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Two years after it has been commissioned, Bosnia has a draft of the Transitional Justice Strategy, but despite widespread acceptance of its importance there are already doubts whether the document will be adopted.
|Transitional Justice Strategy Photo by BIRN
A draft of the Transitional Justice Strategy – the aim of which is to help correct the injustices and heal the traumas caused by the war – will be put to vote in the Bosnian parliament during the summer.
The document was drafted by a team of 15 experts, selected by the Council of Ministers, with the help of the United National Development Programme, UNDP.
It addresses the most sensitive issues in Bosnian society, ranging from the establishment of the facts behind war crimes through to reparations, memorials for the victims, and institutional reform.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, the document has already proved controversial with both experts and the politicians responsible for its implementation, even though the draft of the Strategy has yet to be made fully public.
Goran Simic, Aleksandra Letic and Edin Ramulic, all members of the expert group, and Thomas Osorio, an advisor on the Rule of Law and Human Rights for UNDP, told BIRN that they believe the Strategy can help the Bosnian people recover from the serious human rights violations that occurred during the early 1990's conflict.
Their view is shared by Refik Hodzic, the Director of Communication of the International Centre for Transitional Justice, who believes the Strategy "offers the solutions that Bosnia needs". However, Hodzic doubts that Bosnia has the political will to adopt such a document.
Aleksandra Pandurevic, the Chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of the State parliament, has already expressed her doubts about the draft Strategy, claiming its measures were too expensive.
Truth, Reparations and Reform
The Strategy proposes the creation of non-judicial mechanisms to establish the facts about the Bosnian war and encourage people to come forward with their accounts.
"The vision is to create an open, practical and productive dialogue about the past across all levels of Bosnian society, so that the past is no longer distorted. The goal is to achieve satisfactory outcomes for victims and to build efficient, professional and credible public institutions," says the Transitional Justice Strategy draft.
In order to achieve this vision, the expert group has put forward a number of proposals to the Bosnian government.
To give victims of the Bosnian war the right to "truth", the Strategy advises speeding up the search for the 10, 000 people who remain missing, and the creation of a non-judicial fact finding mechanism, though the document does not discuss the mandate or form of such a mechanism.
Perhaps the key proposals of the draft Transitional Justice Strategy are reparations for victims and the setting of common rules for building and preserving memorials.
The document claims that the current reparations system is "discriminatory and unsustainable", and proposes the adoption of a new, coherent and state-wide system of reparation for all victims of war.
A comprehensive reparations database would be created, and even though it would be run by the Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, the autonomy of the separate entities – the Federation and Republika Srpska – would continue to be respected.
However, Aleksandra Pandurevic has told BIRN that paying reparations to all the victims of war would push Bosnia into "economic meltdown".
"There is pressure on Bosnia to take on financial obligations that we cannot fund, unless we want for country to go bankrupt. I will not accept that. When we talk about reparations to former camp detainees or victims of war, we should remember that Germany only paid reparations 60 years after the end of WW2, while Bosnia is being pushed to do it now. Bosnia does not even have a stable economy," said Pandurevic.
However, Goran Simic and Thomas Osorio claim that Bosnia has the money to finance these projects and that the government will have to deal with the problems of victims of war at some point.
"We believe the money is there. Nothing is new here and these are standards expected by European institutions, which will have to be financed. I think we cannot plan laws according to how much money we have at a certain point," explains Osorio.
Simic adds that it is essential to "prioritize" facing the past.
"Our society will have to ask itself one day whether it is more important to build a stretch of road or give a mother who lost four sons and 20 family members a dignified life. Whether we spend money on buying a minister a new car, or on healing a highly traumatized woman who was raped in a camp for six months," asks Simic.
The expert group estimates that the Bosnian authorities would have to spend roughly 9 million euros on the strategy overall, though this amount does not take into account the full costs of the reparation programme or the construction of memorials.
To resolve the many controversies that surround the building of memorials for victims in Bosnia, the Transitional Justice Strategy proposes a set of common standards and criteria for both memorials and commemorative activities.
It envisages the creation of a national memorial to all the victims of war in Bosnia, and the construction of similarly inclusive memorials in every local community.
Osorio claims that it would be ideal if the government took over the creation and maintenance of memorials, as this would preserve them as "places of memory" in perpetuity.
This view is shared by Edin Ramulic, a representative of a victims association from Prijedor as well as a member of the expert team, who explains that one of the biggest problems faced by Bosniak returnees to Prijedor is that the mayor in that town refuses to allow them to build a memorial and commemorate their dead.
"The Transitional Justice Strategy would remove the rights of municipal mayors to decide, especially when we talk about symbolic reparations. This would help reconciliation, because this issue is stoking nationalist tensions", says Ramulic.
However, this solution seems impossible for Aleksandra Pandurevic, Chairwoman of the Human rights Commission of the State parliament.
|Bosnian Parliament building Photo by BETA
"This is too ambitious. You cannot have consensus between different ethnic groups. I believe in the end everyone will find ways to honour members of their own group", says Pandurevic.
Strategy Declaration or Active Plan?
The final piece of the Transitional Justice Strategy envisages a Bosnian state vetting process for public office holders, to ensure that they are not associated war crimes or other breaches of human rights committed during the war.
The implications of this particular reform may weaken political support for the document.
Even so, Refik Hodzic argues that an all-encompassing Transitional Justice Strategy is the only way for Bosnian society to "deal with burdens of the past".
"It's important to note that the success of the Strategy depends on the political will of those in power. If its measures are not implemented in a dedicated, honest way, then we cannot hope for anything good to come of it. This is about the total reform of our community and a clear will to deal the past. What I see in Bosnia today is anything but that," said Hodzic.
While Hodzic fears the Strategy might be left a "dead on the page" – mirroring the fate of the Bosnian State Strategy for prosecuting war crimes cases –Pandurevic, a member of parliament, disagrees, claiming that parliamentarians will state their objections and improve the document when the time comes.
"The document contains a number of good ideas. When it comes before the Bosnian Parliament, we will discuss them. We certainly do not need a definitive strategy at this stage," Pandurevic added.
According to the draft document, the Council of Ministers would name a Commission for the implementation of the Transitional Justice Strategy, which would have representatives from Republika Srpska, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brcko district.
A new NGO in Bosnia, called the "Association for Transitional Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina" and composed of members of the expert team, will work to promote the Strategy and monitor its implementation.
The expert team predicts that much more will be known about possible objections to the document after the draft comes before the Bosnian Parliament during the summer.
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The muted response to the Croatian town of Vukovar's decision to scrap controversial bilingual signs in Latin and Serb Cyrillic script suggests the EU has lost focus on minority rights, analysts claimed.
The trial of Zdravko Mustac and Josip Perkovic, former Yugoslav spy chiefs accused of killing a Croatian émigré, heard that the victim repeatedly told his German lover that he was living in fear.


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WordPress 3 UTF-8 file names = trouble?
Hi guys,
I have noticed with at least three websites now something that I at first thought was an apache issue. But I have changed my mind about that – it seems to be a WordPress issue, because that's the only thing which has changed in all cases.
What happens is that a website which runs an older version of WordPress loses its ability to display files uploaded with international characters such as æøå after I upgrade to the latest version.
What is going on here and how can I fix it?
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
These Spring Horse poems are examples of Spring poems about Horse. These are the best examples of Spring Horse poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
If you don't find the poem you want here, try our incredible, super duper, all-knowing, advanced poem search engine.
The poem(s) are below...
A warm Spring's fragrant wind
lifts leaf shadows as, molten metal
sizzles from the sudden wet plunge
A farrier holds firm the muddy fetlock
while on three legs a plough horse
stands, docile beneath the hammer blows
A brown eye shines and gently
shuts- he lets a practised hand
glide over sweat-stained withers
that wiggle when a fly lands
The first foot falls- a soft
snort from a velvet muzzle as he
lifts the other to be shod
Soft hooves becoming, iron clad
For the contest, Any Poem, sponsor, Broken Wings must appear on poem
Copyright © Suzanne Delaney | Year Posted 2013
the year is as spring as you are regardless
the fall hasn't passed
love, loss, encore
the year is spring and buds threaten bloom
hesitant, having to a waiting
to that oncoming
that a felt cool, autumn wind
tiny's leaves tight to say, "No, not yet"
the world sits wanting
happy to bait your summer rivaled, hired limo
not enough money can take you home
when you're whole lot a walkin' is a walkin' the earth
only a few of us out here no that kind of tread
the year is spring as you are baby
and you're usually right 'bout that
Copyright © Gerry Mattia | Year Posted 2009


