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Decision Maker
Barack Obama
- President
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States, and the first African American to hold the office. He was formerly a United States Senator from Illinois, a constitutional law professor and a community organizer.
Decision Maker
Barack Obama
- President
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States, and the first African American to hold the office. He was formerly a United States Senator from Illinois, a constitutional law professor and a community organizer.
Congress: KEEP CHINESE CHICKEN OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS AND SUPERMARKETS!
Over the summer, we were alarmed to learn that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow four Chinese facilities to process poultry raised and slaughtered in the United States, Canada, or Chile, then export the cooked poultry products back into the United States for human consumption. China has an unusually troubling record when it comes to food safety. Specific instances include: dangerously high levels of mercury found in Chinese baby formula; more than 16,000 diseased pig carcasses dumped in a river to rot; more than $1 million worth of rat and other small mammal meat sold to Chinese consumers as lamb; and more than 300,000 Chinese children sickened, with several dying, from melamine-tainted milk powder. Last year, according to news reports, a Chinese poultry supplier provided Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in China with chicken fattened by large quantities of illegal drugs. And in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned pet owners not to feed their pets jerky treats from China. Since 2007, approximately 600 dogs and cats in the United States have mysteriously died, and 3,600 have been sickened from eating Chinese pet treats, including those containing chicken or duck. Yet despite these concerns, chicken can now be processed in China and sent back to this country for human consumption even though there will be no on-site USDA inspectors in Chinese processing facilities to ensure food safety. Furthermore, Chinese-processed chicken does not have to bear "Country Of Origin Labeling," which means that consumers will not know if they are purchasing or eating chicken processed in China. To make matters worse, under USDA rules, Chinese-processed chicken can be used in the National School Lunch Program and other federal child nutrition programs, despite the fact that children are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illnesses and dangerous chemicals. Even more alarming is that chicken raised and slaughtered in China may eventually be imported directly into the United States, despite the fact that a December 2013 USDA audit found that China's poultry slaughter system is not yet equivalent to that of the United States in terms of food safety practices. Given the many reported, critical lapses in China's enforcement of its food safety laws, both Chinese-processed and Chinese-slaughtered poultry could pose a potential threat to public health in the United States, and immediate action by Congress and the President is needed. By starting this petition, we urge Congress, President Obama, and his administration to stop chicken from, or processed in, China from reaching our supermarkets and the meals we feed our school children by: (1) Ensuring that Chinese-processed chicken is not included in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program; and (2) Preventing funds from being used to implement any rule that would allow poultry raised or slaughtered in China to be exported to the United States. Fourteen members of Congress have already publicly supported these goals in an open letter to the Agricultural Appropriations Committee. We, Bettina Siegel and Nancy Huehnergarth are concerned parents who care a great deal about food and food safety. Please join with us and these lawmakers to show Congress, President Obama, and his administration that American consumers care about food safety for themselves and their families. Thank you!
President Barack Obama: Sharanda Jones does not deserve to die in prison
My name is Clenesha Garland and over 15 years ago, my mother Sharanda Jones began serving a life sentence with no chance of parole as a first-time non-violent offender under crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity laws. I was 8 years old at the time and my world as I knew it was shattered. I am now 23-years old and I fully grasp the fact that my mother is set to die in prison for the first crime she ever committed – a non-violent drug crime. I know that my mother committed a crime and that she has to pay for her actions. However, after over 15 years I feel she has more than paid the price for her crime. She does not deserve to come out of prison in a casket. Life without parole is the second most severe penalty permitted by law in America. Two co-conspirators testified against my mom in exchange for lessor sentences and received 7-8 years. Her supplier, another co-conspirator who also testified against her in exchange for a lessor sentence, received 19 years. All 3 co-conspirators have been released from prison. The United States Sentencing Commission has determined that federal sentencing guidelines under which my mother was sentenced were flawed. This determination is evidenced by two guideline adjustments in less than 5 years in the realm of crack‑cocaine federal sentencing that drastically reduce sentences for these offenses. Being without my mother for over 15 years of my life has been extremely difficult. But the thought that she is set to spend the rest of her life in prison as a first-time non-violent offender is absolutely devastating. Please support my mother's petition for commutation (reduction) of her sentence. All I pray for everyday is the blessing of being able to spend my life with my mother outside of prison walls.
Release My Son Justin Carter - Being Prosecuted For A Facebook Comment
My son, Justin Carter, was arrested on February 14, 2013 (yes, Valentine's Day) because of a sarcastic comment he posted on Facebook about a computer game which was then taken out of context by a complete stranger! Please sign my petition to help release my son, Justin. My son has been in jail for months because we can't afford to pay the half million dollar bail money. It took a month before he was even questioned and he spent his 19th birthday behind bars. To this day, Justin has not had a trial. No weapons were found during a search of his apartment, and so we're really confused and heartbroken that our family is being violated like this. While stuck in jail, Justin has been assaulted a number of times. He has been locked in solitary confinement for weeks. I urgently need your help. Justin's a good kid. He wouldn't hurt anyone, let alone a child. What I understand happened is that he was in an argument on the League of Legends website, which continued on a Facebook page, and someone on Facebook called him crazy and messed up in the head. So he responded in a sarcastic tone by saying something along the lines of 'Oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts'. His response may have been in bad taste, but it was written in a non-threatening way that didn't translate well online. None of his friends or family would even question his intention as anything other than a poor choice of words. Things got out of control, but my son is not a felon and terrorist as he's currently being charged!The authorities' over-reaction is ruining Justin's life. And it's setting a dangerous example trying to punish kids who often say strange things that I believe are protected under freedom of speech. The justice system's abuse of Justin is wasting time and money that could otherwise be spent to help people who honestly need it!I hope you will sign this petition. I'd like Justin to be released. And I would like a more reasonable law to be put in place so this doesn't happen to anyone else again. July 11 update: We still need your help. Thanks to an anonymous donor, Justin is now out on bail. I'm happy to have him out right now, but my son is still facing a felony terrorism charge and years in prison if found guilty. I have said all along that his Facebook joke was made in poor taste and understand why it raised some concern, but Justin has no prior record and he was clearly not actually threatening anyone. Please sign and share to continue supporting Justin's campaign. We need to make sure he's not labeled as a terrorist simply for making a Facebook comment. Thank you.
Allow Transgender People Into the U.S. Military
On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, Donald Trump announced that transgender individuals would no longer be accepted or allowed into the U.S. Military because their cost is a "burden." This is extremely disgraceful and an insult to all those who have already given their lives for this country. This is not equality, and this is not "supporting the LGBT community," as he said he does. This is utterly transphobic. Many people who served are going to be left jobless, and many others will no longer be able to fulfill their dreams. This is not okay, and this should not be legal. Trans people are still people.
President Obama: Sign the Executive Order Adding LGBT Workplace Protections to Millions of American Jobs
Dear President Obama, We write to urge you to build on your record as the strongest president in U.S. history for promoting equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans by signing an executive order to ban federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBT workplace discrimination. Nobody should ever be fired or harassed just because of who they are or whom they love. We agree with Freedom to Work and many other LGBT organizations that if corporations are going to take money from American taxpayers, then they should have to abide by American values like judging people based on their talent and hard work, not their sexual orientation or gender identity. DynCorp, a military contractor which profits from billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, was recently exposed for running a hostile work environment in which one employee was bullied at work and called "faggot," "queer" and "dick-sucker" on a daily basis. After more than 50,000 citizens signed a petition on change.org, DynCorp finally agreed to add LGBT protections to its anti-harassment policies. However, many more companies will take this positive step once you approve the executive order that your staff has already drafted and recommended you sign. In fact, research by the Williams Institute shows that by issuing an executive order, you will cover more than 16 million additional workers against LGBT discrimination. Your executive order will be popular: A recent poll by the Center for American Progress found that almost 70% of likely 2012 voters support this very executive order. That support crosses political party lines, with 83% of Democrats, 69% of Independents, and even a majority of Republicans in favor of presidential action to stop LGBT discrimination. Your executive order will be good for businesses and U.S. taxpayers: Most of the top government contractors – companies like Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin – already have LGBT non-discrimination rules, and they adopted them because they realize that discrimination is bad for the bottom line. Your executive order will only affect the hold-out companies that still engage in prejudice. As taxpayers, we should never have our money squandered by letting our government subsidize discrimination and harassment. Most importantly, your executive order is the right thing to do: LGBT Americans deserve full equality under the law, and we expect our elected officials to promote equality of opportunity whenever they can. According to news reports, your staff at the Justice Department and Labor Department have already written and approved the text of the executive order, and all that remains is for you to sign it. We respectfully urge you to do so.
Free Monique and Larissa Campaign: U.S. citizens unjustly imprisoned in Kuwait Prison
My daughter Monique earned a stellar record for her seven years as a soldier in the United States Army, stationed in Kuwait. Now, she and her partner wallow in a Kuwaiti prison, facing 25 years on baseless charges. After active duty, Monique and her partner Larissa later returned to Kuwait to work as military contractors. On the the morning of May 8, 2015, their house was raided and police confiscated one ounce of a "tobacco-like" substance. It was sent to a lab in Germany for analysis, and it was determined to be a substance that is completely legal in Kuwait. Yet, Kuwaiti officials held them in prison anyway. After 8 months of uncharged incarceration, the one ounce of legal substance magically turned into one pound of marijuana, and on January 12, 2016, Monique and Larissa were sentenced to 20-25 years in prison. I am begging the US Government to do what it can to get my daughter and her partner out of jail and back to the States. They have clearly been targeted by the Kuwaiti government for their lifestyle, and could spend half their lives in prison for it. This whole ordeal is a nightmare. One minute, I was expecting her for Mother's Day, and the next, I was told she was in prison. Everything I have learned has been through her friends and her lawyer, who has only called to demand more money -- money for services he hasn't rendered. Right now, I would do anything just to hear her voice. To this day, I cannot understand how the US government has allowed them to remain in prison. They were not in possession of an illegal substance, yet their freedom and belongings have been taken away from them. They are being held captive in a foreign land for a crime they did not commit, with no help in sight. I need all of you who read this to help me send a message to the US Government, and ask them to do what is right and get Monique and Larissa out of jail and bring them home. This injustice cannot stand. Please sign my petition.
Exonerate Kenneth Clair: DNA Evidence Points to Someone Else.
On November 15, 1984, 5-year-old Jerrod Hessling witnessed the beating, rape, and stabbing death of his babysitter. When asked to describe the killer, he said, without hesitation, that it was a white male. Another child present during the murder saw a white man's tattooed arm reach inside the house to open a sliding glass door. Yet somehow, the lawyers in the case determined that Kenneth Clair, a dark-skinned African-American homeless man who had been squatting next door, was the killer. When Jerrod saw him on the witness stand and insisted they had the wrong man, the prosecution chalked it up to youth and trauma and pursued the death penalty for Kenneth Clair. To this day, 31 years later, Mr. Clair sits on San Quentin's death row, awaiting his execution date. [UPDATE: I was recently made aware that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals secretly overturned Mr. Clair's death sentence and changed it to life in prison without parole. This is mixed news -- his life is spared, but he no longer has the right to an attorney under habeas corpus laws, and he has not been granted a retrial. That means the exonerating DNA evidence will NOT be seen in court. We now have to focus our energy on asking Governor Jerry Brown and California State Attorney General Kamala Harris to investigate the case and exonerate Kenneth Clair for this crime he did not commit. It is Mr. Clair's only remaining chance for justice. ] But that's not the biggest bombshell in this case -- in 2008, forensic testing revealed that DNA found on the murder victim did not match Clair's. DNA taken from a glove found at the scene also did not match. It matches another individual, but the Orange County District Attorney insists that "confidentiality is required" concerning this evidence, and for 7 years now, the identity of the person whose DNA does match the swab has remained a secret. In the interest of justice, we must call on the Orange County DA and California state lawmakers to demand that the DNA evidence be turned over to Kenneth Clair's defense. Since his conviction, Clair has struggled with ineffective counsel. He wanted his lawyers to work at investigating the crime, rather than simply trying to free him from death row, but they never did. His plea for substitute counsel even made it to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012, and he did eventually receive a switch of counsel. Finally, he is being represented by people who are dedicated to his exoneration. But their hands are tied without this crucial DNA evidence, and more of Clair's precious life is wasting away in prison as they fight to obtain it. Please sign my petition if you feel that the disclosure of the identity of a possible "person of interest" is something that the prosecution should not be allowed to withhold.
Clemency for Josephine Ledesma Serving Life Without Parole
My mom, Josephine Ledesma, is a first time nonviolent drug offender who has already served 24 years of a life sentence for conspiracy to transport drugs.My mom never used or sold drugs, but agreed to give someone an envelope of money who was going to transport drugs from California to Tennessee at the request of a family member. She readily admits that she was wrong to get involved, but she shouldn't die in prison -- 24 years ago is more than enough. I was 11 years old when she was arrested in 1990 and I will never forget that day. My two brothers were 13 and 7 years old.When the person who was transporting drugs was arrested, he agreed to "cooperate." Because my mother went to trial, she was held responsible for everything that all the co-conspirators did and labeled a "leader," enhancing her sentence. If she had cooperated, she would be home by now. Our mom has been a mentor to many women and a model prisoner. She works hard every day at a prison call center and is in charge of the payroll for over 200 employees. She organizes the Spanish Christian services and Bible studies and has been awarded numerous certificates for completing different classes. It's not right for someone in prison to work so hard at rehabilitation if they are never given a second chance to apply those skills. She has 9 grandchildren who ask us all the time, "When is Grandma Josie coming home?"My mom has always been our rock. From prison she has been there to listen, give us advice, but most importantly to pray for us, always. She is a wonderful, caring and compassionate woman. But only a commutation of her sentence from President Obama can bring her home. She will be 58 years old this year and has already served 24 years for her mistake.Please sign this petition and help us unite with our mother. Thank you, Lizette Ledesma
290 million children do not officially exist. Support the Girls Count Act
Imagine if you didn't exist. You have no birth certificate, and the government has no record that you were ever born. For most of us, this is incomprehensible. But for millions of girls around the world, this is reality. Even though most countries have birth registration laws, according to UNICEF, 4 out of 10 births worldwide were not registered in 2012. That's 290 million children living around the world today who are not counted. And this disproportionately affects the lives of adolescent girls in developing countries, deeply limiting their access to life-changing resources and opportunities. Time and time again, we have seen that when girls are empowered, they can change the world. But to have that chance, first they have to be counted. The Girls Count Act will make getting girls (and boys) a birth certificate a priority of U.S. foreign policy. Through this legislation, the U.S. will work directly with organizations like the United Nations, non-profit organizations, faith-based institutions, and others to help ensure all children are registered and everyone has an opportunity to succeed. The bill was recently passed with unanimous consent in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. All we need now is for President Obama to sign this bill into law. President Obama has long been an advocate for girls' and women's rights, and we need his help to get to work, ensuring that all girls are counted. Raise your voice: Join with our Girl Up campaign and tell President Obama to sign the Girls Count Act.
End Child Marriage, Sign the Executive Order!
When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped for a marriage to a much older man, as depicted in the film Difret. On the day I was abducted, I was raped by my would be "husband." I knew I had to fight back and escape the first chance I got. I was taken to a hut and locked up. When I received another visit from my abductor I saw my chance. When he was suddenly called away, he left his gun leaning against the wall and the door unlocked. My father had taught me how to fire a gun, so I took it and ran. When he and his friends chased me, I shot him. It was the most terrifying, horrible ordeal of my entire life -- and I'm one of the lucky ones. I was accused of murder and after 2 years in the courts, the judge ruled that it was, in fact, self-defense. My trial led to a re-examination of this tradition and the Ethiopian government is now working to end child marriage and female genital cutting by 2025. In addition, the African Union recently launched a campaign to end child marriage across the continent. I am now dedicating my life to working on this issue and to give voice to the screams of unheard rural women and girls. I don't want to see the same story happen to any more girls. And yet, it still is. You can help. Please join me in ending child marriage around the world by signing this petition, asking President Obama to sign the executive order that would help prevent an estimated 39,000 child marriages every day. This petition is supported by Global Fund for Women, Ms Magazine, Equality Now and Truth Aid. The Call to Action We need the Obama Administration and the State Department to deliver what was promised: a comprehensive strategy for ending child marriage. In March 2013, President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) that included a commitment to ending child marriage worldwide. The law requires the State Department to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to end child marriage and to direct U.S. foreign assistance to programs in countries where child marriage is prevalent. We are asking that this strategy be created and announced in 2015, and that it include the following whole-of government strategy: + Our foreign assistance agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, would be directed to craft evidence-based, stand-alone programs to delay the age of marriage, foster girls' agency and choice and promote equitable and rights-based societies that give girls the tools they need to thrive, while also leveraging our considerable investments in such areas as health, education and food security to ensure these programs are being fully utilized to address related elements of the practice. + State Department diplomats on the world stage and in bilateral talks with countries that have high rates of child marriage would be directed to raise the issue of child marriage as a U.S. foreign policy priority, and would work to ensure that carrots—and, where necessary, sticks—are deployed to encourage meaningful action by all countries to end this global scourge. Such a strategy would recognize and institutionalize the fact that child, early and forced marriage impacts the whole life of the girl and that holistic, rights-based approaches are therefore necessary to end it. + A draft Strategy is sitting at the Department of State. While the President and the First Lady have recently launched an important effort to provide education for at-risk girls globally, until the President signs an Executive Order giving these efforts the full force of law, we cannot be certain that these efforts will be fully implemented and funded. And thus they will not make any real difference in the lives of girls all over the world. Every day that we wait for the implementation of the new law to become reality, another 39,000 girls are married. This is unacceptable. When girls are forced into marriage early, entire communities miss out on their potential as change makers, economic drivers, and leaders. We must end child marriage to allow girls to realize their full potential in order to achieve the world we want. We need a coordinated, whole-of government strategy immediately. You can help. Tell President Obama to issue an Executive Order directing the U.S. government to use its full force to protect and empower the world's girls and end child marriage once and for all. In U.S. Theaters October 23rd, 2015. Get tickets here: bit.ly/DifretInTheaters


