text:
Welcome to Continuing Education and Distance Learning (CEDL)
Advance your career. Stay up to date at work. Learn at your pace. Train your employees. Learn using a medium you choose. Unleash your abilities.
Our Mission
Continuing Education and Distance Learning works to create lasting relationships with government agencies, chambers of commerce, economic development, industry, and all other training providers to benefit our employers and training customers. We help find funding from private, local, state and federal grant resources. With focus on economic and workforce development, we assess and create training, provide certifications, and relevant effective training for all job seekers, Louisiana employers and employees, our community, and the University's students, faculty, and staff.
Ask about our 10% discount for Louisiana Tech Students, Alumni, and Military.
For information about training call (318) 257-4433 or email firstname.lastname@example.com or click on our social media links below:
Shreveport Center Training
Check out the training that is available in Shreveport or call (318) 257-4433
Barksdale Program
The Barksdale Program has many opportunities for academic excellence.
Shreveport Center
Visit our Center for academic offerings and to find options to train or meet.
New SHRM Learning System Video SHRM Webinar SHRM Certification Website
Test prep courses provided in partnership with:
The Princeton Review - Test prep, Internet or Instructor Led courses. ACT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and more. REGISTER HERE.


text:
Just over 1 percent
of those projected to enroll in Vermont's new health care insurance program
have selected a plan. That's the word from Vermont Health Connect, which
released the latest numbers Tuesday afternoon.
Officials have estimated 100,000
Vermonters will have to enroll in the mandate. To date, 1,103 Vermonters have
selected a plan.
Gov. Peter Shumlin says
Vermont's Health Exchange is getting better, but three weeks after the launch
of the new system Vermonters still can't actually buy health insurance.
Vermont's website has been plagued with problems. Customers cannot actually pay
for the new coverage yet and the state may not meet its Nov. 1 deadline for
having the problem fixed.
Vermont's system cost $172
million to develop.
Related Stories:
712 now signed up with Vt. Health Connect
Will Vt. Health Connect meet deadline?
631 Vermonters sign up for Vermont Health Connect
Has the state worked out the online kinks of Vermont Health Connect?
Consumers struggle to connect to Vermont Health Connect
PO Box 4508
Burlington, VT 05406-4508
Primary Phone: 802-652-6300
Primary email: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A local elementary school principal has been put on administrative leave.
The Washoe County School District says Andrew Stansberry of Moss Elementary School was put on leave because he didn't let the district know about embezzlement charges filed against him while working at a school in Michigan.
From 2007 to 2009, Stansberry reportedly took $26,000 from the school. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to repay the money.
Stansberry was hired at Moss Elementary last year.
KTVN-TVPhone: (775) 858-2222Fax: (775) 861-4298
Mailing Address:4925 Energy WayReno, NV 89502


text:
Meet ThePrettyPeacock
About ThePrettyPeacock
Ana Talukder Simpson's love of geekery, texture, and patterns (especially those that pay homage to her East Indian heritage), and all things sparkly has yielded designs that are uniquely elegant. "I create jewelry that is supposed to hold deep, personal meaning to the wearer. Not just a bauble to match the current outfit." Ana started The Pretty Peacock in 2008. Her jewelry is crafted using modern and traditional techniques to insure that your treasures will last a lifetime. Recycled, precious metals are used whenever possible, as well as Earth-friendly packaging - Resposible luxury is a must. Ana's work has caught the attention of a myriad of bloggers, stylists, celebrities, editors, boutiques and galleries around the globe. Ana is the mother of two, little hooligans,Aidan and Maya, and wife to techie-geek extraordinaire, Joel. The Pretty Peacock studio is located just north of Seattle, Washington, where all of Ana's designs are brought to life.


text: I've been reading this blog for a good while but I've never posted. Here's my question - does anyone want to make some money over Homecoming weekend??? I graduated a few years ago and It's finally got to that point where I have no buds left at school that I can crash with. I got tickets to the Michigan game but all the hotels in State College are sold out. The question I have is - is there anyone that is still a student or has a house or something in State College they want to rent out over that weekend??? I'm willing to throw a real nice slab of loot down - three, four, five hundred bucks for a place... Let me know if you have anything or any thoughts


text:
This week, Sen. Patrick Leahy wrote to a constituent, expressing concern with the cost of the military's newest fighter jet: the F-35.
The program is projected to cost $400 billion -- double the 2001 projection. It has also run into several production and technical delays since Congress first ordered the plane in the mid-90's.In the letter, Leahy wrote: "The F-35 program has been poorly managed and is a textbook example of how not to buy military equipment." He said he would like to halt the program, but doesn't believe the bulk of Congress would agree, and therefore still supports stationing a fleet of the super-planes in Vermont."I'm confident that the contractor will get there and that we'll get an F-35 that is capable and meets the defense needs of our nation," said Vermont's new Adjutant General, Steven Cray.Cray said he believes the planes will touchdown at Burlington International by 2020. And he said he's glad to hear the Senator still backs the plane. "They're very expensive, very complicated systems," he said.Stephen Pomeroy is a former Naval Aviator and is Associate Director of the School of Business and Management at Norwich University.
He said almost every military plane commissioned by the Defense Department since 1970 has come in significantly over budget. "We build airplanes in the Department of Defense the way Stutz built motor cars -- they're not in business any longer," he said.Pomeroy said cost overruns are largely due to custom specifications and inherent hurdles in creating novel technology. The F-35 is designed to replace more than five planes across multiple military branches -- and near the end of their service lives. "If the United States is going to build a manned fighter aircraft, this is probably the best choice they have for now," he said. "If you think the world is going to be at peace perpetually, then we probably don't need it."Politically, de-commissioning the plane would be nearly impossible. Production is spread over 45 states and is projected to employ more than 250,000 people.Local opponents of the plane have said the jets could create an unhealthy environment for those who live near the airport, because the F-35 is louder than the current crop of F-16s.
PO Box 4508
Burlington, VT 05406-4508
Primary Phone: 802-652-6300
Primary email: email@example.com


text:
Jerry Angelo hopes to get Matt Forte Deal Done
Heres a little excert from the article ...... "Matt was the only player we targeted, and we made him what I feel is a very lucrative offer on a contract extension," Angelo told the team's website. "The deal did not get done, but we definitely want Matt to play many more years with the Bears. Any suggestion otherwise simply is not true. We buy into Matt as both a player and a person." They also list our top guys we are interested in resigning . Goes a little something like this .... receiver Earl Bennett, cornerback Corey Graham, quarterback Caleb Hanie, defensive end Israel Idonije, linebacker Brian Iwuh, cornerback Tim Jennings, safety Brandon Meriweather, defensive tackle Amobi Okoye and offensive lineman Edwin Williams .


