spread out miles and miles away from Staples Center, and in every direction, extending out over many suburban areas, and even across several counties. As such, the Kings will never have a large concentration of fans in close proximity to Staples Center to give it a constant "hockey town" feeling, as so many other teams have.
To his credit, Hockey Hall of Fame writer Eric Duhatschek of the Toronto Globe and Mail noted that during the Kings' media availability on June 5.
Former Kings left wing and current President, Business Operations Luc Robitaille also touched on that subject.
"There are [approximately] 16 million people [in the Los Angeles metropolitan area]," said Robitaille. "We know we have 2.5 million hockey fans. We know. We've done some research, so we're very familiar with who likes hockey in Southern California."
"We know they're not all LA Kings fans, but we're trying to reach them all," added Robitaille. "We hope to grow it to 3 million, and that all of them will be Kings fans. But we know that we're sharing with the [Anaheim] Ducks, and then, [on a broader scale], we're sharing with everyone [Angels, Clippers, Dodgers, Lakers, UCLA, USC]."
"Then we have our core fans who have been following us, some of them since 1967, some since the Triple Crown Line. Those people are very, very passionate, and they've been following us for years. We didn't make the playoffs for eight years, and we were still averaging 17,000 a game, which is amazing."
Maybe after the Kings' current run, and perhaps, winning the Stanley Cup this season, the hockey world will begin to figure out that Los Angeles really is a hockey town. Just don't expect more than a relative handful to figure that out, as the stereotypes, evidenced by the never-ending questions raised by out-of-town media, are still way too strong.
Someone Pinch Me!
As the Kings have moved through the playoffs in such dominant fashion, losing just twice in 17 playoff games, they not only became the first NHL team to lead all four playoff series by a 3-0 margin, but they are also nearing something that has not been done since the Edmonton Oilers did it in 1988.
Should the Kings win tonight in Game 4 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final (5:00 PM PDT, NBC Sports Network), not only will they sweep the series against the Devils, but they would also tie the 1988 Stanley Cup Champion Oilers for the best record in a playoff year.
What makes that even more remarkable is the fact that the Oilers were a dynasty team back then, having won the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. They were absolutely loaded back then, with the likes of Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe, Marty McSorley…and some guy named Wayne Gretzky, who would be traded, along with McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, to the Kings on August 9, 1988 (Gretzky and McSorley would later be joined by Kurri; they helped lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games).
Fast forward back to the present…in stark contrast to the 1988 Oilers, this year's edition squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, making their dominating journey through the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs a surprise, but not for the reasons many might think.
As a hockey writer, I look at the game, and the Kings, objectively, taking my observations, comments from players, coaches, front office types, etc., analyzing them, and presenting them to all of you for your consumption.
But as a very wise, learned hockey writer, whom I admire greatly, wrote last season, "…to cover hockey, you have to love it," and I would not be covering the Kings and the NHL if I didn't love this game dearly.
That love for the game began in 1973, when I was a ten-year-old, living in Culver City, California, about six miles from what was then known as the "Fabulous Forum," in Inglewood, where the Kings played from December 30, 1967 to October 20, 1999.
Coincidentally, back in those days, the Kings practiced in Culver City, at what is now known as the Culver Ice Arena, so, as a kid who played roller hockey in the neighborhood schoolyard every day (long before inline skates existed), it was easier for me than it was for most in the Los Angeles area to become a Kings fan. I even had former Kings defenseman Gary Sargent's name written on my stick, which I still have, by the way.
For me, the only downside to being a Kings fan back then was that my parents, who had no idea what hockey was, were not about to purchase season tickets, so I had to be satisfied with my father taking me to an occasional game, maybe a couple of times a year, watch the 15 or so games that were televised on KHJ-TV 9 (now KCAL) here in the Los Angeles area, and then listen to Bob Miller and Dan Avey on the radio (KFI AM 640 and later, KRLA AM 1150) for the remainder of the games.
With the Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, and on the verge of winning the whole enchilada for the first time in their 45-year history, I am finding it difficult to keep the journalist and the hockey fan separate. Indeed, although I now look at the Kings and the NHL objectively, when it comes right down to it, I am still a hockey fan, just like everyone else who has devoted a lot of years to covering this great game as a journalist.
As stated earlier, I became a hockey fan and a Kings fan in 1973, some 39 years ago, the same year Miller, the long-time Voice of the Kings, became the Kings' play-by-play announcer.