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Do you see what I see? Almost everyone, Christians, non-Christians, scientists and astronomers have been captivated by the unique way the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to Jesus. Most have tried to determine a date about the time of His birth, if an unusual convergence of several stars might have produced what appeared to be one big special star. Others have thought that perhaps this was some special comet or other natural phenomena that
David C. Biggers
David C. Biggers was my father-in-law. Take a moment and let me introduce you. David was quite the character, and, I believe, everything anyone would want in a father and grandfather; loyal, playful; joyful; generous; fun and, at times, downright hysterical. One of our "regular" activities with David was eating out when we would make the hour and forty-five-minute drive up to San Mateo, Florida or him, down here to Mount Dora. David loved to
Giving Thanks!
We have just been through the HALLOWEEN season and are coming to THANKSGIVING. Halloween, without question, has its origins in pagan worship and rituals. Today it has no more significance in the minds of most people than to be an excuse to "party" … or an opportunity to put on a mask and fantasize becoming someone different from who you are. However many are involved in witchcraft or Satanic worship who continue to use this
6 Principles of Godly Leadership
Recently, I heard a simple, yet profound, sermon from my Interim Pastor, Dr. Jerry Appleby. I asked his permission to share it with you; The Country Gazette in Franklin, Massachusetts had this listing in its classified section: "Unknown item for sale. We know it's valuable; we don't know what it is. If you can identify it, we'll sell it for $250." That's interesting. They had no idea what it was—but knew somehow it had value!
Results from The Rocky Mountain Initiative
For the Rocky Mountain District, Church of the Nazarene, Fall 2016 initiative, they wished to reach local schools— and partner with local churches for community impact. So, they reached out to New Dimensions Evangelism. The vision was to create a positive impact on schools–and bring in the lost to local churches. And to inspire local pastors with "what could be." Two churches hosted the weekend outreach. Each of these churches averages about 120 in Sunday
Back By The Woodpile
Tim B., a friend since college, sat down with me a year-or-so-ago for an interview for his podcast, "In the Corner Back By the Woodpile" This is a delightful podcast that features a variety of conversations of life with interesting people…I guess I qualify. :0) If you need a diversion from radio, news, audio books, or whatever it may be you may be tired of…I invite you to spend a refreshing, fun, thirty minutes with
The Power of One Vote—False but True!
About this time every four years we are inundated with admonitions to vote because one vote defeated so many important events. This is true … but, most of the data given to prove this is FALSE. This includes the famous story referring to one vote and Oliver Cromwell, Charles I of England, and America almost speaking German instead of English. These statements have often been repeated by newspaper columnists, bloggers or Ministers in an impassioned
Mentoring for the Master or Malevolence?
In 1942, a young black Cassius Clay was born into a neighborhood close to a Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. The Christians of that church evidently were so prejudiced that they would never take the time to reach for Christ, this young man whose skin was a different color and was perhaps a little on the cocky side. They would never spend the time to take an interest in him and help mold his thinking.
Which Friend Are You?
In Job and Mark and Luke, we find two different kinds of friends. In Job, we find very spiritual sounding friends who are no help at all to Job in his time of sickness. (Notice that this was an illness that God Himself had permitted Satan to bring upon Job NOT because Job had sinned, but because he was a very Godly man and Satan was trying to destroy his faith in the Lord.) Apparently,
A Personal Request
Wow! Or maybe, Whew! This summer has flown by. I've just returned home after spending almost the entire month of July on the road. June, too, was a busy and productive month for our ministry. This summer we had fantastic programs in Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Illinois. Lots of miles…lots of smiles…and lots of decisions for Christ! PTL! But in the midst of the incredible fruitfulness of this ministry, we have also endured some