text:
Results for Diversity
Most Americans Don't Think Scientology is a Religion
Originally Posted: 10/03/2012 - 11:35am | Type: Blog
that Scientology is not a true religion; 13 percent believe it is; and 18 percent either don't know or don't care. ...
Mosque in Toledo, Ohio Scorched by Arson
Originally Posted: 10/03/2012 - 11:24am | Type: Blog
Muslim worshippers are reeling from an arson fire at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, but are grateful for an outpouring of support from the local interfaith community. TOLED ...
Shariah or Not, Muslim Divorces Can Get Tricky
Originally Posted: 10/02/2012 - 8:17am | Type: Blog
What if American judges were prohibited from considering Shariah and other foreign laws, as many state and national politicians want to see happen? New Jersey lawyer Abed Awad has ...
Debate Anti-Muslim Ads in NYC Subway
Originally Posted: 10/07/2013 - 12:31pm | Type: Media
Jim Wallis Pamela Geller Up Close ...
Jim Wallis Faces Off With The Woman Behind Anti-Muslim NYC Subway Signs
Originally Posted: 10/01/2012 - 4:17pm | Type: Blog
Maybe you've heard the buzz...On Sunday, Sojourners' CEO Jim Wallis appeared on a news program to debate Pamela Geller of the Freedom Defense Initiative and Stop Islamization of America, who put up a ...
Man Behind Anti-Islam Film Arrested in Los Angeles
Originally Posted: 09/30/2012 - 12:07pm | Type: Blog
LOS ANGELES —The Egyptian-American man reportedly behind the anti-Islamic video that sparked weeks of Muslim protests worldwide was arrested and detained here Thursday (Sept. 27) over a federal probation viola ...
The Big Something: When A Campaign Gets Personal
Originally Posted: 09/28/2012 - 10:49am | Type: Blog
Our world is a powder keg, and Geller flagrantly lit a blowtorch with these ads, which, in case you were wondering, are protected fully under the Constitution. They may be legal, but they're not moral. ...
Christian group to launch campaign against anti-Islam groups in US
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 4:11pm | Type: Press
September 26, 2012 Sojo in the News Zaman Daily News ...
Islamic center controversy slowing down one year after
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 4:10pm | Type: Press
September 26, 2012 Sojo in the News Emily West ...
What Shane Claiborne (and Mother Teresa) Got Wrong About the Body of Christ
Originally Posted: 09/26/2012 - 1:57pm | Type: Blog
Confronted daily with the reality of a body whose parts are most definitely not all healthy or strong, I am perhaps better acquainted than more able-bodied believers with just what a perfect metaphor the human ...
Introducing The Emerging Voices Project: One Vision. Many Voices.
Originally Posted: 09/21/2012 - 10:30am | Type: Blog
Today, Sojourners in launching a new project called Emerging Voices, and it's one of the most exciting things I have been involved with for a long time. It aims to mentor, develop, and promote the most dynamic ...
Sojourners Planting Billboard to Support Murfreesboro Mosque
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 3:30pm | Type: Press
September 14, 2012 Sojo in the News Blake Farmer ...
Evangelicals Should Avoid 'Muslim-Baiting,' Says Professor
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 5:34pm | Type: Press
September 15, 2012 Sojo in the News Michael Gryboski ...
'Love Muslim neighbors' billboard coming to Murfreesboro
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 5:36pm | Type: Press
September 15, 2012 Sojo in the News Mark Bell ...
Islam on the Verge
Originally Posted: 11/01/2012 - 5:10pm | Type: Magazine Article
Adnan Silajdzic As told to Rose Marie Berger Every religion has in it some seed of pluralism. Muslims must le ...
Survey: Americans Overstate Size of Religious Minorities
Originally Posted: 09/17/2012 - 9:52am | Type: Blog
The typical American underestimates how many Protestants there are in the U.S., and vastly overestimates the number of religious minorities such as Mormons, Muslims, and atheist/agnostics, according to a new s ...
Bishops Blast Coptic Christians Behind Anti-Muslim Film
Originally Posted: 09/17/2012 - 9:37am | Type: Blog
Coptic Christian leaders in the United States distanced themselves from an anti-Muslim film that has sparked protests in more than 24 countries, and denounced the Copts who reportedly produced and promoted the ...
Members of burned Missouri mosque look to an uncertain future
Originally Posted: 01/10/2013 - 3:44pm | Type: Press
September 13, 2012 Sojo in the News Kellie Kotraba Religion New Service ...
American Muslims are here to stay, says US official
Originally Posted: 09/13/2012 - 4:19pm | Type: Press
September 2, 2012 Sojo in the News Anwar Iqbal ...
Crossing the Racial Divide
Originally Posted: 01/07/2014 - 11:33am | Type: Product
$7.00 off off ...
Christians and Racial Justice (PDF)
Originally Posted: 08/22/2013 - 2:38pm | Type: Product
questions for discussion, and ideas for further study. 4 sessions, 13 articles, 53 pages. About ...
Christians and the Global Slave Trade (PDF)
Originally Posted: 08/22/2013 - 2:44pm | Type: Product
Click here to view table of contents $9.95 ...
Christian Feminism (PDF)
Originally Posted: 08/22/2013 - 2:26pm | Type: Product
Click here to view table of contents $9.95 ...
Turning Toward Home
Originally Posted: 09/30/2013 - 2:20pm | Type: Product
Joyce Hollyday $3.95 9780060640026 ...
Who Killed Donte Manning?
Originally Posted: 10/28/2013 - 11:49am | Type: Product
Rose Marie Berger $14.95 1934074403 ...
Muslim Delegates at Democratic Convention Quadrupled Since 2004
Originally Posted: 09/05/2012 - 4:19pm | Type: Blog
The number of Muslim delegates attending the Democratic National Convention has quadrupled since 2004, according to a Muslim advocacy group. The number of Muslim delegates atten ...
Seventh-day Adventists Face Pressure in Allowing Women Clergy
Originally Posted: 09/04/2012 - 6:02pm | Type: Blog
Two U.S. regional groups of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have recently approved the ordination of women pastors, moving faster than the worldwide church's study of the issue. ...
The Presumption of Equality
Originally Posted: 03/21/2013 - 11:50am | Type: Magazine Article
Rose Marie Berger Women still are forced to operate as second-class citizens in the church. EVER SINCE THE ap ...
When All of Abraham's Children Share a Table: A Moment I'll Never Forget
Originally Posted: 08/30/2012 - 6:40pm | Type: Blog
Standing between my friends — a Muslim Palestinian and Jewish Rabbi — I prayed that this meal would be a picture of reconciliation found among the children of Abraham, because as a follower of the pro-people J ...
They're Not Racist. They Just Don't Know.
Originally Posted: 08/30/2012 - 3:47pm | Type: Blog
My sons, ages 13 and 10, spend two evenings each ... sons, ages 13 and 10, spend two evenings each week on a golf course because I parent out of my own ... Racial and Social Justice, Racism, understanding, Emerging Voices) My sons, ages 13 and 10, spend ...
Q&A with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
Originally Posted: 08/30/2012 - 7:54am | Type: Blog
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf has spent most of his adult life trying to build interfaith and international bridges. But to many Americans, he is the public face of the so-called "Ground Zero mosque," one o ...
The Selling of the Sacred: Pe' Sla, Colonialism and Christianity
Originally Posted: 08/27/2012 - 12:23pm | Type: Blog
Recently the owners of a large tract of land in South Dakota began looking to sell their property. The problem is that the land that they own is Pe' Sla, land sacred to the Lakota Native American people. ...
Gender Equality: Why The Gospel Coalition Misses the Gospel
Originally Posted: 08/27/2012 - 1:18pm | Type: Blog
Once we catch the subversive spirit of what Jesus and the rest of the New Testament is doing here, we can then see the direction that the New Testament is moving in, and recognize that this is a trajectory tha ...
What Catholics Can Learn From the Quran
Originally Posted: 08/17/2012 - 4:38pm | Type: Blog
After reading the Quran during Ramadan, I am again convinced that there are more commonalities between and among religions than there are differences that isolate and divide. This ...
Ramadan Karim: Revelation
Originally Posted: 08/16/2012 - 2:32pm | Type: Blog
Ramadan is a time of revelation. This is what it revealed in me: I miss the devotion of my youth. It was the summer of 1994 and about 10 friends and I sat huddled around Bibles in ...
Report Highlights Islam's Global Diversity
Originally Posted: 08/14/2012 - 9:22am | Type: Blog
Beyond central pillars of the faith, Muslims worldwide vastly differ as religious convictions are shaped by cultural and social contexts, according to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Lif ...
Faith Leaders Urge Americans to Combat Attacks on Religious Minorities
Originally Posted: 08/10/2012 - 9:06am | Type: Blog
A group of faith leaders Thursday exhorted Americans to do more than pray for better times. A group of faith leaders Thursday exhorted Americans to do more than pray for better t ...
'We Are All Oak Creek:' Prayer Vigil Near White House (Photos)
Originally Posted: 08/09/2012 - 12:15pm | Type: Blog
Four hundred people gathered across from the White House last night with a single message: "We are all Oak Creek." Four hundred people gathered across from the White House last ...
Shooter at Sikh Temple Left Trail of Hate
Originally Posted: 08/07/2012 - 3:54pm | Type: Blog
Few can know what goes through the twisted mind of a mass killer, but Wade Michael Page left behind plenty of signs that he was consumed by one thing: hate. OAK CREEK, Wis. — Few ...
Mourning With the Sikh Community
Originally Posted: 08/07/2012 - 2:05pm | Type: Blog
We mourn together across the lines that usually separate. We share one another's grief, no matter how we define divinity. We look for ways to learn from the graciousness, courage, and equanimity of the Sikhs' ...
Sikh Leader Responds to Wisconsin Shootings
Originally Posted: 08/07/2012 - 8:50am | Type: Blog
Ralph Singh, director of publications and public relations for Gobind Sadan — "God's House Without Walls," a spiritual community rooted in the Sikh tradition with locations in India and the Unit ...
Joplin Mosque Destroyed in Blaze; Second Fire This Summer
Originally Posted: 08/09/2012 - 2:29pm | Type: Blog
A Joplin, Mo., mosque has again been the target of a "suspicious" fire, according to the Joplin Globe. The Islamic Society of Joplin reported on Monday the second fire this summer — this one engulfin ...
Muslim Women Olympians: 'This Is Legacy'
Originally Posted: 08/03/2012 - 12:11am | Type: Blog
Dozens of Muslim women are competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London — several of them as the very first female athletes chosen (and allowed) to represent their countries in the Olympic games. These wome ...
Come Together and Listen
Originally Posted: 07/12/2012 - 12:01pm | Type: Magazine Article
Robert Two Bulls The Lakota people of South Dakota are building bonds with the Taizé brothers from France. The result? Spirituality that ...
Women and the Olympic Gaze
Originally Posted: 07/31/2012 - 1:14pm | Type: Blog
hours of primetime footage while women received under 13 – most of that from figure skating. In the 2008 ... volleyball" – all sports in which women wear bathing suits (or the equivalent). Another 13 percent ...
Ramadan Karim: The Poor Will Be Fed
Originally Posted: 07/25/2012 - 4:56pm | Type: Blog
In the same way that I waited eagerly for the breaking of the Ramadan fast each night — counting it as something to celebrate — on the day Jesus comes again, we will celebrate. Th ...
Farewell Chick-fil-A
Originally Posted: 07/23/2012 - 11:14am | Type: Blog
Sure, I've known Chik-fil-A was a Christian-based organization with some values that leaned farther right than my own, but I respected their business model and ethic. Plus, I'm used to having fellow Christians ...
Ramadan Karim: Sojo Staffer Joins Imam for Islam's Monthlong Fast
Originally Posted: 07/20/2012 - 2:50pm | Type: Blog
Ramadan's first day of fasting began today at dawn. This year, Sojourners' Director of Mobilizing, Lisa Sharon Harper, has chosen to keep the fast during the Muslim holy month alongside our friend, I ...
Muslims, Christians, and Hope for a Peaceful Future
Originally Posted: 09/18/2012 - 2:48pm | Type: Blog
The world needs peace, and members of the two biggest world religions need to play a major role in defining the future of the world. If we promote war and strife in our lives and teaching, violence and bloodsh ...
Praying, Fasting and…Competing?
Originally Posted: 07/17/2012 - 11:55am | Type: Blog
The timing of this year's Olympics — smack dab in the middle of the holy month of Ramadan and its sunrise-to-sunset fast — has put thousands of participating Muslim athletes in something of a quandary. ...


text:
On Facebook i said that Okaland would not be ready for DDerek HOland now and I was right but they cannot hit him good stuff like he theow last night and every day this year even in AAA. People should be excite about Derek HOlland becausehe is next great lefty starter in the SHOW like John Danks and Lariano and Price in Tampa Bay Devel Rays but nobody does say things about HO.land like those guys because he is in Texas Rangers now. Thgat is just the truth and you iknwo it!!!!!!
I am glad that RON Washinton did not manage badly last niight agian. I sometime think that he is afraid of Oakland As since he does not seem to want to play against them normal ways like too many buntsing and other stuff that is wierd. Ev en. last night he make Ian try to steal home base so even though that worked out good in the end it seemed like a stupid idea to me. Why ? Texas Rangers are better than OKlalnd A's now and they can bet them mostly just better pitching and better hitting and better defense. Why do many trick plays are you afraid of Oakland A's Ron Washingto9n?!!