Over the course of those 39 seasons, the Kings have played some good hockey, but the vast majority has been either mediocre, or absolutely horrid. Kings fans who have been following the team for that long are conditioned to expect the worst, and as the Kings have moved through the playoffs this season, that conditioning has always been there, keeping these questions in the back of my mind, not to mention that of many other long-time Kings fans:
When is the bottom going to fall out? When is the inevitable collapse going to happen? When is disaster going to strike?
Even Miller acknowledged having similar thoughts as we spoke informally following Game 3 on June 4.
During the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kings have torn through Vancouver, St. Louis, Phoenix, and now, New Jersey. Although their work is not yet done, and anything could still happen, the Kings are just one win away from winning their first Stanley Cup Championship.
After the way their season began, after qualifying for an invitation to the post-season party by the skins of their teeth, and after all the ways this team has found to disappoint and break the hearts of their fans throughout their history, what the Kings are doing now, and seem like they are about to do, maybe even tonight, is just all too surreal.
Is this a dream? Will reality smack me in the face with what the Kings have done so often in their history when I wake up?
For the Kings fan that still lives inside of me, the objective, professional journalist side of me says that the Devils are done, and even if they manage to win tonight, they have virtually no chance to win four straight games against a better team.
But even with the journalist within me telling me that, that surreal feeling of dread that has been conditioned into my psyche is something I cannot shake, no matter how hard I try.
All part of growing up as a Kings fan, I guess.
Stick tap to Tom Hoffarth of the Daily News for mentioning this story on the Farther Off The Wall blog.
Related Videos
2012 Stanley Cup Final, New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings, Game 3 Highlights, June 4, 2012
Used with permission. All videos provided by KingsVision at LAKings.com, or NHL.com require Adobe Flash Player. As such, they are not viewable on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).
Tickets for the Kings' upcoming home Stanley Cup Finals games against the New Jersey Devils – June 6, 5:00 PM (Devils vs. Kings: Game 4); June 11, 5:00 PM (Devils vs. Kings: Game 6 – if necessary )are available from Barry's Tickets, an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings. Use the code, "Royalty010" to get a 10 percent discount on their "Best Value" tickets.
Frozen Royalty by Gann Matsuda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this site are required. Photographs, graphic images, and other content not specified are subject to additional restrictions. Additional information is available at: Frozen Royalty – Licensing and Copyright Information.


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PASOS. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (ISSN 1695-7121), www.pasosonline.org, is an open access publication with no embargo period, which means that all content is available openly and free of charge to be read by users or their institutions. Users can read, download (no registration required), distribute, print or link the full texts of editions and articles without the permission of the editors or authors. In other words, the BOAI definition of open access applies. There is also no charge for publishing (APCs), and this applies to the entire editorial process. PASOS is published under the Creative Commons BY NC ND license. All original and unpublished works received are subject to a double blind review process.
PASOS specializes in the academic and business analysis of different processes involved in the tourism system, with special interest in tourist uses of culture, nature and territory, people, towns and spaces, and integral heritage. From an inter- and trans-disciplinary perspective, it calls for and encourages writings from the social sciences and administrative-business practice. Its objective is to fulfill the role of a forum for the exposition and discussion of methodologies and theories, as well as the dissemination of studies and experiences. It aims to contribute to efforts to understand tourism and to make progress in ways of preventing its undesirable effects. It also attempts to improve the way in which tourism serves as a complement to developing the quality of life of residents in destination areas.
Edited by the Universidad de La Laguna (Spain) Institute of Political and Social Sciences and the Instituto Universitario da Maia (Portugal), the current periodicity of PASOS is quarterly (January, April, July and October), as well as publishing two special editions each year.
PASOS is directed by Agustín Santana Talavera, Ph.D. in Social Anthropology, Full Professor of the University of La Laguna and Director of the University Institute of Political and Social Sciences. He is assisted by two Deputy Directors: Eduardo Parra López, Ph.D. in Business Sciences and Professor of the University of La Laguna and Eduardo Cordeiro Gonçalves, doctorates in history and tourism, Vice-Rector of Instituto Universitario da Maia (Portugal). The journal has an editorial committee (http://pasosonline.org/la-revista/consejo-editorial) organized around large thematic and language areas, and an international scientific advisory committee (http://pasosonline.org/la-revista/consejo-cientifico) composed of doctors and professionals in tourism and cultural heritage from 26 universities and research centers. The editorial secretary is Dr. Gonçalo Marques from the Instituto Universitario da Maia (ISMAI, Portugal).