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Why linguistics: from a technological perspective
Toni Badia
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
In a technological environment where engines are built that either perform linguistic acts or help users to perform them the question of what linguistics is useful for comes up again and again. And very often the "why" is highly connected to the "what" and to the "how".
The predominant paradigm today in Natural Language Processing (NLP) is data-driven. Since the 1970's, when Artificial Intelligence and NLP were theoretically grounded on logic and linguistic knowledge, a major shift in paradigm has occurred within NLP. The initial success of probabilistic models in speech recognition and machine translation (e.g., at IBM labs: Jelinek at al. 1975; Brown et al. 1990), together with the increase of processing power and storage capacity of computers, has led the field to rely basically on data from which to extract (usually via machine learning techniques) models to perform the tasks at hand. Interestingly this has brought together NLP and corpus linguistics.
The availability of data then is crucial for solving NLP tasks. It has sometimes been argued (Havely et al. 2009) that massive amount of data is enough for success in NLP tasks. Irrespective of the general validity of this statement, the fact remains that for a wide number of tasks there is no massive data available. Models have to be acquired from less data; and the relative scarcity of data can only be compensated if they are richly and carefully annotated, so that satisfying results can be obtained. And indeed in many specialised tasks a combination of massive data with carefully annotated data seems to be required (e.g., when combining in- with out-of-domain data in machine translation).
Why (do we need linguistics)
Linguistics is required to make sense of linguistic facts, which are scattered and intermixed with other communication factors and means. Linguistics has to be grounded on facts, at all levels of granularity: it has to provide explanation of both 1) communication facts taking place in specific time/space coordinates and 2) language as a cognitive phenomenon. Both levels of explanation must be consistent with one another.
- linguistic phenomena are scattered (in multiple linguistic acts and performed in a number of different languages) and intersected with other communication means (gestures, images, intonation...)
- a systematic approach to the correlation between linguistic form and meaning is needed
- linguistic analyses are necessary to provide data that are linguistically structured
- linguistic theories are necessary to provide consistency to the analyses and annotation of data
What (sort of linguistics do we need)
We basically need linguistic theories that are grounded on facts and help in carrying out linguistic annotations of linguistic acts:
- descriptive linguistics must be the core: theory-neutral descriptions, that are applicable cross-language and directly relating form and meaning
- linguistic theories must be validated against (quantitative) data
- linguistics must become a truly experimental science accounting for both: each minute communication act and language as a global communication system (one of the complex systems in nature)
How (should linguistic data be annotated)
Language is a communication means; it is therefore related to any other factor influencing communication (either the channel or the content). Linguistic data have to be treated in parallel to the other elements (image and sound data in audiovisual communication; social data in social media communication...). We need:
- rigorously annotated data (deriving from categorisation of linguistic phenomena)
- using cross-lingual criteria for annotating (so that linguistic diversity is addressed)
- quality annotations (simple, fully justified, grounded on facts, contrasted, replicable)
- clearly quantifiable
- comparable to, and integratable with, non-linguistic data (image, sound, social networks... data)
Brown,P.F. et al. 1990. A statistical approach to machine translation. Computational Linguistics, 16, 2, pp. 79-85
Halevy,A. et al. 2009. The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Data. IEEE Intelligent Systems, Vol. 24, 2, pp. 8-12
Jelinek,F. et al. 1975. Design of a linguistic statistical decoder for the recognition of continuous speech. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. 06/1975


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They are pretty easy and really simple to make. And cost next to nothing honestly! You just get on craigslist and find someone who is giving away old fence panels or pickets for FREE, there are tons on there usually. You need to skinny ones, the larger ones just look dorky.
This is what you need to make the flag
7 old fence pickets
14 wood screws
Table saw or a handsaw if you have big muscles
Electric drill with a phillips bit in it, or an old fashioned screwdriver (yuck)
Brick red paint, navy blue paint, antique white paint
3 sponge brushes (they will be shredded by the end)
Rusty tin stars if you are doing the Americana flag, (I put a link to the place I bought them from, split them with your friends to lessen the cost) or a cast iron star if you are doing the Texas one. (I got mine this past week at Hobby Lobby, they were 50% off and I got it for $2.50. Sweet!)
Painters tape
Glue gun and sticks.
You cut the pickets with your table saw at 48". Don't throw away the part you cut off because we are being "green" and recycling it on the backside of the flag. You line up your posts against a wall so they are touching one another and square. You take 2 of the short parts of the pickets you cut off and and line them up 6 inches from the left side of the flag and 6 inches from the right side of the flag so that each piece goes across all 7 cut pickets. You take wood screws that are about 1" long and screw the wood brace across each of the 7 pickets on both ends.
Flip it over and tape off where you you want the blue part first. You want to do that first so it will dry quickly and you can get the stars glued on while the other colors dry. I'm always pinched on time, so any shortcuts I can find, I love to share!
After the blue, paint your red and white. Almost dry brush it on so it stays rustic. I didn't sand anything afterwards in these projects, it's just the dry brush painting. So really you don't need much paint either.
After the blue is dry, hot glue your stars on in whatever pattern you want and you are done!


