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Schools Selected for Prestigious Honor Roll
Newhall School District announced on October 17, 2007 that Pico Canyon and Stevenson Ranch Elementary Schools have been selected by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) Foundation and Just for the Kids-California (JFTK-CA) as two of 569 public schools in California to receive the title of 2007 Honor Roll school.
Schools receiving this distinction from California's business community have demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students. The CBEE Foundation/JFTK-CA Honor Roll is made up of two different awards, the Star Schools Award (126 schools) and Scholar Schools Award (443 schools).
"We are thrilled to have two schools selected as an Honor Roll schools and recognized by California's business community," said Dr. Marc Winger, district superintendent. "Our teachers and administrators are committed and have worked tirelessly to ensure the focus is on student academic achievement and reaching grade-level proficiency. We hold all our students, no matter what their background, to the same high standards because we believe they can all reach grade-level proficiency."
No other school recognition program in California uses hard data, individual school and student subgroup performance data based on the California Standards Tests to evaluate school academic performance. It is only by looking at this hard data, student test scores, and evaluating students and schools based on grade-level proficiency of the California standards, that educators, parents and the public can thoroughly understand what is happening in our schools and ensure that schools are on track to get all kids to grade level proficiency.
Honor Roll schools are being recognized because they are on track to meet the goal of 100% grade-level proficiency by the 2013/2014 school year as required by federal law.
A full list of the Honor Roll schools, sorted alphabetically by county, can be found at www.cbeefoundation.org.
"We know from the success of these schools that it's possible for all schools and all students in California to reach high levels of academic achievement, to close achievement gaps and to reach 100 percent grade-level proficiency on the California Standards Test," said Jim Lanich, Ph.D., president of CBEE. "Every one of the schools on the Honor Roll is on track to do it. By highlighting these schools, recognizing their achievement and giving them a voice we hope other schools can learn from these schools' proven 'best practices' and achieve the same results."
"Schools on the Honor Roll dispel the myth that certain students can't reach grade-level proficiency and that schools with a challenging student population won't be able to succeed," said Greg Jones, CBEE Foundation Chair. "Instead of complaining about their challenges, these schools have tackled them head on and are overcoming them. The CBEE Foundation continues to be impressed by the growing number of California public schools that make the Honor Roll each year and that are getting the job done for our students."
CBEE Star Schools are those with significant populations of socio-economically disadvantaged students that have shown a significant increase in grade-level proficiency over four years for all subgroups.
CBEE Scholar Schools are schools that are showing significant levels of academic achievement, but do not have a significant socio-economically disadvantaged student population.


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In "Love Surrounds Us," a Tapestry of Faith program
Explain that in addition to a chalice, people place other things on a centering table or an altar—things that are special to them. Sometimes people have something that tells everyone about what they are interested in.
Ask each participant to sculpt a symbol that represents one of their interests. It might be a book, some type of animal, a computer, or a sun. Let the participants know they will explain to everyone what their sculpture is, so it is not important to make it look exactly like the item it represents. It is only important that the person who made it recognize what it symbolizes. Let them know that the next session they come to, they can take their symbols home.
For children lacking fine motor skills, have another participant or an adult leader ask them what they want sculpted and shape the clay according to their directions.
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Last updated on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Thieves have made off with two PCs belonging to developer Larian, which contained early versions of two upcoming games.
The developer says the machines stored early builds of Divinity: Dragon Commander and Divinity: Original Sin, and is offering a $5000 reward to anyone who helps lead them to the culprits and the recovery of the PCs.
"If you have any information about the culprits, head to Business Hall 4.2, Booth A-16 to let the team know," asks the dev (via Kotaku).
The developer will no doubt be concerned over the possibility of their unreleased games being leaked online.
Not a great start to the expo.


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Boy from the 'get go' on this forum terms are used so easily and some of us little guys are still catching up. Is there a site that explains terms like 'second leaf' and 'runted out', mean or do we just ask what that means? Many thanks, Mrs. G the 'leaf' I take it means the age of the trees? Right? Mrs. G |
Follow-Up Postings:
PS my collections of books are too clinical for certain terms. Thanks again, Mrs. G |
- Posted by scottfsmith 6B-7A-MD (My Page) on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 13:28
The "leaf" names are a more precise way to name age in years - count the number of times it has leafed out. It can get confusing talking about tree age in winter. Runted trees have stopped growing bigger at some point in its life, that term is usually used when it stopped sooner than the person wanted it to. There are various glossaries but the terms above are more phrases not words and they may not be in the glossaries. See link below for one glossary I just googled up. I have seen similar glossaries in fruit tree texts, for example I think Childers' book has one. Scott |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://moralesmi.faculty.mjc.edu/plsc/230/Notes/Pruning Terms.doc
Scott thank you so much! When a tree runts out, does that mean it has also stopped producing fruit, or just growing? Thanks again, Mrs. G |
MrsG, Runted out means it has stopped growing (much). It may still be producing fruit. In fact, allowing a tree on a very size reducing root stock to bear fruit too earlier is a common cause of runting out. |
Mrs. G, All fruit trees need replacement wood to remain productive. Spur type trees like apples need less replacement wood than non-spur trees like peaches, but even spurs become unproductive and need to be replaced from time to time. A runted out tree doesn't fill in the space allotted for it and doesn't send out enough replacement wood. This is typically more an issue with dwarf rootstocks. They are more delicate and can runt out if not managed carefully. |
Thanks Olpea! I only have one peach on a 'dwarf' rootstock. The rest of all of my trees are on 'Semi-dwarf'. Is Semi-dwarf rootstock just as susceptible? Thanks Mrs. G |
" Is Semi-dwarf rootstock just as susceptible? Mrs. G, As you move up in vigor, the rootstock is less susc. to runting out. Still semi dwarfs can runt out. I have one apple on M7 that runted out. The spot was too wet and the tree almost died the first two years. My understanding is M7 isn't terribly vigorous anyway (as far as semi-dwarfs go) but the tree has still been too small and too slow for a semi dwarf. For a long time it never did really recover from almost dying. I doubt your peaches on semi dwarf would runt out. I don't have a lot of experience with semi-dwarf peaches, but even peaches on semi dwarf seem to be plenty vigorous. |
This post was edited by olpea on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 17:55
Olpea, Is peach on seedling rootstock a standard-sized one? One of my trees is on "peach" rootstock and the other two were labelled "seedling" rootstocks. The one on order will be on either Halford or Lovell, I believe. Scott - thank you for your link. I printed it out for reference. |
Mamunag, Most seedling peaches are standard size. Nemaguard and Redleaf are considered semi-dwarf seedlings, but almost all other peach seedlings are standard. You wouldn't have Nemaguard that far north, and Redleaf isn't very common. I think you could have reasonable assurance your peaches are on standard roots. Seedling rootstocks Halford, Lovell, Bailey, Tenn. Nat. and Guardian are all standard. |
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HARRISBURG, Pa., May 18, 2013 – The growing field of mobile technology will continue to reinforce the adage "there's an app for that." There is a mobile app for everything you could possibly need and usually multiple versions that provide similar information. Out of the millions of apps you could download, here are five suggestions to help you save more money. If it's free and if it saves you money, how can you refuse to use it?
RedLaser, available for both the iPhone and Android, digitizes your shopping experience. There's no need to worry if you're getting the best deals at your grocery store because this app will find the best price for you. While shopping, just scan the barcode on the item you want to purchase and RedLaser will show you product ratings, nutritional information, coupons available and where to get the best deal. RedLaser's numerous features include finding alternative products, storing loyalty cards in its system, price comparison for online retailers, and the ability to create your own shopping wish list.
Coupon App
Forgot your coupon box? Well, there's no need for it anymore with the Coupon App. Browse all the latest coupons updated continuously straight to your phone. The app even allows you to save the coupons for later or send them to a friend. The coupons you find can be scanned on your phone at the register. The app is available for iPhone and Android. For other great coupon apps, check out Yowza, Grocery Smarts Coupon Shopper, and GeoQpons.
Despite the astronomical gas prices, there are still ways to save on gas by using the GasBuddy app. Available on all major smartphones, GasBuddy tracks gas prices so you can find the best deal in your area. This is especially handy if you have a job where you have to drive a lot, like plumbers. Users are encouraged to share their local gas prices to help update the app. In return, you are entered in a weekly drawing to win a pre-paid gas card. It's a win-win situation.
Shopkick, similar to Foursquare, allows you to check-in to certain retailers to receive coupons and the latest deals. Shopkick partners with Macy's, Best Buy, Target and many others to reward you for visiting their stores. You can earn gift cards and other rewards by building up your kickbucks. Kickbucks are earned through multiple activities, such as scanning barcodes of specific products and the number of times you visit each store. Shopkick is available on the iPhone and Android.
Studentawards.com and ScholarshipExplorer are both great apps to help you save money by getting scholarships for college. You no longer have to worry if you are missing out on an opportunity to apply for a scholarship because Studentawards.com will deliver the latest scholarships and news about financial assistance straight to your phone. Find scholarships that match your needs through the ScholarshipExplorer app. For example, if you are hoping to attend a military friendly college, you can search for scholarships specific to aid military personnel and their dependents. These two apps make finding financial aid for college easier than ever before.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.


