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While writing Female characters exist to promote male leads for network profits, I realized something I had never quite put together in so many words. It's important enough to deserve its own article (thanks, Bellatrys!), so here it is: my screenwriting professors taught me not to write scripts that passed the Bechdel/Mo Movie Measure/"Dykes To Watch Out For" test, and I can tell you why, and this needs to be known.
The "Dykes to Watch Out For" test, formerly coined as the "Mo Movie Measure" test and Bechdel Test, was named for the comic strip it came from, penned by Alison Bechdel – but Bechdel credits a friend named Liz Wallace, so maybe it really should be called the Liz Wallace Test…? Anyway, the test is much simpler than the name. To pass it your movie must have the following:
1) there are at least two named female characters, who
2) talk to each other about
3) something other than a man.
So simple, and yet as you go through all your favorite movies (and most of your favorite TV shows, though there's a little more variety in TV), you find very few movies pass this test.
It's not a coincidence. It's not that there aren't enough women behind the camera (there aren't, but that's not the reason). Here's what we're up against (and for those who have requested a single post that summarizes my experiences in film for linking reference, now you've got it).
When I started taking film classes at UCLA, I was quickly informed I had what it took to go all the way in film. I was a damn good writer, but more importantly (yeah, you didn't think good writing was a main prerequisite in this industry, did you?) I understood the process of rewriting to cope with budget (and other) limitations. I didn't hesitate to rip out my most beloved scenes when necessary. I also did a lot of research and taught myself how to write well-paced action/adventure films that would be remarkably cheap to film – that was pure gold.
There was just one little problem.
I had to understand that the audience only wanted white, straight, male leads. I was assured that as long as I made the white, straight men in my scripts prominent, I could still offer groundbreaking characters of other descriptions (fascinating, significant women, men of color, etc.) – as long as they didn't distract the audience from the white men they really paid their money to see.
I was stunned. I'd just moved from a state that still held Ku Klux Klan rallies only to find an even more insidious form of bigotry in California – running an industry that shaped our entire culture. But they kept telling me lots of filmmakers wanted to see the same changes I did, and if I did what it took to get into the industry and accrue some power, then I could start pushing the envelope and maybe, just maybe, change would finally happen. So I gave their advice a shot.
Only to learn there was still something wrong with my writing, something unanticipated by my professors. My scripts had multiple women with names. Talking to each other. About something other than men. That, they explained nervously, was not okay. I asked why. Well, it would be more accurate to say I politely demanded a thorough, logical explanation that made sense for a change (I'd found the "audience won't watch women!" argument pretty questionable, with its ever-shifting reasons and parameters).
At first I got several tentative murmurings about how it distracted from the flow or point of the story. I went through this with more than one professor, more than one industry professional. Finally, I got one blessedly telling explanation from an industry pro: "The audience doesn't want to listen to a bunch of women talking about whatever it is women talk about."
"Not even if it advances the story?" I asked. That's rule number one in screenwriting, though you'd never know it from watching most movies: every moment in a script should reveal another chunk of the story and keep it moving.
He just looked embarrassed and said, "I mean, that's not how I see it, that's how they see it."
Right. A bunch of self-back-slapping professed liberals wouldn't want you to think they routinely dismiss women in between writing checks to Greenpeace. Gosh, no – it was they. The audience. Those unsophisticated jackasses we effectively worked for when we made films. They were making us do this awful thing. They, the man behind the screen. They, the six-foot-tall invisible rabbit. We knew they existed because there were spreadsheets with numbers, and no matter how the numbers computed, they never added up to, "Oh, hey, look – men and boys are totally watching Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley like it's no big deal they're chicks instead of guys." They always somehow added up to "Oh, hey, look – those effects/that Arnold's so awesome, men and boys saw this movie despite some chick in a lead role."
According to Hollywood, if two women came on screen and started talking, the target male audience's brain would glaze over and assume the women were talking about nail polish or shoes or something that didn't pertain to the story. Only if they heard the name of a man in the story would they tune back in. By having women talk to each other about something other than men, I was "losing the audience."
Was I?
There certainly are still men in this world who tune out women when we talk, but – as I and other students pointed out – this was getting less common with every generation, and weren't we supposed to be targeting the youngest generation? These young men had grown up with women imparting news on national TV (even I can remember when that was rare), prescribing them medicine, representing people around them in court, doling out mortgages and loans. Those boys wouldn't understand those early '80s movies where women were denied promotions because "the clients want to deal with men" or "who would take a woman doctor/lawyer/cop seriously"? A lot of these kids would need it explained to them why Cagney & Lacey was revolutionary, because many of their moms had worked in fields once dominated by men.
We had a whole generation too young to remember why we needed second wave feminism, for cryin' out loud, and here we were adhering to rules from the 1950s. I called bullshit, and left film for good, opting to fight the system from without. There was no way Hollywood really believed what it was saying about boys who'd grown up with Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor as action heroes, and so there was no way to change the system from within. I concluded Hollywood was was dominated by perpetual pre-adolescent boys making the movies they wanted to see, and using the "target audience" – a construct based on partial truths and twisted math – to perpetuate their own desires. Having never grown up, they still saw women the way Peter Pan saw Wendy: a fascinating Other to be captured, treasured and stuffed into a gilded cage. Where we didn't talk. To each other. About anything other than men.
Follow-up post: Why discriminate if it doesn't profit?


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When it comes to shopping, the Web offers convenience, choice and information. As a result, consumers continue to move more of their shopping online, or make in-store purchase decisions that are "Web-influenced" first. Online retail sales in the U.S. are forecast to grow to $250 billion by 2014. This growth presents a tremendous opportunity for companies with a Web presence to grow their customer base and provide top-notch customer service and sales within the online environment itself.
It's not surprising that online chat is gaining more attention as a growing customer service delivery method — especially with evidence of significantly increased sales ROI as well as some of the highest customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores over phone or in-store purchases. What is surprising, however, is that a number of leading online companies do not offer chat, especially chat for sales, despite growing consumer preference for it. And when chat is offered, the overall customer experience can be improved.
This slideshow highlights TELUS International's best practices for online sales chat, derived from industry research commissioned through SPOT Consulting, an independent consulting firm.
Related Topics : Box.net, IT Management Automation, SharePoint, Facebook, T-Mobile
Enterprise social collaboration solutions are most successful when they contribute to business value and benefits that address company goals. ... More >>
Chosen carefully, collaboration tools will save time, cut costs and reduce complications associated with storing and retrieving documents throughout a company's operations. ... More >>
With the consumerization of AR, it appears the technology is finally within arm's reach for those savvy enterprises willing to reach out and grab it. ... More >>

subset: commoncrawl


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2 Comments
I know the shutters are just for show and do not operate, I still think they are installed upside down. A working shutter is to enable the window to be covered during a storm yet still provide ventalation. Looking at the shutters and assuming they were working shutters, when you swing the shutter in front of the window to secure it, the shutter panels would be turned up allowing rain to enter the room instead of shingling over each to deflect the rain away.