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Hello and welcome!
This blog is a place for me to share thoughts, recipes, things I learn from my Bible, links and anything else I happen to want to post. It is in essence an extension of The Home Maker's Corner. I hope you enjoy it!
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Saturday, June 20, 2015
Evening Song - How Big Is God?
Isaiah 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
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All of a sudden, that time has come. In two days, I will be leaving my home to make a short pit stop in Virginia before turning westward for the big journey: following the PGA Tour in 2010. While I feel that just about everything is ready, I can't help but feel that I'm forgetting something. Perhaps I'm forgetting a lot of things. But at the very least, I guess deep down I'm hoping that I'm still insane enough to pull this off.
It's funny, but at this point I think I've created too many lists. I have scrap pieces of paper, an entire notebook, Excel spreadsheets and Word documents full of words telling me what I should be doing on a daily basis throughout 2010. But who the hell really knows what my schedule is going to be like? Every tournament is different, every city is different, and I have no doubt that every single day will be completely different than the one before it. So what the hell am I doing? Why create lists at all if it's possible that none of them will even apply?
Another thing I can't help but notice is the weight I've put on since October. Well, after Turning Stone anyway--I certainly burned calories that week. But since then, I've been focused on developing the site, researching different aspects of the trip, and enjoying Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and whatever other day I can stuff my face before I start eating out of cans. I suppose it's ironic that I spent so much time sitting on my ass to research a proper diet. But I think it will all pay off. I also think that the first 2-3 weeks of this trip will be quite painful and exhausting, given my current state of fitness. But how else am I going to whip myself back into caddie-esque shape?
As far as driving is concerned, I am amazed at how exponentially difficult following the PGA Tour becomes as you move through the season. Oh, sure, the beginning seems logical enough: four tournaments in California, and then we move to Arizona, then Florida, and then our first tournament in Texas prior to Augusta. It's almost as if the PGA Tour rubs the belly of the United States like a grateful kid who's just been saved from the bottom of a well by Lassie.
But after the Masters, the PGA Tour becomes Mr. Hyde as far as me and my car is concerned. I'm sure I will feel a lot like a pinball machine: South Carolina, Louisiana, North Carolina, then back to Florida, then a few tournaments in Texas before the Hail Mary-- where I can expect over 90 hours of driving in four weeks. First the Memorial in Ohio, then the St. Jude in Tennessee, then the U.S. Open at Pebble (back again after the AT&T), and then the Travelers Championship (I couldn't have said it better myself) in Cromwell, Connecticut. I don't care who wins that last tournament—they're all coming in second next to me after THAT freakin' voyage.
The rest of the year is a little more manageable, with the exception of the PGA Championship, which will be tucked against Lake Michigan in Kohler, Wisconsin. The tournament is the week of August 9th, and I'm sure everyone will still be freezing their respective asses off.
The way I see it, I need a storage bin / bed where the front passenger seat used to be, so that when I fold down the back seat I have a bed to sleep on in case of a worst-case scenario. I will also set up some smaller storage bins in the trunk for clothing so I won't have to cram all of my items into a backpack. Looking presentable is such a big part of "blending in" with the patrons at any tour event—and I need all the help I can get.
At this point I think I have a place to stay at most of the tournament locations, and who knows, I may end up having a place to stay everywhere I go. I found campsites or other similar locations along the way just in case, however, so I'm bringing a tent and a sleeping bag as well.
Although it probably should've happened already, the weight of this journey is finally starting to sink in. All the work I put into the website, the countless revisions to my writing, all the lists for food, shelter, daily tasks to get my writing done, etc. Even the preparations for my car kind of scared me. But I'm here, damn it, and I feel ready to get this thing underway.


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Home > Rings
Sorry I'm sold
Theres a really pretty lemon coloured citrine set into this ring.
The gemstone is quite large, nicely faceted and quite shiny as you would want. It is mounted is solid sterling silver as a ring.
The white colour of the metal goes well with the lemon of the citrine. The head of the ring is 3/4 inch long or 2 cms long which goes up the finger.
It is UK finger size L or USA size just under 6. A vintage ring from circa 1970s. In very good condtion
Item no: 357-07Era: 1950s -1970sCondition: ExcellentGemstone: CitrineUK Ring: LMetal: Silver
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USER EDITORTubelubber
When they are in the bathroom, he says to put your goggles on and then safety first and puts his googles on. Then when it shows him hammering the nail, his goggles are up.
When Carl was in the bathroom, he kicks something at the wall and then the mirror falls and you hear the glass break, but the mirror is still together.
The original cold open to this episode featured Harriette telling Eddie, Laura and Judy to wash the dishes while she gets ready to go to a PTA meeting. After the original airing of this episode the producers replaced it with a new cold open to feature Harriette and Carl sitting at the table and Steve Urkel comes with a robe on saying he was taking a bath, to make it look as if Urkel was on from the beginning. The first season DVD set uses the original version.
The original cold open to this episode featured a scene with Judy, Laura, and Carl. After the original airing of this episode the producers replaced it with a new cold open to feature Steve Urkel tricking Carl out of his sundae, to make it look as if Urkel was on from the beginning. The first season DVD set uses the Steve Urkel version.
The back of Valerie Jones, who played Judy Winslow in the pilot episode, can still be seen in the opening credits at the dinner table scene. It remains that way until the end of the first season.
This actually applies to every episode after this, but since this is the first episode with the new living room I'll mention it here. I know that the house that is seen is stock footage, but it doesn't match the interior. If you look at the porch when someone opens the door, there are a lot of plants, and even a bench. That's not seen on the stock footage. Also, to go down the stairs, you would have to turn left. On the stock footage, there is no real porch. Also, how would someone drive into the garage in the back of the house? The back yard is on the same level as the rest of the house. Also, in the closing theme song when it shows the Winslows at the piano in the living room, the piano shouldn't be at the corner of the house. Remember, the piano was right by the kitchen, so if you go to the right, then you go into the kitchen, which clearly doesn't make sense. The piano should be on the side of the house, or located right next to the door. Also, the stairs to the left of the living room door shouldn't be there, because they go too far over. The exterior shot shows a window there.
The set for the pilot is set similar but obviously different than the design of the following episodes; the front door exits out into a hall; that's clearly seen when Estelle makes her appearance. The makeup of the living room is a bit closer together than the set becomes and doesn't have as many doors off the main room like for the downstairs bathroom that Rachel uses in a later episode. The kitchen is the only set that remains fairly the same when the show moves into the series.
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Our cocktail masterclass is the perfect way to kick start your night out in Swindon. Gather your friends, learn to shake and stir your own cocktails with the guidance of our expert head bartenders. Create your own innovative cocktail flavour or mix up some of your favourite classics. Enjoy your own creations, and sample some of our best in-house cocktail recipes too. Our delectable party platters will ensure the night is total perfection.
Gather your party companions for an evening you won't forget! You'll help make 3 classic cocktails from our Cocktail Menu with 1 -2-1 training from our fabulous bartenders.
Each class takes approximately 2 hours depending on the size of your group. At the end of your session your new cocktail know-how will be put the test with a fun, hands-on quiz where the winner takes home a bottle of Prosecco!
*Minimum of 6 guests £25 per person
Make a night of it with our party package. An evening with a delicious a la carte buffet and learning how to make three fabulous cocktails (and of course enjoy them afterwards!) with our highly skilled bartenders.
You will receive in-depth explanations of the history and techniques being used, and your knowledge tested with a fun quiz!
*Minimum of 6 guests. £47.50 per person
Click the button below to fill in the enquiry form and one of our party planners will get back to you to plan your experience!Enquire About An Event Now


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Heavy Ammo
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Heavy Ammo is ammunition for Heavy Weapons like rocket launchers and machine guns. Heavy ammo (purple box) drops in vs. maps and can also be found in other modes on fallen enemies.
The Warlock has an ability called Energy Drain that can refill heavy weapon ammo (and special ammo).
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PressBack to Press Items
Walmart Home and Garden Commercial
Wal-Mart featured Seabird Key in one of their Home and Garden Commercials. The commercial is a remote with interviews from the owners of Seabird Key highlighting the elaborative design and work that goes into maintaining the tropical atmosphere that has made Seabird famous. (Courtesy of Wal-Mart).


