text:
Burgeoning 'Restoration' Projects Hope to Elect Ohio Governor in 2006, Spread Model Nationwide
A report by People for the American Way Foundation
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- A "Spiritual Invasion"
- Waging Holy War in Ohio
- An Ohio Political Machine
- Texas: "Patriot Pastors" for Perry
- Pennsylvania, Florida and Missouri
- Manipulating the Persecuted Majority Syndrome
- Conclusion
- Endnotes
The new report by People For the American Way Foundation, the NAACP, and the African American Ministers Leadership Council documents how a new generation of Religious Right leaders is turning conservative churches into political machines for far-right Republican candidates with rhetoric that might make Pat Robertson blush. Christians may hold the most powerful political offices in the country, but to these pastors, Christians are on the verge of being thrown into jail for professing their faith. Political opponents aren't just wrong, they are the "hordes of hell" and the "forces of darkness." Notably, high-level Republican officials aren't trying to distance themselves from such rhetoric. Far from it. They're embracing the self-proclaimed "Christocrats" and counting on a new wave of aggressive politics-from-the-pulpit to win elections. In Texas, a group is giving the governor organized support from pastors motivated to help his re-election campaign. In Pennsylvania, a nascent group seeks to do the same for their embattled senator. And in Ohio, the candidate anointed by the "Patriot Pastors" - Secretary of State Ken Blackwell - is the Republican gubernatorial nominee.
Networks of "Patriot Pastors" organized at the state level by powerful evangelical pastors through so-called "Restoration Projects" are aiming to transform America by applying the significant resources of their churches to political campaigns. Candidates for public office are judged either godly or tools of Satan depending on their adherence to the pastors' unforgiving agendas - not only on traditional Religious Right "social" issues such as criminalizing abortion and stripping gay Americans of legal rights, but also on a wide range of economic policies that would limit the government's ability to pursue the common good. Patriot Pastor leaders embrace tax cuts, elimination of the minimum wage, and even doing away with environmental and worker safety regulations on industry. This model of a pulpit-based political machine pushing hard-right politics and candidates has the potential to transform politics across the nation.
In Ohio, where this new wave of church-based organizing in pursuit of such political agendas is most advanced, the "Patriot Pastors" machine is a force to be reckoned with, and has put Ken Blackwell one election away from the governor's mansion. At the same time, activists in Texas, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere are working hard to build similar movements in their states inspired by this new Ohio political machine. Ohio-based pastor and televangelist Rod Parsley explained in a visit to the Texas Restoration Project, "I can snap my fingers and 200,000 Ohioans send an e-mail to our Ohio legislators."[1]
The Patriot Pastors and their Restoration projects are tilling soil that has been prepared and fertilized by 25 years of Religious Right political organizing and the growing reach of ultraconservative and highly politicized television and radio empires. They are mobilizing congregants who have been told over and over by their religious and political leaders that evangelical Christians are a persecuted minority in America and that the nation's elites and legal institutions are waging a war to snuff out religious liberty. This carefully cultivated image of a war against Christianity provides the background against which this new generation of Religious Right leaders is urging their followers to take a stand against evil - and which justifies in their mind their take-no-prisoners militancy. In their for-or-against-us worldview, there is no room for honest disagreement, even among fellow Christians: Russell Johnson, the leader of Ohio's "restoration" project compares people who sit out his political crusade to Christians in Nazi Germany who sang hymns louder to drown out the wailing of Jews being led to their deaths.[2] Political salvation is to be found in "restoring" America to its supposed roots as a nation created of, by, and for Christians.
A Spiritual Invasion
The "Patriot Pastor" movement is predicated on a particular vision of American politics: (1) that America is an explicitly Christian nation that should endorse sectarian policies, and (2) that this Christian America - and Christianity itself - are under attack from powerful forces in politics, possibly in league with Satan.
One might find it odd that in a country where more than 90 percent of the populace professes a belief in God and where the vast majority of the nation's political leaders are practicing Christians, there could be a serious discussion about whether Christianity is under attack. Yet this perception is widespread: fully three-quarters of white evangelicals believe it to be so.[3] And this perception has been increasingly exploited by the extreme Religious Right and their political allies to mobilize conservative evangelicals.
At a recent conference in Washington on this supposed "War on Christians," Rod Parsley electrified the crowd, comparing the "moral revolution" the attendees were embarking on to the Crusades. According to Parsley, God "has called us to war" against a "spiritual invasion." Who the invaders are is less than clear, though "secular humanists," the "liberal left," public schools, and "America's tortured and angry homosexual population" could all be likely candidates.[4]
"I came to incite a riot!
Man your battle stations!
Ready your weapons!
Lock and load!"
- Rod Parsley
Parsley, a high-profile "prosperity gospel" pastor, and another Columbus-area megachurch pastor, Russell Johnson, are calling for a "reformation" and a "restoration" of state politics, and they are mobilizing an army of "Patriot Pastors" to do battle with what Johnson calls the "hordes of hell." Emboldened by their victory in passing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Ohio in 2004, the leaders of this movement are now calling upon their regiments to play a similar role in this year's race for governor - by using their churches to enlist hundreds of thousands of voters and leading them to the polls for Parsley and Johnson's anointed candidate.
"If you think 2004 was something, we have not reached critical mass! We are the largest special interest group! ... We're building order from chaos! We're fighting the sword with the word! We're fighting savagery with hope!" the televangelist shouted at the "War on Christians" conference. "I came to incite a riot! Man your battle stations! Ready your weapons! Lock and load!"[5]
In meetings across Ohio, "Patriot Pastor" recruits are told of a world in which the "forces of darkness" are working through politics to destroy the country and its destiny as a Christian nation. Johnson and Parsley warn of an America where Christianity is under siege from powerful cultural and political forces, and they often find a receptive audience for such claims on one side of the sharply divided political landscape.
Parsley and Johnson are frequently joined onstage by Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell. In 2006, Parsley and Johnson's call for pastors to mobilize their congregations to register voters and turn out at the polls are heard almost entirely in the context of Blackwell's campaign for the governorship, and he is the only candidate to speak at their meetings.
"This is a battle between the forces of righteousness and the hordes of hell," says Johnson.[6] While Parsley and Johnson claim their churches do not explicitly endorse candidates - Johnson says he just wants "decent people" to be elected[7] - their close collaboration with Blackwell suggests a different story. The "Patriot Pastors" movement is so interwoven with Blackwell's campaign that critics have begun to question whether their operations still qualify for tax-exempt status like a church, or whether it is more accurate to classify them as political action committees.
Waging Holy War in Ohio
Parsley's plan of attack extends well beyond bellicose rhetoric. The televangelist's charisma and high-energy revivals have helped him build one of the most successful megachurch ministries in the nation, with a nearly $40-million-a-year budget that includes a 5,200-seat church, a prep school, a Bible college, a mission program, a church jet, and more.[8] Through his church, he formed the Center for Moral Clarity, a political arm devoted to organizing pastors and "advocat[ing] for biblical moral values."[9] The Center's "Reformation Ohio" project seeks "to bring the Buckeye State what it needs most - the love of Jesus Christ," not only by converting 100,000 souls, but also by registering 400,000 voters.[10]
Russell Johnson, Parsley's pastor-in-arms, operates the Ohio Restoration Project, which aims to recruit 2,000 "Patriot Pastors" to lead the battle against the "forces of darkness" at the ballot box. Johnson hopes to push the "seculars and the jihadists" - or, as he alternately says, the "secular jihadists" - "into the dust bin of history," for their efforts to "hijack" the nation and "deny America's Godly heritage."[11]
Almost without fail, Johnson exploits the notion of a Christian America that is being persecuted and destroyed from within. Describing the "spiritual warfare of epic proportions" he sees taking place in the nation, Johnson writes on the group's web site: "From our country's classrooms to our court houses, from Christmas carols to graduation celebrations, from the pledge of allegiance to our state motto . . . the forces of darkness have opposed every public expression of allegiance to God." He cites not only familiar social grievances such as evolution, abortion, and same-sex marriage, but also economic ones such as medical malpractice insurance and tax policy. "How long will Ohio's families be burdened by excessive taxes and government waste?" he asks, echoing the Republican Party's talking points.[12]
Parsley also embraces the economic Right's ideology, even when it comes to poverty: "I'm convinced the best thing government can do to help the poor is to get out of the way. If government reduced taxes, removed industrial restraints, eliminated wage controls, and abolished subsidies, tariff[s], and other constraints on free enterprise, the poor would be helped in a way that [Aid to Families With Dependent Children], Social Security, and unemployment insurance could never match."[13]
Parsley and Johnson were instrumental in organizing voters for Ohio's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2004. Parsley spoke to hundreds of pastors to encourage them to mobilize their congregations for the Issue 1 ballot initiative, which even many of the state's leading conservative Republicans - Gov. Bob Taft, Attorney General Jim Petro, and Sens. George Voinovich and Mike DeWine - opposed as poorly drafted and overly broad. As reported in USA Today, by one month before the election Parsley had "assembled a list of 100,000 Ohio acolytes, all of whom [would] be called by the World Harvest Church on the eve of the election reminding them to vote."[14]
As the "Patriot Pastors" flexed their political muscles, they drew attention from national religious-right activists. Many on the Right credited their efforts for turning out evangelicals and giving George W. Bush a narrow margin of victory in one of the most tightly-contested states in the presidential campaign - although post-election analyses refute such claims.[15]
An Ohio Political Machine
It was during the Issue 1 campaign that Parsley and Johnson began a fruitful collaboration with the amendment's chief proponent, Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Blackwell's close association with Parsley and Johnson has continued since the passage of the anti-gay constitutional amendment, ranging from public rallies and "Patriot Pastors" policy briefings to flying on a church-owned plane.[16]
With Blackwell's gubernatorial campaign in full swing, the "Patriot Pastor" events have featured Johnson and Parsley highlighting Blackwell and extolling the candidate's virtues. At a rally on the state Capitol steps, Parsley boomed over a Jumbotron screen, "Let the Reformation begin! Shout it like you're going to carry the blood-stained banner of the cross of Christ the length and breadth of the Buckeye State!" Parsley then introduced Blackwell as "a man of great conviction, consistently standing for family, life, marriage, and faith throughout his public service." At other events, Johnson followed Blackwell's speech to pastors by presenting the man he called a "leader of leaders" with a "courageous leadership award" in the form of a large, gilded-eagle trophy-a ritual he repeated a number of times before different audiences of pastors.[17] Other speakers at these rallies, such as firebrand former Sen. Zell Miller and former Rep. J.C. Watts, explicitly endorse Blackwell.[18] No other candidate for the office has been featured, and they each say they were never invited.[19]
- Rod Parsley
Blackwell in turn embraces and endorses the "Patriot Pastors" and their conjuration of Christianity under attack. "We cannot sit back and let the public square be stripped naked of truth, of religion, and of God," he told a group of 300 pastors at one Ohio Restoration Project rally, urging them to rededicate the anti-gay marriage efforts of 2004 to the electoral campaign of 2006-which happens to be his own race. "People think November 2004 was just an accident of history. They doubt your ability and your will and your commitment to your faith and your drive to stay engaged and sustain the battle."[20]
While Johnson has already helped a half dozen of his church members win election to local office, the primary goal of his Ohio Restoration Project is to elect Blackwell, as The New York Times noted. The original plan of the group, posted on its web site, called for "Pastor Policy Briefings" and "God and Country Rallies" featuring Blackwell alongside national religious-right leaders such as James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Franklin Graham, and Pat Robertson, culminating in a 2,000-pastor, 25,000-person Ohio for Jesus Rally with Blackwell, as well as a series of "30-second radio spots featuring Secretary of State Ken Blackwell on 'The Stewardship of our Citizenship.'" All of this was to be organized in time to register voters for the primary and general elections.[21] (Blackwell won the Republican primary in May.)
