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Mannatech, Incorporated (NASDAQ:MTEX)
Q2 2011 Earnings Call
August 4, 2011 10:00 am ET
Mark Nicholls – VP, Treasury and Tax
Steve Fenstermacher – Co-CEO and CFO
Greetings and welcome to the Mannatech Incorporated second quarter 2011 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A brief question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. (Operator instructions) As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.
Now, I would like to introduce our moderator for the call today, Mr. Mark Nicholls, Vice President, Treasury and Tax. Thank you, Mr. Nicholls, you may begin your conference.
Mark Nicholls
Thank you. Good morning everyone. This is Mark Nicholls, and welcome to Mannatech's second quarter 2011 earnings call. Today, you will hear from Mannatech's Co-CEO and Chief Financial Officer, Steve Fenstermacher. Before we begin the call, I will first read the Safe Harbor statement.
During this conference call, we may make forward-looking statements, which can involve future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of phrases or terminologies such as will continue, may, believe, intend, expects, potential, should, and plan or other similar words or the negative of such terminology. We caution listeners that such forward-looking statements are subject to certain events, risks, uncertainties and other factors and speak only as of today. We also refer our listeners to review our SEC submissions.
Thank you. And now, I will turn the call over to Steve Fenstermacher, Co-CEO and Chief Financial Officer.
Steve Fenstermacher
Thanks Mark, and good day everyone. The second quarter of 2011 was an important period for Mannatech. In our discussion of the first quarter of 2011, we spoke of the planning effort, which takes place in our January meetings with our independent associate leaders each year. In addition, we started our annual travel incentive qualifying period in January.
This year, we initiated operations in Mexico, with our offices in Guadalajara and Mexico City and product pick-up facilities in those cities as well as a distribution center located in Monterey. In the second quarter, we began working on modifications to our Associate Compensation Plan to strengthen the leadership ranks throughout the world.
In addition, Mannatech opened four additional European countries for business in the final weeks of the quarter. To our group of seven European countries, we added Ireland, The Czech Republic, Finland, and Estonia. These Eastern European countries were added with a specific target in mind, which is the eventual entry of Mannatech into Russia at some point in the future. These new markets bring our European presence to a total of 11 country markets. So, a number of critical projects were kicked off. We have successfully completed some and made very good progress on others in this recently-ended second quarter.
In July 2010, Mannatech chose to take on the Number 1 health risk that children face today, poor nutrition. By providing nutritional supplements, based on Real Food Technology solutions through our Give for Real donations through consumption program, together with our Associates, we believe we can affect the lives of children suffering from inadequate nutrition. One of our goals is to eventually link 5 million consumers worldwide directly to the needs of 5 million undernourished children.
The Give for Real program is how Mannatech makes the idea of social entrepreneurship a reality. We have chosen to incorporate a direct marketing distribution and compensation model into our social, entrepreneurial business strategy. This allows us to financially reward individuals who choose to participate in our world-changing fight against poor nutrition in direct proportion to the level of activity.
In the second quarter, we finished plans for launching the Give for Real program this fall in our international markets. So, by the fourth quarter, Give for Real should be supplying our natural nutrient blend to more than 60,000 needy children every month. Our Associates in our foreign countries have expressed to us their strong desire to participate in this giving program, and we look forward to seeing the impact Give for Real makes in their recruiting and business activities.
We have also put to finishing touches on a few improvements to our global seamless commission plan as well. These changes encourage leadership and we will be monitoring the commission plan to confirm that the desired activities are being rewarded. Perhaps, the most exciting item in the second quarter stemmed from our domestic market through discussion with our North American Associate leadership. Together, management and the leadership had for some time been developing new possibilities to stimulate incremental sales and recruiting volume, this spring, an idea for promoting our Optimal Support Packets product when ordered along with Bulk Ambrotose Powder, was created and implemented to provide a strong value innovation for our loyal consumers.
Our history in Mannatech has revolved around technical innovation in bringing our Real Food Technology to the fore. These days, in this continuingly uncertain and difficult economic environment, when even our government is struggling with wide-ranging economic questions, we feel that exploration of economic and value innovation is absolutely the best direction for Mannatech.
So, an Associate consumer can receive our Optimal Support Packets product at a value price by ordering through our regular Auto Order System in combination with Bulk Ambrotose Powder. The OSP packets are individual convenience packs, which contain our premium phytomatrix natural vitamin and mineral tablets, our Plus tablets and our AO antioxidant capsules. This combo kit carries incremental sales and a strong gross margin rate for the company that provides an economic discount to the consumer and it has given our Associate leaders in the United States and Canada a reason to reconnect with people in their down lines whose regular orders from Mannatech had lapsed whatever the reason.
The combo kit has generated excitement and renewed Associate activity, and we have seen thousands of lapsed customers reinstate their auto orders to take advantage of this offer. In fact, four promotional activities will begin only in several weeks due to the lead time required to build sufficient product inventories. But our Associate leadership is working diligently to fully utilize this combination product. The initial results of the promotion appear quite promising, and other logical product combinations will be developed in the coming months, which could provide profitable incremental sales volumes to us and our field sales associates as well.
To recap our financial results for Q2, total sales of $51.4 million were down 10.8% in 2010 due to lower pack and product volumes. Product revenue was reduced by 7.5%, and pack sales declined considerably reflecting the reduction of pack pricing in our international markets since Q1 of 2010. Foreign currency exchange impact was favorable for Q2, adding about $2.8 million compared to last year.
Our second quarter sales figure of $51.4 million exceeded our first quarter level by $500,000, thus recording a notable quarter-to-quarter increase for the first time in several years. The favorable results compared to Q1 2011 reflected an increase of 15% in native currency sales in Korea, as well as an overall international increase due to favorable currency rates in Q2 versus Q1.
Our Q2 operating deficit of $4.3 million was greater than last year, reflecting the impact of overall lower sales, the costs associated with our still-developing operations in Mexico, along with the reserve of $700,000 related to the recent elimination of approximately 100 employee positions, and our net loss of $5.2 million for Q2 was greater than in 2010 due to these same items.
Once again, our major cost areas remained in general historical ranges and overhead expense control also continued in the quarter. Our cost of goods sold rate was 14.7% for the quarter and was higher than last year's rate by seven-tenths of 1 percentage point due to adding to our inventory reserves in the quarter. These additional reserves essentially finished the overstock positions of our OsoLean product and PhytoBurst Chews as well. Again, our inventory levels were reduced in Q2, and we will continue to concentrate on deploying our inventory investment in the most efficient way.
Through June, the inventory reserves taken in the two quarters elevated cost of goods sold rate by three-tenths of 1 percentage point compared to last year. Total commission and incentive costs of 44.6% in Q2 were again within our general historic range of 44% to 45%. That was somewhat higher than the 2010 rate of 42.5%. As we have mentioned before, we believe our Associate compensation rates remain among the highest in the industry, and the earnings possibilities carried within our global seamless downline commission program are very attractive to business builders. The overall commissions figure includes accrual for the travel incentive contest as well as paid commissions. Again, most of the variance came from direct paid commissions.
Paid commissions expense of 42.6% increased 1.6 percentage points compared to 2010, reflecting higher activity related to triggering powered bonuses. The incentive cost accrual reached 2.0% for the quarter, up from the comparable 2010 level by five-tenths of 1 percentage point. Year-to-date, both paid commissions expense and incentive cost accrual were exactly even with last year in rate at 41.5% and 2.1% respectively.
We continued to focus on operating expense controls and this resulted in favorable totals compared to last year. Operating expenses were reduced by about $1.9 million, even including costs in the quarter for the reserve taken related to the 100 positions eliminated. Excluding Mexico overheads and the reserve costs from the second quarter, our operating expenses would have been lower by $3.1 million, or 11.4%.
The cost reductions announced in late June represent about $12 million annually and were targeted to return Mannatech to a positive operating cash flow or EBITDA level. We intend to further reduce our overhead structure in the coming months, and while these expense cuts to come will be smaller in comparison, they will further strengthen our cash flow possibilities and form the basis for additional incremental profit from incremental sales.
Our balance sheet was improved in several areas compared to March 2011 and continued to show essentially no long-term debt. The cash balance of $17 million was even with the March Q1 figure, but was down from December 2010 as we have funded the launch of our operations in Mexico. Inventories in June were $18.8 million, down by $3.1 million or 14% from the Q1 balance, and down $5.3 million or 22% from 2010 year-end balances.
Reductions in raw materials and finished products were both achieved, which once again helped in our overall gain in current liabilities. As before, we have continued to concentrate on continual improvements to our balance sheet, reducing inventory investment and managing our payables carefully, both continued to be central to that focus.
We did not pay dividends in Q2, and we did not repurchase shares in the quarter. However, we did buy back a very small number of shares in July. We again did not initiate any equity raise through our agreement with Dutchess Capital in the second quarter. Capital additions of $145,000 consisted of small additions to our computer systems and final completion of our facilities in Mexico. We are now concentrating on continuing to support our Associate leaders in growing and developing their downline organizations through social, entrepreneurial activity and Give for Real and rolling the Give for Real donation program out for our international markets this fall.
Also, we are continuing the development of the Mexican market, which launched in late January 2011. We will focus on these projects to achieve sales and recruiting growth, as well as to again tighten our expense control in order to see earnings and shareholder value increases. The increase seen in our automatic orders related to the new OSP Ambrotose combo kit product is encouraging, and we will be working on other such combinations to generate incremental sales volume and heightened recruiting activity in our domestic market.
The second quarter was the first in many quarters to show a quarter-to-quarter increase, and we will focus on building this increase into a change of trend and hopefully a return to growth. Thank you for listening, and we will now take any questions anyone may have.
Question-and-Answer Session
(Operator instructions) There are no questions at this time.
Steve Fenstermacher
Thank you for listening to our call, and we look forward to updating you again next quarter.
This concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect.
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Contact us
It is the local search and directory company that provides the most up-to-date information onnews, events, businesses, from restaurants and retail, besides professional services. ChampsElysees-Paris.com empowers consumers to make informed decisions about where to stay, spend their time and money by delivering trusted content, local expertise and helpful tools.It has the largest photo gallery about Champs Elysees Paris, France.
Situated on the Tronchet Street, Catimini is beautiful proposing children clothes included the designers Starck, Panton, Wanders and others have made the decoration. This place also owns a game field for children like musical space.

