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May 6, 2004
Community Briefs
Anti-Terror Exhibit Opens
Los Angeles City Hall was the first stop of a traveling anti-terror exhibit that opened this week. The exhibit, which features a 40-foot suicide bombed Israeli commuter bus on a flatbed truck, flanked by video screens with images of terror attacks from around the world, will be traveling through the streets of Los Angeles this week.
"Our whole purpose is to bring up the reprehensibility of terror regardless of the cause, " said Bernie Massey, from Endworldterror.com, who organized the exhibit. Massey spoke at the worldwide unveiling of the exhibit at City Hall on April 4, at a ceremony that included City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Mayor Jim Hahn, Councilmen Jack Weiss and Eric Garcetti, Police Chief William Bratton, Fire Chief William Bammattre and representatives from the Israeli and Mexican foreign embassies.
Massey said that although the bus is an Israeli bus, he does not expect Israel to be the exhibit's center of attention.
"We didn't want the focus to be on any one particular conflict," he said. "The bus [should elicit] a visceral response. We can all relate to a bus. We have either ridden a bus, or stood next to one at a traffic light."
The bus, which was shipped to Los Angeles this week, has been fortified and preserved in the exact visual condition it was in after the attack, which occurred March 2003 in Haifa. The attack killed 17 people and left 53 injured, most of whom were schoolchildren heading home. The bus itself gives some indication of the horror of the event. All of its windows are blown out, its metal frame is twisted, its seats uprooted and torn, and what remains is a mangled carcass, which the bus company sold to Massey for the price of scrap metal.
Councilman Weiss said that he first saw the bus several months ago at a warehouse.
"It takes your breath away," he said. "It will educate millions of people about the horrors of terrorism."
After its Los Angeles tour, Endworlterror.com is going to be taking the bus on an international tour through the United States, Canada, and Europe.
If you want to know if the bus will be driving through your area, call (310) 281-7825.
For more information on the bus and its journey to America, check the Journal's story "Facing Terror Head On," published on Nov. 28, 2003 at www.jewishjournal.com. -- Gaby Wenig, Staff Writer
Pearl Book 'I Am Jewish' Gets Celeb Reading
"What do you mean when you say 'I am Jewish?'"
Judea and Ruth Pearl put this question to Jews of all persuasions, accomplishments and nationalities for a book honoring the memory of their son, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered by Muslim extremists in Pakistan more than two years ago.
Now, revitalizing the fine old art of public book readings, the Pearls are taking the book, "I Am Jewish," on a national tour, with various contributors on stage before live audiences.
Last February, the likes of Mike Wallace, Daniel Schorr and Daniel Goldhagen read and spoke at the 92nd Street Y in New York.
An astonishing 1,000 people showed up in Atlanta last month and in Pittsburgh the local daily added a twist by publishing the essays of 15 readers who explained why they were Jewish.
Last week, it was the turn of Los Angeles, where a surprisingly youthful audience of some 450 gathered at the Skirball Cultural Center.
The eclectic panel of contributors and readers included Pearl's parents, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Rabbis Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Harold Schulweis and Chaim Seidler-Feller, David Suissa, author Sylvia Boorstein, comic Sarah Silverman, Gershom Sizomu of Uganda, Skirball founder Uri Herscher, Daniel Gill, talk-show host Dennis Prager and Vidal Sassoon.
The trigger for the book and the reading, explained UCLA professor Judea Pearl, was his son's last statement before his captors slit his throat: "My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish."
"Danny did not say these words under coercion, or as a mark of gallantry, but as a matter of fact," the elder Pearl said.
The evening's biggest hand went to Sizomu, spiritual leader of the 600 Abayudaya Jews of Uganda, who is currently studying for the rabbinate at the University of Judaism.
Recounting his persecution under Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, and acknowledging that "I do not look Jewish," Sizomu concluded proudly: "I am one of a special people -- the Jewish people -- who have resisted many centuries of hatred and oppression and continue to say 'shalom' to the world."
A new record for brevity was set by comic Silverman, whose entire address consisted of the following: "Remember the guy who smashed all the idols in the idol store? His mother had a heart attack when she saw the mess, but I'm sure she bragged about it later. That's us. That's me. I'm Jewish."
Future reading events are planned for San Francisco, Indianapolis and Boston. -- Tom Tugend, Contributing Editor
Traveler Insurance Policy Prompts Lawsuit
Major insurers routinely refuse to issue life insurance policies to Americans who have traveled to Israel or plan to do so in the future, a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court charges.
The suit accuses 14 insurance companies of unfair business practices under California law and seeks an injunction to forbid companies from denying insurance to travelers to Israel.
Allen Estrin, producer of the nationally syndicated Dennis Prager radio talk show, is the plaintiff in the case.
"Two years ago, I went to Israel on business," said Estrin. "Just before or after I went, I applied for life insurance to the Banner Life Insurance Company. I took a physical and everything seemed to be going smoothly."
A few weeks later, Estrin's insurance broker called him to report that Banner, headquartered in Rockville, Md., and a subsidiary of Britain's Legal and General Group Plc., had turned him down.
Estrin asked why and the broker said it was because of his trip to Israel, and that the same company policy applied if he were planning to visit Israel in the future.
"It didn't make any sense to me, " Estrin said. "Why not have the same rule for travelers to Spain after the Madrid train bombing, or to Athens for the risky Olympic Games, or even to the United States after Sept. 11?"
The broker checked other insurance companies and got the same turndown, though Estrin just recently got a life insurance policy through West Coast Life.
In defense of the companies, Jack Dolan, spokesman for the American Council of Life Insurers in Washington, D.C., said that travel to any country "where health or security concerns exist is a legitimate factor, among others, in deciding whether to underwrite a life insurance policy."
Dolan said that Israel was not being singled out, but that the same considerations applied to all 27 countries for which the U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings.
"There are 1,200 life insurance companies in this country, so if an applicant is turned down by one, he should try another," he said.
Attorneys William Shernoff and Lisa Stern, representing both Estrin and the general public, said that such discrimination against past and future travelers to Israel could further hurt the country's hard-hit tourist industry. They also hope that, with enough public pressure, insurers might halt the practice voluntarily.
Further pressure may be forthcoming through a bill introduced by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois), which would forbid companies to discriminate on the basis of travel to any country, but does not specifically mention Israel.
The New York and Illinois state legislatures are considering similar bills.
Named in the suit are the following life insurance companies: Banner, Pacific, Alliance, Transamerica Occidental, Manufacturers, John Hancock, Jefferson-Pilot, New York, Northwestern Mutual, Prudential, State Farm, Allstate, Hartford and Travelers. -- TT
Spielberg Prepares Film on '72 Munich Olympics
Steven Spielberg is readying production of a feature film on the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, in which 11 Israeli athletes lost their lives to Arab terrorists and bungled German police work.
The filmmaker is scouting European locations for the yet-untitled movie and hopes to cast Ben Kingsley in a leading role, confirmed Marvin Levy, Spielberg's personal spokesman.
Spielberg and Kingsley collaborated earlier in "Schindler's List," which won seven Academy Awards.
Production on the Munich film is slated to start in June, with a screenplay by Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump," and "The Insider"), Levy said. No release date has been set.
The tragedy of the Munich Olympics, in which Black September terrorists easily infiltrated the Olympic Village at night and took the Israeli team hostage, killing two outright, has haunted all subsequent Olympics, including this summer's upcoming event in Athens.
The 1972 shame was shared by top Olympic officials, especially America's Avery Brundage, who ordered the games to continue after only a brief memorial service. A badly organized attempt by German police to free the hostages resulted in the deaths of nine Israelis.
Further details on the upcoming Spielberg film were not available.
Spielberg has said that his Jewish heritage took on a new dimension while making "Schindler's List." The Shoah Foundation, which he established 10 years ago, has since videotaped the testimonies of 52,000 Holocaust survivors and witnesses.
The tragic events of the 1972 Olympics were the subject of "One Day in September," a revealing documentary that won an Oscar for Swiss producer Arthur Cohn in 2000. -- TT
JewishJournal.com is produced by TRIBE Media Corp., a non-profit media company whose mission is to inform, connect and enlighten community © Copyright 2016 Tribe Media Corp.
JewishJournal.com is produced by TRIBE Media Corp., a non-profit media company whose mission is to inform, connect and enlighten community
© Copyright 2016 Tribe Media Corp.

subset: commoncrawl


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June 02, 2006
Yet another reason not to watch tv
Fox News has taken a wholly inappropriate crack at Ben Smith of the NY Daily News. It's so personal, it's shocking. Strictly from a PR perspective, this is a terrible move. Meanness doesn't generally work in getting your point across, a clever, funny jab would've been much better, perhaps something about the Daily News and its not-at-all-concealed bias, instead of about Ben personally. Shame, Fox, shame.Posted by Karol at June 2, 2006 05:48 PM | TrackBack
Technorati Tags: Ben+Smith Fox+News Daily+News
He is conservative himself, right? That's what makes the smear so shocking. He clearly was trying to say "Of course 'conservative Fox News,' is correct - just keep in mind what hypocrisy it is that the only side that gets labelled is the right."
I disagree about whether the media as a whole is liberal ("facts have a well-known liberal bias" and I'll give you the NYT for starters), but he hardly deserved the slap he got for speaking Truth to Biased.Posted by: Charles at June 2, 2006 06:07 PM
HEY! don't blame this on TV. she didn't say it on TV -- I think this is yet another reason not to read.Posted by: Not Dawn Summers at June 2, 2006 06:08 PM
Ben is not conservative.Posted by: Karol at June 2, 2006 06:14 PM
This woman is the least professional PR person i've ever come across, and i've come across some stinkers. I'm sure Ben's big enough to laugh it off, but this is just the latest in her low-down, amateurish efforts to intimidate journalists into complying with the Fox world view. Worst thing is some of them are scared of her.Posted by: cardinalchunder at June 2, 2006 06:23 PM
Hmmm. Guilt by association, I suppose. I still think I'm right about the point of his column.Posted by: Charles at June 2, 2006 06:52 PM
Doesn't seem like you've ever minded Fox's mean-spirited-ness before :)Posted by: Stephen Silver at June 3, 2006 12:22 PM
Like when?Posted by: Karol at June 3, 2006 12:34 PM
Ben was a great City Hall reporter at the Sun; haven't read much from him since he left for greener pastures.Posted by: someone at June 3, 2006 01:18 PM
Like when?
Memories are short; but search functions are forever.
Again, clever, funny jab good. Mean bad. I think you're link is clever and funny, Dawnie.Posted by: Karol at June 3, 2006 02:16 PM


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We knew coming in to the 2010 NCAA Tournament that we were probably in for a compelling tournament.
With no elite team and with no clear favorite, it was difficult to discern which top team in the tournament was best suited to advance the furthest.
However, with a wealth of legitimate mid-majors and upset-minded second-tier teams, the tournament had the potential to be one of the most memorable.
We had our share of upsets and we had our share of buzzer-beaters. So which ones ranked among the best games of the 2010 Men's NCAA Tournament?


