text:
Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
Forum Moderators: incrediBILL & lawman
joined:Dec 29, 2003
votes: 0
"We just want to get the word out that it is a crime. We are prosecuting it, and people need to take precautions," Assistant State's Attorney Tom Wartowski said.
Kauchak was arrested in January in Loves Park when local authorities learned he was accessing the Internet through a nonprofit agency's computer. "
Will the cops be raiding Walmart and charging them with selling bulgary tools for selling hot spot finders?
If I leave my network open, then rat on anyone who connects to it is that entrapment or a legal way to get rid of neighbors I don't like?
Look for this to make its way into politics, a bar owner near a capitol could settup a wireless network then call the police to have lawmakers of the party he dislikes arrested when they bring in their laptops and connect to the WiFi....
He pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charge and was fined $250 and sentenced to one year of court supervision.
Whoa, lets not get ahead of ourselves. The subtitle in this thread, "one year in jail is the penalty," is wrong. Supervision and jail time are two different things.
he was fined, but let's face it, his life will never be the same. With an arrest and conviction record his options are very limited in this country.
That's obviously factually wrong.
joined:Dec 29, 2003
votes: 0
As far as getting a good job or a professional license with an arrest /conviction record, Google is your friend.
Now, if the WiFi was left wide open ... That's not a crime. First of all, all WiFi equipment has an option for automatically connecting to the strongest available WiFi within range. How is anyone supposed to be able to tell the difference between a wireless connection which is truly open to the public, and one which is only "accidentally" left open (although I would put the blame on the owner of the connection for being stupid enough to leave it wide open).
There's a mile wide difference between hacking into a WiFi connection and simply using it.
If he accessed an open WiFi network to gain access to the internet and then pled guilty, he is a moron. I would have fought that one to the Supreme Court. IF this is the case, it sets a VERY BAD pressitant.
So im a criminal, come on get a life.
Yet again petty and trivial incidents are punished disproportionatly, honestly then people wonder why no one has any respect for the law.
Seems to me its about breaking new ground fopr career advancement some rozzer.
he was fined, but let's face it, his life will never be the same. With an arrest and conviction record his options are very limited in this country.
According to the law, you can get 12 months in jail for lots of things. But, in practice, it rarely happens.
He'll be fine. Employers may even find him to be... resourceful.
The problem here is that a lot of networks, especially in the vicinity of restaurants, provide this service for free and wide open. Other networks are left open out of ignorance. How is someone who finds an open network to know the difference? How can you know the network operator's intent. Simply, you can't.
I think the answer to this is simple. If there is any kind of security or other barriers that prevent you from accessing the network without some sort of key or authentication (WEP, WPA, MAC ACL, etc), then it's obvious that the owner's intent was to prevent others access to it, and doing so without authorization could be termed a crime. It's not unreasonable to assume that a network left wide open was done so intentionally.
People also equate this to a residence. "But if I leave my front door wide open, that doesn't mean it's okay for someone to just walk in." No, of course not. And there rarely, if ever, is a circumstance when it would be okay for a stranger to walk into your house without authorization. There's no ambiguity there, so that's pretty cut and dry.
This, however, is more like whether or not an individual is allowed to walk into someone's place of business. There are times when it is okay (like during normal business hours) and there are times when it is not (when the business is closed). Businesses clearly mark this with Open/Closed signs, by locking and unlocking doors, or by other methods that give anyone the business' clear intent.
The 802.11a,b,g,whatever standards don't have any type of "Open, Come On In!" sign that can be posted and recognized universally. The only way an owner can communicate their intent is by locking the network down, or not. If it's locked down, then that conveys the intent for outsiders to not access it.
Regarding the naive people that buy a router, plug it in, and go, resulting in an open network; I don't feel sorry for them at all. Why do so many people believe they are computer techs? Most people would hire an electrician to do electrical work, a plumber to plumb, and a doctor to take care of their health. Why hasn't this carried over to computers for many home users? I can appreciate the do-it-yourselfers out there. But the router comes with *instructions* that clearly describe the consequences of not locking down your network.
Given that:
- Locking down a network is a clear communication that outside access is not allowed,
- Many businesses (and some individuals) purposefully create open networks for outsiders to use, and this practice is growing,
- The protocol doesn't have any designed method of communicating the network operator's intent, and
- All (if not most) consumer wifi access points include instructions that tell you to secure your network,
...it can only be assumed that an open network is intended for public use.
Now putting that all aside, my understanding of this article was that the police officer approached this person sitting in his car in the middle of the night with his laptop. How was he to know that the internet connection was coming from an open wifi signal? Does that mean that if I'm sitting in my car using my laptop and I'm connected to the internet with my EVDO card, I have to worry about being harrassed? Is your ordinary cop going to be able to tell the difference between someone sniffing on someone else's wifi and an innocent individual using a legitimate paid service?
In my experience, no. They can't even tell the difference between a cannabis plant and a parlour palm. I've seen them seize a keyboard 'in case there is any data on it'. The police are supposed to intimidate and harrass on behalf of the state, not 'think' or 'know anything'. Would you want smarter police?
Not me. Not really.
The real problem here was the lunatic who pleaded 'guilty to get it over with'. Such cowardly behaviour will earn a ten year stretch in Guantanamo, when I rule the world.
It's a scary thought when the govermnet starts taking this steps, If it was an open wifi network, if it was a lock wifi network and he broke in the guy deserve it.
PS: lol I like the comment blame it on windows :) which it's true.
joined:Dec 29, 2003
votes: 0
he was probably told to pay $250 and probation if he pleaded, or face a year in jail if he contested the charge.
We have power outages all the time which would likely render the "closed system" open for one and all unless the company owner resets the passwords and does whatever you have to do to prevent the system from being used by anyone with a computer and bluetooth technology!
I was just in a Salt Lake Hotel (the Econolodge!) with a superb high-end wireless setup, and the manager said the police often will drop into the parking lot to use his excellent broadband. He was happy about it but I guess those officers now will have to ... arrest themselves.
In any case, a person should be able to manage their network especially if they're in a zone where there are many people walking, working, or living.
These things do happen. And in the modern world with its constant surveillance its going to happen more and more. Would you be happy to explain your every action to a thug in a uniform whose IQ is unlikely to be as big as his shoe size?
The victim could have stood up in court and explained wifi. The fact he hasn't done it only makes it much more likely I'll have to :(
I found some kiddie porn once where my website should have been. The police reaction: "who had access to your computer recently?"
They could have thrown away the key (luckily I noticed it before my customers did). But I explained all about "servers" in words of one syllable and no-one in my household got arrested. It can be done.
I like 'blame Windows' too :)
The logic is simple, someone is paying, and it isn't you!
You knew that someone was paying, and by stealing the resource for free you are defrauding at least one person, possibly hundreds.
If I leave my Porsche Convertible open topped on your street does this give you a right to take it? I think not! Leaving my WiFi less than 100% protected applies in the same manner, it was never yours to use!
Of course we should all take precautions against these people, but our lack of security doesn't give them a mandate to steal!
What's next? A court case because I admired someone's garden as I walked past without them giving me express permission to look in their direction? Because I took shelter under your porch whilst waiting for the bus in the rain?
But just accessing the internet via a wifi connection seems more than reasonable. Since when did people become so selfish, especially during Lent?
This is a big setback to wifi. I always leave my wifi connection wide open deliberately so that anyone in range can connect. I am responsible enough to have up-to-date firewalls, anti-virus, and restrictive port blocking on the machine and router level.
Of course we should all take precautions against these people, but our lack of security doesn't give them a mandate to steal!
Um, well ... in the islands, where boaters are readily supplied with free WIFI in many areas, they would never realize they are stealing if a system is available. It isn't as cut and dried (in all situations) as some may think.
First, very few things in life are simple. Second, even if someone is paying and it isn't you .. a crime has not necessarily been committed. Incidental use of the service may not necessarily make anyone pay more, either.
"You knew that someone was paying .."
Maybe, maybe not.
" .. by stealing the resource for free you are defrauding at least one person, possibly hundreds."
Not unless there is financial loss .. and isn't fraud based on intent?
One other note: where I live, the city has made several areas (a park, the central promenade) free open wireless zones.
Could a bunch of creative commies got together and set up a bunch of fee co-op wifi zones, like Amsterdam's white bicycles or whatever? (Or wasn't that done - I seem to recall somebody sued to stop it)


