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Don't Believe "Peace Is at Hand"News Abroad
"Peace is at hand."
Americans longed to hear this 35 years ago, when National Security Adviser Henry A. Kissinger announced it about Vietnam. We long to hear it again about Iraq. If we do hear it before the next election, we shouldn't believe it.
Kissinger, we now know, realized Vietnam was not getting peace, but merely "a decent interval" -- a year or two between the final American troop withdrawal and the final South Vietnamese collapse. Still, his announcement worked. Two weeks later, Nixon won reelection in the Cold War's biggest Republican presidential landslide.
President George W. Bush can't run again, but he faces Nixon's dilemma -- to prolong a mistaken war or go down in history as the president who lost it. No wonder Bush's top outside foreign policy adviser is Kissinger. There's no greater living expert at turning geopolitical failure into political triumph.
Fortunately, Nixon kept a secret, voice-activated recording system in the White House in from 1971 to 1973. If we learn from the declassified tapes how a president fooled us once, we won't get fooled again.
In what must be the only overlooked parallel between Iraq and Vietnam, Bush's conditions for bringing troops home are nearly identical to Nixon's. Bush defines victory as Iraq's ability to "defend, sustain and govern itself." Nixon defined "peace with honor" as South Vietnam's ability to defend and govern itself. Publicly, his strategy was "Vietnamization and negotiation" -- training the South Vietnamese to defend themselves and securing Hanoi's agreement to free elections in the South.
Alone with Kissinger, Nixon acknowledged on tape, "South Vietnam probably is never gonna survive anyway." Since Nixon couldn't enable South Vietnam to defend and govern itself, he faked it. Halfway through his first term, he secretly decided to complete American troop withdrawals around election time. His stalling postponed the South's collapse until it was too late for voters to hold him accountable.
Then as now, most Americans considered the war a mistake and wanted Congress to force the president to bring the troops home sooner. Like Bush, Nixon killed withdrawal legislation by claiming it would lead to defeat. Nixon didn't mention that his private political timetable would do the same, but with even more American casualties.
Nixon claimed great political courage for prolonging an unpopular war, but based his actions on political calculation. Then as now, for the president and his party, continuing the war posed less risk politically than ending it. We can't know Bush's private thinking, but his public statements and actions recall Nixon's all too well.
Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq shares the strengths and weaknesses of Nixon's offensive against North Vietnamese infiltrators on the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Cambodia. Each president managed to postpone an ally's collapse, not to prevent it. Each declared his defensive offensive a success and announced a partial troop withdrawal. Each put off final withdrawal.
If Bush follows the Nixon game plan completely, next year he will launch a big bombing campaign followed by a "peace" settlement that interrupts the war without really ending it. Nixon used the diplomatic opening to China to engineer his "decent interval." During Kissinger's secret 1971 trip to Beijing, he told the Chinese that if the Communists overthrew the South Vietnamese government after Nixon withdrew American troops, the United States would not intervene. The North Vietnamese were more likely to make "peace" if they could pursue their military aims after a year or two. So are Iraq's armed factions and neighbors in 2008.
On Oct. 26, 1972, Kissinger went before the television cameras to announce North Vietnam's agreement to Nixon's settlement terms -- total American withdrawal, release of American prisoners, and a ceasefire while Vietnamese Communists and anti-Communists discussed elections in the South. It sounded good to most voters.
But South Vietnam had rejected Nixon's terms for the same reason North Vietnam accepted them. Both realized the settlement would lead to Communist military victory. Kissinger thought so too, as he told Nixon in a previously unreported Oct. 6, 1972, conversation: "I also think that [South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van] Thieu is right, that our terms will eventually destroy him."
This year, at Kissinger's suggestion, Bush read A Savage War of Peace, Alistair Horne's history of France's long, bloody withdrawal from Algeria under President Charles de Gaulle. Kissinger followed the Algerian example in Vietnam, telling Nixon, "What did de Gaulle do in Algeria, who everyone thinks a great man? Basically, he made a settlement that turned the country over to his enemies."
We now know that one president prolonged a war to conceal his failure to achieve its ends. We must not let another do likewise. A president's historical reputation isn't worth a single casualty.
This piece was distributed for non-exclusive use by the History News Service, an informal syndicate of professional historians who seek to improve the public's understanding of current events by setting these events in their historical contexts. The article may be republished as long as both the author and the History News Service are clearly credited.
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Arnold Shcherban - 11/2/2007
What "war" are "we" trying to win???
There has not been any war between the US as a country and Iraq as country since 2003, when the US military agression against Iraq, which was "a war" ended with a quick a decisive US victory!
What evolved since then, was a civil
war of a very limited proportions between two major Iraqi enthnic and religious groups: Shiites and Sunnis, and again, according to the US official sources, between only a small parts of those two groups, called, alternately, insurgents or terrorists. There is no army of any significant size and power compared to the US occupation troops (acting with the alleged support of hundreds of thousands of trained by Americans Iraqi troops) on either side of that civil fighting.
The American troops are involved just in anti-terrorist activities, on a very limited basis, basically just around Baghdad.
This not a war, and never can be called one by any military expert or politician,... except if one wants it be presented as war to the populus in their own country to gain the latter's support for permanent US military presence in Iraq.
And that's exactly what some pseudo-historians, the zealots of Pan -Americana strategic addiction are working continuously to accomplish.
Lawrence Brooks Hughes - 10/22/2007
With enemy forces going over to the government in every corner of Iraq, and violence levels down sharply, it certainly appears we will win that war. As their hedge, neocons say we should delay proclaiming victory because the enemy can always bomb another sacred mosque and set back the progress. But facts are facts, and those who had argued for our defeat are now hedging differently--first the two liberals from Brookings in the NY Times, and then Karen DeYoung and associate in the Washington Post: They are saying, "Hey, don't be too sure we have lost, we might win." Bill Kristol, Duncan Hunter and John McCain, etc., don't say we might still lose. Right now there are diametrically opposite judgments on the web from both Republicans and defeatists, but the hedge positions of the two sides are not comparable. Hedges from believers in a U.S. victory are much stronger.
- The 'nation's report card' says it assesses critical thinking in history
- A 'Quest for Justice' for Murdered Civil Rights Pioneer, 52 Years Later
- Under Trump, Most Americans Lack Basic Knowledge to Understand Current Events, Study Finds
- Trump wants a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on July 4th
- What Happens When an Entire Campus Is Rooted in the Confederacy?
- Male historian tapped to lead Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Kansas
- Decline in History Majors Continues, Departments Respond
- He's 75 now. When he started teaching at the University of New Orleans students walked out on his class.
- 'Fake news' from 1738 offers lessons for modern historians, says Missouri scholar
- Peter Dreier calls on Americans to build monuments to liberal heroes


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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Burton Crate Tote - Large
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Tote bags are the universal hauler, and the gender-neutral NEW Burton Crate Tote Large transitions from a grocery-getter to weekend-away stash bag seamlessly. Go ahead and cram anything in this bag's generous 37 liters of space. A mix of external pockets and internal organization will maintain your daily where-did-I-put-that-whatever sanity when running between errands or rushing around. PU backing adds some moisture and liquid proofing to the black, camo, or Nordic fabric colorways.
- Open Top
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Is that someone from PD?
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Is that someone from PD?
[~]) ... Cheers! Go Pacers!
I guess we hit our typical 3rd qtr droughts.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
I just rewatched that cause it was too funny. Hilarious. Although Tinsley looks a little scared and Foster tries to shove the guy at the end.
Who let the Detroit fan in the fieldhouse?
"He wanted to get to that money time. Time when the hardware was on the table. That's when Roger was going to show up. So all we needed to do was stay close"
Darnell Hillman (Speaking of former teammate Roger Brown)
That fan should be banned from Conseco BTW.
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
When the guy first comes out and grabs the net is definetely the best part.
I have a clip uploading to Youtube right now. Jeff Foster actually trips the kid.. Totally hilarious.
Post the link ASAP.
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
ugh, I didn't even bother watching this game. Thanks Ben
I can't even believe we were up by 13 at one point this quarter.
Nice JO.
Holy crap what a pass by Rush.
JO is just abusing Blatche.
Thats an awful call.
Foster should get an assist for that.
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
Missed dunks? Check. Missed layups? Check. Must be a Pacers game.
Nice look JO to Murphy.
HUGE! Boom baby Danny from Dun!
R.I.P. Bernic Mac & Isaac Hayes
These refs are weak.
Danny sometimes you really are an idiot.
And then sometimes you do stuff like that...