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Industry Profits, Stock Prices and Household Burdens: A Distributional Analysis of the Kerry-Boxer Cap-and-Trade Bill
Andrew Chamberlain
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Department of Economics
Feliz M. Ventura
Chamberlain Economics, L.L.C.
March 1, 2010
Using an input-output model of the U.S. economy, we estimate the distributional impact of the "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act" (S. 1733) on short-run profits and stock prices of a representative sample of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum refining firms, and the long-run impact on U.S. households. We find the bill significantly increases profits for electricity and natural gas distributors, raising stock prices by up to 34 percent in some scenarios. By contrast, profits for petroleum refiners would fall sharply with large and mid-sized refiners losing up to 82 percent of stock value. For households, we estimate the bill would impose a gross burden of $113.8 billion per year or $947 per household, ranging from 4.4 percent of income for low-income households to 1.0 percent for upper-income households. These costs would fall disproportionately on families under age 25 and over 75, those in Midwestern states, and single parents with dependent children.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 60
Keywords: Distributional analysis, cap-and-trade, environmental policy, policy analysis
JEL Classification: H23, K20
Date posted: May 14, 2010
Suggested Citation
Contact Information


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It's 50 years since a struggling musician called Bill Haley recorded rock around the clock - as a B-side
Every revolution needs its modest beginnings. Archimedes and his bath, Newton and his apple, Watt and his boiling kettle — without the one you would not have had the impetus for the other. Same for rock'n'roll, the first musical movement to divide the generations. Had it not been for Bill Haley, his Comets and Rock Around the Clock, we would not have had Will Young. Well, we would, but he'd have been doing something better suited to his talents.
A propos Rock Around the Clock, though, well now, there's a strange little pebble from which to build a monument. If


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I caught a very interesting article this morning from the WSJ about social media policy. It delved into the issues public companies face with respect to using social media tools and public disclosure/SEC compliance.
This is a topic I'm always asked about when I talk about social media with CEO's and I think it's a reasonable question to be asking. I commented earlier this month about Australian Telco Telstra's recently announced social media policy which was good but I felt they were closing the gate after the horse had bolted.
Many social media experts put forward an overly simplistic ideal that the corporation should just get in and join the groundswell and let the information be free with this sentiment picked up in the article with reference to eBay seemingly putting some boundaries around an official Twitterer:
Some followers think the tougher oversight is squelching Mr. Brewer-Hay's spontaneous, informal style
This type of mindset is dangerous as it fails to balance the desire to be open and collaborative with real world regulatory demands (such as continuous disclosure obligations).
This collision of ideals is where I feel many social media experts and participants really let themselves down in that they don't or won't accept realistic boundaries around the use of social media. If an employee puts information into the community that is wrong or is breaking the law why shouldn't the company act? What justification is there for this ideal that "sanitising such posts risks hurting credibility with online audiences"?
If you step back from the regulatory aspect, it's also good business to have a policy in place that reinforces mutual obligations as well as the overall strategy. The US Air Force has a very interesting flow chart that they use to help their employees understand how to engage. As David Meerman Scott discusses in his post, the USAF has a well developed policy that encourages every employee to be a communicator. The USAF's blog assessment flowchart is something I was very impressed with as it's a simple but effective tool to help visualise one aspect of a social media policy.
My advice to CEO's is to focus on getting a clear and simple policy in place and then sticking to it. Get on the web and find examples of what others are doing well – i.e. Dell, IBM. If you find reason to intervene then make sure you do it in a way that is open and transparent. Most people in the community will respect this and appreciate the fact that a company is prepared to be open but is also prepared to be diligent and responsible.


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Piloting a Community Approach to Healthy Marriage Initiatives in Five Sites: Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Atlanta, Georgia; and Denver, Colorado - Executive Summary
- Topics:
- Strengthening Families, Healthy Marriage & Responsible Fatherhood
- Projects:
- The Community Healthy Marriage Initiatives (CHMI) Evaluation, 2003-2013 | Learn more about this project
- Types:
- Reports
In 2002, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) instituted the Community Healthy Marriage Initiative (CHMI) evaluation to document operational lessons and assess the effectiveness of community-based approaches to support healthy relationships and marriages and child well-being. A component of the CHMI study involves implementation research on demonstrations approved by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) under authority of Section 1115 of the Social Security Act. The goals of the demonstrations are to achieve child support objectives through community engagement and service delivery activities related to healthy marriage and relationship (HMR) education programs.
A series of reports is being produced on the implementation of the Section 1115 projects. A total of 14 programs are included in the CHMI evaluation implementation study. Earlier reports covered the implementation of demonstrations in five locations: Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Grand Rapids, MI; Jacksonville, FL; and Nampa, ID. This report focuses on the demonstrations in Minneapolis, MN; Lexington, KY; New Orleans, LA, Atlanta, GA; and Denver, CO. The report examines community engagement efforts, the design and implementation of service delivery (HMR training workshops and related services), and links with child support. It does not present estimates of program impacts or effectiveness. The report is based on site visits conducted from November 2008 to June 2009, a time when the sites were in various stages of program implementation—demonstrations in Denver and Minneapolis were each in the last year of funding, whereas the other three demonstrations were in earlier stages of implementation.


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U.S. agricultural exports declined 2.2 percent during the first eight months of 2012 while imports were up 6.7 percent year-over-year; overall agricultural trade grew 1.6 percent year-over-year.
Or, for unlimited access to timely news and analysis:
Not registered with JOC.com? Create an account now. Once signed up, read FIVE articles every thirty days for free.


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Since nearly all of my Junkyard Finds are in Colorado and California, both places where the Toyota Cressida sold well, we get quite a few of these Lexus-precursor luxury Toyotas in this series. We've seen this '80, this '82 this '84, this '86 wagon, this '87, this '89, this '90, and this '92 in this series so far (plus some bonus Michael Bay Edition Tokyo Taxis, courtesy of Crabspirits), and my recent trip to Los Angeles (during which I shot this optioned-up, rust-free '82 Subaru BRAT) gives us this once-gorgeous two-tone '84. (Read More…)
Tag: 1984
I've owned quite a few Tercel wagons of this generation (though most of mine were the common-in-California front-wheel-drive type), and I respect these things for their simplicity, cargo capacity, and reliability. True, they were underpowered and not exactly inspiring to drive, but they could be very lovable. Living in Denver, I see these cars just about every time I hit the junkyard, but mostly they don't seem special enough to merit photographing. Realizing that this one is 30 years old, however, inspired me to pull out the camera. (Read More…)
The Subaru BRAT, basically a factory El Camino-ized Leone, has quite the lawsuit history in this country, due to the Chicken Tax-evading-but-dangerous jump seats in the bed that made the BRAT a "car," legally speaking. The BRAT was sold in the United States until the 1987 model year, but it's nearly impossible to find examples built after the early 1980s. Here's a reasonably nice-looking '84 that Shawn Rodgers (you may recognize him as the hero of the Junkyard Build Quality Challenges, as well as the captain of the very fast Bunny With a Pancake On Its Head 24 Hours of LeMons Rabbit team) saw in a San Francisco Bay Area wrecking yard last week and was kind enough to photograph for us. (Read More…)
I haven't shot many Junkyard Finds involving water-cooled Volkswagens, mostly due to the fact that these cars tend to depreciate into the crush-worthy price range before age 15, which means that interesting VWs don't appear too often in self-service wrecking yards. We saw this '82 Scirocco and this '80 Dasher Diesel recently, and I've found 2/1461ths of the North American Etienne Agnier Edition Golfs in junkyards, but nearly all the Golfs I find these days are Mk2s or later, or Mk1 Cabrios (or ones that I'm helping to load up for a trip to The Crusher). Here's a genuine, numbers-matching (maybe), final-year-of-American-production, Westmoreland-built, Mk1 Rabbit two-door that I spotted in Denver a while back. (Read More…)
We don't normally put the words "Camry" and "rare" together in the same sentence, but this series is all about finding rare-but-not-valuable oddities (e.g., one of the very last GM J-body. When it comes to rare Camrys, there's the seldom-seen-in-the-wild Camry All-Trac and the nearly-as-rare Camry Liftback, and I'd found exactly one example of each in wrecking yards prior to today's find. Yes, here's another first-gen Camry liftback, this time dressed in whatever Toyota called this strange metallic purplish-brown hue. (Read More…)
Of all the GM J-bodies sold in America, the Olds Firenza may be the rarest. In 1984, most Oldsmobile wagon shoppers wanted a stately rear-wheel-drive behemoth with a V8 engine, not some newfangled small wagon with a little communist-inspired four-cylinder engine driving the wrong wheels. Thus, Firenza wagons are rarer today than early AC Cobras. Here's one that I found in a San Francisco Bay Area self-serve yard last weekend, while I was in town for the fifth annual Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons. (Read More…)
You know how there was no 1983 Corvette, and then the C4 finally came out in 1984, and it had this terrible twin-throttle-body fuel-injection system? Of course you do. Anyway, C4 Corvettes are worth enough these days that they're not common sights in self-service wrecking yards, and those that I do find have been picked pretty clean.. Shops that specialize in Corvettes intercept most basket-case examples before they get to these yards, but I found four C4s all together at a Southern California yard last month. Let's check out a well-stripped example of the first of the good-handling Corvettes. (Read More…)
Yes, GM was a major sponsor of US Olympic athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics (which were boycotted by most of the Warsaw Pact as payback for Jimmy Carter and friends boycotting the '80 Olympics over Part XXIV in the War In Afghanistan), which meant that you could buy an Olympic Edition Buick Century that year. I moved to Southern California while the '84 Olympics were going on, but all I remember about them was my friend who made the national news by drunk-driving over tens of thousands of orange cones set up for the bicycle-road-race event in Orange County (delaying the start of the event and earning five years of weekend orange-vest-freeway-cleanup duty)… and the sight of all these Olympic Centuries being driven around by low-level employees of the Games. Here's one that managed to stay on the street for nearly 30 years, before washing up in an Oakland self-service yard. (Read More…)
Haven't you heard the exciting news? There's a new Corvette out this year! Cadillac is building convertibles again! The VW Vanagon has a water-cooled engine! Oldsmobile is offering some kind of voice warning doohickey and the FIRENZA HAS NEW TRIM OPTIONS!1!!11! All with interest rates hovering just under 13%! It's 1984, and I just can't wait to check out the goods at the auto show.
Did you know that the Chevrolet Chevette was manufactured in the United States through the 1987 model year? It's true! Serious fans of Chevette trivia also know that American car shoppers could buy a new Chevette with an Isuzu diesel engine; Chevette Diesel owners could eke out tremendous range in their oil-stinking, cramped, rear-drive econoboxes, and isn't that really what car ownership was all about in the middle 1980s? I see the occasional Chevette in my travels (not to mention on the race track), but this California find is the first diesel Chevette in this series. (Read More…)