text:
Clinical Placements
Clinical placements are an essential part of Nursing and Midwifery degree programmes across the UK. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) require nursing (NMC, 2010) and midwifery (NMC, 2009) students to complete no less than 50% of the programme in the clinical area.
Currently, the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies (SONMS) at Cardiff University works with a number of healthcare organisations to provide a range of suitable clinical placements for over a thousand nursing and midwifery students three times a year so that at the end of the programme you will have experienced healthcare provision that is wide ranging and is suitable for your chosen programme and branch if you are completing the nursing degree.
Here, we will explain where you may be placed and how your placements are allocated taking into account your learning needs, where you live and where the placements are located.
Where does the School have clinical placements?
The two main organisations that the School uses for placements are Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board. However, the School also places students to Velindre NHS Trust, Cwm Taf Local Health Board and a number of independent health sector organisations. Placements can be in hospitals, nursing homes and in the community across South East Wales.
Geographically, these placements are mainly situated from Barry in the West to Chepstow in the East and from Cardiff in the South to Abergavenny and Merthyr to the North. However, there are also placements in Swansea and Port Talbot plus a range of community placements across Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, Caerphilly and the Rhymney Valley, Newport, Abergavenny, Monmouth and the Gwent Valleys.
Therefore, whilst the School is mainly based in central Cardiff and there are placements in and around the main school campus you will see that a large number of available placements are outside of central Cardiff. The location of placements and the fact that the majority of students (70-80%) live in central Cardiff will mean that as a student you will need to expect to travel to some placements during your programme.
How are clinical placements allocated?
Your placements are allocated using your term time address, type of experience required and availability of appropriate support in clinical areas. In order for you to be able to plan you will be provided with your 'Placement Line' at the beginning of each academic year which details the expected clinical areas you are going to be allocated to. The placement lines ensure that your placements are suitable for your educational needs, provide a variety of clinical settings; and equity in the travel for all students with at least one placement a year being close to your term time address and one where you will need to travel.
Can I change my placement?
In exceptional circumstances you are able to request that your placement is changed. A full range of exceptional circumstances are offered in the School's protocol for requesting a change of placement; however, examples include relatives who are patients (or staff) on the expected placement or perhaps you have been a patient there.
Will I need a car?
Your placements will have been allocated so that you are able to get there using public transport. The longest you would be expected to travel by public transport is approximately 90 minutes; however, these would be the exception and you would normally be able to reach placement using public transport in approximately 30-60 minutes. Some students do use cars for the longer distance placements but you will need to ensure that you have business class insurance and complete car user forms if you intend to use a car.
What hours will I work?
People require healthcare 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year in a variety of settings. As a student the NMC require that you experience the full range of clinical experiences including the need to work outside of the traditional working week of Monday to Friday 9 to 5. Therefore, you will be expected to work morning shifts which start between 7am and 8am in the morning, afternoon shifts which can finish as late as 9.30pm, night shifts and weekends.
What if I am ill or have to look after a dependent?
Everyone at some time may be ill or need to look after a sick relative or child. Life is complicated and other events may also mean that you are unable to attend placement. However, as the NMC have regulations on the time you spend in placement you would need to make up those hours and the School will help you negotiate how that can be achieved.
More information can be found at the Clinical Practice and Placement Support website


text:
Definition: 'Polycystic Ovary Syndrome'
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)Type: Term
1. a condition commonly characterized by hirsutism, obesity, menstrual abnormalities, infertility, insulin resistance, and enlarged ovaries; commonly associated with insulin resistance and thought to reflect excessive androgen secretion of ovarian origin. Women with PCOS are frequently at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.
Synonyms: sclerocystic disease of the ovary, Stein-Leventhal syndrome
The information shown above for polycystic ovary syndrome is provided by Stedman's.
* Stedman's, part of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, provide a comprehensive line of health-science publications for healthcare professionals and medical students.


