text:
Report to the Vice PresidentDate: 27 January 2003
To: Art Costantino
Fm: Steve Huntsberry
Sub: REPORT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT RE SOP REVIEW
I submit this report at the request of the Washington Federation of State Employees Union via Art Costantino, Vice President for Student Affairs. As one component of a comprehensive TESC Police Standard Operating Procedure review, it is the purpose of this report to put forth my administrative perspective of the TESC Standard Operating Procedures in the area of Campus Police carrying firearms.
I will not dwell on the history except as it applies directly to the administration of the policy, and how the campus and surrounding environment has changed over the last six years. I hope to provide the reader with some meaningful insight regarding the evolution of the most pertinent limited arming recommendations. I will also provide details of how the limited arming policy morphed, by necessity, over the same period. I will discuss the administrative issues throughout the discourse.
The TESC DTF Recommendations and subsequent Police Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) are the result of a compromise, adopted with good intentions, by DTF members on both sides of the 24/7 (24 hours a day/seven days a week) arming issue. During the discussions there was a realization that aspects of the policy were not going to be perfect answers/ procedures, but for the time and the circumstances they would be at least adequate and functional. Over time, adequate and functional proved to be a correct assessment considering the SOPs have been in place since 1997. I must add, however, that the Recommendations and the SOPs were not always easy to administer.
During the six-year period, the environment, circumstances and the department's law enforcement focus changed. The surrounding population naturally increased but at a much faster rate than anticipated. Contact with non-community members became more frequent. Evergreen's "bubble" and Olympia's borders began to rub against each other with ever increasing friction. Vehicle traffic swelled. Two tragic traffic fatalities on the Evergreen Parkway dramatically changed the frequency of police traffic stops on Evergreen roadways. As a result, traffic enforcement has been successful in reducing vehicle speed on campus roadways and has led to the apprehension of numerous traffic and non-traffic criminal offenders. It came as somewhat of a surprise to discover the number of drug and alcohol related offenses that were factored into our crime statistics as a direct result of stepped-up traffic enforcement.
We also began to increase our emphasis non-traffic crime prevention. Logically, by seeking out and preventing crime, Campus Officers must contact the violators in the course of their daily duties. Some are amateurs; many are persons making bad decisions-some are professionals; some are violent. Officers have made daylight arrests in many situations requiring physical control and hand restraints. On other occasions, Officers have made routine daytime contact with persons who were subsequently found to have long histories of serious criminal activity. Also during the daytime, Campus Officers have been threatened with death and suffered physical injury in more than a few incidents. We have learned that violence is not dictated by the time of day--Officers never know if, or when, a threat will be carried out.
Take for example, Eric Cole, aka the "Lumberjack", who came to our attention in reports from student Parking Booth workers. On more than one occasion booth workers notified police of a "scary" character who was acting menacingly and talking to them in a threatening manner. They stated that Cole would suddenly appear at the booth window on foot. He would make comments about how easy it would be to rob the attendant and other unsettling remarks. Police determined that Cole was a transient living out of his vehicle. Subsequent investigation revealed that Cole had mental problems and a long criminal history. Among other disturbing things, we learned that Cole was criminally trespassed from all State DSHS facilities for threatening employees with a knife and other weapons. We also learned that he was driving on a suspended license. He proved difficult and uncooperative when approached and questioned by the police on campus. Officers were placed on alert and ultimately observed him driving on the parkway. Cole was stopped by Campus Officers one afternoon and arrested for Driving While Suspended. Cole attempted to escape and a wrestling match ensued on the parkway. It took three Officers to wrestle Cole to the point of submission. He proved to be very strong and a very angry man. During his arrest Cole made several very "believable" death threats toward arresting Officers and toward the Evergreen Campus Community in general. Threats aside, Cole went to jail and shortly thereafter he was sent, involuntarily, to a mental institution. I believe that this was the first instance where I suggested to Art (or he suggested to me) that Officers be armed 24/7. We had no reason not to believe that Cole meant exactly what he said considering his violent history. We were also not certain exactly how long Cole would be held in jail or the hospital. As it turned out, Cole was released about two months later. Two weeks after release, with no sign of Cole and assurances from his parole officer that Cole would not act on his threats, Campus Police returned to limited arming SOP.
Over the past three years, I have had to place Officers on alert with full arming on nine occasions. I would estimate that the shortest period of 24/7 arming was a week to 10 days in duration. The longest period involved overlapping incidents and ran for approximately 5 months. Added together, I would estimate the Campus Officers have been required to be fully armed for a period amounting to 12 months.
The DTF members worked very hard to incorporate as many officer-safety features as possible into the Limited Arming Recommendations. They did not anticipate the significant number of potentially violent, threatening situations that would require police officers to be armed 24/7 during the limitation period. Nor did they anticipate the significant number of non-community members with crime and violence histories who would be contacted during routine daytime business. Nor did they anticipate that there would be a meth-amphetamine epidemic in Thurston County that would have a profound effect on the numbers and the nature of crimes coming to, and passing through, campus. And they did not anticipate that a small portion of permanent campus community members would generate situations that would produce significant threats of violence to officers and/or other community members.
Prior to 1996, members of the DTF had few examples of crime and violence on campus from which to draw some frame of reference. Most of those incidents had occurred in the 1980s but some members of the DTF were there during that time. Interesting enough, two of the most poignant incidents, a brutal murder and the armed robbery of the cashier's office, occurred in broad daylight.
One of the primary assumptions of the pro-limitation members of the DTF was that violence and crime were significantly less during daylight hours. Another assumption was that large numbers of people working and moving about during traditional business hours would be a natural deterrent to crime and violence. I believe I can safely say that there is no period of the day that is significantly safer than another-this is especially true when considering crimes associated with domestic and workplace violence issues. Perhaps the volume of daytime crime may be somewhat lower, but not significantly lower to counter the liability associated with a limited arming policy.
The following is an excellent example of a circumstance involving community members, threats of potential violence and the 24/7 arming of police. Please note that the situation involved daytime staff members of the Evergreen community so I must refrain from providing information that would allow a participant's identity to be divulged. Suffice it to say that a community member conveyed threats to peers and supervisors that were taken as a serious indication that violence was an imminent possibility. The subject was known to carry and/or have access to a deadly weapon(s) and was known for a volatile temper. Supervisors requested police assistance and 24/7 arming was instituted. We remained armed 24/7 while disciplinary procedures were imposed and the situation became diffused. A second 24/7 situation, very similar to the one just described, occurred about 3 years ago and was handled in the same fashion. On at least two occasions there have been two or more separate 24/7 "staff" situations occurring in the same time frame. This phenomenon has led to extended periods of 24/7 arming of campus officers.
Members of the limited arming DTF and drafters of the SOPs were not exposed to the "school shooting" phenomenon that peaked with the Columbine Incident of April 20, 1999. We could not have foreseen the recent murder of a police officer by Evergreen student, Andrew Mickel. (The fact that he had an Evergreen connection caused officers to go 24/7 for a brief period of time between the murder and Mikel's arrest in New Hampshire.) In retrospect, I believe I would have argued more passionately for unlimited arming of Campus Officers with such powerful examples of the possibilities of violence on Campus.
Statistically, very few violent crimes are anticipated by police officers. Violence happens unexpectedly and does not "time-out" for the unprepared officer to retrieve her/his firearm. Violence occurs in seconds, not the minutes it would take for an unarmed, on-scene officer to properly equip his/herself to prevent serious injury or death.
As previously stated, The Evergreen State College Standard Operating Procedures regarding the arming of Police Offices was created by a task force of community members representative of all areas of the college. The process was not rushed, in fact the actual carrying of weapons did not occur until the year after arming police officers was authorized-until the SOPs were completed. The sub-committee charged with writing the SOPs often spent considerable time considering the use and meaning of a single word over another word in order that the operating procedures would be clear and workable.
In some respects, the policy, by design, is vague and flexible. The fact that the policy would restrict the period and/or instances when police officers could carry a firearm made flexibility desirable. It is coincidental that the primary reason that the policy has remained in place for so long is directly due to its flexibility.
Oddly, the same flexibility has made the administration of the policy extremely difficult. In certain areas, widely different individual interpretations can be made of the same policy/procedure and still remain within the guidelines of the SOP. The flexibility makes disciplinary actions very difficult except in the most flagrant of violations.
The basic strategy envisioned by the arming committee was that the firearm would be in a secure area or container while not being carried by the officer. The limitation time frame was designated as 0800 hrs. to 1800 hrs., seven days a week. Several devices or strategies were imbedded in the SOPs that would facilitate limited arming during business hours (daylight). The use of lock boxes in patrol vehicles and the use of bike carrying racks on the patrol vehicles were the two main concepts. The DTF envisioned that officers would utilize their patrol vehicle as mini/mobile offices and attempt to have them in close proximity as often as feasible. By carrying a bicycle on the patrol car, the mobile office concept was considered almost self-contained.
In one of the most controversial parts of the SOP, the spirit of the policy does not always translate to a literal interpretation. The SOP, in spirit, is written to limit the presence of visibly armed police officers--visibly armed in areas that are heavily frequented by community members during business hours. In essence, this means the core campus--Red Square and the surrounding academic buildings.
The Recommendation and SOP writers visualized unarmed, uniformed police officers communally mingling with faculty, staff and students on Red Square. The ultimate reality has come to be an environment that rarely sees a police officer, armed or not, on foot around the campus core between the hours of 0800 and 1800 hrs. With the exception of the Director and the Lieutenant, who are authorized to carry 24/7 all the time, the community seldom glimpses a patrol officer in the campus core unless the officer has been called to a situation that is SOP-authorized for arming-for example, a Bookstore alarm or a suspicious person call. As time passed, certain officers who preferred to be armed during their daily shift would continually opt for nighttime duty to avoid the confusion of the limited arming policy.
Realizing that there would be times and circumstances that would require officers to be armed during the limitation period, specific, authorized arming instances were outlined in the Arming DTF Recommendations (Page 5. III). This part of the policy created additional safety issues not experienced by fully armed police.
The principal issue revolved around the number of times the firearm would be moved from holster to lockbox and back again. It is axiomatic that the more a firearm is moved or handled the more likely an accidental discharge will occur. Two years ago I addressed concerns in this area in a memo to Art Costantino, the Vice President for Student Affairs. I estimated that TESC officers were required by SOP to handle their firearm eight times more than 24/7 armed officers during routine police work-VERY dangerous!
Ironically, if was the DTF's attempt to provide officers with authorization to arm themselves at their own discretion that has caused TESC officers, and me, the most concern and confusion regarding arming. Specifically, two parts of the Recommendations found under Section III are in question:
Section III A 1. c): Responding to potentially dangerous situations which include, but are not limited to, homicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping, rape, burglary, robbery, riot, prowler/suspicious person, domestic violence, suicide (with weapon), vehicle stops, narcotic (felony), and all physical arrest situations.
On the surface this piece is simple to understand and implement. Officers, bumping into any of the above listed situations, have no doubt that a firearm is required and will properly arm themselves.
However, it is this clause also, that is invoked when I, as Chief of Police, become aware that there is a significant long-term physical threat of violence to police officers and/or community members. This too, seems to be a straightforward expression stating that officers require firearms when dealing with severe situations.
As a balancing strategy in such situations, it has always been my practice to collaborate with the Vice President for Student Affairs. We assessed each threat separately and determined the likelihood that the threat might be carried out. In the past six years the Vice President and I have invoked this option on approximately 9 occasions. I should note here that there have been numerous, special situations where officers have armed themselves, or have been instructed to arm themselves, to counter a potential violent situation. I mention this only to point out that any of these situations had the potential to turn into the long-term category of 24/7 arming. Two examples of this type of activity are, standing by during an employee notification of termination or a student disciplinary hearing where a potential for violence has been assessed and dealing with Domestic Violence or child custody visitations.
In most of the cases/situations above, officer safety was/is not my major administrative problem. In the long-term arming scenarios, what generally caused the major difficulty has been that a few members of the community, having witnessed officers walking about with firearms in their holsters, have "sounded the alarm." They leaped to the conclusion that the college administration and/or the Police Chief were ignoring or purposely disregarding the limited arming policy. Rumors then abound that the college is manufacturing situations and using this particular mechanism as a means to subvert the Recommendations of the Limited Arming DTF and commit to permanent 24/7 arming.
During the first or second incident, it became obvious that I should take steps to deflect the rumor mill by informing the community when and why Officers would be armed during the period of limitation. This was later expanded to providing as much particular information about the threatening situation as possible. It also became apparent that notification of when Officers returned to limited arming SOP was just as important to particular members of the community.
This has always been a volatile issue and difficult to control due to the fact that often the circumstances surrounding the threat to the community cannot be related in detail. By providing only superficial information it was perceived by some as an underhanded attempt by the administration to implement 24/7 arming against the "will of the people."
Section III A 3: When patrolling areas distant from their vehicles, officers will visibly wear their firearm.
This DTF Arming Committee recommendation is by far the single most difficult aspect of the Police SOP to define, understand and administrate. It is also here, where the "spirit" of the recommendation's intent and the literal meaning of the words in the recommendations, often take separate paths. The "Catch"--in an attempt to provide Officers enough discretion to adequately and safely do their jobs, the DTF purposely did not define the concept or scope of "areas distant" from their vehicles.
The following example illustrates what I mean by "difficult" in the foregoing paragraph: The "spirit" of the intent as I understand it and as I believe was intended by the DTF meant that an officer patrolling along the deserted beach trail would be expected to carry his/her firearm. On the other hand, an officer walking from the police office to the lobby of the Library Building would not be expected to be armed. It is conceivable that both distances could be the same-the perception of need, the location and the focus are different; logic tells us that either situation could unexpectedly and rapidly deteriorate in a violent encounter. The DTF members were betting that violence was less likely to occur in the library full of people-in other words they played the odds. This type of thinking makes Police Officers very uncomfortable.
The DTF members believed they were doing a "good thing" by not defining "distant from their vehicle"-the Officer was given the gift of discretion. As a Police Officer, I support discretion-it causes me problems as an administrator. Ultimately, however, the above confliction of the definition of "distant from their vehicle" was not where the difficulty became manifest. Officers tended to self-define "distant from their vehicle" in terms of a distance where each Officer felt comfortably safe without a firearm. In the minds of the Officers, this definition greatly simplifies and clarifies the intentional vagueness of the DTF Recommendations. This view was supported in the minds of the Officers by an interpretation of the SOP by Labor and Industry officials. According to the Officers, L&I found no discrepancy in the SOPs by taking the literal definition of "distant from their vehicle" to mean "as soon as an Officer stepped from the car." What confounds the Officers is trying to understand or second-guess what the Chief/ Administration believes to be the correct distance (during any situation) from the vehicle to conform to the spirit of the Recommendations/SOP. I can hear them asking: How far away from my vehicle can I be, or not be, before I violate the Recommendations/SOP? Police Officers should not be worrying about when to carry a firearm; they should be thinking about personal and community safety and keeping the peace.
I believe the DTF members' motives were pure in their intentions to craft the fairest document possible within the "there will be some form of limitation to the arming of Campus Police" charge. Not an easy task-some would say impossible from a tactical/administrative point of view. I believe those DTF members not in favor of arming of police would have preferred a return to the "old days" when perhaps the Evergreen Bubble did exist to a greater extent than the present day. The fact that they went as far as they did to allow Campus Officers to apply discretion to the arming policy is a tribute to their willingness to collaborate and listen to diverse viewpoints.
The fact that the limited arming policy is not workable without severe reduction of safe working conditions for Officers and with obvious liability issues for the college and campus community members is not the fault of the DTF membership. I do not believe there could have been a fairer, more balanced policy, given the parameters in which they had to work, than the one that was adopted.
Unfortunately, the times and circumstances of our society and community have changed. I shudder to think of how we over-extended our measure of luck in that no life or death situation came to visit the campus. That we have suffered no accidental discharge due to unnecessary firearm handling is a tribute to the professionalism and training of the TESC Police Officers. That violations of the policy have been incredibly few further speaks of the "stripe" and the ability of Campus Officers.
The fact that 24/7 arming is safe and appropriate has been demonstrated numerous times through necessity. When the community is properly informed, the issue of Police Officers with firearms becomes an issue only to the very few. For the sake of community and officer safety, I must support full time firearm carry of Campus Police Officers. I can see no creditable argument(s) that would support any compromise placing them in jeopardy.