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This property has been removed by the agent. It may be let or temporarily removed from the market
Property Description
Letting information:
|Reduced on Rightmove:
|11 January 2017 (217 days ago)
Full description
Beautifully presented ground floor flat situated in a cul-de-sac in the popular Great Moor area. Modern throughout this property would be perfect for professional couple or single person. Fantastic lawned garden to rear. Private car parking to the front. Close to both Hazel Grove and Stepping Hill Hospital. The accommodation comprises; Entrance hall, lounge, landing, kitchen/diner, bedroom and bathroom.
Proffesional only, No Pets or Smokers.
Available Now - call 0161 483 7016 to book a viewing.
EPC Grade - C
Double glazed front door opening into entrance hall. Cupboard housing meters.
Living Room / Dining Room 4.39m x 3.66m
Double glazed window overlooking the front aspect. Storage heater. Wooden flooring. Door to the landing.
Kitchen 3.51m x 2.9m
Double glazed window overlooking the rear aspect. Double glazed back door opening into the garden. Storage heater. Tiled splash back and flooring. Modern range of white eye and base level units with complimentary work surfaces.
Bedroom 2.41m x 3.53m
Double glazed window overlooking the rear aspect. Storage heater. Laminate flooring.
Bathroom 1.96m x 1.98m
Modern white bathroom suite comprising of; low level wc, paneled bath with shower over and hand wash basin. Fully tiled walls and flooring. Electric fan heater.
To the rear there is a good sized lawned garden with mature planted borders and flagged patio area.
More information from this agent
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The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
We believe that Christ intended for his followers to be together in a unified, committed relationship with each other. St. Peter's members share a common commitment outlined in What We Believe and our Core Values.
Our members sign a covenant to:
- Daily prayer and study
- Sharing your talent to build the body of Christ
- Make a financial Commitment to the mission and ministry of our Church
Membership forms are available at Guest St. Peter's every weekend, or contact Deacon Gay Romack.


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< Browse more videos
Michael Mandell shares his Testimonial that "It Gets Better"
IT GETS BETTER and IT GETS BETTER PROJECT are registered US trademarks. It Gets Better Project is a registered 501(c)3 organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Copyright Ⓒ 2010 - 2017 It Gets Better Project. All rights reserved.


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You are here: Home > Recipes for one
Published Thursday, 01 May, 2014 by Ashley
1. Boil water for pasta
2. Add pasta to boiling water.
3. After pasta is ready, drain water.
4. Add soup to pasta, add required amount of water
5. Cook until soup is boiling
all done!
Perfect for one person!
Really easy, great for using up leftover vegetables.
A hearty soup for the cold months
Can be changed according to taste. rough count of 15 to 20 minuets
My nans delicious veggie soup
Spicy egg wrap https://t.co/oKp3M6cOMk
Spicy egg wrap https://t.co/0JlXe6Bxo7
Spicy egg wrap https://t.co/fuF8LQfNSz
Spicy egg wrap https://t.co/aYvhP2TA6F
Choco pops https://t.co/GmkSRzPRci


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Sometimes it takes evil to destroy evil.
Aria cannot touch the living or the dead and her kin are silent ghosts. Hidden in a cairn deep in the haunted forest, Aria becomes obsessed with the only boy who can feel her touch. Before she knows it, she's thrust into the first war against the Valtanyana.
The Daed have no choice but to awaken the Valtanyana and hunt down Aria and her kin, but the closer the Daed become to victory, the more expendable they become.
Kaliel is no more, stuffed into a pocket watch by the only person she thought would never harm her, she learns what true torture is. Krishani is no more, broken into pieces he can't sew back together he follows the swarm aimlessly seeking salvation.
VILLAINS is a collection of five novellas told by the villains. Deception, torture, manipulation and ruthlessness collide in this installment of The Ferryman & the Flame Series.


