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Self-driving cars are quickly changing from a staple of sci-fi movies to reality in recent years. But not all self-driving cars are implemented the same way. One such variation has been developed by Oxford University in the UK and makes use of an iPad as the main nerve center for the car's auto-driving capabilities.
Oxford's iPad car aims to be a middle-of-the-road solution between a standard, human-driven automobile and a fully self-operational car. When drivers come upon a familiar route, the iPad asks them whether they want the car to take the wheel—"touching the screen then switches to 'auto drive' where the robotic system takes over. At any time a tap on the brake pedal will return control to the human driver," Oxford wrote in its own description of the vehicle.
The university announced the robotic car in mid-February, but the news flew under the radar until Clean Technica (no relation to Ars) posted several more videos this week from YouTube. The videos show how the car handles pedestrians, how it starts up using the iPad, and more. Check them out below:


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"North Carolina and coastal flora are perfect together and that's why we've chosen that as this year's photo contest theme," a Sunset at Sunset committee representative said recently.
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Macy Polk
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|Chemistry, Pre-Med
In High School: Graduated from Mt. Paran Christian in Kennesaw, Ga. where she played for head coach Caroline Bradford ... Won regionals as a junior ... Elite Eight at State her junior season as well.
Personal: Majoring in chemistry with plans for Pre-Med ... Daugter of Clabe and Denise Polk ... Born Sept. 10 ... Lists favorite athlete as tennis great Andre Agassi ... Chose Georgia College for the opportunities as a pre-med student and as an athlete ... Snakes scare her the most ... Favorite song is "Georgia Clay" by Josh Kelley, movie is RED, TV shows are Friends and Criminal Minds ... Lives by the motto: "Hard work beats talent until talent decides to work hard."


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Brussels, 12 October 2011
CAP Reform – an explanation of the main elements
The Commission has today published proposals for Four basic European Parliament and Council regulations for the Common Agriculture Policy – i) on Direct Payments, ii) the Single Common Market Organisation (CMO), iii) Rural Development and, iv) a Horizontal Regulation for financing, managing and monitoring the CAP. In addition, there are 3 smaller regulations to address transition arrangements to the new rules. The package also contains: An Explanatory Memorandum; Citizens Summary; and Annexes linked with different aspects of the Impact Assessment.
The main elements of the proposals can be summarized as follows:
The Basic Payment Scheme: In order to move away from the different systems of the Single Payments Scheme in the EU-15 (which allows for historical references, or a payment per hectare, or a "hybrid" combination of the two) and the Single Area Payments Scheme (SAPS) in most of the EU-12, a new "Basic Payment Scheme" will apply after 2013. (See http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/sfp/pdf/ms_en.pdf for current models in each Member State.) This will be subject to "cross compliance" (respecting certain environmental, animal welfare & other rules), as at present, although there are various simplifications to current requirement (see below). The aim is to reduce significantly the discrepancies between the levels of payments obtained after full implementation of the current legislation, between farmers, between regions (i.e. internally) and between Member States (i.e. externally). All Member States will be obliged to move towards a uniform payment per hectare at national or regional level by the start of 2019. In line with the Commission proposals within the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the national envelopes for direct payments will be adjusted so that those that receive less than 90% of the EU average payment per hectare will receive more. The gap between the amounts currently foreseen and 90% of the EU-27 average is reduced by one third. For example, if a Member State currently receives an average amount per hectare which is 75% of the EU average, ie 15% below 90%, then it will gradually increase to 80%. The Commission is committed to discussing a longer-term objective of achieving "complete convergence" through the equal distribution of direct support across the European Union in the next Financial Perspectives after 2020.
Greening: In addition to the Basic Payment, each holding will receive a payment per hectare for respecting certain agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment. Member States will use 30% of the national envelope in order to pay for this. This is compulsory, but will not be subject to capping.
The 3 measures foreseen are:
Areas with natural constraints: Member States (or regions) may grant an additional payment for areas with natural constraints (as defined under Rural Development rules) – of up to 5% of the national envelope. This is optional and does not affect the LFA options available under Rural Development. NB In response to criticisms by the Court of Auditors, the definition of "Less Favoured Areas" has been adjusted to reflect objective criteria.
Young Farmers: The Basic Payment to new entrant Young Farmers (those under 40) should be topped up by an additional 25% for the first 5 years of installation. This is limited to a maximum of the average farm size in that member state. For Member States where the farm size is small, the limit is 25 ha. This shall be funded by up to 2% of the national envelope.
Small farmers: Any farmer claiming support in 2014 may decide by October 15, 2014 to participate in the Small Farmers Scheme and thereby receive an annual payment fixed by the Member State of between 500 € and 1 000 €, regardless of the farm's size. (The figure will either be linked to the average payment per beneficiary, or the national average payment per hectare for 3 ha.) This will be an enormous simplification for the farmers concerned and for the national administrations. Participants will face less stringent cross-compliance requirements, and be exempt from greening. (The impact assessment shows that approximately one third of farms applying for CAP funding have an area of 3 ha or less – but this accounts for just 3% of the overall agricultural area in the EU-27.) The total cost of the Small Farmers Scheme may not be more than 10% of the national envelope, and the level of the payment will be adjusted accordingly if necessary. There will also be Rural Development funding for advice to small farmers for economic development and restructuring grants for regions with many such small farms.
"Coupled" option: In order to address the potentially adverse effects of redistributing direct payments on a national basis and take account of existing conditions, Member States will have the option of providing limited amounts of "coupled" payments, i.e. a payment linked to a specific product. This will be limited to 5% of the national envelope if the Member State currently provides 0-5% of coupled support, or up to 10% if the current level of coupled support is higher than 5%. The Commission may approve a higher rate if the Member States can show it is justified.
Transferring funds between Pillars: Member States will have the possibility of transferring up to 10% of their national envelope for Direct Payments (1st Pillar) to their Rural Development envelope; and the Member States that get less than 90% of the EU average for direct payments now may transfer up to 5% of their Rural Development funds to their 1st Pillar national envelope.
Cross compliance: The award of all payments from the Direct Payment national envelope will continue to be linked to the respect of a number of baseline requirements relating to environment, animal welfare and plant & animal health standards. However, as an exercise in simplification, the number of Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) has been reduced from 18 to 13 and rules on Good Agricultural & Environmental Condition (GAEC) reduced from 15 to 8 – for example, excluding elements that are not relevant to the farmer. It is also proposed that the Water Framework Directive & the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive will be incorporated into cross-compliance rules once they have been shown to have been properly applied in all Member States and obligations to farmers clearly identified.
"Capping": The amount of support that any individual farm can receive from the Basic Payment Scheme will be limited to €300 000 per year, and the payment will be reduced by 70% for the part from €250 000-300 000; by 40% for the part from €200 000-250 000, and by 20% for the part from €150 000-200 000. However, in order to take employment into account, the holding can deduct the costs of salaries in the previous year (including taxes & social security contributions) before these reductions are applied. NB: The funds "saved" under this mechanism stay in the Member State concerned and are transferred to the Rural Development envelope, for use as innovation & investment by farmers, and European Innovation Partnership operational groups.
