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Lt. Governor Cagle, Speaker Ralston, members of the General Assembly, my colleagues in the Judiciary, my fellow Georgians:
On behalf of the judicial branch, it is my privilege and honor to present to this distinguished body my second address on the State of Georgia's Judiciary. This traditional invitation from the legislative branch to the Chief Justice underscores your interest in Georgia's judicial system and the respect we hold for each other as separate, co-equal branches of government. At this important milestone in our new year, I welcome this opportunity to share with you today the judiciary's accomplishments of the last year, the challenges we face, and our plans for a bright and solid future in fulfilling our duty to uphold the Constitutions of this state and our country and guarantee justice to all Georgians through fair and impartial courts.
I first want to recognize my friends and colleagues who serve with me on the Supreme Court of Georgia: Presiding Justice George Carley, Justices Robert Benham, Hugh Thompson, Harris Hines, Harold Melton and the newly elected David Nahmias. I also want to acknowledge the members of the Georgia Court of Appeals, including the new Chief Judge John Ellington and the new members of that court Judges Keith Blackwell, Stephen Dillard and Christopher McFadden.
In their magnificent crafting of our Democracy, our forebears not only created a separation of powers through the establishment of an executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch, but they also saw to it that our citizens had the right to choose their leaders. Just as the seasons change and spring brings new blossoms, we are graced in Georgia this year with fresh, new leaders in all three branches of government.
I congratulate our new Governor Nathan Deal with whom I have already had the privilege of meeting. As a former juvenile court judge and prosecutor, and as the father of a Superior Court Judge, Governor Deal appreciates the challenges and constitutional pressures we in the judiciary face in upholding the rule of law and protecting the public safety. I look forward to working with him.
While I have many friends in the Legislature, I have also had the privilege of meeting those of you who are newly elected legislators. I am confident that each of you is poised for greatness and that your accomplishments in the coming years will be many. I look forward to working with all of you as we share in our common mission of serving the people of this great state.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
The fall-out from the recent recession has created challenges of historic proportions. We who are government leaders sense we have entered a new era. In the past, a rebounding economy has always followed quickly on the heels of recession, but this downturn has been different. The times we live in demand permanent change as we learn to live with doing more with less. No longer can state government grow unchecked. All of us have had to make cuts and trim staff. That includes the judicial branch. It has been particularly painful for those of us who have had to lay off employees whose families depend on their jobs. Even as we confront necessary but difficult choices, however, it is imperative that the government maintain staff and resources to fulfill its vital, indispensable responsibilities.
Just like so many Georgia families sit around their kitchen tables in the evening struggling to figure out how to pay the bills and put food on the table, we in the judiciary have worked hard to streamline our operations without violating our constitutional mandates or compromising our core functions.
Keeping our citizens safe is one of government's fundamental obligations. Indeed our Georgia Constitution requires the government to protect the public safety. The courts play a crucial role in doing so.
Today, Georgia stands on the brink of making significant reform in how it sentences criminal offenders. A national wave of sentencing reform is sweeping the country, and it holds bright promise for Georgia.
Last September, Rep. Wendall Willard and I attended a conference in Alabama called by the Chief Justice of that state to consider the prospect of sentencing reform. Alabama is currently at 120 percent of prison capacity. Georgia is not far behind, at 106 percent. The fact is, there are a lot of people in prison who are a greater threat to themselves than to society. Rather than lock up drug addicts and the mentally ill, we must reserve our prison beds for our most serious criminals those who commit violent crimes; those who commit crimes against children.
Many states, including Texas and South Carolina, have discovered they can keep the public safer and spend less money by supervising some non-violent offenders outside of prison and treating the root causes of crime.
Georgia's leaders in all three branches of government recognize that we can no longer afford the more than $1 billion it costs us annually to maintain the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. Today, one of every 13 Georgians is behind bars or on probation or parole. That is the highest rate in the nation of people under some kind of criminal justice restraint. Ladies and gentlemen, Georgia has proven we can be tough on crime, with mandatory minimum sentences that allow no chance for parole. But are we any safer? And at what cost?
Unfortunately, there will always be those who commit crimes. But we cannot continue to build more prisons.
Under the leadership of Rep. Willard, Rep. Jay Neal and Sen. Johnny Grant, a group of us has been informally meeting to discuss what we could do here in Georgia. This group includes interested stakeholders from all three branches. We are looking at alternatives to incarceration for certain offenders with two goals in mind to improve the public safety, and to save taxpayer dollars. Georgia's judges need more discretion in the courtroom to ensure that the sentence fits the crime. Our judges know how to balance punishment with the public safety. And they know that sending a young man to prison for a non-violent crime may not be the best sentence if he will emerge years later with no education, a prison record and little chance of getting a job. As a Texas legislator said, we need these offenders to be taxpayers, not tax burdens.
Even among those who serve time in prison, there are steps we can take to reduce the likelihood that they will reoffend once they get out. The State Bar of Georgia's BASICS program has for years helped enhance the public safety by training inmates who are within six months of their release in the life and work skills they will need to become productive citizens.
The beauty of challenge is that it is often a motivator for change, and we in the judicial branch have seized that opportunity. Even in these difficult economic times, we have made striking progress.
One of our greatest successes has been our specialty courts. If we hope to save precious taxpayer dollars while protecting the public safety, the criminal justice system must change the way it has historically handled offenders with drug and alcohol addictions and mental illness.
Thanks in large part to your support, Georgia's drug courts, DUI courts and mental health courts have become a model for the nation. These are not feel-good, soft-on-crime alternatives to prison. Rather, they keep the public safer by breaking the cycle of crime through a combination of treatment for non-violent offenders with strict accountability measures. It is heartening to those of us in the judiciary that so many of our state leaders, including Governor Deal, Lieutenant Governor Cagle and Speaker Ralston, understand the importance of these courts. That is because these courts have a proven track record.
A recent report by the Georgia Department of Audits found that drug courts in this state have resulted in lower sentencing costs and lower recidivism rates. The report found that drug courts cost up to 80 percent less than the average daily cost of other traditional sentencing options. More importantly, though, is their effectiveness in reducing crime and protecting the public safety. After two years, only 7 percent of drug court participants re-offended, compared to the 29 percent who reoffended after simply spending time in prison.
They're people like Cornell Caradine. Mr. Caradine is a former Marine who today is 56 years old. While serving his country, he became addicted to alcohol and later, he also became addicted to cocaine. He spent the next 15 years in and out of jail, racking up 26 arrests for various crimes mostly shoplifting and theft by taking to pay for his $75-a-day alcohol and drug dependency. His wife divorced him.
In 2005, Mr. Caradine was diverted into DeKalb County's drug court, under the leadership of recently retired Superior Court Judge Robert Castellani and Judge Cynthia Becker. Mr. Caradine graduated from drug court and today he has six years of sobriety behind him. He has had no arrests and he has been fully employed for five years. And he has remarried.
Mr. Caradine, Judge Castellani and Judge Becker, would you please stand.
Like Judge Castellani and Judge Becker, we have many of Georgia's judges to thank for their innovation and willingness to lead these effective and efficient courts.
Among them: Chief Judge Jeffrey Bagley of Forsyth County, whom I recently appointed as Chair of the Judicial Council of Georgia Standing Committee on Drug Courts; Judges Jason Deal and Kathlene Gosselin of Hall County, Chief Judge Brenda Weaver of Pickens County, and Judge Doris Downs of Fulton County. We also have Judge William Fears of Butts County and Judge James Blanchard of Richmond County to thank for their leadership in creating this state's first two veterans court. Veterans courts, like drug and mental health courts, address our veterans and soldiers who have risked their lives in battle and come back with addictions and mental health issues that lead them into homelessness and crime.
