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By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three years before he lifted the U.S. military's ban on females in front-line combat, Leon Panetta grew acutely aware that women in senior positions were already risking - and losing - their lives when a would-be informant blew himself up at a CIA base in Afghanistan.
Panetta was CIA director at the time of the December 2009 attack in Khost, Afghanistan, and two women -- including one who headed the CIA base -- were among the seven Americans killed.
A senior aide cited it among the experiences that helped shaped Panetta's thinking about women in war even before he took over the Pentagon in 2011, and inherited the difficult job of writing condolence notes to the families of fallen troops - men and women.
More than 150 women have died in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and nearly 1,000 have been wounded.
"Every time I visited the war zone ... I've been impressed with the fact that everyone -- everyone, men and women alike -- everyone is committed to doing the job," Panetta told reporters on Thursday.
"They're fighting and they're dying together. And the time has come for our policies to recognize that reality."
So, with perhaps just weeks before he steps down as defense secretary and retires to private life, Panetta on Thursday was able to seal his legacy as the man who lifted the 1994 ban on women in front-line combat roles. It came after he helped finish the job of integrating openly serving gay and lesbian service members in 2011, with the elimination of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Panetta took an important step toward making more opportunities available to women last year, with an initial move to open around 14,000 additional jobs to women but leaving more than 230,000 off-limits. At the time, the aide recalled Panetta being unsatisfied, asking privately "why can't we do more?"
Panetta on Thursday credited the military's top brass for putting forward the proposal this month to lift the ban on women in front-line combat roles. An OK from the generals and admirals was crucial buy-in that would be necessary for the proposal to work. The integration will be gradual, through 2016, and it's unclear which roles may remain off-limits.
"I was very pleased when I got that recommendation, because it was a fulfillment of what we had talked about and what we wanted to achieve," Panetta said.
Aides described regular meetings over the past year with service chiefs on the issue, sometimes in the ultra-secure Pentagon briefing room known as "The Tank."
Panetta said he also regularly spoke with President Barack Obama on his efforts to provide more opportunities to women.
A senior administration official said Obama had privately encouraged Panetta to take the step but had stayed out of internal Pentagon deliberations.
Panetta also had an ally in General Martin Dempsey, the top U.S. military officer, who, as commander of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq in 2003 came to learn how the role of women in the military had changed over the years.
On his first foray out of the forward operating base, Dempsey jumped into an armored vehicle and slapped the soldier manning the turret gunner around the leg, and said, "Who are you?"
"And she leaned down and said, 'I'm Amanda,'" Dempsey recalled. "So, female turret-gunner protecting (me, the) division commander. And it's from that point on that I realized something had changed, and it was time to do something about it."
Panetta described a similar experience when he came face-to-face with a military that had changed tremendously in the near half-century since he joined the Army as an intelligence officer in 1964.
"It's been almost 50 years since I served in the military and to go out now and to see women performing the roles that they are performing and doing a great job at it, I think it ... encouraged me," Panetta told reporters.
He noted that he had six grandchildren, half of them women and the other half men.
"I want each of them to have the same chance to succeed at whatever they want to do," he said.
"In life, as we all know, there are no guarantees of success. Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier. But everyone is entitled to a chance."
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland and David Alexander; Editing by Warren Strobel and Doina Chiacu)


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Tisch Children's Zoo - Central Park Zoo
Last updated over 5 years ago
A walk-through wildlife adventure awaits young explorers. This compact nature trail features a barnyard full of friendly sheep and alpacas, a meandering duck pond, and plenty of places for little hands and feet to hop, scuttle, and climb!
Visit the Tisch Children's Zoo Website
Visit the Central Park Zoo Website
Explore other Central Park Zoo Collections on EOL

subset: commoncrawl


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Experienced 27 years in photography field
Took photos and provide reviews for several camera in photography magazines for 25 year
Currently work as editor in chief of FOTOINFO magazine – 7th years old famous camera and photography magazine in Thailand
Since it was firstly launched, I have chance to use "Fuji Finepix X100" several times. I was impressed by its design and output quality which not only provides DSLR's photo quality but also vivid and clearer picture
Recently, I have used an updated firmware version of Fuji Finepix X100 to take pictures in Bangkok. The camera offered fun experience during taking snapshot. It also gave high quality picture even though ISO 800-1600 was used. Moreover, its compact design and silence shutter mechanism would not interfered people during shooting.


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Sometimes it's the simple, everyday things, done exquisitely well, that are the most impressive. Take meatballs, for instance.
Not just any meatballs. I'm talking about the meatballs at Saucy, the down-home Italian restaurant you've been looking for.
It's right in the middle of downtown Ukiah. There, executive chef Mitch Mount makes what he calls Nana's Meatballs ($8 ****). If only Nana made them this good.
Three meatballs, each the size of a lemon, are made with a mixture of ground beef and pork. Most meatballs, especially ones that combine two or more meats, are dense and even rubbery from being overworked, so the fine structure of the fresh-ground meats is lost. Not these beauties. They are tender, light, almost airy, and juicy with the meat's own juices.
Better yet, they are drowned in chef Mount's house-made marinara sauce, a sauce so rich and tomato-y that I would have bet it was made by someone's Italian grandmother who started her pot bubbling at 5 o'clock in the morning so the sauce could be ready by 9 o'clock in the evening.
Saucy also gives you some attitude with your food and drink. The few Spartan tables in the main room have a total of just 14 hard metal chairs, with seven more metal stools at the counter, more seats up a flight of steps, and a few seats outside. Be a little pushy; I waited quietly for 20 minutes before being asked if I wanted water or anything else to drink.
There are 15 beers and ales on tap, ranging from light brews like Trumer Pils to black and heavy Old Rasputin Stout. Pints are $4.75, but cost a buck less during happy hours from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Forrest Tancer and James Wasson are the wine program directors, or as owner Cynthia Ariosta calls them, "the resident wine geeks." Tancer and Wasson know what's delicious and well-priced, offering six wines on tap, seven by the glass, and 17 by the bottle, including the beautiful 2009 Baxter Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley for $45, the most expensive bottle on the list and worth it. Corkage is $10 for Mendocino and Lake county bottles, $12 for everything else. The non-alcoholic beverages are first rate, too, with labels like Fentiman's, Organic Wild Poppy Juice, and Bundaberg among them.
Saucy lives up to its name with the titles of some of its menu items, like Drunk-Ass Clams ($14 ****). Sweet, tender little Manila clams are steamed in Widmer Hefeweizen beer to make a broth that's enriched with smashed fresh garlic, butter and fresh herbs. Prawns have now supplanted the clams until fall, but when the clams get back on the menu, catch them if you can, they're that good.
Bangin' Minestrone ($8 ***) is a soupy mix-up of cannellini beans, bits of aged pork jowl called guanciale, fennel, tomato, kale and conchiglie pasta. All the ingredients are very fresh and carefully cooked to retain their identities, unlike the amorphous brown soup that often passes as minestrone at inferior Italian restaurants.
Since it's high summer, the arugula in the Oven Roasted Beet Salad ($8 **?) has grown herbaceous and peppery. But that spoils nothing in this easy salad of red and yellow roast beets, pistachios and goat cheese with a hint of pennyroyal, dressed in a vinaigrette made with oven-roasted shallots.


