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Social Values, Social declinePosted Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at 6:09 AM
I believe I am far from being a prude (excessively modest or proper person) but our nation's social values have certainly changed since I was a child and I can not say it is for the better. I have often heard the historical parallel to Rome and their slide into social decay.
This all came to mind because of a song that was playing on a radio when I turned it on in the hotel last week. Over and over they kept the mantra of "suicidal, suicidal". I could not understand much of the rest of it, so I could be unfairly criticizing it but, does this sound like a healthy theme for a song sung over and over by our children?
Years ago we took a CD back that our daughter had purchased by Ricky Martin. The chorus kept repeating "she'll take away your pain like a bullet to your brain". Does that sound like suicide is a viable option for pain? Do you remember the emotional swings of your teenage years? Should we allow that to be pumped in to our children under the guise of free speech?
We try to hold on to morals regarding sex and the treatment of people as human beings as not just sex objects, yet our advertisements and TV programs are filled with it, and in PRIME TIME too! Have we become numb to it?
I watched a movie on HBO that was about the struggles in Africa surrounding "conflict diamonds" The violence was immense, but at least I believe they were trying to point out the tragedies and cruelty going on. When it came to intimate scenes, we could guess what transpired but they did not see a need to show it and I lost nothing of the story line. Maybe they edited it out, but I doubt that HBO was concerned with morality.
I hope a majority of our society feels similarly, but if so, why do we allow it to continue? Is it freedom of speech, too much else to worry about, feelings of hopelessness that one person can not change things, Hollywood too independent, powerful, WHY?
Honestly, I welcome dissent on this because I would like to be convinced that this is not hurting our society. Is there little wonder why many nations see us as a decadent nation?
Cable and the internet broadcast our social values all over the world. Is this really indicative of you? It is not of me and I resent being judged by Hollywood's values.
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We are a very decadent and excessive nation . . . we like to push the boundaries and see what we can get away with but we are still consider prudish by some European nations on certain subjects(like nudity, sex, and drugs). What I find sad is the lack of respect and attitude of children and teenagers and this is coming from a 32 year old. I can walk in Wal-Mart and in a matter of minutes hear some child or teenager cussing out their parents and the parents do nothing. If I had done that to my father I could guarantee you that my butt would have been red by the time I got out of that store and I would definitely had an attitude adjustment. I think we do over preach the right to free speech and make too many excuses for children and teenagers today. Plus, its saddens me when certain hyperactive children are drugged up because parents don't have good parenting skills and don't know how to discipline(I am not saying some kids don't need drugs but I do think some people use it as a quick fix to their problems).
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that parents don't spend enough time with their children and don't know what is going on in their life. They are too busy letting their children have their own life while they go about and do their own thing and this is made easier by cell phones and teenagers have more access to cars and driving. My parents had far less conveniences than the parents of today but I feel like they did a far better job at parenting because they had dinner at the table and they were involved in every aspect of my life. Did I always enjoy it as a child and teenager having my parents looking over my shoulder? No, but I respect it now as an adult and I think it has made me a better person plus when I was a teenager they never gave me a curfew because they knew I was raised right and respected my judgment. I sometimes worry about our future by looking at the youth today.
-- Posted by jaxspike on Tue, Oct 16, 2007, at 7:54 AM
Thank you for you good comments. You know as I continue into the sunset years of my life, I am reminded that things change, sometimes not for the better. Many aspects of politeness and etiquette seem to have been left behind by younger members of our culture.
Someone expressed on another blog recently that the First Amendment to our Constitution meant they could say anything to anyone at any time. I assume this came from a young person. It does not sound like something a person who has had time to accumulate more wisdom would say. As a child, I was taught to respect my elders. That didn't mean I was required to agree with them, but it did mean that if I were to verbally disagree, it had better be tactful and respectful.
Some say that we southerners, particularly more bucolic southerners, are naive and backwards. We have not "progressed" like "city-folk" who have attained a higher level of sophistication. I resent that attitude. Many rural southerners are educated, (either formally or self-taught) articulate, genteel, productive and valued citizens of our nation. Why then are we slandered by people who assume we must all agree with their philosophies.
Is there no longer a remnant of something called taste? Some things are in bad taste, it is those that our society seems to have come to see as humorous and entertaining. I keep waiting for the pendulum to swing back a little more toward center. It would indeed be nice if decency and propriety were once again accepted as polite and preferred. When a society begins to accept the vulgar as mundane, then surely it is indicative of a society in decline.
I do not for one minute promote censorship from government. I do however recommend it from each individual. If we all were to think about the things we say and do a little more deeply, I wonder if we might be more civil to each other? This doesn't mean you are not allowed to express your differences, but like my grandmother always said, "you can catch more files with honey than with vinegar."
-- Posted by dmcg on Tue, Oct 16, 2007, at 8:02 AM
I agree with you totally , this morality of this nation has dropped a whole lot since the 60's.
It was said that the two things that caused the fall of Rome were because their military was spread to thin and the moral decline seems like we are next.
-- Posted by michaelbell on Tue, Oct 16, 2007, at 2:25 PM
You must have grown up in a different culture than I did in the 60's.
-- Posted by stardust on Tue, Oct 16, 2007, at 8:11 PM
Stardust, what did the 60's seem like to you?
Those were my high school years and I was unaware of what pot smelled like, unaware of my friends getting drunk, unaware of porn and certainly never saw any TV like we have now.
I distinctly remember a science show that was probing a question of how a woman could get pregnant without having sex with a man, and my parents flipped out and flipped the TV off.
Now, within the 7:00 o'clock hour we can often hear crude, explicit anatomical descriptions and it is supposed to be family viewing time.
If I sassed back to my parents, I better have a head start on my father. I remeber the last time he used the "cat n nine tail" on me and and it truly seemed to hurt him deeply when he did it, but I still got it.
What was different about your culture?
-- Posted by stevemills on Tue, Oct 16, 2007, at 9:12 PM
I was not born till 68 ,but my parents always told me that things started going downhiil after Vietnam.
-- Posted by michaelbell on Wed, Oct 17, 2007, at 7:23 AM
That is probably the best time-frame to reference. There was a popular song by Bob Dylan called "the times they are a changin'" Quite prophetic in retrospect.
-- Posted by stevemills on Wed, Oct 17, 2007, at 8:16 AM
Good subject!
Gosh michaelbell, I'm alittle older than you. '65 model here, anyway I agree that the morals in our country have fell to an all-time low. Even the commercials are questionable.
Remember when Jane Russel HAD to wear the turtle-neck UNDER her bra? Now they can make a whole matching set with less fabric! AND, show it all! Thats what my boys need to see more of now ain't it?
Its like I try to teach them, "Just because you can, don't mean you should".
-- Posted by countrymom on Wed, Oct 17, 2007, at 11:46 AM
My brother and sister were in high school in the 60s and it had all started before I got there in the 70s.
One of many links to the 60s:
-- Posted by stardust on Wed, Oct 17, 2007, at 6:24 PM
It's not Hollywood's goal to educate our children. Their goal is to make money, and they do it by any means neccessary. If sex and violence sells the most tickets and keeps people watching, then that's what they'll promote.
Teaching morals is supposed to be our responsibility as parents. The problem isn't what Hollywood is teaching kids, it's what the parents aren't teaching them.And lets not forget that a lot of kids don't have parents (plural) in the home to begin with.
It may be easier to think that a child shoots his classmates because he listened to Marilyn Manson, or that a teenager commits suicide because he listened to "Livin da vida loca " too many times, but I'm afraid it's just not that simple.
-- Posted by Richard on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 12:49 AM
It all fits together with the decay of our society. Lack of a stable family environment, parents who either never learned parenting skills, don't care or expect someone else to do it and a society that says if it feels good do it and all others beware.
It sure does sound like the 60's, and that was my generation. At the time it sounded good, but the lessons of time have shown me that my parents were right.
It is not a simple problem, nor is there a simple answer, but what can we do about it? When we took the CD back to Wal-Mart, they expressed concern about the lyrics, but I am sure their policy on music did not change. If they refused to sell this crap, it would make a statement.
I enjoy the wit of "Two and half men" but it is so riddled with explicit sexual content that I no longer support it with my viewing. How can a young actor be allowed to participate in the creation of this? Why is this being allowed during prime time, and what is it teaching about our youth?
We recoil when we hear children using filthy language in public, but are their roll models any better? I understand their confusion why a 15 year old can not say it, but an adult uses it and thinks it is great fun.