text:
EMU EAGLES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE: Show your support for the EMU Eagles and attend one or all of the football games. Below are the home and away games or click on 2012 football season. For ticket pricing and/or to purchase tickets, go to 2012 Football Tickets.
- Oct. 13, Toledo, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 20, Army, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 27 (at Bowling Green), 3:30 p.m.
- Nov. 1 (at Ohio), 6 p.m.
- Nov. 10, Central Michigan, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 17 (at Western Michigan), 2 p.m.
- Nov. 23, Northern Illinois, TBA
- Nov. 30, vs. MAC Championship
FALL FITNESS CLASSES AT THE REC/IM: The 2012 Fall Group Fitness Program classes have started and run through Friday, Oct. 26. Check out some of the new classes added for this Fall:
- Total Body Conditioning: This is a cross-fit inspired class that will incorporate elements of power, strength, endurance and agility by utilizing high intensity training mixed with dynamic body movements. This class is designed to burn fat while building muscle, increase strength while improving endurance, and develop power while increasing agility.
- Everything Cardio: Designed to energize the body system, burn fat, increase endurance, and focus on the complete body fitness. Turn your boring elliptical workout into a challenging, specific, and self-motivating routine that you will be able to carry with you beyond the class.
- TRX/Kettlebell: This class combines the best of both kettlebell and TRX classes in a terrific, functional and powerful class. It's perfect for those on the fast track to reaching their health and fitness goals. This is the ultimate class for extreme all-round fitness.
- Spin & Sculpt: Start with an intense cardio blast on the spinning bikes simulating a real-life road course up and down hills, over jumps and through speed intervals followed by targeted strength training routine off the bike designed to "burn and sculpt".
Drop-in day pass (only $10) or sign up for an all-access pass for $75 for seven weeks. For more information, call the Rec/IM at 487-1338 or go to all fitness programs. Programs are offered through b.young b.fit.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Through A Screen
Rich, saturated colors and anonymous faces intrigue the eye while the screen between us and them makes the viewer feel blocked from truly connecting to the other person beyond the grid. Tischler states, "subjects and figures are therefore broken apart and reconstructed in such a way that they are both integrated into their environment and isolated within it." More photographs here.
51 comments:
- Raquel said...
weird, but very cool.
- July 20, 2009 at 10:52 AM
- Eve said...
those are wonderful! i love how you cannot see their faces. its mysterious and yet calm like a children's story! i love them!
- July 20, 2009 at 10:55 AM
- AlicePleasance said...
Wonderful, they look like memories lost in time, when faces start fading away...
- July 20, 2009 at 11:00 AM
- Parapluie said...
- July 20, 2009 at 11:04 AM
- Kim said...
These are beautiful and awesome. The last one gives me a bit of a creepy vibe, the as a whole they are very sweet!
- July 20, 2009 at 11:10 AM
- Gabbi said...
Gorgeous photography! I want want a print for my wall... :) Will keep an eye out for his work, would love to see it in person.
- July 20, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- jayne said...
I think its the bright colors almost amplified after the rainstorm
- July 20, 2009 at 11:30 AM
- Louie in Wonderland said...
The photos are amazing, really creative. I checked the site and I loved the public spaces photos, so pink! :)
P.S: Your right ER's are horrible nightmares lol. I'm a bit better now, thanks!
Sincerely Louie, Ciao!
- July 20, 2009 at 11:32 AM
- R. said...
oooh, I like these. I definitely see what you mean about them feeling like summer, that's the feeling I got too. Something about summer has me wanting to take pictures of bits of people: legs, hands, shoulders, elbows, feet.
- July 20, 2009 at 11:41 AM
- janettaylor said...
WOW! interesting photos...
- July 20, 2009 at 11:51 AM
- The Wandering Writer said...
I love how the colors just jump out because we are not able to focus on the details, like faces, flowers, etc. It really adds an impressionist feel to it. They're perfect!
Natalie xx
- July 20, 2009 at 11:58 AM
- Tahda said...
oh wow...I love this idea. such beautiful work!
- July 20, 2009 at 12:03 PM
- Damsels said...
love how the blur is there .and we cant see it but our eyes naturally make out the shapes and images.
its great ... and it makes the color stand out more i feel
- July 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM
- Sam said...
Lovely colours! They are a little bit spooky though - they worry me a little. But that's a good thing with art!
- July 20, 2009 at 1:14 PM
- CaitieCatherwood1314 said...
These are very interesting and lovely photographs. I'm afraid I'm hopeless when it comes to photography. :(
~ Caitie
- July 20, 2009 at 1:26 PM
- Melissa~ said...
looks weird, but a beautifull weird.
I like the colors.
- July 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
- layia said...
beautiful photos! love the first and fourth with the wet screen. i love how colorful they are.
thanks for sharing!
- July 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
- Mademoiselle Frou-Frou said...
what cool images - they almost look like they're on an old color TV screen...
- July 20, 2009 at 3:13 PM
- Winnie said...
The colours are really beautiful and I love the mystery of the void that is between the viewer and the person from the screen shot.
- July 20, 2009 at 4:30 PM
- Eyeliah SS said...
kind of creepy, but cool.
- July 20, 2009 at 4:40 PM
- celi.a said...
I think it's interesting that the screen takes away all of the facial features - you've got a colorful and blank canvas at the same time.
Have you seen the photos at http://jordanferney.blogspot.com/2009/07/brazil-pics-part-3-of-3.html? That's just the link to her latest post, but she does gorgeous photography, and the first photo for today reminded me of your feature.
- July 20, 2009 at 5:15 PM
- WendyB said...
For a second I thought I needed to get glasses STAT.
- July 20, 2009 at 5:59 PM
- SOMETHING PICASSO said...
These are awesome....
- July 20, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- LML said...
so neat!!! this inspires me to experiment with filters!
these look like album covers too!
- July 20, 2009 at 6:51 PM
- Amelia said...
I love the texture of the screens, especially in the pictures where there seems to be water on top. The colors are brilliant!
- July 20, 2009 at 6:59 PM
- jayne said...
in response to your comment on my blog, there is something very boring about Alexa Chung's hair, not just on the show, but all of the time. Definitely something I noticed whilst compiling photos of her for that post haha it never does anything and always looks limp
- July 20, 2009 at 7:32 PM
- S.Elisabeth said...
These are pure genius. The cherry blossom picture is my favorite. How do you find such interesting photographers?!
- July 20, 2009 at 7:37 PM
- Claradevi Handriatmadja said...
They looked like pixel-y photos, and at first I thought the three without wet-glasses effect are painted. I'm scared if I really love their colours - due to the fact that I can't make any photo like that...
- July 20, 2009 at 8:17 PM
- Claradevi Handriatmadja said...
ah! by the way, there's a link to indonesian photographers that you might interested to see... i love his underwater artwork recently.
here http://www.pinardy.com/modeling/modeling18.html
- July 20, 2009 at 8:24 PM
- CHICMUSE said...
great photos. and concept. like it all
- July 20, 2009 at 8:38 PM
- Divinity Avenue said...
Cool! Where are you roadtripping to? I think roadtrips are my favorite mode of transportation. You miss so much when you fly. All the small neat places...
Oh! And I saw your photo on the front page of Chictopia! So cool.
- July 20, 2009 at 9:36 PM
- Chelsea Talks Smack said...
- July 20, 2009 at 10:20 PM
- Sher said...
Creative but I find not seeing the faces a tad too eerie....
- July 20, 2009 at 10:37 PM
- The Six Six Sick Girls said...
These photos are beautiful...
- July 20, 2009 at 10:42 PM
- TIFFANY said...
I love the effect! So cool
- July 20, 2009 at 11:53 PM
- annah-logue said...
oh, these colours...especially that last one!
and yes, i did do the illustrations (:
- July 21, 2009 at 12:33 AM
- Velo said...
i love this!
i am so curious about how to makee this effect...
- July 21, 2009 at 12:48 AM
- Sassy said...
Wonderful and weird in a good way!
- July 21, 2009 at 2:44 AM
- mothersvea said...
they are very creative! I enjoy them a lot!
- July 21, 2009 at 3:00 AM
- Lilee said...
wow amazing pic! through a fly screen? very creative.
- July 21, 2009 at 4:22 AM
- Stéphanie said...
Marvellous !
- July 21, 2009 at 5:15 AM
- Lauren said...
These are very beautiful, it reminds me of a couple photos I took through my car window when it was raining.
- July 21, 2009 at 6:32 AM
- nameotson said...
it looks good, I like your photography :)))
- July 21, 2009 at 7:44 AM
- Nadine said...
Weird but really really cool!
- July 21, 2009 at 8:29 AM
- Saorise said...
Those are beautiful!
- July 21, 2009 at 8:34 AM
- Danielle de la Mont said...
I don't think anyone but a person of the 21st century could have produced these. It sort of illustrates the modern gaze: Is this not how we perceive the world? Through screens, more connected than ever, and yet always seperated.
- July 21, 2009 at 8:42 AM
- Another Fashion Blogger said...
Really nice pictures!
- July 21, 2009 at 9:13 AM
- Alya said...
It has an anonymous feel to it, especially since you cant see the faces at all.
- July 21, 2009 at 2:51 PM
- Lucy in the Sky said...
lovely, I was actually surprised to find his art on your site. :)
I own one of his prints (sold on 20x200.com, everyone!) and the colors are much much much more saturated than it appears here. I think his 'screen' project is absolutely genius.
LOVEly blog, by the way! Seriously, I don't like reading other people's blogs much but I actually like yours. :)
- July 22, 2009 at 12:11 AM
- Becca Jane said...
These are very cool
- July 22, 2009 at 7:47 AM
- Rebecca said...
These are beautiful! I especially love the third one. Photographs taken with any sort of textured filter in front of the lens are so neat.
- July 28, 2009 at 10:55 AM


