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In Georgia, a major film, music, or movie industry announcement arrives almost on a weekly basis. The monetary figures bounced around in the media are in the millions for plans for the latest studio, new movie shoot, or sound stage expansion.
Yet in the middle of these proclamations is a voice at Clayton State University who is calling for, "education and a well-thought out approach for both individuals and corporations looking to ride the wave of this burgeoning industry." The voice is urging planning and preparation. The voice is one of experience, honed on a national stage while interacting with internationally known superstars.
That voice is Stanley Johnson.
At one time, Stanley received double platinum sales recognition for his vocal appearances on albums, "Wild and Peaceful," as well as, "Love and Understanding," with the group Kool and the Gang. Led by Robert "Kool" Bell, Kool and the Gang brought its style of jazz, pop, and deep funk music to the audiences of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The group would eventually sell more than 70 million albums worldwide and be immortalized in several movie soundtracks including the cult classic Pulp Fiction, and the 1976 Picture of the Year, Rocky.
For a young man who was still shy of his 17th birthday, his work in that environment became an invaluable education of the entertainment industry. That is why today, Stanley Johnson can speak so eloquently about the good and the bad, the wondrous and the scandalous, and the need to train a generation of young people who understand the numerous sides of the spotlight that is ascending upon the state.
"The buzzwords today are… `Atlanta, the Hollywood of the South.' However, to be truly successful, we need to convince the industry leaders that we have knowledgeable executives," Stanley says. "We desperately need, not only creative, talented people, but also individuals who are trained, educated, and equipped but to be the executives, the attorneys, the mentors, and the creative geniuses who position talent for the best possible, long-term outcomes. Only then will we be truly successful in this new environment."
Today, as a multi-media specialist, Johnson is CEO/Owner of Diamond Light Entertainment, Inc., based in Atlanta. Johnson's firm is a powerful communications company, "that combines the latest emerging technologies in television, film, music and the internet, with an abiding faith in God."
The scope and number of Johnson's projects are as varied as his background, including a book he authored on the time he spent with Joseph Jackson, father of the legendary Jackson 5 family, and Johnson's successful efforts to become the first African American television producer to create a golf series that was featured worldwide on the Golf Channel. A successful writer, entrepreneur, radio personality and evangelist; Johnson has produced numerous documentaries and has served as the Director of Communications and Training at the Atlanta Broadcast Institute in Norcross, Ga.
Today, Johnson's energy is derived from, "working with students, giving back to young people, reaching back and putting others first… just like my mother did with me.
"Teaching is my joy, my pleasure. Young people need so much help. My past might be the hook that draws an initial reaction, but focusing our attention on the generation ahead, and the fact that dreams are possible, goals are attainable, if you have the education you need to be successful… that is what holds their attention."
Johnson is the director of Digital Music, Video Production and Entertainment Business Certificate Program and Continuing Education instructor at Clayton State University. For a man that has performed in Central Park, New York City's Copacabana, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater, Johnson reports it is important to him that his legacy be, "motivating, encouraging, and educating people. That is my purpose. That is why I have been placed here."
Clayton State University officials are reveling in the fact that Johnson, and his impressive industry past, has brought his talents to the University's Morrow campus.
"We are very fortunate to have Stanley Johnson as part of Clayton State's talented continuing education instructors," explains Barton Bond, director of the Film and Digital Media Center at Clayton State. "Obviously he brings a unique perspective and unmatched experiences to the classroom. However, his passion and energy are what students identify with the most. Stanley offers great value to our program."
Working with students, "some who never thought of stepping a foot on a college campus before they became involved in our program," are Johnson's favorite audience today.
"Once you capture a student's attention, they will listen, and you can direct them," he says. "I have been fortunate to have parents and young people alike tell me that my course at Clayton State was the most positive influence they have ever experienced. However that inspiring word about my teaching… my guidance… that is what I will remember the most."
Johnson says he is constantly teaching his students about the hazards of being cautious.
"You cannot wait until you have it all together before you start," Johnson states. "I started very young in the industry, long before I really knew much except that music is a universal language. However, you cannot go it alone. You have to seek guidance and partnerships. Hold your head up, walk tall, all things are possible… to me, these aspects are as important as the many entrepreneur lessons that are involved in my instruction."
Television, radio, music, film, and multi-media arts are all parts of Johnson impressive resume. Yet, his instruction is not based in the clouds with unrealistic agendas.
"Yes, we discuss publishing, royalties, agents, and media relations, but we also look at what you can utilize to make a professional appearance on a very small budget," Johnson says. "Your final digital product does not have to be created on the newest software, the most expensive instruments. All the final product has to be is something you are proud of, something you want to share with others."
Johnson also has two widely known cousins that have made their mark in the National Basketball Association. Seven-time NBA All-Star Tracey McGrady and Vince Carter of University of North Carolina and Toronto Raptor fame are part of Stanley's extended family. Johnson is quick to point out that lessons he teaches at Clayton State reach beyond the scope of the entertainment and athletic worlds.
"Whether it is the entertainment business, the world of professional athletics, or any other professional field, to be successful you have to have a mentor, someone who can guide you, someone who can give you an honest assessment of your strengths and talents," Johnson comments. "That does not mean the mentor always says that it is green grass and roses. However, my students respect me and they appreciate the roads that I have travelled. Those experiences have allowed me the opportunity to secure numerous internships, many professional positions for my students… but more importantly, my past has allowed me to serve as a mentor."
The ultimate outcome is what keeps Johnson coming back to Clayton State while navigating his numerous other projects including a nonprofit foundation established in 2007 that serves as youth and adult training program. In December 2013, Johnson was recognized as an Outstanding Community Partner to the Atlanta Regional Workforce Board for giving youth opportunities to learn career skills and expand their academic, social, and civic achievements.
"When my students walk across the Spivey Hall stage upon completion of the program, it is all hugs and smiles. There are no handshakes there," Johnson says. "That is what it is all about for me!"


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Posts Tagged 'Christopher Hitchens'
Morning Catholic must-reads
Cardinal Seán Brady has said he accepts an opinion poll which found that 76 per cent of Irish adults believe that he should resign from office.
Catholic employees at a Chinese factory making iPhones have accused the Church of failing to support migrant workers following a string of suicides since January.
Benedict XVI has urged future diplomats of the Holy See to be distinguished by their full adhesion to the Pope and the Magisterium (video).
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago is reportedly planning to lead a delegation to Cuba.
President Barack Obama has praised Sister Carol Keehan for her support in passing health care reform.
A video of the Christopher Hitchens-John Haldane debate in Oxford on the public role of religion is now online.
David Clohessy, executive director of SNAP, explains why he doesn't accept the Pope's latest apology for clerical abuse. Mathew Schmalz, a professor at the College of the Holy Cross, offers a different point of view.
Deacon Greg Kandra asks whether Hyundai is mocking the Catholic Church.
And Sherry Weddell discusses the rise of "socially Catholic" Protestants.
Morning Catholic must-reads
The Foreign Office has ordered members of its papal visit team to undergo "urgent diversity training" following the leaking of a memo mocking the Pope.
Catherine Pepinster explains the background to the Foreign Office fiasco.
Andrew Brown, Neil Addison and Rob Vischer react to the Macfarlane ruling on religious discrimination. Simon Sarmiento has more reaction.
A 73-year-old priest has been killed in India.
The French Catholic Church is seeking candidates for priesthood on Facebook.
Philip Jenkins considers how the abuse crisis will change the Catholic Church.
Fr Raymond de Souza goes another round with Christopher Hitchens.
The Economist tours the Vatican Secret Archives.
Professor Eamon Duffy tries to define Anglican patrimony at a conference on Anglicanorum coetibus.
Joanna Bogle hails the new English translation of the Mass.
Matthew Archbold says ultrasounds will prove to be "the Rosa Parks of abortion".
And the Church has finally done something to make Andrew Sullivan proud.
Morning Catholic must-reads
The Sunday Telegraph's report on the Foreign Office memo suggesting the Pope should open an abortion clinic during his visit to Britain has prompted comment from James Macintyre, Damian Thompson, Harry Mount, Melanie McDonagh, Catherine Pepinster, George Pitcher, Tim Collard, Fr Dwight Longenecker, Gerald Warner, Ruth Gledhill, Mary Beard, Cranmer, William Crawley, Tony Brenton, Giles Pinnock, Joanna Bogle, Fr Timothy Finigan and Fr John Hunwicke SSC.
The Independent reports that Pope Benedict will make "the first general apology" for clerical abuse when he meets thousands of priests from around the world at the end of the Year for Priests.
The Pope has praised the Meter Association, the group founded by Fr Fortunato Di Noto to combat paedophilia.
Benedict XVI will create a Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, to be led by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, reports John Allen.
The internet has led to increased conformity and "the decline of critical spirit", Pope Benedict has said (video).
Iraqi Christians have defied threats to erect a statue of Jesus modelled on the giant Christ the Redeemer in Rio.
An Italian group has accused Mgr Charles Scicluna of mishandling the case of an alleged clerical abuser.
A retired priest has said he warned Church authorities that Belgium's longest-serving bishop was an abuser years before he resigned.
Clark Hoyt, the public editor of the New York Times, responds to criticism of the paper's coverage of the Pope and the abuse crisis.
Christopher Hitchens provides an update on his campaign to arrest the Pope.
Historian Anthony Grafton says Pope Benedict is awaiting the St "Francis or the Angela Merici of our time".
Joseph Bottum reflects on "the permanent scandal of the Vatican".
Mark Lawson says the Pope and Catholicism "have become the evil force of choice" for novelists.
A new documentary traces the last days of Oscar Romero.
Marco Tossati discusses his controversial book-length interview with the exorcist Fr Gabriele Amorth.
And a Colombian cleric has won an international prize for the best "priestly anecdote" with the story of how he heard the Devil's confession.
Morning Catholic must-reads
In an oblique response to the abuse crisis, Pope Benedict has announced that he will dedicate his Easter weekly general audiences to the priesthood (video).
The Vatican confirmed yesterday that Fr Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Solidarity priest and martyr, will be beatified on June 6 in Marshal J Pilsudski Square in Warsaw.
Mexico City churches have reported a surge in Mass-goers during Holy Week.
Ross Douthat goes another round with Christopher Hitchens over the Pope and the abuse scandal.
Fr Joseph Fessio SJ defends the future Pope's handling of the Kiesle case (video).
Paolo Rodari reports that the Vatican's English Twitter feed is far more popular than those of other languages.
Thinking Faith salutes Robert Parsons, "the exemplar of the sinister Jesuit of popular imagination", who died 400 years ago today.
Rod Dreher wonders if our minds are hard-wired for God.
Rob Vischer asks why senior Church officials are so gaffe-prone.
Andrew Sullivan suggests that new Catholic churches should look like Apple stores.
Catholic blogger Mark Shea wonders if the internet is making our manners coarser.
And, in response to the "12 evilest Pope pictures" meme, Anna Arco presents the "12 sweetest Pope pictures". E D Kain applauds.
Morning Catholic must-reads
SSPX bishop Richard Williamson will not be present at his trial in Germany on Friday for denying the Holocaust.
A senior Maltese archbishop met victims of clerical abuse yesterday ahead of the Pope's visit on Saturday.
A Swedish bishop has asked abuse victims for forgiveness following two reports of abuse perpetrated by priests.
Christopher Hitchens discloses that his campaign to put the Pope on trial will begin at the International Criminal Court (video).
An American priest who appealed from the pulpit for the Pope to resign is at the centre of a media frenzy.
Anthony Flew, the philosopher famous for his atheism who late in life concluded that there was a God, has died aged 87.
Fr James Martin SJ says Cardinal Bertone was wrong to link homosexuality and paedophilia.
Patrick Madrid reflects on the Intelligence Squared debacle
Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid has some useful advice for defenders of the Church in the wake of the Intelligence Squared debate.