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ccording to E.D.H. Johnson, Dickens's affair with Ellen Lawless Ternan, which lasted until his death, had several influences on his work: "The girl's name certainly influenced the naming of the heroines of the last three novels, Stella in Great Expectations, Bella Wilfer in Our Mutual Friend, and Helena Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The willful and imperious ways of the first two of these characters represent a noteworthy departure from the earlier ideal of saintly meekness embodied in Florence Dombey, Agnes Wickfield, Esther Summerson, and Amy Dorrit. And there can be no mistaking that Dickens' later fiction explores sexual passion with an intensity and perceptiveness not previously apparent" [26-27].
Related Material
Johnson, E. D. H. Charles Dickens: An Introduction to His Novels. Random House Study in Language and Literature Series. New York: Random House, 1969. [full text]
Last modified 1988; link added 15 December 2013


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Once upon a time, long ago, I was NOT a racist. Hard to believe, these days, isn't it? But times change, and now with Obama being The Chosen One and his new breed of campaign managers and followers, it is clear that I am now out of step and have descended into the cesspool of racism.
Mick Jagger's 65th birthday yesterday (July 26) took me on a trip down memory lane to those days when I was a proud non-racist.
My days as a non-racist actually go back quite awhile I was already enjoying the "black music" that was on Top 40 radio before and just after the "British Invasion." Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters, remember "Cry Baby?" in '63? And Fontella Bass with "Rescue Me" in '65? The Chiffons, the Crystals, the Shirelles were part of me. And Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and Otis Redding–who can forget?
Filed under: Current Politics, Life | Tagged: Aretha Franklin, Barack Obama, Booker T. and the MGs, Bound Brook NJ, Chess Records, Chuck Berry, Dionne Warwick, Donna Summer, Down the Road Apiece, Elton John, Fontella Bass, Garnett Mimms and the Enchanters, George Benson, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Ruffin, Johnny B. Goode, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, Little Red Rooster, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Mick Jagger, Motown, Muddy Waters, Newark NJ, Otis Redding, PUMA, Sam and Dave, Scott Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Sweet Little Sixteen, The 4 Tops, The Beatles, The Chiffons, The Crystals, The Dixie Cups, The Rolling Stones, The Shirelles, The Spinners, The Supremes, The Temptations, Wes Montgomery, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, Wilson Pickett, You Can't Catch Me | 4 Comments »


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Family Success On The Household Carbon Footprint Front
By Tim Newcomb
14 August, 2012
Energy Bulletin
We Americans may believe that we are obligated to reduce our household Greenhouse Gas Emissions, but then fall short because of the cost and the inconvenience required to do it. Sizeable household reductions in a household Carbon Equivalent footprint usually cost money and sometimes a lot of money. Our household has succeeded to a considerable extent over the past 5 years, by budgeting carefully and picking projects which have multiple benefits to counter the costs. My knowledge of how to estimate greenhouse gas emissions has helped us to judge the trade off between carbon emissions reductions and costs, and long term planning and persistence have been essential. Success breeds more success and self-reliance breeds more self-reliance. We hope that the following experiences at our house will be instructive for readers!
We began by replacing an old oil heater with a new heat pump in our single storey concrete block house in Des Moines, Washington. The addition of one more duct to the renovated garage gave us another heated room at a small cost. The total cost was considerable so we paid for part up front, and took out a loan for the rest. The monthly payments were reminder that we had made a green choice at some cost, and it helped to redefine our self image. My estimate of the yearly reduction in the carbon footprint is more than 2.5 tonnes per year including minor refrigerant leaks measured by the installer, and the carbon emissions reported by the electric utility per Megawatt hour.The annual electricity costs to run the heat pump were less than the previous oil costs and there was air conditioning available for the few weeks of the year when we needed it. The addition of ceiling insulation imporved the situation further.