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The leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning. About 4 million floats have been recalled. This video footage has been provided for use by media.
Live Webcasts
Aqua-Leisure Industries Recalls Inflatable Baby Floats Due to Drowning Hazard
Jason Pierre-Paul tells CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye about the fireworks incident that changed his life.
Interested persons present oral comments to CPSC Commissioners concerning CPSC agenda and priorities for FY 2017 and FY 2018.
David recounts the night his family had a near miss tragedy.
A recording of the public meeting on the eFiling Alpha Pilot Adult Wearing Apparel Exemption - Disclaimer Options
CPSC Office of General Counsel staff discusses civil penalty guidance, jurisdictional and regulatory developments and federal cooperation.
The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees.
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"Amateurs wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work." – Chuck Close – Reader's Digest July 2009
I am obviously and practically an amateur writer/author with only one published short story as my "claim to fame". I have always cradled the dream (and ambition) of having at least one book published as an author. So, all this time, I kept on sharpening my claws (my pen) churning out short stories, articles, and blog posts, until the amateur in me got the required inspiration.
Samit Basu's initiative on Twitter set the ball rolling for me. Samit Basu, the famed author of the "The Gameworld Trilogy", initially called for a word count race on Twitter, which was further organized by YuviPanda into a Facebook discussion forum/community. NovelRace was conceived to give a touch of competition and motivation, and a drive to actually get, set, go … and write! To quote from the Introduction of NovelRace on Facebook –
"The motive was simple enough – to tell each other, "Write, bugger, write." And perhaps to point and laugh when you're ahead. So here's where we are right now. Finish a novel ('novel' here would mean anything – screenplay, play, graphic novel script, non-fiction or, of course, fiction – exceeding 60,000 words) by October 31st. Meet on Twitter, update, heckle each other, make a tally every weekend, and bitch. Everyone is welcome.
As Samit says, there's no real group objective beyond going "DAMN, he/she is 5K words ahead again!"
Perhaps we should also add that this is far less structured than things like NaNoWriMo. There are no rules, no one's checking your work, what you do with your finished book afterwards is entirely up to you. Also, no real rules as far as eligibility is concerned – you just need to want to finish your book/screenplay/play/comic, it should be a full-length piece that would serve as a first draft that you could show publishers after editing. Thassall.
Even the word count guidelines we've set up are, like the Pirate Code, just guidelines. Don't ask us whether your work is eligible. It is. Write it."
When I came across NovelRace, the occurrence was aptly complimented by the fact that I had three stories running parallel in my mind, but had not yet penned them down. This made the search for a theme for my novel a cakewalk, as I decided to thread the three stories together with a common event and/or a series of event and then just go with the flow.
Thus motivated, I upgraded from bystander mode to a competitor role. Within fifteen days, I reached the 20000-word count mark, and according to the NovelRace discussion forum, actually had a sample ready. Though I am still refraining from spilling all the beans (and the marketing masala), I thought it would be nice to put up something on my blog to generate interest (particularly, publisher interest).
22000-words plus and obsessively attached to this "creative adventure" here's what I imagine on the back cover of the novel –
"Destiny charters the course in the life of three different women, as a local scandal makes the headlines. Over a course of chance and then planned meetings, the three women find themselves being influenced by each other's experiences, consequently redefining their lives to follow singular courses."
Each of the characters is from a different walk of life, with distinctive personalities, challenges, and dissimilar ways of handling circumstances. When they meet, a little color of each one's attitudes and experiences rubs on to the other and is eventually reflected in the decisions that they go on to take for themselves. To introduce the stories of each of the three female protagonists, and then the concluding section I wrote down a few verses. I hope it helps to bring out some of the flavor of the story and the characters.
The Path of Hope
Meandering through alleys cobbled with stones
As grey as the ash flicked from a burning stub;
The melody of love touches her and stirs the senses
Leading her to a path of hope lying beyond the curb.
The Trail of Belief
In the realm of her simplest dreams and desires
In the dominion of her wildest fears and frets;
Seeking refuge and respite from the searing fires
She awakens, and gradually, the trail of belief treads.
The Passage of Trust
Struggling to find roots in the crevice of a rock
Craving to fulfill a promise bursting at its seams,
She tenderly gathers the weak tendrils running amok
And embarks on the passage where trust gleams
At the End of the Road
Beyond the previous bastion of their lonesome strife
Across the rickety bridge transcending the valleys
Of stifling despair, of broken trust, of shattered belief
Traversing an uncharted course to flee the gullies
They are borne by a twist of fate and a turn of destiny,
At the end of the road, right into the arms of serendipity.
I am hoping to receive some attention and responses on this blog post because I am working very hard on this initiative, considering that I have a full time job (and a hubby). For live scores, visit http://novelrace.in. Until I slog it out, here is another quote from Reader's Digest July 2009, to keep me inspired.
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." – Maya Angelow.


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The Montreal Canadiens are now 6-1 in the 2014 NHL playoffs and hold a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins in Round 2. The Habs will look to put their division rival up against the wall as Game 4 goes Thursday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Canadiens have been playing some of their best hockey of the season since the playoffs began. If it wasn't for a 10-minute collapse in Game 2, they'd be undefeated.
Montreal has been getting solid play from its depth players throughout the playoffs, and that trend has continued against the Bruins. All lines are contributing in all facets of the game.
But how have Montreal's top players been faring in Round 2 as compared to the opening-round series against the Lightning?
Here is a stock up, stock down report for the Montreal Canadiens stars in the 2014 NHL playoffs.


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Fascial Kinetics Bowen Therapy Course & Workshop Information
Our courses are aimed at the following levels:
- Learning Bowen Therapy - training to Practitioner level
- Practitioner and Therapist Workshops in Continuing Professional Education
The courses cover more than just basic therapy, developing comprehensive skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas that ensures students complete the course as a competent therapist. Fascial Kinetics is unique among Bowen Therapy courses in that it teaches the science of healing coupled with the art of healing.
All units of the course cover:
- Scientific explanation and understanding
- Clinical application
- Assessment skills
- Body/mind connections
- Healing philosophy
- Application with adjunct therapies
Fascial Kinetics Bowen Therapy training is recognised in many countries across the world. Australian students can register as a Practitioner with the Bowen Therapists Federation of Australia after the successful completion of their Practitioner training, and both Australian and New Zealand graduates can register with the International Institute of Complementary Therapists.


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Comprehensive DescriptionRead full entry
| Common names: goby (English), gobio (Espanol)
Gobionellus daguae (Eigenmann, 1918)
Choco goby
Elongate, compressed; head a little compressed, snout broadly rounded; mouth opens at front, horizontal, ends under front edge of pupil; teeth on both jaws fine and numerous, 1-3 rows on top jaw (inner row may be strongly curved), 2-3 rows on bottom jaw, no large canines near front of bottom jaw; front nostril tubular; rear nostril a pit; large eyes, high on sides of head; between eyes narrow; preopercle canal with 3 pores; a single pore between eyes; 6-7 + 7-8 triangular gill rakers with flexible bases; dorsal fin VI, 1st 4 spines longest, filamentous, curved, reaching to base of 4th dorsal ray + I, 12-13; anal I, 12-13; pelvic I, 5 disk complete; tail fin long and pointed; scales rough on body, absent on head, nape and chest, 28-35 large scales in lateral series.
Olive; back with dark mottling; a row of short bars or elongate blotches along mid-flank, alternate ones smaller, last at base of tail; nape with 2 narrow cross bars; narrow dark stripe from mouth to edge of opercle; oblique bar under eye; pectoral translucent with large black spot on upper base; tail and soft dorsal with small black spots, forming bars; spinous dorsal with black rear margin; anal and pectoral light; pelvics dusky.
Size: 13.5 cm.
Habitat: brackish water in estuaries.
Depth: 0-5 m.
Eastern Panama and Colombia.