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At tonight's presidential debate on foreign policy, we can expect questions related to the civil war in Syria, the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, and the broader war on terrorism, including the September 11 Benghazi attack. But I hope that debate moderator Bob Schieffer also asks President Obama and Governor Romney about another warthe one that is currently raging in Mexico and Central America.
This war isn't between nations. There are no "insurgents," and no ideologically motivated guerrillas trying to gain formal political power. Instead, it is a war driven by violent criminal organizations fighting to maintain or expand their control of illegal enterprises, most notably the drug trade.
In Mexico, tens of thousands of people have died since President Felipe Calderón began cracking down on the drug cartels in December 2006. There is some evidence that the violence may be starting to decline:
Addressing the National Public Security Council on August 2, President Calderón reported that murders linked to organized crime fell by almost 15 percent in the first six months of 2012 compared with the first half of 2011. During that same period, the total number of killings in Ciudad Juárez, once the "murder capital of the world," dropped by nearly 60 percent (again, compared with the first half of 2011).
Yet the gang warfare is still rampant, and rivalries within the most notoriously violent cartel, Los Zetas, could produce a new series of massacres. The Zetas "are splitting," Mexican security expert Javier Oliva toldReuters last month, adding that "every time [Mexican security forces] capture a major crime boss, his organization fragments, so the violence increases, and this atomization makes the government's fight harder."
Oliva made those remarks shortly after Mexican marines captured a senior Zetas commander named Iván Velázquez. Less than two weeks later, the marines killed the Zetas' supreme leader, Heriberto Lazcano. Overall, Mexico has now killed or captured 25 of the 37 most-wanted drug kingpins that Calderón identified in March 2009. "Despite it all," laments the Economist, "the murder rate is nearly twice as high as it was when Mr. Calderón took office six years ago." Indeed, even with two-thirds of the most-wanted narco bosses now dead or behind bars, drug violence remains a terrible problem.
The United States has an obvious national-security interest in preventing murders and gang-related warfare along the U.S.-Mexican border, and it has an obvious moral interest in reducing violence throughout Mexico. But what many Americans may not appreciate is that their country also has an increasingly large economic interest in Mexican prosperity.
Not only is Mexico the third-biggest U.S. trading partner, it is also the second-biggest importer of U.S. goods. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, Mexico imported $197.5 billion worth of American goods last year. This represented a 20.8 percent increase from 2010, a 76.8 percent increased from 2000, and a 375 percent increased from 1993, when NAFTA was signed into law. Only Canada imports more U.S. goods than Mexico, which in 2011 imported more than China and Japan combined. For that matter, Mexico also imported more American goods than the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and Brazil combined.
"Mexico is rapidly becoming as important to the U.S. economy as China," writes Financial Times columnist Edward Luce. Indeed, "Mexico is now vying with China as the manufacturing hub of choice for U.S. and other multinational companiesit is as economically integrated with the U.S. as any two members of the eurozone are to each other."
Given how much bilateral trade and investment has grown in spite of all the drug violence, imagine how much faster it would grow if that violence were permanently reduced. (The Mexican finance ministry believes that organized crime trims roughly 1 percentage point from Mexico's annual GDP growth.)
If we have reason to be cautiously optimistic about Mexico, the same cannot be said about Central America's "northern triangle," which spans El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Mexican cartels, including the Zetas, have moved into these countries and fueled a disastrous rise in drug-related murders. Honduras now has the highest homicide rate in the world, and El Salvador was close behind until its two largest street gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18, declared a truce earlier this year. (On October 11, the U.S. Treasury Department labeled MS-13 a "transnational criminal organization.") Back in May, conservative Guatemalan president Otto Pérez Molina, a former general, told the New York Times that, "if there are no innovations, if we don't see something truly different than what we have been doing, then this war is on the road to defeat."
The Central American drug violence has received much less attention from U.S. media outlets than the bloodshed in Mexico. For example: How many Americans realize that the U.S. military recently set up three forward bases in Honduras? How many realize that 200 U.S. Marines were deployed to Guatemala this past August? At the time of their deployment, Marine Staff Sgt. Earnest Barnes told the Associated Press, "This is the first Marine deployment that directly supports countering transnational crime in this area, and it's certainly the largest footprint we've had in that area in quite some time."
It has been estimated that the Zetas control perhaps 80 percent of the territory in Guatemala's northernmost state of Petén. They also have a major presence in the neighboring Guatemalan states of Alta Verapaz and Izabal. Along with other criminal organizations, the Zetas have benefited from Guatemala's weak legal institutions and corrupt police forces. "According to official figures," notes Human Rights Watch, "there was 95 percent impunity for homicides in 2010."
Writing in Americas Quarterly, Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue argues that the United States should address the security breakdown in Central America by applying the lessons of Plan Colombia, the aid program launched under President Clinton. "Central America is sliding into ungovernability, just as Colombia was in 2000, and Washington has a similarly high stake in preventing that catastrophe," Shifter explains. Moreover, "Governments in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are all keenly seeking broader and more sustained levels of cooperation with the U.S.a fortuitous alignment of interests not seen for many years in the region."
Would President Obama or Governor Romney support something like Plan Colombia for Central America? Would they favor expanding or revamping President Bush's Mérida Initiative for Mexico? Do they consider Mexican and Central American drug violence an urgent national-security concern?
It would be nice if Bob Schieffer asked them.


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Sand Bag Availability for Acadiana [Updated]
Sandbags will be available at the following locations:
1. Acadia Parish
Church Point
Sandbags will be available for pickup at the city barn at 125 S. Guidry Street on Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. Residents will be required to bag their own bags. Residents will be limited to 15 bags per household.
2. Iberia Parish
Sandbags will be available in Iberia Parish today from noon until 6:00 p.m. at the following location:
- 907 Fulton Street
For ease of access and to aid in traffic flow, the City asks that residents approach the facility from the North Street side. The City will be providing updates throughout the day on their website at www.cityofnewiberia.com.
Additional sandbag locations have been announced by the Parish and municipalities until further notice:
- Delcambre Public Works Department
- Jeanerette Public Works Department
- Iberia Parish Fire Stations: Rynella, Coteau, BOM, Loreauville, Lydia, Grand Marais.
- Iberia Parish Public Works Avery Island Road Facility will bag sand for elderly and handicapped residents only.
3. Lafayette Parish
City of Lafayette
Lafayette Consolidated Government is activating four sandbag sites today. The sites will open by noon at the following locations:
· LCG North District Barn – 130 Shantel Road (old landfill)
· LCG South District Barn – 1017 Fortune Road
· George Dupuis Center (Brown Park) – 1212 E. Pont Des Mouton Road
· Robichaux Center (Neyland Park) – 1919 Eraste Landry Road
Sand and shovels will be provided a these locations and residents will be required to fill their own bags (self-service). Lafayette Consolidated Government will provide the bags.
Sandbags will be available at the following locations:
- Railroad St. in front of City Hall
- Polk St. behind City Hall
- Deer Meadow Blvd off of Fairfield St.
Sandbags will be available for residents of the city of Youngsville at the following locations:
- Bag-Your-own at the city Police Station 304 Fourth Street
- Bag-Your-own the Public Works Building 310 Railroad Avenue
- Bag-Your-Own at the Horse Arena across from Farmer's Bank - 412 Iberia Street (a.k.a. Hwy 92).
- The fourth site is at the Youngsville sewer plant 416 Railroad Avenue. This site is reserved for elderly and individuals requiring assistance. There is assistance available until 4:00 PM to help load pre bagged sand into vehicles.
Residents will be asked to bag their own bags and will be limited to 15 bags per household.
4. St. landry parish
Sandbags will be available behind City Hall, 107 Rue De Jausiers Avenue. Bags will be available all day until supplies run out. 6 bags per household.
Sandbags will be made available at City Barn, 750 Bobcat Dr. Tuesday from 10am – 6pm
Sandbags will be made available at the Leonville Sewer Plant, 2992 Oscar Rivette Rd., Arnaudville on Tuesday, from 7am and as long as weather is permitting. *For in-town residents only.
Sandbags will be made available to Opelousas Residents on Tuesday from 7:30am – 3:30pm. 15 sandbags per residential dwelling. City Street Department, 1045 S. Railroad St. (337) 948-2550. Sandbags will also be distributed at the Opelousas Police Department, 318 N. Court St.
Port Barre
Sandbags will be distributed at the Fruit of the Loom Building, 17879 Hwy 190 beginning Tuesday morning at 8am. This will be a self-fill station. It will operate from 8am – 4pm until further notice.
5. St. Martin Parish
Sand bags will be made available for today for residents of St. Martin Parish starting at 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Upper St. Martin Prish
- Ruth Bridge Barn (Ruth Bridge)
- North Barn (located on North Barn Road)
- South Barn-(located on Capritto Forty Arpent Rd)
Lower St. Martin
- Doiron's Landing
Residents are reminded that they will have to fill the sandbags themselves and are encouraged to bring a shovel to assist them in the process.
6. St. Mary Parish
Sandbags will be available at the Baldwin City Hall in the back of the building, in between the fire station and city hall. This service is only available for residents of Baldwin.
Sandbags will be available at the City Complex on Iberia Street in Franklin.
Morgan City
Sandbags will be available under the bridge on David Drive. No personnel will be on hand; be prepared to bag your own.
Sandbags are available for the city of Patterson at the Taft Street sewer plant. Residents South of the railroad tracks are encouraged to use this service.
7. Vermilion Parish
Sandbags are available at all area parish barns and public works facilities in Vermilion Parish. Residents are reminded that they will have to fill the sandbags themselves and are encouraged to bring a shovel.
Maurice city officials are providing sand and bags at city hall. Residents must fill their own sandbags and they must provide their own shovels.


