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Extraordinary things happen to Kirsty Bertarelli's pretty face when you ask her about her wealth. A moment previously she'd been chatting animatedly but, as soon as I mention money, her translucent eyes narrow, her high cheekbones tense, her full lips quiver. Her hands shake slightly as she grasps her soy cappuccino.
I feel unkind for making us dwell on such a vulgar topic, but I can hardly ignore it. Bertarelli is the richest woman in Britain, her fortune far exceeding that of, for example, the Queen, JK Rowling and Slavica Ecclestone.
She and her husband, pharmaceuticals heir Ernesto Bertarelli (the fifth richest man in Britain according to the Rich List, and the richest in Switzerland), are worth an estimated £6.87 billion ($A12.45 billion) and divide their time between an £8 million estate in Gstaad where ponies and llamas roam, a £10 million mansion in Geneva, and a mews house in Belgravia.
It's an "amazing" life, as Bertarelli, 42, from middle-class Staffordshire origins, admits. Her Instagram feed is full of envy-inducing photos of her in various exotic locations posing in skimpy swimsuits on her yacht Vava II, a £100 million 40th birthday present from her husband (there was also a $US3 million birthday party). They yacht is the largest ever built in the UK and includes a "fold-down beach club" (there are snaps of guests doing yoga on the deck), a helicopter pad and a swimming pool.
One moment she's playing golf in Hawaii, the next enjoying sunsets in the Alps, while her Italian-born husband, 48, is pictured skiing and windsurfing. Beside the photos, old Chelsea buddies such as Emily Oppenheimer and Lisa Tchenguiz make comments such as "Show off" and "U haven't changed. Still remember u dancing on the gold palm trees in the Cave".
But inquiries about these activities - not to mention the private jet and couture wardrobe - are not welcome today, because I'm not meeting Mrs Bertarelli but her alter-ego, singer-songwriter "Kirsty", who's launching her first British album, Indigo Shores.
We're sitting in a cafe near my house in west London, Bertarelli's "people" having disappointingly vetoed my suggestion that we meet in one of her residences. A Jaguar is parked outside, chauffeur waiting in the sunshine; there are almost certainly bodyguards.
Similar-looking to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, Bertarelli is tanned and discreetly made-up. Her wavy hair is much darker and lips less puffy than in photos charting her Eurotrash past - presumably part of the campaign to be taken seriously. Her outfit is hippie chic: flared jeans, a loose chiffon shirt, an unblingy rope of pearls hanging around her neck.
She's friendly, especially when discussing her children, and laughs often, but the Instagram party girl (at New Year she's in a skimpy slave-girl costume grinning into the camera) is absent, replaced by a wary woman, who answers most questions in platitudes that remind you she's a former Miss UK.
"Kirsty's surrounded by jealousy and negativity," someone close to her explains. "It makes her very defensive." Comments on her YouTube page attest to that. "Her husband must have paid a fortune to go along with this," is a typical comment under a video of her duetting with Ronan Keating. Has she learnt a strategy to cope with the barbs? Bertarelli tenses. "Yah, I have in a way," she says in her oddly Australian-tinged voice. "People have preconceived ideas, but the music is part of me. It's not like I woke up one day and thought, 'Oh, I'll be a pop star.'?"
True, before marriage Bertarelli was striving to make it as a singer-songwriter (though contemporaries also remember her as a girl about town). In 2000, she wrote the song Black Coffee, which a record producer approved but then refused to let her record, instead "giving" it to All Saints, stellar at the time, who took it to number one, bringing her £12,000 in royalties.
"Hearing my song on the radio brought mixed emotions," she says, smiling. "I have to be thankful to All Saints, they were so popular at the time they could make the song number one, but I knew the emotions behind that song. I wanted to sing it myself because there'd have been real meaning behind it, which was my love for Ernesto." Passionately she declaims the lyrics. "'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, anywhere at all'; that was how he made me feel." She did, however, sing it in a Valentino gown in front of 250 people at her Geneva wedding. "Yah, I reclaimed it!"
Bertarelli's story isn't exactly rags-to-riches. Born Kirsty Roper, she grew up in Stone, Staffordshire, the youngest daughter of a businessman who, with his brothers, owned Churchill China, one of the world's major manufacturers of ceramics. "It was an amazing childhood," she confirms. "We had so many opportunities: riding, tennis. We were taught good values; in the holidays we worked in my father's factory. It taught us to be grounded."
She was, she says, a "sensitive, emotional" child, always writing "little snippets of poetry" and appearing in local musicals. She boarded at the now-defunct Howell's School, in north Wales. "It really did feel like a separation, I really didn't want to go, but then ... I made some good friends and we're still in touch. I mean ... it's difficult to see them, but we stay in touch on Instagram."
The summer after she gained seven O-levels, she became ill with bacterial meningitis. Her parents - to whom she is close -- discovered her collapsed; doctors said if they'd come an hour later, she'd have died. The scare made her decide not to continue her education. "A near-death experience does heighten what's important, and I knew I wanted to write."
While trying to enter the music industry, she joined a model agency, which entered her for Miss UK, part of her past she refuses - admirably - to disown. "I thought the whole beauty pageant thing was quite funny; I didn't even realise I'd won - I thought it had gone to Miss Mansfield," she says. "I remember waking up the next morning feeling excited about it."
She went on to win £1000 as "second runner-up" in the 1988 Miss World and continued modelling in advertisements and for catalogues. A trust fund bought her a flat in South Kensington and a place in the glossy Sloane set. For two years, she lived with casino heir Damian Aspinall in Belgravia.
At 26, she met Ernesto Bertarelli at a dinner party in a Sardinian villa. With his sister, he had just inherited Serono, the pharmaceutical company founded by his grandfather. Between 1996 and 2006, he more than doubled Serono's revenue to $US2.8 billion, by changing its focus from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology, largely thanks to its discovery of the multiple sclerosis drug Rebif. In 2007, the family sold the company for £9 billion, since then investing in everything from property to drug companies, and philanthropy.
"There were so many girls wanting to be with him and I think he just found me... naively refreshing," she says. "All I wanted to do was sing and be successful; I had this drive. He wouldn't like it if I was shopping all day - but that's just not me." But, for a period, personal ambition was put to one side. "I was swept off my feet. Ernesto's such an achiever; he really goes for it in business and sport and I wanted to be part of the action. I follow him everywhere, whether it's diving in oceans or jumping out of a helicopter to ski, when I'd only skied twice in my life before."
Still, Bertarelli continued writing, and had just won a record deal with Warner Bros. But on their honeymoon, she became pregnant with her daughter Chiara, now 13. "We were on a safari run by Maasai warriors; we were in tents and we didn't actually see many animals, it was a bit of a disappointment. Then we went to Mauritius - but Ernesto had failed to notice that July is the rainy season, so we spent a lot of time indoors, hence nine months later the baby," she says, giggling.
And so, like millions of women, motherhood put a stop to Bertarelli's career. Two more children, Falco, now nine, and Alceo, seven, followed. Then there was the distraction of the America's Cup, the world's most contested (not to mention costly) yacht race, which Ernesto's team, Alinghi, won in 2003 and 2007, meaning the family had to relocate for months first to New Zealand, then to Spain.
"The music industry's very tough, there were all these changes and takeovers at Warner Bros. and at that time I was overwhelmed with motherly love, I only wanted to be with the children, plus I was devoted to supporting Ernesto. But my passion for music never stopped. It was a torment; I remember feeling like something was missing from my life. It's hard to find the time to write songs, though. A lot of them I compose in the bath - it's the only place where I can lock the door and the children can't interrupt."
The couple are clearly devoted parents. Ernesto has said he's determined to be closer to his children than he was to his own father. "His father was away a lot, working excessively, so he and his sister were quite often alone, brought up by their mother - who's a remarkable woman in her own right - while he built up the company. But we're a very close-knit family; I had that upbringing and it really was what I wanted to achieve for my children, though it's slightly more difficult..." she trails off.
"We don't have a nanny anymore," she continues. "I don't want one; I didn't have one. Ernesto and I are always at home, bringing up the kids. Every morning we're preparing breakfast for them, there's pandemonium in the kitchen, alarms going off, who has a rugby match, who has a football match. We cook for them; I know it sounds crazy! They love beans on toast; it's Heinz but they think it's my recipe. One of them said, 'Don't give your recipe away, Mummy,' though my youngest won't touch them; he thinks they're absolutely disgusting."
Like many mothers who've served their time during the children's early years, Bertarelli's now having her moment. "They're old enough I can do a little touring and promotion and not have it affect them. It's good for your children to see you working and having goals and aspirations."
Still, there are child-care hassles. "Ernesto's in London doing business so we had to think about it. Chiara can board a couple of nights, my second is on a school trip, the third one was a problem but then we realised he could stay with his cousins. Sorted!"
Having sung at charity fund-raisers, four years ago Bertarelli signed a deal with the Swiss branch of Universal Music. "My album went into the top 20 and I have my little fan base there," she says. Then last year, Ernesto helped fund her second album, Love Is, featuring her duet with Ronan -Keating. Several tracks were mixed by techno and dance DJs; one, Hands High, was championed by Radio One's Dance Anthems.
Vanity recording is the Ming china elephant in the room. Her husband isn't bankrolling this album, she says; she has her own deal with Decca. "I don't think Ernesto is going to stop working and rely on my income just yet. It still feels fantastic, though. It's important to make your own money - it makes buying a present mean so much more, and it's important for your own self-worth, self-belief."
So what of Indigo Shores? Well, Bertarelli's voice is fine - no worse than Madonna's, put it that way. It lacks the emotional whoomph of Adele, one cited influence, but it's pleasant Magic FM fodder. My children enjoyed it. "Which songs did they like?" Bertarelli inquires sharply, suspicious of insincere compliments.
The songs give more insight into the Bertarellis' life than she's prepared to communicate in person. Several are influenced by holidays in Indonesia, the US, riding on Ernesto's Harley, about him proposing to her in Mexico to the strains of a Mariachi band. There's one about her daughter turning 13 ("It's tough as a mother, you have to stand back but at the same time you have to be there"), another about her "magnetic" love for her son - inspired by watching waves in the moonlight, waiting for Ernesto to return from sailing.
Disappeared, the first single, is about "how we want to be accepted for ourselves, to be loved faults and all. Like if you're messy." Is she messy? "Yah, Ernesto can't understand why I can't cut bread neatly. But it's hard, right?"
It's not going to be easy to persuade the public to love Britain's richest woman for what she is, but I commend Bertarelli for trying. "I'm so nervous when I sing in public," she says. "Everything in my body is shouting, 'Don't do it! But you have to overcome terror; you'll never know what could have been if you don't take risks."
The Telegraph, London