text: Who said PC Gaming was dying? Steam recently announced that its popular PC client hit 6.6 million concurrent users, last Sunday. This, compared to the figure in 2012's January, where its concurrent users stood at 5 million, means a mean growth rate of 300% that it was last year. Most player traffic is coming from the immensely popular (yet unreleased, ... Read More »


text: Interesting article and interesting question Mayuresh. I always thought Meego had potential, but somehow Industry leaders apparently don't thinj so. As foe sale is considered, what it must mean is owning the Meefo infrastructure like the developers, build servers, code hosting , maintainence responsibilities, etc, which us currently funded by Intel. I sincerely hope Meego makes it through. -- Raseel On 8 Sep 2011 07:55, "Mayuresh" <mayuresh at acm.org> wrote: > http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20102807-94/samsung-interested-in-meego-report-says/ > > Can MeeGo be "sold" as the article says? > > Mayuresh. > > _______________________________________ > Pune GNU/Linux Users Group Mailing List


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Characteristics of Shelter-Relinquished Animals and Their Owners Compared With Animals and Their Owners in U.S. Pet-Owning Households, John C. New Jr. |
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Animal shelters in the United States annually receive millions of relinquished dogs and cats, and risk factors for relinquishment are not fully understood. Investigators sponsored by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy interviewed people who relinquished dogs and cats at 12 shelters in four regions. We collected similar data from a sample of U.S. households with companion animals. Data collected included nonhuman animal characteristics such as age, sex, and frequency of selected behaviors. We also obtained data on keepers' (owners') age, sex, and level of education as well as their general knowledge of pet care and behavior. We found that relinquishment was associated with physical and behavioral characteristics of the animals and owner characteristics and knowledge. Relinquished animals were more likely to be intact, younger, and mixed bred. People relinquishing animals were significantly more likely to be men and younger than 35 years. Duration of ownership was significantly shorter for relinquished animals. Characteristics of Shelter-Relinquished Animals and Their Owners Compared With Animals and Their Owners in U.S. Pet Owning Households. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 3(3), 179-201. 2000, John C. New Jr. Don't have Adobe
Acrobat? Download
it here.
Requests for reprints should be sent to John C. New Jr., Department of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Box 1071, Knoxville, TN 37901-1071 | ||||
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My Profile
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Member since Sep 2006
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Reviewed Cinnamon Rolls
Jul 8, 2013 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"Absolutely amazing. Of course it takes quite a bit of time but the results are unbelievable. The Maple flavoring gives the icing a great extra flavor. I love treating my family to these on special occasions!""


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The rare find indicates that today's human population originated in Africa and migrated from there c. 65,000 years ago, making it, according to researchers, one of the most important discoveries in the study of human evolution.
Probably the most prestigious annual sports event organized by the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality, the 2015 Tel Aviv Marathon will be the largest sports event in Israel's history.
Israeli spirit enthusiasts are establishing the Milk & Honey Distillery – the first single-malt whiskey distillery in the Holy Land.
In a joint initiative of the Israel State Archives and the IAA, the Declaration of Independence was photographed using an innovative technique to re-create the document's original appearance and preserve it for future generations
Fashion Week in Tel Aviv included all the fanfare one would expect in New York, Milan or Paris - with opening and closing parties for the 33 Israeli fashion designers that took part.
Tel Aviv Volume 2015, the urban electronic music conference and festival, will demonstrate exactly why Tel Aviv is named the Nonstop City, world famous for its nightlife. The festival is expected to attract more than 20,000 fans to Tel Aviv.
Sderot, Lod get new life with sustainable student villages built by the Ayalim Association.
There's something almost magical almost about the quiet alleyways of this old and yet hip Jerusalem neighborhood.
The Conegliano Veneto Synagogue, inside the Italian Jewish Museum in downtown Jerusalem, was transported in 1952 and found new life in Israel.


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Study: Cebu's owl endangered
-A A +ASunday, August 19, 2012
WITH the unveiling of eight new species and one subspecies of owls that are found only in the Philippines, a nature conservationist criticized the manner of identifying priority conservation areas in the country.
William Oliver, founder and director of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Program (PBCFI-PBCP), said the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priority program included threatened species but it failed to consider degrees of threat.
"As a consequence, this process ended up prioritizing the currently 'least-threatened' versus the 'most threatened' ecosystems, harbouring the largest number of threatened but definitely not the 'most' threatened endemic species," he said in a summary of a recently concluded study on Philippine owls.
Oliver, who is also international coordinator of the Philippine Owls Conservation Program, cited Palawan, northeast Luzon (Sierra Madre) and eastern Mindanao, where the country's largest remaining tracts of forest remain.
Equal priority
On the other hand, the protection of areas with high biological diversity and highly threatened ecosystems, such as Cebu, Negros and Panay islands, were not given equal priority.
The new owl species unveiled by a team of international and local experts include the Luzon hawk-owl (scientific name Ninox philippensis), Mindoro hawk-owl (Ninox mindorensis), the Romblon hawk-owl (Ninox spilonata), the Mindanao hawk-owl (Ninox spilocephala), the Sulu hawk-owl (Ninox reyi), Cebu hawk-owl (Ninox rumseyi) and Camiguin hawk-owl (Ninox leventis).
The team also found a new subspecies of the Romblon hawk-owl, named Ninox spilonata fisheri.
The Cebu hawk-owl was discovered in Alcoy town, Cebu province, said PBCF director for field operations Lisa Paguntalan.
Oliver said the newly recognized owls are threatened and some can be considered critically threatened. These include the West Visayan lowland scops-owl, which is confined in the last few remaining fragments of lowland forests on Negros and Panay islands, and the Cebu hawk-owl, , which is found in remaining patches of forests in Cebu.
Forest cover
Cebu's native forest cover is less than one percent of, making the conservation of the Cebu hawk-owl more urgent.
"Similar concern, if likely less immediate, doubtless apply in varying degrees to the Camiguin, Romblon and Sulu hawk-owl," said Oliver.
PBCF said ongoing reforestation in Alcoy and Dalaguete may save the Cebu hawk-owl, which needs a territory covering about 500 hectares.
Paguntalan said the owl shares the same habitat of two endemic birds of Cebu: the Cebu flowerpecker and the Cebu black shama.
Philip Godfrey Jakosalem, PBCF program officer for field operations, conducted the first ecological study of the Cebu hawk-owl.
He said that the owls prefer natural forests that remain in Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy and Boljoon.
There were no owls found in scrap land areas where mahogany or gmelina trees, both exotic tree species, are planted so Jakosalem urged those who initiate tree-planting projects to plant only native tree species.
But PBCF was not able expand the study of the Cebu hawk-owl as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 did not issue a permit to the group.
Nelson Devanadera of DENR said the agency will investigate why PBCF was not granted a permit to study the owl, adding that "science should direct the conservation" of the owl and its habitat.
Jakosalem said that although there are almost 200 pairs of Cebu hawk-owl, they are considered endangered.
Oliver said the Philippines is number three in the world in terms of number of threatened bird species.
"There is a very high biodiversity, very high percentage (of the species) are unique species. But there is also a very high degree of threat," he added.
Dr. Pamela Rasmussen of the Michigan State University, head of the research team, said the sounds made by the owls allowed researchers to distinguish them as separate species.
The unveiling was supported by the Philippine Business for Social Progress.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 19, 2012.
Local news
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The Foundation for Physical Therapy (FPT) has announced its 2013 Service Award recipients. Each year, the Foundation aims to recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting the FPT and its mission to fund physical therapy research. William G. Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, FAAOMPT, president of the Board of Trustees, states, "Each of our service award recipients has played a major role in the success of the Foundation."
According the FPT news release, the group is delighted to present awards to the following recipients for their contributions to the FPT: American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); Daniel Riddle, PT, PhD, FAPTA; the APTA Wisconsin Chapter (WPTA); and Jane Snyder, PT, DPT, MA, FAPTA (posthumously). Boissonnault says the contributions of each have had a significant impact on the quest of the FPT to increase funding for physical therapy researchers and increase the number of investigators in the field.
For 2013, APTA received the Premiere Partner in Research Award, which the FPT presents to a select few who have made generous and long-standing contributions and contributed to the success of the Foundation. The WPTA is the 2013 recipient of the Innovation in Fundraising Award, an award established in 2005 to recognize donors who demonstrate creativity and the initiative to develop and execute fundraising activity for the FPT.
Riddle was the recipient of the Charles M. Magistro Distinguished Service Award, which is awarded for outstanding service and commitment to the promotion of the goals of the FPT. The Spirit of Philanthropy Award was awarded posthumously to Jayne Snyder. This award is presented to donors who exhibit support and dedication to the growth of the Foundation and its goals.
[Source: Foundation for Physical Therapy]