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Fantasy Fever Week 3
2011 MLB FeaturesLoose Cannons World Series
2011 World Series Simulaton
MLB SimMatchup
Create Your Own MLB Dream Team
A week featuring Tax Day, the start of the NBA Playoffs and the Boston Marathon is hardly the juncture to press the panic button for players underperforming in fantasy.
Or so one would think.
Carl Crawford's epically abysmal April has sent a multitude of owners into a state of fear and ferocity. A universal platitude often deployed at this time of the year is, "It's only April," employed by talking heads to extinguish enthusiasm around upstart underdogs or dismiss slow starts from superstars.
Yet is that idiom always the case? Baseball is a game of streaks and slumps, but 10 percent of the schedule is already completed. It may be a small sample size, but that doesn't signify the results should be discarded.
So how should an owner evaluate if a player's putrid performance is an aberration or an indication that something might be amiss? Here are a few tips to remember during your assessment:
Splits. Mark Teixeira is notorious for his sluggish starts to a season. Currently in his ninth campaign in the majors, Tex is a career .285 hitter. However, his lifetime mark in April is an atrocious .234. This year is no different, as the Yankee first baseman is posting a .220 figure. Check monthly, home and away, lefty versus righty, and ballpark splits to not only assure your underperforming player has a historical comparison or trend, but to also take advantage of an opponent's floundering ballplayer for trade purposes.
Injury. Kevin Youkilis is returning from a muscle tear in his thumb that cost the Boston third baseman the last two months of the 2010 season. Although nicknamed "the Greek God of Walks," Youk proved he was human by hitting under the Mendoza Line for the first 14 games of the season (albeit with a .424 OBP during that time frame). This spring swoon was somewhat expected given the nature of Youkilis' injury, and the All-Star is starting to show signs of progress. Investigate if a prolonged injury is the catalyst for your player's output.
Game Logs. This is more in reference to pitchers. Inflated ERAs this early are often the byproduct of a bad inning or outing, camouflaging a hurler's true production. Game logs will provide a clearer illustration if an anomaly has distorted a pitcher's numbers (or, if you're Francisco Liriano, game logs paint a picture of consistent shortcomings). This theory can be utilized with batters as well, validating that a single game has not affected the presentation of the player's worth.
New role. Fantasy owners may have drafted Brandon Phillips in 2010 hoping the second baseman would replicate his 2009 yield of 98 RBI. However, this run production was manufactured with Phillips batting cleanup, an issue since BP was moving into the two hole for Cincinnati. Compare box scores from last year or various games this season to see if this matter applies to you.
New scenery. This topic is two-pronged. The first is concrete, as an individual playing in a different ballpark can negatively affect his output (think Joe Mauer's power outage thanks to Target Field in 2010). The second is abstract, as a move to a new city or team can mess with a player's psyche. This is where Crawford comes into play. After thriving in relative anonymity in Tampa, can the speedster compete under the microscope of Red Sox Nation? He simply could be pressing to vindicate his contract, but Boston's biggest worry is Crawford might not be able to handle the spotlight.
So how much patience does one give a struggling star before cutting said player loose? In the majority of cases, the player will begin to produce their projected output by the second week of May. However, if you feel you can get near-equal value for a player who you believe is overrated, ship him out as soon as possible.
Crawford may begin to resemble the man who was a four-time All-Star selection in Tampa Bay. But as Andruw Jones proved in Los Angeles in 2008, sometimes stars simply lose it. Make sure Crawford is off your team if, and when, that admission comes to pass.
Start 'em:
C: Wilson Ramos, Nationals. The Washington catcher is hitting .414 with a .500 OBP in 29 at-bats this season. Nationals manager Jim Riggleman recently announced that Ramos will be receiving a bulk of the starts over the venerable yet elder Ivan Rodriguez. Ramos hit .278 in 79 at-bats in 22 games with Minnesota and Washington last season in his first Major League. Although he hasn't capitalized on the placement, batting fifth in the Washington lineup will provide RBI opportunities for Ramos. The backstop is owned in just 5% of leagues, so gobble up Ramos while you still have the opportunity.
1B: Lance Berkman, Cardinals. St. Louis raised some eyebrows with their offseason signing of Berkman, as the former Astro saw a giant drop in production in 2010 (.248 average with 14 homers and 58 RBI were career-lows since becoming a starter in 2000) as well as turning 35 in February. But Berkman has been blazing through April, smacking six home runs to go along with 14 RBI, 14 runs and a .308 average. The long ball barrage won't continue, but with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday ahead of him, Berkman should see numerous chances to knock in runs.
2B: Orlando Hudson, Padres. Petco is a nightmare for power hitters, but the new ballpark has suited Orlando Hudson just fine. In 15 games this season, Hudson is hitting .300 with a .403 OBP. But closer examination reveals that the second baseman is batting .375 at home in 32 at-bats compared to a paltry .167 on the road. Those who have followed Hudson's career may not be surprised at this revelation, as the two-time Gold Glover has never been one to challenge the fences with 83 bombs in 1,155 games. San Diego's spacious field caters to Hudson's propensity to post relatively-high batting percentages, with a career mark of .281.
SS: Darwin Barney, Cubs. Barney has logged all of his games at second thus far, but maintains eligibility at short for appearing at the position in 2010. Barney has beaten out Jeff Baker to be the everyday starter at second for Chicago thanks to a .333 average in 42 at-bats in 14 games. Although the Cubs don't feature a potent lineup, Barney will contribute runs to your squad batting in the two hole.
3B: Maicer Izturis, Angels. Izturis is making up for time lost in 2010, where he appeared in just 61 games due to injury. In 13 games this season, "the Mouse" has seven RBI and seven runs with a .383 batting average, second in the American League. Izturis has secured the top spot in the Angel lineup, cutting down on RBI chances but providing a good forum for runs.
OF: Jonny Gomes, Reds. The six home runs from the Cincinnati slugger are splendid yet far from surprising, as the left fielder's violent swings are reminiscent of a lumberjack's cuts at sky-rising pines. What is astonishing is Gomes' newfound patience at the plate. In 148 games in 2010, Gomes registered just 39 walks; yet in 14 appearances this season has taken a stroll 15 times. Heading into the season, Gomes was projected to split time with Chris Heisey, but if he continues to post an OBP in the .400s, it will be hard to keep the mo-hawked one on the bench.
SP: Jair Jurrjens, Braves. In his first game off the DL, Jurrjens went seven innings and struck out four, allowing two hits and a walk in a 4-0 victory over the Mets. Jurrjens is looking to bounce back from a down 2010, which saw his ERA jump from 2.60 in '09 to 4.64 last season.
RP: Kyle Farnsworth, Rays. The closer-by-committee approach appears to have been abandoned by Joe Maddon as reliever Farnsworth has secured all three saves for the Rays. Farnsworth has been anything but consistent throughout his career, but is off to a solid start in 2011, surrendering just one run in seven appearances with a 0.94 WHIP.
Sit 'em:
C: Mike Napoli, Rangers. For whatever reason, Yorvit Torrealba has earned the majority of starts behind the plate for Texas, equating to just 24 at-bats for Napoli. The catcher/first baseman/designated hitter has performed when giving the opportunity, with a .452 OBP and three bombs this season, but until Napoli sees some extended time, keep him on your bench.
1B: Derrek Lee, Orioles. Lee's historical splits indicate the first baseman tends to drag his feet out of the gate (lifetime average: .282; April/May average: .260), but his power numbers are never one to fall behind. Yet with one homer and two RBI in 54 at-bats, playing in hitter-friendly Camden Yards, Lee appears to be past his prime. Lee may be worth keeping for AL-only formats or leagues that employ a CI position, but drop the Oriole in mixed divisions.
2B: Gordon Beckham, White Sox. Beckham is a notorious slow starter, as the White Sox second baseman hit .235 in April and .159 in May of 2010. However, as he offers little besides runs, send Beckham to the waiver wire, as the majority of leagues still have two or three decent players available at the position.
SS: Juan Uribe, Dodgers. Not many projected Uribe to duplicate his 2010 season, which saw the 11-year veteran post career-highs in homers (24) and RBI (85), but a stat line of .260 average/18 home runs/70 RBI seemed attainable. Yet Uribe hasn't justified his $21 million offseason deal, hitting an appalling .179 with zero jacks. Don't give up on Uribe yet, as the shortstop/third baseman is still hitting fifth behind stars Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, but the Dodger doesn't deserve a starting spot on your roster.
3B: Pedro Alvarez, Pirates. Alvarez made some noise with 16 home runs in 95 games last season, but has yet to find the outfield bleachers in 2011. In fact, Alvarez has yet to find much of anything, with a .193 batting average through 15 games. Alvarez can still be a decent source for homers and RBI, but wait until the Pirate has emerged from his slump before inserting him into your lineup.
OF: Mike Stanton, Marlins. The Florida right fielder was rated the No. 3 prospect in baseball in 2010 behind Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg, and immediately proved his worth with 22 home runs in 100 games. Unfortunately for the Marlins Stanton has been unable to translate last year's momentum into 2011, suffering a sophomore slump in April. Stanton is hitting just .194 with no home runs and three RBI.
SP: Edinson Volquez, Reds. Volquez owns two wins and 24 strikeouts, but his 6.75 ERA and 1.59 WHIP are hard to swallow. The ERA figure is inflated thanks to 13 earned runs surrendered in the first inning of Volquez's four starts. Volquez will be a good source of wins thanks to Cincinnati's run production (tops in the majors with 95 runs), but the former All-Star would better serve your total pitching numbers by remaining on the bench until settling down in the first.
RP: Matt Thornton, White Sox. Thornton leads the league in blown saves with four and has yet to successfully close the door on a Chicago victory. With Chris Sale and Jesse Crain getting a shot at some of the save opportunities, Thornton's prospects are murky for the foreseeable future.
Waiver Wire Watch: Jonathan Herrera, Rockies. Herrera has been one of the season's early surprises, hitting .359 with 10 runs, four stolen bases and a .500 OBP. The Colorado utility man showed glimpses of his hitting prowess in 2010 with a .284 average in 222 at-bats, but was penciled in as the backup to Jose Lopez heading into the season. But with Herrera's hot bat, coupled with Lopez seeing time at third, Herrera will serve as a safe pick off waivers.
Rookie Review: Hank Conger, Angels. Conger has been seeing more action lately due to Jeff Mathis' struggles, and the rookie has responded with two homers and five RBI in seven games this season. Conger was the MVP of the 2010 Futures Game and hit .300 with a .385 OBP in Triple-A Salt Lake last season. If Mathis's slump continues, Conger could become the everyday starter.
Big League Chew Player of the Week: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies. Before Monday's matchup with San Francisco, Tulo was hitting .517 with four homers, eight RBI and eight runs in Colorado's last eight games, putting the Rockies on top of the NL West.
Spit Your Tobacco At: Carl Crawford, Red Sox. Is it possible to have a skid amidst a slump? Crawford has just one hit in his last 17 trips to the plate.
Joel Beall is the Assistant Content Manager for Whatifsports.com. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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Get Smooth with a glossy green balance bike - goes great with any seatcover and grips, but especially groovy purple...
The 2-in-1 Wishbone Bike is the most adjustable balance bike on the market.
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Ideal for kids aged 2 to 5 years ready to learn to balance. Seat height adjusts from 11 to 18 inches.
Trike conversion kit sold separately.


