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Using Samba
Editor's note: In part one in this two-part series of excerpts from Chapter 7 of Using Samba, 2nd Edition, you learned how to work with name resolution using WINS. In this second installment, the authors describe browsing in a network that contains only Windows systems, then show you how to add a Samba server.
Browsing was developed by Microsoft to help users find shared resources on the network. In a networked computing environment where users can add or remove shares at any time, it is important to have some automatic means of keeping track of the shared resources and allowing users to "browse" through them to find the ones they wish to use.
Before browsing was added to SMB networking, when anyone added a new share, the people with whom they wished to share the data or printer would have to be informed of the share's UNC, using some relatively low-tech method such as speaking to them in person or over the phone, or sending email. Already, this was very inconvenient in large organizations. To further complicate matters, the users working on client computers had to type in the share's UNC to connect to it. The only way to get around typing in the share's UNC every time it was used was to map a network drive to it, and with a large number of shares on the network, this could easily get out of hand.
To keep things simple, we will first describe network browsing in a network that contains only Windows systems and then show you how to add a Samba server.
The basic way browsing works is that one computer in the network takes on the role of the master browser (also called local master browser, browse master, or browse server) and keeps a list of all the computers on the local subnet that are acting as SMB servers. The list of computers is called the browse list and includes all Samba servers, Windows NT/2000/XP systems, and any Windows 95/98/Me systems that have the "File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks" networking component installed. The browse list also contains the names of all workgroups and domains. At this level, browsing is limited to the local subnet because the browsing protocol depends on broadcast packets, which are typically not forwarded to other subnets by routers.
A user at any Windows system can view the browse list by opening up the Network Neighborhood (or My Network Places). Or, the net view command can be used from a Windows command prompt:
C:\>net view
Server Name Remark
\\MAYA Windows 98
\\MIXTEC Samba 2.2.5
\\OLMEC Windows XP Pro on Pentium/ASUS
\\TOLTEC Samba 2.2.5
\\YAQUI Windows 95 on mixtec/VMware
The command completed successfully.
Then, net view can be used with a computer name as an argument to contact a server directly and list the resources it is sharing:
C:\>net view \\maya
Shared resources at \\maya
Windows 98
Share name Type Used as Comment
D Disk
E Disk
HP Print
The command completed successfully.
The computers on the network involved in browsing are more than just the master browser and its clients. There are also backup browsers, which maintain copies of the browse list and respond to client requests for it. Backup browsers are therefore able to take over the role of master browser seamlessly in case it fails. The master browser usually doesn't serve the browse list directly to clients. Instead, its job is mainly to keep the master copy of the browse list up-to-date, and also periodically update the backup browsers. Clients are expected to get their copies of the browse list from backup browsers, selecting among them randomly to help to distribute the load on the backup browsers more evenly. Ideally, the interaction between any client and the master browser is limited to the client announcing when it joins or leaves the network (if it is a server) and requesting a list of backup browsers.
There can be more than one backup browser. A workgroup will have a backup browser if two or more computers are running Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT Workstation (or another nonserver version of Windows NT/2000/XP) on the subnet. For every 32 additional computers, another backup browser is added.
In a Windows NT domain, the primary domain controller is always the local master browser, and if it fails, another Windows NT/2000 server (if one exists) will take over the role of local master browser. Other versions of Windows can function as backup browsers, but will never become a master browser if a Windows NT/2000 server is available.
In addition to acting as the local master browser, the primary domain controller also acts as the domain master browser, which ties subnets together and allows browse lists to be shared between master and backup browsers on separate subnets. This is how browsing is extended to function beyond the local subnet. Each subnet functions as a separate browsing entity, and the domain master browser synchronizes the master browsers of each subnet. In a Windows-only network, browsing cannot function across subnets unless a Windows NT/2000 PDC exists on the network. Samba can act as a domain master browser and can perform that task even in a workgroup network, which means that the Windows PDC is not required for this task. (It is also possible to use the
remote browse sync parameter to configure a Samba server to synchronize its browse list with a Samba server on another subnet. In this case, each server must be acting as the local master browser of its subnet.)
Unless it is configured never to act as a browser, each computer on the subnet is considered a potential browser and can be ordered by the browse master to become a backup browser, or it can identify itself as a backup browser and accept the role on its own.
When no master browser is running on the subnet, potential browsers choose a new master browser among themselves in a process called an election. An election is started by a computer in the subnet when it discovers that no master browser is currently running. If a master browser is shut down gracefully, it will broadcast an election request datagram, initiating an election by the remaining computers. If the master browser fails, the election can be started by a client computer that requests a list of backup browsers from the master browser or by a backup browser that requests to have its browse list updated from the master browser. In each case, the system fails to receive a reply from the master browser and initiates the election.
Browser elections are decided in multiple rounds of self-elimination. During each round, potential browsers broadcast election request datagrams containing their qualifications to notify other potential browsers that an election is happening and that if the recipient is more qualified, it should also broadcast a bid. When a potential browser receives an election request datagram from a more qualified opponent, it drops out, disqualifying itself from becoming the master browser. Otherwise, it responds with its own election request datagram. After a few rounds, only one potential browser is left in the election. After an additional four rounds of sending out an election request datagram and receiving no response, it becomes the master browser and sends a broadcast datagram announcing itself as the local master browser for the subnet. It then assigns runners-up in the election as backup browsers, as needed.
A potential browser's qualifications include the following:
Whether it has recently lost an election
The version of the election protocol it is running
Its election criteria
The amount of time the system has been up
The computer's NetBIOS name
If the potential browser has lost an election recently, it immediately disqualifies itself. The version of the election protocol it is running is checked, but so far, all Windows systems (and Samba) use the same election protocol, so the check is not very meaningful. The election criteria are usually what determine which computer becomes the local master browser. There are two parts to the election criteria, shown in Tables 7-2 and 7-3.
Table 7-2: Operating-system values in an election
Operating system
Windows NT/2000 Server, running as PDC
Windows NT/2000/XP, if not the PDC
Windows 95/98/Me
Windows for Workgroups
Table 7-3: Computer-role settings in an election
Domain master browser
WINS client
Preferred master
Running master
Recent backup browser
Backup browser
The operating-system type is compared first, and the system with the highest value wins. The values have been chosen to cause the primary domain controller, if there is one, to become the local master browser. Otherwise, a Windows NT/2000/XP system will win over a Windows for Workgroups or Windows 95/98/Me system.
When an operating-system type comparison results in a tie, the role of the computer is compared. A computer can have more than one of the values in Table 7-3, in which case the values are added.
A domain master browser has a role value of 128 to weight the election so heavily in its favor that it will also become the local master browser on its own subnet. Although the primary domain controller (which is always the domain master browser) will win the election based solely on its operating system value, sometimes there is no primary domain controller on the network, and the domain master browser would not otherwise be distinguished from other potential browsers.
Systems that are using a WINS server for name resolution are weighted heavily over ones that use broadcast name resolution with a role value of 32.
A preferred master is a computer that has been selected and configured manually by a system administrator to be favored as the choice master browser. When a preferred master starts up, it forces a browser election, even if an existing master browser is still active. A preferred master has a role value of 8, and the existing master browser gets a value of 4.
A backup browser that has recently been a master browser and still has an up-to-date browse list is given a role value of 2, and a potential browser that has been running as a backup browser gets a value of 1.
If comparing the operating-system type and role results in a tie, the computer that has been running the longest wins. In the unlikely event that the two have been up for the same amount of time, the computer that wins is the one with the NetBIOS name that sorts first alphabetically.
You can tell if a machine is a local master browser by using the Windows
nbtstat command. Place the NetBIOS name of the machine you wish to check after the
-a option:
C:\>nbtstat -a toltec
Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [172.16.1.4] Scope Id: []
NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table
Name Type Status
TOLTEC <00> UNIQUE Registered
TOLTEC <03> UNIQUE Registered
TOLTEC <20> UNIQUE Registered
.._ _MSBROWSE_ _.<01> GROUP Registered
METRAN <00> GROUP Registered
METRAN <1B> UNIQUE Registered
METRAN <1C> GROUP Registered
METRAN <1D> UNIQUE Registered
METRAN <1E> GROUP Registered
MAC Address = 00-00-00-00-00-00
The resource entry that you're looking for is
.._ _MSBROWSE_ _.<01>. This indicates that the server is currently acting as the local master browser for the current subnet. If the machine is a Samba server, you can check the Samba nmbd log file for an entry such as:
Samba name server TOLTEC is now a local master browser for
workgroup METRAN on subnet 172.16.1.0
Or, you can use the nmblookup command with the -M option and the workgroup or domain name on any Samba server to find the IP address of the local master:
$ nmblookup -M metran
querying metran on 172.16.1.255
172.16.1.1 metran<1d>
After the master browser election is decided, each server on the network announces itself to the network to allow the master and backup browsers to build their browse lists. At first, the server announcements happen every minute, but the interval is gradually stretched out to every 12 minutes. When a server is shut down gracefully, it sends an announcement that it is going offline to allow the master and backup browsers to remove it from the browse list. However, when a server goes offline by crashing or by some other failure, the master browser notices its disappearance only because it stops receiving server announcements. The master browser waits for three of the server's announcement periods before deciding that it is offline, which can take up to 36 minutes. Because backup browsers have their browse lists updated from the master browser once every 15 minutes, it can take up to 51 minutes for clients to be informed of a failed server.
For more detailed information on Microsoft's browsing protocols, consult the Microsoft documents Browsing and Windows 95 Networking and CIFS/E Browser Protocol. You can find these by searching for the titles on the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com.
More information on configuring Samba for browsing can be found in BROWSING.txt and BROWSING-Config.txt in the Samba distribution's docs/textdocs directory.
Samba has full support for browsing and can participate as a master browser, a backup browser, a domain master browser, a potential browser, or just a server that doesn't participate in browsing elections. If you want to make sure your Samba server never becomes a master or backup browser, simply set:
local master = no
Usually, you will want Samba to be available as a local master or at least a backup browser. In the simplest case, you don't need to do anything because Samba's default is to participate in browsing elections with its operating system value set to 20, which will beat any Windows system less than a Windows NT/2000 primary domain controller (see Table 7-2). The operating-system value Samba reports for itself in browser elections can be set using the
os level parameter:
os level = 33
The preceding value will allow Samba to beat even a Windows 2000 Advanced Server acting as a primary domain controller. As we show in the following section, though, forcing Samba to win this way is not recommended.
If you want to allow a Windows XP Professional system to be the master browser, you would need to set Samba lower:
os level = 8
The maximum value for
os level is 255 because it is handled as an 8-bit unsigned integer. Supposing we wanted to make absolutely sure our Samba server will be the local master browser at all times, we might say:
local master = yes
os level = 255
preferred master = yes
The addition of the
preferred master parameter causes Samba to start a browser election as soon as it starts up, and the
os level of 255 allows it to beat any other system on the network. This includes other Samba servers, assuming they are configured properly! If another server is using a similar configuration file (with
os level = 255 and
preferred master = yes), the two will fight each other for the master browser role, winning elections based on minor criteria, such as uptime or their current role. To avoid this, other Samba servers should be set with a lower
os level and not configured to be the preferred master.
Previously we mentioned that for a Windows workgroup or domain to extend into multiple subnets, one system would have to take the role of the domain master browser. The domain master browser propagates browse lists across each subnet in the workgroup. This works because each local master browser periodically synchronizes its browse list with the domain master browser. During this synchronization, the local master browser passes on the name of any server that the domain master browser does not have in its browse list, and vice versa. Each local master browser eventually holds the browse list for the entire domain.
There is no election to determine which machine assumes the role of the domain master browser. Instead, the administrator has to set it manually. By Microsoft design, however, the domain master browser and the PDC both register a resource type of <1B>, so the roles--and the machines--are inseparable.
If you have a Windows NT server on the network acting as a PDC, we recommend that you do not try to use Samba to become the domain master browser. The reverse is true as well: if Samba is taking on the responsibilities of a PDC, we recommend making it the domain master browser as well. Although it is possible to split the roles with Samba, this is not a good idea. Using two different machines to serve as the PDC and the domain master browser can cause random errors to occur in a Windows workgroup.
Samba can assume the role of a domain master browser for all subnets in the workgroup with the following options:
domain master = yes
preferred master = yes
local master = yes
os level = 255
The final three parameters ensure that the server is also the local master browser, which is vital for it to work properly as the domain master browser. You can verify that a Samba machine is in fact the domain master browser by checking the nmbd log file:
Samba name server TOLTEC is now a domain master browser for
workgroup METRAN on subnet 172.16.1.0
Or you can use the nmblookup command that comes with the Samba distribution to query for a unique <1B> resource type in the workgroup:
# nmblookup METRAN#1B
Sending queries to 172.16.1.255
172.16.1.1 METRAN<1b>
You must remember three rules when creating a workgroup/domain that spans more than one subnet:
You must have either a Windows NT/2000 or Samba server acting as a local master browser on each subnet in the workgroup/domain.
You must have a Windows NT/2000 Server edition or a Samba server acting as a domain master browser somewhere in the workgroup/domain.
A WINS server should be on the network, with each system on the network configured to use it for name resolution.
Samba has some additional features you can use if you don't have or want a domain master browser on your network and still need to have cross-subnet browsing. Consider the subnets shown in Figure 7-1.
Figure 7-1. Multiple subnets with Samba servers
First, a Samba server that is a local master browser can use the
remote announce configuration option to make sure that computers in different subnets are sent broadcast announcements about the server. This has the effect of ensuring that the Samba server appears in the browse lists of foreign subnets. To achieve this, however, the directed broadcasts must reach the local master browser on the other subnet. Be aware that many routers do not allow directed broadcasts by default; you might have to change this setting on the router for the directed broadcasts to get through to its subnet.
With the
remote announce option, list the subnets and the workgroup that should receive the broadcast. For example, to ensure that machines in the 172.16.2 and 172.16.3 subnets and the METRAN workgroup are sent broadcast information from our Samba server, we could specify the following:
remote announce = 172.16.2.255/METRAN \
Instead of supplying a broadcast address of the remote subnet, you are allowed to specify the exact address where broadcasts should be sent if the local master browser on the foreign subnet is guaranteed to always have the same IP address.
A Samba local master browser can synchronize its browse list directly with one or more Samba servers, each acting as a local master browser on a different subnet. This is another way to implement browsing across subnets. For example, let's assume that Samba is configured as a local master browser, and Samba local master browsers exist at 172.16.2.130 and 172.16.3.120. We can use the
remote browse sync option to sync directly with the Samba servers, as follows:
remote browse sync = 172.16.2.130 172.16.3.120
For this to work, the other Samba machines must also be local master browsers. You can also use directed broadcasts with this option if you do not know specific IP addresses of local master browsers.
You can keep a share from being in the browse list by using the
browsable option. This Boolean option prevents a share from being seen in the Network Neighborhood or My Network Places. For example, to prevent the
[data] share from being visible, we could write:
path = /export/samba/userdata
browsable = no
Although you typically don't want to do this to an ordinary disk share, the
browsable option is useful in the event that you need to create a share with contents that you do not want others to see, such as a
[netlogon] share for storing logon scripts for Windows domain control (see Chapter 4 of Using Samba, 2nd Edition for more information on logon scripts).
Another example is the
[homes] share. This share is often marked nonbrowsable so that a share named
[homes] won't appear when its machine's resources are browsed. However, if a user
alice logs on and looks at the machine's shares, an
[alice] share will appear under the machine.
What if we wanted to make sure
alice's share appeared to everyone before she logs on? This could be done with the global
auto services option. This option preloads shares into the browse list to ensure that they are always visible:
auto services = alice
Table 7-4 shows options that define how Samba handles browsing tasks.
Table 7-4: Browsing configuration options
announce as
Operating system that Samba will announce itself as.
N T Server
announce version
Version of the operating system that Samba will announce itself as.
browsable (browseable)
Allows share to be displayed in list of machine resources.
browse list
If yes, allows Samba to provide a browse list on this server.
auto services (preload)
string (share list)
List of shares that will always appear in the browse list.
default service (default)
string (share name)
Name of a share (service) that will be provided if the client requests a share not listed in smb.conf.
local master
If yes, allows Samba to participate in browsing elections.
lm announce
yes, no or auto
Enables or disables LAN Manager-style host announcements.
lm interval
Frequency in seconds that LAN Manager announcements will be made if activated.
preferred master (prefered master)
If yes, allows Samba to use the preferred master browser bit to attempt to become the local master browser.
domain master
If yes, allows Samba to become the domain browser master for the workgroup or domain.
os level
Operating system level of Samba in an election for local master browser.
remote browse sync
string (list of IP addresses)
Samba servers to synchronize browse lists with.
remote announce
string (IP address/workgroup pairs)
Subnets and workgroups to send directed broadcast packets to, allowing Samba to appear in their browse lists.
This global configuration option specifies the type of operating system that Samba announces to other machines on the network. The default value for this option is
N T Server, which causes Samba to masquerade as a Windows NT Server operating system. Other possible values are
NT Workstation,
Win95, and
W f W for a Windows for Workgroup operating system. You can override the default value with the following:
announce as = Win95
We recommend against changing the default value of this configuration option.
This global option is frequently used with the
announce as configuration option; it specifies the version of the operating system that Samba announces to other machines on the network. The default value of this option is 4.5, which places Samba above Windows NT Version 4.0, but below Windows 2000. You can specify a new value with a global entry such as the following:
announce version = 4.3
We recommend against changing the default value of this configuration option.
browsable option (also spelled
browseable) indicates whether the share referenced should appear in the list of available resources for the system on which it resides. This option is always set to
yes by default. If you wish to prevent the share from being seen in a client's browser, you can reset this option to
Note that this does not prevent someone from accessing the share using other means, such as specifying a UNC location (e.g.,
\\server\accounting) in Windows Explorer. It only prevents the share from being listed under the system's resources when being browsed.
You should never need to change this parameter from its default value of
yes. If your Samba server is acting as a local master browser (i.e., it has won the browsing election), you can use the global
browse list option to instruct Samba to provide or withhold its browse list to all clients. By default, Samba always provides a browse list. You can withhold this information by specifying the following:
browse list = no
If you disable the browse list, clients cannot browse the names of other machines, their services, and other domains currently available on the network. Note that this won't make any particular machine inaccessible; if someone knows a valid machine name/address and a share on that machine, he can still connect to it explicitly using the Windows net use command or by mapping a drive letter to it using Windows Explorer. It simply prevents information in the browse list from being retrieved by any client that requests it.
The global
auto services option, which is also called
preload , ensures that the specified shares are always visible in the browse list. One common use for this option is to advertise specific user or printer shares that are created by the
[homes] or
[printers] shares, but are not otherwise browsable.
This option works best with disk shares. If you wish to force each of your system printers (i.e., those listed in the printer capabilities file) to appear in the browse list, we recommend using the
load printers option instead.
Shares listed with the
auto services option will not be displayed if the
browse list option is set to
The global
default service option (sometimes called
default) names a "last-ditch" share. The value is set to an existing share name without the enclosing brackets. When a client requests a nonexistent disk or printer share, Samba will attempt to connect the user to the share specified by this option instead. The option is specified as follows:
default service = helpshare
When Samba redirects the requested, nonexistent service to the service specified by
default service, the
%S option takes on the value of the requested service, with any underscores (
_ ) in the requested service replaced by forward slashes (
This global option specifies whether Samba will attempt to become the local master browser for the subnet when it starts up. If this option is set to
yes, Samba will participate in elections. However, setting this option by itself does not guarantee victory. (Other parameters, such as
preferred master and
os level, help Samba win browsing elections.) If this option is set to
no, Samba will lose all browsing elections, regardless of which values are specified by the other configuration options. The default value is
The global
lm announce option tells Samba's nmbd whether to send LAN Manager host announcements on behalf of the server. These host announcements might be required by older clients, such as IBM's OS/2 operating system. This announcement allows the server to be added to the browse lists of the client. If activated, Samba will announce itself repetitively at the number of seconds specified by the
lm interval option.
You can specify the option as follows:
lm announce = yes
This configuration option takes the standard Boolean values,
yes and
no, which enable or disable LAN Manager announcements, respectively. In addition, a third option,
auto, causes nmbd to listen passively for LAN Manager announcements, but not to send any of its own initially. If LAN Manager announcements are detected for another machine on the network, nmbd will start sending its own LAN Manager announcements to ensure that it is visible. The default value is
auto. You probably won't need to change this value from its default.
This option, which is used in conjunction with
lm announce, indicates the number of seconds nmbd will wait before repeatedly broadcasting LAN Manager-style announcements. LAN Manager announcements must be enabled for this option to work. The default value is 60 seconds. If you set this value to 0, Samba will not send any LAN Manager host announcements, regardless of the value of the
lm announce option. You can reset the value of this option as follows:
lm interval = 90
preferred master option requests that Samba set the preferred master bit when participating in an election. This gives the server a higher preferred status in the workgroup than other machines at the same operating-system level. If you are configuring your Samba machine to become the local master browser, it is wise to set the following value:
preferred master = yes
Otherwise, you should leave it set to its default,
no. If Samba is configured as a preferred master browser, it will force an election when it first comes online.
If Samba is the primary domain controller for your workgroup or NT domain, it should also be made the domain master browser. The domain master browser is a special machine that has the NetBIOS resource type <1B> and is used to propagate browse lists to and from each local master browser in individual subnets across the domain. To force Samba to become the domain master browser, set the following in the
[global] section of the smb.conf:
domain master = yes
If you have a Windows NT server on the network acting as a primary domain controller (PDC), we recommend that you do not use Samba to become the domain master browser. The reverse is true as well: if Samba is taking on the responsibilities of a PDC, we recommend making it the domain master browser. Splitting the PDC and the domain master browser will cause unpredictable errors to occur on the network.
The global
os level option defines the operating-system value with which Samba will masquerade during a browser election. If you wish to have Samba win an election and become the master browser, set the
os level higher than that of any other system on the subnet. The values are shown in Table 7-2. The default level is 20, which means that Samba will win elections against all versions of Windows, except Windows NT/2000 if it is operating as the PDC. If you wish Samba to win all elections, you can set its operating system value as follows:
os level = 255
The global
remote browse sync option specifies that Samba should synchronize its browse lists with local master browsers in other subnets. However, the synchronization can occur only with other Samba servers and not with Windows computers. For example, if your Samba server were a master browser on the subnet 172.16.235, and Samba local master browsers existed on other subnets located at 172.16.234.92 and 172.16.236.2, you would specify the following:
remote browse sync = 172.16.234.92 172.16.236.2
The Samba server would then directly contact the other machines on the address list and synchronize browse lists. You can also say:
remote browse sync = 172.16.234.255 172.16.236.255
This forces Samba to broadcast queries to determine the IP addresses of the local master browser on each subnet, with which it will then synchronize browse lists. This works, however, only if your router doesn't block directed broadcast requests ending in 255.
Samba servers are capable of providing browse lists to foreign subnets with the
remote announce option. This is typically sent to the local master browser of the foreign subnet in question. However, if you do not know the address of the local master browser, you can do the following:
remote announce = 172.16.234.255/ACCOUNTING \
With this, Samba will broadcast host announcements to all machines on subnets 172.16.234 and 172.16.236, which will hopefully reach the local master browser of the subnet.
You can also specify exact IP addresses, if they are known, but this works only if the systems are guaranteed to maintain the role of master browser on their subnets. By appending a workgroup or domain name to the IP address, Samba announces that it is in that workgroup or domain. If this is left out, the workgroup set by the
workgroup parameter is used.
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text:
Obama: Iraq forces retake Mosul Dam from militantsap photo
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, left, meet with members of the National Security Council Monday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington.
BAGHDAD Iraqi and Kurdish forces recaptured Iraqs largest dam from Islamic militants Monday following dozens of U.S. airstrikes, President Barack Obama said, in the first major defeat for the extremists since they swept across the country this summer.
Militants from the Islamic State group had seized the Mosul Dam on Aug. 7, giving them access and control of enormous power and water reserves and threatening to deny those resources to much of Iraq.
Iraqi forces suffered a string of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Islamic State as the extremists took over large parts of northern and western Iraq and sent religious minorities fleeing.
The militants battlefield victories brought U.S. forces back into the conflict for the first time since it withdrew its troops in 2011 and reflected the growing international concern about the Sunni extremist group. Washington launched attacks from its warplanes and drones on Aug. 8.
Pope Francis endorsed the use of force to stop the Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq, although he said the international community not just one country should decide how to intervene.
Obama called recapturing the dam by Iraqi and Kurdish forces a major step forward in the battle against Islamic State militants.
Had the dam been breached, it could have had catastrophic consequences and endangered U.S. Embassy personnel in Baghdad, Obama said at the White House. He said the U.S. is urgently providing arms and assistance to Iraqi security forces as well as Kurdish fighters fighting the extremists.
There were conflicting statements throughout the day from the Kurdish commanders, the Iraqi military in Baghdad, the Pentagon and the militants of the Islamic State group over who was in control of the strategic 2.1-mile dam that spans the Tigris River. Completed in 1986 under Saddam Hussein, it includes a sprawling complex with power generators, offices and employee housing. The southern end is mostly reserved for housing and offices.
Before Obama spoke, Kurdish forces spokesman Halgurd Hekmat said the peshmerga regained full control of the dam and its surrounding facilities following two days of fierce clashes. But Iraqs Defense Ministry said security forces only liberated a large part of the Mosul Dam with the help of U.S. airstrikes, adding that forces had not freed the entire complex.
Iraqi army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said at least 170 bombs have been dismantled around the dam but many more remain. He added that militants fled to areas near the south of the complex, hiding in homes and offices on the premises.
The Islamic State group denied it had lost control of the facility, saying on a website frequently used by the militants that the Iraqi government claim was a mere propaganda war.
The U.S. Central Command said it carried out 15 airstrikes near the dam Monday with fighter jets, bombers and drones. There were 25 U.S. airstrikes on Saturday and Sunday, it said.
The Obama administration has also agreed to supply peshmerga forces with light weapons and ammunition, as have the French.
The moves may provide Iraqi forces with a significant morale boost as they try to retake territory overrun by the Islamic State this summer.MORE IN Wire NewsMADISON, Wis. Full StoryKABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan has fallen so far from Americans consciousness that some may... Full StoryCHARLESTON, S.C. Full Story
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CLOSEOUT District® - Juniors Tie-Dye Girly Crew Tee DT2300
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Frequencies and Their Kindred Delusions
The word "frequency" ranks right up there with "quantum" and "energy" as a pseudoscientific buzzword. It is increasingly prevalent in product advertisements and in CAM claims about human biofields and energy medicine. It doesn't mean what they think it means.
I have written about Power Balance products, the wristbands and cards that allegedly improve sports performance through frequencies embedded in a hologram. They amount to nothing but a new version of the old rabbit's foot carried for superstition and their sales demonstrations fool people with simple musculoskeletal tricks. I addressed their ridiculous claims (including "We are a frequency"). I pointed out that
The definition of frequency is "the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time." A frequency can't exist in isolation. There has to be a periodic process, like a sound wave, a radio wave, a clock pendulum, or a train passing by at the rate of x boxcars per minute. The phrase "33⅓ per minute" is meaningless: you can't have an rpm without an r. A periodic process can have a frequency, but an armadillo and a tomato can't. Neither a periodic process nor a person can "be" a frequency.
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Pet of the Week - Radisson
Meet Radisson! Radisson is about 2 years old, current on her vaccinations, spayed and has short hair with orange tabby and white markings. This pretty girl gets a 5 Star Rating! She is sweet, very affectionate, and has a quiet personality. She enjoys spending time with her human friends and while she likes to play, she really enjoys cuddling! She is looking for the "purrfect" companion to snuggle up to on the cold autumn nights! Radisson has a great personality but would likely appreciate a quieter home. For this reason, she would likely prefer older children. She lives in the communal room here at the shelter and gets along really well with the other cats. With proper introductions and time to adjust, she should do well in a home with other calm pets. Radisson is a wonderful cat who deserves a home that will provide her with all of the love and attention in the world! Might that home be yours?
If you would like to help our wonderful friends while they are waiting to be adopted, the Coulee Region Humane Society is always looking for donations. These donations go a long way in making the stay more comfortable for our animal guests.
Click here to view the latest updated Wish List from the Coulee Region Humane Society
Coulee Region Humane Society
911 Critter Court, Onalaska, WI 54650
Phone: (608) 781-4014
Fax: (608) 781-1646
Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday: 9:00 a.m. -- 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 1:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.
Kennel Viewing Hours:
Monday and Friday: 1:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday: 1:00 p.m. -- 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday: CLOSED
Saturday and Sunday: 1:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.
Mission Statement:
The Coulee Region Humane Society actively promotes the humane treatment of animals and positive human-animal relationships.