text:
Find support, advice and a place to share your stories, opinions and anecdotes. From parenting how-to's to wellness tips to midlife musings and everything in between, we cover it all. Browse our blogs below.
Midlife Matters
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Comments 4
Midlife Matters
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Comments 1
Notes from the Nursery
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Comments 0
Wellness in Practice
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Comments 0
Midlife Matters
Monday, November 14, 2016
Comments 0
share your story
Want to blog about your story on HealthyWomen.org? Click here to tell us about yourself, what you're struggling with, an obstacle you've overcome or even a new activity or class you've tried. Your story may give hope to a woman feeling alone or inspire someone to try something new.


text:
Super Bowl Preparation ~ Steamboat Style
Place:Staff Kitchen - Administration Wing
Dial in and share your ideas for game day grub! Bring a dish to share and walk away with a dozen more ideas (and a full belly) for game day!
About Cooks With Books
Cooks with Books is for people who enjoy researching, creating and sharing food. This book discussion group meets once a month and is facilitated by Bud Werner Library's Circulation Services Manager, Michelle Dover. Participants prepare a dish based on the month's theme and share it with the group. The group is open to anyone interested in participating, but is limited to 15 participants per meeting.


text:
OSERS is committed to the broad values of Inclusion, Equity and Opportunity for infants, toddlers, children, youth and adults with disabilities to actively participate in all aspects of life. OSERS promotes inclusion, ensures equity and creates opportunity as we strive to improve results and outcomes for children and adults with disabilities.
To provide leadership to achieve full integration and participation in society of people with disabilities by ensuring equal opportunity and access to, and excellence in, education, employment and community living.
In implementing this mission, OSERS supports programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.


text:
Employees taking home less in paychecks
Most people who are opening their first paychecks of the new year are getting quite a shock. Their taxes have taken a jump.
That's because Congress allowed the so-called "payroll tax holiday" to expire. In 2011, Congress passed a 2% cut on employees' Social Security taxes to help stimulate the economy, dropping them from 6.2% to 4.2%.
This year, Congress decided not to extend the cut.
Most people will definitely feel it in their wallets. "Let's say you're an average family, you have 2 working people in the family making $35,000 each so that's $70,000. That's $1,400 of extra social security tax so when you figure it over a years time, that's quite a bit of money," said La Crosse CPA Steve Franke.
Also, if you're getting ready to file your income taxes, be warned there could be some delays because of the last-minute deal with the fiscal cliff.
Tax software is one to two weeks behind schedule, and you won't be able to e-file with the IRS until at least the end of January, possibly later.
Copyright 2013 by WKBT News8000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Makeup Tutorial: Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow… And Some Shyness
I realize I'm really uninspiring when it comes to naming my makeup tutorials. Hahaha! I mean, how else can you call an eye makeup tutorial that involves the use of colors purple, blue, green and yellow? I could name it 'colorful', but so are most of my tutorials!
When everything is important, nothing is important anymore, right? So purple, blue, green and yellow it shall be.
I wore this look for the NDP Preview 2012, where I went backstage with Singapore bloggers and Instagrammers. Go read all the NDP-related posts! I'm so grateful to have been part of this mega annual event!
Part 3 – Singapore NDP 2012: Previews Are That Much Cooler
Part 2 – LovingSG In Many Different Ways!
Part 1 – I'm Involved In Singapore NDP 2012!
There's nothing NDP-ish about my eye makeup look though – no red, no white, no crescent or stars – only that I really made up for the special occasion. Nothing OTT, my looks are always wearable. Oh maybe I could name this tutorial 'fireworks', but that's kind of forcing it. Lol.
Let's get started!