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A really disturbing question popped into my head recently and I've really been struggling to find a satisfactory answer.
Given the sober outlook for many of the poorer, lower lying areas of the city over the medium term (10-15 years) in regard to societal basics (economic opportunity, education, housing, health, safety) and fundamental life sustainability (flood protection, subsidence, rising seas), at what point to rational organizations working in the public interest determine that it is more in the interest of disadvantaged New Orleanians to work on subsidizing rescue relocation instead of rebuilding?
Everything I've tried to do in New Orleans from a political standpoint has been predicated on my unwavering belief that it was humanity's moral imperative to rebuild this city while wholly recreating the conservative state institutions and instruments that systemically perpetuate for generational poverty, structural racism, and their associated societal ills.
It was also predicated on my belief that this region is uniquely positioned to capitalize on macro trends that will undoubtedly create economic opportunity around different aspects of the sustainability movement.
But so much and so little has changed.
On the national level, the economic crisis has pushed the obligation to New Orleans further and further away from priority status. Additional infusions of federal capital to the Gulf seem increasingly unlikely given the ideological opposition to federal spending by 90% of our Congressional delegations. The realization of the right of return seems like a pipe dream given the confluence of these and other national and international factors.
On the local level, political discourse in general terms remains largely monopolized by supremacist robber barons and short-sighted machine widgets. The public has little faith in municipal institutions nor is there enough working trust between citizens of different backgrounds to appreciably alter those institutions in the short term. On this front, I have sensed some hard-fought incremental progress.
In other cities, or if this city hadn't experienced such devastating trauma, the incremental change that has occurred over the last 2-3 years would seem monumental.
But the time window New Orleans has in which to make fundamental, perhaps radical change is much much smaller than anywhere else's. We live in a state of political emergency. It may not be right that we should have to prove our right to exist given absolute federal culpability in the disaster that has brought us to this point but unfortunately that's the situation we find ourselves in, isn't it? Especially now after recovery resources have been squandered, stalled, or have otherwise failed to substantially put this city on the road toward short, medium, or long term recovery. Especially now after the national economy has created emergency situations throughout the sunbelt. Especially now as the region's political clout has waned.
I'm sorry that this post is so depressing, especially on such a beautiful sunny day just hours before the Krewe of Muses rolls down St. Charles Avenue. And certainly the morose outlook here is somewhat colored by my personal frustration as a young man searching for stable, fulfilling employment in this time of economic contraction. But I don't think I'm exactly going overboard here.
The fact is that the preconditions for a robust and equitable recovery still remain. But time is running short. Really, really short. Joseph Cao short.
There will be a new Mayor elected one year from now. It's the last best chance to save this city. We have until then to reach out, educate, and organize. The events of this week - the Mayor's politicking and Council's pandering - demonstrate very clearly the uphill climb that remains before honest conversation and evaluation of the city's health can occur in the public domain.
It's too early to pick a Mayoral candidate, but I'm looking for someone that can articulate an optimistic vision for how to maximize the region's advantages without sugarcoating the extremely dire forecast that New Orleans faces if we make no change or only small change.
There's something romantic and courageous about the sinking ship imagery and the unwavering commitment that people have to go down with it, so to speak. But I worry about the people that don't really get a choice in the matter. And I worry about my own transformation from energetic wide-eyed young man to perpetually exhausted and disillusioned curmudgeon.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A really disturbing question popped into my head recently and I've really been struggling to find a satisfactory answer.
30 comments:
- Leigh C. said...
Well, it is all pretty depressing. These ain't exactly the most happy times all around. And the kind of stuff you're describing can whack you on the head at any time, even during Mardi Gras. These are the times when one must hold on to whatever it is that'll get you through. It isn't the same thing for everybody. Just don't let what pulls you through also drag you down - THAT'S the real trick.
Give yourself a break and have a happy Mardi Gras. Drop by my place for flapjacks on Mardi Gras day, if you need.
- February 19, 2009 at 2:49 PM
- E said...
We've all earned Mardi Gras this year.
- February 19, 2009 at 2:52 PM
- jeffrey said...
And I worry about my own transformation from energetic wide-eyed young man to perpetually exhausted and disillusioned curmudgeon.
Yeah I worry about that too. But guess what, Grasshopper, you can't have that job because I'm already doing it. And I'm doing it, not only because somebody's gotta, but also so people like you don't have to.
I think you've got as good a bead as anyone on this city and its various dysfunctions. As someone who grew up internalizing the dynamic, so to speak, I've learned to take (probably a bit too much) comfort in the absurd. But a lot of that went out the window in 2005. It's a lot less funny when your and your neighbors' entire right to exist is at stake, I guess.
Anyway the point is, you keep pushing and leave the disillusioned curmudgeoning to the pros.
And get out and have a good Mardi Gras in the meantime.
- February 19, 2009 at 3:51 PM
- Puddinhead said...
Jeebus, college is a dangerous thing......
- February 19, 2009 at 9:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
Did any one notice? This is now overwhelmingly a black city --60% of the vote on major elections. Black people are coming to take their city back on 2-6-10. So make an adjustument. The white community's clumsy and overt attempts to seize power in the aftermath of Katrina have ruined the chance of getting the "best mayor" regardless of race. Those are the wages of sin, and the wages of all of those who supported the "good government reforms" that blacks reasonably interpreteted as a power grab.
So let's choose the best black candidate, prove we are willing to work for him/her despite all the rest of the white folks piling on arnie or couhig, and that will put us in a place of influence far beyond the futile dreams of the white redeemers.
- February 19, 2009 at 11:47 PM
- E said...
Who do you like for Mayor?
- February 19, 2009 at 11:58 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm not sure about the mayoral candidate at this point. But the larger question is why place your faith in social justice in a single elected candidate?
Government is at the end of the social change process; it's a reflection of changes at the base. If you are commited to social justice, then you make a lifetime commitment to changing the way people think, behave, and interact as individuals and groups. Obama is not at accident: it took decades of grassroots education and action to convert white bigots into Obama voters. In all those decades it was hard to discern change.
If you live in the Deep South, I think you have to have a different concept of "progressivism." Real advances will probably take place is regions of the country that don't have the legacy of racism that obstruct progress--like the technology triangle or Austin--all pretty priveleged and boring. We were the last state to complete the I-10 system because we did not want federal dollars. White racism destroyed New Orleans because whites fled the city rather than have their children in schools with blacks.
So to do social justice and progressive work in New Orleans is to do anti-racist work. As the poet once said, "Sometimes not to go backwards is to progress." Before Katrina we were making great progress--we had thousands involved in inter-racial dialogues and the city had several white elected officials in a black majority city. Look at CBNO-MAC--they used to have a hundred people at every training. We had hundreds participate in a city-wide interracial dialogue around change.
The white power grab after Katrina set us back 30years in the trust department. This is not a utopian's paradise with respect to technology and new economic forms; but if you moved to Israel, what would be your focus? I would assume ending the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. That's the condition of progress. During the Oslo accords, Jews and Arabs were planning joint beach resorts in Gaza! There is no progress without reconciliation, and no reconciliation without justice.
So I don't place much faith in the mayor or any one savior--I just know that the black community is desparate to find allies in the white community--they want to beleive people understand their grievances and those are the people they will begin to listen to on a myriad of of other options.
Besides, who says changing government and economic structures is the moral imperative when we are faced with social injustices carried out by people, not institutions. The notion of Katrina as an "opportunity" which has attracted so many of our new self-appointed saviors is obscene when you think of the travesty of justice it was to blacks. We became a sandbox for social engineers who could care less about injustice. E, if you had moved here in 1962, you would have been about ending segregation, not making city government more efficient. And there is great moral satisfaction in righting a wrong. So I suggest you rethink what your social change process is and then decide how you can put your considerable intelligence and talents to the service of the downtrodden.
Mardi Gras is historically a suspension of traditional hiearchical social roles to provide the underclasses an oppotunity to blow off steam. That says a lot about New Orleans--what kind of society we have been. This is perhaps the most difficult city in America to change, but it also the easiest to fall in love with. That's a paradox I am willing to accept.
Now, I agree with the others. Take a few days and let carnival do its magic.
- February 20, 2009 at 8:17 AM
- Clifton said...
I agree with this anonymous person and would like to buy him or her a beer.
This is my shortest comment on this blog ever.
- February 20, 2009 at 9:12 AM
- Anonymous said...
This city would be so much further along if white people just knew thier place.
- February 20, 2009 at 11:38 AM
- Clifton said...
I don't know if white people need to know their place. I think they just need to understand the history of this city and why they think like they do. They have legitimate reasons not to trust people. If you frame your agenda with those feelings in mind then you have a chance.
If things get personal and out of hand it strikes up emotions and they retreat back to the mind state that everyone is plotting against them.
- February 20, 2009 at 12:19 PM
- ethan said...
A few questions and notes for Anon
Our current Mayor put together a coalition of racist, anti-Landrieu whites and uptown--white--free marketeers/disaster capitalists in order to get re-elected. The likes of Rob Couhig endorsed Nagin, remember?
So if there was a "white power grab" in New Orleans post-K--and I'm still not exactly sure what you mean by this--our African American mayor has certainly played a huge role in that.
Also: tell me, Anon, what policies has Nagin--or any of the African American City Council members for that matter--pursued that have benefited African Americans in New Orleans? Crime? A total disaster with an almost genocidal result on the streets: hundreds of African-Americans slain since Katrina. And let's not forget by the way that Nagin said that if you're not a young African American male in New Orleans you have nothing to worry about crime-wise. I'd call that a policy that deems African American men to be disposable. What do you think?
And what about the demolishing of the housing projects which Nagin has so zealously pursued? And, more generally, the lack of affordable housing which has kept thousands of middle class and working poor African-Americans from returning to New Orleans post-k?
Finally, it's so interesting that race is so constantly invoked in debates over transparency etc when the folks who show up to support Nagin in these hearings are nearly always beneficiaries of city contracts. If ordinary citizens of New Orleans--African American and otherwise--felt that Nagin's policies were benefitting them why wouldn't they show up at these hearings to offer their support? It's worth noting that opinion on Nagin isn't divided by race--in fact, it's not divided at all. Nagin is overwhelmingly disliked by citizens of all races in New Orleans; indeed, he has dismal approval ratings, probably in the low 30s.
Finally: you instruct E that "if you had moved here in 1962, you would have been about ending segregation, not making city government more efficient." Really? I think that advocating for changes in policy in a number of areas--from affordable housing to transparency--is exactly the sort of thing that the civil rights movement was and should be all about. Remember MLK striking with the Memphis sanitation workers in '68?
- February 20, 2009 at 2:02 PM
- Clifton said...
You are right in theory but when the issues progressed from being personally unsatisfied with Nagin to the point where every minority business he gave a contract to was considered on the take and part of a conspiracy it made him a sympathetic figure.
Black people in this city were willing to show their displeasure with elected officials. William Jefferson and Cynthia Willard-Lewis loses was proof of that. If someone would have stepped in and offered new solutions and approaches to things the situation would have been better. Instead, we got into this cycle where every business doing work for the city was scrutinized. That made it personal and it closed down the avenues for real discussion.
I made the comment on this blog that the look of the sanitation story did not go over well. Trying to move this transparency issue to the forefront now was a bad idea and it did give the appearance of a power grab. There is no way the three black members of that council could have voted for that veto in this climate without committing political suicide.
- February 20, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- ethan said...
Thanks for the thoughtful response Cliff. Re-reading my post I should have more strongly emphasized that
bringing about change in policy--housing, crime, etc--is far far more important than supporting hazy, hard-to-define notions of 'reconciliation.' To cite MLK again, his genius was that he brought about seismic POLICY changes,ie, the Civil Rights Act of '64. And I think America failed so greatly post-MLK because we did not implement better policy when it came to issues like economic equality, the criminal justice system etc. Hence we have a society marked by staggeringly high incarceration rates and huge levels of income inequality...
- February 20, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- Clifton said...
I wanted to tell you not to be depressed for long. Your intentions are good and solid. If not I wouldn't have made you an honorary Lower Nine soldier. I only did that for you and Brad Pitt. The foundation for this city's problems goes back so far and we don't put it in perspective enough. My dad and his friends are still pissed that Lincoln Beach closed and that Claiborne Avenue was destroyed to build the I-10. A few elections and some rules changes isn't going to heal all of that overnight. Just keep that in mind to help you keep some perspective about what you are dealing with. If everyone who legitimately wants to see real change keeps chipping away it can happen. Heck, look at me. I lost a grandparent, my dog, my jeep, all my possessions and my entire family got relocated because of the storm and I am still engaged.
I could hate everybody and turn into a vigilante sniper but I don't want my cousin having to press my kids' picture up against the glass at the visitor booths in prison so I take my energy and use it in your comments section (even though I have to put the word verification in ten times before the comments post)to add a different perspective. It's my way of contributing and not adding to the crime rate. I am still waiting for Brian Denzer at Citizen Crime Watch to recognize my anti sniper agenda.
- February 20, 2009 at 3:06 PM
- Anonymous said...
Ray Nagin ran as the white man's candidate in 2002. The majority of blacks voted against him. He "jumped the white ship" after Katrina when he rejected his own BNOBC plan to demolish most of the black community. The "greenspacers" shifted their support to Ron Forman, the great white hope in a city they thought would be overwhelmingly white. In March of 2006 , Al Sharpton, Marc Morial, and Jesse Jackson threw their support behind Nagin on the condition that he would not let whites raize the black community. Nagin won the election in 2006 by winning over 90% of the black vote--a huge shift from his loss of the black vote in 2002.
It's a myth that anti-Landrieu whites "elected" Nagin--Ray has done nothing but reject their Business Council BGR/PAR plans ever since then.
Was Ray a good deal for blacks? Let the readers answer this: had the BNOBC/ Boise Bollinger/Joe Cannizaro folks had their way with candidate Ron Forman, would there be a 9th ward, Gentilly, Broadmoor, or New Orleans East today? The BNOBC plan (still on the city's site) called for demolition plans to be in place by May of 2006 and allocated billions llion for demolition and buyouts. Nagin's a terrible mayor, but the truth is that he saved the black community from oblivion.
How do we get rid of the Nagin's of the world? Let's stop making blacks think we are out to take over the city and we'll find them back at the table to rebuild the city the way it should have been planned: for everyone, rich or poor.
- February 20, 2009 at 3:33 PM
- ethan said...
I wasn't arguing that anti-Landrieu whites elected Nagin. They were simply part of his coalition. That's an undeniable fact, confirmed to me both by Nagin himself when I interviewed him for Details Magazine last fall as well as his pollster Silas Lee.
But I wholeheartedly agree that the whites in the city who declared that New Orleans would be a richer, whiter city post K absolutely paved the way for the Ray Nagins of the world. Indeed, during his re-election campaign Nagin was able to tap into the well of very legitimate anger among African Americans in this city about racist rhetoric from whites...
Ultimately, however, I think New Orleans is a lot less polarized than Ray Nagin or the NOLA.com commenters would like us to believe.
And I think we'd all do well to bring a laser-like focus to the issues that truly matter--affordable housing, crime, transparency in city contracts--and spurn distractions that simply get the city, particularly its most vulnerable citizens, nowhere.
- February 20, 2009 at 4:05 PM
- Brian D said...
What's the anti-sniper agenda?
- February 20, 2009 at 5:18 PM
- publiucious said...
Ray Nagin was the man who created the BNOB and placed all the people mentioned on its executive board. And the mistake they made is the same one Nagin made later--refusing to engage a larger public, refusing to see the benefits (for the city and themselves) of citizen empowerment. The idea that an efficacious government would not be good for blacks and whites alike is a crock. But such a government will only come into existence and be sustainable if citizens are engaged and active. Is this so hard to grasp? Or do you need to keep simplifying even fairly recent history?
-- Ray M
- February 20, 2009 at 5:50 PM
- Clifton said...
It was a badly executed joke Brian..
- February 20, 2009 at 6:07 PM
- Karen said...
I was thinking the other day that the idea that we are a polarized City is a nicely laid foundation and a way to create distractions.
I believe we are watching a classic power struggle and shift and I think there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the issue.
The point made by publiucious is an important one.
An important part of what shapes and creates a City is the way the citizens are involved in the City itself, including Government.
We are a City that has a great history of involvement in ritual and celebration but in the civic arena not as much. Now we do and both City Council and the Mayor have not figured out any substantive tools to deal with it.
Joe Cannizaro and his ignorance and stupidity created the rage, frustration and anger we see today. And Joe was a man made creature made by our MAyor himself.
And Joe lives in Metairie so what does that tell you?
- February 21, 2009 at 10:51 AM
- Anonymous said...
Let's not put this all on Cannizaro. That's the new Times-Picayune revision of history, i.e. "it was just a few bad apples."
The truth is that majority of white people in New Orleans--liberals, hipsters etc. supported the greenspace plan or were silent on it, which is just as bad. Go back and read the Times-Picayune from early January of 2006 and you'll even see the support of predominantly white religious coalitions.
The only poll taken by the LRA in the spring of 2006 confirmed that 80% whites did not think it was important for the city to return to it previous racial composition--and 80% of blacks thought it was. Now that blacks are back and mad--and also now the electoral majority--whites want to pretend they are the voice of good goverment, when in truth, they were part of the movement to usurp black rights.
It's easy to blame this on a few white rich moguls because we don't have to engage them. But if the problem is all the neighborhood association groups that we work with--or all the "good government" and "anti-crime" folks who are single-mindedly obsessed with Nagin, then it means we are going to have to speak out against the very people we are allied with. It is the reluctance to engage racism with other whites that has led to the travesty of liberal whites working hand-in-hand with housing segregationists in St. Bernard.
We have a problem with racism in New Orleans and it is fundamentally a white problem. It's practitioners are convinced they don't have a racist bone in their body (google for "aversive racism" for a study of these "egalitarian racists") Those who try to make New Orleans racial polarization a "pox on both houses" are simply dodging their moral obligation to deal with their own people's racism first.
This is what our "community involvement" should be. First we need to put our own house in order--like publicly repudiating the Stacy Heads of the world--and then we will have a right to tell other people what is moral and right. Otherwise blacks have no reason to trust us.
- February 21, 2009 at 9:03 PM
- Karen said...
Anonymous..maybe you can find the moral conviction to sign your comments and thus elevate the discourse.
Obviously the problem is greater than Joe Cannizaro the problem is also with people who choose to call people out for their "wrong" opinions yet won't sign their name to the condemnation.
- February 21, 2009 at 10:14 PM
- E said...
I actually don't mind anonymous comments so long as they contribute to a discussion. Our anonymous friend here has had an extremely consistent position on the issues and I thing it is helpful to consider the challenges layered within those comments.
I will say that anon's answer to my question about mayoral preference was extremely articulate and totally awesome.
But it ignored the premise I put forth in the post that I made.
The shorter of that is that we don't have time in New Orleans for a massive generational effort toward racial reconciliation and inward-looking white reflection on the various moral hazards of privileged. In an ideal world, this city would have virtual assurance of a medium term existence. In that case, it would be feasible to invest in a grassroots organizing campaign outside the political spectrum.
But what I said, in such a depressing tone, was that this city doesn't really have the time to take it's time.
I believe that only a political campaign tied to progressive rebuilding policies and a field-centered operation is the only means with which we have to create any kind of positive change in this community in the short-term/medium-term. This, in my opinion, is what we must focus on, given reasonable dire projections for where we might find ourselves as a city in ten years.
On the national level, there just simply wasn't a robust enough left for Obama to have been elected President. It was his personality and his campaign philosophy that physically organized a winning coalition for change. I think that we need to try to replicate that kind of mainstream community organizing here in New Orleans if we have any hope of making this city a more equitable and just place. I think it's the only way we have to create space within the mainstream discourse of this city to have honest discussions about privilege and race like we have on some of these here blogs.
- February 22, 2009 at 2:28 PM
- E said...
I apologize for all the typeos in that comment. Went too fast.
- February 22, 2009 at 2:29 PM
- Musa said...
First, it's important to note that the U.S. economy is going to get a lot worse (maybe even a prolonged depression) before things get better. In light of this, New Orleans has a better chance of surviving than other American cities (no one will "thrive" in this period). One thing that may harm our chance of survival is racism, prejudice and racial mistrust. Some of the commenters put too much emphasis on the Mayor and the "government". Surely by now, we must see how government at every level has failed us, while individual people, friends, neighbors, and even "outsiders" have been key to whatever recovery has occurred to date (as well as efforts to keep the government from destroying our city). As Ashley said, Sinn Fein: ourselves alone.
I have as many White friends in N.O. as Black. I have, however, had to let a few of my White friends go after Katrina because of their insensitivity and down right racism around the issues of right to return, public/affordable housing and putting "green space" on top of Black people's houses. I agree with Anon on the race issues as well as his/her other comments. Karen, while I understand your point about Anon's unwillingness to sign, but that does not invalidate his/her positions.
After seeing the racial divide growing in 2006, I tried unsuccessfully to start a dialog with my White friends (as well as some other Whites I thought would be interested) around a book by Robert Jenson "The Heart of Whiteness". NPR did an interview with Jenson in July 2006. His premise is that White racism will never cease until Whites come to grips with their hidden racism and prejudices. His book is aimed at liberals and other well meaning Whites. Check it out. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5539692
- February 22, 2009 at 7:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love posting on Lundi Gras.
This is the only blog I read or post to. So if you don't like anonymous posts, maybe I'll stop. Let's take a vote?
Yes, I know, E encourages anonymous posts, yet once we get a discussion going someone invevitably equates anonymous posts with moral cowardice (always those who disagree with my ideas). That criticism does not bother me: I've lived here since Katrina and I know moral cowardice when I see it, so I'm ready to acknowledge it in myself.
But I will invoke the tradition of anonymous political writers--Samuel Johnson, Swift, and even Isaac Newton, whose occcupation made it difficult to express all their opinions without fear of recriminations. Either my ideas are valid or not--and attaching a name makes them no more less valid or morally correct--just as those opinions posted here with names are not necessarily correct or moral. I have to worry abour repercussions at my job and I enjoy the freedom of this discussion.
Having said that, back to E's question. If we rush things we make a bigger mess of things. Rebuilding means more than buildings, schools, and new systems. Rebuilding in the aftermath of a profound "breach of trust" requires that we rebuild relationships. That does take time and you can't rush it or very reasonable ideas like transparency become a symbol of intergroup distrust. That's the dilemma of a racially polarized society: every issue assumes the dimensions of a symbolic contest of power or an expression of trust.
It's a bit like trying to mend a bad marriage, where trust issues are paramount, by having the couple build a new house rather than acknowledge the issues that divide them.
Why do we think 300,000 people can do overnight what takes two people years to accomplish?
The whole BNOBC plan was based on the argument that time did not allow for a democratic process. The schools were taken over on the same argument. As Dr. Phil says, "How's that working for you now?"
The more white people who stand up and publicly acknowledge the injustices of the recovery--from greenspacing to firing 5,000 black teachers--the closer we come to building trust. You can count the number of white people on one hand who have taken that stand in a public way.
Why can't those who constantly appear at the council simply say, "You know, I understand why blacks think that this transparency issue is targetted only to a black mayor. The actions of some white people since Katrina have given them every reason to beleive that--the James Reiss pronouncments in the Wall Street Journal,the "dirty dozen" Dallas Meeting, the firing of 5,000 black teachers, the absentee evictions of 10,000 people, the greenspace plan. Now, what can I do to regain your trust so that some day we can, together, create more responsive government?
I will note that the Inspector General charter change came under Marc Morial's administration when power relationships were stable and the black majority did not feel threatened (hell, Marc funded the restoration of the Robert E. Lee statue--talk about symbols losing their power)
As I said before, there is no reconciliation without justice. I'm not talking about dialogue groups between blacks and whites--that would blow up. But dialogue groups among whites where people try to "take perspective" and understand why blacks feel they were collectively "mugged" after Katrina. The next stage would be to bring together both races in a frank dialogue in which everyone's concerns are given a sympathetic ear. But it would be a disaster to bring together blacks and whites and have whites refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the black viewpoint on injustices of the recovery.
Process is a goal in itself. Political organizing is the art of understanding that how you build is as important as what you build.
E, you are in a hurry, and that's good, but if you get in a hurry to rebuild the racial breach, not just the effects of the levee breach, you will get a lot further.
The only thing I dislike more than living in a city that does not work well is living is a city where people hate each other. That was not the New Orleans I moved to years ago, and I want it back.
- February 23, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- KAren said...
My criticism about anonymous posts is that I think you could be a leading voice if you stepped up and divulged your name.
Not an attack on your POV.
- February 23, 2009 at 9:49 AM
- Anonymous said...
You can take a wild guess at whether or not I lead when I am not debating in cyberspace.
So why not others? I have not said anything that you don't hear everyday on WBOK with Paul and John. They've spent the last two weeks working on this issue and without much help from the progressive white community.
- February 23, 2009 at 4:08 PM
- Clifton said...
I know this a total community issue and we all need to work towards a solution to the problem but the one person in this equation I haven't been able to figure out is Councilman Fielkow. I haven't determined if he's just a political novice or if he is being influenced by some unknown people. Maybe he's not as sharp as I have given him credit for.
The reason I say that is anyone who really wants to be mayor had to know that some of the quiet within the black community in 2006 and 2007 had more to do with the fact that we were worried about our personal survival more than government issues. When you are trying to deal with insurance companies, contractors, and Road Home all at once you can't pay attention to things in city government as closely because at that point there is no guarantee you are even going to be living here. I think what we are seeing now is people's personal situation is more stable and they are starting to get more vocal about what's going on. If he truly wants to be mayor in a city that is at least 60% black and has people moving back home everyday, he had three years to reach out, support, and speak for those citizens under the idea that we are all one New Orleans. Instead he let grandstanding on the council get out of control. He sat by while the integrity and purpose of the Inspector General's office was compromised in the black community because too many people used Mr. Cerasoli's name as a threat whenever they got angry instead of letting him do his job and report the facts. He also let the media and the council get away with implying that there was corruption in awarding contracts to two respected black businessmen in this city even after all reports said they were compliant with their contracts and even under billing the city. He didn't show any leadership or understanding of the black community by bringing this transparency vote up now so soon after emotions is on high because of the sanitation debacle. He's either not the right guy to be mayor or he's got some bad advice. Either way it's pretty confusing.
I'm no longer able to debate with my friends that he's not an agent for the elite business community that wants control of the flow of all money coming through the city. I still don't believe that he is but if they are right then I haven't been this wrong about a person in a long time.
- February 23, 2009 at 7:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
Very astute observations. Part of the theory of the "Shock Doctrine' is that collective trauma deflects people's attention from broad political issues; survival of family and self takes precedent. It normally takes a community about three years to overcome that shock and redirect their energy to broader issues of power. We are seeing that now.
The dilemma for every mayor in this city since Chep Morrison in the 1960s is whose side are you on: black or white? I did not invent that dynamic--you have 350 years of slavery and jim crow to blame on why people think in terms of race here. But in a city of limited resources, groups will always coalesce to give themselves advantage, especially if you are a poor group challenging a wealthy elite.
For example, Jackie Clarkson says the FEMA money should go go Algiers because it is already rebuilt and can maximize it; Cynthia Willard says it should go to flood damaged neighborhoods that need it to rebuild. You can't do both. We really are playing a zero-sum game here with respect to housing, education, healthcare etc. That's why using neighborhoods as the unit of organizing is inherently divisive--neighborhoods tend to be racially divided and are comprised of property owners who act like business owners--they don't want any changes that reduce the values of their investment (like section 8 housing, schools they don't use, etc) That's why the council is so fractured: most people expect their representative to advocate for neighborhood interests.
Every mayor has had to choose which community he/she ultimately will side with on key issues. Majoritarian democracies (51% and you win) are famous for encouraging ethnic-group block voting. In places like Nigeria they have tried to deal with this issue by, in the past, requiring majority candidates to win at least 20% of the minority vote in a state.
In the 1970s, Moon Landrieu chose the black community as did Dutch and Marc subsequently, much the reflection of the growing black majority. Sidney was a white backlash--a black candidate who ran with white support as their great white hope against the Morial machine. But he was ultimately forced to choose in his first term and defected to the black side for the second term. Nagin was a replay of Sidney in 2002--got all the uptown white support and lost the black vote. The hatred of the black community for him following Katrina made him defect from the white vote out of guilt and his refusal to follow the BNOBC/BGR moratorium on building permits in the black community in November of 2005 signalled that he had jumped the white ship.
Like Sidney, his erstwhile white funders forced Nagin into the waiting arms of the black community in a shotgun marriage. Since then, Nagin has never waivered on bringing back a black majority, but if he can make that a middle class one, he'll opt for that because it means fewer social costs and a more manageable city. And sure, he uses contracts to gain favors and build a patrongage machine--something the rich white canididates don't have to do. That will continue until we put conribution limits on Mayoral campaings to make it possible for po-boys to run.
Fielkow could have broken that white mold because he was at-large and did not have to advocate for a white district like Head does. Oliver Thomas was heading that way--even his famous delclaration pandering to the white vote when he said people should not come back unless they had a job (there goes the Junior League). But Fielkow clearly chose to cast himself as the leader of the "good goverment" folks (Business Council/BGR/PAR) whose "reforms" are viewed as thinly veiled attempts to whittle away a black electoral power. He could have said "let's put these reforms in place when the black community is back and has a say, not when whites are winning offices simply because blacks are displaced." But he didn't.
If the Rex folks adopt him like the did Ron Forman, it will be the kiss of death. He'll be stigmatized as controlled by the the Uptown "greenspace" crowd.
So who gets the blame if blacks think it is another power grab? It won't be the Reiss and Bollingers of the world, though they will be bankrolling the operation. They went out front in the Fall of 2005, breaking the secrecy of the shadow government, but never again.
Yes, a black Mayor in a black majority city will usually end up supporting what the majority wants if he/she wants to get re-elected. But, as in Newark, you can get a reformer who is loyal to his base and loyal to his principles and becomes a real force for reform.
Most people want efficiency and honesty in government, they just want reform that ensures equal access as well.
- February 24, 2009 at 11:41 PM