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Soffe Men's ľ Sleeve Baseball Jersey
Product Information:
Perfect for practice, intramural sports or your own customization, the durable Soffe® Adult Three Quarter Sleeve Baseball Jersey is a basic white t-shirt with a colored collar and sleeves. This lightweight and breathable 50/50 cotton and polyester blended shirt features contrast raglan sleeves and a curved shirttail for comfort and style.
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Country of Origin: El Salvador
Web ID: 4455490
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Great shirt....No shrinkage after first wash in hot water and dryer. I am 6"1 with a slim build and usually wear a size large. The large in this shirt was so LONG it almost came down to my knees. I went with it a medium instead and it fits perfectly. It's also slim fitting which I love.
June 24, 2014


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Dire Straits for Animals in Kuwait
November 23, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO
The stray animal population in Kuwait has been a problem for years. It gets worse every year, as more and more animals are evident on the streets, at parks and on public beaches. The problem begins with pet owners who purchase pets from abroad or locally in Kuwait. Once the animal's cuteness wears off, or caring for it becomes problematic, irresponsible pet owners simply release the animal out into the streets leaving it to fend for itself. It is quite normal to see cats digging through garbage dumpsters. Increasingly, more and more dogs are sharing a similar fate. Packs of dogs troll the streets of Kuwait looking for scraps of food. In two separate incidents, stray dogs scrounging for food attacked residents.
There are animal organizations in Kuwait trying to handle the pet population. PAWS and Animal Friends are just two organizations that try to get animals off the streets and adopted into loving homes. However, the dynamic of the pet population in Kuwait is ever changing. Exotic wild animals are flooding the black market in Kuwait, with some even being sold out in the open at flea markets. There is a huge demand for exotic animals in Kuwait with bidders willing to pay top dollar. This poses an enormous challenge for the animal organizations in Kuwait who are not prepared to handle the capture and care of dangerous animals.
The Internet has also proven to be a handy tool for animal traders looking to sell their animals fast and as anonymously as possible. On a popular classifieds ad site in Kuwait, a user recently listed a veritable menagerie of exotic animals for sale, the ad reads: "We have tamed big cats, bush babies, chimpanzees and African gray parrots available. We offer only the tamed babies of 4 to 16 weeks from our collections. Our game reserve at the moment holds well tamed cubs to offer to big cats lovers; cheetah cubs, jaguar cubs, leopard cubs, black panthers, lion cubs, Bengal tiger cubs, white Siberian tiger cubs, jaguar and leopard cubs now available." The ad goes on to say that the seller also has chimpanzees, baby elephants, gray parrots and other exotic animals from Africa.
Pet owners, domestic or exotic, are not required to apply for a license in Kuwait. Police usually do not get involved with pet ownership unless someone is injured and often that is too late. Exotic animals do not fare as well as domestic ones once the owner gets bored. Many times, the animal is hunted down and shot for sport.
The Fatal Distraction
September 8, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Paul Krugman
Friday brought two numbers that should have everyone in Washington saying, "My God, what have we done?"
One of these numbers was zero — the number of jobs created in August.
The other was two — the interest rate on 10-year U.S. bonds, almost as low as this rate has ever gone. Taken together, these numbers almost scream that the inside-the-Beltway crowd has been worrying about the wrong things, and inflicting grievous harm as a result.
Ever since the acute phase of the financial crisis ended, policy discussion in Washington has been dominated not by unemployment, but by the alleged dangers posed by budget deficits. Pundits and media organizations insisted that the biggest risk facing America was the threat that investors would pull the plug on U.S. debt. For example, in May 2009 The Wall Street Journal declared that the "bond vigilantes" were "returning with a vengeance," telling readers that the Obama administration's "epic spending spree" would send interest rates soaring.
The interest rate when that editorial was published was 3.7 percent. As of Friday, as I've already mentioned, it was only 2 percent.
I don't mean to dismiss concerns about the long-run U.S. budget picture. If you look at fiscal prospects over, say, the next 20 years, they are indeed deeply worrying, largely because of rising health-care costs. But the experience of the past two years has overwhelmingly confirmed what some of us tried to argue from the beginning: The deficits we're running right now — deficits we should be running, because deficit spending helps support a depressed economy — are no threat at all.
And by obsessing over a nonexistent threat, Washington has been making the real problem — mass unemployment, which is eating away at the foundations of our nation — much worse.
Although you'd never know it listening to the ranters, the past year has actually been a pretty good test of the theory that slashing government spending actually creates jobs. The deficit obsession has blocked a much-needed second round of federal stimulus, and with stimulus spending, such as it was, fading out, we're experiencing de facto fiscal austerity. State and local governments, in particular, faced with the loss of federal aid, have been sharply cutting many programs and have been laying off a lot of workers, mostly schoolteachers.
And somehow the private sector hasn't responded to these layoffs by rejoicing at the sight of a shrinking government and embarking on a hiring spree.
O.K., I know what the usual suspects will say — namely, that fears of regulation and higher taxes are holding businesses back. But this is just a right-wing fantasy. Multiple surveys have shown that lack of demand — a lack that is being exacerbated by government cutbacks — is the overwhelming problem businesses face, with regulation and taxes barely even in the picture.
For example, when McClatchy Newspapers recently canvassed a random selection of small-business owners to find out what was hurting them, not a single one complained about regulation of his or her industry, and few complained much about taxes. And did I mention that profits after taxes, as a share of national income, are at record levels?
So short-run deficits aren't a problem; lack of demand is, and spending cuts are making things much worse. Maybe it's time to change course?
Which brings me to President Obama's planned speech on the economy.
I find it useful to think in terms of three questions: What should we be doing to create jobs? What will Republicans in Congress agree to?
And given that political reality, what should the president propose?
The answer to the first question is that we should have a lot of job-creating spending on the part of the federal government, largely in the form of much-needed spending to repair and upgrade the nation's infrastructure. Oh, and we need more aid to state and local governments, so that they can stop laying off schoolteachers.
But what will Republicans agree to? That's easy: nothing. They will oppose anything Mr. Obama proposes, even if it would clearly help the economy — or maybe I should say, especially if it would help the economy, since high unemployment helps them politically.
This reality makes the third question — what the president should propose — hard to answer, since nothing he proposes will actually happen anytime soon. So I'm personally prepared to cut Mr. Obama a lot of slack on the specifics of his proposal, as long as it's big and bold. For what he mostly needs to do now is to change the conversation — to get Washington talking again about jobs and how the government can help create them.
For the sake of the nation, and especially for millions of unemployed Americans who see little prospect of finding another job, I hope he pulls it off.
Delusion in Detroit
July 21, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Adil James, TMO
Seated, left to right: Steve Downs, Abayomi Azikiwe, Dawud Walid. Behind podium: Moderator Debbie Johnson |
Detroit–July 17–There are several problems facing the Muslim community in the United States. One problem is that Muslims are sometimes targeted by the FBI and other law enforcement bureaus, framed for plots they are not even intelligent enough to hatch themselves, and then arrested and prosecuted for conspiracy to commit crimes they never understood–sometimes they are goaded by troublemakers, wolves in sheeps' clothing, paid by the FBI in proportion to the crimes they are able to get Muslims to commit.
Another, much worse problem, is that inside the Muslim community we give excuses and podiums to the apologists for Muslim terrorists and troublemakers–who are inherently dangerous to the Muslim community by virtue of their commitment to goals antithetical to the teachings of Islam.
And so this past weekend in Detroit about 100 people gathered at The Shrine of the Black Madonna to complain about government "preemptive prosecution." However, there was the problem that the meeting supported some Muslims who had suffered prosecution for very real offenses.
Not least among those is Tarek Mehanna, a pharmacy graduate who apparently travelled around the world (to Yemen) to seek training to fight against Americans, and who planned to kill numerous innocent civilians at a local mall, and went so far as to conspire to commit this attack. You may say "innocent until proven guilty" but first read the complaint, 32 pages of damning evidence, with countless detailed samples of Mehanna's assiduous efforts to commit terrorism, complete with evidence from two of his coconspirators who backed out of his plot and turned states' evidence, and also audio-taped conversations in which Mehanna planned terrorist acts.
Tarek's brother Tamer spoke in support of him this weekend in Detroit, however Tamer's speech almost amounted to further evidence against his brother, as he spoke for about 15 minutes, railing against the existence in the Muslim community of "snitches." The use of the term "snitch" already implies that his brother is guilty–as usually a snitch is someone who reveals what was intended to be a secret. The implication is that Tarek had committed conspiracy, wanted to keep it secret, and Tamer is angry because the "snitches" revealed the secret.