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Delegations in some countries, including Hungary, have reported receiving letters warning that Sochi, the location for the upcoming Olympic Winter games, is not safe. The U.S. continues to take precautions to protect Americans at the event. NBC's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel reports.
SOCHI, Russia — The United States Olympic team and at least five other national delegations have received messages making terrorist threats ahead of the Winter Games, adding to mounting security fears two weeks before competition begins.
The United States Olympic Committee said it will be working with authorities to ensure the safety of Americans traveling to Sochi.
"The safety and security of Team USA is our top priority," Scott Blackmun, CEO of the Olympic Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. "As is always the case, we are working with the U.S. Department of State, the local organizers and the relevant law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that our delegation and other Americans traveling to Sochi are safe."
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee told NBC News on Wednesday that it did not consider the threat credible and said that it appeared to be "a random message from a member of the public."
The U.S. Olympic Committee received an email in broken English warning the Americans not to attend the games, which formally begin Feb. 7 in the Russian resort of Sochi. The Olympic organizing committees of Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia also reported getting threats.
"I am very pleased to inform everyone that both the IOC and the Sochi organizing committee ... declared after the analysis of the letter that this threat is not real," Zsigmond Nagy, an official of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, told Reuters.
"This person has been sending all kinds of messages to many members of the Olympic family," he said.
Nagy quoted IOC officials as saying the messages were sent from outside Russia by someone who had carried out previous hoaxes.
The threats arrived as Russian security forces were hunting for at least five suspected terrorists who may be plotting attacks against the Olympic torch relay or the games themselves, according to notices posted in Sochi.
The Hungarian Olympic Committee told NBC News that the message, written in English, said that the lives of the Hungarian team and the Hungarian people were in danger in Sochi.
Alexander Demianchuk / Reuters
Police officers stand guard outside a train station near Sochi, Russia, last week.
The German team described the email as a "terror warning" with words to the effect of "be careful out there in Sochi." The Italian Olympic Committee described the email as containing "terrorist threats."
Russia has vowed to make the games the safest ever, and President Vladimir Putin has effectively sealed off a 1,500-square-mile zone around Sochi in what has become known as the "ring of steel."
Besides more than 40,000 Russian security officers, the zone is protected by special forces, ultra-sensitive sonar equipment, monitoring drones and patrol boats.
Russia's concern is the volatile Caucasus region, several hundred miles east of Sochi, where Russia has been fighting a simmering Islamist insurgency, and where suspected militants are believed to have an eye on humiliating Putin by disrupting the games.
In the Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a wanted woman was killed Saturday by Russian forces, NBC News confirmed. Other suspected militants have been killed in the region in recent days, and Russian operations there continue.
But wanted posters seen in Sochi, some posted at hotels, suggest Russian forces are looking for at least five other people, including three women known as "black widows" who are suspected would-be suicide bombers.
"Black widows," so named because many of them have been spurred to violence to avenge the deaths of their husbands, have been involved in some of Russia's most notorious terrorist attacks over the past decade.
The United States is considering sharing with Russia sophisticated electronic devices capable of sniffing out remote-controlled bombs, senior U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday.
The idea was brought up by the Russians on Tuesday at a high-level meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the officials said.
President Barack Obama also spoke with Putin by phone on Tuesday and pledged the full help of the United States in protecting the games.
Andy Eckardt reported from Mainz, Germany. Erin McClam reported from New York. Joo Lee of NBC News contributed to this report. Reuters also contributed.
Sochi terror threat: 'All on Russia' for response if something goes wrong
This story was originally published on Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:09 PM EST