No, it is not one thing alone and if WE showed our concern at the box office or through the Nielsen ratings, Hollywood would respond, but we are not stepping up to the plate. WE are accepting what they think our society wants and apparently THEY are not wrong.
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 5:19 AM
Hollywood has responded to the needs of those wanting to limit what is consumed by the American public. When you take your family to the movies you can easily tell if you should enter the show or not by looking at the rating (G, PG, PG-13, R). Television has responded in the same way, posting ratings at the beginning of a show and at other intervals as deemed necessary. Music and video games also have a rating system that is printed on the front. You decide what is good for you. Some parents don't care to limit what their children see and hear. That is their choice.
I feel that we as individuals are no more or no less immoral than any previous generation. In the past many women put up with abusive or cheating husbands because of a "hush hush" mentality that the conservatives created. The hate and brutality in the south towards blacks in the 50's was borne out of this so-called morally upright school of thought. What about issues like sexual discrimination in the workplace? In my opinion we are a better society in so many important ways that the few things that you guys feel have not changed for the better may have not been that good of a standard to begin with.
Now days, people are more or less an open book, held accountable for restricting another person's freedoms. The skeletons in the closet are being exposed and people need this healing action to move on with their lives and be productive in society. In America today anyone can live the American dream with hard work and dedication regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, gender, or religion which to me is a very good indication that the system is working.
-- Posted by nathan.evans on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 9:42 AM
-- Posted by nathan.evans on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 9:48 AM
It is not a simple problem, nor is there a simple answer, but what can we do about it? When we took the CD back to Wal-Mart, they expressed concern about the lyrics, but I am sure their policy on music did not change. If they refused to sell this crap, it would make a statement.
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 5:19 AM
Actually, Wal-mart has a stricter music policy than most retailers. A lot of artists are forced to change lyrics or make edited versions just so Wal-mart will sell their CD. They receive a lot of criticism for this policy, because adults feel that THEY are being told what they shouldn't see or listen to.
Nathan made some good points. In some aspects, we are held to a higher standard than previous generations.
As far as TV is concerned, I remember watching a lot of cartoons when I was a kid that would be considered very offensive if produced today.
-- Posted by Richard on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 2:24 PM
That is good to hear about Wal-Mart. They certainly have the clout to make a difference and I am impressed that they did.
Cartoons were actually pretty violent. That was an anomaly of the time.
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 4:18 PM
I find the whole Wal-Mart thing to be a bit hypocritical. They still sell Rated R and Unrated Versions of Horror movies as well and TV mature DVD boxsets, they just simply ask for ID on those. They should do the same on CD's. They should give ME the choice on which kind of music that I want to listen to. They should have the Regular and the edited versions of the CD's, that is just another reason why my money is spent out of county in Rutherford or Coffee County, they offer me options.
If you are going to ban "explicit" lyrics, than PLEASE ban all the gore that goes along with those horrible horror movies that people seem to enjoy as well.
-- Posted by jesuslovesevery1 on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 5:39 PM
I don't plan on blogging on here much anymore, but jesuslovesevery1, I agree 100%... Wal-Mart would see a sales INCREASE if they allowed both "explicit" and "edited" lyrics... It seems contradictory to sell "R" rated movies in the same section of the store.
-- Posted by darrick_04 on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 5:41 PM
It was accurately noted that parents have a big part in how their children are brought up. Indeed they do, and we hope the responsibility is taken very seriously, BUT our society plays a part in that too.
I never thought I would find myself agreeing with the person who made the saying â*��*��it takes a villageâ*��*�� popular, but the village does indeed help the parents in the raising of the next generation, even those who have never have a child.
This is not meant to relieve the parents of their responsibility, but instead to say that we as a community can help parents by giving moral support, and re-enforcing values, if we have them.
Our parents certainly had their challenges in raising us, but it was not unusual for strangers to remind us when we were out-of-line as well. When was the last time you saw an adult correct a young person who was acting up? Instead of helping to instruct the child on social behavior, we would be cussed out for not minding our own business.
It was difficult to explain to our 16 year old daughter why she had to be in at a certain time, when many of her friends seemed to have no curfew at all. Why could she not go to R rated movies when her friends did?
Why do parents allow their children to run free? Too busy, tired of fighting the social norm, donâ*��*��t care?
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Oct 18, 2007, at 7:40 PM
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Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.
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2008 PARALYMPIC GAMES: Five More Medals for U.S. in Track & Field; Gottwald, Campbell, McGrory, Galli and George Add to Medal Count
BEIJING, China - After adding two silver medals to the U.S. Team's overall count this morning, it added five more this evening in the form of gold, three silver and a bronze.
Peter Gottwald Jr. (West Chester, Pa.) got the evening's medal run started on the track in the men's 800m final (T13). Gottwald led the pack through the first 600m of the race, when Abdelillah Mame from Morocco challenged him heading into the last turn - taking the lead. Gottwald held on down the straightaway for the silver medal finish in 1:55.49.
"I just wanted to go for it and I did," said Gottwald. "The last 200 I was hurting, but I kept going, pushed myself and held on for the silver. I was about a second and a half off my personal best, but I didn't care about the time - only the medal!"
In the women's 800m final (T53), the nail biter of the evening, Jessica Galli (Savoy, Ill./Hillsborough, N.J.) battled to the line in the last 100m against China's Hongzhuan Zhou. Both athletes finished in 1:57.25, but after a photo finish review by officials, Zhou was deemed the gold medal winner, and Galli claimed the silver.
"We had plans on what we wanted to do strategically in this race, but it didn't happen," said Galli. "We lost control early and had to regain position, so heading into the final lap I was sprinting behind Zhou. I had some distance to make up on the final turn, so I pounded it home."
Amanda McGrory (Champaign, Ill./Kennett Square, Pa.) helped pack the two-three punch for USA by winning bronze, finishing the 800m in 1:57.31.
"As far as exciting finishes go - I don't think you can ask for anything better than that," remarked McGrory when asked about the race.
Cheri Blauwet (Palo Alto, Calif.), gold medalist in the 800m in Athens, came in fourth in 1:58.38.
In the men's 800m final (T53) Joshua George (Champaign, Ill.) won silver with a time of 1:37.09 behind Huzhao Li of China, who set a new world record time of 1:36.30. George said his win really boiled down to a combination of finding his comfort zone on the track and a little bit of luck.
"They say 'you should never give up lane one' and the guy in front [Hong Suk-Man/Korea] gave it up, so that helped me to get the silver medal," said George. "But maybe if I hadn't been boxed in, I could have won the thing; it's somewhat bittersweet."
The sole gold medal of the day was won in the men's discus (F44) by now two-time gold medalist Jeremy Campbell (Chula Vista, Calif./Perryton, Texas). Campbell solidified his first place standing after a Herculean effort; he moved from fourth position to first on his final throw of the night with a 55.08m pitch and 1019 points, securing the gold.
"I knew in warm-up that I had some really good throws and felt good," said Campbell. "I slowed it down that last throw and everything just came together."
Jeff Skiba (Chula Vista, Calif./Sammamish, Wash.) finished in sixth place with a best throw of 48.72m and 901 points.
In the men's shot put (F55/56) Iraq war veteran Scott Winkler (Grovetown, Ga.) finished in fifth place, setting a new personal best - 11.27m and 995 points.
"It was breathtaking coming out of that tunnel and out on to the field in front of all those people," said Winkler. "I gave it 110% out there. I'm coming back... 2012 - I'll be there."
Jill Kennedy (Charlottesville, Va.) finished eighth in the women's shot put (F40) with a best distance of 6.39m. After competition she remarked on what it was like to compete before the thousands of fans at the Bird's Nest.
"It's the most energized crowd I've ever seen in a stadium," said Kennedy. "To have a Chinese athlete in our event really put more of a spotlight on it, and it was a real charge to be down there while the crowd was going crazy like that."
In the women's 100m final (T52), Kerri Morgan (St. Louis, Mo.), Mallerie Badgett (Oxford, Ala.) and Cheryl Leitner (Toms River, N.J.) finished in fifth (21.56), sixth (24.01) and seventh (24.40), respectively.
The men's 4x100m relay team (T11-13) comprised of Nelacey Porter (Chula Vista, Calif./Portland, Ore.), Royal Mitchell (Chula Vista, Calif./Ridgeland, S.C.), Elexis Gillette (Raleigh, N.C.) and Josiah Jamison (Chula Vista, Calif./Vance, S.C.) failed to advance to the semifinals after Jamison, the anchor in the race, got hung up with a hamstring injury while sprinting down the straightaway.