When the new light rail system between Seattle and SEATAC airport became operational I rode it several times a week. The trip took twice as long as a car trip, and cold and rainy weather made the trip to the University of Washington unpleasant in the winter. But there weere considerable benefits. I was spared parking costs, traffic tickets and gasoline costs, and the round-trip ticket cost $2.00. There were no traffic jams or delays for road construction, and I occasionally ran into friends to talk with on the way. When I picked up my car at the parking lot, I was immediatley grateful to have a car. Gratitude for an energy service increases when the service is not always available, and reminds us that we are fortunate and need to use our blessings wisely. The estimated carbon emissions reduction from this transportation category was approximately 1 tonne per year.
My wife Margaret teaches in Seattle, more than 20 miles from Des Moines. She began carpooling with a fellow teacher four years ago, and that entailed additional effort to make sure who was picking up whom and at what time the next morning.This change had many more benefits than downsides.There were those delicious mornings when Margaret was tired and could just slide into the passenger seat and have her friend do the driving. They could stop for a drink on the way home to compare notes and laugh together.Occasionally one member of the duo had to leave their car in the shop. One or the other of them saved money each day they carpooled, and also reduced their carbon emissions slightly.
We have owned 7 acres of pasture for the past 7 years, and we began planting small trees including firs, cedars, alders, maples and pond plants. We completed the work after 3 years with lots of help from friends and along the way we learned about driip irrigation systems, deer fencing, the best trees to plant for soil improvement and how satisfying work it is. The King Conservation District helped pay for deer fencing and my labor and provided a 5 week class on how to reforest land. Now the alders are 25 feet high, the firs are 20 feet high and the incense cedars are not too far behind.The alders put nitrogen in the soil and can be coppiced after some years to provide small sticks and firewood. While the trees are still too young to be net carbon sequesterers, the fallow pasture adds carbon to the soil at a significant rate. Soon the trees will be large enough to store carbon in their growing trunks and branches. At the moment about two tonnes of carbon are sequestered by pasture and trees together.
My first observation concerning the roadblocks to a smaller household carbon footprint is that the American mainstream media and the products they constantly advertise place a cultural block in the way of changes like the ones we have taken. Product advertisements define via cool ads what the right thing to buy or the right thing to do is. It is cool to have a new red car, a large house that uses gas heat, a large concrete area for a basketball court and weed killer to make it all look neat.
Consistent attention to the goal of reducing carbon emissions does not have to make life miserable. Once some goals and possible actions are in mind, time often produces neat solutions which save money. For example, the 2,500 feet of drip irrigation line were only needed for the first 3 years for the first wave of tree planting, and after that the lines could be moved over to the second wave of tree planting at no net cost. On the other hand, a lack of focus anda lack of a plan for reducing emissions will not work. A mindset which includes patience, asking questions, and the knowledge that emissions reductions will result from hard work have to be present.
The media biases against smaller houses, truly efficient cars, heat pumps, and carpooling leave us no choice except to become independent of the predominant system and think for ourselves. What pushed my family in these new directions was a desire to adopt a new energy end-use mix that would benefit us, save money in the long run, and leave a healthier plantet for our children. As we became more independent from media advertising, we became more curious about what we could achieve in carbon emissions reductions, and the internet is full of solutions.
Our diminshing carbon footprint has given us pride that we can succeed. This leads to a growth in confidence, a desire to learn and do more, and the satisfaction of contributing to a healthier earth. These positive changes due to success can help to counteract the negative psychological impacts described by the Kubler-Ross paradigm following severe personal loss. Sturm and Drang become less of a problem in the excitement of solving a problem locally. I believe we could move forward as a nation to reduce carbon emissions rather quickly. Our psychological makeup encourages us to strike out in new directions and to find solutions to new problems, of which carbon emissions are a supreme example. Our psychology also provides pride from accomplishments, and gratitude for the gifts we have, such as a car when we really need it. Are there greater gifts than increased self-reliance, increased curiosity, a smaller carbon footprint, and the act of sharing our successes with others?
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I love the snow. Let's not forget this point, as you read the rest of this lament about snow. I love the way our Springfield's, and for that matter, our actual, real-life, towns look, when they are cloaked in a layer of beautiful, white, freshly fallen snow.
There is something magical about the quiet…the way snow insulates and dulls the sounds in the early morning when you first get up. It is peaceful, beautiful, and often times rewards children (and teachers) with a "snow day," to frolic, relax, and have fun.
In short…snow is wonderful!
Until it isn't…
In Eugene, here in the Willamette Valley where the REAL Springfield sits just across I-5, snow is a rarity. I joke about Eugene being in the "banana belt" of Oregon. On average, we usually get one or two days a year when the white stuff coats the trees, hills and forests around us. Usually one. Many years, none.