text: My lo will be 3 months old on the 24th. Several weeks back he started to only poop every few days. He even went 11 days without going once! His pediatrician said it's fine and I've heard of lots of babies doing this. What I forgot to ask and am curious about is the consistency and color of his poop now. It is darker yellow (almost orange) and thick like peanut butter. Has anyone else had this happen? Is it normal?


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Training in Romania
|Training in [[{{#explode:Training in Romania| |2}} {{#explode:Training in Romania| |3}} {{#explode:Training in Romania| |4}}]]
|Pre-service training will probably be the most intense period of your Peace Corps service, as you will need to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully serve as a Volunteer in just 10 weeks. While the training period will be extremely busy, it should also be a time of excitement, discovery, and self-fulfillment. The effort and challenges of adapting to a new culture will draw on your reserves of patience and humor but will be handsomely rewarded with a sense of belonging among new friends.
|[[Image:Flag_of_{{#explode:Training in Romania| |2}}.svg|50px|none]]}}
See also:
For information see Welcomebooks
The Peace Corps provides 10 weeks of training that begins immediately upon your arrival in Romania. The schedule is Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings. Pre-service training contains five major components: technical training, language training, cross-cultural training, health training, and safety and security training. Training is a time for you to reexamine your commitment to becoming a Volunteer in Romania and a time for Peace Corps staff to get to know you and be assured that your skills and attitude are a good match for the program in Romania. Throughout the training period, self-assessment as well as assessment by Peace Corps staff will measure your progress toward meeting training objectives.
Technical Training
Technical training prepares you to work in Romania by using development techniques, including community participation, to gain acceptance of the skills you have learned through work and school experiences. You will also develop new skills in a manner appropriate to the type of work you will be doing. Training places great emphasis on learning how to transfer the skills you have to the community in which you will serve as a Volunteer.
Technical training focuses on the knowledge and skills you will need to be effective in your program sector. It includes sessions on the general economic and political situation in Romania and strategies for working within such a framework.
You will review your technical sector's goals and will meet with the Romanian agencies and organizations that invited the Peace Corps to assist them. You will be supported and evaluated by experienced Romanian trainers and Peace Corps staff throughout the training to build the confidence and skills you need to undertake your project activities and be a productive member of your community.
Language Training
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will find that language skills are the key to personal and professional satisfaction during your service. These skills are critical to your job performance, they help you integrate into your host community, and they can ease your personal adaptation to the new surroundings. Language training is the heart of the training program, and you must successfully meet minimum language requirements to complete training and become a Volunteer. Experienced Romanian language instructors provide language instruction five days a week in small classes of four to six people.
Your language training will incorporate a community-based approach. In addition to classroom time, you will be given assignments to work on outside of the classroom and with your host family. The goal is to get you to a point of basic social communication skills so that you can practice and develop language skills further on your own. Prior to being sworn in as a Volunteer, you will work on strategies to continue language studies during your two years of service. There will also be follow-up language study during in-service training.
Cross-Cultural Training
As part of your pre-service training, you will live with a Romanian host family. This experience is designed to ease your transition to life at your site. Families go through an orientation conducted by Peace Corps staff to explain the purpose of pre-service training and to assist them in helping you adapt to living in Romania. Many Volunteers form strong and lasting friendships with their host families.
Cross-cultural and community development training will help you improve your communication skills and understand your role as a facilitator of development. You will be exposed to topics such as acculturation, conflict resolution, gender and development, values analysis, and understanding local institutions.
Health Training
During pre-service training, you will be given basic medical training and information. You will be expected to practice preventive healthcare and to take responsibility for your own health by adhering to all medical policies. Trainees must attend all medical sessions. The topics include preventive health measures and minor and major medical issues that you might encounter while in Romania. Nutrition, mental health, safety and security, setting up a safe living compound, and how to avoid HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also covered.
Safety Training
You will learn how to adopt a lifestyle that reduces your risks at home, at work, and during your travels. You will also learn appropriate, effective strategies for coping with unwanted attention and about your individual responsibility for promoting safety throughout your service.
Additional Trainings During Volunteer Service
In its commitment to institutionalize quality training, the Peace Corps has implemented a training system that provides Volunteers with continual opportunities to reaffirm their commitment to Peace Corps service while increasing their technical and cross-cultural skills.
During your service, there are typically three training events.
The titles and objectives for those trainings are as follows:
- In-service training: Provides an opportunity for Volunteers to upgrade their technical, language, and project development skills while sharing their experiences and reaffirming their commitment after having served for three to six months.
- Midterm conference: Assists Volunteers in reviewing their first year, reassessing their personal and project objectives, and planning for their second year of service.
- Close-of-service conference: Prepares Volunteers for the future after Peace Corps service and reviews their respective projects and personal experiences. There are also opportunities for Volunteers to network with one another across program sectors. Training events are integrated and interrelated, from the pre-departure orientation through the end of service, and are planned, implemented, and evaluated cooperatively by the training staff, Peace Corps staff, and Volunteers.