text:
State Board of Education Meeting
100 N. First St.
Board Room, 4th Floor
Springfield, IL
December 12-13, 2012
Plenary Session
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
1:30 p.m.
View Packet
(Part 25 Appendix C: Revised 12/11/12)
This meeting will also be audio cast on the Internet at: www.isbe.net
- Roll Call/Pledge of Allegiance
- Consideration of and Possible Actions on Any Requests for Participation in Meeting by Other Means
- Discussion Items
- FY 14 Budget Development
- FY 14 Revenue Projections: Jim Muschinske and Dan Long, Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability
- FY 14 Budget Development: Robert Wolfe, CFO
- Considerations for General State Aid Formula Changes
- FY 14 Budget Recommendation
- Reconvene Plenary Session
- Public Participation
- Resolutions & Recognition
- Illinois Teacher of the Year
- Introduction of Student Advisory Council
- *Superintendent's Report – Consent Agenda
All action consideration items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine and will be enacted in one motion and vote. Any board member who wishes separate discussion on any item listed on the consent agenda may remove that item from the consent agenda, in which event, the item will be considered in its normal sequence.
- *Approval of Minutes:
- Plenary Minutes: October 29-30, 2012
- *Rules for Initial Review
- Part 25 (Certification)
- Part 252 (Driver Education)
- Part 425 (Voluntary Registration and Recognition of Nonpublic Schools)
- *Rules for Adoption
- Part 24 (Standards for All Illinois Teachers)
- *Contracts and Grants Over $1 Million
- Recommendation Approval: Illinois Early Learning Project (IELP)
- Request to Release Request for Sealed Proposals (RFSP) for the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM)
- Illinois Interactive Report Card Contract
- *Draft Annual Report
- *Capital Needs Assessment Biennial Report
End of Consent Agenda
- Discussion Items Continued .
- Legislative Update
- Other discussion Items to be determined
- Announcements
- IBHE Liaison Report (Dr. Proshanta Nandi)
- P-20 Council Liaison Report (Joyce Karon)
- Superintendent's/Senior Staff Announcements
- Chairman's Report
- Member Reports
- Information Items
- ISBE Fiscal & Administrative Monthly Reports (available online at http://isbe.net/board/fiscal_admin_rep.htm)
- Adjourn
Thursday, December 13, 2012
8:30 a.m.
View Packet
(Part 25 Appendix C: Revised 12/11/12)
This meeting will also be audio cast on the Internet at: www.isbe.net
This meeting will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons planning to attend who need special accommodations should contact the Board office no later than the date prior to the meeting. Contact the Superintendent's office at the State Board of Education, Phone: 217-782-2221; TTY/TDD: 217-782-1900; Fax: 217-785-3972.
NOTE: Chairman Chico may call for a break in the meeting as necessary in order for the Board to go into closed session.


text:
Cytosensor Microphysiometer Applications
Test Material Compatibility
Because test materials are dosed as dilutions, the Cytosensor assay is generally used to test chemicals and ingredients, rather than final products and formulations.
Cytosensor is suitable only for water soluble formulations; however, test article concentrations and dosing preparation may be adjusted as necessary to accommodate specific physical characteristics or client needs. At IIVS, a solubility test will be performed to find the most suitable solvent when the solubility of a test chemical is unknown or unavailable.
Test System
The Cytosensor microphysiometer is very sensitive and can detect very small changes in pH.
• ECVAM approved for water-soluble materials in a Top-Down approach & ECVAM approved for surfactants in a Bottom-Up approach.
• In May 2009, the US EPA launched a pilot program to investigate the use of the Cytosensor microphysiometer assay as part of a tiered strategy for the labeling of cleaning products with anti-microbial claims.


text:
Four F&C directors depart after BMO takeover
A handful of directors have left F&C Asset Management following its takeover by the Bank of Montreal.
According to documents filed at Companies House, Keith Jones, Keith Percy, Derham O'Neill and Keith Bedell-Pearce are no longer with the firm. In their place, five BMO executives have been appointed as directors.
BMO's subsidiary, BMO Global Asset Management, acquired F&C on May 7 after its shareholders gave the green light for the deal. This came despite Elliot Advisors, which had built up a 20% stake through derivatives, choosing not to vote.
Jones, who joined the F&C board in October 2011 as a non-executive director, told Financial News: "I have ended my relationship as non-executive director with F&C.
"We turned the business around with a good management team and it's been a good two-and-a-half years, the business is in much better shape than it was."
Jones was previously chief executive of Morley Fund Management before it was brought under the Aviva Investors brand and is a past chairman of the investment committee of the Association of British Insurers.
Percy joined F&C's board at the same time as Jones after being appointed to the firm's audit and compliance committee in August 2011. He has previously been executive chairman and chief executive of Societe Generale Asset Management UK and chief executive of Morgan Grenfell Asset Management.
He told FN: "It was an interesting period and I enjoyed my time there."
O'Neill, who was named a director in February 2011, is a former Clifford Chance lawyer.
Bedell-Pearce is a former director of Prudential, as well as the now-defunct Scottish Amicable.
O'Neill and Bedell-Pearce could not be reached for comment.
An F&C spokesperson said: "F&C is no longer a publicly-listed company and the board has been re-constituted as you would expect in these circumstances. A number of the previous directors have therefore stepped down from their roles on the board.
"As is appropriate the F&C Board will be made up of a number of BMO non-executive directors, independent non-executive directors and two continuing executive directors."
BMO's global asset management business is headed up by two co-chief executives, Barry McInerney and Rajiv Silgardo.
According to Companies House, McInerney and Silgardo have been appointed as directors at F&C. Also named as directors were Gilles Ouellette, group head at BMO Wealth Management, and William Smith, managing director and head of European and Middle East operations for BMO Financial Group since 2011.
Barry Cooper, executive officer at BMO Investments, is the other addition to the F&C board.


text:
I recently learned at my EMT Refresher course that suicide is now the leading cause of death by injury. As per the American Journal of Public Health, suicides have surpassed car crashes as the nation's leading cause of injury-related deaths.
This information mentioned above is sobering. The fact of the matter is that what separates me from those who have killed themselves is only the grace of God. I have certainly seen very low times in my life. Wrongfully made accusations, damaged relationships, death of a loved one, loss of a career or just making repeatedly poor choices, etc. can add up, putting you, me, or anyone at risk for hard times and even suicide.
However, there is always hope. Faith is just one source. Going to church, having good friends, family, volunteering in your community, having a pet and a hobby, exercise and nutrition, good sleeping habits, getting counseling, etc. and even taking doctor-prescribed medications if needed. These are all important for being able to handle what life sends our way.
According to Pew Research Center, nearly 40% of 18- to 29-year-old males are unemployed or out of the workforce and more than a third rely on their parents to help make ends meet.
As per an October 3rd CBN.com article, four out of five boys age 16 now regularly access illicit pornographic material online, and more than half of divorces name Internet pornography as a primary reason for the breakup of the marriage. I think too many young men are isolating themselves and looking at pornography, watching TV and playing video games rather than stepping out in faith and up as leaders.
What we need in America is not just jobs and cheap energy. To overcome these high suicide rates, we need real hope through strong families and faith! I highly recommend watching the 2011 Independent film drama "Courageous. Honor Begins at Home." Thanks, and God bless America.
John (JP) Pasquale
Livingston Manor, NY


text:
Home List of Titles Fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composite inverse opals by a one-step electrochemical co-deposition process
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/150103
- Title
- Fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composite inverse opals by a one-step electrochemical co-deposition process
- Author(s)
- Yu, Aimin; Meiser, Felix; Cassagneau, Thierry; Caruso, Frank
- Abstract
- We describe a one-step electrochemical co-deposition method to prepare nanoparticle (NP)-containing semiconducting polymer inverse opals with well-defined pore structure. Gold and cadmium telluride NPs were electrodeposited along with pyrrole in the interstitial voids of colloidal crystals of polymer spheres, and following template removal, composite inverse opals were obtained. The optical characteristics (position of the optical stopband) of the resulting composite films can be tuned through variation of the type and concentration of the NPs embedded in the film.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Nano Letters, Vol. 4, no. 1 (Nov 2004), pp. 177-181
- Publication year
- 2004
- Keyword(s)
- Cadmium derivatives; Concentration parameters; Crystals; Electrochemistry; Films; Gold; Nanoparticles; Polymers; Pyrrole; Semiconductors; Tellurium derivative
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- 1530-6984
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2004 American Chemical Society. The American Chemical Society does not allow Swinburne researchers to archive either the accepted manuscript or the published version of the article.
- Peer reviewed


text:
BSC R&D Corporation Receives Grant to Fund Student Empowerment Behavioral Health Program that Includes Student Internships at ResCare
CreatedThursday, July 21 2011
Created byJim Nelson/Media Relations - (304) 327-4103 firstname.lastname@example.com
(Bluefield)—The Bluefield State College Research and Development Corporation has received a $10,000 grant to fund a program that provides students with human services internships and facilitates awareness of high-risk drinking among college students. Dr. Anthony Woart, BSC Professor of Sociology and Director/Minority Health Institute, authored the grant, which will fund the "BSC Student Empowerment Behavioral Health Program, which enables three BSC social science students to gain experience as summer interns at ResCare, a human services company that offers services to people of all ages and abilities.
BSC student interns Emma Zobo, Sussie Green, and Sherri Rutherford are gaining valuable experience, and they've been impressed by the caring manner in which ResCare staff treat and interact with their clients, according to the Dr. Tamara Ferguson, the grant's Principal Investigator. The internship experience was designed by ResCare's Christine Riggins and Russell Shrewsbury. Dr. Woart is working to identify funding to maintain the internship program for BSC students in the future.
This fall, BSC student leaders Erica Meade, Safiayetou Demba, and Theophilus Howe, will lead focus group discussion at BSC and will distribute informational brochures designed to improve behavioral health services among students on campus.. Ferguson and Woart expressed appreciation for the work of Dr. Sarita Rhonemus (Interim Director of Scholarly Research and Sponsored Programs at BSC) and Dr. Tracey Anderson (BSC's Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness) for their assistance in grant submission and implementation. They also noted that Ray Guy, CPA and Fiscal Manager/Treasurer, Bluefield State College Research and Development Corporation, has provided professional accounting and bookkeeping services for the grant.