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- Monetary Policy (2) (remove)
- A new comparative approach to macroeconomic modeling and policy analysis (2012)
- In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the state of macroeconomicmodeling and the use of macroeconomic models in policy analysis has come under heavy criticism. Macroeconomists in academia and policy institutions have been blamed for relying too much on a particular class of macroeconomic models. This paper proposes a comparative approach to macroeconomic policy analysis that is open to competing modeling paradigms. Macroeconomic model comparison projects have helped produce some very influential insights such as the Taylor rule. However, they have been infrequent and costly, because they require the input of many teams of researchers and multiple meetings to obtain a limited set of comparative findings. This paper provides a new approach that enables individual researchers to conduct model comparisons easily, frequently, at low cost and on a large scale. Using this approach a model archive is built that includes many well-known empirically estimated models that may be used for quantitative analysis of monetary and fiscal stabilization policies. A computational platform is created that allows straightforward comparisons of models' implications. Its application is illustrated by comparing different monetary and fiscal policies across selected models. Researchers can easily include new models in the data base and compare the effects of novel extensions to established benchmarks thereby fostering a comparative instead of insular approach to model development
- Dealing with a liquidity trap when government debt matters: optimal time-consistent monetary and fiscal policy (2013)
- How does the need to preserve government debt sustainability affect the optimal monetary and fiscal policy response to a liquidity trap? To provide an answer, we employ a small stochastic New Keynesian model with a zero bound on nominal interest rates and characterize optimal time-consistent stabilization policies. We focus on two policy tools, the short-term nominal interest rate and debt-financed government spending. The optimal policy response to a liquidity trap critically depends on the prevailing debt burden. While the optimal amount of government spending is decreasing in the level of outstanding government debt, future monetary policy is becoming more accommodative, triggering a change in private sector expectations that helps to dampen the fall in output and inflation at the outset of the liquidity trap.

subset: commoncrawl


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What will the future look like as Congress and the president approach the so-called fiscal cliff and grapple with a $1.1 trillion deficit? Let's look to the Arkansas River for a clue.
The river has traditionally offered a free flow of waterborne traffic, but starting Oct. 1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began shutting down locks at Fort Smith and Ozark from 8 a.m. until noon every day for maintenance.
The locks, which lift and lower boats like they do at the Panama Canal, are necessary to make sure the river is navigable year-round. Those two locks are considered to be "low use." About a thousand boats travel through them each year, most of them commercial barges carrying tons of grain, fertilizer and other bulk items. Now, if those barges show up at the wrong time, they'll have to wait four hours.
The Corps is doing this because Congress has been sending it fewer and fewer dollars and probably will continue to do so. Thanks to that $1.1 trillion budget deficit, the district's operations and maintenance budget dropped from $106 million in 2011 to $89 million in 2012, and the future doesn't look brighter.
Like the rest of the military, the Corps of Engineers' funding is considered discretionary spending. That's the 40 percent of the budget where Congress' spending decisions aren't controlled by previous law. Nondiscretionary items include Medicare, Social Security and food stamps. Changing spending in those programs requires an act of Congress.
Because discretionary spending is easier to cut, it's being cut first, and the consequences for the Corps of Engineers will be too big to be ignored. According to John Balgavy, chief of the operations division in the Little Rock District, six critical projects could fail during the next five years, and if one does, it would shut down navigation on that part of the river. In several locations, the insulation on 45-year-old wiring crumbles when handled. Repairing those sites would cost $21.7 million – 1/166,000th of the federal budget – but the Corps just doesn't have the money. If something breaks down, it could cost the economy far more than that.
So the Corps is stretching its dollars wherever it can. Instead of its limited personnel spending their entire day letting folks through the lock's aging gates, they'll spend half their days fixing and maintaining those gates. The Corps is hoping that limiting the hours the locks are in use will limit the number of times the gates open, prolonging their lives. It's considering applying a similar policy elsewhere, including Murray Lock and Dam in Little Rock.
Pretty good idea? Commercial barge operators don't think so. At a public meeting in Little Rock Nov. 7, Paul Hastings of Little Rock Harbor Service likened it to shutting down Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis four hours a day so road crews can maintain the highway. How will Arkansas attract industry this way, he asked? Phyllis Harden, executive assistant at Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel, said shippers are wasting fuel and paying idle employees' salaries while their barges sit. Eventually, more goods will have to be shipped by interstate, she said.
This is a sharp departure from the past, when the Corps has let everyone through the locks without much of a wait, including those atop Jet Skis or paddling a canoe. That's been standard procedure even though it costs money in operations and wear and tear each time those gates open and close.
This is about a lot more than boats and barges or the end of unlimited jet ski travel. It's about the choices the country will have to make in the future because it hasn't made the tough ones in the past – choices that will affect all of us. If barges have to wait four hours during the workday to deliver their goods, then Americans might be forced to accept that some rural post offices will close, the military might shrink, and the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare might rise a little someday.
A trillion is a billion millions, so we're not going to balance a $1.1 trillion budget deficit saving $21.7 million on the Arkansas River.
Steve Brawner is an independent journalist in Arkansas. His blog — Independent Arkansas — is linked at arkansasnews.com. His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Generals, MLB stars to help select heroes
'Tribute For Heroes' campaign to take place during All-Star week
Retired U.S. Army generals Peter Chiarelli and Jack Keane will join seven Major League Baseball players as guest panelists for the ongoing MLB and People magazine "Tribute For Heroes" campaign, an All-Star Week initiative that recognizes veterans and military service members and builds upon both organizations' commitment to honoring America's heroes.
Justin Verlander of the Tigers, Nick Swisher of the Indians, Barry Zito of the Giants, Jonny Gomes of the Red Sox, Brad Ziegler of the D-backs, Chase Headley of the Padres and Craig Stammen of the Nationals also will help do the choosing.
From now through 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, visit TributeforHeroes.com to nominate an active or former member of the Armed Forces of the U.S. or Canada. It will mean a chance for them to represent their favorite MLB team at the 84th All-Star Game on July 16 at Citi Field and televised live on FOX.
Gen. Chiarelli served as 32nd Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army until his retirement in 2012. He currently serves as CEO of One Mind for Research, which facilitates public-private partnerships throughout the world, accelerating discovery and dissemination of disease-modifying preventions, diagnoses, treatments, and cures of brain disorders.
"I've dedicated my life to serving this great country, so it is my honor to join Major League Baseball and People magazine in recognizing my fellow service men and women as part of this guest panel," he said. "It will be a special moment for me and fans around the nation when this extraordinary group is honored prior to the 2013 MLB All-Star Game."
Gen. Keane, a four-star general, completed 37 years in public service, culminating as acting Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army. He is President, GSI, LLC, Chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and participates in two foundations that help veterans: Welcome Back Veterans and American Corporate Partners.
Verlander, at each of his home starts, hosts veterans from Veterans Affairs Medical Centers throughout the state of Michigan. The veterans, along with their families, watch the game from his personal luxury suite. Veterans receive a personalized welcome letter from Verlander, while all guests receive a Verlander's Victory for Veterans T-shirt and are welcomed on the scoreboard during the game.
Swisher is an Ambassador to the Wounded Warriors Project and he and his wife JoAnna visited troops in a USO-sponsored trip to Germany and Afghanistan in November 2011.
Zito is founder of Strikeouts For Troops, a national nonprofit that provides assistance and comforts of home to injured service members and support to military families. He actively supports Welcome Back Veterans and is an advocate for cutting edge research in the areas of PTSD, rehabilitation, and re-introduction into the mainstream community.
Gomes works closely with organizations like TroopsDirect.org and the Eagle Fund.
"My plan after college was to enter into the service if baseball didn't work out," Gomes said. "Fortunately it did, but I never forget the path I could've taken. That's why it is so important for me to help the troops whenever I can. Through programs like 'Tribute For Heroes' and organizations such as TroopsDirect.org and the Eagle Fund, I am able to give back to the brave men and women on the front lines and those who have been injured on the field of battle."
Ziegler founded Pastime for Patriots to help support servicemen and women, as well as their families, by offering them opportunities to attend Major League Baseball games. In addition, the nonprofit foundation's mission is to honor all members of our armed forces and their families for their extreme sacrifice to our country by providing educationally-based financial assistance to military children and family-friendly activities for military members and their families.
Headley, in addition to having a number of good friends in the Navy, enjoys proximity to Naval Base San Diego and Camp Pendleton has given him a special appreciation of the military community and afforded him the opportunity to meet many of our nation's active service members and veterans. He is launching "Headley's Heroes," a community program focused on identifying and highlighting local heroes, creating awareness of the positive impact that these individuals/groups are making and rewarding their efforts with experiences at Padres home games. Recognizing military members and their families is one of his priorities.
Stammen's best friend from high school and college teammate is a Marine. Driven by this personal connection, Stammen is dedicated to honoring U.S. service members in any way he can, including regular visits with wounded veterans at Nationals Park and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Last winter, he was able to join Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on his overseas holiday USO tour, making stops in Afghanistan, Bahrain and aboard the USS John C. Stennis.
Once all of the nominations are reviewed, three veterans/military service members per club (90 finalists) will be selected by MLB, People and the guest panel. Fans will then be encouraged to vote online from June 9-30 for their favorite story from each club. All 30 winners, one representing each club, will be announced on July 10. They will be included in All-Star Week festivities and recognized during the All-Star pregame ceremony.
One of the 30 "Tribute for Heroes" winners will be featured in People magazine during the week of the All-Star Game.
Welcome Back Veterans is an initiative of MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, addressing the needs of veterans after they return from service. MLB has committed more than $23 million through Welcome Back Veterans for grants to hospitals and clinics that provide research and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment to veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with Centers of Excellence" at university hospitals throughout the country.
As part of its 2013 charity initiative, "People First: Help America's Veterans," People magazine is partnering with Welcome Back Veterans and three other nonprofit organizations that are committed to providing assistance to military men and women, and will feature them in multiple editorial stories in People throughout 2013.
Welcome Back Veterans funds programs at The University of Michigan, Rush University Medical Center, Duke University, Emory University, Weill Cornell in New York City, UCLA and the Red Sox' Home Base Program at Mass General Hospital in Boston. These institutions are developing new programs and strategies to improve the quality, quantity and access to PTSD and TBI treatment for veterans, particularly those returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.