subset: commoncrawl


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Students will soon be able to rent textbooks through Amazon
Amazon is currently beginning a new program that will see students having the option of renting a textbook through the company, versus having to purchase them outright. Amazon's new textbook rental program would allow students to save up to 70% from the normal cost of the textbook.
Amazon already provides t-textbook rentals, but this new program would fix the lack of a sizeable Amazon presence in the physical textbook sector. The service would see students use Amazon's site to find needed texts within their ISBNs. Students that have already registered with Amazon Student would be eligible for free two-day shipping, where other students would have their books shipped by Amazon's usual standard rates and delivery times.
The textbook rentals would be for 130 days, with an automatic 15-day extension period if the book isn't received on time. After this 15-day extension, Amazon will then charge the student for the purchase of the book outright, minus any rental and extension fees. Amazon goes as far as allowing students to write and highlight in their rented books, but Amazon asks that they keep these additions to a minimum in order to prolong the usability of the text.


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Triple Bar Existing Sites Assessment Only
This On-line Assessment Only option is provided for Learners who have completed the TBES training b...
This On-line Assessment Only option is provided for Learners who have completed the TBES training by tutor led classroom delivery at a National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) High Quality Provider. If you have not completed the TBES training it is recommended that you firstly complete the training before attempting this Assessment. The TBES is a three bar course introducing the requirement for compliance, nuclear awareness and industry behaviours for safe working in the nuclear industry. The TBES plays a fundamental part in making everyone working in the nuclear industry aware of the impact that their actions have and that they have a role to help ensure we have, maintain and grow a 'UK nuclear industry' for safe and continued operations.
Created: February 15, 2016
Last modified:
Type: topics course
Exam: No
Certificate: Yes
Price: 120.00 GBP GBP (excl VAT)
Students: 340


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Labor Day: "Come, Labor On," we sang in church yesterday, (Episcopal Hymnal, #541) that ponderous Victorian hymn that my husband has aptly dubbed "the workaholic's anthem." Heavy on the Protestant Work ethic for sure -- but also good for this "back to work" season in the rhythm of academic life. It's a little corny to choose it for Labor Day, but I'm always glad when worship leaders do. "Come, Labor on," the best verse goes, "away with gloomy doubts and faithless fear/ No arm so weak but may do service here. By feeblest agents doth our God fulfill/His righteous will" (It's been changed to "may our God fulfill" in the 1982 hymnal, but I grew up with the "doth" in original version's declaration: God DOES use us. There's no "may" about it. Our work has meaning, if we attend in a spirit of discernment. And so getting back to the more the public side of my work is bathed in prayer for me. Quiet, practical prayer.
I am glad to be in a place in life where quite often, my work is my worship, even when its content is not at all explicitly spiritual. I've been praying my "to do" lists in my journals these last couple of days, not in a frenzied way, but just as a way to shift into the rhythm of a new time of year. Having this hymn turn up on the menu the Sunday of Labor Day weekend is part of that rhythm -- it happens quite often, in our liturgical tradition. I welcome the choice: it marks a season for me.
My contemplative side resists the lack of "sabbath" at the end of the hymn ("No time for rest, 'til glows the western sky") but I like it that the hymn tune is called "ora, labora:" Pray and work: Our work is our prayer. For me that's a reminder that all of the work I do has a creative dimension -- from the quite practical pedestrian writing I'm doing for some neighborhood political activism, to the talk I'm giving at a church next week, on "Literature and the Christian Life," to putting together a syllabus (at this time of year, one of my favorite art forms)for the class I will meet on Wednesday, to plugging appointments and meetings with colleagues into the calendar - another art form, rightly seen.
This year the semester starts right after Labor Day, so today, the first of September, does mark the turning from the summer to fall, even though there's another month - probably six weeks - when the garden will still be growing, and I've got chrysanthemums now in pots on the patio. There are projects that got done and projects that didn't in what seemed like such a luxurious expanse of time three months ago. Some things have borne fruit and some have not. Gardening has been great in process, but most of the tomatoes were lost to chipmunks or bacterial spot. I spent a lovely 2 hours late this afternoon pulling out weeds that I should have gotten to weeks ago - but it was better after a recent rain, and a few fall garden projects will still beckon, excuses to be outside when the weather cools - after the hurricane season! But it will be harder to get to them as other demands close in. Today I savored the hours I was able to just be outdoors on a beautiful late summer late afternoon, listening to the crickets as I worked.
Some stuff got done and some didn't. Some cupboards and closets got cleaned as planned, but a lot are still a jumble -- my office space is still cluttered and confused: getting to that will be part of my starting-up ritual this week. I finished some pieces of writing, had some rejected, others tentatively invited, and there are a few I still haven't finished. Two book reviews remain to be written. But I have a new "to do" list, and a new folder for each class, and a bookbag with only the books I need for class and no additinal papers & clutter. Yet. It's all beginning again.
I do grow a little wistful at this time of year, with my children grown and gone. It was exciting, each September, sharing with them the new teachers, new situations, new rites of passage, and in September so much seemed possible and new. And I miss that. And them. That sense of "Who are they now? How will they change and grow before my eyes this year? There's that sense of "new beginning" that the beginning of the school year always brings, and I still get it as a teacher, sharing the experience with my students. I am so grateful for this part of the academic year's rhythm: this yearly return to the sense that all kinds of new things are possible, and it is time to begin again. Busy-ness, to-do lists, a little overwhelming but also welcome as a new shapefor this time of life. I am refreshed and ready. I guess that means I've used the summer sabbath-time well.
Come, Labor on!
A poet , teacher and spiritual director currently based at two theological seminaries, I value the contemplative and "prophetic" dimensions of life. , I use this blog to post thoughts on poetry, spirituality, theology and connections between a thoughtful, prayerful and committed Christian faith and daily living in this challenging world.
About Me
- Kathleen Henderson Staudt
- I work as a teacher, poet and spiritual director at a number of institutions in the DC area. My teaching focuses in various ways on writing, poetry, Spirituality and Christian vocation and ministry - especially from the point of view of the laity. I also offer classes and retreats encouraging people to explore their inner lives, engage their creativity and reflect on their beliefs about God, vocation, and how we can discern and pursue new ways to transform our broken world. I enjoy speaking of faith in the secular academy as well as reminding those preparing for ministry in the Church that our primary purpose is to love and serve the world beyond the church's doors. I love helping people to grow in faith and to find their own voices, and I also love encouraging them to use their minds. I see no contradiction between these impulses, believing as I do that faith, reason and creativity work together.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Ora, Labora
Posted by Kathleen Henderson Staudt at 8:48 PM
Labels: Church, Creativity, discernment, Spiritual Life, vocation
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text: Thanks to everyone who added to the enjoyment of my short stay on the 100th Meridian today! Great to talk to everyone and icing on the cake to provide new grids for several. I'll try to get cards made up and sent out before too long. No SASEs or return cards are necessary. 73....ted....aa5ck


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This website is no longer being updated, but all our publications and documents are still available to read.
Please visit our own websites for up-to-date news about our science education policy activities.
Association for Science Education
Institute of Physics
Royal Society
Royal Society of Biology
Royal Society of Chemistry
Friday 11 February 2011
The 2011 SCORE annual conference provided a range
of perspectives of assessment in science at 14-19 and explored the
challenges the community currently faces. It offered
delegates the opportunity to discuss the purposes
of assessment, comparability issues and
maintaining standards.
Speakers included Professor Jonathon Osborne (Stanford
University), Kate Bellingham (National STEM Careers Coordinator),
Professor Robert Coe (Curriculum, Education and Management
Centre), Ros Roberts (Durham University), Tim Oates (Cambridge
Assessment) and Dr Janet Brown (Scottish Qualifications
Presentations and the conference summary report
are available to download.
2011 SCORE Annual Conference
summary report
Invitation to attend
the SCORE 2011 Annual Conference
Speaker biographies
Why assessment
matters? - Professor Jonathan Osborne
Grading severity in
science assessment - Professor Robert Coe
Practical Work 14-19:What
do we want and can we assess it? - Ros Roberts
SCORE: Assessment and
qualifications - Dr Rosalind Mist
The apparent rise and fall
of standards in science assessment - Tim Oates