Because of all these judges' leadership, today in Georgia, of 49 judicial circuits, 37 are being served by at least one of these specialty courts.
But that is not enough.
That state audit I mentioned identified 4,000 individuals who were sitting in state prison in August 2009, who potentially could have been diverted to drug court. If only 20 percent of those eligible prisoners had entered drug court, the state would have saved as much as $8 million.
Another type of specialty court we hope to pilot this year is domestic violence courts.
Georgia today has the 15th highest rate of domestic violence homicides. One way to stem that tide is through domestic violence courts. Chief Magistrate Judge Daphne Walker of Clayton County hears domestic violence cases in a special calendar. She understands the challenges and the unique ways in which they must be handled to ensure the safety of victims, while holding the offenders accountable. The result has been that since Clayton County began this special calendar in 2005, there has been a marked reduction in domestic violence homicides in that county.
Ladies and Gentlemen, these courts save lives, reunite families, protect the public and save money. Our goal should be to spread them to every judicial circuit of our state. As former Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich recently said to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "If I can be safer and it's less expensive and we have citizens who are now dedicated, productive taxpaying citizens which part of that is bad?"
In the civil area, in 2005 the Georgia Supreme Court approved creation of a Business Court in Fulton County the brainchild of Senior Judge Melvin Westmoreland. Last year, the Fulton County Superior Court Judges announced they were making the Business Court a permanent division, for good reason. With judges and staff attorneys who have been specially trained in business law, the Business Court has proved to be an effective and efficient way of handling complex business litigation such as shareholder derivative suits, securities fraud cases, and complex contractual and commercial tort disputes with damages in excess of $1 million. Georgia's Business Court has already received national recognition.
Judge Westmoreland, Judge Walker, Judge Bagley and all judges who preside over these special courts, would you now please stand so we can express our appreciation.
Another promise for the future is a new way of compiling lists of citizens who are eligible to serve on juries. This effort has been seven years in the making and is led by my colleague, Justice Hugh Thompson. The purpose of this change is to protect everyone's constitutional rights to equal protection and a jury of his or her peers. Technological advances have allowed us to improve the quality of the data about people eligible to serve. The new system would use not just voter registration lists that tend not to capture all segments of our society, but it would also include vital statistics and drivers' records that would help us fulfill the constitutional mandate of guaranteeing fair and impartial juries.
Just as our juries must reflect the populace, so should our judges. Our citizens' confidence in the courts depends on their assurance that they will receive equal justice. This is an area that needs improvement, as around the country, the diversity of judges lags far behind the population. I urge the newly appointed Judicial Nominating Commission to seek out the most highly qualified jurists, while keeping in mind the importance of having a judiciary that reflects the population.
Former Justice Louis Brandeis said, "Sunshine is the best disinfectant."
Good government means open government. Advances in technology have enabled us to make our courts more accessible than ever to the citizens of our state. This past year, after years in the making, the Georgia Supreme Court unveiled our electronic filing system. This has transformed the way we do business, enabling lawyers to file briefs and other documents in this Court directly from their computers, and allowing this Court to immediately notify the attorneys of its orders and final opinions. We are committed to making the business of the court the decisions we make that affect thousands of lives more accessible to the public.
In addressing the State of our Judiciary, I would be remiss to fail to mention that this past year marked an unprecedented number of investigations into the misconduct of a number of our judges. Since 2008, the Judicial Qualifications Commission's investigations have resulted in the resignation or removal of 22 judges. However, I consider this a sign that the JQC, a constitutionally mandated agency under the new leadership of Jeff Davis, is aggressively pursuing its duty to identify those judges who have proven themselves unqualified to serve. The good news is that with 1800 Georgia judges, the vast majority are well qualified and fulfill their constitutional duties with the utmost integrity. The JQC is an important agency that must be fully funded to do its work.
Last year, I told you that Georgia's judicial branch stood at a crossroads that due to budget cuts, we were in increasing peril of being unable to fulfill our constitutional mandates. This year, I report to you that the state of the judiciary remains strong but it continues to struggle. Those constitutional mandates I speak of are far-reaching and the very foundation of our democracy. Despite budget cuts, we have the duty to protect access to justice for all. We have the duty to uphold the Constitutions of our state and nation and the laws that you pass. We have the duty to protect individuals' rights. The courts are one leg in the stool of our democracy that provides an essential balance in our government.
Once again this year, I emphasize that the entire judicial branch receives less than 1 percent of the entire state budget. At the same time, last year we generated more than $544 million in fees, with nearly $90 million of that returned to the state general fund.
Those of us in the judicial branch have already proven we are capable of making tough decisions. For some years now, we have already been doing more with less. The Court of Appeals has taken 12 furlough days and laid off 10 employees. At the state's highest court, we have laid off staff, furloughed our Justices, closed our law library, put a ban on travel, recycled used paper into notepads and now buy some of our own office supplies. Our small staff of 43 people is six fewer than what we had a full decade ago. And I am confident in saying that your Supreme Court may be the only high court in the nation that must depend on unpaid interns rather than a paid employee to answer the phones and greet visitors to our main office. Yet in the face of a smaller staff, our caseload has grown. Death penalty cases those with the most profound consequences and requiring the most time and attention have increased 33 percent. Interim appeals in death penalty cases brought prior to final disposition have increased 133 percent.
Our courts are like the emergency room of society. We must take all cases the law requires. Not surprisingly, in tough economic times, caseloads have increased in most classes of courts.
Georgia's superior courts handle the most serious criminal cases, including death penalty cases, divorces and other civil actions. In 2009, more than 450,000 cases were filed in our superior courts. Between 2003 and 2009, the combined civil and criminal caseload for each superior court judge increased by more than 19 percent.
In Fulton County, our state's largest court system, there is a current backlog of 1,288 criminal cases, 89 of which are murder cases. Last year, the Fulton County District Attorney's office indicted more than 10,000 cases.
Let me be clear about the tipping point. Our state and U.S. Constitutions guarantee criminal defendants the right to a speedy trial. That means that if there are not enough judges to clear the backlog, people charged with some of the most heinous crimes will walk free not by judicial discretion but as a matter of law. We cannot, in Georgia, allow that to happen. Under the Constitutions of our state and nation, we must protect defendants' constitutional rights. But in a democratic society, we cannot allow a lack of resources to threaten the public safety. As the economy improves, we need more judges to handle the business of our courts, including more senior judges experienced former judges who do not require an increase in prosecutors, public defenders or administrative staff and are one of the best bargains this state ever had.
Backlogs and delays also add to the cost of doing business in Georgia. A recent study by the Washington Economics Group of Georgia's courts shows just how dire the effects of underfunded courts are on our economy. The study concluded that delays in resolving civil cases due to budget cuts have had adverse impacts on business proceedings throughout Georgia and affect this state's ability to create and retain jobs and to attract and expand industries. For the state of Georgia to keep its reputation as being an attractive, vibrant and efficient business environment, our courts must receive adequate funding. Businesses that are already in Georgia and those considering moving here want to know their court system works efficiently and can provide speedy resolution to their legal disputes.
In closing, I invite you as representatives of the people of this state to familiarize yourselves with your local courts and with the appellate and Supreme Court. Your local judges would welcome your interest. I would welcome your interest. I believe you would be proud of what you saw. So please visit. And watch democracy unfold.