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Hour of the Ratby Lisa Brackmann
Iraq War vet Ellie McEnroe has a pretty good life in Beijing, representing the work of controversial dissident Chinese artist Zhang Jianli. Even though Zhang's mysterious disappearance has attracted the attention of the Chinese authorities. Even though her Born-Again mother has come for a visit and shows no signs of leaving.
But things really get
Iraq War vet Ellie McEnroe has a pretty good life in Beijing, representing the work of controversial dissident Chinese artist Zhang Jianli. Even though Zhang's mysterious disappearance has attracted the attention of the Chinese authorities. Even though her Born-Again mother has come for a visit and shows no signs of leaving.
But things really get complicated when Ellie's agrees to help out an old Army buddy with his search for his missing brother. Ellie finds herself entangled in a conspiracy that may or may not involve a sinister biotech company, eco-terrorists, an art-obsessed Chinese billionaire, and lots of cats—a conspiracy that will take her on a wild chase through some of China's most beautiful and most surreal places.
Editorial Reviews
Mystery Scene Magazine Favorite Reads of 2013
A Los Angeles Times Summer PageTurner
"A smart, jaw-droppingly good thriller, often hilarious, set in a revelatory depiction of modern China. Hour of the Rat should make Lisa Brackmann a star."
—Timothy Hallinan, author of the Junior Bender series
"A rocking sequel.... [Ellie McEnroe's] motives, her dogged determination, and her burning sense of moral outrage will be familiar to anyone who's ever read Chandler's The Long Goodbye... Brackmann captures it all with an unflinching honesty and frank sense of moral unease that strips bare the romance myths of the 'New China'—and of the old capitalism running amuck."
—Mystery Scene
"A totally genius novel: smart, funny, dark, hip... exquisite. She had me in a choke-hold of utter happy reading splendor from, literally, the first sentence, and never let up. Also, I think I could hang with Ellie McEnroe forever. Definitely the woman I want along on my next wild jaunt across Asia."
—Cornelia Read, author of the Madeline Dare series
"If you're shopping for someone who enjoyed Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander books and is looking for something new to read, pick up the two Ellie McEnroe mysteries by Lisa Brackmann,Rock Paper Tiger and Hour of the Rat.... the combination of a strong female protagonist, a Chinese setting, and engrossing mystery plots results in books that I think any grown-up fan of Nancy Drew would enjoy finding in her Christmas stocking."
—Los Angeles Review of Books
"The latest Ellie McEnroe China mystery (see Rock Paper Tiger) is a fabulous thriller that vividly brings to life Beijing and the rural countryside. Ellie is terrific."
—Midwest Book Review
"China's a big country, and as the foul-mouthed, pill-popping vet travels from tourist trap to toxic wasteland and back, her journey becomes one of disenchantment, frustration and anger.... this book—and the fingers it points—matter."
—January Magazine, Best Books of 2013
"Nail-biting... Brackmann touches on issues ranging from pollution to evangelical Christianity."
—South China Morning Post
"Imbued with vivid detail about contemporary China."
—Time Out Beijing
"Modern China, with all its beauty and blemishes, comes alive as the story unfolds. Ellie pops her pain pills, drinks her beer, offers wry observations, and follows clues from one city to another across vast, cipherlike China... Beautiful lakes lie under magical mountains at one stop. Revolting rivers of sludge foul the air at another.... [Hour of the Rat] features an enjoyably profane protagonist and is peopled with characters who will take up residence in the reader's mind, setting up an itch that can only be satisfied by another novel from this author."
—Suspense Magazine
"Brackmann's easy familiarity with everyday life in China lends a fascinating multiculturalism to her writing. Nods to local cuisine, Chinese slang and dress help paint a vivid picture of that country.... [Ellie] always entertains."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A finely honed thriller.... Brackmann is as adept at bringing China's densely populated cities and breathtaking landscapes to life as she is at depicting her flawed but appealing characters and twists and turns galore."
—Publishers Weekly
"One of the best thrillers of the year.... Brackmann has topped off a perfect, darkly humorous, hip novel and gone one better by writing dialog that is Chandleresque yet thug modern. She has set the bar high for anyone wishing to write at the top of their game in the noir genre."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"This mystery-thriller set among China's expat community is both a fascinating character study and a transportation in place. Brackmann's descriptions of China make me feel like I've been there. Plus, Ellie says what all of us are thinking. Love her!"
—Huffington Post
"[Brackmann] somehow manages to weave together a perfectly logical story with Uigar dissidents, a subversive online game, and the Chinese art world, without ever bogging down in explication. There aren't many writers who could pull all that off, maintain suspense, and be funny, too."
—Long Beach Gazette
"Brackmann's crime fiction is exhilarating and compelling, and I had no regrets about trading in my preconceptions about China, to absorb both the current issues and the clear passion that Ellie has for the place and its diversity."
—Beth Kanell, Owner, Kingdom Books
"One part China travelogue, two parts mystery, and a healthy dose of quirky charm. This is a perfect summer read for those looking for a mystery that's off the beaten path!"
—My Bookish Ways
Praise for ROCK PAPER TIGER
"Don't turn the pages too fast. Brackmann's evocation of China, funny, frustrating, frightening, sometimes tender, and always real, is worth savoring."
—Nicole Mones, author of Lost in Translation and The Last Chinese Chef
"Lisa Brackmann's novel gets off to a fast start and never lets up…. Ellie is a perfect spunky heroine…. be prepared for a wild ride."
—The New York Times Book Review
"Recommendation for More Thrills: This pulse-racer about an American Iraq-war vet is set in the art world of Beijing."
—Entertainment Weekly
"Lisa Brackmann's debut novel is as slick and smart as an alley cat…. Beijing in Rock Paper Tiger is as it is in real life: fast, furious, often ugly, and with a Starbucks sitting on every corner."
—Time Out Beijing
"Summer reading recommendation. "The contemporary China so vividly rendered in Lisa Brackmann's bracing debut novel is a place where the Starbucks baristas 'all know the English words for coffee'' and housing developments are named after glamorous U.S. hotspots… Rock Paper Tiger is a gripping ex-pat nightmare that unfolds with superb pacing and salient details. And it makes you damned glad your life is boring."
—Miami Herald
"A remarkable debut… Brackmann paints a mesmerizing picture of life in jittery modern Beijing."
—Seattle Times
"Lisa Brackmann's timely and hip debut novel is a thriller with a plucky heroine, locales actual and virtual, and grounding in the Abu Ghraib scandal…. Brackmann can write."
—Boston Globe
"At the top of the Most Promising New Author list is Lisa Brackmann with Rock Paper Tiger... a terrifying tale of life and death behind the Bamboo Curtain."
—San Diego Union Tribune
"Rock Paper Tiger is a splendid debut novel by a gifted new writer. Her Chinese setting is exotic and chilling, and the characters live and breathe. The story is smart and fast as a sports car. Keep an eye on Brackmann."
—T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Renegades and Iron River
"Few writers would be up to the challenge of blending the worlds of urban China, Iraq, and a virtual online kingdom—but Lisa Brackmann wildly succeeds. Prepare to taste the smog, smell the noodles, and rub the Beijing dust between your fingers."
—Eliot Pattison, author of the Edgar award-winning novel, The Skull Mantra
"A terrifying odyssey in present-day China.... A totally captivating page-turner with vivid, first-hand details and nuanced multi-cultural facets."
—Qiu Xiaolong, author of The Mao Case
"Electrifying debut... the book's exotic setting and tough heroine will definitely appeal to fans of John Burdett and Steig Larsson."
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"A fast-paced and engaging story as both plots are full of mystery and suspense… Good reading for anyone interested in the international crime novel."
"A gritty and intriguing tale of terror that draws in the reader with each page; Brackmann is a new writer to watch."
—Library Journal
Verdict Brackmann, author of the well-received Rock Paper Tiger and The Getaway, has crafted another fresh crime novel for hard-core fans who like reads that are slightly off-kilter and don't quite follow genre conventions.Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Product Details
- 9781616953713
- Publisher:
- Soho Press, Incorporated
- Publication date:
- 06/03/2014
- Pages:
- 375
- Sales rank:
- 876,519
- Product dimensions:
- 5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Read an Excerpt
Hour of the Rat
By Lisa Brackmann
Soho CrimeCopyright © 2013 Lisa Brackmann
All right reserved.
Chapter 1
I seriously need to get out of Beijing.
There's the fact that the air is trying to kill me. No joke. The American embassy over in Chaoyang does readings of the air quality in Beijing, since the Chinese government doesn't, or won't reveal the results anyway. A while ago it was so polluted that they ran out of normal descriptions and came up with one of their own, so what went out over Twitter was that the air was "crazy-bad."
Thanks, guys. Remind me not to breathe.
There's also that it's been another long winter, and while you think I'd know what's coming after three years, it still takes me by surprise: months of wind so cold and dry that sometimes I feel like I'm breathing razors. Now that it's the last day in February, temps are getting up above freezing at least, but it's still the kind of cold that settles into your bones and makes my leg ache even more than it usually does.
My apartment's comfortable. There's a central furnace that controls the radiators in the living room and the two bedrooms; the enclosed balconies provide a buffer against the chill. I broke down and got a cheap flat-screen at Suning, and I have a stack of DVDs from my favorite DVD store off Andingmen, every American movie or TV show you could want. I've got take-out menus from half a dozen restaurants, and right at the end of the alley there's a great jiaozi place and some snack stands, plus there's a tiny store about the size of my bathroom that sells toilet paper and Yanjing beer and a bunch of snack foods, including my favorite spicy peanuts, that's just across from the entrance to my apartment complex.
So it's not like I really have to leave my apartment all that much right now. Or go very far if I do.
It's just that I can only take so much of my mom without a break, and I've about reached my limit.
"Ellie, do you know where's the best place for me to find peanut butter?" she asks from the doorway to my bedroom. "And chocolate chips?"
"Any of the foreign supermarkets'll probably have them," I say. I'm sitting on my bed with my laptop propped on a pillow on my legs. I don't really look up. She's always asking questions like this, and I admit I tune them out a lot of the time.
"Really? Because I went to . . . what's the name of that French one? Carrefour? And they had peanut butter, but it was chunky and I need smooth. And I didn't see any chocolate chips at all."
"I don't know," I mutter. "You could always buy chocolate bars and hit them with a hammer."
"I guess I could."
Now I do glance away from my screen. There's my mom, her streaked, bleached hair rising in a halo of static, wearing a SunRise T-shirt (I'VE FOUND MR. RIGHT AND HE'S PERFECT! ISAIAH 62:5) and sweats, solid through the middle like a pound cake, the bramble-rose tattoo above her elbow sagging a bit, which is what happens with a tat inked twenty-five years ago.
"Aren't you cold?" I ask, because even with the radiators on I'm wearing a sweatshirt.
She snorts. "Not right now. I've got my own heat." She mimes fanning herself. "Hot flashes."
Like I needed to know.
"The thing is, I want to make my special chocolate-chip cookies for Andy," she continues, cheeks flushing.
And that's when I know I've got to get out of Beijing: That nice Mr. Zhou next door has become Andy.
Given my mom's track record with men, no good can come of this.
"Maybe try Walmart," I mutter, and turn back to my laptop.
I love my mom.
Seriously, I really do. She did the best she could do with raising me, which maybe wasn't always very good, but she comes through when it counts, like after I got blown up in the Sandbox, for example, leaving my leg busted in too many places to count and the rest of me not much better.
It's just that a month now, living in my apartment in Beijing? That wasn't what I had in mind when she said she wanted to come and visit me.
"Just to see how you're doing," she'd said, "since you don't have time to come home."
This of course was a lie on my part. I didn't want to come home. Long story.
After a couple of weeks, where I did my best to show her the tourist sites—the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Silk Market for fake Prada, and the world's largest IKEA store—she showed no sign of going anywhere, other than to the guest room in my apartment by the Gulou subway station, which used to be my office. I finally asked, "So, Mom, when's your flight home again?"
"I'm not sure," she said. "It's really up to you."
"What about work?"
"Well…" She hesitated. As I recall, she twisted her hands together. "The job didn't really work out."
It's not her fault, I tell myself now. She worked hard for years. It's not her fault that the U.S. economy is in the toilet, that she's fifty-one years old and no one wants to hire her for anything. Not her fault that Refinancing Roulette didn't pay off. The condo was a shithole anyway. Sometimes it's even sort of cool having her here, like when she makes tacos, cooking being an activity at which I suck.
But I seriously need some away time from her right now.
"Don't talk to me about Jesus," I said about three days after she got here, Jesus being one of the things that we used to have in common but that pretty much got blown up, along with the rest of my life, in Iraq. Mostly she's been pretty good about it, but every once in a while Jesus slips out.
For example: "You know, that nice Mr. Zhou next door belongs to a church. And I think it's Christian, more or less. They worship Jesus anyway. He invited me to attend their service. Would you like . . . ?"
"No thanks."
Like I'm going to go to some weird-ass Chinese underground house church, featuring Brother Jesus Christ of the Righteous Thundering Fist, or what have you.
Like I'd set foot inside Sunrise, for that matter.
Sunrise is the church that my mom and me used to go to in Arizona. It's a big church, in this fake-adobe complex that always reminded me of an Indian casino. But I still used to believe in it all. Take comfort in Reverend Jim's air-conditioned sermons. Snap my what would jesus do? rubber bracelet against my wrist when I needed an invisible helping hand.
When people talk about how your faith gets tested, they always say that trials make your faith stronger. What they don't say is that sometimes faith just dissolves like desert sand between your fingers.
Excerpted from Hour of the Rat by Lisa Brackmann Copyright © 2013 by Lisa Brackmann. Excerpted by permission of Soho Crime, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Meet the Author
Lisa Brackmann has worked as a motion picture executive and an issues researcher in a presidential campaign. A southern California native, she currently lives in Venice, California. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Rock Paper Tiger, was an Amazon Best Book of 2010.
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Ellie McEnroe is one of the best heroines out there today--she breaks all sorts of molds and brings a rich, unique past (military vet, world traveler, non-Mama's girl) into the fully realized world of contemporary China that Lisa Brackmann has created for her. Brackmann herself is a jane-of-many-trades, from screenwriter to honorary denizen of China. You can really feel Brackmann's love for the country and familiarity with everything--where are the best dumplings, train travel, etc. HOUR OF THE RAT is Ellie's second jaunt through the Chinese countryside and underbelly, and it blew me away, just like ROCK PAPER TIGER before it, but I would recommend it even for those just getting into the series. From start to finish, this is a hilarious, suspenseful thriller with plenty of heart.
If you are looking for a genre-conforming, action packed thriller with all the details tied up in an easy, pretty bow for you at the end, this is not the book you're looking for. If you, however, prefer a book with deep characterizations, exquisite descriptions, a terrifying real-world conspiracy, and action that occurs in sudden bursts of sheer terror, set in a county that is both surreally beautiful and maddeningly baffling, then this book should be at the top of your reading list. The description lays out the plot pretty well. In Hour of the Rat, Ms. Brackmann returns to China with her protagonist Ellie McEnroe, the lead from Rock, Paper, Tiger. Ellie is both physically and mentally scarred from her tour as a military medic in Iraq. Living as an ex-pat in China, she's still trying to heal, to find her place, to work out the complicated relationships in her life. She's working as a manager for a dissident artist, Zhang Jianli, introduced in Rock, Paper, Tiger, who has now gone deeply underground. Her estranged mother is now living with her, trying to heal the rifts in their lives. Then one of her Iraq war buddies, suffering from brain trauma incurred in the war, calls upon her for help finding his brother, lost somewhere in the sprawling, glorious, treacherous bowels of China. Ellie doesn't have a lot of friends, certainly not the kind she can confide in or who'll rush unquestioningly to her side to help. Mostly she has people who are sort of OK, or who offer something that masquerades as friendship with all sorts of strings and traps included. So when one of them says "she owes him", she feels an obligation to try to help. And almost immediately finds herself tumbling down a rabbit hole, pursued by organizations that are at odds not only with her, but each other. When they're not trying to use her for their own ends, they're trying to kill her. Ellie is a complicated character. I like that about her. A lot. She's flawed, a bit reckless, sometimes pig-headed in her pursuit of trying to help vague friends who wouldn't dream of throwing her a rope if she was drowning. But she's always true to her own core—the core that won't allow her to quit, even if it would be in her own best interest, and a determination to see things through to the end, to prove to herself that she's really doing the best that she can, even with her broken body and post traumatic stress disorder. She's a broken, damaged, and deeply, deeply human character. She drinks too much beer and too much coffee. She's in pain a lot from her war injuries and sometimes pops Percocet like candy. She swears and does stupid things sometimes and makes bad decisions. Just like real humans do. She's dealing with life the best she can. And she's trying to reach out, to help others. This is just one of Ms. Brackmann's strengths in writing. She creates characters so three dimensional you almost feel as if you know them in real life—as if you could email them and say "Hey, Ellie, want to go for a beer?" Even her secondary characters are so finely illustrated it is as if they are based on real people the author met in her many journeys in China. And of course, China itself is a character, like a darkly compelling and utterly untrustworthy lover. Beautiful, lush, intoxicating, possessive, and dangerous as hell. And if you are a discerning reader, you will follow up on your own on the main plot thread of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and their real-world impact on the world's food supply, and may be left as twitchy and unsettled about it as Ellie McEnroe is. This is a novel that couches authenticity in fiction, and captures the truth about us and the human condition—that we are all just trying to do our crummy best in a sometimes scary world. And that sometimes, if we are open to it, something good and lasting can come of it. Like this novel. I was exceedingly fortunate to receive a free Advance Reading Copy of this book.
I stopped reading at page 15. Too much cursing. Vain attempts at humor. I want my money back.
Very well written, makes me want to read more from this author. Also makes me want to investigate further issues regarding Genetically Modified seeds and foods. Eye opening. Very good insights into the culture of China.
This book is unusual. Sometimes hard to get going, but is interesting.
A decent read. Entertaining, summer pastime....
This book should be an eye opener to people who don't believe in all the damage we are doing to our land with our obsolete electronics. It. Is scary what the future generations may have to face. Fiction or not, this could really be happening. The book is rather long and drawn out. I would recommend this book for discussion.
Having recently visited China, I found this particularly interesting and fun! Can't wait to read more!
great book, keeps you hooked throughout the entire story, easy read. i also bought the two other book written by this author: Rock, Paper, Tiger & Getaway
Too much confusing dialog. Not well written. Ending kind of leaves you hanging.
I enjoyed the book and keep thinking about the implications of GMO's, something I hadn't thought much about until reading this. I liked the character and may go back to read her first book with Ellie. Her descriptions of various areas of China very good as well.
The Hour of the Rat was enchanting, informative, mysterious and full of wonderful characters. This is the first of Lisa Brachmann's novels that I've read, but it won't be the last. I couldn't put it down.
This book is really good love it
Anne marie issa
Even if there are spoiler alerts and horrible plot lines, if you truly enjoy the author's writings then you should just read their books without question! When i'm reading books by my favorite author, i always reread! There will almost always be a quality to enjoy, if you enjoy that author!
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Viducci 10k White Gold Genuine Gemstone and White Sapphire Band
Sale $218.24


