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American conservative thinking has overwhelmed most of the world's conservative parties. Their idea is to base intense patriotism on the idea that we're "free," and can do whatever we want as individuals, and use that to justify caring about social order.
Ultimately what conservatives are trying to argue toward is that the society as a whole is more important than the individual, and that the individual must adapt to common sense about how reality works. They think "freedom" is a vector to that because it sounds good.
As a result, they've invented this mythos that Big State government — think Hitler, Stalin and Democrats — wants to take away your ability to do whatever you can afford to do. After all, those who are born smarter and work diligently tend to have some cash ready to use.
In this view, you can buy that big SUV because global warming is an illusion, and no one should be able to tell you what to do so you can be a rugged individualist. This thinking is doomed for the following reasons:
- Given such freedom, people opt for the least obligation possible. They're not going to uphold traditional values, but demand no values.
- You can't out-"freedom" the Democrats. They offer no restrictions, no cultural norms, and a welfare state. Almost no obligation, even to go to work.
- If everyone acts on their freedom, we're not going to pull together in the same direction, and we won't be able to face big problems of resources limiting our ability to do whatever we want.
It's that latter one — limited resources versus unlimited needs and desires — that we're going to face. For a minute, assume that global warming is simply a power grab by third world countries who want the first world to turn off its industry so they can get ahead. Fine — but what about pollution, species depletion, limited farmland, low water supplies, and violent cities?
The libertarians and Republicans this week set up a great wail about a new face in Washington who they associate with Big State decisions. They will claim he is against their Holy Book, their values as individualists, and the sanctity of life.
And thanks to resourceful bloggers, you can read excerpts from a hard-to-find book co-authored by Holdren in the late 1970s, called Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment, online.
In it, you will find the czar wading into some unpleasant talk about mass sterilizations and abortions.
Oh no! Abortions and mass sterilizations — those might not be fair to the rugged individualist. But they also might be required by the demands of our situation here on earth.
After all, the world isn't just humans — it's an environment, too, and scarcity of resources including space which will regulate humanity. We can make decisions within the anthrosphere, but since we're one part of a big world, we may not have the ability to make those decisions the way we want to. Sometimes, we must simply adapt.
It is now hard to think of a single major problem we face, here in Britain or elsewhere, which would not be solved, or at least ameliorated, by having fewer people.
Everything from hospital waiting lists, crowded trains, the looming energy crisis, water and sewer systems unable to cope, unaffordable housing and unavailable dentistry have, at their core, Britain's burgeoning population.
Our roads will become even more congested, our trains more crowded and even slower, the waits for service longer and delays ever more a part of life.
Housing will become ever more unaffordable, we will have to spend billions on new schools and hospitals to cater for the equivalent of two new Londons – two vast metropolises somehow to be shoehorned into what is already a desperately crowded land.
We will, inevitably, lose great swathes of our countryside. The green belts will have to disappear. Ghastly and ill-conceived 'new towns' will spring up all over the South East and Midlands, the areas where new people want to live. London and its environs are already, effectively, full; but that will not stop them getting fuller still.
His point is refreshingly clear: even if we just look at numbers of people, what happens when we get more? We all live in cities, and the cities expand. The countryside is consumed. Whatever environmental problems exist get worse.
How do we reconcile the individual's unlimited wants and desires with a finite amount of space before we wreck things we need or should keep sacred, like a healthy environment and unpolluted air and water, or just enough space so that earth is not a giant sardine can?
Here's a short list of data points about how we're wrecking this planet with overpopulation:
- Humans are using the Earth's resources and dumping waste 23 per cent faster than nature is able to regenerate, according to the Global Footprint Network, a non-profit group in Oakland, Calif.
- We won't make adequate progress on the most crucial environmental goals — reducing carbon emissions, preventing overfishing and decreasing deforestation, among them — unless we tackle growth and its ever increasing demands on the planet.
- Forest protection attracts people, people wreck forests
- But isn't the problem solving itself, as people have fewer children and population growth rates slow? Yes, he says, if you discount immigration
- Human population grew from 1.6 billion to 6.1 billion people during 20th century. During that time emissions of CO2, the leading greenhouse gas, grew 12-fold.
- Growing world population will cause a "perfect storm" of food, energy and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist has warned.
- Given our disproportionately large population to land mass ratio then, put simply, we are running out of space to dump our waste.
- A link between immigration and water shortages: the more people share the water, the less each one has.
- Easter Island is Earth writ small. Today, again, a rising population confronts shrinking resources.
- Water use is growing twice as fast as population, but there is no more water today than there ever has been.
- Seven Environmental Problems That Are Worse Than We Thought — courtesy of our booming human population.
- While the wildlife-conservation movement is valiantly attempting to save the world's remaining diversity of life, this effort is overwhelmed by the demands of mounting numbers of people.
- Uganda's rapid population growth — one of the highest in the world — means it will lose its entire forest cover in the next 50 years
- Consumption has grown so much in the last 30 years that demands on natural resources now exceed the planet's capacity for renewal by a quarter each year
- All efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions may be for naught, however, if we ignore population growth.
You get the picture. Now on to the magic question: how is it that we have systematically failed to address these problems, and that they're still elephants in the room today?
You'll notice that a lot of our effort spent on this blog is devoted to smashing the idea of equality, or that each person has a "right" to do whatever they want. We also spent a lot of time pointing out that people have different abilities and hence values to a forward-moving civilization.
Our goal in this is to smash the sacred cow of the conservatives, which is individual autonomy as a promised right to all people. It is also a sacred taboo of the left through their dogma of "equality."
Why would we do this? After all, we'll be more popular if we promise you can buy that SUV, and that just buying green light bulbs will take care of the problem. The people who make those promises are far more popular than us.
However, dishonesty has a way of coming back to haunt people. When our writers go home at night, we have no guilt on our consciences because we did not lie — we faced the truth with a level gaze and if it didn't blink first, we didn't back down.
Our society is making people into small atoms that do not interact with others. People recede into themselves and do not face reality and mortality. They fear anything except what they intend to do, or in other words, their wants and desires.
Students are immature, they rely too heavily on Internet tools such as Wikipedia as research sources, they fail to learn independently and they expect success without putting in the effort, said respondents to the survey by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.
"The McGuinty government is applauding itself for increased graduation rates from secondary school," says the confederation's report, which urges more funding for for classrooms.
"However, it appears that secondary students are not receiving the requisite skills that they need to be successful in university studies."
Only 2.27 per cent thought students are better prepared.
Observers blame a number of factors, from inflated parental expectations to the self-esteem culture that leads young people to believe that failure is impossible and paying tuition means getting a good grade.
Look at what this article shows us: the end result of "freedom," or agreeing to have no direction except personal directions, is that people recede into themselves and become less capable, and more solipsistic.
We've been so busy worrying about how to make everyone feel equal and wanted, we've forgotten about the world around us. Now as the free resources get tighter, we're going to have to make hard decisions about the future.
Conservatives are making the biggest career screwup ever by not simply being honest. They could be like the government in the article above — promoting themselves for having made more people graduate, even if at a lower rate of quality, or in other words, hiding the truth behind one positive attribute of a bad situation — or they could be honest.
When you fail to tell the truth, you are de facto lying, because you are hiding things people need to act on behind a smokescreen of happy — like lying to them directly and telling them something or other is not a problem. Conservatives are attempting to embark on a big lie to try to beat the even bigger "freedom" dogma of the Democrats. It is not going to work.
If instead they got practical about facing this situation, starting with the hard parts we are afraid to face — that not everyone can fulfill all of their wants and desires, and that we'll have to rank people by their usefulness — they will become known as honest people as the years go by. And people will thank them for that.