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"Education is a great equalizer in being able to change your status in life. Carleton was and is a wonderful place. It is all about intellectual and social discourse, how hard you are willing to work and how well you can think and express yourself. Materialism is not something you see much of at Carleton; it's not a Carleton value."
— Peggy Salagovic Sweitzer '71


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Really green: Log home master teaches his craft
What could be greener than building with trees and rocks? The man who is considered one of the world's top experts in stone and hewn-log construction is about to unleash some week-long workshops this year.
He is Charles McRaven, and he kicks off his teaching season April 20 with a hewn cabin class at his family's farm in Free Union.
"He has the kind of skills that an early American would have," says two-time McRaven stone student Mary Lowery of Nellysford. "If you were a pioneer and you just got off the boat and got a plot of land, McRaven is the guy."
Such expertise requires a week-long investment of time– 9 to 5 daily– plus an investment of $750.
"It's 40 hours of instruction plus all the gatorade and water they can drink," says McRaven's wife Linda. "They leave exhausted and full of information."
The hewn log week begins April 20 and July 13, and the stonework week begins June 22 and September 7. www.charlesmcraven.com 434-973-4859.


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Interview airs August 12 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
"Oprah and Jill Bolte Taylor: A Stroke of Insight" will air on the Emmy(R) Award-winning "Super Soul Sunday" on Sunday, August 12 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and will simulcast online worldwide via Oprah.com and Facebook.com/OWNTV.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and author of the New York Times bestselling memoir "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey," suffered a massive stroke in 1996. It was after her 8-year recovery that she catapulted into the public eye after her 2008 TED talk went viral. To date, it has garnered more than 11 million views on Ted.com and YouTube. As a result, Taylor was chosen as one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2008. In this interview, Taylor talks to Winfrey about how this life-changing event became her spiritual awakening.
Immediately following the interview will be two special episodes of "The Best of The Oprah Show;" including "The Power of Prayer" at 12 p.m. ET/PT and "Caroline Myss on Discovering Why We Are Here" at 1 p.m. ET/PT. Blending brand-new footage of Winfrey reflecting on these groundbreaking shows, with vintage clips, Winfrey gives never-before-seen insight and reflections on some of the most memorable moments.
To preview the episode and share online, please click on the link below:
Other upcoming episodes include:
August 19: Oprah and Reverend Ed Bacon: Faith and Spirituality
August 26: Oprah and Llewellyn Vaughan Lee: Sufism and the Wisdom of the Heart
September 2: Oprah's Book Club 2.0: Oprah and Author of 'Wild' Cheryl Strayed
September 9: Oprah and Iyanla Vanzant: Soul to Soul (Premiere)
September 16: Oprah and Ram Dass: Fierce Grace
About Super Soul Sunday
The Emmy(R) Award-winning series "Super Soul Sunday" delivers a thought-provoking, eye-opening and inspiring block of programming designed to help viewers awaken to their best selves and discover a deeper connection to the world around them. With all-new conversations between Oprah Winfrey and top thinkers, authors, and spiritual leaders, "Super Soul Sunday" features exclusive interviews in studio and on location- from spots as diverse as a serene oak grove at Winfrey's California home, to a palace in India, and even a garden terrace in Maui. Also featured is short-form content from SoulPancake, the production company co-founded by "The Office's" Rainn Wilson. Exploring themes and issues including happiness, personal fulfillment, wellness, spirituality and conscious living, "Super Soul Sunday" presents an array of perspectives on what it means to be alive in today's world. The series is produced by Harpo Studios.
Follow @SuperSoulSunday on Twitter and join the conversation using #SuperSoulSunday.
For more information, and to view the simulcast live stream please visit www.Oprah.com, www.facebook.com/OWNtv and www.facebook.com/SuperSoulSunday