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Letter to the Editor: Help celebrate American Education Week
The 575 members of the West Fargo Education Association would like to announce that November 12-16 is American Education Week. The West Fargo Education Association is highlighting the contribution of all those involved in striving for a quality education for our students. The association is focusing on the district's mission statement and celebrating the opportunity to "teach today's learner for tomorrow's world."
Educating our youth is a collaborative venture that includes the student, parents, administration, teachers, paraprofessionals, custodial staff, kitchen staff, and the transportation department, among others. All provide a vital piece of the strong foundation young people need as they progress toward their chosen careers.
Gift cards from Tutti Fruitti will be awarded in a drawing to recognize the efforts of those who contribute to the education of students. WFEA members will choose individuals who demonstrate the qualities of problem solving, contributing to society, being informed, and showing responsibility.The drawing will take place on Friday, November 16, the last day of American Education Week.
The association also encourages community members to join in the celebration by talking to children about the value of an education, or by recognizing the efforts of those working to provide a quality education for them.
Deb Boyer, WFEA Vice President
Gale Haug, WFEA President


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Those who lived through the anti-nuke rallies may think all other socio-political battlegrounds easy. Think again. A mere mention of the phrase "genetic engineering" causes all kinds of intemperate behavior: setting fire to Michigan State University labs, forcing the recall of taco shells, hordes of French men and women storming McDonald's. Of course, almost anything creates unrest in France, where even students walk out on strike, but very few things rile people as much as the tedious process of scientifically changing foods by altering their genetic code.
The taco shell incident is the latest in an active war waged by a handful of activists, a group of Iowa-based transcendentalists, and most of Europe against biotechnology firms. Reports by Friends of the Earth and the Genetically Engineered Food Alert forced the recall of yellow corn products produced by Mission Foods Corp. of Irving and taco shells from Kraft Foods. Both products used a minor amount of a genetically enhanced corn called StarLink, a substance approved for animal consumption only.
Critics complain that genetically altered crops may cause unforeseen environmental damage, ranging from superweeds to superinsects, or even cause a food allergy to flare up here and there. As if the concept of indestructible giant boll weevils wasn't bad enough, Greenpeace sprinkles its Web site description of engineered foods with such phrases as "mutant" and "life form" and "Agent Orange." At the very least, they say, Congress should require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Proponents of the so-called "Frankenfoods" argue that genetic work will increase crop yields, boost nutritional value, overcome drought and pests. They may even end the threat of blindness for hundreds of thousands of undernourished Asian children through the introduction of daffodil genes into white rice, which produces a discolored rice containing beta-carotene, which the human body converts to Vitamin A.
Closed Location
Basically, genetic engineering involves the transfer of isolated genes from one organism into the DNA of another organism, creating a better or more resilient product. For example, tomatoes react very poorly to frost. But a tomato enhanced by a gene taken from fish that live in cold water produces a frost resistant crop. This, of course, could mean an endless supply of ketchup for the world. When Monsanto developed glyphosate-resistant soybeans, allowing farmers to spray the otherwise lethal herbicide on their fields once a year, they cut each farm's chemical costs by about 40 percent.
Since the United States approved genetically engineered field crops for large-scale commercial use in 1996, American farmers adapted readily to Frankenfoods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, laboratory crops take up 60 percent of all soybean acreage and 40 percent of all corn fields. Analysts at Ernst & Young claim that the agriculture biotech industry generates $2.3 billion in revenue. Consumers, however, rarely encounter genetically engineered foods--as far as they know. "I've come across some, like fruits and vegetables," says James Pitzer, sous-chef at the Green Room. Pitzer says university-produced genetically engineered foods make their way into the Austin Central Market. "There are some neat things going on--plums that taste like cherries, for example." The chef actually tried some of the Frankenfruit, with no ill effects. "Well, none that I've noticed," he adds with caution.
That little bit of caution from an imaginative chef explodes into full-blown fear by the time it reaches such distant locales as Fairfield, Iowa, or Western Europe. John Hagelin, Natural Law Party presidential candidate and professor at the Maharishi University in Fairfield, says that "when genetic engineers disregard the reproductive boundaries set in place by natural law, they run the risk of destroying our genetic encyclopedia." Hagelin mostly fears the creation of a "genetic soup," whatever that means. Another member of the Maharishi faculty, John Fagan, whose company Genetic ID blew the lid off Kraft Foods, advocates organic farming and meditation instead of science. Apparently, food grown into feces is healthier than food injected with basic genetic material.
More credible voices also join the antigenetic fray. "We're not using any of that stuff," Patrick Peeters of Chez Gerard said adamantly. Of course, the chef at Chez Gerard is French, and Europeans have been rabid in their opposition to genetically engineered foods. The United States accounts for 72 percent of all land planted with genetically engineered crops. Argentina grows 17 percent, Canada 10 percent, and nine other countries divide the remaining 1 percent. "I've never been a big fan of genetically engineered foods," Pitzer says. "Sometimes nature is just better off on its own. Anyway, I'd be afraid of creating a cancer cocktail."
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Yet the Food and Drug Administration insists any genetically engineered foods reaching the shelf or kitchen will be safe, and a number of opposition scientists admit the same. "There is no evidence that genetically modified foods have harmed a single consumer or the environment," says Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, while advocating continued FDA review and product labeling.
Yet farmers, alchemists, priests, scientists, and an occasional Founding Father have been genetically modifying plants and animals for at least 10,000 years, give or take, through controlled breeding and other haphazard processes. For example, ancient farmers saved seeds from the hardiest crops, eliminating the weakest strains. Medieval tillers crossed domestic crops with wild versions more resistant to disease, creating hybrid foods. And they did it all with very little opposition from prehistoric versions of Greenpeace. Science really began intervening in the early 1970s, as it perfected the transfer of isolated genes into another organism's DNA. Large corporate investment didn't kick in until a 1980 Supreme Court ruling extended patent protection to these new products. By the mid-1990s, only 18 genetically engineered foods managed to clear FDA, USDA, and Environmental Protection Agency inspections. The FDA currently lists soybean, corn, three types of tomato, canola, squash, papaya, and a few other food items as safe. They also approved some agents that go into food items during the production process, such as chymosin, a clotting agent used in cheese.
Activists won the most recent round, however. Aventis, producer of StarLink corn, agreed to buy back its product from farmers at an estimated cost of $70 million, and grocery clerks perhaps earned some overtime hours pulling taco shells from the shelves. Meanwhile, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the world's population will reach 9 billion by mid-century, and more than 800 million people exist in a chronic state of malnourishment. No amount of manure will produce enough to feed the increase with any certainty.
On the other hand, genetically engineered foods continue to filter into the market, and overt resistance becomes an uncertain thing. "We don't use any genetically engineered foods," said Green Room's Pitzer. "At least, not on purpose."


text:
Big Bad John (1990)
After killing a man who needed killing, Big Bad John loses himself by going to work in a treacherous Colorado coal mine. A whole slew of plot complications later, Big Bad John saves the lives of his fellow miners at the price of his own.
Directed By: Burt Kennedy
Rated: PG-13
Running Time:
Genre: Western, Drama, Action & Adventure
Release Date: December 31, 1990
DVD Release Date: March 7, 2006
Jimmy Dean
Cletus Morgan
Jack Elam
Ned Beatty
Romy Windsor
Marie Mitchelle
Bo Hopkins
Jeff Osterhage
Alvin Mahoney
Ned Vaughn
Billy Mahoney
Buck Taylor
Bob Simmons
Doug English
Big Bad John


text:
The tuxedo may be one of the most misunderstood garments of all time.
It's true that these early tuxedos bear similarities to their modern day counterparts — but the evolutionary changes are clear when you look at images of the tux over time.
Peter Marshall, the formal-wear expert behind the Black Tie Guide blog, has spent hundreds of hours poring over old magazines and newspapers to examine the changing face of the tuxedo. We combined his research with our own to bring the whole story of the tuxedo into focus.