subset: commoncrawl


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Emilee Randall
Major: Instrumental Music Education
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Vancleave, MS
Activities and Honors: USM Wind Ensemble, USM Symphonic Winds, USM Clarinet Choir, Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, Southern Christian Student Center, Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
About me: I wanted to become an Ambassador because I wanted to make a difference in the Honors College. I didn't want to be a passive member that sat by and watched other people take action. I wanted to be the one helping out at the events, at the forefront and behind the scenes. The ambassador program is a great leadership opportunity.
After I finish student teaching and graduate, I plan to go to graduate school and receive my master's degree in music education. Eventually I want to pursue a doctoral degree. It all depends on God's plan for my life and what job and/or scholarship opportunities are available upon my graduation.
My advice to prospective students is simple. If you have questions, ask! There are so many friendly faculty, staff and students on USM's campus just waiting to help you out. Don't stay confused about financial aid, study abroad or the location of your next class just because you're too embarrassed to ask or because you just don't know who to ask. Even if the person you ask doesn't know the answer, they'll point you in the right direction! Also, don't procrastinate. That is a huge obstacle that I had to overcome my freshman year. I still haven't fully conquered it, but I've learned a lot in the process. Complete assignments as soon as you have time to do so, not at the last minute. Your stress will only increase the longer you put it off. Lastly, have fun and don't forget, "Southern Miss, To The Top!"


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Bradley MooreShared publicly -
The TLDR is always include the attribute rel="noopener noreferrer" with all embedded links that use target="_blank".
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Resist US military intervention and Aquino's puppetry
The recently concluded Strategic Defense Dialogue (SDD) held January 26-28 in Washington D.C. signals the intensification of US military intervention in the Philippines and the entire Asia-Pacific. It also marks the heightened use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) by the US to pursue its objective of suppressing China and becoming the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region. Simultaneously, the US aims for tighter control over Philippine economic and political affairs.


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If there is one thing that the Lndon Nationals have this season, it is veteran leadership. After a disappointing loss in their season opener on Wednesday, London was right back on track in St. Mary's on Sunday thanks to some of those vets. Noah Schwartz had three goals and an assist and Aaron Dartch added two goals and an assist as the Nats defeated St. Mary's 5-1.
London jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old and kept the pace from there. The game did get a little nasty in the third period after Mike Siddall of the Lincolns received a game misconduct for checking from behind. That led to a fight between Tyler Bryden and Dean Pawlaczky and more game misconducts.
Taylor Edwards picked up the win in net for London, making 30 saves.
The Nationals are on the road on Wednesday because of the Western Fair as they face the Vipers in LaSalle.
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Knowing the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series heads into the final stretch in less than two weeks at Tulsa, Okla., world title race leader Kody Lostroh hopes he has shaken off an elbow injury.
He's had almost two months to heal from a torn a tendon on the outside of his left elbow.
Lostroh, 23, of Longmont, Colo., tore the tendon at the BFTS tour stop in late April at Omaha, Neb. If that weren't enough, an MRI showed an older injury on the inside portion of the elbow, and Lostroh sometime will have to undergo surgery to remove bone fragments.
Lostroh began wearing an arm brace, and he managed to make a qualified ride on his long round bulls at the May tour stops in Des Moines, Iowa, and Pueblo, Colo. He advanced to the final round at both shows and extended his lead in the world standings.
After sitting out since mid-May, Lostroh said he'll see how well his elbow is feeling by competing in a few lower-tier shows in San Antonio and Gonzales this weekend.
"I feel really good and I've started working out pretty hard again," Lostroh said, "It feels great as long as I don't twist it."
After competing in the South Texas shows, he's scheduled to compete in Tulsa, Okla., on July 17-19.
One determined cowgirl
When Lindsay Sears arrived at the Reno Rodeo, she was on crutches and nursing a leg injury.
But that didn't stop the defending world champion from winning the barrel racing title at the renowned Nevada show aboard her high-powered mare Martha.
Sears, a former Texas Tech star, sustained a fractured left fibula during a June 21 barrel racing accident in High River, Alberta. After completing her run aboard her back-up horse named Hankey, her leg slammed into an outgate that had been partially closed.
At the Reno Rodeo, Sears entered the finals leading the average. She rode with a brace. Her time of 17.08 seconds was the second fastest in the final round, and Sears won the title with a three-run time of 51.11 and earned $12,314.
Smith in the money
Defending world champion Stran Smith of Childress tied for first in the second round of tie-down roping at the June 24-27 West of the Pecos Rodeo in Pecos with a time of 8.9 seconds, good for $2,022. Tuf Cooper, a 2008 National Finals Rodeo qualifier who is Smith's nephew, finished second in the average and earned $2,633.
A lucrative duo
Ryan Motes of Weatherford and partner Caleb Mitchell had been roping together for only two weeks. But by the way they performed at the renowned Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic on June 21 in Reno, it looked as if they had partnered for a much longer time. Mitchell and Motes each earned almost $75,000 for winning. Motes, 28, is the son of 1977 world champion team roper David Motes, who won his BFI title in 1981.
Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Josh Buchanan of JBScouting.com reports the Jaguars are one of several teams that held a formal interview with Lehigh's versatile offensive lineman Will Rackley in Indianapolis this week. The Seahawks, Giants, Texans, Cardinals, Bengals, Steelers, Saints, Dolphins, Titans, Eagles, Cowboys and Vikings were also listed as teams that sat down with Rackley at the scouting combine.
Rackley was a tackle during his time at Lehigh University, but could make the transition to interior lineman at the NFL level. The 6'3, 309 is most likely to play guard in the NFL, but it is also possible he could play center or tackle.


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BY NOT protesting against the decay of social services and public schooling, all South Africans are to blame for high rates of crime and unemployment among youths, says businesswoman and anti- apartheid activist Dr Mamphela Ramphele.
Speaking at the annual Helen Suzman lecture in Cape Town this week Ramphele urged South African youth to engage in peaceful protest against the moral decay of society "as loud as we did (under apartheid) - even against laws that could have you shot".
"We've had shocking statements made in our public sphere. What kind of ethics allows young people to say Kader Asmal should just lie down and die? In the Free State a young man said (University of Free State Rector Professor) Jonathan Jansen should be shot dead? For what? For making a decision?
"That's the morality of the group which thinks this is a good thing. But what morals make you silent in the face of these words? We should really be outraged," she said.
Ramphele said this was the result of allowing the schooling system to decay to a point where a high number of youths are not attending school anymore.
"And you wonder why you have higher electric fences and youths who will take your cellphone and come back to stab you. They are filled with rage. And you have failed them. We are responsible for the situation we are in now."
Ramphele said these were all signs that SA was at a crossroads, struggling to emerge from the growing pains of its young democracy.
"The issue we are faced with is to rediscover the ideals so many people have dreamt of. We have to (acknowledge) that we have grossly underestimated what is needed to become a society.
"We underestimated the diversions in the journey, pre-1994, that has brought us here and the foundations of our democracy is only emerging now. But we are compelled to double our efforts."
The most telling wound left over from the past is the destruction of family lives, especially among black Africans .
"The social pains of those marginalised by extreme poverty . continue to haunt us and they are crying out for attention. In our streets and villages they are tired of waiting for the fruits of democracy. They are tired of RDP homes and young officials disrespecting them.
"The media is full of reports of corruption and those in authority failing to account for resources. We live in hope that President Jacob Zuma's promise to stop corruption will come to pass. All this corruption. rubs salt in the wounds .."
But Ramphele remained hopeful. "I believe that these challenges are giving us an opportunity for a new beginning. What's needed to make our democracy work is now clear to us. Much is asked of us to make this democracy one that characterises integrity in public life."
Ramphele said Suzman was an example of a person who had taken on the role of the individual, standing against the collectiveness of a group that turned against the rights of black people.
"Helen Suzman was the embodiment of integrity. Her's was a tough time in humanity, but she did not shy away from her responsibilities. For Nelson Mandela it was a commitment to ideals. For Steve Biko it was to honour an ideal . worth living for. All science calls on us to take stock and ask what we have done .."


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PAUL HOLMGREN said on Tuesday that even if the Flyers don't make any roster changes for the rest of the summer, he likes his team.
Does that mean the Flyers are done making moves?
Free agent Simon Gagne told the Daily News yesterday that Holmgren is still in close contact with his agent, Quebec-based Bob Sauve. Gagne said he has received offers from other teams but would like to do anything he can to remain with the Flyers.
Last week, wrapping up a flurry of activity, Holmgren said he wasn't sure what could be accomplished with Gagne.