text:
Sunday Reads: What shall we hang…the holly or each other?Posted: December 22, 2013 Filed under: abortion rights, American Gun Fetish, Fox News, History, income inequality, just because, morning reads, public education, Real Life Horror, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Rights, Women's Healthcare | Tags: Claire Davis, classic movies, Duck Dynasty, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, EPA, Jaycee Dugard, John C. Beale, open thread, Peter O'Toole, Scott Gurney, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Terry McAuliffe 40 Comments
**Post updated below**
"I will not be a common man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony."
Actor Peter O'Toole, who died last week at 81, in a note to himself as a young man.
So says a minor character toward the end of 2006's "Venus," looking at an obituary photo of an elderly actor named Maurice. The actor is played by Peter O'Toole, and God, he was.
Good Morning…
Funny, that quote above about the scene from Venus…its from the Boston Globe, but the thing is that is what I was going to use for the opening of this post. It is the only line I remember from that movie, the one line that stuck with me…that I made a mental note for, remember that one JJ, it is a good one.
What can I say about Peter O'Toole that hasn't been said in obituaries and blog post or commentaries posted online the last week since his death. Hell, you will be able to read a bunch of them in a minute, I've got plenty of links for you below.
Peter O'Toole was more than a magnificent screen presence to me. I don't think there has been another actor who had such a profound effect on my life, and I know that sound sappy…but you all know how important film is to me. I always felt his role as Henry II in both Beckett and The Lion in Winter is one of the reasons I decided to major in Medieval History. (I should say specialize in Medieval History.)
Then again, my adoration of O'Toole goes back before college. Way back, to 1981 when he starred in a mini-series called Masada.
At that time girls my age had pictures of the Fonz and Scott Baio on their walls. Me? My walls had photos of Peter O'Toole, Jonathan Frid and Rod Stewart. (What can I say, I was a strange kid.)
My favorite movies star Peter O'Toole…Lawrence of Arabia, My Favorite Year, The Lion In Winter, these films are the kind of movies that I can see over and over again, they are fucking awesome. (Check out some clips down at the end of the thread.)
Other films of O'Toole are outstanding as well, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Stuntman, Creator, hell…the list goes on. But for now we will get to the various links for Peter…starting with his home country of Ireland:
Farewell to hellraiser O'Toole – Independent.ie
16 December 2013
Tributes were paid last night to actor and hellraiser Peter O'Toole, who died at the age of 81.
The Connemara-born actor, who rose to fame in the 1962 Oscar-winning epic 'Lawrence Of Arabia' (left), died in London on Saturday.
Actors Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren attend the Miramax Films pre-Oscar party celebrating Oscar nominees in Los Angeles…REUTERS/Fred Prouser
Although he received eight Academy Award nominations for best actor, O'Toole never won the ultimate accolade. In 2003 he was given a special Oscar from his peers for his contribution to film.
He is survived by his family, including his daughters Pat and Kate, his son Lorcan, and former wife, actress Sian Phillips.
Peter O'Toole and the saucy Dublin nuns – Independent.ie
So farewell then, Peter O'Toole, the man who was either born in Connemara or Leeds, depending on who you believe.
O'Toole once said that as a boy he was terrified by "the horrible sexlessness" of nuns.
He later said this phenomenon had changed dramatically.
"They're sipping gin and tonic in the Dublin pubs now, and a couple of them flashed their pretty ankles at me just the other day."
Saucy nuns? It is quite possible that the notoriously bibulous O'Toole had a touch too much of the gargle, and was imagining things.
Peter the Great – Independent.ie
Asked once what being Irish meant to him, the legendary actor, Peter O'Toole deliberated slowly, before replying: "It's almost the centre of my being."
The occasion was an interview with US talk show host Charlie Rose to mark the release of the first part of his autobiography, Loitering with Intent in 1992.
"Everything I think of is coloured by its history, by its literature, by its people, by its geography," he continued.
O'Toole went on to recount how a return trip to Ireland in 1946 after the end of the Second World War, affirmed his sense of Irishness.
"I was a bit of a misfit, a bit of an odd man out, but when I went to Kerry with my friend, Father Leo Walsh, and it all clicked. I wasn't different at all," he said.
This particular obit has some good stories, so be sure to read that one in full. This tidbit about an interview with Letterman is something that I remember seeing when it first aired:
He was a chat show host's dream guest and the theatrical format with its live audience appealed to the actor who knew exactly how to play to the crowd.
He appeared on The Letterman Show in London in 1995, cigarette in hand, astride a camel. As if that wasn't suitably outrageous, he proceeded to open a can of beer and feed it to the animal.
Asked once by Lettermen [sic] had he thought about a message on his gravestone, he told the story of an old leather jacket he once had, stained "with Guinness and blood", that his wife had sent to the dry cleaners.
It came back with a note pinned to it saying, 'It distresses us to return work which is not perfect'.
"I am having that on my tombstone. That's my epitaph," he said.
Which is why I was smiling when I saw this tribute Peter O'Toole obit by Political Cartoonist Milt Priggee
If any of you get to see the dvd commentary that goes with the film My Favorite Year, you will hear some great stories about Peter O'Toole. He sounded like one of those actors you would love to work with. One of the interesting things Richard Benjamin said was, O'Toole had not done a comedy, and because of that…
Peter O'Toole was originally hesitant about doing the film. However, in the script, the date of Swann's death was, in fact, the date of O'Toole's birthday. O'Toole phoned Richard Benjamin to find out if they did that with all of the actors they had offered the part to. The director replied that the script had not been given to anybody else, at which O'Toole agreed to do the film.
Anyway, back to the links:
Culture Shock: Peter O'Toole – a great actor undazzled by his own star – | The Irish Times – Sat, Dec 21, 2013
Much of the British commentary on O'Toole since his death has painted him as a rather anachronistic actor, a 19th-century heroic performer in an age of method psychological realism. It is certainly true that, with his fellow so-called Celts Richard Burton and Richard Harris, he was a rebel against the new method orthodoxy. What is not true is the general depiction of the trio as Romantic, emotional, hot-blooded Celts at odds with the realism that was in the ascendant from the 1950s onwards.
Quite the contrary: O'Toole's acting, like Burton's, was sceptical, cool, intellectual. Far from being a fruity thesp, he was, at his best, almost a meta-actor. His best screen performances all comment on the nature of performance.
Of O'Toole's other best roles, two (in My Favourite Year and in Venus) are satiric portrayals of washed-up actors and one, in The Stunt Man, is a satiric portrayal of an insane film director. O'Toole's best performances have quotation marks around them.
But what of the role that created the star in the first place? It too is a "performance". O'Toole's Lawrence of Arabia is so uncannily beautiful, so eerily mesmerising that you almost don't notice that he's just another actor: a strange Englishman, dressed in foreign clothes, pretending to be an Arab. O'Toole's brilliance is to create a man who is utterly convinced by the role he is playing. But he himself was never so convinced: what made him great was the keen, appraising intelligence with which he seems to stand outside himself, undazzled by his own star.
It looks like O'Toole had two films in production, one Katherine of Alexandria is in post-production according to iMDB.
'Lawrence of Arabia's' Peter O'Toole Dead at 81
O'Toole announced in July 2012 that he was retiring from acting. "The heart for it has gone out of me: it won't come back," he said. He did, however, return with announced parts in Katherine of Alexandria and Mary, two films yet to be released.
During a career that spanned nearly six decades, the son of an Irish father and Scottish mother also received Oscar noms for his turns in Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982) and Venus (2006). No one else has ever earned as many acting noms without a win.
'Lawrence of Arabia' star Peter O'Toole dead at 81 | AccessNorthGa
He was fearsomely handsome, with burning blue eyes and a penchant for hard living which long outlived his decision to give up alcohol. Broadcaster Michael Parkinson told Sky News television it was hard to be too sad about his passing.
"Peter didn't leave much of life unlived, did he?" he said.
A reformed – but unrepentant – hell-raiser, O'Toole long suffered from ill health. Always thin, he had grown wraithlike in later years, his famously handsome face eroded by years of outrageous drinking.
But nothing diminished his flamboyant manner and candor.
"If you can't do something willingly and joyfully, then don't do it," he once said. "If you give up drinking, don't go moaning about it; go back on the bottle. Do. As. Thou. Wilt."
His sensitive portrayal of Lawrence's complex character garnered O'Toole his first Oscar nomination, and the spectacularly photographed desert epic remains his best known role. O'Toole was tall, fair and strikingly handsome, and the image of his bright blue eyes peering out of an Arab headdress in Lean's film was unforgettable.
Playwright Noel Coward once said that if O'Toole had been any prettier, they would have had to call the movie "Florence of Arabia."
That is another good Obituary…give it some of your attention too.
I remember another story O'Toole told, about the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. The scene where he walks down the stairs after telling the general about taking Aqaba was shot a year apart. So when he starts walking down the stairs, he is one year younger than the age he is when he reaches the bottom step.
Peter O'Toole's Most Iconic Movie Roles, From 'Lawrence Of Arabia' To 'Ratatouille'
O'Toole's last years were quiet, but that doesn't detract from his stalwart presence throughout much of the 20th century. Here's a look back at a handful of his most iconic roles.
Peter O'Toole: Tales of the late film icon – People – News – The Independent
Peter O'Toole, who has died aged 81, possessed a prodigious acting talent, heart-stopping good looks, and an enormous capacity for booze. Here, he is remembered by those who knew him
Michael Caine, who had been his understudy for the 1959 play 'The Long and the Short and the Tall' at the Royal Court Theatre went out to dinner with O'Toole and woke up in a strange flat days later.
"There was a wild weekend that I don't remember… 'What time is it?' I asked. 'Never mind what time it is,' said O'Toole. 'What fucking day is it?'
I love it!
Peter O'Toole with daughter Kate and son Lorcan
More pictures of Peter here: Peter O'Toole's Life and Career in Pictures Gallery – The Hollywood Reporter
Postscript: Peter O'Toole : The New Yorker
The deaths, over the weekend, of Peter O'Toole and Joan Fontaine reminded us, once again, what a strange principality movie stardom is. Think of it as a kind of Monaco: few are born there, but many arrive, some to disport themselves at the watering holes and gaming tables, others to cultivate that notorious anonymity that is the last redoubt of fame. The church mouse may be the neighbor of the libertine. Costs of living (not merely financial) can be exorbitant, and personal loyalties prone to decay; expulsions are cruel and common, and you dare not appeal against them, for they are ordained not by a court of the land but by the judgment of the world beyond. On the other hand, re-admittance to stardom, after exile, is not unknown; in the case of O'Toole, he would drift away, out of sight but never quite out of mind, and then, just as we—and, by all accounts, he himself—started to ask if he were technically alive, he would stroll back into the light.
Now don't forget, TCM is going to have a tribute to Peter O'Toole on Sunday, December 29th: TCM Remembers Peter O'Toole (1932 – 2013)
BTW, we lost quite a few people this year…you can find a gallery of pictures here: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2013 Gallery – The Hollywood Reporter
Anyway, enjoy the videos below, some are clips but…the last two are full interviews. One, the Charlie Rose interview. The other is the hour-long interview with Robert Osborne. It is fantastic!
TCM Remembers…
The Lion in Winter:
My Favorite Year:
Lawrence of Arabia:
Interview with Charlie Rose:
Interview with Robert Osborn, at TCM Film Festival April 2011:
The special wraps with O'Toole providing his personal definition of acting: "In the beginning was the word and the word was made flesh. That is, to me, is what acting is. You make the words flesh." Which is exactly what the man did…
Think of this as an open thread.
(Just a note, it is now 4:45 am and I am finally finished with this post. The formatting was a bitch! So I probably won't be seeing you any time soon…have a great day!)
**Updated post with added links**
Since it is a very slow day, I've decided to just update this post with a few newsy links…in a dump-a-roo fashion.
Starting of with a bit of sad news, Claire Davis, the shooting victim from Colorado, has died:
Family of Arapahoe High School shooting victim Claire Davis issues statement – San Jose Mercury News
Photo of Claire Davis. Provided by Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office. (Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office)
A statement from the Davis family
It is with unspeakable sadness that we write and say that Claire has passed away from the gunshot wound she received at Arapahoe High School on December 13, 2013. Although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years—we were truly blessed to be Claire's parents. The grace, laughter and light she brought to this world will not be extinguished by her death; to the contrary, it will only get stronger.
Last week was truly a paradox in that we lost our daughter, yet we witnessed the wonderful love that exists in the world through the tremendous outpouring of support we received. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the first responders, the school resource officer, security guard and vice principal at Arapahoe High School, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's office, and the physicians, nurses and staff at Littleton Adventist Hospital. Each played a significant role in giving Claire a chance to live, and demonstrated extreme amounts of professionalism, courage and love. Please know that we will never forget the extraordinary work you did on Claire's behalf.
We ask that you give us time to grieve the death of our daughter by respecting our wishes for privacy.
With much loving-kindness,
The Davis Family
I don't know what you can say about that. It is so painfully sad.
There is another heart-wrenching story out there, remember Jaycee Dugard? Jaycee Dugard's new "terror": Her father – Salon.com
The road back home hasn't been easy for Jaycee Dugard. She was only 11 years old in June of 1991 when she was abducted from a California street in full sight of her stepfather, Carl Probyn. Last August, when she and the two young daughters she bore while in captivity were rescued, Probyn described their return as "a miracle." But while her captors, Phillip and Nancy Garrido, are behind bars and Dugard is quietly rebuilding her life with her mother and children, she now faces a new "terror": her biological father.
Kenneth Slayton, who has had no prior relationship with the young woman, has been speaking out lately about the child he never knew, and his wish "to be united with my daughter ASAP." To that end, he's retained the services of scandal magnet Gloria Allred, has filed a court petition to definitively prove his paternity of Dugard, and held a press conference last week to plead for an establishment of family ties. Slayton claims that "The first time I knew there was a possibility that I had a daughter was when the FBI told me that she had been kidnapped."
Dugard's family, however, tells a different story. In a statement issued last week, they claim that Dugard's mother, Terry Probyn, "told Mr. Slayton when she learned she was pregnant that he was the father and again when Jaycee was born. He showed no interest. The police advised him when Jaycee was kidnapped and again he showed no interest … At no point did Mr. Slayton offer any assistance beyond what was requested of him while Jaycee was missing. It is now Jaycee Dugard's turn to express her feelings and she has no interest."
Read more about this asshole at the link, and then think of the real motivation behind his lawsuit…and how much it must weigh on Dugard's emotions.
Okay, did you all catch this other news story? Like I said, I've been awol from the blog so I don't know if it has been mentioned.
Climate change expert's fraud was 'crime of massive proportion,' say feds – Investigations
The EPA's highest-paid employee and a leading expert on climate change deserves to go to prison for at least 30 months for lying to his bosses and saying he was a CIA spy working in Pakistan so he could avoid doing his real job, say federal prosecutors.
John C. Beale, who pled guilty in September to bilking the government out of nearly $1 million in salary and other benefits over a decade, will be sentenced in a Washington, D.C., federal court on Wednesday. In a newly filed sentencing memo, prosecutors said that his lies were a "crime of massive proportion" and "offensive" to those who actually do dangerous work for the CIA.
Beale's lawyer, while acknowledging his guilt, has asked for leniency and offered a psychological explanation for the climate expert's bizarre tales.
If you want a good report of these "tales" check out the video of Jon Stewart here: Jon Stewart Goes Off on Perhaps the Best Political Scandal of All Time | Mediaite
There are scandals, and there are SCANDALS. And the story of an EPA official who cheated the agency out of a million dollars with an incredibly elaborate hoax might very well be, in Jon Stewart's opinion, one of the most amazing and unbelievable political scandals of all time. But despite the sexiness of this story, Stewart said, "this man is a liar and boring as f*ck!" John Beale even lied to get a handicapped parking space, which wasn't even necessary, because "he could have gotten a handicapped parking space for a legitimate medical reason: his gigantic balls."
But hey, not all of us can lead exciting lives: Hullabaloo
by digby
Oh boy. Howie has the latest on the Duck Dynasty flap:
Do you know what a fluffer is? The clinical Wikipedia definition: "A fluffer is a person employed to keep a male adult film star aroused on the set. These duties, which do not necessarily involve touching the actors, are considered part of the makeup department. After setting up the desired angle, the director asks the actors to hold position and calls for the fluffer to 'fluff' the actors for the shot. Fluffing could also entail sexual acts such as fellatio or non-penetrative sex." …
Fluffer is also the name of a 2001 gay porn film that got a buzz because Blondie (Debbie Harry) was in it. But it will have a whole new life now because so was Scott Gurney, the creator of Duck Dynasty.
Howie's got clips at the link. They're actually quite tasteful, all things considered. Mr Gurney played one of the leads by the name of Johnny Rebel. He's quite attractive.
Read more about Johnny Rebel at the link…
Since we touch on the subject of right-wing shitstorms…Keep Fox News out of the classroom! Rupert Murdoch, Common Core and the dangerous rise of for-profit public education – Salon.com
Take a look at that, but it isn't only right wing…a big portion of the for-profit group is Bill Gates and friends.
Following the rich people connection: These 2 Cities Are Now Exclusively For Rich People
Few cities in the U.S. embody the growing divide between rich and poor quite like New York and San Francisco. In just the past 20 years, both have changed from economically diverse melting pots to exclusive playgrounds for the rich.
The change is clear in striking new visualizations from the U.S. Census Bureau, crunching data from its latest American Community Survey of population and income.
In each of the pictures below, the image to the left represents median household incomes in 1990 ("before"), and the image on the right is 2012 ("after"). Darker shades correlate with higher income, and brighter shades represent lower incomes. Use the slider tool (the button in the middle) to go back and forth in time between 1990 and 2012.
That is a fun interactive map, but to be honest…San Francisco hasn't changed all that much.
Meanwhile: Prosecutors were ready to charge Va. Gov. McDonnell, but final decision delayed by Justice officials – The Washington Post
'Hobbit' Star Makes Truly Awful Joke About 'Rape, or Whatever'
Women's rights sold out again: McAuliffe's betrayal – Salon.com
That story about McAuliffe is disgusting and it pisses me off…although it doesn't surprise me.
Two links on the Boston Bombing brothers:
The fall of the house of Tsarnaev —Tamerlan's dreams in shards, the voices inside grew louder – The Boston Globe
The fall of the house of Tsarnaev —Dzhokhar, the youngest, was drawn to risk and spiraled into infamy – The Boston Globe
Some history articles for you:
Women in the public life in late medieval England: A study through contemporary sources in the 1400s
Here Be Monsters by Marina Warner | The New York Review of Books
Parallels With The Era That Led To The First World War – Business Insider
And a couple of Christmas stories:
Why It Takes 8,500 Pairs Of Pointe Shoes To Put On 'The Nutcracker'
The pointe shoe room
I look at that picture and I know what those new pointe shoes smell like.
But What If Elf Was Remade Entirely With Pugs Though [VIDEO] | Geekosystem
And finally, tomorrow is Festivus!
Wednesday Reads: Purring Monkey, Spinning Atoms and Immigration SuitsPosted: October 30, 2013 Filed under: court rulings, Environment, Environmental Protection, History, immigration, morning reads, nature, public education, racism, Republican politics, science | Tags: Alabma Immigration laws 29 Comments
Good Morning
I've got a mixed bag of goodies for you this morning. Let's just get down to it shall we?
There is some news out of Alabama on the immigration front. Y'all remember those awful laws put on the books down in Sweet Home Alabama? Well, there has been a settlement between the state and the ACLU. Settlement ends suits over Ala immigration law
The state of Alabama agreed Tuesday to settle the remaining challenges over its toughest-in-the-nation crackdown against illegal immigration, which has mostly been gutted by federal court decisions.
The state and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a proposed settlement that would end a federal lawsuit over the law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011, and the state separately filed documents to end a similar suit filed by the Justice Department. Federal courts later blocked main sections, including a one-of-a-kind provision that public schools must check students' citizenship status.
ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang said the Alabama agreement also means a so-called "show me your papers" provision that allowed police to ask for citizenship documents cannot lead to detentions, as many immigrants had feared.
"Overall this is really a significant win for immigrant families in Alabama and anyone who cares about the rights of immigrants," said Wang, director of the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project.
The agreement permanently blocks sections of the law that were temporarily stopped by courts. The state also agreed to pay $350,000 in attorney fees and expenses for groups that sued to block the law.
The Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center, which was heavily involved in the legal challenges, said legislators should repeal the act now that the state has settled the lawsuits.
"We warned the Legislature when they were debating HB 56 that if they passed this draconian law, we would sue in court and win," Kristi Graunke, an attorney with the organization, said in a statement. "That we have done."
That about sums it all up. Guess we will have to wait and see what the state will do with all this talk of immigration reform, cough…cough.
I am just going to put this next link here because it is a very depressing read. It's a review of a book: Got His Gun — Lost His Legs, Arms, Penis
Ann Jones' new book, They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America's Wars — The Untold Story, is devastating, and almost incomprehensibly so when one considers that virtually all of the death and destruction in U.S. wars is on the other side. Statistically, what happens to U.S. troops is almost nothing. In human terms, it's overwhelming.
Okay, now on to a bit more "positive" news, via John Oliver: Australia Is An Example Of Effective Gun Control. America Is An Example Of Ignoring Australia.
The similarities between Australia and America are pretty striking. The enormous difference, however, is the distinct lack of pro-gun special-interest power in the Australian government. If that blows your mind, check this out: Australian gun control was enacted by conservative politicians against the will of their conservative constituency. If Australian politicians can overlook a powerful minority to pass something that a nationwide majority approves of, why can't our own suits and ties do it too?
Trick or treat by Political Cartoonist David Fitzsimmons
Too funny….
Moving on rather quickly, next up: two articles on spinning and weaving, but not the way you may think. These have nothing to do with fiber:
Spinning atoms in light crystals
After more than 40 years of intense research, experimental physicists still seek to explore the rich behaviour of electrons confined to a two-dimensional crystalline structure exposed to large magnetic fields. Now a team of scientists working with Prof. Immanuel Bloch (Chair for Experimental Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich and Director at MPQ) in collaboration with the theoretical physicist Dr. Belén Paredes (CSIC/UAM Madrid) developed a new experimental method to simulate these systems using a crystal made of neutral atoms and laser light. In such artificial quantum matter, the atoms could be exposed to a uniform effective magnetic field several thousand times stronger than in typical condensed matter systems.
Charged particles in a magnetic field experience a force perpendicular to their direction of motion — the Lorentz force -, which makes them move on circular (cyclotron) orbits in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. A sufficiently strong magnetic field can thereby dramatically change the properties of a material, giving rise to novel quantum phenomena such as the Quantum Hall effect. The cyclotron orbits shrink with increasing magnetic field. For typical field strengths, their size is much larger than the distance between neighbouring ions in the material, and the role of the crystal is negligible. However, for extremely large magnetic fields the two length scales become comparable and the interplay between the magnetic field and the crystal potential leads to striking new effects. These are manifested for instance in a fractal structure of the energy spectrum, which was first predicted by Douglas Hofstadter in 1976 and is known as the Hofstadter's butterfly. Many intriguing electronic material properties are related to it, but so far experiments could not explore the full complexity of the problem.
Way over the top for my brain, especially now that I am so stuffed up and sick.
Now for the weaving article, but this is something more wicked and with a twist for Halloween: Looming Danger and Dangerous Looms: Violence and Weaving in Exeter Book Riddle 56
The Loom Riddle: I was inside there where I saw a wooden object wounding a certain struggling creature, the wood turning; it received battle-wounds, deep gashes. Darts were woeful to that creature, and the wood skillfully bound fast. One of its feet was held fixed, the other endured affliction, leapt into the air, sometimes near the land. A tree, hung about by leaves, was near tot that bright thing [which] stood there, I saw the leavings of those arrows, carried out onto the floor to my lord, where the warriors drank.
Violence in the Exeter Book riddles is not a new topic. Many discussions of these fascinating texts focus on the way in which commonplace objects are personified and then attacked, bound, mutilated and/or killed. This violence, which is both carried out by humans and at the same time frequently punctuated by expressions of human empathy for the wounded objects, has been explained as acceptable because it occurs in the safe, playful and inverted world of the riddle.
It may not be a riddle that involves a giraffe, but you can go and read more of the abstract at the link, and get further information from Megan Cavell's website.
Oh, this post is turning into more of a link dump than I thought it would. So I've got one more spooky story for you: Haunted Churches Will Give You The Shivers
Halloween comes just before Dia De Los Muertos, All Saints and All Soul's Day, which are times to remember and honor the souls of those who have passed before us.
However, some churches claim that the spirits of the dead are still hanging around their hallways and graveyards. Mysterious lights, muffled voices, and weird apparitions are just some of the many unexplained phenomena that persist around these places.
From the ghost of a long-dead sea captain in Florida to the phantom of a governess that perished in a house fire, these churches swear that they are haunted by spirits that refuse to leave. Look through them, if you dare..
Dare…dare….(Well, for a little heathen like me, any church is bound to give me the shivers. ;) )
And lastly, Close To 500 New Species Discovered In The Amazon, Including A Purring Cat-Monkey
Thanks to an intrepid team of scientists and the WWF, we know just a little bit more about our amazing planet. During a four-year expedition to the previously unexplored interior of the Amazon Rainforest, the team discovered 441 new species of life – including a purring monkey!
In total, the group discovered 258 new plants, 84 new fish, 58 new amphibians, 22 new reptiles, 18 new birds, and one new mammal – not to mention the innumerable new bugs they came across (in an unpleasant way, I'm sure).