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The Vomit Clinic
Excerpts from my blog at http://bigtummyinkenya.blogspot.com
February 4, 2006. My friend Julia runs the village vomit clinic. She calls it an herbal medicine practice, but when sick people come over to your house and barf into a basin so you can analyze it, I call it a vomit clinic.
She has been running it for about four years, and people come from as far as Kapsabet, the district capital an hour and a half away by bus, seeking the healing powers of puke. The vomit potion is a family secret handed down through the ages, made by boiling the dried bark of a certain tree from the forest. Within ten minutes of drinking the potion, the patient inevitably vomits.
This is when Julia works her magic. By poking at the contents of the patient's vomit and observing its color, taste and the presence of mucus or blood, she can tell you what illness you have. Yellow vomit and a bitter taste (determined by asking the patient, not by tasting it herself) indicate malaria, while a small spot of blood suggests worms. Sometimes just vomiting seems to cure the patient, while other times she'll tell them to go to the dispensary or pharmacy to get medication.
The clinic is only open on Saturdays from 7am to noon, but its reputation has spread through word of mouth and now she does big business, especially during harvest time when people have relatively lots of money. She charges 100 shillings for one dose of the potion and her diagnosis.
Julia had nine clients today. She took me around to each patient as she analyzed their vomit by swirling it around with a tree branch. I saw brucellosis, which is indicated by greenish puke and a thick mucus; malaria, which is dark orange-yellow; a migraine with a cough, which is a clearish mucus that comes from the spinal cord and causes the headache; a lung problem with worms, which is chunky yellow mucus that stays in one corner of the basin; and pneumonia, which includes a small spot of blood.
It was all very fascinating, and completely disgusting. Julia said all of the clients she saw today would get well on their own, without any further medication. Just expelling the mucus usually gets rid of the bacteria or toxins causing the disease, she says.
I'm not a doctor but I'm a little skeptical. People in the village swear by her vomit clinic, though, so what can I say? There is a world of evidence that evidence-based medicine is not the only effective way to treat illnesses. In rural settings where people's most trusted sources of information are word of mouth and personal experience, people get through life by relying more on each other than on WebMD. According to at least nine people today, Julia's vomit clinic is a worthwhile investment in faith. And here in her village of Kapkoi, there's no internet to argue otherwise.

subset: commoncrawl


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I always thought they'd name a hurricane after me, but I got the seized humanitarian-aid ship, instead. Al Jazeera reporter, Salam Khoder, was on the ship and reported back:
" "At about 11pm last night… the Israeli ship intercepted the ship, fired at the ship and more than 30 soldiers came on to the boat and started beating the passengers," she said.
"They blinded our eyes, bounded our hands, kept us in uncomfortable conditions for one hour … they also told us not to communicate with each other in Arabic."
She said that the whereabouts of some of the 18 people who were on board the ship was unknown.
The Al-Ikhwa was carrying 60 tonnes of medical supplies, food, books and toys to Gaza, where a more than year-long Israeli blockade along with its devastating offensive last month have left residents struggling to get basic necessities."
More details from Al Jazeera and The Lebanon Daily Star.
How do you spin this, so the Israeli public continues to sit in their easy-boys and chant "go team go"? Watch the face of "Israel's finest" for yourself (limited by my translation):


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Halloween Pumpkin Dog Socks
Our Price $5.97
Item#: 3221
Manufacturer: Puppe Love
Protect your little pumpkin's precious paws with ultimate comfort and style! Set of four socks with Happy Halloween jack-o-lantern pattern. Can be used for in-between shoe or boot sizes to provide a better fit. Made of Cotton. Why We Love It: Paws need to be protected from harmful surfaces and temperatures. These Puppe Love Pumpkin Dog Socks are cute and festive while they protect paws. Great for providing warmth for arthritic dogs, or as a protection to sensitive leg or paw areas after surgery. Check out all our great styles and colors of dog socks! For tiny and small breeds. Sizing Information: Small: 1" Width paw in Flattened State, Approx. 1.375" Length paw in Flattened State Medium: 1.25" Width paw in Flattened State, Approx. 1.75" Length paw in Flattened State


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Sarasota, FL — Estelle M. Barrett, 91, of Sarasota, FL, died peacefully, February 2, 2013, after a very full life. The daughter of the late Jacob and Lillian (Abraham) Mulwitz, Estelle was born in Brooklyn, NY, and graduated from Cornell University in 1942. Estelle married the late William H. Barrett and, together with their children, moved to Warsaw, Poland, in 1961 where Mr. Barrett worked as a lawyer with the US Embassy and Estelle served as assistant to the cultural attaché. After her husband's death, in the early 1970s Estelle moved to Sarasota, FL, where she had a successful real estate career for over 30 years.
Estelle is survived by her daughter, Ronni Lacroute, of McMinnville, OR; son, Steven and his wife, Deborah, of Hamilton, MA; sister, Mimi Abrons, of Harrison, NY; grandchildren Philippe Lacroute and his wife, Salina, Nathalie Lacroute, Krisanne Butler and her husband, Matthew, Alexandra Barrett and her fiancé, Michael Sweet, and Timothy Barrett; great-grandchildren Kiana Lacroute, Madison Butler, William Butler, Ezra Lacroute and Evan Butler. She also enjoyed especially close relationships with her nephews and niece, Peter Abrons, Leslie Abrons, John Abrons and their families. She made many friends and left a lasting impression on everyone she met.
Estelle was a woman of great strength and style who had a passion for family, education, charity, and the arts. She will be missed by all of those who love her.
ARRANGEMENTS: A celebration of Estelle's life will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, in The Member's Lounge at The Mansion at Turner Hill, 3 Manor House Lane, Ipswich, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.


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Help to prepare and serve meals for our guests. Fantastic training opportunities available - no previous experience is required! Many of our Head Chefs joined us in this role, progressing on our Apprenticeship programme.
More than 400,000 young guests enjoy a PGL trip each year, and that means a lot of hungry mouths to feed!
This role offers the perfect chance if you're interested in starting a career in catering but have no previous experience as we provide all the necessary training.
You will work under the direction of your Head Chef or Chef, preparing, cooking and serving food for our guests as well as cleaning the dining and food preparation facilities after use.We attempt to use as many fresh ingredients in our dishes as possible and have a healthy eating charter.
Our 17th century country house in beautiful North Devon, a short drive from Westward Ho! beach and the Atlantic surf. Great for land-based activities and surfing.
A converted country mansion with 150 chalets in the grounds, located on the 'English Riveria' near Torquay in South Devon: one of the sunniest locations in the UK!
A 250 acre adventure paradise in the Shropshire countryside! Our flagship UK centre accommodating the largest number of guests and staff.
Purchased by PGL in 2005 and rejuvenated thanks to a £2 million development, creating a market-leading adventure centre with some of the best motorsports and ropes facilities in the company.
The Château is a specialist study tours centre, ten minutes' drive from St Omer and close to the World War I battlefields.
An impressive 19th Century Château, now our specialist French language centre in Normandy. Located in the village of Ambrières-les-Valées with grounds bordered by the River Varenne.
Our flagship centre in France. Great for educational tours, land-based activities and family holidays; just 20 miles from Paris.
Our Scottish mansion set in almost 60 acres of Perthshire forest with stunning views over the Grampian mountains and Tay Valley.
A converted salmon fishing lodge overlooking the River Wye in Herefordshire, where our younger guests often stay.
By the beach and under an hour from Calais, specialising in educational school trips mixed with land-based activities.
PGL occupies a section of the well-equipped Camping Kings site on the Costa Brava, with a pool, bar and shop on-site and the beach a short walk away.
PGL's newest centre, just outside Swindon in the Wiltshire countryside. A former conference and events centre offering fantastic accommodation and facilities.
Set in 48 acres of woodland, facing the tidal waters of Wootton Creek on the Isle of Wight.
Exclusive PGL site, on the banks of the River Cèze, with a private riverside beach and close to the famous Ardeche gorge. A playground for paddlers!
Our specialist field studies centre on the beautiful Isle of Arran in Western Scotland.
Marchants Hill is set within an area of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by 45 acres of woodland in the Surrey countryside, but is also just an hour from London.
One of our watersports-specialist centres in the South of France, with direct access to the beach and the glorious Mediterranean Sea.
One of our largest centres: overlooking the sea, set in 44 acres of downland close to Weymouth in Dorset. Excellent for field studies and land-based activities.
Paddling heaven on the mighty Ardèche River in the heart of southern France - an adventure-lover's playground.
The former country house of Lord Hereford, situated at the foothills of the Black Mountains within the Brecon Beacons National Park on the English/Welsh border with the River Wye close by.
A 19th Century country house with 50 acres of on-site activities, close to the beautiful Lake District with plenty of outdoor activities on offer.
An impressive Grade II listed mansion house set in 21 acres on the Sussex Downs, close to Hastings.
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Sunflower Crop Progress August 22, 2010
According to NDSUs (NDAWN) weather center, sunflower planted in central ND on May 25 is fifteen days ahead of last years development pace and 5 days ahead of the five-year average. The crop planted on that date is at or near petal drop. Harvesting at this planting date could easily take place in September with a harvest aide, depending on growing degree days from here on. There are late planted sunflower in areas that were too wet for timely planting in the first half of June. This late planted crop is now approaching the bloom period so additional time and growing degree days will be needed for that late planted crop. In general, the sunflower crop throughout the production region is progressing well with good yield potential. Banded moth numbers have declined significantly. Rust does not appear to be at economic levels in any area from the Canadian border to Texas.