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Students participating in externships will work with a selected public sector agency, law office or judge taken from the approved list, unless otherwise agreed. Students are not eligible for credit with private firms or attorneys. Tasks undertaken include research, writing, analyzing, and assisting counsel or assisting judges. Depending upon the extern program, students may go to court to represent a client or agency.
Each student is required to work at the designated placement at least 120-180 hours a semester contingent upon the requirements of the specific program, or by what is arranged with the Director of Externships before the semester starts.
In addition to the hours required for the individual placements, there is a one-hour mandatory extern class every week in the fall and spring semesters. In the summer program, extern participants communicate via e-mail and telephone with their extern professor and work on a directed research project related to the work they are doing at the externship. This is normally an approved 7-page paper.
All extern participants are required to keep a weekly journal of their work. Participants in the fall and spring will close out the semester with a five page reflective paper on their work.
Read our Student Testimonials about our externships.


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McDonald launches Senate campaign
MONTPELIER Town Meeting Day elections are still a week away, but Pat McDonald says her eyes are already on a November prize. The former two-term state lawmaker from Berlin wants to represent Washington County in the state Senate.
A veteran of both state and local government, McDonald kicked off her Republican candidacy for one of the countys three Senate seats during a recent gathering of legislative leaders. She represented Berlin and a portion of Barre in the Legislature from 2006 to 2010.
McDonald, 70, emphasized opportunity and affordability in her announcement.
Like most Vermonters, my husband and I have watched our property taxes go up steadily, every year, and we struggle with living on fixed incomes, she said, acknowledging that they have it better than many.
McDonald said myriad other issues and concerns that have occupied headlines and dominated dinner table conversations in central Vermont lately helped spark her candidacy.
Hearing about job losses, increased poverty levels, an exploding drug epidemic, the dismal state of our mental health care system, the cost of health care, and more recently concerns about safety in our own communities, we realize that our own affordability struggle, while frustrating and real, actually pales in comparison to what many of our neighbors are going through, McDonald said.
So, much as I had planned on retirement, I decided it was a critical time for me to step back in, she added.
It isnt the first time McDonald has set her sights on one of Washington Countys three seats in the state Senate, though she cited family issues in abruptly ending her 2010 bid five months after announcing her candidacy.
McDonald, who dropped out of the race before her name ever appeared on the ballot that year, didnt rule out a comeback at the time.
Now she has dusted off her Together We can fix it campaign theme and picked up right where she left off four years ago.
After four decades of service in both the public and private sectors, Ive developed a leadership style that I believe can help bring some focus and consensus to those difficult conversations, she said, ticking through a list of issues she believes need to be addressed.
Lowering property taxes and making Vermont a more affordable place to live are at the top of the list, which also includes stimulating economic growth while preserving the environment, streamlining state government, and making sure safety-net programs are effective.
A New Jersey native who moved to Vermont in 1988, McDonald served three governors two Republicans and one Democrat in seven high-profile appointed positions during her 13 years with the state. She was deputy commissioner of education, commissioner of the motor vehicles, personnel and labor departments and, most recently, secretary of transportation. She retired in 2006.
Elected to the Legislature in 2006 and again in 2008, McDonald has also served at the local and regional levels. She is a past chairwoman of the Select Board in Berlin, where she currently is chairwoman of the towns economic development committee. She has represented Berlin on the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission and served the community and the area in a number of other appointed and volunteer capacities.
Before entering government, McDonald spent more than 20 years in the private sector. She worked at the CIBA-GEIGY Corp. in Ardsley, N.Y., and as vice president of human resources and regulatory management at Merchants Bank in Vermont.
She lives in Berlin with her husband, J. Bruce McDonald, a retired state police captain. She has one daughter, two stepsons and four grandsons.
McDonalds campaign website can be found at www.patforvtsenate.com.
david.delcore @timesargus.comMORE IN Central VermontMIDDLEBURY According to WebMD, Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes a persons muscles ... Full StoryTiffany Briggs and Kayla Jackson eyed each other across the table, clasped hands, and then it was... Full StoryMARLBORO Police are investigating a burglary on Higley Hill Road. Full Story
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Who wears the fire suit in your family?...........
Who wears the firesuit in your fam? We've got tees for all ages. Proceeds benefit the KHF. bit.ly/KHFTEE pic.twitter.com/x8Y0flYcBq
All things Kevin
onerockindoc wrote:If I'm not careful this little boy will turn me into a Harvick fan. I love all things Keelan!!
HiddenHollow wrote:At the time, little did Joey know what he was starting with his comment.
ndunn wrote:The remark came out as sarcastic but it was a perfect line for Delana to make some money for the foundation they have. For Joey to make the remark that implied Kevin was not very bright wasn't very classy. He also needs to think before he makes remarks especially with what happened to Denny.
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Gunslinger Doc Holliday dies, the X-ray is discovered by accident, John F. Kennedy is elected president, and the Florida recount begins, all on this day.
1932: Democratic candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected 32nd president of the United States, beating incumbent Republican President Herbert Hoover. In the midst of the Great Depression, Roosevelt would garner 57.4 percent of the vote on the way to carrying 42 states and capturing 472 electoral votes, compared to 39.7 percent, six states and 50 electoral votes for Hoover.


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For New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, leadership often came with an empathetic hug. For New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, it came with an angry tirade at utilities slow to restore power. For New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it came with cool, businesslike assurance.
Experts in leadership and disaster response interviewed by The Associated Press gave all three chief executives high marks for their performance so far in Superstorm Sandy, a disaster that left more than 100 people dead and presented perhaps the biggest crisis-management test yet for three Northeastern politicians who have all been rumored to hold presidential ambitions.
"Throughout the country, what the American people seek is a kind of authenticity in their public leaders, and these three guys have demonstrated that authenticity throughout this crisis," said Syracuse University political science professor Robert McClure.
Most of those interviewed said Christie stood out for being the most outspoken and ahead of the curve, whether he was ordering gas rationing nearly a week before anyone else, putting his GOP credentials on the line to praise the Obama administration's response or using a televised briefing to comfort children with a simple: "Don't be scared."
He got so much attention that he even poked a bit of fun at himself with a cameo over the weekend on "Saturday Night Live," where he appeared in the familiar blue fleece jacket that he has worn while touring the state following the storm.
All three men took firm command before Sandy arrived. Cuomo closed New York City's subways and tunnels hours before there was a threat of flooding and strategically "pre-positioned resources" days before, a move the federal transportation secretary later praised. Christie struck a get-tough note in ordering people to clear out along the coast, barking, "Don't be stupid" on Twitter. Bloomberg calmly ordered an evacuation of the city's low-lying areas.
And their leadership continued after the storm had passed.
Douglas Brinkley, a Rice University historian who wrote an award-winning book on 2005's Hurricane Katrina and has also written about Presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Theodore Roosevelt and Gerald Ford, said the first rule in a disaster is to rush rescue and relief to the victims to keep the death toll down.
"While Sandy has been tragic, with the amount of rescues that have taken place and the amount of life-saving that has gone down, it has helped keep the death toll not commensurate to the damage," he said. "In Hurricane Katrina, you lost 2,000 people. And a lot of them died because nobody got to them for a week."
Not everything went perfectly. Many of Sandy's victims have complained that the power outages went on for too long, that the gas station lines were infuriating, and that temporary housing against November's cold seemed to be an afterthought.
At times, the crisis threw all three men off balance: Bloomberg reversed himself in the face of a huge backlash and canceled the New York City Marathon, Christie picked a fight with the Atlantic City mayor for sending people to city shelters instead of evacuating them, and Cuomo's attacks on utilities thudded when he took on the Long Island Power Authority, a state utility over which he has some control.


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INTERPOL is offering a limited number of internships from any of their member countries
Deadline: September 30, 2014 | Views: 44
At INTERPOL, we offer a limited number of internships to persons from any of our member countries.
Mutual benefits:
Internships are intended to be of mutual benefit to the intern and to the Organization.
Interns will be based at INTERPOL's General Secretariat in Lyon, France, or at one of the Regional Bureaus. It is an opportunity to gain an insight into how an international organization operates and to work in a multicultural and multilingual environment. As well as learning about the functioning of international police co-operation, interns will be able to enhance their educational experience through practical work assignments, thereby developing skills which will be useful in future employment.
In turn, INTERPOL will benefit from the input of qualified persons whose background will enable them to give a fresh point of view and up-to-date academic knowledge, enhancing the Organization's work.
How to apply:
There are continuous openings for internships, which last from two to 11 months. Applicants must have attained the legal age of majority, be fluent in English, and be enrolled in, or have graduated from, an accredited academic institution.
If you would like to apply, first read INTERPOL's Internship Policy then fill in the Application Form
Applications should be returned to the Human Resources Sub-Directorate.
If you have not received a reply within three weeks of sending your application, this means that no suitable placements are currently available. Due to the high level of applications received, we will contact you only if there is a possibility of an internship.
Applications are valid for a period of one year from the date of receipt. If a suitable placement arises within that period, we will get in touch with you.
Practical details:
Successful applicants will be requested to sign the INTERPOL Internship General Conditions.
INTERPOL provides an allowance of EUR 550 a month.
The intern is responsible for:
- Finding his/her own accommodation (read about accommodation and practical information in Lyon [PDF]);
- Obtaining the necessary visa for entering the country of internship, if applicable;
- Bearing all travel costs.