But thank God they did. Better for Tarek to rot in jail, frustrated in his intention to blot out the lives of innocent civilians.
If all Tamer Mehanna can say for 15 minutes is that snitches are bad, he begs the question whether his brother is fully guilty, and also whether he himself is supportive of his brother's alleged crimes.
But most of the people discussed at the meeting Saturday appeared far more innocent than Tarek Mehanna. Behind the speakers was a board on which were posted the names of about 100 people termed victims of preemptive prosecution.
Present at the meeting were many activists on behalf of many of those "preemptively prosecuted," and the most effective presentation was a video about Sami Al-Arian, which advocated his innocence, and expressed the capricious nature of the US prosecution of his case–where when Al-Arian was acquitted of all charges they rearrested him and continued to detain him.
This event was slightly misguided in the ways mentioned above, but the point still stands that the US government has overplayed its hand in the war on terror, by brutally pursuing many who are in fact innocent, and by deliberately detaining them beyond the point at which it becomes obvious that they are innocent.
Financial Problems in America
June 30, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Justin Webb
Is America in denial about the extent of its financial problems, and therefore incapable of dealing with the gravest crisis the country has ever faced?
This is a story of debt, delusion and – potentially – disaster. For America and, if you happen to think that American influence is broadly a good thing, for the world.
The debt and the delusion are both all-American: $14 trillion (£8.75tn) of debt has been amassed and there is no cogent plan to reduce it.
The figure is impossible to comprehend: easier to focus on the fact that it grows at $40,000 (£25,000) a second. Getting out of Afghanistan will help but actually only at the margins. The problem is much bigger than any one area of expenditure.
The economist Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute, is no rabid fiscal conservative but on the debt he is a hawk:
"I'm worried. The debt is large. It should be brought under control.
The longer we wait, the longer we suffer this kind of paralysis; the more America boxes itself into a corner and the more America's constructive leadership in the world diminishes."
The author and economist Diane Coyle agrees. And she makes the rather alarming point that the acknowledged deficit is not the whole story.
The current $14tn debt is bad enough, she argues, but the future commitments to the baby boomers, commitments for health care and for pensions, suggest that the debt burden is part of the fabric of society:
"You have promises implicit in the structure of welfare states and aging populations that mean there is an unacknowledged debt that will have to be paid for by future taxpayers, and that could double the published figures."
Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations acknowledges that this structural commitment to future debt is not unique to the United States. All advanced democracies have more or less the same problem, he says, "but in the case of the States the figures are absolutely enormous".
Mr Haass, a former senior US diplomat, is leading an academic push for America's debt to be taken seriously by Americans and noticed as well by the rest of the world.
He uses the analogy of Suez and the pressure that was put on the UK by the US to withdraw from that adventure. The pressure was not, of course, military. It was economic.
Britain needed US economic help. In the future, if China chooses to flex its muscles abroad, it may not be Chinese admirals who pose the real threat, Mr Haass tells us. "Chinese bankers could do the job."
Because of course Chinese bankers, if they withdrew their support for the US economy and their willingness to finance America's spending, could have an almost overnight impact on every American life, forcing interest rates to sky high levels and torpedoing the world's largest economy.
Not everyone accepts the debt-as-disaster thesis.
David Frum is a Republican intellectual and a former speech writer to President George W Bush.
He told me the problem, and the solution, were actually rather simple:
"If I tell you you have a disease that will absolutely prostrate you and it could be prevented by taking a couple of aspirin and going for a walk, well I guess the situation isn't apocalyptic is it?
"The things that America has to do to put its fiscal house in order are not anywhere near as extreme as what Europe has to do. The debt is not a financial problem, it is a political problem."
Mr Frum believes that a future agreement to cut spending – he thinks America spends much too big a proportion of its GDP on health – and raise taxes, could very quickly bring the debt problem down to the level of quotidian normality.
'Organised hypocrisy'
I am not so sure. What is the root cause of America's failure to get to grips with its debt? It can be argued that the problem is not really economic or even political; it is a cultural inability to face up to hard choices, even to acknowledge that the choices are there.
I should make it clear that my reporting of the United States, in the years I was based there for the BBC, was governed by a sense that too much foreign media coverage of America is negative and jaundiced.
The nation is staggeringly successful and gloriously attractive. But it is also deeply dysfunctional in some respects.
Take Alaska. The author and serious student of America, Anne Applebaum makes the point that, as she puts it, "Alaska is a myth!"
People who live in Alaska – and people who aspire to live in Alaska – imagine it is the last frontier, she says, "the place where rugged individuals go out and dig for oil and shoot caribou, and make money the way people did 100 years ago".
But in reality, Alaska is the most heavily subsidised state in the union. There is more social spending in Alaska than anywhere else.
To make it a place where decent lives can be lived, there is a huge transfer of money to Alaska from the US federal government which means of course from taxpayers in New York and Los Angeles and other places where less rugged folk live. Alaska is an organised hypocrisy.
Too many Americans behave like the Alaskans: they think of themselves as rugged individualists in no need of state help, but they take the money anyway in health care and pensions and all the other areas of American life where the federal government spends its cash.
The Tea Party movement talks of cuts in spending but when it comes to it, Americans always seem to be talking about cuts in spending that affect someone else, not them – and taxes that are levied on others too.
And nobody talks about raising taxes. Jeffrey Sachs has a theory about why this is.
America's two main political parties are so desperate to raise money for the nation's constant elections – remember the House of Representatives is elected every two years – that they can do nothing that upsets wealthy people and wealthy companies.
So they cannot touch taxes.
In all honesty, I am torn about the conclusions to be drawn. I find it difficult to believe that a nation historically so nimble and clever and open could succumb to disaster in this way.
But America, as well as being a place of hard work and ingenuity, is also no stranger to eating competitions in which gluttony is celebrated, and wilful ignorance, for instance regarding (as many Americans do) evolution as controversial.
The debt crisis is a fascinating crisis because it is about so much more than money. It is a test of a culture.
It is about waking up, as the Americans say, and smelling the coffee.
And – I am thinking Texas here – saddling up too, and riding out with purpose.
BBC News
Getting Past the Paralysis on Jobs
June 16, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Fareed Zakaria
Every week brings fresh evidence that America's unemployment crisis is much deeper and more systemic than predicted — yet Washington seems unwilling or unable to do anything about it. Fears of the budget deficit and a dysfunctional political climate have paralyzed people on both sides of the political aisle. The result is that America is "sleepwalking" through its biggest crisis, writes Mohamed El-Erian, the low-key co-CEO of PIMCO.
Around 24 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed (the latter in part-time jobs that average $19,000, half the median wage). If these people don't find jobs soon, they will lose skills and work habits and become permanently unemployable, with grim consequences for their families, communities and the country. And if employment growth does not pick up significantly, tax revenue will stay depressed, unemployment costs will rise and the deficit will balloon well beyond current projections.
We still seem to be hoping that somehow this problem will resolve itself, but it won't. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke explained this week that the economy has gone through the worst financial crisis and the deepest housing collapse since the Great Depression. In fact, the problem is even worse. Employment growth has been stalled since 2000. If not for the housing and credit bubble, this jobs crisis would have revealed itself much earlier.
We're in a new world for the American worker. Technological change and globalization allow companies to get more output with fewer workers. Emerging markets provide millions of skilled workers who can produce the same products at a fraction of the price that Americans can. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that from 1947 till 2000, productivity growth was correlated with employment growth. Since 2000, they have diverged. Productivity has risen while employment has fallen. The Nobel Prize-winning economist Michael Spence has concluded that in America, growth and employment will diverge in the future.
Does this mean that we are stuck in a low-growth, low-employment future? No, but the crisis is structural, and we have to recognize its scope and urgency. "Shutting off the alarm and pulling the blanket over one's head is not a solution," says El-Erian.
Republican concerns about government spending over the long term are understandable, but cutting spending in the short run will result in more unemployment and slower growth. President Obama talks about jobs but seems too paralyzed to do something ambitious to help create them. Even Bernanke said this week that there isn't much he could do about the slow-growth, high-unemployment trajectory we are on. Have we all become fatalists?