When we got Snow in TSTO at the beginning of the Winter Update (and no…we aren't going to debate Christmas/Holiday/Winter again), my much better half, remarked, "Oh…your little town looks so nice. I hope we get some snow this year!"
She's like that. Upbeat. Sweet. Positive (even if she knows it makes me nuts when she calls my TSTO Springfield my "little town"). She is a school teacher of the most extraordinary type, who still rewards her class for long periods of good behavior and scholastic achievement with a field trip to the movies, or the bowling ally, or the roller skating rink. Her kids work hard…play hard…and deserve the rewards.
The first wrinkle in "Mrs. Miller's" perfect Winter Break, was that two days before the break was to start, we received a gigantic ice storm…as in the worst in 25 years. It destroyed thousands of trees…shut down power for more than 75% of the Eugene/Springfield area, and ended up keeping the kids and teachers home, for what was supposed to be their Holiday Party day.
Mrs. Miller was not pleased. But, she got through it…knowing that Christmas, and two of our girls (out of five) were coming for an extended holiday stay. However…the ice stuck around…and around…and around. Planes were delayed…travel plans made more dangerous…but we got through it with minor hitches.
"What do you do in your little town when there is an ice storm" I remember her asking one morning.
"We don't have ice storms. But, look how pretty my town looks with the snow, and all of the Christmas lights on!" I offered. "Look! Homer is clearing the snow on his lawnmower!"
She did not seem enthused.
By week two of the ice, the neighborhood looked like a war zone…but the kids had come and gone…Christmas a success…in spite of reduced travel.
And then…just before everyone was to go back to school after "Winter Break," Mrs. Miller got her wish…and it snowed. A lot. At least for us. Nearly 4″ of snow overnight. She went into full-blown "Winter Wonderland" kid mode.
We built a snowman (using a kit she got from one of her students for Christmas). We had "hot toddies" on the porch. We hunkered in…and enjoyed the rest of "winter break" together.
And then…when everyone was scheduled to go back to school…school was canceled again….and then again…
It was projected to warm up before the weekend…Nope. Another ice storm.
Another thick layer of ice…and to cap it all off, some varmint (most likely one of the "Christmas Raccoons" we have around here) made off with the nose, buttons, and glasses of our snowman!
So now…we had a "Winter Sandwich" of a thick layer of ice…4 inches of snow…and another thick layer of ice. But the power stayed on. Netflix binging…football…and creative foraging for recipes that worked with whatever was left in the cupboard ensued.
Today…after cancelling school for a record 6th day for the year (which need to be made up in June…argh!), Mrs. Miller was allowed to go back to school…and all is well. Mostly.
There is more snow predicted for tomorrow.
So…who do you blame for this?
Is it all Mrs. Miller's fault, because she wished for snow, while belittling the size and scope of snow in my "little town?"
Is it because Homer actually had the audacity to give up his "Mr. Plow" jacket to "downsizing and simplifying" in the most recent Simpsons episode?
Is all of this because EA finally angered God (or the Gods if you prefer) with such a mishmash of religious blasphemy during the past few weeks??
Or…is it all simply because Eugene is so ill-equipped to deal with severe weather (we have a grand total of TWO snow plows…and refuse to use salt on our streets due to the environmental impact), that we are deserving of being a target of Mother Nature (like mobile homes in tornadoes) when the temperatures dip below 40 degrees?
The fact of the matter is…I still love the snow. It is rare…and gives us all a chance to whine about the SAME thing for once (after a year of whining about opposite outcomes).
But, I get it. Snow can be an inconvenience. I haven't touched a golf club in more than 8 weeks. That has to change soon…
What do YOU Think about Snow…either in your "little towns" or in your REAL lives? Do you have stories or pictures to share about the Winter thus far (and yes…I realize we still have three more months of "official Winter").
Let us know. Snow in the forecast for tomorrow. I'll let you know how Mrs. Miller fares. The bigger question is this…if we get weather in the mid-to-upper-40s as is predicted…will EA come out with a "Flood Mode" for our towns?