text: 2 more UC basketball players arrested over robbery By Rusty Marks April 24, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- University of Charleston President Ed Welch and UC head basketball coach Mark Downey said they had no serious misgivings about bringing three basketball players now accused of robbery to Charleston, despite a criminal charge being filed against one of the players in 2011.Robbie Dreher, 22, and Quincy Washington, 22, both members of the UC basketball team, were each charged with two counts of first-degree robbery for an alleged attack on Andrew Rude and Patrick Morrison that took place at about 2:40 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Laidley Street and Virginia Street East, said Lt. Steve Cooper of the Charleston Police Department.Terrell Lipkins, 20, of Canton, Ohio, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and four counts of access device fraud in connection to the same attack. Police believe Lipkins, Dreher and Washington stole cash and a credit card from Rude and Morrison. Cooper said Lipkins used the stolen credit card at a 7-Eleven convenience store after the robbery.Wednesday morning, all three players were removed from the team's roster on the UC website."The conduct which [the three suspects] are alleged to have committed is deplorable and violates university policies and expectations. They have been evicted from the residence halls, removed from the university's basketball team, and further campus disciplinary actions are in progress. We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities as they continue their investigation," UC President Ed Welch said in a statement on Wednesday.This isn't the first time Dreher has been in trouble. In April 2011, a female student at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., accused Dreher and a fellow Winthrop teammate of sexually assaulting her when she rejected their advances, according to The Charlotte Observer newspaper.Dreher was charged with third-degree criminal sexual contact. Dreher pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree assault and battery in August 2012 and was sentenced to a year of probation. Given the charge, Welch said he asked Downey to conduct an extra background check on the recruit. He asked UC's athletic director to check Dreher out, as well. "We did all the due diligence that is reasonable to do," Welch said."We really do investigate who we bring in," Downey added. "We'll probably work even harder now to find out what kind of kids these recruits are."I would like to apologize to everyone involved, and to our fans," he said.Welch said there were "no indications whatsoever" that Lipkins and Washington would cause trouble, and that he knew of no incidents of any of the men getting into trouble on campus. Dreher is from Greenville, S.C., and Washington is from Florence, S.C., according to the UC basketball team's website. Bail on each was set at $200,000.Rude, 58, suffered a fractured wrist and a cut on his scalp in the alleged attack on Sunday. Morrison, 35, reportedly suffered minor injuries.Cooper said video surveillance from the 7-Eleven led police to Lipkins. The video footage allegedly shows Lipkins driving up to the convenience store.Cooper said police tracked down Lipkins' car at UC from the video footage, and said the vehicle contained the clothes Lipkins was wearing the night of the robbery. He said Lipkins came outside while police were towing the car and asked why police were taking the vehicle. Cooper said Lipkins was then questioned, and told police he had been involved in the robbery. Lipkins also implicated Dreher and Washington, Cooper said.There have been a string of robberies in downtown Charleston in recent weeks, including an attack Friday that left a Boone County man with severe head injuries. John Dolin, 37, of Peytona, was found unconscious and badly beaten at about 6:30 a.m. He is recovering at CAMC General Hospital, but his memory remained hazy on Tuesday, police said.Cooper said the UC basketball players were "persons of interest" in the attack on Dolin and in the robbery of Oliver Gipson, 37, on April 14.Lipkins was UC's leading scorer last season. He was being held in the South Central Regional Jail Wednesday morning, with bail set at $25,000.Cooper said all three players attended UC on sports scholarships. He said it would be unfortunate if the three young men with apparently bright futures ahead of them became mixed up in a serious crime.Reach Rusty Marks at email@example.com or 304-348-1215. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Obama pulled Zuckerberg aside to warn him about fake news on Facebook 2 Innerviews: Dual-identity surgeon riding high in horse racing world 3 Parole hearing set for Putnam man who claims wrongful sex assault conviction 4 Former State Police captain now chief in Winfield 5 Gazette editorial: Capito has second chance to do the right thing WVSU students protest professor's departure Previous Story WVU forum will explore how to boost gas industry Next Story


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Nintendo's Wii U is currently on sale for an all-time low price on the UK High Street.
HMV is selling the Wii U Premium bundle including copies of both NintendoLand and Ubisoft's ZombiU for just £199.99. That's a £140 discount on the RRP.
In-store POS confirming the price was spotted by MCV reader Andy James at the chain's Stoke on Trent store. Of course, with HMV in dire straights and its gaming aspirations up for question, the price could in part be driven by a desire to empty warehouses of video games stock.
The price significantly undercuts GameStop's £244.97 – the previous lowest price the machine was available for.
The move comes after MCV yesterday revealed that retailers are increasingly dissatisfied with the console's performance in the UK.
"We have taken the decision to reduce the price of the Basic Wii U to test the market and assess the impact of a price change for a short period of time," ShopTo purchasing director James Rowson stated. "This has resulted in a smaller than desired increase in sales at this stage."
UPDATE: CVG has word that the price promotion will begin on Monday March 25th and run for as long as stock lasts.


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This product is no longer in production and we have no remaining new, blemished, or used inventory. We recommend doing a web search for "Ikelite" and the Product Number listed above to find dealers with remaining inventory, as well as used housings for sale. We continue to provide maintenance and service for this product even though it has been discontinued.
A compatible Lens Port is required for waterproof operation. Port not included. Find the right port for your lens


text:
Homer-happy Mariners enjoying early results
PEORIA, Ariz. - As the Mariners continued mashing the ball Friday to improve their Major League-leading slugging percentage and home run total in an 8-6 win against the Rangers, the obvious question is what this early offense means.
Cactus League results don't always carry over to the regular season, and certainly their seven-game win streak won't mean anything once games begin to count in April. But the Mariners are happy to be hitting the ball with authority -- with four more home runs increasing their total to 18 in eight games -- even while keeping it in perspective.
"We're still working on trying to get some timing, and the results are kind of secondary," said outfielder Jason Bay, who hit his second homer of the spring in a 2-for-2 day with a walk. "But at the same time, as a competitor, it still matters.
"You want to do well and get your work in and all these things. It's almost a little unrealistic the way it's been going, but I don't think it's by accident. I think guys are putting their time in. It's a little foolish to think it's going to happen every single game, but we'll take it while we can get it right now."
Michael Morse hit his first home run of the spring to join the hit parade and said players seem to be feeding off each other and finding comfort in the improved lineup.
"I think the atmosphere has definitely changed from the last couple years," said Morse, who played for Seattle from 2005-08. "Guys are definitely more relaxed, and when you're relaxed, your talent comes out."
The Mariners racked up 13 more hits Friday and now have 81 hits and 48 runs during their seven-game win streak.
Bay and Michael Saunders both hit opposite-field shots Friday, and Carlos Peguero drove a single the other way to left in the fifth after launching his third home run of the spring to right in the second.
"I think you just have to look at the way they're squaring up the baseball," said manager Eric Wedge. "We've got guys with the power to hit home runs, they just need to be more consistent with hitting the ball hard all over the place. What's been impressive to me as much as anything is just the way we've been driving the ball the other way.
"We've got a lot of young guys that have gained a great deal of experience the last year or two, and that's showing itself to us. And obviously, the veteran guys we brought in make a big difference, too."


text: LIFT Station helps retailers effortlessly up-sell shoppers. Ricker Oil Co. and LIFT Retail Marketing Technology announced a multi-year agreement for a chain-wide rollout of LIFT's suggestive selling solution – an award-winning point-of-sale technology that recommends upsell items to shoppers based on what the shopper is currently purchasing. "We are excited to be installing the LIFT


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What a wild night! Maybe the Basketball Gods are smiling on the Pacers and good things will continue to happen. My dream plays out as the following:
Trade 1:
Bender, AJ and Foster plus future #1 to New Orleans for Magloire and Lynch.
(yeh I know there are rumors that Magloire is finally going to Toronto, but it is my dream)
Trade 2:
S. Jax, E. Gill and Pollard to Seattle for Ray Allen
(makes me wonder if Jiri is insurance against Allen leaving after all)
1. Croshere (for Luxury tax purposes)
Sign the following:
1. J.Jones for about 3M a year (doesn't count against the MLE with the new CBA)
2. Sarunas Jasikevicius for about 3m a year (about what he was asking at 10M for 3 years)
3. D. Davis for about 2M a year (the remainder of the MLE)
4. Raef LaFrentz for the Vet Minimum (when he is waived by Boston to not pay the Luxury Tax)
5. Jay Williams for the League Minimum (gives him a chance to prove himself before his payday).
The lineup would be:
PG - Tinsley, Jasikevicius, Williams
SG - Allen, F. Jones, J. Jones
SF - Artest, Granger, Lynch
PF - O'neal, LaFrentz
C - Magloire, Harrison, DD
We would then be able to use Lynch and Reggie's contract at the trade deadline if we needed another position filled.
(other things bounching around in my head but not included were getting Houston, Finley or other lux cap casualties, and then trading F.jones or J. Jones as needed.)
I know it is all crazy talk but what-the-hell, right?