Thank you, and God bless the state of Georgia.


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Dear Parents,
This will be an exciting year in the St. Michael School Library Media Center and your help is needed to provide services to the students of St. Michael School. Any time you can share with us would be greatly appreciated! Duties of library volunteers include checking books in and out for students, shelving returned books, and preparing new books for circulation. No prior experience in library work is needed; instruction and training will be provided.
Volunteers are needed every day of the week. Morning volunteers sign up to work about 2 hours , anytime between 8 AM and 11:30 AM and afternoon from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM.
If you would enjoy sharing your time with us in the St. Michael School Library, please submit the form below as soon as possible. Please let us know if you need to coordinate the library work schedule with cafeteria or other classroom volunteer times. We will be contacting you soon to set up a work schedule.
Thank you,
Mrs. Michelle Sarff
Media Specialist

subset: commoncrawl


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You might have gotten your hips from Mami, and your hair from Papi, but you may be able to thank your cultura for your healthy body! Latinos are at a cultural advantage when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, thanks to the some of the traditional traits of our shared culture. Though American Latinos are at high risk for diabetes and heart disease, they are exposed to traditional dishes, activities and lifestyle traits that may help them reduce the risk of these deadly diseases.
Traditional Latino food consists of healthy staples like nopales and plantains, which are health sources of rich and heart-healthy nutrients. Also, it is likely that your abuelita didn't grow up on McDonalds, instead eating home-cooked meals consisting of seafood, chicken and heart-healthy beans. Eating home-cooked food allows you to control the ingredients, as well as the portion sizes, allowing you to eliminate the potential to overeat, or consume too much fat, sodium or sugar. Get your creative juices flowing by experimenting with some healthy versions of traditional dishes, making them your own. Youtube channels such as MiTu, and the free downloadable Latino cookbook Champions for Change can help you prepare healthy food that'll have your taste buds dancing!
High energy Latin dance styles, such as salsa, merengue, bachata, samba and, of course, zumba, torch calories. Sign up at a local health club for dance classes, or put on your favorite musica and devote 45-60 minutes to moving your body. Dancing helps to reduce blood pressure, eliminate stress and burn calories, with Latin dance styles burning between 600-800 calories in an hour. Studies also show that people who partake in healthy lifestyle habits with friends or family are more likely to stick to them. Invite your amigas out for a fun night of dancing, or sign up for dance class package, holding each other accountable, sharing your culture, and burning some serious stress and calories in the process. If you're not comfortable dancing, download a few of your favorite English or Spanish songs and try this High Intensity Interval Training, as provided by New Latina. Whether you're in your dancing shoes or a pair of sneakers, get moving!
Drink To Your Health
Your daily cafecito may also contribute to a healthier body. Women who consume two or more cups of coffee are at a decreased risk for depression, heart disease, skin cancer and Alzheimers. It's like a delicious little protective perk in a cup. However, specialty coffees with whipped creams, added syrups and added flavors are high in calories, fat and sugar, so try to keep it simple, using skim or low-fat milk, a bit of sugar and good ol' cafe'.
Healthy habits, like traditions, are passed down from generation to generation. Look to your cultural traditions to help you establish healthy habits, and share them with your family and friends. A healthy lifestyle will lead to a lot more years for you to eat, dance and be merry with those that you love.
Tell us, how does your culture keep you healthy? What are you favorite healthy spins on traditional dishes? Share with us your favorite Spanish or English workout mix! Tell us at @NewLatina and @NLIntern, or comment below.


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Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile
Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile
Book Details
About This Book
- Write less, do more: learn to apply the jQuery motto to quickly craft creative sites that work on any smartphone and even not-so-smart phones
- Learn to leverage HTML5 audio and video, geolocation, Twitter, Flickr, blogs, Reddit, Google maps, content management system, and much more
- All examples are either in use in the real world or were used as examples to win business across several industries
Who This Book Is For
"Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile" assumes a base level knowledge of web development. If you've used jQuery Mobile before, you're gold. Otherwise, you can pick it up along the way.
Table of Contents
What You Will Learn
- Learn the art of prototyping jQuery Mobile as both design and sales tactics
- Get tips on making jQuery Mobile implementations look more unique
- Integrate with Google's Analytics, Maps, and Feeds APIs
- Leverage HTML5 video and audio including a jQuery Mobile player interface
- Leverage client-side templating to render API results from Twitter, Reddit, Flickr, and more
- Check and monitor the user's position with Geolocation
- Auto validate your mobile forms with jQuery Validate on both page-by-page and multi-page views
- Use jQuery Mobile to create a full responsive web design for photographers using Photoswipe
In Detail
jQuery Mobile is a touch-optimized web framework (also known as a JavaScript library or a mobile framework) currently being developed by the jQuery project team. The development focuses on creating a framework compatible with a wide variety of smartphones and tablet computers made necessary by the growing but heterogeneous tablet and smartphone market. The jQuery Mobile framework is compatible with other mobile app frameworks and platforms such as PhoneGap, Worklight, and more.
Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile reflects the author's years of experience and exposes every hidden secret which will ease your mobile app development. With just a smattering of design and user experience thrown in, going through this book will allow you to confidently say, "yes, I can do that."
We'll start out with effective mobile prototyping and then move directly to the core of what every one of your mobile sites will need. Then, we'll move on to the fancy stuff.
After creating some basic business templates and a universal JavaScript, we will move into the more interesting side of mobile development but we always try to keep an eye on progressive enhancement. jQuery Mobile is all about reaching everyone. So is this book.
"Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile" will take your basic mobile knowledge and help you make versatile, unique sites quickly and easily.


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Winter 1999
As I have heard a number of former SPP
presidents comment, the year of their presidency seems to fly by. And I
certainly am no exception. The Boston meeting last March at which I was
deeply honored to be installed as president seems like only a few short
months ago, but many important events have occurred in that time. Thanks
to the efforts of our journal�s editors and coeditors, Drs. Benjamin,
Berry, Garvin, Hicks, Qualman, Singer and Dimmick, Pediatric and
Developmental Pathology has completed its first year of publication and
has received the �blessings� of the National Library of Medicine and
thus will be fully indexed from its first issue on a continuing basis. The
quality of papers received and published has been exceptional and the
publishers, Springer-Verlag, have indicated a willingness to actively
promote the journal through extensive marketing and a commitment to
additional pages for the journal. And within the coming year we look
forward to the publication of the collected �perspectives� articles
from the first year of the journal in a "new" Perspectives in
Pediatric Pathology.
This past year has also seen a remarkable
growth in SPP member�s interest in perinatal and placental pathology.
Under the leadership of Bob Bendon, society and other physicians involved
with perinatal issues organized an �informal� session prior to last
September�s Toronto meeting to present scientific studies and to discuss
how they might be more actively integrated into the Society�s functions.
We are looking forward to their participation in the educational,
organizational and publication activities of the Society.
The audio-visual history project I
mentioned in my previous letter will be starting at the March meeting in
San Francisco with the interviewing of a number of our former presidents
and senior members. Over the period of the next two to three years, we
hope to record on audio and video tape, the recollections of many of our
members of the history of our society and of pediatric pathology. These
interviews will be available in the future as tapes and as transcriptions
of those tapes for use by our members.