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Park Duynvallei
Holiday park
Heereweg 355,
Holiday park description
Park Duynvallei lies on the coast of North Holland near the breathtaking Schoorl Dunes National Park, possessing the widest and highest dunes in the Netherlands.
- Schoorl Dunes National Park
- Sauna, hot tub and steam room
- Luxury accommodations
Frequently asked questions about the holiday park
Can I check in earlier than is stated? Yes, that is possible.
What are the opening times of the reception? The reception is open from 09:00 until 17:00.
Does the accommodation have its own parking space? All accommodations have their own parking space.
Are pets allowed in the accommodation? Pets are allowed in some of the accommodations.
Are there smoke free accommodations available? No, the park is non-smoking.
Are the accommodations suitable for disabled people? There are unfortunately no accommodations suitable for disabled people.
Can I state a preference for the location of the accommodation? No, you can not specify a preference for the location of the room.
Are there any accommodations suitable for babies? It is possible for babies to stay in all of the accommodations.
Are there any cottages available with open fires? There are no accommodations that feature a fireplace
How far is the park from public transport? The nearest bus stop is "Houtendijk" and is located 0.1km from the park.
Does the park have a restaurant? The park does not have a restaurant.
Does the park have a subtropical swimming pool? No, the park does not have a subtropical swimming paradise.
Does the park have a supermarket? There is no supermarket.
What facilities are there for children?
The following is available:
- Childcare service
Can I rent bicycles from the park? Yes
Are there any possibilities for fishing at the park? No.
What sport and leisure activities are available at the park?
The following is available:
- Wagon rental
- Bicycle rental service
- Canoe rental
Is there (wireless) Internet available at the park? Yes, there is wifi available in the park.
Does the park have any spa or wellness facilities, such as a sauna? The park does not have spa facilities.
Frequently asked questions about booking
Top 10 Questions
How does the booking work?
Have you found a holiday cottage or other accommodation that meets your needs? You can book either online or over the telephone.
You can call us on: +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m). Our Service Desk can be reached by phone at the following times: Monday - Friday (9:00 to 22:00), Saturday (10:00 to 18:00) and Sunday (10:00 to 18:00) (Central European Time, GMT +1).
Would you like to book over the internet? Choose the holiday park and the type of accommodation you want, specify the dates, and click on book. Follow these easy steps and your booking will soon be complete. Half an hour after the booking (both over the Internet and by telephone), an e-mail will be sent to you for confirmation. Here, you will find your booking number.
When will I receive confirmation of my booking?
Within half an hour of the booking, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. If you have not received an e-mail within half an hour, please check your junk mail. If you still can't find your confirmation, then we suggest that you get in touch with our Service Desk on +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m) or fill out the contact form. In order for us to help you as quickly as possible, please have the following information available:
* the name in which the booking was made;
* the name of the holiday park;
* the arrival date;
* the booking number (if known).
Is it possible to change a booking after it's been made?
To change a booking (e.g. to another date), please contact our Service Desk on +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m). Changes are always upon request and will only be confirmed if the holiday park is in agreement.
HolidayParkSpecials charges no change fees. However, it may be that the park charges an additional fee (depending on the type of change). If the park does charge change fees, the costs are obviously always discussed with you.
How can I cancel my booking?
The booking can be cancelled using a link in the confirmation e-mail. If you no longer have the e-mail, please contact our Service Desk by calling +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m).
Please note that in most cases, the holiday park will charge a cancellation fee. The amount of the fee depends on how late you cancel the booking. For this reason, we always recommend cancellation insurance. We also advise you to contact our Service Desk by telephone to ask whether the booking can be moved to a different date.
What is the difference between cancellation conditions and cancellation insurance? All holiday parks have cancellation conditions and these vary per park. In these conditions, it is stated whether the holiday park will charge a cancellation fee. Cancellation insurance is insurance against financial loss resulting from the cancellation of a booking. HolidayparkSpecials does not offer a cancellation insurance at the moment. You are free to arrange one yourself with an external party.
Prices and availability of accommodation may vary daily; why is that?
The prices of the selected accommodation are made according to flexible rates. Holiday parks can change prices and availibility 24 hours per day on HolidayParkSpecials.co.uk. Depending on availability, the parks can still apply a price change to the current rate.
The current prices and availability can be found on the information pages of the relevant holiday parks. For more information, please contact our Service Desk on +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m).
How can I get in touch with HolidayParkSpecials.co.uk? If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our Service Desk on +31 23-3024901 (10ct. p/m). We are available at the following times: Monday - Friday (9:00 to 22:00), Saturday (10:00 to 18:00) and Sunday (10:00 to 18:00) (Central European Time, GMT +1).
Can I book accommodation with a special preference/requirement? It is always possible to pass on your special preferences or requests to the holiday park. For example, you may require disabled facilities, or you may prefer a smoke/pet free accommodation. The possibilities vary per holiday park and accommodation type. We therefore advise you to contact our Service Desk regarding your special preferences or requirements on +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. / Min) or fill out the contact form. Our employees can thus examine the possibilities so that we can meet your specific needs.
When do I have to pay for my accommodation costs? The payment conditions vary by park. For more information about the payment, you can contact the booked park directly. In most cases, you will receive an invoice from the holiday park within a few days of making your booking. If there is sufficient time, you should meet the transaction needs before your stay in the holiday park. The park can also request a deposit. The invoice specifies the required payment method(s). For more information about the payment, you can contact the holiday park directly.
Can I bring my pet with me? Each holiday park has its own policies regarding pets. Some parks do not allow pets at all, and in other cases it varies according to the type of accommodation. In most cases, there is an additional fee for bringing a pet. The costs can be found on the information page of the relevant holiday park. Are you bringing a pet with you? Always report it when making your booking to avoid problems (or additional costs). For more information about pet access to the holiday park of your choice, please contact our Service Desk on +31 23-3024901 (10 ct. p/m) or fill out the contact form.


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Historically, Silicon Valley and Seattle have been seen as the tech meccas of the U.S., but over the last decade or two, this has begun to change, especially when it comes to tech startups. Today, strong epicenters of tech innovation are popping up all over the U.S. This idea is supported by a number of recent studies on employment trends by firms such as Glassdoor and Dice, as well as Mintigo, a predictive marketing firm in San Mateo, Calif. Mintigo recently published their top 10 list of geekiest cities in the U.S.
Don Tennant recently spoke with Tal Segalov, CTO and co-founder of Mintigo, to find out more about their list and the factors that went into compiling it.
"Mintigo tracks thousands of indicators that identify all kinds of activities in companies," Segalov said. "We have a very good view into company technology usage—people with specific expertise, what hiring they are doing and have done in the past, and platforms they have deployed." He said they took into account "all software and hardware engineering indicators," including operating systems, platforms, and computer languages. Other factors included technology usage patterns; news and PR mentions about technology topics; and website mentions of relevant topics.
This slideshow features the top tech hubs and geekiest cities in the U.S.
Related Topics : A Big Market for Big Data Jobs, Midmarket CIO, IT Management Automation, SharePoint, Technology Markets
The gig economy is clearly disrupting the tech industry, both in positive and negative ways. ... More >>
Is fake news a security issue? Some say yes, as it can be used as a social engineering tool to spread disinformation and conceivably to get unsuspecting users to click on malicious links. ... More >>
Executives at several top tech firms outline the skills they need now and in the near future, including IaaS and IoT security expertise. Other skills listed may surprise you. ... More >>


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Let it be said that Presents For Sally is a real gift. A gift that will stay close to your heart and ears for many, many years to come. A real gem amongst the many flash in the pans clamoring for your listening attention.
Presents For Sally are husband and wife team Matt and Anna Etherton, joined by drummer Luke Feierabend who also sorts out effects and other accompanying noises. Located just outside the seaport city of Bristol, England, you will often find them playing and carousing in town, often with Bristol's The Fauns.
Though Matt is originally from Maidstone, Kent, he eventually moved to Glastonbury where he met Anna. Anna had decided that she wanted to establish a band so she put an ad up in a local Glastonbury record shop seeking a guitarist. Matt got the gig and the band was called Tilted Exposure which sounded more like an early Hole and PJ Harvey hybrid. As time went along, Anna and Matt worked on their own musical ideas and demos, one of which was to become their debut single, "Catch Your Fall" which was one of their works that got them recognition to a niche of Shoegazers around the world.
We were also gifted with Presents For Sally when they released a track on the 2008 compilation The Secret Garden Vol 1: (Nu-gaze: The New Wave of Shoegaze) which was released on Geoff Barrow's Invada Records label. Yes, folks, Geoff Barrow from the renowned Bristol Trip-Hop innovators, Portishead. Their track "Flowers Falling Sideways" was one of the highlights of the album which is very reminiscent of the sweet blissful drones of those other great British Shoegazers, Air Formation. You will find them nestled snuggly amongst other such Nu-Gaze favorites as Thought Forms , 93MillionMilesFromTheSun, Rumskib, Malory, Kyte, Soundpool, Fleeting Joys, The Fauns, Butterfly Explosion, Orange Yellow Red, Amusement Parks On Fire and Ulrich Schnauss. A collection that helped to make all of these names familiar to the world of Nu-Gaze.
Along the way, there were a series of live appearances, the official 7″ vinyl single release of "Catch Your Fall" backed with "Smooch", lots of thoughtful and careful writing, recording and mixing. Eventually, November 2010 brought us the release of Presents For Sally's debut full length album, A Touch Of Joy, A Touch Of Sadness on Michael Savage's of The Fauns Laserghost Records.
Having made an impression within the Shoegaze community, don't be fooled by thinking that this is the only sound the band chooses to work with. Between the three of them, they bring a whole host of interests and influences which can be heard in their various selections throughout the album. Bits and pieces of Grunge, Shoegaze, Madchester, Hip Hop, Punk and Post Rock can all be found throughout the disc yet in a very complementary and cohesive manner which proves to us that Presents For Sally have their own unique sound they can proudly call their own.
It's not just the music that has garnered the attention of many but also their gorgeous bright and colorful cover art which is bound to catch the eye of anyone strolling through the aisles of their local record shops or online vendors. The kind you intentionally place in the front of your own collection just to decorate your humblest of abodes. Credit goes to Anna for the arrangement and designs and Luke took the photographs. The beautiful candy colors reveal the playful innocence and lush washes of what you will hear inside.
Hoping to be an active part of the upcoming Record Store Day this April, Presents For Sally are putting their efforts together to release a one off single. Time and funds are of the essence so we shall have to see. A couple years ago the band released a CD single for the event and appreciated being able to be a part of the whole experience.
Other possibilities in the works; again, depending mostly on funds; is a 7″ vinyl release featuring one of the 7 or 8 new tracks they've got stashed away and hopefully a 12″ EP of the title song from "A Touch Of Joy, A Touch Of Sadness" with 3 of their newer tracks.
On the tour front, Presents For Sally are in the process of rehearsing live shows and hoping to broaden their reach. Wanting to fill out their sound, they are looking to expand to a full band. This will allow them to abandon some of the backing tracks they've previously used for live shows and reserving them for cool beefed up effects such as backwards guitars and various washes. Depending less on backing tracks, they expect their live performances to have a much rawer sound. They also plan to have more input from the entire band with writing for the new album. Could we hear a whole new sound from Presents For Sally? You'll just have to stay tuned to Air Atlantic Underground Radio and stay current with the band to find out.
In the meantime, Presents For Sally has provided the listeners of Air Atlantic Underground Radio and the readers of the Air Atlantic Underground website the distinct honor of obtaining free downloads of several of their new songs. These are all exclusive presents for you from Presents For Sally and Air Atlantic Underground Radio.
Presents from Presents For Sally:
Presents For Sally – (Promo Demo B Side) – A Different Kind Of Crazy (An Air Atlantic Underground Radio Exclusive!)
Presents For Sally – (Promo B Side) – Three (An Air Atlantic Underground Radio Exlusive!)
Presents For Sally – (Brand New Demo) – Needing You More (An Air Atlantic Underground Radio Exclusive!)
To get polished up and completed official releases from Presents For Sally, below you will find links to various vendors that sell Presents For Sally CDs, vinyl and digital MP3s. Listed also are a few locations where you can find Presents For Sally around the net. Go 'Like' and befriend them to keep up with the latest updates and be the first to find out about their new album, currently in production. At the moment, all Presents For Sally products have been limited to UK releases but easy enough to procure from other parts of the world. (Hint: look below.) That may well change very soon as the band are currently talking with a few distributors hoping to put out a few US releases.
Presents For Sally on MySpace
Presents For Sally Facebook page (Go 'Like' and say 'Hi')
Presents For Sally on Soundclound
Presents For Sally shop
Presents For Sally – A Touch of Joy, a Touch of Sadness MP3s via Amazon
Presents For Sally CD via Amazon UK
Presents For Sally on iTunes
PS: To date, Presents For Sally are the winners of the Best of 2010 on Air Atlantic Underground Radio poll. This poll is probably still open so go place your votes.