Competition Schedule - Tuesday, September 16
Session One
9:05 Men's shot put (F53/54)/final - Scot Severn (Caro, Mich.), Carlos Leon (Birmingham, Ala./N. Lauderdale, Fla.)
9:10 Men's Long Jump (F42/44)/final - Jeremy Campbell (Chula Vista, Calif./Perryton, Texas), Casey Tibbs (San Diego, Calif.), Jeff Skiba (Chula Vista, Calif./Sammamish, Wash.)
9:30 Men's Discus (F42)/final - Matt Brown (Idalou, Texas)
10:05 Men's 200m (T12)/final - Josiah Jamison (Chula Vista, Calif./Vance, S.C.)
11:51 Men's 100m (T53)/prelim - Josh George (Champaign, Ill.)
Session Two
17:48 Men's 100m (T53)/final
19:19 Women's 1500m (T54)/final
19:45 Men's 4x100m Relay (T42-46)/final
20:18 Women's 4x100m Relay (T53/54)/final
20:57 Men's 400m (T44)/final
For complete track & field competition results, visit http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/Schedule/AT.shtml.
For more information or to arrange an athlete interview, please contact Beth Bourgeois at 139-1075-4847 (if calling from the U.S., dial 011 86 plus the local number).


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Norbert 'Doc' Randall
ESCANABA – Norbert "Doc" Randall, 66, passed away Monday, April 22, 2013, at home following a brief illness.
He was born on Oct. 17, 1946, in Alpena, Mich., the son of Harry and Lillian (Sabourin) Randall.
At the age of three, Norbert's family moved to Escanaba. He attended St. Joseph Grade School and graduated from Escanaba High School.
On July 31, 1965, Norbert married the former Rose Mary Gardner at All Saints Church in Gladstone.
Doc was employed with Robinson's Furniture, Harnischfeger for 11 1/2 years; and the Michigan Liquor Control for 10 years.
He was Catholic by faith.
Doc enjoyed golf with his good friend, Tom Judson; four-wheeling, racing stock cars at the fairgrounds, and being with his family. He was an avid Packer and NASCAR fan.
Among survivors include his wife, Rose of Escanaba; sons, Jamie Randall of California and Scott (Sherry) Randall of Escanaba; daughters, Tammy (Steve) Douglas of Escanaba and Wendy (Ed) Wilbert of Hubertus, Wis.; grandchildren, Kyle Bellefeuil, Christina and Cassondra Randall, Victoria, Dylan, Ryan and Justin Randall, Matthew and Benjamin Wilbert and Derek Douglas; great-grandchild, Presley Bellefuil; brother, Gary Randall; sister, Barbara (Ron) Doyen; brother-in-law, Keith Mattson; Rose's brothers and sisters, BJ (Jim) Ness, Jackie (Chuck) Miller, Mary Ann (Ed) Mikus, Kathy (Ron) Borkowski, Bob (Shirley) Gardner and Keith Mattson; and good friend, Tom Judson.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Katie Mattson; and sister in law, Linda Randall.
Visitation will be on Friday, April 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Crawford Funeral Home in Escanaba. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. with Pastor Lewis Hague officiating.
Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family of Doc and a memorial will be established at a later date.
The Crawford Funeral Homes are assisting the Randall family.


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Spicy Sticky Lamb Chops
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons finely grated ginger
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or as much hot sauce as you like. I like it mild, so you may want more) (recommended: Sriracha)
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
- 8 (1 1/4-inch thick) lamb loin chops
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in small pan over a medium flame, shaking every 30 seconds so they don't burn. Once they've given off a lovely aroma and have turned a darker tone, remove from the hot pan and cool completely on a plate. Then throw them into your spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Mix the spices with the yogurt, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, brown sugar, salt, a healthy few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and oil. Taste and season according to your palate.
Cover each chop with the marinade, rubbing it into the meat and fat. You can marinate overnight, a few hours, or just 30 minutes. I've done all three and it tastes great every way.
Bake the chops in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish until the lamb is cooked to medium-rare, or to your liking, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest, tented with foil, for about 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe courtesy of Aarti Sequeira


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Passion Prevails for Sprunt
Barbara Sprunt, the undergraduate speaker for the School of Communication Commencement ceremony May 10, says her time spent at SOC was essential for shaping her goals for the future and the skills she needed to get there.
A Dean's Internship for NPR's All Things Considered during her junior year focused Sprunt's passion. "I was fortunate to start working at NPR and it was there I realized journalism was something I really liked," she says. "Without that internship I wouldn't have known what I wanted to study. The SOC program really helped me define what I wanted for my future."
One internship led to another and during Sprunt's final semester, she interned on NPR's Tell Me More, a daily news talk radio show. That experience segued into a full-time job at NPR following her graduation in December.
"I am the executive assistant to Margaret Low Smith who is the Senior Vice-President for news at NPR. It's been an amazing experience so far," she says.
Sprunt says the lessons she learned in the classroom, such as being able to write and communicate effectively, were directly transferable to her work.
"Something SOC emphasizes a lot is networking," she recalls. "The term always sounded overly formal and stilted to me, but in practice it means being open and engaging with the people around you, and that is what is going to give you a better classroom and work place experience."
She also emphasized the impact of SOC faculty and staff on her college career.
"SOC is a great combination of professors who are experts in what they teach and staff that are allies for the students," she says.
Her motivation for speaking at this year's commencement ceremony stems from her memorable experiences at SOC and her heartfelt desire to give tribute to what SOC has done for her.
Sprunt also shared some of the wisdom she's gained about identifying and pursuing a passion, something she was able to do by taking advantage of the doors that opened for her.
"Some people get too set on the formula that everyone talks about—take five classes, be a stellar student, intern, be involved on campus, volunteer—Where I think you'll find success is choosing one or two things that you love and working hard to do them well," she says.
"At the end of the day, the most important takeaways from college are the knowledge you gained, the experience you had, and the relationships you formed."
Award-winning journalist and TV personality, Katie Couric, will speak at the 2014 School of Communication commencement ceremony Saturday, May 10, at American University. Ceremonies begin at 9:00 a.m. in AU's Bender Arena. Learn more


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Please note that the Podium caps are primarily composed of two components: the Jet Valve and the silicone nozzle. To wash the cap by hand, pull off the silicone nozzle and wipe cap with a soapy sponge. Rinse thoroughly and snap the nozzle back on. Do not disassemble small parts of the cap JetValve. Disassembly of the plastic cap could lead to leaks or product malfunction.
I'm used to the CamelBak bite valve, where's the bite valve on this bottle?
The Podium® Bottle and Podium® Chill are designed specifically for cycling, offering optimum, hassle-free hydration via an innovative feature called the CamelBak® Jet Valve™. Made from medical-grade silicone and designed to flow automatically when you squeeze the bottle, the Jet Valve vents pressure and seals shut automatically when you're done. It's simple—no biting involved. So say goodbye to yanking your old pop-top bottle open with your teeth and bashing it shut on your hip, as well as bothersome drips and leaks.
OK, I get the Jet Valve™, but do I still need to suck on the nozzle to drink?
It's your choice. You can either put the nozzle between your lips, or just open your mouth and squirt. The Jet Valve™ opens automatically when you squeeze, then shuts automatically to prevent drips. Since there's no pop-top valve to shut off, you can guide the nozzle into helmet vents easily without accidentally shutting off the valve.
Explain the lockout valve under the nozzle. Do I need to shut this off every time I drink?
No. The Jet Valve™ keeps your bottle sealed and drip-free during use. The rotary valve under the nozzle on the cap is actually a secondary lock-out. We recommend using the lock-out exclusively for storage, i.e. if you're storing the bottle in a bike bag or trunk. Leave it open during rides or for easy access when you're drinking from the bottle. You can also lock out your backup bottle on the bike to prevent any unexpected squirts from potholes or other big hits.
How does the Podium® Chill Bottle insulation work?
The Podium® Chill features a unique, low-profile double-wall construction with a layer of airtight, insulating foam. Compared to other insulated bike bottles that can be stiff or bulky (or both), the Chill bottle is lightweight, easy to squeeze, and fits a lot of water volume into a small space. That's why we call it, "Cool without Compromise."
Can I put sports drinks in the Podium® Bottle or Podium® Chill Bottle?
Absolutely. However, make sure to clean the bottle thoroughly after each use.
Can I use carbonated beverages?
Yes. The Jet Valve™ automatically vents pressure so that "fizz" will not cause pressure buildup. Please note, if the lockout is shut off, there will be pressure buildup, which isn't dangerous, but could lead to unexpected spray when opened.