text:
Long-Sleeve Utility Blouse
Style: 570051796
Out of Stock
Ecru silk crepe de chine blouse rolls up its sleeves, ready to work with everything in your wardrobe. 100% Silk. Dry clean. Imported.
- Relaxed contour fit.
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- Unlined.
- Hits at mid-hip. (26.5" from shoulder).
Read more… Read less…


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Where are 'Family Ties' stars now?
Published On: Jun 13 2011 10:56:51 AM CDT Updated On: Feb 19 2016 01:00:00 AM CST
With "Family Ties" star Justine Bateman celebrating her 50th birthday on Friday, take a look at where she and the rest of the Keaton family are today.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.


text:
Address 97 South Main Street
Apartment 107
West Hartford, Connecticut 61070
United States
Apartment 107
West Hartford, Connecticut 61070
United States
|Law School
|University of Connecticut School of Law
|Most recent firm
|Connecticut Superior Court, New Haven, CT
|Relevant Jobs
Defense Litigation Associate
Established national law firm seeks an associate with 1-3 yrs. experience in toxic tort and general liability litigation for its Hartford office. Applicants must have excellent writing skills and a st...
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Paralegal Ii
Paralegal II The candidate will deliver outstanding quality service to clients through creative problem-solving and with a consultancy mindset. Will provide expertise in the areas of legal research, ...
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Senior Claim Counsel, Bond and SI
Senior Claim Counsel, Bond and SI The candidate will, under general supervision, fulfill Bond and Specialty Insurance (Bond) Claims mission by conducting thorough investigation, analysis, evaluation ...
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|+ View more jobs
A. Harrison Barnes is a well-known attorney throughout the United States. As a member of the Malibu community, Harrison is committed to serving the needs of Malibu residents and businesses in legal matters.


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Course: Teacher Leadership Strategies - EDMA 206
Cost: $550If it is necessary to withdraw from this course before the start date, a $50 non-refundable processing fee will beassessed. No refunds will be given after the start date.Description: This course is designed to explore the field of ideas relating to leadership, human modes of communication, and personal relationships in the shaping of our social and professional relationships as educators. Teachers who work with students, parents, colleagues, community members and board members will discover the leader within them and learn how to communicate more effectively, and persuasively, with confidence and authenticity. In an eight-week format, participants are guided through various activities including reading, viewing, reflection, and investigations to further increase their knowledge and awareness of topics related to strategies for teacher leaders within our schools.Registration Deadline: February 19, 2014 at 5 p.m. (CST)Course Start and End Dates: February 24 – April 20, 2014Credit: 3 semester hours of Drake Extension Education graduate creditRegister:
Drake University Extension Education3206 University Avenue • Des Moines, IA 503111-800-76-TEACH


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Pension schemes urged to hedge against tail risk before volatility returns
Pension funds should be taking advantage of low volatility and recent stock market gains to hedge against the risk of extreme events hitting their funding positions, according to leading investment advisers.
Hedging strategies can be used by schemes to limit downside risk from events such as a stock market crash, sharp interest rate movements and high inflation or deflation, all of which could significantly effect their funding levels. The 2008 financial crisis, for example, wiped out $5.4 trillion (more than 20%) of global pension assets by the end of 2008, according to OECD estimates.
Keith Guthrie, chief investment officer at Cardano, believes that pension funds still carry much of the risk they did before the crisis: "Despite making some progress towards de-risking, all pension funds in the UK are taking two massive bets: they are very long equities and they are very short interest rates.
"The tail risks are as important as they ever were."
However, steady growth, rising stock markets and improvements in troubled eurozone countries have calmed fears. Allianz Global Investors' Global Risk Monitor in April found tail risks had fallen from first to fourth place on the list of institutional investors' concerns since the previous survey last October.
But as John Belgrove, senior partner at Aon Hewitt, said: "When markets are good and volatility is down, it is precisely the time you want to be thinking about executing tail risk strategies. By leaving it until volatility returns to the market, funds risk 'closing the stable door when the horses bolted'."
Tim Hodgson, head of Towers Watson's specialist research unit the Thinking Ahead Group, believes that historically low expected stock market volatility as measured by the Vix index, is at odds with persistent risks that could lead to big market falls. TAG has identified a range of low probability but high impact events that could harm investors, including an economic depression, another banking crisis, sovereign debt defaults, a currency crisis and deflation. "I am not a doom monger but there is a difference between the perception of risk diminishing and real underlying risks, which have not necessarily gone away," Hodgson said.
Pension funds are increasingly addressing some risks, such as falling interest rates and rising inflation, which can increase their liabilities. Liability-driven investment, which involves schemes investing part of their fund either in bonds or using swaps and other derivatives to offset their exposure, has grown in popularity in recent years.
A study published in February by Edhec-Risk Institute of 104 mainly European investors found that 80% understood the LDI approach, and 51% overall (and a large majority in the UK) implemented a formal separation of return-seeking assets and those held to match liabilities. Interest rate risk is the main concern of those investors who do hedge against unexpected changes in risk.
Pensions have also reduced their equity exposure and diversified their asset allocation as a means of protecting against the risk of market volatility. Average equity allocations fell from 61.1% in 2006 to 35.1% last year, according to the UK Pensions Protection Fund's Purple Book. Even public sector schemes, which often feel better placed to ride-out equity volatility, have been diversifying.
The Merseyside Pension Fund in the UK, for example, has increased its allocation to alternatives from 16% before the financial crisis to 28% today. This includes hedge funds, private equity, infrastructure, property, as well as investments in areas such as reinsurance, leasing finance, shipping and caravan parks.
Peter Wallach, head of the Merseyside Pension Fund, said: "We've gone into a number of different assets we expect to be less volatile should there be another crisis."
But moves to address tail risk have only gone so far. Even use of LDI is limited: while many funds have some allocation to LDI strategies, more than half (54.02%) of investors do not hedge their liabilities, the Edhec study found. About a fifth do not even measure liability risk.
Expensive protection
For some funds the decision to leave risk unhedged is deliberate. The £14 billion UK local government scheme, Strathclyde Pension Fund, remains 72.5% invested in equities believing it can afford to ride out short to medium-term volatility. It still has a large proportion of active members paying into the fund, and a strong sponsor. Richard Keery, investment director at Strathclyde, said: "This fund doesn't need to be lying awake at night worrying about tail risk."
More commonly, the objection to taking out tail risk insurance is cost.
With LDI, for example, many are tempted to delay, hoping rising interest rates will bring down the cost by reducing their liabilities. This is a mistake, according to Masroor Ahmad, head of risk management solutions at P-Solve Asset Solutions. Interest rate rises are already priced into the market, he explained. If they rise at the rate the market expects, funds won't gain by waiting and if they rise slower than expected they could lose.
"Only if interest rates rise quicker than expected will you see benefits from waiting," Ahmad added.
Cost is an even bigger issue for equity hedging. Traditional derivatives-based strategies based on buying put options on equities – an agreement to sell at an agreed price on or before a specified date – have proved expensive, because when equity markets fall, there is often a significant increase in volatility.
Consequently, losses can be larger than investors might expect from observing the volatility during a period when the market was calm, according to Dan Mikulskis, co-head of asset and liability modelling at consultants Redington. Sellers of options that protect against such falls, therefore, factor this into the pricing, and the costs are frequently about 3% a year.
Mikulskis said: "Even with today's relatively low levels of implied volatility, the annual cost of buying put options on equity indices can amount to a significant part, if not all, of the excess return you are expecting to get from equities."
Long-term value
Over time, however, Mikulskis is confident that equity hedging will grow in popularity. As schemes are maturing, with fewer members paying in and more pensioners drawing out, volatility will become more of a problem and hedging it more valuable, he said.
Equity hedging is also growing in sophistication. There are many methods to hedge equities, including investing in a "volatility controlled index", where equity exposure reduces or increases inversely with volatility, providing much cheaper hedging, according to a paper published in March by Mikulskis and co-author Karim Traore, director of pension fund and investment management solutions at Societe Generale.
One option is to adopt a more dynamic approach to hedging so different maturity options are held in a portfolio, with a portion expiring and being rolled each month. A similar portfolio of rolling call options can be systematically sold to pay for some of the cost of the put options.
Traore also believes that interest in such alternative strategies is gradually growing. He said: "It is not widespread, but there is sufficient interest to say we are at the dawn of what you could call an equity LDI-type world."
However, there are still no "easy wins" for schemes, warned Phil Edwards, principal at investment consultants Mercer. He believes that for tail risk hedging to gain real popularity it may require another period of volatility to prompt fears of a crash. At this point, however, hedging will also become more expensive, since demand for protection against volatility will increase.
Edwards said: "That's the irony; you have to implement these things when conditions are good."
• The DC challenge to manage downside risk
Defined contribution pension providers are designing their own strategies to help scheme members who have no scheme sponsor to fall back on to manage tail risks.
Mads Gosvig, chief investment officer of multi-employer scheme provider NOW: Pensions, said: "When faced with a dramatic fall in the value of their investment fund, members have a propensity to lose confidence and will often reduce or even stop contributions altogether."
Despite this, DC schemes remain heavily exposed to equities. A survey of the default investment funds of the DC schemes run by FTSE 350 companies published by Schroders in May showed that while they had begun to diversify, developed market equity allocations in default funds averaged more than 80%.
NOW: Pensions, which considers tail risk as a loss of 10% in net asset value, primarily tackles tail risks through diversification, but it focuses closely on "correlation control". It monitors the realised correlations between returns from its different investments daily.
If correlations become too high (with assets all falling together), it implements a protective strategy that involves using options, particularly buying put options on the falling assets. Consequently, exposure to them is reduced (to zero if necessary). The options strategy is only used when assets are falling in value, however.
Gosvig said: "The protective strategy only reduces exposure in loss-producing asset groups. That way we take into account that low diversification may be a good thing if all asset classes are performing well at the same time. In that case we do not reduce exposure."
The UK's automatic enrolment National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) scheme focuses on tail risk using an investment approach aimed at reducing the "dispersion of outcomes" in traditional DC schemes.
Paul Todd, assistant director of investment at Nest, said: "We're very keen to get away from this idea that there can be significant cohorts of winners and significant cohorts of losers."
Nest wants to avoid big losses in the early stages of members' savings programme. For the growth phase of investing it targets a volatility of about 12% with an upper limit of about 18% and a lower limit of about 8% or 9%.
But for the foundation phase – the first five years in the fund – the volatility target is 7%. However, diversification is Nest's main tool to reduce tail risks. Todd said: "There are challenges in doing more than diversifying, with the danger of giving up too much upside, paying high fees for some kind of insurance protection. Research we have done recently calls into question whether our members are prepared to pay those extra fees."
Others are yet to act, but are also thinking about what they could do to reduce tail risks. Mark Walker, chief investment officer at Unilever's pension fund, which has €3 billion in DC assets, says it is interested in looking at downside protection. He said: "From an investment perspective we need to think about how we provide solutions more aligned with what individual members want – and most individuals don't want to lose wealth."
This article first appeared in the print edition of Financial News dated June 16, 2014