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Channelling George Washington: What If ... Lincoln Lived Out His Presidency?Historians/History
"What if Lincoln decided to skip Ford's Theater on Good Friday, 1865?"
"There's a what if that can keep us talking all night."
"I've discussed it with Abe up here in Elysium. It's a painful subject. It stirs a lot of uneasy thoughts. He's not at all sure that he would have had any better luck with the Radical Republicans, a.k.a. Abolitionists than his unlucky successor, Vice President Andy Johnson."
"I've got more confidence in Lincoln than that."'
"So have I. That's what I said to him. He took a swallow of ambrosia and pondered for a moment. "It'd be a different country today," he said.
"What did he mean?"
"He started by admitting he didn't have a clear idea how things would have gone. But one thing was certain. He NEVER would have tolerated those Reconstruction laws that the Radicals in Congress crammed down poor Johnson's throat—turning the South into military districts, and ordering the Union Army to run things."
"Was he in favor of giving the blacks the vote?"
"Here's where Abe got really uneasy. He said no—not right away. It didn't make sense to give the vote to people who were almost all illiterate. But he recognized that there were many blacks with brains and talent—the real Uncle Toms I talked about a few nights ago. They deserved some sort of recognition. He thought maybe a literacy test would have been a good first step."
"In places like New Orleans there were a lot of free blacks with educations."
"He recognized that too. He was eager to have them participate. His main goal was to bring the Southern states back into the union with a minimum of blame. He wanted to squelch the abolitionists talk of revenge."
"Was he in favor of seizing the land of leading Confederates and distributing it to blacks? A lot of Radical Republicans favored that."
"Absolutely not. Abe said that would have started a cycle of revenge and retaliation that would have lasted for decades."
"What about the possibility that he would have tried to send the blacks back to Africa?"
"Abe said he thought about it, and discussed it with Grant and other people. But by the time the war ended, it was impossible. One hundred and sixty thousand blacks had fought in the Union Army. It would have been an awful act of ingratitude to send them back to Africa. But there was a need to get some of the blacks out of the South. It was their sheer numbers—4 million—that terrified the whites. This was what President Grant was thinking, when he tried to buy the Dominican Republic. Maybe a million blacks—the poorest ones—might think it wasn't a bad idea to go to another country. But Congress wouldn't put up the money."
"It was probably just as well, wouldn't you say?"
"You judge things differently when you can see them as they're happening and a century later. I'm not sure it would have worked. But it wasn't a totally bad idea, in my opinion. Abe agreed with me. Grant had gotten the idea from him, I'm pretty sure."
"Why were the whites so spooked by the idea of free blacks?"
"That can be summed up in one word: Haiti. They had a savage civil war there in the early 1800s. Napoleon sent an army to reconquer it and make it a French colony again. They had declared their independence in the wake of the French Revolution. The French won a lot of battles but their army collapsed from repeated outbreaks of yellow fever."
"Did President Jefferson help the Haitians?"
"As little as possible. He was in a bind. He didn't want an independent black Haiti but he was even more spooked by what the French were planning to do. Haiti was step one in Napoleon's plan to relaunch the French overseas empire. He browbeat the Spanish into secretly giving the Louisiana territory back to France. He planned to ship an even bigger army there and start making lots of trouble for us with the Indians in the Mississippi Valley."
"All this must have been a shock to Mr. Jefferson."
"To put it mildly. He had spent the previous eight or nine years smearing me and President John Adams for not getting in bed with Revolutionary France. Now Napoleon was running things, a guy who had no more use for Jeffersonian democracy than he did for British autocracy. It gave me a few laughs up here during my lonely first few years, before Martha joined me."
"Did you encourage the Haitians?"
"If by that you mean the Federalist Party, the answer is yes. I never made a public statement. But Alexander Hamilton had a close friend, Edmund Stevens, as our consul there. We smuggled them guns and ammunition. John Adams' secretary of state, Timothy Pickering, did even more. He thought maybe a free Haiti would accelerate the end of slavery in America. But he was much too optimistic. The French army took no prisoners. The war became a savage business that sowed hatred on both sides."
"What happened when the French pulled out?
"In 1804, Dessalines, the black general in command of the ex-slaves, declared Haiti was for blacks only. He marched across the island and killed every single white person he found—men, women, children. That really spooked Southerners."
"Including President Jefferson?"
"He was more spooked than anyone else. Pretty soon, his son-in-law Jack Eppes, a congressman from Virginia, introduced a resolution banning any and all American contacts with Haiti—until further notice. It passed unanimously. Everyone knew it was coming from the president. That was one of Tom's worst mistakes. It left Haiti adrift for decades."
"Let's go back to Abe. If he lived, do you think the Radicals would have tried to impeach him like Andy Johnson?"
"Not likely. Abe would have been the one man in the country who could say: 'I won the war.' That would have made him ten feet tall. I like to think he would have continued the tradition of the strong presidency. We would have been spared forty years of Congress running the country."
"What are some of the things Lincoln might have done?"
"A good example is the order Grant issued little more than a month after Lincoln was murdered. He told Phil Sheridan to take 50,000 troops and march to the Rio Grande. Do you know why?"
"There was an Austrian prince, Maximilian, running Mexico with French backing. He'd named himself Emperor."
"An American army on the border was our way of saying we didn't like this violation of the Monroe Doctrine. Abe had discussed this move with Grant before that nutcase Booth pulled his trigger. Pretty soon Maximilian was in front of a Mexican firing squad."
"What else might Abe have done?"
"Did you ever hear of the Fenians, the Irish independence movement?"
"All four of my grandparents were born in Ireland."
"Then you know about Secretary of State Seward allowing the Fenians to organize an army here in America composed of Irish-American veterans from the North and South, to conquer Canada."
"They won a big battle in 1866. They chased the Canadian militia for ten miles."
"But then the British twisted Andy Johnson's arm—or maybe paid off his son, who didn't have an honest bone in his body—and Johnson ordered gunboats into the Niagara River, cutting off all further supplies and ammo for the Fenian army in Canada. They were forced to surrender a few days later. Abe would never have folded like Johnson. He would have told the Brits to take a long slow walk. He agreed with Seward's idea that we should become the United States of North America."
"Abe had it in for the Brits?"
"He remembered the way they'd covertly backed the Confederacy and armed the Alabama and other Confederate raiders in their shipyards. Those fellows wreaked havoc on American merchant ships during the war."
"Does this mean what I think it means, Mr. President?
"Canada would have become part of the United States. We wouldn't have had to worry about buying places like the Dominican Republic. There were millions of empty acres up there Abe would have bought for the ex-slaves. Remember, in early 1864, he offered to pay the Southerners $200 million for their slaves if they came back into the Union."
"Wild stuff, Mr. President. What about Ireland?"
"We might have let the Brits keep Newfoundland and the right to fish in Canadian waters—if they gave Ireland its independence. If they said no, we would have offered every Irishman who wanted to come over a free passage and a hundred acres of Canadian land. We would have depopulated the Emerald Isle in two years."
"Now I know what Abe meant when he said it would have been a different country!"
"It would have been a great example of what a strong president could do. All of which makes John Wilkes Booth's itchy trigger finger one of the greatest tragedies in American history."
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R.R. Hamilton - 9/12/2010
I see now that you meant NAPOLEON "browbeat Spain", and NOT Jefferson. Forget I said anything. :-)
R.R. Hamilton - 9/12/2010
The author, "channeling Pres. Washington", says:
"He (Jefferson) browbeat the Spanish into secretly giving the Louisiana territory back to France. He planned to ship an even bigger army there and start making lots of trouble for us with the Indians in the Mississippi Valley."
Two problems: First, Napoleanic France recovered Louisiana from Spain in 1800, BEFORE Jefferson was elected. Second, given the PARAMOUNT U.S. interest in free navigation on the Mississippi, why would Jefferson or ANY U.S. President want Louisiana (in particular, New Orleans) transferred from a weak power like Spain to a strong one like France?
You can do better, Mr. Fleming. Or at least, I hope you can.
bill farrell - 9/11/2010
This racist garbage should not have been printed. If the author intended it as a joke, he failed.
Walter D. Kamphoefner - 9/6/2010
This kind of essay could only be written by someone with a very superficial knowledge of the era. About the only thing Fleming got right in this whole sorry exercise is that Lincoln would likely not have been impeached if he had served out his term. Fleming never even addresses LaWanda Cox, Lincoln and Black Freedom (1981), which over three decades has never been seriously challenged, much less refuted. It is important to remember that Lincoln was both a statesman and a very savvy politician; both were essential to what he achieved during his presidency, and what more he could have achieved had he served out his second term. The imperialist fantasies that Fleming ghost-writes for Lincoln fly in the face of Congressman Lincoln's record in the conflict with Mexico, as exemplified by his "spot resolution" challenging President Polk.
If HNN continues to publish this kind of drivel, it should at least have the honesty to change its name to Fictional News Network.
Robert Russell Pollock - 9/6/2010
Where does the idea that Grant expected a million blacks to go to Santo Domingo come from? Grant wasn't trying to "get some of the blacks out of the south." His idea was that if they had a place they could threaten to go then southern whites would be afraid of losing their labor supply and consequently treat them better. In other words, Santo Domingo would become their "safety valve." It would also become a solid political base for blacks in Congress. In addition, Grant wanted a stategic base in the Caribbean, and he believed Santo Domingo could provide much cheaper sugar and coffee, two staples of the American diet.
Jonathan Dresner - 9/5/2010
It's bad enough that Mr. Fleming is tarring George Washington with his fevered right-wing imaginings, but to suggest that Abraham Lincoln would, as a peacetime president, pursue an aggressive anti-British expansion in Canada is quite bizarre.
The connection between Haiti and Lincoln is fascinatingly, slanderously suggested, but unproven in this screed.
And, in the end, Fleming contradicts himself, saying that a surviving Lincoln would pursue a "strong Presidency" course, but admitting, at the very beginning, that Lincoln might not have managed Congress with the level of autocracy which excites Fleming's deepest fantasies.
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CCD Views June 2001
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665 http://www.aavso.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C C D V I E W S ---------------------- June, 2001 Vol 2 No 1 Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Introduction to the New CCD Views 2. Rare Superoutburst of AL COM 3. SU UMa Campaign 4. Rare GU Sgr Fading 5. Comments on Faint LPVs by J.A.M 6. Recently Published CCD Charts 7. Appulse Data 8. Extrasolar Planetary Transit Monitoring of IL AQR --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW CCD VIEWS This is the first issue of a new electronic edition of CCD Views. This newsletter is published by AAVSO Technical Staff (Aaron Price) and the AAVSO CCD Committtee Chair (Gary Walker) for variable star observers with an interest in CCD observing. Both Aaron and Gary are avid CCD variable star observers. Our goal is to support your observing program with lists of new targets, new observing program ideas, summary of recent activity of faint variables, and the publication of other issues important to CCD observing. I will add comments on stars (mostly LPVs) and other news from time to time. We want to provide the initial ideas for observing programs. CCD Views will be published bimonthly and as needed. It will be distributed primarily via e-mail and will be archived on our WWW site. To receive CCD Views send a message to majordomo.at.aavso.org with "subscribe ccdviews" in the body of the e-mail. This is a new format for CCD Views so we anticipate some tweaking and minor changes over the first few issues. Newsletters like this normally do not hit their stride for a few months, so please bear with us. We are eager to receive any feedback about what you may like, don't like, and what you would like to see in future editions. Please send your comments to ccdviews.at.aavso.org. Thank you and we hope you find this new publication useful and informative! Good observing! Janet Mattei (JAM) Director --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. RARE SUPEROUTBURST OF AL COM The SU Ursae Majoris-type dwarf nova AL Comae Berenices is undergoing a rare superoutburst. CCD observers are urged to search for superhumps (small-amplitude periodic oscillations), making observations every 5 minutes for as long as possible during the night and recording the time to four decimal places while this star is in superoutburst. Please use an I filter if you have one, otherwise use V filter. For more information consult AAVSO Alert Notice #283 at the URL below: http://www.aavso.org/alerts/alert283/alert283text.stm This star has a very interesting behavior and superhumps during superoutburst. We had excellent CCD coverage during its 1995 superoutburst and we published the results in a collaborative paper (Howell et al 1996, Astr. Journal,.. ). We would like to do it again with this superoutburst if we have enough coverage. Please submit your observations to the AAVSO as soon as possible so that we can began working with the data and coordinate further observations. Here is an example of good photometry in I by Doug West: MAY 25.1167 2452054.6168 13.50 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1203 2452054.6204 13.82 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1214 2452054.6214 13.63 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1277 2452054.6278 13.62 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1313 2452054.6313 13.51 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1345 2452054.6346 13.51 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1381 2452054.6382 13.50 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1419 2452054.6419 13.55 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1455 2452054.6455 13.42 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1491 2452054.6492 13.61 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1510 2452054.6511 13.55 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1548 2452054.6548 13.53 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1584 2452054.6584 13.36 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1620 2452054.6621 13.52 WJD CCDI MAY 25.1656 2452054.6657 13.34 WJD CCDI Here are some recent observations of AL COM: MAY 30.1882 2452059.6882 13.8 SXN Y MAY 30.7354 2452060.2354 13.7: BTH M MAY 30.9325 2452060.4326 13.9 JCN K MAY 30.9402 2452060.4402 14.04 SMI CCD MAY 30.9459 2452060.446 13.7 MGH KY MAY 31.9375 2452061.4375 13.9 JCN K --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. SU UMA CAMPAIGN Please remember to monitor SU UMa closely through the end of the month. A colleague from The University of Leicester has been awarded time on RXTE to observe the dwarf nova SU UMa regularly through June. Please keep a close eye on this star and report your observations regularly to the AAVSO as our colleague is checking the Quick Look File often. We are also periodically sending him data files so that he can correlate his x-ray data with the optical data. Please use the SU UMA visual charts to make your estimates. SU UMa belongs to a subclass of dwarf novae which has frequent, faint, and narrow outbursts along with infrequent, long, and bright superoutbursts. Superhumps appear during such outbursts at periods of 2%-3% of the orbital period. In fact, these superhumps are important because scientists often use them to determine the orbital period of the system. For more information read "Outburst Characteristics in the Dwarf Nova SU Ursae Majoris" by P. Rosenzweig, et. al. in P.A.S.P Volume 112, Issue 771, pp. 632-641. The abstract is available via ADS at: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2000PASP..112..632R&db_key=AST&high=39ad50824503046 (URL should be on one line) SU UMA was featured as the February 2000 Variable Star of the Month available at http://www.aavso.org/vstar/vsotm/0200.stm . In addition, SU UMa recently underwent another outburst as reported in News Flash #791 with the following observations: UT Mag. Initials UT Mag. Initials MAY 29.9380 14.2 PYG MAY 30.9270 11.8 GUN MAY 30.1430 <13.9 SXN MAY 30.9485 12.2 RMQ MAY 30.8950 <13.4 GUN MAY 30.9687 12.08 CCD SMI MAY 30.9270 11.8 GUN MAY 31.2784 11.9: LMK This campaign was originally reported in News Flash #772. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. RARE GU SGR FADING As originally reported in IAU Circular #7619, GU SGR (1818-24), a R CrB star which doesn't fade often, is beginning to fade quickly after being at maximum light for about 8 years. As of the end of May the star has faded from 10.4 to 16.6. During the last minimum in 1988 it reached mag 16.4. Thanks to the following observers for notifying us of this fading via their observations: S. Otero, Buenos Aires, Argentina S. O'Connor, Montreal North, QC R. Stubbings, Druin, Victoria, Australia A. Pearce, Nedlands, W. Australia Recent observation of GU SGR: MAY 20.2938 16.6 OCN CCDV MAY 20.3014 <15.7 OCN CCDR MAY 22.6480 <14.6 PEX MAY 26.8580 <14.6 PEX --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. COMMENTS ON FAINT LPV'S BY J.A.M. Below is a list of mostly faint LPVs that may be of interest to CCD observers next month. This list combines elements of the AAVSO Bulletin, Quick Look files, and long term data. Stars listed are generally faint and either in need of more observations or show some strange behavior that needs to be studied. We realize that many of these objects have charts that need improvement. Please continue to use these charts until we are able to release new ones. It is important for these long term variables that new charts and comparison stars are not issued haphazardly. 0045+33 RR AND <9.1-15.1> Minima need to be better monitored to determine behavior and to predict future minima. Use AAVSO f scale chart and comp stars. 0159+12 S ARI <10.9-15.2> Cycles in 2000 and 2001 are not well monitored. Go for early morning coverage to reduce the seasonal gap. 0212+81 Z CEP <10.8-15.4> Although circumpolar, large gaps exist around minima. Next predicted minima is June 18. 0242+37 AI PER 11.0-15.5 Large gaps exist in the light curve, particularly around minima. CCD charts with B-V and V-R values are available on the AAVSO FTP site. 0452+56 TX CAM 8.1-(15.3 Another northern polar very poorly monitored in 2000. 0513-16 X LEP 8.8-15.6 Needs predawn observations as it is fading to minimum. 0728-20B Z PUP <8.1-14.5> Very poorly monitored in 2000. Presently fading to a minimumin July. 1353-04 SY VIR Maxima in 2000 was about 1 magnitude fainter at 10.5. Minima poorly observed. Use AAVSO e-scale chart that has well measured and faint comp stars. 1405-12A Z VIR Needs more data around the minimum and on the ascendancy branch of the light curve. Use e-scale standard chart. 1853+16 EU AQL In need of more observations throughout the entire light curve. Use e-scale chart even though it may need a better comp star sequence. 1855-12A ST SGR Very poorly monitored around minimum. Go for it now. Predicted minima is July 5. Use f-scale preliminary chart to make the estimate. An e-scale standard chart is available for finding the field. 1906+43 ST LYR For several years it has been poorly observed near minima making predictions very difficult. 1909+31 EL LYR Needs more observations around minima on June 13. The e-scale preliminary chart unfortunately is inadequate for it needs fainter magnitudes, do the best you can. 1922+01 TU AQL Needs more observations near minima in order to determine the true minima brightness. Beware of close by magnitude 11 star. Use e-scale preliminary chart. 2003+57 S CYG Needs positive observations around minima. Use e-scale standard chart. 2008-22 W CAP Badly in need of more observations, particularly around minima predicted for June 26. 2011-39 RT SGR Very badly in need of observations at all phases of its light curve. CCD observers may be able to get positive observations better than visual using the poor sequence on our d-scale chart. Go for it. 2012+09 RU DEL Needs more positive observations around minima. 2022-40 U MIC The star is in desperate need of more observations at all phases. Only a few observatiosn exist since 1999. Presently it is fading to minimum predicted for August 7. 2042-15 U CAP Another LPV in desperate need of observations at all phases. Has a good e-scale standard chart. 2056-27 RR CAP Needs more observations around minima, predicted for early July. This is only meant as a guide and should not be considered a comprehensive list of LPV CCD targets. Please let us know whether you find this list useful by sending comments to firstname.lastname@example.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. RECENTLY PUBLISHED CCD CHARTS Please remember that over 40 new CCD charts were released in January on the AAVSO FTP site. Of these 40, 19 are Miras, 10 are CVs and the rest belong to a wide variety of types. This brings the total number of CCD charts to above 70. We expect to be releasing many more in the next month or so. All of these charts are available at the URL below: [URL REMOVED -- see http://www.aavso.org/vsp for modern charts] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. APPULSE OBSERVATION EXPERIMENT An "appulse" is the near approach of one heavenly body to another. We would like to conduct an informal experiment to observe CVs close to the full Moon. These are CVs that cannot be observed by visual observers because of lunar interference. Below is a list of five CVs that will be around 20 degrees from the full Moon on June 6. Please observe these stars, at least once per night, on every possible night between June 2 and June 10 UT inclusive. There may be a large background gradient or glints in the CCD field; do your best to get good photometry. We are only asking for observations at the 0.1mag level of accuracy; anything more precise will be difficult because of such sky gradients and the probable faintness of the CVs. If at all possible, use an R or an I filter to decrease the scattered moonlight. For any filter, go ahead and report your data based on the chart magnitudes, but indicate what filter was used. Designation Name Distance(deg) Range(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1542-42 AB NOR 26.2 13.9p-<19.0j 1633+08 V544 HER 29.6 14.5p-20p 1751-14 MU SER 16.1 7.7v-<21p 1805-14 UZ SER 19.2 11.9v-16.0v Please report your results and comments to firstname.lastname@example.com, even if you catch a CV in outburst. This e-mail address will be checked many times per day so such an outburst will make it into the News Flash. These can be informal reports and do not need to be in the official AAVSO format. If we find that it is possible to perform .1 mag level photometry this close to the full Moon then every month we will publish a list of CVs to observe for the 4 days prior to and after the full moon. Charts for these stars are available on the AAVSO Variable Star Chart CDROM or at http://charts.aavso.org. (1) From "A Catalog and Atlas of Cataclysmic Variables" by Ronald Downes, et. al. available at http://icarus.stsci.edu/~downes/cvcat/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. EXTRASOLAR PLANETARY TRANSIT MONITORING OF IL AQR In June, 2 windows of opportunity exist for the possible detection of planetary transits around IL AQR. 5 minute integrations should be made during the observing windows. Transits could last 2-4 hours and could dim the star by as little as a few hundredths to a few tenths of a magnitude. Planet Predicted Transit Time(UT) Full Window ----------- ---------------------------- ----------- Gliese 876b 2452079.97 (11:17 June 19) Jun. 14-26 Gliese 876c 2452080.9 (09:36 June 20) Jun. 14-26 The position of IL AQR/Gliese 876 is: R.A. = 22h 53m 16.7s Decl. = -14 degrees 15' 49" (2000) For much more detail about this possible event consult AAVSO Alert Notices #281 & #282 at the URLs below: http://www.aavso.org/alerts/alert281/alert281text.stm http://www.aavso.org/alerts/alert282/alert282text.stm CNN & Wired.com also covered this subject at these URLs: http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/05/22/planet.search/index.html http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,43865,00.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CCD Views is published bimonthly and when circumstances warrant via e-mail. An archive is available at http://www.aavso.org/ccdviews/ . Please send comments and suggestions to aaronp.at.aavso.org. To receive CCD Views via e-mail send a message to majordomo.at.aavso.org with "subscribe ccdviews" in the body of the e-mail. To unsubscribe, place "unsubscribe ccdviews" in the e-mail. The AAVSO has many free online publications including "Eyepiece Views", a similar newsletter intended for visual observers. To learn more and subscribe visit: http://www.aavso.org/mailinglists.stm Good observing! Aaron Price, AAVSO Technical Assistant (PAH) Gary Walker, Chairman of the AAVSO CCD Committee (WGR) Copyright 2001, American Association of Variable Star Observers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS 25 Birch Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Tel. 617-354-0484 Fax 617-354-0665 http://www.aavso.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Aaron Price on Thu, 06/30/2011 - 12:51


