text:
BAD HAIKU - Horrible poetry for the digital age
24 Years
22 Days
68988 Haikus
about haiku
submit haiku
search haiku
the next haiku just
seems an obligation that just
to keep on truckin'
Haiku #56211
, by vhs of hope df is ok
March 13, 2017 1:32 pm ET
Haiku #56210
, by Anonymous Poet
March 13, 2017 11:14 am ET
one hour can make a
huge difference in how i
feel in the morning
Haiku #56209
, by vhs
March 12, 2017 1:36 pm ET
Daylight savings time
Recognizing our orbit
Is a subtle thing
Haiku #56208
, by T
March 12, 2017 4:56 am ET
the dark side and the
light side i bought a book on
baby boomers as
a generation
of psychopaths and that of
course is an over
but it does make sense on some
grander level yet
Neil Howe says they are
"prophets" and do get wild eyed
with that religion
thing there, metaphor
so keep writing Satanic
haiku about the
factor, there you know, i know
what i want as well
Haiku #56207
, by vhs
March 11, 2017 11:56 am ET
Animals aren't rude.
They only know what they want.
You'd make a fine steak.
Haiku #56206
, by df of cunha ratier
March 11, 2017 12:21 am ET
Ill lumen naughty.
Grow an extra testicle.
You just might need it.
Haiku #56205
, by df of 3000 centre
March 11, 2017 12:17 am ET
Randell liked hotdogs.
Physicist with fuzzy cyst.
White bread Velveeta.
He's better off dead.
Sorority house orgy dreams.
He loved his Playboys.
"He looked like an ape."
But that would be rude to apes.
Canned meat and cum smell.
Haiku #56204
, by df of stone katia
March 10, 2017 11:24 pm ET
well you know those darn
Tribbles get out of hand and
you need a dang ship
of a klingon sort
to beam em off too so they'll
be no tribble at'all
Haiku #56203
, by vhs
March 10, 2017 11:17 am ET
Starship Enterprise
call me a nerd if you wish,
but I love that shit
Haiku #56202
, by Tribble of Trouble
March 9, 2017 8:14 pm ET
Dingline chloride
artificial flavor for
dingleberry pie.
Haiku #56201
, by df of calle area
March 9, 2017 5:42 pm ET
Something offensive.
Again, but even more so.
Kittens and puppies.
Haiku #56200
, by df of rosas carniceria
March 9, 2017 5:37 pm ET
the first big story
was the Sumerian
Gods but i forget
Tiamat is just known
by most as a 5 headed
dragon with lots of
hit points in DnD
and people might think of a
giant marshmallow
man when they hear some
thing like "sumerian God"
parody of Lovecraft
rest in peace Egon
Haiku #56199
, by vhs
March 9, 2017 1:23 pm ET
as per promise
BURGER! BURGER BURGER (pause)
BURGER!!!! BURGER!!!! (pause)
Haiku #56198
, by vhs of to those who know me you know this is my idea
March 9, 2017 1:20 pm ET
listen you know you
forget law vs grace and
all that sort of thing
the legal vis a
loving God, then we get to
witchcraft and flying
spaghetti monsters
and then the Goddess of the
Golden Apple there
old Eris, and all
some one to do is not Hail
Satan or Eris but
just hail a taxi
go home and jerk off to some
vhs porn off the grid
Haiku #56197
, by vhs
March 9, 2017 1:19 pm ET
Do not masturbate.
For that is against Jesus.
Instead kill sinners.
Haiku #56196
, by df of 6400 chemin
March 8, 2017 10:23 pm ET
My wife's a fat pig.
Pigs are cute and smell better.
Think I'll buy a pig.
Haiku #56195
, by Darth Figpucker of sunar damri
March 8, 2017 10:21 pm ET
lather, rinse, repeat
down my road to self defeat
turn around, retreat
Haiku #56194
, by Anonymous Poet
March 8, 2017 10:05 pm ET
Beer will cure cancer.
Use it for blood transfusion.
Worked for my uncle.
Haiku #56193
, by df of frei john
March 8, 2017 2:02 pm ET
well mead is good, some
claim but you know wiccan chats
girls named Silver Wolf
Fiona Ravenbrush,
or Skywise (wait that's Elfquest) ah
Wendy Pini, bows
Haiku #56192
, by vhs
March 8, 2017 1:06 pm ET
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Haiku #56191
, by Peterdus of Nepal
March 7, 2017 9:12 pm ET
... goddammit
Haiku #56190
, by df of taurus allumez
March 7, 2017 8:32 pm ET
I have shit to do.
So until we meed again...
{Bends over and farts.}
Haiku #56189
, by df of total safety
March 7, 2017 8:31 pm ET
Crocodile meat
isn't bad, but expensive
and a bit chewy.
Not as bad as squid.
I think you know what I mean.
Lean green jelly bean.
Haiku #56188
, by df of whirl beaumont
March 7, 2017 8:25 pm ET
I'm in no mood for
being deep and shit today.
I want to eat dog.
Haiku #56187
, by df of 6900 gaio
March 7, 2017 8:23 pm ET
Dinosaurs are cool.
If you could travel through time...
Jesus or T-Rex?
I'd bring them both back.
Let them fight on Pay-Per-View.
I'll take the lizard.
Haiku #56186
, by df of 4270 lumbier
March 7, 2017 8:20 pm ET
I've said that before.
But I haven't said this yet.
I guess I just did.
Haiku #56185
, by df of pague acorn
March 7, 2017 8:17 pm ET
I should be working.
Instead I'm drinking coffee.
For this I get paid.
Haiku #56184
, by df of autorise delfin
March 7, 2017 8:15 pm ET
The witch's nose mole,
the shrill cackling laughter,
the rotting black teeth.
One should not visit
sickly whores of Siquijor;
they'll cook and eat you.
Haiku #56183
, by df of birkhaven cham
March 7, 2017 8:14 pm ET
They start beautiful.
Then look more like pigs each day.
They eat too much pork.
Haiku #56182
, by df of arar route
March 7, 2017 8:09 pm ET
Confucius once say
"Man who masturbates daily
has life well in hand."
Haiku #56181
, by df of winder avenue
March 7, 2017 8:05 pm ET
After nine-one-one,
remember Bush's great speech?
nuclear fusion.
All the world's problems.
He solved in twenty minutes.
What an awesome dude!
Or a giant douche.
Not one of his predictions
ever came to be.
Problems can be solved.
But still more are created.
Cash in your chips now.
Haiku #56180
, by df of calle public
March 7, 2017 8:03 pm ET
seems everyone wants
to write novels now, there's a damn
laptop with dreams of
being a romance
writer somewhere in a chinese
basement office
Haiku #56179
, by vhs
March 7, 2017 1:20 pm ET
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Haiku #56178
, by Peterdus of Nepal
March 6, 2017 8:03 pm ET
Haiku #56177
, by Anonymous Poet
March 6, 2017 5:15 pm ET
the world is now seen
to be full of nuts but the
shells are not off yet
Haiku #56176
, by vhs of no comment
March 6, 2017 1:26 pm ET
oh doctor strangelove
i knew you then, even now
Yes Mein Furher, I
mean...mister president.