text:
A reexamination of agency theory assumptions: extensions and extrapolations
No abstract is available for this item.
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Volume (Year): 30 (2001)
Issue (Month): 5 ()
Pages: 413-429
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Alchian, Armen A & Demsetz, Harold, 1972.
"Production , Information Costs, and Economic Organization,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 62(5), pages 777-795, December.
- Armen A. Alchian & Harold Demsetz, 1971. "Production, Information Costs and Economic Organizations," UCLA Economics Working Papers 10A, UCLA Department of Economics.
- Vafeas, Nikos, 1999. "Board meeting frequency and firm performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 113-142, July.
- Ross, Stephen A, 1973. "The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal's Problem," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 134-139, May.
- Piron, Robert & Smith, L. Ray, 1995. "Testing risklove in an experimental racetrack," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 465-474, August.
- William G. Ouchi, 1979. "A Conceptual Framework for the Design of Organizational Control Mechanisms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(9), pages 833-848, September.
- Fiegenbaum, Avi, 1990. "Prospect theory and the risk-return association : An empirical examination in 85 industries," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 187-203, October.
- Atreya Chakraborty & Mark Kazarosian & Emery Trahan, 1999. "Uncertainty in Executive Compensation and Capital Investment: A Panel Study," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 434, Boston College Department of Economics.
- Mukerji, Sujoy, 1998. "Ambiguity Aversion and Incompleteness of Contractual Form," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(5), pages 1207-1231, December.
- Mukerji, S., 1997. "Ambiguity aversion and incompleteness of contractual form," Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics 9715, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton.
- James G. March & Zur Shapira, 1987. "Managerial Perspectives on Risk and Risk Taking," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(11), pages 1404-1418, November.
- Jambulingam, Thani & Nevin, John R., 1999. "Influence of franchisee selection criteria on outcomes desired by the franchisor," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 363-395, July.
- Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Separation of Ownership and Control," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 301-325, June.
- David B. Jemison, 1987. "Risk and the Relationship Among Strategy, Organizational Processes, and Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(9), pages 1087-1101, September.
- Wright, Peter & Kroll, Mark & Pray, Bevalee & Lado, Augustine, 1995. "Strategic orientations, competitive advantage, and business performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 143-151, June.
- Indjejikian, Raffi & Nanda, Dhananjay, 1999. "Dynamic incentives and responsibility accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 177-201, April.
- Werner Güth & Wolfgang Klose & Manfred Königstein & Joachim Schwalbach, 1998. "An experimental study of a dynamic principal-agent relationship," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(4-5), pages 327-341.
- W. Güth & W. Klose & M. Königstein & J. Schwalbach, 1996. "An Experimental Study of a Dynamic Principal-Agent Relationship," SFB 373 Discussion Papers 1996,95, Humboldt University of Berlin, Interdisciplinary Research Project 373: Quantification and Simulation of Economic Processes.
- Fama, Eugene F, 1980. "Agency Problems and the Theory of the Firm," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(2), pages 288-307, April.
- Harry A. Newman & Haim A. Mozes, 1999. "Does the Composition of the Compensation Committee Influence CEO Compensation Practices?," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 28(3), Fall. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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text:
Money lost in New York; owner found through posts, tweets, texts, emails and phone calls.
Award recognizes long history of leadership in the community.
Check out this article and the slide show that follows to see how some credit unions are getting creative to help build young adult membership.
Credit union leaders were among the thousands attending the long-planned and long-awaited dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Vantage Credit Union has made it easier for members to manage their money with the launch of My$Manager, a new personal financial management tool.


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Design plus words, letters, and/or numbers
Repair or maintenance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, ion implantation equipment for manufacturing semiconductors, and liquid crystal panel manufacturing equipment
Business in KYOTO 601-8205, JP


text:
Letter: Which deaths require American intervention?
Which deaths require American intervention?
Even if Bashar Assad had used poison gas or a nerve agent, is such a death a privileged death? Which deaths, acute or chronic, are most privileged, most horrid: nuclear bomb, white phosphorous, anti-personnel mine, plastic shrapnel, depleted uranium, Agent Orange? Who decides? Why, during this civil war killing of at least 100,000 Syrians, did the United States earlier not decide to intervene?
It may be said that George Zimmerman's murder of Trayvon Martin, under the cover of "self-defense" and "stand your ground," is writ globally with President Obama's hubris, his "red line," his "stand your ground" against Syria.
At the very least, might not a U.S. attack on Syria put the lie to Obama's Nobel Peace Prize – as if Libya had not already done so?
Gene Grabiner


text:
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To stop hair loss you must block
DHT blockers protect hair follicles.
Propecia is a DHT Blocker.
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It is now widely accepted that the main culprit in the hair
loss of 95% of us is DHT.
Therefore the principal aspect of the strategy to stop hair
loss is to block dht.
Blocking dht can be accomplished by:
In this section we designate as a "DHT
blocker" any product that achieves any of the objectives
above. The importance of the DHT blockers in this section
is to keep DHT from damaging the hair follicles. This is imperative
to stopping long term hair loss. Damaged hair follicles will
begin producing less hair, thinner hair until they stop producing
hair completely.
It is important to note that Propecia the most popular drug sold
to stop hair loss is a DHT blocker. Propecia basically works by
lowering the levels of DHT in the body by blocking the enzyme 5
alpha reductase. We must keep in mind that Propecia is a drug and
it has some side effects. For men, the main side effect is a decrease
in libido, dificulty achieving an erection and a decrease in the
amount of semen released. Propecia is contraindicated for use in
women. Pregnant women should not even handle a broken pill due to
severe risks to the fetus.
The DHT blockers in this section are all natural remedies.
They offer you a natural way to block DHT without the adverse side
effects. Many of these products can be safely used by women to block
DHT. Note for women: If you are pregnant or lactating always
consult your phyisician before taking any type of supplement.
For a review of the best DHT blockers for women, see the Best
Products for Women DHT section.
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Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) elevation is the main culprit responsible
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Saw Palmetto - Herbal DHT Blocker
This is probably the best known natural dht blocker. Studies have
shown that saw palmetto is an effective anti-androgen. It acts in
a similar way that propecia does. Firstly it lowers levels of DHT
in the body by blocking 5 alpha-reductase. Secondly Saw Palmetto
block receptor sites on cell membranes required for cells to absorb
Studies have been performed on the use of Saw palmetto in the treatment
of benign prostatic disease which similarly to Androgenetic alopecia
also depends on the production of dihydrotestosterone. All of the
studies that have been performed to date show that Saw palmetto
is an effective antiandrogen and has shown conclusively to be effective
in the treatment of benign prostratic disease.
One may assume from this that since Saw palmetto is an effective
antiandrogen and is used in the treatment of prostatic disease then
it may also be effective in the treatment of Androgenetic alopecia.
Saw palmetto is a potent herbal dht blocker.
The vast majority of people taking Saw palmetto have no apparent
adverse side effects. It is tolerated very well and this has been
confirmed during clinical investigations using Saw palmetto to treat
begign prostate hyperplasia. Minor side effects can include stomach
irritation and feelings of indigestion. In part, these side effects
can be avoided by not taking Saw palmetto on an empty stomach.
containing Saw Palmetto
Pygeum- Herbal DHT Blocker
The active constituents of Pygeum extract include phytosterols
that inhibit the production of dht. Pygeum also has ingredients
that reduce prolacting levels and block the accumulation of
cholesterol in the prostate. Prolactin is believed to increase
the uptake of testosterone by the prostate, and cholesterol
increases binding sites for dht. Pygeum basically reduces
the levels of DHT in the blood and reduces the number of sites
where the dht can attach. This includes reducing the number
of hair follicles where dht would bind. When combined with
Saw Palmetto it seems to have a truly synergetic effect on
the prevention of hair loss.
Containing Pygeum
Nettles - Herbal DHT Blocker
Clinical studies have confirmed stinging nettle's benefit
to men in reducing symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia
(a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland). A concentrated
root extract of nettle is sometimes combined with saw palmetto
(Serenoa repens) and the bark of the pygeum evergreen tree
(Pygeum africanum) to treat the early stages of the disease.
The herbal combination helps to increase the urinary volume
and maximize the rate of urine flow. German research suggests
that active ingredients in the nettle root may reduce prostate
swelling. Again, since androgenetic alopecia is caused by
the same factors (DHT) as prostatic hyperplasia. Therefore
this combination of ingredients is also extremelly effective
in warding off hair loss.
Containing Nettles
Pumpkin Seed Oil- DHT Natural Remedy
Have been demonstrated to inhibit DHT formation through the inhibitory
effect on 5-alpha-reductase activity. Inhibition of DHT formation
is also known to be beneficial for hair growth if you are experiencing
age-related hair loss. Pumpkin seed oil breaks down dht via the
Green Tea - Herbal DHT Blocker
Green Tea is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. It also reduces
dht and cholesterol. It is believed that drinking the tea or taking
a pill extract can stop hair loss and facilitate re-growth. Green
tea contains flavonols and catechins, substances that have been
found to have significant antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory,
and antimicrobial properties.
How Green Tea helps agains hair loss
Additional benefits that Green Tea may provide
Emu Oil DHT Blocker
Research has shown that emu oil contains a high level of linolenic
acid which further research has shown to be an efficient antiandrogen.
Linolenic acid is a potent 5 alpha reductase inhibitor and may be
usefull in the treatment of disorders related to the hormone Dihydrotestosterone.
Linolenic Acid has been suggested to be of use in the disorders
such as benign prostratic hyperplasma, acne androgenetic alopecia
and hirsuitism.
So in summary, it is now believed that emu oil may not only halt
hairloss by blocking dht, but it may actually promote regrowth.
The oil is non-greasy at it can be applied directly to the scalp
at night.
100% Natural Emu Oil
100% Natural Emu Oil
100% Natural Emu Oil
How Emu oil stops hair loss
Soy Isoflavones- Natural DHT Remedies
In the case of hair loss, Soy Isoflavones are useful because
they seem to regulate bad cholesterol. The reduction of overall
cholesterol is important because cholesterol can produce the
enzyme 5 alpha reductase which then turns testosterone into
dht. Therefore, isoflavones have dht blocking properties.
Soy has been shown to provide many health benefits including
bone maintenance, hormonal regulation in women (especially
during menopause) and nutritional support for cardiovascular
health and prostate health.
This is a particularly good dht blocker for women since it
offers other advantages like reducing the risk of breast and
uterine cancer. They also offer protection from osteoporosis.
Finally, there is also evidence that soy may provide an easier
transition into post-menopausal years for women.
Soy Isoflavones
Soy Isoflavones
Soy Isoflavones
Beta Sitosterols-Natural DHT Remedies
Contains a mixture of phytersterols. Phytersterols (sterols)
have anti-androgenic properties. This is the substance that is able
to block DHT. Beta Sitosterols acutally contains more sterols than
saw palmeto. In addition, Beta Sitosterols also lower cholesterol
levels which also inhibit the production of DHT. Therefore it is
a very powerful DHT blocker and since it is a completely natural
product, it does not have any adverse side effects.
In severals studies, Beta Sitosterols have been proven as effective
as many drugs in treating prostate problems. Since these prostate
problems are also caused by DHT, it is easy to see that Beta Sitosterols
can be a powerful weapon in warding off hair loss.
Beta Sitosterlos
Beta Sitosterlos
Beta Sitosterlos
While L-Lysine is NOT a DHT blocker. It may make dht blockers
more effective. Researchers have found that adding a supplementation
of L-Lysine
can make drugs like propecia more effective. Since propecia
is a DHT inhibitor, as all the natural products mentioned
in this page. The addition of a L-Lysine supplement can make
these products also more effective. Studies has shown that
L-Lysine combined with a DHT inhibitor can promote hair growth
in people suffering from androgenetic alopecia.
Learn more about L-Lysine and hair loss
International Products
35 Atherton Road
Timonium, MD 21093
Phone: 410-560-1845
Fax: 410-252-9562
E-Mail Us