On a personal note, I would like to thank
our new secretary-treasurer, Deb Perry for all of her help this year. She
has handled extraordinarily well the myriad of details necessary to run
this organization. My thanks also to our recent past-president, Jim
Dimmick and to our incoming president, Joe Rutledge for their counsel and
support and, to all of our committee chairs and members, our editors and
our office staff. This is truly an organization dependent on many
dedicated people. And finally, my thanks to my family for being in Boston
at the start of this year and for making this year a true joy with
Rick�s wedding in August and the coming completion of his Internal
Medicine residency in July, with David�s anticipated graduation from
medical school in Colorado in May, and with Meg�s all-to-soon graduation
from high school in June.
I plan to continue my activities with the
Society with efforts to promote a continuing growth in membership in the
Society and to expand the educational programs cosponsored by the Society
and the Institute for Pediatric Medical Education. Thanks to all of you
for a wonderful year. E-mail: email@example.com
Proposed additions to the Bylaws are typed
in bold; Proposed deletions contain a strike-through.
Article III Council
Section 2. Number and Election
The number of Councilors of the Society shall be determined from
time to time by resolution of the Society�s members. In the absence of a
contrary resolution, the number of Councilors shall be fifteen (15) �
fourteen (14) if the offices of Secretary and President are held by the
same person and The Council shall consist of the
President, Past President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer of the
Society; the Chairpersons of the Education, Practice, Publications
and Research committees; all of the Standing Committees
and six (6) other members who shall be elected as at-large Councilors by a
majority vote of the Regular Members in attendance at the annual meeting
of the Society. All nominees shall be members in good standing.
Article VI
Section 5. Nominating Committee
(a). Composition. This committee shall consist of the
President-elect, who will be the Chairperson, the two (2) most recent Past
Presidents, and three (3) members with staggered terms of three (3) years
each, one of whom shall be appointed annually by the President. In
the Society�s first two years of existence, the President may appoint
persons from among the regular membership to this committee to fill the
otherwise vacant Past President�s slots.
Article VI
Section 7. Education Committee
(a). Composition.
(line 9)....evaluation cycle. The Chairperson shall be a member of the
Council and of the Liaison Committee and an ex-officio member of
the Distinctions and Awards Committee.
Article VI
Section 11. Practice Committee.
(a). Composition. This committee shall consist of a Chairperson,
whose term shall be three years and of six (6) nine
(9) members with staggered terms of three (3) years each. Two
Three members shall be appointed annually by the President. The
Chairperson shall be a member of the Council and of the
Liaison Committee.
Article VI
Section 12. Publications Committee.
(a). Composition. This committee shall consist of a Chairperson,
whose term shall be three years and of four members with staggered terms
of two (2) three (3) years each. Two
Members shall be appointed annually by the President as
necessary. Additionally, the President shall appoint ex-officio members to
the committee consisting of the editors of the Society newsletter,
Worldwide Web Home page and journal(s) under editorial control of the
Society. All ex-officio members shall be granted the full rights and
voting privileges accorded to regular members. The Chairperson
shall be a member of Council.
Any or all members of the committee
may be editors or members of the editorial boards of Society related
publications with approval of Council.
Article VI
Section 13. Research Committee.
(a). Composition. This committee shall consist of..... The
Chairperson shall be a member of the Council and of the
Liaison Committee.
Article VI
Section 14. Liaison Committee.
(a) Composition. The Secretary shall be the Chairperson and members
shall be the chairs of the Education, Research and Practice committees and
three (3) additional members with staggered terms of three (3) years each.
Members shall be appointed by the President as necessary.
Seven programs and 5 candidates
participated in the first NRMP for fellowships in Pediatric Pathology and
the results were announced on January 6, 1999. There are 22 ACGME-accredited
programs and several of them had made commitments to candidates for July
1, 1999 before Dr. Henry Krous� efforts were implemented. Some programs
have already committed places for 2000. The NRMP staff have asked the SPP
to review this year�s activity and to consider its position on future
use of the match. They have indicated that an earlier date for the match
would be possible, if that would encourage participation. The Fellowship
Committee that Dr. Bill Bradford chaired and Dr. Bill Donnelly contributed
mightily to in gaining ACGME approval for the Fellowships has been
reactivated by President-elect Rutledge and will begin the suggested
review at the SPP Annual Meeting in March. Its members include Drs. Jim
Dimmick, Jerry Garvin, Henry Krous, Tony Perez-Atayade, Van Savell, and
Glenn Taylor. All SPP members are asked to share your views about the
match with us in time for the March meeting.
The year 1998 ended with the stupendous
news that Pediatric and Developmental Pathology has been
indexed by the National Library of Medicine. The journal will be listed in
Index Medicus and Medline, and the indexing will be retroactive to the
first issue. We need to acknowledge the hard work and fortitude of Dr.
Denis Benjamin, editor-in-chief of PDP, Dr. Jim Dimmick and Dr. Don
Singer, editors of Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology, Mr.
Degnon from the central office, Ms. Annie Cimino and other representatives
from our publisher Springer-Verlag, and all those who submitted and
reviewed articles for these first issues. We are now into volume 2, with
new additions to the editorial board. We want to thank all of those who
are rotating off the editorial board, and welcome the new members.
For those of you who follow the world
financial reports, you may have heard that Springer-Verlag has assumed a
partnership with Bertelsmann AG, a publishing firm with a focus on
electronic publishing and strong distribution channels. Springer-Verlag
expects that little will change from the standpoint of their management
structure, staff, or operations.
We are making changes to the by-laws this
year; these are printed in the newsletter. These changes are meant simply
to clarify which members of the Publications Committee are voting members,
and to stagger the terms of regular members in the same manner as other
SPP committees. The Publications Committee has always had the editors of
the SPP publications as ex-officio member and their voting status has
never been defined. We would like to formalize that they are voting
members of the Committee.
The Web Site is constantly being updated,
with information about meetings, registration forms, and other timely
information. The address is: http://path.upmc.edu/spp/.
(Webmaster's Note: The new website is http://www.spponline.org/.)
Let us know if there are other additions you would like to see.
The International Academy of PathologyCongress,
Nice, France, October 1998
Liliane Boccon-Gibod, M.D.
It�s hard to believe that it�s been nearly three
months since the pediatric (and other) pathologists met in Nice last
October. The International Pediatric Pathology Association met in concert
with the International Academy of Pathology. The meeting proved to be
informative and fun, and culturally rewarding for those who were able to
include in their schedule the visit of the Matisse and Chagall museums.
Most of the happy ones who were able to travel through the Provence after
the meeting also mentionned the very special light from the Provence.
Highlights of the Scientific Program
included a Short Course on Soft Tissue Tumors (L.P. Dehner, P. Thorner)
and another one on Renal Tumors in Children and Adults (J.B.Beckwith and
S. Storkel).They were both highly suscribed. Dr Dehner had to deal with
some gremlins nested in the slide- projector, and he proved to be able to
tame them with maestria. Later on in the week, there was a moment of
emotion in the audience when Dr Beckwith announced that it was one of his
last performances. A Symposium on Pediatric Lung was chaired by E.Cutz and
T. Stocker. It was extremely well attended. The chairmen and speakers at
the IPPA Companion meeting led by R. Kaschula and K. Misugi on Cholestasis
in Children came from 4 different continents. The IPPA meeting was of high
Scientific interest ; it welcomed the participation of French
pediatric pathologists ( Dr M. Hadchouel, Dr M. Fabre) working with the
team of Dr Alagille who described the syndrome which bears his name. A
Slide seminar was organised, on Surgical pediatric pathology (J. Briner,
L. Boccon-Gibod). We missed the presence of Jorge las Heras as a speaker
at this Slide Seminar, but it was for a good cause : on the very day
of the Seminar in Nice he was established in his new office of Dean of the
University of Santiago de Chile by the president of Chile, Eduardo Frei.