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Mobile phone network O2 is planning to stop providing chargers as standard with new mobile phones »
Wired.co.uk reviews the Sony Xperia T -- an Android phone featuring a dual-core processor, 4.6-inch screen and a 13-megapixel camera »
Cambridge-based ARM is behind the chips in almost every phone and tablet. But now Intel -- the dominant force in the PC era -– is racing to catch up in the mobile age »
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that an additional £200 million is to be invested in science projects at UK universities as part of an expansion of the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund »
Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline in Britain to offer full mobile access in the air, The Telegraph reports. Starting with the new Airbus A330 planes, passengers will be able to access the web, send text messages and make phone calls »
Wired.co.uk reviews the LG Prada 3 -- the third collaboration of LG and Prada, and a decent phone despite its high price »
Wired.co.uk reviews the HTC Explorer -- an Android smartphone for those on a budget, and no a bad performer for the price »
Nvidia has unveiled its long-anticipated Tegra 3 processor, the world's first quad-core chip designed specifically for mobile devices »
Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 5, debuts 12 October with an exhausting list of 200-plus new features »
Microsoft on Monday announced details regarding the Windows Phone 7 Series application store, software development kit and user interface »
Samsung's Galaxy S4 uses a new eight-core CPU. It's faster but the new chip's architecture also brings a few interesting things to the table. Let's take a look »
The new working environment is at once rec room and high street, coffee bar and potting shed »
Wired.co.uk reviews the Vodafone Smart 4 Turbo »


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With the start of winter, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a media release to remind ice fishers to enjoy their pastime responsibly.
For instance, the agency cautions that the presence of snowmobile tracks or footprints on the ice should not be taken as evidence of safe ice conditions. Individuals are strongly encouraged to check ice conditions for themselves and avoid situations that might present even a remote risk.
A minimum of three to four inches of solid ice is usually safe for anglers on foot.
Ice thickness can vary even on the same body of water and anglers should be particularly wary of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice buildup. For more information visit the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7733.html.
"Ice fishing provides a great opportunity for people to get outdoors during the long winter months," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said.
According to a recent DEC survey, ice fishing participation has doubled over the past 10 years. Unlike other angling techniques, it is relatively simple and all one needs is a warm pair of boots, a good ice auger, some tip-ups or a jigging rod and the willingness to experiment to have success, he said.
The use of fish for bait is very popular when ice fishing and baitfish may be used in most but not all waters. See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/71546.html for a list of special regulations by county to find out where baitfish can be used and other regulations that might apply.
Anglers are reminded to take these important steps when using baitfish:
• Follow the regulations to prevent the spread of harmful fish diseases and invasive species.
• Use only certified disease-free baitfish purchased at a local tackle store, or that has been personally collected for use in the same water body in which it is caught.


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Pierce County residents reporting pea-size hail near Puyallup on Sunday might be glad to know the region should be sunny and near 80 degrees by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
"This is typical springlike weather," Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg said about the hail Sunday. "We get these thunderstorms that pop up. We're starting to transition from winter into summer. The air gets unstable."
He said the Weather Service had reports Sunday of hail a quarter-inch in diameter 10 miles south of Puyallup and five miles west and south of the city.
Strong winds in Eatonville about 5:45 p.m. ripped a carport off a house and threw it about 100 feet from the home, knocking out a powerline there, Mayor Mike Schaub said.
"No one hurt, but the residents had a front row seat to it," he said, adding that the city also had hail. "Crazy weather patterns."
About a two block radius where it happened near Madison Avenue South and Center Street East lost power until shortly before 10 p.m., he said.
There were reports that a funnel cloud or tornado caused the damage, but the mayor said he wasn't sure what the winds would be classified as. The Weather Service had only secondhand reports of the possible tornado.
There was a chance of showers and thunderstorms through Sunday evening, Burg said, and Monday was expected to be partly sunny with a high near 60 degrees.
"Tuesday, that's when things will start to warm up," Burg said.
Tuesday's high was forecast to be 71 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, 79 Wednesday, and 81 Thursday. That would tie the May Day record of 81 measured at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 1998, according to the Weather Service.
Spraygrounds at Tacoma parks — playgrounds with water features for kids to cool off — aren't scheduled to open until May 3.
The warm temperatures weren't expected to last through the weekend.
Friday night through the rest of the weekend was forecast to be cloudy with a chance of showers, Burg said.
"We're expecting cooler air to move in," he said.
Alexis Krell: 253-597-8268


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New Orleans Saints
Will Smith - #91 - DE
|6' 3"/ 282 lbs.
|Queens, NY
|Ohio State
|Years played
|2004, 1st round, 18th pick by Saints
Future uncertain for Saints OLT Bushrod
A hole at left tackle will command the Saints' attention this offseason if they fail to re-sign OLT Jermon Bushrod.
NFC South Spin cycle: Tough test awaits suspect Falcons run 'D'
The Falcons came up short against the Bucs in a game where they nothing to gain, and the Panthers rallied against the Saints in Week 17.
Panthers defeat Saints to end year on four-game win streak
Drew Brees made more NFL history, but so did the Saints' defense in an undesirable way, and the Panthers rallied to a 44-38 victory Sunday.
Saints DE Smith will be back only at reduced rate
The Saints put questions about Sean Payton's future to rest with the announcement of his new contract, and one of the next big issues for the team to tackle will be its salary-cap situation.
Saints place Thomas on injured reserve
The Saints placed RB Pierre Thomas (knee) on injured reserve on Saturday.
Report: Saints, Payton agree to contract extension
The Saints and Sean Payton agreed in principle to a multi-year contract extension, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
NFC South Spin cycle: Falcons earn top seed, Bucs keep sinking
The Falcons clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with their win over the Lions in Week 16. Meanwhile, the Bucs continued to implode.
Saints play spoiler in 34-31 victory over Cowboys
Garrett Hartley kicked a 20-yard field in overtime, and the Saints damaged Dallas' playoff hopes with a 34-31 victory against the Cowboys on Sunday.
Graham's contract will draw Saints' attention
TE Jimmy Graham will be entering his contract year in 2013 if he and the Saints don't work out an extension this offseason.
Key matchup: Saints defense vs. Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray
In Wednesday's key matchup, we look ahead to the Week 16 meeting between the Saints and Cowboys.
NFC South Spin cycle: Falcons not playing pretend
The Falcons bounced back in a big way Sunday as the Panthers stayed hot and the Saints dealt the Bucs a brutal loss.
Saints have to consider possibility of Payton's departure
The Saints don't want to lose Sean Payton this offseason, but they want to be compensated for his services if he departs.
Saints roll past Buccaneers 41-0
Drew Brees passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns, and the Saints recorded their first shutout since 1995 in a 41-0 victory over the Buccaneers.
Saints place S Jenkins on injured reserve
The Saints announced Saturday that they have placed FS Malcolm Jenkins and OT Charles Brown on injured reserve.
Saints coach: Witnesses lied in NFL investigation
Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt said Thursday witnesses in the NFL's bounty investigation of the Saints lied about him and the organization.
People familiar with the situation say Smith and linebacker Jonathan Vilma have agreed to restructure their contracts in order to remain with the New Orleans Saints.||||||| The 31-year-old Smith and 30-year-old Vilma, both veteran defensive captains who were implicated in the NFL's bounty probe, would have consumed about $23 million combined in salary cap space had they not agreed to new deals before the new league year - and free agency - began Tuesday afternoon.
Saints defensive end Will Smith says he and linebacker Jonathan Vilma will be present Friday when their lawyers cross examine former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in Washington, D.C. Williams appears at a bounty hearing on Friday morning, according to a schedule set by Paul Tagliabue. The former NFL commissioner has been appointed to oversee the latest round of player appeals in the matter.||||||| Smith and Vilma will leave Atlanta after Thursday night's game against the Falcons. They are among four players issued suspensions of various lengths in the league's probe of the Saints' cash-for-hits program. Smith and Vilma are playing while their appeals are pending. Williams and former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo were two of the NFL's central witnesses in the probe. Cerullo's appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
The NFL is again urging a federal judge to avoid interfering in Commissioner Roger Goodell's efforts to discipline four players for the Saints' cash-for-hits bounty pool.In a response Wednesday to papers the players filed earlier this week, the NFL says its labor agreement gives Goodell the power to handle discipline involving conduct detrimental to football "at his discretion."||||||| U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan is considering the players' request to overturn varying suspensions to Saints linebacker Jon Vilma, Saints defensive end Will Smith, free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspensions of Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith on Tuesday for their role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal and reduced penalties for Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove.||||||| Smith's punishment stands at four games.
Saints defensive end Will Smith is in uniform for New Orleans' opener against Washington.||||||| Smith was reinstated Friday after his bounty suspension was lifted by an NFL appeals panel.