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December 21, 2012
Thru Looking Glass: US Exports to Middle East?
Kevin Massy, Brookings
Google Images
In Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, the White Queen tells Alice that in her youth she could believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast. If she had been looking at recent projections from the International Energy Agency and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), she might have made it seven: sometime in the not-too-distant future, U.S. energy exports could be passing in through the Straits of Hormuz.
TAGGED: Through The Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll, Middle East, Oil Exports


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Michael Winters will closely monitor weather conditions before deciding whether to run Rebel Fitz and Missunited in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday.
The County Cork trainer reports both horses in fine shape after their mid-season break but he will not risk them on testing conditions.
"The weather forecast doesn't look too good. We had desperate rain on Sunday night so the ground might come very heavy," said Winters.
"Both horses are in great order, they are fit and healthy, but I wouldn't want to pulverise them. We'd love to get a run into them and there are other races to think about.
"There's a race at Mallow (Cork) and the owners might want to go to Cheltenham.
"If the going's bad we won't run them but if they put Gowran off for a week we might have another look.
"Both horses are in great order and they are fit and healthy."
Four of the 12 entries for this Grade Two contest over two miles are from the Willie Mullins stable - Midnight Game, So Young, Thousand Stars and Zaidpour.
The list is completed by Arnaud, Noble Prince, De Valira, Fosters Cross, Hisaabaat and Rory O'Moore.
25 September 2016Happy days for Aidan O'Brien in Renaissance Stakes
Classic-winning trainer Tommy Stack to retire at the end of the year
Eziyra puts Classic claims with Curragh success
Ed Dunlop plays the long game with Red Verdon
Richard Fahey retains faith in vanquished Frankel filly Queen Kindly
One-mile race at Salisbury in jeopardy on Wednesday
Wesley Ward finds possible reason for Lady Aurelia Newmarket reverse
Owen Burrows calls time on Massaat season
Henry de Bromhead has chasing in mind for Identity Thief
Ed Vaughan heads to Ascot with Mehronissa
Arc favourite Postponed pleases in Saturday workout
Spark Plug fires up for Cambridgeshire glory at Newmarket
The Last Lion sparks Group One celebrations for birthday boy Joe Fanning
Cheveley Park first for Aidan O'Brien as Brave Anna tops Lady Aurelia
Hugo Palmer has Derby dream for Best Of Days
Paul Hanagan speculation news to me - Angus Gold
Capri leads Aidan O'Brien's four-strong challenge on Beresford heat
Perle De La Mer seeks to sparkle in Park Stakes date
Forgotten Rules aiming to issue Loughbrown reminder
24 September 2016Waterlogging claims Roscommon card
Hugo Palmer retains faith in Escobar despite Newmarket eclipse
No retirement plans for Gordon Lord Byron ahead of Renaissance run
Jack Kennedy sidelined after Downpatrick fall
Fair Eva grounded by French flyer Spain Burg
Cougar Mountain peaks at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore
Newmarket winner Journey takes familiar route towards Ascot
John Gosden has the last Laugh at Newmarket
Bronze Angel bids for third Cambridgeshire gold in vintage renewal
Best Of Days and Hugo Palmer ready for Royal rumble at Newmarket
Blue Point and Mehmas face Middle Park rematch
Wesley Ward expecting Lady Aurelia to show her best in Cheveley Park test
Colm Murphy announces shock retirement news
23 September 2016Jack Kennedy hospitalised after Downpatrick fall
Fair Eva outgunned by Spain Burg in Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket
Aidan O'Brien fields four as he seeks another Beresford success
Joseph O'Brien eyeing Breeders' Cup bid with Intricately
Moon Racer comes out on top in Perth battle of Champion Bumper winners
Justice Belle shines as gallant Seamour second again
Ground means German raid scrapped for Hawkbill
'Guineas horse' Larchmont Lad too good in Tattersalls Stakes
Eminent performance from Frankel newcomer at Newmarket
Joel Stakes regular Custom Cut bidding for more Newmarket glory
Seventh furlong expected to help Fair Eva in Rockfel challenge
Charlie Appleby gives Blue Point the chance to shine in Middle Park at Newmarket
Lady Aurelia spearheads Cheveley Park sextet at Newmarket
22 September 2016Alterations announced to Weight For Age Scale
Aidan O'Brien fires twin assault at Royal Lodge at Newmarket
'Disappointed' Johnny Murtagh rules Eddystone Rock out of Cambridgeshire
Gary Moore considers Tingle Creek onslaught with stable stars
Sir Michael Stoute considers Lingfield Listed challenge for prolific Dubka
Frankel colt Atty Persse makes Godolphin switch
John Gosden warns favourite Sacred Act unlikely to take Cambridgeshire chance
Sky Hunter books Melbourne ticket with Foundation success
The Gurkha retired to Coolmore in 2017
Adrian Heskin makes winning start to new rider role with Tom George
Psychedelic Funk ruled out of Middle Park run following gallops injury
Brian Ellison seeking Seamour success in Bowl test
Hathal bypasses Joel option in favour of French outing
Moon Racer and Ballyandy clash over hurdles at Perth
Hugo Palmer in bullish mood as Escobar set Newmarket poser


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Kinderhook Industries-owned direct marketing services companies Spectra Products and Take 5 Solutions have merged, John Lofquist, director of marketing and communications at Take 5 told Direct Marketing News.
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Wow what a lively thread. Lots of good information (thanks Ron, Rob et
al) and behavioural commentary (thanks Skip) but it seems to be of no
As I'm the only one awake in Volos at 10:30am and I have 40 cafes with
WiFi to myself I'll waste bandwidth and tell a little story with no
stated conclusions.
Three 9fans get into a taxi and need to get to Volos Bus Station. They
only speak English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Signing between them - no Greek. How do they get to
the bus station for the minimum fare (3 euros)? Sounds like a bad
joke, but it really happened. Answer at the end.
Fictional scenario: same thing with three Linux/BSD fans who only
speak English, Bash and Emacs. Their solution:
1) Whine at the taxi driver - cost 1 euro
2) Shout "why doesn't this cab run emacs?" - cost 1 euro
3) Download a language package, discover they have incompatible shared
libraries - cost 2 euros
4) Shout "mmap() me to the bus station" - cost 2 euros
5) Take out a phrase book and order a goat and a fishing village - cost 5 euros
6) Get dumped at a distant fishing village where they are savagely
beaten and dragged aboard a fishing boat as slaves - cost all their
worldly possessions
7) Get dumped back at Volos, because they can't fish without emacs,
wearing only shorts that smell of mackerel and one shoe between them -
time share the shoe and walk to the bus station - no charge
And the answer to the original question? The taxi driver spoke
Spanish. The 9fans tip 1 euro.
Sorry for wasting your time.
-- pages of replies -- elided


text:
For this challenge, you'll need to play Got It! Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?
Draw a square. A second square of the same size slides around the
first always maintaining contact and keeping the same orientation.
How far does the dot travel?
Take any two digit number, for example 58. What do you have to do to reverse the order of the digits? Can you find a rule for reversing the order of digits for any two digit number?
How could you describe the squares that are formed?
What is the relationship between the square numbers and the first and
last numbers in their respective sequence of consecutive odd numbers?


text:
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3696
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In the Year Two Thousand Eleven
An Act relative to public health data sharing with the Boston Public Health Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Paragraph (a) of Section 1 of appendix 2 of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "prevention," the following words:-
public health surveillance,
SECTION 2. Section 2 of appendix 2 of chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following definitions:-
"Department", the Massachusetts department of public health.
"Division", the Massachusetts division of health care finance and policy.
"Public health surveillance", the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data for use in planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and practice, to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health.
SECTION 3. Section 7 of appendix 2 of chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (a)(16), the following subsection:-
(17) To receive, in a timely manner, confidential health data pertaining to the residents of the city from the department and the division for the purposes of public health surveillance and the preparation of the annual assessment of the public health needs of the city, said health data, unless specified otherwise, shall include either the zip code or census tract of the individual case and shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) Records of births and deaths in the city, including address, zip code and census tract for each record, no later than February 15th of the year following the closure of the data set;
(B) Records of infant deaths linked to birth records, including address, zip code and census tract for each record, no later than February 15th of the year following the closure of the data set;
(C) Records of fetal deaths, no later than February 15th of the year following the closure of the data set;
(D) Case reports of HIV/AIDS diagnoses, provided that these reports shall be submitted not more than one month after receipt by the department of a case report and that such case reports shall include name and address for the purposes of prevention and control activities;
(E) Case reports of venereal disease, provided that these reports shall be submitted not more than three days after identification of a case and that such case reports shall include name, address, demographic, risk factor and treatment information for the purposes of surveillance, prevention and disease control activities;
(F) Records of venereal disease cases, including address data for each case, provided annually within thirty days of finalizing the annual data set;
(G) Records of nonfatal assault-related gunshot and stabbing injuries, reported annually;
(H) Data from the Massachusetts behavioral risk factor surveillance system, provided within two months of finalizing data set;
(I) Data from the Massachusetts cancer registry, provided annually;
(J) Data regarding participants in the women, infants, and children program, provided annually;
(K) Data from the pregnancy risk assessment and monitoring system, provided annually;
(L) For the purposes of program evaluation of substance abuse prevention and treatment activities within the city, substance abuse treatment admissions data, provided once every six months;
(M) Data of hospital discharges, provided annually;
(N) Data of hospital observational cases, provided annually; and
(O) Data of hospital emergency room visits, provided annually.