In spite of openly campaigning on behalf of Kenneth Blackwell, Johnson and Parsley claim their operations are purely nonpartisan, an apparent fig leaf designed to protect their tax-exempt status. Johnson told PBS that his opposition to the Democratic Party was due to its becoming "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the teacher's union, who has said No to Intelligent Design, Yes to abortion, Yes to homosexual marriage, and No to reading the Bible." Parsley describes himself simply as a "Christocrat," rather than a Republican or Democrat, and urges his followers to be the same, telling them that the kingdom they serve "is not a democracy; [it] is a theocracy."[22]
But when criticized for their politicking, Parsley and Johnson escalate their rhetoric. In January, a group of 31 (later 56) Columbus-area ministers and rabbis filed a complaint with the IRS accusing the churches of endorsing and electioneering for Blackwell. World Harvest Church fired back, calling them "left-leaning" and accusing them of carrying "a political agenda" and operating "a campaign of harassment."[23]
And Johnson accused the clergy who dared to call attention to his politicking of launching a "secular jihad against expressions of faith," and "spiritual adultery" for supposedly aligning with the ACLU. "On the day we celebrated Martin Luther King's accomplishments as a leader and minister, the religious left sent people to the back of the bus," said Johnson at a "Patriot Pastor" meeting in Hartville. Blackwell told the group, "You tell those 31 bullies that you aren't about to be whupped."[24]
Parsley and Johnson have built a powerful political machine with growing influence in Ohio and the potential to reconfigure both the political and spiritual map, as godliness becomes more clearly defined on a partisan ideological spectrum. There's no sign that Blackwell, Parsley, or Johnson have any intention to back off from their partnership or their mission to wage religious warfare through the ballot box. In fact, they are counting on victory in the 2006 governor's race, which would cement the position of Parsley and Johnson as Republican kingmakers in the state and provide a powerful prototype for Religious Right activists in other parts of the country. As Johnson wrote on his church's web site, "[W]hat happens in Ohio in the next 18 months could very well make an impact on what happens in America in the next 20-30 years."[25]
Texas: "Patriot Pastors" for Perry
While all eyes are on Ohio and Blackwell's "Patriot Pastors"-infused governor's race, a similar story is unfolding in Texas, a state that is "seeing an evolution in the religious right's tactics. Today more and more conservative pastors are using their pulpits to press a hard-right political agenda," as the Texas Freedom Network reports.[26]
Texas is home to a pioneer of pulpit-based politics, Rick Scarborough, the former minister of First Baptist Church in Pearland and a long-time ally of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Scarborough's efforts to "mobilize" pastors in politics go back at least as far as 1996, when he ran an ultraconservative-insurgency campaign for president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. (He lost.) In his book that year, Enough Is Enough, Scarborough described his success in creating a local political machine around his church, strongly urging his congregants to run for office at all levels: "At this writing, three members of our church serve on the city council. . . Four of our members serve on the school board. The city manager is a member of our church. The police chief is a member of our church. The assistant district attorney of Brazoria County is a member of our church. . ."[27]
And in 2000, his political organization Vision America put together a conference of Religious Right heavyweights to "figure out how to compensate for the waning influence of the Christian Coalition in electoral politics," as the National Journal reported. The group's director, a Christian Coalition veteran, described the difference between the organizations as a new emphasis on mobilizing pastors to lead their congregations to the polls by concentrating on core social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and pornography.[28]
By 2004, Scarborough created his own network of "Patriot Pastors" to lead evangelicals to the polls for the 2004 election, and expanded it to at least 5,000 by the time Texas voters ratified a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2005. "One of my goals in life is to give the Republican Party courage," he told The Washington Post during the debate over the "nuclear option" to push through Bush's extremist judicial nominees.[29] At the same time, Scarborough's Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration worked in Washington to push Bush's judicial nominees, organizing a conference timed around the death of Terri Schiavo at which DeLay urged the impeachment of judges, and other speakers suggested execution.[30]
"For it seems to me that the only moral collapse comparable to what is happening in America today that has ever taken place is that which occurred in Germany in the 1920s through the 1940s."
- Rev. Laurence White,
Texas Restoration Project
In 2005, Houston pastor Rev. Dr. Laurence White took the movement to the next level with the formation of the Texas Restoration Project. White, a mainstay of the Christian-persecution circuit who shares Russell Johnson's penchant for comparing America today to Nazi Germany,[31] spoke at Johnson's Ohio Restoration Project "Patriot Pastor" events in 2004, and he brought the same model to Texas' effort to pass a similar anti-gay marriage amendment the next year. The group put together a series of closed-door "pastors' policy briefings" featuring Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who is running for re-election. At two of these events in September, 2005, one Texas minister speculated that "God sent Katrina to purify the sins of America," saying, "That week there was no gambling, no prostitution, no sins in New Orleans. It became one of the purest cities in America during that time."[32] Both Rod Parsley and Kenneth Blackwell have spoken at Texas Restoration Project briefings.[33]
Perry has taken full advantage of this fortuitous alliance. Vision America's web site lists the governor's endorsement: "One hundred years from now people will ask 'where did the great revival of the early 21st Century begin.' And we'll tell them it started ... with people like Rick Scarborough and [Christian-nation speaker and Texas GOP vice chairman] David Barton." In mid-2005, the governor held a high-profile, ceremonial signing of a same-sex marriage ban (which voters would officially ratify later that year) and an abortion bill at a church school, flanked by Rod Parsley, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, and Laurence White. "We're so blessed in Texas to have a guy like Laurence White," Perry told the crowd.[34]
As Perry's 2006 re-election campaign continues, the connections he developed with the Texas Restoration Project and the campaign for the gay marriage ban will become more crucial to him. As the 2005 anti-gay ballot initiative passed, Perry's consultants told newspapers that their job was to "recontact people that haven't voted in the Republican primary but who voted in [the marriage amendment] election" and "communicate with them" about the governor's race.[35] White aims to register 300,000 voters, and his group is giving Perry a golden opportunity to speak to closed-door meetings of "Patriot Pastors" who could prove crucial in his reelection campaign.
Pennsylvania, Florida and Missouri
One of the highest national priorities of the Religious Right in 2006 is to ensure that Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, is re-elected in what promises to be a hard-fought race. Santorum is admired by the Patriot Pastors for his own strident rhetoric -- he has compared gay couples to "man on dog" relations. And his re-election would help ensure that control of the Senate stays in the hands of the Republican Party.
In March, a group called the Pennsylvania Pastors Network began holding training sessions aimed at mobilizing pastors to turn out their congregations at the polls. At the first meeting, Santorum appeared via videotape championing the proposed federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, telling the pastors, "I encourage you to let your voices be heard from the pulpit." In addition, the group distributed copies of Santorum's political manifesto "It Takes a Family," largely a diatribe against liberals, which master of ceremonies Colin Hanna endorsed as "thoroughly and soundly grounded in Christian doctrine."[36]
Hanna is founder of Let Freedom Ring, one of the four organizations composing the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, and he also operates an anti-immigration project called WeNeedAFence.com. He looks specifically to Ohio's "Patriot Pastors" movement as a model, the "vanguard" of a church-based political "awakening." "I very much want Pennsylvania to be with them." Organizers from Ohio spoke at the PPN event, and Hanna told the pastors, "As we listen to how they did it in Ohio, think about how it relates to us in Pennsylvania."[37]
The "Patriot Pastors" movement is also looking to Florida. In January, as the deadline approached for gathering signatures to put on the ballot an amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Rod Parsley, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Texas Republican Party Vice Chairman and "Christian nation" speaker David Barton, and Laurence White of the Texas Restoration Project descended on Orlando for a "policy briefing" with 300 pastors under the auspices of a "Florida Restoration Project." "The Devil is a liar and it's time we stopped listening to his lies in America and saw what is happening in our country for what it truly is - the soul of America is dying," said White.[38] However, the movement failed to gather enough signatures before the February 1 deadline.