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text:
In late June, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) that would deter the Department of the Interior (DOI) from implementing President George W. Bush's competitive contracting program. Now attached to the DOI spending bill for fiscal year 2004, Moran's provision would hinder competitive contracting by forbidding DOI managers from spending money on cost studies, as directed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to determine what their employees do and how much it costs to do it. If this provision is included in the final appropriations bill, President Bush should veto it.
At stake is the President's effort to improve government service and reduce costs by requiring competitive contracting for commercial-type jobs in the federal bureaucracy. The federal government estimates that the bureaucracy contains 850,000 such jobs, and President Bush is requiring agencies to open a portion of them each year to competition from the private sector to improve government efficiency. A recent study found that the Department of Defense (DOD) has conducted 2,300 formal competitions involving 81,000 civilian and military positions since 1978, with an average savings of 33 percent.
OMB's Circular A-76 requires federal agencies to conduct formal cost studies to do basically two things: define each work product or service provided by employees and determine how much it costs to provide that product or service. Following these determinations, the costs can be compared to private-sector norms to identify which services and products to open to competition from the private sector. Moran's amendment would prohibit the DOI from spending any money to conduct these cost reviews, thus making it illegal for the DOI to find out whether it can save the taxpayers' money.
the Program
Despite the record of successful performance and substantial cost savings, many civil servants, their unions, and some in Congress are actively opposing competitive contracting in order to protect federal employees from private-sector competition. Moran's effort was prompted in part by a leaked memo sent from the director of the National Park Service (NPS) to her superiors, in which she complains about the President's program.
In the memo, Director Fran Mainella presented a distorted picture of the President's program by focusing on costs and ignoring benefits. She also expressed a major concern about how competition would affect diversity, her presumption being that it might lead to a less diverse work force and that less diversity would mean more whites and fewer minorities. How this would occur she does not say. Is she suggesting that private business will violate the civil rights laws or that minority workers cannot compete with whites and must be sheltered by an undemanding civil service code?
The director also complains that she would have to hire consultants to do the A-76 studies at about $3,000 per FTE (full-time equivalent, i.e. employee). Apparently, no one on the Appropriations Committee saw the irony of NPS managers paying a private firm to find out what their employees do and how much they spend. The appropriators see this cost as a flaw, and in a perversely illogical way, they are right. The flaw, however, is not in the cost of the President's program but in the NPS business culture where managers lack useful information about operations they supervise.
A series of recent embarrassing financial lapses reveal the weakness of NPS standards. In 1997, the NPS inspector general reported that officials at Yosemite used taxpayer money to build 19 staff homes for $584,000 each. A year later, the NPS spent an estimated $800,000 designing and constructing a "two hole" outhouse in Pennsylvania. The inspector general also testified that the NPS was unable to produce auditable financial statements for three consecutive years. In 2001, the General Accounting Office acknowledged recent NPS efforts to overcome this troubled legacy but concluded, "Our work, however, has shown that these efforts have fallen short in several significant areas."
Mainella's memo reveals just how far short they have fallen and aptly illustrates the absence of basic management skills within the NPS. While Mainella and the appropriators see the $3,000 per FTE cost as an added financial burden detracting from other needs, decades of experience by other agencies reveal that this modest investment in knowledge gathering would yield vastly larger savings in the immediate future.
One example drawn from the NPS budget illustrates the potential. NPS spends about $1.6 billion per year operating the parks. These expenditures cover salaries, benefits, supplies, maintenance, repair, utilities, travel, overhead, equipment, and other costs necessary to keep its 387 sites running. It employs approximately 16,000 FTEs to fulfill these duties. Expressing total NPS spending on a per FTE basis yields an estimate of $100,000.
Assuming that this average level of spending per FTE reflects the typical NPS operation and that the NPS would be as successful as the DOD in implementing its program (average savings of 33 percent), the annual saving per FTE would be an estimated $33,000--11 times greater than the alleged $3,000 study cost. Expressed another way, these study costs have the potential to pay for themselves in less than five weeks.
These savings represent real money that could be redeployed to achieve additional NPS objectives and activities that would otherwise not be funded. If a park saved $200,000 by contracting out the routine maintenance and repair of its roads, that money could be redeployed to expand campgrounds or add nature trails.
If enacted, the anti-reform language now in the appropriation bill would foreclose the opportunity for the NPS to follow the lead of the DOD and significantly increase its discretionary financial resources. By promoting operational ignorance among NPS managers, Representative Moran's proposal would freeze the money-tight status quo and preclude any improvement in services. The parallel proposal introduced by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) would have a similar effect. The American taxpayers and park visitors deserve better, and President Bush should make sure they get it by vetoing legislation that mandates inefficiency in the National Park Service.
Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D., is Herbert and Joyce Morgan Senior Research Fellow in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.