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14 pieces Dog Clothing GIRLS
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Schleese Triumph 17.5 "
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Black Forest Ponderosa Town and Country Treeless
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County Competitor Dressage Saddle
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1940 s Vintage Western Saddle
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All purpose kids saddle Must sell
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Show or trail Western Saddle
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Custom Reining Saddle
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NUFC Officals in Holland for De Jong Talks
Charnley and Llambias are there which could be a good sign. Who knows what could happen, but the best possible result is us coming up with a deal for our number one striker option. Another thing to keep on your mind, Douglas is on the same team, perhaps we are in for both of them? Time will tell but it is getting exciting on the transfer front. via www.chroniclelive.co.uk


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On a very cold December 13 in Austria, a group of young architects and lighting students, along with other lighting industry professionals from the region, gathered at the University of Innsbruck's School of Architecture to hear one of the lighting industry's top designers.
Canadian Luc La Fortune, LD for Cirque du Soleil, among other projects, was on hand to share inspiration as well as his knowledge of lighting design. With an audience of young architects and lighting students before him, La Fortune's premise was to convey to students the power of lighting. Many of those students came to the seminar with their own lighting design projects, which he had the opportunity to comment on.
"This was not a teaching opportunity per se," commented La Fortune, "but a chance to share my experiences and thoughts, to engage the audience in a discussion of lighting. I find that many young lighting students know the fixtures quite well but have missed out on the inspirational aspects of lighting. Many of them have been taught outdated theories that have more to do with illumination and little to do with design. I want to present the possibility of more abstract concepts and designs in lighting. We need to create inspired designers and not just lighting technicians."
Meanwhile, outside the University, attendees could witness firsthand the power of light as some 25 Martin Exterior 600 fixtures illuminated the building's facade.


text: travel By Andree Valentine December 16, 2010 11:34 AM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Category: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More From KSFA: Another Texas City Bans Texting and Driving A Return to Spam Worker Escapes A Lion At The Dallas Zoo Virginia man named 'Stoner' arrested on pot charges Best of the Web


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Case Details:
The female pictured gained access to the victims bankcard information and subsequently made purchases in Revere, Lynn, Cambridge, and Boston. Looking to ID the females pictured.
If you have any information about the identity of this person or where they are, please contact:
Cambridge: (617) 349-9307 Investigator: Detective Brian O'Connor Case Submission No.: 110108
25 FOX DriveDedham, MA 02026
Phone (781) 467-2525


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David Clayman, Ph.D., is a clinical and forensic psychologist and managing partner of Clayman & Associates PLLC, Charleston.
It's been almost four decades since I first approached the Charleston airport at tree-top level as the small plane landed almost without warning.
Off the hill I came into dusty road construction in stifling heat. This predated the interstate and all that has become today's Charleston. Little did I know on that day that this would become my home. The wonderful base where I would grow and thrive professionally, socially and personally. Over the years I have gone from an ignorant outsider to a proud and grateful West Virginian by choice, hopefully giving back to the state as much as I have received.
In spite of teaching and working throughout most of the 55 counties for years after my arrival in the fall of 1974, it wasn't until 1998 when I completed the Leadership West Virginia program sponsored by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce that I embraced the totality of the specialness of the state. I sat in amazement as a third grader in Wheeling, a child prodigy, wow'ed us with his classical grandness on the piano. Over eight months, my classmates and I listened to members of each community in which our sessions were held talk with pride about their pasts and their hopes for the future as they opened their arms to showcase their uniqueness.
Sixteen years later, I have remained active with the program and have continued to hear participants rave every year about their experiences. Wherever the 50 people in each LWV class go, they are exposed to the marvelous secrets of our state, creating excitement and sometimes even awe … wow. As with me, their experiences expand perspectives beyond one's hometown or county to that of the whole state where upon graduation they join many others who have been fortunate enough to see the wonders of our West Virginia hills. Friends are made … relationships connect us with a matrix of talented people from Huntington to Martinsburg, Wheeling to Bluefield, Clarksburg to Logan, Charleston to Parkersburg and all points in between. Now when good things happen anywhere in the state, it is cause for celebration not only for those with immediate proximity but also for all of us committed to bettering the lives of people in the Mountain State.
As with any convert, I can be a zealot at times, finding it appalling when West Virginia is rated at the bottom of many lists and surveys about quality of life. Most times I wonder how the data have been collected and what kind of supposedly random sampling had been done to find respondents. Others from the outside seem to want to keep us in a defensive and inferior position, and, sadly, we often inadvertently help because we are not good at self-promotion. We tend to become upset and resentful when demeaned. We don't quite know how to show off in a way that brings to light all the really wonderful treasures that give us a fantastic way of life. Bottom line … It really should be up to each one of us to showcase what and who makes West Virginia "Almost Heaven."
So, this has prompted a few of us to look around and realize that if we don't do something, no one will. Spontaneously, when talking about the best things in West Virginia, the word "wow" popped up in regard to businesses, employees and employers who go above and beyond every day without realizing what a resource they are and how others value them.
I think of Deb Jones at BB&T making every one of her customers feel special, or the staff at Green's Feed and Seed in Charleston going the extra mile to help care for feral cats, or seven individuals who helped one transplant stay in West Virginia when things were the bleakest, or countless small business people who regularly meet payroll and act as stewards for their employees and communities.
We are looking for these people and businesses that do things to make life better for those who happen by, or make you feel special for a moment or remind you that great edifices are built one brick or plank at a time. All this so we can show the world we are at the top of any list of good people and wonderful lifestyle by showcasing our natural gifts that make others smile in awe and say "wow."
Have you ever had an experience with a business, boss or employee that left you with an extra-special feeling — a feeling that you couldn't wait to tell your friends and family about? Have you ever stumbled upon an unfamiliar, locally owned business in the back roads of West Virginia that you wished you could tell the whole world (or at least the state) about? Well, now is your chance.
Clayman & Associates, along with The State Journal and Leadership West Virginia, is asking for your help in the quest to find and recognize the "WOW" businesses and individuals of our great state. We are looking to identify and showcase the well-known and, more importantly, the not-so-well known places and people that make West Virginia extraordinary. We want to hear all about your "Wow, West Virginia" moments. Email them to firstname.lastname@example.com and include your name, telephone number and a detailed account of your "WOW" moment (place of business, person's name, experience). This program will grow as long as everyone looks for and reports the good things.
And just imagine if the world really gets to know us … WOW!


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It seems a couple of school lunch workers went rogue in Attleboro last week, when they decided that the best way to handle overdrawn lunch-money accounts was to deny kids lunch, and throw away their food. The cafeteria workers must have forgotten they were in Massachusetts, and applied the policies of Dickensian England instead.
Parents were understandably outraged when 26 students at Coelho Middle School were denied lunches — and trays full of fresh food were tossed in the trash — because their prepaid lunch accounts were overdrawn, or couldn't cover the $2.40 cost. The move sparked tears and some acts of generosity, as kids shared apples and chips with their hungry peers.