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Growing up on the East Side of San Jose, CA., it was easy for Greg Babcock to get into Lowriding; the culture was part of the local landscape there as he was growing up. "I can't say that there was a single point in my life where Lowriding wasn't a part of my life or an interest to me," explains Greg. Story and King were the famous Boulevards in San Jose, CA that that would fill up with 10,000-15,000 car clubs, individual members, spectators, and car fans every night in the '70's and '80's. The second that Greg stepped onto the Blvd as a kid and caught a glimpse of what the Boulevard was all about he was hooked. "It was over after that, I was hooked onto Lowriders and the entire lifestyle."
When it came time to build his signature project, the local scene was the first place he found help. "I ended up purchasing the '59 from Big Joe and a bond was created that still exists today," Greg explains. After closing the deal, the real work began, and the build became a project that his whole car club got involved with. Greg and Joe both worked on the car with a self-imposed deadline of September 21, 2002 ? Joe's wedding day. "We built the car specifically for his wedding and that day also marked the first day the car hit the streets. We were even a little late to the wedding as we were finishing the final touches that day," laughs Greg. Since then the '59's sole purpose has been to represent the Stockton Chapter of Impalas car club.
It's been ten years since the build of the '59 was finished and the car is now apart of Greg's growing family. "I'm creating new memories and friends with it while still proudly representing my club," he says. Greg would like to thank his wife, Silvia, for the patience and his entire car club brothers past and present for helping on the never ending build. "I would also like to thanks Mark and Big Rob for putting me down twelve years ago with the car club and to my brother, Chris, for the supply of the spare '59 parts."
Tech Specs
"La Otra"
Owner: Greg Babcock
Vehicle: 1959 Chevy Impala
City/State: Stockton, CA
Club: Impalas
Engine: 327, Powerglide transmission, cherry bombs, Edelbrock performance intake, Edelbrock carburetor, GM Performance cam, Optima battery, Edelbrock air filter and valve covers.
Body/Paint: Big Joe at Lolo's Customs in Stockton, CA., did the bodywork and painted the ragtop top two-tone with a lacquer Cambridge White and Aqua Green.
Interior: Rojas Upholstery in Stockton, CA., brought the interior back to its original stock pattern.
Sound System: Alpine head unit, Rockford Fosgate amps and Boston Acoustic mids.
Setup: Greg hid the Cool Cars setup to keep the car looking as original as possible.
Tires: Coker 5.20s.
Wheels: 14×7-inch Zenith of Campbell.


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For the life of me I don't understand sports fans and their total fascination with big name players and coaches. Especially those on the back end of their careers.
Please, please stop the chatter about getting middle linebacker Brian Urlacher to the Detroit Lions.
What is it about big-name players and coaches that makes intelligent fans totally unreasonable?
Heard this has been a topic this week on Detroit sports talk radio. Why?
The Lions spent big money on a certain middle linebackers named Stephen Tulloch a year ago.
Their roster still has a few holes, but middle linebacker is not a concern. Tulloch does his job extremely well. He's a play maker, a leader and his career path still trends up.
Apparently certain sports talk hosts thought Urlacher to Detroit would be a great idea because he could show those Chicago Bears a thing or two. The Bears, under their new coaching staff, have insulted Urlacher with a $2 million offer.
Urlacher isn't out for revenge, he wants to land with a good team.
"I'm an old fart, so I want to go in there and win," he told The Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning.
A few teams including the Vikings, Cowboys and Cardinals have shown interest in the 34-year-old middle linebacker who turns 35 in May. His production has declined the last three seasons. He's not the same powerful inside force as he once was.
The Lions absolutely do not need a middle linebacker and it's amazing to me that fans hear a big name and get enamored without clearly thinking through the process.
During my weekly live chat on Thursday several questions popped up asking if the Lions were interested in free agent wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. A big name? Yes. Same guy who was knocked out of the 2012 season in September after a bone-jarring hit rendered him unconscious for 10 minutes. It was a serious concussion.
How can anyone think the Lions would risk signing a player with a serious concussion history after what they have gone through with Jahvid Best?
A friend of mine gets it. She said a few weeks ago that if the Lions signed Reggie Bush she was done being a Lions fan. She thinks the Lions signed Bush to sell tickets. (I think he'll be able to boost the offense. We won't know until the fall.)
Just because a player has a recognizable name does not mean he's the answer for every team. She understands that, but so many don't.
This happens all the time with players, coaches and general managers.
Remember when the Lions hired Matt Millen as general manager? Fans loved the hire at first because they knew MiIlen as the former NFL linebacker with four Super Bowl rings, but mostly they knew him from his NFL television work. He was cool, everyone knew him. His lack of NFL executive credentials were overlooked because he was the big name guy.
So how did that turn out?
Of the three free agents the Lions signed from other teams, Reggie Bush is the most recognizable name. The veteran running back may add a new dimension to the Lions' pass-happy offense. That's what the Lions are counting on .
However, the wisest move may have been to sign safety Glover Quin from the Houston Texans.
He is not a household name, but he's likely the Lions' best signing so far.
That's how Lions' fans need to think.
Look at the big picture, not the big names.
(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her new book, "100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die'' here. It's also available at bookstores.)


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Cinderella Confidential
2 pm, Apr 27, 2014 | $8
The news is in: The prince has the shoe. But whose? Investigative reporters get the scoop, interviewing Pinocchio, the fairy godmother and other such characters. Performed by the Santa Fe Performing Arts' City Different Players (ages 7 to 12).
Where: Armory for the Arts
Phone: 505-474-8400
1050 Old Pecos Trail
Santa Fe, NM


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Trial Drug: Pirfenidone
I have a friend in China who suffers from severe pulmonary fibrosis. I heard of Pirfenidone which is still under clinical trial, and is not available in Asia. I would like to know what we can do so he may be allowed to participate as a study subjects for such a medicine. It is a life and death situation.
Please help him!
Pirfenidone is approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Japan and can be obtained in that country from licensed physicians. The U.S. FDA did not approve Pirfenidone for use in this country, and the company that owns the rights to pirfenidone has not yet decided about whether to do an additional study. There is currently no way to receive pirfenidone in the U.S. There are a number of other clinical trials of medications to treat IPF underway in the U.S. at a number of academic medical centers.
James N Allen, Jr, MD
Clinical Professor of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University


text:
Journal Cover
This photograph on the cover of the January 2003 issue of the International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos shows an experimental apparatus for studying synchronization in driven nonlinear systems. Details are found in the article "When Two Coupled Pendulums Equal One: A Synchronization Machine" by H.J.T. Smith, J.A. Blackburn and G.L. Baker; IJBC 13, 7-18 (2003).