Most recently, Rick Scarborough has turned to Missouri, where a referendum will decide the fate of a stem-cell research facility this November. "I will be spending the next 5 months looking for Patriot Pastors who will...stand up, speak up and refuse to give up...in Missouri," wrote Scarborough in a fundraising e-mail (ellipses in original), adding that he will "hold five major rallies around the state featuring Alan Keyes and myself, and a minimum of 10 Pastor Briefings, each gathering up to 100 Pastors."[39]
Manipulating the Persecuted Majority Syndrome
The national backdrop for these movements to "reform" and "restore" America is the heightened rhetoric of persecution broadcast by Religious Right interest groups and right-wing media. Despite the Right's domination of the Republican agenda, activists are pushing hard the notion that Christianity itself is under attack, a sentiment that can be used to build support for their far-right policy aims. This campaign has reached a fever pitch in recent years.
In 2005 and 2006, the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family organized three televised rallies called "Justice Sunday" to support the use of the "nuclear option" to push through several of Bush's most extreme judicial nominees, and to support Bush's two Supreme Court nominees. The flyer for the first "Justice Sunday" - titled "Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith" - showed a young man holding a gavel in one hand and a Bible in the other, painting an absurd picture of a world in which Christians were barred from public service.
At the "Justice Sunday" events, prominent Republican politicians - including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Sen. Rick Santorum, and then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay - joined right-wing luminaries like Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Phyllis Schlafly in claiming that opposition to Bush's nominees was founded in "bigotry" against "people of faith." Speakers claimed that they - meaning Christians - were being "silenced" and "treated like second-class citizens" because of U.S. laws and court decisions they disagreed with. Meanwhile, phone numbers for Senate offices flashed on the TV screen, as the speakers urged viewers to call in their support for Bush's radical judicial nominees.[40]
In December, right-wing hysteria over a supposed "War on Christmas" reached epic proportions. Wildly hyped in Religious Right media and on the Fox News Channel, this "War on Christmas" was a "Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday" (according to the subtitle of Fox host John Gibson's timely book) involving retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Sears that used the greeting "Happy Holidays" and a handful of localities and school districts using the term "winter break" rather than "Christmas break." Top-rated Fox cable personality Bill O'Reilly warned of a "very secret plan" by George Soros and the ACLU to "diminish Christian philosophy in the U.S.A." and eventually to "wipe[] out religion" in the manner of "Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro."[41] Some groups even went so far as to run advertisements portraying then-Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito as the embattled protector of Christmas.[42]
And in March, Texas "Patriot Pastor" organizer Rick Scarborough assembled a conference in Washington on "The War on Christians and Values Voters in 2006" and the supposed "growing hostility toward all things religious." In a sign-on letter entitled "The Values Voters' Contract with Congress," these "values voters" were urged to "join together now to defend representative self-government against the greatest assault it has ever faced," from "'liberal' and 'progressive' forces within our society" who "have waged an insidious campaign to corrupt and destroy the moral foundations of our liberty."[43]
At this conference, the supposed persecution of Christians by "radical secularism," Hollywood, the media, immigrants, and federal judges was bemoaned in the same breath as the death sentence given an Afghani man who converted to Christianity, which was then in the news - an example of actual persecution. Wendy Wright, the president of Concerned Women for America, warned that Democrats who cited their faith were trying to "fool ... us, the values voters" into thinking they were religious. For example, she said, when John Kerry quoted the Bible during the presidential debates, he was just "trying to dazzle you." Former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer went so far as to claim that the culture war gives ammunition to Al Qaeda. "They believe they can win because they think you and I are decadent. ... I understand why they're confused."
Reformation Ohio's Rod Parsley and Texas Restoration Project's Laurence White were both featured speakers at Scarborough's "War on Christians" conference, looking to enhance their national profiles.
Parsley, White, Johnson, and Scarborough are in many ways the next generation of the Religious Right movement, which has grown dramatically in the past two decades from fringe status to being perhaps the dominant partner in the Republican coalition. They make no bones about manipulating an atmosphere of resentment over a feverish persecution narrative, and they do not hesitate to mobilize churches in direct electoral politics - the latest stage in the evolution of the Religious Right, and potentially far more effective than interest-group lobbying.
The 2006 elections could be a turning point for the "Patriot Pastor" movements. In Pennsylvania, generally considered a swing state, Sen. Rick Santorum is facing his toughest opponent yet. If it continues to grow and Santorum continues to court its favor, the Pennsylvania Pastors Network could become a significant factor in what is likely to be a very close race. While Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks to be the clear favorite in a crowded race, he has carefully cultivated a relationship with the "Patriot Pastors," and in turn, White and Scarborough are working to establish the role they hope to play in future campaigns in the state.
And in Ohio, especially, the political machine built around the "Patriot Pastors" could rewrite the state's politics. Ohio is also considered a swing state, and already, Ken Blackwell's victory in the GOP primary - with the help of "Patriot Pastor" campaigning and voter registration - represents a major accomplishment for Parsley and Johnson. A victory in November would firmly establish the pastors' political influence as kingmakers, as any candidate they anoint would have access to a grassroots network of "Patriot Pastors."
"We are not here to influence a political agenda," said Parsley to the crowd he bussed in to Ohio's Capitol Square. "We are here to declare an agenda of our own. ... History is never ruled by the majority; it is ruled by a dedicated minority."[44] Already, the "Patriot Pastors" have injected a new dimension to politics in Ohio, Texas, and elsewhere, with their calls for "warfare" against the "hordes of hell" at the ballot box. Election Day in 2006 is an important test of how well such a political machine really works. But win or lose in November, the "Patriot Pastors" aren't going away.
- Texas Freedom Network Education Fund (TFN), The State of the Religious Right 2006: The Anatomy of Power, 2006, p. 22 [link].
- David Brancaccio, "God's Country?" NOW, PBS, Apr. 28, 2006 [link] [video]. Doug Oplinger and Dennis Willard, "Pastors Bring Blackwell to Hartville," Akron Beacon Journal, Jan. 18, 2006 [link].
- Marttila Communications Group, Anti-Defamation League Survey, Nov. 2005.
- People For the American Way Foundation, "The Liberal "War" On Christians and "Values Voters Conference".
- Ibid.
- Marilyn Karfeld, "Patriot Pastors," Cleveland Jewish News, July 29, 2005 [link]. Jeremy Leaming, "Armageddon in Ohio," Church & State, June 2005 [link].
- Randy Ludlow, "Church Says It Wants 'Decent People' Elected," Columbus Dispatch, Apr. 3, 2006.
- Dennis Mahoney, "Higher Aspirations," Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 21, 2005.
- Center for Moral Clarity, "In Support of Judge Alito," release, Jan. 5, 2005.
- Mahoney, "Higher Aspirations" [link]. ReformationOhio.org [link]. Sarah Posner, "With God on his Side," American Prospect, Nov. 10, 2005 [link].
- Susan Page, "Shaping Politics from the Pulpit," USA Today, Aug. 2, 2005 [link]. Ohio Restoration Project web site.
- Ohio Restoration Project web site.
- Sara Posner, "With God On His Side," American Prospect, Nov. 10, 2005 [link].
- Page, "Shaping Politics." Walter Shapiro, "Ohio Churches Hope Marriage Ban Prods Voters to Polls," USA Today, Sep. 26, 2004 [link].
- E.g., Bishop Harry Jackson said of Parsley, "Probably President Bush would not be in office today had it not been for him." Posner, "With God On His Side." Ethan Geto, "The Democratic Party, 'Moral Values' and Gay Rights: The Marriage of Politics and Principle," Geto & deMilly Inc. (130 E. 40th St, 16th floor, New York, NY).
- "Blackwell Met with Ministers More Often Than IRS Complaint Alleged," Associated Press, Apr. 24, 2006 [link].
- Brancaccio, "God's Country?" [link] [video]. Ted Wendling, "Televangelist's Rally Draws 2,000 to State Capitol," Cleveland Plain Dealer, Oct. 15, 2005.
- Joe Hallett, "Pastors Urged to Recruit 400,000 Voters," Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 30, 2005. William Hershey, "Groups Gather to Advocate Politics Behind Pulpit," Dayton Daily News, Mar. 12, 2006.
- Joe Hallett, "Blackwell Tells Pastors to Ignore Complaint," Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 18, 2006.
- Joe Hallett, "Blackwell Enlists Pastors to Mobilize 'Values Voters' for 2006," Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 26, 2005.
- James Dao, "Movement in the Pews Tries to Jolt Ohio," New York Times, Mar. 27, 2005. Karfeld, "Patriot Pastors." The ORP plan is reprinted, among other places, at E.J. Kessler, "Campaign Confidential: Mobilizing Churches for the GOP," Forward.com, June 2, 2005 [link].
- Brancaccio, "God's Country?" Mahoney, "Higher Aspirations."
- Mark Naymik, "2 Megachurches Accused of Shilling for Blackwell," Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jan. 17, 2006. Mark Fisher and Dennis Mahoney, "Laws of Man, God Obeyed, World Harvest Church Says," Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 17, 2006. Andrew Welsh-Huggins, "Church Criticizes IRS Complaint as Harassment," AP, Apr. 7, 2006.