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College Media Matters, a student journalism industry blog, recently listed Ithaca College's Journalism Program as one of the 50 Best Journalism Schools and Programs at U.S. Colleges and Universities.
CMM was created and is maintained by student press scholar Dan Reimold. In his selection for the 2013 top programs, Reimold chose schools based on his personal knowledge of "various schools' and departments' reputations, faculty, affiliated student media, classes, internship and study abroad connections, and feedback … from students and (mostly younger) alums."
He also stated that the programs he chose excited him "in the digital journalism realm and in some way aligned with quality campus media and professional publishing opportunities."
Ithaca College was listed among institutions such as Northwestern, American University, George Washington, and Boston University.
To read the blog post, click here.
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Agilis is a futuristic sci-fi platformer with an emphasis on atmosphere, audio and subtlety. Created by sound designer Michael Manning this is what I'm calling the 'almost' build of the game. It is being made in Scirra Construct and if this version is well received I will aim to develop it further for multiple platforms.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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March 3, 2003
Information technology (IT) has the ability to distribute and examine a vast array of material with unprecedented speed. One requirement, however, remains constant: all information technology use must fully respect the rights of the University and IT community members. This AUP is designed to guide faculty, staff, and students in the acceptable use of network and information systems provided by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). More importantly, it is meant as an application of principles of respect using UALR computer resources, other computer users, and for the medium itself.
The UALR community is encouraged to make innovative and creative use of information technologies in support of education and research. Consistent with other University policies, this policy is intended to respect the rights and obligations of academic freedom as well as to protect the resources of the University.
The University campus network is an open network and therefore cannot protect individuals against the existence or receipt of material that may be offensive to them. Those who make use of electronic communications are warned that they may come across or be recipients of material they find offensive. Those who use email and/or make information about themselves available on the Internet should be forewarned that the University cannot protect them from invasions of privacy and other possible dangers that could result from the distribution of personal information. IT and network facilities of the University are finite and limited. These facilities should be used wisely and carefully with consideration for the needs of others. When used appropriately, these tools can enhance dialog and communications. When used inappropriately or unlawfully, these tools can infringe on the rights of others. Current use of IT parallels familiar activities in other media and formats and existing University policies already provide guidance. Using electronic media in the place of standard written correspondence, for example, does not fundamentally alter the nature of the communication, nor will it alter the guiding policies. University policies, which already apply to freedom of expression, privacy and related matters, apply to electronic expression as well. This IT Appropriate Use Policy (AUP) addresses circumstances, which are new or at least unfamiliar in the IT arena and augments rather than replace other applicable University policies.
UALR IT Systems include the computers, terminals, printers, networks, modem banks, and related equipment, as well as data files or documents residing on disk, tape, or other media, which are owned, managed or maintained by IT Services and/or faculty/staff of UALR. For example, IT Systems include institutional and departmental systems, IT systems managed by UALR IT Services, faculty research systems connected to the campus network, the campus telephone system, and the University's campus network (which is designed and managed by IT Services). Privately owned equipment, such as laptops, PDAs, and home computers are considered an IT System if attached directly or remotely to the campus network and/or is used to access the UALR campus network.
A User is any person, whether authorized or not, who makes any use of any IT System from any location. For example, this definition includes persons who access IT facilities via an off campus electronic network, as well as those who use an UALR dial-in network (e.g., the campus network/Internet) to connect a personal machine to any other networked system or service. An IT User is a user with authorization to access a UALR IT System(s). IT Users include UALR students, faculty members, staff members, and alumni or alumnae with accounts on IT systems.
A System Administrator is an individual with the authority to determine who is permitted access to a UALR department system or server. For example, UALR Associate Director of Networks is the UALR campus network system administrator.
Network Security Officer (NSO) is an individual charged with maintaining the security of the UALR campus network and as such, has the authority to investigate security violations to ensure that security policy is complied with.
The purpose of IT is to further the research, education, and administrative functions of UALR. To achieve this purpose, these policies intend:
- To ensure the integrity, reliability, and performance of UALR IT Systems and network.
- To ensure that the UALR community of IT Users utilize the campus IT facilities in a fair and equable manner with respect for the rights of the community at large.
- To ensure that IT Systems and network are used for their intended purposes.
- To establish sanctions and processes for addressing violations.
The IT AUP applies to all UALR IT Systems owned, managed or administered by UALR faculty, staff and students and any use of those systems. Many particular IT Systems (UALR's News and World Wide Web sites, campus email services, etc.) have service-specific policies, which apply in addition to this AUP. Please refer to postings available with each system to identify all applicable policies.
The policies described herein are those that the University uses in the normal operation of IT facilities and network. This document does not waive any claim that UALR may have to ownership or control of any hardware, software, or data created on, stored on, or transmitted through UALR IT Systems and network.
Use of IT Systems
Proper Authorization
Use of UALR IT Systems is restricted to authorized UALR faculty, staff, alumni and students. The administrator of a campus system, server, and/or campus network component is the responsible authority, which grants authorization for system use and access.
Appropriate/acceptable Use
UALR IT Systems and network may be used only for their intended authorized purposes. For example, privately owned computers may not host sites for non-UALR organizations across the IT managed UALR network without specific authorization.
Official Electronic Communications
Student e-mail accounts are created within 24 hours of class registration and faculty/staff e-mail accounts created when the initial hiring documents are complete. UALR E-mail is the official means of electronic communication with students, faculty and staff. Important university-related information will be sent to individual e-mail accounts. Students are responsible for regularly reading e-mail messages. Types of communication include but are not limited to financial aid information, inclement weather closings, e-bills and payment deadlines, registration information, and library notices. The UALR E-mail System can be accessed at mail.ualr.edu.
Commercial Use
Without specific UALR administration authorization, activities using IT Systems and network for non-UALR commercial purposes are prohibited. This is not meant to restrict normal communications and exchange of electronic data, consistent with the University's education and research roles, that may have an incidental financial or other benefit for an external organization. For example, it is not appropriate to discuss products or services with companies doing business with UALR or to contribute to Facfocus discussing issues relating to commercial products.
Vendor Contracts
All use of UALR IT Systems and network must be consistent with all contractual obligations of the University, including limitations defined in software and other licensing agreements.
Privileges for IT Users
Free Inquiry & Expression
UALR IT Users are afforded free inquiry and expression consonant with the purposes of the University.
Reasonable Confidentiality
UALR IT Users can expect reasonable confidentiality for particular data. Systems Administrators will identify categories of data, which will be managed as confidential on a particular IT System and they will make all reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of that data. However, limited risks do apply to confidentiality, for example to technical limitations, software bugs, and system failures. Systems Administrators will take reasonable steps to inform IT Users of the limits to confidentiality for their respective IT Systems. IT Users are expected to become familiar with those limit and risks of confidentiality and to manage their confidential data accordingly. Confidentiality of data must comply with the State of Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Responsibilities for All Users
Unauthorized Use
Users must not permit or assist any unauthorized person to access IT Systems. For example, any non-UALR organization or individual without appropriate authorization may not use UALR IT Systems. Each campus user must have and use a unique logon/password to a campus IT system. Multiple user logons or passwords are in violation of this policy.
Users must not defeat or attempt to defeat any UALR IT System's security, for example, by "cracking" or guessing user identifications or passwords, compromising room locks or alarm systems, utilize software that will probe a network user system, or a sniffer gathering logon/password data.
Unauthorized Data Access
Users must not access or attempt to access data on any UALR IT System they are not authorized to access. Users must not make or attempt to make any deliberate, unauthorized changes to data on an IT System. Users must not intercept or attempt to intercept data communications not intended for that user's access, for example network sniffing or wiretapping.
Concealed Identity
Users must not conceal their identity when using UALR IT Systems. Users must use their own login ID and password.
Denial of Service
Users must not deny or interfere with or attempt to deny or interfere with service to other users, on campus or off campus, by means of "resource hogging," deliberate distribution of computer worms or viruses, or modification of any IT system. Knowing or reckless distribution of unwanted mail or other messages is prohibited.
Users must observe intellectual property rights including, in particular, copyright laws as they apply to software, licensing, and electronic forms of information.
External Data Networks
Users must observe all applicable policies of external or off campus data networks when using such networks.
Modification of Data or Equipment
Without specific authorization, users of UALR IT Systems must not cause, permit, or attempt any destruction or modification of data or computing or communications equipment, including but not limited to alteration of data, reconfiguration of control switches or parameters, or changes in firmware. "Specific authorization" refers to permission by the owner or Systems Administrator of the equipment.
Personal Account Responsibility
Users are responsible for the security of their IT System accounts and passwords. Any user change of passwords must follow published guidelines. Accounts and passwords are assigned to single users and are not to be shared with any other person without authorization by the Systems Administrator. Changing another person's password is considered a form of harassment and unethical behavior.
Users are presumed to be responsible for any activity carried out under their IT System accounts.
Responsibility for Content
Representatives of IT publish "official" information in a variety of electronic forms. A statement of the Certifying Authority publishing the information will normally identify such official information. A Certifying Authority is that IT department or individual who certifies the accuracy of an electronic document and IT appropriateness for the conduct of IT business.
Users also publish information in electronic forms on IT equipment and/or over UALR's networks. UALR does not have any intention or opportunity to screen such private material and thus cannot assure IT accuracy or assume any responsibility for this material. Any electronic publication provided on or over UALR equipment and/or networks, which is not legitimately identified by a Certifying Authority, is the private speech of an individual user. Offensive content is to be reported to the Network Security Officer (NSO) for investigation.
Email use
The University's electronic mail facilities should not be used:
- To send unauthorized mass mailings of any type.
- To send rude, obscene, harassing, or illegal material, or material that in any way conflicts with the regulations of the University.
- To send any material that in any way conflicts with state or federal law.
- To perform an operation or activity that degrades the performance of the UALR's IT systems and/or network.
Threats and Harassment
Users may not use a UALR IT System to threaten or harass any person. A user must cease sending messages or interfering in any way with another user's use of IT Systems if the aggrieved user makes a reasonable request for such cessation.
Removal of Equipment or Documents
Without specific authorization by the System Administrator, users must not remove any University-owned or administered equipment or documents from an IT System.
Foreign Devices
Without specific authorization by the System Administrator, users must not physically or electrically attach any foreign device (such as an external disk, printer, network sniffer, sniffer software, network monitoring software, modem, or video system) to an IT System.
Users must not conceal or help to conceal or "cover up" violations by any party. Users are expected to report any evidence of actual or suspected violation of this policy to the Systems Administrator of the facility most directly involved. In case of doubt, the report should be made to the UALR Network Security Officer (NSO) and/or UALR Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Reporting of Security Violations
If a user observes and/or suspects a security violation, he/she is obligated to report such to the UALR Network Security Officer.
IT Rights
Personal Identification
Users of IT Systems must show identification including University affiliation upon request by a System Administrator, NSO, or University authority.
Access to Data
Users must allow systems administration personnel access to data files on IT Systems for the purpose of making backups, diagnosing systems problems and investigating policy and/or campus network security violations.
Oversight Authority
UALR NSO is authorized to investigate alleged or apparent violations of UALR IT policy or applicable law involving IT Systems and/or network using whatever means appropriate. The NSO will maintain a log and incident reporting of all such incidents. Any emergency action will be logged and security incident appropriateness reviewed after the fact.
Enforcement Procedures
The University may restrict the use of its IT and network systems when faced with evidence of violation of University policies, federal or local laws. The University reserves the right to limit access to its networks and IT systems. The University may limit access to material posted on University owned IT systems that is deemed inappropriate or not in keeping with the educational, research and community service missions of this University. Systems Administrators are authorized by the University Network Security Policy to apply certain penalties to enforce applicable policies. Such penalties include temporary or elimination of access privileges, which may apply to networks and other IT services or facilities.
When a Systems Administrator believes it necessary to preserve the integrity of facilities, user services, or data, he or she may suspend any account, whether or not the account owner (the user) is suspected of any violation. The System Administrator will attempt to notify the user of any such action.
If, in the opinion of the Systems Administrator, the violation warrants action beyond a System Administrator's authority, he or she may refer the case to other authorities, such as the NSO, the University disciplinary body appropriate to the violator's status, or to an employee's supervisor.