text:
Speculative Long Play in Millennial Media
The growth prospects for mobile advertising seem boundless considering the amount of time people spend on their smartphones and the range of personal information that can be captured from their activity online. Applications can monitor special interests, spending patterns and location -- and tailor advertising to the individual.
The challenge for the industry is monetizing the information gathered from the mobile experience, because traditional Web models do not translate to a smaller screen. Device manufacturers have compensated by increasing the size and definition of smartphone and mini-tablet screens, but diverting eyeballs on a smaller screen is more difficult than on a traditional monitor....325 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
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text:
Acting is Joey "Pants" Pantoliano's first love, but as the VP of L.A.'s Grand Havana Room, cigars run a close second.
(continued from page 2)
"I know why I'm an actor. I hated being poor," he says, referring to his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Pantoliano's family had been on welfare a number of times, and with numerous examples available of how to get into trouble, he could easily have had a different future. He credits his stepfather, Florio Isabella, who spent a total of 21 years in prison, with saving him from a life of crime. "Florio hated being poor and became a criminal," he says, with a half-shrug. "I didn't have that option because he said he would kill me," Pantoliano recalls. "Someday I'll write about it--or I'll have somebody write about it. I'm not a writer."
The movie of his life, if one ever gets written, would go like this: The film starts in black and white. Pantoliano is the narrator. He is smoking a cigar as he talks, on a terrace overlooking Beverly Hills.
"I love to talk about myself," he says, as the picture dissolves to the streets of Hoboken; the year, 1967. In the opening scene, Dominic "Monk" Pantoliano, Joe's father, leaves the family behind and heads for Florida. Joe is 14.
"My mother [Mary] was an interesting woman," Pantoliano begins the story. "My mom and dad, they were married for 20 years. My stepfather--my mother's third cousin, Florio Isabella--was doing a 15-year stretch in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for drug trafficking. When he was released from Atlanta, he moved in with us and then my father moved to Florida." Drugs, Pantoliano says, were Florio's "family business," explaining that the man who would become his stepfather began his criminal career delivering heroin in lower Manhattan at the age of 10.
"The next thing I knew, my mom and Florio were lovers. And there were lots of fireworks." Pantoliano is speaking more slowly now, the emotion of the memories sinking in.
"There were fistfights in the streets of Hoboken between my father and my stepfather, and I was in the middle of it," he continues. "It was a mess. Ultimately, everybody made up and my father moved in with a woman in Jersey City. My mom died in 1982. My stepfather died in my father's arms, because they continued to be friends long after my mom was gone, and then my father died three months later, after my stepfather died."
Pantoliano had already escaped that life in Hoboken, but he came to appreciate certain aspects of it when he returned in 1987, already a successful actor, for his father's funeral.
"My father was a working stiff," Pantoliano says, wanting to make sure that Monk is properly remembered. "He was the only person in Hoboken ever to bowl a 300 game. He loved to bowl. He died at 75. The funeral parlor was packed. People who hadn't seen him in 50 years came just to pay their respects. They didn't know who I was."
Pantoliano would escape the poverty of Hoboken and go on to become recognized as an actor. He would marry young, get divorced, marry a second time and have a strong family life and a wonderful, beautiful wife. He would buy an apartment in Hoboken and spend two months there every year. He would make dozens of friends around the country and acquire enough money to do whatever he wanted, to have fun. And he would be able to pursue his latest passion, cigars, in his personal life and as an investor in the Grand Havana Room, one of Los Angeles' top cigar venues.
Joe Pantoliano--Joey Pants to his friends, it's a nickname from childhood--loves everything about smoking cigars. He loves the cutters, the lighters, the humidors, all the accessories.
"It was the whole package that really got me excited," he says of the time in 1989 when he began smoking cigars and visiting tobacco stores, then drops in the profanity that peppers the Joey Pants persona. "Even the little fucking canes. You know, the silver-tipped [walking] canes when you walk into these stores." Pantoliano now owns many of those accessories, and on a sunny day in Southern California, after an offer of cappuccino, he is giving a tour of all that is cigar-related in his L.A. home. It is not a quick trip.
"My wife had this made for me," he says of the custom-built cabinet humidor that takes up most of a living room wall. "I have the greatest wife in the world. I can smoke anywhere in the house and even in the bedroom." The shelves reveal the requisite I-really-adore-cigars books and the coffee tables hold at least a dozen humidors (and counting), most of them gifts from people who know he loves cigars. He admits he's obsessed.
"I think I'm a compulsive type of person," he says. "You know, I'm an alcoholic," he adds, waiting for a reaction. "I guess I'm what they would call a 'periodic alcoholic.' I go for eight months and I don't have a drink and then I have a couple of glasses of wine and before I know it I'm having five glasses of wine a day and I put on 15 pounds and then I stop. And it's like if I like a shirt, I buy three. But the thing with cigars is I don't abuse the privilege. This is my first cigar in two days," he says of the Cuban Bolivar Gigante he holds in his right hand. "I try to smoke one to two a day, no more than that. Sometimes I'll binge and I'll have three in the course of the day or two in the night if I'm doing a party or something. Then I try to cleanse myself the next two days. I feel like if you abuse 'em and smoke too many of 'em, they all start to taste the same."
Pantoliano is proud of his ability to moderate habits that once would have controlled him. He also takes childlike delight in pointing out all the signed photos on his office wall from movie stars expressing their friendship.
These days, Pantoliano is on fire. In fiamme. Hot. Smokin' even. After roles in 60 movies, he is starring in a feature film, has just finished a television pilot and is so much in demand as an actor that he worries about not being able to work on a sequel. He's even recognized on the street. That is, well, a dramatic change.
"For a time, people thought I went to high school with them or something," he says with a laugh. "But what I hear most of all is, 'You sound familiar.' I get spotted for my voice more than anything." It is the voice of Guido the Killer Pimp in Risky Business. In this 1983 coming-of-age movie, Tom Cruise plays high schooler Joel, who has ostensibly stolen Guido's hookers. In Pantoliano's big scene, Guido goes to Joel's suburban Chicago home to get the hookers back and explains reality to him.
"Time of your life, huh kid?" Guido dismissively asks Joel. Pantoliano-as-Guido then offers Cruise's character a fairly concise, classic piece of advice: "In a sluggish economy, never, ever fuck with another man's livelihood."
Pantoliano, 43, is more muscular and taller than he seems on-screen. He has made a livelihood out of playing the "psycho," or the "buddy," as he did in The Fugitive, the 1993 film starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in which Pantoliano delivered most of the humor. He is now starring in the just-released Bound, with Jennifer Tilly, who played the aspiring-but-incompetent actress in Bullets Over Broadway, and Gina Gershon, the brunette in Showgirls. Pantoliano is excited about this movie; it's his first leading role. "At least in a movie that's any good and done by a major studio," he says.
"It's a film noir with a twist," he says earnestly. "Jennifer plays my lover of five years. I'm a money launderer for the mob, the Chicago Mafia, and Gina is a small-time felon who's just been released from prison who gets a job as a janitor in our building. Jennifer and Gina become immediately attracted to each other and the next thing you know they're banging each other. Instead of a guy and a girl, it's the two girls against the guy."
Pantoliano's character in Bound does not smoke cigars, and in The Fugitive, Jones does the honors. But in many of his movies, Pantoliano has taken special delight in combining work with pleasure.
"You know, I'd do a movie, I'd call Davidoff and say, 'Listen, I'm doing a movie, I wanna smoke your cigars in the movie.' Like when I did Steal Big, Steal Little [a 1995 film with Andy Garcia that did not do boffo box office], I smoked all of the Fuente cigars." Pantoliano loves the Fuente family and their Dominican cigars--the Fuentes and a friend sent him six boxes of Don Carlos cigars as a wedding present in 1994--but he is diverse enough in his tastes to spread around the exposure on the big screen. And he's not reluctant to get free cigars.
"It just so happened I smoked cigars in Bad Boys because I was smoking between the shots," Pantoliano says of the 1995 movie set in Miami. "We were rehearsing the scene and the director said, 'Gee, it'd be great if you'd smoke that cigar. I'd love to see Captain Howard smoke cigars in this.' I said, 'Well, I only got two of these and we got three weeks of shooting.' So I called Ernie." Ernie is Ernesto Perez-Carillo of Miami's El Credito Cigars, the makers of La Gloria Cubana and El Rico Habano. "I say, 'Ernie, I'm smoking a robusto Rico Habano. You got a coupla boxes we can put in the movie?' He says, 'Hell yeah!'" Pantoliano's funniest scene in the film (in which he plays the typical cop in charge who screams a lot) is when he is shooting free throws over the backboard while chewing out two police officers. All the while the robusto is in his hand or mouth.
For "EZ Streets," a pilot he shot earlier this year in Chicago for CBS, he chose Don Carlos No. IIIs. "It's very gritty," Pantoliano says of the pilot, which has been picked up and will debut this fall on Wednesday nights. "For television, this is a very tough show."
It's a warm spring day in Chicago and Pantoliano is walking to a men's shop on Michigan Avenue to pick up a tuxedo Donna Karan sent him for the Oscars. Pantoliano is what is commonly known as a "character actor," a term he does not dispute, but one he chooses to define for himself.
"In Hollywood, most young actors and movie stars construct the character to them, violating the cardinal rule of acting," he says. "In Hollywood, a character actor is the guy who supports the leading man. My definition of a character actor is a guy who creates a role. I think any good actor, man or woman, is a character actor. I mean, obviously Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro and Gene Hackman and, you know, Paul Muni and Luther Adler and Spencer Tracy, these were all great actors. I think Harrison Ford is one of the great character actors of our time, even though he's a leading man. I think Jeff Bridges is a great character actor. These guys are real actors!" Pantoliano's voice rises. "These are the guys that I emulate. These are the guys that I wanna grow up to be. These are the roles that I want to play," Pantoliano says, adding that Montgomery Clift is his favorite actor of all time.
"People label me a 'character actor' because I'm the third guy through the door. I'm the guy supporting the movie stars," he continues. "So, in my mind, I'm just a fuckin' actor. In the buyer's mind, I'm a character actor."
Pantoliano plays an Irish gangster in "EZ Streets," and for the pilot, he prepares in the makeup trailer by shaving his head with an electric razor, then gluing and taping on a red wig while waiting for the dye on his eyebrows to dry. His banter with the women doing makeup and hair is constant. The transformation is finished after he changes out of jeans and T-shirt into a dark-blue ensemble covered with a black trenchcoat, ever so stylishly accented by the biggest Versace blue paisley scarf likely ever seen by the residents of the poor South Chicago neighborhood where the scene is about to be shot. The two-tone blue-and-white shoes on his feet complete the look.
He justifies his character's apparel, saying that he's a "sharpie, he's just starting to make money." Before the camera rolls, however, he stuffs as much of the scarf as he can under the trenchcoat.
At work, Pantoliano is focused, quiet, at times almost brooding. He becomes a bit edgier in talking to people if he is distracted before he is about to do a scene, as if he is collecting the right amount of tension needed for the shoot.
"Action!" yells director Paul Haggis, and actor Jason Gedrick, whose character has made it out of the Irish gang, is sitting on the front stoop of a house. He gets up, walks to the street and starts to cross when he is intercepted by a black Lincoln Town Car. Pantoliano is the driver.
The camera cranes down as Pantoliano begins the process of luring Gedrick back into the fold. "Feel like breakfast?" he asks. Gedrick gets in and they drive off while the camera zooms back to a street sign that should read "Elm Street," but has been altered by graffiti to read "EZ Street." It's the show's closing shot.
"Cut! Print! Perfect!" yells Haggis. Seemingly oblivious to what he just said, the director shouts, "One more." The scene takes all of 90 seconds, and six takes later Joey Pants steps out of the car and self-mockingly shouts, "Makeup!" to no one in particular. It's like letting out a big breath. In a matter of minutes he is back in the makeup trailer, then in the van to the hotel. Pantoliano asks the driver if he smokes cigars.
"Yeah, I'm starting to get into them," the driver says, as he negotiates the turn into the hotel.
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Another TNA Original Bites the Dust
by, 11-09-2010 at 10:29 AM (15399 Views)
Yes that's right another TNA Original has left the company he has called home for the past 7 years. Jeremy Fritz or better known to the wrestling fans as Eric Young departed TNA Wrestling last night after declining a new contract offering him a lower salary than he currently earned.
Now who really knows what went down backstage but let me add my opinion to this here: has Dixie Carter not realized that her homegrown talent has taken a backseat lately? I for one don't agree that some TNA Originals are being literally mocked on television and are used to put establish wrestlers over. I find that some fans will agree with me here and say that about half of the TNA fans were there since day 1 and grew with the originals like Christopher Daniels, Eric Young, Petey Williams etc. But instead they all took a back seat to Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy etc.
I became a die hard TNA fan when I first saw Petey Williams perform that dreaded Canadian Destroyer and the fact he was Canadian like me. See back then in TNA the only wrestlers that have come to TNA from WWE were: Jeff Hardy, Christian Cage, and Team 3D. Although Jeff is back in TNA and is getting the push he deserved in his first run, I just feel that his ring work has just gotten sloppier and it's not the same Jeff Hardy we've known to love.
I sure hope that Dixie will realize that all her guys that put TNA on the map 5 years ago are leaving. We're tired of seeing the originals take a backseat. Or better yet incorporate a second weekly show similar to Impact so you can at least split the roster evenly. Have Hogan and his lackies appear on Impact, and then see the people like Amazing Red appear on the other show.
I sure hope Eric Young finds his way around and that Japan is a good option right now and not WWE (no offense to the fans). If I saw Eric Young in WWE he'd be probably in a jobber role and have a ridiculous name just like everyone else. I'm not bashing WWE, it's just their lack of original names.