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This tiny woodland home shimmers in the wintry landscape of Ontario, Canada. Located near the Kawartha Lakes, the small, 700-square foot cabin was designed by Canadian architecture studio UUfie as a living and dining room extension to a larger family house. Envisioned as a reinterpreted tree house, the 'Lake Cottage' is wrapped a series of mirrored panels to create the illusion of a dwelling "containing the forest inside."
To create an energy efficient cabin, UUfie designed Lake Cottage with locally sourced materials and sustainable construction principles. In the central living room, the architects installed a wood-burning fireplace to generate warmth throughout the cabin, kept insulated by thick walls. Large windows and skylights flood the house with natural light and provide natural ventilation. The use of untreated timber features prominently throughout the dwelling, alluding to the outdoor landscape.
A steeply pitched roof constructed of black steel caps the two-story cabin, making the structure pop in the white landscape. The gable walls to each side are covered in black cedar planking that has been charred to protect it from termites and fire. The steep, 23-foot high roof cantilevers over a protected outdoor terrace below, that features a series of beautiful tree rounds stamped into the floor.
Inside, the architects bring the sensation of nature indoors with the use of large, strategically placed windows and delicate detailing. The interior walls are washed in white and punctuated by untreated timber panels adding warmth and color. A staircase carved from a single log ascends to a cozy loft to face a wall covered in light blue, fish-scaled shingles.
Via Dezeen
Images via Naho Kubota


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Nuovo which means "new" in italian, is the newest building from Domicile heading to Little Italy. Following on the success of Hom on Champange street, Nuovo will be a 127 unit building located at Rochester and Pamilla Street.
Currently 20% sold out, Domicile is looking at starting to dig march 2015 with occupancy late 2016 or early 2017. The smaller suites or pied a terre's 300-400sqft which are located on the lowest floors are currently getting revamped. Ottawa's favourite italian grocery, La Bottega Nicastro is set to open their second location in the ground floor of Nuovo, needed extra commercial space in the building, and Domicile gladly changed the layout of the building to accommodate. Pricing for these units is unknown right now, but will know more once the units are re-launched.
There is a great mix of units currently for sale still in the building, starting from a 609sqft one bedroom on the 4th floor, for $261,400, to a 1151sqft two bedroom plus den on the 4th floor, for $471,000.
Building Details:
- Non-smoking project, which means smoking is prohibited in all suites and anywhere else on the property.
- Two guest suites, fitness and yoga center, wireless internet throughout common areas, all season rooftop lounge, outdoor rooftop terrace and outdoor pool, indoor bicycle storage/repair/air station, pet wash station, and car wash station.
- Conduit and junction box network in the underground parking levels to assist the condominium corporation should it wish to provide a means of charging electric vehicles for residents in the future
- Granite and quartz counters in all units - standard, not an upgrade.
- USB combination receptacle in the kitchen area
- Gas BBQ line on the balcony (an upgrade), gas stove line is included
Sales Details:
- Parking $33,500, some premium spots are more
- Occupancy late 2016 early 2017
- Condo fees $0.42sqft plus $30 per parking spot
- Currently offering 2.5% off purchase prices (up to first 60 buyers)
- 15% deposit - $5,000 on signing, remainder to 5% in 30days, 5% in 90 days, 5% March 15th 2015 (only if construction has started)
Are you looking for more information about Nuovo condos or pre-construction condos? Fill out the form below, I would love to help!
Written by Matt Richling.
Matt is a licensed salesperson at RE/MAX Metro City Realty in Ottawa, Canada. Matt loves helping sellers and buyers find the perfect home or condo that fits their lifestyle.


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Dramaturgie im zeitgenössischen Tanz ist ? positiv gemeint ? ein heißes Eisen. Idealerweise sind Dramaturginnen und Dramaturgen während der Erarbeitung eines Stücks die besten Freunde der Choreografen. more
Prospect | Outlook India | The New Yorker | Eurozine | The New York Review of Books | Salon.com | Elet es Irodalom | Newsweek | Slate | Magyar Narancs | The New York Times
Prospect 20.10.2010 (UK)
In an instructive, critical but not culturally pessimistic article, Tom Chatfield considers the structural changes heralded by the digitalisation of the book market. He talks to a number of authors and explains why genre literature has emerged triumphant from the tumult and why this is unlikely to change any time soon. He also explains why the principles of the publishing industry are about to be turned on their head: "It has long been a truth of publishing that - much as in movies - a small number of hits generate the bulk of revenues, allowing producers to take a punt on future productions. What, though, if there were no longer any need to gamble on success? Book publishing is based on the principle that publishers control access to a scarce, precious resource - print. But digital media models, where the costs of publication and reproduction are almost nothing, tend to function the other way around: material is first published, then the selection process begins among readers themselves. For all the weight attached to traditional models of discernment, it's hard not to see a logic that's already well-established in other fields gaining ground: put as much material as you can in front of an audience, and let them do the selecting for you. Then - when your best hope of a hit appears - maximise it relentlessly."
Outlook India 01.11.2010 (India)
Outlook dedicates its 15th birthday issue to the press. In an interview, Noam Chomsky explains why he has nothing but disdain for the press. It serves only to dull the will of the people: "That clearly is its goal, in fact its stated goal. Back in the 1920s, it used to be frankly called propaganda. But the word acquired a bad flavour with Nazism in the 1930s. So now, it's not called propaganda any more. But they were right in the 1920s. The huge public relations industry, for example, has its goal to control attitudes and beliefs. Liberal commentators, like Walter Lippmann, said we have to manufacture consent and keep the rabble away from the decision-making. We are the responsible men, we have to make decisions and we have to be protected - and I quote Lippmann - 'from the trampling under the rage of the bewildered herd - the public'. In the democratic process, we are the participants, they watch. And the task of intellectuals, media and so on is to make sure that they are quiet, subdued and obedient. That is the view from the liberal end of the spectrum."
Sumir Lal describes the decline of the Indian papers since the mid-1980s: today they sell advertising space to commercial clients, not news to readers. According to Lal, the media mogul Ravi Dhariwal (Times of India) bears much of the responsibility for this downward turn and if you read this interview with the man, that claim doesn't sound unreasonable. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta complains that corruption has been institutionalised in the Indian media: TV and newspapers are paid to spread information packaged as 'news', but which serves the interests of individuals, corporations and politicians instead. Shashi Tharoor would like to read more about politics and less about love affairs. Perhaps the media should take a leaf out of the film industry's book, Amrita Shah suggests. Roy Greenslade is convinced that the future of journalism is online, because that is where it is redefining itself.
The New Yorker 01.11.2010 (USA)
Should the USA be ducking and covering in preparation for a cyber war? Seymour M. Hersh assesses the potential scale of the online threat. Fears are often exaggerated, and are often based on "fundamental confusion between cyber espionage and cyber war, "Hersh says." The most common cyber-war scare scenarios involve America's electrical grid. Even the most vigorous privacy advocate would not dispute the need to improve the safety of the power infrastructure, but there is no documented case of an electrical shutdown forced by a cyber attack. And the cartoonish view that a hacker pressing a button could cause the lights to go out across the country is simply wrong. There is no national power grid in the United States. There are more than a hundred publicly and privately owned power companies that operate their own lines, with separate computer systems and separate security arrangements."
There is a review of the book "Overhaul" about the investor and advisor to the US finance minister for the automotive industry Steven Rattner, who describes how General Motors was brought back from the dead.
Eurozine 18.10.2010 (Austria)
The Belgians are a famously divided bunch. But every last one of them voted against the burqa in the Belgian parliament - a fact that raised the suspicions of Paul Doumouchel, in his left-leaning Catholic magazine Esprit. Eurozine republished his article: "The Assemblee nationale also voted unanimously for the ban on the full-body veil on May 11. Normally it is impossible to get politicians to agree on anything. Only in times of deep crisis do they caste their differences aside. Which is why is it so amusing that Western democracies are now joining forces in a union sacree to fend off a danger that threatens the whole of Europe... a few women in veils! Well, it would be funny if it weren't so disturbing."
The New York Review of Books 11.11.2010 (USA)
Historian Anne Applebaum respectfully reviews Timothy Snyder's book "Bloodlands" about the mass killings in Eastern Europe under Hitler and Stalin. IN fact, 'genocide' would be the appropriate terminology in both cases, she concludes, after reading Norman M. Naimark's book "Stalin's Genocides". "Until recently, it was politically incorrect in the West to admit that we defeated one genocidal dictator with the help of another. Only now, with the publication of so much material from Soviet and Central European archives, has the extent of the Soviet Union's mass murders become better known in the West. In recent years, some in the former Soviet sphere of influence - most notably in the Baltic states and Ukraine - have begun to use the word 'genocide' in legal documents to describe the Soviet Union's mass killings too. Naimark's short book is a polemical contribution to this debate. Though he acknowledges the dubious political history of the UN convention, he goes on to argue that even under the current definition, Stalin's attack on the kulaks and on the Ukrainian peasants should count as genocide. So should Stalin's targeted campaigns against particular ethnic groups."
Billionaire Georges Soros calls upon the US government to implement a giant stimulus package - a dirty word for Republicans - to boost not consumption but investment: "A large majority of the population is convinced that the government is incapable of efficiently managing investments. Again, this belief is not without justification: a quarter of a century of calling the government bad has resulted in bad government. But the claim that government spending is inevitably wasted is patently false."
Further articles: Diane Ravitch was singularly unimpressed by Davis Guggenheim's documentary: "Waiting for Superman", which tells the story of five pupils who are desperate to leave their public schools in favour of semi-private Charter Schools. Cathlee Schine sings the praises of Jenniger Egan's novel "A Visit from the Goon Squad". Jonathan Mirsky expresses his respect for Liu Xiaobo. And Daniel Mendelsohn reads Oscar Wilde.
Salon.com 24.10.2010 (USA)
Laura Miller was riveted by a book about West African witch camps. Just in case you're thinking this is some special interest marginal issue: Ghana's Gambaga camp alone is home to 3,000 women who were forced to flee their homes after being accused of witchcraft. In the course of her research, Canadian journalist Karen Palmer found out that the belief in witchcraft often has very tangible grounds. Witch camps are the "result of a destabilized tribal society on the lookout for scapegoats. 'In an African setting,' one of her guides tells her, 'any mishap - anything that happens - should have a cause.' Illness, natural disasters, accidents - all of these are likely to be blamed on a village's most vulnerable members: Women past childbearing age without sufficiently influential male relatives. Other targets include women with abrasive and uppity personalities, or 'tall poppies'; one accused witch Palmer interviewed had parlayed her good business sense into a modest fortune that aroused the jealousy of other small-time merchants. When she became a moneylender and made herself disagreeable by trying to collect from her debtors, her fate was sealed."
Elet es Irodalom 22.10.2010 (Hungary)
The journalist Benedek Varkonyi remembers the late Tony Judt as an historian who knew that history was very much part of everyday life. Judt knew that the past is not dead but lives on in every moment of the present. He lived at the interface of a closed past and a living world â that neuralgic point so many historians are unwilling to confront: "Today, after the long debates about history, we know that there is no such thing as 'one past'. No part of the world is closed, it is in constant flux. ... He is an historian for whom the past exists to illuminate the present. If there were such a thing as a philosophical quintessence of his passionate and far-reaching work, it would be the question of what history reveals about the present."
Newsweek 24.10.2010 (USA)
Digg.com, one of the USA's most successful websites, has been haemorrhaging readers over the past year (18 million unique visitors down to 5.3 million) and value too (from 130 to 30 million dollars) Daniel Lyons tries to get to the bottom of the problem. Could it be losing out to Twitter? But at Digg, people vote on articles; at Twitter they pass them on. These, one would think, are two different things: "But this is how disruption happens in tech. It's hardly ever about direct competition. Rather, something comes out of left field and provides a new way to do something. There have been plenty of Digg clones, but none of them ever hurt Digg very much. And nobody could have predicted that Twitter would take the place of Digg - not even the guys who created Twitter. And, if history is a guide, Twitter itself will be disrupted by something equally impossible to predict. This is why Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said at a conference a few months ago that 'the biggest competitor for us is someone we haven't heard of.'"
Slate 21.10.2010 (USA)
Axes are falling fast in France and Britain. The British are showing plenty of stiff upper lip and the French have taken to the barricades (as shown over at the Big Picture). Why are these two nations such caricatures of themselves, Anne Applebaum asks in Slate: The answer, she says, lies in historical experience: "The British, unlike Americans, have positive memories of wartime austerity and even rationing. More recently, Margaret Thatcher's 1981 budget cuts heralded real reforms in Britain and, eventually, a period of growth and prosperity. It is not unreasonable to imagine that these cuts will do the same. The French fondness for strikes is based on real experience, too. Strikes, riots, and street demonstrations led to real political changes, not only in 1789 but in 1871, 1958, and many other times, as well. Although they started over what seemed like trivial issues, the famous strikes of 1968 heralded real reforms in France and, eventually, a period of growth and prosperity." The question remains as to whether current problems can be solved by repeating historyâ¦
Magyar Narancs 14.10.2010 (Hungary)
In the ongoing debate about Islam, the Hungarian Islamic scholar Robert Manyasz asks whether the statistics point more in the direction of a European Islam or an Islamic Europe. "The reason for people's perplexity when it comes to the challenge of Islam is that we almost always look for the answer in Europe. In truth, the problem is much a bigger, global one: the universal crisis of Islam. The problem is that for the past 200 years, Islam has refused to modernise and has no idea of how to face the challenges of globalisation. [...] The failure to modernise could have cataclysmic consequences for Middle Eastern societies, resulting in further waves of migration on an unprecedented scale. Then the pessimists could find themselves being proved right sooner than later and Europe will be Islamised. It is therefore very much in Europe's long-term interest to ensure that Muslim societies are modernised in situ, but this is hardly going to take place through uncritical export of liberal European democracy."
The New York Times 24.10.2010 (USA)
In a portrait of the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Daniel Bergner also recounts a little-known chapter of the history of Liberia, which was founded by "free American blacks" in 1847. Unfortunately they more or less replicated the culture they had left behind and ended up suppressing the indigenous population. Strands of the violence which regularly erupts in the military coups that have brought the country to its knees, still stem from the rift between the "indigenous people" and the "Americo-Liberians". Samuel Doe, who came to power in a 1980 bloody coup and promptly disemboweled the president and executed 13 government ministers, was the first indigenous leader: "Since the early years of the republic, the poor have often sent their sons and daughters to live with the better off, to serve them in return for the promise of schooling and the hope of other opportunities. In this way, indigenous children have cleaned the homes and cooked the meals of the settler class. They have belonged, more or less, to their warder families, as something between slaves and foster children; they have generally been given their warders' last names. Over generations, the tradition hasn't eradicated distinctions of blood and status - the schooling provided can be meager and the chance for advancement minimal - but it has blurred the lines. And in Sirleaf's case, it eliminated them."
Further articles: Elizabeth Rubin sends reportage about the ever grim situation for women in Afghanistan.