text:
Text: English, Chinese (translation)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Buddhist Text Translation Society, San Francisco, CA, 1976. Paperback. First Edition, First Printing, so stated. Very Near Fine in Wraps: shows only the most minute indications of use: just a hint of rubbing and the faintest toning to the white background field of the wrapper covers; there is a small, very faint thumb smudge at the fore-edge; faint foxing at the top edge. The Binding shows barely discernible lean, while remaining perfectly secure; the text is clean. Very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 339pp. Primary Translation by Bhikshuni Heng Yin and reviewed by Bhikshuni Heng Ch'ih. Edited by Bhikshu Heng Kuan and Upasaka Kuo Chou Rounds. Trade Paperback. First Edition, First Printing, so stated. Bookseller Inventory # 43497
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text:
Dawn hadn't yet touched the verdant hills of Pasadena, Calif., when Police Lt Terry Blumenthal received word that six state helicopters, flying in formation, were bearing down on his community. Their payload: a 1,050-gallon dose of the controversial pesticide malathion, to be dumped on the city's houses, pools and gardens. Blumenthal climbed into his chopper and headed south to intercept the offending helicopters. "We have you flying in formation below 700 feet, in violation of ordinance No. 9.42.010," he said into his microphone as he spotted the choppers. "I have to ask you to cease and desist"
"Affirmative," came the brisk reply from the state pilot. "We acknowledge your transmission."
Yet the trail of white chemicals continued. "Are you going to keep on spraying?" Blumenthal asked in amazement "Correct" the pilot responded firmly.
That astonishing exchange was the latest flare-up of a mini-revolt brewing in Southern California. The battle is over the state's use of malathion, a pesticide used to control the dreaded Mediterranean fruit fly. After one of the pests was discovered last July near Dodger Stadium, state officials, fearing that the medfly might endanger California's $16.5 billion agricultural industry, ordered 383 heavily inhabited square miles of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties to be blanketed with sticky white pesticide-laced corn syrup. Eerily reminiscent of Apocalypse Now, more than 60 predawn helicopter missions have taken place in the past eight months.
Although malathion has been sprayed over several parts of the state for more than a decade, residents of Southern California fear that repeated aerial sprayings and additional contaminants in the mix may increase the risk of toxicity. Since August 10,000 complaints of nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and flu symptoms have been reported to antimalathion organizations. "If the spraying is safe, why are we being told to stay indoors and cover our cars?" asks State Assemblyman Tom Hayden, who, along with 18 (of 50) fellow legislators, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, has petitioned Gov. George Deukmejian to halt spraying pending further health studies. Demonstrations are taking place from Glendale to Garden Grove, joined by celebrities Ted Danson, Mariel Hemingway and John Candy.
"It's an election year," says State Health Services Chief Kenneth Kizer, who suggests that malathion opponents are stirring up "unfounded anxiety." That opinion is supported by UC Riverside toxicologist Carl Winter. "More is known about malathion than any other pesticide," he says. "It is about one-eighteenth as toxic as the flea-and-tick killer in pet collars. I'm confident spraying doesn't pose significant health threats."
Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Health certified malathion safe in 1980, although critics now assert that newly required additional studies of the pesticide have yet to be completed. Perhaps more disturbing, the author of the original 1980 report, a former California State health official named Marc A. Lappe, recently reported that his cautionary conclusions had been watered down. "Malathion can be quite dangerous to infants, the elderly and the infirm," he says. "The public has been ramrodded into accepting this without their basic right to a full airing."
As the program enters its ninth month, charges and countercharges continue to fly. Citing a 1985 National Toxicology Program study indicating that malathion causes liver and thyroid cancer in rats and mice, Pasadena oncologist H. Rex Greene says, "Only a minute amount of a carcinogenic substance is needed to induce cancer. Repeated sprayings increase the probability of complications later in life." Deukmejian has linked his political credibility to the issue. "Hundreds and hundreds of studies have been done," he says. "I know in my heart that what we're doing is not harmful to the people."
At the center of the controversy is a blue-eyed, orange-bodied insect, smaller than a housefly, which was first discovered in Southern California in 1975. Although the species eats more than 250 different kinds of fruits and vegetables, pregnant females are partial to soft-skinned fruits like nectarines, peaches and apricots. They lay their eggs inside the fruit, rendering the pulp into an unappetizing—and inedible—goop.
The medfly has resisted all efforts to control it, despite a $175 million containment campaign over the past 15 years. In addition to using malathion, millions of gamma-zapped sterile male flies are released whenever an infestation occurs. "Eradication efforts just haven't worked," says UC Davis entomologist and state medfly adviser James R. Carey. "We can knock the numbers down to a low level, but they're still there."
Angry California citizens have begun fighting toxification without representation. In February, city councils in L.A., Glendale, and Burbank sued state and L.A. county officials to force a halt to the spraying until further studies are completed. Spraying is scheduled to be stopped in May, but until then, state officials remain steadfast in their policy. Recently the FAA warned Pasadena police and other municipal officials that the city has no legal control of the airspace over its city. "We'll see about that," steamed Pasadena Mayor William E. Thomson. "We're in court over this matter, and we'll find out who's right."
—Susan Reed, Dan Knapp in Los Angeles
Californians Take Issue with the Pesticide Malathion, Which Comes in on Medfly Wings and a Sprayer
updated 04/02/1990 AT 01:00 AM EDT
•originally published 04/02/1990 AT 01:00 AM EDT


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What a difference a spin move makes.
On Saturday morning, Raven Saunders was virtually unknown when it came to high school track and field. She was a state champion in the shot put, but wasn't considered elite. Two schools were interested in her talent: South Carolina State and Queens College.
But later in the day, she proved that she is among the best female high school shot putters this nation has ever seen. She competed in the JDL Holiday Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., and had a put for the ages. The Bulldogs senior put the shot 53 feet, 81/4 inches to record the fourth best indoor mark by a female high school athlete. And just like that, her name - and results - went coast-to-coast. Schools such as Oregon, Duke, LSU and Virginia Tech were suddenly interested in Saunders.
Only three girls have had better indoor tosses at the high school level. Michelle Carter of Red Oak, Texas, owns the record of 54-91/2, set in 2003. Maggie Ewen of St. Francis, Minn. is second with a put of 54-1 in 2013. Laura Gerraughty of Nashua, N.H. is third with 53-11 in 2001.
Carter went on to compete in the 2008 Olympics and is the current American record holder at 66-43/4. Ewen is currently a freshman at the University of Arizona, while Gerraughty was a 10-time All-American at the University of North Carolina. She also was on the 2004 Olympic team.
And then there's Saunders, who benefited in a change in technique.
"It was the result of implementing what I was practicing," said Saunders, an All-Lowcountry selection last spring after winning the Class AA state title with a put of 35-101/2 and the discus with a heave of 136 feet, 9 inches. "After the state meet last year, I decided the spin move might be better than the glide. I've been working and working and working to get better."
The spin move is more complex than the glide and was popularized in 1972 by former world-record holder Aleksander Baryshnikov of the Soviet Union. The spin move was created by his coach, Viktor Alexeyev. It involves rotating like a discus thrower and using rotational movement and momentum for power.
"I knew going into this year I was going to have to develop a whole new work ethic," Saunders said. "I went from 90 to 100 percent to 110 percent. I started eating, sleeping and thinking shot put. In fact, I don't even hang out with my friends."
Saunders seems like a prohibitive favorite to break the state outdoor record in May. The current record is 44-7, set by Westside's Ayokka Green in 1993.
"I just have to stay healthy and work hard," Saunders said. "The crazy thing is that when I started my high school career, I looked up the record and saw Michelle Carter's name. I wanted to be as good, if not better, than her."
Saunders' hard work also extends to the classroom. She has a B average and will take college prep courses at Trident Technical College next semester.
She will continue to make the rounds on the indoor track and field circuit.
"I will go into the meets as if it were practice," she said. "That way, I can keep the nerves down."
And the distances up.


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ALLEN PARK - The Detroit Lions' top two draft picks - first-round Nick Fairley and second-round Titus Young - are still sidelined with injuries. Fairley was not on the field at the start of practice and might be out of town seeking a second (or third) opinion on his injured left foot. Fairley suffered the injury on Monday and was in a walking boot during Tuesday's workout.
The Lions have refused to comment on any details of Fairley's injury.
"When we have something, we'll give it to you guys,'' said Lions president Tom Lewand.
Young suffered a leg injury, possibly a hamstring pull, halfway through Detroit's first practice last Friday and has not returned to the field.
Running back Maurice Morris, who injured his hand during Tuesday's workout, is also sidelined today.
After the Lions released linebacker Zack Follett, the Lions signed free agent defensive end Greg Banks of Michigan.
The Lions are also expected to re-sign Bobby Carpenter, who was at practice this morning watching from the sideline.
"If everything goes well, there's a good chance we'll be in a position to add him later,'' Lewand said.
With the league year expected to begin Thursday - and signed free agents will be allowed to practice - Lewand said he expects defensive end Cliff Avril to sign his one-year tender and report to camp. Avril is a restricted free agent and originally had a first- and third-round tender applied to him. That meant that a team that signed him would have to compensate the Lions with a first- and third-round draft pick (assuming the Lions didn't match the offer sheet).
In the new collective bargaining agreement, though, that first- and third-round tender was eliminated. The Lions then switched to the "new'' highest tender offer - a first-rounder.
"I would expect Cliff will be in to sign his tender at some time before (Thursday),'' Lewand said.