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Interest Level
Grades 3 - 5
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 4.4
Lexile® Measure: 750L
Guided Reading: Q
- Informational
- Exploration and Discovery
About This BookAnimals. American History. Earth Science. Geography. Health. Space. True Books covers all this and more in photo-filled chapter books that provide a basic introduction to curriculum-relevant topics. Ideal for today's young investigative reader, each True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and an index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, and redesigned with a fresh new look in 1996, the new True Books series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers.
Items Added to Cart:
1 Paperback
2 Hardcover
1 Teacher's Edition
$48.99 Subtotal


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Acupuncturist's Unconvincing Attempt at Damage Control
Acupuncture has been in the news recently. A former President of South Korea had to undergo major surgery to remove an acupuncture needle that had somehow lodged in his lung. A recent study in Pain compiled a list of 95 published reports of serious complications of acupuncture including 5 deaths. Meanwhile, acupuncturists continue to insist that their procedures are "safe."
Edzard Ernst et al.'s article "Acupuncture: Does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews" was published in the journal Pain in April 2011. It had two parts: (1) it was a systematic review of 57 systematic reviews showing that there was "little truly convincing evidence that acupuncture is effective in reducing pain," and (2) it tabulated published reports of 5 deaths and 90 other serious complications of acupuncture treatments. I wrote an accompanying commentary, "Acupuncture's claims punctured: Not proven effective for pain, not harmless."
William Morris chastised me for not declaring a conflict of interest (!?) in my commentary. Now, in Acupuncture Today, he has criticized the Ernst et al. study itself.
Posted in: AcupunctureLeave a Comment (20) →


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Is there a special someone in your life? A certain girl whose beauty outshines the sun, whose laugh lights up the room, whose very presence causes a great welling of emotion within you?
Yeah there is. And she won't talk to you any more, right? Because of those things you did or didn't do? Man, what a shrew.
Moving on with your life is the conventional wisdom in these cases, but that path isn't for everyone. Sometimes you don't want to do what's right, you want to do what feels right! For comedic purposes, here we will assume that what feels right to you is "seeking revenge on your ex" and not "living a rich and full life."
Well it turns out that the most successful techniques for irritating your ex are tightly tied to the techniques that originally won her heart. By adapting well established wooing techniques to suit your childish needs, we've created the following list of revenge techniques, sure to mildly annoy your one-time lover.
5Dinner at a Fancy Restaurant.
Imagine a night out at a nice restaurant. The pair of you all dressed up in your nicest clothes. The sounds of violin music filter through the mingled conversations of other happy couples. A clever joke and a matching laugh. Candlelight dances across the features of her face. A mischievous smile. Wine is poured. The smile gets bigger. You've never seen her look so happy.
A look which immediately leaves her face when she turns away from her date and sees you, seated across the restaurant, with another man.
To pull this one off, you'll need to know in advance where your ex will spend their time on Valentine's Day. This will involve some form of prior intelligence, like knowing what her favorite restaurant is, or how to tail a car without being spotted. After she arrives, you simply arrive a few minutes later with your own date, a guy named Robert, who despite being a casual acquaintance from work, agreed to wear something snug and provocative in exchange for a free meal.
The goal here is to instill concern in your ex's mind that her actions or physical characteristics turned you off of women altogether. To help enforce that notion, as soon as your ex notices you, break eye contact immediately. Lean in and engage Robert in a hushed conversation, sprinkled with loud guffaws and repeated glances in your ex's direction. Throw in a some bizarre hand gestures to really confuse them--they will definitely be re-examining your previous sex-life by this point--and if they see you waving your forearm back and forth like a salmon and making barking noises, some really self-critical ideas will begin flying through their head.
4Share a Secret Tweet Between the Two of You.
Couples have many intimate moments during which conversations, jokes and even single words will take on special significance--tokens of a shared moment together. It's little things like this which provide couples their closest feelings of intimacy, and is something the modern pornography industry has still failed to capture.
Sharing some of these moments on Twitter would then be a fun little way to broadcast to the world a little coded message that only your partner can read. For example if during last Valentine's Day you went to a restaurant and had a really terrible waiter:
@MLPFan: Remember that water I asked for last year at La Chaussette? And it showed up with a moron's thumb in it? LOL. about 3 hours ago from web
Whose mind wouldn't flood with warm memories upon reading that? OK, yours. You monster. So let's say that instead of warm feelings, you wanted to fill your ex's heart with warm... something worse. Maybe not warm poison, but something bad. Warm gravy maybe. What would you do then? Well you could use a nearly identical technique to exact your revenge:
@MLPFan: Sweetey, did you ever get that back tattoo of Ray Romano removed? about 2 hours ago from web
@HarryPoppins: No, did you ever manage to sell that script for a romantic comedy set in the Babylon 5 Universe? about 2 hours ago from twitterfeed
@MLPFan: Yes but one of your breasts is smaller than the other. about 2 hours ago from web
@HarryPoppins: And they're both smaller than yours. about 2 hours ago from twitterfeed
Twitter is great for this kind of childish bickering. Sharing embarrassing information about your ex used to involve hastily scrawled notes on bathroom stalls, or expensive blimp advertisements. But now thanks to the medium of Twitter, the whole world can know about your ex's deviancies or low moments. Be sure to tag your tweets appropriately (e.g. completely inappropriately) to ensure a wide audience:
@MLPFan #superbowl: Marcia Slidowski once peed herself laughing so hard during a movie, they had to stop the film.


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Carolyn Faye Doerr
Carolyn Faye Doerr, 64, a resident of Glenmore, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, in the Ruby Memorial Hospital.
She was born March 28, 1948, in Elkins, a daughter of the late Edward W. and Bernice L. Louk Summerfield. She was married to Russell G. Doerr Sr., who preceded her in death. She is survived by two sons, Kenny Jones, of Ellamore, and Travis Jones, of Elkins; one stepson, Russell "Rusty" Doerr, of Morgantown; four daughters, Mary Stallard of Fredericksburg, Va., Brenda Kelly of Elkins, Sharon Jones of Ellamore and Kim Collins of Elkins; and one stepdaughter, Patty Weese of Elkins. One brother, Guy Summerfield, of Omaha, Neb.; one sister, Linda Simmons of Elkins; 18 grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren also survive.
Also preceding her in death were three brothers, John, James and Gary Summerfield; two sisters, Kathy Woody and Sarah Smith; and one grandson, Christopher Pifer.
Carolyn was a member of the Elkins Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary for many years.
Friends may call on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at the Tomblyn Funeral Home of Elkins, from 11 a.m. until noon, the funeral hour. Pastor Bill Likens will officiate and interment will follow at the Mountain State Memorial Gardens at Gilman. Memorial contributions may be made to the Elkins Volunteer Fire Department, 216 Fourth St., Elkins, WV 26241 in memory of Carolyn.
The Tomblyn Funeral Home of Elkins is in the charge of the arrangements for Carolyn Faye Doerr. Condolences may be expressed to the family at the www.tomblynfuneralhome.com.


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A reader of the blog recently contacted me about the Magis Center for Reason and Faith. I've since added it to the Resources page. A few years ago I was able to listen to Fr. Robert Spitzer give a presentation on the fine-tuning of physics. (I don't remember if you can see me in the video but I'm in the house right.) There's a wonderful resource, the Physics FAQ, which I've linked below.
The Magis Center of Reason and Faith is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to explaining the consistency between science and spirituality in contemporary physics. In the past ten years, implications of transcendence in physics, philosophy of mathematics, and metaphysics have become more pronounced. Indeed, no other decade in history has revealed more or better evidence for God. So what is this evidence?