In fact, we could enact some measures that would spur job creation, many with a limited effect on the deficit. Most immediately, Washington needs to find ways to employ the millions of workers whose jobs disappeared with the housing bust. The simplest way to help them, and the country, would be to create a national infrastructure bank to repair and rebuild America's infrastructure — which is in a shambles and ranks 23rd globally, according to the World Economic Forum — down from sixth only a decade ago.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has played down this proposal as just more stimulus, but if Republicans set aside ideology they would see it is actually an opportunity to push for two of their favorite ideas: privatization and the elimination of earmarks.
The United States builds infrastructure in a remarkably socialist manner; the government funds, builds and operates almost all American infrastructure. In many countries in Europe and Asia, the private sector plays a large role in financing and operation of roads, highways, railroads and airports, as well as other public resources. An infrastructure bank would create a mechanism by which such private-sector participation would become possible here as well. Yes, some public money would be involved, mostly through issuing bonds, but with interest rates at historic lows, this is the time to rebuild. Such projects, with huge long-term payoffs, could genuinely be called investments, not expenditures.
A national infrastructure bank would also address a legitimate complaint of the Tea Party — earmarks. One of the reasons federal spending has been inefficient is that Congress wants to spread money around in ways that make political sense but are economically inefficient. An infrastructure bank would make these decisions using cost-benefit analysis, in a meritocratic system, rather than basing decisions on patronage and whimsy.
The country needs much more: a revival of manufacturing, emphasizing technical training and apprenticeship programs; aggressive measures to promote those industries that are booming, such as entertainment and tourism; an expansion of retraining; streamlining the patent process; more visas for skilled immigrants to stay and create companies and jobs in America. These should be part of a national plan for jobs that President Obama must lay out soon. But start with something that would have an immediate impact and put people back to work — the rebuilding of America.
Precious Cargo
April 21, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO
You can see them popping their heads through an open car sunroof as it speeds down the highway or bouncing up and down in the back of a car in motion. No, they're not animals such as a cat or dog traveling with its master. They are unrestrained children living in some of the world's richest nations. It's a startling phenomena given that America's legal system has gone to great lengths to protect American children traveling in motor vehicles in the United States by making seat belts and car seats for young children a part of the law. However, the utter disregard for the safety of children traveling in motor vehicles in the Middle East is alarming. In fact, it is an epidemic that threatens entire generations of children.
This past winter a father in Kuwait paid dearly for his lesson in passenger safety. A family trip to the desert turned tragic as the SUV the father was driving jostled under the bumpy desert terrain. His son was standing upright inside the car as his upper body was outside. All it took was a single bump to throw the son from the car and into the path of his father's vehicle. With no time to regain control of the vehicle, the father ran over his son and crushed him to death. Stories like this are common all across the Middle East as many parents take the road less traveled by not securing all passengers before turning that ignition key.
The problem is widespread and, while most countries in the Middle East pay lip service to restraining children inside of motor vehicles and do have laws requiring car seats and seat belts on the books, there is no enforcement of vehicular laws meant to protect children. It is up to parents to decide whether or not to restrain their children inside the vehicle. Unfortunately, most parents pay little attention to the safety of their children inside the car.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), for example, has one of the worst records for unrestrained children in the Middle East. According to recent research, car accidents are the number one killer of children in the sheikhdom with 63% of child deaths last year alone being linked to car or roadway accidents. Further, UAE authorities have determined that an estimated 98% of children in the country are not restrained when traveling by motor vehicle.
There is little data regarding children and road safety in other regions of the Middle East as research over the issue in scarce. However the problem will most likely continue to deteriorate, as countless children will undoubtedly pay for the negligence of adults with their very lives.
Let There be Light!
March 25, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Mahvish Akhtar, MMNS Pakistan Correspondent
Just recently I hired a maid, who would come every morning, clean the house and leave. She was a young girl of 14 or 15 not more than that. Every day she would get done with the work and come to me and ask me if there is something else she could do for me. I would tell her that she could leave once she was done cleaning but every day she would come and ask me if there was anything else. When I told her that was it, she would ask me if I wanted her to massage my feet, or if I wanted that drawer on my dresser cleaned out. I didn't understand why she wanted to do extra work without being asked to do so. Being confused for a long time I finally asked a friend about this strange behavior. She simply said she must be looking for some extra money. She must be thinking that by doing your other small chores you might give her some extra money. But I had not given her any extra money and she had not even asked for it. I still was not satisfied. One day when she was fixing my shoe closet after I had told her she could go I asked her. I said, "Why do you insist on staying here even after I have told you that you can go home? Don't you like it in your own house?" Without even looking at me she said in a very matter of fact way that it was because I had fans working all the time. I am one of the lucky ones who have a UPS so even if the electricity goes the fans are still working. She did not want to go home because she did not have a way of even slightly comforting her self when the electricity was taken away in this scorching heat of Lahore.
I was taking a stroll in my neighborhood where I noticed 2 small boys playing who were not wearing anything. I looked around to see if I could find their mother. I saw a woman standing nearby I went up to her and asked her if she knew the boys. She said she was their big sister. She told me that they live in the street next to mine and the boys were playing here so she came to watch over them. I asked her why they were not wearing any clothes. She replied that they had developed rashes and hives because of the heat and the doctor had suggested to not let any fabric touch them and keep them cool so that's why every day the sun goes down they let them play out for a while. I told her that this is probably not such a good idea since its still not cool enough and their rashes could get aggravated maybe keeping them inside under a fan is a better idea. She said yes that's what we were doing until yesterday when the lights went out in the morning and came back at 8 in the evening. Today she said is a repeat of yesterday, as far as they were concerned this is the coolest it's going to be for them today.
There are many sides to this problem that we are facing and everyone is affected by it in their own way. It does not matter what class or section of the society one belongs to everyone is facing the problems and has their own issues to deal with when it comes to electricity. With that said it would be very correct to assume that the businesses and the marketplace must be suffering greatly because of this problem. I wanted to know how they deal with this problem. The day I visited to talk to a Bookstore they were facing an especially bad day. I was told that electricity had been shutting down every half hour. They said that their generator has been on for the whole day. The manager told me that the business is good but with the cost of generator it is becoming hard to make ends meet considering the growing prices of electricity as well. He said that it is so costly to keep the generator on all day that some times they think of closing early just to avoid the cost "but then its hard to do that when you are running a business and you know customers are counting on you", adds the manager.
Another clothing store has the same story. Of course their store is well known and they have more customers so it is not such a big issue for them. Surprisingly most shops and stores I spoke to in Liberty market didn't complain much about electricity problems in that area. They said that they had timed load shedding which they had generators for so it was working out fine. Most of them however shifted quiet quickly to the situation at their homes and their neighborhoods. They were quick to tell me that this electricity problem was a menace in their homes. Most of them told me that had no electricity for about 2 hours at a time in their homes. One cashier said that it's terrible when his children come home from school all tired and sweating and they don't even have a fan to rest under when they get home.
While I was talking to the cashier at a shoe store a lady who was standing line right behind me overheard our conversation about load shedding and chimed in saying that sometimes she leaves her house when there is no light because there is an AC in her car and the stores are usually more comfortable than her house under the circumstances. I asked her what about her kids and other members of the family. She laughed and said I don't do it every day. "Do you know how much patrol costs these days?" of course I know how high those prices are too. But it is sad when people are looking for ways to find comfort and relief in any way possible. I had heard of driving the baby around the block in the car to put him/her to sleep but this was something new for me. Is this going too far? Under this circumstance who knows what is going too far and what is not we are all doing the best we can to survive these days.