Can I put hot liquids in it?
Warm beverages are OK in the Podium® provided they're not hot enough to burn your mouth. Extra-hot or boiling water can distort the plastic in the bottle but warm tea is a nice treat for a cold ride.
Is the bottle microwave-safe?
We don't recommend heating the bottle in a microwave since contents can heat unevenly. We only recommend putting warm liquids in the Podium® and Podium® Chill Bottles.
Can I freeze the bottle?
You can freeze the bottle, but before you do, make sure that the bottle is only partially full. We recommend only 3/4 full to allow for expansion of the water as it freezes to ice. Place the bottle in the freezer right side up. Remember: you won't be able to drink until components have thawed.
(based on 6 reviews)
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Reviewed by 6 customers
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These are terrific!
By Betty
from Chesapeake, VA
Comments about CamelBak Podium® Bottle 24oz:
Well of course you have to wash these after awhile. I no longer purchase plastic water bottles now that I bought several of these. I just refil when they are empty. Great way to have water whenever you need it but best of all, not contributing to the overabundance of plastic I see daily littered about.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Simple but it works!
By Morgan
from San Antonio, TX
I needed a simple water bottle for walking and I picked this up. It's extremely affordable and since it's Camelbak, you know it's durable. I love the jet valve and even when it's turned 'on', it doesn't spill; I tried! Hasn't spilled or leaked or anything yet so I'm extremely thrilled.
By VA-Cycling
from Yorktown, VA
I use this bottle for light to medium length rides. Anything over 30 miles and I prefer to carry more water. Jet valve works great. I will buy another.
Great bottle, but noise (burping) issues
By mR
from Colorado
This is the best bottle for road cycling (I use Camelbak's backpacks for mtb).However, the primary issue is with the Jet valve's tendency to "burp." Pressure always needs to equilibrate, hence the bottle will constantly be making small noises as you use it throughout the day. This is only an issue for off-bike use, e.g., in your school backpack, taking it with you everywhere. I have traveled extensively with the Podium bottle, and this consistent clicking/popping/gurgling/burping is simply annoying. Regardless, I will continue to use exclusively it for my cycling needs.
(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
If you like eating dirt this is great
By smithcreek
from Westerly, RI
I bought this for mountain biking. Problem is the valve collects a lot of dirt and debris while riding, and there is no way to clean it out while in use. I tried squirting some water through it to clean it before taking a drink, but I wasted most of my water and still did not get most of the dirt out.They now offer a $6 cap to put over the jet valve, but that completely negates the purpose of the valve which is to provide a valve that does not need to be opened each time you use it, plus at $6 it costs more than most complete bottles do.I've used it road riding and it works fine, but I would just go with a standard bottle and forget the whole jet valve.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Big bang for your buck here!
By Adam the Athlete
from Denver, CO
I love this product! I have two, and just ordered my sister one so she'll stop taking mine =) Really a great water bottle. I received one as a gift several years ago, and found the other near the bike path (big score foe me). There are two things to never do: 1) never leave cap partially unscrewed (easier than you think) 2) never EVER wash out with soap (unless of course you enjoy the taste of soapy water)... All in all, this is a wonderful water bottle, which as far as I can tell, has been unrivaled in quality and design.
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Editor's Note: Under Secretary James Glassman's office provided the following transcript of his recent bloggers' roundtable. We thought DipNote's readers might be interested in seeing it.JAMES GLASSMAN: Well welcome everybody. This is James Glassman. I want to talk to you today about two things; one quite briefly. Maybe I should do that first.
Two weeks ago I had the privilege of giving the President and the Vice President and several others in the White House a briefing here at the State Department about the state of public diplomacy and more specifically of our efforts of ideological engagement or the war of ideas.
And I'm not going to - I'm not going to give you the whole presentation but I will give you the basic conclusion which is I think in 2001 when George Bush became President, there really was no war of idea strategy to speak of and not much in the way of infrastructure.
And today as the administration prepares to leave office, there's a strategy, there's a platform, there's a new way of doing business in place that are ready for the next administration.
And I think an important question is what are the vulnerabilities of that strategy, platform and structure. I'm sorry, strategy, platform and program. And I think there are really two. One is that there is a need for a scaling up of resources in public diplomacy and certainly in the war of ideas part of public diplomacy.
You know, I think that prior to this revamping of the structure and the strategy, I'm not sure whether shoveling a lot of money at this would have been all that worthwhile. But I really do think that the next administration should scale up from where we are now.
And the second vulnerability is this. That there is a lot of talk and a lot of it quite constructive about the organization of public diplomacy in general and can it be improved. And my view is yes it can be improved. But that we have a structure today that is imminently workable and that I think is doing quite well.
And my worry is that if there is a major reorganization that the public diplomacy effort and the effort specifically in the war of ideas will be set back perhaps for years. So I think that the next administration is going to - should absolutely keep that in mind. I think we have a workable structure.
Okay. So that's what I wanted to say about that. And maybe I'll just - I think I'll move onto the second topic and then you can ask me questions about either subject or any subject you want.
The second topic is Colombia. I just came back from Colombia. Well, I guess I was there three weeks ago now. And the reason that I went was I felt that Colombia had a good deal to teach us in our war of ideas efforts in other parts of the world. And it turned out that I think I was right in two areas specifically.
One is that Colombia has been running a very successful program of demobilization and reintegration, what they call it, that has focused on violent extremist groups both of the right and of the left.
The right wing paramilitaries have essentially been demobilized on (mass). The FARC, which began life in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, is still around, still doing business now for 44 years. And the FARC is the major target of Colombia's efforts. And they've been quite successful.
Last year 3000 FARC members demobilized. They are leaving the FARC now at a rate of about 10 a day. We just saw just yesterday it was announced that a Colombian Congressman who had been help for eight years in the jungle was - got out. Was rescued with the help of a FARC combatant. And this is the kind of program that the Government has been running.
And one of the things that we saw was that it's not just pulling people out of the FARC; and by the way, the effort to pull people out of the FARC is highly sophisticated from a strategic communications point of view.
They use music videos. They use community radio. They use text messaging to cell phones. But it's not just the demobilization part that's important. It's also what happens after they're demobilized.
And the country really from the top down is very impressive. From President Uribe with whom I spoke, you know, all the way down; civil society, individuals, businesses really - they are dedicated to this effort succeeding which by the way I think is an important lesson for countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan in their own struggles against violent extremism. You better have a society wide commitment.
At any rate, the people who are pulled out of the FARC or who desert or who demobilize, many of them really lived in - have lived in the jungle for years. I met a young woman who was recruited into the FARC at the age of 12. She's now 19. She'd been in for seven years. She's from a remote part of Colombia.
She had - she herself had seen a car before but she was with people who'd never seen automobiles and are now kind of plunked down in the middle of Bogota and it would be difficult enough for anyone coming in from the country to kind of learn, to be educated and to be trained for jobs. But after spending seven years in the jungle, it makes it more difficult.
Anyway, so that was very impressive and we think there are applications here for other violent extremist groups. And I think this is the important message at least to me that, you know, throughout the world we're seeing violent organizations, some of them tied to specific ideologies like the FARC is or to a twisted interpretation of a religion like al-Qaida is.
And sometimes they're simply criminal enterprises. But what they all have in common is that they exploit young people. They hijack young people and indoctrinate them. And the effort to either get them out of those organizations or to prevent them from ever getting in there through policy we call diversion, I think is one of the most important things we can do in public diplomacy today. And that was reaffirmed by my visit.
The second thing that I learned in Colombia was - involved a movement that was started by a group of young people; really started by one 33 year old who unemployed a computer scientist, computer engineer who spontaneously started a group on Facebook against the FARC, No Mas FARC movement, that just exploded so that now you go on Facebook and you can see he's got over 400,000 members.
And that organization itself spawned as a million voices movement that put 12 million people into the streets against the FARC on February 4 -- A million in Bogota alone, and 11 million in 190 cities around the world.
So we were very interested in that. I say we. I traveled to Colombia with Jared Cohen and Adnan Kifiyat from - here from State. And one of the things we came away with was the idea of putting the young people who started the No Mas FARC movement in touch with other young people who had built much smaller organizations against violence in - around the world; in many different countries around the world.
So we are - we're helping them make connections. It's really not - it's not our work. It's really their work. And I think this is another lesson. You know, we think a lot of the most productive public diplomacy programs are ones where we are a facilitator or convener.
We give a little nudge. Occasionally we'll put the money into it or maybe more than occasionally but usually not very much money. But it's really - often it's motivated individuals and it's private sector that do the work. And I think that's absolutely true in this case.