The awesome new finds include a flame-patterned lizard, a frog the size of your thumbnail, a 9-pound vegetarian piranha, a snake they named after a character from The Lost World, a pink orchid – and, of course, the Callicebus caquentensis monkey, which purrs when contented.
That is wonderful…and surely it gives us reasons to protect this world we live in, we have to save the purring monkeys.
Well what are you reading and thinking about today? Go ahead and share with us down in the comments and have a happy Halloween eve.
Sunday Reads: Take Five or TenPosted: August 25, 2013 Filed under: Art, Civil Rights, Diplomacy Nightmares, Discrimination against women, Foreign Affairs, GLBT Rights, Gun Control, homophobia, Human Rights, morning reads, public education, racism, Russia | Tags: anna gunn, anti-vaccination twits, antoinette tuff, Breaking Bad, Chelsea Manning, Eagle Mountain International Church Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, LGBT, RIP Julie Harris, televangelist Kenneth Copeland, Vicki Marble Colorado State Senator, Wild Wings Cafe 23 Comments
Good Morning
Hello…today is going to be my last post for the month of August, I am taking the next seven plus days off…and will be back in full force the first Wednesday in September. I've needed this break more than you can imagine, the news has been so depressing, the lack of function in DC is even worse. The War on Women gets me so pissed off, and the ridiculous actions of the right-wing goes beyond stupid and into the realm of fuckin' idiotic dumbshit assholes . Uh, want a perfect example? How is this? From The Daily Banter: State Senator: High Minority Poverty Caused by Genetics, Fried Chicken, Porno | BobCesca.com
We see and hear so many awful things come from the mouths of Republicans, it's easy to become desensitized and no longer blink when they say it, but this from Colorado State Senator Vicki Marble (R-Fort Collins) is impressively bad.
According to her, black and Hispanic people suffer from higher rates of poverty because of their genetics, fried chicken, and porno.
MARBLE: When you look at life expectancy, there are problems in the black race. Sickle-cell anemia is something that comes up, diabetes is something that's prevalent in the genetic makeup and you just can't help it. Although I've gotta say, I've never had better barbecue and better chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down south and you, I mean I love it and everybody loves it. The Mexican diet in Mexico with all of the fresh vegetables. And you go down there and they're much thinner than when they come up here. they change their diet. I've read studies on that. They become Americanized. Down the street near five-points there used to an old cafe there called Type-2 Chicken and I wanted to eat there for years because I knew it was just going to be the best ever.
You know these things aren't good for you. And it's really funny because there's so many attributing factors as to why these graphs look the way they do. And I think when we look at things we have to take into a lot of attributing factors that one can't be helped like genetics and the others that can be worked around, maybe the addictions. Certainly some people have addictive personalities. Addictions come in all different forms. You have alcoholics, rageoholics, drug addicts. You have people who are addicted, they say, to porn.
Holy shit.
You got that right!
Poor diet does not lead to poverty, poverty leads to poor diet. And poverty is not caused by genetics or pornography. It's caused by social apathy and ignorance from people like Senator Vicki Marble who are elected to serve the public interest.
Marble also went on to blame bad parenting and government regulations as reasons why black and Hispanic communities suffer from higher rates of poverty. Because she only had a limited amount of time to spout every stereotype and trope swirling around in her head before being cut off by her colleagues who were having a deer-in-the-headlights moment.
Marble says she is "saddened" that her comments came off the wrong way, as if they could have been taken any other way.
Then you have the stupid assholes that put other people's lives in danger because of their own ridiculous actions: Vaccine-fearing Texas megachurch urges flock to immunize after measles outbreak | The Raw Story
A Texas megachurch whose leaders have linked vaccines to autism is now asking its members to get immunizations or stay quarantined after an outbreak of measles was traced to the congregation.
Instead of her normal sermon on Sunday, Eagle Mountain International Church Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons was forced to spend the majority of her time explaining how the congregation should react to the news that all of the 11 measles cases in Tarrant County had been linked to members or visitors of the church.
"You are more than enough, Jesus, you are more than enough!" Pearsons began. "You're more than enough for any need we have. More than enough, Jesus. For things known and unknown, Jesus, you are more than enough. Can you shout, amen?"
"We're going to talk about some things affecting our church, and as we go through it, we remain steadfast that Jesus is more than enough," she told the congregation. "There has been a … confirmed case of the measles from the Tarrant County Public Health Department. And that is a really big deal in that America, the United States has been essentially measles free for I think it's 10 years. And so when measles pops up anywhere else in the United States, the health department — well, you know, it excites them."
Pearsons went on to say that the church was offering free vaccination clinics, and urged those who did not attend to quarantine themselves at home for two weeks.
But the call for vaccinations was made awkward by the fact that Pearsons' father, televangelist Kenneth Copeland, has promoted the idea that vaccines may lead to autism, according to the Dallas Observer.
Okay, I gotta a name for Pearsons' father, televangelist Kenneth Copeland… he's a real dooflicker. (*Jan. 1, 1953 "foreskin/penis")
If you want another story that deals with dooflickers, how about this one…a black family was discriminated against in a Wild Wings Cafe restaurant in South Carolina…and what was that crap about no more racism in America? Yeah, right : African American Family Denied Service at Wild Wings Cafe | Mediaite
An African American family who were denied service at a Wild Wings Café in Charleston, South Carolina after another patron felt "threatened," claimed they were discriminated against, and were not satisfied with the restaurant's response.
After waiting over two hours, customer Michael Brown and his family, who were at the restaurant for a going-away party, were told that there was "a situation."
"[The manager] said there's a situation where one of our customers feels threatened by your party, so she asked us not to seat you in our section, which totally alarmed all of us because we're sitting there peaceably for two hours," Brown said according to WCSC. "Obviously, if we were causing any conflict, we would have been ejected out of the place hours before."
When a member of the party began filming the exchange, the manager asked them to leave.
"I asked her I want to be clear with you," Brown said. "I said, 'So you're telling me I have to leave.' She said, 'I have a right to deny you service.' I said, 'So you're asking me to leave because you're upset because he was recording you, after we've waited for two hours, and after you've already pretty much discriminated on us,' and she answered, 'Yes.'"
The company offered Brown a free meal….
When phone calls to the Wild Wings Café corporate office were not returned, Brown posted a critical message about the restaurant on Facebook, after which the company promptly responded.
"We had a conversation," said the restaurant's chief marketing officer. "It was a really good conversation. He and many of his family and friends were there about a month ago, and they are regular customers of ours. So, they were having a going away party, and they just didn't receive the experience that they have come to know and love."
Brown was offered a free meal, which he was not satisfied with. "We weren't there for a free meal," he said.
Video at the link.
There was another shooting yesterday, this time in Florida: Deadly North Florida shooting spree ends in suicide; gunman, 2 former coworkers killed – OrlandoSentinel.com
If you have not read the details behind the shero from this past week…the one woman who stopped a massacre from happening in a Decatur Elementary School, you need to. Antoinette Tuff-Michael Brandon Hill: Atlanta school clerk says she talked gunman into surrendering.
Meanwhile, a quick update on Russia: Critics: Putin's Olympic Security Decree Violates Rights
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to tighten security in the Black Sea resort of Sochi during the 2014 Winter Olympics, imposing restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly that critics said violated human rights.
The decree creates a "prohibited zone" encompassing much of the sprawling city, barring travel into Sochi by road without special permission and banning public gatherings "not connected" with the Olympics in high security areas on land and sea.
Putin has staked his reputation on the security and success of Russia's first Olympics since the Soviet era and has ordered law enforcement authorities to prevent any attacks by Islamist militants based in the nearby North Caucasus provinces.
In early July, insurgent leader Doku Umarov revoked a previous order to refrain from attacking Russian targets outside the North Caucasus and urged militants to use "maximum force" to prevent Putin staging the Games.
Published in the official newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Friday, the decree enters into force on Jan. 7, a month before the opening ceremony, and expires on March 21, a month after the Olympics end.
Human rights activists said the restrictions were draconian.
Barring cars from outside Sochi restricts Russians' freedom of movement and the ban on most public gatherings violates their constitutional right to free assembly, said Pavel Chikov, a human rights lawyer and head of the legal aid group Agora.
"Under such conditions the Olympics, which are supposed to be celebration of sport and democracy, will become the exact opposite," prominent Russian environmental activist Alexei Yablokov said in a comment posted on the Internet.
"Nature is being destroyed, people are being evicted from their homes, and now it turns out that a state of emergency is being imposed," he said.
Gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev said he planned to hold a gay pride march in Sochi on the opening day of the Olympics and that it could not be prohibited by presidential decree.
"Are the Olympics an emergency situation, like a war or a natural disaster?" Alexeyev was quoted as saying by the website grani.ru. "There has been no precedent in history in which peaceful demonstrations have been banned in a city where the Olympics were being held."
Oh boy…that is one hell of a headache, something has to be done, but I get the feeling it ain't happening.
There is an exhibit at The Met that ends today: The Metropolitan Museum of Art – P.S. Art 2013
This year marks the eleventh anniversary of P.S. Art, an annual exhibition of talented young artists from New York City's public schools. The selection showcases the creativity of eighty-three prekindergarten through grade 12 students from all five boroughs and includes paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media works, collages, and drawings. Each piece demonstrates personal expression, imaginative use of media, close observation, and an understanding of artistic processes.
This juried exhibition is also a celebration of public school achievement in the arts. Dedicated art teachers support students' creativity and help them look closely in order to respond to their worlds through art making. As students take art classes from one year to the next, they increase their understanding of art, sharpen their skills, and delve more deeply into their imaginations.
You can view a slide show with an essay written by some of the students at this link here: The Metropolitan Museum of Art – P.S. Art 2013: Student Artworks
Yasmine Kobt
Age 10, Grade 4
P.S./I.S. 49, Queens
Art Teacher: Katherine Huala
Chalk pastel on paper
Art comes from your heart and it's full of magic. I remember drawing and doodling since the age of two. I feel that when I draw, I learn many amazing things. I would like to be an artist when I grow up.
I want you to feel the emotions that I am feeling in my drawing. Look very closely and notice that I am trying to show many different feelings in my portrait. I look quiet and in a good mood, but actually I want to show different feelings. One of my sides is a rainbow showing happiness, curiosity, and shyness. My other side shows sadness and upset feelings. I used many blues to show one strong feeling. My drawing shows that colors and lines may be used to show many different feelings.
Teacher Comments:
Yasmine's piece is a final work in a drawing unit in which students were asked to make an expressive self-portrait using line, shape, and color to describe a feeling or mood. Students were inspired by the work of Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Kirchner, Soutine, and Delaunay. The artists spent time exploring chalk pastels, and we discussed how controlling chalk is more challenging than controlling oil pastels. Students practiced various blending and texture techniques to develop imaginative capacities and observational and expressive skills.
Yasmine is an incredibly committed and enthusiastic artist. Her work has subtlety and thoughtfulness, and is exemplary for a fourth-grade student. Yasmine's drawing shows a deep understanding of line, shape, and color. I particularly like the way she considered gesture and point of view. The slanted shoulders and tilt of the head add to the expressive quality of the portrait. The way Yasmine blended the pastels and used various degrees of pressure to create different visual effects is very advanced.
Go look at the rest of the artwork selected, it is wonderful.
Okay, there was some fuss this past week on Bradley Manning/Chelsea Manning, and the use of pronouns…and wigs and lipstick. Well, I will post a couple of links and see what kind of reaction you have to them:
Thoughts On Chelsea Manning's Coming Out | Justice For All
I have some thoughts on how Pvt. Chelsea Manning's gender dysphoria was rolled out.
Let me begin by saying I'm going to give, and I'm going to advocate for, respect for Manning's chosen name and publicly embraced gender, and I'm going to use female pronouns and call her Chelsea. That; however, comes with a mixed bag of emotions.
I'm going to respect Chelsea's public request in part because of the Biblical teaching I learned as Pentecostal youth that I still embrace today: treat others as I want to be treated.
But as I respect her name and identified gender, I'm cognizant that Chelsea didn't respect the trans community — the trans community of which I am a part — in how she came out.
And this:
Chelsea WoManning? #AYKM? | Still4Hill
Yesterday, Manning made this statement upon sentencing.
"I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. … When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others."
Certainly the probability exists that people were endangered and possibly hurt. The deception in Manning's words is his claim that he meant no harm. If you love your country, you do not violate oaths you have taken. You do not expose fellow citizens to peril. You do not provide classified and secret information to those who can and might make it available to enemies in time of war, and you do not do this as if your "practical joke" will cause harm to high officials in your government and other cooperative governments. You do not do these things lightly in a time of war.
So this morning, we awakened to the news that Bradley Manning is no longer a man but rather a woman – a woman to be called "Chelsea." Really?
Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman
Following his sentencing to 35 years for leaking military documents to WikiLeaks, Bradley Manning now seeks hormone treatments and wants to live as a woman named Chelsea.
Who is Manning?
At left, Manning is escorted from a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., on Dec. 22, 2011. At right, in an undated file photo provided by the U.S. Army, Manning is shown wearing a wig and lipstick. (AP Photos)
Without getting into the LGBT issues here or the legal intricacies of the degree to which what a prisoner "wants" should be obliged or where we draw lines re: necessary medical interventions on their behalf – I mean I have committed no crimes and would like to be 5'7″ and might want a LifeStyle Lift one day (will you taxpayers please fund it?) – without even asking if convicts have a right to a name change (spies do this all the time, after all) – I do feel it incumbent on me to ask what name could have been more ironic? Oh, wait! I know! Hillary Manning. Yes, that would be a tad more ironic!
You did it, Manning, so man up! To me, your name is Mudd!
Since I have lived under a rock since Tuesday night, I really don't have an opinion on all of this. Blah…is what I feel at the moment.
Now just a few Hollywood links…
Quentin Tarantino's Greatest Characters – Films – ShortList Magazine
Let's get this out of the way right off the bat – there's nothing great about cutting off another man's ear. So when we're discussing the merits or otherwise of Quentin Tarantino's invariably aggressive characters, let's all accept that by "great" we don't mean admirable. We mean memorable. And there's a hell of a lot of them.
We set ourselves the task of whittling dozens and dozens of QT's finest creations down to just 25. You can let us know how horribly wrong we are in the comments, but bear in mind that for every negative comment made, the editor picks one of us writers to suffer his infamous Five Point Palm Exploding Paycheck Technique.
Hmmm, I have to put Jackie Brown up there at the top…along with Odell Robbie of course. But then…Hans Landa was one hell of a NAZI.
On to Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad. Gunn plays Skyler White, the wife of bad guy and homicidal meth making monster, Mr. White. She wrote an op/ed for the NY Times about the hate her character receives on a daily basis around social media sites. Check it out: I Have a Character Issue
PLAYING Skyler White on the television show "Breaking Bad" for the past five seasons has been one of the most rewarding creative journeys I've embarked on as an actor. But the role has also taken me on another kind of journey — one I never would have imagined.
My character, to judge from the popularity of Web sites and Facebook pages devoted to hating her, has become a flash point for many people's feelings about strong, nonsubmissive, ill-treated women. As the hatred of Skyler blurred into loathing for me as a person, I saw glimpses of an anger that, at first, simply bewildered me.
You should read the whole thing because she explains a lot, but I want to bring your attention to this:
At some point on the message boards, the character of Skyler seemed to drop out of the conversation, and people transferred their negative feelings directly to me. The already harsh online comments became outright personal attacks. One such post read: "Could somebody tell me where I can find Anna Gunn so I can kill her?" Besides being frightened (and taking steps to ensure my safety), I was also astonished: how had disliking a character spiraled into homicidal rage at the actress playing her?
But I finally realized that most people's hatred of Skyler had little to do with me and a lot to do with their own perception of women and wives. Because Skyler didn't conform to a comfortable ideal of the archetypical female, she had become a kind of Rorschach test for society, a measure of our attitudes toward gender.
I can't say that I have enjoyed being the center of the storm of Skyler hate. But in the end, I'm glad that this discussion has happened, that it has taken place in public and that it has illuminated some of the dark and murky corners that we often ignore or pretend aren't still there in our everyday lives.
As I said go read the rest, Gunn does bring up some valid points.
Then take a look at these responses from a few other online mags:
'Breaking Bad' Season 5: Anna Gunn Talks Skyler White And Being A Hated Woman On TV
Is "Breaking Bad's" Skyler White (Anna Gunn) the most hated woman on TV these days?
Judging from Facebook pages dedicated to loathing her, it certainly seems like it. And Gunn isn't shy about admitting it upsets her … not just when it comes to defending Skyler — the wife of drug lord Walter White (Bryan Cranston) — but women as a whole.
"As an actress, I realize that viewers are entitled to have whatever feelings they want about the characters they watch," Gunn, who is in her final episodes of AMC's critically-acclaimed drama, wrote in a New York Times Op-ed."But as a human being, I'm concerned that so many people react to Skyler with such venom. Could it be that they can't stand a woman who won't suffer silently or 'stand by her man'? That they despise her because she won't back down or give up? Or because she is, in fact, Walter's equal?"
"It's notable that viewers have expressed similar feelings about other complex TV wives," she continued. "Carmela Soprano of 'The Sopranos,' Betty Draper of 'Mad Men.' Male characters don't seem to inspire this kind of public venting and vitriol."
Perhaps Gunn has a point. While Walt, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) got away with murder — at least in some cases — their stubborn wives somehow come out looking like the bad guys.
'Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn Pens NYT Op-Ed To Internet Haters – Deadline.com
Haters gonna hate: Anna Gunncould nab an Emmy for her celebrated work on AMC's Breaking Bad.
But online her character on the show, Skyler White, has earned a "bewildering" amount of fan vitriol.
Anna Gunn's Just Trying To Understand Why People Want To Kill Her- Huffington Post
As Breaking Bad comes to a close (AHHHH!), hopefully cultural critics will be examining viewers' vitriol against Walter White's complex, long-suffering wife — which has been so severe it's been termed "the Skyler White" effect and applied to other TV wives — at length. [Spoilers to follow.]
Just as it's hard to pin down at what precise point that Cranston's character became more Heisenberg than Walt, it's impossible to say when in the series Skyler became the most hated female character on television. When she devised, businesslike, the elaborate gambling-addiction cover-up to tell Hank and Marie? When she bought the car wash and became complicit in Walt's crime? The infamous "I fucked Ted" line, basically the only way she could assert her autonomy? The latter would be my guess.
Anna Gunn, who has watched the criticism of her character become criticism of her as a person, even to the point of death threats, writes for the New York Times:
A typical online post complained that Skyler was a "shrieking, hypocritical harpy" and didn't "deserve the great life she has." "I have never hated a TV-show character as much as I hate her," one poster wrote. The consensus among the haters was clear: Skyler was a ball-and-chain, a drag, a shrew, an "annoying bitch wife."
She points out that other wives of antiheroes on popular TV shows have elicited similar feelings, e.g. Carmela Soprano and Betty Draper. But unlike Mad Men or The Sopranos, in the last few seasons, for better or worse, Breaking Bad has indulged in a certain fan-boy attitude towards its leading man (during an old-school Western standoff: "You're Heisenberg." "You're damn right.") that might attract the kind of male viewers who actually root for "badass" Walt — and detest Skylar for being a buzzkill, fucking someone else and giving the guy all of Walt's money, even changing physically. Maybe a viable explanation for the phenomenon is that the type of audience has changed.
Wow…again…take a look at the rest of those links.
And finally, last night we learned that Julie Harris passed away. I thought she was a hell of an actress. God I loved her in The Haunting! Anyway, here is her Obituary: Julie Harris, Broadway star, dies at 87
(Photo: Suzanne Plunkett, AP)
Julie Harris, one of Broadway's most honored performers, whose roles ranged from the flamboyant Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera to the reclusive Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst, died Saturday. She was 87.
Harris died at her West Chatham, Mass. home of congestive heart failure, actress and family friend Francesca James said.
Harris won a record five Tony Awards for best actress in a play, displaying a virtuosity that enabled her to portray an astonishing gallery of women during a theater career that spanned almost 60 years and included such plays as The Member of the Wedding (1950), The Lark (1955), Forty Carats (1968) and The Last of Mrs. Lincoln (1972).
She was honored again with a sixth Tony, a special lifetime achievement award in 2002. Only Angela Lansbury has neared her record, winning four Tonys in the best actress-musical category and one for best supporting actress in a play.
In the movies, she was James Dean's romantic co-star in East of Eden (1955), and had rolls in such films as Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), The Haunting (1963) and Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967).
Yet Harris' biggest successes and most satisfying moments have been on stage. "The theater has been my church," the actress once said. "I don't hesitate to say that I found God in the theater."
The 5-foot-4 Harris, blue-eyed with delicate features and reddish-gold hair, made her Broadway debut in 1945 in a short-lived play called It's a Gift. Five years later, at the age of 24, Harris was cast as Frankie, a lonely 12-year-old tomboy on the brink of adolescence, in The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers' stage version of her wistful novel.
The critics raved about Harris, with Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times calling her performance "extraordinary — vibrant, full of anguish and elation."
"That play was really the beginning of everything big for me," Harris had said.
The actress appeared in the 1952 film version, too, with her original Broadway co-stars, Ethel Waters and Brandon De Wilde, and received an Academy Award nomination.
Harris was born on Dec. 2, 1925, in Grosse Pointe, Mich., the daughter of an investment banker. She grew up fascinated by movies, later saying she thought of herself as plain-looking and turned to acting as a way of becoming other persons.
She made her stage debut at the Grosse Pointe Country Day School in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at age 14. In the years that followed, she studied drama in finishing school, prep school, Yale University and the Actor's Studio.
Harris was married three times, to lawyer Jay I. Julian, stage manager Manning Gurian and writer William Erwin Carroll. She had one son, Peter Alston Gurian.
For a review of a couple of her movies I will post a two videos from Steve Hays aka Tired Old Queer…damn do I love this man…if you can catch some of her movies on TCM, please do!
The Haunting
East of Eden
Have a wonderful day, and see you all in September!
Wednesday Reads: Link Dump, Cheaters and MuppetsPosted: April 3, 2013 Filed under: 2014 elections, children, corruption, Democratic Politics, education, morning reads, open thread, public education, Republican politics, the GOP | Tags: Atlanta School Cheating Scandal, Atlanta Schools, Jane Henson, Mark Sanford, NYC, State Senator Malcolm A. Smith 41 Comments
Good Morning
I have only a few links for you this morning. On Monday I went to the neurologist, and it turns out I did have a seizure last month. The doctor put me on Topamax, aka "dope-a-max." As if I needed any more help in the loopy department…
The side effects are scary, I am very sleepy and my fingers are tingling like the dickens. One possible thing I am looking forward to, is this medication causes loss of appetite, weight loss and anorexia. I know there is no way in hell I will become anorexic, but shedding some pounds is a big plus. However, as my dad says…with my luck, fat chance.
On with the news reads.
WTF is it with the GOP and their hypocrite candidates? Mark Sanford wins GOP nomination in South Carolina
It makes me want to puke…meanwhile, in Queens, NY:
Malcolm Smith Accused of Bribery for Spot on Mayoral Ballot
BTW, Smith is a Democrat…but he wanted to run on the Republican ticket.
N.Y. Lawmakers Charged in Plot to Buy Spot on Mayoral Ballot
What the senator, Malcolm A. Smith, wanted to do, the other man explained, was going to cost "a pretty penny."
"But it's worth it," replied Senator Smith, a Democrat, according to a transcript of the January meeting. "Because you know how big a deal it is."
His plan, described by federal prosecutors in a criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday, was as ambitious as it was audacious. Mr. Smith was going to bribe his way onto the ballot to run for mayor of New York.
But he needed help, from a disparate cast of characters, including a Republican City Council member from Queens, Daniel J. Halloran III, and two Republican leaders from Queens and the Bronx, Vincent Tabone and Joseph J. Savino. And he needed the help of the other man in the car, who, unbeknown to Mr. Smith, was a cooperating witness for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was recording the whole conversation.
There is a graphic here: Untangling the Arrests in the N.Y. Corruption Case
In Atlanta, cheating is in the news headlines these days. Here is coverage from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Ex-Atlanta schools chief Hall leaves Fulton jailBeverly Hall leaves the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday night. | Ben Gray/AJC
All but a few of the 35 educators indicted in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal have turned themselves in to authorities.
Raw: Hall arrives at jail
Shirley Franklin: 'Lynch mob'
Beverly Hall's bond lowered
Photos: Jail scene
Booking photos
Video: Educators surrender
Photos: Who is indicted
Gallery: AJC reports
Read the indictment
Join Twitter conversation
AJC: Cheating Our Children
AJC editor on CNN
What a mess!
There is also some sad news as well, yesterday Jane Henson passed away, she was 78. Jane Henson, matriarch to Muppets, dies at 78
This 1960 handout photo provided by The Jim Henson Company shows Jane Henson, right, with Jim Henson and the cast of Sam and Friends, in Washington. Jane Henson died in her Connecticut home on April 2, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. / AP Photo/The Jim Henson Company, Del Ankers
Those are some scary looking muppets, must be the earlier models….but then again, nothing is more frightening than Elmo…especially now that we know what made him laugh like that. (Oooo, that was a little over the top huh?)
Well, my fingers are feeling like they are falling asleep, just think of this as an open thread.