"Active farmers": In order to iron out a number of legal loopholes, the Commission is tightening the definition of active farmers. Aimed at excluding payments to applicants who have no real or tangible agricultural activity the proposed definition states that payments would not be granted to applicants whose CAP direct payments are less than 5% of total receipts from all non-agricultural activities, or if their agricultural areas are mainly areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation and they do not carry out the minimum activity required, as defined by Member States.There is a derogation for farmers who receive less than 5 000 in direct payments the previous year.
Eligible hectares – The rules foresee setting 2014 as a new reference year for land area, but there will be a link to beneficiaries of the direct payments system in 2011 in order to avoid speculation.
The existing systems of public intervention and private storage aid are proven safety net mechanisms to help producers at times of market difficulties following for example a food crisis. However, they will be revised to be more responsive and more efficient. A new safeguard clause is introduced for all sectors to enable the Commission to take emergency measures to respond to general market disturbances – such as the measures taken during the e-coli crisis in May-July 2011. These measures will be funded from the Crisis Reserve outlined in the Multi-Annual Financial Framework.
With milk quotas and wine planting rights already set to expire, the Commission is looking to end the last remaining quota regime – for sugar. The sugar quota system should expire on September 30, 2015. With most developing countries enjoying unlimited duty-free access to the EU market, but EU exports limited by WTO rules (as long as there are quotas), an end to quotas is the only option for providing the sector with a long-term perspective – especially in the context of the productivity improvements which are expected.
For the period after quotas, white sugar will become eligible for private storage aid, and standard provisions for agreements between sugar factories and growers should be established.
The School Fruit Scheme and the School milk scheme are to be extended. The texts also reflect existing proposals from December 2010 on dairy (compulsory written contracts and strengthened bargaining power in the food chain) and on quality marketing standards –including the "place of farming" concept.
In order to improve farmers' negotiating position in the food chain, the Commission is looking for a better organisation of the sectors. Rules related to the recognition of Producer Organisations (POs) and inter-branch organisations are now expanded to cover all sectors – with further options for establishing such Producer Organisations now transferred to Rural Development funding (see below). In the interests of simplification, a number of minor schemes are abolished (aid for incorporating Milk Powder into animal feed, coupled aid for silkworms!)
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Fund (EAFRD) will fit into the new Common Strategic Framework also applicable for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) - published on October 6 [See IP/11/1159] - to achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy (Sustainable Growth, SMART Growth, Inclusive Growth). As in the other funds, in order to introduce a clearer link to performance, targets will have to be set for all Rural Development programmes for the 6 priorities outlined below. Some 5% of the funds will be held back in a so- called "performance Reserve" and only made available when it can be shown that progress towards meeting these targets is being made.
The basic idea from the current, successful Rural Development concept of multi-annual schemes designed and co-funded by Member States (or regions) remains the same. However, instead of 3 axes linked to economic, environmental and social issues with minimum spending requirements for each axis, the new programming period will have the 6 priorities listed below. Member States are still required to maintain 25% of their Rural Development envelope on issues related to land management and the fight against climate change.
To meet the quantified targets set against these priorities (and taking into account their own specific needs), in their Rural Development programmes Member States / regions will design combinations of measures drawn from a streamlined menu.
In budgetary terms, there will be a small change in the distribution of Rural Development national envelopes to take account of more objective criteria – to be fixed by the Commission under its own competence at a later date.
The EU co-funding rates will be 85% in less developed regions, the outermost regions and the smaller Aegean islands, and 50% in other regions for most payments, but can be higher for innovation & knowledge transfer, cooperation, establishing producer groups, young farmer installation grants and LEADER projects.
In the new period, Member States will also have the possibility to design sub-programmes with higher support rates to address the needs of young farmers, small farmers, mountain areas and short supply chains.
Some key points from the simplified menu for RD projects
Monitoring & Evaluation of the CAP: The Commission will present a report before the end of 2017 – and every 4 years thereafter – on the impact of the CAP on the 3 main priorities – viable food production, sustainable management of natural resources, and balanced territorial development.
Simplification of controls: Control requirements lowered in regions where previous checks shown good results, i.e. the rules are being properly respected. However, checks will need to be increased in regions where there are problems.
There will be separate proposals before the end of the year relating to the Aid for the Needy scheme (for the period after 2013), and to provide for full transparency of direct payments and other CAP subsidies, taking into account the Court ruling of October 2010 which stated that the existing rules did not respect data privacy rules for natural persons.
Documents and information on the CAP reform proposal are available at:
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Curricular Connections
The Hopkins Center encourages powerful group experiences in the arts for students, enriching academic courses and putting the arts at the center of Dartmouth's ongoing focus on experiential learning.
Curricular Connections is a Hop program that enables faculty to bring a class to an assigned arts event and, in cases where no other funding is readily available, provides funding to support the full cost of those student tickets and one faculty member ticket.
While the Hop already provides deeply subsidized student ticket prices of $5-$10 per show (60-80% off the general price), Curricular Connections aims to further reduce financial barriers for students attending arts events in an educational context. Last season, 68 professors from 24 academic departments brought students to 51 different live performances and films through Curricular Connections. The program is fully funded by the Hop Experiential Learning Fund.
Whether or not you are seeking Hop funding for student tickets, we request that all faculty interested in securing Hop tickets for students follow the New Procedures for Faculty below and fill out the Curricular Connections Request Form.Fill out a Request Form
Below are program guidelines and goals and a list of frequently asked questions. Any additional questions may be directed to Curricular Connections Coordinator Kate Adams at firstname.lastname@example.com or 603.646.2315.
New Procedures for Faculty | Funding | FAQ
Program Goals | Other Resources
Curricular Connections Procedures for Faculty
Here are the procedures for any faculty member interested in participating in Curricular Connections. They are intended to streamline the process for faculty, minimize the number of tickets that unused and unsold to the general public, and keep the program sustainable for the Hop.
When seeking funding for student tickets:
- Read our funding parameters and Curricular Connections FAQ below.
- Fill out the Curricular Connections Online Request form. This includes basic information about you, your course and the performance or film you are planning for your class to attend, an estimate of the number of tickets needed, whether funding is secured or needed, and how tickets will be picked up etc. This will enable us to hold a block of seats for your request.
- Within 5 business days of submitting your request (and often much sooner), you will receive an email notification from the Curricular Connections Coordinator indicating whether Hop Experiential Learning Funding was granted (if applied for).
- 7 business days before the date of the event, you will receive an email requesting that you submit revised, final ticket numbers. You must reply to this email confirming or updating the details of your request before the Box Office can process your order. This ensures that you will receive the appropriate number of tickets and that any tickets you no longer need can be sold to the public.