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Note: This item is more than 13 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
March 1, 2004
TPWD Calendar
The following meetings may be of interest to the public.
Private Lands Advisory Board, March 23 at TPWD headquarters from 9 am to 3 pm in the Executive Office Conference Room.
Quail Council, March 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Commission Hearing Room, TPWD HQ, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin.
Check the master calendar for all TPWD events.
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(5.4.16 i)


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Marinwood and Lucas Valley residents on Monday opposed the county's plan to rezone Grady Ranch as a site for affordable housing, joining other Marin residents who raised concerns about building low-cost housing on 16 sites across the county.
Eight acres of the 240 acres at Grady Ranch in Lucas Valley are being considered for inclusion in the county's proposed housing element — a state-mandated plan that establishes policies and programs to meet residents' housing needs. The property, located off Lucas Valley Road, is one of 16 being included in the element as a site for affordable housing.
At Monday's day-long Planning Commission hearing at the Civic Center, county planner Stacey Laumann said the county needs to approve more sites for affordable housing or face losing highway improvement grant funding.
"We have received provisional certification from the state," Laumann said about the current property list.
The updated housing element, which covers a planning period of 2007-2014, outlines staff's recommendation of potential sites in Marin's unincorporated area, where the goal of 443 more affordable homes can be accommodated, on top of the 330 units planned for since 2007.
The Planning Commission voted 4-3 Monday in a nonbinding straw vote — with commissioners Don Dickenson, Ericka Erickson and Katherine Crecelius dissenting — to include Grady Ranch and the 15 other properties in the draft supplemental environmental impact report for the housing element.
The next public hearing on the report is March 11.
Grady Ranch is also one of four properties planning staff are proposing be used for intense 30-unit per acre zoning. Other sites include 3.5 acres at the St. Vincent's-Silveira Ranch lands in San Rafael, two acres at the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in Strawberry and a half-acre at Oak Hill School on Drake Avenue in Marin City.
The high-density zoning designation is aimed at easing state concerns about a lack of housing for low-income residents. A county housing plan submitted in 2009 was rejected by the state, which cited a need to ease development of affordable homes.
More than 70 people attended Monday's planning meeting. A majority of the 33 speakers voiced opposition to the 30-unit per acre zoning change on these sites and their inclusion in the affordable housing plan.
Lucas Valley resident Meehyun Kurtzman said placing 240 units of affordable housing at Grady Ranch, where there are no services, doesn't make sense.
"High-density housing in Lucas Valley is very inappropriate because there's no infrastructure ready," Kurtzman said.
Marinwood resident Deana Dearborn agreed. She said an advisory committee should be formed to look at the potential effect on schools.
"We're really concerned bringing all of these units into our neighborhood will greatly impact the schools and the value of the education," Dearborn said.
Residents raised concerns about nonprofit affordable housing companies being exempt from paying property taxes that would go to schools.
Marinwood resident Stephen Nestel said he's concerned about the financial and social impact the Grady Ranch units will have on the community. He said the Planning Commission isn't diversifying Marin by placing the majority of the units in Lucas Valley. "You're shoving it in the community that is least strong politically," Nestel said.
Celebrity filmmaker George Lucas has been working with the Marin Community Foundation to study the creation of a low-income housing complex at the ranch — hence its inclusion in the plan.
Lucas set his sights on housing after he dropped his plans to build a large studio on the property.
Residents also specifically raised concerns about high-density affordable housing plans for the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary.
Strawberry resident Bruce Corcoran said the proposed plan for 60 affordable housing units at the seminary doesn't jive with the area's community plan.
"The density of this project is much more dense than anything else in Strawberry," Corcoran said.
Seminary neighbors said the proposed plan isn't clear as to where on the 73.6 acres of land the two acres of affordable housing would be located. Concerns were also raised about traffic problems the development could cause.
Speakers also raised concerns about sea-level rise, flooding, traffic at Tam Junction, access to transit services, the potential for increased crime and increased greenhouse gas emissions at the proposed housing sites.
A handful of speakers encouraged the commission to move forward with the affordable housing designations.
San Rafael resident Marianne Lim said she owns multifamily housing property and supports affordable housing in the county.
"These are working individuals who need a place to live," Lim said.
Joe Hegedus, with the Marin Partnership to End Homelessness, said it's difficult for people to find housing in the county. He said the partnership operates 60 units of transitional housing in Novato, but has trouble finding its clients permanent housing.
"I think the consequence of inaction is continuing to have hundreds of homeless," Hegedus said. "I would be considered a low-income resident by these documents."
The local chapter of the League of Women Voters of Marin County and Eden Housing also voiced support for the housing element.
Laumann said the review period for the housing element's draft supplemental environmental impact report ends Feb. 19. The final environmental impact report will be reviewed in May.
The county Board of Supervisors will review it in July or August.
Contact Megan Hansen via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter at http://twitter.com/hansenmegan
High-Density affordable housing areas at a glance
240 units of housing on eight acres of 240 acres at Grady Ranch in Lucas Valley.
105 units of housing on 3.5 acres of 1,100 acres at the St. Vincent's-Silveira Ranch lands in San Rafael.
60 units of housing on two acres of 73.57 acres at the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in Strawberry.
15 units of housing on a half-acre of 3.87 acres at Oak Hill School on Drake Avenue in Marin City.


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FIREFIGHTERS were called to the third fire in eight days at Winchester Prison last night.
It happened at 9.50pm on Wednesday, after an inmate set fire to his waste paper basket.
Ten firefighters from Winchester Fire Station attended.
Nobody was injured.
In a similar incident last week three people were taken to hospital after two fires broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning (July 23).


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As everyone who has followed this blog already knows, we introduced a new file format with Office 2007 (and Excel 2007) with the extension .xlsx called Office Open XML (OOXML). Microsoft submitted the new file format to Ecma International, and in December 2006, that file format was approved as ECMA-376, and Ecma submitted the standard to ISO/IEC JTC 1 for fast-track processing to become an ISO standard. Over the last 15 months, many conversations have taken place between Ecma and the National Bodies that make up ISO, and comments from those National Bodies were addressed at a Ballot Resolution Meeting during the last week of February 2008. Through the month of March, the National Bodies then had the opportunity to consider the changes made to OOXML at the meeting, and today ISO officially announced the results of the voting.
As stated on the ISO web site:
Approval required at least 2/3 (i.e. 66.66 %) of the votes cast by national bodies participating in the joint technical committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, to be positive; and no more than 1/4 (i.e. 25 %) of the total number of ISO/IEC national body votes cast to be negative. These criteria have now been met with 75 % of the JTC 1 participating member votes cast positive and 14 % of the total of national member body votes cast negative.
The Excel team views this as a very positive development, and is committed working with both Ecma and ISO to continually evolve and develop OOXML as an international standard.
More information is available for those interested:


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'Maxim Afinogenov, Daniel Briere, Brian Campbell, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Henrik Tallinder will appear on the Eastern Conference ballot as selected be the NHL's Hockey Operations Department. This season, the Cold-fX/NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, presented by 2K Sports, will be entirely digital for the first time. Beginning November 15, fans around the world can "Click to Vote" for Eastern and Western Conference All-Star starters on-line at NHL.com.'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / 6 Sabres Make The NHL All-Star Ballot