We are proud for him and for Pediatric Pathology. Fetopathology was not
forgotten : J.Keeling and D. Gaillard chaired a slide Seminar on
Placental and Fetal Pathology and a brilliant symposium on genetics and
molecular biology in Fetopathology was led by D. Kalousek and D. Gaillard.
The Editorial Board of Pediatric and
Developmental pathology met at lunch time on the Tuesday in a french
provencal bistrot. Although the great news of the indexation of PDP in the
Index Medicus had not yet been available to Denis Benjamin at that time,
the atmosphere was excellent.
On the Wednesday the IAP Congress organized a wine
and cheese party, which, thanks to Francis Jaubert, the President
of the Congress, really involved wine tasting ( dozens of different wines
from all the french provinces) and cheese ( also very many cheeses); As
you can guess, pediatric pathologists were not the least interested in the
cheese (and the wine...)
On Thursday evening, the IAP Congress held it�s
gala dinner at the Hotel Negresco; at the same time, the Pediatric
pathologists had their own special dinner, in a very nice
but less formal setting. It was attended by over 80 pathologists and
spouses who seemed pleased with the local food and the french wine. I have
even been told that some of them came back on the following evening to
enjoy some other local specialities.
So on the whole, the IAP and IPPA meetings were a
big success. The next rendez-vous is in Japan, October 2000. Don�t miss
The VIII Conferencia Latinoamericana de
Pathologia Pediatrica was held in conjunction with the XX Congreso
CentroAmericano y del Caribe de Pediatria in Panama City at the convention
center. The Sociedad Latinoamericana de Pathologic Pediatric program was
organized by Dr. Moises Espino Duran, President of the VIII Lantiamerican
Conference on Pediatric Pathology and Dr. Patricia Gil del Real de Cano,
former pediatric pathology fellow at Texas Children�s Hospital and
secretary of the Conference.
The program included presentations from
members of the Society for Pediatric Pathology Drs.: Carlos Abramowsky,
Maria T. Garcia de Davila, Derek de Sa, Ricardo Drut, Enid Gilbert-Barness,
Julio Goldberg, Alba Greco, Carmen Gutierrez, Edith P. Hawkins, Gareth
Jevon, Jorge Las Heras, Eduardo Lopez-Corella, Lila Penchansky, Edwina J.
Popek, Poul Sorensen, and J. Thomas Stocker. The topics presented included
aspects of gastrointestinal pathology, hepatic pathology, hematopathology,
cardiac pathology and tumor pathology.
The conference was not all hard work.
Thanks to the organizing committee we had the opportunity to see the
historic and beautiful part of Panama City as well as the Panama Canal. A
special opportunity to see �Native Panamanians� was provided by Dr.
Patricia Gil del Real with a boat trip to one of the Native Indian tribes
that still lives the �old fashioned way�.
here to see larger images of these pictures.
The Metropolitan Pediatric Pathology Club
met for a Saturday afternoon/dinner meeting on October 3, 1998. SPP
members present included Dr. Roma Chandra and Dr. Dena Selby from the
Children�s National Medical Center, Dr. J. Thomas Stocker from the
Uniformed Services Health Science Command, Dr. Elizabeth Perlman and Dr.
Peter Argani from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Chen-Chih Sun for the University of
Maryland, Dr. Shimareet Kumar from the National Institue of Health, Dr.
Jasbir Johal from Fairfax Hospital, and Dr. Joseph Pestaner from the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, MD. Dr. May Arroyo, a
pathology resident from Johns Hopkins was also present.
The afternoon scientific session was very
informative and educational and included case presentations of severe
viral gastroenteritis, alveolar capillary dysplasia, primitive sarcoma in
the abdomen (Dr. Selby); EBER stain of a cecal leiomyosarcoma in an AIDS
patient, solid alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder (Dr.
Kumar); hamartomatous lesion of the spleen in Williams syndrome,
hepatocellular carcinoma (Dr. Stocker); possible CCAM in a teenager,
cysticercosis of the brain (Dr. Chandra); metastatic squamous cell
carcinoma to the liver in a 17 year old, overwhelming herpes of the liver
in a 5 day old (Dr. Pestaner); lipoblastomatosis of the vulva (desmin
positive), lipoblastoma of the lower leg (Dr. Perlman); splenogonadal
fusion, pleuropulmonary blastoma, Ewings sarcoma metastatic to the kidney
(Dr. Sun); metastatic neuroblastoma in the placenta, embryonal sarcoma of
the kidney with tX,18, cellular mesoblastic nephroma (Dr. Argani). The
meeting was followed by dinner at La Ferme, which proved to be a
delightful evening for all.
The Metropolitan Pediatric Pathology Club
was formed circa 1986. The Club meets on the second Thursday morning of
each month at Children�s National Medical Center. The usual format
includes a journal club from 8:30-9:30 am, followed by an informal sharing
of cases. Cases include anything of interest to the presenter that might
be of interest to the rest of the group. Unusual lesions, newly described
lesions and �wow� cases comprise the majority of cases shown. We sit
around a multiheaded scope, although an occasional Kodachrome is shown to
demonstrate gross pathology. CME credit for up to 2 hours is offered for
each session. Refreshments are served. Anyone interested in joining our
group can call Dena Selby, M.D. at (202) 884-2051 for information on the
time and place of the next meeting.
Renal Cystic Disease
- Lisa M. Guay-Woodford, University of
Alabama, Birmingham, AL
Renal Involvement in
Tuberous Sclerosis
- Elizabeth P. Henske, Fox Chase Cancer
Center, Philadelphia, PA
Abnormalities of the
Glomerular Basement Membrane
- Clifford E. Kashtan, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Corinne Antignac, Hospital Necker -
Enfants Malades, Paris, France
Congenital Nephrotic
- Bernard S. Kaplan, Children�s
Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Session B
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM Yosemite B
New Advances in Pediatric Muscle Pathology
Harvey B. Sarnat, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., Children�s Hospital and
Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Session C
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM Yosemite C
Brain Tumors of Childhood: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Mark L. Cohen, M.D., University Hospitals of Cleveland and
Richard A. Prayson, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland,
Session D
3:45 PM - 5:45 PM Yosemite A
Congenital Malformation in the Fetus: Approaches to Examination
and Diagnosis
Joseph R. Seibert, PhD and Raj P. Kapur, M.D. Ph.D.,
Children�s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Session E
3:45 PM - 5:45 PM Yosemite B
Fine Needle Aspiration in Pediatrics
John Buchino, MD, Kosair Children�s Hospital, Louisville, KY,
and Ricardo Drut, M.D., Hospital de Ninos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Session F
3:45 PM - 5:45 PM Yosemite C
Selected Topics in Pediatric Hematopathology
Lila Penchansky, M.D., Presbyterian University Hospital,
Pittsburgh, PA
Entry into the Workshops will require an admission card which will
be collected by Convention Staff at the door. The Education
Committee requests that Society members respect this policy and
not attempt to enter without an admission card.
Pediatric Pathologist
The successful candidate will be board
certified in AP or AP/CP with subspecialty qualification in pediatric
pathology, and have at least 10 years experience as an outstanding
diagnostic pathologist at a major pediatric institution. Evidence of
scholarly achievements in pediatric surgical pathology, hematopathology or
perinatal pathology is highly desirable.
