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"Fake" Sign Language Interpreter Says He Suffered A Schizophrenic Attack During Mandela Memorial
The Deaf Federation of South Africa says the interpreter, Thamsanqa Jantjie, was a "fake." Jantjie says he was hallucinating angels during the service, but defended his performance.
Updated – Dec. 16, 8:58 a.m., ET
2. The Deaf Federation of South Africa said that the sign-language interpreter on stage during a memorial service for Nelson Mandela was a "fake."
The Guardian reports that Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, the South African deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities, said it was a mistake to hire Thamsanqa Jantjie but denied he is a fraud.
3. In an interview with South African paper The Star, Jantjie claimed he was suffering from a schizophrenic episode during the memorial.
The Star reported that Jantjie takes medication for his schizophrenia, was "medically boarded" a few years ago and that he relies on a social grant now.
Thamsanqa Jantjie at his home in Bramfischerville, South Africa.
5. He reportedly "suddenly he lost concentration, and started hearing voices and hallucinating" while on stage, and that after that, it "all went downhill" and he "signed things that didn't make sense."
"There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry, it's the situation I found myself in.
"Life is unfair. This illness is unfair. Anyone who doesn't understand this illness will think that I'm just making this up."
6. Jantjie said he works for a company called SA Interpreters and was paid for the event. There are now reports that the owners of SA Interpreters have "vanished."
7. Speaking to the Associated Press, Jantjie said he "saw angels" and that he "apologized for his performance."
"What happened that day, I see angels come to the stadium … I start realizing that the problem is here. And the problem, I don't know the attack of this problem, how will it come. Sometimes I get violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things chasing me."
"I had a breakdown when I see angels come from sky to the ground."
10. In the interview, Jantjie said he is "absolutely" happy with his performance.
Jantjie said he was "sad" about the controversy and asked: "If my interpreting was not right in all these years, why should it be an issue now?"
When asked directly about his "schizophrenic episode" Jantijie said he "wouldn't feel comfortable to talk about it on the media, it's not a thing I was referring to the media."
He did go on to say that the real issue he wanted to focus on was the claim he "interpreted wrong," saying: "If I then interpreted wrong, why is it an issue now?" He went on to note that his interpretations were not an issue when he interpreted "many big events in South Africa."
When asked again about his schziophrenia, he said: "I wouldn't like to discuss my mental status on the media" but confirmed that he is "currently a patient" and "receiving treatment" for schizophrenia.
He also confirmed he is a "senior interpreter" for the company SA Interpreters.
12. Despite Jantjie's claims that his interpretation skills had never been questioned before, it appears that might not be true.
Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, the first deaf woman to be elected to the South African parliament, has also said that at previous December appearance, a deaf person in the audience videotaped the event and the federation for the deaf analyzed the video and submitted a formal complaint to the African National Congress. The ANC never responded, the AP reports.
13. Footage has emerged of Jantjie beside President Zuma at the ANC Centenary Celebrations in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in January 2012.
16. He also showed a BBC journalist further proof that he had worked with President Zuma before.
17. A complaint was filed with the ANC after Mandela's memorial. Despite apparent proof of previous work with the ANC, a spokesman on Wednesday said: "I don't know this guy. He doesn't work for the ANC. It was a government event."
18. However, when asked if the ANC approached SA Interpreters for an interpreter for the memorial, Jantjie responded with "absolutely."
When the interviewer asked him to confirm that he has formal qualifications for sign language interpreting, he said "yes."
19. The deaf community, sign language interpreters, and Mandela mourners alike were initially outraged by the "fake" interpreting at the historic, and globally televised memorial.
20. Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, was one of the first to raise suspicions during the memorial.
24. And when Thamsanqa Jantjie's name was revealed, things only got worse.
25. The interpreter became a much-talked about topic on social media, prompting various memes:
26. South African parliament member Wilma Newhoudt has also confirmed Jantjie didn't actually communicate anything with his hand and arm movements.
Ingrid Parkin, principal of the St. Vincent School for the Deaf in Johannesburg, said she's received complaints from the deaf community around the world, because he looked like he was "signing gibberish," the Guardian reports.
Jantjie apparently used no facial expression to convey the emotions of the speakers, which is an important aspect of sign language interpretation.
27. "This is a warning to other sign language interpreters who are fake and go about interpreting," Druchen said. "I am hoping the South African government will take notice of this."
The AP reports that fake sign language interpreters are a widespread problem in South Africa because many attempt to pass themselves off as legitimate for money.
"Those hiring them usually don't sign, so they have no idea that the people they are hiring cannot do the job,' she [the principal] said.
'They advertise themselves as interpreters because they know 10 signs and they can make some quick money,' said Parkin. 'It is plain and simple abuse of the deaf community, they are taking advantage of the deaf community to make money."


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Goldeneye: 007 Reloaded is a remake of the Wii remake of the classic N64 Goldeneye, retrofitted with a newer, younger Daniel Craig version of Mr. Bond. The new trailer highlights a few of his new moves as well as the Mi6 mode being added to the game, which is a single-player mode that takes place outside of the central story mode.
Though not taken straight from Goldeneye, Mi6 levels are still based on locations from the Bond universe and each one tasks the player with completing some kind of challenge. For example, in a Download Defense mission an agent may be tasked with defending a console for a set amount of time, or in an Assault mission the object may be to simply survive long enough to reach your destination.
Along with the new mode, Reloaded adds high-definition visuals and a new AI, so enemy drones won't be quite as eager to sprint down hallways blinking red with the hypnotic pulse of proximity mines — but they'll end up dead anyway. For more on Goldeneye: 007 Reloaded check out our recent preview.
Aug 18, 2011

subset: commoncrawl


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Marc A SherrySummaryAffiliation: University of Wisconsin Country: USA Publications
| Collaborators
Detail Information
- A comparison of 2 rehabilitation programs in the treatment of acute hamstring strainsMarc A Sherry
University of Wisconsin Health Sports Medicine Center, Madison, WI, USA
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 34:116-25. 2004..Prospective randomized comparison of 2 rehabilitation programs... - Hamstring strain injuries: recommendations for diagnosis, rehabilitation, and injury preventionBryan C Heiderscheit
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Madison, WI 53706 1532, USA
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 40:67-81. 2010..LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnosis/therapy/prevention, level 5... - Neuromusculoskeletal models provide insights into the mechanisms and rehabilitation of hamstring strainsDarryl G Thelen
University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Exerc Sport Sci Rev 34:135-41. 2006..The insights gained are relevant for improving the scientific basis of hamstring strain injury prevention and rehabilitation programs... - Hamstring strength and morphology progression after return to sport from injuryJennifer L Sanfilippo
1Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Athletics University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 2Departments of Bioengineering and Orthopaedic Surgery Stanford University, Stanford, CA 3Sports Rehabilitation University of Wisconsin Health Sports Medicine, Madison, WI 4Department of Radiology University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI and 5Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI
Med Sci Sports Exerc 45:448-54. 2013..However, relative strength of the injured and unaffected limbs at RTS is currently unknown.The purpose was to characterize hamstring strength and morphology at the time of RTS and 6 months later...