text:
|Topic Review (Newest First)
|Avaire Archive
Author: Paul
Date: 9/16/2008 10:08 pm EDT
Hi there,
I was quite surprised by the answer to this question. I guess because I read where you cannot put a vanity on a floating tile system previously. I completely gutted my bathroom and will be installing a new vanity. This vanity happens to have a "decorative" front where it meets the floor, so it was going to be a pain to tile around. If I can tile underneath the vanity prior to installing the vanity, it would make my life easier. I just want to be reassured that it is in fact ok to install a vanity on top of avaire tile.
Thank you very much,
|Avaire Archive
Author: The Avaire Team
Date: 6/7/2008 2:40 pm EDT
You can place cabinets on Avaire tile if you wish. Make sure the subfloor is flat and stable.
The disadvantage is in the future, if you want to install a different color of Avaire tile, you'll need to pull the cabinets to remove the original tile.
I agree, especially if you are already pulling all the cabinets, it would be easier to install the floor first, and then install the cabinets. Of course, there is extra cost since you are paying for the Avaire tile hidden under the cabinets.
Thank you for your interest in Avaire!
|Avaire Archive
Bathroom vanity
Author: Eric
Date: 6/6/2008 2:23 am EDT
In a bathroom remodel, why is it necessary to have "all permanently installed cabinets should be in place prior to installion of Avaire tile." It would be easier to tile to the wall as well as raise the vanity an extra 1/2".
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text:
We are in an age where multimedia is pervasive. We use it to relax and to research. We use it to interpret the world and to communicate. We use it as artists. Drawing from courses in the Departments of Art & Art History, Computer Science, English, Cinema Studies, Music, Philosophy, Sociology, and Theatre, the minor in Arts, Technology and Multimedia offers students a flexible arts-focused exploration of the creative processes, digital resources, and collaborative strategies used in creating sound and visual elements for multimedia and intermedia works. Through creative engagement and critical examination students will develop technique, conceptual and aesthetic sensitivity, and the ability to produce and critically evaluate multimedia and intermedia works from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Collaborative projects between courses will serve as a central unifying element in the minor. Close attention will be paid to the expressive potential of and issues related to each media element as well as to the interaction of all elements.
Requirements for the Arts, Technology And Multimedia Minor (5 Credits)
- At least four courses focused on use of technology in creating artistic works (starred).
- Two starred courses from one departmental area. At least one must be at or above the 300 level. (2)
- One course from each of 2 other departmental areas (2)
- One additional course (1)
- No more than 2 courses may be in a single department.
Department Areas and Courses
Note: All courses listed below are 1 credit unless otherwise specified.
Art & Art History
- ARTS 121 (CA) Introduction to 4D Art*
- ARTS 216 (CA) Video Art*
- ARTS 232 (CA) Black and White Photography
- ARTS 355 Advanced Photography*
- ARTH 117 (IT) Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art
- ARTH 243 (TH) Contemporary Art: 1970-Present
- ARTH 376W (TH) History of Photography
Computer Science
- CS 145 (QA*) Images and Imagination*
- CS 445 Computer Graphics*
- IDS 252 (CA) 3D Animation*
- IDS 352 Advanced 3D Animation*
- ENGL 135 (CA) Creative Writing: Screenwriting (topic dependent)
- CINE 110 (CA) Introduction to Cinema Studies
- MUSC 121 (CA) Creating Music with Technology*
- MUSC 133 Music Theory II (.5) and
- MUSC 339 Digital Music Techniques (.5)*
- MUSC 425 Advanced Digital Music Production*
- PHIL 242 (EV) What is Art?
- CCM 261 (EV) Persuasion and Mass Media
- RHET 125 (CA) Creating Visual Rhetoric*
- RHET 361W Visual Rhetoric*
A total of no more than 1 credit from:
- THTR 010X (CA) Theatre Practicum (.25-1) and/or
- THTR 011X (CA) Theatre Practicum - Atypical Performance (.25-1)
Additional course(s) from the following:
- THTR 110 (CA Theatre: A Contemporary Introduction
- THTR 140 Acting
- THTR 145 (CA) Acting for Non-majors
- THTR 356 Fundamentals of Stage Lighting*
- THTR 357 Scene Design/Production Studio I*
Faculty & Staff
- Mike Nord, Department Chair, Professor of Music, Music Technology, Improvisation & Jazz Studies
- Genevieve Orr, Professor of Computer Science
- Catherine A. Collins, Professor of Rhetoric
- Christopher L. Harris, Professor of Theatre
- Jeanne Clark, Associate Professor of Rhetoric
- Sally Markowitz, Professor of Philosophy
- Frann Michel, Professor of English
- Cindy Koenig Richards, Associate Professor, Ringe Media Lab Director
- Rachel Kinsman Steck, Associate Professor of Theatre
- Abigail Susik, Associate Professor of Art History