So I think I'll just stop there and hear your questions either about what I said at the start or about Colombia or about anything you'd like. Thank you.
GLEN ROBERTS: Perfect. Thank you. Of course I just want to remind you that there will be a transcript of this so you should have that about 24 hours after the close of the call today. I'll make sure it gets sent out to all the participants and we'll also posted to the Website as well.
First let's get started with Amy Zalman from about.com.
AMY ZALMAN: Hi. Thank you for having me on the call. I was going to ask a more general question that I prepared earlier. But actually your discussion of Colombia was interesting to me because I've been having a dialogue on my site with a reader who is an American businessman who - about recent protests and telling that CNN has reported as protests against the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. by indigenous folks in the regional country areas.
And the police in that instance said that the FARC was behind it and I questioned that in my site. This reader wrote in and said - and said he thinks that the FARC was absolutely there. And then we began this dialog in which he said ultimately that he doubted that the people who were protesting had enough understanding of the Free Trade Agreement itself to be protesting it.
And we discussed what kinds of - why these protests might have occurred now. We're they for local reasons? Was the stated reason sort of funneling other issues? And he agreed with you as a matter of fact that the FARC is in big trouble there.
So my question is whether you happen to have a read on what this protest was about and why it occurred now? And more generally, was it when anti-Americanism is expressed but it's not necessarily really anti-Americanism as it is a vehicle for funneling local issues? How sort of public diplomacy thought afoot now might address this?
JAMES GLASSMAN: Okay. Well thanks for the question. I really - I've read about these protests but I really don't know that much about them. I can tell you this. That the FARC's relationship with indigenous people in Colombia, and obviously there are many indigenous people and so this is a general comment.
The FARC's relationship with them is not a very good one. The FARC has been quite brutal throughout its history to indigenous people. So, you know, I don't have an idea whether they're behind this or not.
I do know that they have been - that they have been - the FARC has been demoralized both by this program, which now has reduced the estimated size of the FARC from 18,000 to 9000. I mean they're still dangerous. There's no doubt about that. They still hold an estimated 700 hostages. Some of them may be dead by now. But that's the general estimate. So they've still got a lot of hostages.
And lets see, your other question about anti - could you just repeat that question? Maybe I...
AMY ZALMAN: Sure. It actually strikes me that this is - this is only one instance of many and I think of many in the middle east where express statements of - that sound like anti-Americanism are really funneling local issues.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Oh. Oh yeah.
AMY ZALMAN: They of course take up America as a symbol in free trade or perhaps another issue. But in fact there are a number of narratives running through and (balanced) by whether it's in print or it's in a protest or it is another expression of anti-Americanism. And so that's my kind of getting at the bottom of anti-Americanism instead of just saying well, we're not this or we're that or what happened sort of in 2001 and 2002 when the State Department used to respond.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Right. Okay. Well, I think - I think I would agree with the general proposition that often - that often protest movements that may have other objectives kind of seize on anti-Americanism. You know, anti-Americanism is in some parts of the world a kind of a religion.
And so it does make it kind of difficult to combat in that sense. I mean, but part of this is inevitable. I mean we are - we're the big guy on the block at a time when there aren't too many other big guys at all. And so I think we become the focus of anger that may be - that may be - whose sources may be completely different.
But let me just say one other thing. I have to get in a little pitch for the Free Trade Agreement. I did talk to President Uribe and that was his major concern was about the Free Trade Agreement.
And, you know, I think - I think it's a real shame that this country - that Congress has not passed the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia which is - has been such a great partner; has made so much progress over the past few years.
It's not - it's not a particularly good signal to be sending to other allies of ours which I realize it doesn't have very much to do with public diplomacy. But I couldn't pass that up.
GLEN ROBERTS: Okay. Thank you very much Amy. May have time for a second round. But lets move onto Alex Belida. Alex, are you with us?
ALEX BELIDA: I sure am. A couple of questions if I might because the first one might be real brief in answering. You mentioned your position vis a vie what you think the next administration can do, should do.
Have you had a chance to either brief the two campaigns or is there some vehicle for you to communicate the structure to them?
JAMES GLASSMAN: Yes. We are - we have prepared a transition paper and - which I just finished actually on Monday. Rather brief. I think it's about six - it was supposed to be four pages but it's actually six pages.
And then they're separate briefs that were prepared by - under our guidance by ECA, Education Cultural Affairs and International Information Program. And we expect that we will be having actually face to face conversations and be preparing other papers over the next few weeks with the newly elected administration.
But beyond that, I personally have not had conversations with potential members of the new administration although we don't know who they are.
ALEX BELIDA: And my second one is a kind of follow up to the first blogger's roundtable. There was a discussion of a social networking project with Iran that State had been involved in setting up called Parsloop.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Oh, right.
ALEX BELIDA: What's happened to it because it seems to have stopped functioning?
JAMES GLASSMAN: Yeah. It has stopped functioning. Oh, I'm being told by Glen that it's a funding question.
JAMES GLASSMAN: So - we could probably follow up with you on that. Glen could...
GLEN ROBERTS: Alex, I'm happy to follow up with you on that. It was a funding issue and, you know, our research that looked at it - I'll definitely get to you offline on it. But bottom line is it was not funded for FY09 so it went black on the 1st of October.
ALEX BELIDA: Got it.
GLEN ROBERTS: And so we're - we'll see how that progresses in the future but right now it looks like Parsloop probably is not going to come back to us.
JAMES GLASSMAN: And I just want to say really quickly that that is not a reflection of our general attitude towards social networking. We were doing more and more in social networking. But, you know, I think - I think it's as with anything - some things work and some things don't. We're not exactly sure why Parsloop did not work as well as we thought that it would. I think that's...
GLEN ROBERTS: It's kind of a tribute to our folks at INR department doing our research. They really quantify - they're very, very good at quantifying, you know, the impact of a lot of these projects that we do in public diplomacy.
That's kind of a new thing that's just come about fairly recently but we really do spend a lot of money and a lot of effort on quantifying and measuring the impact of these efforts. And certainly that was one that was looked at. So while Parsloop probably did not, you know, was not something that we're looking to continue, it is kind of a tribute to our INR folks and our research folks that have done a pretty good job on measuring that.
So, did you have anything else Alex?
ALEX BELIDA: No. Thank you very much.
GLEN ROBERTS: Great. Lets move on to Bud Goodall from ASU.
BUD GOODALL: Good morning. Well it's morning here, afternoon for you. We've got a group here that's working on a project about FARC and about the self-organizing systems that were used to draw people into the movement against it.
But one of the questions that we've had here is what is the U.S. position on Uribe's recent response to FARC. And we're talking here about his military campaign into Ecuador. I mean does this change things in terms of how people use organizing to effect change in that system?
JAMES GLASSMAN: Well the only thing I would say is that the battle against the FARC is a very good example of the use of war of ideas or strategic communications techniques as well as military. You know, three, including the fellow in Ecuador, three of the FARC's seven top leaders have died in the past year. One by natural causes.
BUD GOODALL: Yeah.
JAMES GLASSMAN: And so, you know, the military effort is definitely continuing. During my trip to Colombia I went to a town called Vista Hermosa, which is south of Bogota and was really kind of the front line of the - of the battle in military terms against the FARC and this is territory that has been reclaimed. And there certainly are still parts of Colombia that are under the control of the FARC.
And the problem of - I'm absolutely not going to comment on the, you know, the particular action that you're talking about. But there's no doubt that the FARC has used Ecuador and Venezuela as safe havens whether, you know, it was wittingly - whether those Governments were witting or not. And so it does present - I think it presents a problem for the - for the Colombian military.
BUD GOODALL: Okay. Great. Well thanks.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Okay.
GLEN ROBERTS: Perfect. We'll move on to Matt Armstrong from MountainRunner. Matt. Good afternoon.
MATT ARMSTRONG: Good afternoon. Thanks for - thanks for having the call. My question goes to the definition of public diplomacy. I know that you generally look at public diplomacy and strategic communication as interchangeable and synonyms of each other.
But of course other areas don't look at it that way. Some hold PD under SC and some the other way around. So I'm looking at how would you - how do you look at public diplomacy as you're handing over the system, if you will, over to the new administration?
In your discussion, you're mentioning FARC, which was clearly not Government to people, which would contradict some views of what public diplomacy is, the No Mas FARC being people to people.