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Grateful Dead
Welcome to the Sunshine Daydream Boutique.
On August 27, 1972, fresh off their now-legendary European tour, the Grateful Dead traveled to Veneta, OR and reunited with the Merry Pranksters for a common cause – to throw a benefit concert for the Kesey family's Springfield Creamery. A stage was erected under the hot Oregon sun at the Olde Renaissance Fairgrounds, tickets were printed on the fronts of the Creamery's yogurt labels, and the rest is history…
|Sunshine Daydream Deluxe CD/Blu-ray (Exclusive)
|Sunshine Daydream Deluxe CD/DVD (Exclusive)
|Sunshine Daydream Vinyl (4LP 180 gram)
|Retail 3CD/DVD
Complete 8/27/72 Concert Audio
Sunshine Daydream Concert Film
Bonus Documentary
40 Page Book
Courtenay Pollock Tie-dye Slipcase
Individually Numbered/Limited Edition
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 12,500
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 12,500
Limited Edition of 5,000
God, I miss Pigpen's beautifully minimalist '72 organ fills...aside from that, it's as close to pure magic as it gets.
Cheers, heads
A couple years ago I got a copy of this on dvd, courtesy of KapnKen. So it is real nice to finally have the entire show on disc. Needless to say, I am eagerly looking forward to suitably altering my consciousness this weekend and diving in! (not sure if I'm gonna get naked though... the neighbors might not dig that)
Far be it for me to look a gift horse in the mouth... as I am very appreciative of all the fine shows being released by TPTB... but could they please consider making these big releases about the same size so there is some uniformity when they sit on the shelf? I usually put the booklets and goodies away in the closet after looking at them but the discs go on the shelf in chronological order within easy reach, in case of emergency.
Just a kind suggestion...
Anyhoo, a great big THANK YOU to all who made this happen. I'm looking forward to the next big release.
Sorry, somebody had to say it. Perhaps the most surprising intro since the Road Trips which told a story about Springsteen's crotch. A beautiful release, from top to bottom. Thanks!
Mine arrived yesterday 6707/12500. I have waited for this day since the first time I got my hands on a cassette of this show in the late 80s. I had tears in my eyes as I opened the package and quickly placed CD 2 in the car. This is my favorite show. I am overjoyed. God Bless The Grateful Dead!
I would like to have seen more transparency with this release. As well as, the Plangent Process done on this release, if physical possible. Too late now. They stated this was the most requested release, so it could have been top notch, and not just run of the mill. But they knew the $$ requests were there. Packaging has always been Good for GD Releases, so i dont see Rhinos packaging that much of an upgrade. The Veneta show sold itself. It could have been boxed in a milk carton and it would do the same sales numbers. As for Dave's Picks releases. Let's get Plageant Process on those too. Future release I hope many are cautious like I will be now knowing Rhinos methods and failures. With SiriusXm, GDhour , tapers and jam of the week , buying releases don't even make much sense to me anymore. Plus archive has instant access to listen to any piece of show from all eras.
I could quibble about feeling a little burned for not saving the $20 and ordering just the DVD/CD set from Amazon -- after all, given the source, the Blu-ray doesn't add much over the DVD, and there ain't much offered on the swag front from dead.net.
But what has gotten my goat is the 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray (and the DVD, which I assume is the same).
Did someone forget to push up the fader on the output to the subwoofer channel during final mixdown? Because there is hardly anything coming out of it. I've tried two different Blu-ray players, along with streaming it from an MKV rip I made (which converted to straight up 5.1 instead of the "true HD," but it's still 6 channels). Still, there's barely anything coming out of the subwoofer (and yes, it's working quite well for any other BR or anything else I throw at it).
What's the dillio?
Already saw the movie in the theater, so jumped straight to disc one..........China/Rider left me and my 2 year old daughter dancin' in the living room..........good work Jeffrey Norman. Pollock packaging is my favorite of any release ever, by a lot...so sick!
In my PO Box today! I know what I'm watching tonight.
The camera crew didn't have enough film for the whole show so they had to be selective about which songs they captured...
hits the front porch today!

subset: commoncrawl


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Oregon Judge Denies Foreclosure, Challenges MERS
A federal judge in Oregon delivered a potential setback to the mortgage industry's electronic lien-registry system in a ruling issued Wednesday.
Oregon allows lenders to foreclose without going to court, but the state requires banks to record the ownership history of the mortgage with local county governments in those non-judicial foreclosures. The Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, or MERS, was created by the mortgage industry in the 1990s to facilitate the recording of mortgages that were being bundled and resold as securities.
Wednesday's ruling says that banks should be required to process foreclosures through the court system in Oregon for loans that are in the MERS system. But it's not clear whether the ruling by itself will turn Oregon into a judicial foreclosure state for loans assigned to MERS.
A spokeswoman for MERS said the ruling was "inconsistent" with other state decisions, citing two in the past year that found MERS had satisfied state law. The spokeswoman said MERS planned to appeal.
"That's the problem. We have rulings on both sides, so it's very difficult to determine what's going to happen," said James Stout, the lawyer who represented the homeowners.
The case concerned Ivan and Katherine Hooker of Tigard, Ore., who took out a $260,000 mortgage from GN Mortgage LLC in 2005. The Hookers defaulted on their mortgage in 2009, and Bank of America Corp., which had acquired the loan, went to foreclose on the borrower.
MERS had been named as the nominee for the mortgage in 2005, ostensibly allowing banks to record the assignment electronically, eliminating the step of recording it with the county.
But the court found holes in the chain of title. While the loan had been made by GN, the mortgage had been assigned to MERS by a different entity, Guaranty Bank. "The record is silent as to how or when Guaranty Bank obtained" the mortgage, wrote Judge Owen M. Panner.
The court also concluded that MERS's use had run afoul of Oregon statutes that require all mortgage assignments to be recorded in county land records in non-judicial foreclosures. "While I recognize that plaintiffs have failed to make any payments on the note since September 2009, that failure does not permit defendants to violate Oregon law regulating non-judicial foreclosure," wrote Judge Panner.
BofA is still free to pursue a judicial foreclosure, though Stout says the bank will have to correct any potential deficiencies in the chain of title. A BofA spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The opinion included a particularly scathing treatise on the pitfalls of MERS, which it said had allowed lenders to "shirk" their traditional due diligence duties. Judge Panner raised concerns over how the system was used in states such as Oregon that don't require banks to foreclose on borrowers through the court system.
The broadside against MERS in the decision is excerpted below:
Foreclosure by advertisement and sale, which is designed to take place outside of any judicial review, necessarily relies on the foreclosing party to accurately review and assess its own authority to foreclose. Considering that non-judicial foreclosure of one's home is a particularly harsh event, and given the numerous problems I see in nearly every non-judicial foreclosure case I preside over, a procedure relying on a bank or trustee to self-assess its own authority to foreclose is deeply troubling to me.
I recognize that MERS, and its registered bank users, created much of the confusion involved in the foreclosure process…. [T]he MERS system creates confusion as to who has the authority to do what with the trust deed. The MERS system raises serious concerns regarding the appropriateness and validity of foreclosure by advertisement and sale outside of any judicial proceeding.
Additionally, the MERS system allowed the rise of the secondary market and securitization of home loans. A lender intending to immediately sell a loan on the secondary market is not concerned with the risk involved in the loan, but with the fees generated. If a lender aims to quickly pass a loan off onto an investor, a stated-income loan appears not as an unacceptable risk, but as an income stream. MERS makes it much more difficult for all parties to discover who "owns" the loan. When a borrower on the verge of default cannot find out who has the authority to modify the loan, a modification or a short sale, even if beneficial to both the borrower and the beneficiary, cannot occur.
When no borrowers default, the problems inherent in the MERS system may go unnoticed. Unfortunately for banks, borrowers, investors, and courts throughout the country, many borrowers are now defaulting. Countless grantors of trust deeds now face the harsh prospect of losing a home outside of any judicial proceeding. At the same time, the MERS system greatly increased the number of investors stuck holding worthless notes. A lender that knows it will immediately sell a loan on the secondary market has no incentive to ensure the appraisal of the security is accurate. Similarly, the lender need not concern itself with the veracity of any representations made to the borrower. In short, the MERS system allows the lender to shirk its traditional due diligence duties. The requirement under Oregon law that all assignments be recorded prior to a non-judicial foreclosure is sound public policy.