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One game in the 2011 postseason has already been suspended by rain. That must have made MLB so worried about rain delays that they postponed another game four hours before game time; it didn't rain at all at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, during the time that game was to be played.
Now, bad weather has already either arrived or is forecast for both league championship series sites, Detroit and St. Louis. Here is what the Detroit-area radar looked like at 1:15 p.m. ET:k
That's a still image, and you might think that because weather generally moves from west to east, that it would be clearing out. Not so this time; this rain shield is moving from south to north, with a slight westerly component. Thus it may well be raining in Detroit for several hours; the game, scheduled for 4:19 p.m. Eastern, could be delayed or postponed. There are a few breaks south of the shield; the teams and MLB will hope for those breaks to arrive by game time.
It's not currently raining in St. Louis, though Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted earlier this morning:
#MLB Raining hard in St. Louis. The #NLCS game could be called
The National Weather Service's St. Louis forecast for this evening doesn't look very good:
Tonight: Occasional showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Low around 58. South wind around 6 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
I presume MLB will be watching radars and if they think there's any chance that tonight's Brewers/Cardinals game would be delayed, they'd probably just postpone it. Suspending games, though it appears fair to both teams, wreaks havoc on pitching rotations, as we saw during the Tigers/Yankees series.


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How To Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation
Careers Pick of the Week:
How to Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation
Location: Hagerty Careers HQ2039 .U6 H675 2006
Many of you will be graduating in March, which means it's time to start thinking about how drastically your life will change when you enter the real world. If you're beginning to panic, never fear- this book is full of verbatim advice from real students who recently made the plunge into adulthood. Learn from those who were in your shoes not too long ago about everything from finding an apartment to how much to drink at work parties and how to cope with loneliness after college.


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Park Slope braves another bitter cold day
Numbers & Links
Safety In The Cold
PARK SLOPE - After the second consecutive day of freezing cold temperatures, people say they've had enough.
Residents out in Park Slope kept bundled up in layers as temperatures remained below zero.
Over in Prospect Park, the cold weather kept many bikers and runners away.
Live Radar | Weather Center | Traffic Center
A nearby hardware store says the cold weather has been a big plus for business, as it's completely sold out of handwarmers.


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Is Mariah Carey Ready To Divorce Nick Cannon?
Emma Watson's Intentional "Side Boob"
5 Things You Didn't Know About Rihanna
Wendy Williams Trashes Beyonce: Find Out Why
Kate Upton Shows Us Why Her Legs Are Famous
How MoNique Lost 80 Pounds
The Olsen Twins' Style Transformation
Beyonce's Real Face Revealed
Mariah Carey's Twins Are Incredibly Adorable
12 Actresses Getting By On Their Looks Alone
Mismatched Celebrity Couples That Weirded Us Out
Say Hello To Kim Kardashian's Boobs
Renee Zellweger Looks Hardly Recognizable
30 Child Stars Who Died Young
24 Celebs Who Couldn't Stop Eating and Got Fat
13 Stars Who Were Turned Down By Playboy
The Longest Lasting Marriages in Hollywood
Forever Alone: 40+ Celebrities Who Never Married
Famous People You Didn't Know Were Married to Each Other
Celebrities Who Have Aged the Worst
Hollywood's Hottest Celebrity Siblings
20 Extremely Religious Celebrities
11 Celebrity Scandals We Forgot About
17 of Hollywood's Most Beautiful Couples
Glory Days: 10 Celebs Who Just Stopped Caring
Jordin Sparks Shows Off Massive Weight Loss in Tiny Bikini
Is It Easy To Be A Rich Mom?
Celebrities You Didn't Know Share Exactly the Same Face
These Are Miley Cyrus' Crazy Dating Rules
Taylor Swift's New Video Wardrobe Ranked


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By Nate Smith
Washington Times-Herald
Daviess County's Medal of Honor recipients were honored again Friday with a bridge named after each of them on the new Interstate 69.
On the 148th anniversary of the battle that earned his Medal of Honor, Pvt. Richard Taylor will be honored on the north-bound bridge while Lt. Col. Don Carlos Faith Jr., will be honored by the south bridge. Both bridges span the East Fork of the White River between Daviess and Pike counties.
Descendants of both Taylor and Faith were on hand with State Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, Indiana Department of Transportation officials and leaders from both Washington and Petersburg at Friday's ceremony. The Washington High School NJROTC presented the colors for the ceremony.
Messmer said it was an honor to name the bridges after two that showed valor in the face of danger.
"When men and women do just that, it is our obligation as a nation and as a state to honor them wherever and whenever we can," Messmer said.
Taylor received his medal for actions he took in the Civil War while Faith received his medal posthumously after his actions in the Korean War. Faith's daughter, Bobbie Faith Broyles, said the bridge naming "gives people an opportunity to remember them in their daily lives."
"It is occasions like this that we can honor the gallantry and valor of people of this community," Faith Broyles said.
"I hope all the people of Daviess County will take inspiration from the lives of these special American heroes."
The idea to name the bridges came from Tom Brummett, an INDOT Project Supervisor from Washington that oversaw the building of the bridges for I-69. Brummett said it was a day years in the making.
"These bridge structures are monuments that will always represent the pride, honor and courage that both of these men had for their family, community and country," Brummett said. "The strength of these structures represents the strength of their courage that both show men showed in carrying out their heroic feats of valor."
Taylor's family was represented by Donna Kenworthy, who was the private's great great granddaughter. She expressed her gratefulness after and wished her father, Donald Rice, would have been alive to have seen it.
"I know they are up there very happy," Kenworthy said. "It's a great honor."
According to research by Brummett, Taylor served in Company E, 18th Indiana Infantry Division, Army of the Potomac. On Oct. 19, 1864, the 18th Indiana was in action at Cedar Creek, Virginia.
The army, about 30,000 in number, was meeting the smaller Confederate Army. The Union army was being routed by the smaller southern force, until they were rallied by Gen. Phillip Sheridan.
During the battle, Taylor captured a battle flag even though he was partially paralyzed from a bad smallpox vaccine.
"The day of the battle at Cedar Creek, he was supposed to be back in the ambulance corps," Brummett said. "He disregarded the order and went to the front of the line."
Taylor was awarded the honor on Nov. 21, 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln on the lawn of the White House.
Faith led a counterattack at the Chosun Reservoir in what would be known now as North Korea on Nov. 27, 1950. According to the citation read by Brummett, Faith's unit, the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was under heavy attack from enemy forces at Chosun.
Faith then lead several counterattacks and led the convoy across the frozen reservoir for troops and trucks loaded with wounded soldiers.
He was then killed when he personally led an attack on an enemy position, in direct fire, shooting his pistol and throwing grenades. Faith, who was born in Washington on Aug. 26, 1918, was the only Medal of Honor recipient from the bloody Chosun reservoir battle.
Faith's remains were not identified until last week, Faith Broyles said. An Army research team positively ID'd the remains from some taken from the reservoir in 2004. She said in 2013, Faith's remains will be buried alongside his parents at Arlington National Cemetery.
Faith Broyles, who now resides in Baton Rouge, La., received the posthumous honor for her father from Gen. Omar Bradley on Aug. 2, 1951. Her family was in attendance for the ceremony.
Taylor, who died on Feb. 23, 1890 in Washington, was originally buried in the old Catholic Cemetery in Washington. When the current Washington High School was built over the area, Taylor's remains were moved to Pioneer Park, just in front of the city's water tower.
In Madison County Ala., where Taylor was originally born, a display was made for him in the Madison County Courthouse, complete with a replica of his Medal of Honor.
In Indiana, 75 have earned the highest honor this nation can bestow. The resolution to honor the bridges was accepted unanimously in the statehouse on March 5.
"Stuff like this is what makes the job fun and is a great source of pride," Messmer said.
Kenworthy's daughter, Laurie Gress, said the work Brummett did to honor the two men was incredible. Brummett himself said the research done and working with Messmer to get the bridges named was an honor.
"This was a promise I made to these two men as they've been my heroes that something should be done to recognize for everyone to see and not just me," Brummett said.


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2014 Chemistry Prize will be announced in:
35 days
Wednesday 8 October, 11:45 a.m.
Awards: 105 Prizes to 166 Laureates
Prizes to one Laureate only: 63
Awarded women: 4
Average age of a Chemistry Laureate: 58
More facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
"The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: /- - -/ one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement ..."
(Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel)
Chemistry was the most important science for Alfred Nobel's own work. The development of his inventions as well as the industrial processes he employed were based upon chemical knowledge. Chemistry was the second prize area that Nobel mentioned in his will.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 was awarded jointly to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel.
Watch Martin Karplus lecturing about the 'Development of Multiscale Models for Complex Chemical Systems'
Michael Levitt explains his Nobel Prize awarded work to young students
Arieh Warshel gives advice to young students in this interview
Learn about chemistry's many facets and why would one claim that chemistry is the 'queen of all sciences'.
Explore how Nobel Laureates compare their own research to the adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
From molecules to equations to experiments, learn how and why chemistry is beautiful.