Also if you might have a thought on, you know, how public diplomacy extends beyond the war of ideas and countering ideological support to terrorism and toward economic warfare and the old Chinese concept of unrestricted warfare. I wonder if you'd given thought to that on the definition of public diplomacy.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Well, lets see Matt. Sorry you asked me that question because I don't - I think it's hard to distinguish in these - I know what my definition is, lets put it that way, of public diplomacy.
You know, what I say, maybe this is sort of a tautology. The public diplomacy is diplomacy that's aimed at publics and sometimes gets officials engaging with those publics. Sometimes it's our publics engaging with those publics, foreign publics. Sometimes it's actually other foreign publics engaging with those foreign publics. And they may be foreign publics that we have encouraged to engage.
So I think that it really is defined - I define it by the target audience and also try to distinguish it from official diplomacy which in general is our officials talking or interacting with their officials.
You know, I use the term - I realize the military has a specific definition of strategic communications. I tend to use that term in - as a subset of public diplomacy and more interchangeably with war of ideas activities.
And I'm not sure whether these things are right or wrong but I sort of have laid down my own definitions or our own definitions so the people that we work with here understand what they are.
I also and maybe this is a hyper simplistic way, but one of the things we've been thinking about now is also how the three broad categories in which we work under public diplomacy - how to distinguish those. So there is telling America's story, which is essentially what IIP does explaining our policies and our principles to the world, talking about America. And that's really about us. That's mainly about us. It's about America.
Then there is what ECA does, Education and Cultural exchanges and that's about us and them. Almost an equal measure. And then the third which is the war of ideas which is mainly about them.
Now in all of these functions clearly there is a dialog or even something that's even broader than a dialog, a conversation that's going on, but the main focus is - I think is differentiated in one of those three ways. Is that - does that answer your question? Was there something else you had?
MATT ARMSTRONG: No, that answered the question. I was looking really to something that preps the use of public diplomacy and the conceptualization of public diplomacy that's general practice for the next administration as you're getting ready to hand off. What will they use (R) for and what will they use (SPD) for should it continue to exist?
One of the problems I see is that people don't really understand the value of public diplomacy. They don't exactly know what it's doing that is changing and changing rapidly. But we don't necessarily have a firm doctrine. I know you haven't had time to rewrite the national strategy on strategic communications and public diplomacy.
JAMES GLASSMAN: No, but I think - I think certainly my - in my transition paper and some of the other things that I've written or talked about I think I've clarified it fairly well. I mean, you know, that the definition I just gave is the definition of public diplomacy and then I used pretty much the standard definition of understanding, informing, engaging and influencing foreign publics.
So I would think that the next administration may disagree, but I think they will get a pretty clear picture at least of where we're coming from on public diplomacy.
GLEN ROBERTS: Perfect. With that, Brian McGuigan with the British Embassy, did you have anything? Any question?
BRIAN MCGUIGAN: Yeah. Undersecretary Glassman, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your Digital Outreach Team and specifically what success you found there, what lessons you've learned and maybe specifically how you quantify success.
JAMES GLASSMAN: Right. Yes. The Digital Outreach Team currently comprises nine - it's nine, is that correct?
MAN: Yeah.
JAMES GLASSMAN: There are nine people and they go onto Websites, blogs, popular meeting places, chat rooms. They identify themselves as working for the State Department and they engage in conversations where a good deal of what they do is trying to sort of correct misimpressions about U.S. policies.
And they frequently do that by referring back to documents some of which are on america.gov. And we think that they're effective. Now I'm not - I don't think it's easy to quantify how effective they are. I know that we do have - we do have metrics on the number of - I think the number of people that they're reaching. That they're individually reaching.
But, you know, we're not just in the reaching business. We're in the persuading business and that's very hard to do. I mean that's - it's very hard to quantify exactly how well we've done there.
And let me just speak in general about that. I think we've done a very good job in recent years of evaluating ECA programs, Education and Cultural Affairs programs. We are just now making a major effort and putting a fair amount of money into evaluations of other programs that we do.
We've evaluated before but not in the same kind of consistent way. So with...
MAN: It's called PD impact.
JAMES GLASSMAN: ...yeah, it's called PD impact. One of the things I can - now I think I may have discussed this on the last call. But, you know, to give you an idea, this is just anecdotal evidence, but as far as the success of the Digital Outreach Team.
We had - we had a Farsi blogger, a Farsi-speaking member of the team who went onto the blog of the Chief Media Advisor to Ahmadinejad and engaged - we were amazed that this fellow engaged with him. And they ended up doing five - he ended up doing five posts. They did a back and forth debate really about major policy issues that went on for, you know, we have the printout - I think actually may have provided a...
JAMES GLASSMAN: I'm sorry I'm going over ground that you already know about. But anyway, then the Iranian official put it in the newspaper and then after that the whole thing went dark. So we kind of figured that he - somebody may have said to him, "You shouldn't have done this."
But at any rate, I mean, that's the kind of anecdotal evidence that we have that things are working. I should also point out that we are considering adding Russian to our Digital Outreach Team languages.
GLEN ROBERTS: Perfect guys. Are there any other questions? Anybody that I missed or anybody that would like to re-attack? Okay. Folks, what we'll do is then we'll close. Thank you very much for your participation. Look forward to doing this again probably at the end of November and like I said, my goal is to get a full transcript of this call out to you within the next 24 hours.
If you have any follow up questions, feel free to hit me back at the email address that I sent you the invite to and look forward to hearing from you guys. Thanks a lot. Have a great day.
ENDFTS State Department
Bloggers' Roundtable with Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs James K. Glassman
Glen Roberts, Moderator
October 28, 2008
2:00 pm EDT
John in Greece writes:
Today, there is a "War of ideas" again, almost like the one we had during the "Cold War" days. This Blog is a VITAL "communication tool" that MUST be supported EVEN MORE.
Regardless if John McCain or Barack Obama will be the next President, the forthcoming Administration must support and encourage EVEN MORE this great internet effort.
Months ago, a co-blogger asked the forum how much does this "Blog.gov" cost. Today, after 1 year "in here" and some hundreds of "debates", I am EVEN MORE sure that this site has a global vision and an extremely intellectual and humanitarian perspective that make any "cost question"... out of the question!
Mark in Tennessee writes:
This was an interesting blog Mr. Glassman. I did not realize FARC was still so active. I have two question a little unrelated to FARC. I noticed you said societal-wide efforts are needed to defeat aggressors in Afghanistan. If this is true, does the US really believe we can turn Afghanies against their own people? And second, this is a question which has bewildered me for some time. If America promotes freedom, why do we tell countries like N. korea and Iran they can't have nuclear weapons to defend their ideologies when we have them and have used them (Hiroshima) to defend ours. Is it because we are the shining light on the hill and are the only ones who are promoting what is right or is it because we have a bigger stick then our "enemies."
John in Greece writes:
@ Mark in TN -- Concerning your question on Iran, N. Korea etc. (Syria, Sudan): they can't have nuclear weapons on the ground that they do not have a democratic infrastructure. They are regimes! Moreover, Religious Juntas.
And this is extremely dangerous for all the Globe. I mean having in their hands a nuclear power.
When U.S.A. used nuclear weapons saved the world from Hitler and ended the WW2 for good. Some victims? YES! However, the result was: billions of people FREE... that otherwise would be "dead" one way or another if the weapon had not been used.
All of which -- in my thought -- is cruel, but simple "mathematics of Freedom". I think that this historical evaluation is quite clear!
By the way, I can't understand to which ideologies you are referring to as long as these countries have a Junta. How can a Junta inspire the creation of an ideology, since People do not participate in its creation?
I'm sure that Mr. Glassman will give you a more detailed and official answer. I just felt to share this thoughts of mine with you.
Best Regards! Welcome to the Blog Mark!
Eric in New Mexico writes:
@ Mr. Glassman, Thing is sir, America's detractors and outright enemies have their own public diplomacy networks targeting the American public. And they speak and write in English in US publications on line.
I would suggest that the Dig. outreach include a domestic component as counter to this.
Often I've been mistaken (or acused rather) of "working" for the US gov. but I've been doing Dig. outreach for a number of years now as such, without "official" licence to bust myth....except for being a citizen..(chuckle).
In any case, even those America supports in their quest for freedom get confused sometimes by what they hear in the press, and you may find the conversation between "Oppenheimer" and "Cyrus" (blog owner) in this link to be an interesting exchange (one of many) between folks that have the same interests at heart.
In closing, one does not seek to change mindsets directly (an excercise in futility). It is a process of getting people to think about what their mindset ultimately manifests in reality, by getting to the nub of the paradox. And are they really going about getting what they want the right way? That's what you hope to get them to ask themselves.