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Located on Bristol's infamous Gloucester Road, Relax Coffee Lounge is an independently owned and run coffee shop.
We were approached by the owners at Relax to design and develop a new brand identity and carry that through to the creation of a bespoke website and signage. We created a logo with hand rendered type and a rustic aesthetic.


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Hi guys. Today's post is going to be quick, as I've got a rather busy day ahead of me. For some unbeknown reason, this morning saw the decision of water marbling attempt. I haven't had a go at this technique for months, mainly because it's so tricky and tends to end in disaster more often than success! I chose to incorporate my blog's design colours into the mani, as I love how pastel green and purple complement one another. Oooh, and please forgive me for the state of my cuticles/the clean up!
The equipment:
Sinful Colors 'Snow Me White'
Sinful Colors 'Pistache'
Butter London 'Molly Coddled'
Nail art gems
Dotting tool
Tepid water in a plastic cup
Essie 'Good To Go'
I painted all my bases white to start with, then applied two coats of 'Pistache' to my ring finger nail, and one coat of 'Molly Coddled' to my index finger nail. Then I began water marbling for my other nails: I dripped the polish colours into the water forming consecutive circles, then used my dotting tool to swirl the pattern around. Once I was happy with the pattern that was created, I dipped in my nails. As I pulled them out, I caught any excess with my dotting tool. I repeated the process for each nail, creating slightly different marble patterns. My plain green and purple nails looked a bit boring in comparison to the water marbled ones, so I added some nail art gems in opposing colours. Once dry, I topped the whole mani off with Essie 'Good To Go'. What do you think?


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Maple Berry Smooch
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READY IN: 20mins
Recipe by Chef mariajane
This is a homemade jam, that is so good on your morning toast!! I prefer blackberries, but blueberries or strawberries are just as tasty!!
See Discussion:
Ingredients Nutrition
- 4 3⁄4 cups pureed berries (blueberries, blackberries or strawberries)
- 1 1⁄2 cups pure maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- bernardin original fruit pectin (1 package)
Directions See How It's Made
- In a large sttainless steel saucepan, combine berry purée, maple syrup, apple juice and lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add pectin, stirring untl dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil hard 1 minutes. Remove from heat; skim foam.
- Ladle smooch into hot jars following directions in product insert and leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Heat process - boil filled jars - in boiling water canner 10 minutes. Cool, check seals. Store in cool, dark place for up to 1 year.