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Production and lighting designer Roy Bennett's latest work for Rihanna's Loud World Tour is what CNN calls "a gloriously over-the-top spectacle."
The tour started in North America this summer with lighting supplied by Upstaging, now running through European to the end of the year.
Check out this fan video of the opener, featuring Bennett's cool use of motion-controlled cirular spheres fitted with LED screens and Martin MAC 101 fixtures.


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Day after day of single-digit temps following sub-zero swings will make anyone want to get away, but how realistic is it to take off and fly south for a last-minute vacation?
"It's been pretty horrific," Maggie Aftahi said as she prepared to head to Miami. "I am Midwest-born and raised, and I find it impossible to stay around here and remain upbeat."
Fox 9 News caught up with Aftahi while she was swimsuit shopping on Sunday while she was getting ready for what can only be described as a desperation vacation.
"We're going to South Beach -- get away, my husband and I," she said. "We'll escape the children and get out of this frigid temperature."
She isn't the only one setting her eyes on sunnier spots either. The year-round beachwear boutique Nani Nalu has been bustling with customers who have had enough of winter and want to get outfitted for some spontaneous fun in the sun.
"Mexico is my biggest seller right now, the most affordable," Shannon McCloskey, of Happy Time Travel, told Fox 9 News.
McCloskey said her phone has been ringing off the hook as people look for help getting a deal on a get-away.
"It's people that say, 'I don't care where I go, I don't care when I leave -- just send me somewhere warm,'" she relayed.
So, Fox 9 News challenged her to find some deals where the only requirements were sunshine, a beach, and tropical drinks with umbrellas in them. For a person leaving in the next week or so, the prices in Fort Meyers, Florida, could let a couple enjoy a week away for $2,300, all told. For $200 more, the same couple could enjoy an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, and $3,000 will book a week in Jamaica.
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E&Y Survey: Uniform Standard for Broker-Dealers, FINRA Rules Worrisome
While the new Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules that would affect broker-dealers have either not been written or implemented yet, many of those who would be affected expect there to be a huge impact, according to a new study released by Ernst & Young.
Of the four major rulemaking decisions being mulled by the SEC, FINRA and the FDIC, the uniform fiduciary standard and FINRA's know-your-customer (KYC) and suitability rules (effective date was extended to July 9, 2012) have caught the attention of the broker-dealers the most. (The other two rulemaking decisions mentioned in the survey are OTC derivatives regulation and the so-called Paul Volcker Rule – ban on proprietary trading.) The Ernst & Young survey, which included responses from 42 broker-dealers from March 20-May 3, found that 71.5 percent of respondents the FINRA rules would result in a high impact on their compliance and control processes while 64.3 percent believed the uniform fiduciary standard, although there is no planned specific rulemaking scheduled, would have a high impact.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the uniform fiduciary standard is the Dodd-Frank Act doesn't actually call for writing rules, but instead just asking the SEC to issue a study looking at the need for such a standard. The SEC did issue that study in January, in which it recommended there be such a standard of conduct for broker-dealers and investment advisers. The key sticking point for many on this issue is the confusion by retail investors over the roles played by the broker-dealers and investment advisers.
"The question is what would the standard look like," said Nancy Reich, executive director in the financial services risk management practice of Ernst & Young. "You would have to take into account the different business models of investment advisers and broker-dealers.
"If that standard was applicable to broker-dealers, there would have to be a lot of work done, such as getting additional disclosures and additional information from clients. It would not be a simple task for firms to become compliant."
As for the standard itself, the SEC's report calls for the following:
- Consistent with Congress's grant of authority in Section 913, the Staff recommends the consideration of rulemakings that would apply expressly and uniformly to both broker-dealers and investment advisers, when providing personalized investment advice about securities to retail customers, a fiduciary standard no less stringent than currently applied to investment advisers under Advisers Act Sections 206(1) and (2).
- In particular, the Staff recommends that the Commission exercise its rulemaking authority under Dodd-Frank Act Section 913(g), which permits the Commission to promulgate rules to provide that: the standard of conduct for all brokers, dealers, and investment advisers, when providing personalized investment advice about securities to retail customers (and such other customers as the Commission may by rule provide), shall be to act in the best interest of the customer without regard to the financial or other interest of the broker, dealer, or investment adviser providing the advice.
In my conversation with Reich last week, she reiterated what the SEC study found: "many retail investors do not understand and are confused by the roles played by investment advisers and broker-dealers." The study went on to say that many investors are confused by how the standards of care apply to investment advisers and broker-dealers when providing personalized investment advice about securities.
Reich also pointed out how broker-dealers would have to modify their compliance and supervisory programs.
"If the rule was adopted, [broker-dealer] firms would have to assess where there is a conflict of interest," she said. "They would have to know where the conflicts exist and how to mitigate those. They would have to do an assessment of those programs, which would include additional disclosures and additional information from clients. They may have to change the supervisory and compliance processes. Compliance [department] should modify its routines to align with the business."
Not surprisingly, the activity that E&Y survey respondents thought posed the greatest challenge to a broker-dealer was "modifying broker-dealer compliance and supervisory programs" (76.2 percent). The second most challenging activity was "identifying all material conflicts of interest in accounts, services and processes" (71.4 percent).
One of the more ironic findings in the survey was the answer to the question: Does your compliance function anticipate any of the following in 2011? The answer was "hiring additional compliance staff" (50 percent). The irony lies in the fact that the current economic conditions make it problematic for broker-dealers to hire more people while new regulations basically dictate that they make those hires.
"There's a tension when there's a lot of new regulations," Reich said. "Dodd-Frank has created a lot of new regulations for banks, [broker-dealers] and others. Some of the new rules require new competency structures.
"In some cases, the [banks and broker-dealers] have to cut staff in one area, but have to meet the regulatory responsibility in another."
When it was suggested if the broker-dealers should use third party companies, Reich responded that it was an alternative. However, there is a caveat.
"The latest FINRA rules state that companies have due diligence rules that say third parties meet the obligation of the law as if the work was being done in-house," Reich said.


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Suicide Update
According to a May 4 News-Register article titled "Second suspect cops plea in drug death," Chad Brown, 23, who committed suicide on Linfield College's campus April 10 was involved in the February 2010 death of 21-year-old David Lent, a 2006 graduate of North Salem High School.
Lent died of an alcohol and drug overdose. Lent, Brown and friends Brytney
Gillingham, 21, Jeramy Brumley, 26, and John Plemmons, 23, had been drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, consuming Oxycontin and using Fentanyl pain-relief patches, all leading up to Lent's death.
Gillingham and Lent's roommate Michelle Jones, 38, who was taking a nap at the time, was informed by other residents that Gillingham and Lent were unconscious. Jones called for help and performed CPR on Lent. When help arrived, the two were taken to Willamette Valley Medical Center. Gillingham was revived, but Lent could not be resuscitated.
Brown, Brumley and Plemmons fled the scene before authorities arrived. Brown was facing drug charges when he committed suicide.