The successful candidate will provide
coverage for pediatric surgical pathology, perinatal and sutopay,
hematopathology, as well as on-call support for the clinical laboratory.
Subspecialty interest in hematopathology or perinatal pathology is
Clinical Pathologist
The successful candidate will be board
certified in CP or AP/CP with at least 5 years of experience in directing
clinical laboratory services. Interest and expertise in pediatric
hematology is highly desirable. In addition to administrative
responsibilities, the successful candidate will serve as a comprehensive
resource for clinical laboratory consultations involving pediatric
inpatients and outpatients. The clinical laboratories at Children�s
perform approximately 400,000 tests annually.
The Children�s Hospitals and Clinics is a
270 bed pediatric health care provider created by the merger of the former
Minneapolis Children�s Medical Center and the Children�s Hospital of
St. Paul. The Division of Pathology is actively expanding to meet the
needs of both inpatient and outpatient pediatric subspecialities including
neonatology, cardiology, hematology/oncology, pulmonology, critical care,
and gastroenterology. The Division of Pathology receives annually 7,000
surgical pathology and placental cases, performs 130-150 fetal and
pediatric autopsies, and interprets over 700 bone marrow and blood smear
Please indicate position preference and
submit a curriculum vitae, statement of area of expertise and interest,
and names of three references to: Susan C. Simonton, M.D., Laboraotry
Medical Director, Children�s-St. Paul, 345 North Smith Avenue, St. Paul,
MN 55102. Equal Opportunity Employer.
The Aspen Conference on Pediatric
Disease Presents Its Twenty-First Annual Meeting: Problems, Controversies
and Recent Advances in Pediatric Pathology
The Institute for Pediatric Medical
Education and the Society for Pediatric Pathology (SPP) will jointly
sponsor a course on various aspects of the pathology of childhood diseases
as part of the 21st Annual Aspen Conferences on Pediatric Disease. The
week-long seminar will be held at the Gant in Aspen, CO from August 2-6,
1999 under the direction of Drs. Louis P. Dehner and Frederic B. Askin.
This course is designed primarily for
general and pediatric pathologists but will be of interest to pediatric
surgeons, radiologists, pediatricians and oncologists. Presentations will
include discussions of the role of the fetal autopsy service, cystic renal
diseases, congenital nephrotic syndrome, osteochondrodysplasias,
cardiomyopathies, lysosomal storage diseases, EBV lymphadenopathies,
congenital and acquired pulmonary diseases, liver developmental disorders,
viral hepatitis and other hepatitides in children, surgical pathology of
bony lesions, and adrenal gland pathology, among others. A microscopic
slide set of 24 cases will be sent to participants prior to the
conference, and the cases will be discussed in detail during a series of
slide seminars. Participants may also submit cases for a �Case
Presentation� session. A 250-300 page syllabus will be given to each
participant as well. Faculty members include, J. Rutledge, E. Gilbert-Barness,
M. Collins, L.P. Dehner, F.B. Askin, J.T. Stocker, A. Husain and R. Shikes.
This course, through the SPP, is accredited
by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The
SPP certifies that this CME activity meets the criteria for 29 credit
hours in category 1 for the Physician�s Recognition Award of the
American Medical Association.
A special reduced tuition rate is available
for members of the SPP until April 15. For further information, contact
the Institute for Pediatric Medical Education, 6604 Landon Lane, Bethesda,
MD 20817. Tel & Fax: 301-229-8338.
As part of the Aspen Conferences this
summer, the SPP will also cosponsor a clinically oriented conference on
�Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition� to be held from July 26-30
at the Gant in Aspen. Information for this conference can also be obtained
at the above address.
Future Pediatric Pathology Meetings
1999 Interim Meeting
Providence, RI
September 24-25, 1999
2000 Annual Meeting
New Orleans, LA
March 25-26, 2000
2000 Interim Meeting
Vancouver, British Columbia
Date to be determined - Fall 2000
2001 Annual Meeting
Atlanta, Georgia
March 2-3, 2001
2000 Annual Meeting
New Orleans, LA
March 25-26, 2000
2000 Interim Meeting
Vancouver, British Columbia
Date to be determined - Fall 2000
2001 Annual Meeting
Atlanta, Georgia
March 2-3, 2001


text:
32 Topics
nakajima - yajima couple's story more touching than first story."Pika Pika Days" is an ongoing sequel about them..
i loved the story ... but i just found the uke a bit annoying srly
duo "jima" oh my their name was interesting... hahahahahahaaa -xo0
First Love .. Oh , that fearful desire to be embraced by someone and to be his/her entire world.However, Mario strikes me as weak and a stalker. You can not follow people like that and you can not force your emotions.. After reading so many Manga of the Yaoi Genre, I started to be selective about those with real melodramatic emotions or with interesting background. This one is a disappointment because I expected more of this Sensi-student relationship. I expected boundaries to be broken , I expected the social dilemma of being with a student , but it was a weak story.The second additional story about the servant had promise but it seems like one-shot. The dialogue was really good and the internal struggle of being divorced because he can not be intimate with some one who seemed right ,, had potential but it didn't translate.
heartbreaking, love it so good..............................
Extra chapters in chapter 4 and 5 here: http://www.mangago.me/read-manga/pika_pika_days/1
I never expected this manga to be so beautiful. I love how Morio discovered himself and grew up through his heartaches. He's more mature than the other 3 main characters in my opinion. His monologues hit me so deep and made me cry at times. It's something realistic that we can totally relate to.
If you like reading stories that are full of love and emotions, try this one coz you won't be disappointed.0
what is "jima duo"1
i really liked how this manga was a little different from other manga that this author created
I see where that second story from Pika Pika days come from now I understand their relationship!! I kind of liked both stories but there could have been more love scenes which would have made it even more exciting!! I guess Mario is showing Saeki how to love someone since it looks like he has no love from his family!! Even though he is so cold he still make Mario happy by doing something Mario likes!! I say Mario hang in there since you know how he is just know how much he cares for you!! As for Nakajima I am glad that he is with Yajima and I hope they stay together!! It would have been nice to see a sequel to the relationship between Yajima and Nakajima!! Just a thought!! thx D
I like the weird personality, and its a really sweet, romantic, and dramatic story, Nice, love it, I really love the story, its also my first yaoi manga dat doesnt involve much sex scene but with so much love. It was Fantastic :D, LOVE IT SO MUCH!
ah, so much on love story and that is really great but guess im looking on the sex scene more than the story >.> *unsatisfied* i like both DUO JIMA lol
I think those four main characters are the same somehow, like they're awkward in their own way.1
the first story was kinda sad for me. I really hate/fear rejection. LOL And he was rejected like every time they see each other until, well, sensei finally gave in. XD The second story was okay. The seme speaks like a nobleman with all those words.


text:
- Introduction
- Land
- People
- Economy
- Government and society
- Cultural life
- History
Albania, country in southern Europe, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula on the Strait of Otranto, the southern entrance to the Adriatic Sea. The capital city is Tirana (Tiranë).
Albanians refer to themselves as shqiptarë, meaning "sons of eagles," and to their country as Shqipëria. They are descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who lived in central Europe and migrated southward to the territory of Albania at the beginning of the Bronze Age, about 2000 bce. They have lived in relative isolation and obscurity through most of their difficult history, in part because of the rugged terrain of their mountainous land but also because of a complex of historical, cultural, and social factors.