5 business days before the date of the event, your revised, final ticket numbers are due back to the Curricular Connections Coordinator.
- If no revised numbers are provided, we will use the anticipated ticket numbers in the initial request.
- We do our best to accommodate changes to the requested ticket numbers, but cannot guarantee that late requests for additional tickets can always be honored.
- In the event that no revised numbers are provided within the 4 business day window, and the student tickets go unused, the Hop reserves the right to charge the relevant department for the full cost of the seat, as it represents a seat that could have been sold at public face value.
- 4 business days before the event, the tickets will be prepared in a single envelope and filed under the teaching faculty member's name, ready to be picked up at the Hop Box Office by you, a department administrator, or another delegate. The Box Office is open Mon–Fri: 10 am–6 pm, Sat: 1–6 pm, as well as 1 hour before all live shows and 30 minutes before all films. Should a faculty member or department administrator require special help coordinating ticket pick-up, they may be in touch with the Hop Box Office directly at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- 1 day following the event, you will receive an email containing a link to a brief digital survey to distribute to your students. This is an essential tool for assessing and improving our program, so we require it be completed by all participating faculty and students.
Any additional questions may be directed to Curricular Connections Coordinator Kate Adams at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling 603.646.2315 with any questions.
When NOT seeking funding student tickets (in cases where there are department funds to support student tickets):
- Fill out the Curricular Connections Online Request form. This includes basic information about you, your course, which event you are hoping for your class to attend, exactly how many tickets are needed, the chart string of the funding source, and confirming how tickets will be picked up etc.
Within 3 business days of submitting your request, you will receive an email notification from the Box Office confirming
- that your order was received
- that your order had been processed, or with follow-up questions needed to complete your order
- details about how your tickets may be picked up.
Please note: It is the faculty member's responsibility to pick up the tickets and distribute them to their students, or to send a delegate to do this (such as a department administrator). The Box Office will not issue Curricular Connections tickets to individual students at the window. Should a faculty member or department administrator require special help coordinating ticket pick-up, they may be in touch with the Hop Box Office directly at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The program is funded by the Hop Experiential Learning Fund (whereas additional funding was formerly provided by DCAL). The Hop Experiential Learning Fund is divided into an operating budget for performing arts support and for film support.
The funding requirements for both performing arts and film events are as follows:
- The arts event must be an assigned part of the course and integrated into the course. The fund does not support student tickets for arts events that are not specifically assigned, only a portion of a class is expected to attend or that are not substantively integrated into the course.
The fund is reserved for cases where no other funding is readily available. Such funding alternatives include
- Departmental discretionary budgets for experiential learning or special events.
- Dedicated funding tied to specific courses (such as film) for students to attend films or arts events.
- Outside funding from other Dartmouth offices or initiatives.
The fund is generally reserved for use one time per class per term per medium (film/performing arts). In other words, a faculty member is less likely to receive funding if they are applying for more than one arts events for the same class in the same term. However, faculty can apply for funding:
- for a class each term it is offered;
- if multiple courses taught the same term that would benefit from attending the same event;
- for one performing arts event and one film event, even if for the same class in the same term.
- The faculty member follows the established process and has appropriately used the program in the past.
- There are sufficient funds remaining in the Hop Experiential Learning Fund for performing arts or film.
Funding allocation decisions are made by the Hop's Curricular Connections Coordinator, in consultation with the Hop's Programming/Arts Education department, Film department and Director of External Affairs. Special exceptions and grants are sometimes made, so we encourage faculty to apply using the Curricular Connections Request Form even if you are uncertain of whether you qualify for funding.
If my class received Curricular Connections support for an event, do I get a free ticket as well?
Yes. It will be included along with the tickets prepared for your class.
What do you mean that the arts event must be assigned and integrated into my course?
The event must be required for all students in your class to attend, and there must be a discussion of relevance to the course it is assigned to.
When can I retrieve the tickets for my class?
4 business days before the event (or sooner if the Box Office has confirmed your tickets are ready). 7 business days before your event, you will be asked to provide a final/revised ticket count. Once this is confirmed with the Box Office and the Coordinator, you will be sent an email that your tickets are ready to be picked up.
How do I receive the tickets for my class?
Once you receive confirmation that your tickets are ready for pickup, the tickets will be available at the Hop Box Office (open Mon–Fri: 10 am–6 pm, Sat: 1–6 pm, 1 hour before live shows and 30 minutes before films)
We no longer mail tickets to Hinman Boxes and the Box Office will not be able to issue Curricular Connections tickets to individual students.
What should I do if I think an arts event if relevant to my class, but I do not want to formally assign it.
This is common, but students will need to pay for their own tickets or have tickets covered by department funding.
Can my students connect directly with the artists?
Absolutely! We would love to work to make that happen. Please connect with Hop Education and Outreach by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
How is the program funded?
It is funded by the Hop Experiential Learning Fund. In prior years it was funded by DCAL, but that has since ended.
What are the funding parameters for receiving support for the Hop Experiential Learning Fund?
Please see the funding section above for more information.
How do I know if there is other funding available for me to bring my class?
You can contact your department administrator or the Curricular Connections Coordinator at email@example.com or calling 603.646.2315.
Program Goals
To create opportunities for experiential learning through collective experiences of live arts and film. The program supports the following core elements of experiential learning, as defined by the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL): connecting theory to practice by engaging with real-world issues and ideas; incorporating and applying diverse perspectives; building empathy and cultural intelligence; and challenging students to think critically and reflect on their learning.
To make fertile connections between the Dartmouth curriculum and the art supported by the Hop, and to establish productive, educational relationships with faculty.
To increase student attendance and awareness of opportunities at the Hop, particularly among students who would not otherwise regularly attend arts events.
To facilitate the process of reserving, processing and assessing class attendance, and minimize the administrative workload for both faculty and the Hop staff.
To support student attendance at programs co-sponsored by academic departments or programmed in collaboration with a specific class.
Other Resources
Many of the artists listed are available for workshops, discussions, meals and class visits. Hop Outreach can provide supplemental materials about the artists and events, including articles, program notes, videos and more.
Free, public programs accompany many Hop performances. Most don't require a reservation, but let us know if you're bringing a group of students and we'll be happy to make accommodations.
Fill out a Request Form
The Summer 2019 Curricular Connections Guide is now available!
Each term we publish a digital guide outlining possible curricular connections between arts events and specific courses being offered at Dartmouth. We try to be proactive in our outreach to faculty members whose courses we think might benefit from Curricular Connections; however, faculty members are also encouraged to contact us directly should they be interested in having a class attend a Hop event.


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Do Wind Farm Developers Need Tax Rebates?
PIERRE - A bill recently introduced in the South Dakota Senate would attempt to make the state a more attractive locale by giving developers of wind farms not only a full refund of the state contractor's excise tax but also 25% of the sales tax. Approximately 40% of the lost revenue would eventually come back to the state in the form of a 4% production tax on the farms when they are operational.