text:
Mackay seriously injured in one-car accident
This has been out there for a few hours, but I wanted to pass it along in case you haven't seen it. Mackay was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after falling asleep at the wheel and crashing last night. He's been described by the hospital as in "stable" condition. Mackay is considered a rising star in the program, a defensive end repeatedly singled out for recognition this spring. That seems a long way off now -- let's just hope he's OK. His dad reportedly says he's got a broken back, but no spinal cord damage. Let's hope that's accurate.


text:
Become a PROMISING PAVER today!
"Team Read, 2014″ sponsored by Wells Fargo and Dilworth South End Rotary was a smashing success! 40 high school interns and 10 student staff knocked our socks off! Click here:
Team Read 2014 by the numbers
We Partner with Social Service Agencies and Title I Schools to get Books and Revolutionary Programming to Kids Who Need It!
How many books did you have when you were growing up? How many books do your kids have? While many children have or will have more books than there are days in a year, Promising Pages estimates there are-
More than 60,000 kids growing in the Greater Charlotte area who have few, if any age-appropriate books at home.
Fact: According to the U.S. Department of Education, these children are now 3 to 4 times more likely to drop out of high school. Yet there are hundreds of thousands of books sitting on shelves simply collecting dust after other area kids have outgrown them. For more facts click here.
Let's turn those precious pages over to new hands and make a positive difference in our community!
Our process is simple and the results have been amazing, making this perhaps one of the most solvable complex social issues of our day.
Promising Pages is a Charlotte, NC based non-profit that takes books other children have outgrown and gives them new life. Volunteers and interns collect, sort, clean, wrap, label and finally redistribute hundreds and even thousands of books each week that are processed through our donated SouthEnd warehouse. Our mascots, Erm the Bookworm and Erma the Bookworma, place these books directly into the hands of children. Our books and programs have the potential to turn ordinary children into enthusiastic self-proclaimed bookworms who simply can't get their hands on enough books. A teacher recently summed up the change in her students:
"The students are reading because they want to instead of a teacher telling them to read. The students say they like to read now so they can become what they want we they grow up."
Our mission in simple. Imagine the possibilities if we could offer this to all at-risk children in the Charlotte area…and beyond! For every $10 we raise we are able to provide a stack full of age-appropriate books and Magic Book Party programming to a child who really needs it. Please consider making a donation today. These are our children, this is our community, and they DESERVE our investment. Will you help us change the world one child, and one book at a time?