- Joe Hallett, "Blackwell Tells Pastors to Ignore Complaint."
- Jeremy Leaming, "Armageddon in Ohio," Church & State, June 2005 [link].
- TFN, p. 14.
- Juan Palomo, "State Is Set for Battle of Texas Baptists," Austin American Statesman, Nov. 10, 1996. Richard Vara, "Baptist Moderates Control Convention," Houston Chronicle, Nov. 16, 1996. Joseph Conn, "Bully Pulpit," Church & State, May 1996.
- Peter Stone, "Rumblings on the Right," National Journal, Mar. 18, 2000.
- Shailagh Murray, "Filibuster Fray Lifts Profile of Minister," Washington Post, May 8 ,2005 [link].
- PFAW Foundation, "The Right's Crusade Against the Independent Judiciary," Apr. 2005. Max Blumenthal, "In Contempt of Courts," TheNation.com, Apr. 11, 2005 [link].
- Dr. Laurence White, "The Sin of Silence," address to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Sep. 6, 2000 [link].
- R.G. Ratcliffe, "Ministers Ask Faithful to Help Ban Gay Marriage," Houston Chronicle, Sep. 18, 2005.
- TFN, p. 16. AP, "Blackwell Met With Ministers."
- Dave Fehling, "Houston Minister Could Help Decide Next Governor," KHOU, June 15, 2005 [link] [video]. Matt Curry, "Texas Governor Mobilizes Evangelicals," AP, June 12, 2005 [link].
- TFN, p. 16.
- David Kirkpatrick, "Pastors' Get-Out-the-Vote Training Could Test Tax Rules," New York Times, Mar. 21, 2006.
- Dao, "Movement in the Pews." Kirkpatrick, "Pastors' Get-Out-the-Vote."
- James A. Smith Sr., "Pastors Seek 'Miracle,' Action for Marriage Amendment Initiative," Florida Baptist Witness, Jan. 26, 2006 [link]. Family Research Council, "Prayer Targets - Alito Confirmation," Jan. 31, 2006 [link].
- PFAW, "Texas 'Patriot Pastors' Plan to Spread to Missouri," NewsFromtheRight.org, June 27, 2006 [link].
- People For the American Way, "What Is Justice Sunday?" .
- People For the American Way, "The Right Wing's 'War on Happy Holidays'". "The O'Reilly Factor," Fox News Channel, Nov. 28, 2005, cited in Media Matters for America, "O'Reilly: 'There's a Very Secret Plan ... to Diminish Christian Philosophy in the U.S.A.,'" Nov. 30, 2005 [link].
- People For the American Way, "Unhappy Holidays: Judge Alito and the Right's Phony 'War on Christmas'" .
- PFAW Foundation, "The Liberal "War" On Christians [link].
- Wendling, "Televangelist's Rally Draws 2,000 to State Capitol."


text:
RSS-based position estimation in cellular and WLAN networks
Shrestha, Shweta
Permanent address of the item is: http://URN.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tty-201204241097
Publication type: Diplomityö
Issue date: 2012-03-07
Language: en
Pages: 79 s.
Instructor: Lohan, Elena-Simona
Examiner: Valkama, Mikko
University: Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto - Tampere University of Technology
Faculty: Tieto- ja sähkötekniikan tiedekunta – Faculty of Computing and Electrical Engineering
Department: Tietoliikennetekniikan laitos – Department of Communications Engineering
Degree Programme: Master's Degree Programme in Information Technology
Indoor positioning and tracking is gaining more and more interest in the research field, motivated on one hand by the desire to achieve seamless ubiquitous positioning and, on the other hand, by the potential of huge Location Based Services revenues in the future. The received signal strength (RSS)-based positioning has become a key to enter into the field of indoor and urban positioning where Global Positioning System (GPS) often fails to serve. The main objective of this thesis has been to bring contributions in the RSS-based indoor or urban positioning by implementing a generic multi-purpose MATLAB simulator. The motivation of such a work has been partly from literatures and partly from our experimental findings, which shows that RSS-based positioning often requires time consuming measurement campaigns that are site dependent. The built indoor multi-floor MATLAB simulator incorporates adjustable parameters, based on the analysis and statistics from performed measurements from both cellular and WLAN signals. Then accordingly it generates new scenarios and propagation effects and then allows us to output the user positioning accuracy in terms of Root Mean Square Errors. The additional aim is to analyze in more comprehensive way different RSS-based positioning methods. Typically, the current published research work based on RSS-based positioning is limited to fingerprinting methods. Both the fingerprinting and the path-loss method using the Euclidian distance approaches have been implemented in positioning the user in this thesis work. Apart from user estimation the estimation of the AP location and the path-loss parameters are also carried out in this thesis. The thesis results contain two parts: one based on measured data and another based on simulation. The positioning accuracy as estimated via Monte-Carlo simulations with the built simulator is compared with the results based on real measured data. A high correlation between the two has been observed, as expected with the Monte-Carlo accuracy results coming from the simulations being slightly worse than those observed in location with real data, because a larger set of scenarios could be captured with our simulator.
Copyright: This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today, Americans continue to wage war on alien species that have taken root by accident or design.inherently bad, that ecosystem "integrity" can be measured by the number of alien species, or even that newly arrived species are functionally different from longtime residents, simply isn't supported by science, says Davis. Many introduced species, he notes, have proven valuable and useful, including crops (from apples to wheat), horticultural plants (hostas and Norway maples), and game species (ring-necked pheasants and brown trout).
Assemblages of exotics and natives quickly adapt and perform about as well.heritage site of biodiversity and the scene of Darwin's important discoveries leading to the theory of evolution — provided just such an example. For years conservationists had fretted over invasive weeds overrunning the islands. Because the weeds were out of control, conservationists assumed they were non-natives, recently introduced by human traffic. Research showed, however, that the plants were native. They belonged. In fact, they had been present since prehistoric times.
Land managers can't begin to control the thousands of exotics that reach our ecosystems.others that have drastically changed over large areas." For example, he notes that Eurasian cheat grass now dominates millions of acres of Western range, displacing native bunch grasses and reducing the value of the range for livestock. Asks Simberloff, "If thousands of people work to deal with the impact of these, even aside from any moral or aesthetic issue, is Mark [Davis] saying they're all nuts?"
More from Yale e360First Comes Global Warming,


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Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017
To err is human......Posted Monday, December 10, 2007, at 6:46 AM
Yes, I made a mistake in my last blog, and it was in the heading so that everyone could see it. As I told some friends back in the summer, I don't get paid to do this anymore. Anything I write, type, or edit is mine, and I'm the one responsible. Spell check can only do so much for me.
The incorrect use of the word "lace" made me actually think of what comes to mind when I hear that word. There are lace tablecloths and curtains, lace trim on beautifully smocked dresses for little girls, Battenberg lace, and Belgium lace. These are all nice, but that's not what I think of. Two things come to my mind. The first is the dainty tatting that my grandmother did. Tatting makes lovely lace trim on ladies' handkerchiefs. (Does anyone carry one these days?) I have her tatting shuttle and even some leftover thread. I bought some supposedly easy-to-follow instructions, but so far have not taken up tatting. The second kind of lace is the kind my mother crocheted. I have several sets of pillowcases with different patterns of lace she made and sewed on the pillowcases. Of course, those pillowcases have to be ironed or steamed pressed, but I do love to see them on a guest bed.
I'm sorry I made the mistake by using the word "lace" for the word "place," but it did conjure up some wonderful memories for me. I hope it did for you also.
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I would love to tat. I do crochet afghans, shawls, ponchos, etc., & crocheted angels for the Christmas tree. They are about 5" high. I bought a teach-yourself-to-knit book & was able to make a dish cloth. That's all I've ever done with knitting.
-- Posted by bettyhbrown on Wed, Dec 12, 2007, at 9:49 AM
When I saw your post title, I thought the same thing. I thought you were going to discuss an 'antique' hobby that you enjoy.
I feel like I'm somewhat of an oddball of my generation. I'm a thirty-something, a child of the 80's when if it wasn't store-bought, it wasn't a good thing. Hand-made items were a stylish no-no.
My mom taught me to crochet when I was a little girl. But, I didn't like the look of crocheted sweaters. They just didn't drape like the ones off the racks at the retail stores. So, I bought a book to learn to knit. It didn't take me long at all to learn the stitches, and I finally had my first hand knit sweater. I soon moved forward into lace knitting, and I'm hooked (no pun intended) ever since. I've made lace covered Christmas balls (the ones with the satin), lace edgings for skirts and blouses,and an edging for a wedding handkerchief.
Now, I'd like to learn how to tat. I'm a little nervous about it, as the thread is so fine, you could drop a stitch like it was never there. But, I suppose the only way I'll learn is to buy a shuttle and try.
Let me know if you decide to give it a try. I think there may be some helpful patterns online somewhere.
-- Posted by craftin_mom on Mon, Dec 10, 2007, at 4:26 PM
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The Cooking for Geeks author shows why the geek shall inherit the earth.
We follow the deep, dark path of chocolate.
The Food Jammers make a miniature city entirely of chocolate.
Unique Eats pays a visit to a tiny boutique chocolate company in Atlanta.
At Chicago's Hot Chocolate, Jeffrey samples smoked almond shortbread.
Chuck's individual molten cakes are a chocolate-and-caramel-lover's dream.
This sweet dip is a hit with salty Town House Flipsides Original Crackers.
Caramelized white chocolate and butternut squash make a rockin' cheesecake.
Discover the long history of chocolate in Hollywood.