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This is good if its done for the right reasons and not somebodys way of beaten state and federal charges, to keep it in tribal court for a slap on the hand.
Washington State Bill Could Dismantle State Jurisdiction Over American Indian Tribes
Washington State Bill Could Dismantle State Jurisdiction Over American Indian Tribes
ICTMN Staff
According to the Associated Press, a bill, HB 2233, was recently passed by the Washington state Senate by a vote of 42-6. The bill appears to dismantle state jurisdiction over American Indian tribes.
The state assumed jurisdiction in 1963 in matters along the lines of juvenile delinquency, truancy, mental illness and adoption proceedings. With this bill a tribe can ask the state to return jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters to the tribes.
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Any incident of extinguishing state jurisdiction and re-establishing tribal jurisdiction is a positive. PL-280 was a travesty at its inception and whenever it is diminished in any way is a gain. Tribal sovereignty is a long recognized right, not a discretionary privilege doled out, or withheld, at the whim of the US government.


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Although I receive lots of questions daily, I do respond to all of them (in the order received), usually within 48 hours. Please understand that my answers are for general information only. I cannot provide specific medical advice via email; that can only be provided through proper evaluation in my office. For appointments, please call my office.
Your email address or other information is confidential; I wll never share it with anyone, nor will it be used for any form of solicitation. I look forward to your questions!
- Dr. Donald Liebell
"It's The Most Amazing Thing
That Has Ever Happened to Me"
"I suffer from MS, I have extreme neuralgic pain in the lower extremities, I'm in pain 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year, and then I go to see this doctor... I've had pain in my feet, I've struggled with my balance... I am walking differently, my pain is less, I have already regained strength in my left leg... it's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me…"
- Montel Williams 2008
"I've gone through the last three seasons feeling the best I've ever felt"
"I've been coming to atlas orthogonal for the last three years since 1998... Before I came to atlas orthogonal -- a lot of headaches... If I can come in and continue to have these treatments, and they can continue to help me the way they've helped me, maybe I can continue to last for another eight years."
- Michael Strahan, New York Giants 2001
Co-Host, "Live with Kelly and Michael ABC-TV
"It was magic... a Miracle"
"I had an accident where I was hit in the head with something and I was having a lot of neck and shoulder pain. A friend of mine told me about atlas orthogonal.... It was magic. A miracle. Truly, I'd been living with a certain amount of pain every day for about ten years and suddenly I walked out of the office with not a speck of pain. Big difference going ... The pain was completely gone immediately."
- Eva LaRue - Emmy Award Nominated Actress, "CSI-Miami"
Atlas Orthogonal
"You have literally saved my life!"
"I was at a point where, after 18 years of pain and suffering, there was no point in continuing to try to live with unbearable pain, which only got worse as I got older. I had run the whole gamut of doctors who would not listen to my symptoms and offered no help except drugs, that made me even sicker... Without Dr. Liebell I would never have found so much help…my neck and back, thanks to his treatments are nearly 100 percent better.
Lois Haynes, Photographer,
Smithfield, VA
"I believe this integrated sytem will take its place among the greatest medical breakthroughs of our time"
"As a dentist specializing in TMJ, head, neck and facial pain, I have come to realize the importance of integrating the Atlas Orthogonal Technique in the treatment of patients with structural distortions…"
- Dr. Gerald Smith,
Author, "Alternative Treatments for Conquering Chronic Pain
Founder, the International Center for Nutritional Research
"Praise the Lord; I can actually go to sleep!"
"One of the worst problems was the pain in my neck. A surgeon told me to take hot showers, that I had arthritis and nothing could be done. That was 9 years ago... A sports doctor put me on Paxil and I was taking Voltarin for "arthritis." He sent me to physical therapy, but it never took the pain away. By the second week of treatment [with Atlas Orthogonal] I was flying high—I felt wonderful. I guess for the last 4 or 5 years, I didn't know what it was like to sleep the whole night through."
- Joyce White. Virginia Beach, 2000
"I whole-heartedly endorse this diagnostic and treatment method"
"As a medical doctor with thirty-five years of clinical experience, I feel that most patients with acute and chronic neck pain or headaches should be considered for Atlas Orthogonal treatment."
- Dr. Stanley H. Block, MD., Author -
"Come to Your Senses - Demystifying the Mind Body Connection"
"I am astonished with the help
I have gotten with Atlas Orthogonal."
- Dr. Betty Gessel, M.D., Internist,
Vice President, New York Academy of Medicine
Now I can get up in the morning without neck pain, and I rarely get headaches!
"For many years my neck bothered me almost every morning. When I'd look up, tilting my head back, my hearing would mysteriously cut out. I also had headaches every single day. As a professional ballet instructor, I was unable to demonstrate properly because of the pain... Now, thanks to Dr. Liebell and Atlas correction, I'm finally out of pain. My life is so much better. I sleep better than ever. Now I know how important your nervous system and spinal alignment is. My hearing problem is gone too, as a result of atlas corrections!
- Michael Kaiser - Professional Ballet Instructor,
Governor's School - Norfolk Public Schools, Old Dominion University
This Treatment is Wonderful!
"When I began I could not raise my arm very far or even put it behind my back. It is very wonderful to have full mobility and strength in my arm, neck and shoulders. Dr. Liebell is a loving and delightful human being as are his two knowledgeable ladies who work with him. They each one take time to personalize the patients' care and needs! You must call and make an appointment. Do not wait any longer."
- Mary Ann Hartsock, Virginia Beach
My life was changed in about 2/3 of a second
"It was the first time in twelve years that I was not in pain... ... But the best part is that I'm up and around seven days a week now and going back to the normal life that I enjoyed twelve years ago - something I haven't really seen in over a decade
- Jay Glazer, Senior Writer FOX Sports
You Gave Me My Life Back!
"My mind and body had been on such a roller coaster ride for three years... I started to have severe pain in my neck and at the base of my head. I lived in silence for about a year until it became unbearable... I went to pain management and was given steroid injections...I was so discouraged and felt that my only option was to take pain pills... I truly could not do anything. I could not even hold my new grandson... After the first treatment [Atlas Orthogonal] I walked out of the office and felt a big difference... I highly recommend Dr. Liebell and would like to thank him for giving me back my life.
- Barbara Captain, Virginia Beach
"We want every single patient we have under care to have their spine examined by an Atlas Orthogonist"
"I am saddened by the thousands, and probably millions, of patients that have problems that could be helped by Atlas Orthogonal, but don't know that it exists. If the alignment is wrong, the nerve system is not going to work well no matter how good their nutrition is, they are not going to be able to assimilate that nutrition sufficiently. The majority of cancer cases we see have overt cervical spinal problems, even the ones who don't have a history of spinal trauma."
- Dr. Nicholas Gonzales, MD,
Immunologist, Cancer Specialist


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St. Michaels Church Hall in Wigan Events and tickets
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Name: St. Michaels Church Hall
Address: Shaw Street, Swinley, Wigan, WN1 2BQ
Phone: 01942 324263
Venue short url: http://www.skiddle.com/venues/10895/
Type of venue: Live
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State Water Resources Research Institute Program
Project Id: 2010IN219B
Title: Local and Regional Assessment of Biofuel Production Facilities Impacts on Freshwater Quality in Indiana
Project Type: Research
Start Date: 3/01/2010
End Date: 2/28/2011
Congressional District: 4
Focus Categories: Models, Water Quality, Water Quantity
Keywords: water quality, remote sensing, sediment transport, Wabash River
Principal Investigators: Rao, Suresh
Federal Funds: $ 10,000
Non-Federal Matching Funds: $ 31,623
Abstract: The annual bioethanol production capacity in the US has increased rapidly, reaching 55 billion liters as of January 2009, with Indiana being among the leading states contributing to this trend. However, several studies have warned that the corn-ethanol production increases may further compromise water quality and compete for freshwater allocations with other sectors (e.g., urban, municipal, industrial). Although several studies have examined water requirements for biomass production, most of those are focused either on global/national scale or solely biomass cultivation stage. Therefore, this study aims to investigate local- and regional-scale impacts of freshwater use and wastewater discharges, especially from biofuel conversion processes in Indiana by examining recent trends, and projecting future scenarios. Blue water availability, which is diverted from precipitation to form surface water, will be estimated at the watershed scale (TELM, Threshold Exceedance Lagrangian Model) and at the basin level (Budyko model) along with an examination of the factors which impact the water availability. Water Poverty Index will be also used to identify the areas of the greatest water scarcity in Indiana, thereby enabling prioritization of biofuel production facility expansion options. In addition, the impacts of biofuel production on water quality, including fertilizer and pesticide runoff from biomass farming stage and wastewater discharge from a biofuel conversion process, will be investigated (e.g., nutrient and contaminant loads). Contaminant profiles of wastewater from the different biomass conversion processes will be identified and then the spatial scales over which water-quality impairments are to be expected will be estimated. Combined with decreased freshwater availability, degraded surface water quality will further reduce the availability of water for biofuel production and other uses. Local and state governments and water management authorities need decision tools in making choices for allocation among various competing freshwater users, as a component of sustainable water resources management.
Progress/Completion Report, 2010, PDF


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Albrecht Adds Support Position echt Grocery Co. here has named Stan Baranauskas manager of technical support, a new position. Baranauskas will manage the installation and programming of main-frame hardware and software for Fred W. Albrecht, which is the parent company of Acme, Acme SuperCenter and Y-Mart stores. Previously, Baranauskas served more than 12 years as a senior systems programmer for both Trans Ohio Savings and Brush Wellman. Powell Named Head Of Second ICL Unit DALLAS -- ...
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More than 4,500 people are expected to attend CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference, which begins Sunday at The Washington Convention Center.
Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot who heroically landed a plane on the Hudson River, and political commentators Arianna Huffington and Mary Matalin are among the speakers at CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference.