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LAWRENCE — Perry Ellis caught the ball, squared up his defender and made a 16-foot jump shot.
There was no eruption from Allen Fieldhouse like when Andrew Wiggins breathes. The crowd politely applauded a play they've come to expect from Ellis. The play wasn't flashy — it was just good.
Sure, the shot looked plain, but a mid-range jumper isn't necessarily routine for a 6-foot-8 power forward. Scoring, however, is for Ellis, who once again led the Jayhawks with 21 points in their 86-66 win against Iona.
"He's been our most consistent guy without question," coach Bill Self said. "When some of our freshmen have been up and down, (he's) been kind of the rock for us."
Self said Ellis' play was particularly important early, as the Gaels held a small lead over the Jayhawks for most of the game's first 10 minutes.
"Perry kept us in it early when maybe they could've gotten a little separation," Self said.
Ellis' 21 weren't so spectacular. Sure, he wasn't Frank Mason — a 5-10 point guard who finished an alley-oop with thunder. And he wasn't Joel Embiid, who dazzled KU fans with a breakout performance.
He was just Perry Ellis, who went 9-for-11 from the floor, didn't commit one turnover and grabbed seven rebounds.
Keep in mind, this is the same Ellis who averaged 5.8 points and 13.6 minutes last season. Yes, it was only one year ago that he was struggling in these first few games for KU, well before his play considerably improved at season's end. Fast forward one season and Ellis, coming off a 24-point performance against Duke, backed it up with another impressive offensive effort against Iona.
"I feel a lot more confident," Ellis said. "Just trusting myself now and trusting the system."
There was some flash, however, from Ellis' performance.
On a play in the second half, Wiggins stole the ball and waited patiently for more Jayhawks to arrive before attacking the basket. Wiggins then whipped a pass to Ellis, who caught the ball at the baseline a few feet from the basket. He then moved under the basket and flipped the ball high off the backboard and in. The reverse layup gave KU a 58-47 lead.
KU's quiet leader was also one of the Jayhawks' top weapons against Iona's zone defense.
Mason said the key to beating a zone defense is to get the ball in the middle of the floor. The Jayhawks would often get the ball to the top of the key for Ellis, who can put the ball on the floor and attack a weak spot of the zone.
"Perry is the perfect asset to that," Mason said. "He can knock down the mid-range shot constantly, and he can go to the cup."
Ellis certainly doesn't have the expectations or the hype that comes with many of the KU freshmen to start the year, but once again the Jayhawks were able to rely on his consistent scoring presence.
"I expected that Perry could be our leading scorer without question," Self said. "I've thought that all along."