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Bike Resources & Collective
Westminster Bicycle Collective U-LOCKS ARE FOR SALE DURING COLLECTIVE HOURS FOR $25.00 A PIECEWestminster Bicycle Collective FALL HOUR MONDAY- THURSDAY: 12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. FRIDAYS: 10:00 A.M.- 1:00 P.M. CLOSED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Questions: email@example.com CONNECT WITH US ON FACEBOOK ALERT: THE BIKE PUMP IN FRONT OF MELDRUM IS NOT WORKING .........AGAIN...... DUE TO VANDALISM. WE HOPE TO HAVE IT FUNCTIONING SOON. If this problem persists, we will not longer be able to provide this service. We are located on 1780 S 1200 E, near the Alumni House and the


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Has anyone had any luck making the cyborg faction work? I find every deck I play wants 3 Diesel, 3 Wildfyre and 2-3 Aesop's Pawn Shop which is too much influence for Cyborg. The extra draw is really important but you want ways to get rid of Wildfyre when you're making key runs late, because you want the extra actions for many of the powerful Heimdahl style of ICE. I think this will get somewhat better when you have decent ways to break code in faction for Cyborg.
This is what I've come up with so far:
Programs: (10)
2 Aurora
2 Ninja
3 Sneakdoor Beta
1 Femme Fatale
1 Gordion Blade (2)
1 Crypsis
Hardware: (4/14)
3 Desperado
1 Lemuria Codebreaker
Locations: (6/20)
3 Wyldside (9/11)
3 Crash Space
Event: ( 19 / 39)
2 Diesel (4/15)
2 Special Order
3 Infliltration
3 Sure Gamble
3 Inside Job
3 Account Siphon
3 Easy Mark
Resource: (6/ 45)
3 Bank Job
3 Armitage Codebusting
To be honest I'm struggling to find the last 5 cards, Lemuria Codebreaker is unreliable and some of the 3 of's that can't be duplicated I'd rather have 2. There are some cards I like a lot here, but I dislike having only 2 diesel, not having pawn shop and the serious lack of options to round out the deck. If Cyborg ever gets a good code gate breaker they can get the extra diesel in and a few more solid cards would make the deck interesting?
How do you handle what was considered the weakest faction at gencon?