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Comment this
Make sure your text complies with our rules
Today, I woke up to find that my dog was missing. I spent about an hour searching for him when my psycho ex-girlfriend texted me his photo. She'd kidnapped him. After driving over there, she shot paintballs at my car. Now I have no dog and a colorful car. FML
by sammatthews2007 / 02/24/2009 at 10:21pm / United States (North Carolina) / Animals
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My son is 11 months old and is breast fed (no juice, no water,etc.). We didn't start solids till he was 6 months old and really likes them but still loves nursing. He's very healthy and average sized and has been walking since 10 months, so he's burning lots of calories
I'm wondering how much he should be intaking as he approaches 1 year? I can't seem to find anything definitive.
1. How much breast milk per day/at a feeding?
2. Does he need water at all?
3. How many ounces of solids?
Thanks for your help!


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New style, new life
The desire for a lifestyle change was the deciding factor in the switch to a robotic milker.
By Susan Harlow
Michigan dairy producer Alan Simons was putting away his lawn furniture last December when he decided to buy a robotic milking system.
"I said, 'I don't even remember sitting on the lawn furniture this summer.' That's when I made the commitment," he said.
Simons had just moved his cows into a new 64-stall freestall barn, milking in a double-4 parlor. "I was sold on a robot, but didn't know if I wanted to do it right then." He did, and he's glad.
Simons, who milks cows on the China, Mich. dairy he owns with his wife, Melissa, said the Lely A3 Astronaut robot changed his life for the better. It's no small benefit that he has more time to spend with his two small children.
He was milking 70 head in his parlor. To prepare for the robotic system in March, he dried off a majority of cows a bit earlier than normal to bring the number closer to 55 at start-up. He's now back to milking 65 head, about the optimum number for his single-unit robot, based on the number of visits per cow. "Some may visit two and other may visit six times," he said. "It's a matter of balancing the total number of visits, number of cows and milk production."
The system is saving him about four hours a day in labor.
"It's a different kind of management, sitting at the computer," Simons said. "It's more management, but I enjoy being in the barn."
Moving the herd into the new setup was fairly easy. "I didn't have to cull any cows because the robot wouldn't milk them," he said. "I haven't had one where it wouldn't milk a cow."
The key is to have a lot of help when you start, Simons said. He and three workers spent a week to 10 days constantly pushing cows into the robotic milker, a chore that took 15 minutes for each cow. "After three days, the worst part was over," he said. "Then after three or four weeks, another light bulb went on. Now, 90% of cows go in on their own."
Simons checks any cow on his computer list that has gone 10 hours without milking. Twice a day, he'll fetch 4 or 5 cows. Those with problems going into the robot now usually have sore feet or are late in lactation and lazy, he said. He's had to cull only one cow for teat difficulties.
The setup
To keep the system from freezing in the Michigan winter, Simons installed radiant floor heat under and in front of the robot area. The freestall and milking system is set up for free-choice traffic flow for a single group, and cows don't have to pass through the robot to get to feed. They're fed a partial mixed ration (PMR) in the bunk, balanced for 15 lbs. under the average milk per cow, then supplemented with grain in the robot.
"With a herd of this size, it would be hard to split it into groups for feeding and for milking 3X or 6X," Simons said. "But the robot will adjust feed and milking schedule for each cow. They have to earn the feed to get it. High producers are getting what they need and the low producers aren't getting overfed."
Simons began turning the herd out on pasture this summer. "Thus far it has been working well," he said. "The daily milkings are still on average, and the cows are still producing well," he said. Cows average 2.6 to 2.7 visits per day, with an average milk production of 70 lbs., about 5 lbs. more than in the parlor.
Simons' robotic milker uses electrical conductivity to monitor milk quality in each quarter. Abnormal milk is sorted into holding buckets and not mixed into the tank.
Simons would like see his SCC lower. "We just started sampling the cows individually to really get a grasp on what is going on, and it is helping lower the number," he said.
Simons also makes it clear that the robot is not a "hands-off" system. "You must maintain the robot on a daily, weekly and monthly schedule," he said. That includes overseeing its daily operation, feeding and observing the herd and analyzing the data generated by the robot.
"All and all it may be more management, but at a different level, and a more flexible schedule," he said.
Simons expects the robotic system to pay for itself in five to eight years. He plans to add another barn, another 60 cows and another robot.
"The biggest thing to me is the freedom," he said. "I was just in the barn so much, and this changed my life. It's a night and day difference."
Will a robot cash flow?
Will a robotic milker cash flow for your dairy? Look at how robots can offset the cost of labor, said Tom Anderson, farm business management educator at Riverland Community College, Plainview, Minn.
Anderson consults on accounting systems for about a half-dozen Minnesota dairies with robotic milkers. He calculates a single robotic unit, at an estimated price of $170,000, costs about $80-$85/day in principal and interest payments, or around $30,000 annually (with a maintenance plan). It should harvest about 4,700 lbs. of milk daily, or 1.7 million lbs. annually. Compare that to a full-time worker on a typical dairy, who averages 1.1 million lbs. of milk.
"Every farm is different, but you're getting more milk with a robot than a full-time equivalent (FTE) employee," Anderson said. "So the robot is producing more than a FTE employee."
Labor costs, based on Minnesota statistics and including family draw, run $2.75-$2.80/cwt. Anderson puts robot operating costs at $1.80-$2/cwt., leaving 80¢-$1/cwt. to cover additional labor. "You need some labor with a robot – you can't just walk away," he said.
Cash flow, debt load
The purchase of the first robot unit is most difficult to cash flow. "Usually, you're buying a robot for a 55- to 60-cow dairy, and that's usually a one-man show, so you're not saving a lot of labor," he said. "The robot has to generate other savings."
Deciding whether to purchase or to lease a robot? Many farmers may not need the tax write-off from a lease, so a purchase is probably preferable.
"But the issue is debt load," Anderson said, noting it will be a little high compared to a dairy without a robot. A typical recommended total debt load for a dairy should be no higher than $20/cwt. But labor savings generated by a robotic unit can offset higher debt loads.
In preparing balance sheets, some producers find it difficult to estimate the value of a robotic system.
"Some have been reluctant to put full value of the robot on the balance sheet because they don't know what it will be worth six months from now," Anderson said.
He recommends a balance sheet value of 80% on the robot, then depreciates it by 10% annually. "It ends up a little less than what robots are reselling for in Europe now," he said. In the United States, robotic milkers haven't been around long enough to build much of a resale market.
Production bump?
Most robotic milkers have been installed in dairies milking 2X. With an average 2.8-3.1 daily trips to the robot per cow, a producer may see a 5- to 8-lb. increase in milk production per cow. "Putting a robot into a 3X herd, giving 85 lbs. of milk or so, you may not want to count on additional milk," Anderson said.
Also, with a robotic system, SCC stays equal or slightly improves, often averaging about 225,000 or less, generating some quality premiums, he said.
Anderson stressed the need for good management. "If something isn't going right, some blame it on the robot," he said. But with robotic systems, higher-level management is needed than without the technology.
"There's more to manage. People need to be willing to understand the technology and adapt to it," he said. "What it really does is flex your schedule so you can enjoy life a little bit more."
Robotic milking systems could help transform the dairy industry's map, Anderson said. He sees producers coordinating satellite robotic operations from a central office, instead of concentrating cows in one location.
"You can manage it so much better, and have fewer environmental impacts," he said.