This industry specific measure is in part an attempt to compensate for the voters' recent rejection of the Large Project Development Fund which was meant to allow a commission handpicked by the Governor to alleviate the excise tax burden for projects that met certain criteria. Developers argue that the bill is required in order to make South Dakota more competitive with neighboring states that do not have such an excise tax. The bill has strong bipartisan support not only because of the attractiveness of clean energy projects, but also because of the willingness of the developers' lobbying arm to accept the back end production tax.
It is worth noting that just as with other real estate development, the eventual owners of the wind farms are not necessarily the developers who built them. Therefore, in the event that developers do sell the farms to other operators, this bill represents an avoidance of some tax by one party by agreeing to allow a second party to pay a new tax in the future that does not even make up half of the lost revenue to the state. Sounds like a pretty good deal for wind farm developers, doesn't it?
Much of the current boom in wind power generation is owed to the federal tax credit that was just renewed as part of the so-called fiscal cliff bargain at the end of last year. This subsidy was meant to encourage the installation of wind power facilities by making them more cost competitive until such time as mass production lowers costs.
South Dakota has proven particularly attractive to the wind industry as it is ranked 5th highest in wind power potential. As of the end of 2011, wind power produced in South Dakota amounted to 22% of the overall electricity produced, which was tops in the nation.
There are few endeavors as beneficial in both the short and long term as is expanding wind power generation. Good jobs are created in construction, operation and maintenance of the equipment, while renewable energy contributes both to energy independence and reducing climate change. However, South Dakota's wind potential is not going anywhere and the production costs are only headed down.
Why not wait and see if wind projects do actually dry up before committing to handing out precious general funds to developers when we have only the word of those very developers that doing so is necessary to keep the industry growing? We can always try the tax rebate again in the future if need be.


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text:
All of us understand that fables are not to be taken literally, and it's an absurdity to expect them to conform to criteria imposed by reality. When a friend starts a funny story with, "A turtle walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a beer…" You don't stop him, incredulous, and ask him to explain how in the world a talking turtle could exist. You understand it's just a story, and you immediately suspend your expectation that this story should conform to the rules of reality as you understand them.
The Problem
What we often see with religion is a confusion where the believer suspends his expectation that the story conform to reality, but also asserts the fable is literally true and does, or rather must, literally, conform to reality.
While AETV viewers are well acquainted with the humor value of watching this on an individual level, it's a bit unbelievable when you realize how many individuals seem to adopt this mode of misreading mythology, regularly, with regard to their respective religions.
Some things have come to the TV-list that drove home for me, with clarity, something most of us have long recognized: These people read fables as though they're reality. We all know what it means to read "literally." And as the joke example shows, we also know how to read non-literal tales. But our conversations with theists become confused with regard to currently regarded religious mythologies, because it's read as literal by some, or even by many. So, while there is little debate when we talk to another modern human about how to read a story about Apollo's firey chariot, we encounter substantial and very real communication interference when we expect everyone to also understand that modern religious mythology requires the same type of reading.
Consider this a "How to Read Mythology 101."
What Prompted this Post
I replied to someone on the list who asked where we got the idea that the character of Jephthah was revered in the Bible.
The main character in the tale, Jephthah, is a Judge, a title briefly given to Hebrew leaders in the days before the tribes were ruled by kings. He was also a warrior. And one day during battle the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and he made a deal with Yahweh that if he won the skirmish, he would sacrifice to Yahweh the first thing that came out of his house to greet him upon his return.
Jephthah is victorious. And upon his return, the first thing out of his house to greet him is his beloved, only child—a daughter. Jephthah keeps his promise and sacrifices her as payment to fulfill his obligation to Yahweh.
Many, many, many centuries later, in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 11, Jephthah is heaped with praise as a man of surpassing faith, of whom the world is not worthy.
Many Christians are vaguely familiar with the Old Testament story of the sacrifice, but not the brief mention in Hebrews where Jephthah is held up among the mythic heroes of Hebrew antiquity, revered as icons of faith to Yahweh. If you ask Christians about their view on Jephthah, you're likely to get back a response like, "Who?" When you tell them, "the guy who sacrificed his daughter to god in the Old Testament," if the person knows the standard Christian Bible stories, they'll then know who you mean and, in general, reply that Jephthah was a rash man whose story serves as a cautionary tale about not making rash promises. In other words, they perceive Jephthah's story as a symbol of a negative social value about how not to behave. And if you ask them what else Jephthah was known for, most of them won't have a clue.
But if Jephthah's role in the Bible is to serve as a symbol to others representing how not to behave, that leaves the New Testament reference in Hebrews as a very baffling statement. He's clearly highly praised, not just as a good person, but a great one, and as someone who demonstrates what the rest of us can only hope to achieve in regard to a relationship with Yahweh.
The author of Hebrews assumes at least two things about his readers: (1) that centuries after the story was written, his audience will still recognize the name of "Jephthah." And (2) they will recognize him as a positive literary symbol of surpassing devotion to Yahweh, who should be praised and revered for the faith demonstrated by his actions. The character of Jephthah then, unlike today, was apparently not perceived as a fool, but as heroic. His was not, according to the author of Hebrews, a cautionary tale, but an inspirational one.
Reading the Fable of Jephthah
The character of Jephthah illustrates particular positive values held by ancient Hebrews and early Christians, many of whom were also practicing Jews. And for a person to read the story with a positive central character is not hard if we read it using a different value set:
Jephthah, moved by the god, Yahweh, during battle, promises Him He can have anything from his house—bar nothing. And by not naming the payment price, rather than being rash, he's being as magnanimous as any adherent could possibly be. Jephthah is declaring that Yahweh may name His price for his victory on the field. Rather than leaving it to random chance, which the "cautionary tale" reading asserts, Jephthah is leaving it to divine providence, blindly trusting and submitting to Yahweh's choice, a reading that aligns perfectly well with what the author of Hebrews asserts. The character in the tale isn't expecting to sacrifice some insect to Yahweh, some bit of vermin that crawls across his tent's threshold; he's expecting Yahweh to choose something of value from his household and usher that thing out the front door the moment he returns home—thus revealing to Jephthah Yahweh's required price for his Yahweh-assisted victory.
The fact it is his daughter, if we use this reading, is no chance, and no surprise, it's the price god was told he could dictate when the bargain was struck: Whatever comes out my door, I will sacrifice to you. You ensure my success in life, and I will withhold nothing. And Yahweh, when it comes to sacrifice, always demands the best.
Yahweh is never satisfied with weak, sick, thin nor flawed "sacrifices." Killing off the things you don't care about isn't "sacrifice." Sacrifice meant then what it means today, times a thousand—giving up something you'll really miss. And while our own tales of self-sacrifice demonstrate similar commitment, there is a marked difference in degree between "Gift of the Magi" and "Abraham and Isaac." There is a difference between self-sacrifice for love, and demanding sacrifice from someone else as a demonstration of their love. We all want to give the best we can to those we love; however, Bible stories carry this value to emotionally manipulative and brutal extremes, when compared to our current values.