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Thank you for featuring Sandy Long's article "A conservation leader reemerges" on the front page of the August 25 issue.
Long, as usual, painted an engaging story about the Delaware Highlands Conservancy's recent accreditation with the National Land Trust Alliance. The application process rewarded countless hours of diligent effort by staff, board members and volunteers throughout the year 2010.
However, I would like to add to her credits recognition of our members who have sustained our work throughout our 17 years of existence. From our incorporation in 1994, it has been the membership's generosity and encouragement that kept us going. And I also wish to acknowledge the 65 caring landowners who we have helped to conserve their special lands.
I am proud and humbled reviewing our growth from a handful of people learning about how to conserve the environmental riches we all share, to knowing that over 13,000 acres of precious lands within the Upper Delaware River watershed region will now remain scenic habitat far into the future. Thank you all for making it possible.
Barbara Yeaman, DHC Founder
Milanville, NY


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"I have been listening to you on EWTN for about a year now. I left the Catholic Church 42 years ago. After many struggles during this last year, I finally went to confession on Sunday. I cannot begin to explain how excited I am to be home. Thank you so much for helping me on my journey home."
~ Peggy
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Q&A Newsletter
"I forgive you as heartily as I wish God to forgive me."
~ Marie-Anne Piedcourt (Sister of Jesus Crucified), choir-nun; to her executioner, on mounting the scaffold; one of the 16 Teresian Martyrs of Compiegne guillotined on July 17, 1794 in Paris during the murderous Reign of Terror.


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medicine > SLUCOR > Education and Training > PhD in Public Health Studies with at concentration in Health Services Research
SLUCOR faculty lead doctoral education in Health Services Research at Saint Louis University. SLUCOR works with the College for Public Health and Social Justice (CPHSJ) to provide a concentration in HSR to the College's PhD in Public Health Studies. Faculty from SLUCOR teach HSR courses and mentor students through the dissertation process. Doctoral training in health services research at Saint Louis University began in 1958 via the Center for Health Services Education and Research, a predecessor to the School of Public Health (est. 1991). A strong tradition of scholarship in the field of HSR has been part of the SLU Health Sciences Center for more than 50 years.
The PhD concentration in Health Services Research is designed to prepare exceptional students to become independent researchers who will advance our scientific understanding of key clinical and health service issues. Candidates for this program include individuals already possessing graduate degrees in disciplines such as medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, informatics or the basic sciences.
The program provides students with coursework in outcomes measurement, research methods, biostatistics, epidemiology and medical economics, as well as public policy and clinical medicine. Students enter the program with a small multidisciplinary cohort of other Public Health Doctoral students in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Behavioral Science & Health Education, Environmental and Occupational Health, Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness, and Health Administration. This diversity adds tremendously to the doctoral training experience in both the coursework and research components of their training.
The program follows an apprenticeship model where students begin working on research with their faculty mentor their first semester of the program. Students work closely with the mentor's research team and learn the intricacies of scientific research first hand. They begin the program in a supportive role for this research and gradually assume more responsibility for the research as they progress through the program.
For more information about this academic program, please click here.


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Mindy Mezek has been a 911 operator for 13 years and in that time, has dealt with some pretty tough calls.
But the one that came in just after 10 a.m. Christmas Day ranks right up there as one of the most difficult.
"First I tried to get her to take a few deep breaths because I couldn't even understand what she was saying. She said something about her daughter and I-90 and she was on the freeway on a bridge," Mezek told Seattle TV station KCPQ.
The distraught mother said she was about to jump from the East Channel Bridge on Interstate 90, all while her 7-year-old daughter watched from her parked car.
"I kept saying we don't want your daughter to see you jump. She's not going to want her daughter to have that last image of her so I did keep saying that over and over again. I kept saying we don't want her to be unsafe on the street we need to know where she is,"Mezek said.
For eight minutes, Mezek kept her talking until Washington State Patrol Sgt. Curt Boyle got there.
"She was 20 yards ahead of me and just as she was getting up over the rail and to jump off the bridge I grabbed her by the waist and took her to the ground," Boyle said.
According to police, the woman told them she was the victim of domestic violence and felt she could not go on any longer.
She was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and her daughter was placed in state protective custody.
In those seconds that ticked by on that call, Mezek now knows she saved a life.
"I hope now maybe she can get help and see there's more to life than whatever situation she was in," she said.


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Events » Talks & Tours » Tour
Self-Portrait, c. 1636-38
Rembrandt van Rijn
Dutch, 1606-1669
Oil on panel
panel: 24-7/8 x 19-7/8 in. (63.2 x 50.5 cm); framed: 32-1/2 x 27-1/2 in. (82.6 x 69.9 cm)
The Norton Simon Foundation
Highlights of the Collection: A Focus on the Old Masters
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2013
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Speaker: Staff Educator
Type: Tour
Join a Museum educator for a one-hour tour of highlights from the Norton Simon collection with a focus on the old masters.
Meets in Entrance Gallery | Free with admission. | Please note that space is limited to 25 participants. Sign up at the Information Desk no later than 15 minutes prior to the tour.


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ORIS has posted classes and materials to support the January SAGE System update:
- New online tutorial to explore the improvements to managing people in your eGC1
- SAGE Budget drop in sessions- multiple sessions, multiple locations
- SAGE 101 class scheduled for January
You can access these materials from the ORIS Learning webpage.
Who should attend SAGE Budget Drop-In Sessions?
Researchers and administrators who currently work with budgets, as well as those interested in learning more about the features just released
What will you learn?
- The difference between the budget page and the budget building capabilities of SAGE Budget
- An overview of how to use SAGE Budget, demonstrating the newest features to create your budget quickly
- How to use the power of SAGE Budget for real time salary, benefit and F&A rates and generate a budget that can be attached to your current or new eGC1.
- How to copy budgets to create templates for future use.
Is there a cost for these classes?
No, all of these classes are free of charge. Registration is required to ensure enough class room space and materials are available.
To register, go to ORIS Learning


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Love in a Hopeless Place
Love in a Hopeless Place
Anthony Paull
It's a whirlwind, growing up. I can't get the hang of it. I'm on tour with a new book but I don't know how I got here. I say aloud, I have to earn my stripes. But am I ready for scars too? At my first venue, a smoky gay bar, my face is on a poster above a dirty toilet and nobody knows who I am. I read from a kindle but they'd rather see me disrobe. Pointing to the stripper pole a few patrons cackle. I try to be polite but I lose it, telling the crowd to download the book on its butthole. That way, they can get a super hot STD too. "Think of it as a free bonus," I sing. "Herpes! It's the gift that keeps giving!"
Following my performance, my assistant says that mentioning herpes might be a weak selling technique. Also, I need to stop telling gay men that it hurts taking it up the butt. Apparently, they don't want me to ruin what awaits them at the end of the night. "Focus on the book," he says. "Just read. You don't want to insult them."
"But they're not listening!" I cry. "And I have a week of this? I don't know if I can do it."
On the drive to Ft. Lauderdale I'm convinced that I'm a closeted masochist. The pain gets me off. Why else would I agree to go on a bar tour with a young adult book? "Because gay people need to hear it," my assistant insists. "Your book reminds people about what it means to love." He casts me an assuring wink. "Besides, your friends will be at the next stop."
Yes, I forgot. My friends are waiting to support me. Yes! Well except for Juan who decides to break up with his boyfriend an hour before I arrive. His pickup truck is packed with boxes when we meet. "Sorry. I can't stay," he says. Sweat falls along his tan forehead. "I'm headed to Miami to party."
"You're kidding. You just ended a three year relationship and you're going to party?"
"It's what I do," he says, matter-of-factly. Upset, I take his phone from him to call his boyfriend. He huffs as his boyfriend answers the phone.
"Can you two NOT do this the one night I'm in town?" I ask.
"Do whaaaaaat?" his boyfriend replies. His lavender voice soothes my ear as if nothing's wrong.
"Please," I beg. "Just stop the drama and get over here so Juan will stay for the reading."
He sighs, hesitating. "Fine. I'll get my purse."
"WHAT? He's coming???" Juan yells, as I hang up the phone. Immediately, he's in need of a drink. So we find a bar next to the coffee shop where I'm reading and the owner gives us free shots in celebration of my new book. I shouldn't be drinking but I am. I'm on my fifth shot when I find myself counseling Juan on how to work on the issue with his boyfriend. Listen to what he has to say. He loves you. Fighting is normal. Enjoy it. I have a heap of advice but I can't heed my own words.
The question is what am I fighting for?
I don't know what I'm doing here. True, I put myself on this tour but I had an idea that someone would pay attention. Now, it's wearing on me. The laughing, the heckling, the snarky statements flying at me each time I pull out my kindle - I soak up every wound as the crowd wonders aloud about why I'm reading to them. I have something to say. Yes, that why I'm here. Because I'm not happy with the status quo, the hiding, and the men who think they're 'less' gay because they're masculine. I'm over the obsessive gays, the ones fighting for the mirror at the gym. There's more to being gay than sex and the latest hot guy on Grindr. I like to think that. But when I was young, I couldn't find a book that agreed. I had no training wheels. It was zero to one hundred before I hit 30. Does that make me emotionally stunted? Is that why I can't understand how it's acceptable to send a nude pic to a stranger but be afraid to say a public hello? Why are you scared of? Why am I equally afraid? Where is Juan? Why did he leave before the reading? Where are the rest of my friends? For me, it doesn't add up, feeling so alone. I suppose that's why I write...because nothing's adding up. It's just the mic and me, just one voice talking about love. You can laugh, yes. But I'm Anthony Paull and I can talk over it.