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Brand Overview
Forbo Flooring
Profile | Website
Forbo Industries..........Raising the standard for quality, beauty, safety, economy & service in flooring.Forbo Ind. has never lost sight of the importance of a high level of customer service or the significance of offering leading edge products to the market. Through our U.S. Headquarters in Hazleton, PA, we've made a major commitment to the facilities, people & inventory that make market leadership a reality. We want our customers to find it easy to do business with us before, during & after the purchase of our floor coverings.
Johnsonite® Commerical Flooring
Profile | Website | Install | Maintain | Green
WELCOME TO THE WORLD'S MOST INTEGRATED flooring system. Now it's easy to make choices that balance function and aesthetics. Short-term cost with long-term investment. Safety with efficiency. Sustainability with performance. Our mission is to integrate design and life-safety into flooring and stairwell solutions to create more productive, safer spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and add to our customers' economic success.
Flexco® Resilient Floors
Profile | Website
At Flexco we help make your dreams come to life with flooring products that let you express fully your inspiration. Our extensive line of quality rubber and vinyl wall base, tile floors, and stair treads makes it easy to spec the perfect floor, every time.
Altro Floors
Profile | Website
For over forty years, we have developed products for all walks of life.Altro Floors manufacture floor, wall and ceiling products for commercial, institutional and industrial applications. We have led the way in slip resistance with Altro safety flooring.