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MOBILE, Alabama - L'Arche Mobile is deeply involved in the ServisFirst Bank First Light Marathon and Half Marathon. Not surprising, since Sunday's 13th annual event is a fundraiser for the L'Arche Mobile Foundation. But it's not only the organization that's tied to the race. It's L'Arche core member Willie M., who'll fire the starter's pistol; Jaime M., who's participating in the fun run; Sarah H., who designed the awards; the runners on the L'Arche relay team; and all the core members who'll be at the finish line to present a medallion to each finisher.
L'Arche Mobile is a community where "people with intellectual disabilities and those who can help them live, work and share their lives together." Core members are the people with disabilities who are living the L'Arche life. Team members are the folks who help them.
The most visible evidence of the L'Arche core members' participation in the race will come at the finish line on Sunday. They've been working with team members at the Thomas B. Barnett L'Arche Mobile Activity Center since September on the medals and plaques that runners will receive - more than 2,300 medallions and 1,000 canvases - carrying a design by Sarah H., with support from Bridget Mulroy, one of the activity center's coordinators.
They've also made birthday cards for some runners, cards for 50 Staters (runners who try to complete a marathon in every state) and welcome cards for the 40 or so L'Arche core members visiting from other communities. About 400 back-to-back marathoners - running in the Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson on Saturday and the First Light on Sunday -- get a special plaque, too. The activity center also made gifts for the First Light volunteers.
"Our main mission in L'Arche is building relationships and recognizing people need each other," Mulroy said. "Having an event on this large a scale helps us work together.
"They're making something they can be proud of, and it connects them to the community."
The center's race awards are so nice, a former First Light runner has the core members make them for a race he started in California.
The back of each plaque has a biography sheet about the core member who painted it, with each adding his or her particular design flair to the award. Nineteen core members have bios going out on awards this year.
"After the marathon, runners will send cards or gifts to whoever made their canvas," Mulroy said. "So you can see the connection that's been made."
The marathon and half marathon start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
Runners can register at the L'Arche office at 151 S. Ann St. in Mobile and at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until noon Thursday or online until midnight Friday. Registration also will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday in the atrium at Mobile Government Plaza.
The postrace party will be held at Bienville Square.


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6 Comments
Happy new year to you too, my dear! I wish you all the best!
You too Nicole!
Happy New Year to you too!! I think this is going to be one great year!
Happy New year to you all, hope good luck comes your way in 2010.
Best of luck to us all this year!!!!!
– pssssst i'm ginivg away a print of the photo you liked of the beach.{don't tell anyone, but i'm sending you a copy too—even if someone else wins.} guess what! i won a printer from shutter sisters! crazy, hah? i couldn't believe it. when is our next diptych??Georgia's last blog post..


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I'll be watching and waiting, now that you have gone public...!
My life has been in an uproar since mid-December. Lots of individual high-stress events blurred into some really crappy (well, tasty wheaty) eating, serious sleep deprivation, and almost no exercise.
Things are getting back under control finally, but the fall out is still with me.
Nearly-permanent dark circles under my eyes, bad skin, digestive issues, and what feels like massive water retention.
It used to be I could jump right back on the primal wagon after a 20% day and be good as new with a day of eating primal and drinking lots of tea/water. Not this time. Of course I keep eating bits of crap that used to stay under the radar, but now that I've triggered some kind of reaction to them, affect me cumulatively.
I've got a 3-day weekend, lots of outdoor work on the farm, and a motivated, helpful partner. I'm going to sleep as much as I can, ditch the non-primal food, and move around a lot. Re-boot.
ANyway, I'm posting this here as a declaration of intent. Now that it's public, I'll have to follow through
I'll be watching and waiting, now that you have gone public...!
I have a mantra that I have spouted for years... "If I eat right, I feel right. If I feel right, I exercise right. If I exercise right, I think right. If I think right, I eat right..." Phil-SC
Good luck with the reboot! And I just got back from a visit to your blog and farm site (linked from the potato diet thread) and was admiring your flock and your cool eggs! I have 6 girls, three RIR and three Delawares. They have hardly slowed down at all this winter - I get 6 eggs at least several days per week, including today! Interesting comments about the breeds - thanks for putting that info online.
Jealous of your Delawares Marthat. I have some barred rocks and some red sexlinks. I love my red girls. They are so friendly and active. I really, really REALLY want some Delawares, though.
I randomly got mine through a local farm store. They were all supposed to be pullets, but one barred rock turned out to be a rooster. He's a beautiful boy.
The process is simple: Free your mind, and your ass will follow.
We had Delawares for a while. They were decent layers, but I don't really like white birds so we moved them along.
One nice thing about experimenting with chickens is that we always have lots of eggs. We just got out of selling eggs commercially and are going to breed olive-eggers this year. Hope to have the incubator going in a couple of weeks.
We also just filled the freezer with 1.5 pigs, so that will help the reboot. Homegrown tastes so much better.
Welcome back - missed your posts/presence. Very much enjoy your blog.
"Right is right, even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it." - St. Augustine
Who says back fat is a bad thing? Maybe on a hairy guy at the beach, but not on a crab.
I am excited, and cannot wait for my beef on the hoof to go to freezer camp this december. Seems like forever from now, but it will be SO nice not having to buy beef for awhile.
I still have our chicken in the freezer, but I am just about tired of eating chicken now! Guy down the road will have some feeder pigs soon. I will jump right on those as soon as he's selling.
Hurry up garden season.
The process is simple: Free your mind, and your ass will follow.
Sometimes there is so much interwebs going on I need to take a break. But I really enjoy hanging out with people on this path, so here I am.
Starting my day with coffee, cream, and a giant mug of roasted chicken broth. Then out to lift heavy things for a bit. I have some low-grade bug, so trying to ease back into primal life this weekend. Getting 8+ hours of good sleep sure helped.
Pigs are nice to raise, but we still need to tweak our infrastructure before the next batch. We kept expanding their run so they could graze/root more, but we got extra rain and they grew pretty fast, so things got muddier than I liked. Next time we'll set up a run just for when they're small, then open that up to a much bigger area sooner. We tried to keep them in hard fence, but a couple of hot wires should be fine as long as they have plenty to eat.
Planning to get a batch of pork belly on the smoker this week too. Yum!


text:
The NBA Finals this past weekend saw the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat, thus ending the Big Three's bid for their own big three trophies, and I could not have been happier.
I will readily admit my distaste for LeBron "The King" James and his ilk. I admittedly want to like Dewayne Wade, but that's tough to do so long as his success also becomes LeBron's success.
While I participated in the timeless traditions of getting beat by my wife in putt-putt while on vacation in Daytona and watching the Braves pull out a late win over the Angels, I reveled in the fact that Miami would not get to call themselves the defending NBA champs for another year.
It brought such a smile to my face, honestly.
But why?
Why was I so joyful at watching Miami lose? I'm not really a San Antonio fan, I'm not. True, Miami is in Atlanta's division, and we often find ourselves at odds with Miami sports teams, so I have those reasons to dislike the Heat, but it goes beyond that. There are fans all over the country who hate LeBron more than they like any particular NBA team.
Is it simply because LeBron James is the supposed greatest of all time? Or is it because he deigns to capture such a lofty title?
It could perhaps be a combination of the two, but consider this. People often point and say that LeBron James will never live up to Michael Jordan and we should hate him for trying, but did we say any of that to Michael Jordan?
Did people look at His Airness and tell him that he was being rude because he tried to be better than Bill Russell or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
Sure, there was a video game called "Jordan vs. Bird," and pretty much every kid had it on their NES, but that's not a criticism so much as it is awesome.
My grandfather is an avowed Yankees fan. I can't stand it, admittedly, but he is. I, for one, can't stand the old Bronx Bombers, which may have a lot to do with them having beaten the Braves for a couple of World Series back in the day, but enough of that.
I even had the gall to deride my own father for wearing a Yankees hat on Father's Day. Son of the year, folks. Son of the year.
If you ask my grandfather or my dad why they like the Yankees, they'll tell you it's because of all the greats who have graced Yankee Stadium and donned the pinstripes, and we let it pass.
Nowadays, if someone tells you they follow a team (like the Yankees) because of all the great players they have, you'll laugh and call them a bandwagon fan.
Now I don't mean to insinuate that my grandfather is a...ahem...a dirty bandwagon fan. Heavens, no. He just admired the talent of those great ballplayers.
So what happened? At one point did we stop being able to admire talent? I've done it. The only NBA game I've ever been to was a Hawks vs. Bulls game where Jordan came to play in Atlanta for one of the last times ever. I wanted to see this man who had played with Bugs Bunny.
Now, if you cheer for the winning team, you're not a real fan. You're no longer allowed to like someone who's good. We expect all fans to suffer through mediocrity and disappointment like we do annually.
Oddly enough, we did the same thing to the Cowboys in Jordan's era. We hated them for being the best.
While there is merit in being a die-hard fan of a team, and I would never advocate for switching to become the new norm, maybe we have grown too harsh in admonishing the great and those who adore them.
Then again, what about Tim Duncan? After the Spurs beat Miami, people started coming out of the woodwork to hail Tim Duncan as one of the greatest ever. So why, as a society, do we not hate him?
I'm sure fans of the Heat, the Thunder and the Mavericks hate Duncan, but I don't. Do you? Probably not. Why does he get a pass? He's great, too.
Is it because we just don't want our greatest to actually believe that they are the greatest? Do we want them to just be quiet about it and not assume that they're great?
If we're being honest, the great Jordan was no patron saint of humility. He knew he was the best in the game and he wanted you to know it, too. Not that that makes him bad, but we tend to think it makes LeBron bad.
So what is it? Is it the arrogance of his TV special four years ago? Is it just his general demeanor? Is it because we all have built up Jordan to be our idol and we don't want anyone to challenge him?
I can't answer these questions. The only one I can answer is this one: Yes, I will keep hating LeBron James.
Hate on, haters.