We'll see…


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Barr (DE-576)
(DE-576: dp. 1,400; l. 306'0"; b. 37'0"; dr. 13'6"; s. 23.5 k.(tl.); cpl. 186; a. 3 3", 4 40mm., 4 1.1", 2 dct., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (hh.) ; cl. Buckley)
Woodrow Wilson Barr, born in Keyser, W.V., on 30 June 1913, enlisted in the Marine Corps on 13 January 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pa. Following training at Parris Island, S.C., and at Quantico, Va., Barr was shipped overseas to the Pacific theater on 28 April 1942 and advanced to private, first class, on 1 May. While serving with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion during the attack against Japanese forces on Tulagi, Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942, Pfc. Barr persisted in his advance against a hostile machine gun position until he was killed.
Pfc. Barr was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, posthumously.
Barr (DE-576) was laid down on 5 November 1943 at Hingham, Mass., by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 28 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Cora Dell Barr, Pfc. Barr's mother; and commissioned on 16 February 1944, Lt. Comdr. Henry H. Love in command.
Following shakedown off Bermuda and escort training at Casco Bay, Maine, the destroyer escort reported to Norfolk for antisubmarine duty in the Atlantic off the Cape Verde Islands. She operated as part of a hunter-killer group built around Block Island (CV- 21) and also composed of Ahrens (DE-575), Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686}, and Buckley (DE-51). Throughout May, this task group followed up submarine reports, chasing down sonar contacts that usually proved to be fish or debris. On 6 May, Buckley rammed and sank an enemy submarine, verifying that the waters of the South Atlantic did hide enemy submarines.
On 29 May, while closing a reported submarine, Block Island suffered a torpedo hit. Barr pursued the U-boat, later identified as U-549, until around 2030 when a torpedo struck her too. The explosion wrecked the ship aft of the No. 2 engine room, killing four of her crew, injuring 14, and leaving 12 missing. Throughout the night, Barr stayed dead in the water while Robert I. Paine (DE-578) patrolled around her. Eugene E. Elmore took Barr's injured and about half of her crew on board, hooked up a towline to the damaged escort and began the journey to Casablanca, Morocco. Wilhoite (DE 397) relieved Eugene E. Elmore; and the Dutch tug, Antic took over and finally towed Barr into port six days later.
Barr stayed in drydock at Casablanca until 2 July while the wreckage of her damaged stern was burned off, spaces cleared of oil and debris, and stern plates welded on for the trip home. On 3 July, Cherokee (ATF-66) began the long voyage to Boston with Barr in tow. After a brief stop in Bermuda to avoid a major tropical storm, the ships arrived at the Boston Navy Yard on 25 July.
The destroyer escort spent the next three months in drydock being refurbished and converted to a high speed transport. Redesignated APD 39, Barr sailed for Norfolk on 3 November for boat training, and departed that port on the 15th as escort for Teton (AGC-14). After transiting the Panama Canal and stopping in San Francisco to load more cargo, she and Cecil (APA-96) sailed westward and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 9 December.
In Hawaii, Barr shuttled between Pearl Harbor and Maui, where she trained with Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT's) for night and day demolitions and shore bombardment. On 10 January 1945, Barr set sail for Ulithi, the main staging area for the invasion of Iwo Jima. There from late January to early February, the fast transport loaded supplies, made repairs, and took part in demolition and reconnaissance training on reefs east of Ulithi. On 10 February, Barr and the other APD's stood out of the lagoon at Ulithi with the Iwo Jima invasion force. The transports rehearsed D-day movements at Tinian on the 12th and 13th. Then, the advance group headed for Iwo Jima on the 14th. Barr arrived off the southern end of the island on 16 February; and, that afternoon, her embarked UDT-13 successfully completed its first mission. The team placed a navigational light on the hazardous Higashi Rocks despite coming under enemy fire. Barr, however, solved the problem, silencing that gunfire with some of her own.
The next morning, following intense shelling by fire support ships and aircraft, the fast transports approached the eastern beaches for reconnaissance by the UDTs. During the afternoon, they made a reconnaissance of the western beaches in the same manner. On 18 February, Barr received orders to land her UDT on the Higashi Rocks again to reposition the light before retiring for the night. As she and Blessman (APD-48) pulled away from the island, a Japanese bomber flew over Barr, crashed Blessman, and caused many casualties.
Barr spent D-day, 19 February, in transport areas about 6,000 yards off the eastern beaches. Her boats, manned by UDT frogmen, assisted in guiding Marines to the landing beaches. Then, until 3 March, the high speed transport took screening station at night and anchored during the day while UDT's worked with the beachmasters to remove underwater obstacles. On 4 March, Barr departed Iwo Jima and steamed via Saipan and Guam to Ulithi where she anchored on 12 March.