Cultural Myths Reflect Cultural Values
Faith in the Old Testament did not mean what it means today. Today we have an idea of "faith" in the existence of god; but in the Old Testament, people like Abraham actually spoke to and even interacted with Yahweh directly, so there was no "faith," in the modern sense, required. Faith to the Hebrew heroes meant belief that Yahweh was trustworthy. This belief was demonstrated by blind devotion, obedience, and sacrifice to an authority who would, in return, allow them to prosper materially.
Operating using our modern Western values, it would be considered "bad" to be in a relationship with someone who demands sacrifices from you as a demonstration of your love for them. Surely, one would have to wonder if the person doing the asking really loved in return? Our culture, despite our adoption of Hebrew myths into our religious sphere, does not consider that value honorable outside of religion. And even within religion, we reject that the cha
racter of Jephthah was praiseworthy, in defiance of the declaration of the author of Hebrews, whom we tend to simply overlook—as did the theist who wrote to us asking how we could possibly believe Jephthah was praised in the Bible.
Themes Throughout
Many Old Testament mythological themes are repeated throughout the Bible. And the story of Jephthah is one of those. The theme of sacrificing the "only child" is not isolated to Jephthah. Who hasn't heard the fable of Abraham and Isaac?
I relayed this fable as well in my reply to the theist who contacted us. In this fable, one day god decides to "test" Abraham and tells him to offer up his beloved, only child, Isaac as a human sacrifice. Abraham offers no protest to Yahweh, who makes preparations to carry out Yahweh's instructions.
I want to stop here and note another value difference between modern society and ancient Hebrew values. Many modern Christians will assert that if god asked them to do such a thing, they would not believe it was Yahweh, since He would never ask a person to execute such a horrific act. However, note that the author of the "Abraham and Isaac" tale does not seem to have anticipated that objection, and certainly did not feel a need to write that into his plot. Just as the author of Jephthah has him issue no protest when his daughter comes out to greet him, neither does the author of Abraham and Isaac feel any need to make Abraham protest that "the real" Yahweh would never command or allow such an atrocity. Both men accept that this is within the character of Yahweh to ask, and they both submit without question, and are later both praised in Hebrews as men of great faith—examples to us all.
The author of Hebrews says, in chapter 11:17-19, "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son…Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."
In other words, the interpretation at the time Hebrews was written was that Abraham believed Yahweh intended to have him execute Isaac as an offering. And Abraham was intent on doing it. But even with the caveat that the early Christians had reasoned Abraham must have thought Isaac would be magically resurrected (this assumption is not included in the Old Testament tale), if this act were portrayed in a modern story, it would still violate our modern values. Even if the modern character believed the dead could be brought back to life—would we then really consider that murdering his own children to appease someone else's insecurity about his level of devotion would be praiseworthy, rather than sick and twisted? The action in a modern tale could be arguably interpreted as ever so slightly mitigated—perhaps? But praiseworthy? It is something we might expect from a story about a powerful dark sorceress given over to bloodlust and cruelty.
But again, the myths simply reflect the values of the culture. And cultural values change over time. In our case, we have become more independent and compassionate, and less brutal. Even Disney changed the endings of Andersen's stories to give them happier resolutions. And movies like V, where heroes commit morally ambiguous acts in order to struggle against symbols of evil, raise discussion. In our myths, we like our heroes, generally, to wear the white hat and be always in the right. They kill symbols of evil, the "bad guys"—not children.
Ultimately, however, an angel stops Abraham and god declares that because He sees Abraham won't withhold the thing most dear, god is satisfied and he doesn't have to continue with the commanded infanticide.
You Know You're Reading a Myth When…
But here is an interesting point. When I included "Abraham and Isaac" in my response to the theist who contacted us, I asserted Isaac was Abraham's "only child"—that he was simply one of the "sacrifice your only child"-themed myths demonstrated in the Bible. Why is that interesting? Because Isaac was not Abraham's only child. Abraham had a first born son named Ishmael.
My first instinct was to cringe. How could I have made such an obvious error? I knew about Ishmael. And if I were a fundamentalist, I'd jump all over this mistake: Isaac's story is not an example of the "only child," because he was not an only child—how much more of a problem could I be confronted with? But more importantly, in considering the myth—why did my brain assign Isaac to "only child" status in this story?
Frankly, it is because Ishmael does not count, if we are reading the myth and not the literal content. Myths are symbolic, just like certain dreams. And as anyone with PTSD can tell you—if you have stress in your real life, it often leaks into your dreams. If we are experiencing something in life that leaves us stressed and feeling like we're not sure what to do, we might have something called the "maze" dream that will recur. Let's say we have the following three dreams during a week:
First Dream: I'm on my way to a doctor's appointment and I get to the building. I get on the elevator and realize I don't know which floor I'm supposed to go to. In the dream I am going floor to floor trying to find some sign to tell me where this doctor's office is. I'm getting increasingly frustrated and concerned that I'm missing my appointment. But no matter where I go or what floor I try, I can't find the office.
Second Dream: I'm driving down the highway, and I take a wrong exit. I try to get back on the highway, but I end up back on heading the wrong way. Meanwhile, I keep seeing signs I don't recognize, with place names that don't match anything on my map. The roads are getting more convoluted with twists and turns, and I'm getting upset.
Third Dream: I'm thirteen, and hiking in the woods. It is getting dark and I need to get home. But when I turn to go back down the path, it looks unfamiliar. The trees are not the same species, there is more underbrush, and a creek that wasn't there before. I desperately try to find the way back. And suddenly I'm aware of something ominous in the woods with me—a wolf or some such thing. I'm beginning to panic.
My counselor asks me if I've had any troubled recurring dreams, and I respond that while I've had a number of dreams this week that troubled me, they were all quite different—one was about hiking, one was about driving and one was about a doctor's appointment. And yet, from a "theme" perspective, the dreams were identical events. And a person who reads a fable as literal reality will not understand the message, the meaning, or the actual significance of the tale. In a word, he will entirely miss the point.
In the fable of Abraham, Ishmael is the son of a slave, not of Abraham's union with his wife. And Ishmael is sent from Abraham's house as a youth, and never mentioned in conjunction with Abraham again until he attends Abraham's funeral. As a "son" to Abraham, Ishmael has no meaning. Isaac is the "only son" in the only sense that matters in a myth. If I had the "dream" of Abraham and Isaac, and also the "dream" of Jephthah, those would constitute "the same dream"—embodying the same theme.