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'Friday Night Lights' Season 4 Premiere 'East of Dillon': TV Recap
Dillon, Texas - A town divided between rich and poor, black and white, hot and hotter. When we left Coach Eric Taylor (see: hot) and his wife Tami, they were also divided – she as principal of the wealthy West Dillon High, he as coach of the East Dillon Lions, with threadbare field, spotty players and a raccoon as a locker room mascot. Many of the players were split as well, the result of redistricting that causes lots of tension throughout the season.
Long-time viewers may feel like they're on home turf in East Dillon, having fought for this critically-acclaimed show through cancellations, a writer's strike and a long, rough wait while DirecTV gets first crack at showing the episodes before debuting on Fridays on NBC. (In a bold scheduling move, they finally figured out that putting a show called Friday Night Lights on Friday night was probably a good idea.)
It was worth the wait. It's hard not to get caught up in the sticky webs spun so excellently by the actors, who, at this point, have been tumbleweeded by the networks as much as the viewers. Everyone's just hoping the good guys win and that they don't get too battered by the fight.
Many of the main players are gone. Lyla Garrity is outta here. There are no Jason Street flashbacks. Tyra is tah-tah. It's a little odd not to see them, but their spaces are quickly filled by a mix of regulars and newcomers. Matt, the former quarterback turned artist, is attempting to find his place outside of high school. Tim Riggins (back for his allegedly last season) bails on college in typical toss-it-out-the-window fashion and returns to home field advantage as Dillon's resident rebel with a heart of gold and tornado-ripped abs (see: hotter.) He moves in with his brother and his pregnant sister-in-law. You know that's not going to go well.
Luckily, Landry Clark (also in his allegedly last season,) the former geek turned rocker/bad girl savior, finds his bad neighborhood serves to his advantage and ends up on Taylor's team. So does newcomer Vince Howard, who says he plays "Madden" when the coach asks him if he likes football. Vince is often in trouble with the law, but he wants to be saved, you can feel it. Oh, he'll slip and slide, but coach will give one of those inspiring speeches and he'll step up.
The theme this season seems to be "fish out of water." No one seems comfortable where they are or with who they are. Matt doesn't fit in Dillon anymore. Julie doesn't fit with Matt anymore. Buddy Garrity struggles with his newfound soul to make good on his former bad. Riggins doesn't have a place or a dream to call his own. Tami finds the righteous path at West Dillon is the dangerous road. Coach Taylor fights with players who aren't inspired by vein-throbbing phrases such as "there's you shutting up and there's me talking." Half the team walks out of his clean-up locker room.
It's all about the struggle and the hope that the sweat will be worth it at the end, whether the game or the fourth season. Riggins finds a new kitten in a tree to protect in the form of his landlord's daughter. But instead of the relationship being sexual it's more like older brother, in the same way it was a few seasons ago when he took care of Julie. It's nice to see a boy grow up, but he always seems to pay for doing the right thing.
Tami tangles with the Panther Boosters, who think threatening and bullying are the new black. Tami calls them on their bluff and blows the big coin toss. Although they don't say "look here, little missy," you know a smackdown's a coming. Julie, the coach's daughter, is still with Matt. They have it out with the new Panther QB, JB, who has gone from scared, milk-drinking boy to a snarky, snotty big mouth who likes the beer. A lot.
Coach Taylor takes his stragglers, led by Landry and Vince, to the field. There's no grand hopes here, only faint glimmers. The East Dillon game is a hard one to watch as the kids are just slammed and slammed again. You want to believe that Taylor can do anything, could lift a bunch of pebbles out of the gutter and make them into fabulous Superbowlesque shiny metal. He's done it before. But then… he gives up and forfeits the game. It's a shock to the viewers and to his team.
The season ahead doesn't bring a lot of the light and fluffy. There are deaths and drugs and the good doesn't always win against the bad. All viewers can do is tune in and see if the winner is really the one with the higher number on the scoreboard.


text:
Hill's® Science Diet® Small & Toy Breed Puppy Food - Chicken
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Food Type: Wet Food
Food Consistency: Ground
Life Stage: Puppy 0-12 mths
Health Consideration: General Health
Flavor: Chicken
Primary Ingredient: Water
Package Weight: 5.8 oz
Water, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Meat By-Products, Soybean Mill Run, Liver, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Iodized Salt, Iron Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid and Sodium Selenite
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 28.2%
Crude Fat (min) 23.6%
Crude Fiber (max) 1.3%
Carbohydrate (NFE) 39.2%
Calcium 1.33%
Phosphorus 0.96%
Sodium 0.40%
Potassium 0.80%
Magnesium 0.133%
$ 0.55Reg: $ 0.63
$ 9.99
$ 33.98 to $ 41.99Reg: $ 33.98 to $ 46.99
$ 1.00Reg: $ 1.49
$ 2.33Reg: $ 2.59
$ 0.70Reg: $ 0.75
$ 1.65Reg: $ 1.89


text:
arriving from CGN on flight 4U 496 with a small delay...
It seems like SIA has decided to move to Terminal 4 or 5... Really lucky timing!
Just About to land at Roissy
But it was also rather calm on the PAX side that day!
LH 4776 to LHR
We are hurtling back to Europe as darkness is closing in...
The world of Air Berlin... My 400th photo on jetphotos.net.
T4 certainly is an interesting terminal from the arquitectural standpoint, being a passanger its quite impractical... At last i made it, this one is my 100th picture on JP.net! T... (more)
Thanks to the crew!
shot taken before our departure back to Düsseldorf, LH4771. Many thanks to the crew!! That photo is for you, Ansgar!!;-)
what a sight of EDDM!
what an encounter, past and present, JU52 and MD11. And accepted just 3 dazs after the MD11s 20th birthday! So: Happy bithday, MD11 and serve as a long time in the future! For me a really emotiona... (more)
the 757 is really not my favourite plane but in this scenery everything looks great!


text:
Wave energy company Aquamarine Power has successfully removed both cylinder modules from their Oyster 800 wave machine as part of a comprehensive summer refit – with the firm aiming to recommence Oyster power generation in the autumn. 19 Jun 14
Aquamarine Power's proposed wave farm on the Western Isles could create hundreds of long-term skilled jobs in one of Britain's most remote communities, according to figures published today. The Edinburgh firm's 40MW Lewis wave farm – which was fully consented by the Scottish Government earlier this year – could generate between 98 and 200 jobs during construction and inject up to £9 million a year into the Western Isles and wider Highland economy.
21 Oct 13
Aquamarine Power have announced details of planned improvements to the Oyster 800 wave energy device, together with some recent production figures. The improvements, known as the Oyster 800 Product Improvement Programme, involve shutting down the Oyster 800 with the overall goal of improving performance, reliability and availability of the nearshore wave technology. 4 Jul 13
Aquamarine Power have received full consent from the Scottish Government for a 40MW wave farm off the north-west coast of Lewis, Scotland – making it the world's largest fully-permitted ocean energy site. 22 May 13
Aquamarine Power has agreed a £3.4 million loan with Barclays Corporate in a deal that marks an important milestone for investment in the marine energy sector. 5 Sep 11
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee asks all the right questions


text:
Book your room at Hotel Fontana
Hotel Fontana is adjacent to popular attractions such as Ancient Arsenals of the Amalfi Republic and Cathedral of Amalfi. The 20 rooms at this 3-star hotel include minibars and TVs and guests can enjoy free breakfast. Centrally located in Amalfi, the hotel is also a short walk from Municipal Museum of Amalfi and Paper Mill Museum.
Start your day off right with a free breakfast, offered each morning from 8 AM to 10 AM.
Hotel Fontana's 20 air-conditioned rooms provide minibars and phones. TVs come with digital channels, and guests can stay connected with WiFi. Bathrooms offer rainfall showers, hair dryers, and free toiletries.
Property features
Hotel Fontana features WiFi in public areas and a TV in a common area. The 24-hour front desk has multilingual staff ready to assist with concierge services, luggage storage, and securing valuables.
- Steps from Ancient Arsenals of the Amalfi Republic and Cathedral of Amalfi
- Free breakfast
- WiFi in rooms and public areas (fees apply)
- Concierge services
Hotel FontanaPiazza Duomo 7 Amalfi SA 84011
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. High-speed wireless Internet access is available for a surcharge. This beach hotel also offers tour/ticket assistance, multilingual staff, and concierge services.
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- 24-hour front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Total number of rooms - 20
- Number of floors - 3
- Free breakfast
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Elevator/lift
- Luggage storage
- Year Built 1700
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Television in common areas
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( EUR 10 per stay )
Available in some public areas: Wireless internet access ( EUR 10 per stay )
Room Amenities
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Databases for historians II: practical database tools
The aim of this course is to develop further practical skills in constructing and fully exploiting databases for use in historical research. Assuming a basic understanding of the conceptual issues, the course will introduce techniques to conduct more complex analysis and to present the results in graphical form for greatest comprehension and impact.
Course details
Following on from Databases for Historians I, the aim of this course is to develop the practical skills necessary for constructing and fully exploiting a database for use in historical research. Assuming a basic understanding of the conceptual issues in digitally managing information from historical sources, the course aims to introduce the tools and techniques required for improving the utility of the database from the data entry stage through to the generation and presentation of analysis.
The first half of the course covers the construction of the 'database application', principally in terms of the building of an interface to aid the data entry process. Techniques for both speeding up and simplifying data entry, and also for maintaining the consistency and integrity (and therefore the 'quality') of the entered data, are introduced: multiple table input forms, controlled vocabularies, automated value generation and conversion, and navigation controls are covered. The second half covers the need for good quality data in historical research, how to achieve this, and how to perform and present analysis based on historical research questions: complex queries, exporting results to a variety of formats (including reports and web pages), the graphical presentation of data, and the issue of documentation are the areas covered in this part of the course.
The course consists of 'hands-on' practical sessions in which students are provided with practical guidance on employing these techniques through the use of Microsoft Access. Familiarity with the basic concepts of database use is required: participants should be confident working with Microsoft Access, and should have some knowledge of working with data tables and simple queries.
The course is open to postgraduates, academics and all who are interested in using databases to organise or analyse historical data. Places are strictly limited and early application is strongly recommended.