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Frequently Asked Questions
History | Function | Strategy | Tactics
Who started GetEQUAL and why?
Kip Williams and Robin McGehee created the initial idea of GetEQUAL in October of 2009. After the National Equality March (NEM), Kip and Robin were interested in applying political and social pressure to push forward the LGBT big-ticket legislation that the LGBTQ community has been promised, by using bold, on and off line, direct actions as a tactic to push for full federal equality. They had organized locally, planned and implemented statewide events, and had organized with a grassroots network of 100 people to plan and produce the October 2009 NEM. At the conclusion of the NEM, both decided not to move forward with the entity that had produced the march, Equality Across America (EAA). EAA's mission was to organize 435 congressional district action teams which would lobby and produce local actions to push for full federal equality. Both Kip and Robin felt that the current political window was quickly closing and that to successfully push large legislative items, such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) more time would be needed to authentically support local organizers. But, in the meantime, regional "strike force" teams could be organized to take strategic action an apply pressure more quickly.
Kip and Robin felt that the ideal next step would be to bring together organizers from the NEM, other organizers who were organizing actions within their states, and leaders from different social movements who have used direct action as a tactic to push for change. This retreat was called the Radical Minds Retreat and was held at the Highlander Center in Knoxville, TN, in January 2010. There, the group discussed history and lessons from different social movements, the current climate within LGBTQ organizing, potential targets, tactics, and possible next steps. By March of 2010, GetEQUAL launched with a community of organizers who were ready and willing to take action across the country. Those involved with the GetEQUAL community are tired of the delays, excuses, and empty promises from legislators who should be fighting for, demanding, and achieving moral justice for LGBTQ people who experience and suffer from inequality. GetEQUAL deeply feels that we have passed the point of working to secure social acceptance and should be acquiring the full federal equality we have been pushing for decades to achieve.
Where are your financial documents?
You can find the 2010 IRS Form 990 for GetEQUAL Action (our c4 entity) here: https://www.box.net/shared/rf60yuhsgd.
You can find the 2011 IRS Form 990 for GetEQUAL Action here: https://app.box.com/s/pl7ge5nwt4vzuid2lgen.
We will post the 2012 IRS Form 990 for GetEQUAL Action following the submission of those documents to the IRS.
How are decisions made?
Each decision is made by working with and seeking consultation from leaders and organizers associated with different advocacy groups, political insiders, LGBTQ and mainstream media representatives, community organizers, and those taking action themselves. After all information is gathered, we only take action with consensus within the group that is taking action.
Who's accountable for GetEQUAL's actions? Who is in charge?
Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez and Heather Cronk are the co-directors of GetEQUAL, and are accountable for ensuring that the organization reaches its goals. The board of directors holds Felipe and Heather accountable to that job responsibility, so they are ultimately accountable to the board. GetEQUAL is working to build a supporter base that can continue to inform the organization's direction and actions.
Who is on the board, and how/why were they chosen?
Each individual who was chosen for the board of directors brings a diverse perspective from their own experience as grassroots organizers. While many nonprofit boards are filled with donors, we chose to create a board that can give us strategic advice from an activist perspective. We asked people to join our board who have their feet firmly planted in grassroots organizing, and who represent a wide variety of viewpoints on organizing in order to lend a wide array of opinions on GetEQUAL's work.
Bios for the GetEQUAL staff and for provisional board members can be found at http://getequal.org/staff-and-board.
A public statement from the board following the first board retreat in August 2010 is below:
The newly-formed provisional Board of Directors is committed to providing leadership and direction to GetEQUAL. We seek to create a societal environment that fosters freedom, equality, and justice for the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. One of our main goals is to illuminate discriminations that exist — to cause tension and force our leaders and society to respond. GetEQUAL will continue to employ tools to create tension, specifically including nonviolent direct action, to bring our crisis to the attention of our leaders — for a community that has consistently been denied freedom, equality, and justice.
We seek to underscore these issues so that they can no longer be ignored.
We are confident in the leadership of GetEQUAL and believe we have begun to lay the foundation for a solid organization to achieve these goals.
The social and legal inequality of our community is incompatible with the ideals of the American people, and we call on our national leaders to join in the global momentum towards liberty and justice for all.
What is the role that Paul Yandura and Jonathan Lewis play?
Kip Williams contacted Paul Yandura during the planning of the NEM to discuss the possibility of securing funding to hire campus organizers to bring more youth to the March. At the time, concern regarding a solid plan for next steps kept Paul from feeling as if the extra investment would have any long-term effects, so he asked to hear about next steps after the March. Paul is the donor advisor to Jonathan Lewis; Kip and Robin submitted a funding proposal to them after stepping down from Equality Across America. Mr. Lewis' only role with GetEQUAL has been to examine funding proposals and to make decisions on whether to help fund GetEQUAL's next steps. GetEQUAL has received funding from Mr. Lewis up front, with no strings attached – only the expectation that GetEQUAL would follow the steps laid out in the original proposal. Paul Yandura has been a mentor during the organizing process, offering lessons about the politics of Washington, as he has political strategy experience based on his years learning from/with the Clinton Administration and Democratic Party. His advice and mentoring has been invaluable, as has that of other past and present Democratic insiders and outsiders. However, Paul and Jonathan have only ever offered advice and have never required any particular action. The staff and organizers of GetEQUAL are free to plan, organize, and implement in a manner that feels authentic and strategic to us and to the local organizers that work with GetEQUAL.
With only one major donor how do you stay independent?
As stated above, all funding that has been offered from Jonathan Lewis has come with no strings attached and offered as a sustaining contribution as GetEQUAL builds toward next steps. Before Kip and Robin left their jobs or took any first actions, GetEQUAL was provided with the entirety of the funding grant, up front. In all instances, Paul Yandura and Jonathan Lewis have given assurance that our actions are our own, –based on our own research, reflection, and strategic planning — and that no part of funding is dependent on the requirement of any particular type of action or target.
Since that initial support, Jonathan Lewis has continued to support GetEQUAL — and so have many additional donors. We value a diverse array of support, and are happy to receive funding from both small and large donors alike.
How many members do you have and what is the criteria for becoming a member?
GetEQUAL does not currently offer paid membership, so we do not have "members." GetEQUAL counts as supporters all those who have expressed interest in taking online or offline action with us, which includes those on our email list, our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, and those who have taken action with us in person. As we move forward, we will ask our supporters to do more — to organize online, to organize offline, and even to donate to our ongoing work. More important than anything else, we are interested in offering our supporters multitude of ways to take action and to "own" their equality. Many LGBTQ organizations have asked too little of the community and of our allies — GetEQUAL hopes to be able to mobilize a critical mass of people who are willing to take action in their own community and to support the actions of others who are fighting for full legal and social equality.
What is GetEQUAL's strategy and what are the results you must achieve to be successful?
The guiding principles taken in our strategic theory of change can be viewed at http://getequal.org/about/#theory. We will not consider ourselves successful until full federal equality is realized by all LGBTQ people, in regards to queer and trans rights. We will know we have organized successfully when more grassroots direct action groups are taking the fight for equality into their own hands and are organizing the critical mass needed to produce the change we desire and have been promised.
Won't these stunts make our allies angry?
Our goal is to work towards building a critical mass of people who are unwilling to accept the delays of equality that we are experiencing. We do realize that direct action, as a tactic, is part of a broader organizing strategy that has the potential to upset and even anger some of our allies — but no social change has been gained without similar tensions. If we do not anger our allies, we are bound to continue receiving the minimal change we have currently accepted as "major" progress. Truthfully, we have more reasons to be angry than our occasional-allies do. When do we get to be angry that 92% of our transgender brothers and sisters are still facing job discrimination every day while our "friends" continue to pay lip-service to the passage of ENDA? When do we get to be angry that 1 in 3 youth suicides are youth that identify as LGBTQ? When do we get to be angry that gays and lesbians are still being discharged from the military and having to pay back training and other costs to the government, while that same government asks homophobic servicemembers their opinions on shower curtains? Let's not forget this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., as he sat thoughtfully contemplating his position in a Birmingham jail: "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored." We have found, with each action taken, we or other LGBTQ advocacy groups doing specific legislative work related to the action, have seen positive direct effects of our efforts.
How do you know if you have been effective or not?
We are working on creating a set of "empowerment metrics" that will help us to measure the impact of GetEQUAL's organizing model of individual activists — empowering LGBTQ individuals and our allies is a primary part of our mission. Additionally, GetEQUAL tracks the perceived impact that campaigns and actions have on legislation and on social issues. While it is difficult to draw "causation" in a legislative environment, we are tracking the "correlation" of our actions with legislative progress, which we learn from watching level/depth of media coverage, changes in media/organizing narrative, intelligence from other advocacy groups and political insiders, and progress on legislative and social targets.
Have you been effective?
In short, yes. GetEQUAL has helped to spur movement on both the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and on the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. While our work is certainly not the only cause for movement on those two legislative priorities, it is clear from media coverage and from reports from our allies that our work has helped create political will for movement on those two issues. Larger advocacy organizations have followed suit, putting resources into lobbying on ENDA during the August 2010 recess that had not previously been planned. Even with the movement seen in regards to DADT, many credit actions taken by GetEQUAL with the minor movement we have seen on repeal.
The nature of direct action is that the true impact isn't known until well after the fact, if ever at all — part of the responsibility of those using direct action, as part of a larger organizing strategy, is to forecast possible impacts and to track progress in order to report back to the community. Direct action targets, in order to hold on to power, must pretend to act as if they are not moved by those tactics — otherwise, their power structure would crumble while others followed suit. Past uses of direct action took months and years to catch on nationally, but were instrumental in ultimately creating the tension necessary to elicit change.
We will be posting recent case studies of successful uses of direct action soon but, in the meantime, feel free to browse through the following examples that we look to as our inspiration:
What is your ultimate goal? How do these "stunts" achieve that?
Our ultimate goal is to acquire full federal equality – settling with nothing less than equal protection in all matters governed by civil law. We also have a social obligation to respond to social inequality and understand completely that once we are fully equal, our community will continue to suffer from social discrimination and injustice that will need to be addressed.
Our strategy to get there is to create the critical mass needed to organize direct actions that lead to moments of crisis in existing power structures – moments that result in more power for our allies in the movement and the political will for those in power to resolve that conflict by demonstrating the leadership needed to move us closer to obtaining the equality we've been promised. Direct action is just one tactic we have used to create that power and political will — and we have, thus far, seen movement on DADT and ENDA each time we have carried out an action.
Right now, GetEQUAL is focusing on legislative change because of the unique political window open to us. However, the organization will soon be shifting to a more holistic approach to obtaining full legal and social equality — one that does not split the LGBTQ community's power or the progressive community's power. The existing power structures — especially existing political power structures — demand that advocacy organizations fragment their attention and their power, fighting against allied interests in order to make the most noise. GetEQUAL is interested in moving beyond that advocacy model — in creating a political framework in which allied interests fight with and for one another, and do not leave pieces of the progressive community behind enemy lines.
Why haven't you targeted Republicans?
We have not yet targeted Republicans because Republicans have not yet made our communities any promises. In the first stage of GetEQUAL's work, we have been targeting Democrats who have made promises to the LGBT community about legislative priorities and have sought to hold them accountable to those promises. Without that baseline level of work, those who have made promises to us have no repercussions for not following through with those promises, and our community is left in the wake with no other political options.
GetEQUAL will soon be moving into a second stage that will target both Republicans and Democrats who have an opportunity to take a courageous stand for our community, but who have not yet taken that stand. Our hope is that, after politicians see their colleagues making good on promises to the LGBTQ community and retaining (perhaps even increasing) their political power, more Members of Congress will join them in doing the right thing.
How do efforts to embarrass our political friends (Democrats) help the LGBT Community?
Social change doesn't come because those in power suddenly decide to make it happen. Social change occurs when those in power are pressured into making change via a direct catalyst that interrupts the normal state of affairs. That interruption might be a direct action, or it might be a well-delivered moral argument — but change rarely comes on its own. Our own elected leaders have told us to make them make change, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi did at Netroots Nation and President Obama has done on numerous occasions before that event. GetEQUAL comes at our organizing work with a sense of urgency for all those without job protections, for all those whose military careers are being ruined, for those bi-national couples being torn away from their non-citizen partners, for all those who are unable to marry their partners and for all those young people facing the prospect of harassment or suicide. We don't like to embarrass our friends — but we like even less to live under the specter of inequality.
How does "demanding" lead to changed minds or additional support for the LGBT Community? What "threat" is attached to these so-called "demands?"
It is neither politically strategic nor politically courageous for us to "ask" for equality. GetEQUAL is committed to finding political and social pressure points that raise the stakes for those politicians who stand in the way of LGBTQ equality — we are not threatening anyone. However, we are also not patient with those who stand in the way of full legal and social equality for the LGBTQ community, and we are willing to hold those people accountable to our community and to our allies. The LGBTQ community has played by the rules — we have voted, we have volunteered, we have donated, we have registered others to vote, we have visited our Congresspeople. GetEQUAL's staff has been on the traditional legislative side of pushing for equality and justice, but in doing this work, they know that they and many others have also done and have grown tired of work that is not providing the legislative gains we have been promised. While these things must continue to happen, we must also make every effort to reverse the commonly-held belief that the LGBTQ community is not willing to withdraw political support, enthusiasm, contributions, or moral acquiescence from those who do not stand up for the community. We must, at some point, stand up and proclaim that our self-worth and our dignity matter, and, that coming to this legislative process, less-than, already puts us at a disadvantage that we are no longer willing to just accept.
Why don't you hold open meetings where all are invited?
We have organized open meetings in New York, DC, Texas, Virginia, Montana, Mississippi and California – and we are very much interested in and planning for open townhalls in areas where direct action trainings and local organizing next steps have been requested. As we head into the fall, we plan to make those trainings and townhalls happen more frequently and in more geographically diverse areas.
Why are you prioritizing ENDA and DADT?
We view the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) as two pieces of legislation that the LGBTQ community is closest to securing. Both ENDA and DADT are big-ticket legislative items that have been promised by high-level leaders within the Democratic Party and our current President – both offer employment protections that no person should be expected to live without. We also hope that other legislative priorities — the passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and even the discussion of a possible equal rights bill called, the American Equality Bill (AEB) — will gain traction in Congress soon…and we look forward to throwing organizing weight behind those efforts, as well.
While GetEQUAL continues to do social/cultural organizing such as our work with groups in Arizona to get Lady Gaga to take a stand against SB 1070 or our efforts to stand behind Harold and Clay — a couple who experienced horrible discrimination upon Harold's death — we also recognize that there is a unique political window open to us at this time. Even though we are a young organization, we will do everything possible to move pieces of legislation that will impact millions of LGBTQ people across the country — our largest hope is to move into discussions about a more comprehensive approach that will remove the need for such piecemeal divisions of rights.
Why are you fighting for inclusion in an unjust industry (DADT)?
Although many within the GetEQUAL community share an anti-war ideological stance, the reality of our mission is to fight for the right to serve, or not, for every LGBTQ person who would like that choice. We are deeply opposed to the recruitment policies of the U.S. military, specifically in regards to efforts to recruit in low-income communities and communities of color, and feel deeply that the current wars in which we are engaged are not in our name. However, we believe strongly in the right of those who have chosen to defend/serve our country to serve with respect, honesty and integrity, and we recognize the power that military integration has held historically (i.e. African Americans, women, etc.) in the efforts toward integration and full equality in the wider society.
How do these "crazy shenanigans" benefit the LGBT Community?
Let's be clear, the use of "crazy shenanigans" was a tongue-in-cheek way of referring to how "insider" groups could refer to GetEQUAL's actions with those in political power, with which they are negotiating our equality, if they so choose. In fact, after first launching GetEQUAL, we were contacted, off the record, by a well-known executive director doing work on Capitol Hill — this person called to say that being able to reference GetEQUAL's organizing as an example of potential actions allowed the ability to get meeting time and added "suites of power" pressure with a well-known representative.
GetEQUAL's work serves to highlight inequalities in stark, and often uncomfortable, terms — but there is much opportunity available to "insider" groups to lean on these actions in order to obtain more power and bring the LGBT community closer to full equality. These "crazy shenanigans" are actually well-scripted and thoroughly-strategized actions that are part of larger campaigns — all of which are created through thorough research as to what the key pressure points are that will lead to legislative or social movement. They benefit the LGBT community by creating space for those with a seat at the political table to wield more of an edge in negotiating the points at which LGBT legislation will be urgently prioritized.
What happened in Vegas? Did you parachute in? Did you blow off meetings with Sen. Reid?
We had been planning on attending Netroots Nation for a few months, but as the event grew closer and the summer grew longer, we continued to gain frustration around the benchmark promises made by Speaker Pelosi regarding ENDA, and the continued passing of the buck between Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid. We decided to hold an online poll for our members to decide which target they felt was holding up movement on ENDA and offered four options — which included strategic reasoning behind each option. Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. George Miller, Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi were listed and online voting had Sen. Reid in 2nd place and Rep. Pelosi in 1st place. We knew going in to Netroots Nation we wanted to influence the conversation and questioning around our LGBTQ legislative agenda when Reid and Pelosi spoke to the Netroots Nation audience, so we chose to plan an action on the Las Vegas Strip, calling on Reid to take action on ENDA. By using this direct action to create a media moment around ENDA, Reid would be forced by local and national media to address ENDA by interview, public statement or at his speaking engagement at Netroots Nation.
We spoke with local organizers from Las Vegas Stonewall Democrats and a few other local groups, gathering input and ensuring that the tactic being used would not be seen as disrespectful but, rather, as exerting pressure in a way that would yield a conversation. We were asked if we'd like to have a meeting with Sen. Reid on Saturday, after this speech and said, yes — unfortunately, plans for that meeting was never finalized.
We took the action on Tuesday, doing a banner drop in front of the statue of liberty which is outside the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Closing down seven lanes of traffic for nearly half an hour allowed ENDA and the LGBTQ community to become a media talking point as this action was covered by local and national press. GetEQUAL was personally called by DC lobbying groups who had heard of Majority Leader Reid's inquiry into our action and from Reid's and Pelosi's staff, who wanted to assure us that the Majority Leader and the Speaker would be addressing ENDA in their remarks. That Saturday at Netroots Nation, not only did Speaker Pelosi address LGBT issues in her first question, but continued to bring up ENDA throughout the conversation and explained that she believed our frustration and urgency were justified. Majority Leader Reid chose to address ENDA and DADT in his opening remarks and, as a result of action taken by Lt. Dan Choi, DADT was a prominent component of discussion during his remarks and throughout the rest of the conference.
News reports into the following week were addressing ENDA, a piece of legislation that had fallen off the radar and had been declared dead by many, and insider conversations have been occurring to determine potential next steps to obtain a House and Senate vote. While many other national organizations had let ENDA drop from the priority list, those organizations have now picked it back up, and the LGBTQ community is now rallying to bring ENDA back from the dead.
Link to a recording of GetEQUAL's open press conference call on August 10, 2010:
Link to a transcript of GetEQUAL's open press conference call on August 10, 2010 (and special thanks to Michelle Wright for laboriously transcribing the whole thing!):
There was also a press call on November 18, regarding our meeting with White House staff. Link to a recording of the call is here:


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State Library celebrates Black History Month
POSTED: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 - 6:30am
UPDATED: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 - 6:34am
Baton Rouge, La — In celebration of Black History Month, the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana will host Jinx Coleman Broussard for a discussion of her forthcoming book from LSU Press, "African American Foreign Correspondents: A History." The presentation will take place today from noon to 12:45 p.m. at the State Library.
Broussard's presentation, "African American Foreign Correspondents: Their Impact on U.S. Social Reform and Global Policy," will reveal that although Frederick Douglass is recognized as an abolitionist, race leader and orator, he was also the first African-American foreign correspondent. Douglass went overseas not only to escape slave catchers but to call attention to and press for an end to slavery in the United States.
Broussard will discuss central characters in black foreign reporting while highlighting their goal of social reform and policy changes. She will detail how these journalists created a new, more positive racial identity guided by a civil rights agenda grounded in advocacy, protest and pride.
African American Foreign Correspondents is the first book to bring to the fore the largely untapped genre of African-American foreign reporting. Broussard writes of black journalists' travels abroad to report on wars, events and people that provided them with a new depth of visibility.
Broussard is an associate professor at LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication. She is the author of Giving a Voice to the Voiceless: Four Pioneering Black Women Journalists as well as numerous articles and papers on the black press.
Registration is not required for this free event. Attendees are invited to bring brown bag lunches.