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Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams
By Rich Cohen
Simon & Schuster; 288 pages; $25
The following are fields in which Jewish men are believed to excel: gastroenterology, the violin, political consulting, the domination of world financial markets, and particle physics. One field in which it is believed we do poorly, however, is beating people up. We are, the stereotype has it, lousy fighters, and this rankles. Some of us respond to this slander by embracing, in the words of the cultural critic Daniel Boyarin, our "sissy heritage" and taking up, among other things, the study of Yiddish (not for nothing is it known as "mama-loshen," the mother tongue). Others move in the opposite direction and join the Israeli army, where Yiddish, the language of our sissy exile, is most definitely not spoken. Still others take up ice hockey.
And there are those who steel themselves with memories of our gangster past. Men with names such as Kid Twist and Gyp the Blood and Pittsburgh Phil once roamed the Jewish ghettos. These gangsters were as tough as the Irish and as powerful as the Italian mob, and when I discovered this fact at age 12 or so, it thrilled me. This reaction is easy to understand: I was, at the time, facing the oppression of anti-Semitic schoolyard thugs, and in my revenge-fantasies, Bugsy Siegel and Gurrah Shapiro were lining up on my side, blackjacks in hand.
Of course, all this was happening when I was 12. By the time I hit 16, my understanding of Jewish gangsters had become substantially more nuanced. Great nicknames and fists aside, I began to recognize these Jewish gangsters as fools and thugs who preyed on their own communities, robbed the Jewish poor, and murdered their own people.
Rich Cohen, author of a new book titled Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams, doesn't get this fact. For Cohen, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, the Jewish gangsters are the purest expression of the Jewish spirit and the means through which he defines his own Jewishness.
There are two books here. One is a very bad book of social history, defined by Cohen's tendency to make up facts–"imagine" is his word–when he doesn't know something: "I do not know what [Yasha Katzenberg] looked like," he writes, "but I have tried to imagine him. I see his eyes as mirrors, reflecting not what he is looking at, but what he will see: mountains, rivers, wars. I imagine him tall and slender, wearing a hood, taking his time–something long prophesied, a nomad who has crossed wastes to get here."
The second book is his attempt to portray himself as a spiritual heir to the Jewish gangsters. He does this by striking a tough guy pose throughout, a pose that fails to hide his sense of physical inadequacy, which he blames on his Jewishness:
When I was growing up, any mention of Jews as Jews would make me cringe. Other than my parents, I really knew of only one type of Jew: cerebral bourgeois kids-to-college suburbanites. Do Jews get drunk? Do Jews trash hotel rooms? Do Jews defend themselves? Questions I never thought to ask.
His father is different, he maintains, by dint of his Brooklyn roots. Cohen writes affectionately and ad nauseam about his father and his father's aging, Brooklyn-born schemer-friends, who sit in delis blowing hard about the glories of tough Jews. One of his father's best friends is Larry King, and these passages are charming only if you believe that being in a room with four people just like King would be charming.
Cohen believes his book is revolutionary, a violation of a taboo against speaking about Jewish gangsters. Jews, he writes, "have pushed aside the image of the gangster: Forget. Forget when you were bullies. When I tell old Jews about this book, … the blood drains from their faces." Cohen is infuriated by this purported tendency to suppress the gangster past and is even more angered by attempts to make light of it. "I once heard a comedian refer jokingly to the Jewish Mafia," he writes. "The mere mention of a Jewish gang broke up the audience. … Sometimes, when I see this comedian's bit rerun on cable, I imagine Pep Strauss"–a hit man in the hit-man organization called Murder Inc.–"entering stage left and cutting him belly to chin."
I will put aside Cohen's bizarre dreams of violence for a moment to address the idea that the memory of Jewish gangsters has been suppressed, which, of course, is not the case. Just because Cohen didn't know about Siegel and Dutch Schultz doesn't mean everyone else didn't. The subject of Jewish gangsterism has been well mined in recent years by both historians and Hollywood: Albert Fried's The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Gangster in America and Jenna Weissman Joselit's Our Gang: Jewish Crime and the New York Jewish Community–1900-1940 are two recent additions to the nonfiction literature, and films such as Once Upon a Time in America and Bugsy feature Jewish criminality. When Cohen is not "imagining" history, he rewrites other people's research, sometimes mangling quotes during his copying, as he did when he took a quote from a 1951 book, Murder, Inc.: The Story of "the Syndicate," by, also about Jewish gangsters. Even the title of Cohen's book and its cover art–a brass-knuckled fist–are lifted directly from a book published eight years ago, Paul Breines'Tough Jews: Political Fantasies and the Moral Dilemma of American Jewry, which analyzes the psychological underpinnings of the cult of Jewish toughness born after Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War.
Cohen hits bottom when he compares the gangster Louis Lepke's flight from justice to the plight of Anne Frank, and when he compares his own grandfather to a drug dealer. "When I think of someone like Tolly Greenberg, I think of my grandpa Ben," he writes. "The same restless energy drove both men toward invention. Ben worked in a diner and was tired of clunky sugar dispensers and so converted an existing piece of machinery, a tea bagger, creating the first sugar packet. Tolly worked in narcotics and knew there was a Southern market for drugs and so converted an existing piece of machinery, creating the first morphine pill. … I would like to say Tolly was working for evil, my grandfather for good, but I don't know if it's that simple."
This is stuff that defies analysis. Cohen has written a book that he undoubtedly believes extols heroes and explains a suppressed bit of Jewish history, but what he has done is expose the architecture of his own pathology. He wants desperately to be a thug, because that is the only way he knows to be Jewish. Instead of writing this book–and book-writing is surely a job for sissies–he should have gone out and beat someone up or sold drugs. Then his pathetic self-loathing might have been exorcised.
I am not opposed to Jewish toughness. Breines, in the original ToughJews, argues that the Holocaust disfigured the Jewish soul, turning the victims of fascist persecution into the fascist persecutors of another people, the Palestinians. But Breines is avowedly anti-Israel, and he sees any expression of Jewish self-defense as a sign of nationalism gone awry. To my mind, though, Jewish toughness of the sort that was in evidence in Entebbe, Uganda, 22 years ago, when armed Jews flew thousands of miles to rescue Jewish innocents from death, was one of the great moments in post-Holocaust Jewish history–a statement to the world that Jews will no longer sit idly by and watch themselves being oppressed. Jewish toughness was seen in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis and in the sacrifices of Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman in Mississippi in 1964. Also, Lou Reed is tough.
The presence of Bugsy Siegel and Kid Twist in our recent history does not mean we are a tough people. At most, it means we are simply a people like any other.
If you missed our link to a comparison of two versions of Jewish mob history–Cohen's and Turkus and Feder's–click.