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What is Aggie Logic? It's so many things, including my newsletter, that I have thrown together this page of (Aggie logic) explanations. There's more here than you could ever possibly want to know about me, so just pick and choose what grabs your attention, but most of all have fun (and don't forget to subscribe at the very bottom of the page, or to your left)
Join me (above) as I narrate a slide show of my work created by Dave Warner after we interviewed on his show, Exposing the Great Masters of Photography. What an honor is was to be on his show.
If you get tired of the slide show above You can listen to the 45 minute interview here. Or enjoy the slide show below.
Aggie's view: Foley Art Center presents
photos by Aggie Villanueva
by Thomas B. Harrison August 02 , 09
Mobile Register, Mobile, Alabama
She is known as the "Grandma Moses of the American Southwest," and the nickname fits as comfortably as a well-worn pair of jeans. Aggie Villanueva is a self-taught artist, a grandmother and something of a folk hero to anyone who opts to pursue a new vocation later in life....
Mike Orenduff, Premiere Writer of NM, author of THe Pot Thief series
"(Aggie's) photographs are like a cross between photography and painting, Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe rolled into one. If you took an Ansel Adams photograph and had Georgia O'Keeffe re-do it in a painterly way, you'd have a genuine Aggie Villanueva. With your ability to see meanings and messages in things, it must have occurred to you that it is almost poetic that someone named Villanueva would end up in New Mexico."
What is Subscribing to Aggie Logic?
It's a Perpetual 25% Discount on the rarest of southwestern photo art. As a valued member of the Aggie Logic family, this means that I will personally make sure you receive deep discounts on my photographic art, and, as a subscriber (be sure you've subscribed below!), this promise is only available to you.
The first way I pledge to save you money is by selling only prints. Matting and framing are expensive, and subject to personal taste. So why charge you for what will probably not suite your décor, plus triple your shipping charges?
The second way I pledge to save you money: My collections are divided into limited editions, from investments for the art collector, intermediate art collectors, entry level art collectors, all the way through those who enjoy giving the most unique prints and gifts from my fine arts gift galleries.
The third way I pledge to save you money: From now on you receive 25% off every fine art print at any time. Discount applies only to limited edition prints; does not include the unlimited editions gift galleries. Though I will run specials throughout the year offering you even lower prices, you don't have to wait for sales; 25% off is your perpetual discount on every limited edition, no matter what level.
What is the Value of Aggie's Art?
If you like, you may read quotes of what art reviewers, peers and others think about my art, but here, I want to simply talk to you.
If you are looking for rare art investments you made a wise choice coming here. Most of my photographic art cannot be duplicated. I'm not talking about the fact that each artist's style is unique. It's true, that cannot be duplicated. But this goes far beyond that truth.
I don't photograph the world-famous. Here you won't find photo art from Monument Park, Yosemite, Soquoia and other sites that have been raped of their spirit. In the vast chasms of Southwest beauty I don't spend time shooting scenic routes and tourists parks.
I roam the wonders of my own world of northern New Mexico and the Southwest regions surrounding me. Another photographer simply couldn't find most of the places I shoot. I need my 4X4 to get to the places where my camera and I spend time.
Though there remains hardly a spot on earth unmapped by man, there is still undiscovered territory all around us, especially in the American Southwest -- a place that holds vast, yawning chasms of unplumbed wisdom, alive with it's spirit still speaking, captured by my camera. This is what my photo art depicts. The raw beauty that 99% of humanity will never see with their own eyes.
Who is Aggie?
Rural subjects in the Southwest are very different than elsewhere in the United States. We are the last true American frontier; with a gritty purity born of living close to the land. The American Southwest continually draws awe and interest worldwide.
Beginning in 1996 I lived in rural New Mexico's Madrid/Cerillos area without water, electricity or plumbing, hauling water by hand, the only light the kerosene lamp, with no phones as cell phones don't work in the "dead zones" I occupy, past and present. I spent those years roaming the mountains, sometimes sleeping on the ground under the vast, crystal expanse of southwestern skies; sometimes in my van.
When at home in my 27-foot trailer with no conveniences of any kind, (even my outhouse had no walls) I spent my days on the land, which tried and tested me. But that was not only OK, it was good, because the locals informed me, "Whom the land calls the land tests." I'd been called home. All was good.
In 2001 I moved to an even more remote sector with my dogs, into a tiny log cabin in the foothill forests of the San Pedro Wilderness area, getting snowed in for most of every winter, but now with the luxury of "water pouring right out the wall when you turn the knob!"
Locals say I have "paid her dues to the land," but I still spend my time roaming the majestic mountains of northern New Mexico to know them more intimately. Locals of many generations can't recognize where most of my landscapes were taken, though they are "in our own backyard." It is my hope that my photographic art reflects that spiritual intimacy.
And More than you could
possibly ever want to know about me:
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Nevada Treasure RV Resort - Pahrump, NV
Come and enjoy the most beautiful, clean, well manicured RV Resort anywhere in Nevada. You and your party will feel spoiled by the staff and the activities and attractions that are at your disposal, both in the resort and locally within a short driving distance. The RV sites can accommodate large rigs with slides, and are close to the clubhouse and spectacular waterfall featured pool area. Review our website and then give us a call!
The facility is magnificent and ultra-clean like no other, truly an RV "Resort."
Our Sports Bar offers lunch and dinner, a six lane Modern Bowling Center, a large, world class Fitness Center with a full array of Aerobic and Circuit Training stations along with Free Weights to meet all your training needs.
Aerobic Machines feature Direct-TV™ Monitors complete with headsets, for a full-featured luxury workout!
Adjacent to the Fitness Center are separate womens and mens locker rooms, each with showers, a sauna, steamroom, and jacuzzi, all available for our guests at no additional charge.
Or Call: 1.800.429.6665
Our pool area is by far the best swimming facility around with 2 pools, and a multi-tiered waterfall. The Swimming Pool area includs a Jacuzzi, a bath/shower/changing area, and a full service Laundry Facility.
Nevada Treasure RV Resort also has an on-site convenience store. Upon check-in you will receive a map of the resort so you can make the most of your stay.
For the Rally minded RV'ers, we have a large
Conference Center, meeting rooms, reception area and full catering service to satisfy your needs.
- See the Rally Section of this website..
- Click Here to Reserve Now!
Our 5-Star Rated Amenities Include:
- State of the Art Clubhouse
- 204 manicured RV sites
- Many sites with gazebos and barbeques
- Full Bar & Grill
- Fitness Center
- Steam Room & Massage
- Bowling Center with Bar & Restaurant
- 9-Hole Putting Green
- Two-Level Swimming Pool
- Waterfalls & Jacuzzis
- Conference Room
- Laundry Facility
- 6,000 sq. ft. Convention Space


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Burton Starr Vest
A favorite of our Burton Girls for snuggly warmth and quick-drying tech on mountain or out on the town.
The slickest predators make high performance look so sassy. The Burton Women's Starr Vest is a perfect example – a sweater fleece body provides layering warmth, while the quick-dry finish ditches heat-sapping moisture. And with a snuggly, oversized collar and sleek feminine lines, who would guess you're ready to make this mountain your prey?
- 100% Polyester DRYRIDE Thermex™ Sweater Fleece Body with Quick-Dry Wicking Finish
- Regular Fit
- 1-Year Warranty


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Daniel Restuccio, B.F.A.
Instructor in Multimedia
(805) 493-3459
- Profile
Daniel Restuccio is currently multimedia instructor at California Lutheran University and Moorpark College. He is West Coast Editor of Post Magazine, a trade publication that covers production and post-production in the film and television industry. He is owner and Chief Creative Officer of Realwork Entertainment. Currently Realwork is in production on digital feature project, and completing post production on three documentaries: Scooby Doo: Animation and Visual Effects, Hart's War: Invisible Visual Effects, and TEAM: Teacher Education at Moorpark College. He is a former Producer at Walt Disney Interactive and Walt Disney Imagineering. He was responsible for developing new theme and show concepts for DisneyWorld's EPCOT Center. He was also producer for The Disney Channel TV Tryouts, a showcase attraction at Disney/MGM Studios and created the concept for Honey I Shrunk the Audience the new 3-D movie attraction at DisneyWorld. Previous to his work at Disney, he was Senior Producer/Director and Asst. Vice President at the Citicorp Television Center in Manhattan. He directly supervised the production of The Citicorp Quarterly Report a CNN style news magazine that was seen by over a hundred thousand employees worldwide. He produced and designed the interactive exhibit Hominid Hunters currently running at the new Hall of Human Biology and Evolution at the American Museum of Natural History. He is also a writer and concept consultant for Disney Educational Productions' DiscoverQuest series. For his high tech multimedia work for the AT&T InfoQuest Center he has received a CINE Gold Eagle Award, an ITVA Silver Award, and a Bronze Award from the Houston and New York International Film Festivals. Dan went to school at Syracuse University where he received a BFA in the School of Visual and Performing Arts with an interdisciplinary degree in photography, design, and theatre. He continued to study at London Polytechnic Institute and the New School for Social Research Acting workshop with Lee Strasberg.
- Education
B.F.A., Syracuse University Advanced study at London Polytechnic Institute and the New School for Social Research Acting workshop with Lee Strasberg