text:
The Roundup for April 8th, 2014
{!hitembed ID="hitembed_1″ width="350″ height="197″ align="right" !}
Hello folks, today is National Equal Pay Day.
International Politics
– Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and others accuse of the White House of turning their back on a USAID worker imprisoned in Cuba and endangering him with "Cuban Twitter"
– International talks with Iran have now come under fire as Iran's appointee to the UN was seen to be outrageous by some officials; The White House called it "not viable"
– The U.S. warned Russia may invade eastern Ukraine because of pro-Russia demonstrators who took over buildings in Donetsk; NATO warns it would be a "historic mistake" if that happens
– John Kerry: If we had actually gone through with a missile attack on Syria, then I do not believe it would have been "devastating"
Middle East
– Part five of five on analyzing the state of Saudi Arabia where it is not a unified country with a unified elite, but one with elites with their own agendas
– The Real News invited two guests to discuss the significance of the recent Afghan elections and what can be expected, if at all, in the future as a result
– An informative article on a dangerous drug used by troops in Afghanistan—mefloquine (Larium)—that has caused suicides and killings. Jeff Kaye has been reporting on mefloquine here at FDL.
– In East Jerusalem, one Arab youth said Israeli police were physically and verbally harassing him and has shown video proof to back up claims
– In Falluja, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant militants have been filling the Euphrates River with mud and gravel to divert it
– 30,000 tons of food was delivered to Syria by Iran because of food shortages in the former; The UN reports an upcoming drought will lead to more problems with food for the country
Asia and Oceania
– The Pakistani Taliban accused the Pakistani government of breaking its ceasefire as some of its members have been targeted by security forces
– In Pakistan, a bomb tore through a train and killed 16 people. Moreover, 35 people were injured. A barely-known separatist group apparently claimed responsibility.
– Both defense secretaries of the U.S. and China clashed over disputed islands in South China Sea
– After a "wave of terror attacks" in Kenya, authorities have arrested more than 3,000 people who are suspected in those attacks
– Let us all stop to think about the situation in Greece. It has faced austerity for years. Such austerity takes it toll on a country, especially when the state apparatus is discriminatory and harassing the public. Citizens there have seen their government fail and they have no way to address it through government.
– In Ukrainian Parliament, a brawl erupted when one communist representative stated nationalists were doing what the Russians wanted based on their strategies
– The Spanish Parliament rejected a petition by the Catalonia region to be independent
Latin America, Caribbean and Canada
– In Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis was voted in as President with 77.4 percent of votes in his favor. It is historic as the country has a two-party system and Solis was of neither party. Careful though, Solis is not a progressive leftist so Costa Rica cannot expect any improvement anytime soon. More on the election can be found here.
– Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks with The Guardian on how protests in the country having the backing of the U.S., who are interested in their oil
Surveillance Planet
– Edward Snowden tells the Council of Europe, over video, how the NSA was able to snoop on human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International
– A "Heartbleed" bug has put thousands of servers at risk of hacking
– The European Court of Justice ruled law enforcement cannot spy on either phone or internet records as it is "unacceptable"
Financial Matters
– Henry Giroux: "Neoliberalism and the Machinery of Disposability"
– The IMF cut their forecast growth for Japan and warned Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he must go through with promised reforms
– The Federal Reserve demanded large banks in the U.S. raise capital to avoid any future crash
– The U.S. fined General Motors $7,000 a day and will continue if it does not comply with requests for more information on the faulty switches in their cars
Labor's a-Brewing
– The state of Maryland may be the second state to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10
– Around 50 workers have gone on strike in Brazil to request better salaries and these workers are someconstructing the not-yet-finished World Cup stadium
Politics US
Washington USA
– Sen. Dianne Feldstein (D-CA) asked the White House, in a letter, to edit the torture report rather than the CIA
– A report from an investigator in the State Department found that more than $1 billion given to security contractor Blackwater could not be properly tracked and some spent on useless things
– In what seems to be unfortunate, a bill restoring unemployment insurance may face gridlock in the House as Speaker of the House John Boehner requests additional measures to "stimulate job growth"
– Katrina vanden Heuvel: "It's Time the CIA Gets Some Serious Oversight"
– Companies that have gone against Obamacare and financially assisted candidates to go against it have turned around to accept its benefits
– Here is a helpful timeline from the folks at ProPublica on the history of the CIA torture report starting from Jan. 11, 2009 to April 3, 2014
– Juan Cole: "Is Rand Paul right that Cheney invaded Iraq for Halliburton Profits?"
– Jon Stewart brilliantly takes down two war criminals from the Bush administration (Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld) for being proud of torture
Anytown USA
– Siena Poll: 49 percent of New York City voters approve of the current performance by Bill de Blasio
– A new report found gentrification in both San Francisco and Oakland have displaced Hispanic and black populations with unfair economic policies as the culprit. The marginalized continue to get punished through violent means
– Some great analysis of how children in America are considered disposable thanks to neoliberals placing emphasis on deregulation, strict individualism and helping other elites profit off the marginalized
We Don't Need No Education
– Gallup: 37 percent of Americans state online higher education provides quality education
Health, Hunger and Homelessness
– Gallup: Residents in Olympia, Wash. have the best access to both fruits and vegetables, while residents in Anchorage, Alaska have the least
– There still is a problem with our health care system as around four million Americans with severe mental illness are without insurance
– A loophole in FDA regulations allows companies to decide whether or not the chemical additives they place in their products are safe
– Meanwhile, the FDA announced it will define honey as "pure honey" only if no sugar or other sweeteners are added
– Comforting to hear how major corporations forced the USDA to change its definition of "organic" to allow non-organic products…and will continue and continue
– In Israel, the government is reporting nearly 900,000 of its citizen go without food as a result of poverty
– The price for pork have risen by 10 percent as a mysterious new virus is killing millions of piglets with scientists baffled on how it spreads or where it came from
Top Gun (Stories)
– Ivan Lopez, who committed suicide after killing three at Fort Hood recently, reportedly wanted to transfer out of his unit because he was being bullied
The Second Sex
– Pew: A latest report found a rise of stay-at-home mothers with 29 percent of mothers staying home. The cost of caring for a child may factor into it.
– A new study found diverse countries perform well when women are in charge of the country's affairs
– Women in Egypt are worried that even though the new constitution in Egypt guarantees them better rights than before, it may not be strictly enforced. The old problem of de jure versus de facto
Planet Earth
– A new study of reporting on climate change lists Fox News as the worst netwrk covering it, getting it wrong 72 percent of the time
– As the planet changes due to climate change, it results in problems for some species as spring starts earlier for them
Mixed Bag
– This article goes into detail on how even telling small "white" lies can lead us to continue telling more lies and being dishonest
– Scientists have found an over-the-counter herbal supplement may extend the life of mice
– Very fascinating study on how blind soloists preferred new violins over old ones. This study adds a lot to what instrument to choose for beginners or experts.
– Scientists have identified what seems to be dark matter in the middle of the Milky Way
Break Time


text:
Whether or not he starts tonight, we're about to see what Vesa Toskala's goal pads are stuffed with.
Is he cut from stubborn Finnish stock, famous for surviving winter hardships? Or will he be reindeer meat for opposing shooters and fickle Maple Leafs fans?
Faster than expected, Toronto management is approaching the goaltending crossroads that became inevitable after signing Jonas Gustavsson and Joey MacDonald to push Toskala in his contract year.
Emerging from his worst NHL season and springtime surgery, Toskala is 32, the Leafs are accelerating their recovery, and it's getting time to determine who will be the goalie who leads the charge.
Hopes that Toskala would get into a quick groove hit a bump at the end of the NHL exhibition schedule. His ugly .800 save percentage in the regular season includes a tough-luck overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, framed by a three-goal first-period against the Washington Capitals and seven goals on 24 shots in his final pre-season game.
To his credit, Toskala doesn't run for cover in bad times when marauding cameras and microphones follow him to his stall. He could hint that he's one of a handful of Leaf goalies to win 30-plus games in a year, among 120 NHL victories that should cut him a bit of slack with critics.
"We're only two games in, it's going to be a long season," he said, with that bewildered look he gets at all this negative fuss. "I'm sure I can do good things. I feel good, my body feels flexible."
That hasn't translated to the ice at times, as on Saturday when the first Capitals shot clanked in off his glove, one of three on eight shots in the first period. But he and Gustavsson worked hard with specialist Francois Allaire yesterday, before and after practice, then came off together, adding to the mystery of tonight's starter.
Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators shouldn't be a turning point of the season, yet it's getting that kind of attention for the winless Leafs. Lose again and there will be three off days of further goalie debate on top of the Cup champion Penguins coming in.
Instead of Toskala getting comfy at this stage and head coach Ron Wilson choosing a no-pressure date for Gustavsson's first start, the coach was defusing a goalie controversy yesterday.
"You'll just have to come to the game and see who comes out of the tunnel first." Wilson teased.
General manager Brian Burke wasn't going to steal the coach's thunder.
"Ronny didn't tell me anything he didn't tell the media," Burke told AM 640. "I can live with either result."
Burke did point out that Gustavsson is no raw rookie who will be sent to the Marlies to get regular playing time.
"In my mind, he's ready," Burke said.
On that note, it's more risky going back to Toskala in front of an antsy home crowd, where another early goal could bring 19,000 fans down on him, not to mention the bad vibes rippling through the bench.
Tonight at least, Gustavsson would be better received, making his first NHL start, coming off a decent mop-up job against the Caps, which partly inspired three third-period Leaf goals.
"If the coach wants me to play," Gustavsson said, "I'll do everything I can."
Swedish club teammate Rickard Wallin endorsed both goalies, but assures that his countryman can handle The Show.
"To me, he looks like the same Jonas from last year," said Wallin, when he dominated the Elite League with a 1.96 goals-against average. "It was a similar situation; he didn't start the year for us (former Blue Reinhard Divis was the starter). He worked hard and made sure he was ready when he got the chance and there was no turning back.
"He was excited to play in that Washington game -- I don't know how excited you can be when it's already 3-0 -- but we want to play better defensively for both goalies."
Wilson might have tipped his hand when he said yesterday: "We don't question anything Vesa's done, we're just going to put in the guy who is playing best," which based on 16 saves on 19 shots Saturday and three shutout exhibition periods, would be Gustavsson.
"We had some defencemen who played like peewee hockey players, but they're not under the microscope like the goaltenders. I could have had (Hall of Fame goalie) Turk Broda, it's 3-0 after the first period and you're going to make a change.
"This isn't about Jonas, this isn't about Vesa, it's about trying to win hockey games."


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The pro-life group Heroic Media launched a massive texting poll to hundreds of thousands of participants at the West Coast Walk for Life and the D.C. March for Life this past weekend, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of media influence on the debate over abortion.
At the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Monday, mobile billboards and crowd volunteers encouraged participants to text their opinions about abortion as part of a new nationwide poll.
"We are trying to see how many people are aware of the role mainstream media and Planned Parenthood play in promoting abortion versus promoting a culture of life," spokesperson Kimberly Guidry Speirs said in a Jan. 25 e-mail.
Heroic Media – headquartered in Austin with offices nationwide – launched the national campaign this weekend at the Walk For Life West Coast in San Francisco, which was held on Jan. 22, and at the Jan. 24 March for Life 2011 in Washington D.C.
"These walks and marches celebrate life and stand in opposition to the violence of abortion," said Heroic Media President Brian Follett.
"The anniversary of Roe v. Wade encourages reflection on the deaths of 52 million unborn children and the millions of women who suffer emotional scars from the procedure."
Follett said that in his organization's work to provide educational resources on alternatives for women in crisis pregnancies, he has seen that "once women learn about hopeful alternatives, they usually choose life."
He said that the pro-life media organization helps assist pregnancy resource centers that do not have the funding to promote media that will let women know where they can find help. The group regularly uses television, radio, billboards, bus shelter ads and Internet messaging to spread its message.
Follett noted that in cities where Heroic Media's commercials have aired consistently, the abortion rates have decreased as much as 20 percent.


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Issue No. 02 - March/April (2003 vol. 15)
pp: 457-473
Jeffrey J.P. Tsai , IEEE
Stephen J.H. Yang , IEEE

Abstract—In this paper, we propose a Petri nets formalism for the verification of rule-based systems. Typical structural errors in a rule-based system are redundancy, inconsistency, incompleteness, and circularity. Since our verification is based on Petri nets and their incidence matrix, we need to transform rules into a Petri nets first, then derive an incidence matrix from the net. In order to let fuzzy rule-based systems detect above the structural errors, we are presenting a Petri-nets-based mechanism. This mechanism consists of three phases: rule normalization, rules transformation, and rule verification. Rules will be first normalized into Horn clauses, then transform the normalized rules into a high-level Petri net, and finally we verify these normalized rules. In addition, we are presenting our approach to simulate the truth conditions which still hold after a transition firing and negation in Petri nets for rule base modeling. In this paper, we refer to fuzzy rules as the rules with certainty factors, the degree of truth is computed in an algebraic form based on state equation which can be implemented in matrix computation in Petri nets. Therefore, the fuzzy reasoning problems can be transformed as the liner equation problems that can be solved in parallel. We have implemented a Petri nets tool to realize the mechanism presented fuzzy rules in this paper.