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The Vampire Diaries
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder Break Up: What Went Wrong?
The Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev split broke their fans' hearts and have left many still wondering what exactly went wrong. The Vampire Diaries co-stars have still not exchanged a public word since the news of their break up after three years of dating. At the recent CW Upfronts event, the former couple entered separately and appeared to studiously be avoiding each other. What on Earth happened to Ian and Nina?
Despite their lack of communication in public, the news of Nina and Ian's breakup included claims the two still remain friends. Nina Dobrev still has the couple's cat in her custody, and Ian loves his cats, so we can only assume they are still talking privately. Have to take care of the feline babies no matter what!
Whether Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder really are still on speaking terms or not, we can't help but ponder what exactly made them reportedly break up in the first place. In a recent interview with Germany's Bravo magazine, Ian might have just given us a clue to at least one reason behind the split.
"I would be happy if a woman would just go for dinner with me, rather than wanting my babies straight away!" The Vampire Diaries star said. Could Ian possibly be taking a dig at his former lover? Was she moving too fast toward starting a family? Or was he just talking about his new single dating life and how hard it is to find someone who doesn't immediately want to jump into marriage and family planning?
Previously, an anonymous source allegedly close to the couple said it was actually Ian who was pushing Nina to get married and take their relationship to the next level. "Ian was starting to talk marriage while Nina's just getting started on her career," an insider reportedly told In Touch Weekly. "Nina still loves him but isn't ready to make that huge commitment. She's just too young for Ian."
At 24, Nina is ten years younger than 34-year-old Ian, and that has also been touted as a possibly reason they couldn't work things out. Another source told Us Weekly that Nina "felt it was too early to take things to the next level." A source for Life & Style added that Nina might be ready in another "10 years" but she's just too young right now.
So now that Ian is single again, it sounds like maybe he's decided he's too young to be wanting to settle down yet either. Or perhaps it was Nina who wanted to move too fast all along and those anonymous "sources" got it all wrong.
What do you think? Do you think it was Ian or Nina who wanted to take things too fast? Or was there some other reason they broke up that we just may never know?


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The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, contains all three classic games (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3) available for download. All three games are complete versions of their original and can now be played online.
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Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection software © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Other Ocean. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection, Mortal Kombat, the dragon logo, and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.(s12)
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Major Section: RELEASE-NOTES
The Version_2.7 notes are divided into the subtopics below. Here we give only a brief summary of a few of the changes that seem most likely to impact existing proofs. Not included in this brief summary, but included in the subtopics, are descriptions of improvements (including bug fixes and new functionality) that should not get in the way of existing proof efforts.
In particular, please see note-2-7-new-functionality for discussion of a number of new features that you may find useful.
Acknowledgements and elaboration, as well as other changes, can be found in the subtopics listed below.
o Bug fixes (see note-2-7-bug-fixes):
+ Three soundness bugs were fixed. These bugs were probably rarely hit, so users may well not notice these changes.
Certify-booknow requires
:skip-proofs-ok t(respectively,
:defaxioms-okp t) if there are
defaxiom) events in the book or any included sub-books.
+ When
:byhints refer to a definition, they now use the original body of that definition rather than the simplfied (``normalized'') body.
+ When
ldis applied to a stringp file name, it now temporarily sets the connected book directory (see cbd) to the directory of that file while evaluating forms in that file.
o New functionality (see note-2-7-new-functionality):
+ ACL2 now works harder to apply
linearrules with free variables in the hypotheses. See note-2-7-new-functionality, in particular its first two paragraphs, for details. Forward-chaining also does more with free variables.
o Changes in proof engine (see note-2-7-proofs):
+ Some prover heuristics have changed slightly. Among other consequences, this can cause subgoal hints to change. For example, suppose that the Version_2.6 proof of a particular theorem generated "Subgoal 2" and "Subgoal 1" while Version_2.7 only generates the second of these. Then a subgoal hint attached to "Subgoal 1" in Version_2.6 would have to be attached to "Goal'" in Version_2.7. (See goal-spec.) The full topic has details (see note-2-7-proofs).
o Changes in rules and definitions (see note-2-7-rules):
+ The package name of a generated variable has changed for
o Guard-related changes (see note-2-7-guards):
Guardverification formerly succeeded in a few cases where it should have failed.
+ Guards generated from type declarations now use functions
unsigned-byte-p, now defined in source file
axioms.lispand formerly defined rather similarly under
o Proof-checker changes (see note-2-7-proof-checker):
+ See the above doc topic.
o System-level changes (see note-2-7-system):
+ See the above doc topic.
o Other changes (see note-2-7-other):
+ A new
invisible-fns-table, takes the place of the handling of invisible functions in the
+ The
theory-invariantevent has been modified so that the default action is an error rather than a warning.
+ Proof output that reports destructor elimination no longer uses the word ``generalizing''.
Again, please proceed to the subtopics for more thorough release notes.


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Small Scale Check and Leather Continental Wallet
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A 4-year-old Mississippi girl is eating Lucky Charms cereal and singing Hannah Montana songs again, three weeks after a severe swine flu infection landed her in intensive care and jeopardized the healthy preschooler's life.
Doctors expect Isabella Ragan to recover completely from pneumonia and lung surgery, but she is an example of what scientists say are rare but possible complications of H1N1 influenza infections — and what her parents say was their worst nightmare.
"This was emotionally crazy," said Isabella's mother, Kristina Ragan, 23, of Tishomingo, Miss. "The swine flu part wasn't that bad, but the pneumonia came on top of that and it got the best of her." Isabella's struggle against the H1N1 virus was submitted via FirstPerson by Donna Starkey, a family friend.
Before Sept. 20, Isabella was a T-ball-playing tomboy with no health problems, friends and family members say. But that night, she awoke crying in pain and burning up with a fever that spiked at 105 degrees.
"She was so hot, she wanted me to take her shirt off," Kristina Ragan recalled.
The next day, doctors tested the child for H1N1 influenza and started her on a course of Tamiflu, the antiviral drug. But the medicine made Isabella sick to her stomach, and not even Popsicles could soothe her. Two days later, she was no better, so Ragan took the girl back to the doctor.
When she arrived, she was a very sick little girl, Kristina Ragan recalled. "The doctor explained it would get a lot worse before it got better," she said.
By then, Isabella had become a prime of example of what happens when swine flu goes wrong. The vast majority of illnesses caused so far by the novel flu virus have been mild, government health officials say. But in a rare proportion of cases, previously healthy people — particularly children and young adults — have become seriously ill.
A new government analysis shows that one in four people sick enough to be hospitalized with swine flu last spring had to be admitted to intensive care units and 7 percent of them died. Half of those treated in the hospital were children or teens, which is unusual. Seasonal influenza typically strikes down elderly adults.
Since April, 76 children younger than 18 have died following H1N1 infections , according to Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of immunization and respiratory diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares to a between 46 and 88 deaths from seasonal flu in a typical year, Schuchat said.
Isabella also contracted a secondary bacterial infection, a complication found in nearly 30 percent of people who died between May 1 and Aug. 20 from swine flu, according to a recent CDC analysis.
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"It could have gone into a life-threatening condition within a few days," said Dr. Richard Clay, a Huntsville cardiothoracic surgeon who treated Isabella.
The child was placed on a ventilator, a chest tube was inserted and and she was heavily sedated to keep her from thrashing around and pulling out the equipment. Strong antibiotics worked on the infection, but for a few days, it didn't look good.
Scraping scar tissue off of the lungs
Clay, the surgeon, said Isabella had developed a pleural effusion, a collection of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity, plus a film of scar tissue on the surface of her lungs. It's a rare complication of the flu and a condition typically seen in adults, but not in children, he said.
The only treatment is to go in and scrape and peel the scar tissue off the lungs, Clay said. Otherwise, the scarring can harden and prevent the lungs from fully expanding, leading to further illness and, possibly, death.
In Isabella's case, however, the child improved quickly after the invasive surgery. "Little kids, they bounce right back," said Clay, who expects the girl to make a full recovery.
Isabella headed home last weekend, returning to a small community that has changed its mind about the seriousness of swine flu said Donna Starkey, a family friend.
"We thought it was hype," she said. "But it can happen to you."
The young mother says she feels "very blessed" that her daughter survived the pandemic infection. But in a move that illustrates another swine flu trend, Kristina Ragan said that despite Isabella's emergency illness, she probably won't have her 2-year-old son, Christopher, immunized against swine flu.
"You just hear all the critics talk about it," Ragan said. "I'm so nervous about it. I just don't know what to think."
About a third of U.S. parents oppose the H1N1 vaccine , despite government efforts to encourage it, according to an Associated Press-GfK released last week.
But others in Isabella's close-knit community may reconsider the shots after seeing what the Ragans went through, said Starkey, the family friend.
"This is a bad germ," she said. "It almost took this baby's life."
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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From Tyrone Wells
About Video Connect
The recording of This Love found Tyrone Wells in the studio on and off throughout most of 2012. Tyrone teamed up again with producer, Michael "Smidi" Smith. Smidi produced nearly half of Tyrone's sophomore major label release (Universal Republic) entitled, Remain, as well as being responsible for 7 of the 8 songs on Tyrone's acoustic EP Metal & Wood. About This Love, Tyrone says, "I did my best to make a mostly acoustic record. I always find myself listening to acoustic music, so I did my best to build the record around the acoustic guitar and make an organic sounding CD that I would enjoy listening to. Smidi was the perfect choice to produce this record. Smidi does a fantastic job of not getting in the way and helping really serve each song." Coming off of his full length release, Where We Meet, in early 2012, Tyrone anticipates great things for This Love. Where We Meet debuted at number 1 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart, as well as top 10 on the overall iTunes chart. Check www.tyronewells.com/tour for upcoming show info.