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Get an overview of this hotelLa Jolla tropical resort-style hotel, near San Diego
Popular property highlights
With a stay at Sheraton La Jolla Hotel in La Jolla (La Jolla Village), you'll be minutes from VA Medical Center and close to University of California-San Diego.
This hotel is within close proximity of Geisel Library and Birch Aquarium.
Make yourself at home in one of the 252 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Enjoy a range of recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness center. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, express check-out, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Planning an event in La Jolla? This hotel has 9000 square feet (836 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Sheraton La Jolla Hotel
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Located five miles from La Jolla Village and the beach, this San Diego-area hotel is within 5 miles of downtown La Jolla and Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Sheraton La Jolla Hotel has a large outdoor pool and spa tub in addition to a fitness room. Hotel guests can choose to dine in the Humphreys La Jolla Grill seafood-specialty restaurant or the sports bar, which offers happy hours and live entertainment nightly (Wednesday-Friday: keyboards, Jazz Guitar: 7 PM - 10:00 PM; Saturday Karaoke: 7 PM - 11 PM; Sunday Karaoke: 6 PM -10 PM; schedule is subject to change at anytime).
The Sheraton Link offers a 24-hour business center, computers with complimentary high-speed Internet access and printers. Nine banquet and meeting spaces are available, and the largest totals more than 2,500 square feet. Wireless Internet access is complimentary in public areas.
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 252
- Number of floors - 4
- ATM/banking
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-out
- Fitness facilities
- Free WiFi
- Meeting rooms 12
- Multilingual staff
- Garden
- Porter/bellhop
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Conference space size (meters) - 836
- 24-hour business center
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Smoke-free property
- Spa tub
- Outdoor pool
- Wedding services
- Conference space size (feet) - 9000
- Number of meeting rooms - 10
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Pay movies
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free weekday newspaper
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Microwave
- Daily housekeeping
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Shower/tub combination
- Room service (limited hours)
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Cable TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Humphreys La Jolla Grill - Wide selection of fresh seafood, steaks, and outstanding daily specials, including chef-created Continental delicacies, served in a contemporary ambiance.
Shooter's Bar & Grill - Sports bar and lounge. Light fare, happy hours. Live entertainment nightly. Open from late morning to late evening.
Nearby Things to Do
The Sheraton La Jolla Hotel has an outdoor pool and spa tub. The Sheraton Fitness by Core Performance center offers cardiovascular and weight training equipment, and is open 24 hours a day.
The beautiful La Jolla coastline, five miles from the hotel, is popular for surfing, scuba diving, kayaking, and beachcombing. Torrey Pines Golf Course, where the PGA Buick International tournament is held every February, is also nearby.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Surfing/boogie boarding nearby
- Personal motorized watercraft on site
- Sailing nearby
- Scuba diving nearby
- Water skiing nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Kayaking nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at noon
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 17 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 20.0 per night.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 50 per accommodation, per stay
- Dogs only
- Up to 40 lb
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: between USD 10 and USD 15 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: USD 18.00 per night (in/out privileges)
- Pet fee: USD 50 per accommodation, per stay
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 20.0 per night
Hotel Name
- Sheraton Jolla
- Sheraton Jolla Hotel
- La Jolla Sheraton
- Sheraton La Jolla
We should mention
Children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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This article, entitled "Give Your Home and Life a Spring Makeover!" is presented by Glade, Staples and ClosetMaid.
We all have busy schedules, but it is essential to kick the winter blues and start to embrace change. Springtime is the perfect time to spruce up your home and get rid of the dust and cut out the clutter.
In the video below, "Mom on the Run", Colleen Burns offers the latest tips on how to not only refresh your home, but you as well. She will talk about how easy it is to transition your home decorum from dull and dark to light and airy, just in time for the warmer weather. Getting organized and cleaning out the junk will not only give your home a new attitude, but a new you as well!
Colleen Burns "The Mom on the Run" appears regularly on local and national TV with her lifestyle tips. Colleen has a psychology degree, a background in childhood education, and the real-life experience of raising five sons. A former TV journalist, Colleen shares tips on parenting, showcases gadgets that save time, and reveals tricks to save money. Colleen worked as a reporter, anchor and producer for a national news network, as well as CBS affiliates in Illinois and Minnesota. She also produced the nationally-syndicated Emmy award winning show "Smarter Living". Her freelance work includes regular appearances on the Weather Channel and PBS. She regularly provides tips and shares helpful products on her web site: http://momontherun.tv


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In today's economic climate, mergers and acquisitions are rarer than they once were, and a deal can falter if the target company has not properly dealt with its intellectual property assets. But for companies with the right offering and the right IP, the opportunities still exist. Just ask the founders of 2-year-old Instagram, which was recently acquired by Facebook for $1 billion (pending Federal Trade Commission approval).
Instagram enables users to easily manipulate their digital photographs to create a retro-looking image. That requires software, in which intellectual property subsists. Of course, the enormous sum Facebook offered wasn't just for the software. For Facebook, the attraction was likely to be more in the engagement levels of Instagram's growing social network. Facebook identified that Instagram's model, based on users sharing photos, could potentially compete with Facebook if it remained independent, but could also enhance Facebook's offering if bolted on. That made it an irresistible proposition.
But is that not always the case? Acquisitions usually happen because companies see a threat or an opportunity (or both). CEOs do not usually think of a company's value in terms of IP alone.
On the other side of the transaction, entrepreneurs often see an acquisition as part of their long-term game plan and will often tailor their business model accordingly. But few prepare their IP for such an eventuality until late in the process. That is unfortunate, as poor planning can lead to fewer interested suitors, a lower purchase price or, in the worst cases, an aborted deal.
This is a great shame as companies can easily take steps to make themselves more attractive—steps that are far easier to climb during the normal course of trading than 24 hours before a deal is due to complete.
Firstly, every company should periodically undertake an intellectual property audit. What are the assets of the company? Are there any registrations that should be undertaken (patents, designs, trademarks etc.)? Are there any contractual loose ends to tidy up?
Clearly, the brand needs protecting. Is there a registered trademark in place? If so, is it broad enough in terms of territory and description of goods and services? Are renewals (in all territories) taken care of? Are there any new names or logos to register? You might be surprised at the number of companies who only discover during pre-sale due diligence that their registered mark is actually different from the company's current mark.
Have all employees and freelancers signed contracts that transfer relevant rights to the company? What about any intellectual property created by customers (such as Instagram's army of photographers)? It may not be appropriate for the company to own that IP, but it will need a license to use it.
The customer database is itself an asset and it is essential, therefore, to obtain appropriate consents. In Europe and other jurisdictions that recognize database rights as sui generis intellectual property, you also may need to look at how to obtain protection for that.
The value of a company's IP can sometimes rest on third-party IP—for example, software licensed to the company. If that is so, lawyers acting for a potential purchaser will be looking at those contracts. They will look, in particular, at whether any escrow arrangements are in place and whether the license can be terminated on a change of control of the company.
Sometimes it comes as a surprise to a vendor that some of its assets are not actually owned by the company. For example, it is common to find that domain names have been registered in the name of the company's CTO, or worse, its outside IT supplier, rather than the company itself. Such relatively minor problems can usually be fixed at the due diligence stage, but it requires the co-operation of third parties (including in some cases the domain name registry or the court) and it causes delays to the transaction. In today's world any such loss of momentum can be enough to derail a deal.
Compliance is boring. Intellectual property audits are dull. Getting the right paperwork in place is rarely the most urgent task on a busy executive's "to do" list. However, good entrepreneurs, often those who have been through the due diligence process in selling a previous business, will know that it's never too early to get it right. Successful entrepreneurs will think about the content of their electronic deal room long before an offer is on the table.