text:
Scholarly Programs
Symposia & Conferences | Webinars | Upcoming Programs | Workshops | Past Events
Symposia & Conferences
Sōtatsu in Washington: Insights, Discoveries, and Reflections
Freer, Meyer Auditorium
Saturday, October 24, 2–5:30 pm
Sōtatsu: Making Waves is the first comprehensive exposition of the art of Tawaraya Sōtatsu (active circa 1600–1640) in a Western museum. The exhibition also provides the first opportunity to see notable Sōtatsu paintings acquired by Charles Lang Freer alongside other important Sōtatsu works from world collections. In this colloquium, the international scholars who conceived and developed the exhibition summarize their contributions to the project and share insights garnered from this extensive undertaking.
Sōtatsu's Times: Perspectives on the Culture and Politics of Kyoto
Freer, Meyer Auditorium
Saturday, December 5, 10 am–5 pm
In this symposium, scholars from several disciplines discuss the social history, literature, religion, art, and patronage that shaped Sōtatsu's work and life. Speakers include Mary Elizabeth Berry on Kyoto's social history, Joshua S. Mostow on the Tales of Ise, Morgan Pitelka on Kyoto culture in the early seventeenth century, Tomoko Sakomura on Sōtatsu's many inspirations, and Jacqueline I. Stone on religion in Kyoto during the artist's time.
Upcoming Programs
Chinese Object Study Workshops
Sophisticated visual analysis is a hallmark of art history and depends on skills acquired through the direct study of objects. These skills must be taught and practiced. Yet as graduate art history curricula have expanded to include training in methodology, historiography, and theory, training in object study has all but disappeared. The problem is exacerbated for students of Chinese art history, whose graduate curricula must also include language courses and related subjects such as religion, literature, and history.
Chinese Object Study Workshopsis a program that provides graduate students in Chinese art history an immersive experience in the study of objects. The week-long workshops will help students develop the skills necessary for working with objects, introduce them to conservation issues not readily encountered in typical graduate art history curricula, and familiarize them with important American museum collections.
Past Events
In the Dig House: Behind the Scenes in Archaeology
April 25, 2015
Whistler and Kiyochika: Modernity, Melancholy, and the Nocturne
May 14, 2014
Whistler Object Study Workshop
June 9–12, 2014
Medical and Modern Yoga
January 11, 2014
Yoga and Visual Culture: An Interdisciplinary Symposium
November 21–23, 2013
The Legacy of Cyrus the Great: Iran and Beyond
April 27, 2013
Crossroads of Culture: The Archaeology of Saudi Arabia
November 17, 2012
The Art of Itō Jakuchū
March 30, 2012
Imperial Exposure: Early Photography and Royal Portraits across Asia
December 5–6, 2011
Palaces of Art: Whistler and the Art Worlds of Aestheticism
October 27–28, 2011
Art and Material Culture of the Northern Qi Period
June 3–5, 2011
Piety, Poetry, and Politics: Sufi Muslims in South Asia
April 28–30, 2011
Historians Of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) Second Biennial Symposium: "Objects, Collections, And Cultures"
October 21–23, 2010
Forbes Symposium
October 28–29, 2010


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The Fujiwara's first building projects concentrated on Chūson-ji (中尊寺), which had been founded by a Tendai priest from Kyoto in the mid-ninth century. Of the temple's forty original buildings, only two remain: Konjiki-dō (the Golden Hall) and the nearby sutra repository, Kyōzō. They sit on a forested hilltop, alongside a number of more recent structures, on the main bus route north from Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi stations (20min and 5min respectively).
From the main road, a broad avenue leads uphill past minor temples sheltering under towering cryptomeria trees, until you reach the first building of any size, the Hon-dō, at the top on the right-hand side. A few minutes further on, set back on the left, a concrete hall shelters Chūson-ji's greatest treasure. The Konjiki-dō (金色堂) is tiny – only 5.5 square metres – and protected behind plate glass, but it's still an extraordinary sight. The whole structure, bar the roof tiles, gleams with thick gold leaf, while the altar inside is smothered in mother-of-pearl inlay and delicate, gilded copper friezes set against dark, burnished lacquer. The altar's central image is of Amida Nyorai, flanked by a host of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and guardian kings, all swathed in gold. This extravagant gesture of faith and power took fifteen years to complete and was unveiled in 1124; later, the mummified bodies of the four Fujiwara lords were buried under its altar.
Behind the Konjiki-dō, the second of Chūson-ji's original buildings, the Kyōzō, is not nearly so dramatic. This small, plain hall, erected in 1108, used to house more than five thousand Buddhist sutras written in gold or silver characters on rich, indigo paper. The hall next door to the Kyōzō was built in 1288 to shelter the Konjiki-dō – and now houses an eclectic collection of oil paintings – while, across the way, there's a much more recent nō stage where outdoor performances are held in summer by firelight (Aug 14), and during Hiraizumi's two major festivals in spring and autumn. Finally, the road beside the entrance to the Konjiki-dō leads to the modern Sankōzō (讃衡蔵), a museum containing what remains of Chūson-ji's treasures. The most valuable items are a statue of the Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Goddess of Mercy), a number of sutra scrolls and a unique collection of lacy metalwork decorations (kalavinkas), which originally hung in the Konjiki-dō.


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Duration - 5 Day Course
Public Course Location - Ipswich, Queensland
This qualification is an accredited course and Nationally Recognised Training from the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package (2009 version 1).
This qualification is delivered under a partnership agreement with Industry Pathways (NPN:32513).Enrol Now in Dump Truck + Mining Induction
This is a 5 day face-to-face course, the first day commencing at 8.30am at our training centre. Each training day's activities vary so the duration of the days and the program will be communicated to you by the trainers on arrival. There will be night time driving competencies so you will need to be available for evening training.
This Dump Truck, Mining Induction & 4WD course is structured so participants learn theoretical knowledge and gain practical experience operating a Caterpillar 773, 100 tonne, dump truck, in a replicated mining environment that follows the same policies and procedures found at many mines so students gain a solid foundation that leads to employment.
In addition to the Dump Truck course, you will gain the the Mining Induction & 4WD competencies at the same time. This is a unique package and training opportunity offered at a great rate.
Full assessment details are available on the course description PDF.
Eligible candidates must be 18 years or over and hold a current car driver's licence.
This Dump Truck, Mining Induction & 4WD course requires you to bring a water bottle, hi-vis shirt with tape, steel cap boots (minimum 170mm high), hard hat, riggers gloves, long pants (either jeans or work pants).
Also, for the Mining Induction course, you're required to bring photo ID and a laptop so we can put information and notes on a disc (48 hours notice is required if you do not have a laptop).
Dump Truck Training Units
Mining Induction Training Units
*As per the Mining Inspectorate, this unit requires sign off on a mine site or simulated mine site.
Enrol Now in Dump Truck + Mining Induction
All participants are required to competently complete the day and night practical and theory assessments.
For the full details about this course, please download the course description PDF document.
On successful completion of this Dump Truck & Mining Induction course students will receive
(Please note: For Mining Induction students, you will need to attend a one-day refresher program at a minimum of every 5 years, however most mine sites require this to be done more frequently).
*Mining Induction meets the requirements of QLD Standard 11 Training
**Workplace Assessment - For students who are not actively employed in the industry at the time the training course was completed, you will have to engage in mining employment to complete the workplace activities before you can officially complete and finish the course. Students receive a Statement of Completion after the course completion and once the workplace assessment is handed in a Statement of Attainment is issued!
Prior to working on a coal mine, a worker must undergo a medical examination in accordance with the Coal Mine Workers' Health Scheme. The examination includes an assessment of the worker's ability to perform the job.
This medical examination must be performed by a Nominated Medical Adviser (NMA), a doctor nominated by a mine operator to conduct health assessments. A coal mine workers health assessment is valid for up to 5 years.
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*If the Dump Truck Training + Mining Induction course date you want isn't listed here, check our full Training Calendar.
40 Austin Street, New Chum, Queensland
Training Aid Australia provides other training courses for the Mining Industry including:
For more information about these courses, please feel free to contact us.