text: Posted December 12, 2013 Surprising given reports that Scott was getting healthy. We discussed a while back how player evaluation and roster management are Rivera's biggest weaknesses as a coach. Unfortunately that doesn't look to have improved :( You don't think Gettleman talks to him and gives suggestions? After all player evaluation is his strength. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Photo Jewelry Square Base +Glass Cover 20mm Silver 2pc
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Why you'll LOVE this item:Our handy kit makes 2 finished silver plated metal square jewelry charm or pendant frames with an interior image size of 3/4" each. TWO metal pendant frames and TWO of our matching square DOMED clear glass tiles. Interior measures 20mm or 3/4 inch across with 2mm rimmed edge. Adhere your art to the glass tile dome with 3D Crystal Lacquer and to the metal base with e6000. Also fillable with your own resin, etc.


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Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Understanding Stroke
What Is a Stroke?
Stroke is a medical emergency and a leading cause of death in the U.S. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or, more commonly, when a blockage develops. Without treatment, cells in the brain quickly begin to die. The result can be serious disability or death. If a loved one is having stroke symptoms, seek emergency medical attention without delay.
Stroke Symptoms
Signs of a stroke may include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the body, especially on one side.
- Sudden vision changes in one or both eyes, or difficulty swallowing.
- Sudden, severe headache with unknown cause.
- Sudden problems with dizziness, walking, or balance.
- Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding others.
Call 911 immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
Stroke Test: Talk, Wave, Smile
The F.A.S.T. test helps spot symptoms of stroke. It stands for:
Face. Ask for a smile. Does one side droop?
Arms. When raised, does one side drift down?
Speech. Can the person repeat a simple sentence? Does he or she have trouble or slur words?
Time. Time is critical. Call 911 immediately if any symptoms are present.
Stroke: Time = Brain Damage
Every second counts when seeking treatment for a stroke. When deprived of oxygen, brain cells begin dying within minutes. There are clot-busting drugs that can curb brain damage, but they need to be used within three hours -- up to 4.5 hours in some people -- of the initial stroke symptoms. Once brain tissue has died, the body parts controlled by that area won't work properly. This is why stroke is a top cause of long-term disability.
Diagnosing a Stroke
When someone with stroke symptoms arrives in the ER, the first step is to determine which type of stroke is occurring. There are two main types and they are not treated the same way. A CT scan can help doctors determine whether the symptoms are coming from a blocked blood vessel or a bleeding vessel. Additional tests may also be used to find the location of a blood clot or bleeding within the brain.
'Mini-Stroke' (TIA)
A transient ischemic attack, often called a "mini-stroke," is more like a close call. Blood flow is temporarily impaired to part of the brain, causing symptoms similar to an actual stroke. When the blood flows again, the symptoms disappear. A TIA is a warning sign that a stroke may happen soon. It's critical to seek emergency medical help if you think you've had a TIA. There are therapies to reduce the risk of stroke.
What Causes a Stroke
A common cause of stroke is atherosclerosis -- hardening of the arteries. Plaque made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances builds up in the arteries, leaving less space for blood to flow. A blood clot may lodge in this narrow space and cause an ischemic stroke. Atherosclerosis also makes it easier for a clot to form. Hemorrhagic strokes often result from uncontrolled high blood pressure that causes a weakened artery to burst.
Risk Factors You Can't Control
Some stroke risk factors are beyond your control, such as getting older or having a family history of strokes. Gender plays a role, too, with men being more likely to have a stroke. However, more stroke deaths occur in women. Finally, race is an important risk factor. African-Americans, Native Americans, and Alaskan Natives are at greater risk compared to people of other ethnicities.
Stroke: Emergency Treatment
For an ischemic stroke, emergency treatment focuses on medicine to restore blood flow. A clot-busting drug is highly effective at dissolving clots and minimizing long-term damage, but it must be as soon as possible, within three -- or much as 4.5 hours for some people -- of the initial stroke symptoms Hemorrhagic strokes are more difficult to manage. Treatment usually involves attempting to control high blood pressure, bleeding, and brain swelling.
Stroke: Long-Term Damage
Whether a stroke causes long-term damage depends on its severity and how quickly treatment stabilizes the brain. The type of damage depends on where in the brain the stroke occurs. Common problems after a stroke include numbness and/or weakness in the arms or legs, difficulty walking, vision problems, trouble swallowing, and problems with speech and comprehension. These problems can be permanent, but many people regain most of their abilities.
Stroke Rehab: Speech Therapy
Rehabilitation is the centerpiece of the stroke recovery process. It helps patients regain lost skills and learn to compensate for damage that can't be undone. The goal is to help restore as much independence as possible. For people who have trouble speaking, speech and language therapy is essential. A speech therapist can also help patients who have trouble swallowing.
Stroke Rehab: Physical Therapy
Muscle weakness, as well as balance problems, are very common after a stroke. This can interfere with walking and other daily activities. Physical therapy is an effective way to regain strength, balance, and coordination. For fine motor skills, such as using a knife and fork, writing, and buttoning a shirt, occupational therapy can help.
Stroke Rehab: Talk Therapy
It's common for stroke survivors and their loved ones to experience a wide range of intense emotions, such as fear, anger, worry, and grief. A psychologist or mental health counselor can provide strategies for coping with these emotions. A therapist can also watch for signs of depression, which frequently strikes people who are recovering from a stroke.
Stroke Prevention: Medications
For people with a high risk of stroke, doctors often recommend medications to lower this risk. Anti-platelet drugs, including aspirin, keep platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming clots. Anti-clotting drugs, such as warfarin, may be needed to help ward off stroke in some patients. Finally, if you have high blood pressure, your doctor will prescribe medication to lower it.
Stroke Prevention: Surgery
In some cases, a stroke results from a narrowed carotid artery -- the blood vessels that travel up each side of the neck to bring blood to the brain. People who have had a mild stroke or TIA due to this problem may benefit from surgery known as carotid endarterectomy. This procedure removes plaque from the lining of the carotid arteries and can help prevent additional strokes.
Stroke Prevention: Balloon and Stent
Doctors can also treat a clogged carotid artery without major surgery in some cases. The procedure, called angioplasty, involves temporarily inserting a catheter into the artery and inflating a tiny balloon to widen the area that is narrowed by plaque. A metal tube, called a stent, can be inserted and left in place to keep the artery open.
Life After a Stroke
Many people who have a stroke regain the ability to take care of themselves if they follow their rehabilitation plan. Those who get clot-busting drugs soon enough may recover completely. And those who experience disability can often learn to function independently through therapy. It has been shown that 3% to 4% of all patients that experience a stroke will subsequently experience a second stroke.
Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC on April 29, 2016
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I would like to thank Ambassador Seiple for sharing with the Seminary and the Princeton community his reflections on the necessity of Christian witness to the world as well as on the risks and responsibilities that accompany it. I couldn't help but think when listening to his lecture last night that these were words which had been weighed and chosen carefully from a life of challenging experience. In this there is no surprise: his work in the government and in the academy, his service as a citizen and as a soldier, and his example as a follower of the gospel and as global leader are themselves inspiring and convicting. To those of us with the honor of responding to his words, they are in fact intimidating. I find it humbling if not daunting to offer a response to Ambassador Seiple. As a graduate student it seems much too much a job for one such as me to give his contribution its due. But taking his own words to heart, I have reminded myself that, hey, it's not about me! And this has helped me to get on with the task at hand.
Ambassador Seiple in fact used this very exhortation last night to drive home several lessons about the urgent need for American Christians to reclaim what he calls the gospel's "Kingdom theology," a theology needed to orient properly the message, the motivation, and the methodology of Christians' witness today. The stakes in doing so, he stated, are nothing less than the gospel's credibility and the lives of the Christians attempting to share it. Ambassador Seiple powerfully illustrated this from beginning to end with tragic-comic examples of the literal throwing of Bibles upon non-Christian peoples in foreign lands; he also described the repercussions that have followed such eager believers and their native associates.
In contrast, Ambassador Seiple told us, a new orientation toward Christ's kingdom rather than ourselves and our timetables – can be a welcome corrective to contemporary Christian culture. It can challenge therapeutic inquiries about God's will for lives that remain concerned with worldly goods, political ideologies, or western cultural priorities. He went so far as to state that Christ's Kingship is critical to personal faith and life in God because without it, these other concerns will not only seep into the Christian message but also into its motives and methods. Christians and those with whom they interact will be "left with a partial Gospel … a [malignant] counterfeit that is unworthy of the persecution it often unwittingly exacerbates."
Ambassador Seiple's essay is timely in the most uncanny way. News and commentary about Christian missionary and other activity has filled the media over the last several months, weeks, and days. I'd like to spend the next few minutes listing some of these as evidence of how relevant Ambassador Seiple's observations are, and in doing so I'd like to pose to his additional questions that these examples raise.