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Take part in a Wisconsin Fired Arts Retreat Sept. 23-25, 2011 |
Tuesday, 26 July 2011 10:28 |
Join artists from around the world September 23-25, 2011, as they embark upon an adventure in the same quaint town of Iola where Fired Arts& Crafts is produced and published. Former FAC publisher and artist Michael Harbridge will teach methods merging clay and glass in Raku firing, colorful horsehair techniques, combining airbrushed patterns and Raku glazes, clay puzzling, extruding and additional methods he has developed and perfected. Each attendee will make a minimum of eight large projects that will be Raku fired in outdoor and indoor electric and gas kilns. Harbridge has been teaching workshops around the country for over 25 years and this is the first time he has opened his studio so other artists can come work with him. "In most of my workshops on the road we create smaller items because of firing restrictions, but now we can do big objects because we have access to all my large kilns," says Harbridge. Renovations to the studio are near completion to accommodate this event. "Many artists think they can only fire with gas kilns but I will show them how easy it is to do with an electric kiln indoors or out," explains Harbridge. "I will also take them beyond basic and traditional Raku firing by introducing glass and other materials to the mix." All-inclusive packages cover workshop fees, materials, meals, lodging and transportation from the local airport and to and from event each day. All materials, brushes, tools and supplies are provided. As a bonus, local guest artist Lorrie Wickman will work with attendees to construct a clay face jug on Friday evening. Lorrie will also head up the gas kiln firing on Saturday evening during the picnic, bonfire and festivities. Iola, Wis., is right in the middle of the state. Only an hour from Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and Wausau, it is a great little community of less than 2,000 people. Surrounded by many lakes, the surrounding area attracts summer tourists to cottages and activities. Iola is best known for the annual car show where hundreds of thousands of car enthusiasts flock. The nearby chain of lakes is a popular vacation destination for people all over the world. Some artists will make this a vacation. Check out many of the offerings here www.waupacachainolakes.com. If you would like to join the fun and be a part of this exciting opportunity, check out all the details at www.claypuzzling.com. Register online or call (715) 281-2787. |


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Ray Lewis On Training and Simplicity
Many scouts thought Ray Lewis was too small to play linebacker in the NFL when he entered the draft in 1996. Four linebackers had already been picked when the Baltimore Ravens selected Lewis as the 26th overall pick.
Those who passed up on him because of his size are surely kicking themselves now. Ray Lewis is about to enter his 16th season in the NFL. He is without question one of the best defensive players in the history of the sport.
His greatness is not the byproduct of a high-tech routine or facility however. Ray Lewis has always thrived on the basics. His routine has never been fancy, but he's known around the league as one of the hardest workers on and off the field. He pushes himself to the limit and then some.
Below is a brief video where he speaks about using a deck of cards as one of his original training routines. As has been discussed before, a standard deck of cards can be used to create an endless list of always changing workouts (see here).
The next video shows Ray Lewis on the field. As you will see, there is no denying his intensity.
3 comments3 Comments so far
Lee Orozco August 10th, 2011 6:51 am
Ray Lewis is a perfect example of a person with strong inner drive. He inspires me with his enthusiasm and professionalism on the field. Great video clips!
Home Workout March 3rd, 2012 11:32 am
Thanks for the info, interesting stuff here.
RossTraining.com Blog January 4th, 2013 2:01 pm
[...] What you will also notice within the video is the use of a deck of cards. Such routines have been discussed on this site several times before. NFL legend Ray Lewis is one of many athletes who grew up training with a deck of cards. A related entry can be found here. [...]
Leave a reply


text: Went here last night, and I thought the experience was great overall. The wine was delicious and not expensive, I thought the swordfish special was excellent, and my boyfriend ordered the salmon and also found it fantastic. Our starter was the Camembert, which wasn't ideal only because we were not given enough bread and the bread was a day old. But our mains were great, the dessert (lemon tart special) was light and satisfying and went well with our meal. Overall, we would definitely come here again and it's one of our favorite meals from the Upper Street selection.


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Trego superintendent's statement on arrest of Reeder
Statement from Trego Superintendent George Griffith:
Statement from Trego Superintendent George Griffith:
On Jan. 2, 2014, Trego County USD 208 Board of Education President John Allen Reeder was arrested on drug-related charges. Mr. Reeder was elected president of the BOE in July 2013 and has been supportive of the district's anti-drug and alcohol policies. In response to the arrest of Mr. Reeder; Trego County Superintendent, Dr. George Griffith stated, "I am a firm believer that all members of the school district should be held to the same standards related to their actions regardless if it is a student, teacher, administrator or even a school board member. Deciding what to do regarding students and staff members is clear because there are policies and rules in place to provide guidance. However, with a board member being an elected official, the district is limited in the actions it can take."
Griffith visited with Mr. Reeder on Jan. 3, 2014, at which time Reeder and Griffith agreed it would be in the best interest of the students if Reeder resigned his position on the board of education immediately. Reeder wanted the board and members of the community to know he was not admitting any guilt. His concern was the charges against him might distract the board of education from its business, which is doing what is in the best interest of the children they serve.


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Panasonic announces details of the TS4 and TS20 rugged cameras today. The Lumix TS4 is the more feature-rich model, offering full 1080 HD video, GPS function and a more thoroughly ruggedized build. Both models feature folded-optic designs and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4
In addition to GPS tracking, the TS4 will offer a 12.1 megapixel CCD sensor, a 4.6x optical zoom lens and a 3.7 fps burst shooting mode. This generation of Panasonic's in-camera GPS technology incorporates map data that users can pull from a bundled DVD, offering over a million landmarks and maps for 82 different regions.
But who buys a camera like the TS4 for its personality? It's really all about the rugged qualities. And the TS4 has those in spades - waterproof up to 40 feet, shockproof to 6.6 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and sealed against dust. For the enthusiast shooter, the TS4 will offer manual shooting modes.
Panasonic Lumix TS20
The TS20 is a slight step down in terms of features and rugged functionality. It is waterproof to 16 feet and shockproof to 5 feet with the same dust and freezeproof capabilities of the TS4. It will offer 720p video, a 4x optical zoom lens and a 16.1 megapixel sensor. It uses Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. optical image stabilization.
Pricing and availability
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 will be available in mid-March for $399.99. The Lumix DMC-TS20 becomes available in February for $179.99.
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Despite what Billy Beane wrote in Moneyball way back in 2009, scouts are important. Players do not just materialize out of thin air. There are no open tryouts from which a 25 man roster is selected. Scouts scour the world for talent and, with some luck and an unimaginable amount of hard work, some of that talent rises to become the best players in the big leagues.
Scouting is valuable. Scouts dug up Miguel Cabrera and scouts insisted that drafting Mike Trout was a good idea. No matter how much results vary (thanks in no small part to the benevolence baseball Gods), scouts make the game go 'round. It is a really tough gig, as the differences between "star in high school" and "washed out in A-ball" are nearly imperceptible.
Scouting in real time is hard. Scouting after the fact? Easy as pie!
The Los Angeles Angels selected Mike Trout with the 25th pick in the 2009 amateur draft. Which means 24 other players were selected ahead of Trout, the man some consider the best player in baseball. A high school senior playing "cold weather" baseball is not the most attractive type of player at draft time. The native of New Jersey faced all the same challenges of players from the Northeast encounter: the shorter season and weaker competition makes evaluation tough for high school position players.
So Trout slipped. He slipped below the well-heeled starlets at the top of the first round like Stephen Strasburg and Zack Wheeler and below "high floor" college players like Dustin Ackley. He slipped below "tough signs" like Matt Purke and very good looking pitchers like Shelby Miller.
Then the Angels were ready to pick. LAA had back-to-back selections as compensation for losing Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez to free agency. The Angels zeroed in on two high school outfielders. They took Randal Grichuk first and Mike Trout next.
2009 Rule IV Draft – First Round
Randal Grichuk just finished his first full season in High-A. Mike Trout is a MVP finalist. The draft isn't always a straight meritocracy when "signability" looms but it is as close as you get in the sporting arena. Yet 23 teams passed over the best player in the game.
Teams have different priorities when they build their draft board. Nobody likes to whiff completely on a pick but some teams can afford to take high ceiling projects while others prefer the safety of known commodities. Picking and choosing among high ceiling athlete-type players is incredibly difficult. There is so much projection that smells an awful lot like guesswork. So many intangibles enter into the equation – not to mention unforeseens and unknowables.
Under Alex Anthopoulos, the Toronto Blue Jays built one of the best minor league systems in baseball, thanks to the work of the innumerable new scouts he added to the Jays staff. Before AA and his regime came in, the Jays draft record was spotty – just like every team.
The 2007 draft saw the Jays loaded with multiple first round and supplemental round picks. J.P. Ricciardi and his staff put in their work and made the below picks.
2007 Blue Jays Rule IV Draft Picks
Two high school players and a three college players in the first two rounds. The college players worked out best, as J.P. Arencibia is an every day catcher and Brett Cecil gave the Jays some mixed work as a starter before converting to relief. The two high school upstarts did what most high school players do: they fizzled on their way through the minor league grinder, never (not yet, anyway) making it past Double-A.
The highlighted picks stop at number 56 overall for a reason: the Florida Marlins picked their own high school project late in the second round. With the 76th overall pick, the Marlins selected a raw kid from California with a "great body and raw power" though he featured "not much feel for the game. Raw plus power only at this time." That player (and his scouting report) turned into Giancarlo Stanton, as you might assume.
The Blue Jays and every other team in baseball would love a do-over on their 2007 draft pick or their 2009 draft pick. Once we get outside the top five picks, most years turn into a complete crapshoot.
Players that develop into superstars are already outliers – they ran the gauntlet of the minor leagues and distractions and injury so to allow their talent to carry them to the highest echelons of the game.
There is no formula unless you have pick 1.1 and the answer is clear. Teams can only put their work in and hope they made the right decision.
Which isn't to suggest misses like Trout and Stanton don't keep talent evaluators up at night. Draft day decisions haunt careers and allow doubt to creep into the mind. "We missed on Player X, let's not do it again on Player Y." A tough racket indeed. One made much easier with the added bonus of hindsight.