text:
Olympic Mistake
SOME DECISIONS just leave you dumbfounded.
The most recent is the one made Tuesday by the International Olympic Committee. That is the day the IOC pulled the plug on one of the staple sports of the Summer Olympics — wrestling.
The inexplicable IOC decision was met by widespread disbelief, especially here in the United States. Wrestling has been one of the foundations of the Summer Games, dating all the way back to the 1800s.
Wrestling was targeted for elimination over modern pentathlon. That is a five-day event, consisting of pistol shooting, show jumping, a cross-country run, a freestyle swim and fencing.
Eliminating wrestling is outrageous. To do so while saving pentathlon is laughable.
Unless the IOC has a change of heart and regains its senses, wrestling and the Olympics will part ways with the 2020 games. That is a eventuality that need not play out.
The IOC caps its Summer Olympiad at 25 core sports. Why 25 is the limit is also open for debate.
Wrestling does have a chance to avoid the IOC guillotine. One vacancy remains for the 2020 games.
Wrestling must now lobby for survival with other doomed sports such as baseball and softball.
We believe all three sports deserve to be included. The Olympics are global in nature and wrestling, baseball and softball are sports that span interest across the world.
Moreover, all three of those sports are much more attractive to American viewers than the pentathlon. NBC pays billions for broadcasting rights to the Olympics. It should have a seat or two at the IOC table when it makes such outrageous moves.
We hope when the IOC reconvenes to make its final decision on the 2020 Summer Games menu of sports, it comes to its senses. Wrestling, baseball and softball should all be included.
There is no sound reason to shortchange competitors or fans.


text:
Many people in the area know Dr. Williams through his veterinarian practice; however, he is also a talented singer and guitar player. His laid-back style is often compared to the late John Denver, and is always a big hit with the audience.
This will be the fourth consecutive summer that Faith Lutheran Church has brought local gospel groups and performers to the community through the free summer concert series.
Faith Lutheran Church has a long tradition of hosting ecumenical concerts in the community, since it has hosted the Advent Music Festival for the past 35 years. Concert coordinator Jim Stevenson said, "With our history of hosting the Advent Music Festival, several years ago our worship committee decided it would be a natural fit to bring summer gospel concerts to the community. The idea of summer outdoor informal concerts just seemed to be a good idea, and we decided that the groups would be local or semi-local musicians or groups."
Everyone is invited to come out and see Williams at the concert on Sunday evening. You may bring your own lawn chairs or use one of the church's folding chairs. You may bring soft drinks, but free bottled water will be available for everyone. Past concert-goers report that the location provides cool evening breezes, and it has been pleasant at every single concert, even the ones in July and August.
The summer concerts will be held on the second Sunday of the Month from June through September. All concerts will be held on the newly built outdoor stage on the east side of the church, 1500 E. FM Road 351.


text:
In my experience top teeth have always hurt when they're coming in, regardless of biting or resting. One PP suggested our breasts get used to the teeth, I agree. My DD got her bottom teeth at 5.5 months, no big deal but she got her first top tooth at 8 months, it hurt my nipple from the time it came in until about 3 weeks later. Now at 9.5 months her second top tooth has emerged and it is painful as well. I'm hoping the pain passes soon
She has bit a few times, once drawing blood on both top and bottom of nipple...excruciatingly painful for days. Be firm in telling your LO no biting, do not bite or what ever you chose to say and make sure you remove lo from the your breast for a period of time so that biting = no milk. Good luck. Give it a few weeks cause it gets a lot less painful and they're so much fun to nurse the bigger they get Good Luck!!


text:
So, is it normal that my 10 mo still isn't interested in eating? All he does with the food we give him is throw it on the floor...we pick it up...he throws it etc...fun game Anyway, is it normal that he doesn't want to eat? He nurses a lot still. When we first give him a piece of banana or a slice of pear he will put it in his mouth but then just throws it on the floor. After that, he doesn't even try to put one in his mouth (we give him a new one or rinse off the one that was on the floor). Other babies his age seem to be eating WAY more food.
He is very active...crawling, walking along the furniture etc... which I would think would make him more hungry.


text:
Slump in trading signals more cuts
A fall in trading in the first quarter has raised concerns among senior industry figures that banks will be unable to make up lost ground later in the year, potentially leading to further restructuring at investment banks' markets units.
Revenues from sales and trading – which represent about three quarters of investment banks' revenues – are forecast to be down on last year by between 10% and 20% for the first quarter, which traditionally is the strongest period.
Lower activity from fixed income, currency and commodities divisions has led the declines, through a combination of weaker client activity, low volatility and the impact of new regulation. But other divisions have also been affected.
Patrick George, global head of equities at HSBC, said: "Many have found the first quarter so far to be difficult across the board for the secondary business. During February, in particular, there was a slowdown in activity in the market."
UBS, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Crédit Agricole and Macquarie are among those to have scaled back their trading divisions since the financial crisis and others could follow.
George added: "We are at a point where new regulations, particularly capital requirements, are beginning to bite for many banks and many are narrowing their focus, and picking areas to specialise in."
Factors, such as weaker primary activity, have hurt volumes so far this year. Debt capital markets issuance for the year to date is at its lowest value for six years, at $1.17 trillion, according to Dealogic.
Tullett Prebon – one of a handful of interdealer brokers that are seen as a proxy for investment banking trading activity – last week reported a 12% year-on-year drop in its broking revenues during January and February.
The global head of markets at one investment bank said: "There have been issues in terms of emerging markets and around what appears to be some reversal of Chinese currency policy. All of that has added to a little bit of the instability. Central bank rhetoric and actual day-to-day involvement in the market tend to crowd out investors, and that's not supportive of revenue creation."
He added: "I talk to the consultants, who say the last half of last year was so poor that they think the industry will make it up in the second half of the year. I'm not as optimistic."
Regulatory changes, including Basel III rules requiring banks to hold more capital against their assets to reduce risk, and incoming derivatives legislation, mandating central clearing and electronic execution, are having an impact.
Kinner Lakhani, a banks analyst at Citigroup, said in a note last week: "Lower FICC customer activity could be a function of the current low-rate, low-volatility environment, lower debt issuance volumes and regulatory pressures from the shift to electronic trading."
Several banks have been hit by the slowdown. Last week, Citigroup's chief financial officer, John Gerspach, said at an investor conference in Florida that its markets revenues were likely to be down in the "high mid-teens" in percentage terms from the first quarter of 2013. Speaking at JP Morgan's investor day on February 25, the bank's chief executive, Jamie Dimon, said its markets revenues were down 15% year-on-year so far this year.


text:
A North Central College professor will take part in a performance of Haydn's "The Seven Last Words of Christ" that will be broadcast live March 31 on WFMT-FM 98.7, Chicago's classical music radio station.
Perry T. Hamalis, assistant professor of religious studies and director of North Central College's Office of Academic Opportunities, is among eight prominent speakers who will deliver short meditations about Christ's final words.
The performance of Franz Joseph Haydn's composition will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, from St. James Cathedral, 65 E. Huron St., Chicago. A pre-concert lecture begins at 7 p.m. The string quartet performance features Rachel Barton Pine and Mathias Tacke on violin, Richard Young on viola and Wendy Warner on cello.
Haydn (1732-1809) was commissioned in 1787 to compose the work for a Good Friday service.
The meditations will be introduced by Dr. Martin E. Marty, religious scholar and professor emeritus at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Hamalis will reflect on the phrase, "Today you will be with me in Paradise," from Luke 23:43.
Other speakers are Rabbi Peter Knobel of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston, the Rev. Doreen Olson of Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago, Jill Pelaez Baumgaertner of Wheaton College, Jean Bethke Elshtain of the University of Chicago, the Rev. Joy Rogers of St. James Cathedral in Chicago, and the Rev. Patrick L. Daymond of Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church in Chicago.