On January 29, the NYT Magazine's cover story by Daniel Bergner described how today's American evangelicals are trying to convert the remaining non-Christians of Africa. His profile of the Maples family, formerly from suburban CA, detailed how they seek to convert the Samburu people in a new way. Their two year assignment has turned into eight, and they are still developing what they called a Samburu-style church. Instead of western sanctuaries, they hold Christian services under the trees. They teach Bible lessons not through preaching written verses but through expansive storytelling that fit with the native oral tradition. Once the people have accepted Jesus, the Maples hope to coax them to judge their traditions by the standards of the Gospel. In this way, they plan to inspire - not impose, they stressed - crucial elements of transformation in the culture. The Maples want to elevate the lot of women, to end how they are treated as property, and to stop the rite of female circumcision. The Maples are here, they say, because "there is unbelievable need." "How do they know the truth," they paraphrase from the book of Romans, "unless they are told…?"
After it was published Missions Scholars across the world debated over e-mail whether Bergner's piece was respectful of or biased against Christians. The consensus was that he had portrayed the Maples family empathetically - considering their struggles over dealing with local customs, and how to convey their Christian message while addressing native social issues and attitudes. There were no Poisonwood Bible stereotypes to be found.
Indeed, one scholar observed that Bergner's article, like his earlier book featuring a missionary family that had served for twenty-five years in Sierra Leone, continued to puzzle over the dedication and sacrifice of ordinary Americans serving in hard places. Perhaps these are precisely the kind of missionaries engaged in an incarnational ministry that Ambassador Seiple called for last night. Perhaps the reporter is one of the many secular Americans who are intrigued and impressed by them? Who inwardly thirst for what the gospel offers? I pose these possibilities because it was tempting to believe that the negative examples outweighed the positive from last night's lecture. So my question to Ambassador Seiple is this: Is there really a one to one correspondence of good to bad stories? In other words, Have American Christians learned so little over the last half century since "Rethinking Missions," have we not adequately listened to Andrew Walls and Lamin Sanneh or put their histories of incarnational missions into practice? If not, why not? I acknowledge as you did last night that there may be as many methods as there are Christians, and that believers held accountable by denominational structures may be further along on the learning curve than others. If this is so, how can such churches help other communions and organizations? What is your vision for the church in this realm? Are interdenominational and ecumenical mission programs the answer?
In addition to articles, several books on missionaries and foreign policy have recently been published and garnered much press: Allen Hertzke's Freeing God's Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights documents how evangelical Christians have worked over the last decade with both the Clinton and Bush administrations to bring US power to bear on peace making efforts in Sudan and other war torn places. The book was recently featured on several National Public Radio programs, the latest being two weeks ago. A less flattering portrayal of Christian influence, however, can be found in Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. Its first case study of Hawaii documents how missionaries and their descendants developed a sugar industry that became the compelling reason for Hawaii's unjust annexation by the US. One book for, one against, to cancel each other out. Perhaps I've answered my own question about the one to one ratio/correspondence! But the point here is that the mainstream media is picking up these stories, articles, and books about the present and past activity of Christians in the world. Can this in itself be reason for encouragement – even an opportunity – for the church to engage a wider audience about the Christian message, our methods, and our motivations?
From the 19th century to the 21st, debate over the motives and methods of Christians in other lands has continued. This leads me to my fourth example: the discovery of the body of Christian peace maker Tom Fox in early March dumped in a pile of trash in Baghdad. His three colleagues (Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember) were rescued two weeks and a day ago (3/23/06) by British and American forces. Since then the airwaves have buzzed with questions about the legitimacy of such teams that send people to conflict zones in order to promote human rights and peace. Philadelphia's WHYY program Radio Times directly posed the question on Monday (4/3/2006): Are such Christians crazy or commendable? Christian PeaceMakers's stated mission in Iraq is to put themselves in harm's way to "get in the way" as a form of protesting war, so the host went on to ask: what motivates individuals to engage in such high-risk behavior? Is this form of protest effective as a means of promoting democracy and ending conflict? Or does it only encourage lawlessness, kidnapping, and the like? Since volunteers' first assignment is to write a will, and because there is a chance that they might die in the mission, can these Christian peace keepers be considered, as one caller dubbed them, suicide peace protestors? In light of these queries, I ask Ambassador Seiple: are these examples of precisely the kind of questionable method you cite that unnecessarily invite persecution? Or is it the kind of principled life lived and sacrifice made in faith? Where do we draw the line between acting to right a wrong with religious conviction, and irresponsible even fatal gestures? How do we parse out the dove and the snake in these troubled times when many of us feel helpless and yet desperate to help change the world around us? We may not all agree with the gentleman who told President Bush yesterday at the World Affairs Council NC that he has never felt more ashamed to be an American, but we may all face the task of helping others in foreign lands distinguish between our Christianity and our nationality.
Even more controversial is this Tuesday's edition of the blog The Revealer.org which describes the Vision America conference in Washington, D.C. (4/5/06). Vision America is an organization committed to "restoring the original American vision," and its conference last week was called, "The War on Christians and the Values Voter in 2006." Its goal was "to contribute to a genuine revival of the Christian faith in America and to advance a proper understanding of the role of the church in American life." So far so good. It even sounds like Kuyperian spheres! But – and here I quote liberally from the blog itself – Vision America's rhetoric describes a country God gave to Christians to establish a providential nation based on biblical precepts, a city Founded upon a hill as a refuge for puritans escaping religious persecution. It lacks, however any reference to the land's prior occupants, or to the deistic leanings of several founding fathers.
As a student of American church and religious history, I question parts of this narrative. But what is relevant for our discussion this morning is that Vision America's keynote speakers like Tom Delay repeatedly cited the often dire situation of Christians around the globe as an apt analogy for the American situation. Organizers asserted that "Every day brings new evidence that Christianity, worldwide, is under assault." As an example of this, one panel compared the Navy chaplain recently disciplined for praying in Jesus' name (in violation of Navy protocols) at public Navy-sponsored events to Abdul Rahman, the Christian convert who had recently been on trial in Afghanistan for abandoning Islam. In the conference's analysis, the Chaplain and Rahman were the same in every way that mattered: both persecuted Christians, both equal victims of the suppression of religious freedom, both casualties in the war on Christianity.
To some of us this comparison is valid, to others, it is seriously flawed. On one hand we see aspects of the American spiritual exceptionalism that Ambassador Seiple rightly identified as dangerous to an effective Christian witness, and on the other hand, we see legitimate points of the American culture wars.
Most interestingly, this Vision America movement denies that it is theocratic. It dismisses that characterization as cynical, linking right-wing politicized Christianity to radical Islamism. At the same time, however, it is a movement that argues that political, social, and moral life must be solely grounded in scripture -- that there is no tension between the Bible and the American founding documents, and that the separation of church and state demands an unacceptable compromise since, "if Jesus is your Lord, he is the Lord of everything," as one conference preacher put it. Now this blurring of the line between church and state, couldn't sound less Kuyperian if it tried.
Ambassador Seiple used the word theocratic last night to describe at least part of the phenomenon in Washington. I would like to ask if you would be willing to explain more what you mean by this. I ask because whatever else is happening in our nation's capital, there is evidence that a Kuyperian influence is also inside the beltway. President Bush for instance cited Abraham Kuyper in his 2005 commencement speech at Calvin College, in much the same glowing terms as President Torrance did last night. The question then becomes, how is Kuyperian thought being used today? Does it critique theocracy? Or does it encourage it? Do the separate spheres promote a more delineated mission for the church, the family, and the state vis-à-vis each other, or do they sanction religiously-motivated ventures into newspapers, schools, and politics? Or is it a little bit of both, with the promise of equal access for all to the parochial parties, universities, and platforms of their choosing? As a recipient of the 2006 Kuyper Prize, how do you see Kuyper's legacy best interpreted and employed today?
Finally, I want to echo your statement that denominations, with their seminaries, organizational structure, and accountability, have been effective in helpful rather than harmful missions. Having had the privilege of teaching introductory courses here for two years, I can attest that the history department has endeavored to trains its students to understand, articulate and evaluate arguments both for and against persecution and martyrdom. What has the church gained by its fallen brothers and sisters? What has it lost? Did the Cordoba martyrs fearlessly challenge civil law? Or did they merely pick a fight? Students at Princeton seminary have already grappled with these questions, and we trust that the exercise has not been in vain. Your lecture has in fact made it clear that it is not, so we thank you for contributing to their, and to our, education.
Abraham Kuyper
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on February 24, 2008 - 12:01 AM
