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A Medical Lake homeowner, attempting to protect his illegally grown marijuana, has been charged in Superior Court on second degree assault, in the December shooting of the 14 year old boy accused of trying to steal it. Justin Jeffrey Brown, along with his wife, Melissa Ann, also faces charges of growing and possessing marijuana at his home on North Grant Avenue. According to detectives, the 14 year old boy and a friend had gone to the home because they had, allegedly, stolen plants there before. When the home's security motion sensor alarm went off, Brown responded with a .45 caliber handgun and allegedly shot the boy as he tried to leave the growing room. The injured boys accomplice, reportedly, ran home and told his parents, who contacted the police shortly after.
The Browns reported to police that they had been issued a medical marijuana growing license, but that it had expired and they had only been cultivating the plants for a month. During a search of the Brown's property, however, evidence was obtained indicating a much larger operation and the accomplice told police he had taken plants and paraphernalia back in December of 2011.
Criminal Law News Brought To You By http://509CriminalLawyers.com
|Andrew Turner


text: With a stay at Le Phénix Gîte Historique in Gaspe, you'll be convenient to Gaspe Cathedral and Museum of Gaspe. This bed & breakfast is within the vicinity of Centre de Ski Mont-Bechervaise and Le Domaine du Centaure. Stay in one of 3 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Conveniences include desks and separate sitting areas, and housekeeping is provided daily. A complimentary full breakfast is served daily. Free self parking is available onsite.

subset: commoncrawl


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Peak Moment 139: The Transition Movement comes to America
One response to the global crisis that is gaining enthusiastic momentum is the Transition Towns movement. Jennifer Gray, a pioneer in the Transition Initiative in the UK and cofounder of Transition US, describes it as "a community-led response to the twin crises of peak oil and climate change. It's ... positive, pro-active [and] engages the whole community in building resilience into their world." Sharing highlights from The Transition Handbook by founder Rob Hopkins, she elaborates on a flexible twelve-step process to empower community organizers in unleashing the creative genius of their community and building an Energy Descent Action Plan. One innovative aspect is backcasting: envisioning one's community in 20 years, and then designing steps to get from here to there. (http://www.transitionus.org) Produced January 23, 2009. Episode 139.
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text:
Letters to the Editor
To the Editors:
I disagree with Ms. Solberg's comments on Paula Hogan's May 2005 article "What You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance" (August 2005 AAII Journal Letters to the Editor). Specifically, I disagree with her assertion of the lack of need for a long-term care insurance policy with a term in excess of three years.
The data may show that, historically, the average stay in a nursing home is less than three years, but are we all average? Life expectancies are lengthening, and, as is the case in investing, past results are not predictive of future results. More people will need longer-term coverage.
Insurance is enough of a gamble. Why make it more so by limiting coverage?
Medicaid does not pay for care at home. Most people would like to stay home if they can. Having a choice, which a policy allows, seems to me a better option than not having a choice.
Costs of all insurance policies are on the rise, not just long-term care. Are you paying the same premium for homeowners and auto that you paid 20 years ago? We will all probably feel the insurance bite from Katrina as well.
I will state that if three years' worth of coverage is all that one can afford, then one should purchase coverage with that term.
David T. Martula, CFP
Via E-mail
To the Editors:
"Withdrawal Rules: Squeezing More From Your Retirement Portfolio," by Jonathan Guyton (August 2005 AAII Journal) was excellent! I have read about 30 articles on this subject, including some in prior AAII Journal issues, and Mr. Guyton's article is heads and shoulders above anything I have read. He explains the options so well and the risks and rewards of each strategy. The other articles are really too simplistic. For example, many retirees, such as my wife and I, wish to take some bigger withdrawals early on while health and ability to do things like travel remain good. If I make a hefty withdrawal under one of Mr. Guyton's rules, I would be willing to scale back the next year to fit within one of the withdrawal rules if the market tumbles—tighten my belt for a year or so and make plans for another great year when the market recovers.
John Kelley
Via E-mail
To the Editors:
I read with anticipation Jonathan Guyton's article on withdrawal rules (August 2005 AAII Journal). Unfortunately, while the article describes 'theoretically' good news, like all the other initial withdrawal rate research I've read, it falls short of practical application for what I'm afraid is a relatively large segment of the population nearing retirement. That segment is those whose withdrawals from their investment portfolios over the course of their retirement cannot represent a nearly constant amount of 'purchasing power'—far from it. There are at least two commonplace reasons for this.
The first case is individuals who retire early and have to make up with investment withdrawals—for potentially five to 10 years—the purchasing power that will later be provided by Social Security payments. This situation requires substantially larger withdrawals earlier in retirement. These withdrawals deplete the portfolio at a higher rate than a constant initial withdrawal rate would imply. This early depletion adds to the difficulty the portfolio will have in generating the required cash flow later in retirement.
The second case is individuals who receive a pension that is not indexed to inflation (i.e., is a constant dollar amount). This condition is more insidious. Assume an initial retirement cash flow made up of 1/3 investment withdrawals, 1/3 Social Security and 1/3 constant-dollar defined-benefit pension and an average inflation rate of 4%. Assume also that Social Security keeps up with inflation. After five years, annual investment withdrawals will need to be only 5% higher than they would be if they only had to 'keep up' with inflation. Thirty years later it's almost 30% more.
Guyton refers to a 'perfect retirement planning storm' in terms of the timing of a sequence of market returns and high inflation. The above describes another type of perfect storm where the portfolio that was depleted at a higher rate early on to compensate for the 'not yet present' Social Security payment stream is expected later in retirement to provide increasing cash flow to compensate for a pension that is paid in constantly deflating dollars!
Daryl L. Bahls
Via E-mail
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IRVING - Drew Henson finally got to play quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Now he is waiting to find out if he will start Thursday against the Chicago Bears.
Bill Parcells said Monday that Vinny Testaverde's status was questionable because of a sore shoulder and back, but the Cowboys' head coach wasn't ready to declare Henson his starter.
Parcells said he was still gathering medical reports on Testaverde and said he could make a quarterback decision today.
Nearly four years after taking his last snap for Michigan, Henson made his NFL debut Sunday in the fourth quarter at Baltimore. He replaced Testaverde after the veteran got hit by one player and another landed on him after he threw his second interception.
Henson's first play resulted in a fumble when a blown blocking assignment allowed a defender through untouched.
But he regrouped and completed all six of his passes, including a 1-yard TD toss in the Cowboys' 30-10 loss.
"It was nice to get in and start answering some of these questions that I have and the coaches have, and everyone else," Henson said. "It was just a taste of it. At least I know I've been out there, and the newness and having to be the first time, that stuff's behind me."
Until forced Sunday, Parcells had been reluctant to use Henson.
Parcells wanted to give Henson, who spent three years after college playing pro baseball, the best opportunity to succeed. He also was concerned about sending the message to his team that he was giving up on this season.
Now the 41-year-old Testaverde is ailing with a short break before the next game. Plus, the Cowboys have lost six of seven games, four of them by 20 points or more.
But Parcells still thinks that Testaverde, if healthy, could be the best option.
"Probably a little bit better chance to get out of this hole that we're in right now, in terms of winning games," Parcells said. "It's hard enough to win them with experienced players where we are right now. But to win with inexperienced players is certainly more difficult."
Then again, the only way for Henson to get experience is to play.
Henson's only action until Sunday had been as a holder on kicks, a duty he would likely keep even if he is the starting quarterback.
Parcells called a bootleg on Henson's first play. The coach figured Baltimore would expect him just to hand off to a running back.
"It was a good idea because it would get him on the perimeter, but we just completely missed an assignment on the play side and he didn't have a chance," Parcells said.
Marques Douglas was quickly in Henson's face after guard Andre Gurode missed the block.
Henson lost his grip on the ball when he was being tackled, and the Ravens recovered at the 1.
"That type of thing happens so fast," Henson said. "Yeah, you would like a little bit different first snap, but it happened and I tried to move on."
After Baltimore scored its last touchdown, Henson led the Cowboys on a 16-play, 80-yard drive during which he completed his six passes. The last was the score to Jeff Robinson.
"He was calm and focused, and did just like Vinny would. I'm sure inside he was a little nervous, but he didn't let it show," center Al Johnson said. "He didn't let what happened on the first drive affect him at all."
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Tidewater Stage Presents Barefoot in the Park
By Amanda Morad | August 2, 2013
Lynn Kenny and Eric Harrell as Corie and Paul Batter. Barefoot in the Park opens Friday, Aug. 2.
Photo by David Polston
Anyone who's been married knows the days and months following the wedding can be the most awkward and the most fun. Such is the case for characters Paul and Corie Bratter in Barefoot in the Park, presented by Tidewater Stage at Regent University.
The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2. Buy tickets at the Box Office.
Newlyweds in every sense of the word, the Bratters are a classic case of "opposites attract." He's a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and she's a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie's mother and decide to play Cupid during a dinner with their oddball neighbor, Velasco. Everything that can go wrong, does.
But the drama is less in their matchmaking skills than in their naivety about each other, as they learn to navigate a new life with someone they just don't "get."
"What's great about the play, even though it's set in the 60s, is that it's completely universal," said guest director, Marianne Savell. "What does it mean to let someone be who they are and love them anyway? And what does it take for two people who are very different to be together?"
Barefoot in the Park runs August 2-4 and 9-11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre with weekend matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the Box Office.
Written by Neil Simon, the play is set in a cramped urban apartment with a cast of quirky characters and a 60s-sitcom style dialog that guarantees a belly laugh. The New York Times calls it "rib-tickling."
"There's a certain sensibility in the way the comedy is done that you just kind of have to embrace," Savell explained.
Savell comes to Tidewater Stage from Belhaven University where she currently serves as an assistant professor. She is also an associate artist with Taproot Theatre Company in Seattle and has served on the advisory board for Provision Theater Company in Chicago. Her award-winning professional credits as a director and actress have taken her from coast to coast. Previously, she directed Dancing at Lughnasa, Our Town and Beau Jest with Regent University Theatre.
"We are thrilled to have a director of Marianne's caliber join our company," said Tidewater Stage's producing artistic director, Eric Harrell. "Her impressive resume and critically-acclaimed work in Los Angeles and Chicago typify the standards of excellence to which Tidewater Stage subscribes."
Harrell also stars in the play as Paul Bratter, acting opposite a former MFA student of his, Lynn Kenny '06 (Communication & the Arts). "It's fun to see them working together again now that she's no longer a student but a peer," Savell noted. Kenny recently returned to the area from acting in New York.
In addition to being the only local professional theatre with a summer season, Tidewater Stage also gives Regent faculty members, many of them Equity actors, the chance to perform on a professional level in a local company.
Dr. Michael Hill-Kirkland, chair of Regent's theatre department; along with his wife, CJ, Regent Theatre's costume shop manager, also have roles in the play.
"Oftentimes real life couples may not have great chemistry on stage, but they have amazing chemistry," Savell explained. "I think the reason why is that they're so willing to be vulnerable with each other. They have a scene that is just beautiful."
Tidewater Stage opened its inaugural season this year with Forever Plaid, which sold out its run with rave reviews. Learn more about Tidewater Stage.
Buy tickets for Barefoot in the Park at the Box Office.
Mindy Hughes, Public Relations
Phone: 757.352.4095 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: email@example.com
Latest News
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by Brett Wilson Tubbs | November 22, 2016