text:
January 30, 2013 —
I recently enjoyed observing a 9-year-old girl wake to the pleasures of bird watching. Joei Marie is the recipient of an introductory birding kit I purchased from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Using the birding log and identification materials included in the kit, Joei began her "life list" by observing the birds that visited our feeders.
The arrival of a mourning dove, followed by vigorous black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, Northern cardinals, downy woodpeckers and other birds common to the region sparked the embers of curiosity in this young birder. A pair of binoculars heightened the sense of adventure and exploration as she inspected the birds, then pored over identification charts, researched information and drew pictures of each one.
In addition to this wonderful kit, the Cornell Lab also recently launched a new online information hub to connect young birders with a wealth of birding resources, as well as information on college and career opportunities (ebird.org/content/ybn).
The lab also hosts Project FeederWatch, in which thousands of individuals across North America count birds at their feeders from November through April and contribute data that is summarized in an annual report (https://store.birds.cornell.edu/Project_FeederWatch_s/42.htm [2]).


text:
Attorney General Eric Holder speaks out for the first time about the George Zimmerman verdict. This as the Justice Department considers federal charges against him. Nikole Killion reports from Washington.
No email address was supplied by
To complete your registration on this site, please supply an address.
Please confirm or modify the email address to which you will have subscription offers sent.
For a more personalized experience, please supply the following optional information.


text:
School organization joins with churches to feed hungry
NARROWSBURG, NY — LeeAnn Hubbert, a leader of the Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) of Sullivan West Elementary School, recently helped spearhead a food drive for the Narrowsburg Ecumenical Food Pantry. On a recent Sunday, the food collected by the PTSO was brought to St. Paul's for helping needy families.
"We are grateful for any donations, either as money or as non-perishable food," said the Rev. Phyllis Haynes, pastor of St. Paul's, which works together with St. Francis-Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Narrowsburg, to run the food pantry.
Basic non-perishable items are also always needed, especially now in the face of food stamp (SNAP) cutbacks. The pantry is open on Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of St. Francis Xavier's parish hall. Food donations can be dropped off by the side door of St. Francis Xavier Church parish hall on Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 845/252-3919.


text:
Unsupported Browser Detected
The Lenovo Support website supports
Microsoft Internet Explorer 10+,
Mozilla Firefox 29+,
Chrome 34+
and any other modern web browser.
If the system has more than one battery, LSC will show that there is no battery application installed on the system even if Power Manager has been installed and is working properly.
The following ThinkPad systems running on Windows 7 may be affected by this symptom:
User should refer to the battery information showed in Power Manager for the most accurate information.
Your feedback helps to improve this site.
How can we improve it?
Select your product:
Lenovo is committed to environmental leadership from operations to product design and recycling solutions.


text:
We have come to terms with the fact that the Internet was created as a vehicle to connect people across the world using cat images, cat videos, and cat memes. But this holiday season let's reflect on a simpler time, a time when people left their computers to immortalize their kitty companions on city walls rather than the ephemeral abyss of YouTube.
We've taken a moment to round up this ancient art practice — we're pretty sure some of the first hieroglyphics translated from the Rosetta Stone read "I can has cheezburger" — and bring them to you all wrapped up as one big shiny present. Yes, here, gentle reader, are the cats of street art. Don't say we didn't get you anything for Christmas.
To view our round-up of "The Cats of Street Art,"click on the slideshow.


text:
Cheats and Walkthroughs
Cheats and Walkthroughs
Cheats and Walkthroughs(207)
Apparently the Universe isn't big enough for two MMOs based on Star Wars. Star Wars Galaxies, LucasArts' and Sony Online Entertainment's long-running multiplayer game, is shutting down for good, along with the spin-off trading card game. The plug will be pulled, and a world will cease to exist, on December 15, 2011. Rest in Peace, Galaxies.
In an email sent to Galaxies users, Sony said the shutdown of SWG was "a very difficult decision," but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is "the appropriate time to end the game."
In an interview with Massively.com, SOE president John Smedley said the decision was made in part because of the imminent release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. "LucasArts has a new game coming out, and the contract would be running out in 2012 anyway, so we feel like it's the right time for the game to end," Smedley said.
While it's certainly sad news, the end will at least be memorable: SOE promises Galaxies will go out with a huge bang. During the last week that SWG is available, the community is invited to participate in a galaxy-ending event. "We want the final chapter of the galaxy to be written in part by the dedicated and passionate SWG community. Details will be announced at a later date," SOE and LucasArts said.
The history of Star Wars Galaxies is a rocky one. The game originally launched to great fanfare and acclaim in 2003, and received relatively positive critical reaction. While successful for the time, SWG never came close to the kind of population World of Warcraft achieved. In 2005, Galaxies was overhauled with "New Game Enhancements" that decreased the complexity of the game significantly. Since then, Galaxies has been humming along, presumably supporting itself with the monthly payments of its dedicated fanbase.
Here's the full text of the email sent to users, with information on pro-rated long-term subscriptions and more.
Dear Star Wars Galaxies™ Community Member,
We write to you today to inform you that on December 15, 2011, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and LucasArts will end all services (MMO and Trading Card Game) for Star Wars Galaxies (SWG). The shutdown of SWG is a very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game.
We are extremely grateful to all of the SWG fans. We have had the rare opportunity to host one of the most dedicated and passionate online gaming communities and we truly appreciate the support we've received from each and every one of you over the course of the past eight years.
In recognition of your incredible loyalty, we are extending special Fan Appreciation offers to the current SWG community. We also plan to go out with a bang with a galaxy-ending in-game event in December and hope to see you all there. The details relating to these offers and events as well as the timeline and specifics regarding the discontinuation of the service, are provided below.
Again, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our player community for making SWG one of the best online communities in gaming history.
Sony Online Entertainment & LucasArts
The Fine Details:
Discontinuation of Services:
As of September 15, 2011, the SWG MMO and Trading Card Game will no longer be available for sale or subscription at both retail and all online digital retailers. All billing for active subscribers with accounts in good standing, except for Station Access subscribers, will end on October 15, 2011.
If you are an active subscriber in good standing as of September 15, 2011, then you can play for free for the final months. Players wishing to play through the end of the game and participate in the galaxy-ending event planned for the last week of live service in December will need to re-activate or join the game on or before September 15th. No new or reactivated accounts will be accepted after September 15, 2011.
As of today, June 24, 2011, we are discontinuing the 12, 6, and 3-month subscription plans, meaning these subscription options will no longer be offered for newly created SWG accounts. SWG subscribers who have prepaid six (6) or twelve (12)-month game time plans that extend their subscription period past October 15, 2011 will receive a pro-rated refund for any such pre-paid excess subscription payments*. Such refunds are expected to be issued within 90-days after the game ends.
In addition, we will be discontinuing the sale of all Star Wars Galaxies™ Trading Card Game (TCG) digital card packs as of today, June 24, 2011. Loot cards will not be redeemable in the SWG MMO after September 15, 2011. The TCG will continue to operate until the final service closure on December 15, 2011.
Galaxy-Ending Event – Be Part of this Historic Event
During the last week that SWG is available, we're inviting the community to participate in a galaxy-ending event. We're going to end with a bang and we want the final chapter of the galaxy to be written in part by the dedicated and passionate SWG community. Details will be announced at a later date.
Fan Appreciation Offers
We welcome those active SWG subscribers in good standing to play one or all of the below SOE massively-multiplayer online PC games at a fully-paid subscriber status (or "membership" status where relevant) at no cost between October 15, 2011 and December 31, 2011 (subject to the terms and conditions described below). To activate these special offers, use the same Station Account you use now to subscribe to SWG** and simply click on the game you would like to try to download the game software. We are offering the following SOE games: Free Realms®, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, EverQuest®, EverQuest® II and DC Universe™ Online. The game software will all be made available for download on a link accessible from the StarWarsGalaxies.com web site beginning on October 15, 2011.


text:
Wolf Creek will see decrease with plant closure
WATERFORD – The Wolf Creek Local Board of Education approved a five-year forecast Friday that shows declining revenue due to the closing of the Muskingum River Power Plant and anticipated decreases in state aid.
The forecast, presented during a special meeting Friday afternoon in Superintendent Bob Caldwell's office at Waterford High School, shows Wolf Creek taking in a little more than $100,000 more than it spends in the current fiscal year. But projections show the district going into deficit spending by nearly $200,000 for fiscal year 2015, an amount that grows to $3.15 million by fiscal year 2018 if current conditions continue.
A forecast is just an estimate though, and it's used by districts to anticipate and address potential problems.
"We're trying to get ready for the closing of the plant," Treasurer Rachel Miller said, noting unit 5, the only one located within the district's borders, is slated to shut down by the end of 2015. "In school year 2015-2016, we should collect the full amount."
That number is about $1.2 million a year. In 2016-17, the district should collect half that amount, Miller said, with it all going away in 2017-18. That's based on the public utility personal property tax; Miller said she didn't change the revenue based on the actual real estate since she's not sure how it will change yet.
Miller also included in the forecast a reduction in state aid from almost $1.7 million this year and next to $1.56 million in fiscal 2018. This is because the new school-funding formula would have given Wolf Creek less than $1.7 million if not for guarantees intended to keep districts from receiving less money than they did the previous year. State officials, including Gov. John Kasich, have given indications that they would like to see guarantee funds eventually eliminated.
While that's not set in stone, "we have to plan that they're going to cut us," board member Tom Kearns said.
Board member Roger Doak said he would hope to see some of the state's recent economic improvement make its way back to local governments, since they have seen cuts in state funding in recent years.
"I would think some shifting would begin to benefit those who would have been harmed by this," he said.
Miller noted the district received more than $552,000 in tangible personal property tax reimbursements in 2009-10. But with the accelerated phaseout of that money by the state, the number shrank to less than $43,000 last year and is gone this year.
The district began the 2014 fiscal year with a cash balance of $7,991,987. By the end of the forecast, that number would be a little more than $2.6 million.
Board members and administrators have previously said they would deal with the declining revenue by being as efficient with the district's money as possible and that they have no desire or plans to seek an additional tax levy.
In other business, the board moved the November regular meeting to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the high school band room.\