For the next week, the fast transport prepared for the invasion of Okinawa. On the 21st, she stood out of Ulithi as part of the Gun Fire and Covering Force under Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo. The warships arrived off Okinawa on 25 March and approached Kerama Retto to reconnoiter the southwestern tip of Tokashiki. During the next four days, Barr put UDT-13 ashore on Keise Shima, a group of small sand and coral islands between Kerama Retto and Okinawa, to gather information and blast passages through the reef for the LST's.
The Japanese maintained an almost constant aerial onslaught in the early days of the invasion. Barr did not close Okinawa on D day, 1 April, but remained in the transport area as a part of the antisubmarine screen. She transferred UDT 13 to Wayne (APA-54) on 6 and 7 April and continued screening until 9 April, when she sailed to Saipan for a week of repairs.
Barr got underway again on 23 April to escort a convoy of LSTs and LSMs back to Okinawa. The fast transport remained off the Hagushi anchorage providing antiair and antisubmarine defense until 27 May, when she headed for Saipan as a convoy escort. Leaving the convoy at Saipan, Barr continued on to the Philippines, visiting Leyte and Manila before joining the screen of an Okinawa-bound convoy at Lingayen Gulf. The fast transport resumed screening duties at Okinawa after her return late in June.
After Japan capitulated on 15 August, Barr rendezvoused with HMS King George V and HMS Gambia east of Tokyo, embarked Royal Marines from the two British warships and landed them at Yokosuka. After this mission, she proceeded to the north end of the bay to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from central Honshu. During several trips, the fast transport received on board 1,135 former POW's. After the evacuation was completed, Barr made one mail run to Iwo Jima between 24 and 28 September and then remained in port at Tokyo until 12 October, when she was ordered to Nagasaki for duty with the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. She served there as a base of operations and as a barracks ship until 1 December when she began the voyage to the United States.
The transport arrived at San Diego on 19 December and, after voyage repairs, continued on to the east coast where she was placed out of commission, in reserve, at Green Cove Springs, Fla., on 12 July 1946. Barr remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until the early 1960's. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1960, and she was sunk as a target off Vieques Island on 26 March 1963.
Barr received three battle stars for her World War II service.
Mary P. Walker
7 March 2006


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Best of: Plate Tectonics
posted in: Earth & Space Sciences, STEM In Action, Tools for Teachers | 0
Our best of series, published each week, collates our favourite and most popular resources for a particular topic. This week: Plate Tectonics for year 9 students studying Earth and Space Science. Australian Curriculum Codes: ACSSU180 Year 9: "The theory of … Continued


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Richard Wallis left Talis (my former employer) last month, and has set up as a consultant at DataLiberate. In this short podcast, Richard shares some of his thoughts on data, semantics, and 'the power of the link.'
Our conversation is also an excuse for an experiment. I have been producing audio-only podcasts here and elsewhere for a number of years, but have always tended to avoid producing video. It's more effort, it requires more bandwidth at both ends of the conversation, and I've never really been convinced that it adds very much to a conversation between two people. Anecdotal evidence would also suggest that my current podcasts are consumed in environments where video would not work; washing dishes, walking dogs, and sitting on buses.
However, rather than just continue to presume that my biases are correct, I've decided to give video a try. Richard kindly agreed to participate, and the result is available on YouTube and embedded here.
An audio-only version is also available for download if you prefer. The introductory remarks in this version are slightly different to those on the video, as they come straight from the original conversation.
It's perhaps unfair to draw too many conclusions from this first attempt, but a few things are immediately apparent. The whole process takes an awful lot longer. The files are larger, so processing and uploading times increase 2-3 fold. Uploading a separate audio file also takes a bit of time. Simply dumping the Skype recording into iMovie worked just fine… but I've (so far) not managed to find any way to balance the audio levels. Garageband lets me do this with my audio-only podcasts, but iMovie doesn't seem to, so Richard's side of the conversation comes across as quite a bit louder than mine.
Having done one, I'm still not convinced that the video adds anything to the conversation. But what do you think? If you've listened to any of my podcasts, please take a moment to complete the short survey over at SurveyMonkey. Your responses will help me to decide where to go next.
Many thanks.