Inspector Clouseau is
so long gone and missed
Haiku #56175
, by vhs of is google trying to write it's own novels????
March 6, 2017 1:11 pm ET
Things will be okay
Humans are remarkable
Problems can be solved
Haiku #56174
, by Anonymous Poet
March 6, 2017 1:05 am ET
If earth is flooded,
I hope all mosquitoes drown.
We'll be like Venus.
Hot, sweaty, acrid.
Worst venereal disease:
Global warming clap.
Haiku #56173
, by df of eurener calle
March 6, 2017 12:30 am ET
I'm going outside.
Standing on my head naked.
See my asshole, God!
Fuck, I hate the rain.
Climate change and for the worse.
My asshole is clean.
Haiku #56172
, by df of acacia breca
March 6, 2017 12:25 am ET
The Japs understand.
That's why they have coffee shops.
But not for coffee.
Young girls, short dresses,
mirrored floors, see-thru panties.
Can I get more cream?
Haiku #56171
, by df of farmacia menu
March 6, 2017 12:21 am ET
We need comedy.
The laughter as nukes go off.
Smile so brightly.
Haiku #56170
, by df of calle stop
March 6, 2017 12:17 am ET
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Haiku #56169
, by iurtpoio of USA
March 5, 2017 6:47 pm ET
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Haiku #56168
, by iurtpoio of USA
March 5, 2017 6:18 pm ET
Well, Origami.
I'd rather have salami.
It's the paper cuts.
Haiku #56167
, by Toxidyne of CA
March 5, 2017 5:09 pm ET
the end of time will
begin shortly after miss
lady gaga does
a gig with the band
megadeth, metallica was
the 6th seal broken
Haiku #56166
, by vhs
March 5, 2017 2:32 pm ET
and the jokes go on
did you hear the one about
the wiretap? well
of course you did if
you were listening in on
xyz affairs
Haiku #56165
, by vhs
March 5, 2017 2:11 pm ET
Full body massage.
Held in a fart the whole time.
Ideal gas law.
Haiku #56164
, by df of PV=nRT
March 5, 2017 7:57 am ET
The words of Jesus
written on a bathroom wall.
Save your soul and shit.
I red my captcha.
No kidding: "Graveyard to let".
Now that's irony.
Haiku #56163
, by df
March 5, 2017 2:57 am ET
politics by all
other names is war by means
other than violence
Haiku #56162
, by vhs of Commandant Heineken
March 4, 2017 6:16 pm ET
< 50 Less Recent Haiku
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text:
Missouri's Firearms Deer Season
Jason Jenkins
For 11 days each November, daily routines come to an abrupt halt across much of rural Missouri. From the crop fields in the north to the Ozarks hills in the south, high schools suspend classes, families take vacations and businesses amend their regular hours as thousands of Missourians take to the woods to partake in a fall tradition.
It's firearms deer season, which is Nov. 14-24 this year.
Hunters hoping to fill freezers with venison or to be lucky enough to outwit a trophy buck like the one on our cover should find a good season ahead, says Lonnie Hansen, the Missouri Department of Conservation's top deer biologist.
Hansen says the statewide whitetail population is about the same as last year. However, hunters can expect to see more mature bucks in counties with an antler-point restriction that only allows hunters to take an antlered deer with at least four points measuring 1 inch or larger on one side of his antlers. This "four-point" rule has been in effect in 29 counties since 2004, and a greater number of bucks taken in these counties are now closer to reaching their maximum antler size as compared to counties without the point restriction.
Conservation officials expanded the four-point rule to 65 counties in 2008. This year, all or parts of three more counties have been added and a small portion of one county has been removed. Hansen says hunters will start to see the effects of antler restrictions in counties added last year. He believes overall statewide deer harvest should be up from 2008, but adds that weather and the supply of acorns — a deer diet staple — will play a role.
Details of the four-point rule and other regulations are contained in the 2009 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available wherever hunting permits are sold or online at www.mdc.mo.gov/13924.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Conflict minerals," those mined to support groups conducting armed conflict or engaging in human rights abuses, have been an issue since long before ReadWriteWeb first wrote about it in July of 2010. The mineral equivalent of blood diamonds, they include tantalum, tungsten, tin and gold, all of which are used to manufacture our electronics.
Nokia, the world's largest manufacturers of mobile phones, today published its policy on conflict minerals.
In a post on Nokia's "Conversations" blog, Ian Delaney lays out the company's public policy (PDF), which augments their supplier requirements.
Delaney boils the policy down to these four elements.
- We prohibit human rights abuses associated with the extraction, transport or trade of minerals.
- We also prohibit any direct or indirect support to non-state armed groups or security forces that illegally control or tax mine sites, transport routes, trade points, or any upstream actors in the supply chain.
- We have no tolerance with regard to corruption, money-laundering and bribery.
- We require the parties in our supply chain to agree to follow the same principles.
The policy delves at some length into Nokia's commitment to human rights "in accordance with accepted international conventions and practices, such as those of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Core Conventions on Labor Standards, UN Global Compact, and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises."
Under the sub-heading, "Implementation of the Policy with Regards to Conflict Minerals," the document reads:
"We prohibit human rights abuses associated with the extraction, transport or trade of minerals. We also prohibit any direct or indirect support to non-state armed groups or security forces that illegally control or tax mine sites, transport routes, trade points, or any upstream actors in the supply chain. Similarly, Nokia has a no tolerance policy with respect to corruption, money-laundering and bribery. We require the parties in our supply chain to agree to follow the same principles."
The document outlines some of the company's process for oversight of suppliers, including the EICC-GeSI Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. It would be interesting to know how the suppliers will be reviewed, how often and what will happen to errant suppliers who use conflict minerals. We have asked Mr. Delaney exactly that and will update should we receive a response.
[Update: Nokia's Anna Bask contacted blogger Curt Hopkins on Thursday with this response:
"Nokia follows up the effectiveness of corrective actions and conducts on-site assessments as necessary. However, as stated in the article, the reality is that problems often lie upstream and not with our first tier suppliers. So as well as demanding proper due diligence from our direct suppliers to ensure that the material flows are conflict-free, we ask them to set policies and supplier requirements of their own and pass those on into the supply chain."
"Continued non-conformance and refusal to address issues of concern will lead to termination of business relationship."]
Conflict Minerals
Although conflict minerals could theoretically crop up anywhere, practically, East Africa is ground zero. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is certainly the worst-affected by conflict mineral mining. There, the Congolese National Army vie against three different rebel groups to extract and refine the valuable ores.
Here is how the various minerals are used in our electronics, including mobile phones, computers and music players.