text:
Small enough to slip in a pocket, the LCD Mini Video Recorder is
easy to carry and suitable for use anywhere. Record audio, video, and
take snapshots with the single press of a button. Concerned about file
sizes? Set to motion-activated recording to make video review
convenient, cutting out the "dead air" to minimize wasted space, or
increase the size of your memory card. Record over half an hour of video
per gigabyte to a micro SD card (up to 32 GB).
Review photos and video on the integrated LCD screen. Zoom in to get a
better view, or delete those bad shots immediately and retake a photo.
No need to wait until you have access to a PC to review visual evidence.
Call us to inquire about volume pricing discounts 800-654-7966


text:
Ike Reese Recalls His "Inside The Park" Home Run
Spike Eskin today reported on Ike Reese's recent trip to Phillies Phantasy Camp. There are two audio clips of Ike speaking with Michael Barkann and his Sky Chiefs coach, Greg Luzinski. A good portion of the interviews deal with a disputed inside-the-park home run that he hit in his last game on Saturday.
That would have been against my team, the Drillers.
And that centerfielder who's head he hit it over? That would be me.
I will most definitely get more in to this game later. In my defense, Ike had been a dead-pull hitter during the entire camp, so I shaded him towards right. And what does he do? He splits the gap. Nice poke Ike!
This is Ike taking warmup swings before his first at-bat against us, with The Bull in the background. He legged out a screaming dribbler to the pitcher.
1 Comment
I've always had a soft sport for Ike. He is a proud Michigan State Spartan, after all. Can't wait for more on this and the rest of the experience v. 2.0.


text:
Cisco Grows Where Others Can't
While this has caused rivals such as Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) , F5 (FFIV) and Juniper (JNPR) to consistently underperform, Cisco continues to show growth where the competition have not.
Nonetheless, when discussing these accomplishments Wall Street remains broadly unimpressed. However this time, aside from exceeding expectations, Cisco also offered a much rosier outlook than many had anticipated. In terms of the stock, I think value investors would be wise to appreciate just how undervalued the shares are at current levels.
A Strong Start to Fiscal 2013
For the period ending in October, the network giant reported net income of $2.6 billion, or 48 cents a share on revenue of $11.9 billion. Not only was this enough to beat analysts' estimates of 46 cents per share, but the results also represented 11% profit growth.
Likewise, revenue also grew by 6% and exceeded street expectations of $11.77 billion.
However, challenges still remain in terms of the company's core routing and switching business, which continues to experience weak demand. On the other hand, the company enjoyed a strong showing in its services business with revenue growing year-over-year by 12%.
Cisco attributed the better-than-expected performance to some of its biggest U.S. customers, from which the company saw a 9% increase in orders -- helping offset continued weakness in Europe.
In terms of guidance, Cisco expects second-quarter earnings to arrive between 47 cents to 48 cents per share. The company also expects revenue to grow as high as 5.5% if it reaches the high end of its range of $12.1 billion.
The company has chosen to guide conservatively as has been the pattern for most of this year due to weak enterprise spending. Likewise, investors should expect the company to beat on these projections as it has done now for almost two years.
Where's the Love?
For as consistent as Cisco has been in its string of market-beating performances, the company can't seem to get any respect. It seems investors continue to doubt the company's ability to grow despite increasing profits in the recent quarter by double-digits. For this, Cisco's management deserves more credit than it has received of late. Despite persistent disrespect, the company remained focus on its execution while ignoring all of the noise.
Yet, despite what has been a difficult transition to "mature status" for Cisco, investors continue to forget that the company still owns 60% of the routing and switching business.


text:
Things I Learned On a Soxxy Tuesday Night
Let's get something straight, folks. Despite the stigmatic undertones preached by the Dear Abbys of the world, it is perfectly acceptable to attend social events by one's self. While I wouldn't recommend showing up alone to your own wedding, taking in a baseball game by yourself is absolutely respectable — cool even. It shows confidence and a maverick persona.
And when Ken Griffey, Jr. — one of the greatest to ever play the game — arrives in your city to play for a team you support and respect (against the dreaded Tigers no less), you show up, with or without company.
I find that going to games by myself allows me to focus more on the game. I don't have to chitchat, don't have to get up and get food or beer for anyone; I can simply watch the game. Wholeheartedly.
Doing so causes one to become inexplicably introspective… to be alone with his/her thoughts… to flounder in the ethos that is the grandest game on earth.
And this is what I learned:
Will-Call Kiosks Should Be Open to Those Who Bought WILL-CALL Tickets:
The supposed perk of buying your tickets ahead time is that you don't have to stand in line with thousands of sweaty, unprepared, drunk Tiger fans. I get to the game early so I can take in the sights, smells, women… to mentally prepare for the magic — not to stand in line for 45 minutes. So, White Sox Ticket Sales Operations Manager: please turn the Ticketmaster kiosks back on.
Everybody Still Hates Magglio Ordonez:
The greatest player who never was while wearing a White Sox jersey, Maggs definitely brings out the boo-birds like no one else. Oh-ee-oh… Maaaaaa-gli-o! Oh-ee-oh… Hope he has security at his hotel (if you want to know what hotel he's staying in, email me😉
If You Show Up to a Sox Game in 2008 Wearing an Albert Belle, Ray Durham or Sammy Sosa Jersey, You Are NOT Cool:
Seriously, folks. Let's be real. And no, a Scott Podsednik jersey is not acceptable either. You want a sure thing? Go for a Hall of Famer or a retired jersey. Baines, Fisk, Minoso, Aparicio. Heck, go for Dye or Jenks right now (in 2008), but buyer beware…
Ken Griffey, Jr. Looks Great in Black Pinstripes:
This photo isn't the best — that's what you get for sitting in the upper deck — but trust me. The man looked dapper as dapper could be in his new duds. And the crowd welcomed him with an unconditional electric love. It was something I'll always remember. It was truly a special moment.
"U.S. Cellular: Believe in something better"
Yeah, I do. It's called Verizon.
Just Because I Go to the Game by Myself Doesn't Mean I Want to Listen to the D-Bag Behind Me Lie to His Girlfriend All Night Long:
"Yeah, so I know Minnie Minoso. He's a good friend of my dad's. Yeah. We go way back. You heard of Frank Thomas? Yeah, I have his personal cell phone number. Yeah, but it's in my other phone so yeah… and well, I mean, I know Pudge but he doesn't like to be bothered so I try not to call him unless it's important…"
Yeah, sure. You know Minoso, Thomas and Carlton "Pudge" Fisk and yet you're sitting behind me in the 528 section? Yeah, sure, that'll get you laid.
Yes, the T-Shirt-Throwing Promotion Girl Looks Hot on the Outside, but Inside She's the Devil:
Sometimes the truth only comes out in pictures, my friends.
The Battery of Buehrle & Pierzynski Never Before Looked So Golden:
That Kyle Farnsworth trade has turned out to be beneficial for every team in the Major Leagues except the Tigers. Grrrr.
…and finally…
Good Things Do Come to Those Who Wait:
After 13 innings, a hoarse voice and cottonmouth, I decided to leave. Of course, in the 14th, Swish won it with a walk-off homer and now I hate myself.
But hey, at least I learned something.
Don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.
6 Comments
Ahh, I never knew you could learn so much in a game.
"Yeah, I do. It's call Verizon." — LOL
I think it's acceptable to wear jerseys of former players even if they aren't hall of famers and/or have their numbers retired, but onlllyyy if it's a Yankees' jersey. You can't go wrong wearing an O'Neill jersey.
If photos reveal the truth then I guess I'm the devil too. Rarely does a pic of myself come out without the red eyes. But hey, I can get away with it.
You know the kind of fan I absolutely hate to have behind me? The guy that spends the entire game commentating, and throwing every bit of "knowledge" he has about the players or the game, despite the fact that half of it is wrong. these wannabe fans… i despise them.
oh and you get huge kudos from me. it is uber kool to go to a game alone🙂
V – http://flairforthedramatic.mlblogs.com
Hi V! Sorry about the 'red eye' thing. I guess it afflicts some people more than others. Yes, THAT guy sat behind me the whole time until he left in the 7th inning (the SEVENTH inning). Loser. A Paul O'Neill Yankees jersey is much different than a Ray Durham White Sox jersey. Durham was nothing special and hasn't played for the Sox in forever. A Sosa Sox jersey? Seriously? That was in the early 90s…BEFORE he was a Cub where he became a legend! It's just sacrilege. Like a circle in a square hole. That's all. And thanks for the reassurance on the going solo thing. I feel vetted now😉
I had not thought about it, but you are right, there is something special about going to a game alone (I've been to many). It is truly special going to a game with my son, but it really is a more intense baseball experience alone. Don't tell Chris, but I may have to sneak off to one by myself😉
Michael Norton
Some Clubhouse
I personally hate Mags because of the hair. It needs to go. Like, now.
As far as jerseys go, I've always been ok with old former player jerseys as long as they were on the team for at least two years, were nice guys there, and left on good terms and weren't run out of town. If I'd had a Cubs Sosa jersey, that thing wouldn't be in one piece anymore. Prior would have been burned simply because…well, it was Prior. I might have kept Nomar or Todd Walker or somebody. They were nice, played decently when they weren't hurt, and Wrigley loved them, Nomar in particular. I have a Muhsin Muhammad Bears jersey, and I'll still wear it even though he's on the Panthers again. I liked him.
Hey, Jeff …
Well, my path has finally taken me to your blog for a visit … Interesting stuff … Keep up the great work !!! … I agree, it's totally okay to go to games by yourself. One can focus much more on the action on the field, and in the stands [it's so true, some of the most beautiful girls go to baseball games] … Regarding some of the recent trades, what's the reaction to the Ken Griffey, Jr. deal, in Chicago? Do the fans think he will be able to cover the ground in centerfield? … and, give my condolences to your friend, Allen [the Tigers fan, right?] on the recent trade that bought Kyle Farnsworth back to Detroit. Those late-inning homeruns can be very frustrating, right? … All Yankee fans know the feeling !!! … I don't care if Farnsworth never gives up another hit in his career. Trading him was the best move of the year by the Yankees!!! … And, finally, I think it's great that fans wear the uniform jersey's of their favorite teams, and players. But, the thing that I really don't like to see, is when Yankee fans have the "name" of their favorite player [also] on back of the uniform, with the number. The Yankee uniforms never had, and, hopefully, never will have, the names of the players on the back of their uniforms … I mean, do fans really need to have RUTH on top of #3, on the back of the Yankees uniform; or, MANTLE on top of #7; or, JETER on top of #2; etc, etc, etc … It's something that really annoys me !!! … Hey, what can I say, those are just a few of my thoughts !!! … Take care, Jeff … and, when you get a chance, you're welcome to stop by my mlblog any time … Jimmy [27NYY] …
Hi Jimmy, thanks for stopping by RSBS: where politics and baseball make sweet, clandestine love. I have no problems with someone wearing a jersey with a name on it, number, whatever (except, yeah, no names on Yankee jerseys); my issue is with those who wear jerseys that are outdated AND/OR insignificant. For example, a Will Clark Cardinals jersey is ridiculous. A Mike Piazza Marlins jersey is ridiculous. A Jacque Jones Cubs jersey is ridiculous. Yes, these players played with those teams — albeit briefly. They were either disliked (Jones) by the fans, or there for so short a time that their presence in that uniform had no bearing on the sense of "team" associated with the jersey. Seriously? Ray Durham's White Sox jersey? Who does that? And yes, Allen is off in dark room somewhere crying.