text:
Thyme Tea to Treat Colds and Flu
Last updated on January 11, 2008
Thyme tea is a popular home remedy for colds and flus. Drinking thyme tea may help you fight infection, clear your upper respiratory system of mucus, and calm your cough.
In addition to being good for colds and flus, thyme tea is said to help digestion, freshen breath, and lift one's spirits.
You can purchase thyme tea at the health food store, but all you need to make it at home is some dried thyme and boiling water. Just add a teaspoon of thyme for every cup of boiling water.


text:
"If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. And the elders of the city that is nearest. . . shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled a yoke. . . and shall break the heifer's neck. . . And all the elders of that city nearest to the…
Added by David Conrad on November 13, 2012 at 12:57am — No Comments
My life has presented me with no shortage of opportunities to re-evaluate my thinking, or to show me my short falls when it comes to my path of reasoning. It never comes when I think it will, nor will it present itself in a comfortable manner. My latest moment of clarity came when I asked a question of other people that I had not asked of myself in years, "Do MLK's accomplishments in the area of civil rights outshine his anti-Semitism enough we can call him a hero without shame?" It was not…Continue
Added by LaRae Meadows on January 18, 2011 at 11:08pm — No Comments
Painting of King Soloman, 1872 or 1874, by Simeon Solomon, British 1840 - 1905.
Gift of William B. O'Neal, to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1995.52.170
Not on View - Public Domain…
Added by D R Hosie on September 4, 2010 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment


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Skip to comments.Who Taught Rogue American to Shoot 16 Afghan Civilians? Daily Kos Indicts Limbaugh
Posted on 03/13/2012 5:51:43 AM PDT by chessplayer
How rabid are leftists right now to attach anything and everything to Rush Limbaugh? See the Daily Kos with their Sunday night diatribe titled "Did Soldier who Killed 16 in Afghanistan Receive his Diploma from the Rush Limbaugh Show?" No one knows the reasons why this man would shoot innocent civilians, but the Kosmonauts have great imaginations and have already declared Limbaugh is an accessory to mass murder. The author is Constance Hilliard, a professor of African and Middle East History at North Texas University.
Rush should have told him to scream "Alluah Akbar" as he pulled the trigger. Then all would be forgiven.
Could it be that this solder's mind had simply "snapped" ?
This guy's behavior much more resembles the OWS crowd than anything Limbaugh.
Naw, it was Sarah Palin's fault.
The left has gone insane.
Stark. Raving. Nutso.
" professor of African and Middle East History"
Therein lies the answer.
It's all the Left has.
"The author is Constance Hilliard, a professor of African and Middle East History"
That's all I need to know, thanks. Another Ward Churchill wannabe.
They will blame Sarah Palin and President Bush next.
I want Rush to teach ME how to shoot. Wait, my old Army drill instructors did that.
Beat me to it, vs. Ditto that, bigtime.
Rush also gave an apple to Eve over in the Garden.
Oh, good God......
The left is really bent on removing Limbaugh before the election ramps up. They must be more fragile than they appear.
Wait a sec! It's gotta be Bush.
This is the Alinsky left in action: always attack, always frame the debate in your own terms, always keep the enemy off balance.
Probably the best way to fight this is also Alinsky's - with humor, ridicule and marginalization.
There. Fixed.
Republicans, Conservatives, and Libertarians are being set up to be the new Jews. When the 'Progressives' policies fail and they will, they always do, the above listed will be blamed.
Ya misspelled her first name, it's Communist Hilliard.
Just like when KOS blamed Sarah Palin for Tucson. These people are despicable.
The lefties obviously fear Rush and the truth.
You kill people for burning a book?
Next time these butchers burn an american flag....perhaps we should....
LOL...this soldier is all over tv, computer, newspapers, magazines and the muslim who killed 13 soldiers at Ft Hood is still receiving full military pay, medical care, pretty good housing while "waiting" for his trail to begin. Penetta has said this soldier who K I L L E D 16 Afphaganistans should face the death penalty...how about Hassan (?) the Ft Hood killer? HMMMM?
More drivel from the Daily POS.
KOS: My CongressWOMAN [Giffords] voted against Nancy Pelosi! And is now DEAD to me!
dailyKOS via google cache ^ | BoyBlue
Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2011 6:39:18 PM by Jim Robinson
Sarah Palin's Culpability in Attempted Assassination of Giffords
by BJ Rudell
Sat Jan 08, 2011 at 12:23:13 PM PST
the question to ask......why was this injured in combat-brain damaged, GI, who served 4 tours, still on active duty?
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
Here is Ms. Hilliards LinkedIn page.
Note her little narrative. She has "truth" which prevents her from "lying to herself". Well her "truth" ain't exactly working, I'd say. Oh, and she's a "peace advocate".
Has someone forwarded all this stuff to Rush yet? I think he needs to know.
Turnabout is fair play. Look for an editorial by me.
My wife says the same thing but I don't believe we are even close.
The left talks big but has small balls and few guns.
If they can figure out how to get the military and/or police to do their fighting then maybe there will be, but the left doesn't have the stones to get into a shooting war, maybe a shouting war, not a war where they can get wounded or killed.
Most of the ex-military are conservative, most hunters are conservative, most shooters are conservative, most NRA members are conservative, most guns are owned by red necked, Bible thumpen, tobacco chewing, bigots and homophobes and are conservative.
Look at the left, once you get past the unions, {many of whom are conservative}, inner city gangs, and an occasional real man lefty, where do they get their fighters?
The women in my family are expert shooters and tougher than nails {and probably tougher than most lefty men} and would be able to join in the fray.
Name a single known lefty that would go up against say... Ted Nugent, or any of the women named every month in my American Hunter magazine.
The left has no chance in a shooting war in the USA {until they disarm us}.
Of all the guys that I hunt and shoot with, the lefties are outnumbered at least 4-1.
Better listen to your wife.
1. The left has disproportionate control of the media and government at all levels.
2. Most bureaucracies (Federal, State, Local, and school board) are heavily infested by liberals.
3. There are at least 30-40 million brainless sheeple that are ready to believe anything they are told on television.
4. There are at least 20-30 million cancers that survive entirely by slopping at the public trough, and will accept anything as long as the checks keep coming.
5. We do have the guns, but walk around a gun show someday. Notice the predominate hair color - gray. Our numbers are shrinking - theirs are growing.
None of this portends to this being solved at the ballot box. Sorry, but it is true.
I'm a woman who will fight to the death for my country and family, but I'm old and have a terminal lung disease so....
The Communist have always said that this country will be taken from inside. I believe it with all my heart.
North Texas University, eh?
Even Texas has their own wackos.
The fact that we still don't have a name for this "rogue American" makes me suspicious.
Was Rush responsible for the Ft. Hood shooting by a Muslim? What talk show did he listen to? Mike Malloy? He's the worst of the worst of the Liberal talk show haters.
I understand he was the local leader of the "Occupy Kabul" movement.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it
I cannot draw cartoons, but the idea I had involves bullet holes in a capital B that turn it into a capital R in front of the letters "ush" in the same format. The point is they used to blame Bush for everything; now it's Rush. The caption would be the Left finds a new target. Hope somene can use the idea.
professor of African and Middle East History
Therein lies the answer.
Simple answer, apply the left's Bush doctrine, it is the presidents fault.
The kiddies over at the Daily Kos Show really need to cut down on the recreational drugs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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|September 29th, 2012, Muncie, IN
|Call for Papers
|Program & Abstract
Call for papers /Back
Sensei gata (Dear Colleagues):
We are pleased to announce the 23rd Annual Conference of the Central Association of Teachers of Japanese, to be held at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Japanese education in the U.S. entered a new phase in the last few years due to budget cut and the competition from interests in Chinese. The impact of such changes is seen in the unprecedented cancellation of the 2011 CATJ meeting and the elimination of Japanese programs, particularly high schools. Meanwhile technology has created unprecedented potentials for foreign language education. What is the nature of these changes? How should we respond to it?
This conference is organized to resume the annual CATJ meeting and to provide a platform for teachers of Japanese to exchange views on these and other issues. The theme of the conference is "Embracing the New Phase in Japanese Education in the United States." We welcome proposal of papers that address topics including but not limited to the following: the nature of the changes in Japanese education in the U.S., Japanese pedagogy, second language acquisition, heritage language education, technology in language learning and teaching, Japanese culture, and Japanese literature. Individual presentations will be 20 minutes long followed by 10-minute Q&A sessions. The conference is open to both K-12 and college levels teachers of Japanese. For high school teachers from Indiana, registration fees and transportation (mileages) will be reimbursed after the conference by a grant from Indiana Humanities.
The submission deadline is June 15th, 2012. Notification of the acceptance will be sent in July 2012. Papers presented, with revisions made after the conference, will be published in a Conference Proceedings volume as well as online. Please submit an anonymous proposal to email@example.com by June 15th, 2012 with a separate sheet containing the following information:
1. Your name, affiliation, position, e-mail and summer contact information
2. The title of your paper, in both English and Japanese
3. Abstract of your paper (300 words in English or 700 characters in Japanese)
4. Equipment needed, other than a computer and a projector
If you have any questions, please contact Kazumi Matsumoto at email@example.com.
The 23rd CATJ conference is organized by the Japanese Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at Ball State University, funded by two generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities through Indiana Humanities and the Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) of the Association of Asian Studies.
Kazumi Matsumoto, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Japanese
Dept. of Modern Languages and Classics
Ball State University
Tel: 765-285-1361
Fax: 765-285-5877
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Registration / Back
The 23rd CATJ conference is organized by the Japanese Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at Ball State University and funded by two generous grants: one from the National Endowment for the Humanities through Indiana Humanities and one from the Northeast Asia Council (NEAC) of the Association of Asian Studies.
The conference registration is now open. The registration fee is $25; it is free for high school teachers. Attending high school teachers from Indiana, however, will be reimbursed for mileage with a generous support by the two grants acknowledged below. If we have any fund left, other participants will also be partially reimbursed for their travel expenses. For reimbursement, please fill out the registration form blow and send it by mail with the registration fee to: Kazumi Matsumoto at NQ178 Modern Languages and Classics, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306. The registration fee needs to be paid in check. Please make your check payable to Ball State University and write CATJ on the memo. If you do not have check and like to pay in cash, please send the application form only and pay the fee on the conference day. The registration fee does not include meals, but the cafeteria on campus will be open for lunch, and some restaurants, including a Japanese one, are located within walking distance.
Registration form for CATJ conference
1. Name:
2. Affiliation:
3. Address (for your mileage):
4. E-mail address:
5. Mileage : miles (round trip) from to
Payment options: check _______ cash______ No charge (high school teachers) ______
Hotel / Back
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/StudentCenter/Hotel.aspx (Ball State Hotel)
http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-muncie-indiana-IN248?source=gglocalai (Comfort Inn & Suites)
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/muncie/miewe/hoteldetail (Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Muncie)
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/indmn-fairfield-inn-muncie/ (Fairfield Inn Muncie)
http://www.reservation-desk.com/hotel/126758/jameson-signature-inn-muncie/photos/?TID=sziujb6KD|pcrid|23884472397&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=signature%20inn%20muncie&utm_campaign=Hotel%20Chain%20S (Signature Inn Muncie)
http://www.daysinn.com/hotels/indiana/muncie/days-inn-muncie-ball-state-university/hotel-overview?cid=IP_Local®=Local-_-all-_-DI-_-all&wid=local: (Days Inn Muncie -Ball State University)
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/IN/Muncie-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-Muncie/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=15076 (BEST WESTERN Muncie)
http://www.super8.com/hotels/indiana/muncie/super-8-muncie-ball-st.-college-area/hotel-overview (Super 8 Muncie/Ball St. College Area)
Directions and Parking / Back
The room of the 23rd CATJ is AJ225 which is the 2nd floor in the Art & Journalism Building (http://www.bsu.edu/directory/buildings/default.asp?buildingcode=AJ) .
Parking lots are available in various places. The parking lots (garage) in the building #37, the red and brown parking spaces alongside of the street in front of the building #75 are easy to find. The meter parking (brown color next to AJ building (#43) (between Art & Journalism building#43 and Teachers college, #39) is the closest. All the red, yellow, green parking and meter parking are free to park on weekends, but the ones with signs such as BSU vehicle only, Handicap, and blue parking are not allowed to park. Please check the following map: http://www.bsu.edu/map/media/pdf/parkingmap.pdf
Directions to Ball State University (2000 W. University Ave, Muncie IN 47304):
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/VisitTheCampus/GettingHere.aspx (Location of BSU in Indiana)
http://www.bsu.edu/map/article/0,,32192--,00.html (Driving directions)
http://www.bsu.edu/map/article/0,,32213--,00.html (Direction from the airport)
http://www.bsu.edu/map/ (campus map)
http://www.bsu.edu/directory/buildings/default.asp?buildingcode=AJ (Art and Journalism Building: CATJ location on BSU)
http://www.bsu.edu/map/media/pdf/parkingmap.pdf (parking map)http://www.bsu.edu/map/media/pdf/munciemap.pdf (Map of Muncie)
In case of an emergency, please call Kazumi Matsumoto at 765-543-6753 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com