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We've rebuilt our property search iOS app from scratch! It's now available in 33 countries and 12 different languages. Here are some key features: Improved map search: move around as much as you want, available properties load automatically. Includes all … Continue reading
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Most importantly, the purple cow was exactly what I was looking for and the ordering process was super easy. I am the youngest of seven children and my oldest sister started dating her future husband when I was three years old. He brought me a purple cow stuffed animal and we have pictiures of the two of us with the cow. The original cow is long lost, but I wanted to give him one as he faces surgery soon.
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About WJMacK : Nothing to say here, really. I'm only here to defeat my own boredom, after all.
WJMacK's FML badges
Hard at Work
Voting on an FML from the Work category on a Monday between 8 and 9am, how ironic.
You've now voted that they totally deserved it more than 100 times.
I moderated this!
In "Moderate the FMLs", you voted Yes on a story that was subsequently published. Well done!
WJMacK's favorite FMLs
Today, a guy from work that I barely know gave me sunflowers for my birthday. He told me, "You mentioned they were your favorite." I mentioned it to my family at home a few days ago. FML
by You Are My Sunshine / 02/23/2014 at 11:18pm / United States (California) / Love
Today, my wife tried to report our neighbor's yard sale to the Better Business Bureau. FML
by dumbwifehappylife / 02/11/2014 at 8:37pm / United States (Maryland) / Money
Today, I was at a baby shower with my wife. I went to go outside for some fresh air, but walked straight into their glass sliding door. Everyone stared at me. I smiled with embarrassment and walked back over to my wife, only to trip over my own feet and faceplant the floor. FML
by stillhurting / 01/05/2014 at 4:45pm / Canada (British Columbia) / Health
Today, while sitting in a crowded waiting room at the doctor's office, my 5-year-old daughter pointed at my 6-year-old son's crotch and boomed, "MOM, WHY DOES ANDY HAVE A FINGER DOWN THERE?" to which he yelled, "IT'S CALLED A COCK!" FML
by SerenityJ / 09/27/2013 at 4:00pm / United States (California) / Kids
Today, I had to babysit two kids. It all went well until one of them duct taped a knife to a toy machine gun, lit the barbecue on fire, and ran around like a wild banshee screaming obscenities. The other one got scared and climbed onto the roof of the house. FML
by ellen77 / 09/13/2013 at 1:55am / United States (California) / Work
Today, I came home to find my housemate cowering in the lounge corner, sobbing, hugging a bag of chips while the automatic vacuum cleaner gently bumped into him. Apparently he "mistakenly" put magic mushrooms in his sandwich instead of peanut butter. FML
by down trodden / 09/05/2013 at 3:45am / New Zealand (Auckland) / Miscellaneous
Today, I used a restroom. While doing my thing, the power in my building completely went out. There was another person in the restroom making demonic noises and scratching at my stall. When the power came back on, he was gone. I think I'm being haunted. FML
by dear god help me. / 09/04/2013 at 6:46pm / United States (Hawaii) / Work
Today, I had to visit a client because his printer had broken down. After driving for an hour, then being screamed at about how horrible my company's service is, I walked over to his printer and found the problem: there was no paper loaded. FML
by Anonymous / 09/03/2013 at 3:50pm / United States / Work
Today, my husband thought it would be acceptable to watch Breaking Bad on Netflix with my 4-year-old in the room. What happened to be the only line he picked up? "Well heil Hitler, bitch!" I found out from his preschool teacher. FML
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Today, I locked my keys in my car. After looking for the spare key for hours, we called our insurance company, who then sent a "locksmith" with a wedge and a bar to open my car. All he did was break the driver and passenger doorhandles. My stuff is still inside. FML
by Anonymous / 09/02/2013 at 7:50am / United States / Transportation
Today, we went boating with friends. For some reason the bottom of our tube deflated, causing me to be bounced roughly up and down on the water. As a result, I had the most intense orgasm of my entire life, while sitting 2 inches away from my dad's friend. He definitely noticed. FML
by SplishSplash / 08/31/2013 at 9:21pm / United States / Intimacy
Today, my band informed me that our gig this afternoon was actually a wedding. Whose wedding? My ex-wife's, along with the guy she cheated on me with. For their first dance, I had to sing what used to be our song. FML
by Love stinks / 08/19/2013 at 9:06am / United States / Love
Today, I found my dad drunk, sitting on the bathroom floor crying. When I asked him why, he said, "My son is gay." I'm his only child, and I'm a girl. FML
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Today, I got sent home early because a large fire broke out at work. I was greeted by the sight of my cocktard of a "boyfriend" making out on my sofa with another woman. He actually had the audacity and brass balls to claim he thought she was me. FML
by why yes, I do mean "ex-boyfriend" / 08/17/2013 at 6:40pm / Netherlands (Friesland) / Love
Today, I confessed my feelings to the guy I've had the biggest crush on. He spent the next ten minutes calling me delusional, said that I know nothing about him, and laughed that "this isn't Twilight, for fuck's sake". All he did when I started crying was pat me on the head and leave. FML
by names suck and so do I / 08/08/2013 at 8:54am / United Kingdom (Oxfordshire) / Love
- 1Today, I took a test. I got up to turn it in, and accidentally bumped into another student. We both… 2Today, I tried to fire the worst worker I've ever had over the phone because he never shows up for… 3Today, my energetic 10-month-old decided to stay up four hours past bedtime. After I FINALLY got…


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Clay gift tags are just plain fun to make! They add a homemade touch giving wrapped packages some personality.
Clay Gift Tags
By Lisa Storms
Difficulty level
Tools used
- Ideal for drilling holes in wood, plastic, paper, sheet metal, acrylic, mixed media and more for craft projects
- Easy-to-turn hand crank offers battery- and cord-free use
- Enclosed gears ensure smooth operation and consistent drilling pressure
- Contoured body provides a comfortable grip
- Accommodates standard drill bits
- Includes four standard drill bits: 1/8", 3/16", 5/32" and 3/32"
- Lifetime warranty
- Hand Drill
The perfect craft tool for making books, jewelry or altered art, this set includes four standard drill bit sizes.
Here's how to make some of your own.
1. Condition oven-bake clay per instructions.
2. Roll out clay on protected surface with acrylic roller.
3. Place desired texture tool onto rolled clay (first sprinkle with water to avoid sticking) and press or roll evenly. Be sure to clean any clay from tools right away. This project can also be done using stamps.
4. Cut out tag using a cookie cutter (dedicated to clay) or trace a shape template using a toothpick.
5. Bake tags according to package directions.
6. Once cooled, drill a hole into each tag using a craft drill on a protected surface. You can alternatively add a hole prior to baking using a straw or toothpick. Sand any areas needed.
7. You can leave tag as is, or you can add paint to make the texture stand out even more. Here I added some white acrylic paint into the grooves and removed excess paint from ridges with a paper towel.
8. To make a candy cane, roll a small section of white clay into a "log" and form into a candy cane shape as shown.
9. Place the 'Lines' texture plate diagonally onto clay and press lightly. Remove and bake according to package directions.
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The conventional wisdom of cutting carbs and calories generally has meant that pasta is a no-go. But recently, a new noodle has challenged that thinking, giving dieters a fresh — albeit slightly different — way to have their pasta and their New Year's resolutions. We're not talking spaghetti squash, which, while delicious in its own right, has never made a satisfying substitute for the real deal. It's so-called shirataki noodles that have attracted the attention ...
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Which QB to pick? Jaguars getting lined up for thatThe Jaguars have missed a lot, especially in the past two games, and it's one of the reasons they're last in the NFL in rush defense and scoring. The questions seemed silly given that the 2011 Titans lost their opener to the Jaguars as well as a late-seas… (more)Source: jacksonville.com
Jaguars missing too many tacklesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars had a lot of issues to address on Monday when coach Gus Bradley brought the team together for what he called a State of the Union message. One of the biggest was missed tackles. The Jaguars have missed a lo…Source: ESPN.com
Double Coverage: Jaguars at Titans. The Tennessee Titans fielded a lot of questions this week about taking the Jacksonville Jaguars lightly. The questions seemed silly given that the 2011 Titans lost their opener to the Jaguars (who finished 5-11) as well as a late-season game to the 0-…Source: ESPN.com
Jaguars suffer from an interception shortageJaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny leads the team with two interceptions. Through eight games, that isn't a positive for the Jaguars. "That's not good," Posluszny said. "If I had four, then it would be a good thing." The Jaguars have three interce…Source: jacksonville.com


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Cloud Security Alliance Licenses CSC's Cloud Trust Protocol
Beginning today, CSC Cloud has granted a no-cost license for its Cloud Trust Protocol (CTP) to serve as a pillar of the Cloud Security Alliance's cloud Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) stack. The stack is essentially a toolkit for anyone involved in cloud to ensure they comply with best practices and standards. CSC strongly believes in best practices, standardization and the critical issue of transparency in cloud computing, which is why we are providing our CTP out to the community through CSA.
CSC created the CTP to provide cloud consumers with the right information so they can confidently make choices about what processes and data they move to a cloud. It provides transparency into cloud service delivery, and offers cloud consumers important information about security while offering cloud service providers a standard technique to prepare and deliver information to clients.
The CTP puts IT risk decision-making back in the hands of the cloud consumer by providing the data they need as they need it. Service providers that implement the CTP can provide information about the individual elements of transparency within the CTP as they apply to their client's applications and workloads.
The CTP is now available and can be downloaded for free. Through this unique licensing agreement, the CSA plans to integrate the CTP into this stack and distribute it at no charge to enterprises, consumers and cloud service providers, enabling them to bring workloads more efficiently to the cloud.
Read more on the CloudTrust Protocol


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It's apple butter time at the 17th annual Fairfields Fall Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 13, on the grounds of Fairfields United Methodist Church in Burgess.
The apple butter crew puts up 84 pints for sale at the annual Fairfields Fall Festival. Another batch is promised on festival day.
Friends and members of the church recently gathered and peeled, cored and sliced five bushels of apples, said Bob Matthews. The apples were then cooked outside over a hardwood fire. They cooked for eight hours and were stirred constantly.
Near the end of the process, the three master tasters sampled the product and added the necessary spices, said Matthews. Once they all agreed the apple butter was done, it was bottled.
The five bushels produced 84 pints of apple butter. The apple butter will be for sale at the Fall Festival, he said. An additional batch will be prepared the day of the festival.
The festival promises something for everybody, added Matthews.
There will be a variety of arts and crafts, and plenty of free children's activities. Other food products for sale will include North Carolina-style pork barbecue, hot dogs, baked goods, soups and clam chowder.
Additionally, there will be a silent auction and a White Elephant table. Musical entertainment will be provided all day.