text:
Family History Of Colon Cancer And Ulcerative Colitis
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts,"
My mother suffered from ulcerative colitis from age 33-42. She finally had a j-pouch surgery in September.00 and is doing well. On her side, her brother and sister also both have ulcerative colitis... both diagnosed in their 30's. On my father's side, his father died of colon cancer at age 70, his sister has ulcerative colitis, and he has had polyps removed from his colon. His other sister also has IBS (which I understand is not related?). Please tell me what I can do to protect myself and prevent colon problems. I am already trying to increase my fiber intake, but it is very difficult for me to get 25g a day.
Timothy C. Hoops, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology Division at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Gastroenterology at Penn Medicine at Radnor, responds:
First of all, while we know that a family history of colon cancer and having ulcerative colitis can each increase a person's risk for colon cancer (and together there may be an additive effect), your risk as an unaffected family member is harder to determine. Your father's history of polyps and your grandfather's colon cancer may raise your lifetime risk, but probably about two-fold at most. Ulcerative colitis can have a genetic component to it and you may be at risk for developing it, but there is no way to determine that beforehand with any certainty.
From a preventative standpoint, there is little that can be done for the ulcerative colitis that I am aware of. For colon cancer, there is no strong evidence that fiber decreases the risk, although there are other beneficial effects of fiber that might warrant its use. Other factors that have been shown to reduce colon cancer risk include calcium, folate (400 mg/day) and exercise. Hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women may also be beneficial. The most important thing to do is undergo colon cancer screening. Unless you have symptoms, you can probably wait until you turn 50. At a minimum, this should be annual stool occult blood testing (Hemoccult) and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or a colonoscopy every 10 years. This is the best colon cancer risk reduction method available.