text:
Well with all the talk about if Mike Singletary has done enough to be the 49ers head coach next year, it got me pondering about the 49er's 2009 free agents and who has earned a spot on the team for next year.
J.T. O'Sullivan(QB) - UFA: Where are all those chants i heard at the beginning of the year, those "JTO JTO JTO JTOOOOOOOOO!!!" guys. Of course I was a Smith supporter so I shouldn't talk. Anyways while we all know about his 11 interceptions and his 2 lost fumbles (fumbled at least 6 times though) in a 8 week span he had some positive sides as well. He averaged 210 yards per game and in his first 3 weeks he had around a 103.3 QB rating. Plus he was a definite competitor and maybe if Martz didn't 7 step drop him as much, and if Martz had given him a similar game plan as Shaun Hill's, perhaps he would have done better. I think he is a solid back-up and if the 49ers pass on renewing Smith's contract they could do worse than re-signing JTO.
Zak Keasey(FB) - RFA: Was not a bad FB, not a great one, but not bad. He has the speed to run with Gore and can set up outside blocks, but he is definitely not a great receiving Full-back. Also there were some occasions where his missed blitz pick-ups led to JTO being flat on his back. He is still very young and has room to improve, but perhaps Michael Robinson may make a permanent move to Full-Back and leave Keasey on the outside looking in. It should be noted though that he was a stand-out on special teams.
Bryant Johnson(WR) - UFA: Surprisingly, Johnson's stats have been consistently good when the quarter back has been consistent. In the first three weeks he had 1 touchdown and averaged 50 yards a game and since Shaun Hill has been playing he has 2 touch downs and averages 43 yards a game. He hasn't been stellar, but has been solid. I think since It's very doubtful that Bruce will be playing after next season and because of the youth of our WRs, if we don't get a veteran WR next year it would be nice to have Johnson stay and provide some experience.
Eric Heitmann(C) - UFA - He has had a pro-bowl caliber year, won the O-lineman award (Bobb McKittrick award) and besides from Staley, is the only proven O-lineman this team has. A must Re-Sign. AND HE IS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you bay boy.
Tony Wragge(OG) - RFA - He stormed through training camp and took the starting Guard position after Bass was hurt, but since mid season is now the back up guard. He is known as the strongest guy on the team but it seems his lack of technique and speed has left him vulnerable to speed pass rushers.
Allen Rossum(CB/RS) - UFA - He has been a great improvement in the return game and when he was out, his absence was sorely noticeable. The three downsides for him is his age, his injury proneness, and the fact that the 49ers are giving up a roster spot for only a return specialist. I think if the 49ers are planning to draft a speed WR who can do returns, then Roosum might be out on his butt, but if not, then I wouldn't mind seeing him back next year.
Some other 49ers free agents are Jamie Martin(QB), Damane Duckett(OL), and Ronald Fields(DL).
So who should stay and who should go?
QB - Jamie Martin UFA - Go
QB - J.T. O'Sullivan UFA - Stay
FB - Zak Keasey RFA - Stay
WR - Bryant Johnson UFA - Stay
OG - Tony Wragge RFA - Stay
OL - Damane Duckett UFA - Go
DL - Ronald Fields UFA - Go
CB - Allen Rossum UFA - Go
By the way, i just saw that the Yankees have signed Mark Texiara for 8 years and 180 Million. I am a giants fan and have been one since I was 5. The way the Yankees have thrown around there money and the lack of off season improvement this year from the Giants has led me to boycott this baseball season. I'm sorry but the way the MLB is set up, large market teams will always have an upper hand. Ya maybe a small market team will have a run for a year or two, but once the stars become free agents you can bet the big market team will out bid them 10 times over. This Sucks...
I was just on fritz and brooks (I was Gino) talking about this, I think I held my own for that 7 minute call but probably not.