- Tantalum: stores electricity in cell phones
- Tungsten: creates vibrations in phones
- Tin: circuit boards
- Gold: used to coat wiring
Curt Hopkins is a production editor and international reporter for the technology blog site, ReadWriteWeb.com, where this blog originally appeared on Feb. 3.
Get daily or weekly updates from CSMonitor.com delivered to your inbox. Sign up today.


text:
2008 BEST OF SILICON VALLEY Reader Survey Winner - Third Place
Best Thai
Thai Spice is a popular Thai restaurant in a crowded field of Thai eateries. Pad thai, mango chicken and tofu with yellow curry are all recommended. Order a cooling Thai iced tea to tame the heat.
-- Metro, Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper, September 24, 2008
read more show less


text:
See our NEW Website for more info!
Drop off your plastic bags and canning jars at the orchard and we'll re-use them!
We're always looking for wagons for people to use when they go to our pumpkin patch - feel free to drop off your old or un-used wagons at the orchard!
We're also happy to take any picnic tables you're getting rid of - even if it's just the 'bones' of the table.
Blog Archive
- ► 2018 (17)
- ► 2015 (26)
- ► 2014 (64)
- ► 2013 (124)
- Apple-Palooza Pie Contest
- 2012 Apple Palooza – Final Schedule
- 6th Annual Hand Crafted Hoedown for the Holidays 2012
- Apple Pie Ideas
- Apple-Azing Race: "I Scream, You Scream: A Mystery...
- Apple-Azing Race: "Dewey" by Vicki Myron Challenge
- Apple-Azing Race: Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Kel...
- Sauce-Sational – An Experiment in Applesauce Summary
- Vintage
- What's Cooking?
- Jalapeño-Ginger Butternut Squash Soup
- Apple-azing Race: "Cider House Rules" by John Irvi...
- Alice in Dairyland
- Apple Pie In a Jar – more than for just pies
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Shizuka
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Idared
- Apple-Azing Race: "Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum ...
- Apple-Azing Race: "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinb...
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Empire
- Tipsy Applesauce
- Apple Jam
- Brandied Apples
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Spartan
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Cortland
- Apple-Azing Race: "The Complete idiots guide to wo...
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Sweet 16
- Saucesational – An Experiment in Applesauce: Snow ...
- Photo Scavenger Hunt at Lapacek's Orchard
- Taffy Apple Cake
- Apple-Azing Race: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell C...
- Recipe- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- RAWards – VOTE Now please – non apple related
- Apple Pie Baking Contest – Prizes, Judges and Crit...
- Apple-Palooza 2012
- ▼ October (34)
- ► 2011 (119)
- ► 2010 (95)
- ► 2009 (167)
Informative Blog Posts
Sauce-Sational: An Experiment in Applesacue
- Akane
- Arlet (Swiss Gourmet)
- Baker's Mix - August
- Baker's Mix - October
- Bella
- Bonnie's Best
- Braeburn
- Cameo
- Chenango Strawberry
- Cortland
- Cox Orange Pippin
- Crimson Crisp
- Crimson Gold
- Dandee Red
- Duchess
- Empire
- Fireside
- Frostbite
- Fuji
- Gala
- Ginger Gold
- Golden Delicious
- Golden Supreme
- Granny Smith
- Haralson
- Hazen
- Honey Gold
- Honeycrisp
- Idared
- Jonagold
- Jonamac
- Jonathan
- Jumbo
- Keepsake
- MacIntosh
- Macoun
- Melrose
- Northern Spy
- NW Greening
- Overall Summary
- Paulared
- Red Gravenstein
- Regent
- Sansa
- Scarlet
- Shizuka
- Silken
- Smokehouse
- Smoothee
- Sno (Famuese)
- Snow Sweet
- Spartan
- Sweet 16
- Tolman Sweet
- Valstar
- Wealthy
- William's Pride
- Wolf River
- Zestar!
Popular Posts
The 2018 apple season started out with not the best weather – it rained and rained and rained some more. One afternoon on a whim, my mother...
The Northern Spy is a variety we're just finally starting to get a decent crop off. Northern Spy is an heirloom apple that characteristical...
The Crimson Crisp is another new variety in our shop this year. It seems to me that the majority of the people that sample them end up buyi...
Many people have asked for the story of how our orchard came to be. In the late 60's Frank was in the Navy, and was stationed at the Bremer...
For all current information on Lapacek's Orchard please visit our new website www.LapaceksOrchard.com Thank you all so much!
Since the orchard now has ground cherries, I wanted to share this easy jam recipe. Ground cherries are delicious as a raw fruit, but they ma...
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Lapacek's Orchard In the News!
Our Favorite Websites
Sunday Recipe's
- Amish Apple Grunt
- Apple Butter Madness
- Apple Cheddar Bread
- Apple Chicken Salad/Sandwiches
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Apple Crisp Parfait
- Apple Danish Pastry Bars
- Apple French Toast
- Apple Fritter Rings
- Apple Harvest Blondies
- Apple Nut Bread
- Apple Pecan Quick Bread
- Apple Pie Cake
- Apple Pie in a Jar
- Apple Raisin Loaves
- Apple Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Apple Strudel Puff Pastry
- Apple Toss
- Apple Upside-Down Cake
- Apple-Jalepeno Preserves
- Apple-Pecan Cheesecake
- Baked Oatmeal
- Bavarian Apple Torte
- Blueberry French Toast
- Blueberry-Raspberry Streusel Muffins
- Brandied Apple 'N Cream Cheese Pie
- Caramel Apple Bars
- Coconut Apple Cake
- Cranberry Apple Bread
- Cranberry Apple Salad
- Creamy Apple Squares
- Crispy Festive Apple Salad
- Cucumber Tomatillo Salsa
- Dill Dip
- Dinner in a Pumpkin
- Easy Waffles
- Egg-cellent Apple Salad
- French Apple Pie
- Fresh Apple Salsa
- Great Apple Dessert
- Great Apple Dessert
- Hot Cinnamon Cider
- Hot Pirate Cider
- Kelly's Favorite Apple Pie
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
- Marinated Zucchini Salad
- Microwave Apple Muffins
- Pumpkin Cheese Ball
- Pumpkin Gingerbread
- Pumpkin Pie Cake
- Quick Apple Dumplings
- Scalloped Apples
- Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake
- Spiced Apple Bagel
- Spicy Apple Pancake with Cider Sauce
- Strawberry Chocolate Mint Lemonade Cooler
- Tangy Ham in Cider
- Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Warm Apple Pudding
- Wilted Swiss Chard with Fresh Basil
- Zucchini Bread
Where Can you Find Us?
Please check out our NEW website and blog to stay informed on Lapacek's Orchard.
N1959 Kroncke Road
Poynette, WI 53955
Take Hwy 51 North from Madison, go straight onto Hwy 22, turn east (right) onto Hwy 60 almost immediately. Drive 2 miles and go North (left) onto Kroncke Road. We're just over a mile on the left-hand side.