Where it concerns "presenting the case" , a dialogue occurs or not, and if it does long enough, you get to know people and they you, and that's when interesting things start to happen.
It's a process I think of creating a fundemental realization that one should be careful what one wishes for as much as the examination of an idea or perception of an ideology.
An invitation to think, in other words.
Kirk in Kentucky writes:
@ Dipnote -- Great piece.
Is that transition paper by Under Secretary Glassman available to the public?
Donald in Virginia writes:
3 Nov 08
When will people ever learn that these two devices DRUGS & GUNS always leads to a dead-end!
One can't live without the other! Drug dealers will always look over their shoulders because they themselves become a target from the users!
People in the country think OIL is bad...or very expensive but the fact that everyone overlooks is Pharmacy or prescription drug companies. Look at the highest ranking companies in the world making big profits. Exxon Mobile is not alone.
The simple solution to this mess about DRUGS is so easy! The laws need to be changed. Drug dealers should be spending a lifetime in prison. Federal Laws need to be changed. A proper investigation needs to be done to ensure the Drug dealers are not stockpiling the loot from drugs in friends, family or associates hands but to only continue dealing or selling illegal drugs.
I also believe that introducing new technology on motor vehicles that would allow law enforcement to see whats in the vehicle would be ideal. Vehicles, cars & trucks should have a scanner tool that will enable State Troopers and local law enforcement to check a vehicle without stepping out of the cruiser. This way they would have the means to knowing whats in it before they step into harms way! The bottom line on this, our Law Enforcement Officers should have the best means of searching a vehicle without physically checking it! The scanner tool should also have a digital means of detecting who is in the vehicle. When an officer of the law pulls a vehicle over, a digital readout should be sent to the cruiser giving them all the info they need, identification, license, registration of the vehicle, the works, along with who is in the vehicle. It should also have the the ability to check for drugs & weapons.
This new tool would be great for foreign countries as well. Checking for weapons or even illegal drugs. The bottom line should be to create a safe place for all people in all countries around the world!
I believe this would help law enforcement, it would also prevent crime and help Officers of the Law to use better detection before something happens!
John in Greece writes:
I totally agree with your deeper concept Donald, but I do not think that technology can easily create such a "drug scanner" soon enough.
Concerning drugs (maybe guns too) I think that the only way for us to fight the problem and have realistic results is what Eric in NM and Joe in TN have several times suggested through their posts: Education and strong family structures!
Concerning guns, explosives etc., I think that the new era scanners -- like the ones used at airports -- can also offer a solution in a city-field platform as well.
However, I doubt if we can have the same tech-result against drugs, especially if you consider the fact that now days there are "chemical drugs" you cannot easily detect. How the "scanner brain" can judge whether the probable detected pill in the "scanned" car is a drug or an innocent aspirin? This may end up a total traffic mess? I mean we cannot have "scanner K-9s"? (chuckle)
By the way, have you read the 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report?
Very interesting!
Best Regards Donald.
Donald in Virginia writes:
3 Nov 08
@ John in Greece -- Hey John, I think education and family, along with religious values help. However, it just doesn't go far enough. When people choose to sell illegal drugs, or destroy other peoples lives with weapons there needs to be a stronger method of detection.
Preventive is always better than the what could go wrong that day. If law enforcement can detect better, a radar gun is great at determining the speeds of a vehicle, I just think there needs to be more tools to help fight the war against drugs, the war against weapons who criminals have, the war against terror which by introducing new methods of checking vehicles on the highways.
If it means attaching a metal detector on the front of the cruiser to help determine whats in the vehicle, "I'm for it" it will take some time to develope this type of technology but we are the same people who went into space and proved it can be done!
The goal in every state across the country should be to make everyone safe! People shouldn't be travelling around with hand guns unless they have a permit to carry one. I doubt you could put a K9 on the hood of the cruiser, but maybe one day Law Enforcement will have something like my idea and will be able to check the entire vehicle by scanning it and know the contents. This just might be a useful detection device that will save lives!
I believe we all should thank Law Enforcement for the tough job they do everyday!
Alex in Washington writes:
How can I join "Digital Outreach team"?


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Norma, I gave this a little try a while back:http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11150.msg100553.html#msg100553
Norma... I think I need to stop coming around here for awhile. Yours is the latest in a long line of drool-inducing creations from the gifted and accomplished cooks of this forum that is making me even fatter by simply looking at it. Seriously, you great people are driving me insane. I WANT to make this. That's beautiful. Congratulations.
Marscapone isn't working?
Norma,Remember this post--Reply 360 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11044.msg102978.html#msg102978?Peter
Norma,The Full Strength flour is a bread flour, not an all-purpose flour, with a protein content that is just a hair less than the King Arthur bread flour.Peter
you kill me every time. beautiful work norma you are doing every thing so good. you are the


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Kennedy Man Faces Charges Following Cab Incident
KENNEDY – State Police have charged a Kennedy man after he broke a cab window in February.
Jason Degolier turned himself in Saturday at the State Police barracks in Jamestown following a month-long investigation. A trooper last month was notified by a cab driver that Degolier intentionally broke the front passenger-side window of his cab after the driver had given him a ride home from a bar.
Police learned that Degolier allegedly struck the window after being dropped off, causing the glass to break on the inside of the cab. Some of the glass struck the driver in the face, State Police said, causing him to seek medical attention.
The driver's eyes were washed out, but was not diagnosed with any injury, a police report said.
Degolier was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment. He was processed at police barracks and issued an appearance ticket. Degolier is scheduled to appear in Poland Court at a later date to answer the charge.
The cab company declined to press charges for the broken window.


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WEST HAVEN, CONN. -- The Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven has been ranked in the top tier of undergraduate engineering programs nationwide in the 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges."
"This distinction is a testament to our hard-working faculty members and students," says Ron Harichandran, dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering. "Our professors are dedicated to providing real-world opportunities for our students to apply what they learn in the classroom, and our students display the commitment and work ethic that prepares them to excel in their careers."
The rankings are based on a survey of engineering deans and senior faculty members at programs accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
At the beginning of the 2004-2005 academic year, the Tagliatela College of Engineering introduced the Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum. The sequence of 10 courses is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of engineering principles and develop students' professional skills.
Guest speakers regularly visit campus as part of the Alvine Engineering Professional Effectiveness and Enrichment Program, and students take part in industry-sponsored projects, competitions and internships to further develop their skills. As an example, system engineering majors Grace Cotnoir, '13, and Macide Dunica, '12, are currently interning at Sikorsky through the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium.
Recently, UNH was invited by the Kern Family Foundation to join the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN). The University, one of 21 colleges and universities nationwide in the network, was selected to receive a two-year, $75,000 grant to develop classroom and co-curricular opportunities that foster an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students.
"The U.S. News ranking adds to the tremendous momentum taking place at UNH and in the Tagliatela College of Engineering," says Harichandran.
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven provides its students with a valuable combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. Founded in 1920, UNH is a private, top-tier comprehensive university with an 82-acre main campus. The university has an enrollment of nearly 6,400: approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in university housing. The university offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degrees through the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, the Tagliatela College of Engineering and University College. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.


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Source Starter Kit
Description & Highlights
SodaStream Source Starter Kit
Make your very own sodas with the help of the SodaStream Source Starter Kit (1019511014, 1019511015). This model is an elegantly-designed unit that combines functionality and efficiency. The redesigned carbonating bottle easily locks into place with a single-push motion and the refined mechanics make the top of the unit responsive to touch. SodaStreams allow you to easily turn your water into soda in just seconds, making it quick and easy to create delicious, bubbly soda for parties, BBQs, or even for the kids! Making your own sodas at home can help you save money, as you won't need to buy the expensive liter bottles of soda at the store, which definitely adds up.
SodaStream sodas don't require the use of high fructose corn syrup or any other artificial sweetener, which makes your homemade sodas much healthier than any brand you can find in the store. Sweetened with Splenda, you can be sure that your soda will be better for you, giving you peace of mind that your vice isn't as bad as you might think! Included with this soda maker is your very own glass carafe for holding your sodas, which helps you cut down the use of plastic 1-liter bottles to ease the environmental impact of your soda maker. Ideal for the soda lover in your family, this soda maker will be their favorite gift for years to come.