Valerie Confections' goal: to create spectacular moments with chocolate.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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13406 E. Philadelphia St. Whittier, CA 90608
Humanitarian Jesuit Priest Father Gregory Boyle will give the keynote address at Whittier College's 111th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 16, 9 a.m. in Memorial Stadium on the Whittier College campus. During the event, at which approximately 360 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to receive their degrees, Boyle will also receive an honorary degree from the Whittier College faculty: a doctorate of humane letters (L.H.D.).
Boyle is best known for his work with Homeboy Industries, a non-profit organization based in East Los Angeles that serves high-risk, formerly gang-involved men and women with a continuum of free services and programs, and which operates seven social enterprises that serve as job-training sites. Founded in 1988, Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the United States.
As a reflection of his work with Homeboy Industries, Boyle has received numerous honorary degrees, awards, and recognitions including the Civic Medal of Honor, the California Peace Prize, Humanitarian of the Year from Bon Appetit Magazine, and in 2011 was inducted into the California Hall of Fame. He has served on the State Commission for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, The National Youth Gang Center Board and the Attorney General's Defending Childhood Task Force.
Boyle is also the author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. His debut book has been honored by SCIBA (Southern California Indie Booksellers Association), Pen USA, Publishers Weekly, and Goodreads Choice Awards.
Before founding Homeboy Industries, Boyle taught at Loyola High School in Los Angeles; was chaplain in the Islas Marias Penal Colony in Mexico and at Folsom prison and worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was appointed pastor of Dolores Mission Church in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1986 where he served through 1992.
Boyle was born in Los Angeles and is one of eight children. He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1972 and was ordained a priest in 1984. He received his BA in English from Gonzaga University, an MA in English from Loyola Marymount University and advanced theology degrees from The Weston School of Theology and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.


text:
Golden orange & walnut flapjacks
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal455
- fat22g
- saturates12g
- carbs60g
- sugars36g
- fibre4g
- protein7g
- salt0.12g
- 250g unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 175g golden syrup
- 425g porridge oats
- 50g/2oz walnut pieces
Walnuts are one of the most popular and versatile of all nuts. When picked young, they're…
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
One of the best-known citrus fruits, oranges aren't necessarily orange - some varieties are…
- 3 tbsp fine-cut orange marmalade
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and generously butter a 28 x 8cm shallow baking tin. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup over a medium heat, stirring all the time. Take off the heat and stir in the oats, walnuts and orange zest. The mixture should be quite soft.
Tip the mixture into the baking tin and level it off. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the centre is still a little soft. Remove from the oven and mark into 12 pieces while it is still warm, cutting down halfway through the mixture with a sharp knife. Leave to cool.
Heat the marmalade with 1 tbsp water until it becomes syrupy. Brush this glaze over the flapjack mixture and leave to cool before cutting into 12 pieces. They will keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.
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Comments, questions and tips
Comments (43)
I made these today, with just half the caster sugar and I melted the marmalade in with the fat/sugar/syrup mixture. I have to say they are absolutely scrumptious! Definitely sweet enough. If you like nuts then double the walnut amount. 50g in such a large mix gets totally lost but its all down to preference. Shall be making these again :)
Made this for the first time yesterday. Halved the recipe as 425g of oats seemed a lot. Used rolled oats instead of porridge oats and slightly more golden syrup got tipped into the mixture. The result? Too scrumptious for words! Very naughty flapjacks these and I didn't even add the nuts or glaze. Needless to say, they're all gone now. I'm a happy happy bunny.
Really delicious and easy - I made these for a group of friends and they disappeared very quickly! I added some ginger and sultanas to the flapjack mixture, and reduced the water content of the glaze as others had suggested however I found it to be a little gloopy so I'll stick to the recipe for that one next time! I also reduced the oven temperature in response to others' comments but had to bake them for longer. However the end result was still a hit and I'm still getting compliments days later so I will definitely make them again!
Made these today, I think they are very yummy and my 2yr old agrees.......I'm new to the cooking/baking thing, so this is the first flapjack I have made and as with everything I make for first time I was alittle nervous but this was really simple and easy to make. My oven is rubbish so took it out bang on 30mins not wanting to over do it, but next time I think will leave it in alittle longer. Also will try it with less sugar as some of the previous comments have suggested.
Fantastic recipe! Combined several reader suggestions: reduced sugar to 200g, used 2/3 golden syrup and 1/3 treacle rather than all syrup and didn't worry about the marmalade glaze. So glad I made the changes as this was still very sweet! Used a 28x23cm tin and after peoples comments decided to line base and sides. Made 16 largish pieces. 25 mins in fan forced 160 deg oven was plenty. Tasted amazing, especially with slight orange flavour coming through. Already a firm favourite. Will definitely make again!
These are lovely but I did change the recipe. I never used the walnuts but I did add 2 heaped tsp of ground ginger. I find it goes really well with the slight orange flavour. As people have mentioned, this recipe really does expend in the oven. It was nearly over the edge of my baking tin so try choose a a slightly bigger one. Marmalade a great idea and gives a nice glossy finish !! ð
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Doom Street Art
Via Joystiq, I found a fantastic set of photos on Flickr called "Tribute to id Software (Doom)". Apparently some German guy in Berlin decided to perform some street art and decorate some rather dull billboards with Doom HUDs. Awesome stuff.
Of course whether these are real or just Photoshop fakes is another question. I really hope they are real as it would be a delight just to think of some poor driver passing one whilst heading home on the autobahn. Ah Doom… how I miss it.
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IWLCA Names Division II All-Regional Picks
from press release
The IWLCA has honored 64 student-athletes in Division II with a selection on one of the All-Regional teams for 2012. These athletes are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA All-American teams, which will be announced on May 24. The IWLCA will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on June 16, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa.
North Region
First Team
Brenna Bauer, Le Moyne, Jr., A
Brittany Brigandi, Le Moyne, Sr., M
Erica Devito, Adelphi, Sr., A
Chelsea Donaldson, C.W. Post, Sr., D
Aubrey Duncan, New Haven, Sr., D
Ashley Ferrandiz, New Haven, Sr., M
Kelly Fucillo, Le Moyne, Sr. , GK
Alexis Gabbe, New Haven, Sr., A
Samantha Lynott, Stonehill, Sr., M
Molly Maroney, Le Moyne, Jr., D
Marissa Mills, Adelphi, Sr., M
Dominique Mosca, C.W. Post, Jr., GK
Ashley Olen, C.W. Post, Jr., A
Jaclyn Sileo, C.W. Post, So., A
Lauren Spagnoletta, C.W. Post, Sr., M
Jacqueline Williams, Adelphi, So., D
Second Team
Courtney Acker, Adelphi, Sr., D
Jackie Anderson, Dowling, Fr., A
Sarah Boucher, Queens, Jr., M
Meg Brown, Adelphi, Jr., M
Danielle Clesi, Molloy, Jr., D
Meg Collins, Le Moyne, So., D
Devan Crimi, Adelphi, So., A
Kayla Green, Stonehill, Jr., A
Emily Mongeau, Southern New Hampshire, Sr., M
Kelsey Reilly, Stonehill, Jr., M
Heather Rosen, Queens, Jr., A
Sarah Salatto, Merrimack, Sr., D
Meghan Smith, St. Anselm, Sr., M
Maureen Spellman, New Haven, Sr., GK
Samantha Stavish, Dowling, So., M
Brooke Witkowski , Dowling, Sr., A
South Region
First Team
Katherine Athens, Pfeiffer, So., D
Courtney Bianculli, Rollins, Sr., D
Danica Cutshall, Regis, So., M
Elyse DeLisle, Rollins, So., GK
Tori Dugan, West Chester, Jr., A
Elyse Fisher, Lock Haven, Sr., M
Jessica Fugate, Gannon, Jr., M
Theresa Giunta, West Chester, Jr., D
Samantha McCarrick, Limestone, Fr., M
Sarah Oor, Limestone, So., A
Erica Pagiarulo, Rollins, Jr., M
Kathleen Palasz, Rollins, Jr., D
Brittany Philip, Queens (NC), Sr., A
Kathleen Palasz, Rollins, Jr., D
Racquel Prager, Limestone, Sr., A
Sophie Townsend, Rollins, Jr., A
Second Team
Megan Asper, Florida Southern, Fr., M
Brittany Barnwell, Queens (NC), Jr., M
Stephanie Bianco, IUP, Sr., M
Shannon Bonnel, Pfeiffer, Jr., M
Rachel DerCola, Gannon, Sr., A
Claire Gaeng, Lock Haven, Sr., D
Lauren Glassy, West Chester, Jr., M
Katie Hammerer, Florida Southern, So., GK
Kayleigh Johnson, Lock Haven, Sr., A
Cat Kelley, Rollins, Sr., A
Alexa Lodovici, IUP, Jr., A
Skylar Marcoux, Limestone, Jr., D
Brigid Milchling, Limestone, Sr., GK
Taylor Norwood, IUP, So., D
Erin Oczkowski, West Chester, Sr., M
Allie Rhodes, Queens (NC), Jr., D
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Ann's Pick · 36C
I signed up for the Crossfit Open for the 3rd year in a row. The Booby Trap Bra supports me through box jumps and burpies. I'm happy that I'm getting stronger and faster as I get older.
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Welcome to the Program in Politics & Law at Dartmouth College. The Program supports research on law and lawmaking by Dartmouth students and faculty members.
The Program sponsors student research fellowships, usually in the amount of $1200 per year for collaborative research with a Dartmouth faculty member in any department.
The Program funds student and faculty research expenses, including travel for research purposes, conducting surveys, and purchasing data.