Want to talk to someone?
(608) 635-4780
(608) 635-4780
Be sure to subscribe to our new You Tube Channel - "Cider After Dark"!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Apple-Palooza 2012
Happy October everyone! It's time to start thinking about this year's Apple-Palooza! Last year went so well that it's definitely going to be an annual event at the orchard.
We've kept most of the fun close to the same as last year but we recently decided to add something new to the fun-filled day!
So…let's take a look at all that we've got planned for you this year!
Apple Pie Baking Contest
Last year we held our very first pie contest and it went unbelievably well - 20 pies!– so we're going to be holding it again!
If you ware interested in baking a pie for the contest please send me an email: {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with your name and pie baking story (if you have one – if you don't have a story, no worries). Plan on arriving at the orchard by 12:45pm with your pie. Pie viewing and photo's will take place at 1:00pm and judging will start at 1:30pm.
Once judging is complete - I'm guessing around 3:00ish... we'll be cutting all the pies up into slices and selling them for $1 a slice. 100% of the money made from the apple pie slice sales will go to the PAD Parent Group towards the new playground in the Poynette School District.
More details on prizes, judges, criteria - see THIS POST!
Old-Fashioned Cider Pressing Demo*:
"Come Squeeze Our Apples"Jared will once again be demonstrating how we used to press our apples to make cider with an old fashioned wood cider press. These demo's will take place at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm and will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
*Pending we still have the apples to do this*
Rock 'N' Wool Acres: A Wisconsin Winery – How & Why
Our cousin, Shaun Lapacek, will be giving a talk about the winery he and his father are building in Poynette – Rock N Wool Acres. His talk will focus on three things:
- Starting a winery
- Creating a vineyard
- Why a winery in Wisconsin?
Hard Apple Cider BoothOur good friend Jay Walters will have a booth set up from 11am - 2pm to talk about and answer all your questions on how to make hard cider. Jay has been doing this for years and we've helped drink and enjoy many of his products – this guy knows what he's talking about.
photo by meliroo on flickrLast year we discovered that there's quite a bit of standing around while the pies get judged. We had 20 pies last year – I'm hoping for 40 this year so we need something to do to fill in that time for all the observers/bakers. We're going to have a 'Carved Pumpkin Contest'. People of all ages can bring their carved pumpkin – anytime before 12:45, put it on display and then we'll all walk by and vote for our personal favorite! I'll have a prize for the best carved pumpkin – still to be determined. If you come in costume – you'll get a treat! (My biggest sadness about living in the country is that no one trick-or-treats out here…we go and steal a neighborhood so my kids can though…).
**CANCELED*** New this Year!Unfortunately due to to some unforeseen circumstances the Mini Photo Sessions from Pink Spruce Photography had to be canceled this year. But don't worry - Jen will be around in the future! Stay tuned!
Below is a rough itinerary for Apple-Palooza. I will update it as necessary so keep an eye on the blog for any changes or additions to the day that may occur.
Preliminary ITINERARY:10:00—Store Opens for Business
10:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo
12:00—Hard Cider Info Booth Opens until 3:00
11:30—Rock 'N' Wool Acres: A Wisconsin Winery Arrives
12:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo
12:45—Deadline for Contest Pies & Carved Pumpkins to be Delivered
1:00—Viewing of the Apple Pies
1:30—Apple Pie Contest Judging Starts
1:30 – Voting starts for the Carved Pumpkins -
2:00—Hard Cider Info Booth Closes
2:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo
5:00—Store Closes
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These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For: Gender Diversity, Scapegoating and Erasure in Medicine and Media
April 21, 2012 7 Comments
Kelley Winters, Ph.D.
GID Reform Advocates
On the April 18th broadcast of The Rachel Maddow Show, Dr. Maddow reported an "explosive revelation" that Psychiatrist Robert Spitzer had rescinded his controversial 2001 claim that sexual conversion, or sexual reparative, psychotherapies can change sexual orientation in gay and lesbian people. Quoting an interview of Dr. Spitzer in The American Prospect, Maddow celebrated the historical significance of Spitzer's reversal for the gay rights movement, calling it,
step one in what we're now going to see as a real change, a real reckoning, in antigay politics.
Sadly, Dr. Maddow only told half of the story. For four decades, Robert Spitzer has played pivotal roles in mental health policies, not only on sexual orientation, but on gender diversity as well. This week, Rachel Maddow and other journalists turned a blind eye to Dr. Spitzer's failure to retract a lifetime of trans psychopathologization, stereotyping gender identities and expression that differ from assigned birth roles as mental disease. This omission speaks to the marginal status of trans people within the GLbt rights movement and progressive media, as much as Spitzer's omission speaks to trans marginalization by mental health policymakers. Shifting stigma from one oppressed class to a more oppressed class is not real change.
At the 1973 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Robert Spitzer played a central role in arguing for declassification of same-sex orientation as mental illness:
In the past, homosexuals have been denied civil rights in many areas of life on the ground that because they suffer from a 'mental illness' the burden of proof is on them to demonstrate their competence, reliability, or mental stability.
This led to the gradual deletion of sexual orientation categories from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) between 1973 and 1987. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and remains the medical and cultural definition of mental disorder in North America. As Chairman of the DSM-III and DSM-III-R Task Forces and chief editor of the diagnostic manual, Spitzer oversaw removal of the last major vestige of gay diagnosis, "Ego-dystonic Homosexuality," from version III-R.
However, while depathologizing same-sex orientation, Dr. Spitzer simultaneously directed a massive expansion of trans-pathology diagnoses in the DSM. In 1980, a new category of Gender Identity Disorders (GID), including a Transsexualism (TS) diagnosis, was added to the class of Psychosexual Disorders in the DSM-III. The TS coding was paradoxical and controversial for many trans people. Many community advocates and medical providers agreed (and do today) that some kind of diagnostic coding was necessary to facilitate access to medical and/or surgical transition care for those trans and transsexual people who needed it. On the other hand, defining a medical transition coding as a mental illness, rather than a treatable medical condition, contradicted access to hormonal and/or surgical transition care and encouraged gender conversion, or gender-reparative, psychotherapies— unsubstantiated treatments attempting to change gender identity and shame trans and TS people into the closets of their assigned birth roles. Vulnerable trans and gender nonconforming youth were targeted and institutionalized as a consequence of diagnostic criteria based on nonconformity to birth-assigned stereotypes.
In the DSM III-R, Dr. Spitzer's Task Force expanded the diagnostic criteria for children to emphasize gender role nonconformity for birth-assigned girls, including "persistent marked aversion to normative feminine clothing" (whatever that means). Even more damaging, a new category was added, Gender Identity Disorder of Adolescence or Adulthood, Nontranssexual Type (GIDAANT), to psychopathologize for the first time the gender identities of trans people who did not need access to medical transition care.