Petri nets, formalism, high-level Petri nets, fuzzy rules, certainty factors, rules reasoning, rule verification.
Chyun-Chyi Chen, Jeffrey J.P. Tsai, Stephen J.H. Yang, "Fuzzy Rule Base Systems Verification Using High-Level Petri Nets", IEEE Transactions on Knowledge & Data Engineering, vol. 15, no. , pp. 457-473, March/April 2003, doi:10.1109/TKDE.2003.1185845


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Thursday March Madness Free Pick
(The Spread) - #4 Louisville takes on #1 Michigan State in the Sweet 16 from Phoenix on Thursday at 7:45pmET.
ODDS: The Michigan State Spartans have been installed as a 5-point favorite over the Louisville Cardinals for tonight's game and the total is 125.5. The Spartans enter play with a 29-7 overall record, 5-2 in neutral games and are 16-16-1 O/U this season, while the Cards are 28-9 overall, 6-0 on a neutral floor and 14-20 UNDER.
LINE MOVEMENT: The total opened up as a 124 at most sports books and jumped to 125.5.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the wagers placed on tonight's game, 58% of college basketball public bettors currently favor Massachusetts. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most up-to-date public betting numbers.
FREE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICK: Take the UNDER 125.5 in the Michigan State/Louisville game. According to the latest college basketball trends, the Cardinals are 0-4 UNDER last 4 games following a S.U. win., 0-5 UNDER L5 NCAA Tournament games, 1-7 UNDER L8 Thursday games and 7-18-1 UNDER in Cardinals last 26 neutral site games. Michigan State is 1-5 Under last 6 vs. Big East. These are two very good defensive teams, especially Michigan State, who allows just 58.7ppg. Even though Louisville wants to run, they average just 66.5 points per game and their last four games have gone UNDER. They scored just 59 points in their win over New Mexico and 50 points in the Big East title game against Cincinnati, a team that is very physical, just like Michigan State. The Spartans want to play halfcourt and make this an ugly game.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: UNDER 125.5 Michigan State/Louisville.
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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for Youthlinc, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Youthlinc has changed our family's outlook on the world and service. Meeting Judy Zone, Youthlinc's founder, was an experienc unlike any I've ever had. Her energy and personal power aimed at assisting youth in SEEING the world and the impact they can have on it (the lives they can change and save) is breathtaking! I especially like that within Youthlinc, youth are taught that their impact is vital worldwide--both in their local communities and in other nations. And that they learn this hands on, through service. Also powerful is Youthlinc partnering those within the community with youth humanitarians in the form of funds to help with their trips. This brings power in service to everyone involved--as well as energy and awareness to the need we all have to be of worth, and the opportunity we all have to heal our world. I'm honored that this year my daughter, Ashley, is serving refugees, and abused and neglected children within her community--and then is going to Cambodia this summer!
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Our family has always served people around us. Our adoption of an American-born Cambodian baby brought us the desire to extend that reach to those outside the US. Youthlinc has given us arms and hands to do just that. Youthlinc is LIMITLESS in their vision and desire to help others.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would wish that the Youthlinc organization could extend beyond Utah, so that other states could experience the change that occurs within youth and the adults supporting them, as they become aware that their lives are POWERFUL and can change the lives of others profoundly.


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Release Date: 1999 |
Dancin' Man (5)...Killtacular (4)...Twolliebollie (5)Mathematical, dissonant, harsh and speedy; one of the most groundbreaking albums ever to b...Confessed2005 (5)Classic. Every time I hear it I love it. Maybe you should too......
Neoteric (4)...Kaden (4.5)...
Hmmm, definitely not your best BJ. Lots of work to be done, especially in the first few paragraphs.
Album Rating: 5.0I didn't really expect it to be great. I've just being trying to get back in the swing of writing seeing as Uni's back. Plus I wanted to give this a 5.
Album Rating: 4.5don't listen to Wollongong, listen to Adelaide. Good review
At least fix the first sentence
Album Rating: 5.0Love this album.
Album Rating: 5.0Oh shit. Listening to "Clip the Apex..." again, I just realized that the drums at the end of the song are playing the same rhythm as that heavy riff in "Van Damsel". I knew it sounded fimiliar.
Album Rating: 5.0The chugging towards the end of 43% Burnt is also quite similar to Sunshine The Werewolf.
Album Rating: 4.5Definitely their best album.
review comes across as fanboyish, album is great but not THAT great imo.
Album Rating: 5.0Yeah but you gave The Great Misdirect a 5 and this album is so much better.
Album Rating: 4.0lol no it's not.
Album Rating: 4.0the palace of wisdom is really not a good name for you... Miss Machine is better than this, and I think that if they refine some of the bad stuff from Ire Works, that the experimentation will work this time and Option Paralysis may turn out to be their best. Oh and in no way is this better than The Great Misdirect.
Album Rating: 4.0"Looking at DEP from a strictly technical perspective the talent of each member is undeniable, but technical prowess doesn't always mean that a band is good. For example; the latest Between the Buried And Me album showcases incredible technical skill, but it's also a pile of pretentious crap."- Correct, but condescending music is just so entertaining. Don't express your hatred for Between the Buried and Me's masterful progression since their self titled, focus more on your review, which was decent, but kind of lame and awkward at certain points.
Album Rating: 5.0inafterpointlesstriplepost
Album Rating: 4.5123 @ Insurrection.
This album is better than anything that BTBAM have done period.
Album Rating: 4.0I would disagree, in fact, I think that Dillinger have done better. Though this is clearly their most important contribution to the mathcore genre.
Album Rating: 4.0Though again, this is still an awesome record.
Album Rating: 4.5Naa, Miss Machine was great but this was just better.
Album Rating: 5.0Both are pretty different from one another.
Album Rating: 4.0true, I just think that when compared, Miss Machine is a much more engaging listen, I find myself listening to Sunshine the Werewolf and a few others more than anything on here. I think Miss Machine is simply the more interesting and diverse listen.
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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Katarzyna Augustyn
Found 6 Records, 8 Photos and 4,887 Family Trees
Born in Strozowka, Poland on 1790. Katarzyna married Adalbert Zych and had 2 children.
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Surname meaning for "Augustyn"
Polish: from the personal name Augustyn, Polish form of
Latin Augustinus (see


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For thousands of years, rings have been more than just adornment. They have been symbols of authority, symbols of promises, and even legally binding signatures. Today rings still speak volumes about you. Our oval november birthstone band rings are as eloquent as they are beautiful and always one of a kind. Choose amethyst and rose gold or citrine and sterling silver: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from an engagement or Mother's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Our amazing array of designs by talented jewelry designers like Jeet Palavwala, Just Like You Designs, Martha Gomez Gutierrez, and others means you can find oval november birthstone band rings that you can't find anywhere else. Because all Gemvara oval november birthstone band rings are made from scratch to your specifications, we can hand-select the finest quality gems and recycled precious metals to perfectly suit your design. November's birthstone is citrine, the golden gem with a lovely lemony hue. Oval-cut gemstones have excellent brilliance and appear larger than the traditional round cut. When washing your hands, don't leave any rings on the rim of a sink where they can slip down the drain! Clean oval november birthstone band rings in a bowl of water with mild dish soap: use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's exceptional heirloom-quality oval november birthstone band rings are designed to be passed down for generations, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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There are currently one-thousand-twenty climbers registered to climb Mt. McKinley, and 15 registered to climb Mt Foraker. This week the number of climbers currently on McKinley jumped to 234, up from 139 last week. 3 climbers are currently attempting Mt. Foraker.
listen to full report: [audio:http://ktna.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1DenaliReport..mp3|titles=1DenaliReport.]
So far only 16 climbers have ended their attempts on North America's highest peak, with only two making it to the summit. That's a 12 percent success rate for climbing Mt McKinley at this point in the season.
A number of parameters lead to a successful attempt at climbing Mt. McKinley, and success is a combination of good circumstances and proper preparation.
The National Park Service in March released a report on the investigation of an early-season accident in May of 2011 that led to the death of a climber. According to the report, three climbers led by a guide experienced a fall while descending from the summit of Mt. McKinley. As they made their way down from the summit around 11pm under deteriorating weather conditions and high winds, a climber fell, and pulling his four roped-in team-mates in to a slide of several hundred feet. The climbers had each experienced injuries, and, as weather conditions worsened their guide left the group to get help. The events ultimately leading to the death of climber Beat Niederer, the details of which have been highlighted by an article in the Alaska Dispatch
In the subsequent report, released in March, the investigating team made ten recommendations to Park Management to create a safer operating environment and decrease the chances of a similar situation arising in the future. The recommendations include adding a steel snow shovel, and an ice saw, and sleeping bag to the list of mandatory gear for summit attempts. The foursome had with them the gear required by the park service for summit attempts, including a nylon bivy sack, snow shovels, and radios. But the bivy sack didn't provide the warmth necessary for emergency situations, and the snow shovels were too flimsy to dig a trench in wind-hardened snow. Another recommendation the team made to the Park was to emphasize that guides remain with their clients in an emergency, in order to increase chances of survival.
When pursuing a goal such as the summit of North America's highest peak, the investigating team emphasized the responsibility to be able to make the decision to turn around short of the summit, during late hours in increasing winds. Guide David Staeheli had a 30 year history of climbing and guiding in the Alaska range, and had a solid reputation as a capable mountaineer and guide. In the aftermath of the mishap high on Denali, he is unlikely to return to the mountains he loved. One of the investigating committee's recommendations is to provide a description of this accident to each climbing guide operation on the mountain.
The hope is that in the future, even under such extreme conditions as those of May, 2011, the chances of survival could be increased.