Because of its location on the Adriatic Sea, Albania has long served as a bridgehead for various nations and empires seeking conquest abroad. In the 2nd century bce the Illyrians were conquered by the Romans, and from the end of the 4th century ce they were ruled by the Byzantine Empire. After suffering centuries of invasion by Visigoths, Huns, Bulgars, and Slavs, the Albanians were finally conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. Ottoman rule cut off Albania from Western civilization for more than four centuries, but in the late 19th century the country began to remove itself from Ottoman influence and to rediscover old affinities and common interests with the West.
Albania was declared independent in 1912, but the following year the demarcation of its boundaries by the great powers of Europe (Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia) assigned about half its territory and people to neighbouring states. Ruled as a monarchy between the World Wars, Albania emerged from the violence of World War II as a communist state that fiercely protected its sovereignty and in which almost all aspects of life were controlled by the ruling party. But with the collapse of other communist regimes beginning in 1989, new social forces and democratic political parties emerged in Albania. This shift reflected the country's continuing orientation toward the West, and it accorded with the Albanian people's long-standing appreciation of Western technology and cultural achievements—even while retaining their own ethnic identity, cultural heritage, and individuality.
Albania is bounded by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east, Greece to the southeast and south, and the Adriatic and Ionian seas to the west and southwest, respectively. Albania's immediate western neighbour, Italy, lies some 50 miles (80 km) across the Adriatic Sea. Albania has a length of about 210 miles (340 km) and a width of about 95 miles (150 km).
Albania has a mountainous geography. About three-fourths of its territory consists of mountains and hills with elevations of more than 650 feet (200 metres) above sea level; the remainder consists of coastal and alluvial lowlands. The North Albanian Alps, an extension of the Dinaric Alps, cover the northern part of the country. With elevations approaching 8,900 feet (2,700 metres), this is the most rugged part of the country. It is heavily forested and sparsely populated.
In contrast to the Alps, the central mountain region, which extends north-south from the Drin River to the central Devoll and lower Osum rivers, is more densely populated and has a generally less rugged terrain. In the region's easternmost portion, the imposing gypsum block of Albania's highest peak, Mount Korab, rises to 9,030 feet (2,752 metres).
South of the central mountain region is a series of northwest-southeast-trending mountain ranges with elevations up to 8,200 feet (2,500 metres). Composed of limestone rock, the ranges are separated by wide valleys. Unlike the Alps and the central region, which are covered with dense forests, the mountains of the southern region are either bare or have a thin covering of Mediterranean shrubs, oaks, and pines. They serve essentially as pasture for livestock.
Stretching along the Adriatic coast over a distance of nearly 125 miles (200 km) and penetrating some 30 miles (50 km) into the interior are the low, fertile plains of western Albania. This is the most important agricultural and industrial region of the country—and the most densely populated.
The longest river in Albania is the Drin (about 175 miles [280 km]), which originates in Kosovo. Other main rivers are the Seman, Shkumbin, and Vjosë, all of which drain the central part of the western plains. Albania also has many lakes, the most important of which are Lake Scutari (known in Albania as Lake Shkodër) in the northwest and Lakes Ohrid and Prespa along the eastern border.
Like other Mediterranean countries, Albania has characteristically warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Local climatic variation can occur, however, from one region to another. The western part of the country, which is under the influence of warm maritime air from the Adriatic and Ionian seas, has more-moderate temperatures than the rest of Albania. For example, Sarandë, on the southern coast, has average daily temperatures in the mid-70s F (about 24 °C) in July and in the upper 40s F (about 9 °C) in January. The eastern part of the country, on the other hand, is mainly under the influence of continental air and is characterized by mild summers (owing to the high elevations) and cold winters. Peshkopi, in the eastern mountains, has temperatures that average in the mid-70s F in July and in the lower 30s F (about −1 °C) in January.
Rainfall in Albania is abundant, but it occurs unevenly across the country and throughout the year. Average annual precipitation varies from more than 100 inches (2,500 mm) in the North Albanian Alps to less than 30 inches (760 mm) along much of the eastern border. Some 40 percent of the annual precipitation falls in the winter. The southwestern part of the country suffers from summer droughts.
Plant and animal life
Only a small part of Albania is completely without vegetation. Forests cover about one-third of the total area. The coastal lowlands are characterized by Mediterranean shrubs such as laurel and myrtle. Above the lowlands, oak forests predominate. Above the oak belt, beginning at about 3,000 feet (900 metres), is a stretch of beeches and pines, and Alpine pastures lie above the timberline.
Unrestricted hunting has taken a heavy toll of Albanian wildlife, but hunting laws were introduced and nature preserves were established in the 1990s to protect the remaining jackals, wolves, and foxes and the even rarer wild boars, bears, and chamois. The mild coastal climate attracts great numbers of migratory birds, such as swallows, storks, ducks, geese, and pelicans. Sardines and mullet are among the fishes found in Albanian coastal waters, and trout are found in the streams and lakes of the mountains.
Ethnic groups
Albania has one of the most homogeneous populations in Europe, with non-Albanians accounting for less than one-tenth of the total population. The largest minorities are Vlachs; Greeks, concentrated mainly in the southeast; and Macedonians, living along the eastern border.
The two main subgroups of Albanians are the Gegs (Ghegs) in the north and the Tosks in the south. Differences between the two groups were quite pronounced before World War II. Until the communist takeover in 1944, Albanian politics were dominated by the more numerous Gegs. Renowned for their independent spirit and fighting abilities, they traditionally opposed outside authority, whether that of foreign invaders or that of the Albanian central government. Traditional Geg society was based on tribal groups, each one led by a clan chieftain, or bajraktar. Under the communist regime, this clan system largely disappeared from Albania, but the patriarchal families characteristic of the Gegs are still evident among ethnic Albanians in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.
Because their southern territories were easily accessible to the outside world, the Tosks were more subject to foreign influence than the Gegs. Before World War II, theirs was a mostly semifeudal society. The peasantry, which made up most of the population, lived at the subsistence level, while a small group of large landowners controlled about two-thirds of the land. The communist movement drew most of its initial support from Tosks in the south.
|Official name
|Republika e Shqipërisë (Republic of Albania)
|Form of government
|unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (Assembly [140])
|Head of state
|President: Bujar Nishani
|Head of government
|Prime Minister: Edi Rama
|Tirana (Tiranë)
|Official language
|Official religion
|Monetary unit
|lek (L)
|(2014 est.) 2,746,000
|Total area (sq mi)
|Total area (sq km)
|Urban-rural population
|Urban: (2011) 53.7%
Rural: (2011) 46.3%
|Life expectancy at birth
|Male: (2012) 75 years
Female: (2012) 80.5 years
|Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate
|Male: (2006) 99.2%
Female: (2006) 98.3%
|GNI per capita (U.S.$)
|(2013) 4,700


text:
Fairmont Hotel
Motorcyclist Goes To Fairmont Hotel For Help After Getting Shot In San Francisco Nob Hill
The shooting happened around midnight. The motorcyclist stopped at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill to get help.
Best Upcoming Charity Events In The South Bay
With several 5k races and the first Silicon Valley Gives Day behind us, upcoming charity events, galas and festivals in the South Bay are centered around San Jose. Don't miss super fun events from garlic fries to jazz trombone to a turkey trot; it's all for a good cause.
Phil Matier: First Lady's Fundraising Prowess On Display In Bay Area
First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to be at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel Friday morning for a sold-out fundraiser. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown says her "rare" factor could translate to more money.