The disorder of Transvestism in the DSM-III was renamed "Transvestic Fetishism" in the DSM-III-R, to further stigmatize crossdressing or gender nonconformity by birth-assigned males as sexual obsession. This change served to sexualize a diagnosis that did not clearly require a sexual context in its diagnostic criteria. The DSM-IV Casebook, edited by Dr. Spitzer in 1994, went even further in pathologizing gender nonconformity, recommending a Transvestic Fetishism diagnosis for a self-accepting bigender male, whose crossdressing was not necessarily erotically motivated and whose primary distress was his spouse's intolerance.
In 2001, Robert Spitzer tacked to the political right on sexual orientation, presenting a paper entitled,"Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change Their Sexual Orientation? 200 Participants Reporting a Change from Homosexual to Heterosexual Orientation," to the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. It was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior two years later. Spitzer promoted sexual conversion, or sexual-reparative, psychotherapies as "a rational choice" and affirmed their efficacy, stating,
there is evidence that change in sexual orientation following some form of reparative therapy does occur in some gay men and lesbians.
Moreover, Spitzer denied mounting evidence that sexual-reparative psychotherapies cause harm and even criticized the American Psychiatric Association for denouncing the practice as unethical. At the same time, he revealed his bias on gender diversity and gender conversion therapies, describing "a greater sense of masculinity in males, and femininity in females," as a therapeutic "benefit."
By 2003, Dr. Spitzer's statements had drawn a firestorm of dissent from GLB communities and supportive mental health professionals. Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, characterized Spitzer's study as,
just the latest attempt by the political religious right to gain legitimacy for their arguments by teaming up with a supposedly unbiased scientist.
Indeed, antigay extremists, including the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), embraced the Spitzer paper as mainstream endorsement of their sexual-reparative psychotherapies:
These results would seem to contradict the position statements of the major mental health organizations in the United States, which claim there is no scientific basis for believing psychotherapy effective in addressing same-sex attraction. Yet Spitzer reports evidence of change in both sexes…
Spitzer's response to mounting criticism of his scientific rigor was to backpedal from his "rational choice" position, clarifying, "Of course no one chooses to be homosexual and no one chooses to be heterosexual." At the very same time, however, he doubled down on his characterization of trans people as mentally defective.
In May, 2003, Dr. Spitzer and I presented papers to a symposium entitled, "Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders: Questions for the DSM-V" at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. The only trans person and non-clinical scholar in the session, I sat on the left side of the stage table with presenters advocating reform of the Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and paraphilia diagnoses in the DSM-5. At the far right end of the table, Spitzer joined former APA President Dr. Paul Fink in defending the status quo. Spitzer wasted no time in invoking the worn stereotype of disordered gender identity:
Children normally develop a sense of gender identity. It is not taught—it just happens. I would argue that by itself, the failure to develop a gender identity that is congruent with biological gender is a dysfunction.
He continued, plodding down a path of cave-man essentialism:
In all cultures, young boys want to play with boys, Young girls want to play with girls… If you are interested in evolutionary psychology, you ask yourself could that have some survival value? The answer is yes. Thousands of years ago when men were more likely to be in hunting and women were more likely to be in the nurturing role, if you were a young boy you would do better if you spent your time with other boys with whom, when you were older, you would go to the hunt.
And Spitzer didn't stop there, adding, "…in all cultures, gender is recognized as a dichotomy."
This could not be further from the truth. Global human history holds a great many indigenous cultures with more than two recognized sex and gender roles. These include Tahitian and Hawaiian Mahu, Madagascar Sekrata, Hindu Tantric and Hijra Sects, Islamic Xanith, Khawal, and Sufi traditions and numerous Native American, or First Nation, Two Spirit traditions, and many others.
At the 2003 APA Meeting, Dr. Spitzer disparaged gender variant identities and expressions as pathological if they did not serve functions that he termed, "expected." In my 2008 book, Gender Madness in American Psychiatry: Essays from the Struggle for Dignity, I questioned his evolutionary speculations,
who gets to decide what is 'expected'? From whose perch of social privilege is American psychiatry to pass judgment upon the evolutionary worthiness of a class of people who have survived since human antiquity?
In the May, 2006, issue of Congressional Quarterly Researcher, Robert Spitzer debated UC San Francisco psychiatrist Dan Karasic on the question of GID as a mental illness. Spitzer used his most defamatory language to date to argue that well adjusted post-transition adults should continue to be regarded as mentally ill, so long as they deviate from their birth-assigned sex roles:
Granted that hormone therapy or surgery may now be the only treatment that we can now offer the adult with GID… But surely something remains profoundly wrong psychologically with individuals who are uncomfortable with their biological sex and insist that their biological sex is of the opposite sex. The only diagnosis that is appropriate for such cases is GID.
In issues of social discrimination, historic context matters. Cisgender GLB people had every right to their outrage at Spitzer's 2001 attack on their dignity. This week, they had cause to celebrate his retraction. Wayne Besen noted that,
Spitzer just kicked out the final leg from the stool on which the proponents of 'ex-gay' therapy based their already shaky claims of success.
Perhaps, but trans and especially transsexual people are not celebrating. Dr. Spitzer and like-minded policymakers in American Psychiatry have long kicked the the legs from under our human legitimacy, and the rush to his redemption in progressive media has cast our issues aside once again.
We too have been injured by Robert Spitzer's role in perpetuating defamatory stereotypes of mental "dysfunction" and deviance. Trans people continue to lose our jobs, homes, children, families, dignity and civil justice because of these stereotypes and continue to face predatory gender conversion psychotherapies. These stereotypes lie behind every extremist political campaign that demeans our most basic civil rights as "bathroom bills." These stereotypes lie behind military discrimination and government policies that still malign us as "mentally unfit." These stereotypes convince parents and school officials to dismiss trans youth as "confused" or going through "a phase." Trans communities have waited more than two decades for a retraction or an apology from Dr. Spitzer. and we are still waiting.
Copyright © 2012 Kelley Winters, GID Reform Advocates


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Daily news summary
President Zeman not planning to meet with released hostages
President Miloš Zeman has said he will not meet with the two young women who were kidnapped in Pakistan in 2013 and released last Friday thanks to the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation. Mr. Zeman said in a live interview on Frekvence 1 radio that the girls had acted recklessly causing problems for themselves, their families, those who worked on negotiating their release and indeed for the whole country. He said he hoped this would be a lesson to them and any others who might consider taking similar stupid risks. On the other hand, the president said he would very much like to meet with the people who contributed to the young women's release.
Former prime minister suspects he was poisoned
The former prime minister Stanislav Gross who is seriously ill and is reported to be suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis believes he was poisoned, the ctk news agency reports. According to his lawyer and close friend, Miroslav Jansta, Mr. Gross had samples of his hair analysed to prove his suspicion. The hair sample tests, done two years ago after doctors confirmed the fatal diagnosis, reportedly uncovered an unusually high content of heavy metals that may damage the nervous system. Doctors, nevertheless, consider his theory improbable. Neurologist Tomas Sindler told the news agency that he did not know of any case where AIS had developed in reaction to external poisoning.