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Spend five minutes listening to politicians and pundits talk about countries like Iran and North Korea, and you walk away thinking the world is a scary place. But politicians have agendas, and pundits want viewers. They aren't always the most reliable sources, but they're usually the loudest, which is why you probably believe that ...
6Iran Could Start a Crazy War at Any Minute!
What You've Heard:
It's easy to see why people are afraid of Iran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the map and claimed the United States was behind 9/11. You wouldn't trust anyone who says things like that to be in charge of a country!
Especially not when they look like Doctor Octopus.
That's why Ahmadinejad isn't in charge -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is. Despite a title that sounds like an overcompensating member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Khamenei has been running the show for years. See, unlike our president, Ahmadinejad doesn't control Iran's nuclear strategy, armed forces or even foreign policy.
Motherfuckers act like they forgot about 'Nei.
Ahmadinejad is more like the Joe Biden of Iran -- he says stupid things that embarrass the country, but the guy in power thinks he's a good enough shit, so he keeps him around. Though even that gives President Spell-Check a little too much credit, because Ahmadinejad isn't even the second most powerful guy in the country.
Try 14th. In addition to Lord Sexgantic Ayatollah Khamenei, he's outranked by the 12 members of the Guardian Council, which sounds like something out of the extended Star Wars universe, but actually functions more like Ahmadinejad's boss. They can shoot down his ideas via veto and get to decide who runs for president in the first place.
Ahmadinejad can't even talk without their pictures standing guard.
As the Iranian people know, Ahmadinejad doesn't even have the power to get women into soccer games (one of his campaign promises in 2007), and he has become increasingly unpopular among the masses with every day in office.
This makes me Ahmadinesad.
The problem is that the West pays such an unreasonable amount of attention to Ahmadinejad that according to political experts, it's one of the only things keeping him relevant in Iran. Despite a failed economic policy, and the fact that he's pissed of the Ayatollah so much that experts don't expect him to finish his second term, the Iranian people feel like they have to pay attention to him because America is paying attention to him. And America is paying attention to him because his job title sounds impressive to us.
"A president? Those are the things we protest against!"
OK, but even if Ahmadinejad isn't in charge, the real leaders are religious hard-liners who hate America. So Iran is still a threat, right? Actually, their annual military budget is around nine billion dollars, which puts them behind the powerhouses like Greece and Australia. In terms of per capita spending, Iran is dead last in the gulf region. Nuclear weapons aren't a concern, either, as U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran has halted its program.
Making your enemies seem like unbalanced lunatics is just an old propaganda trick. For instance, remember that comment about wanting to wipe Israel off the map? According to the people who translated the statement in the first place, it was translated worse than a Final Fantasy game, due to "time pressure to produce a translation quickly." It would be more accurate to say Ahmadinejad wanted to see a regime change, which is a pretty common statement in global politics.
All these men support regime change. Only Perry wants D.C. wiped off the map.
Of course, the media didn't have to exaggerate his statements denying the Holocaust and claiming that the U.S. was behind 9/11. They just had to ignore the fact that the guy saying it doesn't matter.
5China's Economy Is Going to Steamroll America's!
What You've Heard:
According to The New York Post, America already owes China so much money that China can destroy our economy whenever it wants. So if you're reading this from inside the United States, we hope you like the taste of steamroller, because you and everything you love is about to get steamrolled by China's economic steamroller. And thanks to the gap between Chinese super students and America's bumper crop of dumbasses, Americans probably need to be told that China's economy isn't an actual steamroller.
Above: The first two years of any Poly Sci degree.
The media tends to portray America like China's deadbeat brother-in-law who keeps borrowing money and promising he's good for it. But the truth is that China is far more dependent on the U.S. than the other way around. If they decided to pull the rug out from under the U.S., they'd be pulling it out from under their own economy.
As for China's educational superiority, it's definitely true that China kicks America's ass in educating its children, and they even produce more college graduates than America. It's just that their colleges suck. One Chinese professor said that the average Chinese engineering graduate may not know more than a typical auto mechanic.
To be fair, we don't understand this guy's job any better than we understand nuclear engineering.
From an early age, Chinese students are corralled into career paths based on test scores. A bad day in seventh grade might shut you out of entire industries. Unfortunately, the idea that childhood intelligence has anything to do with future success has been pretty much completely debunked.
The things that tend to matter are how hard you're willing to work at your job. And if it's some bullshit your seventh grade teacher decided you should do for the rest of your life, we're guessing that's only as fast as you can work while making the wanking motion with one of your hands.
Somehow, we doubt this man is being all he can be.
But probably their biggest problem is something called the dependency ratio. It's a simple idea that is shockingly good at predicting economic success and failure. Basically, you put people who are of working age on one side of the scale and people who are too young or old to work on the other. The more the workers outweigh the babies and old people, the more your economy tends to thrive. For instance, America did great when the baby boomers were passing through their working years and is facing a slowdown now that they're retiring.
This ratio is also one of the main reasons China is kicking so much ass at the moment. There are so many working-age people that they had to put policies in place to keep them from having too many kids. You've probably heard of the one-child policy. An earlier public campaign cut China's fertility rate in half in the '70s. That was good for China's dependency ratio up to this point. That's half of a generation of useless, non-working babies off the books. But over the next 25 years, China is gearing up to age faster than any developing country ever. By 2035, 280 million Chinese will be 65 or older. Senior discounts alone will cost China billions.
On the plus side, Sizzler's future has never been brighter.
So if you are working for China in 25 years, like the media predicted, chances are it will be at a nursing home.


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Tacos make a great meal, since they can be extremely personalized to individual tastes. Adding all sorts of vegetables or sauces along with the hamburger meat, makes a great combination! My love for tacos came after I was married. We rarely had them growing up, so I never knew how palate pleasing they could be.
I believe the key to successful taco meat is the correct combination of seasonings. If personal preference is hot, hot, hot, then a knowledge of hot spice combinations is critical. On the flip side, I would rather have a mild flavor coat my tongue and esophagus. I do not enjoy the burn from spicy food that goes all the way down and the heartburn that continues during the digestion process. Fortunately, the rest of my family agrees with my mild taco seasoning choice. As I have experienced in the past, too much spice gives my children and husband complaining privileges. I do not know of any cook who likes to hear how awful their creation is. Mild taco seasoning is gluten free, dairy free, and all natural! Forget purchasing a seasoning packet with questionable ingredients, when it is so simple to create your own at home that tastes great.
- 2 TBSP chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 TBSP cumin
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Use 3 TBSP of mild taco seasoning for 1 pound of hamburger. Taste. If you prefer a spicier flavor, add more until the taste is just right. Store extra spice in a container for later use.


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Thomas Edison famously said that genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration — words that could well apply to a new machine promoted by UNICEF that turns human sweat into drinking water.
The Sweat Machine extracts moisture from worn clothes by spinning and heating them, then filters the resulting liquid so that only pure water remains. It was built by Swedish engineer and TV personality Andreas Hammar, and uses a technology developed by Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology and the water purification company HVR.
The purification technique, known as membrane distillation, uses a Gor-Tex-like material as a filter that "lets only steam through but keeps bacteria, salts, clothing fibers and other substances out," Hammar is quoted as saying in The Independent.
"They have something similar on the [International] Space Station to treat astronauts' urine — but our machine was cheaper to build," Hammar says. "The amount of water it produces depends on how sweaty the person is, but one person's T-shirt typically produces 10ml [0.3oz], roughly a mouthful."
A more common technology for removing salt and other impurities from water is known as reverse osmosis, which uses lots of energy to produce the extremely high pressure required to force raw water through a semi-permeable membrane. You can see a diagram of how it works here.
UNICEF is using the Sweat Machine as the centerpiece of a campaign to raise awareness about the lack of clean drinking water for children. The United Nations agency estimates that 780 million people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water.
"We wanted to raise this subject in a new, playful and engaging way," Peter Westberg, deputy executive director at UNICEF Sweden, says in a statement. "Our Sweat Machine is a reminder that we all share the same water. We all drink and sweat in the same way, regardless of how we look or what language we speak. Water is everyone's responsibility and concern."
As part of the promotion, UNICEF got Swedish soccer celebrities Tobias Hysen and Mohammed Ali Khan to take the first sips of "product" produced by the Sweat Machine during the youth world Gothia Cup.
Read original article
Thirsty? 'Sweat Machine' Turns Perspiration Into Drinking Water
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EDITORIAL: Affirmative Action Under Siege
5/7/2014, 3 p.m.
The United States Supreme Court is continuing its assault on affirmative action with its recent decision confirming the right of Michigan voters to deny students admission to college in the state on the basis of race.
Last week's ruling caps more than a decade of upheaval in Michigan over affirmative action. In 1993, the Supreme Court struck down the University of Michigan's undergraduate affirmative-action program because it added points for minority applicants is spite of the qualities they brought to the table. Meanwhile, the justices upheld the university's law school program which made race one factor that helped determine an applicant's eligibility for admission.
The six justices who sided with Michigan voters to prohibit admissions policies based on race in higher education, had different reasons for their positions, but this ruling is another stark reminder of how much the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction on issues of race compared to the 1950s and '60s.
There was a time when the Supreme Court could be depended on to consider the egregious disparities of race that have plagued this country for centuries and seek to protect the rights of minorities. Some experts talk about civil rights fatigue in the country and a conservative Supreme Court that asserts that America is now colorblind. Then there's the notion embraced by Chief Justice John Roberts and others, that America has entered a post-racial period where the issues of race have dissipated.
As Roberts glibly explained in 2007, "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." And last year, when the Supreme Court struck down one provision of the Voting Rights Act he wrote that 50 years after passage of that legislation, things racially have changed dramatically enough to no longer necessitate the need for that provision and possibly the Act itself.
The Supreme Court has abrogated its role as the ultimate guarantor of equal justice and tossed out its judicial responsibility to minorities, and it has made it clear that non-whites must rely on their own efforts to correct obvious and hidden racial inequalities and seek redress elsewhere.
But as Justice Sonia Sotomayor so eloquently said in her searing dissent, race matters.
"In my colleagues' view, examining the racial impact of legislation only perpetuates racial discrimination," she said. "This refusal to accept the stark reality that race matters is regrettable. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination. As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society. It is this view that works harm, by perpetuating the facile notion that what makes race matter is acknowledging the simple truth that race does matter."
Need proof? While the proportion of college-age African Americans in Michigan has increased, there has been a 25 percent decrease in minority representation in Michigan's public universities and colleges.
One doesn't have to look too far to see an American history replete with an abysmal record of widespread and systematic discrimination and institutional racism. Yet the majority ignores the reality that while legal discrimination is gone, racism, inequity and racial bias continue to flourish. Affirmative action is merely a means to level the playing field.
Roberts calls the differences between the majority and minority honest differences of opinion. Whatever the reason, we are stuck with a Supreme Court that is either naïve or cynical when it comes to issues of racial justice.