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Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Is Law!
AAUW was fortunate enough to be invited to attend an incredible celebration Thursday — the signing ceremony for the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA). Advocates and leaders gathered in the auditorium of the Department of the Interior for the joyful event, and I was there!
Vice President Joe Biden spoke passionately about his lifelong advocacy to end domestic violence and his leadership in passing both the original 1994 law and this reauthorization. I cheered loudly when he specifically mentioned that campuses would be safer thanks to VAWA reauthorization. He's right, and AAUW is ecstatic that much of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act was included in VAWA and is now law.
President Barack Obama spotlighted the improvements that the updated bill puts in place, including clear nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, jurisdiction for tribal governments to help survivors who are part of their communities, and improvements to our current human trafficking laws.
The VAWA reauthorization is monumental. It takes major strides — not just baby steps — toward ending domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking against women and men. The law insists that everybody counts and that we must do more to ensure everyone's safety. It will take me a while to process all we have achieved in seeing this bill signed into law, but I absolutely know we did it because we stood together. All the survivors and advocates touched by this bill were persistent over a long two years and were clear about how vital all the included protections are, and AAUW members took inspiring action in support of VAWA.
President Obama said yesterday, "[Today is] about our commitment as a country to address this problem — in every corner of America, every community, every town, every big city — as long as it takes." I couldn't agree more.
3 Comments
[…] to create regulations that will help schools implement the new campus safety laws passed in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. When implemented, the new laws will create meaningful change on college campuses through greater […]
[…] Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) was signed into law on March 7, 2013. The law includes a section addressing sexual violence on campus — specifically […]
[…] Violence Against Women Act of 2013, including its campus safety provisions, sometimes called Campus … […]


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The "Chael Sonnen Show" continued at the UFC 117 pre-fight press conference which took place Thursday afternoon in San Francisco. Read More »
Tag Archives: Matt Hughes
Feed SubscriptionCountdown to UFC 117 *VIDEO*
The main event between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen is profiled, as well as the co-main event between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves, and the welterweight showdown between Matt Huges and Ricardo Almeida. Read More »
The Ultimate Fighting Championship confirms remaining bouts for UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen
The middleweight title fight at UFC 117 between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will be accentuated by one of the most stacked cards in UFC history. Read More »
Inside MMA with Fabricio Werdum, Matt Hughes, & Erin Toughill (6-18-10) *VIDEO*
Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, and women's MMA stand-out Erin Toughill were guests this past week on HDNet's Inside MMA. Read More »
Championship showdown between Silva and Sonnen highlights UFC 117; First UFC event in Oakland
UFC® Middleweight Championship ANDERSON SILVA vs. CHAEL SONNEN Read More »
Dana White UFC 114 video blog (5-28-10)
Dana White takes viewers inside the UFC Fan Expo 2010 and to the "Rampage vs. Evans" weigh-ins in what is his third video blog for UFC 114. We get an up close and personal view of the stare down between ... Read More »
Welterweight legend Matt Hughes joins UFC Hall of Fame
TWO-TIME UFC® CHAMPION ENSHRINED FRIDAY, MAY 28 Las Vegas, NV (USA) – "A country boy can survive." For two-time UFC® welterweight champion Matt Hughes, those words echoed by singer Hank Williams Jr. don't just serve as his inspiration before big ... Read More »
UFC 112 results and play-by-play
ABU DHABI – "UFC 112: Invincible" takes place today at the newly built Concert Arena on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates. It is the UFC's first ever event in the Middle East, and will air live on pay-per-view ... Read More »
ProMMAnow.com UFC 112 staff picks
The ProMMAnow.com staff comes together once again to give you our predictions for "UFC 112: Invincible", which takes place Saturday, April 10, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This should be a fun card, with three high-profile fights. Can Anderson ... Read More »
Programming reminder: "Countdown to UFC 112″ airs tonight on Spike TV
"Countdown to UFC 112″ airs tonight, Thursday, April 8, on Spike TV. Be sure to check your local listings, because even though the poster and UFC.com says it comes on at midnight, my television cable guide says it starts at 11:13 ... Read More »
UFC 112: Invincible – video preview extravaganza
"UFC 112: Invincible" main event – Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia for the UFC Middleweight Title "UFC 112: Invincible" – Matt Hughes pre-fight interview "UFC 112: Invincible" – B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Title "UFC 112: ... Read More »
UFC 112 in-depth preview *VIDEO*
"UFC 112: Invincible" takes place on April 12 in Abu Dhabi. This ten minute in-depth preview focuses on the two title fights, Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia, B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar, and the legends match between Renzo Gracie and ... Read More »
Georges St. Pierre – The Armour of Invincibility – Act 1 *VIDEO*
This is based on Georges St. Pierre, the Welterweight Champion of the UFC and what many consider to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Armour of Invincibility is a 3 Chapter short highlight film based on his rise ... Read More »
Anderson Silva expected to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi
In an exclusive report, Brazilian MMA site Tatame is reporting a fight between UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort is in the works for UFC 112, on April 10, in Abu Dhabi. It will be the UFC's first ... Read More »
MMA documentary: the Matt Hughes story
Part 1 As this decade comes to a close we wanted to take a look back at one of MMA's great figures of the past ten years, former UFC welterweight champion, Matt Hughes. This documentary takes a look at the ... Read More »
MMA Flashback 2002: Georges St. Pierre's MMA debut vs. Ivan Menjivar
In this edition of MMA Flashback we travel back in time to 2002 when a young Canadian fighter by the name of Georges St. Pierre makes his professional debut against the undefeated welterweight Ivan Menjivar. Menjivar, whose nickname is "Pride ... Read More »
One last run for Twinkle Toes
This Saturday night Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg climbs back into the UFC Octagon for the first time in four years. Trigg will be battling what he has called "a younger faster version of himself" in Josh Koscheck. The odds-makers have ... Read More »
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UFC 103 Spotlight: Brian Foster – PROMMA.INFO exclusive interview
H.I.T. Squad welterweight fighter Brian Foster (11-3) was all set to make his UFC debut against Paul "Semtex" Daley at UFC 103 Sept. 19 in Dallas, Texas. Due to an injury to Mike Swick, the UFC was forced to move ... Read More »
UFC 103 Spotlight: Frank Trigg – PROMMA.INFO exclusive interview
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Mr. Trigg in his most recent video blog talks about his return to the UFC. Just remember, PRO MMA (promma.info) was posting Trigg's video blogs back when he had no fight home and no one seemed to give a rip. ... Read More »