NHL action: Jágr scores twice in must-win game for the Florida Panthers
Czech NHL hockey forward Jaromír Jágr scored two goals on Sunday to help the Florida Panthers defeat Ottawa and keep alive hopes for a playoff berth. The final score was 4:2. The player told the media everyone on the team knew of the game's importance, calling Sunday's match a "game 7" – referring to the NHL playoff series system. The veteran player only recently joined Florida from New Jersey. The goals on Sunday were the 699th and 700th of Jágr's NHL career. Florida hold the second wild card in the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Part of US convoy takes alternate route following non-related traffic accident
The first part of an American convoy travelling across the Czech Republic headed for army barracks in an outer Prague district experienced delays on the road on Monday, travelling from Liberec, the Czech Army reported. An unrelated road accident slowed traffic, leading the convoy to transfer to an alternate route. Three columns of US forces are travelling across the Czech Republic from the Baltic states after taking part in the operation Atlantic Resolve. The aim was to highlight NATO and the United States' dedication to stability in Europe in the face of Russian intervention in Ukraine. The convoy of some 120 vehicles and 500 personnel will regroup in Prague before later continuing the journey to Plzeň and to the army's home base in neighbouring Germany.
TOP 09 in Prague call on mayor to resign
Members of TOP 09's Prague branch have called on ANO representative and Prague Mayor Adriana Krnáčová to resign. Its politicians charge that the mayor broke the law and hurt the interests of the city by opting for a new legal team to represent Prague in a legal dispute over the rental of Škodova Palace, owned by Copa Retail. TOP 09 leaders allege the mayor hired lawyers at the recommendation of the other party and went behind the backs of other city councilors. The mayor has denied the allegations saying the law firm in question was chosen according to rules on public tenders. The three-party coalition as a result scheduled talks to discuss the situation on Monday afternoon.
Families of abducted girls release statement of thanks and relief
Two Czech women released by kidnappers after two years are reportedly healthy but need rest to recover from the ordeal, their families told the Czech News Agency on Monday. Their families thanked the Turkish IHH humanitarian organisation for its help, the Czech cabinet for support, and all those who expressed solidarity. "For us, it is beyond words to express our feeling of happiness and relief at having the girls back at home," the families of Hana Humpalová and Antonie Chrastecká wrote in a statement released to ČTK. They thanked all who contributed to the young women´s release. Unknown gunmen abducted the young women, then aged 24, in southwestern Pakistan in March 2013 when they were travelling by bus from Iran to India. Two videos of the girls appeared on the internet in June and October 2013. Czech diplomacy did not comment on the case for fear it could jeopardize the chances of their being safely released.
Amendment promises changes at Czech universities
How Czech universities are run could change substantially in the future. On Monday, the cabinet agreed on an amendment which would introduce new rules for accreditation and a new system for judging the quality of existing schools. The overall aim, Education Minister Marcel Chládek said, was to improve the overall quality of Czech universities. The amendment would also make it possible to revoke academic titles earned in a questionable manner. The bill now has to be debated in Parliament.
Virtual tour of Havel's office to go online
A virtual tour of the Prague office that the late former president Václav Havel used after leaving office in 2003 will be available for viewing as part of a virtual tour online in early April, the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation Vision 97 announced on Monday. The premises in the centre of Prague were furnished and decorated after a design by Havel made in cooperation with architect Bořek Šípek. The rooms remained untouched since Havel´s last stay there, his widow and former First Lady Dagmar Havlová told journalists. The office "witnessed" a number of important meetings and events, she said, "visited by [former] U.S. president Bill Clinton, by the Tibetan spiritual lader, his Holiness Dalai Lama..., Joan Baez, Tom Stoppard, Suzanne Vega, Kofi Annan, Lou Reed, the Škvoreckys and others. There are many valuable objects and presents from our friends from all over the world," the former First Lady said. The virtual entry into the first room will be free, while the tour of the rest of the office will be available for a small fee. The proceeds will be used to finance further development of the project.
Football: national squad faces Slovakia in friendly
Czech national football team coach Pavel Vrba will test newer players in Tuesday's friendly against Slovakia, news website idnes reports, a line-up which will not include top names including Tomáš Rosický, Petr Čech, or David Lafata. Goalkeeper Tomáš Vaculík will step in for the team's No.1 in the friendly; at least three other changes in the lineup are expected. The Czech squad has 13 points in five qualification games for Euro 2016, most recently tying unexpectedly with Latvia. Slovakia's national team is five-for-five in a group which includes Spain and Ukraine.
E15: Kmoníček will replace Gandalovič as ambassador to US
Close aide to the president Hynek Kmoníček will replace Petr Gandalovič as the next ambassador to Washington, the daily E15 reports. It is not the first time the story has surfaced. Mr Gandalovič's term is to end this year. Mr Kmoníček is a former ambassador himself, having served in five countries including India. The decision is now up to the government, E15 writes.


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SCORE Detroit One-on-One's
Website Get Tickets Add to Calendar 08-28-2018 10:00:00 08-28-2018 13:00:00 SCORE Detroit One-on-One's SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. We have been doing this for over fifty years. 19120 Grand River Detroit, MI 48223 Grand River WorkPlace false MM-dd-YYYY


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I just stumbled upon the website languages.biblemesh.com which uses this technology to teach students biblical vocabulary in Hebrew or Greek. See http://languages.biblemesh.com/index.ph ... technology.
Does anyone know about this software?"Cutting-Edge Technology"
A patented, science-based learning application from Cerego makes vocabulary acquisition simple and successful. This application measures what you are learning and is able to predict to what degree you have mastered an item. Cerego can also predict how long you will remember an item without review, so it is able to present you with a word at the optimal time for you to retain mastery of it. What's more, Cerego is cloud-based, so you can seamlessly manage your vocabulary learning from whatever computer or mobile device is convenient for you. The bottom line is that the system will help you to learn faster and remember longer. If you would like to learn more about this application, watch this brief video from our good friends at Cerego.


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News from Africa
Partners say investment in climate services is in everyone's interest
DOHA, Qatar, December 6, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A cross section of experts and policymakers attending the ongoing Doha climate talks has agreed that substantial investments in climate services for Africa's development would serve the interests of users and stakeholders beyond the continent.
Speaking at a dinner dialogue organized by partners of the Climate for Development (ClimDev-Africa) at the Doha Hilton Hotel last evening, discussants took turns on the podium to say "not enough" to the question: Are we investing 'enough' in climate services for Africa's development?
Dr. Elena Manaenkova, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Metrological Organization went further to affirm that "investing in climate services in Africa would in fact, serve the rest of the world because information generated in Africa would be used by everyone else on the planet", according to the Information and Communication Service of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The dialogue was also addressed by the Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr. Aly Abou Sabaa; the Coordinator of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) Dr. Fatima Denton; as well as by Ms. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Chair of the ClimDev Steering Committee and Commissioner for Rural Development and Agriculture at the African Union Commission who hosted the dinner.