text:
Design submitted by Logan from the USA.
Logan says: "Each life is a line through time and space, and the most important times are the intersections. The idea behind the Intersection watch is to measure the time you share with that special someone".
This watch design is a watch for two, for you and your beloved to wear. The watches ping each other wirelessly every 5 minutes to detect when they are nearby (e.g. in the same house) and measure the total time you spend together. The upper display shows the current time, while the bottom display shows the time you have shared (when you are nearby) or the time that has elapsed since you were last together (when you are apart).
Optionally, you can select a secondary mode for the bottom display: the percentage of the last day, week, and month you have spent together, or a countdown until the next alarm you have set. There are also special audio/visual alarms that announce anniversaries like 1 month spent together (the audio part will only sound during the daytime).
The watch face and strap are made from stainless steel, optionally with IP black, IP white, or gold surface coating. The display is an always-on LCD with several color options. Instead of buttons, there are two touch-sensitive zones on the watch face. The narrow links in the strap should make it easy for men and women to get a great fit by removing links.
Intersection is a watch for techie couples. A perfect gift for an anniversary or Valentine's Day, when chocolates and roses are too generic and fail to capture the special interests you share.


text:
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The dramatic story of a drummer who pursues excellence at all costs won top honors at the Sundance Film Festival
"Whiplash" collected both audience and jury prizes for American dramatic films Saturday at the festival's awards ceremony.
The musical drama by writer-director Damien Chazelle opened the independent film showcase last week and rode a wave of positive buzz throughout the 10-day event.
Chazelle made his Sundance debut last year with a short version of "Whiplash" intended to gain financial support for the feature-length film. The feature stars 26-year-old Miles Teller as an aspiring jazz drummer and veteran actor J.K. Simmons as his unforgiving instructor.
Chazelle thanked his actors "who really made this movie work." The 28-year-old filmmaker drew on his personal experiences as a member of a high school jazz band as inspiration for the film.
The documentary "Rich Hill," a coming-of-age story about the inhabitants of a tiny town in Missouri, won the jury award for U.S. documentary. The American documentary about music's healing effects on dementia, "Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory," won the audience award.
Actors Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally hosted the ceremony at the Basin Recreation Fieldhouse in Park City, Utah. The married couple opened with a racy, comedic introduction about how they enjoy the film festival.
"Our frenzied coitus is the stuff of legend," Mullally said, "but really there's no place we'd rather get our swerve on than right here in Park City."
The 30th Sundance Film Festival wraps on Sunday.
Other winners Saturday:
— U.S. documentary directing: "The Case Against 8."
— U.S. drama directing; "Fishing Without Nets."
— U.S. documentary cinematography: "E-Team."
— U.S. drama cinematography: "Low Down."
— U.S. documentary editing: "Watchers of the Sky."
— U.S. documentary, special jury award for use of animation: "Watchers of the Sky."
— U.S. drama special jury award for intuitive filmmaking: "The Overnighters."
— U.S. drama special jury award for musical score: "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter."
— U.S. drama special jury award for breakthrough talent: "Dear White People."
— Waldo Salt screenwriting award: "The Skeleton Twins."
— World cinema grand jury prize, documentary: "Return to Homs," Syria.
— World cinema grand jury prize, drama: "To Kill A Man," Chile.
— World cinema audience award, documentary: "The Green Prince," Germany, Israel.
— World cinema audience award, drama: "Difret," Ethiopia.
— World cinema documentary directing: "20,000 Days on Earth," United Kingdom.
— World cinema drama directing: "52 Tuesdays," Australia.
— World cinema documentary cinematography: "Happiness," France, Finland.
— World cinema drama cinematography: "Lilting," United Kingdom.
— World cinema documentary editing: "20,000 Days on Earth," United Kingdom.
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .


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|This article is part of WikiProject Definitions. Consider editing to improve it. View articles referencing this definition.
"Bankruptcy" is the legally declared inability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. When a company files for bankruptcy, they do so in Federal Court under the Bankruptcy Code. Creditors may file an "involuntary bankruptcy" petition against a debtor in an effort to recoup what they owe. However, in most cases, bankruptcy is initiated by the debtor, and this is called "voluntary bankruptcy".[1]
To file for bankruptcy, one must always include [2]:
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is also known as liquidation bankruptcy and is governed by Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Any individual, partnership, or corporation can qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. However, in order to qualify, one must have received credit counseling from an approved agency. [3]Firms filing this form of bankruptcy are past the stage of reorganization and must sell off all un-exempt assets to pay creditors. The creditors collect their debts according to the seniority of their debts. A trustee is appointed, who ensures that any assets that are secured are sold and that the proceeds are paid to the specific creditors.
For example, secured debt would be loans issued by banks or institutions based upon the value of a specific asset. Whatever assets and residual cash remain after all secured creditors are paid are pooled together to be paid to any outstanding creditors with unsecured loans: e.g. bondholders and preferred shareholders.
Keep in mind that only an individual debtor (as opposed to a corporation or partnership) may be discharged. In other words, an honest, individual debtor is eligible to lose all liability for a given debt so that he or she may be given a "fresh start." [4]
A chapter 11 bankruptcy, governed by Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. allows the company to stay in business while a bankruptcy court supervises the "reorganization" of the company's contractual and debt obligations. The court can grant complete or partial relief from debts and contracts, allowing the company can make a new start.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy doesn't put personal assets of those involved with a given corporation (other than their stock within the company) in danger. However, if the debtor is an individual, both business and personal assets will be involved. If the company filing is a partnership, the lines are slightly blurrier—in some cases the individual partners' personal assets may be at stake. [5]
Often, if the business's debts exceed its assets, then at the completion of bankruptcy the company's owners all end up without anything; all their rights and interests are ended and the company's creditors are left with ownership of the newly reorganized company.
Chapter 11 bankruptcies can be extremely complicated and expensive (in terms of legal and consulting fees) for an organization.
Chapter 13 allows individuals to undergo a financial reorganization supervised by a federal bankruptcy court. The Bankruptcy Code anticipates the goal of Chapter 13 as enabling income-receiving debtors a debtor rehabilitation provided they fulfill a court-approved plan. This is in contrast to the goals of Chapter 7 that offers immediate, complete relief of many oppressive debts.
However, Chapter 13 bankruptcy has a few advantages for individuals who chose this instead of Chapter 7. The largest of these advantages is the opportunity for an individual to save his or her home from foreclosure. In addition, individuals may be allowed to reschedule secured debts, and thus may give them the opportunity to lower their monthly payments. [6]


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Bit chilly out, isn't it? If you're still running about in flip-flops and short sleeves then a) You're mental and b) take a look at the calendar, it's the middle of October! Global warming may be jumbling up the seasons like a misguided game of drunken Twister, but winter's definitely kicking in now. If the change in weather has caught …
French Connection's vivid blue cashmere jumper
Click image to enlarge
My new favourite colour is a rich dark blue that falls somewhere between cobalt and navy. Not as obvious as a bright Yves Klein blue but not as trad as straight navy, the colour looks great with the remainders of a tan.


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Vanity Fair magazine has earned a reputation for serving up juicy Hollywood scandals, colorful celebrity profiles and tasty slices of popular culture.
Now, it will delve into a new form of storytelling: original video.
Vanity Fair has launched a digital video channel that initially will feature four original series, some inspired by popular features in the magazine and others offered in the same spirit and tone of the publication.
PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments
"It's such an iconic and influential brand in the entertainment world, it touches upon politics and mysteries and culture," said Dawn Ostroff, president of Conde Nast Entertainment. "Launching original programming with this brand will allow us to expand our audience and viewers, and also offer people who are Vanity Fair fans to get their fill of that voice that Vanity Fair offers."
Ostroff, a television industry veteran, joined Conde Nast to lead development and production of original TV shows, feature films and digital offerings based on the publisher's well-known brands. The company's publishing portfolio includes some of the best known titles in the magazine world, including the New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, Glamour, GQ and Bon Appetit.
This spring, Ostroff outlined plans to introduce some 30 new Web series inspired by the prestige brands of Vogue, Wired, Glamour and GQ. Sometime later in the year, it plans to launch digital channels around other prominent magazines: Teen Vogue, Epicurious and Style.com.
Conde Nast is seeking to capitalize on the strength of its brands as it reaches audiences in new ways.
"This is the cool thing about magazines: We're the only media, with maybe the exception of some cable channels, where the consumer will follow the brand from platform to platform," said longtime publishing executive Mary Berner, chief executive of the Assn. of Magazine Media trade group. "The customer relationship transcends platforms. So the smart guys are providing the customer with more of it."
The Vanity Fair video channel launches with a celebrity interview show hosted by the magazine's senior West Coast editor, Krista Smith; a show based on contributing editor David Kamp's popular feature and book series, "The Snob's Dictionary;" a documentary series focusing on Manhattan's most notable addresses, such as the Ansonia -- one-time home to Yankee slugger Babe Ruth and, years later, a gay bathhouse; and a tongue-in-cheek, animated "How To" series, "The Vanity Code," whose first installment examines how to behave at a swingers party.
The new content will be available through the official Vanity Fair site and through its YouTube channel. American Express, Salvatore Ferragamo and Acura will sponsor the channel launch.
"Conde Nast has built an incredibly powerful collection of brands that are finding new audiences on YouTube," Robert Kyncl, head of content at YouTube, said via email. "We're excited by the launch of Vanity Fair's channel and its potential to entertain a new generation that is constantly connected and engaged online."
Dana Brown, deputy editor at Vanity Fair, said the original video strategy represents a departure from the magazine's earlier strategy of producing Web content to accompany the magazine's stories.
"Every piece of video we've done up until now has been behind-the-scenes video that goes with the story," Brown said. "But we wanted to challenge ourselves. 'What if we did things that could live on their own, that are really cool, that felt like Vanity Fair but were a different way of telling a story?'"
Alan D. Mutter, a publishing industry consultant, said the New York Times Magazine's digital complement to its published article, "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek," with its flyover map and interviews with survivors, illustrated the power of using video and interactive components to enhance storytelling on the page.
WATCH: Emmys 2013 - Inside reality TV
Newspapers and magazines are rushing to incorporate this new form of enhanced narrative to keep up with audiences, Mutter said. The trick is getting noticed in the noisy world of online video, in which 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, he said.
"Everybody worth his salt in the world of publishing is creating video channels," Mutter said. "To be profitable, they need to find ways to build audience, beyond the group of people who already are interacting with their brand, either print or digital. And that's a big problem."
ON LOCATION: People and places behind what's onscreen PHOTOS: Biggest box office flops of 2013 PHOTOS: Celebrity production companies
ON LOCATION: People and places behind what's onscreen
PHOTOS: Biggest box office flops of 2013
PHOTOS: Celebrity production companies


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Some christians have said to me that the reason why scientific dates don't match is because god first created the world with dinosaurs etc and other things. Then he later destroyed that world because it was corrupt and then remade it into a new creation. They will tell me that is why dates don't add up with the bible because it is misinterpreted.
I don't believe this of course because why would an all knowing god have made a mistake the first time. I'm not a science person I'm more of a history person. So if anyone can give me help that would be great. thanks so much:)
Views: 230
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate leaders said on Monday that they are nearing a deal to reopen the government and raise the U.S. debt limit.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who began talks on Saturday, appeared together on the Senate floor to voice their optimism that such a deal could be finalized within days.
If the full Democratic-led Senate passes it, the proposal would then go to the Republican-led House.
(Reporting By Thomas Ferraro and Tim Reid; editing by Christopher Wilson)


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We may have been visited in the past by Ancient Aliens who helped to advance our understanding of the world we live in. Who shared techlology with us, and molded our very existence.
If you are a believer, or a sceptic, join us and share your views, questions, and insights!
Please register to join in on the discussions!
Tag: aliens
Forum:Ancient Aliens General Discussion


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Blogs can be powerful marketing tools. Blogging can also be a highly demanding endeavor.
Even the most prolific writers can find themselves with a serious case of "blogger's block."
When blogger's block strikes, some basic keyword research can provide a fresh batch of blog post ideas.
A series of posts written around related keywords can also look good in the eyes of the search engines or prospects.
Using Keyword Tools to Brainstorm Blog Post Topics
#1: Google Related Searches
There are a number of tools that can uncover related keywords and ideas for possible blog topics.


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SERAPID, SECOA and Daktronics will co-exhibit at the 46th Annual Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) International Conference and Idea Marketplace July 25-26 at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, MD, booths 129 and 131.
SCUP's Annual, International Conference & Idea Marketplace is higher education's premier conference to focus on best practices in integrated planning.
The three organizations will focus on projects they have coordinated together – most recently the Wyly Theatre, which is part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, in Dallas.
SECOA is the nation's foremost integrator of theatre equipment and systems and offers unmatched expertise in the planning and construction of theatre spaces, from budgeting, scheduling and engineering to manufacturing and installation. As integrators, they understand the myriad systems in a performing arts space and how they interconnect.
Daktronics Automated Rigging Solutions designs and manufactures rigging systems for theatrical, architectural and arena applications. They specialize in providing automated rigging solutions for professional theatres, school auditoriums, worship facilities and other performance spaces. Rigging Sales Manager Ted Paget says, "It is a real pleasure to team with SECOA and SERAPID to create innovative applications for major performing arts facilities and to meet with SCUP planners and decision-makers at this important conference."
SERAPID is the world leader in heavy linear motion through the use of the Rigid Chain Technology and a full service stage and orchestra platform lift supplier from concept development to engineering to installation. SERAPID LinkLift lifting columns are safe, accurate and reliable and are installed in colleges, universities and renowned entertainment venues worldwide.
For more information, visit www.serapid.us or call 800-663-4514, www.secoa.com or call 800.328.5519 or www.daktronics.com or call 800-325-8766.