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Hi. I would love to plant a bunch of Nandina "Plum Passion." their purple leaves are just so beautiful. BUT i hear that this plant may not be as hardy as some other nandinas as I don't want to lose my plant money!
Has anyone had experience with this plant? I am ever the optimist so I might need someone to rein me in!
Follow-Up Postings:
I live in Silver Spring, MD and have had two "Plum Passion" nandinas for about three years. They lose more leaves during the winter than the plain species and "Gulf Stream" nandinas that I also have. By the end of winter my "Plum Passions" are almost leafless. But they leaf out and are beautiful by late spring. I prune several of the oldest stems to the ground early each spring so that the plant will stay bushier. They sucker a bit from the roots and will send up new shoots up to about a foot away from the main base of the shrub. Mine flower fine, but do not have many berries. Their leaves are a fine texture and a beautiful purplish red. Juliet |
- Posted by reddbuffalo Zone 7 DC (My Page) on Thu, May 5, 05 at 21:26
thanks so much! so helpful! thanks!!!!!!!!!!!! lori |
Hey Juliet I live nearby in Alexandria. With the snow from the past week or two, our Plum Passion took on quite a bit of the white stuff and started drooping over (but did not break). Last year this was not an issue since it was still too small to take on any significant weight of snow. Do you know if it is recommended that Plum Passions be covered/shielded from winter snow? The one I have is appx. 6+' high. Thanks! |
Hi cfillio, My two Plum Passions are also drooping a bit after the weight of the snow. Sorry I can't answer your question about protecting them for the winter - I've never tried to protect them and I don't know if that's recommended. Mine always look pretty bad by the end of winter (they lose most of their leaves), so I cut them back quite a bit (to about 3 or 3.5 feet)in the spring. Once it gets warm they grow back quickly. I think that if I didn't cut them back (I also cut a couple of the oldest, woodiest stems to the ground each spring) all the new leaves would grow at the top and the shrubs would be bare on the bottoms. Juliet |
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Hold down Control (PC) or Command (Mac) key + mouseclick to select more than one option
Rating | Avg. Dinner Entrée |
$$$$$ | Greater than $25 |
$$$$ | $18.01 - $25 |
$$$ | $12.01 - $18 |
$$ | $7.01 - $12 |
$ | Less than $7 |
Food | Value | ||
Service | Atmosphere |
Posted by Anonymous on 03/31/2013
Great food, great drink selections, great service. Overall had a really positive experience. The menu is eclectic and tasty, I split dishes with friends and everything we had was great. The waitstaff is friendly and prompt. It does get very busy weekend nights (thurs-sat) so it's hard to find a seat sometimes (been back because it was great!). If you want a chill environment with good food, or just a few drinks, this is a real gem on the UES!
Posted by Steve on 03/27/2013
Great place. Eclectic menu. Big wine list, international beer list with a decent number of small producers and hard to find bottles. Had a great time and will be back.
Posted by Anonymous on 12/20/2012
Having lived in the neighborhood of ABV for the last 8 years, I initially was very excited that a new wine bar was coming to the area. That is, until I actually visited this establishment. Although the wine selections are fairly decent, I was absolutely appalled by the way ABV is managed and the by way we were treated by the staff. We were made to feel as if WE were lucky to be there and to have a seat--as opposed to the way it should be, where the establishment should feel lucky to have our patronage. Not only was the waitstaff rude and unaccommodating, the food was quite possibly the most overrated I have ever experienced at a restaurant in NYC. If you like all your food to be fried and you don't mind it being overpriced, then maybe this is the restaurant for you. Every single item on the menu is deep fried and prepared in one of these new age, hipster-style kitchens which is so small that it does not afford itself the space for proper appliances that should be required in a restaurant that charges as much for its food as ABV does. No grill, and maybe a conventional oven the size of a microwave at best. The food is absolutely awful, not to mention, limited. This neighborhood was desperate for a decent wine bar and restaurant, and unfortunately it still is. For as beautiful as this neighborhood has become the last few years, it certainly didn't need a Williamburg-style restaurant that is too cool for its own good. The people who go to this restaurant are clearly not from the area and seem to not respect the diversity and pulse that make this community so wonderful to live in.
Posted by JPK on 11/19/2012
Very good brunch and always poppin at night. They have a great late night happy hour as well.
Posted by natalie on 06/21/2012
Went there last night with a 30 minute wait, but got lucky w a couple of seats at the bar. Started with the fried pickles, which was so amazing but so much we shared with our neighbors at the bar, then moved onto the fish taco's and gnocchi, both of which were the perfect size and absolutely amazing... but it was the Foie Gras Fluffernutter that I had to order two of. Peanut butter, fluffernutter, hazelnut crumbles, apple jelly, with a piece of caramelized toast and seared to perfection Foie Gras on top? I've never had anything better. Perfect combination of sweet and salty. Not to mention the staff was nice and accommodating Can't wait to come back.
Posted by Anonymous on 05/19/2012
Agree with the other reviews; this is exactly what the neighborhood needed. Excellent very well thought-out food without the pretense; a similar approach to the atmosphere as well. We had the scallops and tartare pizza, both excellent and paired them with wine and beer. Beer was actually better than the wine. We went back for brunch a short time later and found the same high-quality standards.
Posted by anonymous on 04/10/2012
All three of the "medium" plates we tried were great, especially the grilled octopus and gnocchi with spring vegetables. The place has a laid back vibe yet offers a pretty impressive and reasonably priced wine list. Both times I've gone (weeknights) I was able to get a seat but it was full enough to seem fun and energetic.