Healthy Drinks:Making your own soda at home means no use of high fructose corn syrup, which can have adverse health effects
Environmentally-Friendly:The included glass carafe allows you to bottle sodas over and over again without having to buy and throw away several plastic bottles
Redesigned Bottle:An elegant redesign of the carbonating bottle allows it to easily lock into place with single-push motion
- Model: 1019511014, 1019511015SodaStream Source Starter Kit
- Brand: SodaStreamNo batteries or electricity required
- Makes up to 60 L of sodaEasily portable
- One (1) plastic carafe includedLightweight
- Stainless steel constructionHealthy alternative to store-bought sodas
- Carbon cylinder includedEco-friendly operation
- Makes soda in 30 secondsWeight: 11.44 lbs
- Warranty: 2 yearsDimensions: 17.79" H x 8.74" W x 11.61" D
- Height: 17.79"
- Width: 8.74"
- Depth: 11.61"


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The vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was 10-7-1, and the one "present" vote belonged to Ed Markey.
Here's how he explained it in a statement sent to the press. I'm not exactly buying the proposition that he needs to study the issue and "consult with experts"� before taking a position. He's experienced enough to understand the resolution put in front of him. For that matter, he should have had a hand in writing it. If he'd said he wanted to be considered undecided so that the administration would bend to his concerns in order to win his vote in the Senate, I'd be OK with abstaining. But he didn't say that.
Anyway, here's what he did say, in full:
�The use of chemical weapons is a heinous and despicable act that is outside the bounds of civilized conduct.
�I participated in today�s committee consideration of the resolution and yesterday�s hearing as well as various classified intelligence briefings held since the President announced on Saturday that he would seek congressional authorization to strike the Assad regime.
�Before casting such a monumental vote, I need to review all of the relevant classified materials relating to this matter before I make a decision as important as authorizing the use of military force. The people of Massachusetts expect their representatives to have analyzed all of the facts prior to making a decision of this magnitude.
�I am concerned about the unintended consequences of a U.S. military attack on Syria and the potential that such a strike could lead, over time, to the entanglement of our brave service men and women in an intractable Syrian civil war.
�The resolution as currently drafted contains language that could be interpreted as expanding the scope of the U.S. military action beyond merely the degradation and deterrence of Assad�s chemical weapons capability.
�The current version of the resolution goes beyond the President�s objective of responding to the use of chemical weapons to call for a broader U.S. political and military strategy in Syria that includes expanded support for various opposition groups, efforts to limit support for the Syrian regime from the Government of Iran and activities to isolate terrorist groups in Syria.
�Although some of these may be desirable objectives, as written they could result in deeper U.S. military involvement in a country inflamed by sectarian violence.
�In the days to come, I will further examine the classified intelligence information and consult with experts before deciding how I will vote on the final resolution when it is considered on the Senate floor.�


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TOYS FOR TOTS Toy Drive & Wine Tasting on Friday, 12/13. Please Come.
Toys For Tots, started in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks with help from his Marine Corps Reserve unit in Los Angeles, and expanded nationwide in 1948 as the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Program, has collected and distributed over 400,000 toys to less fortunate children.
The Hopland Volunteer Fire Department helps Santa each Christmas Eve by delivering toys collected to children who could use a little extra Christmas cheer.
The McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room in Hopland acts as a bridge between the two organizations, by hosting a combination Toys For Tots toy drive and wine tasting each year.
Please come to McFadden in Hopland this Friday, December 13, after work, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and bring a new unwrapped toy donation.
In exchange for your donation, as a thank you for your kindness and generosity of Christmas spirit, each person, 21 or over, bringing a donation will enjoy a complimentary tasting of the best of McFadden's wines. Enjoy the Double (unanimous) Gold Medal winning McFadden Chardonnay from this year's San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition – the highest awarded unoaked Chardonnay at the largest judging of American wines in the world; the Gold, Double Gold, Wine Enthusiast Editor's Pick, and 97 point rated Sparkling Brut from McFadden; the only Zinfandel-centric blend Coro Mendocino from the 2010 vintage – there were ten made – at a pleasurably drinkable under-14% alcohol; and the Best of Class Late Harvest Riesling, that's the nation's best dessert Riesling of any sort, from this year's San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
In addition to a complimentary wine tasting, while it lasts, there will be taste pairings, a bite of a homemade gourmet mac and cheese.
Every person donating a new and unwrapped toy will also get a box of 100% pure McFadden Wild Rice.
There will also be a raffle drawing for a gift basket with an assortment of food goodies from McFadden Farm: boxes of Wild Rice, jars of Herbs and Herb Blends, braids of Premium Garlic, and more. The gift basket has a retail value of over $200 and someone who donates a new unwrapped toy will win the prize. The odds are far better than winning the lottery, and entry comes with a toy donation for a child's Christmas. The winning ticket will be drawn at 7:00 p.m. and the winner need not be present to win.
After work Friday. You can make it. Even if you do not drink wine, come to the McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room with your toy donation and you'll get a box of Wild Rice and a raffle prize entry.
For those who need to pick up some tasty holiday gifts, a new unwrapped toy donation will earn a 20% one-night-only discount off everything in the shop, including the amazing Holiday Herb Wreaths, culinary pottery, and organic food that come from McFadden Farm.
Don't have time to shop for a toy between now and tomorrow? Feel free to donate a $20 bill, and you get all the fun: the complimentary wine tasting, mac and cheese bite (while it lasts), box of wild rice, and raffle ticket for the assortment gift basket worth over $200. We went shopping for toys, bought on sale, last year with cash donations, and we will gladly do the same this year.
I can't think of much that would be worse than to be a child without a toy on Christmas morning. I am grateful to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and to the Hopland Volunteer Fire Department. I am also incredibly grateful to all of the people who brought toys to last year's inaugural Toys For Tots toy drive and wine tasting event at McFadden. We ended up bringing one overflowing box of toys to the firehouse thanks to the generosity of our community, and I would love to collect at least as many…okay, I would really love to see two overflowing boxes before tomorrow night is done.
Please, please, please, I hope you will come join us tomorrow. You do not have to stay long. The McFadden tasting room isn't really large, and last year folks were great about coming with toy donations, enjoying a tasting, filling out a raffle ticket, and leaving to make room for the next wave of holiday helpers.
Every year, Christmas is just a thing for me, a noisy and crass commercial endeavor, and then something happens, it is different each year, that unlocks the Christmas spirit in my heart. The smile of a child visiting Santa, a beautifully decorated tree, making a donation, whatever it is that does the trick is magic, because I am able to enjoy the season more wholly, and holy, from then on for the year. I hope this event can free your Christmas spirit.
The McFadden Farm Stand & Tasting Room is located at 13275 S. Highway 101, Suite 5, in Hopland's Vintage Marketplace building – next to Graziano, Naughty Boy, and Ray's Station. Bring yourself and a new unwrapped toy after work between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., this Friday 13, 2013.
Thank you, in advance, for the smile you will help put on a child's face this Christmas.
Note: This online post precedes the column publication in the Ukiah Daily Journal by one day.


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Folklore And Tradition : Carnival
The Chinel Carnival in Fosse-la-Ville
© WBT / JL Flemal
- Opening periods
- Event planned for the month of March 2017
Dates and programme may be subject to change
- Event planned for the month of March 2017
- Address:
Rue d'Orbey
- MAPS: Google Maps
Discover this folkloric group known for its colourful disguises with a hump on the back and one the thorax... In Fosse-la-Ville in March 2015!
Descended from the famous "Polichinelle" and his cousin "Pulcinella" of the Commedia dell'Arte, the Chinels of Fosses-La-Ville owe their fame to both their ancestors and the fascinating costumes they wear today.
They are outstanding with their two exaggerated rounded humps. And their sumptuous, vibrantly coloured silk and satin garments shimmer and jingle to the rhythm of their dances and devilish capers, (cabrioles), and to the tune of the four "tunes of Chinel".
The parade marches on to the deafening beat of the drums and the wild tunes played by the "Pierrots" musicians. The Chinels are preceded by the "Little Chinels" who weave among the Stiltwalkers and the trench diggers whose bodies are covered in leaves.
Where fairies, tradition and folklore meet!
Practical information
The parade leaves rue d'Orbey at 2pm. Final rondeau at around 6pm on the Market Square.
- tel. : +32 (0) 473 80 52 43
Tourist information on the town FOSSES-LA-VILLE
We are not responsible for any changes in dates and/or programmes. Please contact the organiser prior to departure.


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Hello everyone! I was just wondering if there were any young members on this forum? I myself am just getting into the world of tea, and i am only 17. Any fellow young men or young women?
P.S. Im sure most of you are young at heart, lol, but i was just wondering how far tea has infiltrated the new generations... i think that it is too often associated with older persons. in reality, it is really quite hip!