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VIBE Premiere: UZ & CRNKN "Booty 2 The Ground" (TWRK REMIX)
TWRK is next on decks in the trap-ball-booty-bass-bounce-future-step movement. The rising producer-DJ duo has taken the collabo, "Booty 2 The Ground", from the CEO of ball trap music, UZ and trap spinner CRNKN, then added some laser beam zings that rip you at the seams (in a good way). Ladies, this song makes you want to drop down and get your eagle on, so be careful of who might be watching before you listen. Fellas, watch the ladies when TWRK's re-jerk comes on at the club… you'll see why.


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The D.C. Council approved emergency legislation Tuesday that permits overhead power lines as part of the construction of the streetcar line along H Street and Benning Road. The move came after a transparent power play by National Capital Planning Commission Chairman L. Preston Bryant Jr.
Last week, Bryant -- who lives in Richmond, Va., 100 miles away from the impacted area -- asked the Federal Transit Administration "to withhold federal funds from the District" for the streetcar system because of the overhead wires.
While such wires were banned under 1888 and 1889 laws, Greater Greater Washington's David Alpert argues that those laws applied only to the original territory of Washington City, not the entire District of Columbia, meaning Georgetown lines were already legal. The Council action Tuesday clarified that issue.
Alpert also rightly argues that Bryant is overstepping the NCPC's bounds. The commission is charged with protecting the "federal interest" in the District, which is generally thought to apply to the National Mall and major monuments. Georgetown is well outside that purview.
"Has June been proclaimed Richmond Republican Power Grab Over Washington Month and nobody told me?" Alpert asks.
The streetcar plan is sensible and popular. Downtown businesses and residents in impacted areas are generally supportive, and a streetcar system makes sense for the city's concentrated downtown. The system would reduce traffic and help ease up Metro overcrowding.
"I love Georgetown and D.C. as much as anyone, and cannot fathom how anyone's love and appreciation of D.C. and Georgetown would be diminished by overhead wires," Georgetown resident Ken Archer said in testimony before the Council. "Why do we find overhead wires more detrimental than the cars that they would take off of the streets? Why are the former so distracting and the latter somehow invisible? I just don't get it."
The H Street line and an Anacostia streetcar are scheduled to begin operation in 2012, the first two of eight proposed lines. Councilmember Tommy Wells's Chief of Staff Charles Allen said, "We're not trying to put wires on the National Mall or by Abraham Lincoln."
Wells himself said of the legislation, "Today's action brings local control and accountability to the District as it continues the development of the streetcar transportation system to better connect neighborhoods and support local economic development."
A vote on making the measure permanent will take place July 13.


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John Westlake
021. Diving By The Coral Reef - Poem by John Westlake
A small shoal of bright yellow fish
swim in and out of the red fire coral
looking out for predators
they ignore the strange black shadow above them
and swim to another coral
I watch the fish with interest
from behind my plastic dive mask
as I begin to swim deeper
the coral's change
to the colours of the rainbow
It seems like a new world
hidden beneath the surface
I feel foreign down here
as I don't understand the beauty
of my surroundings
A mantra swims past
followed by three more
their huge wings
flap slowly and gracefully
as though they were flying
As I turn to go back to the surface
to return to my ageing motor boat
a mud brown octopus
swims up to meet me
and to shake my outstretched hand
Topic(s) of this poem: nature
Poet's Notes about The Poem
Comments about 021. Diving By The Coral Reef by John Westlake
Julia Yusupova (5/14/2014 5:13:00 PM)
I like the flow of this poem and it tells a story, which is one element I really like in poetry. (Report) Reply
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Duration: 2min 42sec Views: 11 789 Submitted: 2 years ago Submitted by:
Description: Physics teacher Danny D got a little carried away with his x-ray glasses and he made a move on Hungarian exchange student Dolly Diore. Luckily for him, she was in it, and let him strip her uniform for a session of doggy style sex.
Channel: Brazzers Network
Tags: Classroom Hungarian Brunette Natural Tits Amateur Student Uniform Doggy Style Standing Knee Socks One on One Busty
Pornstars: Dolly Diore


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Tough fall decisions loom for Obama
With the daunting agenda he faces this fall, it's perhaps understandable that President Barack Obama plans to extend his summer vacation for a few more days at Camp David later this week.
When he returns, he will find an inbox filled to capacity. His push for a climate change bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate. His administration is preparing to overhaul its military strategy in Afghanistan. At the same time, the Middle East, Iran and Iraq will demand more of Obama's attention.
Story Continued Below
As for health care, his signature issue, Obama faces a difficult struggle to both regain the upper hand from Republicans newly energized by the opposition to his proposals they found over the congressional recess and to convince pundits that he still has the opportunity to get a bill passed.
Back briefly in Washington after a week on Martha's Vineyard, the president on Monday had to confront the diminishing prospects of a bipartisan deal that was signaled by the behavior of two of the three Republican senators involved in the Senate Finance Committee negotiations: Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming. And the White House, in turn, suggested that its patience might be running out.
Grassley, in a letter that became public Monday, appealed to supporters earlier this month to "help me defeat 'Obamacare.'" But it was Enzi who provoked the ire of White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in a notable departure from the administration's previous approach.
Angered by a radio address on health care delivered by Enzi over the weekend, which repeated a number of Republican arguments against the plan, Gibbs said it suggested that Enzi "doesn't believe there's a pathway to get bipartisan support, and the president thinks that's wrong. I think Sen. Enzi's clearly turned over his cards on bipartisanship and decided that it's time to walk away from the table."
An Enzi spokesman said the senator remains committed to the bipartisan talks, and a Grassley spokeswoman said the senator was referring in his letter only to the government-run insurance option embraced in the House and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions bills.
Obama himself did not publicly engage on the issue, playing a round of golf. He participated in several meetings where health care was discussed and will make calls through the week as necessary, Gibbs said. But he is otherwise expected to lie low until next week, and there was no indication of whether the White House is planning a shift in strategy when he returns.
Whether Democrats should abandon the bipartisan talks altogether is just one of the questions Obama will have to address. If he does decide to follow that course, should he attack opponents more aggressively and offer more specific ideas — maybe even a bill of his own? And will he need at some point to signal whether he is willing to settle for less than he originally hoped for?
In his briefing Monday, Gibbs gave no indication of White House thinking. Aides have said they want to let the bipartisan process play out before discussing next steps, such as passing a bill through a procedural maneuver known as reconciliation. But Gibbs's comments suggest the mid-September deadline for reaching a bipartisan bill is a mere formality at this point.
There is no shortage of opinion on how Obama should regain the upper hand. Most analysts in Washington think he has almost, but not quite, missed the chance to get a bill passed and therefore must use all the persuasive powers of the presidency to get his legislative effort back on track.
"He still has time — but not much time," said Republican strategist Mary Matalin. "Those cement shoes are starting to harden around him."
Despite his enormous communications skills, personal appeal and mastery of new media, Obama failed to win the messaging wars over the health care debate in August. And that happened even though the White House seemed to make an all-out effort to push the measure with a prime-time news conference and nationwide town halls.


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Pregnancy in itself can bring some very strange symptoms. Katie blogged about some of them early in her pregnancy and more recently here. One of the more talked about symptoms is pregnancy cravings, and that's partly because the types of cravings vary so wildly.
Some women get fairly normal symptoms, like Katie Holmes who craved cupcakes and Nicole Richie craving doughnuts. Actually, considering how tiny they both are, perhaps that wasn't so normal.
Other women have seriously bizarre symptoms. Britney Spears craved dirt, and Jools Oliver is a fan of marmite on bananas.
Intrigued to see what other cravings are about, I opened it up to our followers on Twitter.
The results were pretty interesting!
1) Ice
Both @tara_cain and @20somethingmum stated ice as their main craving, with @tara_cain specifying that it must be smashed ice. This one seems to be becoming more and more popular, and Katie Price has mentioned that she also craved this calorie free snack.
2) Shoe sniffing
I've never heart this one before. During pregnancy @LauraAWNTYM had a special place in her heart for sniffing plimsol inners. @porridgebrain also loved the smell of shoes, especially leather.
3) Vicks
@mokuska remembered an article where one woman admitted to being a fan of Vicks and used to eat it by the spoonful. That's certainly an eye waterer!
4) Fruit and Vegetables
Three of the ParentDish team, @JennyCornish, @DebCarrots and @shinykatie, have confessed to having some strange cravings. Katie and Jenny both drank lots of juice, with Jenny preferring grapefruit and Katie opting for pineapple. Debbie was a big fan of brussel sprouts and full fat coke.
5) Midnight Snacks
@paganharlot has a weakness for Weetabix, which sounds fairly normal but it's more the time she prefers to eat it. 3am!
6) Strange sandwiches
@childcareuk is a fan of crisp and Marmite sandwiches. Strange, but it sounds quit tasty to me.
7) Colour coordination
@sunhouse loves to chow down on anything red, in particular strawberries and beetroot.
8) Sweets for my sweet
@postingdates stocked up on jelly babies for his pregnant wife
9) In a pickle
@ilovemonty is eating anything pickled, and is partial to a beetroot, ham and mayo sarnie.
Have you experienced any strange cravings?