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This binocular stereo microscope comes with a 45-degree inclined 360-degree rotatable binocular head offering three magnification power settings, 20x-40x-80x, and a versatile illumination system that offers both incident (top) lighting and transmitted (bottom) lighting. You can choose between incident illumination shining down onto the object or transmitted illumination through the frosted stage plate. The first is used for the observation of three-dimensional objects and the second for the observation of slides. This microscope provides high resolution and good depth within a broad field of view. It offers sharp clear stereo images. Its 45-degree inclined binocular head ensures an easy observation and rubber eye-guards provide further comfort. This microscope is useful for many applications. It is great for the exploration of the world of surface details and fine structures of various materials like wood, metal, solder, semiconductor and stone. It can be used in geology, forestry, archaeology, agriculture, and biology and is appropriate for educational purposes in hospitals and schools. It is perfect for the examination of insects, plants, rocks, stamps, coins, jewel, soldered points, microelectronic components or virtually any three dimensional objects. It is an ideal tool for watchmaker, jeweler, engraver, dies-maker, philatelist, coin collector, students, and etc.Features Perfect instrument for checking margins and looking at etchings. High quality original true color. Left eye tube with adjustable diopter. Accurate alignment ensuring a fatigue-free long hour viewing. Rugged metal frame and stand. Full optical glass elements. All metal mechanical components. Adjustable interpupillary distance. Built-in incident and transmitted illumination system. Upper and lower halogen lights. GS CE approval electric apparatus. Extra bulb, white/black base plate and rubber eye-guards included.Specifications Widefield eyepieces - WF10x & WF20x. Objectives - 2x and 4x. Diopter adjustment - +/-5dp. Interpupillary distance - 2-3/16 in. - 2-15/16 in. Working distance - 2-1/8 in. Frosted glass objective plate - 3-3/4 in. in diameter. White/black plastic objective plate - 3-3/4 in. in diameter. Illumination - 110V, 6V/10W bulb. Accessories - A pair of eye-guards, a pair of clips and a dust cover. Dimension - 13.5 x 10.75 x 6.5 in.
Height in Inches13.6
Width in Inches6.6
Depth in Inches10.9
Weight (lbs.)8
Pack Qty1
True ColorWhite And Black
Power Source110V-120V
ContentsStereo Microscope
Package Contents360 Degree Swiveling Binocular Microscope With 2X & 4X Objectives, Pillar Stand And Top & Bottom Lights, 10X Widefield Eyepieces
Product TypeMicroscope
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Book Bits: 'Gatsby' at Cannes, Ben Katchor, UK bookstores fight back, Roberts' 'Whiskey Beach'
In the changing times department when even the most timid books, plays and movies dance with the unmentionable themes and desires of yesteryear, Today in Literature notes that this is the anniversary of the London premier of Ghosts in 1891.
"Because of its references to syphilis, free-love, incest and euthanasia, the play had been damned, constrained by censors, and shunned by most major and state theaters in Europe."
What scandal! What outrage!
- News: 'The Great Gatsby,' Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, to Open 66th Cannes Film Festival, by Marlow Stern – "The movie will screen at the competition on May 15 at the glitzy Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals as part of the Official Selection. It will, however, already be out in the U.S., where it will be released nationwide on May 10." The Daily Beast
- News: Women's Prize For Fiction Longlist 2013 Announced (previously called the Orange Prize for Fiction) – "The longlist features quite a few literary heavyweights, including Hilary Mantel (this is the third major literary award nomination she has received for her newest book Bringing Up the Bodies), Zadie Smith, Barbara Kingsolver and AM Homes. It also features many buzzed-about books from last year, including Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, Maria Semple's Where'd You Go Bernadette, and Sheila Heti's How Should A Person Be?" The Huffington Post
- Lists: 10 Books That Will Hook You on Page One – "Publishers write the breathless, rhapsodic text you'll find on the inside flap of a book cover. It's their job to make a book's description as moving as possible so you'll buy the book. We always skip that stuff and head right to the opening pages. That's where we get our highs." Kirkus Reviews
- Review: "Hand-Drying in America," by Ben Katchor, reviewed by Jeet Keer – "His work is Katchorian and nothing else. Critics earn their bread by finding apt comparisons, but finding useful analogies for Katchor's work is an elusive task. The cartoonist is a bizarre melange of competing tendencies: His deft weaving of half-believable fantasies suggests Jorge Luis Borges, his street-level alertness to urban life recalls Jane Jacobs, his verbal dexterity at describing sensual experiences echoes Vladimir Nabokov, and his political concern over branding and globalization evokes Naomi Klein." Globe and Mail
- Feature: Full Measure of Koryta. by Ali Karim – "Michael Koryta's work took a while to cross the Atlantic. This had much to do with the fact that his first four books, concluding with The Silent Hour (2009), were all P.I. tales, and professional investigators-for-hire have never been staples of Britain's literary culture. (The tradition over here has been much better stocked with amateur or aristocratic sleuths of the sort created by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton.)" The Rap Sheet
- Commentary: Will UK Bookstores' Plot to Poach Customers From Amazon Work? by Dennis Abrams – "The Independent reports that several major bookstore chains in the UK are making use of new marketing tactics to lure customers into their stores and away from on-line competitors." Publishing Perspectives
- Lists: 10 Women Who Should Be Writing for 'Harper's' by Emily Temple – "There has been much discussion on the Internet about gender distribution in the bylines of high-profile journals and magazines after the release of the 2012 VIDA Count. Most of the publications surveyed published a laughably small number of women compared to men — perhaps most notably Harper's, whose ratio surprised many, including the editors of more gender-equitable magazines who we recently interviewed. So, maybe they just need a few suggestions of great lady essayists to solicit for contributions?" Flavorwire
- News: A new blog — Teaching Tolkien, by Jason Fisher – Here's a note about a new blog for teachers of Tolkien founded by Holly Rodgers. "Ms. Rodgers's students are not only fifth and sixth graders, they're students whose first language is not English. Not only are their cradle tongues not English, they aren't even European. Her class of thirteen speaks an assortment of Asian languages, including Somali, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic, Farsi, and Korean." Musings of a Fish
- Review: "The Burn Palace," by Stephen Dobyns, reviewed by By Scott Martelle – "What starts off as a paranormal thriller turns into a dissection of small-town life when violence rears its head." The Los Angeles Times
- How To: Ten Ways to Avoid Gender Bias, by Mark Nichol – "How do you write around the outmoded usage of the pronoun he or him when a male is not necessarily the subject of the reference? Here are ten strategies — none ideal in every circumstance — for achieving gender neutrality." Daily Writing Tips
- News: Hippies Were Dirty And Liked Music By Satanists, Louisiana Textbook Claims, by Annalisa Quinn – "An American history textbook used by some schools in Louisiana's voucher system has caused a bit of a stir over passages describing 1960s counterculture." NPR
- Review: "Whiskey Beach," by Nora Roberts, reviewed by John Charles – "With its compelling characters and irresistible plot, this is a perfect synthesis of romance and suspense, guaranteed to keep Roberts' fans up long past their bedtimes." Book List
- Feature: The women behind Russia's most famous writers, by Joy Neumeyer – "Russia's most celebrated writers – including Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Nabokov, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn and Mandelstam – are often depicted as solitary geniuses. But many of their works were the fruits of creative partnerships with their wives. Far from being passive typists, they served as editors, researchers, translators, publishers and more." The Moscow News
- Interview: Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden ("From a Polish Country House Kitchen"), with Jessa Crispin – "Like all stereotypes, the "bad central European food" stereotype is simply outdated: The "carp in the bathtub" cliche belongs to the 1970s. In fact, a real food revolution has taken place over the past two decades. There has been an explosion of restaurants, high-end food production companies, cookbooks and cooks. A lot of what was always great about Polish food — the proliferation of fresh vegetables, the chickens that were organic because they lived in someone's garden, the real dedication to home-cooked and the absence of processed food — is now recognized and celebrated." Bookslut
- News: DoJ Price-Fixing Case has Generated Over Eight Million Pages of Evidence – "How complicated and costly is the Department of Justice's price-fixing suit? According to an exchange of letters over whether Apple CEO Tim Cook will be deposed, Apple attorneys note that it has produced over 3.6 million pages of documents for the case, while the publisher defendants have produced nearly five million pages. In addition, at least 29 witnesses have sat for depositions." Publishers Weekly
"Book Bits" is compiled several times a week by Malcolm R. Campbell, author of the heroine's journey novel "Sarabande"


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7th Annual Symposium
Longer-term, diversified cropping systems can provide benefits to improve soil and water quality while maintaining farm profits. Photo courtesy of Mary Barbercheck
Preserving water quality is a great concern facing state and federal governments, public and private research organizations, and local residents in the Northeast. Much of the concern with pollution in freshwater sources is associated with agricultural practices. This year, the EPA, Penn State Extension, researchers, and other local stakeholder groups have been working together to help farmers improve their management practices and meet the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) in the Chesapeake Bay. Meanwhile, researchers and service providers in agricultural disciplines continue to work alongside Pennsylvania farmers to help them improve their cropping strategies and build soil health, reduce over-application of pesticides and fertilizers, and identify other conservation strategies that can mitigate the negative impacts that farming might have on the environment.
This year's symposium features Dr. Andrew Sharpley, Professor at the University of Arkansas and co-chair of the Division of Agriculture's Environmental Task Force and Discovery Farms Program. He is also the current President of the Soil Science Society of America and prior to his role at the University of Arkansas, Andrew spent 25 years with the USDA-ARS in Oklahoma and then in Pennsylvania. He works closely with producers, farmers, and action agencies to investigate phosphorus cycling in soil-plant-water systems in relation to soil productivity and water quality. Attend his seminar "Exploring Phosphorous Paradoxes in Agriculture & Translating Science into Practice and Policy" at 12:20 pm in the Stuckeman Family Building.
The rest of the symposium follows with Lightning Talks at 1:30 that highlight Penn State researcher's work on sustainable cropping system practices and a Panel Discussion at 2:30 that discusses some of the water quality and nutrient management policies and regulations that drive the decisions that farmers have to make. Finally, a poster session beginning at 3:30 will conclude the symposium. Posters will be displayed from 1:30 to 4:30 and invitations are open to anyone doing research on cropping systems or water quality. If you are interested in submitting a poster please submit a 250-word abstract to Debasish Saha (email@example.com) by March 22.