First Lady Michelle Obama Heading To Bay Area
First Lady Michelle Obama will be in the Bay Area Thursday to attend fundraisers.
Amazing Holiday Gingerbread Houses On Display At San Francisco Hotels
San Francisco hotels are putting lavish gingerbread houses and other holiday decorations on display in their lobbies.
First Lady's Bay Area Fundraising Visit Delayed Due To Shutdown
A fundraiser brunch with First Lady Michelle Obama and other democratic leaders scheduled for this weekend has been postponed in the wake of the partial federal shutdown.
Job Fair Attracts Hundreds In Silicon Valley
A job fair for low-income families in Silicon Valley attracted more than 600 applicants. Many of those who turned out are about to lose public assistance benefits.
San Francisco's Historic Fairmont Hotel Up For Sale
A historic San Francisco hotel that has hosted the likes of President John F. Kennedy and Prince Charles is up for sale after a plan to convert part of it into luxury condominiums failed.
Phil Matier: Fairmont Condo Conversion Proposal Comes Up Short In San Francisco
This remarkable shift in the City's landscape begs the question – what will become of the Fairmont?
Fairmont Hotel SF Unveils Two-Story Gingerbread House
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) — The Fairmont San Francisco hosted the official ribbon cutting of its massive gingerbread house Saturday. The two-story gingerbread house will remain in the Fairmont lobby throughout the holiday season. It […]


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and get's on a airplane. Negedu was released from his LOI from Arizona. I am going to go with we don't have much of a chance but I am still hopeful. Hopefully Brackins get's on the phone.
Who cares about Wes Johnson. He is not a Clone any more. Let's get Barnes, Negedu, and Maymon.
Sorry, but he is considering "only 4." Iowa State isn't one of those.
I posted the following on a previous Negedu "leaving" thread:
Negedu developed a particularly tight bond with Arizona assistant coach Josh Pastner, who recently left to take an assistant coaching job at Memphis.
If the Tigers have an opening, I believe he will be "Walkin' in Memphis" (title - courtesy of Mark Cohn).
Utah Utes, Illinois Illini. The University of Pennsylvania thought about following this pattern by calling themselves the Pennsylvania Pencils. However, they were afraid their students would start chanting "We're No. 2"
Yeah I know but I like hope man.
Originally Posted by Knownothing
Yeah I know but I like hope man.
I really did think we would have a good shot at him, but I don't think so now.
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text:
Founded in 1984, Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine is currently published twice annually in June and December. The magazine presents a fresh, revealing picture of life in Appalachia, past and present, with engaging articles, personal essays, fiction, poetry, reviews, and photography.
Upcoming Issues
"Best of Thirty Years, Part 2"
Vol. 31, No. 1
Deadline: No new submissions
Shipping: June 2015
"Appalachian Justice", Vol. 31, No. 2
Deadline: August 28, 2015
Shipping: December 2015
Click here to learn more about the "Appalachian Justice" issue.
A Recent Issue
"Civil Wars in Appalachia"


text:
Carol Ann Hodge, age 73, of Elizabethton, TN, passed away Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at the Johnson City Medical Center.
A native of Carter County, she was the daughter of the late John D. Wilcox and Eula Edens Wilcox. She retired from Siemens in Johnson City.
Ann was a devout Christian and was a member of Valley Forge Free Will Baptist Church, where she was a very active member and enjoyed her Sunday School and church fellowship. She spread love to so many people and has had a huge impact on the lives of others. Her loving family and friendships were the center of her life.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Hodge; and a brother, Harry "Bud" Wilcox.
Survivors include her beloved life partner of forty-seven years, Bill Smithey, of the home; two daughters, Kathy Zannis and husband, Pete, Hilton Head, SC, and Vicki Wilson and husband, Myron, Bristol, TN; two grandsons, Tyler Wilson and Nicholas Wilson; a brother, Jimmy Wilcox, Elizabethton, TN; a nephew, Jonathan Wilcox, Elizabethton; and nieces, Crystal Wilcox, Bristol, TN, Diana Newberry, Mebane, NC, and Debbie Wilcox, Bradenton, FL. Her special dog, "Baby" also survives.
A Celebration of Life Service for Carol Ann Hodge will be conducted at 3:00 P.M. Friday, October 11, 2013, in the Valley Forge Free Will Baptist Church with Rev. Randy Johnson officiating.
The family will receive friends at the church from 1:30-3:00 P.M. on Friday prior to the service.
The family would like to express a special loving thanks to Ann's church family and her very special group, the "Lizards."
Those who prefer memorials may make donations to Valley Forge Free Will Baptist Church, 1503 Riverview Drive, Elizabethton, TN 37643.
Online condolences may be sent to the family and viewed by visiting our website at www.hathawaypercy.com.
Hathaway-Percy Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the Hodge family. Office: (423) 543-5544.


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Apr. 30 2014 14:15:32 CDT
These days, the ties that bind are made of concrete, and a new $22 million manufacturing plant in Clinton, Iowa, will be producing 600,000 of them annually.Read More
Apr. 24 2014 08:36:54 CDT
The 1.2 million pound steam locomotive will be towed 1,293 miles by modern diesel-electric UP freight locomotives to UP's Heritage Fleet Steam Operations headquarters in Cheyenne where it will undergo restoration for the next five years.Read More
Apr. 23 2014 14:00:55 CDT
After almost two years of negotiations, Union Pacific and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) reach historical agreements regarding access to railroad land as well as a MOU on joint community policing.Read More
Apr. 21 2014 15:30:00 CDT
UP's Armour Yellow shows support for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the Big Red Express.Read More
Apr. 14 2014 09:25:36 CDT
Union Pacific has been working with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop passenger service from Chicago to Elgin, Huntley, Belivdere and Rockford beginning in the spring of 2015. The project was announced at a ceremony held in Rockford April 10.Read More
Apr. 10 2014 09:56:23 CDT
The tale of Jacob and AJ is much more than the story of a rail fan and one employee.Read More
Apr. 04 2014 07:45:29 CDT
UP strives to achieve the prestigious recognition of CALEA accreditation, and asks the communities where we live and serve to offer input.Read More
Apr. 03 2014 09:00:24 CDT
Ed Dickens and a team of Union Pacific steam specialists prepare for the "Holy Grail of steam locomotive restorations."Read More
Apr. 02 2014 10:00:29 CDT
Members of the Engineering Clubs at the University of California-Davis recently visited UP's JR Davis Yard in Roseville, and were surprised to learn about the extent of opportunities.Read More
Community Ties — news, photos and video about Union Pacific, our employees and the communities where we live and work.
Content is produced by Union Pacific Corporate Relations, 1400 Douglas St., STOP 1550, Omaha, NE 68179. Contact us via the Feedback page.


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Ohio's 2nd District: There's comparatively little action on the Republican side. Had Rep. Steve Austria not chosen to retire, he would have run in a merged seat against fellow GOP Rep. Mike Turner, but he foreclosed that possibility by deciding to leave Congress instead. That leaves the Ohio's 2nd District as the biggest Republican House primary. Rep. Jean Schmidt has never done particularly well in primaries -- she's steadily done better after winning with less than 50 percent a few times, but she has never won more than 62 percent in the district's Republican primary. Still, she looks to be in a stronger position than in the past. Brad Wenstrup has tea party support and a super PAC has been hitting Schmidt on the radio, but Schmidt is outspending Wenstrup 3-to-1.
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