Politics & Law also funds visits to Dartmouth by faculty members from other institutions in order to present their work and meet with our students and faculty members.
For more information about the program, contact Dean Lacy (email@example.com).


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You are a fan of franchise prose ? Come to discover the best forums franchise prose on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of franchise prose . You can also build a forum franchise prose and create your online discussion.
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Online scammers want to win your love and take your money
Online scammers want to win your love and take your money
By Attorney General Roy Cooper
The Internet and social networking sites are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and communicate with people all over the world, but they also have a dark side where criminals and con artists lurk. We often warn our children about the dangers of talking to people they don't know online. It can also be risky for adults, especially seniors.
My office has seen a resurgence of a popular scam known as the sweetheart scam. The sweetheart scam first started years ago in person with con artists pretending to fall in love with lonely people in order to win their trust and steal their money. The scam has taken on new life thanks to online dating and social media sites. Most victims report meeting the scammers on websites such as match.com, seniorpeoplemeet.com, christianmingle.com and Facebook.
The scammers typically seek out those who post information about the recent death of a spouse or other tragic event, and seek to fill a void in their lives. They pretend to befriend their victims in order to gain their trust, and eventually, exploit them financially.
The scam may start with a simple message expressing an interest in getting to know the person. This is often followed by lots of compliments and long online conversations designed to convince the victim that the new romance is real.
Once the victim is head over heels, the new love interest claims to experience an emergency while traveling or working overseas and asks the victim to wire them money. The scammer convinces the victim that when everything is cleared up, they will come back to the US, continue the relationship in person and get married. Of course, that never happens. The victim loses up to thousands of dollars and the "new love" is never heard from again.
Since January 2011, my office has heard from 24 victims of the sweetheart scam who reported losing a total of nearly $1 million. We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many victims are too embarrassed to come forward, although we strongly encourage people to report these scams. One Mocksville senior reported losing more than $325,000 after meeting a man online who claimed to be traveling to Ghana for work and needed money to adopt a Liberian orphan.
Keep the following tips in mind to avoid falling for the sweetheart scam and other online scams:
Never send or wire money to a stranger you meet online. Once the money has been wired, it is highly unlikely you will ever get it back.
Never give out your personal information to someone you meet online, no matter what the circumstance or why they say they need it.
Beware if someone you meet online begins asking you for money, even a small amount.
Be suspicious of anyone who posts pictures purporting to look like a model out of a magazine, especially if you're on a site where most members are seniors.
Stick to well known dating and social networking websites where you have some protections and can report users who violate terms and conditions. Be cautious when someone you don't know asks you to leave the site to chat or talk.
And remember: people aren't always who they say they are online.
North Carolina Department of Justice / Josh Stein, Attorney General (919) 716-6400
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"The biggest business opportunity ever seen"
Finding the sweet spot between low Footprint and high human development amounts to the biggest business opportunity ever seen, World Business Council for Sustainable Development President Bjorn Stigson told the Sydney Morning Herald this week.
What is required for sustainable development is lifting billions out of poverty while reducing resource use by four to ten times, the article said. This is, according to Stigson, is a necessary but unprecedented transformation, larger and faster than the Industrial Revolution. It is an enormous challenge. But whoever "wins" the green race will dominate the future would economy, and right now, China is winning, Stigson said.
Read the full article in the Sydney Morning Herald.


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School of Professional Accountancy >
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Minor in Accountancy >
Course Descriptions
This course presents an introduction to fundamental financial accounting principles, concentrating on identifying, recording, and communicating the economic events of a business organization. This course studies the theory and practice of accounting. Topics covered during the semester include the balance sheet, income statement, and principles required to understand financial accounting systems.
Every Semester, 3 credits
This course is the second in the accounting principles sequence. The first part of the course focuses on partnerships and the corporate form of business organization, including financial statement analysis and cash flow statements. Students are then introduced to managerial accounting concepts and how they can be used in
fostering internal business decision-making. Information concerning the behavior of costs, profit planning, and budgeting is analyzed to enhance meaningful comprehension of managerial accounting.
Every Semester, 3 credits
This course focuses on the preparation and analysis of financial information for users external to the organization. Topics include the accounting cycle; income measurement, cash, receivables, inventories, operational assets, investments, and preparation of financial statements.
Pronouncements of the AICPA, FASB, and SEC are an integral part of the course.
Fall, 3 credits
This course is a continuation of ACC 21 External Reporting I. This course is an in-depth study of the underlying concepts, measurement, analysis, and interpretation of financial information for external users. Topics include long-term liabilities, investments, stockholder's equity, earnings per share, leases, pensions, cash flow statements, accounting errors and changes, and deferred income taxes.
Pronouncements of the AICPA, FASB, and SEC are an integral part of the course.
Spring, 3 credits
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the theory and concepts underlying conventional cost systems and the rationale for the development and understanding of modern cost management systems including: 1) cost accumulation systems for product costing, cost behavior concepts for planning and control, and activity-based-costing; 2) the use of cost information for strategic decision analysis and support; and 3) financial planning and control systems with a quality management perspective.
Every Semester, 3 credits
This course develops an understanding of the roles of accounting information and information technology and their influence on decision making, operational support, and organizational competitiveness. The course will include, but not be limited to, the framework of accounting information systems and decisions that impact on
their design and implementation, the role of accounting information systems in transaction processing and internal control, and the functions of the major subsystems. The student will also gain hands-on experience in using and in evaluating accounting information systems, as well as further develop collaborative, oral, and written communication skills.
Every Semester, 3 credits
This course provides an introduction to auditing, including basic concepts, techniques, and audit applications. Course coverage includes the audit risk model, understanding and testing internal controls, substantive testing, fraud, reports on audited financial statements, professional ethics, and an introduction to computer auditing.
Every Semester, 3 credits
Tax basics of all types of entities will be studied. The course stresses the importance of exposure to a range of tax concepts within the framework of financial reporting. Critical thinking and problem solving skills will be developed utilizing tax planning decision models. Recognition of tax savings and tax hazards will prepare students for many possible work environments.
Fall, 3 credits
A continuation of ACC 84, this course will review more advanced areas of the Federal tax law as promulgated by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including applicable rulings, case law precedent and treasury regulations. The student will become familiar with rules applicable to the taxation of business entities, including C and S corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and specially taxed corporations. An introduction to New York State taxes will be covered.
Spring, 3 credits
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, New York 11548 | Telephone: 516-299-2000


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A collection of stories from individuals with disabilities, families, friends, and disability service providers in Tennessee
Showing stories 1 - 2 of 2
Results related to: 6 to 13 years / Student interview of parent / Inclusion
"In the community and their social circles, Angie feels that Jesse is generally accepted. They are well-supported through their church community and by other homeschooling families who take all three children to home school PE so Angie has a few hours free.
"Because the disability is part neurological and part developmental, it's a piece of a lot of different puzzles. I don't think that anyone has really studied it enough to know what it is."


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Pheasant Season EndsBy
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Pheasant hunting guides say dry conditions have made for a difficult season despite summer brood counts showing that bird numbers were up across the state. South Dakota's pheasant season ends Sunday. Huron-area guide Steve Bublitz says early-season hunts were tough because the birds would escape into the dry, heavy weeds and the hunters' crunch gave pheasants a heads-up. Hunters killed more than 1.5 million pheasants last year, when brood counts showed a pheasants-per-mile index of 3.57. Surveys this summer show an index of 4.21. Mitchell-area guide Mike Kuchera says bird numbers seemed down in his area due to the summer's extreme heat and drought. State game biologist Travis Runia says the department will wait to speculate on the success of the hunting season until it gets its harvest data.


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A way to bring dairy back to life
The economy of upstate New York has been in decline and serial malaise for several decades. This has been the bane of several previous governors and their administrations. It would be also for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, were it not for an unforseen economic gift that has dropped into his lap.
This windfall? New construction and serious expansion of dozens of yogurt processing plants all across upstate New York. Several of these plants have potentially massive production capacity. This trend has brought construction jobs, massive purchases of building materials, and eventually will produce several thousand additional good manufacturing jobs. All that will be needed will be copious amounts of additional milk.
The reaction of the Cuomo administration has been wholly predictable; wild enthusiasm and somewhat sophomoric ideas as to what is appropriate. On Aug. 15, the governor hosted the first ever "New York State Yogurt Summit" in Albany. Attendance was tightly controlled; all major yogurt processors were in attendance and the governor's office even courageously included three hand-picked token dairy farmers, properly neutered and holding the appropriate opinion, of course.
An issue that surfaced at the summit was the regulatory exemption limit of 200 cows per farm in the official definition of a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. Any farm with more than 200 cows has to undergo a prohibitively expensive environmental vetting process allowing it to operate above the 200 cow threshold. Hearing this, the governor sprang into action. Leaving the summit room for a brief period, he returned triumphant to announce he was going to amend the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation exemption to include farms up to 300 cows. Too bad he overlooked the fact that any decisions regarding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are under the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rather than state jurisdiction.
Undaunted, the governor forged ahead with two new initiatives. Under the auspices of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the state is doubling a state incentive grant from $1 million to $2 million per farm for installation of anaerobic manure digesters. These facilities convert cow manure to methane gas used to generate on-farm electricity. The second proposal, throwing a modest $450,000 of state cash at the Dairy Acceleration Program to dole out up to $5,000 grants to farms wishing to increase cow numbers, to provide aid for financial analysis, strategic planning, executing business expansion plans or adoption of Best Management Practices, engineering and/or design projects.