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Pike O'Blisco, Cold Pike, Little Stand & Crinkle Crags - Tuesday 25 October 2016
Time Taken
Total Ascent
Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (ODG) - Wall End - Pike O'Blisco - Red Tarn - Cold Pike - Cold Pike West Top - Cold Pike Far West Top - Little Stand - Crinkle Crags - Three Tarns - The Band - Stool End - ODG
ODG Hotel, Langdale, £3 all day (Pay in Hotel) - Grid Ref NY285060
10 miles
Very good paths apart from the pathless ascent of Cold Pike and an intermittent path from Little Stand to the foot of the first Crinkle on Crinkle Crags. Care should be taken on some of the ascents & descents on Crinkle Crags.
Crisp, clear day with excellent visibility. Became overcast on top of Crinkle Crags and remained that way.
4251ft (1296m)
OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)
Walk Description
Back in Langdale again which is always good. Today we were off up to Pike O'Blisco, the 3 summits on Cold Pike, Little Stand & Crinkle Crags. We would also see how we felt when arriving at Three Tarns and possibly nip up and down Bowfell before returning to Langdale via The Band. All in all the weather was looking good for the day therefore we paid our £3 at the ODG, got our gear together and headed off.
From the ODG we headed up the road in the direction of the Wrynose Pass towards Wall End Farm. After the farm buildings the road starts to incline quite steeply but soon we left the tarmac on a path that then levelled out. The path follows Redacre Gill and keeps its gentle gradient giving superb views over to The Langdale Pikes. Once we were past Kettle Crag it started to steepen again, changing direction to the west to reach the summit cairn on Pike O'Blisco. The summit provides amazing views over to Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Cold Pike and on a day like today far and wide beyond that.
From Pike O'Blisco there was a steep descent to the col near Red Tarn before we ascended steeply, firstly on the Crinkle Crags path then leaving this to make a pathless ascent to the summit of Cold Pike. At the summit the continuing excellent visibility afforded us more fantastic views back to Pike O'Blisco and over the fell side to Crinkle Crags. Most people now would probably head back down to rejoin the Crinkle Crags path but we decided to walk over to the two subsidiary summits of Cold Pike - West Top and Far West Top. These are two delightful summits (both Nuttalls) and again there are excellent views from both.
Leaving Far West Top there was now a short transit over the fell side to the foot of Little Stand and after a brief ascent we arrived on the summit. The views over to The Scafell range were exceptional from here and we lingered a while before making our way back off Little Stand via the same route. The path from below Little Stand to the foot of the first Crinkle is intermittent and we just made a beeline for the main path coming in from the right. Reaching the path it was now time to make a transit of one of the finest ridge walks in Lakeland. Crinkle Crags are so named because the mountain takes the form of a rugged jumble of five shattered rocky towers on a long ridge. The walk over the Crinkles is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and is an exhilarating journey.
At the foot of the 2nd Crinkle, Long Top is the 'Bad Step'. It is a small scramble alongside two large chock stones that block a gully leading to the summit of Long Top. In the right conditions it is not an overly difficult scramble but is very steep (near vertical), however an easier path can be taken to the left and Angie & Fudge took this whilst Dave scrambled the Bad Step. We met up on the summit of Long Top and then made our way over the remaining 3 Crinkles to drop down to Three Tarns.
It was decision time now - do we nip up Bowfell or not? Time was getting on therefore we decided to make our way down The Band from Three Tarns. It is a long way back to the ODG but the views over to The Langdale Pikes, Pike O'Blisco and down into Langdale makes this a pleasurable, if not a long & lengthy descent. After what seemed like an eternity we finally reached Stool End Farm and made our way along the track to reach the Car Park at the ODG. Another fantastic day out in the Langdale Valley.
The start of the walk at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel - £3 all day although over the fence the National Trust Car Park charges £7.
A lovely crisp morning as we head off
Hazy morning light as we head along the road to Wall End Farm - Pike O'Blisco is ahead
The beautiful Langdale Pikes in the morning sun
Kettle Crag
Great Langdale from the ascent of Pike O'Blisco. Side Pike is in the centre of shot with Lingmoor Fell to the right.
The Eastern Fells dominate the skyline to the rear.
The Eastern Fells dominate the skyline to the rear.
The summit of Pike O'Blisco from Redacre Gill
Another great view of The Langdale Pikes across Mickleden
Fudge as usual is waiting for us at the top of any sort of ascent
A Langdale panorama
Nearing the summit of Pike O'Blisco
Fudge in his "Blue Steel" pose
Looking to The Langdale Pikes & Pavey Ark from just below Pike O'Blisco's summit
Great Knott & Crinkle Crags from the summit of Pike O'Blisco
Looking across Red Tarn to Cold Pike & Little Stand
The impressive cairn on the summit of Pike O'Blisco
A Cold Pike, Crinkle Crags & Bowfell panorama
Angie at the summit shelter on Pike O'Blisco - what a view
The summit cairn & shelter on Pike O'Blisco looking to Crinkle Crags & Bowfell
The winding and steep descent from Pike O'Blisco - it is difficult to watch where you are putting your feet with views like this.
Red Tarn with Swirl How & Great Carrs to the rear
The descent from Pike O'Blisco drops down to a col to meet up with the Oxendale Beck path
On the ascent of Cold Pike looking back to Pike O'Blisco
Another superb view of Crinkle Crags & Bowfell
A beautiful Crinkle Crags & Bowfell panorama with some Herdwicks thrown in for good measure
The summit of Cold Pike
Heading for Cold Pike West Top - Little Stand is to the right
The summit of Cold Pike West Top
The summit of Cold Pike Far West Top looking to Little Stand
A faint path leads across the fell side to a gentle rise on to Little Stand
Pike O'Blisco & Cold Pike from Little Stand
Glorious view of The Scafells from the summit of Little Stand - l-r Scafell, Mickledore & Scafell Pike
Hardly frequented is my guess but for the views alone Little Stand is a cracker of a fell
The Scafells from Little Stand
Getting gloomy now as we approach Crinkle Crags - looking to the 2nd & 3rd Crinkles
On the first crinkle on Crinkle Crags - the col at the foot of the second crinkle (Long Top) and the 'Bad Step' are ahead
Dave making his ascent of The Bad Step - Fudge is probably wondering how he on earth he is going to get up there - he isn't!
The top of the Bad Step - in the right conditions as we had today this is a delightful little scramble
Bowfell & the Links from Crinkle Crags
At Three Tarns (well one of them) looking to Bowfell Links
Heading down The Band with the Langdale Pikes ahead
The evening sun on the Langdale Pikes
Stool End Farm ahead as we descend The Band
Some people clearly need more than one reminder at Stool End
© Copyright Dave Walsh 2013 - 2018 All Rights Reserved


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In doing so, it has become the highest profile UK-based victim of the fallout from the global credit crunch, which stemmed from the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US.
Here is some reaction:
The Financial Services Authority judges that Northern Rock is solvent, exceeds its regulatory capital requirement and has a good quality loan book.
The decision to provide a liquidity support facility to Northern Rock reflects the difficulties that it has had in accessing longer term funding and the mortgage securitisation market, on which Northern Rock is particularly reliant.
In order to create a stable banking system, the Bank steps in, it makes facilities available to the Northern Rock, Northern Rock can draw on them when it requires, but it means it can carry on trading, people can use their accounts in the normal way, they carry on making their mortgage payments in the usual way, Northern Rock will be able to carry on its business.
I don't think customers of Northern Rock should be worried about their current accounts or
The fact that the Bank is willing to act as lender of last resort should be reassuring, because it means they think the problems are temporary.
Although the firm remains profitable, the fact that it has had to go cap in hand to the Bank is the most tangible sign that the crisis in financial markets is spilling over into businesses that touch most of our lives.
It's a remarkable example of a relatively small problem in the United States feeding through the financial system in a weird and wonderful way and causing all kinds of markets to seize up.
It is a short-term cash flow problem. It is unusual for them to be in this position.
This is the Bank of England saying we support the banking system but do not take this as an indication of us propping up investment banks.
Northern Rock is not a reckless lender. The mortgage lending it does well and it does in a high quality, high calibre way.
If I'm a saver with the Northern Rock or I'm a borrower from the Northern Rock then I can take huge confidence from what has actually happened.
This is a very serious development indeed and it was entirely predictable since Northern Rock is one of those banks which has been aggressively increasing its market share by offering mortgages at multiples of income well in excess of prudent levels.
It is important the depositors are protected but the governor of the Bank of England is absolutely right to insist that there should be no bail-out of institutions that have operated foolishly.
The Financial Services Authority today have said that they are very clear that Northern Rock is solvent and has a good loan book.
I think that is very important and I think this is really about the banking system, the Bank of England and the FSA doing their job in response to short term liquidity problems, short term problems in the market.
What are these?
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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- Yield
- Makes about 3 cups
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil
- In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the macaroni until it is tender and drain it very well (do not rinse it). Spread the macaroni out in a well-oiled jelly-roll pan and let it cool, tossing it to coat it with the oil in the pan. In a kettle fry the macaroni in batches in 1 inch of 350°F. vegetable oil for 2 minutes, or until it is pale golden, and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. In a small bowl combine well the curry powder, the salt, and the cayenne. In a bowl toss the macaroni with the sesame oil, add the curry mixture, and toss the mixture well.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories225
- Carbohydrates40 g(13%)
- Fat4 g(6%)
- Protein7 g(14%)
- Saturated Fat1 g(3%)
- Sodium132 mg(5%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber2 g(9%)
- Monounsaturated Fat2 g


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Jimmy Connor is a country singer/songwriter/instrumentalist from Massachusetts. Jimmy most recently competed once again in the New England Country Music Organization's "Country Star Search." He won the New England Country Music Organization's titles for "New Country Male Vocalist of the Year (Age 13-16)", "New Country Male Entertainer of the Year (Age 13-16)", "New Country Instrumentalist of the Year (Age 13-16)", and "New Country Vocal Duo of the Year (Age 13-16)".
Jimmy had the chance to sing onstage with country legend Hunter Hayes. Jimmy says "Hunter is probably the biggest influence in my music."
In March of 2015, Jimmy traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to compete nationally at the North American Country Music Association, International's "Country Music Week". He was presented with two awards: the Rising Star Award for Male Entertainer ages 13-16, and the Instrumentalist Of The Year Award for ages 13-16.
Upcoming Shows at Loretta's:


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Common Ground Theatre Presents MY PRINCESS BRIDE, Now thru 2/17
Common Ground Theatre (www.cgtheatre.com) is a performance and teaching space located in west Durham, offering performing arts and educational groups a flexible, well-equipped alternative space. The Theatre provides a convenient venue for Triangle audiences to experience the diversity of our area's arts and educational offerings. All events listed will be held at Common Ground Theatre. The Theatre is hosting the following events in February, 2013:
City Artistic Partnerships Presents: My Princess Bride; one man's take on "the classic tale of true love and high adventure."
conceived and performed by Joe Brack
This hit stage show is inspired by a fictitious abridgement and a cult classic film; Joe tells his own story through the lives of the much loved characters within this grand fairy tale. Come witness live giants, monsters, chases, fencing, fighting, torture, revenge...and miracles! He again teams up with director Matty Griffiths to bring to life his retelling, destined to be a classic all its own!
January 31, February 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 at 8:00 p.m.
February 10 & 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $17.00- General
Reservations & Website: http://cityartisticpartnerships.org