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Featured Golf News
Two Variations of Incredible Links at Ireland's Rosapenna Golf Resort
Aficionados can sometimes be a little stuffy about the way golf courses are labeled as links, which involve criteria such as seaside location, terrain, sandy base and exposure to the elements.
Aerial View of Rosapenna Golf Resort
A trip to the remarkable Rosapenna Golf Resort, set in County Donegal on the remote Rosguill Peninsula in the extreme northwest of Ireland, gives links lovers heaping helpings of the golf they crave and a destination that stands out even among the great courses bordering the Emerald Isle's coast.
Playing golf here is like a dream, especially in the summer when there are 17-plus hours of sunshine, enough light to tee it up at 5 a.m. and walk off the last green at 10:15 at night.
Golf has been played here since 1891 at a course originally designed by Old Tom Morris, and the experience continues to expand and improve. The initial growth of the offerings at Rosapenna came in 2003 with the debut of a new 18 holes - Sandy Links, fashioned by famed Irish golf architect-writer Pat Ruddy of Ballyliffin Glashedy and European Club fame. In 2009, Ruddy routed a new front nine (the Strand nine) at the Old Tom Morris Course, bringing the facility to 45 holes.
The Stunning 14th hole at the Old Tom Morris Links
Most recently, Rosapenna's owners acquired the 370 acres and 36 holes formerly known as St. Patrick's Golf Links, in the process broadening the resort to 81 holes and making the picturesque enclave on Sheephaven Bay the second-largest links golf destination in Europe, after only St. Andrews in Scotland. (Tom Doak and Ruddy are among the designers under consideration to handle the reworking of St. Patrick's Golf Links.)
Rosapenna has been owned and operated by the Casey family since 1981, and has seen the resort grow from one 18-hole course with a 40-bedroom hotel to a resort that also boasts a four-star, 66-bedroom hotel; a leisure center; and a golf pavilion and practice facility with its own 12-hole, par-3 course alongside the lodgings.
I have to admit I knew very little about Rosapenna before venturing to Ireland last summer as part of a 10-day, eight-course excursion. Now, when folks ask me about my most memorable golf experiences in Ireland my rounds at Rosapenna are at the top of the list.
The 12th Green at the Old Tom Morris Links
at Rosapenna
Wowed by Old Tom's Work
Our trip to Rosapenna was supposed to focus on the newer Sandy Hills course, but our group arrived at the isolated resort in time to play nine on the Old Tom Morris Links before dinner. We were recommended to play the back side, and the hour and a half spent walking the track in scattered rain and some wind was worth the trip on its own.
Back in 1891, the fourth Earl of Leitrim, who owned most of the property, enticed Old Tom to come over from St. Andrews to lay out a pleasurable links in the valley between the sandy beach and a high dune ridge on the inland side. The course had to be placed in these lowlands because Morris lacked the earthmoving technology necessary to tackle the higher ground.
The site, which incorporates wide, rolling fairways amidst the undulating terrain, was so good for golf that 15 of the original 18 putting surface were completely natural. Harry Vardon and James Braid, themselves famed designers, added bunkers and length to the course in the early 20th century as the golf ball and equipment improved. But they left the greens untouched.
Statue Overlooking the 18th Green
at Old Tom Morris Links
The current back half at Old Tom Morris Links (now called the Valley nine) was originally the course's outward side and has undergone some changes (by H.S. Colt and Vardon) since Morris first laid out the track.
Ruddy's Strand Nine replaces the original back half, which played across the main road on a number of holes. These new holes offer striking views across Mulroy Bay and are routed through the low-lying dunes to the east of Sandy Hills, fitting seamlessly in with Old Tom's original work.
Together, the Strand and Valley nines play to a par of 71 and stretch 6,901 yards from the back set of three tees. The old holes in the "Happy Valley," as a 1909 newspaper article called the routing along the beach, are among the best links-style holes I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
Hole Nos. 10-13 run (highlighted by the menacing 450-yard 11th and 350-yard 13th, one of the great short par-4s in Ireland) alongside Tramore Beach and are partially protected by large sand dunes that help mitigate the winds off Sheephaven Bay. The 198-yard par-3 14th is bounded at the rear by huge dunes that create a beautiful amphitheater for the putting surface and its surrounds.
Nos. 16-18 are bordered along the right by towering dunes and the Sandy Links course and head uphill to Rosapenna's golf pavilion and a bronze statue of the Old Tom himself, a tribute to great man's work here and an ode to how special his holes truly are.
The Strand and Valley nines are a testing combination of traditional and modern links holes that bridge more than a century of golf-design influences.
No. 6 Green at Rosapenna's Sandy Links
(Photo by Aidan Bradley)
Ruddy's Sandy Links Will Humble You
Nothing that the golfers have seen on any other links will prepare him or her for what's found at Sandy Links. Where Morris, Colt, Vardon and (most recently) Ruddy routed the Old Tom Morris course on lowlands around Rosapenna's massive dunes, Sandy Links directly incorporates the massive sand mounds, creating a relentless and stunning ride across this weather-beaten land.
Each hole at Sandy Links creates a new memory from its perch above the Old Tom Morris Links. Designed to test proficient players the par-72 course tips out at 7,183 yards, but four tee sets allow the player to bite off as much as he or she can chew.
Sandy Hills' routing orients mostly north and south along high dunes and ridges cloaked in marram grass. Many tees are elevated, and landing areas that appear constricting are actually wider than one expects as decent drives often come to rest in natural bowls.
Sandy Links at Rosapenna
The first two holes at Sandy Hills are among the best starting duo anywhere. No. 1 was originally designed as a 495-yard par-4 but is still plenty to tackle as a 501-yard par-5. The second weighs in at 463 yards from the tips and plays to an almost hourglass-shaped fairway squeezed in the landing areas by mounds.
The 420-yard par-4 sixth is considered by many the best hole at Sandy Links, and with the putting surface set against a backdrop of the bay it's the most picturesque on an extremely scenic course as the tee shot over a ridge down the middle of the fairway exposes a stunning view of Tramore Bay and Muckish Mountain.
The next seven holes head back and forth among and across the dunes. No. 7 is a 196-yard par-3 that rolls down to a perfectly oval putting surface seemingly dropped between the dunes, while the 536-yard par-5 eighth ventures inland across a ridge, tumbling downhill and then ascending to a green with the Lough Salt Mountains in the distance.
The 5th Hole at Sandy Links at Rosapenna
The 405-yard par-4 10th marches back toward the beach through a valley of tall dunes and then back up to an elevated green. No. 12, a 409-yard two-shotter, takes a similar path and the 522-yard par-5 13th returns to the ridge as it snakes left then right before ending at a green guarded along the right by a huge dune.
The closing hole at Sandy Links is its longest par-4, and -at 486 yards - one of the toughest on a very difficult course. The putting surface rests beyond a mound situated about 30 yards short of the green and is guarded by two bunkers at the front to punish any shot that is not spot-on.
Ruddy has built a reputation as a links-course designer by building tracks that are a combination of splendor and menace; Sandy Hills certainly fits that bill. Perhaps the best praise given his work at Sandy Hills is that it is extremely consistent and there's not one weak hole to be found.
For the entire round I felt like I was inside a 3D version of a gorgeous watercolor painting. When you play Sandy Hills, bring a camera, a couple of ounces of courage, your steadiest swing and an ample amount of golf balls.
The journey up the narrow, winding road toward the outer reaches of Donegal and Rosapenna Golf Resort is one that richly rewards adventurous golfers. If this place is not on your bucket list of must-plays, your bucket list is not complete.
For more information, visit http://www.rosapenna.ie.
Steve Habel is a freelance writer contributing Cybergolf news stories, features, equipment and book reviews and personality profiles from his base in Central Texas. He also works as a contributing editor for Horns Illustrated magazine, a publication focusing on University of Texas sports, and is a contributing writer for Golfers' Guide and Golf Oklahoma magazine, Texas Links magazines and Golfers Guide. Habel's main blog (www.shotoverthegreen.blogspot.com) features news on golf and the Longhorns, and another (www.checkinginandplayingthrough.blogspot.com) chronicles his many travels, including playing more than 600 golf courses since 2008. Habel is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the Texas Golf Writers Association.
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European Commission Bans Use of Industrial Gas Credits in the ETS
8 June 2011: The European Commission has formally adopted a ban on the use of industrial gas credits in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as of May 2013.
The ban will apply to credits from projects that destroy two industrial gases: trifluoromethane (HFC-23), produced as a by-product of chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22), which is also an ozone depleting substance (ODS), principally in air conditioners and refrigerators; and nitrous oxide (N2O) from adipic acid used in the manufacture of nylon. HCFC-22 is covered by the Montreal Protocol. Crediting the abatement of HFC-23 can create a perverse incentive to produce more HCFC-22 than would have happened without the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and consequently produce credits that are not additional.
The ban will begin on 1 January 2013, with a phase-out period of four months until 30 April 2013 for credits from existing projects. The European Commission has indicated that it is currently not considering any other specific use restrictions beyond industrial gases. [EU Press Release]


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Two Republicans who have taken part in a resolution that would constitutionally prohibit same-sex couples from marrying or having civil union rights refused to answer questions today on the House floor.
Rep. Glen Massie of Des Moines and Rep. Kim Pearson of Pleasant Hill declined to yield to questions from Rep. Nathan Willems, D-Lisbon.
It is rare that a lawmaker will decline to answer questions posed by another lawmaker on the House or Senate floor.
Rep. Erik Helland, R-Johnston, ultimately answered Willems questions dealt with the reasons the Iowa Supreme Court ruled against the state law that limited marriage to one man, one woman.
Willems centered the question to the equal protection clause in the constitution, asking Helland if he believes that clause applies to everyone except for gay couples.
Helland responded by saying he understands where Willems is going with the conversation but that he has a fundamental disagreement on the issue.
Debate on House Joint Resolution 6 continues in the House. Listen here.
Tags: Erik Helland, Glen Massie, Kim Pearson, Nathan Willems