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Metritis is one of the most common fresh cow diseases. Typically diagnosed during the first 10 days in milk, metritis is a uterine infection that can affect up to 30 percent of a dairy herd.1
"After calving, cows are uniquely challenged by a suppressed immune system and negative energy balance at the same time they're exposed to many diseases," says Doug Hammon, DVM, Ph.D., senior manager, Cattle Technical Services, Pfizer Animal Health. "With all of these factors working against them, it is easy to see why fresh cows are so fragile and susceptible to metritis."
Metritis can cause a decline in fertility, lower milk production, a greater risk of culling and increased labor and treatment costs, adding up to more than $350 per cow for each case of metritis.2 Although it cannot be completely prevented, metritis should be identified and treated early to reduce its effects.
What to look for
Dr. Hammon suggests thoroughly screening fresh cows for the first 10 days after calving and quickly treating those detected with metritis to prevent more costly consequences. Here are some key steps for a complete screening:
Check the udder for fullness before milking. Udders on fresh cows should be full and tight.
Watch for major drops in production from one milking to the next.
Examine uterine discharge and look for a red-brown or watery discharge accompanied by a strong, foul odor.
Assess the cow's attitude and demeanor. Look for " depressed cows" with sunken, crusty eyes, nasal discharge or cold, lowered ears.
Look for cows who may be dehydrated or who aren't eating properly.
Check for fever. A temperature of 103° F or higher could be a symptom.
Keep cows comfortable. Don't keep cows locked up for more than an hour during health checks.
What to do next
Cows with metritis usually can stay in the fresh pen and should not be exposed to cows in a hospital area unless the case is complicated. Work with your veterinarian to check any cows flagged as possible metritis cases to confirm with a diagnosis. A veterinarian can examine the cow by checking her temperature, checking for a displaced abomasum and rectally palpating the cow to assess her manure and uterine discharge.
How to treat
Once diagnosed with metritis, it is important to treat quickly to avoid other infections and return the fresh cow to peak production. EXCEDE® (ceftiofur crystalline free acid) Sterile Suspension is now approved to treat acute postpartum metritis in a two-dose regimen. EXCEDE is backed by the Residue Free Guarantee* and offers the residue risk assurance of zero milk discard and a meat withdrawal time of 13 days following the last dose.
"Veterinarians and producers will find the two-dose regimen for EXCEDE to be very efficacious and cost-effective and likely more convenient than daily metritis treatments," says Dr. Hammon. "What's also nice about this treatment is that EXCEDE has zero milk withholding, so the cow can remain in the fresh pen, which not only saves time and labor but also, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison,3 is beneficial to her."
The protocol for the two-dose EXCEDE treatment begins with the first dose administered at the base of one ear, for example, the left ear. Then, 72 hours later, another dose is administered at the base of the opposite ear; in this example, the right ear. This regimen has been demonstrated effective on-farm.4 In a field research trial conducted on 15 large dairies, 74.3 percent of cows with acute metritis were cured after being treated with two doses of EXCEDE.
To learn more about EXCEDE for the treatment of metritis, visit www.excede.com/metritis or contact your veterinarian or Pfizer Animal Health representative.
Important Safety Information: As with all drugs, the use of EXCEDE is contraindicated in animals with known allergy to ceftiofur or to the ß-lactam group (penicillins and cephalosporins) of antimicrobials. Though safe in cattle when properly administered, inadvertent intra-arterial injection is possible and fatal. EXCEDE has a pre-slaughter withdrawal time of 13 days following the last dose in cattle. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal.
About Pfizer Animal Health
Pfizer Animal Health, a business unit of Pfizer Inc., is a world leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of innovative animal health vaccines, medicines, diagnostic products and genetic tests. We work to assure a safe, sustainable global food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry, sheep and fish while helping dogs, cats and horses live healthier longer lives. We strive to be the animal health company that provides full healthcare solutions to veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners. To learn more, visit www.animalhealth.pfizer.com.


text: UFDC Home myUFDC Home | Help | RSS <%BANNER%> The Frostproof news ALL ISSUES CITATION THUMBNAILS PAGE IMAGE ZOOMABLE Full Citation STANDARD VIEW MARC VIEW Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00028406/00265 Material Information Title: The Frostproof news Physical Description: v. : ill. ; 58 cm. Language: English Publisher: Alfred H. Mellor Place of Publication: Frostproof, Polk County Fla Creation Date: December 31, 2008 Publication Date: 1961- Frequency: weeklyregular Subjects Subjects / Keywords: Newspapers -- Frostproof (Fla.) ( lcsh )Newspapers -- Polk County (Fla.) ( lcsh ) Genre: newspaper ( marcgt )newspaper ( sobekcm ) Spatial Coverage: United States of America -- Florida -- Polk -- Frostproof Notes Additional Physical Form: Also available on microfilm from the University of Florida. Dates or Sequential Designation: Vol. 46, no. 44 (Jan. 6, 1961)- General Note: Publisher: J. David Fleming, <1977>; Diana Eichlin, <1988>. Record Information Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location. Resource Identifier: oclc - 01388691lccn - sn 95026699 System ID: UF00028406:00265 Related Items Preceded by: Highland news (Frostproof, Fla.) Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2011 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Powered by SobekCM


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Rockets Fired from Syria Hit Northern Israel: Two rocket hits were identified in the Golan; IDF returned fire, fighter jets were sent forward
- Published in Israel News
Alarm sounded today (Tuesday) afternoon in the communities of: Redness, Al-Rom, Bukaata, Massadeh Majdal Shams, restaurant, Neve Ati''b, Nimrod and 'Ein Qiniya Golan Heights. The army said that four launches were identified from Syria, and that the two falls were located in northern plateau. The IDF returned fire and fired dozens of artillery shells at the area of Syria. At the same time, planes and helicopters were sent forward to the border area.
Home Front Command ordered the residents of the area to remain close to the protected spaces, and ordered farmers to move away from agricultural areas near the border with Syria. In addition, the police blocked main roads to avoid civilian vehicles to get to the border area.
Just last week, Lt. Gen. Benjamin "Benny" Gantz spoke of the situation in northern Israel. "IDF forces are closely monitoring the events taking place here [in northern Israel], and are prepared, alert, and ready to act if necessary," he said.