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She's baaack! The 3rd season of Bravo's hit show – The Millionaire Matchmaker is set to premier tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Returning this season is the matchmaker herself Patti Stanger, along with Vice President of Matching, Chelsea Autumn and her Chief Operating Officer, Destin Pfaff. Also back is Destin's fiancée, Rachel, as the first time parents head into season three.
This season will focus on Patti's matchmaking of course but it will also showcase Patti's recent engagement, as well as the return of some of Patti's most memorable clients such as Shauna Raisch from season 2. Patti will also take on more gay clients this season.
More about the show's 3rd season is below –
Bravo and Patti Stanger are back together and going strong for a third season of the hit docu-series The Millionaire Matchmaker, premiering Tuesday, January 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Stanger will stop at nothing to build her matchmaking empire – her business is flourishing, she has a successful book under her belt and is now hosting her own radio advice show. But after years of helping others find love, Stanger herself finally seals the deal. She and her longtime love, Andy Friedman, are engaged at last.
In the third season, Stanger once again takes on a selection of millionairesses and gay clients. Plus, millionaires past will come back to haunt Stanger, notably Shauna Raisch who caused a stir last season due to a very tense and uncomfortable exchange with the matchmaker. But Stanger remains unfazed by it all, whipping her millionaires into shape even with a full plate of her own as she makes plans for her upcoming nuptials.
Next to Big Brother, Millionaire Matchmaker is probably my 2nd favorite reality show. I love Patti's honesty and abrasiveness. The clueless millionaires and sometimes desperate gold diggers women on the show makes it all the more entertaining.


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If Mount Zion Church of Nowata County, Oklahoma is your church, tell us more! Click here and email a detailed description of all the great things your church has to offer and we'll include it here.
Written by: Oklahoma Church Directory Author
- Delaware Church Directory
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- Wann Baptist Church
- Wann United Methodist Church


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|This article describes a concept which could impact a variety of companies, countries or industries. To see what companies and articles reference this concept page, click here.
China's reputation for censorship extends to its restrictions on Internet access in that country. This will impact Chinese bloggers, who may have to register their real names with the government, as well as search engine companies and Internet service providers, who may need to restrict user access to the Internet according to the orders of the Chinese government.
Despite skyrocketing Internet usership, Internet companies doing business there must perpetually be en garde. Chinese government censorship policies put a heavy hand on blogging, search engines, content providers, and even technology tools providers in China. This heavy hand can greatly affect investment opportunities. For example, Google's failure to adhere to Chinese search restrictions ultimately resulted in China blocking access to Google for a time and referring all the search traffic to Baidu.com (BIDU), Google's leading competitor in China.
Between February and August 2004, the Chinese government shutdown 1,600 Internet cafes, according to China Radio International, and levied fines of more than $12 million for violations like providing minors access to violent games and adult content. After an inspection of 1.8 million cafes by the Ministry of Culture, 18,000 were ordered to halt operations until they cleared up offending practices. Further, a March 2004 ruling by the Chinese Ministry of Culture ordered local governments to disapprove any Internet cafe operations within residential areas or within 200 meters of primary schools and high schools.
Called "bo ke" in Chinese, blogs are hugely popular, especially among the young. In May 2006, Reuters reported that there would be over 60 million Chinese bloggers by the end of the year as internet usage in China rises. A Qinghua university report forecasted the number of to hit 100 million by 2007, while the Internet Society of China determined that nine percent of bloggers write every day, 29 percent write once to three times a week, while 35 percent write four to six times a week.
Even if China does not regulate its own bloggers, it can ask large foreign corporations to do so on its behalf. For example, in January 2006 Microsoft removed the blog of an outspoken Chinese journalist (Zhao Jing, aka Michael Anti) from its MSN Spaces site, citing its policy of adhering to local laws. In June 2005, Microsoft also acknowledged censoring words such as "freedom" and "democracy" from its Chinese MSN portal through an automatic filter.
Meanwhile Yahoo! in September 2005 provided information to Chinese authorities that led to the imprisonment of Chinese journalist Shi Tao, a writer for the Dangdai Shang Bao (Contemporary Business News). Tao was sentenced in April 206 to ten years in prison, according to Reporters Without Borders, for sending to foreign Web sites a "top secret" government message that had been sent to his newspaper. The state secret was a message to Shi's newspaper warning journalists of the dangers associated with dissidents returning to mark the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, according to the group. Shi admitted sending the e-mail but disputed whether it was a secret document. Tao was arrested after Yahoo provided Chinese investigators with detailed information that helped them link Shi's personal e-mail account and a specific message containing the "state secret" to the IP address of his computer.
New rules by a Chinese government-backed Internet group require bloggers, to register with their real names and identification cards. The guidelines, called a "draft code of conduct," were published in May 2007 by the Internet Society of China, a group made up of China's major Internet companies. These guidelines contradict Chinese state media reports claiming that China was considering loosening registration requirements for bloggers to allow anonymous online journaling. Observers note that as far back as 2005, Chinese website owners were required to register their identities, which left bloggers no way to post material online anonymously within China.
The new Internet Society of China guidelines require Internet services to register clients' identities and urges providers to encourage bloggers to use their real names when blogging as well. While Chinese bloggers can use overseas services, but access to those from within China is frequently blocked by the government.
The stated purpose of the code of conduct is "limiting and preventing unhealthy and illegal content on the Web," and stopping the use of blogs that "disseminate objectionable content, seriously disrupting social order and the public interest and polluting the online network environment."
BusinessWeek reports that the agencies that watch over the Internet in China employ more than 30,000 people to prowl Web sites, blogs, and chat rooms on the lookout for offensive content as well as scammers. Meanwhile nearly all Internet companies in China are given a confidential list of hundreds of terms to be identified and banned. This list changes over time, based on events such as the recent police shootings in the southern town of Dongzho.
Domestic Chinese search engines, such as Baidu, Sohu, and Sina.com, implement their own filtering to exclude search results from websites that provide information the government considers "sensitive." Sohu.com , for example, gives the following message to clients who want to enter chatrooms:
"Please take note that the following issues are prohibited according to Chinese law: 1. Criticism of the PRC Constitution 2. Revealing State secrets, and discussion about overthrowing the Communist government 3. Topics that damage the reputation of the State 4. Discussions that ignite ethnic animosity, discrimination or regional separatism 5. Discussion that undermines the state's religious policy, as well as promotes evil cults and superstition 6. Spreading rumors, perpetrating and disseminating false news that promotes disorder and social instability 7. Dissemination of obscenity, sex, gambling, violence, and terror. Cyber-sex is not permitted within the English chat-room. 8. Humiliating or slandering innocent people 9. Any discussion and promotion of content which PRC laws prohibit If you are a Chinese national and willingly choose to break these laws, Sohu.com is legally obliged to report you to the Public Security Bureau. Thank you for your cooperation."
In January 2006, Google announced that it would comply with Beijing's demand that Internet users in China be restricted in their access to information, particularly queries about democracy, via Google's mainland China portal. Google also decided to forego offering e-mail and blog-creation features in its China portal. Rather than leave China entirely, Google argued that it would be more damaging to pull out of China altogether than to censor itself. According to the New York Times, if you search for "Tibet" or "Falun Gong" most anywhere in the world on google.com, you will find thousands of blog entries, news items and chat rooms on Chinese repression. If you run the same search inside China on google.cn, most, if not all, of these links will be gone. Google will have erased them completely.
There are three main fiber-optic pipelines that connect China to the rest of the Internet outside its borders. The Chinese government requires the private-sector companies that run these fiber-optic networks to specially configure "router" switches at the edge of the network, where signals cross into foreign countries. These routers serve China's censors. If the request is for a site on the government's blacklist, the query will not get through. If the site is not entirely blocked wholesale, then the routers will examine words in the requested page for blacklisted terms. Thus, a query for "Falun Gong" or "June 4, 1989" (the day of the Tiananmen Square massacre), the router will block the signal and send an error message back to your browser.
Currently, all of Wikipedia.com is blocked in China. Wikipedia's overseers will not agree to a sanitized Chinese version with the "illegal" entries removed, even if that would leave 99.9 percent of Wikipedia intact and freely available in China. The number of people using the Chinese Wikipedia site has dropped, but devoted users are finding ways to access it. As of 2006, the Chinese language Wikipedia community boasted 45,000 registered users, most from the mainland. Ironically, one the site's now largely inaccessible 56,000 entries explains how bypass the government's firewall.
China's efforts to control the Internet affect both hardware and software vendors. Cisco Systems, for example, supplies routers to the Chinese government, which uses them to censor webpage queries. Companies selling encryption technology in China, or shipping products that contain such technology, must provide details about their technology to the Chinese government as well.
According to Amnesty International, many hardware companies have apparent links to repression of freedom of expression in China, including Sun Microsystems, Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks and Motorola. However destination websites have an even greater impact. In defending their actions in China, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google maintain they are under an obligation to comply with local law.
As more websites add podcasts and user-generated video, China will need even more sophisticated monitoring tools. Any company that produces these will find a ready market among Chinese regulators and the government.


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Do you want to make more efficient use of your time on social media?
Are you looking for tools that will help you manage your social media efforts?
In this article you'll discover 3 tools to enable you to become more efficient and effective with social media.
#1: Glyder – Social Media Marketing from Your iPhone
Glyder is an iPhone app that allows you to share well-designed marketing messages as social media updates using predefined templates.
You no longer need a designer to produce imagery to promote your latest contest, offer or status update. With Glyder, you can choose from a wide range of graphic templates that use tried and tested formats and wording to help get the best conversion for your marketing messages.
Glyder helps you improve the quality of the content you share and be more efficient with your mobile device for social media marketing.
- Select one of the templates and personalize it by adding your own text, company name/website address and even change the image.


text: "Exercise" at one time a word that would send shivers down the spine of the average gamer from the thought of actually leaving your safe warm little cave and actually working up a sweat by physical means (not getting hot under the collar about LARA CROFT). This world, until recently, was indeed as alien as . . . → Read More: Gamercize Pro-Sport Power Stepper – Get Fit Not Fat