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About this event:
Created by Dean Mortlock
Nynehead Court, Wellington
Stable Arts is delighted to curate this exhibition of work by The Willis Family – father, Richard, and his daughters, Lucy and Tilly – a trio of well established, talented artists living and working in Somerset.
Stable Arts curates exhibitions in The Orangery at Nynehead Court. This is an ideal exhibition space to display two dimensional work. They believe in art for all and curate a diverse programme of exhibitions which include work by local community groups as well as professional artists.
Open daily except Tuesdays from 10am until 4pm.
For further information click here
WELLINGTON – Nynehead Court
March 6-May 5 / 10am-4pm


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Home Buyers Stay Resilient as Rates Surge
August 28, 2013
Overall mortgage applications tumbled for the third consecutive week last week as rates rose to their highest level of the year. However, an indicator for future home sales is staying resilient against rising rates.
Loan demand for purchase applications, viewed as a leading indicator of home sales, rose 2.4 percent for the week ending Aug. 23, according to the Mortgage Banker Association's weekly index, which accounts for 75 percent of the residential mortgage market.
The MBA's overall index, which includes refinancing and purchasing demand, dropped 2.5 percent last week. That follows a 4.6 percent decrease the prior week. The drop has mostly been attributed to a fall in refinancing demand. The refinance index dropped 5.4 percent last week.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 12 basis points last week, averaging 4.80 percent -- the highest average of the year, according to the MBA. Since late May, borrowing costs have climbed by more than a percentage point.
Source: "Mortgage Applications Fall as Rates Hit 2013 High: MBA," Reuters (Aug. 28, 2013)
Read More
New-Home Sales Stall: Rising Rents to Blame?
Rising Interest Rates: Keep Calm and Prep On
Latest Headlines
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Updated: August 16, 2019


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Bad things wasps do – but don't kill wasps, make them go away
Wasps can damage soft fruit, but ripening apples and pears won't usually be affected unless first damaged by birds or caterpillars.
They can be a nuisance in houses when food is being cooked or eaten, especially where sweet foodstuffs are being prepared.
Wasps can also be a serious pest to bees. In Spring worker wasps will attack and carry off foraging worker bees, and later in the year they will take honey bee grubs, and pupae.
They are an absolute pest for humans when trying to dine or socialise outdoors.
Wasps will gnaw into wooden furniture, wooden beams, and anything they can get building materials from.
Having said all this they are still beneficial creatures (see 'Good things wasps do' above) and don't kill wasps just make them go away instead.


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2017 NFL Pro Bowl Rosters
The Pro Bowl is back … the traditional, AFC vs. NFC format, that is.
Competition and effort, or lack thereof, again will be the focus during and after the 2017 Pro Bowl, which for the first time will be played in Orlando, Fla., after the NFL opted out of its contract with Hawaii's tourism authority.
Wide receiver: Antonio Brown*, Steelers; Amari Cooper*, Raiders; A.J. Green, Bengals; T.Y. Hilton, Colts
Tackle: Joe Thomas*, Browns; Donald Penn*, Raiders; Taylor Lewan, Titans
Guard: Marshal Yanda*, Ravens; Kelechi Osemele*, Raiders; David DeCastro, Steelers
Center: Rodney Hudson*, Raiders; Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers
Tight end: Travis Kelce*, Chiefs; Delanie Walker, Titans
Quarterback: Tom Brady*, Patriots; Derek Carr, Raiders; Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Running back: Le'Veon Bell*, Steelers; DeMarco Murray, Titans; LeSean McCoy, Bills
Fullback: Kyle Juszcyzyk*, Ravens
Defense end: Khalil Mack*, Raiders; Cameron Wake*, Dolphins; Jadeveon Clowney, Texans
Interior linemen: Geno Atkins*, Bengals; Ndamukong Suh*, Dolphins; Jurrell Casey, Titans
Outside linebacker: Von Miller*, Broncos; Lorenzo Alexander*, Bills; Brian Orakpo, Titans
Inside/middle linebacker: Dont'a Hightower*, Patriots; C.J. Mosley, Ravens
Cornerback: Marcus Peters*, Chiefs; Aqib Talib*, Broncos; Casey Hayward, Chargers; Chris Harris Broncos
Free safety: Devin McCourty*, Patriots; Reggie Nelson, Raiders
Strong safety: Eric Berry*, Chiefs
Special Teams
Punter: Pat McAfee*, Colts
Kicker: Justin Tucker*, Ravens
Long snapper: Morgan Cox*, Ravens
Return specialist: Tyreek Hill*, Chiefs
Special teamer: Matthew Slater*, Patriots
Quarterback: Alex Smith, Chiefs, for Carr (injured)
Running back: Jay Ajayi, Dolphins, for McCoy (injured)
Guard: Richie Incognito, Bills, for Yanda (injured)
Tackle: Andrew Whitworth, Bengals, for Penn (injured)
Wide receiver: Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos, for Cooper (injured); Jarvis Landry, Dolphins, for Green (injured)
Defense end: Carlos Dunlap, Bengals, for Clowney (injured); Leonard Williams, Jets, for Mack (injured)
Defensive tackle: Kyle Williams, Bills, for Suh (injured)
Strong safety: Darian Stewart, Broncos, for Berry (injured)
Punter: Dustin Colquitt, Chiefs, for McAfee (injured)
Wide receiver: Julio Jones*, Falcons; Odell Beckham*, Giants; Mike Evans, Buccaneers; Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
Tackle: Tyron Smith*, Cowboys; Trent Williams*, Redskins; Jason Peters, Eagles
Guard: Zack Martin*, Cowboys; Brandon Scherff*, Redskins; T.J. Lang, Packers
Center: Travis Frederick*, Cowboys; Alex Mack, Falcons
Tight end: Greg Olsen*, Panthers; Jordan Reed, Redskins
Quarterback: Matt Ryan*, Falcons; Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Running back: Ezekiel Elliott*, Cowboys; David Johnson, Cardinals; Devonta Freeman, Falcons
Fullback: Mike Tolbert*, Panthers
Defensive end: Everson Griffen*, Vikings; Cliff Avril*, Seahawks; Michael Bennett, Seahawks
Interior linemen: Aaron Donald*, Rams; Gerald McCoy*, Buccaneers; Fletcher Cox, Eagles
Outside linebacker: Vic Beasley*, Falcons; Ryan Kerrigan*, Redskins; Thomas Davis, Panthers
Inside/middle linebacker: Bobby Wagner*, Seahawks; Luke Kuechly, Panthers
Cornerback: Janoris Jenkins*, Giants; Patrick Peterson*, Cardinals; Richard Sherman, Seahawks; Xavier Rhodes, Vikings
Free safety: Harrison Smith*, Vikings; Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Packers
Strong safety: Landon Collins*, Giants
Special teams
Punter: Johnny Hekker*, Rams
Kicker: Matt Bryant*, Falcons
Long snapper: Jake McQuaide*, Rams
Return specialist: Cordarrelle Patterson*, Vikings
Special teamer: Dwayne Harris*, Giants
Tight end: Jimmy Graham, Seahawks, for Reed (injured)
Running back: Jordan Howard, Bears, for Johnson (injured)
Guard: Trai Turner, Panthers, for Scherff (injured)
Outside linebacker: K.J. Wright, Seahawks, for Kerrigan (injured)
Inside/middle linebacker: Sean Lee, Cowboys, for Kuechly (injured)
Interior linemen: Linval Joseph, Vikings, for Donald (injured)
* Indicates starter


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The Church in Kwa Kok
Pastor Valentin
This is Pastor Valentin. After the earth quake and cholera outbreak Pastor Valentin visited communities and would bring a system to purify water. While doing this, he would worship and pray with the community. He visited many towns, but there was something different about this one. Rather than a half hour, he'd spend an hour or more worshiping with the people there under this tree. One day a woman approached him and said that this community had existed for over 300 years and all they knew was voodoo. She asked if he would come back and speak. Since then, he has gone every Friday and Sunday, he has established a church, and the congregation is continually growing.
The Church
This is Pastor Valentin's church in Kwa Kok, Haiti. This is the first church to exist in the community. Each week, there is a new person or family who accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The congragation is so big that they have outgrown this building! FFP is currently working to build a larger church on the same property that can also be used for multiple community purposes.