text:
Fans fight during Sunday's game where the Oakland Athletics hosted the San Francisco Giants.
An empty Heineken stand on the concourse at the Oakland Coliseum was the scene of a fan-on-fan fight between Giants and Athletics supporters.
Fan violence at Bay Area sporting events has been getting more and more attention.


text:
Posting ID : B1006163312
Date Posted : 2011-10-23
Category : Tv Film Video Radio Jobs
Our internship program accepts students of all experience levels, form beginner to expert. Being an Eclipse Web Media intern means that you will gain considerable experience and skills needed to compete for a full time video production job after graduation. Sometimes our interns end up joining us full time. As an intern, your job is not to fetch coffee and do busy work - we want you to have creative input in everything that you do!
Work with a team to complete various typos of video production for clients
Meet and speak with clients and possibly manage entire projects on your own
Often be expected to make production descisions on your own
Train to enhance your current skills and to learn new ones
Have the time management skills and work ethic to finish your tasks and and projects on time
Be organized and on time
Prefered SKILLS
Advanced to expert knowlege of Adobe Premiere and/or Final Cut Pro
Good understanding of video production standards and web compatibility
Understanding of basic video principles including lighting, codecs, etc...
Adobe After Effects
Great web design aesthetic - expert knowlege of Photoshop/Illustrator,
Excellence in script writing
We understand that no one is an expert in every area of video production. Do not worry if you are not an expert at every skill listed above! Please tell us your primary area(s) of expertise so we can determine if and how you will fit into the Eclipse team.
Our upcomming video projects include:
Life Force: full scale video library of marketing sessions for doctors
Attorneys: expected to have national attention as our attorneys will be taking on a headline typo case that will set new precedents
Corporate: Testimonials & interviews for various clinics
Virtual Tour: premiere medical facility in Atlanta
All interns are compensated in some way, usually with a stipend, however the level of compensation depends on individual expertise and work performance throughout the internship.
You may take school credit.
Compensation will range form $500-$1,500 for the internship depending upon skill and performance.
Internship Duration: 6 Months form start date
30-40 hours/week
In the office Monday - Thursday (9:30-4:30)
40 Technology Pkwy South
Suite 180
Norcross, GA 30092
(please note, our office location will be changing soon to the Lawrenceville/Lilburn area. Update comming soon)
Please DO NOT call our office. ONLY emailed resumes and inquiries will be accepted. Thank you.