A tailor who owns a small shop in the basement of a busy market told me that his business has been cut in half because of load shedding. Now he says he doesn't take on too much work because he knows he will not be able to complete it. "I can't afford a generator and when I don't take enough work I don't even make enough to feed my family. "When women come in here with a lot of clothes to get sown and tell me that they need it in a week I tell them its not possible. So, they take their clothes to a bigger shop that has a generator and can sew their clothes in less amount of time". This tailor is forced to take less work and even with that work he struggles to finish it in the time he has given his customers with the electricity playing hide and seek constantly. Just recently this tailor fired his assistant because he couldn't afford to pay him any more. He says things don't seem to be getting any better. Now he is working hard and trying to save up as much as possible. I asked him what he was saving up for…he said he wants to save up enough to be able to buy a generator. He thinks once he has a generator all his problems will be solved.
I guess there is something to be said about the power of generators. A student expressed his opinion when asked how he deals with not having electricity especially during exams by saying; "Generator Zindabad!" then he added that his neighbors keep the generators on all the time since it is convenient and they find it cheaper then electricity. Of course this was in Karachi where things are a bit more difficult in terms of electricity problems. I asked this young man what they do in school when there is no electricity. He said you just get used to it. When asked about how the learning process is in the heat he said, "I don't think I learn anything in the heat. I mean the teachers are teaching but I don't retain anything." I asked him why and he said, "Because it's HOT".
Another student who is my relative messaged me one day out of the blue. I asked her what's up and why she is messaging me she said she was bored and just wanted to see what was up with me. That was not a normal thing for her to do so but I was glad that she had thought of messaging an old person like me just to chit chat. After a while of massaging back and forth she abruptly said that she had to go. I asked her what the hurry was and she said "the electricity is back I gotta go study for my exams who knows how long we have this luxury for". Basically she was killing time talking to me while she was waiting for the electricity to come back so she could get back to her studying. While it made me feel not so great about myself it made me think of how much time we waste because we have no way of utilizing it while the electricity is gone.
In Pakistan everything stops as the lights go out? Whatever people are doing they just drop it and start to look around waiting for the lights to come back on. If you are reading a book you will stop and spend at least a few minutes thinking about what you should do now. Very few times you will get an answer because there is very little that can be done in the dark. Even while taking an exam the lights go off and everyone stops. There is pin drop silence. And as soon as the lights are back even if it's five minutes to turn on the generators the students start to ask for more time for the loss of time because of the electricity. I guess the point I am trying to make is that we are wasting collective time of our nation. Nothing gets done while there is no light. Even if there are generators and UPS there are minimal things running and very little that can be done. Children can't get on the computer and research for their homework. Businesses can't use credit cards. Schools and colleges have teachers leaving classroom without teaching because it's too hot for them to bear.
All of this makes us miss time to do things. We take much longer to accomplish things now compared with before because of the shortage of electricity. Our productivity as a nation is going down because out of the 8 hours we barely have 1 or 2 in which the work can actually get done. The problem is that it may seem like that the whole world is on stand still while the electricity is gone, that's really not the case. Only we are on stand still. While we are waiting for the lights to turn back on time and life is passing us by. We wait and then we start the work while someone somewhere else started the work without any waitt. Of course at the end of the day that person will take the fruits of the hard work we were not able to put in. Time goes on but we stay on a stand still by force. Does that seem fair at all?
People have turned this thing into a joke as well you will hear a person saying that well this is our government's way of telling us to slow down. It is an automatic brake even if one doesn't want it. We have lost so many hours of our lives to this terrible menace of our society and we have no idea how many more we still have to lose.
We have discussed what kind of problems are taking place in our Pakistan because of lack of electricity. Actually everything that I have mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that is going on that if we tried to put all of this in one piece of writing it would go on forever. So, we will leave the description of the problem at this point and try to invest the leftover energy in figuring out how we can get to a solution. The question is this is a nationwide problem so to get this solved who do we go to? Do we try to track down the government officials and ask them what should be done? But we have heard plenty of them on television saying that there is nothing that can be done because this shortage of resource is worldwide and everyone feels it. However, we don't see the rest of the world complaining and suffering from the consequences as we are.
Researcher Fine Tunes Optical Tomography
November 1, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Ayub Khan, MMNS
Taufiquar Khan, mathematical science professor at Clemson University, and his colleagues are working to make the physical pain and discomfort of mammograms a thing of past, while allowing for diagnostic imaging eventually to be done in a home setting.
The group is fine-tuning Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) to create high-resolution images from a scattering of infrared and visible light for the early detection of breast cancer. While the method is less expensive, safer and more comfortable than X-rays used in mammograms, the problem has been generating a strong enough resolution to detect smaller breast cancers.
"The problem with DOT is that it is a 3-D method where photon density waves launched from a source travel in a banana-shaped path due to multiple scattering, whereas X-rays follow straight lines which make the mathematical problem more manageable and the resolution of the image sharper." said Khan. "With DOT, near-infrared or near-visible photons make the process safer for the body than with the radiation of X-rays, but they are difficult to track because of the scattering and absorption. So we are coming up with equations that will help get us from capturing cancers that are 4 millimeters in size, down to capturing those as small as 1 millimeter."
Khan says benefits of DOT include the elimination of harmful radiation to the body as well as false positives and negatives caused by mammography X-rays. He adds there are no harmful side effects to DOT, and some version of DOT eventually could be administered in a do-it-yourself setting at home within the next decade. In addition to breast screening, he says it eventually maybe used as part of other diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound.
High times in Kabul
June 18, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Colin Freeze
Afghan farmer looks at anti-narcotics poster in Talbozag village June 14, 2009. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani |
Kabul — Sayyed Mohammed, 28, has hollow eyes, a fist full of coins, and a $4-a-day heroin habit.
"I'm addicted," he tells me in an open air drug market in Kabul, both of us ankle-deep in rubble and ruin.
"I was treated two times in Pakistan, but for one month, I've been readdicted."
Part of the reason he's back on drugs, he says, is because they are so cheap. "Each dosage costs 100 Afgani," he explained – the equivalent of $2.
In Afghanistan, opium, and its derivative, heroin, have long tended to be seen as export commodities. Addiction? Largely a foreign problem.
But the nation is slowly realizing the chickens have come home to roost. In rural regions such as Kandahar, the complaints centre on insurgents taxing the opium crops, funding insurgency to the tune of tens of millions of dollars a year.
In urban areas such as Kabul, where the Taliban and poppies are less visible, the complaints centre on the corrupting power of drug money, evidenced in the "poppy palaces" that have popped up around town.
Families speak of young men who are getting high instead of getting jobs.
Ground zero for this is Kabul's Russian Cultural Centre, a sprawling complex shelled heavily during the civil wars of the 1990s. Faded murals still show industrious workers cast in the Soviet Realist mould, but today's denizens have succumbed to a culture of hopelessness and despair.
Dozens of addicts call the centre home, including Mr. Mohammed, who was reflective before he wandered off to exchange his coins for more drugs.
"Heroin has given a bad name to Afghanistan," he said. He added he was more concerned about teenagers than himself. "The problem is that they are jobless," he said. "I tell them, 'It is not going to reduce your problems, it is going to add to your problems.' "
Afghanistan grows more opium than the world can use, forcing rivals such as Myanmar and Laos have cut back because their poppies can no longer compete.
"For a number of years now, Afghan opium production has exceeded [world] demand," wrote the United Nation's office on drugs and crime last year.
"The bottom should have fallen out of the opium market," it said. "It has not."
Prices, however, have fallen somewhat, and this may also have helped spread addiction in Afghanistan "It's an increasing problem, day by day," said Jamal Nazir, a social worker at a Kabul rehab clinic.
Many of his patients arrive from the Russian Cultural Centre, he said, including teenagers. "I have special sympathies because they are the energy of Afghanistan."
Families shuffled in and out of the rehab centre before Friday prayers. The visitors came from every strata, from poor farmers to the local gentry.
"My wife's brother, he is addicted," said Dr. Shah Mahmoud. "Our youths go out of Afghanistan, for work to Iran or neighboring countries, and get addicted."
He complained of "high authorities," getting involved in the drug trade and with mafia groups.
Afghanistan's culture of impunity has to end, he said.
"We blame the government for this problem," he said. "The government should arrest and hand over to the law those people who are involved in this criminal business."