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Effective leaders understand the leverage points in organizations. They know small change can make a big difference to benefit the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profits. The Master of Arts in Organizational Development and Leadership (MA-ODL) focuses on how you, as a leader or a manager, can take advantage of the opportunities these points present to create positive change and build successful and humane organizations.
As a participant in our global community of practice, you will learn the skills and theoretical foundation to qualify for many mid-level management positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects in management, leadership or training and development are best for those with a master's degree and related work experience. Our program allows you to achieve both and distinguish yourself from other job candidates. As you work toward your degree, you earn certificates that develop skills you can immediately apply to your work and build your résumé along the way.
Our unique system of "skill stack certificates" allows you to create a program that is suited to your individual needs and expertise. Each certificate emphasizes practical applications of leadership and inquiry to real-world challenges. Upon completion of the Master's degree you will have acquired an Organizational Development and Leadership Certificate plus 2 additional certificates from our Skill Stack or a general certificate focus of Effectiveness Across Organizational Systems.
"I am considerably impressed with the experienced classmates in my graduate program. I enjoy collaborating with them and am forming lasting friendships and professional relationships. "
Wed, January 28, 2015 MA Organizational Development and Leadership | Webinar Information Session
Wed, February 11, 2015 MA Organizational Development and Leadership | Webinar Information Session
Wed, March 11, 2015 MA Organizational Development and Leadership | Webinar Information Session


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[713] Expression of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase in Dysplastic Lesions Arising from Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Adam D Toll, Bruce Boman, Juan P Palazzo. Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia; Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Background: The cancer stem cell hypothesis proposes a relatively small population of neoplastic cells have the unique ability to initiate and sustain tumoral growth. Detection of cancer stem cells has been performed with a variety of markers, most notably aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), responsible for catalyzing the irreversible oxidation of aromatic aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids. Prior work has shown increased ALDH expression in carcinomas is an independent predictor of poor prognosis. We hypothesize cancer stem cells are present in pre-neoplastic lesions as well, and examined this within the context of dysplasia arising from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The distinction between inflammatory change and dysplasia can be difficult, and has significant patient management implications. Increasing levels of ALDH may help identify dysplasia, and confirm the role of stem cells in cancer progression.
Design: Fifty-four surgical resections of IBD were studied. All diagnoses were confirmed by at least two experienced pathologists. The diagnostic categories were as follows: 13 high-grade dysplasia / adenocarcinoma, 19 low-grade dysplasia, and 22 inflammatory atypia / negative for dysplasia. Immunohistochemical staining for ALDH was evaluated in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells both on intensity (0-3+), and percentage of cells staining. Criteria for positive staining was modeled after previous work, requiring at least 1+ staining in >10% of cells to be considered positive.
Results: Positive staining was seen in 100% of cases with high-grade dysplasia / adenocarcinoma (13/13), and 95% (18/19) of cases with low-grade dysplasia. Staining was homogeneous in the cytoplasm of dysplastic mucosa. Adjacent benign mucosa showed patchy focal positivity mainly in the crypt base. Staining of invasive adenocarcinoma was strongest in the advancing front. Cases with inflammatory atypia / negative for dysplasia showed positive staining in 32% (7/22) of cases. The sensitivity and specificity of ALDH for dysplasia was 97% and 68%, respectively.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrates ALDH is significantly expressed in dysplastic lesions arising from IBD. ALDH-expression in cancer stem cells suggests an important causative role in the progression to cancer in IBD. Although we found high sensitivity for dysplasia, the specificity was poor. In addition to neoplasia, ALDH-expressing stem cells proliferate in response to chronic inflammation, accounting for the cases of inflammatory atypia with positive ALDH expression.
Category: Gastrointestinal
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 9:30 AM
Poster Session V # 25, Wednesday Morning


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Treating Back Pain
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- Treating Back Pain
For those individuals with active lifestyles, back pain can be both a physical and mental challenge. Back pain hinders our ability to perform our daily routines as well as enjoy those extracurricular activities that we love. Fortunately though, through the advances of the Las Colinas Spine Program, there are treatment options available to minimize or cure your pain. These back pain treatment options range from physical therapy and exercise treatment planning to extremely delicate surgery. Furthermore, each case is different and therefore treatment must be tailored to each patient.
Treatment methods fall into two distinct categories:
Conservative treatment - Including exercise, medications, physical therapy, pain management procedures and other non-operative therapy.
Surgical treatment - which includes laminectomy, diskectomy, and spinal fusion in selected conditions.
Treatment for any back condition should involve two goals:
- To relieve the immediate problem
- To reduce the risk of re-injury
Conservative Treatment
Exercise / Physical Therapy
Exercise plays an important role in achieving both of these goals. Many studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have far fewer problems with back pain. Exercise stimulates the body's natural pain controlling hormones and actually decreases pain perception. A physical therapist may be contacted to help you with your exercise program. The physical therapist will also teach you about ways to prevent further back injury.
Medication / Pain Management
No medication will cure back pain of degenerative origin. Medications are used to control: pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, and sleep disturbance. Many physicians feel that narcotic medications should not be used on a continuous basis to treat chronic low back pain. There are certain circumstances where pain management specialists are finding that chronic narcotics will actually benefit certain groups of patients with chronic low back pain - but the majority of low back pain will not require this approach.
If simple measures fail to control your back pain, then an epidural steroid injection (ESI) may be suggested. Many different problems can cause inflammation of the nerves in the lumbar spine. The epidural steroid injection involves placing a small amount of cortisone into the bony spinal canal. Cortisone is a very powerful anti-inflammatory drug that may bring the inflammation surrounding the nerves under control and ease your pain. The epidural steroid injection is not always successful. Most centers report a 40%-50% success rate. These injections are reserved for cases where all other conservative measures have failed, or as a last attempt to postpone surgery.
Surgical Treatment
Surgery is only necessary in a small number of patients. There is no one surgical procedure that is appropriate for all spine problems. If surgery is recommended, our fellowship trained spine surgeons will recommend the most appropriate procedure for addressing your pain. While back surgery may seem common, the vast majority of people with back problems are not candidates for surgery and will regain function through conservative forms of treatment. However, if surgery is required, the procedures detailed below may be recommended.
One of the most common surgical procedures is a diskectomy, the removal of a herniated disk to relieve pressure on a nerve root. The first step of this procedure is removing a portion of the lamina of the vertebra. The lamina is the portion of the vertebra that forms the roof over the spinal nerves. Through removal of a portion of the lamina, a small window to the spine is created. Once accessible, the nerves are then pulled to the side so that the herniated disk can be viewed. Small instruments are then used to remove the herniated disk material. Most of the nucleus pulposus is removed to prevent the disk from herniating again. Once the disk material is removed, the nerves are free of pressure and irritation.
For some patients, back pain is caused when the spinal canal is too small, a condition known as spinal stenosis. As a result of this condition, many surgeons will recommend a procedure known as a laminectomy. The term laminectomy means "removal of the lamina". Remember, the lamina is the back portion of the spine forming the roof of the spinal canal. By removing the lamina, this allows more room for the nerves and enables the surgeon to remove bone spurs around the nerves. Once complete, this procedure reduces the irritation and inflammation on the spinal nerves. Additionally, this bone will not grow back. Instead, scar tissue will form replacing the lamina and protecting the spinal nerves.
If your back problem is the result of segmental instability, a spinal fusion may be suggested. A spinal fusion involves placing a bone graft between two or more vertebrae, causing the vertebrae to grow together, or fuse. The bone graft is usually taken from the bones of the pelvis at the time of surgery. There are two general types of spinal fusions:
- Posterior Fusion
- Interbody Fusion
In the posterior fusion, the bone graft is placed on the back side of the vertebrae. During the healing process the vertebrae then fuse, or grow together. This creates a solid block of bone between the vertebrae, and the vertebra that are fused together act like one bone. The interbody fusion differs by placing the bone graft between the vertebrae, where the disk has been removed. Once again, the healing process causes the vertebrae to fuse, creating a solid block of bone between the fused vertebrae. Note, both fusions accomplish the same thing. The goal of a spinal fusion is to limit or stop the motion between two vertebra stemming from segmental instability. Fusing the vertebra together reduces the mechanical back pain and impingement on the nerve root that comes from too much motion between the vertebra.