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Next: ax_cxx_ldflags_std_lang, Previous: ax_cxx_header_unordered_map, Up: The Macros
Check whether the C++ include <unordered_set> exists and define HAVE_UNORDERED_SET if it does.
Download the latest version of ax_cxx_header_unordered_set.m4 or browse the macro's revision history.
Copyright © 2008 Benjamin Kosnik firstname.lastname@example.com
Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any warranty.


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IT Community and UIS Mentoring Scheme: Mentees' Coffee Morning New
An informal guidance session for members of the IT Community and UIS Mentoring Scheme. The session will provide the opportunity to meet with other mentees enrolled on the scheme. You'll be able to talk openly as a group and share any successes or challenges while being a mentee. Please think of examples before coming along so we can discuss in the session and this will hopefully encourage confidence to help you gain the most out of your mentoring relationship and the scheme.
- All mentees from UIS and the IT Community enrolled on Mentoring Scheme 2019
Number of sessions: 1
|Mon 23 Sep 2019 09:30 - 11:00
|09:30 - 11:00
|University Information Services, Roger Needham Building, Huntingdon Room
|Rinku Raina
- One and a half hours
Booking / availability


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Public Debt Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
The Recovery Act was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need. Learn more on recovery.gov.
Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
Public Debt's Administrative Resource Center provides services for federal agencies including accounting, procurement, human resources, investment management and information technology. There are provisions in the Recovery Act that provide funding for programs for some of the agencies that we serve. Although Public Debt does not have a direct role in implementing the Act, we are helping these agencies to fulfill their program responsibilities.
Notice on Civil Rights Obligations Applicable to the Distribution of Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Recovery Act Legislation
Full text:
- First part (PDF) (51 pp., 444K)
- Second part (PDF) (51 pp., 451K)
- Third part (PDF) (51 pp., 399K)
- Fourth part (PDF) (51 pp., 376K)
- Fifth part (PDF) (6 pp., 91K)
Note: To read or print a PDF document, you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader (v5.0 or higher) software installed on your computer. You can download the Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Website.
Learn how to apply for:
Treasury's Office of Inspector General (OIG) ensures that Treasury economically and efficiently manages the funds it has received under the Recovery Act.


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There's only so many ways to make a car unveiling exciting. Some companies turn to pyrotechnics, others just roll 'em out onstage. And then there's Mercedes, which had a "flash" mob of singers belt out a bastardized Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz."
This video cuts out the beginning of the performance, with the singers placed in the audience jumping to their feet and warbling loudly, before dancing their way on stage where a Mercedes Benz executive clapped along in that way parents do at school pageants. Some of the shock was diluted for the portion of the crowd that could see the teleprompter and its cue of "FLASH MOB ENTERS." Oh Lord, indeed.


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WhatsApp is exploring ways for you to connect with the businesses that matter to you.
WhatsApp has verified that the phone number of this contact belongs to the associated business. The green badge next to the contact's name confirms that this is a verified business account.
If you'd like to stop a business from contacting you, you can block them.
Note: WhatsApp business verification is currently limited to a small number of businesses participating in a pilot program.


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Instapaper, one of the best things to happen to digital reading, has now spawned an iPad magazine, called The Magazine. Besides having a clever title, it's edited by a clever dude, Instapaper founder Marco Arment. But will it be any good?
The Magazine is available now through the app store for $2. According to Arment's manifesto, each issue of the bi-weekly rag will feature four "medium-length" articles about technology. The work will include both commissions and republished work culled from blogs and other websites. Arment is treating the project like an experiment, and he says that if The Magazine is not profitable within two months, he'll can it. So if it's great, we'll be hearing a lot about it, and if not, it'll be banished to the great app landfill in the sky. [iTunes and The Magazine via The Next Web]


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TeleVue - Gibraltar HD4 Sky Tour Mount$1,739.00SKU: TEL-G4S-6015FREE SHIPPING(48 States)
If you have a telescope, you need a mount! Mounts serve the important job of supporting your telescope and come in three basic varieties: EQ or German Equatorial, Alt-Az or AZ or Alt Azimuth and finally piers which are available in both permanent or portable styles. From there you can choose whether a you need a manually operated mount, a motorized mount or a Go To computerized mount and how much load capacity you need. Each have their advantages. Need help making the right choice? Telescopes.net has the knowledgeable staff to help you find the perfect mount for your astronomy or photographic equipment. We also carry a selection of observatories from personal backyard domes and skysheds to professional quality observatories for larger installations.


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Dogs and Bee Stings
Does your dog seem to have a nose for bees? These remedies can help ease the pain if he or she is stung by a bee or wasp.View Article
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
|Ask Your Veterinarian About Pet Dental Care
You are not alone in the fight against pet dental decay. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to brush your pet's teeth and look for dental problems. Your pet care professional can also recommend pet dental care products, food choices and appropriate chew toys. Then the two of you can work together to set a schedule for professional dental care based on the condition of your pet's teeth, age and breed. With regular care you and your veterinarian can help your pet experience a lifetime of healthy teeth.
American Animal Hospital Association, Dental Care Guidelines
ASPCA, Ten Steps to Your Dog's Dental Health


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- Products
- Service & Support
- Corporate
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- Contact Us
Downloads: Software
Choose your product:
No downloads available for this product.
We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.


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Though there are many good texts for learning C basics I found, as many others have, that pointers cause more problems and are hard to get right. Though it is old, 1997, this is the best book on C pointers I have found:
Amazon.com: Pointers on C (9780673999863): Kenneth Reek: Books
It has been said that and I paraphrase "giving the average programmer pointers is like giving a kid a gun.
In fact I was working for a major appliance company and the code used pointers to access a very deeply nested set of structures. I had to update this code and had problems getting it working because I assumed what was already there was correct. It turned out that a pointer to the base structure was being used instead of a sub-struct. The pointer worked out to the same address until another struct was inserted. Of course the response was "this code has been working for years". Had to create examples to convince folks that although it worked it was by coincidence.


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"Welcome to Dressed in Time, a website offering custom made historic clothing from a wide range of eras, based in Fife, Scotland. Here you will find gowns from the 1500s-1960s, as well as accessories such as bonnets, reticule purses and jackets. We specialise in historical bridal wear and can either create an exact replica of a historical style, or can work with you to produce something unique and modernised, based on extant sources. The owner (below) is a final year PhD student specialising in Fashion, Art and Theatre History. Please feel free to get in touch and discuss this further- individual quotes will be provided once we have an idea of what you're after.
Although Dressed in Time primarily creates womens' and children's wear, we will on occasion provide men's waistcoats, shirts and jackets from a variety of eras. This includes commissions for making any (historically related) garment you may require, including replicas from film, TV, paintings, theatre and more.
We are happy to provide costumes for theatrical productions and re-enactment events, to hire or to buy. The business founder can also attend your re-enactment event in costume, and provide costume-related talks and demonstrations. Please ensure you've read through the Terms and Conditions before getting in touch."
Visit website for more information. (ed.)
Category: Builders/Restorers/Suppliers / Period Costume Supply
Added on: Feb 14, 2012 | Hits: 3118


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The Republicans' wailing over earmarks is laughable at best. That even goes for the mainstream media as well.
The claim that they are spreading is that earmarks account for 1% of the federal budget. That's hogwash! That's a cute ruse employed by the thugs in Washington to obfuscate the real picture of the budgeting itself. It's rather paramount to put this matter in its proper perspective. It actually accounts for 1% of discretionary spending, which only constitutes 37% of the entire federal budget. That said, earmarks only make up 2.70% of the budget itself. Still, that is a meager amount, and the elimination of them wouldn't make a dent in the entire spending whatsoever.
Another ruse that the media proliferates is that earmarking is spending, which is an absurd canard on its face. Earmarks are merely an allocation of appropriated ("assigned") tax ("stolen") funds to a politician's district for various political interests such as economic development, infrastructure, and other purposes. Remember the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" under former Governor Sarah Palin's watch?
Senate Republicans are already posturing as grand opponents of earmarks by signing on board with a two-year moratorium on the issue, although that is simply a farce by itself. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his fellow GOP colleagues are known on record for requesting earmarks for their districts. The Center for Public Integrity, which focuses on "investigative journalism for the public interest" by investigating congressional and senatorial politicians and their legislative records, points out that McConnell appeared on CNN in July of 2009, asserting the following:
The stimulus was a big mistake. I think we can fairly safely declare it now a failure.
The Center even went further:
Two months later [McConnell] signed five letters requesting funds from the Department of Transportation for a variety of stimulus projects, including a railroad rehabilitation program that he said could "attract industry, create jobs, and move goods through areas underserved by national highways."
At least one of McConnell's requested projects was accepted, with $20 million being earmarked by the Department of Transportation for a bridge replacement between Milton, Ky., and Madison, Ind.
What's more, McConnell is also on record for requesting a $1 billion in pork for Kentucky. Now McConnell is having a crisis of morality years after supporting earmarks for his own district? Balderdash!
This is nothing more than political showboating and grandstanding from the Republicans as a way to snooker the public into believing that they are really cutting spending when that couldn't be further from the truth. Earmarks enable them to buy votes from their constituents and their special interests. The absurdity of their opposition to earmarks would be hilarious if it weren't terribly pathetic. Not that I'm defending this practice (as I really don't), but the reality is that, if they ban earmarking, it would destroy any political capital they could reap during every midterm and presidential election season.
Earmarks should absolutely be abolished; however, what the Republicans are calling for is nothing short of a racket. They must be called out on this fraud, which they are perpetrating.