text: Find this wine Find this wine Snapdragon 2008 Recommended Medium sweet. Good sipping wine. Would drink again! Pin It Tweet 3 years ago by Danica D. More posts Round Base Long Stem Wine Glass Snapdragon cabernet 9 months ago by Blbarry Given by Snapdragons (Kathleen). Drank with Dave in Whistler. Very nice. one year ago by L G. Snapdragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Cabernet one year ago by Vettechpointergal Snapdragon 2010 New wine we r trying one year ago by Debbie W. Snapdragon Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Mild tannins for a Cab Sauv. Mildly spicy flavour, a certain "snap" if you will. Paired with squash and pancheta risotto for supper. Will buy again! one year ago by Julie B.


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Hello folks,
I am happy to say that One Ball is now live. It would not be here without the generosity and / or good will of very, very few individuals that have faith in the information I have provided. You can visit One Ball via www.oneballmedia.com or www.matthewdelooze.com
I would be grateful if any of you could pass on those links to anyone you feel the information on One Ball could help.


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Blog | Comments |
WoW | 2 Comments |
Recent Comments:
The AV map imbalance in patch 2.3 {WoW}
Feb 4th 2008 3:18PM Now it looks like Blizz wants to totally discourage any rush tactic with 2.4 changes. The stakes for tower defense and capture will rise considerably. For PVP sake this has great potential. For Stormstrike Alliance I predict further disaster. Too many restless types that have never seen the inside of a tower in the name of defense.
Basic 2.4 changes.
1. Recent HP buffs to Balinda and Vann will be removed.
2. Balinda will have damage buffs, "been studying her spellbook" .
3. Horde start point to be moved back.
4. Captains and Generals receive a stacking buff for each tower standing.
The AV map imbalance in patch 2.3 {WoW}
Feb 3rd 2008 7:13PM On Stormstrike I see the IB choke at its best every day. If we D up we eventually get driven out of the midfield objectives because they are spread out. If we rush we might get some through but its a huge load on the healers to make a southern graveyard cap survive.
The one weakness I see in the Horde's IB Choke strat is it is often accompanied by the blitz offensive sweep that can get overextended. I have been trying to push two strats that take advantage of the Horde's rush to start the siege at DB.
Send 10 to Balinda, Send 20 up high road to camp above IWB. Send 10 to DB side of our bridge. Early rezzes also go to DB. Do NOT defend SPGY.
If uncontested the horde will sweep over IWB hill. Wait on the hill and sweep down and close their retreat. Recap IWB, SHGY, SFGY SHB. You now have blocked their main group at SPGY between two horrible chokes in their eagerness to blitz DB. For turtle insurance put some locks in with Balinda for offensive summons.
You could perhaps lay a similar trap by sending all units over the top of SFGY and having the majority circle back thru SHB, SHGY and IWB. Early deaths must leave SPGY as a free horde cap.
Main hurdle to either is I think it is impossible for an Alliance mount to actually ride north. They are south-bound only.