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National Finish: 11 Time:17:53 Regional Finish: 9 Time:18:14
Hobbies: Soccer, Clarinet
Running hero: Ryan Hall, Pre, Billy MillsRunning goal: NCAA All-American
Personal note:
i know that im a pain to deal with weather or not im racing but im happy that my friends, family and coaches are able to deal me. espically after a bad race they are there to cheer me up and are always there to make me simile and make me feel better. i want to thank them for pumping me up before races and dealing with my afterwards.


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Madden, Tessa MD, MPH; Eisenberg, David L. MD, MPH; Zhao, Qiuhong MS; Buckel, Christina MSW; Secura, Gina M. PhD, MPH; Peipert, Jeffrey F. MD, PhD
Division of Clinical Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Corresponding author: Tessa Madden, MD, MPH, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 4533 Clayton Avenue, Box 8219, St. Louis, MO 63110; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Supported in part by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and award number K23HD070979 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of NICHD or the National Institutes of Health.
Presented at the North American Forum on Family Planning, October 27-29, 2012, Denver, Colorado.
Financial Disclosure Dr. Madden is a former speaker for Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether women who receive an immediate postabortion etonogestrel subdermal implant have higher discontinuation rates than women who undergo an interval insertion (insertion not associated with a recent pregnancy).
METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the Contraceptive CHOICE Project. We compared 12-month continuation rates for the subdermal implant between women undergoing immediate postabortion placement and women who underwent an interval placement. Continuation rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier estimator of survival function and Cox proportional hazard models.
RESULTS: Over the study period, 141 women received the implant immediately postabortion and 935 women underwent an interval placement. The 12-month continuation rates were similar: 81.5% among women undergoing immediate postabortion placement and 82.8% among women undergoing interval placement (P=.54). In the survival analysis, women who received an immediate postabortion implant were no more likely to discontinue their method than women who had an interval placement (adjusted hazard ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.68–1.60). The most common reason given for discontinuation was frequent or irregular bleeding, which was reported by 65.4% of women discontinuing in the immediate postabortion group and 56.7% in the interval group.
CONCLUSION: Women who undergo immediate postabortion placement of the subdermal implant have high rates of continuation that are equivalent to women undergoing interval insertion. Immediate postabortion long-acting reversible contraceptives should be available to women undergoing induced abortion to decrease the risk of repeat unplanned pregnancy.
The rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion have not changed significantly over the past few decades and remain a public health challenge.1,2 The reasons for the high rate of unintended pregnancy and abortion are multifactorial, but it is clear that contraceptive failure, including incorrect or inconsistent use, is an important factor.3 Although nearly all women have used a contraceptive method, not all methods are continued at the same rate or have the same inherent effectiveness.4–6 Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods, including the most effective reversible methods such as the intrauterine device (IUD) and subdermal implant, have the potential to affect the rate of both unintended pregnancy and abortion significantly.7
Repeat abortion accounts for 47% of all abortions in the United States8; therefore, it is important to provide access to LARC methods at the time of abortion to reduce this risk. In fact, one study demonstrated that women who received immediate postabortion IUDs were 63% less likely to experience a repeat abortion.9 A recently published prospective cohort study from New Zealand showed that women who initiated depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate or received an IUD immediately postabortion had significantly lower rates of repeat abortion up to 2 years later.10 We have previously shown that, compared with women without a recent abortion, women offered immediate postabortion LARC were three times more likely to choose IUDs and 50% more likely to choose implants.11
Choosing a contraceptive method at the time of abortion may influence continuation in a positive or negative direction. There is some concern among clinicians that women who receive an immediate postabortion etonogestrel implant may have higher discontinuation rates than women who have an interval insertion. We conducted this study to estimate whether women who received an immediate postabortion implant would have equivalent 12-month continuation rates as women who received the implant not in association with a recent pregnancy.
This study is a secondary analysis of the Contraceptive CHOICE Project. CHOICE is a prospective cohort study designed to promote the use of LARC methods, to remove financial barriers, to contraception, and evaluate continuation and satisfaction for reversible methods.12 The objective of this analysis was to compare the 12-month continuation rates of the subdermal etonogestrel implant between women who had the implant placed immediately after a surgical abortion and women who underwent an interval placement. We defined interval placement as 6 weeks or greater from the time of the last pregnancy. We also evaluated continuation rates in women who had "delayed" insertion of an implant after an abortion, which was performed within 6 weeks but not on the same day as the abortion. This group included women undergoing both medical and surgical abortion.
Between August 2007 and September 2011, CHOICE enrolled 9,256 women. Women were eligible to participate if they were 14–45 years of age, resided in St. Louis City or County, had been sexually active with a male partner in the past 6 months or anticipated sexual activity in the next 6 months, had not had a tubal sterilization or hysterectomy, did not desire pregnancy in the next year, and were interested in starting a new reversible contraceptive method. Potential participants were read a short script about long-acting reversible contraception, which stated that IUDs and implants are the most effective methods. The script was read at the time of screening for study eligibility. Participants also underwent comprehensive contraceptive counseling, which emphasized the effectiveness of all reversible contraceptive methods. A participant could choose any U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved reversible method of contraception as long as she was not currently using the method. A health care provider at our university research site or one of the community partner clinics would determine if the desired contraceptive method was appropriate for the participant according to evidence-based criteria. At baseline, participants provided written informed consent, completed a comprehensive survey, and received their desired reversible contraceptive method at no cost. Participants completed follow-up surveys by telephone at 3 and 6 months and every 6 months for the study duration (3 years for the first 5,090 participants and 2 years for the remainder of the cohort). We obtained approval from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Human Research Protection Office before recruitment of participants.
We compared demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics of women who had been enrolled in the study for at least 12 months after implant placement. Comparisons were made using χ2 for categorical variables and analysis of variance test for continuous variables between women undergoing immediate postabortion, delayed, and interval placement. Twelve-month continuation rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator of survival function. Participants who were lost to follow-up were censored at the time of the last completed survey. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. Satisfaction was measured on a 3-point scale ("very satisfied," "somewhat satisfied," and "not satisfied"). For this analysis, women who discontinued the implant were considered not satisfied.
We performed univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate the HR for factors associated with discontinuation. We planned to include immediate postabortion insertion in the multivariable model regardless of whether it was significant in the univariable model because this was our a priori hypothesis. All covariates that were associated with implant discontinuation in the univariable model (at the .05 level) or altered the HR by 10% or greater were included in the multivariable model. We performed all statistical analyses using STATA 11.
Between August 2007 and November 2010, there were 7,472 women enrolled into the CHOICE Project who had initiated their baseline method by 3 months and been enrolled in the study for at least 12 months. Of these, 1,178 women received the subdermal implant; 141 received the implant immediately postabortion, 102 women had a "delayed" placement, and 935 women had an interval placement. There were an additional 37 women in this cohort who underwent immediate postpartum implant placement and were excluded from this analysis because continuation of immediate postpartum implants may differ from immediate postabortion or interval placement.
Table 1 shows the demographic and reproductive characteristics for women who received an immediate postabortion implant, "delayed" implant, and interval placement. The three groups were similar across demographic and reproductive characteristics, although women who received the implant immediately postabortion were less likely to be Hispanic, have a college education, and report having health insurance. They were more likely to be single, to have higher parity, and report a history of abortion (before the index abortion). Overall, the 12-month continuation rate for the implant was high at 83.0%.
There were a total of 189 women who discontinued the implant during the first 12 months of use. The rates of continuation at 12 months are shown in Table 2 and were similar for the three groups: 81.5% of women who received the implant immediately postabortion were still using the implant at 12 months compared with 82.8% of women who underwent interval placement and 86.3% of women who underwent "delayed" placement. There was no statistically significant difference between these rates (P=.54). Satisfaction with the implant was also similar across the three groups with 73.2% of immediate postabortion implant users, 79.1% of women undergoing "delayed" placement, and 78.4% of women undergoing interval insertion reporting being "somewhat" or "very satisfied" with the implant at 12 months (P=.70). There were 87 women (7.4%) who had been lost to follow-up by 12 months. There was no further information about implant use available for these women. Loss to follow-up did not differ by the timing of implant placement (P=.46)