Yogurt, depending on type, uses one to three pounds of raw milk to produce one pound of finished product. The rising star of yogurts, strained, (or Greek-style) uses three pounds of milk per pound of finished product. Taking stock of the milk requirements of these expanding or new yogurt facilities, the official mouthpiece of the region's dairy processors, the Northeast Dairy Foods Association estimates the increased amount of milk required at an additional four billion pounds per year. This is an increase equal to 20 percent of New York's current yearly milk production; the output of, not the paltry 25,000 cows Cuomo's 200 cow to 300 cow Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation tinkering would render, but an additional 180,000 dairy cows!
Instead of pushing 200-cow farms to 300 cows wouldn't upstate New York's overall economy benefit far more from the revitalization of 1,000 or more of the multitude of decommissioned dairy farms over the length and breadth of upstate New York? These new operations could be easily peopled with the skilled offspring of New York's dairy farm families. Smaller, family farms are noted for spending their milk checks close to home in their local communities, stimulating all the other businesses necessary to the upstate economy. Likewise, they are noted for their long tradition of effort in outstanding environmental stewardship. Why not invest the $2 million per farm the governor is willing to throw at large farms through NYSERDA grants and channel it into helping young farm families rebuild sustainable family size dairy farms, thus benefiting a far larger economic segment of upstate New York? This would be an economic stimulus that would last, not a year or two, but a lifetime.
Gov. Cuomo should be considering how New York's dairy farms can be returned to their former viability and become, once again, economically sustainable. Done properly New York state's dairy industry can grow responsibly, thrive and become a robust economic engine helping pull the entire upstate economy back into prosperity.
An excellent starting point would be for the governor, all other politicians and concerned citizens to give voice and political support to an initiative to reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture farm milk price formula. There is a compelling public interest in the need to create farm milk pay prices that return dairy farmers' production costs plus a fair profit to cover the farm family's living expenses. Accomplish that and the rest of this supposedly thorny problem will resolve itself, with a dynamic, resurgent upstate New York general economy as a worthy consequence.
Nate Wilson, a retired dairy farmer, is a Sinclairville resident.


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Milton Nascimento and the Jobim Trio: The Birthday Concert
October 27, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.Add new comment | Filed under: antonio carlos jobim, Birthdays, bossa nova, brazilian song, concerts, cravo e canela, dorival caymmi, jazz tour, Listening Post, Live Music, milton nascimento, minas gerais brazil, new jersey performing arts, new jersey performing arts center, njpac, nova classics, o vento, paquito d rivera, portuguese speakers, prudential hall, victoria theater, vinicius de moraes, wbgo, weekend coverage
WBGO was part of an extraordinary evening last night at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. After Saturday's Latin Jazz tour with Paquito D'Rivera at the Victoria Theater, we wrapped up our weekend coverage of NJPAC's Alternate Routes festival tonight at Prudential Hall. The muse of Minas Gerais, Brazil's Milton Nascimento, celebrated his 66th birthday onstage with the Jobim Trio, featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim's son and grandson, guitarist Paulo Jobim and pianist Daniel Jobim. Rodrigo Villa supported on bass, as did the steady rhythm of drummer Paolo Braga. They played new arrangements of bossa nova classics (largely from the Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius De Moraes songbook), a Dorival Caymmi standard, and a few anthems from Nascimento's time in the clube da esquina movement in Brazil's popular music. All in all, it was a beautiful view into the modern identity of Brazilian song, with a willing audience of Portuguese speakers from Newark's Ironbound neighborhood. Here's the rundown of the show, and what you'll hear when you listen online:
1. Garota de Ipanema - AC Jobim (not available online)
2. Aguas de Marco - AC Jobim
3. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce - Elis Regina
4. O Vento - Dorival Caymmi
5. Brigas Nunca Mais - AC Jobim/Vinicius De Moraes
6. Inutil Paisagem - AC Jobim/Aloysio de Oliveira
7. Chega de Saudades - AC Jobim/De Moraes
8. Medo de Amar - Vinicius De Moraes
9. Velho Riacho (Pra Nao Sofrer) - AC Jobim
10. Esperanca Perdida - AC Jobim/Billy Blanco
11. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar - AC Jobim/De Moraes
12. Dias Azuis - Daniel Jobim
13. Para Lennon e McCartney - Lo Borges-F.Brant/Nascimento
14. Cravo e Canela - Nascimento
15. Samba Do Aviao - AC Jobim
16. Maria, Maria [encore] - Nascimento


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CUBRID stores several types of log files. In $CUBRID\log (C:\CUBRID\log for example) you will see 3 folders: broker, manager and server. You will also see error logs for each database and associated cubrid command ran on it (such as createdb, spacedb, lockdb etc.).
On Windows, the broker files can be found in:
On Linux, the path is $CUBRID/log/broker/sql_log and error_log respectively.
The sql_log folder contains all the queries executed, while the error_log contains all the errors that have been thrown by CUBRID while running the queries.
You will also see a query_editor.access and/or a broker.access file in $CUBRID\log\broker. These files hold the IP address and date for each access to a database.
Debugging can be easily done by looking at the log files. In error_log folder you will see all commands that have failed to execute due to constraint violations, non-existent tables, syntax errors and so forth. In sql_log you can see each command ran by each broker and query editor. The commands are given in prepared SQL format followed by the bind statements.
Note: In sql_log folder you can find several slow.log files which contain all the queries that have taken longer than 1 second to execute. This is an important debugging tool as you will be able to see all the slow queries that have been executed.
The $CUBRID\log\manager folder holds information regarding the execution of the cubrid manager service, such as connection information and executed commands.
The $CUBRID\log\server folder holds the logs for each running database server and each file inside this folder is named according to when the database was first started.
In CUBRID Manager, you will see a tab Logs that contains Broker/Manager/Server links. The Broker tab divides into Access log, Error log and Admin log. The Manager tab has an access log and an error log. The Server tab holds each database name and for each database you can see the log file for its entire running time.
For more specific information visit CUBRID Log Files.


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Teddy Higuera
Teodoro Valenzuela (Valenzuela) Higuera
Position: Pitcher
Born: November 9, 1957 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
(All Transactions)
Debut: April 23, 1985 (Age 27.165, 12,618th in MLB history) vs. CHW 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 SO, 2 BB, 4 ER
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1985 season [*]
Team: Brewers 1985-1994
Agents: Bob Gilhooley,Jim Bronner, previously: Alan Nero, Bill Morris [*]
Last Game: August 9, 1994 (Age 36.273)
About biographical information
Promote your website or business by sponsoring this page for $20 on Baseball-Reference.com. Your message will replace this ad.
Sum any set of rows by clicking anywhere (not red or blue) on the
first and last rows of your selection. We will then compute the
totals for the player between and including those two seasons.
Default Setting for this feature: Turn On / Turn Off
Summation of season totals only works for the initial case when the table is in year order. On a sorted table the results may get a bit goofy.
HIGHLIGHTING: Adding a range or series of player's career seasons or career game numbers (like '#1972:batting_standard', '#1970-1980-sum:batting_standard', or '#1998,1999,2001,2002,sum:pitching_standard') onto the end of a player page url causes the seasons to the highlighted and summed. After changing address bar, reload the page to see highlighting. This will work even in links e-mailed to others. Note that for tables with multiple pages the first table is the default. If you want to create a sum for a table other than the first one, select the rows and after the summation window appears click on "permanent link" link.


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No more Mr. Nice Governor.On Sunday's midseason premiere of The Walking Dead (9/8c, AMC), the Governor (David Morrissey) will begin to more closely resemble the arch villain from the graphic novels that inspired the series. And why wouldn't he? After all, the Governor's town has been attacked and Michonne (Danai Gurira) has both killed his zombie daughter and taken out his eye with a shard of glass.Check out The Governor and other awesome characters who wear eye patches"He's in quite a dark place," Morrissey tells TVGuide.com in the video below. "The one thing that he really loves is his daughter and I think that's what gave him his humanity - the semblance of humanity that he had. He had something to live for, some hope. Michonne has taken that away from him. ... He's hurting and the question is how long will that hurt survive? How far will he go on that hurt?"Now, Morrissey says, the Governor is purely out for blood and revenge. The one person who might be able to talk him off the ledge is Andrea (Laurie Holden), who began a relationship with the Governor before seeing what he's truly capable of. But will that relationship survive? "Once Michonne destroys his world.... there's no room for [Andrea] to get inside his conscience," Morrissey says. "That's a dangerous place to be. I think what [Andrea] would be hoping for... is that the Governor re-finds his humanity and this caring side that she feels he's had. If [his humanity] comes back... and he decides that his search for revenge is a bad thing, it will come back via her."Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara previews upcoming war; discusses his exitAnd given that Andrea knows how Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and her former band of survivors function, might the Governor use her in the upcoming war between the two factions. Watch the video below to get Morrissey's answer on that and more!The Walking Dead returns from its hiatus Sunday at 9/8c on AMC.
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View original VIDEO: The Walking Dead's David Morrissey on the Governor's Quest for Revenge at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com
- Andrew Lincoln
- David Morrissey
- Laurie Holden
- Danai Gurira
- The Walking Dead
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Hilton's History Grounded in Education
In 1805, Jonathan Underwood was the first to settle in the area now known as Hilton, NY. These New Englanders came with the philosophy that "strength and stability of government stems from the education of the common people" and "education has a softening and elevating influence without which other labor is regarded as useless".
Given the horrific events of the past week, it seems like divine alignment that a quote about Hilton highlights the critical role that education and its educators play in making a community great.
The Newtown tragedy is hardly the way I'd hoped to introduce myself and the Hilton blog to the community.