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How the Net Neutrality ruling could look
0So, you use the internet. On your PC/Laptop? Maybe on your phone or tablet?
Think about the things you do on these devices… Twitter? Facebook?
You may be a Netflix subscriber… Maybe you do research.. heck maybe you do business online.
Well, the wonderful thing about the internet is you can find stuff… you can find information, you can find entertainment…. it's always been wide open for the most part.
This "Net Neutrality" ruling, a fight over net neutrality has been raging for quite a while now, could change this.
The internet is made up of several ISPs (Internet Service Providers)… like Verizon, Bell…etc. Basically, what some of this is about is giving the ISPs some clout, to be able to dictate what goes through their networks… maybe charge you a little more for more access. Like think of dividing up the Internet like a pie…. maybe you'll have to pay more to access a different slice that they don't offer (anymore)…
Maybe they will limit your usage on services like Netflix or other streaming services. Here's an article on Netflix's recent reaction to the ruling.
Obviously, if you're an online business, this may limit your potential clientèle and also limit your earning power without paying more. (If paying more is the answer)
So even for huge online businesses like Netflix, Google and many others, this goes directly in the face of their business model. And also flies directly in the face of why the internet has been so valuable and has grown leaps and bounds.
Imagine an ISP who would, as they could, limit usage to Netflix, and then promote their own version of the service. Essentially, if you ever had a business idea of the "open internet" model, your ideas could be halted and dead in the water.
This could and likely would stifle innovation as "access" would be in the control of businesses who had interest in what you can/can't access.
Also, imagine an ISP filtering off sites as they wish. Bad reviews of their service? Well, maybe you can't find them on their networks.
Seriously, the internet's value is in it's openness.
Data warehousing and denormalization
0Greetings. It's been so long since I've even touch this blog that I write this first line with a touch of shame.
Ok… I'm over it now.
I've been working heavily with SQL Server 2008 and with DB2 for the last couple of years. I really love my job.
Lately we've been working on a data warehouse project which is structured for reporting. This presented a new concept in my lap which at first I didn't find to hard to comprehend, we I still don't really, but it threw a wrench into the wheel I've been accustomed to.
- Data denormalization -
Writing SQL code for many years, for me, has been about creating relational databases where data is divided up and joined together in queries. Denormalization brings forth the concept of doubling data for the purpose of having it readily available. (Fast)
So the thought process has been different. Writing SQL jobs that will suck in data in the format that we require to build our warehouse (CUBE – Ready). I guess what this method really seems to be is a space vs time trade off. You have much more data, doubled up… but the result is that you can query it very fast.
The cube my co-worker created was really really fast. Slicing and dicing the data at the blink of an eye.
Data is only as good as it's usability.
Counting rows using conditional dates in Reporting Service
0I've been using Reporting Services a lot. As with many things I learn on a "needs" basis.
Something I've done quite a bit of is have to run counts on the data returned by datasets. Something that stumped me early on when I started was how to run a count against data that was returned based on dates.
It was actually nice and simple:
=SUM(IIF(Fields!DateField.Value = Today(),1,0))
In this example what we're basically doing is checking if the date is equal to "today", if it is it's given a value of 1, if not then 0. And of course, it's summed up. So this would give us the SUM() of dates equal to today.
A variation of this conditional counting (and something I've had to do) is to run a comparison like this against a date and a "non date" value.
So in this example our Fields!DateField.Value is actually stored as an integer. So we need to convert the integer to a date to have it count properly.
=SUM(IIF(new DateTime(Fields!WOODDT.Value / 10000, (Fields!WOODDT.Value / 100) mod 100, Fields!WOODDT.Value mod 100) = Today(),1,0))
So in the above example, we are creating a datetime type with our DateTime() function and then comparing it to the Today() value. If the newly created date value (which is again based off of the data returned from the dataset) is equal to today's date it is given the value of 1, if not then 0. And this is summed up.
Useful Android App – SMS Backup +
0I used to have an iPhone3G and had down graded to a cheap pay as you go phone for some time. I just wanted a simpler cheaper phone for texting and calling.
Last summer I decided to get a new smartphone… so I ended up with an HTC Incredible S.
I haven't completely loaded the phone with apps. I do have certain apps that I use on a regular basis… like the DropBox app, a couple of sports news apps… Hootsuite and Flickr.
One nice little app I found is SMS Backup +
Basically, you can sync this app to backup your text messages to your GMail account. It also creates a label to put this mail in to keep it organised.
This is great if you want to archive messages and also keep your phone a bit cleaner.
Get a Custom Google+ URL with gplus.to
0I was digging into trying to find custom URLs for Google Plus today and didn't see any options to do this. I remember back when custom URLs came out in Facebook.
It's certainly much easier and nicer to link to your social media site with a custom/easy to read URL then some long string of numbers and/or letters that you'll never ever ever be able to remember.
So… after a quick search I found that there was a little service that seemed to cater to this (Google+ custom URLs). I decided against just using another link shortening site and use this.
So if this is something that interests you, just go over to gplus.to, enter your Google+ ID (the site shows a screen shot of what this means) and the desired nickname/url string… and voila…. if no one's already chosen it of course!
I've used it, and you can find me over here:
What is "Hosted AdSense for Content"?
4As so many people do, I have a Google Adsense account and recently I had made some changes adding some YouTube Monetization to it.
While looking in the Adsense account, which I do on occasion, I noticed a new line that I just didn't recognize. "Hosted AdSense for Content".
Turns out that this is actually the views from the YouTube videos. I just found it a little strange that it didn't indicate YouTube or something similar as the source… but then again, maybe this is used for other types (or will be used) of digital media in future…. thus the "Hosted AdSense for Content" title.
Adding a sidebar to post view in Twenty Eleven WordPress Theme
0Something else I missed when looking at themes for my new blog was post template options.
Seems as though the Twenty Eleven theme won't display the sidebar when viewing a post/article.
Thankfully, it's not a huge modification and there is lot's out there on how to do it.
Basically, you modify the theme's single.php file and add the get_sidebar() function. But that in itself will not be enough, you need to adjust some CSS as well.
I had tried with just the get_sidebar() modification… but after a quick search I found an example.
Check out Zeaks "ADD SIDEBAR TO POST VIEW IN TWENTY ELEVEN THEME" for an example on how to modify the CSS to make this work.
I used it as a reference and it worked great.
How to add custom banners to Worpress TwentyEleven theme
0I'm setting up a new personal blog and settled on using WordPress's Twenty Eleven theme that ships with current downloads.
I wanted to create custom banners to be displayed in the "Header" settings under the "Appearance" menu.
I thought they could be uploaded, this was something I simply presumed and didn't actually check. I had seen the options to display a random header but hadn't actually tried it… or read everything for that matter…
There aren't any uploaders. If you do upload a custom banner it is set as the banner for all pages.
The work around was quite easy, if you can follow PHP code of course.
First, create the banners you want to have on the blog, at appropriate sizes of course (defaults are 1000 × 288 pixels for the banners on the Twenty Eleven Theme out of the box). Then, your thumbnails (230×66 pixles, less important as it's for the admin panel)…. then go into the theme's image folder (unless you want to change those settings, but we won't get into that here). Theme folder should be in:
Upload your banners and thumbnail images.
Once that is there, you must open the theme's functions.php file (in twentyeleven's root folder). In there, find the register_default_headers() function. You'll want to configure your custom banners in the arrays as such:
register_default_headers( array( 'every-man-lives' => array( 'url' => '%s/images/headers/first-banner.jpg', 'thumbnail_url' => '%s/images/headers/first-banner-thumbnail.jpg', /* translators: header image description */ 'description' => __( 'Banner 1', 'twentyeleven' ) ), 'love-dies' => array( 'url' => '%s/images/headers/second-banner.jpg', 'thumbnail_url' => '%s/images/headers/second-banner-thumbnail.jpg', /* translators: header image description */ 'description' => __( 'Banner 2', 'twentyeleven' ) ) ) );
Once you've registered the new banners, refresh the admin panel Header or Custom Header page and check out the public site.
Was nice and simple.
Dying Brands – Blackberry?
0Blackberry's sales and popularity has been in decline for sometime. Well, in markets here in North America and Europe… but in some other countries they are still strong.
But, one has to wonder in this age of mobile apps and fast moving technological advance. Once the ball has started rolling backwards, just how far can it roll before you can make a comeback?
It's a shame, they seemed to have a dominance just a short time ago and decent products. But, as the months rolled on other mobile providers haven't only caught up but far surpassed RIM's Blackberry in terms of apps, marketing….etc.
Seems as though they will be taking another hit as Google has announced that they will no longer be supporting the Gmail Blackberry app.
How much sliding downhill can a large IT/Mobile Tech business take before mounting a comeback?
Blog comment spam – Internet annoyance
2Something that I've noticed over these last 5 or 6 years since I started blogging as a hobby is that the rise of "spam bots" submitting comments to blogs is just a continual annoyance. Not that many have ever made it through filtering and/or manual checking.
But it's almost as constant as the air itself.
In a short time I amassed some 177 spam comments on 1 blog and 78 on another. I tend to have my filters set so that I review them just in case something legit gets caught in the cross fire. Thankfully you can usually tell by looking through the list rather quickly which are "crap" and which are real. Usually, of course, the spam filters rarely make a mistake and most that are held in question are rightfully labelled as "crap".
But I wonder sometimes if any of the creators of these spam bots have ever profited from this continual gibberish. I mean, I know most of them, nowadays, include hyperlinks so as to attempt and increase their SEO value. But search engines have been continually getting updated through the years to become more intelligent so as not to rank gibberish sites in real search results.
I remember a time, when searching for a technical problem, I had come across many search results that led me to crap-spam-gibberish sites instead of the valuable information I was looking for.
But it's been quite a while since that has happened. Bravo to Google for their continual improvement on search results to block out that garbage.
That's my rant for this morning.


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Fri, Sep 15, 06 at 10:43
I live in Richmond and am wondering if I can plant my dahlias and hibiscus in the ground for the winter. I would try to put them in a Southern facing area with some protection. Anybody tried this with any luck? BTW, the hibiscus was bought from Lowes (no good info on the tag of course), not sure what kind it is, but I think it is the tropical kind and it says hardy to 30 degrees. Thanks,
Follow-Up Postings:
I have overwintered dahlias for the past 9-12 years here in Western VA. I mound dry leaves over the dahlias after a hard frost and place a bag of leaves or tomato cage over the leaves to hold them in place. Usually have nearly one foot of leaves by end of winter from 18" or so placed there in the fall. I have also set a bale of straw/hay over the dahlia roots. |
- Posted by grannysbloomers 7 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 29, 06 at 9:39
I doubt the Tropical Hibiscus would make it, but I leave my dahlias in the ground all winter and have never lost any except for an unusually wet winter when some of them rotted. I have perennial Hibiscus here and they do well all winter. I mulch everything here with pine straw since we have a lot of pine trees on the middle peninsula |
I started leaving my dahlias in the ground 2 years ago--mostly because I simply didn't have time to lift and store them. Not only did they come back, but they grew faster and larger than the new dahlias I planted nearby. I have heard, however, that the weather pattern for this winter looks like colder temps and more snow so I'll be sure to add an extra layer of leaf mulch for protection. |
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HIST 212 Sport in America A Social History • 5 Cr.
Surveys the role of sports in society. Students examine the development of games and sports in the context of western history, with an emphasis on organized sports in American culture. May be used as social science or humanities credit, not both, at BC.
After completing this class, students should be able to:
- Recognize the cultural basis of athletic pastimes as they originate in the ancient world, evolve through the medieval and are transported to European colonies in North America.
- Recognize and analyze how these pastimes evolved into a for profit business modality and what role, first higher, then secondary, and finally pre school education came to play in this process.
- Delineate what elements of American culture are implicit in sporting/athletic endeavors and analyze the reciprocal relationship of the larger culture in forming modern sports enterprises. The political and socioleconomic factors, among others, at work here.
- Assessment of these outcomes will be accomplished through in class timed essay and out of class extended essay assignments directed primarily at exhibiting a factual and analytical comprehension of the material.
- A comprehensive untimed out of class final exam.


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