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Schroders promotes touted successor to Dobson
Schroders has promoted Peter Harrison, its global head of equities and a potential successor to chief executive Michael Dobson, after just one year in the role.
Harrison will become head of investment. Harrison joined in March 2013 from boutique fund manager RWC Partners.
Dobson said Harrison will be responsible for the overall investment activities of the entire firm.
When Harrison joined Schroders, one shareholder told Financial News they would back him for the job top.
At the time, Harrison said: "Is there a job vacancy available today? No, there is not. But if a vacancy did become available in the future, would I want my hat to be in the ring? Absolutely."
Dobson was appointed as Schroders' chief executive in November 2001, having first joined the board as a non-executive director in April of that year.
Harrison's existing role will be taken over by Nicky Richards, former chief executive officer and chief investment officer at MLC Investment Management in Australia. She will join the business in May 2014.
Nicky Richards was chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Australian asset manager MLC Investment Management between December 2010 and October 2012.
Prior to this she had been group chief investment officer at Fidelity International between June 2006 and April 2010, having joined the business as chief investment officer for European equities before being promoted to group CIO.
Her move to Fidelity brought to an end her 16-year-long career at Schroders which had played out between 1987 and 2003. She had originally started at the investment manager as a graduate trainee.
Schroders has been shuffling its management pack of late.
Schroders' previous global head of equities, Virginie Maisonneuve left the business to join Pacific Investment Management Company – or Pimco – in October 2013.
Then, at the end of last month, Harrison told Financial News that the business was planning a landmark shift away from theme-based investing – a style championed by Maisonneuve - for its £120 billion of equities under management.
The company has since confirmed it has hired Alex Tedder as its new head of global equities who will now report to Nicky Richards, global head of equities.
Dobson said in a statement: "[Nicky] is a strong investor and manager with a proven track record.
"Her experience in senior roles in the asset management industry and her knowledge of Schroders through her 16 years with the firm equips her well for her new role with us."


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By Leonard Lauriault: QCS columnist
I usually do my non-work-related reading and writing (like these articles) in my easy chair at home. The chair has wide armrests convenient for resting my Bible on leaving my lap open for writing or reading other resources. Recently, having finished working on a writing project, I'd put all the materials away, except my Bible (an oversight on my part) and began reading the mail.
Eventually, I bumped my Bible, just about knocking it off. That would've been a big mess because my Bible's no longer capable of holding itself together. My concern at the time, however, was, "My Bible is in my way!" Then I thought, "Oops! That's the wrong attitude!" Still, that's often how we view our Bibles, and Christianity in general – they're in the way. Feeling convicted, I momentarily set aside the mail to get my thoughts for this article roughly on paper.
The Bible is physically in the way for some people. Well-cared-for Bibles displayed on the coffee table often are gently moved aside to make room for a solitaire game, or to spread out the newspaper. Heaven forbid that we'd do anything like putting something on top of our Bible! I've heard of people who revered their Bible so much that nothing was placed on top of it. Dust, however, was allowed to settle on it. Now, with computer solitaire, online newspapers, and 24-hour news channels, the Bible rests safely on display, although overlooked by many and still collecting dust. (Do we still use coffee tables?)
For other people, the Bible's in the way of their lifestyle (Hebrews 4:12). Mark Twain stated, "Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand." Many who are acquainted with the Bible haven't learned its true value, being unable get past the "Thou shalt nots," and "Thou shalts." We don't like to be told, "No," or "You must…." Still, we must get past God's commands to experience the value of that obedience (1 Timothy 4:8).
When we stop doing things merely for momentary pleasure, we'll begin seeing just how destructive many activities are (Hebrews 11:24-26; 1 Timothy 5:5, 6). We'll also find we have more time and money for things that aren't destructive, but still enjoyable. We might even experience great pleasure using our time and resources helping others (don't knock it until you've done it; remember, for all his complaining, even George Bailey knew the wonderfulness of a life serving others).
It's been said that the sure sign of a person having it all together is ownership of a Bible that's falling apart. Alas, I wish that was entirely the case with my Bible. Sadly, I know that much of its wear came as the result of being used as a booster seat for toddlers during meals or as a stepstool to reach the TV buttons only to be swung by one cover while being returned to its position of prominence on the coffee table.
Everything at our house takes up space. Some things are of little use. Other things make life easier when used for their intended purpose. This is how we should view our Bibles. Instead of letting them merely take up space and be in the way, we should use them for their intended purpose, applying God's teachings in our life. Then, we'll learn how wonderful life can be (2 Timothy 3:15-17; James 1:22-25).
Nearly knocking my Bible off the armrest took my focus off reading the mail and onto my Bible, and eventually to my attitude toward God's word in general. That was good.
Often, though, distractions take our focus off God's word and our lives start falling apart. Having addressed the distraction caused by my Bible, I finished reading the mail. The Bible says that's how life will work. If we put God first, everything else comes together (Matthew 6:33; Psalm 37:3-6). Whenever distractions arise, we need to remain focused on God and his word to survive.
What's your attitude about the Bible? Is it in your way? It's good for the Bible to take up space in our homes and in our lives (it's also probably OK to use it as a booster seat when needed). Many made New Year's resolutions to read their Bible. Don't let daily Bible reading become an oversight on your part. Keep your resolution and become better acquainted with your Bible as you keep it dusted. If you don't have a Bible, call me at 461-4421 and one will be provided.


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I said last week the Carolina Panthers need to take Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. I also said there are pretty good indications the Panthers are at least giving very serious thought to using the pick on Newton or Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Nothing's changed in my eyes and my ears tell me nothing's changed in how the Panthers are thinking.
But as I was working ahead on our weekly Draft Watch post, I realized something that adds even more reason for the Panthers to go ahead and draft a quarterback. I thought about the rest of the NFC South.
What's the first thing New Orleans coach Sean Payton, Atlanta coach Mike Smith and Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris did when they were hired? The methods varied and they each had some help from their general manager, but Payton, Smith and Morris went out and got a franchise quarterback.
You can't argue with the results. Payton won a Super Bowl title, Smith has had three straight winning seasons and Morris took the Bucs from 3-13 to 10-6 last season.
You know Payton got Drew Brees, Smith brought in Matt Ryan and Morris found Josh Freeman. But what you might not realize is how specifically each of those three coaches targeted each of those three guys.
Coming into New Orleans the season after Hurricane Katrina, Payton decided quickly he wasn't going to go draft Matt Leinart. In his book "Home Team,'' Payton describes at length how he and general manager Mickey Loomis saw a rare opportunity to get an established franchise quarterback. The San Diego Chargers were letting Brees walk into free agency because they had Philip Rivers and Brees was coming off major shoulder surgery.
In his book, Payton wrote that the Saints were competing with the Miami Dolphins for Brees. Payton and Loomis decided they had to "overpay'' to get Brees to avoid the comforts of Miami and come to a city and a franchise that was in a total rebuilding mode. The Saints jacked up their offer, got Brees and it turned out to be the best move in franchise history.
When Smith took over, the Falcons had needs just about everywhere. But Smith and Dimitroff realized you might as well start building a program with a quarterback and they took Ryan with the third overall pick, after spending some nervous nights worrying the Dolphins and Rams might botch their plans. But Miami and St. Louis passed on Ryan and Atlanta's been winning ever since.
It was basically the same thing in Tampa Bay. Although fans and media were screaming for defense, mainly because that's what the Bucs had trained people to do since the franchise started, general manager Mark Dominik and Morris decided they had to get a quarterback. There are some, mainly Doug Williams, who will tell you the Bucs wanted Mark Sanchez. But Dominik and Morris have said all along Freeman was the guy they wanted. In fact, they initially were slated to draft at No. 19. But, fearing someone would jump into the No. 18 spot to get Freeman, the Bucs moved up to No. 17 and got their quarterback.
New Carolina coach Ron Rivera comes from a defensive background. But, in his hiring process, it was established the organization now realizes the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. General manager Marty Hurney is fully committed to giving Rivera the kind of quarterback he needs to win.
Could there be someone like Brees out there if the lockout ends and free agency and trades are allowed? It's not real likely. The names you hear might be available are guys like Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Vince Young and Kevin Kolb. McNabb was a franchise quarterback for a long time, but he's on the downside of his career. Palmer might have briefly been a franchise quarterback, but his career has regressed. Young was drafted to be a franchise quarterback, but hasn't come close. Kolb's basically a career backup with some upside, but it's a stretch to envision him as a franchise quarterback.
More and more I think Hurney and Rivera need to do what the other three franchises did when their current regimes started. They need to go out and get a franchise quarterback and it's looking like the draft is the only spot to do that this year.


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Hyundai promises 'Smart Caring' where customer satisfaction is concerned and in order to prove that, they have made the video above. The video starts with drivers on board a couple of new Genesis sedans, only to jump off turn by turn into a passing trailer, thus leaving the cars to fend for themselves.
Hyundai has filmed the actual product performance of 2015 Genesis with lead driver guiding the following cars in blind fold and enjoying the streams of Blue Danube. Quite and quick, the new sedan is capable of smooth and blotch free driving while continuous damping suspension controls body motion and roll. The cabin is virtually noiseless while there is ample room in its cabin with front seats that can be heated or cooled. It is the automatic emergency braking system that when travelling at high speeds and when the car ahead suddenly stops, full braking is immediately activated thus avoiding a collision.
2015 Genesis also has blind spots and lane departure warning. A CO2 sensor automatically pumps fresh air into the cabin to prevent drowsiness while a panoramic sunroof bathes the cabin with sunlight. The Smart Trunk feature means that one just has to stand in front of the trunk with keys in pocket for a few moments before it opens.
Blue Link technology lends electronic sophistication while voice recognition control sends immediate intimation for help. Its smartphone linked feature allows drivers to find a car in a crowded parking lot while a state of the art infotainment system offers updates on stocks, sports, weather, movies and gas prices.