Now, while I see this as reasonable, I could not help but think that any fundamentalist would never accept this. They would assert I'm working up an elaborate excuse for my error. To those fundamentalists, I offer the Hebrews passage above from your own New Testament, where the author calls Isaac, as well, Abraham's "only son." But more importanly, the author of the original tale, as it comes to us today in Genesis 22:15-17, agrees with my interpretation as well. This is god's reply to Abraham, spoken through the angel that stayed Abrah
am's infanticidal stroke: "The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, 'I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you…'"
The character of Yahweh, in his omniscience, also seems to have forgotten Ishmael. If I am accused of error for distorting the meaning of the story—so must be the author of Genesis, so must be the author of Hebrews. The fact is that from a mythic standpoint, Ishmael is simply has no meaning as a "son" to Abraham.
He was only an element in the stories meant to account for some of the other neighboring Hebrew tribes. Where did these similar tribes come from? From Abraham as well—but from an inferior mother—Ishmael, the surrogate slave son. So, with some neighboring tribes, it appears the Hebrews admitted or believed some ancient kinship—but still asserted their heritage as the superior bloodline. And Ishmael is the fable accounting for that in the same way Romulus and Remus, twins raised by a she-wolf, account for Roman roots.
The story is legend, which is how it needs to be read. And the authors themselves support this reading. Is it based on some ancient personages? Maybe. But in our time, the idea that the tales are literal histories—undistorted facts—is simply not demonstrated as intended by the authors. We observe the theme of the "sacrifice of the only child"—in a story where the "only child" simply cannot be literally read.
Repeating Themes Flag Symbolic Language
And we see it as well in the New Testament, where Yahweh, the god who, we are told by modern Christians, reviles human sacrifice, executes his grand plan to bathe the word in the blood of the greatest human sacrifice ever made: The sacrifice of Yahweh's obedient, beloved "only child."
Once again, primed with stories from the Hebrew past, which show us that killing your only child is the best way to show you care, Yahweh demonstrates his merciful love of humanity (who, not to be forgotten, in no way deserves it), by offering up Jesus as a human blood sacrifice. That's his master plan of salvation: offering Himself a brutal and bloody human sacrifice, born out of historic themes of infanticide, somehow intended as a demonstration of tenderness. I don't know whether it's more amazing people believe this or that they even are capable of understanding it as coherent or reasonable in the modern age? This type of dysfunction would be patently condemned anywhere else in our society outside of religion.
While some may protest Jesus was a god—it's clear from abundant Biblical references that Yahweh was the father, Jesus was the son, and that Jesus was still described repeatedly as being human. From 1 Timothy's description that he "appeared in the flesh," to Galatians' assertion he was "born of a woman," there's no reasonable denying the humanity of Jesus described in scripture—even if, as a modern literalist, you assert he was also in some way god.
This is only one of many repeating themes in the Bible that should signal we're reading a myth. There are many others to choose from. In fact, Isaac demonstrates another—the usurpation of the first born son. But I'll save that for another post, since I'm overlong again already.


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LS Engines:
Holley Accessory Brackets
Holley has just introduced a simple and cost-effective solution that solves the accessory drive challenges when swapping a GM LS engine into a muscle car. These brackets were designed to deliver a factory-style appearance, correct belt alignment, and provide factory stability. These bracket kits are available with Corvette, F-body, or truck drive offsets, with or without A/C, and can be used with any water pump or balancer offset. They come with an OEM-quality natural finish for clean looks and durability, but can easily be painted, coated, or plated. Holley's kits come with all the necessary brackets and hardware needed for a complete installation, and allow you to choose the source for supplemental accessories and components that may have been supplied on the donor engine or host vehicle. Whether sourcing from the salvage yard, the local auto parts store, your GM parts dealer, or Holley, you pick the accessories that match your needs and budget.
Early Mustang:
DSE Mini-tubs
The DSE Deep Tubs are inner wheelhousings designed to accommodate wider tire and wheel packages, including tires as wide as 315mm for the 1964½-68 Mustang, or 335mm in the case of the '69-70 Mustang. The DSE Deep Tubs (PN 040405; price $400) will significantly reduce the number of hours required for a mini-tub project. They are designed for a perfect fit, they retain a stock appearance, and they're available exclusively through Detroit Speed. The Mustang Deep Tubs come with a replacement framerail section and double reinforcement plates to accommodate a wider rear tire. The Deep Tubs are up to 2.75 inches wider than stock, stamped from 18-gauge steel, and are made in the United States.
Detroit Speed & Engineering
Performance Tires:
Mickey Thompson Street Comp UHP
Mickey Thompson has just begun manufacturing their new Street Comp ultra-high performance (UHP) tire. This new tire uses Mickey Thompson's legendary race tire technology in a street tire that's perfect for modernized Pro Touring muscle cars that have been upgraded with performance brakes and suspension.
"The Street Comp is designed with American muscle cars in mind," says Ken Warner, VP Sales & Marketing, Mickey Thompson. "These cars have higher horsepower and torque, and need a UHP street tire with superior response and ride comfort. The Street Comp delivers it all, as well as the great style and competitive price you'd expect from Mickey Thompson." The Street Comp has a UTQG 300 AA A treadwear rating and a unique tread design for superior performance and responsive handling in both wet and dry conditions. The Street Comp is available in 18 popular Pro Touring sizes.
Mickey Thompson
Trim Restoration:
Eastwood Plastic Stapler
The Eastwood Company's Hot Stapler Electronic Plastic Repair System allows both professional and DIY guys to create strong, structural repairs in all types of plastics. The Eastwood Hot Stapler is a precision-engineered tool designed to make solid, permanent repairs of breaks, cracks, and tears in rigid or flexible plastic parts.
As you hold the wand in position and press the button, the staple heats up. When you see it start to melt the plastic, simply push it halfway into the plastic surface. The staple will be fused into the damaged, broken, or cracked plastic, and as the plastic cools, it creates a reinforced bridge between the two halves, restoring the plastic part to its original strength. Three heat settings allow you to work on a variety of plastic materials and thicknesses. Each of the three types of stainless steel staples (flat, wave, and corner) can be re-profiled to easily get into tight or hard-to-reach areas.
The Eastwood Hot Stapler ($199.99) is easy to use and has a wide variety of applications for automotive, power sports, hobby, and industrial uses, including urethane bumper covers, broken tabs, consoles and dashes, plastic toolboxes, headlamp assemblies, and much more. The convenient, all-inclusive Eastwood Hot Stapler Kit contains the hot stapler gun, power unit with power cord, stainless steel staples (100 each of flat, wave, and corner), and sturdy storage case.
LS Crate Motor:
Low-Cost 6.0-Liter From Summit
Stay out of the boneyard! This GM Goodwrench LQ4 6.0L remanufactured crate engine is the easy, cost-effective way to upgrade your muscle car to LS power. Rated at 345 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, the 6.0L LQ4 is under the hood of zillions of GM trucks and SUVs. Remanufactured to GM's rigid standards, this long-block is the most economical way to replace an older small-block with a modern powerplant—just add the EFI or the carb setup of your choice, ignition system components, and other external accessories and fire it up. Run it as assembled with EFI or carbs, or if you're ambitious, add a supercharger or nitrous; unlike LS engines with aluminum blocks, the LQ4's cast-iron block can handle the extra stress loads. At a price of just $3,331.95 (PN NAL-12491856, not including $300 core charge), it's a screamin' deal that puts your street machine in the 21st century for about the price of an old-school small-block. Comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile limited warranty, too!