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the playing for change band. "stand by me"
Great stuff.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The Final
This is it.
Your final is a single blog entry. I hope it represents a semi-comprehensive review of what we've discussed or attempted in this class.
As you'll see, I think, I've placed a lot of emphasis on reporting and writing. Just this morning, Prof. Alsdurf received a note from Bethel grad Travis Grabow, who's now in the graduate journalism at Arizona State and focusing in multimedia:
"If you're looking for advice specifically about grad school, I would say the biggest thing is to be ready to work really hard. 12 hour days are not unusual, which is something I wasn't quite ready for when the school year started.
"I would also say that you have to make absolutely sure you've got the basics of reporting and writing down, even though that sounds pretty obvious. We've been learning a lot about multimedia and tech-related topics and skills, but they don't matter much if you can't use them to tell a good story."
In news, as well as marketing and advertising, everything begins with the story. For this final, your "story" or article needs to be:
So focus on a person, place, event or issue that would be of interest to the Bethel community. Yes, you can continue with the same thread _ be it fashion, films, music, electronic gizmos, sports, etc. _ but you must add depth to your range. Do write about a single house of fashion, a single film or CD or gizmo or game, etc.. Instead, do more reporting and come back with a deeper story, for example, about a fashion trend, a a genre or season rather than one film or CD or group, the effect of the economy on electronic games, trends in pitching or hitting or steroid use in baseball. Those are just suggestions to prime the pump.
Told well
This includes story structure and style. Does it have a strong lede, something compelling or interesting, that pulls the reader into the article? If the lede doesn't identify the focus, does the article have nut graf or focus graf that tells the reader what the story is about. Does the article use transitions to move naturally from one paragraph to the next? Is all the information included relevant to the article? Is enough background provided so that even someone new to the subject could catch on to what's going on in the text? Does it have an ending?
Well reported
Articles not built on facts are empty. They waste people's time. The more facts compiled and culled, the greater the chance of the article having something to say.
Well researched
Use lots of sources to build your story from facts. Do you have to cite them all? Not necessarily. But use your initial research to point you to even better, more specific research. Then pick and choose the facts to include in your article. When turning in your final, please go to the comments section of com300blog.wordpress.com and list all the sources you used to build this article.
Search-engine friendly
Write a headline that uses words that Google might pick up. For example, instead of calling this blog com300blog, I could have called in "online journalism" to attract readers. Com300blog isn't something search engines would pick up, but online journalism would be much different. The same works for headlines. Take the first few words of your headline to "speak to" Google. Cute headlines don't work either.
The article needs to have six to 12 hyperlinks. These links need to be written into the flow of the article , not tacked on using conventions like "You can see more here." Some of these may be included in your research.
Find and incorporate images that are appropriate to your article. These should supplement or complement your story. No (what I call) static art. For example, posters, book covers, CD covers. Unless no other illustration is available, avoid "handout" art. Exceptions: photos of products or scenes that can't be otherwiseobtained. This could also be a multimedia piece, such as a video or slideshow or podcast. Include a well-written caption under any photos.
Create a Google Map of something related to your story. It could be a locator map. For instance, if Sarah D. and Tiffany write about film, they may want to use Google Map's satellite feature to pinpoint a particular studio or soundstage being used for a particular film. Or you might want to create a map showing the route some in your story takes to work each day. But it must supplement, not repeat, what's in your story. It must "show" something the reader can't obtain from text alone. This map needs to be embedded in your text.
Create a blogroll of links to five other blogs that also focus or have focused on the topic your article.
Tag your posts. For extra credit, create a tag cloud. At http://www.wordle.net or http://tagcrowd.com
Create categories related to your post.
Link to the other blogs in this class and thoughtfully comment on at least three of them. Include your blog URL in your comment. Please, no one-sentence quick hits. Comment on the content, not the style.
Final thoughts
AP style Use it. Dust off the AP style handout provided earlier in the semester. Or, if you wonder if something is according to AP style, sometimes you can fudge a little by Googling "AP Style" and the word or punctuation that has you stumped. This works sometimes but not all the time.
Tpyos They'll count against your grade.
Spelling The same.
Links If they're broken, they'll count against your grade.
Writing for the Web Earlier this semester we discussed writing for the Web, how it should be tighter and brighter and assembled in chunks. Few if any of our class blogs follow those guidelines. In case you've forgotten or misplaced the handout or links, you can find them here and here. I'll be looking for articles composed according to these guidelines.
Story length: 750 – 1,000 words, minimum.
Extra credit:
Starting with this discussion on Prof. McAdams' personal blog, reflect on the semester. What could/would you do differently to teach online journalism? What would you add? Subtract? Emphasize? De-emphasize? It might help to read her original post and then all the comments leading to this exchange. Submit this on the comments section of com300blog.wordpress.com.
Found this just now on Romenesko:
NYTer: The future format of news? It's your choice
"I believe that print will be around for years to come," says New York Times president Scott Heekin-Canedy. "Yet as the distribution formats proliferate and there are more choices, like Kindle, Sony Reader, IPhone and other devices soon to enter the market, the proportions of our readership are likely to shift across these platform choices. What might be the future format? I think the answer is that it will be your choice. We expect to provide formats to support these devices if there is customer demand."
Here is one example of link journalism produced by The New York Times and called "Reading the Web." Historically, news organizations rarely if ever credited another news organization for reporting. The thinking was referring to the competition was like telling the viewer/reader/listener to change channels or read another publication.
That's changing. Take a look at ProPublica, a not-for-profit news site and aggregator. The site pulls content from television and print. Here's a story describing link journalism in action in Washington state.
News, at least online news, is no longer just the news oracle speaking to the audience. That's the the Internet and interactivity, the news is gravitating toward becoming a conversation. In this conversation, journalists and readers "work" together to define, gather and report news.
One way to jump into the conversation, especially for someone new to this kind of reporting, is to learn how to use blog "aggregators" or collectors like Technorati. An excellent and easy to follow tutorial is available at SMUG, a Web site "college" created by Lee Aase, the manager for Syndications and Social Media at Mayo Clinic.
Go ahead and stop by the site and follow along. Go to Technorati and insert words you want to use for your search. If necessary, you can refine the search using the "authority" link. You can also take the step to narrow your search by using tags.
And you can create a "Watchlist." On the home page, Technorati.com, move right along the green toolbar until you see "Favorites." Click on that. When the window opens, click on "Watchlist."
That should open another window that asks you to type a word or URL you want to track. Type in a key word or two from your subject and hit enter. Do that as often as you want. To monitor your watchlist, you can return to Technorati.com regularly. Say once a day. Or, you can set up an RSS feed for each specific Watchlist you create. Then you can monitor the entries through your reader.
You can do the same with other Technorati feeds.
As Aase suggests, try out BlogPulse (no sign up necessary) and IceRocket(no sign up necessary) and, in your own time, set up your account at Google News.
Finally, you can create an account on Alltop.
SEO: drawing attention to your blog
The first 50 or so times I saw the acronym SEO, I didn't bother to learn its meaning. Dumb me.
The letters simply stand for Search Engine Optimization. Mark Glaser at the blog Mediashift says SEO "means using technical and not-so-technical techniques to make sure that people searching for topics you write about will find your site."
Or, it how to attract attention of search engines like Google. You can read Glaser's whole piece.
This is a great link that's provides a definition/explanation of beatblogging.
Within that you'll see terms like two-way communication, which really means reporters talking directly with readers and vice versa.
If you want, skip that and head to "Why beatblog?" Those are worth reading.
What's it mean to us? For now, it means setting up comment boxes on our blogs (if you haven't, do s0). Will you build a community before class ends? Probably not. But it's all part of the package.


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Ruins of Nakijin castle in Okinawa Japan
Near main gate
In Ruins of Nakijin castle in the northwestern part of a main Okinawa island, the cherry tree was in bloom near the main gate. Restoration construction of excavation investigation and a rampart is performed still now.
Photo Feb. 17. 2007
Parallel Viewing ANAGLYPH


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the Act I finale of Mozart's Così Fan Tutte
& a sneak peek at our spring production of Mozart's Mitridate
Saturday Nov 6, 2010
Performed at
Steinway Hall - Henry Z. Steinway Recital Hall
109 West 57th Street (btwn 6th/7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
The event is FREE, but space is limited.
RSVP to Mariele Keymel - email@example.com
Maria Alu Ross Benoliel Toby Newman
Anna Noggle Matthew Peña Lars Woodul
Special Guest
Steven Sanders
Music Directors Director
Richard Cordova & Catherine Miller Philip Shneidman
A SLICE OF TOAST will present the staged Act I finale from Mozart's Così Fan Tutte, the great comic ensemble that features mischievous couples on the Bay of Naples, fake poison, and a magical cure. Così was a highlight of little OPERA's BREAD & BUTTER, a recent concert of staged scenes from popular operas.
National Opera Week, October 29 through November 7, is being presented by
OPERA America, the National Endowment for the Arts and opera organizations across the United States. For more information about events nationwide visit http://operaamerica.org
for more information about the little OPERA THEATRE of NY
please visit www.lotny.org


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1> Baddilini is usually either held up or can track the leaders and of the six runners it comes out second best on my figures and ran very well last time out when second behind Secondo over this course and distance and I think this is the only one that should get anywhere near the selection.
2> PRETEND is a three year old who already tops my figures and by quite a few spots also its the only known front runner in the field it won quite nicely here over course and distance when beating Boom The Groom who has also been in good form lately and if its allowed to get an uncontested lead should win again quite easily.
3> Red Refraction has been out of form recently and its last four runs have been very poor it is usually either held up or tracks the leaders but either way it doesnt look good enough to win this and I think it would probably need a slower surface to show its best.
4> Smokethatthunders prefers to track the early pace makers and comes out third here but quite a few spots behind the second best but it looks like it will be staying on at the finish and may be better over another furlong.
5> Swiss Cross is another that likes to track the leaders and is my fourth top rated and may be better over further but its recent form has been quite a way off the mark and it needs to show a drastic turn of form to even feature here but will most likely be staying on at the end.
6> Woolfall Sovereign ran quite well when fourth last time out with a nine month absence to overcome and I expect this horse to be nearly ready to win again but I think it might prefer a slower surface and a shorter distance, so doubt if today is the day for it to return to winning form.
SUMMARY: Only six runner race but I think its only a two runner race, if the selection PRETEND repeats its last win I cannot see anything here getting near it and if Baddilini is ridden to its best looks nailed on to finish second for the forecast. I have looked at the tissue prices and its saying 11/8 I think anything above even money is very good and the tissue is making Baddilini third in the betting and if the price is too short maybe the forecast is the way to make it a good bet.
Pretend 1/4f 1st