text:
May 22, 1995: Peering into the heart of two recently exploded double-star systems, the Hubble telescope has surprised researchers by finding that the white dwarf stars at the center of the fireworks are cooler than expected and spin more slowly than previously thought.
Each dwarf - dense, burned-out stars that have collapsed to the size of Earth - is in a compact binary system, called a cataclysmic variable, where its companion is a normal star similar to, but smaller than the Sun. The stars are so close together that the entire binary system would fit inside the Sun. Their closeness allows gas to flow from the normal star onto the dwarf, where it swirls into a pancake-shaped disk [see illustration]. When the disk of gas periodically collapses onto the white dwarf, it unleashes a burst of kinetic energy, called a dwarf nova outburst. Once dumped onto the dwarf's surface, hydrogen accumulates until it undergoes thermonuclear fusion, which eventually triggers an explosion.See the rest:
Credit: STScI


text:
Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet
Mon, 25 Mar 2013 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Environmental Film Screening
Attend a screening of "Symphony of the Soil," a documentary that connects soil health to human health. Brought to you by JMU, NRCS, and Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Date: Monday, March 25
Time: 6PM-8PM
Location: Memorial Hall Auditorium
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo This ham radio allows members of Eastern New Mexico Amateur Radio Club to tune into a conversation anywhere in the world.
By Liliana Castillo: CNJ staff writer
It's a small world after all — at least for amateur radio users.
Eastern New Mexico Amateur Radio Club members said they are able to talk and listen to people in other countries and even astronauts in orbit through a loosely connected network of users.
"I love short wave. To get up in the middle of the night and just tune in and listen to people from all over the world," said Charlie Brown, a longtime club member. "It's a great thing."
Brown is one of anywhere from four to 33 amateur radio operators who gather Wednesdays at Clovis Community College mostly to share their interest in "ham" radio. Some meetings cover the club's participation in upcoming events while others consist of simply tuning in to several frequencies on their high frequency radio and listening.
Outside their circle of chairs are old ham radio sets, headphones, cables and antennae, some dust-covered, some still in operation. These relics vary in size from hand-held radios to ones about as big as a home DVD player.
The variety of the ham radio equipment reflects the members of the club, who range from 14-year-old beginners to those who have had their own call sign for several years.
Club president Roy Creiglow falls into the latter category.
Creiglow was a fan of CB radios in the 1970s, but talking to people all over the world was illegal on CB at the time because of FCC regulations. So he migrated to ham radio.
Creiglow and his wife Sandy passed the required amateur radio operator test in 1993.
Sandy Creiglow said there are classes for operators to become a part of storm spotting teams and another about a computer program that lets users track anyone with a ham radio. However, she said the most exciting part is talking to people from other countries. Sometimes, a ham radio user can even talk to an astronaut from space, she said.
Roy Creiglow said he's spoken to ham operators from Iraq, Costa Rica and Italy. Since everything including wind and weather can affect the direction a hams signal will go, Roy Creiglow said he never really knows how far his signal will go, and who will hear it.
Even though technology has updated the ham radio some, the general principals haven't changed, Roy Creiglow said.
A system in New Mexico, called Mega-Link, which links a ham to a repeater, forwards the signal to another ham operator. In this way, hams operators can talk to hams in other countries.
But outside the gadgets and astronauts, ham radio has another purpose.
"It's meant to bring people together," Roy Creiglow said. "And ham radio people help each other."
Years ago, when Roy Creiglow was a trucker and his wife would travel with him, it wasn't unusual for a ham operator to meet them at a truck stop and take them out on the town.
"They would take us to a nice restaurant, this person we'd never actually met, just to get us out of the truck stop," Roy Creiglow said.
"It's a wonderful thing. If I didn't make money off this," he continued, gesturing at his cell phone with a small amount of disgust. "I would toss it, and just ham it up."
What: New Eastern Mexico Amatuer Radio Club meetings
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Clovis Community College, room 206.
Contact: Club president Roy Creiglow or secretary Sandy Creiglow at 742-2415.


text:
According to a report by FirstShowing.net, the conventionally-held wisdom that The Riddler would be the villain in the upcoming third installment of the Batman series (still tentatively titled Batman 3,) are indeed true. According to a "reliable inside source" a Warner Bros. casting grid has listed the character for inclusion in Christopher Nolan's next visit to Gotham. Additionally, listed in that same grid to portray The Riddler, is Nolan's Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. However, the report seems to indicate that this news more so confirms the inclusion of the Riddler, than the idea of Levitt being cast for the role.
So, who do you think should play Batman's query-throwing, lime-green-loving nemesis?
As FirstShowing elaborates on Levitt's possible involvement, an actor's name appearing on the casting grid is not any kind of indicator of him being cast, adding:
"We're also cautious because the age range listed for the character is 35 to 45, and with Gordon-Levitt being 29 years old falls a little short of the mark. Of course, this wouldn't really be a reason for him to be excluded as characters can be modified in the script to accommodate a favored actor."
The role, therefore, is still essentially open, which makes me glad, because I think casting Levitt as Riddler would be a mistake. He seems to come from that same crop of young actors that gave us previous villains like Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow and even Heath Ledger's Joker. While they put in great performances, it would just seem to be cloning the process to cast Levitt as another "hipster-esque" type villain. When you also take into account that The Riddler, much like the The Joker, is a villain that uses psychological tactics to get under Batman's skin, you can see how even an actor of Levitt's caliber may come across flat in the wake of the late Heath Ledger's legendary performance as a similar character. There would likely be a lot of "been there, done that" if he were to be the new Riddler.
My Suggestion: The way to distinguish this version of Riddler is by going older. In the past, I've made the suggestion of Lost's Michael Emerson, and I am absolutely sticking to my guns on that one. He's so perfect for the role, it's ridiculous. Besides being older, this Riddler needs to carry the aura of an awkward introvert that hides a sadistic genius. This has to be an unassuming, deceptively meek-looking man who will test Batman in an intellectual way and is indeed, for all intents and purposes, smarter than him. Of course, like with all "genius" villains, his failing would ultimately be his own narcissism, and that will always be Batman's opening. I could also come up with other qualified names like Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, or even possibly Crispin Glover, but Michael Emerson needs to be our new Riddler. I can only hope that Christopher Nolan realizes that before he makes a flavor-of-the-moth casting of Levitt, who is hot off his performance in Inception.
**Steps off the soapbox**
Okay, it's your turn, now. Who do you think should carry on the legacy of Frank Gorshin, Jim Carrey, and....Nik Kershaw? (Okay, that wasn't him as Riddler, but it was an excuse to drop the reference.)
Source: FirstShowing.net


text:
Besides nature tours in Iceland, activity tours are very popular, you can go choose between going on a horseback riding tour, a river rafting tour, a glacier tour or many other tours.
South of Iceland is covered in green farmer fields but also holds some of Iceland's biggest glaciers and black sandy beaches. The East of Iceland is scarred with fjords and breathtaking mountains. In the North of Iceland you can find the thunderous waterfall Dettifoss and geothermal area around Lake Mývatn. The Westfjords of Iceland are the most remote part of the country, dotted with fishing villages in beautiful fjords and quite a few hot pools. And the West of Iceland holds the picturesque Snæfellsnes peninsula, with Snæfellsjökull glacier crowning it – the entrypoint to the centre of the Earth in Jules Verne's classic novel. Finally, the Icelandic highlands are home to glaciers, deserts, colourful mountains, hot springs and volcanoes – and the highlands are only accessible in the summertime with a 4WD car. No wonder that it's very popular to book a self drive tour.


text:
"I recently found you through my smartphone and I'm hooked. I find the program very interesting as I try to deepen my faith and knowledge of the Catholic Church. I have a lot of friends who converted to Protestant churches. I will continue to learn every day, and hopefully I can share what I've learned with them."
"Ah, sister, thou hast got the start of us, but we will follow thee as quickly as we may."