Summit Racing
Water-Meth Injection:
Snow Comp-One System
Snow Performance's Comp-One is the first and only plug-and-play system that doesn't require you to have a shop retune your engine on a dyno to realize the full potential of water-methanol injection. The Comp-One simply plugs into your EFI vehicle's diagnostic port, and begins delivering optimum timing and air/fuel enhancements to achieve maximum power. The Comp-One eliminates the need to buy a separate tuner/reprogrammer, water-methanol injection system, gauges, diagnostic code reader/tool, and G-tech dynamometer because it's all included and functions through a single dash-mounted touch screen monitor.
"This system can deliver the 15-25 percent potential power increase of water-methanol injection in your boosted gasoline engine," claims Matt Snow, president of Snow Performance. "Having the tune with the water-methanol injection system is the missing link." The Comp-One (PN 48010) is designed for gasoline applications and fits popular GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicle applications.
Snow Performance


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At the recent 41st annual Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) conference in Pasadena, CA, Carole Ann Fabian, Edward C. (Ted) Goodman and Kai Alexis Smith of the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library at Columbia University were recognized individually for their contributions to ARLIS/NA and the profession.
Ms. Fabian, Director of Avery, formally joined the ARLIS/NA Executive Board as Vice President / President Elect. The Board installation at the April 28, 2013 ARLIS/NA membership meeting marked the beginning of her three-year term of office.
"ARLIS/NA provides a community context for exploring collaborative solutions to the most challenging issues in art and architecture librarianship," said Ms. Fabian. "From cooperative collection development strategies, to developing and sharing digital content, to advocating for open access policies for IP-constrained works, ARLIS/NA is uniquely positioned to inform the debate and initiate change. I look forward to working with ARLIS/NA Board and membership on these and other actions that will shape future directions for the Society and that will continue to support the professional development needs of art library professionals."
As Avery Director, Ms. Fabian oversees strategic directions and daily operations of the Avery Library including bibliographic and user services, and collection development for its extensive research collections and three special collections: Avery Drawings and Archives, Avery Classics, and the Office of Art Properties. She is also responsible for the publication and ongoing innovative development of the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals – the leading indexing and abstracting publication for the discipline.
Mr. Goodman, General Editor of the Avery Index, was awarded the ARLIS/NA Distinguished Service Award, the Society's highest honor, in recognition of his service to the organization and to the profession. The award was announced on Sunday April 28, 2013 at the convocation ceremonies followed by a gala reception.
"I am deeply honored and humbled to receive the ARLIS/NA Distinguished Service Award," said Mr. Goodman. "It is in ARLIS/NA that I found mentors, colleagues, and friends who shaped my career and inspired me as a professional."
Ted has been at Avery Library since 1984 and has been the General Editor of the Avery Index since 1986. The Avery Index offers a comprehensive listing of journal articles published worldwide on architecture and design, archaeology, city planning, interior design, landscape architecture, and historic preservation. Coverage is from the 1930s (with selective coverage dating back to the 1740s) to the present.
An ARLIS/NA member since 1983, Ted served in various leadership roles have ranged from committee memberships to two stints as ARLIS/NA Treasurer, and the roles of Vice President and President, including Co-Chair of two ARLIS/NA New York conferences in 1990 and 2004.
Avery intern Kai Alexis Smith received the Wolfgang M. Freitag Internship Award, honoring her achievements and named in memory of one of ARLIS/NA' founding members. The ARLIS/NA Internship award supports students preparing for a career in art librarianship or visual resources curatorship. Kai has chosen to use her award to help support her summer internship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Kai also received an Association of Research Libraries Career Enhancement Fellowship, which she will complete at the University of Michigan before beginning her ARLIS/NA internship.
Kai holds a BFA from the Pratt Institute in Writing for Publication and in May will receive her Masters in Information and Library Science, also from Pratt. Since May 2012, Kai has been an intern at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. In Avery's department of Drawings and Archives, she assisted processing of the Edgar Tafel archive; for her Columbia University Libraries' Ask A Librarian internship in Avery's Access Services department, she completed an e-book analysis project in the areas of Urban Planning, Fine Arts, and Architecture.
The Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library is one of the most comprehensive collections relating to architecture and the fine arts in the world. Avery collects a full range of primary and secondary sources for the advanced study of architecture, historic preservation, art history, decorative arts, city planning, real estate, and archaeology. The Library contains more than 600,000 volumes, including 40,000 rare books, and approximately 2,300 serials. Avery's Drawings and Archives collection includes more than 2 million architectural drawings and records. For more information, please visit the Avery website.


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Here's your chance to share a photo of your favorite tractor.
Tractor Trendsetters: Farmall Super M-TA
Written by Larry Gay
Transmissions for the first farm tractors provided one forward speed and one in reverse. A second forward speed was added when tractors began to be used for field work. By the 1920s, many tractors began to feature three forward speeds. Rubber tires introduced in the fall of 1932 resulted in a demand for a faster transport speed. Soon tractors were featuring four, five, or six forward speeds. However, changing gears required using the clutch which often resulted in the tractor coming to a stop. In 1954, International Harvester introduced the Farmall Super M-TA which enabled the operator to shift to a slower speed without engaging the clutch. This made the Farmall Super M-TA a tractor trendsetter.
The "TA" portion of the tractor's model number referred to the new transmission which IH described as a Torque-Amplifier drive. The Torque-Amplifier was a planetary-gear speed-reduction unit which was an addition to the regular 5-speed gearbox. It enabled the operator to shift from one of the regular speeds to a slower speed by pulling a lever while on-the-go without using the clutch. This resulted in a 48 percent increase in the pulling power and a 32 percent decrease in the travel speed. The operator could return to the regular speed by moving the lever in the opposite direction, again without using the clutch. The Torque-Amplifier was the first example of what is described today as a partial powershift transmission.
The Super M-TA's five regular forward speeds ranged from 2.5 to 16.7 miles per hour and engaging the Torque-Amplifier reduced the speeds to a range of 1.7 to 11.3 miles per hour. The Torque-Amplifier could be used to increase the pulling power when the tractor hit a tough spot when plowing or to slow the tractor when pulling a PTO-driven harvesting machine that encountered a heavier area of the crop. However, it could also be used to start pulling a heavy wagon in fifth-TA and then shift to regular fifth gear after getting the load moving.