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Category: Air & Climate ×
Subcategory: Air Monitoring ×
Keyword: calibration systems ×
Location: Latin America ×
Location: Costa Rica ×
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Stroud robbery update – victim Shaun Chapman, 21, speaks about vicious handsaw assault (From Stroud News and Journal)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting SNJ NEWS to 80360, or email us
Stroud robbery update – victim Shaun Chapman, 21, speaks about vicious handsaw assault
Updated 4:07pm Monday 4th February 2013 in News By Kate Wilson, Reporter
Shaun Chapman, 21, pictured after two men attacked him in the underpass near Kwik Fit in Dr Newtons Way
ASSAULT victim Shaun Chapman, 21, has spoken to the SNJ about the incident when two teenagers attacked him armed with a handsaw blade on his way to his uncle's 50th birthday party.
Mr Chapman, who lives in Bath Road, Stroud, was walking to meet his family in the Lord John Pub in Russell Street on Friday, February 1 around 7.45pm when two teenagers aged around 18 approached him with a handsaw and demanded his mobile phone.
When Mr Chapman refused to give up his phone the two teenagers viciously assaulted him in the underpass near Kwik Fit in Dr Newtons Way leaving him with severe bruising and cuts to his face.
"My family didn't even recognise me when I arrived at the Lord John after the attack," said Mr Chapman who works in Tesco, Stroud.
After Mr Chapman reported the incident to the police on Friday he was taken to Gloucestershire Hospital for medical treatment.
More details to follow.
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For the second time in roughly two months, Evanston is dealing with the loss of one of its youth because of a shooting.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Alderman Delores Holmes, along with some city staff members wore grim looks Friday as they walked the 1800 block of Brown, where 19-year-old Justin Murray was shot the night before.
Evanston Police detectives and the North Regional Major Crime Task Force continue to investigate the shooting death, according to a news release sent out Friday evening.
Officers responded to several shots fired calls and discovered Murray lying on the parkway in front of 1818 Brown Ave. Evanston Fire Paramedics transported to Murray to Evanston / North Shore University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Murray was shot twice at the time of the incident and two offenders were seen peering from a nearby gangway when the shots were fired, according to the news release. Murray was in the company of several others at the time he was shot and police say the shooting is not believed to be random in nature.
"However, police are still investigating to see if the victim was the actual target or the individuals the victim was with were targeted," police said in the news release.
On Friday, blood was still spattered on the grass across from the one-story gingerbread house where Murray was shot after reportedly visiting his grandmother. Officials called a fire department engine to the scene to wash the stain away.
Holmes, in whose Fifth Ward the block is located, and longtime community member Cherylette Hilton, exchanged a long clasp a house away from the murder spot.
"It has got to stop,'' the alderman told Hilton.
"It has to,'' repeated Hilton, who works with troubled youth in the court system, "but it has to start in the homes."
The meeting was the second in just over two months. Fourteen-year-old Dajae Coleman, a promising basketball player and student, was the unintended victim of gun shots Sept. 22 on Church Street, in a shooting that rocked the community.
In meetings with residents, Holmes said, "I'm trying to get them to understand that police will do their part, but it's time to organize. We've been trying to get a block club together here for a long time," she said.
She took solace from advice one of the residents gave her.
"If you see something, say something. It's a good motto," she said. "I think I'm going to use that."
Tisdahl also said that kind of effort is what the city has to build on.
"We need to go block to block to block,'' building consensus among families and their children on what will and will not be tolerated, she said.
She said the schools remain an important factor, creating opportunities for the 29 percent of youth who do not go on to college.
In the meantime, people at the block level "have to help too,'' she stressed.
Stacey Moraigne, a former star athlete at Evanston Township High School visited the scene to express his condolences. He suggested the efforts would have to go deeper.
"The shirt-and-tie guys, these kids are not going to listen to," he said. "It's impossible for me identify with you when you have got a shirt and tie on and never walked the street, never committed a crime. You have no story to tell me. We need some guys (who have) lived that lifestyle and came back and changed their lives.
"That's what we need to grab these kids, because it's not basketball, it's not football. It's a blunt and gun. That's their livelihood."
Meanwhile, the Evanston Township High School community is taking steps to help students deal with the loss, Superintendent Eric Witherspoon said in an email message that went out to the school community today. Murray had graduated from the school.
'We know that some students and staff members will have a difficult time dealing with this news," he said. "Our Student Services staff will be available in E118 throughout the school day to provide grief counseling to any student or staff member who might need it. No appointment is necessary.
"Our sympathy and thoughts are with Justin's family," he said.
The Evanston Police Department asks anyone with information regarding the homicide call the detective bureau at (847) 866-5040 or utilize Text-A-Tip by texting the word CRIMES (274637) and EPD Tip with text information.
Police are investigating the murder of a homeless man who was beaten to death in an alley in Logan Square.
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Town Square
Morgan fire on eastern slope of Mount Diablo now 45% contained
Original post made on Sep 8, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Sunday, September 8, 2013, 6:13 PM
Comments (5)
on Sep 8, 2013 at 6:32 pm
It only takes a flick of a cigarette or a spark from a lighter.
Keep safe by reporting any sign of smoke smell/sight and remove/trim dry brush from residence.
California is running low on water, don't waste it.
on Sep 9, 2013 at 5:20 pm
Hope nobody is injured.
on Sep 9, 2013 at 8:35 pm
many shooting ranges out there. wonder if one of the shooters lit a cigarette.
on Sep 10, 2013 at 10:38 am
wow we are going to blame smokers for this without knowing? get off your high horses people... lots of heat and dry brush easily starts a fire...lets get the facts first.
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:00 am
Couple of years back, I saw a woman in her MB suv pull off the road on Foothill to conduct some self absorbing business. Her cell phones a blazin, paper a flyin, pens a jottin. Looked like a shoe sale at Nordstroms in there. Anywho, after this clown wrapped up the sale of some McMansion in E.Poshville, she pulls away in a hurry. No, she didnt notice that high grass she parked in was a smolder'n. Soon it became a 10X10 fire. I hopped of my bike and hurried to stamp out the small flames. I bet it took me 20 minutes to finally snuff the last of a 20 x 20 fire. i had heard of stories of catalytic converters igniting fires, and i am hear to attest that these rumors may be true
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A seventh victim of the Indiana State Fair tragedy has died from injuries sustained in the stage collapse.
The Marion County Coroner's Office says Meagan Toothman, 24, died shortly before midnight on Sunday. However, Indiana State Police released a statement stating Toothman is currently on life support, but death is imminent. Toothman's parents released a statement Monday stating their daughter was preparing for surgery to have her organs donated.
Toothman is reported to be a 2009 Wittenberg graduate. The Middletown Journal reports that Toothman was a cheerleader at the university, and she returned to her hometown in Anderson Township in Hamilton County to coach cheerleading at her old high school.
After more than a week of hoping and praying for Toothman to recover, her family made an announcement Monday morning on her Caring Bridge website saying:
"Late last night it became apparent that our Meagan was no longer with us. The decision was made to allow to her to be at peace. This afternoon she is scheduled for a surgery that will provide gifts of sight, health, and life to dozens who are in need."
The news hits hard at Turpin High School in Cincinnati, where Toothman graduated from in 2005 before returning to coach cheerleading two years ago. Last week students and friends held a vigil for Toothman and one of the recent cheerleaders on her squad and that student's mother. All three were injured when the light rigging from the stage reportedly fell on top of them in the VIP section.
"It's really unbelievable that you can go to a concert and have something like this happen to you," said Tony Hemmelgarn, athletic director at Turpin High School.
Hemmelgarn spoke during a news conference Monday to address the news about Toothman's death. Though she made an impact on her cheerleading squad, he said she aspired to help all students with the very emotions they are now feeling for her.
"Megan was also going to be a school psychiatrist and also a counselor working with kids," Hemmelgarn said, referring to a master's degree she was pursuing. "It's a huge loss to our community without question."
Though her impact in life is now cut short, Toothman's decision to donate organs gives her family comfort. In their statement Monday they said, "We hope that she will continue to touch more lives in the same way through her passing. Her light will continue to shine on all of us as her journey of hope continues on to heaven."
"Her spirit going to live for a long time," Hemmelgarn said. "She made a huge impact."