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Peak Moment 132: Peak Oil and Its Effect on Climate Change
The peak oil message is slow to gain acceptance, says energy analyst Randy Udall, because it's at odds with our optimistic It's-Morning-in-America mentality. Politicians "Don't Do Depletion." Randy describes challenges, mitigations, and exciting opportunities to create a prosperous path to a lower-energy future. In an excerpt from his presentation at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO-USA) conference in September 2008, the co-founder of ASPO-USA points out cornucopian myths about energy that are being shattered by reality. His concern is that the peak oil crisis, while less known than the climate crisis, will impact us sooner, and is not being factored into climate policy decisions. Peak Oil may in fact help moderate the climate crisis.
This is the third of several Peak Moment Conversations videotaped at ASPO-USA 2008. Coming: James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency, and Julian Darley, founder of Post Carbon Institute. The first was with energy investment banker Matthew Simmons on "Oil and Gas - The Next Meltdown?" The second was "Making Financial Sense of the Coming Energy Crisis" with financial consultant Jim Puplava. Produced September 23, 2008. Episode 132.
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One thing you can say about Bruce Golden's fiction, is that it always delivers something different. From such diverse novels as Evergreen and Better Than Chocolate to his short stories, you'll likely find something innovative and entertaining. No extended series or sequels, just new characters, new conflicts, and sometimes, new laughs. He's one of the best kept secrets in the world of speculative fiction.
Dancing with the Velvet Lizard, his first-ever collection of short fiction, includes a mind-bending 33 tales, with a fine balance of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor–more than one something for everyone. It's certainly the largest collection of such yarns I've ever come across.
There's no single theme to this collection. From the positively terrifying 'The Withering,' to the tongue-radiating-in-cheek 'I Was a Teenage Hideous Sun Demon,' to the chilling apocalyptic tale of 'Holiday,' Golden's work runs the gamut from dark to laugh-out-loud funny. No two stories are alike, and it's this variety that makes it well worth the reader's time. No one's going like every story in a collection of short fiction (a handful of these tales were just so-so to me), but I challenge you not find enough here to make it worthwhile–no matter what you paid for it.
Along the way, Golden explores the personal consequences of popping pills for better orgasms, and provides a "what if" to what might have really happened to America's beloved bandleader Glenn Miller during World War II. He visits a Native American shaman who sends the government a bill for making it rain, and a 119-year-man who drives his classic automobile into the middle of an insurrection, chased by flying cars. He asks if Little Red Riding Hood really lived happily ever after, and whether beauty is still in the eye of the beholder when that eye sees through an alien lens.
Dancing with the Velvet Lizard starts with one of the most powerful stories in the book. A tale that looks (not so far) into the future, when we begin to warehouse our elderly, and care for them with machines. This one made me cry.
Forget about steroids, in his story 'One of Nine,' Golden looks into a future where baseball players are grown in tanks, but don't have all the rights of "regular" humans. This tale has the same civil rights overtones as his novel Mortals All.
In the not-too-distant future of 'Profile of a Patriot,' a good American is someone who's careful about what he says, doesn't question authority, and is always ready to bear witness against his neighbor. He switches gears again for 'The Apocryphist,' to divulge how the art of story-telling began on one particularly feline alien world.
In his Firebrand Fiction award-winning story 'I Found Love on Channel 3,' Golden delivers a portrait of man who lusts after a sexy cartoon character, who then comes alive and makes his fantasy come true–or does she? Sex is also a dangerous element in another tale, where a young couple's orgasms are wreaking havoc with the fabric of time.
Admittedly, there are few happy endings herein, but if you like stories that make you think, that draw you in so you're rooting for the protagonist, so that you care, you won't be dissatisfied. However, just when you think you'll be enveloped by the darkness, the collection shifts gears, going from heartbreaking to hilarity. Golden revisits Dave and his computer friend Hal, but adds a Cheech & Chong twist; lets a late '50s B-movie monster relate his life story; sends an angelic censor to the game show from Hell; and shows us a seldom seen side of God, when the deity grabs a scribe from his heavenly ranks to write his biography.
Golden's greatest strengths have always been his ability to create vivid characters and craft uncannily true-to-life dialogue. As a result, his narratives are extremely character-driven and fast-moving. If you like to dwell in the land of purple prose and endless descriptive paragraphs, this book isn't for you. Golden doesn't spend much time on that. Instead he drops you into the middle of scene where things are already happening.
After each tale Golden includes a little epilogue that I found very interesting. He reveals something about the story's background, what inspired it, how it was written, places it was published (though some of the tales in this collection are being published for the first time). I found these tidbits fascinating because they also reveal a great deal about the author himself–his passions, his politics, his foibles.
If you dare to dance with The Velvet Lizard, you won't be disappointed.


text: RSS Events Feeds The Vietnam Startup Conference 12/19/2012 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM This annual event brings together key stakeholders in the Vietnam technology entrepreneurship ecosystem for the purpose of sharing knowledge and building networks to support the formation and development of high-impact new ventures. There will be well-known speakers from Stanford University, JFDI Asia, Endeavor Global and Tarad.com with wide range of participants regarding TechInAsia, DFJ, PVNI, mLab and SAVVi Angels Network. Learn More: The Vietnam Startup Conference


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Behind the Headlines (Pre-Recorded)
Tim Roach, an out-of-work electrician from Minnesota, received a well-paying job offer just before his unemployment benefits were about to run out. He quickly turned down the offer when he learned that the job would be working on the construction of a new Planned Parenthood Clinic. Though faced with financial stress, Tim, his wife and his children--members of Divine Mercy Catholic Parish--stand together in faith, and commitment to respecting the sanctity of human life.
Claire Culwell, 22, is a nursing student in College Station, Texas, and an abortion survivor. Her biological mother became pregnant at age thirteen and after a surgical abortion, discovered that she was still pregnant. She learned had been carrying twins -- one was aborted and one (Claire) survived. Claire's story is a testament to God's amazing grace. Her mission is to share this story, and to save unborn babies from abortion.
John Green first conceptualized starting a mission for inner-city homeless men while he was working as a full-time volunteer with the Covenant House Faith Community in New York City in 1986. John further developed his interests and gifts in street ministry during the summer of 1989, when he spent time working with homeless and runaway youth on the streets of Guatemala City and Mexico City.
In September of 1989, John began to reach out to men involved in prostitution in Chicago. Through conversations with hustlers and social service providers, John saw the severe need for long term support for this particular population of the homeless; thus Emmaus Ministries was born in November of 1990.
John was selected as one of "Tomorrow's Leaders Today" by the Public Allies organization in 1994 and was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Catholic Church in May of 2002. In May of 2004, the Diaconate Community of the Archdiocese of Chicago presented "The Shared Ministry Award" to John and his wife, Carolyn, "for witness of diaconate ministry following from a partnership of love and service to others." In the fall of 2004, John was awarded the "Local Hero Award" from the Bank of America, which included a $5,000 donation to the work of Emmaus. In 2006, Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, nominated and sponsored John in the 2007 Fellows Class of Leadership Greater Chicago. Also in 2007, the Association of Chicago Priests recognized the work of Emmaus by presenting John the "Coordinating Board Award" at their annual dinner.
The Greens' work has been featured in numerous radio and TV interviews and various magazines and newspapers.
John earned an MA in Educational Ministries from Wheaton College Graduate School in 1992, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998.
John, his wife Carolyn, and their four children live outside of Akron Ohio.


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Cate the Great
Actress Cate Blanchett Reveals Her New Charitable Endeavor
Actress Cate Blanchett has been the face of beauty brand SK-II for a number of years, and she's now spearheading the company's Clear for Life project, which helps bring purified water to places without access to it. Given the recent tragedy in Japan, this endeavor is poised to greatly improve the lives of people there who are now living without safe drinking water.
As the project's Global Ambassador, Cate Blanchett donated three million liters of purified drinking water to Asian communities in honor of SK-II's 30th anniversary. And, for its inaugural year, the SK-II Clear for Life project has pledged an additional donation of 30 million liters of water through a partnership with Procter & Gamble's Children's Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. We go the chance to chat with Cate about how she was inspired to lead this movement.
"I'm absolutely shocked to learn — I think everybody is, you know — that some millions and millions of people go without access to clean drinking water," she said. "There are a billion people who don't have access to it, and that number's going to double in the next 15 years."
We are fascinated by the technology that Clear for Life uses to create clean water for these people in need, namely how easy it is to help them. Sachets of a substance named "PUR" — a powdered mixture that acts as a "dirt magnet" when mixed in water — are used to remove pollutants and cysts and kill bacteria and viruses. ...Read More
"You put it into 10 liters of drinking water and, within 20 minutes, all of the toxic sediments will fall to the bottom. Even the most polluted drinking water can be made drinkable," Cate explained. "SK-II is a Japanese brand, and with all that's going on with Japan, a revolutionary [but] simple technology like the PUR sachet can be spread now within Asia."
Beginning April 1, you can contribute to the cause by visiting the SK-II Clear for Life website and clicking to "Share the Word." For every "share" that appears on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, SK-II will donate one liter of water to communities in need; you don't even have to purchase a product. "You just need to click a share button," Cate says, "You won't even have to break a nail to do it."
Cate's involvement as a sponsor for the SK-II brand began when she fell in love with their products, namely the beauty lesson she learned after using them consistently.
"For me, the biggest lesson is sticking with the product: The long-term changes have been quite profound. I feel like my skin is actually in better condition now than it was ten years ago," she says. "Before using SK-II, I was just shopping and changing and trying things out. And I think my skin was suffering as a result … so once I found this was working for me, I stuck with it."
In addition to her involvement with SK-II, Cate is appearing in the film Hanna (in theatres April 8), which tells the story of a girl who is groomed to become the perfect assassin. While her role in the film is anything but maternal — in fact she describes her character as "a little bit like the Wicked Witch of the West" — the movie's subject matter is poignant given that Cate has three young children of her own.
"I think the pressure we put on [kids today] is extraordinary. You know, getting homework in second grade. The whole thing about developing the perfect child … we're actually morally not that far away from it," she says.
Cate is a woman to emulate, both for her brilliance and her beauty. Here she is at this year's Academy Awards.Chris Ashford/CAMERA PRESS/Retna Ltd.