On the coldest night of December last year, all 100 seats at Ujima Company's intimate second-floor theater on Elmwood Avenue were filled.
Smiling theatergoers from the mostly African-American East Side mingled happily with South Buffalonians, Latinos from the West Side and far-flung suburbanites alike. With kids and teens in tow, members of the city's many walks of life came together, like they've been doing for years, to support this small, resilient theater group in its hour of need.
The evening, after all, was a variety show fundraiser for the struggling Ujima, a diverse theater collective that has been regularly producing plays in Buffalo since its inception in 1978. When news came that the company had scrapped its entire 2007-08 season, speculation about the possible closure of this long-standing institution began to circulate.
In a depressing variation on a theme in the Western New York arts world, years of funding cuts and financial woes have left the theater broke. When $58,000 of Erie County funding was cut for Ujima and most other arts and cultural organizations in 2005, the company continued on a downward spiral from which it has been unable to recover.
Ujima's woes are symptomatic of the same disease that has infected Studio Arena Theatre, which continues to struggle with a constantly shifting board, declining audiences and financial mismanagement -- even after it employed consultants to draft a three-phase strategic plan. The difference, however, is that Ujima's management saw fit to stop producing for an entire season and focus exclusively on reorganizing the theater.
"It was a better idea to pull back and reassess and sort of renegotiate with the universe than sort of come out this season doing things under par," said Lorna C. Hill, Ujima's founder and artistic director "I would never want that to happen."
But now, said the group's new executive director, Rahwa Ghirmatzion, the company has used its direly needed hiatus to regroup and devise a more stable future. After securing much-needed funding from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and others, Ujima has created a detailed strategic plan, reorganized its board of directors and planned a full season for 2008-2009.
"A year ago, if you would have asked me how is Ujima, I would have had no clue," said Ghirmatzion, who recently took over the position of executive director from the company's founder, Lorna C. Hill. "I would have probably told you if we could make it another month or two, we'd be doing great."
At the time, Ghirmatzion said, she thought she'd be better off, both financially and mentally, if the theater were to shut down. But, she said, given the company's history and deep ties to the community, shutting the doors was simply not an option.
"If you ask me today how is Ujima doing, I can honestly tell you from the bottom of my heart that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel."
>Community support
The audience at the December fundraiser -- maybe 60 percent white, 30 black -- looked a lot like the population of Buffalo itself. But for Ujima, that loyal cultural cross-section -- one of the things that separates them from nearly every other cultural organization in town -- hasn't been enough. On that snowy December night, that audience raised nearly $2,000.
Hill sat off to the side during the benefit, now and again surveying the crowd to gauge their reactions and unable to suppress a beaming smile at the palpable sense of community in the room.
But as Hill or anyone else trying to keep a theater afloat in this town knows, you can't run your business on a sense of community alone.
It's a familiar story for many arts and cultural organizations in the region, and for Ujima in particular. The group was founded as the area's only professional African-American theater company by Hill, a playwright, artist and educator who, to kick off a long and ongoing string of accomplishments, was the first woman ever admitted to Dartmouth College.
Hill's theater has never been far from crisis in its nearly 30-year history, but it has never been quite so close to demise. The theater's staff of three has been working without pay for more than six years, with the trickle of funding from foundation and government sources seldom covering the costs of producing a season. Deficits have been covered by Hill and her family, "and there's only so many times you can do that," Hill said.
Hill's stamina in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds -- from catastrophic budget crises to crippling building code violations -- draws adulation even from other local theater personalities.
"She could have packed it in a long time ago, but she refuses to do that," said Saul Elkin, artistic director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park and Jewish Repertory Theatre. "And I'm glad she hasn't."
Elkin was one of the few to support the effort to create the theater in 1978, when Hill was working as his administrative assistant and sometimes artistic collaborator in the University at Buffalo's theater department. He praised Ujima for its unique dedication to the city's underserved communities.
"In the province of public support, they are as worthy as any cultural agency in town is of that support," Elkin said. "And so it's been a source of distress to me that they've had these difficulties over the years, because they've done some very good work."
And for Hill, an outspoken critic of county and city government who once protested city funding cuts by dressing up as a slave and marching into to City Hall, the issue of public funding is a touchy one.
"There are a lot of things that we want to exist and the only way that they will exist is through public funding," Hill said. "I can think of a number of animals that were on the verge of extinction. I'm looking at the prospect that African-American culture is on the verge of extinction. And then you turn around and expect that a community that's also on the verge of extinction will save that."
More than simply a theater company, Hill sees Ujima as an indispensable resource that is one of the few organizations working to preserve African-American cultural traditions. She said the theater is charged not only with the duty of presenting engaging drama, but in training young minorities in the arts and providing a platform for artistic expression that many communities cannot otherwise get. She calls the medium of theater "a means to an end."
"Our art is fine, but we are not in the fine arts business," Hill said. "We're in the community-building business."
But the fact that the particular communities Ujima serves do not have deep pockets means for Hill that the public has a special duty to her organization -- a duty it has failed to fulfill. She remains frustrated that other organizations like Studio Arena Theatre, the Albright-Knox and the Buffalo Zoo were given preference when Erie County arts funding was restored, and said the expectation that an organization like Ujima must save itself is a failure to see the point.
The company also faces an identity crisis when seeking money from private foundations, which often require an organization to fit into a certain racial or ethnic category in order to receive funds. With an audience that Hill said is 75 percent white, conversations with foundations are often complicated and frustrating owing to Hill's assertion that many funders are not willing to have an honest conversation about the changing racial dynamics of African-American theater. She said she feels the funding process, like the SATs, is often "inherently culturally biased."
The role, makeup and mission of an African-American theater company, Hill said, has changed enormously since Ujima's inception to be much more inclusive and wide-ranging than the more insular black arts movement of the 1960s. That image, she said, remains.
"When are we going to get to the point when we can get the funders to sit down at the table with us and say, yeah, let's review: what does that mean in 2008? I know what it meant in 1978 and '68, but what does it mean now? That conversation is not happening anywhere."
>An artistic aura
Ask any Ujima company member -- of which there are currently 17 in Buffalo and eight who have moved away -- what Ujima means, and you're liable to get an earful.
First, they'll tell you that Ujima is a Swahili word that means "collective work and responsibility," a tenet that has guided the group through dozens of productions, collaborations, community initiatives and educational programs through its history.
"It's collective work, and we are indeed responsible for it," said Beverly Dove, an original member of the company and a face fans have come to associate with the theater. She said the actors of the group have become so comfortable with one another onstage and off, from mopping the floor to building sets, that they've achieved a kind of communal artistic aura that's undeniably magnetic.
The programming at Ujima has been diverse over its nearly three decades. Plays by Hill herself, including the well regarded "Yalla Bitch" and semi-regularly performed "And Bid Him Sing," have factored heavily into the repertoire, as has work from Chicago playwright Oscar Brown Jr. They've also mounted plenty of work that might seem unexpected from group focused on African American theater, including works by Jean Genet, David Mamet, Edward Albee and local playwright Emanuel Fried.
"The Western New York community has an expectation of Ujima," Dove said. "There's a standard that we've set and you can't let it go. You can't leave, you can't abandon it because of things like budgets and building code violations and funding."
As for the future, Ghirmatzion is confident that the company's strategic plan, as well as a proposed administrative collaboration with the African American Cultural Center and Buffalo City Ballet, will position them to slowly grow back into their former glory.
Even this season, Ujima has mounted co-presentations, including the love-themed musical revue "Anyone Who Had a Heart" in mid-February. The new company American Repertory Theatre of Western New York will also use the theater's space to present two shows this spring. Such collaborations are likely to continue in future seasons, Ghirmatzion noted.
A reorganized and retrained board is now responsible for running Ujima, a move both Hill and Ghirmatzion hail as a key to future success. And Hill, who finally transferred the duties of executive director to Ghirmatzion, will be freer to concentrate on perfecting her theater's artistic product. She'll also turn her eyes to more funding sources and work on building the theater's Dunbar Project, an arts training program for the city's African American youth.
But one thing Hill won't do is give up. Her community won't let her.
"God forbid Shakespeare in Delaware Park would go out of business," Hill said, noting that she has supported that group from the start, even designing its first poster. "It's got a soft place in my heart. But if Shakespeare in the Park went out of business tomorrow, guess what? There's no threat to Shakespeare. And this is the difference that we're dealing with.
"We close tomorrow? The need is very specific and it requires, like I said, a different kind of support. It's the Condor. It's the American Eagle."-mail: email@example.com