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22 July 2011
Speech delivered by UN Women Deputy Director and Assistant Secretary-General John Hendra, At the Pacific Women Ministers' Conference, 20 July 2011, Tanoa Hotel, Nadi, Fiji.
[Check against delivery.]
Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Deputy Director General, Ms Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu,
Honourable Ministers and Heads of Government Delegations,
Development Partners,
The representatives of non-governmental organizations, regional organizations, multilateral organizations, and in particular, our hosts, the Secretariat for the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
I would like to thank you very much for your very warm welcome. At the outset, I bring warm greetings to all of you from Michelle Bachelet, the Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, who has asked me to convey to this conference her very best wishes for a highly successful outcome.
For me, it is a real honour and privilege to have the opportunity to speak to you at this Fourth Pacific Women Ministers' Conference during my first formal mission to the Pacific Region, in my capacity as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for UN Women. And, it is really timely for me to have this opportunity to interact with a group like this during my very early days in UN Women.
The many of you who have followed closely the birth of UN Women know that its founding resolution was crystal clear on two points. First, it states explicitly that UN Women should work in consultation with the respective national machineries for women and/or the focal points designated by Member States. And, secondly, it recognizes the critical role of civil society and women's organizations, and encourages UN Women to continue the existing practice of effective consultation with civil society organizations and encourages their meaningful contribution to the work of the entity. There is probably no better forum to exercise the wishes of the UN Member States in the Pacific than this one.
And, finally, this Fourth Ministerial Meeting also provides an opportunity for me to better understand the work of your intergovernmental regional organizations, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) with its technical support role and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, with its important regional political convening mandate.
In this context, I commend the SPC for its establishment and sponsorship of the Pacific Triennial Conferences on Women, the 11th of which was held last year. We very much recognize the importance of the Triennial Outcomes to guide and benchmark further action, advocacy, change and reporting of Pacific Governments on gender equality in line with your national commitments. These include the Millennium Development Goals, the Beijing Platform for Action and CEDAW. And, in that regard, let me congratulate the Pacific for importantly adding one more country to the 186 that have ratified CEDAW, as I understand that Nauru ratified the Convention just last month.
Let me say first, from the outset, that UN Women's commitment to support and, wherever possible, expand our work to accelerate progress towards gender equality and women's empowerment in the Pacific is unwavering. The four predecessor organizations that have now merged into the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, UN Women, create a firmer basis for stronger partnership.
As you know, we are already cooperating closely with many countries and regional organizations in the Pacific on issues that are on your agenda: from ending violence against women to enhancing women's economic empowerment, from increasing women's leadership in national and local political bodies, and to amplifying women's voices as champions of peace and resolving conflict.
The Pacific Beijing Plus 15 Report affirms that there remain persistent challenges in this region that require urgent responses. The Triennial Outcomes have provided the guideposts for our work in the region in the past, and as consensus priorities of Pacific leaders and gender equality advocates are the starting point for our future action going forward.
But you, and constituencies around the world, did not join together to advocate for the creation of UN Women just so that we could continue to do a little more or a little better than we had before. We know that the expectations for UN Women are enormously high, and while our ability to meet expectations depends on many factors, please be assured that our commitment is to work with you to over time create a sea change in our collective efforts and our transformational results to advance gender equality and women's empowerment.
Women in the Pacific and for that matter worldwide have been vocal in their demands that the gender equality agenda cannot be put on hold. It is an agenda that is fundamental to the development, peace and security of communities, countries and regions the world over.
As you are aware, UN Women launched its first flagship report, Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice, which makes a case for the urgency of addressing the most egregious threats to women's rights, threats that have as much of an impact here as anywhere else. For instance, in too many parts of the world, violence against women remains one of the world's most hidden pandemics. Based on prevalence surveys from 70 countries, up to 60 percent of women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.
While we've seen great progress with 125 countries now having outlawed domestic violence, there are still six hundred million women and girls living in countries without this legal protection. Only 52 countries have explicitly criminalized rape in marriage, leaving 2.6 billion women and girls without this legal protection. This is particularly serious, since surveys have found that in countries without domestic violence laws on average, 50 percent of people think that it is sometimes justifiable for a man to beat his wife and 19 percent of women report experiencing physical violence in their lifetime.
The power of laws to shape attitudes and influence behaviours is significant, but it's not enough. There is an important distance to travel in the Pacific to ensure that the countries in the region are learning from each other's experiences and have these laws in place, with too many countries amongst those that have yet to outlaw the multiple forms of violence that women and girls face.
So, too, the underrepresentation of women in leadership and in political life worldwide is a manifestation of gender discrimination that must be corrected. Global data paints a still disturbing picture, women currently make up 19 percent of all Parliamentarians and 17 percent of Ministers. Only 19 women worldwide are serving as elected or appointed Heads of State or Government.
While we do not have reliable data at this point, in local councils there is also significant underrepresentation despite the fact that local level political positions are the best training ground for higher-level opportunities. And, beyond formal political positions, the potential of changing gender discrimination from seeing more women in leadership roles in other sectors — from the police, where women represent just 9 percent globally, to judges, where the global representation of women is at 27 percent — is being lost because of inadequate incentives and policies to ensure that women can access these influential spaces.
Here too, this Conference can take important steps. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union database, women's participation rate in upper and lower houses of parliament in the Pacific stands at an average of just over 14 percent. Changing these percentages is possible, as we have seen in countries that have made huge strides in a very short period of time, such as Rwanda. This year's Progress of the World's Women Report: In Pursuit of Justice points out that where women have reached a critical mass of Parliamentarians, laws and policies to advance women's rights, health care, labour rights and property often follow.
Later in the Conference agenda, we will be briefly presenting the highlights of the recently adopted UN Women Strategic Plan 2011 to 2013. For now, I would emphasize that the creation of UN Women represents the recognition by UN Member States that if gender equality is indeed central to achieving all national development aspirations, then we need to speed up the pace of change, so that we can make gender equality a lived reality, not just a mantra.
It also signals that gender equality and women's rights are on par with other global imperatives, such as ending poverty and hunger, fighting chronic diseases and combating climate change and that achieving gender equality is central to achieving the MDGs solving the global challenges of the 21st Century. And it signals that no country, whether in the Pacific or in any other region, can afford to squander the talents and contributions of one half of its population because of gender inequality and discrimination.
For me, what is particularly important about this Conference and about the birth of UN Women is that we are increasingly identifying strategies that offer significant promise toward advancing gender equality. Many of these strategies are being tested or discussed in this region, including in the context of efforts to accelerate progress to meet the Millennium Development Goals over the next four years:
The challenge then, Honourable Ministers, is to ensure that we move from better analysis to a much more robust evidence base, to more effective pilot programmes, to an improved legal and policy framework for gender equality and to a more dynamic "whole of government approach so as to scale-up implementation and financing of innovations that are proven to work. The challenge is to ensure that the voices and perspectives of women and girls, alongside those of men and boys, are present at every key decision-making table, whether regarding education, health, security sector reform, food security, or climate change mitigation strategies.
Globally, the rest of 2011 and 2012 present important opportunities for advocating for this sea change in action on gender equality and we hope that your deliberations over the next two days take into account how the Pacific region will best contribute to these.
In November, the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness will take place in Busan, Korea. There we will have an opportunity to put strong demands for financing for gender equality on the global agenda. UN Women Pacific will, this week announce scholarships to develop the capacity of Gender Equality advocates in Government and Civil society, to advocate and monitor the incorporation of Gender in the mainstream aid effectiveness discourse and to accelerate adoption of gender responsive budgeting.
In March, the UN will host the 56th Commission on the Status of Women in New York, with a particular focus on rural women. We look forward to strong participation from the Pacific Islands and to presentations of concrete experiences and recommendations for ensuring that rural women are equal beneficiaries of, and contributors to, progress toward the MDGs. In the Pacific, we have prepared substantial annotated bibliographies and literature reviews to share knowledge evidence and data to inform regional and national advocacy and action.
And, in December of 2012, the UN will host "Rio Plus 20, with a strong focus on sustainable development. Here, too, is an opportunity for the Pacific Islands to bring forward the steps that it is taking and the global agreements that it wants to ensure that women are leading the way toward a world that guarantees all of its citizens a more sustainable future. In particular, our offices in Samoa and Fiji are advocating for more green jobs for women in the informal and local economy in a broader framework of the MDGs, legal empowerment of the poor, and Article 14 of CEDAW.
Many of these critical issues are on your agenda this week. Hence, I very much look forward to listening, learning and engaging with you on matters related to our collective commitment to advancing gender equality, and determining how UN Women, as part of the broader UN Family of Agencies working in the Pacific region, can best support your efforts.
To close, let me offer a heartfelt thank you to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the participants of this Conference, which includes so many of those who advocated and campaigned tirelessly for the creation of UN Women. I would not be here as a representative of UN Women if not for the work of women's rights advocates, from the North and from the South and including many in Government; all of whom united in networks and built alliances to press for the creation of UN Women.
Your hopes and expectations are high. They should be; many of you worked long and hard to see this Organization come into being so as to accelerate the achievement of women's rights worldwide. While we have much work ahead to quickly enhance our capacity, expand our partnerships, build our evidence-based policy work and grow our Organization, our partnership with you is the essential ingredient that we require to enable us to succeed and most importantly meet the high expectations that really matter — improving the lives of women and girls both here in the Pacific, and around the world, who need us most.
Thank you very much for inviting me to be with you and thank you for your kind attention.