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Dear Friends,
Over the years, we have had the pleasure of visiting your classrooms and interacting with your students. As a leader in art education, we want to assist you and your students' endeavors in any way we can. Please feel free to contact us by emailing us at email@example.com or call us at 1-800-727-1088 or locally at 272-5151. We would love to add your to our mailing list and keep you updated on all upcoming events or share our publication, "The Complete High Schooler's Guide to Organizing Your Portfolio."
Memphis College of Art hosts two National Portfolio Days in Memphis and New Orleans. Check for dates and details under Admissions Events.
If you would like to arrange a class tour, please call one of the following offices: 9th through 12th grades call MCA Admissions Office at 800-727-1088 or 901-272-5151; K through 8th grades call MCA Community Education Office at 901-272-5142. Tours are offered Monday through Friday by arrangement with the appropriate office.
For a profile of Memphis College of Art click here.
Get a Handle On Your Portfolio
Part of the application process is to present a portfolio. Here are some helpful hints to put one together:
What should you include?
It may be easier to start with what not to include . . . old work should not be considered since your most recent work will usually be your best. Try to choose from work done in the past year. At Memphis College of Art, we ask to see 10-20 examples. Think about quality over quantity! In other words, don't include more work for the sake of having a lot to show, but be sure you are showing your best work. We recommend not including any of the following: anime or cartoons, viking warrior men or women, tattoos, unicorns or other mythological creatures or any other overused imagery whether copied or original, copies from magazines or portraits of celebrities. This might be what you prefer to draw, but colleges look for a different type of original work. (Keep in mind, however, that nothing is absolute. If you are interested in illustration and want to submit one or two representations of work from reference material, limit this to one or two. The bulk of your portfolio should be drawing from direct observation.)
What is the admissions committee looking for?
We are looking for drawing from direct observation. This means looking at three-dimensional objects and translating that to the two-dimensional surface of your paper or canvas. Draw still lifes, portraits, self-portraits, landscapes or cityscapes from life. When you draw from a photograph, half of the work has already been done for you. The composition has been laid out and your values captured by the camera. It is important that you learn to visualize these things on your own.
That's why we encourage drawing from life. You may also like to draw from your imagination, but again, we want to see the direct observational drawing to look at your ability to see and make the translation of image from life to your two- dimensional surface. It is more difficult to draw from life and may be frustrating at first, but as you strengthen your visual skills you will see a remarkable improvement. Self-portraits are a wonderful addition to your portfolio. You can be your best model. You are always available when you are ready to draw. Variety is important. Varied subject matter, media, scale, techniques, even working methods will show that you are not afraid to experiment with new ideas, techniques and materials. You should not be locked into a particular style yet. You will want to show some flexibility and diversity in your work. Add some work done in color. These along with your black and white drawings will really add strength to your portfolio. Although you do want to show variety, you do not want to do that at the sake of adding something in an unfamiliar medium. Do not show the first watercolor that you ever attempted. Practice will make you comfortable and more proficient in your media and techniques. Some of your pieces can be carefully rendered while others may be quick studies, contour line, or gesture drawings that take less time. Both are appropriate to include.
If you are considering a career in graphics, illustration, photography or another specific discipline, you may submit a few pieces from those areas. In graphics, where craftsmanship is so important, pay careful attention to your lettering, your layout and your design. The concept is just as important as the final pieces: both should be carefully executed. Illustrations often require working from reference material and not direct observation. Illustrators do work from photos to create images that a camera can't capture. This is one of those exceptions to the rule where your work may not be solely from life, but don't forget that the bulk of your portfolio should be.
Other important considerations:
Interesting subject matter with varying textures or focusing on and enlarging an area of a still life can lend interest as can cropping an object off at an unusual angle. Concentrating on a series can be interesting as well. It also shows an admissions committee that you can take a problem through several alternative solutions. You might explore the use of one subject with varied media or a series of one technique with varied subject matter.
Composition is important. Try to avoid the typical composition of an object stuck in the middle of the paper. Consider placement before you start your piece – don't leave it to chance. Do preliminary sketches or thumbnail sketches. From these sketches, choose the composition that you find most interesting. Letting your image run off the edges of the picture plane can break up the negative or background space. Be sure to show a full range of values in your drawings, whether you are drawing in black and white or color. It is important to show value contrast, which is achieved by making shaded areas very dark and your lighted areas light. Consider your background as important as the imagery in your drawings as well. Don't just concentrate on the image and quickly throw something on the background to get it done.
What should I draw?
You should never lack for ideas about your art (what to draw or what to try next). Explore other artists' work by looking through current art publications such as Art in America, Graphis, and by visiting galleries to see what contemporary artists are doing or by going to art museums and reading art history books to see what artists before you have done. Not only can this be inspirational, but you can apply some of these ideas to your own work.
Presentation of your work will speak of your craftsmanship and professionalism. It's like going on a job interview. You want to make the best impression possible. Take pride in your work and in how you present it. Keep it stored in a safe, clean place – not under your bed or in the attic collecting dust. A portfolio case can be purchased at any art store or you can make a case with two large pieces of cardboard taped together. Once you have made decisions about which pieces you plan to include in your portfolio, clean them up as much as possible. It is not necessary to mount, mat or frame your work.
Can I submit my work digitally?
Never give your work away or sell it without documenting it first. You can take digital images of your work and email them to us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Be sure to put your first and last name in the subject box. You can burn them to a disc or even save them to a flash drive. You may also include a description sheet detailing assignments and other information you feel the committee should know about each piece. Images of your work should focus on the work, not the background. Crop in as close to the work as possible. The best way to photograph your work is on a black cloth that covers a large space like a wall or chair. Place work out of direct sunlight, but in a light area. Be sure to take off any reflective covering of your work such as acetate or glass.
Three-dimensional work, sculpture, ceramics or any work that is not flat should also be submitted in digital format. You should include no more than two views of the same piece.
If you are attending a portfolio day, you will be required to provide the equipment necessary for viewing your digital work such as your laptop computer.
Do you work on art each day?
A great way to get a feel for what art school is like is to keep a sketchbook now. Working in a sketchbook is a good way to keep your art–and your ideas about art–with you at all times. Memphis College of Art's admissions committee really likes you to submit your sketchbook as one of the pieces in your portfolio. This tells of your thought processes and ideas and shows that you do work on your art out of class. Your sketchbook should be complete–all 100 pages. Now if you wrote a grocery list on one page or so, that's fine, Picasso did that in his sketchbook, too. (To see Picasso's sketchbook, you could go to a library or bookstore and ask for Je Suis Le Cahiers–that may give you some other good ideas.)
How should you submit your work?
If you are planning to mail your portfolio, it is important to package it in a sturdy box. Your local U-Haul or Mayflower moving company has mirror boxes that are just perfect for mailing portfolios. Of course, you should not submit pieces that are under glass because of breakage. But protecting your work is a good idea. If you have mailed your work to us, we will U.P.S. it back to you, C.O.D., insured. If you are submitting your work electronically, you'll want to send a description page describing the medium you used, the dimensions of your work, and the year the piece was completed. Many schools, including Memphis College of Art will look at your portfolio during a portfolio review event and can accept the portfolio component of your application at that time so you won't have to send materials later. You can send your work via email to firstname.lastname@example.com. Be sure to put your first and last name in the subject box.
Where can you get help?
One great way to get more help with your portfolio is to come to one of the National Portfolio Days (for event dates go online to www.npda.org). These are hosted at colleges and universities across the country, so there is bound to be one within driving distance to you. Schools such as Memphis College of Art, Parsons, Rhode Island School of Design, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and Art Center in Pasadena participate. National Portfolio Day is a time when Admissions representatives and faculty members will talk with you about your work and about their school's programs. Each of the schools represented at National Portfolio Days is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). This is the only national professional accrediting agency for educational institutions in the visual arts recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. Check to see if the college or university you are considering is accredited by NASAD.
In addition to National Portfolio Days, Memphis College of Art offers and excellent opportunity for you to have your portfolio reviewed at our Weekend Workshops. We invite high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, college students considering transfer, art teachers, and parents to visit the school. The day is filled with working in the studios with our faculty, learning about portfolio preparation and careers in art, talking with instructors about your own artwork, meeting our students, touring the facilities, and answering your questions about college.For more information about applying to Memphis College of Art and submitting work, contact Gail Massey, Director of Enrollment, at 1-800-727-1088.
In Memphis, call 272-5151.
Or write to: Memphis College of Art, 1930 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104-2764.
Email us at email@example.com.
Click Here for Upcoming Portfolio and Admissions Events
Drawing Problem : Volume of a Human Head
After students have spent a good deal of time learning linear perspective and drawing from observation, which usually involves still life, it is time for a challenge. Drawing a human head offers plenty of complexity without overwhelming them with a full figure. I think it is best that students work from a sitter however a self-portrait from a mirror will also suffice. Have them work from a three-quarter viewpoint and include whatever is in the background.
Students should draw the head using only lines and employ a ruler in the drawing of all lines. Using the ruler should simplify the student's line work and emphasize the planes of the head and facial features. The block-like reduction of the head should allow students to relate the head to perspective and focus on proportion and volume. Emphasize to them that this problem is about volume, not likeness.
- Conte, Charcoal Pencil or Ebony Pencil
- Hard eraser
- 18″ x 24″ Bond Paper
Click here to view information on the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers


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Introducing "On the Environment"
The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy is a joint initiative between Yale Law School and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and we see a lot of interesting and inspiring people come through the doors of both schools throughout the course of a year.
These visionaries will stay a few days, give a lecture or two, and then be on their way again—sometimes with very little record of their visit, the insights they've shared, or the passion they've breathed into the community inspiring action, change, and possibility.
We launched On the Environment, a podcast series hosted by Center staff and students, to better document these visits and, most importantly, to invite the larger community into the conversation we're having here about key issues in environmental science, law and policymaking.
The first six podcasts are linked below, but please keep your eye on the On The Environment iTunes or SoundCloud sites, because we will update frequently.
We hope you enjoy the podcasts and the speakers as much as we've enjoyed producing the series.
Episode 1: Marissa Knodel, a research assistant at the Center, visits with Andrew Guzman about his new book Overheated: The Human Cost of Climate Change, which explores the real-world consequences of climate change.
Episode 2: (part 1 and part 2): Marissa Knodel talks with Julian Aguon, a writer, activist and attorney, about his work on human and indigenous rights under international law.
Episode 3: (part 1, part 2, and part 3): Aaron Reuben, a Center research assistant, talks with Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Jeff Goodell about his work, the future of environmental journalism, and geoengineering.


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Mitt Romney is the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.) to be nominated by one of the two major parties as a candidate for the U.S. presidency. The Church's adherents are nicknamed Mormons, because their founding "prophet," Joseph Smith Jr., published the Book of Mormon in 1830 as God's new revelation, a volume of "Holy Scripture," equal to the Bible in importance. Today the L.D.S. Church has more than 14 million members in 138 countries, and 15 members of the U.S. Congress are Mormons.
Due to Romney's well-publicized loyalty to Mormonism—from 1981 to 1986 he was bishop of his congregation in Boston, and from 1986 to 1994 he was "stake president" for the Boston area, overseeing a dozen "wards," or congregations, with a total of 4,000 members—many have questioned whether his policies and decisions as president would be influenced by the dictates of the L.D.S. Church, headquartered in Salt Lake City. The question is not unreasonable: both in the distant past and in recent times the Church has tried to influence the political decisions of American Mormons holding public office. The Church is rigidly hierarchical, governed by 15 "apostles," 12 of whom form "the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles." The "living prophet," who is also the Church president, and his two counselors, constitute "the First Presidency." Devout Mormons raise their hands several times a year to "sustain" these men as "prophets, seers, and revelators" whose instructions are "God's word" to Mormons.
Nonetheless, since the early 1990s, Romney and his supporters have wanted Americans to see his situation through a different lens, that of the objections raised in 1960 to electing a Roman Catholic as president. John F. Kennedy confronted those doubts in a September 1960 address, "On Church and State," given in front of the Protestant evangelical ministers of Houston, Texas. After announcing that "I am a Catholic," J.F.K. told his skeptical listeners, "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute—where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act . . . where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source. . . . I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President, who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters—and the church does not speak for me." It was a tough audience for this message, but the evangelicals gave J.F.K. a rousing ovation.
During his 1994 effort to unseat Massachusetts senator Edward M. Kennedy, Mitt Romney tersely quoted J.F.K.: "I do not speak for my church on public matters and the church does not speak for me." And in May 2006, with Romney eyeing a bid for the presidency, U.S. News & World Report enthused that the candidate "plans to copy, almost exactly, JFK's winning approach. Romney says he'll give a similar address, in which he will pledge allegiance to the Constitution, not the Mormon Church." However, the conservative weekly had to wait 19 months before it could proclaim that "his long-awaited religion speech impresses even the critics."
In fact, U.S. News & World Report had conducted an interview with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which seemed to prod Romney into making the long-promised speech. Its reporter asked M. Russell Ballard, "Has Mitt Romney sought any suggestions from you, or have you advised him in any way to talk about the church? Have you urged him to give the 'Kennedy speech' and talk more directly about his faith?" Apostle Ballard's reply: "No and no. There's a real brick wall between the campaign and the church. He's going to have to make that decision about the 'Kennedy speech' all by himself."
Perhaps it was merely happy coincidence that the speech, "Faith in America," followed just three weeks later, in Texas. There Romney told his audience and the national media, "Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith. . . . Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin." (Oddly, not until several paragraphs into his speech did Romney finally identify his religion, calling it simply "my Mormon faith.")
But Romney's comparison of his situation to Kennedy's is dubious at best. The American Catholic tradition upon which J.F.K. based his claim to political independence is completely different from the tradition of American Mormons. In January 1899, the Vatican identified "the Americanism" heresy in an encyclical, "Testem Benevolentiae" ("Witness to Our Benevolence"), which condemned the American embrace of separation of church and state. Despite this papal warning, Clarke E. Cochran and David Carroll Cochran have observed that America continued to produce "cafeteria Catholics all across the political spectrum, those who embrace the elements of Catholic teaching that support their partisan preferences, while blithely ignoring the ones that do not."
American Mormons present a far different history. In confronting the fear that for a Mormon president "Salt Lake City will call the shots, at least on the biggest issues," Romney advocate Hugh Hewitt, in his 2007 book, A Mormon in the White House, claimed, "I have never heard evidence for its being a realistic problem," but then immediately added, "In the past, this issue was more salient."
He was referring to Brigham Young, leader of the Utah Mormons after Joseph Smith was assassinated, in 1844. Hewitt accurately described Romney's public disavowal as a modern contrast with Brigham Young's role as the federally appointed governor of the Utah Territory from 1850 to 1857, but Hewitt didn't comprehend the full scope of the political power this L.D.S. president and prophet wielded. From 1851 to 1869, more than 99 percent of Mormon voters supported Church-approved candidates in all but one election. In that year, nearly 96 percent voted for the candidates selected by the L.D.S. president. From 1851 to 1877, there were only three non-unanimous votes in Utah's House of Representatives, occurring once in 1851, once in 1855, and once in 1861. During the same 26 years, the Utah Legislature's upper chamber voted unanimously on every motion and bill except for three dissenting votes on different days in 1852.
From 1851 until six years after Brigham Young's death, in 1877, the L.D.S. Church's "General Authorities"—men with authority over Mormons throughout the world—constituted up to three-fourths of the Utah Legislature's upper chamber, and as much as 26.9 percent of its House of Representatives. If those General Authorities didn't introduce each bill or motion, they quickly indicated their support or opposition, which was followed by the unanimous voting of the Mormon legislators in response to the hierarchy's unambiguous signals. The L.D.S. Church also sponsored its own political party in Utah, the People's Party.
In 1890 and 1891, as part of its accommodation to American norms in order to survive, the L.D.S. Church publicly retreated from two of its decades-long doctrines and practices. First, L.D.S. president Wilford Woodruff officially abandoned the Mormon practice of plural marriage. Second, he publicly disavowed theocracy, dissolved the Church's political party, and urged Mormons to affiliate with either America's Democratic Party or its Republican Party. As a result, Utah gained statehood in 1896, and Mormons began their transition into America's political mainstream.
The greatest turbulence in that process occurred because the First Presidency consistently favored the Republican Party after 1890 and tried to restrain devout Mormons who were Democrats. The Mormon rank and file obediently fell in line, and today 70 percent of Mormons identify themselves as Republican or Republican-leaning, while only 19 percent say they are Democrats.
Though Mitt Romney and his supporters invoke J.F.K.'s 1960 talk, most Mormons do not believe in the America of which Kennedy spoke. He described a nation "where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from" any "ecclesiastical source." By contrast, L.D.S. politicians (both Democrats and Republicans) have sought instructions from their church's leaders for more than a century. Republican officeholders have been most susceptible to such political "counsel," while L.D.S. Democrats have often objected to it—sometimes stridently.
The great exception was Republican Reed Smoot, who was elected in 1903 to represent Utah in the U.S. Senate. Smoot was an apostle, so his election was the equivalent of Massachusetts sending a Catholic cardinal to serve in Congress, which has never happened and never will. The result of Smoot's election was the U.S. Senate's three-year investigation of his eligibility, during which he repeatedly affirmed his independence from the political wishes of the First Presidency, even though it was the non-threatening independence of those who usually shared identical views about political matters.
When they disagreed with him, however, members of the First Presidency didn't hesitate to pressure Smoot to make his votes conform to their views. To his great credit as a Republican loyalist, he stood his ground in the midst of several controversies, during the last of which he abruptly informed his fellow apostles, "I claim I have a right to vote on the League [of Nations] as my judgment dictates, and in conformity with my oath of office."
More typical was local leader Nephi L. Morris, who abandoned the Republican Party for Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party. When the First Presidency wanted him to rejoin Utah's G.O.P., Morris wrote a letter that began, "You place yourself and the first presidency on the Republican side of the question, and consider my attitude as being in conflict with yours. I use the word 'conflict' because you ask me if I wish to fight you and the brethren. To be arrayed against the leaders of the Church is one thing I have studiously avoided in the past, and have solemnly resolved never to do."
After reciting all of his political reasons against the request to join with Utah's conservatives, the hapless Republican Progressive concluded his letter, "I feel that my interests in and my love for the Church and Kingdom of God overwhelmingly [override] my interest in and devotion to political affairs."
Wallace F. Bennett, a Republican senator from Utah from 1951 to 1975, was also eager to cooperate with the Church hierarchy. In August 1956, L.D.S. president David O. McKay's office diary noted, "Met Senator Wallace Bennett. I took him into the meeting of the First Presidency so that he might make his report also to my Counselors. He discussed general matters pertaining to political affairs of the country." In December 1957, Senator Bennett wrote to those "Dear Brethren. . . . I would welcome an opportunity to cooperate with a person or persons who may be assigned by the First Presidency to make a broad examination of every vital phase of this problem [of securing a federal building for Salt Lake City] as a necessary first step to the development of a course of action, both for the Church and for my colleagues and myself."
In 1975, after Republican Utah state legislator M. Byron Fisher sponsored a bill to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Church's newspaper, the Deseret News, published a typically unsigned editorial, which opposed ratification. Within days, Fisher reversed himself and voted against the bill he had sponsored, explaining, "It is my church and as a bishop [of a local L.D.S. congregation], I'm not going to vote against its wishes."
In May 1981, U.S. senators Jake Garn and Orrin Hatch unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of a church-state conflict. The two Republicans had supported locating an MX-missile system in Utah, until the First Presidency announced its opposition to the proposal. Both quickly and compliantly changed sides, and Hatch later omitted this controversy from the discussion of "Missiles" in his memoirs.
By contrast, L.D.S. Democrats in public office have often rejected the hierarchy's efforts to persuade them to vote contrary to their political principles. For 18 years after he defeated Reed Smoot in 1932 to become a U.S. senator from Utah, Elbert D. Thomas, despite his L.D.S. devotion, shrugged off every statement of the First Presidency against Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Democratic New Deal, every sermon excoriating F.D.R. and his successor, Harry S. Truman, by Church members, every similar editorial in the Deseret News, and every letter of that type that the Democratic senator received from members of the First Presidency. When they made a request he found objectionable, he would decline it with icy formality.
When Utah Democratic senator Frank E. Moss learned that the L.D.S. Church's living prophet had publicly endorsed the election of Richard Nixon for the U.S. presidency, he wrote to McKay, in October 1960:
Respectfully and with deepest sorrow I ask that you rectify the unfair damage done by your endorsement of Vice President Nixon as reported in the morning press. For years we have been striving to convince Americans that our church is outside of and above politics. . . . But your endorsement of one candidate over another brings tumbling down our position of church nutrality [sic] and creates ill will outside as well as inside the church. I am heartsick.
As a chronicler of Mormon politics, I'm not aware of any L.D.S. Republican officeholder who has had the chutzpah to write such a letter—from Utah's permanent adoption of the national parties in 1891 to the 21st century.