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All but one charge has been withdrawn against a Brodheadsville man charged in the July sexual assault in Canadensis of a 13-year-old girl he met on Facebook.
All charges except that of unlawful contact with a minor were withdrawn against Athanasios Theodoropoulos, 21, when he appeared for his preliminary hearing Thursday before Mountainhome Magisterial District Judge John Whitesell.
Theodoropoulos waived his right to his hearing on that one remaining charge and will appear at a future date in Monroe County Court, where he can go to trial, plead guilty or plead no contest.
A Barrett Township police affidavit gives the following account:
On June 6, Theodoropoulos, posing as "Damion Alex," contacted the girl via Facebook, requested pictures of herself nude and talked to her about meeting in person to have sex.
Her family later learned about these Facebook conversations, went online and discovered Theodoropoulos' identity.
On Aug. 1, police got a search warrant for Theodoropoulos' and the girl's Facebook accounts and on Aug. 29 got the records showing the conversations between the two.
On Sept. 3, police served a search warrant on Frontier Communications to get Theodoropoulos' home address and learned he had sent the Facebook messages from a Tannersville address.
Andrew Scott
Location, ST | website.com


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Sept. 2 — To the Editor:
Sen. Nancy Stiles is the hardest working state senator in Concord. Living in Stratham, Nancy is my state senator. Being a state representative, I have seen Nancy in action firsthand. We have co-sponsored bills together and I have seen her leadership moving them through the legislative process. I have testified before the Senate Health, Education and Human Services Committee, of which she is the chairwoman, and seen her dissect issues with probing questions. I have also seen her in action at public meetings locally where she fights for her constituents and towns she represents.
I did not agree with Sen. Stiles on every vote this past session. There were a handful of votes in which I had disagreed with her position, but at the same time there were several votes where she disagreed with my position. When voting, you should step back and look at a person's total record. Nancy's record of accomplishment certainly outweighs any differences we might have on certain issues. In the end, we are both thoughtful Republicans who believe in efficient government, no broad-based taxes and regulations that do not smother business but encourage businesses to come to New Hampshire.
Steve Kenda, who is her opponent in the primary on Sept. 9, is a successful businessman whom I have met several times. He would be a great senator if Nancy wasn't running. Nancy is a tested leader who has served all on the Seacoast well in both the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire Senate. In my opinion, we do not need to be looking for a new Senator, whether Republican or Democrat, when we already have one of the most productive senators representing us in Concord. Please join me in voting for Sen. Nancy Stiles in the primary on Sept. 9, as well as in the general election on Nov. 4.
Rep. Patrick F. Abrami
Location, ST | website.com


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JUL 11, 2013 - Boston Globe
A Must Read - Share
James "Whitey" Bulger's lawyers filed a motion Thursday urging the judge to suspend the trial until July 16 because they have "hit a wall" and have been struggling to be ready because prosecutors have been calling witnesses quicker than expected. Defense lawyers said prosecutors have told them they are on track to finish presenting their case by the end of July. Bulger's lawyers have asked the judge to recess the trial after Ann Marie Mires, a forensic antrhopologist, finishes testifying Thursday.
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Li'l Abner by Al Capp
- March 30, 2013
- From Beginning
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Still tough to read, cavalier of the old south. I had always thought of Abner as more of a country hill person, than a southerner.
Reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillies who though in the Ozarks were Confederates, especially Granny who wanted the CSA to win.
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Is there an issue with Chrome?
At least two games when they open in the kongregate window the whole game screen isn't visible. However it is if you use IE.
The last two games this happened on was Cyclomaniacs Epic and FPS-MAN.
What is going on?
Games in Chrome Browser
2 posts


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User Reviews & Ratings - Angeliq oral
Read user comments about the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Angeliq oral.
Overall User Ratings46 Total User Reviews
User Reviews
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User Reviews
Reviewer: Pristiq1/2, 55-64 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I felt great, the hot flushes stopped but my hair started to fall out rather drastically. I stopped immediately.
Reviewer: 45-54 Female on Treatment for 1 to less than 2 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
Flashes stopped after the first pill. No side effects. I am full of energy and concentration like never before. I live my second life.
Reviewer: pennymax, 45-54 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I suffered from practically all symptoms (night and day sweats, joint & muscle pains, mood changed that equal severe depression, insomnia, mygrene, take a pick). My uterus is removed 7 years ago. My gyn prescribed Angeliq although I didn't want to take it due to widespread anti -HMT campaign all over. But I did. Problems (ALL of them) disappeared 2 weeks into the therapy, I became w ... Show Full Comment
found this review helpful.
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Reviewer: 45-54 Female on Treatment for 5 to less than 10 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
Dealt with hotflashes for years before my OB/GYN prescribed this medication. Have been taking the drug for over 5 years and it works like a charm. No hot flashes or nightweats whatsoever since taking the medication. No weight gain or moodiness. I call it my miracle drug.
found this review helpful.
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Reviewer: Gemmy, 35-44 on Treatment for 1 to 6 months
Ease of Use
As a 41 yr old, the last thing I was expecting when I missed a period for the first time in my life, was to find out I was in acute ovarian failure... early menopause (which does NOT run in my family). Since I was still vaguely hoping for a family, this was not my drug of choice, since it was clearly contraindicated to conception; however, my obgyn advised that the chances of me becoming pregnant ... Show Full Comment
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I suffered thru 10 long years of sleep apnea before finally getting CPAP treatment. But even then it took more than 6 months of trial and error on the sleep machine before I could really use the machine the way it was intended. Over the first month with my Respironics BI-PAP Auto M Series I could only manage a meager 2.5 to 3 hours per night. After 6 months I was still averaging just about 4 hours per night.
And even then most nights consisted of at least 2 separate CPAP sessions. Sleep for a couple of hours, throw the mask off usually without even knowing it, wake up another hour later and put the mask back on. That was a normal night for me.
I tried everything. At least I thought I did. Some nights I'd stop eating several hours before putting the mask on. Other nights I'd snack just before going to bed, just to see the difference.
I changed the thread count in our sheets. I managed to make this a twofer; I bought some really nice 500-count sheets as part of an overall package of presents for my wife on Mother's Day. No sneering; she got lots more than that believe me.
I tried all manner of adjustments to my CPAP equipment – mask changes, mask strap changes, putting the machine on the floor instead of the nightstand, changing the humidity level. One night I even preheated the distilled water before loading it into the machine. Crazy I know.
I spent plenty of time on the phone with the home health care company that set me up with my sleep machine. They are sick of hearing from me I can tell you. Over those early months I had reason to see my regular doctor frequently and we discussed my problems at some length. A consult with an ENT(ear nose and throat) specialist was mulled over.
By the way, isn't that what the thing should be called: a sleep machine? You'd think one of the major manufacturers would figure that out and name a new model the "Sleep Machine 1000″ or something.
Over time as my claustrophobia diminished I was often able to keep the mask on for awhile even after I woke up in the middle of the night. Occasionally I was successful in going back to sleep, though that was certainly not the norm. This really bothered me. I had mostly mastered the mask, yet I still took it off even when fully awake. Why? Its not like I couldn't breathe.
I realized that if I understood why the mask came off my head maybe I could come up with a solution.
All my life I've suffered from stuffed up nasal passages. Even when they are clear they are more clogged than the average person's. That was a big reason why my first attempt at CPAP therapy failed several years ago. I was outfitted with a nasal pillows setup on my face. Worked great in the clinic, but failed badly at home. The claustrophobia was overwhelming, but I could have worked through that. But there was no getting around my stuffed up nose. It might be clear long enough to get in an hour, maybe two on the sleep machine. But never more. Throwing that much high pressure air at my face just guarantees I'll get stuffed up at some point during the night, and sooner rather than later.
So on this go round I opted for a full face mask. If I can't reliably breathe thru my nose, I'll just breathe thru my mouth I thought. This certainly worked better if not well.
So why did I take the freakin' mask off? I started making a mental inventory of my sensations and surroundings just before slinging the mask off. Not being the sharpest knife in the drawer it took a couple more weeks to realize that just about every time I took the mask off my nose was stuffed up. Really, really stuffed up. Yes, even though I was breathing thru my mouth.
Or that is what I thought at first. If I was really breathing thru my mouth why would I take the mask off when my nose clogged up? Was I really breathing thru my mouth after all?
I started paying closer attention to the first couple of minutes after I put on the mask at night. This was tough, because I fell asleep very quickly most nights, and to reduce potential frustration I waited till fairly late to turn in. When I hit the bedroom I was quite ready for the Sandman. I didn't have the capacity for much in the way of higher thought processes.
So I started going to bed a little earlier. As soon as the CPAP machine started up I paid close attention to every breath. While I did indeed mouth breathe at first, as I started to relax this changed a bit. My nose got into the act too. It was a team effort, and responsibility changed from breath to breath. Often I inhaled with the mouth and exhaled with my nose. But the trendline was clear: my nose did more and more of the work as I got closer to la la land.
I started to wonder just how much I used my nose once I fell asleep. I could have asked my wife to listen closely. But she is on CPAP as well. And my CPAP is a bit louder than the average bear's. My number on the inhale is 18, and on exhale its 12. Yeah, inside my mask it sounds like an airport.
I definitely used my nose to breathe at least somewhat during sleep. And I couldn't get the mask off quickly enough when it clogged up. If I could unclog the nose maybe I could get a good night's sleep. Eureka!
What unclogs noses? There are all sorts of drugs both prescription and over the counter for people who have colds. Why not look in the local pharmacy?
What I was looking for specifically was an antihistamine. Antihistamines are supposed to be for allergies, but they show up in cold medications too. And for good reason – they unclog noses, making cold relief possible.
I mulled over the many choices available down at the drugstore, finally settling on a generic version of Clairitin. Why Clairitin? The first line on the package says "Non-Drowsy". I was already sleepy at night so I didn't need the kind of sleep help the old standbys like Benadryl would provide. When it was time to get up in the morning I didn't want to have to drag myself out of bed.
So I bought a package of generic Clairitin and gave it a shot. Did it work? The title of this story is "The Secret To My CPAP Success", and you've plodded thru more than 1000 words of my ponderous prose. I'm not going to make you wait any longer: yes, IT WORKED! I've been averaging just under 6.5 hours per night of sleep on my CPAP machine for the last 13 months.
There is plenty more to the story and I'll fill you in on the details later. If you are having problems complying with your CPAP therapy, consider making a trip to your nearby druggist and picking up a box of antihistamines. Make it a cheap purchase; individuals can have widely varying reactions to antihistamines. That is a big reason why there are so many available. And don't buy anything but the antihistamine itself. Check the active ingredients. The number should be ONE. No more.
But all of them should work for you to some degree. If this works for you worry about perfection later. Just TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK!