The Commissioner stressed the central role that climate information plays in policy formulation and in the daily lives of ordinary citizens "who are the ultimate beneficiaries of those services because they are often the hardest hit by extreme weather events."
Emerging from one of the long negotiation sessions at COP18, Ms. Tumusiime said that "what we usually tackle in climate negotiations such as adaptation and mitigation need good climate information services to be effective", and that indeed, in many African Union member States, climate and information services deserve serious upgrading.
She said that "improving the quantity, quality, accessibility and utility of climate information is an essential part of the trajectory towards a climate resilient economy and society in our continent".
She added that this motivated the decision of African Heads of State and Government, to entrust the ClimDev Programme with the responsibility to respond to the urgent information needs that climate change poses to Africa.
The AU Commissioner recalled recent outreach activity organized in Stockholm as "part of our collective pursuit" to marshal resources to kick-start the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund, and called for the renewal of "our commitment to this programme, including by generating the required financial support for its effective implementation."
Ms. Denton, the Coordinator of ACPC praised the wisdom of leaders of ECA, AUC and AfDB for thinking about the ClimDev idea, before assuring guests that the idea is as relevant today as it was four years ago because the threat posed by climate change remains real and serious.
Commenting on the rationale behind the dinner dialogue, Denton said that Africa has to constantly define and reevaluate its own choices within the United Nations climate talks.
"The UNFCC negotiations framework is a meeting point for us as scientist, policymakers and civil society to converge or diverge on matters relating to climate change….but Africa needs to find its own space where it can adequately reflect on climate problems that are related to our development pathways to the ambition we define and to the instruments that will give greater sway to delivery mechanisms that we choose", she explained
She said that there are at least three reasons why Africa, and indeed the international community needs to continue to invest in climate service, citing the fact that both adaptation and mitigation strategies rely heavily on the availability and use of good climate services.
Dr. Denton added that just small steps in upgrading climate services would go a long way towards "improving and maximizing the potential for big impacts in terms of supporting livelihood systems."
Finally, "if you want to manage climate risks of both today and tomorrow, you have to invest in climate services", Denton said.
Ms. Tove Goldmann of the Swedish Development Agency spoke on Sweden faith in ClimDev-Africa project and urged other partners to come on board so that the programme could effectively become a useful instrument in the service of Africa.
Sweden is one of the early supporters of ClimDev and continues to be among its main funders.
Other guests who addressed the dinner dialogue came from among African ministers in charge of the environment, representatives of Regional Economic Communities, research institutions, leading NGOs, the World Bank as well as independent experts.
The dinner event was organized by ClimDev-Africa implementing institutions under the auspices of the African Union Commission. It brought together friends and partners of Africa, to inform them about the ClimDev's activities and investment and knowledge gaps in climate services.
The dinner also aimed to build partnerships and mobilize resources to respond to the continent's need in establishing appropriate climate information services for building climate resilient development programme for the continent.
The event demonstrated that the Programme has support at the highest levels, is delivering significant benefits for Africa and that the ClimDev Special Fund (CDSF) is something that should be invested in to complete the establishment and operationalisation of the Programme.
Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) is a joint programme of the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
It aims to construct a foundation in Africa for the response to climate change based on building science and observational infrastructure; enabling strong working partnerships between government institutions, private sector, civil society and vulnerable communities; and, creating and strengthening of knowledge frameworks to support and integrate the actions required.
ClimDev-Africa programme has three broad activity areas, including knowledge generation, sharing and networking that consist of research, knowledge management and peer learning, and outreach activities; advocacy and consensus building; and advisory services and technical cooperation, which comprise capacity mobilization, capacity building and technical assistance.
Its partners share the work in such a way as to elicit the best from each according to their comparative advantage. While ECA'sAfrican Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) concentrates on knowledge generation, enhancing policy capabilities of countries, AUC coordinates the Climate Change and Desertification Unit (CCDU) while AfDB manages the ClimDev-Special Fund (CDSF) to finance climate change projects in the Continent.
View online : http://appablog.wordpress.com/2012/...


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Since April last year, I have been coordinator of environmental stuff in the Forest. More recently, I have become involved with the development of our website & the communications/organisation within our little project. These are things that I want to focus my energy on now, so I feel it is a good time to offer the position of environmental coordinator to someone else.
Taking up this position will involve joining the Forest committee. There is some responsibility involved, though for someone who knows about the relevant issues of environmentalism, that should not be too much of a challenge. The other main requirement is an ability & willingness to communicate with others and work as part of a team.
Environmentalism in the Forest has become quite a vibrant little area over the past year. Things are happening and there are many cool people involved in doing stuff, though there is always more we can do and ways we can be better. If you are committed to this task, and you are not daunted by the prospect of co-operating with others, this could be your time to shine!
For more information about the position of environmental coordinator, go here: http://theforest.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=67
If you are interested in applying for the position, or for more information, email me: firstname.lastname@example.com
green person wanted
Forest is people. People is you. You is us.
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Scholars Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hedren, Patrick Kline and Emmanuel Saez (from Harvard and Berkeley) have garnered richly deserved attention for their interesting retrospective look at which places were the best in America for low-income kids to be born in 1980 and 1981 to assure the highest rates of youth mobility. [Amazingly, to do this, they were able to examine tax returns of all Americans and connect the youth with where they had grown up.]
[To explore the above map where blue areas are areas of highest mobility and red areas are areas of lowest mobility, visit the New York Times site.]
Their work rhymes with two pieces of research that we have done.
First, they find that the places that promoted the greatest level of mobility were places high in social capital. [For an image of social capital by state in the US c. 2000 see here.] This is less surprising, since other scholars have found that places with high social capital were among the places historically to invest in public high schools (e.g., Larry Katz and Claudia Goldin's work on the birth of American public high school movement in the American heartland). Moreover, recent research by our research team, highlighted in Robert Putnam's "Crumbling American Dreams" shows the changes in levels of community solidarity and togetherness, exemplified by the changes in his home town of Port Clinton, OH.
Second, they find that places with greater percentages of minorities were also places that afforded less social mobility for young people. This resonates with work of Ed Glaeser and Alberto Alesina on how it is harder to foster public investments in places of greater diversity (in the US and Europe) and work that we did in "E Pluribus Unum" that also discusses the short-term challenges of increased diversity.
While their work is retrospective, we are actively involved in gathering data on social mobility for youth from the bottom third of American households (in income and education) that strongly suggests that whether levels of mobility that existed for lower-third youth in the past, future rates of mobility are likely to much lower. Stay tuned for our evidence of this coming crisis and what we might do about it.