I'd much rather be sharing funny stories about "Darlene", the elf who's been at our house for the past two weeks keeping tabs on whether our six year old makes Santa's nice or naughty list, but who am I kidding.
There's no escaping that what happened in Newtown could happen anywhere.
Hilton Schools, like others throughout Monroe County, have a security plan in place should it be needed and are reevaluating whether any additional measures need to be taken. The following letter was sent out to all parents this week and is being reprinted with permission of the Superintendent's office.
December 17, 2012
A note to Parents about the CT school shootings
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Connecticut and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the loss.
Please know that we remain committed to creating a safe, orderly environment in our schools. We have strived to implement security measures and at the same time balance safety with access to parents, family and community members who give children their time and talents at our schools each day. In light of this recent event, we will be reexamining our safety and security measures district wide and also consulting with experts in the field to determine if further steps may be required.
As we learn more details about this tragic incident in the days ahead, it is important for you to spend time talking with your children and helping them cope with this news. We would like to share with you information from the Monroe County Office of Mental Health for parents facing a traumatic event with their children:
Tips for supporting children after a Traumatic Event in the news
When there is a major news event such as the recent tragedy in Connecticut, your child will very likely hear about it when they go to school the next day. Inform your child of the basic fact of the event before they go to school – before they hear other versions from other children. Do not share graphic detail or elaborations.
- Encourage your children to talk, if they wish, and listen to their concerns.
- Answer questions truthfully and at a level appropriate to your child's level of understanding. It is okay not to have an answer to "why it happened."
- Make sure your child knows that they are safe, but do not give false reassurance.
- Limit exposure to media, conversations or upsetting details about the event.
- Do not share your own fears in your child's presence.
- Check in with them again when they get home to clarify misunderstandings or rumors and answer questions.
- Familiarize yourself with the school emergency plan.
- Have a family emergency plan and practice it with your children.
Reactions such as increased fearfulness, nightmares, or separation anxiety are not unusual and generally go away with basic support. If your child continues to show emotional or behavioral changes, contact your child's primary care provider or a mental health professional who is experienced in helping children cope with traumatic events.
If your child develops fears or is afraid to go to school:
- Reassure them that they are safe and that there is no danger at their school, and that the event is over.
- Consider accompanying them into school for a day or two if you can.
- Alert their teacher and/or counselor that they are fearful.
Remember – your children take their cues from you – be calm and reassuring.
Throughout the week, our teachers, counselors and administrators will be ready to respond to students, as needed. If you think your child may need extra support next week, please call school personnel so we can help. Nothing is more precious than our children. Please know that we will do everything in our power to keep them safe.
David Dimbleby
Superintendent of Schools
Below are some additional resources available for parents:
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
Talking to Kids (or Not) About What Happened in Connecticut (includes some concrete examples of what to say and how to say it particularly with young children)
Trauma Resources
It Gets Better, I Promise
In my next blog post, I'll share more about me and my family, and what we love about living in Hilton. And, I promise I'll be more entertaining.
Please send news releases, story ideas, comments, or just say hello to: firstname.lastname@example.com
I wish you much peace this holiday season.


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18" Doll Lorraina Goes Sledding Crochet Pattern
Design by: Carol Ballard
Skill: Intermediate
Size: Fits an 18" American Girl Doll
Materials: Worsted Weight Yarn:
White (W) - 10 oz, 550 yd; (280 g, 495 m).
Red (R) - 1 oz, 55 yd; (28 g, 50 m).
Brown (B) - 2 oz, 110 yd; (56 g, 100 m).
Crochet Hook: Size F-5 and H-8 (3.75 mm and 5.00 mm) or sizes needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge: 4 dc pattern sts = 1"; 2 dc pattern rows = 1"
Lorraina Goes Sledding Crochet Pattern
Your child's doll will be ready for a fun winter outing when she is wearing the Lorraina Goes Sledding outfit. Whether you are really going sledding or just playing pretend, this is a must have doll crochet set. Both your child and her doll will look stunning as they head out for some fun in the snow. Your child will absolutely love sledding this winter with Lorraina Goes Sledding. Perfect for those cold winter months, Lorraina stays warm in her winter outfit that includes a coat, hat, leggings, boots and mittens. The extra bonus with this pattern set is instructions to make an old fashion sled. There is nothing missing in this fun winter doll set.
Lorraina Goes Sledding is sized to fit and 18 inch tall doll, the same as an American Girl Doll. The frilly jacket and small details on the winter accessories make this an intermediate crochet skill level pattern. All pieces use worsted-weight yarn for just the right thickness and fit. Use a smaller hook and thinner yarn to size the pattern down for a smaller doll. The white jacket and pants are trendy for fun in the snow, but you can choose any color that fits your child's personality. It is fun to make the colors in this crochet set to the colors of your little girls winter jacket. Girls like to have matching clothes with their dolls and this set opens up all the possibilities. Lorraina Goes Sledding is waiting to be added to your child's doll wardrobe.
Other popular crochet doll sets include:
Paper Moon Dolly & Me Dress Set Crochet Pattern
Winter Fun American Girl Doll Set Crochet Pattern
Abby, Allie and Annie 18-inch Doll Set Crochet Pattern
Summer Outings Outfits for 18 Inch Dolls Crochet Pattern
Little Miss Rosalie 18 Inch Doll Outfit Crochet Pattern
Christmas Baby Doll Set Crochet Pattern
Lindy, Lauren, and Lola Crochet Pattern
Lorraina Goes Sledding Crochet Pattern is a wonderful pattern!


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In his annual Lenten message, promulgated in advance of the upcoming season of preparation for Easter, Pope John Paul II stressed how devastating AIDS has been to the African continent. Victims are counted in millions. "Humanity cannot close its eyes in the face of so appalling a tragedy," he wrote, putting his moral authority, once more, at the service of the most needy.
On the occasion of the presentation to the press of the papal message, however, his words were given an unfortunate spin by Father Angelo D'Agostino, a Jesuit priest who runs an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Fr. D'Agostino appealed for more public pressure to convince drug companies to lower the prices of AIDS drugs. He argued that, if AIDS remains a fatal disease in Africa while it no longer is so in developed nations, it is because of "the genocidal action of the drug cartels, who refuse to make the drugs affordable in Africa even after they reported a $517 billion profit in 2002."
This statement, invoking the crime of genocide, is deplorable. First and foremost, it should be clear that treatments of any illness in Africa and in the developed world cannot be easily compared. Lacking the prosperity enjoyed by more developed regions, Africa spends only $10-$12 per capita on health care. Every year, one million Africans die of malaria, a disease which is easily preventable with access to medicines that cost less than two dollars.
Second, the profit figure supplied by Fr. D'Agostino is fantastic. Total 2002 global drug sales (generics and branded originals in all countries) were approximately $451 billion. How could profits exceed revenue?
Far from being "genocidal," pharmaceutical companies are engaged in many humanitarian programs across Africa. Estimates place the level of donations, in products and cash, to the continent from the "pharmaceutical cartel" at some $2 billion since 1998. This is, as Center for New Europe Senior Fellow Stephen Pollard noted, "more than many African states' entire health care budget."
Throughout Africa, companies are offering HIV drugs by donation or at considerable discounts. In Kenya, for instance, Boehringer Ingelheim supplies nevirapine free of charge to prevent mother-to-child transmission and Pfizer is donating Diflucan to treat HIV-related disorders. Discount prices are typically below the best bargains found anywhere else in the world, including those offered by generic/copycat companies. Merck, for example, offers Stocrin at a "no profit" price that is 30 percent below the lowest copycat offer.
Pharmaceutical companies are also undertaking other efforts, such as direct assistance programs. As of January 2004, Pfizer, through its "Diflucan Partnership Program," had donated more than $100 million in medicine to 20 countries and 915 sites in Africa and the Caribbean, and treated more than 35,000 patients. Merck/Gates collaborates with the government of Botswana in what is now the largest HIV treatment program in Africa. There are many other similar initiatives.
Fr. D'Agostino's press declarations not only ignored the extent of the philanthropic efforts of the multinationals; they also failed to account for the importance of innovation and the role of profits in the drug industry.
Innovation entails enormous costs. In 2001 alone, the pharmaceutical industry spent $30.5 billion on research, with average development costs for a single drug reaching $802 million. Our hopes to cure AIDS depend on the effectiveness of research.
The profit motive, moreover, is at the heart of the structure of incentives that brings companies to invest in research and innovation. Far from being "genocidal," profit is what loads the spring of economic growth, and is the immediate motive behind the right of economic initiative that, as the pope has written, is indissolubly linked with human creativity. "In today's world," John Paul wrote in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, "among other rights, the right of economic initiative is often suppressed. Yet it is a right which is important not only for the individual but also for the common good. Experience shows us that the denial of this right, or its limitation in the name of an alleged 'equality' of everyone in society, diminishes, or in practice absolutely destroys the spirit of initiative, that is to say the creative subjectivity of the citizen."
In addition, critics should look at actors other than profit-seeking companies in assessing blame for high drug prices. Government protectionism and fiscal voracity contribute to limiting access to treatment. For example, the government of South Africa (which has recently slashed its AIDS budget by two-thirds) continues to impose a 14 percent value-added tax (VAT) on all medicines, including AIDS medicines, increasing the cost of those drugs significantly. Argentina levies a 17 percent VAT on medicines. Ghana and Senegal impose 10 percent customs on imported medicines, as does Tanzania.
Pushing pharmaceuticals to lower drug prices for the needy by means of persuasion is certainly legitimate. But we shouldn't derogate the value of what such companies already do, nor forget the economic realities of the industry. Undermining the right of economic initiative will do nothing to promote the common good, in Africa or anywhere else.