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Attack exposes risk of blackouts lasting months
SDG&E grid less vulnerable than most, but serious concerns remain
San Diego County's power grid is less vulnerable than others to the kind of attack federal officials warn could black out much of the nation for months.
That reassuring analysis comes from Jim Avery, senior vice president of power supply for San Diego Gas & Electric.
Avery says that workers could detach the local electricity system from a crippled western U.S. grid and restore power in a matter of hours to its service territory — which includes 11 military installations. Meanwhile, the utility is beefing up security at vulnerable potential targets.
Our discussion Wednesday was not an idle bit of apocalyptic war gaming.
Last month The Wall Street Journal published a major story detailing the April 16 attack on a remote electrical substation near San Jose.
Just before 1 a.m., someone cut fiber-optic telecommunications cables in an underground vault.
Then a team of snipers spent 19 minutes methodically shooting holes into the cooling systems sustaining 17 giant transformers that supplied power to Silicon Valley. One minute before a police car arrived, the shooters stopped firing and disappeared.
The attack bore the hallmarks of a military special operation, right down to more than 100 fingerprint-free shell casings and small piles of rocks that appeared to have been placed by a scout to indicate firing positions, according to experts from the Joint Warfare Analysis Center in Dahlgren, Va., who examined the site.
It also required advanced technical knowledge. By targeting the cooling systems, the snipers were able to avoid immediate explosions and destroy the transformers slowly, giving them time to slip away.
Unbelievably, the attack was judged a fancy act of vandalism by the FBI, police and Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility that operates the substation.
But it was "the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred," said Jon Wellinghoff, who at the time was chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the U.S. power transmission system.
PG&E was able to avoid a blackout by rerouting power to Silicon Valley, a trick that was helped by low early morning consumption.
The type of big transformers targeted by the snipers are key to moving power from generators to consumers over long distances. Such transformers are custom-made for each site and require months to manufacture. Utilities keep no spares.
A FERC analysis concluded that a coordinated attack on transformers at just nine of the nation's 55,000 power-transmission substations could bring down the national grid for as long as 18 months.
That's not a misprint — nine small teams of snipers could plunge much of the United States into darkness for a year and a half.
This was all secret until the Journal published its story, which was written by Rebecca Smith. She is a careful reporter who knows the utility industry; her coverage of California's 2001 power crisis was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
In recent years the utility industry has focused its money and talent on "cybersecurity," or attacks on computer networks that control the grid. That's certainly a good idea.
However, a dozen years after the wake-up call of 9/11, national security experts have left key installations protected by little more than chain-link fences, or less secure than a typical elementary school.
The good news is that SDG&E's grid is more resilient than most to an attack on remote transformers or other key equipment.
While some utilities operate within a hub-and-spoke system that's more vulnerable to disruptions, "our grid is a matrix, a true network," Avery said. "All of our critical substations have multiple lines going into (them)."
Over the last decade the region has added two major power plants and several smaller, quick-start units. Even with the San Onofre nuclear plant shuttered, the region can produce enough power in an emergency to keep the lights on until connections can be restored to generators in Imperial County and Arizona.
And SDG&E appears to be ahead of the security curve. In September 2011, it was the only utility to receive a FERC grant to fund upgrades to physical security at key installations.
"That, by no means, should suggest that I'm saying we've done all we can," Avery said. "We are going back and taking a look at all of our systems."
Although I remain skeptical, for now I've shelved my plan, hatched after the Journal story, to cover my roof with solar panels and fill the garage with batteries, a drastic measure certain to cause problems with my housemate who uses the garage as her art studio.
Yet I sincerely hope national officials don't similarly relax.
Blackouts lasting weeks or months would cause economic and social havoc on a scale most Americans have never experienced. More important, thousands of people could die prematurely.
Some have criticized The Wall Street Journal for exposing this easy road map to sending us back to the 19th century.
Their case is thin. Wellinghoff, the former FERC chairman, appears to have spilled the beans after being frustrated and terrified by lack of urgency in Washington's national security apparatus.
To him, the San Jose operation was clearly a dry run for a massive terrorist attack — by people who know how to succeed without reading Rebecca Smith.
Meanwhile, the Journal report has spurred action from FERC and calls in Congress for "hardening" of key grid facilities.
With any luck, utilities will find ways to vastly reduce the odds of catastrophe without launching an orgy of spending that shows up on consumer bills.
Either way, continued good luck will come in handy.
San Diego County's main generators use natural gas that is pumped through pipelines. Those pumps use electricity. Backup generators require diesel fuel, which comes from refineries in Los Angeles through a pipeline that also uses power.
You get the picture. San Diego wouldn't be safe for long from a coordinated attack on the nation's grid.
The Navy and Marines could hold out for awhile, using plans in place that include powering shore facilities from nuclear vessels. But the rest of us could be in deep trouble.
Of course, we just got a taste of this fragility on Sept. 8, 2011. A mistake on the grid to our east, compounded by an error to our north, caused a daylong blackout for 7 million people in San Diego County and beyond.
Today it looks like that emergency bolsters Avery's assertions of local resilience: The utility restored service in about 12 hours for most people, and federal investors concluded the blackout wasn't SDG&E's fault.
Still, a coordinated attack is not an accident. Bouncing back wasn't exactly easy that day in 2011, and it could be much harder next time.