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The end of the affair
RoHS-type initiatives in the EU adhere to regulations that say control vendors must design products for environmentally safe end-of-life disposal. But who is jumping on this train in North American, and when?
By Mike Spear
Given the almost instant obsolescence of so many of today's consumer electronics products, it's not surprising that the concept of product stewardship should be gaining in popularity. It can mean different things to different people and industries, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines it as "a product-centered approach to environmental protection that calls on all those in the product lifecycle—manufacturers, retailers, users and disposers—to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of products."
The electronics industry has, of course, been promoting product reuse for some years in a bid to cut down on the amount of waste requiring disposal. One example is the consortium set up in 1998 by Honeywell, General Electric and White-Rodgers to recycle thermostats. Operating under the name of the Thermostat Recycling Corp., the operation has recovered 4,000 pounds of mercury from nearly 450,000 recycled thermostats.
What has characterized product stewardship initiatives to date has been their voluntary, non-mandated implementation by manufacturers and users alike. Recent developments coming out of Europe, however, will change that approach—not least for equipment manufacturers.
Arguably the biggest impact in terms of products and companies affected will be made by the European Union's Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) proposals, which were approved this past December, and are scheduled to take effect this coming June. The chemical industry and many of its customers will take the brunt of a piece of legislation that calls for the registering, testing, and, for highly hazardous materials, authorizing of some 30,000 chemicals.
As director of toxicology services for the Toxicology Group, a division of the independent testing and certifying organization, NSF International, Clif McLellan is involved in the day-to-day testing of chemical-containing products from a variety of manufacturers. "I think there's definitely a growing interst in product stewardship from companies looking to establish that their products are safe from start to finish," he says. "Sometimes it might be for marketing reasons, but entwined in there is some work being done as a protection against litigation."
Toxicology Group offers a range of testing programs and services to companies requiring risk or safety assessments of their products. McLellan says NSF is "looking at the pros and cons" of starting a program to certify products under the REACH proposals, as well as considering the impact of two other EU directives of more direct and immediate relevance to the control sector—the so-called WEEE and RoHS directives.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC is concerned with reducing the amount of electrical and electronic equipment waste going to landfills or incineration at the end of its useful life. It places the responsibility on producers of such equipment for taking it back, and recycling it where possible. Consumers are expected to be able to return their obsolete equipment to manufacturers free of charge.
Meanwhle, the Restrictions of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive 2002/95/EC has a more immediate impact on product design. Since July 1, 2006, it has banned the manufacture and import into the EU of any electrical or electronic equipment containing the heavy metals lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, and the flame retardants polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
McClellan says NSF already is involved in certifying that products meet the RoHS directive, and is considering introducing a testing program for WEEE compliance as well. Though the initial impact of both these directives will mostly be on the huge consumer electronics markets, they're nevertheless targeted at all electrical and electronic equipment, whether consumer or industrial.
The goals of both directives aren't dissimilar from many of the voluntary U.S. initiatives. Laudable though they are, however, few have the same mandatory force as the EU directives. Whether that will change, either on a state or federal level, remains to be seen, but there are certainly signs of a more coercive approach being taken up around the world. "RoHS-type initiatives are being rolled out in countries like Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea and, from next year, China," says Aidan Turnbull, head of the global eco-design practice with international consultant Environ.
Turnbull says, "The U.S. is quite a ways behind Europe in terms of WEEE-type legislation. There is Senate Bill 50 in California, for example, which only applies to computers, TVs, monitors, and displays, focusing on a small group of household products. The EU regulations, on the other hand, cover everything listed in their 10 categories, including a huge number of B2B products."
The problem facing importers to the EU is that each country can have its own interpretation of WEEE. Some allow foreign companies to register under the directive, while others do not. This is fundamentally different from RoHS, which Turnbull says "applies equally across all member states, and no one state can change anything." WEEE, on the other hand, "is almost like a guideline, with 27 variations [the number of member states] across Europe."
Environ has attempted to cut through all the uncertainty by setting up a web-based service to help companies comply with both WEEE and RoHS.
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Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the Medical Director of NHS England, officially opened the Urgent Care Centre at the Royal United Hospital today.
And Sir Bruce says he wants to replicate Bath and North East Somerset's new system across the country and is visiting Bath to understand how out of hours GP services are being integrated with the Emergency Department.
The Urgent Care Centre has been built next to the Emergency Department at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) and opened its doors to patients on April 1.
It is one of the first of its kind in the country and is already helping patients to be treated more quickly whilst reducing the strain on the Emergency Department.
As well as opening the new Urgent Care Centre, Sir Bruce visited the Emergency Department at the RUH and joined a discussion with clinicians and commissioners to discuss their plans for providing urgent care more widely.
Sir Bruce said: "I have been really impressed with what I have seen today at the Urgent Care Centre. It is excellent to see CCGs working closely together with hospitals and GPs to make it easier for patients to access urgent care when they need it.
"No one wants to sit and wait for hours when they need care urgently and by having GPs and nurse practitioners located next to the Emergency Department it means that patients can be seen more quickly and by the appropriate person no matter the time of day or night."
The funding for the Centre has come from Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (BaNES CCG) which is responsible for planning and purchasing NHS services across Bath and North East Somerset.
The CCG engaged with a wide range of people to design the new service including Wiltshire CCG, local GPs, the RUH, patients and the public.
Dr Ian Orpen, chair of BaNES CCG, said: "It took many years of hard work and collaboration to design and deliver the new Urgent Care Centre and so we are delighted that Sir Bruce has been able to take time out of his busy diary to come and see what we have achieved for our patients here in Bath and North East Somerset.
"The CCG is working really hard to ensure that patients are seen as quickly as possible when they need urgent treatment and we hope that the changes we have made in Bath are going to inspire improvements for patients right across the country."
RUH chairman Brian Stables said: "We were delighted to welcome Sir Bruce to the RUH today to show him the new Urgent Care Centre and how our clinicians have integrated this with our excellent Emergency Department to ensure that patients are receiving the most appropriate care as quickly as possible.
"We were also able to discuss the wider changes we have made to urgent care as part of our journey of continuous quality improvement."
The Urgent Care Centre is operated by Bath and North East Somerset Doctors Urgent Care (BDUC) which is part of the Vocare Group, an organisation which already delivers GP Out of Hours services to 2.2 million people across Staffordshire and the North East of England.
Dr Mike Harrison, organisational medical director of Vocare, said: "We have worked hard with colleagues from RUH, BaNES CCG and local GPs to develop the service.
"It is working well and is delivering an excellent service for patients. It has attracted a lot of interest nationally with over 40 NHS commissioners from the rest of the country recently attending an open day at the centre."


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The Produce Mom visited Nature Fresh Farms in Leamington, Ontario, to learn more about the company's environmentally friendly greenhouse growing practices. The Produce Mom visited with the goal educating consumers about the practices.
"My visit to Nature Fresh Farms was eye-opening and I was blown away with their commitment to innovation and excellence. The trip deepened my knowledge about greenhouses and I look forward to sharing what I learned with The Produce Mom followers," said Lori Taylor, aka the Produce Mom, in a news release. Taylor is the marketing manager for Indianapolis Fruit Co.
Nature Fresh Farms greenhouses use 95% less water than traditional field farming and produces no water waste, according to the release.


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Hiroyuki Okumura's NEST OF WIND to Open at Howard Scott Gallery, 2/21
Howard Scott Gallery has announced the opening of its third solo exhibition by the Mexico-based sculptor, Hiroyuki Okumura, on Thursday, February 21, 2013. The opening reception will be held that night from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition runs through March 23, 2013.
Beginning three years ago, the artist's working process began undergoing an important change, involving a greater degree of spontaneity and with the relationship between his mind-set and both his working methods and iconography being a more direct one. Encouraged by these developments and with increased feelings of confidence, he began - little by little - creating directly in the stone, long his favored medium.
He has stated recently, "Simultaneous with the new methods of working has been an awakening of interest in the theme of wind as inspiration and subject matter for the new sculptures. To me, wind is most compellingly a concept of freedom, and I have sought to capture that in these works. Central to its potency for me is the actuality of its great power and its seeming invisibility. I have wanted to give physicality - volume, weight, texture - to its essence."
One of the nine works which will compose the exhibition is the 2012 work titled The North House. Having spoken of a desire to enclose, cage, or - to use his term - "nest" the power of wind, Okumura in creating this form which evokes a simplistic, low-slung abode achieves dramatic tension in a seeming confrontation of powerful wind both within and outside the embattled structure, which lifts one elephantine foot above the stone base in a seeming effort to hold its ground, while its pitched roof is rendered serrate by six parallel slits, as though a monster is determined to escape its confines.
Mr Okumura (born in Kanazawa in 1963 and educated in Japan) originally came to Mexico in 1989 to study the prehistoric works of the native peoples - works about which he was made aware by one of his teachers who had lived in Mexico for many years. Meeting and marrying a Mexican woman determined his choice of where he would live and work for the foreseeable future, though it should be noted that although his language as a visual artist was not directly influenced by the pre-Columbian civilizations, he did feel a strong affinity with their reverence for the landscape and the desire to invoke the spirits of the departed peoples.
Howard Scott Gallery is located at 529 West 20th St 7th Floor, New York, New York. Call (646) 486-7004, email email@example.com or visit www.howardscottgallery.com for more information.


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2 charged in fake poker chip scheme at Md. casino
HANOVER, Md. (AP) - Maryland State Police have charged a Virginia couple in a counterfeit poker chip scheme and they're seeking charges against two other people in a separate case.
Maryland Live! Casino security contacted police last month with descriptions of four people they believe passed counterfeit chips.
Police say Rosa Nguyen of Annandale, Va., bought counterfeit chips online and they were altered to look like Maryland Live! chips. Police say the chips were thrown into a lake, but they floated and most were recovered.
Nguyen is charged with theft and conspiracy and her husband, Vuong Truong, is charged with committing a theft scheme and conspiracy.
Police say they are also seeking charges against another northern Virginia couple, who altered $1 chips from a West Virginia casino to look like $100 Maryland Live! chips.