Table 3 shows the univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model for factors associated with discontinuation of the implant. In the univariable analysis, women who received the implant immediately postabortion did not have a higher rate of discontinuation compared with women who underwent an interval placement (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.76–1.74). Women who had a "delayed" placement were also no more likely to discontinue the implant compared with women who had an interval placement (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.45–1.40). Of the demographic and reproductive characteristics described in Table 1, only separated, divorced, and widowed marital status; some college education; nulliparity; history of a prior abortion; and history of a sexually transmitted infection were significantly associated with discontinuation of the implant in the univariable model. Women who reported being separated, divorced, or widowed were twice as likely to discontinue their implant (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.17–2.94). Nulliparous women and women with a history of a prior abortion or sexually transmitted infection were slightly more likely to discontinue the implant (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.19–2.14; HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.01–1.91; and HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04–1.86, respectively).
After adjusting for the factors significant in the univariable model, we still did not observe any association between immediate postabortion timing of implant placement and discontinuation (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.68–1.60) compared with interval placement. In the adjusted model, separated, divorced, and widowed marital status; nulliparity; and history of a prior sexually transmitted infection remained significantly associated with discontinuation.
Table 4 shows the reported reasons for discontinuation of the implant. Women could provide up to three reasons. Most women provided a single reason for discontinuation (74.6%). There were 48 (19.6%) women who provided two reasons and 11 (5.8%) who provided three reasons for discontinuation. The most common reason given for discontinuation was frequent or irregular bleeding. Among discontinuers, 65.4% (17 of 26) of the immediate postabortion group, 76.7% (10 of 13) of the "delayed" group, and 56.7% (85 of 150) of the interval group reported frequent or irregular bleeding as the reason for discontinuation (P=.29). The second most common reason given for discontinuation was weight gain with 19.2% of discontinuers in the immediate postabortion group and 15.3% in the interval group reporting weight gain. The percentage of women discontinuing the implant because they were seeking pregnancy was similar between the immediate postabortion group and the interval group (3.8% compared with 4.7%).
We found that the continuation of the etonogestrel subdermal implant at 12 months does not differ among women undergoing immediate postabortion placement, delayed postabortion placement, and interval placement. In addition, the reasons reported for discontinuation were similar among the three groups. Our observed continuation rate of 83.0% overall is similar to the other published 12-month continuation rates of the etonogestrel implant.13,14 Few studies have specifically evaluated continuation of the implant after immediate postabortion insertion. Women undergoing immediate postabortion placement may have had less time to consider their contraceptive decision and may be more likely to regret their choice, leading to higher discontinuation rates. Recently, Mark et al15 presented findings from a study of 12-month continuation rates of the implant in women who underwent immediate postabortion insertion compared with women undergoing an interval insertion. The rate of discontinuation was higher among women undergoing immediate postabortion insertion compared with the interval group (31.4% compared with 19.2%), although this was not a statistically significant difference as a result of a small sample size. This discontinuation rate among the immediate postabortion placement group is quite a bit higher than our observed rate of 18.5%. We observed higher continuation rates in all three groups of implant users than have previously been reported in the same cohort among women using shorter-acting reversible contraceptive methods such as oral contraceptive pills, contraceptive vaginal ring, transdermal contraceptive patch, and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate with estimated 12-month continuation rates of 55%, 54%, 49%, and 57%, respectively.16
Strengths of our study include a relatively large sample size with a high rate of follow-up, racial and socioeconomic diversity, and systematic assessment of continuation and satisfaction. However, we recognize the limitations of our study. Our cohort was comprised of women willing to enroll in a contraceptive study from a single geographical area, which could limit generalizability. In addition, we did not randomize women to immediate postabortion compared with interval insertion. At baseline, these groups did differ in demographic and reproductive characteristics. We performed a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression to adjust for these baseline differences. There were 141 women who received their implant immediately postabortion and a smaller number who discontinued the method. A post hoc sample size and power calculation indicates that we have greater than 90% power to detect a twofold increased risk of discontinuation with 141 immediate postabortion implant insertions and a 5:1 ratio of exposed to comparison participants. With relatively few discontinuers, we had limited ability to find differences in the reasons for discontinuation based on timing of the implant placement. However, the discontinuation rates of 18.5% in the immediate postabortion group and 17.2% in the interval insertion group appear quite similar and this difference was not statistically significant.
Availability of immediate postabortion contraception, especially LARC methods, varies depending on the abortion provider, upfront costs, and other institutional barriers.17 Rates of repeat abortion have previously been shown to be lower in women undergoing immediate postabortion IUD insertion.9 A recent study by Tocce et al18 found that postpartum adolescents who had an immediate postpartum implant placement had a 12-month continuation rate of 86%. The same study found that postpartum implant users were significantly less likely to have a repeat pregnancy within 12 months compared with women who chose another postpartum contraceptive method (2.9% compared with 21.3%). It is reasonable to extrapolate that a reduction in repeat unintended pregnancy would also be observed for women undergoing immediate postabortion implant placement if continuation rates are high. Our results show that these women have equivalent rates of continuation at 12 months compared with interval insertion and that continuation is significantly higher than that seen with the shorter-acting reversible methods of contraception. Immediate postabortion LARC should be offered to all women undergoing abortion as a strategy to decrease the high rate of unintended pregnancy and repeat abortions observed in the United States.
© 2012 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
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text:
If you want to join fine with me *pant* *pant* i can use 5 chidori's in one day including wit my sharingan now i'm going to get 7 by the end of the week
Last edited by Sasuke-Uchiha; 05-21-2008 at 03:34 AM.
uchicha do u want fight me
I'll spar with you so u can get the hang of it
Ok lets go Fire Style: Phoenix flower jutsu 5 flames coming directly towards you then i teleport
suiton: suijiheki
blocks the flames
*walking by and whistling*
huh.. .. u can use 5 chidori.. thats pretty good
Ha ok then
Gotta Focus.........
Wow i can see dodges Flames one by one like it was nothing ........wow is that all u got
Ok that was nice and now the next test go and fight Zabuza Teleports away
kage bushin no jutsu 6x
Hey um some jutsu's i don't understand in Japenese but i understand that one
Ok Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu to destroy ur clones
*takes out sword* is that all you got
hidden mist jutsu
Originally Posted by UchlhaSasuke
zabuza .. u can use the mizu bunshin 0_o why u r using kage bunshin
i have a plan
Last edited by Hellsbadass; 05-21-2008 at 03:31 AM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Originally Posted by Hellsbadass
kage bushin no jutsu 6x
zabuza .. u can use the mizu bunshin 0_o why u r using kage bunshin
Ok Zabuza lets do this :D
Forum Rules


text:
Pictured from left to right are: Amanda Dawley, Walmart associate; Patience Boswell, Activities Leaders, Maplewood; and Pat Devine, Community Involvement Coordinator, Walmart of Potsdam.
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text:
Serious comics effort
The Columbus Dispatch - October 12, 2012 02:22 PM
I never paid much attention to comic books until I wrote earlier this year about the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo.
It was a gathering of independent comic book producers. What I liked about them was their passion for the art form and that their work often has a central Ohio flavor: stories are sometimes set in Columbus.
Well, here's an update on Ken Eppstein, one of the folks I featured.
Eppstein, publisher of Nix Comics, has a Kickstarter campaign (comic book artists often use Kickstarter) aimed at raising $25,000 to produce six comics in 2013.
Eppstein tells me: "The biggest chunk of the proceeds will go to paying artists, followed by printing costs and shipping costs. (Unlike a lot of Kickstarter campaigns, I am very transparent about where the money will go and have the administrative and retail background to keep to the promises I make.)"
Here's what else caught my eye: he's offering to produce an eight-page comic book as an advertising piece for businesses that contribute. He sent me an electronic copy of one he did for a local IT company that I have to say was a lot more fun to read than most brochures put out by businesses..
Eppstein also called my attention to something Tom Spurgeon, a journalist who writes about comic books, wrote after attending the recent comic book symposium at CCAD: "I'm enamored of Columbus as a potential sleeping giant among comics towns. Just the fact that from Columbus you can road-trip it to festivals and conventions and events from Boston to Minneapolis to New Orleans to Gainesville should put the Arch City in the running for Next Big Thing, at least the way comics is structured these days."
Eppstein thinks his project could help advance our comic book reputation.
I'm no expert on the subject, but the idea of a group of little-known artists giving Columbus an image as a comic book giant strikes me as delightful, especially given that no one in the better-funded and higher-profile power circles about town has ever been able to give it an image of any kind.