The Farmall Super M-TA was a 4-plow, 4-row cultivating tractor which was rated at 48 belt horsepower with its 4-cylinder, 264-cubic-inch International gasoline or diesel engine. The Torque-Amplifier transmission provided ten forward speeds and two in reverse. The combination of the TA transmission, the independent PTO, and the live hydraulics provided flexibility during harvesting operations. The Farmall Super M-TA offered a choice of dual front wheels, adjustable front axle, or single front wheel. Operator convenience was provided with a hydraulic shock absorber seat and double-disc brakes.
Larry Gay is the author of four tractor books published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, including Guide to Oliver Tractors and Guide to Ford Tractors. The four books may be obtained from ASABE by calling 800-695-2723.
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More than 2,000 workers, executives, and human resources officers will convene this week in Minneapolis for a major conference on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in the workplace.
The gathering will help companies navigate the range of laws tied to gay and lesbian issues, said Selisse Berry, executive director of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the San Francisco-based nonprofit sponsoring the conference.
"I think there are 14 states where we can be married and still there are 29 states where LGBT people can be fired simply for being who we are, as lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people," Berry said. "HR professionals are throwing their hands up and pulling their hair out trying to equalize benefits across the board."
Many of the companies coming to the event are multinationals sending representatives from around the world. Some of the conference sessions will address the demands of a global workforce.
The international landscape for gay and lesbian workers is "obviously very complicated, given that we can be married in 16 countries and yet homosexuality is still illegal in 76 countries around the globe," Berry said.
Minneapolis was chosen as the site of her group's15th annual summit before state lawmakers legalized gay marriage in Minnesota, she added.


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I've seen some of the older posts about kiting on Big Island, but thought I'd ask in a new post 'cause kiting gets bigger every year, and there's now a free place for me to stay, so hoping to get some kiting in on the big island.
What time of year is good and bad? kite size? I'm only 140lbs so 7m is my Squamish kite, and 10m is my light wind set up.
Is Anaehoomalu Bay the go-to spot?
Some posts make it sound pretty sketchy. Is it? I've been recreational kiting for about 7 years now, pretty confident, but I do still occasionally do something stupid that leads to a long walk or at our local beach it's just a quick and free jetski pick up. I don't want to end up drifting to Tahiti or beyond. One of those 'bring a buddy' kind of spots?
thanks everyone


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The Arches and Quintuplet Clusters Near the Milky Way's Galactic Center
Penetrating 25,000 light-years of obscuring dust and myriad stars, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided the clearest view yet of a pair of the largest young clusters of stars inside our Milky Way galaxy, located less than 100 light-years from the very center of the Galaxy. Having the equivalent mass greater than 10,000 stars like our sun, the monster clusters are ten times larger than typical young star clusters scattered throughout our Milky Way. Both clusters are destined to be ripped apart in just a few million years by gravitational tidal forces in the Galaxy's core. But in the brief time they are around, they shine more brightly than any other star cluster in the Galaxy.
Arches cluster (left): The more compact Arches cluster is so dense, over 100,000 of its stars would fill a spherical region in space whose radius is the distance between the Sun and its nearest neighbor, the star Alpha Centauri, 4.3 light-years away. At least 150 of its stars are among the brightest ever seen in the Galaxy.
Quintuplet cluster (right): This 4-million-year-old cluster is more dispersed than the Arches cluster. It has stars on the verge of blowing up as supernovae. It is the home of the brightest star seen in the Galaxy, called the Pistol star.
Both pictures were taken in infrared light by Hubble's NICMOS camera in September 1997. The false colors correspond to infrared wavelengths. The galactic center stars are white, the red stars are enshrouded in dust or behind dust, and the blue stars are foreground stars between us and the Milky Way's center.
The clusters are hidden from direct view behind black dust clouds in the constellation Sagittarius. If the clusters could be seen from Earth they would appear to the naked eye as a pair of third magnitude "stars," 1/6th of a full moon's diameter apart.


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About Us
The Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) was founded in 1931 to advocate for justice in the community and to assist its lawyer members reach and exceed the highest levels of legal skills and ethics.
Today, this revered institution has over 5,600 members practicing in all areas of the law and throughout the Los Angeles region, who share a commitment to professional excellence and service. It is the largest voluntary bar association in the State (that is not a county bar association), and the fifth largest metropolitan bar association in California.
For more than eight decades, BHBA lawyers have enjoyed the sense of solidarity with their distinguished peers that membership brings; the sense of accomplishment that professional advancement produces; and the sense of selflessness that public service engenders.
They participate in the work of the Association through its Sections, Committees, task forces, and the Barristers. And they find plenty of time for networking and socializing at our many parties and events.
Achieving Our Mission
Our Mission: To serve our members, to lead our profession, and to advocate for justice in our community.
We Serve: To enhance our members' ability to serve their clients, the Beverly Hills Bar Association produces more than 200 continuing legal education programs and special events in nearly all substantive areas of the law. The Association's abundant calendar boasts frequent professional and leadership growth opportunities, networking events, pro bono services, public service programs, and legislative advocacy activities.
We Lead: The Beverly Hills Bar Association is nationally recognized as a leading bar association, and as an active, activist group. We take pride in developing leadership qualities within our membership, and in our willingness to take action to uphold and enhance the law – in our own communities, and far beyond. Our leadership positions have included acting on behalf of Pakistanis when their constitution was suspended, and in favor of same-sex marriage in California, where the Supreme Court opinion mirrored our lead amicus brief.
We Advocate: Our robust advocacy efforts are rooted in the Association's depression-era origins, and continue daily though the legal services our members provide to the underserved. We are perhaps best known for founding Public Counsel in 1970. The first and largest pro bono public interest law firm in the United States, Public Counsel now assists nearly 10,000 indigent and unrepresented clients annually.
Our Vision: A world in which there is justice for everyone.


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VA History Museum to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
August 11, 2009
News Article: Victoraadvocate.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Museum of Natural History is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The Martinsville museum says it is holding a Founder's Day Open House on Aug. 29 as part of the celebration. It will include free admission and supervised behind-the-scenes access to selected labs and collections storage areas.
Officials say the museum has experienced steady growth since its founding and has earned recognition as one of the nation's leading museums in its field. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums, a distinction earned by fewer than 10 percent of museums in the United States.
The museum also became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in 2004.


text: Broadcast quality footage from a hospital in Mogadishu where patients are treated from wounds suffered during the violence which has overtaken the city. WFP is providing hot meals to patients in six hospitals in the Somali capital. Similar meals are provided to over 92,000 people in Mogadishu everyday at feeding centres around the city.


text: I'm running Cyrus Imap 2.1.22. For quite a long time, I've had a series of nested folders and files that can't be deleted. I have tried rebuilding the index and the mailbox, no no avail. I have permissions to delete on it. My client is Thunderbird 16.x. I have removed a bunch of files on the client side, but even setting up a new computer brings down these ghost files and folders, so I don't think this is a client issue. I'm trying to understand why this happens but how to really get rid of them. I know I can just back the account up and delete, then create a new one (which I'm about to do), but that's a last resort. Anyone else run into this odd problem?