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Erina Alejo, Wli Todzi Community Connection's Visitors Program Participant, Fall 2013
My brief but fulfilling experience of being hosted by a family and communicating with the greater Wli Todzi community taught me greatly about the village being at the cusp of tradition and change. Through living and sharing meals with Uncle John, Yaw and Sarah's extended family in their compound, interviewing the Wli Todzi Togbe (chief) and attending a meeting among Wli Todzi elders, I learned about the villagers' lifestyles and challenges of living atop Agumatsa mountain and the need for access to health care local to the mountaintop. I am grateful for the Wli Todzi community's immersive reception of visitors like me. I believe RUDC's culturally sensitive and genuine efforts in rebuilding the abandoned clinic site at Wli Todzi will help the community in its transition into incorporating the social, technological and economic changes happening all across Ghana while maintaining its rich culture and tradition. "
Ethan Miska – University of California, Santa Cruz Student
"RUDC's Ghana Clinic Project is great. It's all about people helping people. I loved working with people who have no illusions about the challenges of international aid work yet also have the vigor, creativity, and resolve to overcome these challenges, and being part of this over the course of six months volunteering with RUDC has been an energizing experience. I have been involved in planning several fundraisers to cover the clinic's construction costs, and it was gratifying to see these funds put directly into effect with the raising of the clinic's roof structure. The construction phase being well under way, the RUDC crew is well aware that creating a functional health clinic involves much more than just getting a building set up, and is acting upon this reality accordingly. I wouldn't be able to find a more effective combination of idealism, realism, careful planning, and action."
Sarah – Central Michigan University Student
From young to old, people in Wlitodzi are incredibly warm and welcoming. I found myself responding to the Ewe word for 'welcome' nearly everywhere I turned. The challenging, yet visually stunning climb to get to the village, is such a powerful way to begin a stay. It is such a unique opportunity to be able to live in such a beautifully simple way. When does one really have a chance to live in this setting in the modern, industrialized world? It is in circumstances such as these where one can step back, removed, and really appreciate life. What is particularly remarkable about Wlitodzi is how peaceful and incredibly safe the community is. I never felt uncomfortable having belongings (including an expensive camera and audio recorder) unlocked and have never felt so safe around a group of human beings in my life. As a musician, I really enjoyed seeing music and dance in a traditional, rootsy setting, and was able to have two different drumming lessons. In addition, after having traditional Ghanaian dishes in multiple cities and restaurants, I must testify that this is some of the best food I have had during my stay in Ghana, and frequently miss it. Overall, the breath taking scenery, gracious and hospitable people, and the rare opportunity to live and experience life with a tribal community in West Africa make this an unforgettable and life changing trip that is a must for any traveler.
Hannah – Tulane University Student
The hike to Wli Todzi was incredibly strenuous for someone who does not hike, but the beauty of the scenery and my time in the village was well worth the struggle. I have never felt so instantly welcome in a new place. My experience in Wli Todzi one of the most amazing, positive experiences I have ever had. From the food, to the activities, and the hospitality of my home stay family. I could not have asked for a more wonderful time. I have traveled quite a bit in Africa and I have never had a truly African experience like this. I can't wait to struggle up the mountain to see the family, the waterfalls, and the caves once again.
Eliza Milio – University of California Student
My brief visit to Wli Todzi opened my eyes to a completely different view of Ghana that I had yet to experience while living in Accra. Hiking the mountain path to and from the village really put into perspective the struggle that this village is facing to procure and maintain necessary amenities for comfortable daily life. The village people- specifically Auntie Charlotte, Monsieur Jean, the tour guides and the small boys- truly everyone we met, were beyond friendly and hospitable. The accommodations exceeded expectations. Housing was super comfortable, and after Auntie Charlotte's cooking fufu and banku have taken on a whole new level. The three days I was there were mostly spent absorbing the atmosphere of village life- a healthy combination of work and relaxation- as well as exploring the village and nearby sites. We spent some time visiting the unfinished health clinic as well as the areas dedicated for schooling which displayed the potent reality of some of the problems Rise Up: Wli Todzi seeks to ameliorate. We also did the day hike to the upper Aguamatsu falls which, although strenuous, was absolutely worth the incredible, purifying experience of swimming beneath the massive falls (not to mention snacking on the freshest pineapples and bananas I've ever tasted along the way). I could go on for hours about their amazing church service, the dancing and drumming, and everything else I saw, but I'll conclude by saying that there is no doubt in my mind that I will return to the village before my stay in Ghana is over.
Disclaimer: Although Rise Up Development Collective helped to start the Wli Todzi Community Connection Visitor's Program, we have willingly relinquished any control of the program to Yaw Nutsugah of Wli Todzi. We do not account for any of the finances of the program, have no part in decision- making related to the program, and accept no liability or responsibility for actions of program personnel, or on the part of participants, including physical and emotional injuries that may be incurred by participants while participating in the program. We do have the utmost faith in the director, Yaw Nutsugah, to manage the program. However, we do not accept liability for his actions or the actions of personnel under his direction. Rise Up Development Collective provides hosting for Yaw Nutsugah for the purposes of marketing the program in recognition of our desire to see his program succeed, however, this does not imply any active participation in the visitor's program on the part of Rise Up Development Collective and its participants, past, present or future, or any member of Empowerment Works, Inc., our fiscal sponsor. Please enjoy the Wli Todzi Community Connection Visitor's Program. We wish the best of luck to Yaw and the program.


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I made the purse I was referring to in my last post!! It even turned out pretty good. Better than I anticipated. I only had to use the seam ripper once!! WOOHOO!! That is considered progress in my mind. I think the coolest thing about this purse is that the pattern pieces can all be cut from one fat quarter of fabric!! Granted the lining is from a different fabric, but still that's pretty cool. Oh and here is a blurry pic of the inside of the purse, complete with pocket :) I used orange thread on the whole thing because I thought it was a nice constrast. That and I didn't have any lime green thread O.O how did that happen? It's one of my favorite colors.
Thanks for looking and have a great day :D


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Sony has issued a recall on some of its VAIO TZ-series notebook computers because they have the potential to overheat and pose a burn hazard to users of the notebooks. Sony and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the voluntary recall today that covers about 73,000 notebooks sold in the U.S. that were built in both Japan and America.
The incident recalls events in 2006, when a number of notebook batteries were catching fire and injuring users. Sony issued its first battery recall in September of 2006 due to what it called "overheating incidents," which we consider a polite euphemism for "notebook occasionally bursts into flames while in use."
The recall covers specific models of the VAIO VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300, and VGN-TZ2000 series'. The notebooks were sold via SonyStyle Stores and the Sony website from July 2007 through August 2008.
Sony says that so far it has had 15 reports of notebooks from the TZ series overheating. One of the reports also notes that the consumer received minor burns when the system overheated. Sony points out that not all notebooks in the affected series are covered in the recall and advises owners of TZ notebooks to call customer support to determine if their notebook is affected.
The overheating potential is caused by irregularly positioned wires near the hinge of the notebooks and/or a screw inside the hinge that could dislodge and cause a short circuit and overheating. Sony advises consumers to stop using the notebooks immediately and call customer support. According to The New York Times, the global recall covers 440,000 laptops.


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KERSHAW – Daniel Reeves remembers singing in the children's choir at his church when he was only 5 years old.
Music has always been a part of his life – from elementary school to his involvement today with the chorus at Andrew Jackson High School. And now that talent will take him and a classmate to one of the country's largest cities.
Waxhaw native Tom Ramsey is thankful for the tuition assistance he's received during his first year at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster.
Ramsey attended Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte for two years before deciding to take his studies across the state line. He said scholarship assistance has helped as he transitions into a new academic setting.
USCL freshman Audrey Kemp is just as thankful.
Katie Virtue begins each day at 3 a.m., not long after many people have just gone to sleep. She sometimes works evenings and is also on the job many holidays.
Virtue, a meteorologist for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, said her gig doesn't have glamorous hours, though the job is fulfilling in many ways.
She shared work experiences and discussed weather trends and phenomena with students Wednesday at Indian Land Middle School.
Life of a meteorologist
One student asked if Debbie Keenan was going to Paris. Another asked if she was ever coming back.
Well, Kennan didn't make it anywhere near France, though the experience was still exciting for all who witnessed.
Keenan, the media specialist at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School, rode in a hot-air balloon Friday morning. The ride, which took place behind the school, was the result of a reading challenge Keenan posed to all the students in the school.
Those posed portraits, candid shots and listings of senior superlatives make for fond memories each year for students at Lancaster High School.
The staff from the school's yearbook, The Rambler, are to thank for organizing and putting that information together throughout the year. And now, that recognition extends beyond the Bruin family.
The Rambler was recently selected as the best yearbook in the state by the S.C. Scholastic Press Association. The accolade is for the 2010 edition that came out last spring.
She has a shiny face, red lips, long hair and wears a pointy black hat.
Any other day, she'd be all orange, but on Thursday she became the Queen Witch of South Middle School.
That was the name given to one of the several carved and decorated pumpkins on display at the school Thursday.
Last week, South Middle held its Spirit Week, which culminated with a pumpkin-decorating contest. Faculty and staff were divided into 14 teams, and the students voted on which team's pumpkin they liked the best.
There's a slogan, written in Spanish, that Sandra Ovalles tells her students all the time. You can even find it from time to time on her blackboard.
It's "nada es imposible, todo es posible," which means "nothing is impossible, everything is possible" in English.
Ovalles believes you can achieve whatever you set your mind to, and she tries to help her students carry that same attitude – all through the teaching of language.
Some students achieve more success in the classroom when hands-on activities are built into daily lessons, while others may find it easier to work in small groups.
Finding what strategies work best for students and communicating those techniques to teachers is just part of what Wendy Bartell does.
The Buford Middle School literacy coach and instructional facilitator works daily with teachers and students. She helps teachers with their lesson plans, facilitates workshops and speaks to students about literacy.
Bartell said no two days are alike.
You won't find many textbooks in Kristal Salyer's class.
For the last three years, the fourth-grade Clinton Elementary School teacher has abandoned textbooks in three of the four main academic areas and adopted a student-driven approach.
By the numbers, her strategy appears to be working.
Salyer, who's in her fourth year at Clinton Elementary, is the 2010 Celebrate Great Teaching award winner for Lancaster County School District. The accolade is the district's highest honor for educators.
Despite a slow economy, Communities is Schools' annual School Tools supply drive was able to collect hundreds of school supplies that will benefit area school children in need.
The campaign, which collects pencils, notebooks and other items, began Aug. 1 and will end Tuesday.
This year, locals have been able to donate supplies at one of the BB&T locations in the county – on Main Street in Lancaster and off Charlotte Highway in Indian Land.
BB&T served as the lone drop-off location for the Communities in Schools (CIS) drive this year.
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