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HOUSTON — The leader of a local drug trafficking organization, who distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and transported millions of dollars in drug proceeds to Mexican drug traffickers, was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 22 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.
This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed "Operation GoodRum" was conducted jointly by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID).
Isaias Gallegos, aka "Mickey," 32, of Sugar Land, Texas, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and aiding and abetting money laundering. U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Gallegos Aug. 15 to 262 months in federal prison on the conspiracy count and 240 months on the money laundering count; the sentences are to be served concurrently. Gallegos was also sentenced to a five-year term of supervised release.
The 18-month investigation identified Gallegos as the leader of the family operated conspiracy. The following accomplices were also charged with receiving and selling cocaine from Mexican drug sources to distributors in Houston and throughout the United States:
- Suleyka Gallegos, 32, wife, also of Sugar Land;
- Wendy Perez Gallegos, 35, sister, from Laredo, Texas;
- Julio C. Villanueva-Barbosa, 40, brother-in-law, also from Laredo;
- Fernando Gallegos-Saucedo, 23, cousin, from Houston; and
- Francisco Paniagua Romero, 38, uncle, from Houston.
Alvaro Dalberto Palma, 33, and Keith Jamail Sonia, 36, both of Houston, were identified as cocaine distributors for the organization. Jorge Alberto Briones, 40, and Mario Garza Mora, 37, both of Laredo, and J. Jesus Santos, 40, of Houston, were identified as transporters of drug proceeds between Houston and Mexican drug traffickers.
From November 2009 through April 2010, HSI special agents seized $1,844,760 in drug proceeds from couriers transporting the funds from the Gallegos organization in Houston to drug traffickers in Mexico. The investigation culminated April 28, 2010 after search warrants were conducted at locations used by the organization, resulting in the seizure of 147 kilograms of cocaine, an additional $160,704 in drug proceeds, and 11 assault rifles.
A residence purchased with drug proceeds in the name of Suleyka Gallegos on the 5200 block of Ireland in Houston revealed a drug manufacturing operation used by the organization. At the residence, a substance was added to the cocaine and then repackaged to appear as if it were in its originally shipped purity. This process allowed the organization to command higher prices for lower quality cocaine.
Suleyka Gallegos, Palma, Sonia and Villanueva-Barbosa all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and were sentenced to 87, 120, 135 and 87 months in federal prison, respectively.
Garza Mora, Perez-Gallegos, Gallegos-Saucedo, Romero, Briones and Santos pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the conspiracy to money launder and were sentenced to 41, 87, 151, 210, 97 and 97 months, respectively.
In addition to the seized drug proceeds, multiple automobiles and the residence located on Ireland in Houston used by the organization for their drug trafficking activities were also seized by officers during the course of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Hanes, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.


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211. I Pour My Love at Thy Roseate Feet of Immortality
Blossoms of light I plucked from the heart of the dawn as offerings unto Thee. The lamps of my wakefulness and of dawn, I have lighted in the temple of my morning silence.
I beheld Thy bliss-face come out of the shadow of ignorance, which had kept Thee hidden in my temple for aeons. And seeing Thy face of joy in the mirror of my inner eye, I know that my life's face was made after Thine own blessed image.
In the mirror of Thy love, I have beheld the countenance of my love bearing Thy likeness.
I will blame the fates no more. Beloved Divine Mother, it was my self-made darkness which hid the glory of our love. Now, in the translucent mirror of Thy bliss, I see myself and know myself as perfect joy. And in my unwavering mirror of happiness, I behold Thee — the ever-sacred, only, perfect bliss.
I pour my love at Thy roseate feet of immortality! I pour my heart from the over-flowing chalice of my soul! I pour the intoxicating musk of my reverence at Thy ever-moving feet of progress in everything.


text:
Modern orthodontic systems and appliances are used to treat patients of all ages at the two clinics run by this specialist practice. The clinics are located at Naas in County Kildare and Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland. Inexpensive payment plans are offered to enable patients to spread the costs of treatments. The orthodontist is committed to continuing professional development and staying abreast with the latest advancements in orthodontics. Services provided include examinations, growth modification treatments for children, fitting conventional appliances for children and adult orthodontics using Damon appliances and Invisalign clear aligners.
Orthodontic Services
Private Patients Welcome
Dental Plans Accepted
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Global Medical Treatment Ltd trading as WhatClinic.com 12 Duke Lane Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland
firstname.lastname@example.com, Tel: +353 1 652 0520: Co. Reg. No. 428122 All Rights Reserved