In June 1965, Senator Moss joined with four Democratic L.D.S. congressmen in publicly defying the voting instructions they had received from the First Presidency. At issue was the anti-union section of the Taft-Hartley Act, about which the First Presidency had written to each Mormon member of Congress, asking them to vote to sustain it. Moss and his Democratic colleagues responded, "While we respect and revere the offices held by the members of the First Presidency of the Church, we cannot yield to others our responsibilities to our constituency, nor can we delegate our own free agency to any but ourselves." Their response added, "We hasten to assure you that we stand ready at any time to receive your views . . . but we cannot accept them as binding upon us." Congressman Kenneth W. Dyal, of California, confided that, as a consequence of signing this letter, he received "only abuse, threats, blackmail and vicious attacks on my integrity from corporations, church members and their leaders."
Such willingness to listen did not guarantee the compliance of Mormon Democrats. In 1978, the First Presidency sent a letter asking every L.D.S. member of Congress to vote against the proposal to deregulate the airline industry. Although the Church owned stock in what was then Western Airlines and the L.D.S. "Presiding Bishop" sat on its board of directors, this was hardly the kind of "moral issue" that L.D.S. presidents assert as the only condition for their political intervention.
In 2008, the L.D.S. Church's Deseret News announced, "Before each general session [of the Utah Legislature], GOP and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate sit down separately with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Special Affairs Committee, a group made up of Church general authorities, Church public relations officials, and their lobbyists, to discuss any item on the minds of both legislators and Church leaders." Organized at L.D.S. headquarters in 1974, the Special Affairs Committee has directed the L.D.S. Church's overt and covert political activism throughout the nation ever since.
While Mitt Romney's interactions with the L.D.S. hierarchy regarding his political fortunes will probably forever remain a matter of speculation, in October 2006 the L.D.S. Church's newspaper nervously reminded its readers that "proof of blatant support of any candidate puts the church at risk of losing its tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service and could damage Romney's prospects of getting the GOP nomination." Why they were so nervous became clear in the next sentence: "The Boston Globe over the past week has reported that an e-mail by Don Stirling, a Utah-based political consultant for Romney, said that LDS leaders, including church president Gordon B. Hinckley, knew about the meetings between Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve and Romney supporters, including [Kem] Gardner."
Stirling's e-mail to the C.E.O. of the Church-owned Deseret Book Company outlined a covert strategy (which Apostle Holland approved) of "coordinating" donations for Romney through Deseret Book and Brigham Young University's Management Society of M.B.A. alumni, "while not creating undue heartburn" (i.e., media attention).
In an obvious (but unacknowledged) response to that dustup, Hewitt's 2007 laudatory biography replayed the following dialogue with Mitt Romney:
"Would you ever expect a call from [L.D.S.] President Hinckley or his successor?" I asked.
"No," [Romney] emphatically replied. "Absolutely not. . . . For those sworn into national office, their obligation is to the nation."
Romney was merely re-stating the verities of U.S. political discourse about church-state boundaries, but Americans should now ask themselves three questions.
Is there any evidence that L.D.S. headquarters has abandoned its interest in influencing the decisions of L.D.S. officeholders in Washington, D.C.?
Have Mormon Republicans departed from their historical patterns of embracing political direction from the L.D.S. Church hierarchy?
Is Mitt Romney an unwavering statesman who is resistant to such pressures?
Only time will tell, if America's voters elect him.
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UCF could be sleeping giant ... or are mighty Knights now awake?
ORLANDO, Fla. -- At the time, Louisville coach Rick Pitino was speaking about basketball, but with a broad stroke of the brush, Pitino painted a picture of a university poised to position itself on the national stage in all sports.
"UCF is a sleeping giant," Pitino said at the recent American Athletic Conference basketball media day in Memphis, Tenn. "A sleeping giant because of its proximity of where they're located, their potential to have a great football program, their potential to have a great basketball program and sports program."
Well, last week, before a national television audience, that sleeping giant woke up and showed its muscle, knocking off the previously undefeated and No. 8-ranked Louisville Cardinals 38-35 at Papa John's Stadium in Louisville, rallying from a 28-7 second-half deficit to do so.
That win elevated the Knights into the Associated Press Top 25 Poll (No. 21) for the first time since 2010 and for just the second time in program history. And since making the jump to FBS status in 1996, Central Florida has slowly climbed the ladder of I-A respectability.
The Knights joined the Mid-American Conference in 2002, moved to Conference USA in 2005 and became a member of the AAC in 2013. Now in his 10th season as head coach, George O'Leary, 67, has posted a record of 65-56 (with three 10-plus-win seasons) and has led the Knights to five bowl appearances, including a 10-6 win over Georgia in the 2010 Liberty Bowl.
And with both Louisville and Rutgers leaving after this season to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten, respectively, Central Florida is poised to become the flagship football program of the AAC.
"That's an interesting question. They've certainly got the best foundation to do it," said ESPN college football writer Ivan Maisel. "In that they are a big school in a talent-rich area, which is more than a lot of teams on this side of Texas can say. They've got a fantastic coach ... I don't know how much longer he'll coach, but he's very good and he proves it pretty much year after year."
"It sure looks like they're set up that way," added ESPN college football analyst Danny Kanell, who broadcast the Louisville-UCF game last Friday night. "There are two really good teams that are leaving the conference, but I think Cincinnati also has a chance to take that torch. UCF is obviously in the driver's seat with the season they're having so far.
"They have some talent there and George O'Leary's a heck of a coach. He's done a fantastic job building a program that's competitive year in and year out. I can't say enough about what they did going into Louisville, hostile environment, going against a quality Louisville team and going toe to toe with them all the way to the finish and coming out with a win."
Central Florida initially caught the college football world's attention on Sept. 14 when the Knights traveled to State College, Pa., and beat Penn State 34-31 in front of 92,855.
The following week, they gave No. 12-ranked South Carolina all it could handle in a 28-25 loss.
With the Louisville win, UCF is 5-1 (2-0 in the AAC) and is ready to try to run the table with UConn, Houston, Temple, Rutgers, South Florida and SMU left on the schedule en route toward a significant -- if not a BCS -- bowl bid.
With two more wins, this would mark the seventh winning season under O'Leary, who arrived in Orlando in 2004 after spending two seasons on the staff of the Minnesota Vikings. Before that, O'Leary was the head coach at Georgia Tech from 1995-2001. In 2001, he left Georgia Tech for the head coaching job at Notre Dame, but O'Leary resigned after a week when it was discovered he had lied in his resume.
Within three years of O'Leary's arrival at Central Florida, the 45,323-seat, on-campus Bright House Newtorks Stadium opened. That same year, 2007, UCF won the Conference USA title and faced Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl, losing a hard-fought 10-3 decision.
In 2009, the Knights won nine games and lost to Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl. In 2010, they went 11-3 and beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl, and in 2012, UCF won 10 games and defeated Ball State in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.
"They've done a lot of things right," Kanell said. "I actually played against them when they had Daunte Culpepper (1995-98) way back when, and they have come so far since. I think a huge benefactor for them is that they play in the state of Florida. There's a lot of talent in that state and they don't have to travel outside.
"There are a lot of guys who maybe are on the borderline for Florida, Miami and Florida State and they'll come into UCF with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and they'll play hard for you. And now that they're having some success, they're able to go across the country and start picking from the other states in the South and help them build even faster."
Said Maisel: "I just like the kind of football that O'Leary coaches. They're very physical. You know when you play one of his teams that you're going to hurt on Sunday and probably on Tuesday as well. They're very sound fundamentally, he's a good coach and a good teacher. He may not win Miss Congeniality but he wins football games.
"They do pretty well with attendance at their level. They had the juice to build that sized stadium on campus. It's the prefect size for that program and I think they do a good job of filling it. Orlando is a city with a lot of corporations and a lot of alumni and they're able to capitalize on that."
But now in his 10th season at UCF at age 67, just how much longer is O'Leary going to be around to continue pushing UCF up the I-A mountain toward elite status?
"I think with the right guy, UCF can be up there," Maisel said. "The question is, George is not a long-term solution at this point. He's done a great job solidifying the program and keeping it competitive and successful at this level. But he's not going to be there forever. Who comes after him and what can they do to build on what George has built?"
When that time comes is anyone's guess, but for now, Central Florida is standing atop the AAC standings and is showing no signs of going anywhere but up in the foreseeable future.
"They're already there (as a sleeping giant)," Kanell said. "They're a team that no one wants on their schedule."
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The Power of Reviews in the Digital AgeMay 1, 2017
Everyone looks at reviews. Whether we're trying to find a new restaurant or we're looking for a contractor for a major project, most of us don't go out on a limb without doing some due diligence. So what is your business doing to (1) make sure your happy customers are leaving good reviews and (2) manage sub-par reviews online? When was the last time you googled your own business to see what people are saying? If you're not managing your online presence, you're missing an opportunity.
Focusing Your Efforts
There are dozens of review sites out there and many of them come up when you search for businesses, so you'll want to decide which sites are most important for your type of business. Reviews on your own website, on Google and on Facebook are important to start. If you're in the restaurant or entertainment business, perhaps add Yelp, OpenTable or Foursquare. In a trade? Think about going after Angie's List, Home Advisor and the BBB's website. Focusing on a product? Look into Epinions and, if you sell on Amazon, then the feedback section of Amazon. Customers will review your business in whatever space they like best, but sending them in the right direction is the first step on your end.
Asking Your Customers
Asking for a review is a little like asking for a referral, except easier. You're not asking them to stand up for you or put their name on the line with a friend or family member. You're just asking them to tell the world about the positive experience they had with your business, often even under an online pseudonym. You can ask for reviews in a multitude of ways, but before you ask them to review, encourage that you and your business would appreciate a five-star review and ask if there's anything you can do to ensure that they have a five-star experience. Often the difference between a four-star review and a five-star review is something pretty small.
You can ask customers to leave reviews when you're working with them in person, through a note card on the counter or with their bill, but some of the most effective review asks come via email or social media. You want your reviews to be online and, by asking people while they're already online, you've already won half the battle. If someone does leave you a physical note or calls with a compliment, it's worth asking if they are willing to leave a review online OR if you can put their review on your website, where you can control which reviews are posted and what's said. Just be sure to ask for permission!
Managing Negative Reviews
Of course, when you ask customers for reviews, you have to be ready for less than stellar comments. Some people are just tough customers and a normal-quality experience will come in at three-stars, but you have to be prepared to mitigate negative comments and complaints online. This does require some effort, but it's worth it. If someone leaves you a terrible review, but people see that you've replied with a polite explanation, apology or way to make it right, they see that you're focused on customer service. Negative reviews that are left unattended – or even worse, replied to in an angry or snarky way – are negative all around. Many review sites will notify you when you've received a review, but you may want to check on the review sites you've chosen to focus on a couple of times a month. Also, if you have a connection with someone who left a great review, this is a perfect time to thank them and maybe request a referral!
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Brake Bleeding
October 5, 2011
The brakes are the most important safety system on your vehicle, and the entire system relies on the hydraulic power of brake fluid to function properly. Modern vehicles use hydraulically actuated brakes, which work by using fluid to transfer brake pedal pressure from the master cylinder down through the lines and eventually on to each individual brake. In reality, the system is not as complex as it initially sounds.
Brake fluid is a very specific chemical blend and is extremely resistant to boiling and breaking down. Over time, however, air and moisture can be introduced into the system, compromising your safety and the effectiveness of your brakes. This usually translates to the driver as a spongy or soft brake pedal. Fortunately, the fluid is relatively inexpensive and easy to change, and most shops won't charge over an hour labor for the procedure. We recommend bleeding your vehicle's brakes every two years or whenever brake pedal feel changes.