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Ethel (Warner) Llewellyn will celebrate her 90th birthday on Tuesday.
She was born in Washingtonville and has been a lifelong area resident, currently residing in Columbiana.
Cards may be sent to Mrs. Llewellyn at 2 Maplewood Drive, Columbiana OH 44408.
161 North Lincoln , Salem, OH 44460 |
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on October 23, 2011 - 12:01 AM
I barely have made it down the road from the airport, but I can't resist. I pull the rental car over and jump out.
I'm in the West Texas city of San Angelo, in a field that's empty except for a lone combine amid some trees. Storms have been circling -- good news in a state longing for drought relief -- and I can trace them at the horizon, far in the distance. Dark clouds start to open on one side of the expanse, and rain pours down who knows how many miles away. The sun breaks through in another direction, and its rays stream through like one of those Renaissance paintings of heaven meeting earth. I turn around, and across the highway, puffball clouds streak across powder blue; over there, it's an entirely new day.
It has been almost 30 years since I lived in San Angelo, but the sky still slays me every time I visit. I don't usually get all that homesick for this city of 93,000; Austin, where I went to college, has a stronger hold on me. But a few years ago, when I saw a Texas Monthly spread with incredible panoramic photos of storms across the Central and West Texas sky, I practically burst into tears. And in person, that sky never fails to fill me with a swirl of emotion as rich as the view overhead.
Family aside, that's about as powerful a connection as I might ever feel to my hometown. These days, when I make my annual or semiannual return, I mostly sit indoors and talk to my mother.
So when the National Trust for Historic Preservation put the city on its annual Dozen Distinctive Destinations list this year, my reaction was immediate: Seriously? San Angelo? The place that I tend to describe to friends as 4 1/2 hours from everything?
Or as one of the largest cities in the country without access to an interstate highway? Or much else?
I studied the Trust's description: OK, it is true that Fort Concho, the reason the city was founded, is one of the best-preserved frontier citadels in the nation. And yes, I knew about Miss Hattie's Bordello Museum, where you can see where the namesake madam and her girls entertained men until the 1940s. And I've been to the newish art museum, with its roof that resembles a covered wagon. I've always found the riverwalk through town a little sad compared with, say, San Antonio's. But wait: What is this Paintbrush Alley? And a waterlily park? In parched West Texas?
Either San Angelo has more going on than I've given it credit for, or the National Trust is getting a little desperate.
So I made a vow. The next time I visited, I'd get out and about (with my mother in tow as much as possible), to get a better idea of what San Angelo has become.
I owed it to the city to look at more than just the sky.
> Lilies galore
Two centuries before the founding of San Angelo, the story goes, Franciscan missionaries who traveled here came upon a crystal-clear stream overflowing with lilies. They named it Rio Florido, or River of Flowers. (Later, it took the name Concho River in honor of the many shells, or concha, that explorers found, some of them containing freshwater pearls.) Those flowers, which botanists call Nymphaea elegans, fell victim to turtles and other predators and disappeared from Texas streams.
But one man has done more than his fair share to save and display the lilies -- not just Nymphaea elegans but also countless other varieties -- and I'm embarrassed that I hadn't heard of all this until recently.
Ken Landon started building what would become the International Waterlily Collection in 1988, five years after I moved away from San Angelo. In Civic League Park, next to Central High School, six pools of lilies shimmer like an oasis in the West Texas sun.
The park has become a bona fide sensation, with thousands of visitors a year. And get this: This collection of waterlilies, in little old San Angelo, Texas, has been named one of the best in the world.
As soon as I visit, I can see why. The place casts a spell. I could spend all day going from flower to flower, pad to pad.
We amble around, my mother pushing her walker along and taking frequent breaks at the pools' edges while I try not to drop my iPhone in the water. We snap shots of lilies with such names as Rhianna and Hollandia and Sunny Pink. Some blooms sit right at the edge of the water, and others rise up, their stems tall. Some are giants and others tiny, flashing yellows, pinks, purples, reds and combinations thereof, while beneath them the green pads undulate and shimmer.
We sit for a while on benches at the edge of the terraced landscaping, in the breeze. "It's so peaceful, isn't it?" my mother says.
> Art abounds
The city and surrounds possess a fiercely independent streak that probably goes back to the 1800s, when Fort Concho was protecting the frontier settlements from "hostile threats" (aka Indians).
I knew of one place in town that embodies this do-your-own-thing spirit: the Chicken Farm Art Center, a compound that potter Roger Allen bought with two partners in the 1970s and transformed into an artistic haven. They spent a year turning the chicken coops into studios and the poultry-processing buildings into living quarters and gallery spaces.
A few years ago, I noticed that an inn had opened on the site, so for this trip I booked the most interesting room, a round, cavernlike dwelling that was once a grain silo.
The 15 artists at the Chicken Farm don't necessarily keep regular hours ("Open till closed, closed till open," reads one studio's sign).
You don't have to go into any studios to check out the Chicken Farm art: There's plenty of it everywhere you look -- iron sculptures, stonework, mosaic benches, even bird feeders made from Mason jars and pot lids. I'd forgotten just how much rustic-Texas cool the place radiates.
In fact, San Angelo has apparently made a big commitment to public art. I ask Rashda Khan, a local food writer, novelist and member of the Public Art Commission, to show me some of her favorite examples.
Before we hit Paintbrush Alley, she wants to show me something closer: Art Opens Doors, a lineup of 17 doors, each one painted by a different artist, hung in an alley next to J.B. Automotive downtown.
Khan takes me to see the sparkling new library, a $17 million project in the distinctive former Hemphill-Wells department store building, which had sat vacant for decades. It's bright, airy, colorful and amazing-looking. My favorite aspect of the design is large circles that look like cutouts of the traditional drop ceiling, with white foam tiles and all, but lined in metalwork that makes them look like upside-down crowns.
Finally we amble through Paintbrush Alley, a wandering block of murals and other pieces that more than a dozen artists and volunteers created in 2005.
If you dropped me into this alley from space and asked me to identify my location, I'd guess at least a dozen places before I hit on the truth: that my hometown might actually be a little hip.
> Texas treats
I'm interested in the culinary scene, but I don't have high hopes for it. I have good memories of a couple of decent Tex-Mex joints, but I've been disappointed on recent returns to some of my favorite steakhouses. But I'm determined to keep an open mind.
I find what I'm looking for at Cork and Pig Tavern, where the pizza has a nice char from the wood-fired oven and an appropriately Texan touch in the green chilies on top. But it's not long before I get a hankering for something more old-school, so I suss out the steakhouse situation once again.
Intermediate string overflow I decide to revisit one of the oldest restaurants around. Twin Mountain Steakhouse, a few miles outside town, has been around since 1962, but it hasn't changed much at all.
Of course, the best thing about Twin Mountain might be the prices. I find amazing deals in other places, too. When I take my mother and stepfather to the weekly farmers' market to see what crops could possibly be managing in this drought, it's like a trip to the dollar store. Four small eggplants? A dollar. A medium butternut squash? A dollar. A quart of baby peppers? Guess.
The nearby fine arts museum, which we hit on my last morning in town, is also a bargain. Most days it's just $2 to enter this limestone building, but it's National Museum Day, so even that is waived. We poke around in the permanent pottery display, where Chicken Farm founder Allen's work is prominent, and then edge our way around the first-floor gallery, a crowded embarrassment of riches. As my mother rests on a bench, I make my way upstairs, taking in the abstract expressionist works by the late Zanne Hochberg (a Texan) and then going out onto the terrace, where workers are setting up for a wedding.
I gaze out over the San Angelo skyline: the Concho River in the foreground and the mostly squat group of buildings behind it. Above it all, of course, is that sky, on this day a deep blue with wisps of clouds here and there. It's as stunning as ever. But now I know that the next time I come, there's so much more to see.


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Rape and other kinds of sexual assault are by far the most frequent crimes reported on cruise ships, according to information posted on cruise ship websites Thursday.
Carnival and Royal Caribbean posted violent crime statistics under pressure from lawmakers to have their records made public.
This year, Carnival reports seven sexual assaults, one missing person and one other assault. Last year, four sexual assault claims were made.
Royal Caribbean reports three sexual assaults and one other assault. Disney reports four sexual assaults and no other crimes.
The reports only give the number of allegations made. They do not specify whether the allegations were proven to be true or whether anyone was convicted.


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Dyan Cannon
Not only does Cannon star in this film. She wrote it. She directed it. She had her own personal makeup artist, her own hairstylist and her own clothes designer for it. If you sneak out into the lobby while the film is running, you'll probably find her selling overpriced candy too.
Cannon has always been an interesting actress, even in such second-line movies as The Anderson Tapes and Honeysuckle Rose. Nobody ever said, though, that she was as interesting as she'd have to be to make this movie entertaining.
Spike Lee, Warren Beatty and Woody Allen, to name a few other personalities, get away with ego-tripping like this on a regular basis. And Cannon's Renaissance-woman act wouldn't be offensive if this film weren't so inane. But it is a first-class washout, alternately abrasive and dull.
Cannon plays a raging case of arrested development, a woman of unspecified age, but clearly no kid (Cannon is 54), who spends most of her time whining and pouting about how mistreated she is by her insensitive parents and unfaithful boyfriend. She ends up with a drug problem that lands her in what seems to be the Cliché Acres Rehab Clinic, where her eccentric companions in therapy include a widow who carries her late husband's ashes around in a cigar box and talks to them and a man who keeps threatening to expose himself but never does (which, come to think of it, sums up just how daring this movie is).
John Heard plays the group's shrink competently, and Eric Harrison has a nice moment or two as a prissy gay patient. But Cannon may have been too busy with her makeup to monitor all the casting, since there is an amateur-night performance by Leslie Pam, a real life shrink, as the clinic director, and Lola (Paper Lion) Mason, as Cannon's mother, is annoyingly loud, nagging and unconvincing.
But then who could do anything with lines like these: "Writers, shmiters, does he have any money?" (Mason) "I wanna live and love, and I can't." (Cannon) "This ain't my life, it's yours, and if you're not going to fight for it, goddamn it, neither am I." (Heard)
Let's see the hands of those who haven't already guessed that Cannon will eventually learn to say no to her parents and brush off all the eminently brush-offable guys she seems attracted to.
Okay, now let's see the hands of those who think that the next time Cannon has a barn raising, she'd be better off inviting a few people over to help. (R)
Picks and Pans Review: The End of Innocence
updated 02/04/1991 AT 01:00 AM EST
•originally published 02/04/1991 AT 01:00 AM EST
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