text:
Skip to comments.DON'T POST ANY DAMNED PANIC POSTS
Posted on 11/06/2012 6:22:47 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER
We've got a long night ahead of us.
I'm personally not in the mood for woe is me whining.
I'm pleased to see that some of these negative posts have been pulled
We are still in the fight!
I think so to. The big cities always report first. I turned it off. I'll just watch the AP, they won't keep Romney ahead if he's not.
You're absolutely correct, but it's small solace when our Beloved Country becomes a third world sh*thole and 0bama as dictator.
Even if Romney pulls this out, this country will never be the same until we on the right fight to recapture the educational establishment. We need to clean out the rot that the kids get taught and bring a higher level of understanding what this country really stands for instead of this pernicious belief that anything goes.
Fox needs to give Sarah Palin a prominent role in the election coverage. Her insight would be enlightening and on target, providing a balance to the sniveling, whimpering Bill O'Reilly.
We're also not teaching them the work ethic, the honor system, etc.
I'm trying not to say America is over, but it's been a long time in the making.
It would be a long time to rebuild.
Romney hasn't written a concession speech - Yet!
I'm betting he is working on one now.
"Im going to get caught up on season 3 of The Walking Dead and then come back to see results.
Im too old to be watching with bated breath over something I have zero control over"
You're absolutely right. I'm going to watch an old episode of Touched by an Angel and give my son my laptop so he can watch a video. I can' take this anymore. :(
It's the demographics folks and we can't reverse the trend. The GOP is finished as a national party.
Can someone explain why FL is 50-50. Polls gave Romney a 5-point lead!
CBS has got OH leaning to Obama. Hope this isn't true.
CNN is jubilant about returns in CO. I'm waiting to hear what Rove says.
Thanks SWAMPSNIPER. G'night all.
Also Romans 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
I might not be tonight or tomorrow, but the real ruler is still in charge. Life is like a western the good guys always win, you just have to wait till the final battle.
Thank you.
Faux News just called Ohio for Bammy. Do I have your damn permission to panic now?
Faux News just called Ohio for Bammy. Do I have your damn permission to panic now?
And so, I fear, is the esteemed Michael Barone, who had far more credibility than Morris to begin with. To me this election proves that 45 years of brainwashing by government schools and the seditious media have succeeded in undermining and toppling a once-great country.
"A few weeks ago Pat Caddell made a point that Romney was better off picking Rubio."
Rubio isn't eligible because he isn't a Natural Born Citizen. His parents were not yet citizens when he was born here.
No doubt there. Yuri Bezmenov described that part of the master plan long ago. You can watch his lecture on YouTube
"I just hope Romney doesnt panic and concede"
Same here but if he does, he could always use algore's stupid precedent and withdraw his concession! HAW
We're all going to die.
(Everyone does eventually)
I've known all along how this would end unless Americans could be prodded off their dead popular culture and TV/sports-addicted asses and get to work exterminating the Communist termites that have been chewing away at our foundations for the past 60 years.
I don't know how it'll end. It won't affect me much since I'm old and won't be around much longer. The irony is that my brainwashed kids, who helped bring about this tragedy with their idiotic votes, will be the ones who'll pay the piper.
Thanks- good to hear from a Believer. We're caught between this world and the next- tough when you have kids and grandkids.
It's hard to let go of this world and life as it is all I have ever known, but I know better lies ahead.
The USA is done, just like the Greeks and Romans. We've had a good run, but it is over.
It was good while it lasted. I'm just glad I'm 55 years old and not 25.
As I've repeatedly stated, there is no longer any way to vote our way out, legislate our way out, litigate our way out of what is now a socialist state. There is no such thing as "conservatisim" as we define it. It's now grab all the goodies you can before the house of cards collapses.
M.R. would not have done a thing to further the conservative cause. He would have, at best, applied a little pressure to the brakes but we're going downhill anyway. Anyone who thinks otherwise had best get back on their meds.
The ONLY recourse we have now is at the state level. But there are no leaders with any backbone to stand up to the feds. The states also want to grab all the goodies from DC they can and will bow and grovel and stab their residents in the back to keep the fed dollars and other perks coming their way.
The looters have won.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Would you believe that since 2007, the number of people in the 65-74 year-old age group that have jobs -- all of them over the retirement age -- has actually increased by almost 1.4 million people?
That is 0.93% of a labor force that has an unemployment rate of 7.8%.
The economy as a whole has actually lost about 3.4 million jobs since 2007.
The financial crisis has been with us for almost a half decade now. The Federal Reserve has responded by lowering the fed funds rate to historical lows and has committed to this policy for years to come. Common wisdom says that lowering interest rates will spur investment because it makes financing cheaper. But what if low rates have led to unintended consequences that may be holding the economy back in some way? After all, the interest rate is just a price in a market -- to some it is revenue and to others an expense. Manipulating interest rates affects both sides of the coin.
The problem with the argument that low rates spurs growth is that it does not account for the second side of the coin -- interest is income for some parties. These parties lose out when interest rates go down to 0%. Interest is income for banks, insurance companies, and many people near or in retirement. This article will focus on the latter.
Interest As Income
A thorough explanation of the state of banking can be found here. Because depositors are already getting the floor of 0% on their deposits from banks, any further decline in interest rates for mortgages, commercial loans, or securities (this is interest revenue for banks) will only squeeze bank margins. Banks as intermediaries will find a way to deal with compressing margins -- some have even begun charging negative interest to certain depositors. Banks have been trading at less than book value because of low margins.
Insurance companies rely on interest earned on collected premiums to provide revenue. When costs go up and interest rates are low, then insurance companies need to make up the difference by charging even more in premiums. For instance, a 2011 Kaiser Foundation study found a 9% increase in premiums. Insurance companies are also intermediaries and will find their way in this market. If they need to raise premiums they will, but that does not help the real income of consumers who need to spend money on insurance, which is a large share of GDP.
Earning Close To 0% On A Nest Egg
A large economic current that may be overlooked in this environment as alluded to above is the effect of the interest rates on near or already retired people. This large saver group is not earning any significant interest income on their nest eggs, particularly at a time when their equity in their home has been hit.
Consider the following comparison of total personal income from 2008, when the crisis started, and 2012, taken from official US accounts:
(click image to enlarge)Click to enlarge
Add corporate profits to this total personal income figure and you get total GDP, which is about $15 trillion. As you can see from the chart, total personal income has gone up since 2008. Inflation occurred and there was some growth. However, look at total personal interest income, only one of just a few categories to actually have declined since 2008. It has gone down significantly, by approximately $400 billion. This is about 2.5% of total GDP! It has been the low interest rates that have caused this. You can't spend what you don't earn; interest is income to as many people as it is an expense.
So who are the people that receive interest as income and are losing out the most because of this Fed policy?
(click image to enlarge)Click to enlarge
As you can see, older age groups earn the most interest income. In fact, the 55+ age group earns 72.6% of the entire population's personal interest income. It makes sense -- they have the biggest nest eggs and are likely allocated into fixed income as they are near or in retirement.
The problem is that these people are feeling the pressure, not only from recent declines in real estate, but also a nest egg that is earning paltry returns as they prepare for retirement. As a result, many older workers are staying in the workforce and clogging up the labor markets for younger workers. You can see by the two graphics below that older workers are increasingly concerned about their retirement and are planning to stay in the labor market as a result.
(click images to enlarge)
As you can see, older workers now expect to stay in the workforce longer. In fact, older workers have voted with their feet and have stayed in the workforce in droves per the original chart above.
The Zero-Interest Policy's Impact On Younger Workers
Baby Boomers' aging has resulted in greater numbers of people entering the 65-74 year-old group recently. A better indicator might be the labor participation rate for this group, which has also risen since the start of the recession (unlike the decline seen by other age groups). The result of these trends is more 65-74 year-olds in total, and a greater portion of them are still in the labor market, past their retirement age. Both trends do not bode well for younger workers.
The congestion caused by older workers not leaving the workforce has led to significant unemployment levels for lower age groups. In fact, per below, the unemployment rate gets progressively worse as age declines.
Younger workers are the ones who bring new equity into real estate markets and purchase durable goods at higher rates than other age groups. It is no surprise that these are the two industries that are lagging in the economy today. However, young workers can't save for a down payment if they don't have a job. They can't obtain jobs if older workers choose to stay in the workforce and clog the natural employment flow. Older workers have chosen to do this, in part, because their nest eggs won't earn them enough money in retirement. The interest rate has a direct effect on incomes of people in retirement.
Real estate and durable goods are the two accounts most hit by the downturn, and younger people who are very active in these markets have the highest unemployment rate of any age group. Consider the following:
As you can see, young people are hurting and becoming homeowners at lower rates than before the crisis. Further, as a result, they are making up a lesser share of total owned dwelling expenses. They are more unemployed than the other age groups and have been hit most by this crisis. This is the reason that the real estate industry is in a slump. It is not helping that older workers are staying in the workforce in large numbers.
I suspect the Fed intellectually thinks that it can get away with its zero-rate policy as long as inflation is in check. However, it is more complicated than that. A large share of people rely on interest as income. When interest income is low and the Fed commits to keep it low, then that affects expectations of future income and the ability to finance retirement. As a result, there are many people staying in the workforce, which ultimately affects younger workers on lower rungs of the labor market. Younger workers are the people that buy real estate and durable goods as they begin their careers and start families. If these younger workers don't have jobs, then they can't save for down payments or make big purchases.
The economy is more complicated than "lower interest rates and watch inflation." Manipulating prices in any market is dangerous because there are a variety of unintended consequences that could occur. In this case, the interest rate serves a very important pricing role of allocating consumption across time. This has led to real changes in behaviors regarding retirement, per the above, that has ultimately adversely affected the spending behaviors of the very people whose behavior that the government originally wished to stimulate.
Lower bound interest rates have already demonstrated themselves to be ineffective in stimulating the economy. Higher interest rates, all things being equal, will allow older workers to retire quicker, ultimately opening jobs up for younger workers who can save for down payments and make bigger purchases, driving the economy out of its sluggishness.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


text:
David Appleyard
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David Appleyard manages the Tuts+ Editorial Team, along with having founded Design Shack, and Themelantic.
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Michael Lewis' 'Flash Boys' shows SEC must revise high frequency trading rules
High frequencty trading on the stock exchanges has become a very controversial issue for Wall Street and speculators. Last week, Michael Lewis published his new book, Flash Boys, and took the debate to a new level. I've watched CNBC and Fox Business TV interviews and discussions and read stories about the debate and the book, but I haven't read the book yet. In response to a story on Politico.com this morning, I thought about the issue and decided the market is probably more manipulated than rigged. And I see the deals the exchanges give HFT funds as the same as the volume discounts Walmart and the Federal government get from their vendors. But the Securities and Exchange Commission, which wrote the rules that guide HFT funds, needs to update them. My thoughts:
Ethics • Trust • Media • Financial Media • Mutual Funds • Speculation • Trading Styles • Stocks • Technology • (0) Comments • Read More


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Remember "Poltergeist II," the horror film with a little girl who intoned "They're baaaack" when the evil forces returned? Well the unions may not be that evil, but they are definitely back. In fact, they never went away. Despite the decline in manufacturing employment, private-sector unions still collect more than $12 billion in annual dues income. With that cash flow they can be a force in any area. And several signs point to an interest in unionizing ...
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