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Surgical Probe Uses Fluorescence to Guide Brain Tumor Removal
By Anna Fiorentino
February 2013 • CoolStuff
A team from Thayer School of Engineering and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is among the first to harness fluorescence to prevent tissue damage during brain surgery.
Over a decade ago, a group of German doctors discovered that if a patient is given an oral dose of a 5-aminolevulinic acid solution before brain surgery, a chemical reaction will cause certain cells, including cancer cells, to appear fluorescent, allowing them to identify tumors for removal during surgery.
But it was Dartmouth engineering professor Keith Paulsen and his team, along with doctors from the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto, who took even more of the guesswork out of fluorescence-guided brain surgery by creating a fiber optic probe that when placed on early-stage, low-grade tumors detects fluorescence not visible to the naked eye.
Since 2008, about 100 clinical case studies by Dartmouth Hitchcock's Chief Neurosurgeon Dr. David Roberts have shown that samples removed from the brain under the probe after patients consumed the solution were indeed cancerous, sharpening the accuracy of the solution from 64 to 94 percent. Paulsen, also a member of the Cancer Imaging and Radiobiology Research Program at Norris Cotton Cancer Center, hopes that using the probe to analyze physical qualities of tumors to make cancer tissue glow like lava will become the FDA-approved standard of practice a within a few years.
"The bulk of the brain will not absorb the drug, which means that anything that glows is a tumor," says Dartmouth engineering Ph.D. student Kolbein Kolste, who in addition to leading future development of the probe helped design a camera system that attaches to a microscope, working like the probe for the whole surgical field instead of just a single point. "The probe comes into play when the level of fluorescence is below what the eye can detect, so a surgeon can remove only the cancerous brain tissue."
Until recently, brain tumor removal was left to educated guesses based on preoperative MRIs that are outdated once the surgery begins because tissues sway, swell and sag. In most other cancers, a surgeon will remove tissue surrounding malignant tumors to err on the side of caution. However, when cancer cells living in the brain are removed, that extra tissue cannot be taken out for fear of brain damage, and the precision of each cut is even more critical because cancerous and ordinary tissue appear identical.
The probe's ability to provide surgeons with instant feedback makes surgery more efficient and effective and safer, despite the fact that using fluorescent light for brain surgery isn't curative. Controlled by a computer that runs a sequence for exciting the fluorescence and collecting light, the probe has a highly sensitive spectrometer that splits light up into its various colors, measuring how much of each wavelength is present and allowing algorithms to differentiate between low levels of fluorescent light and background light. This four-inch long small bundle of fibers has a metal tip at one end and hooks into a box of light sources and the spectrometer on the other end.
Dartmouth is the first to create a clinical probe to detect low levels of fluorescence, but surgeons are using fluorescence, for example, by attaching fluorescent chemicals to proteins that are taken up by ovarian cancer cells, causing them to glow.
"Some tissues will fluoresce without a tumor, and some tumors may not fluoresce, so it will not be useful in all cases. However, we are confident that the probe could be used in even more tumor types, guiding surgery for other tricky tumor resections," says Kolste. "Surgeons are enthusiastic that they have a powerful tool that can give real-time feedback in the decision making process of tumor resection."comments powered by Disqus


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Feel the sparkling sand massaging your feet as you stroll out onto the wide pristine beach and find your personal spot in the sun.
Select your favorite chair by our crystal clear pool, in or outside the water, which we heat in the winter to 82 degrees.
We know all this fun and sun makes you hungry and thirsty and we know exactly what you like to quench it. Check out our fresh menu.
For $18 you can purchase a Fun Pass and have access to dozens of toys, including inflatables, kayaks, snorkeling gear and more!