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Morristown, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Morrisville is a town in Lamoille county, Vermont. It was formed in 1781 in Vt. from Orleans county. The probate and court district for Morrisville is Lamoille. For more information, contact the town at 18 Lower Main St., P.O. Box 748, Morrisville 05661. On the attached map, Morrisville is shown as 8 in Lamoille county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


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Stop me if you've heard this before. Russian troops have been pulled back from the Ukrainian border, Vladimir Putin announced earlier today, as "spring exercises" have come to a planned end:
Ukraine began a tense countdown Monday to weekend elections as Russian President Vladimir Putin said troops deployed near the border with restive eastern Ukraine have been ordered home.
Putin previously claimed that some 40,000 Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border had been withdrawn, but the United States and NATO insisted they saw no signs of that. Putin's office issued a statement Monday morning saying the troops involved in "routine spring" exercises in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions have been ordered back to their barracks.
Just like two weeks ago when Putin promised a withdrawal, NATO is seeing little evidence of one:
The troops were on a routine exercise that has now come to an end, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
The withdrawal has started, but could take some time to finish, Peskov said.
NATO said Monday that it has not seen any substantial change to the distribution of Russian troops along the Ukraine border.
The Associated Press reports that these orders were more specific than those from two weeks ago:
Putin specifically ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to pull back forces involved in "planned spring" drills in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions to their home bases, the Kremlin said. The order appears to go further than a similar statement by the Russian leader two weeks ago that troops were being pulled back from the border to shooting ranges.
The three regions border Ukraine and the withdrawal of troops deployed there to other Russian provinces would signal a genuine attempt by Moscow to de-escalate the worst crisis in its relations with the West since the Cold War. It also would be easily verifiable by Western intelligence.
The West said they saw no sign of a pullout after Putin's earlier claim of a withdrawal and NATO on Monday said it didn't see any immediate movements to validate the latest assertions.
The Kremlin statement didn't say how many troops would be pulled out from the three regions or specify how quick the withdrawal would be.
It takes some time for a normal withdrawal to take place, so this could be on the level. On the other hand, nothing Putin has done or said over the last three months gives any observer reason to trust him. Even a real withdrawal may only be partial, and perhaps only nominal.
However, even a nominal withdrawal may be enough to worry the pro-Russia separatists Putin stirred up in eastern Ukraine. The armed militias have pledged to block a national vote to replace the interim government in Kyiv, set to take place in six days, and the presence of the Russian military on the border had to give them confidence that Putin would intervene if the Ukrainian military cracked down ahead of the May 25 election. Putin could respond fairly quickly even with a demobilized border, but Ukraine would have at least a window of opportunity to moot a Russian response. Having Russian troops moving in the opposite direction this week — assuming they actually withdraw at all — cannot help but damage morale among those militias aligning themselves with Moscow.
Don't expect much of a withdrawal, therefore, until after May 25th, if at all. I'd chalk this up to the same kind of phantom maneuver seen two weeks ago, where Putin orders troops to move and they stay put instead. Still, the fact that Putin has had to offer up this public-relations concession twice shows that international pressure has not been completely ineffective, even if it has clearly not been anywhere effective enough.


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On Her Soapbox
With Cake Face Soaping, Kelsey Foreman takes "clean living" to the next level.
Kelsey Foreman of Cake Face Soaping has taken life matters into her own hands – literally and metaphorically. She creates soaps, skin care items and gifts that are entirely natural, made with nut and seed oils, essential oils and locally sourced herbs – adding a heavy dose of "heart and soul." She's always been passionate about creating things: "First and foremost, I am a visual artist. A maker. I love taking pieces and parts and combining them into something interesting, useful and wanted. I began this journey as a painter."
After graduating from high school in 2005 on the Northshore, the fledgling artist studied at the University of New Orleans and obtained a degree in graphic design from Delgado.
But during this time, behind the scenes, she was plagued by a mysterious illness that puzzled her and her doctors. "I didn't have the energy to work, so I had to quit my job," she says, adding that she felt herself nearing the bottom of a "dwindling tunnel." It was incredibly frustrating, especially for a young woman who thrived on creative energy and artistic exploration. "I like to be working and making things, so needless to say this sitting-at-home thing was driving me crazy," she says.
Amidst the struggle, she began her own research and discovered that eating clean, naturally grown foods and taking herbal supplements helped her tremendously. A major advocate of holistic medicine, she also discovered that she enjoyed the creative, scientific process of soap-making. "I like having an avenue that's an artistic outlet and a way that still allows me to connect with people as an artist and maker," she muses. "I love knowing that my products are pure and honest and helping the people who use them. My soap is an art form and a healer." She established Cake Face Soaping, her official business, in 2010.
Foreman puts a lot of time into each product, ensuring maximum quality. Each soap goes through at least two weeks of processing. Skin care products are made fresh per order, she says, and they never stay in her workshop longer than a week. Other products vary in how long they take to create. It's an artistic process, not unlike painting or sculpture.
"First there is the visual, the idea, the problem that needs a solution," she says. "I do research to find out what essential oils help to resolve the problem, and I find out what I need to do to make them work in my soap recipe. Then I think about the visual presentation, including the packaging design, and then I make it happen!"
As long as she is creating these products, she is socially conscious and prioritizes healthy ingredients. "I hope people gain knowledge and appreciation for the art of making something that is a necessity by hand," she says. "It is so important to make sure the products you put on your skin are free of pollutants because what you put on your skin is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream and then filtered through your entire body. If you take care in using 'clean' soaps, your body health will improve."
Community remains an important part of Foreman's life. Her creations are sold at the Frenchmen Street Art Market, Freret Street Market and Piety Street Market, as well as on Etsy. She also posts her schedule and other information on her company's Facebook page (search for Cake Face Soaping) and on Twitter and Instagram (@Kelsey_CakeFace).
Foreman still loves to use other art forms, as well. She creates commissioned work and murals and does freelance graphic design. "I try to continue participating in art shows and galleries when I get opportunities," she says.
Her favorite thing about being an artist is "the way it connects me to others."


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PORTSMOUTH -- On Saturday, March 16, Music Hall members will have first dibs on purchasing tickets for three special nights this spring and summer. Straight from the London Stage, an HD Broadcast of the beloved classic Great Expectations (4/13) celebrates the 200th anniversary of Dickens's birth; Pulitzer Prize winning author and pre-eminent historian Joseph Ellis takes the stage to talk about his much-anticipated new book Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence (6/25); and renowned New Orleans-based jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard visits with his acclaimed quintet en route to the Newport Jazz Festival (8/1).
"These special shows reflect the artistic diversity and leading-edge talent that the Music Hall is known for," says Executive Director and Lead Curator Patricia Lynch. "We expect them to sell out, so plan now to join us for three unique evenings in Portsmouth this spring and summer! You will be fascinated by an HD broadcast of the first-ever theatrical adaptation of Dickens' masterpiece Great Expectations; riveted by the brilliant American historian Joseph Ellis; and transported to the cool jazz universe of famed trumpeter Terence Blanchard and his quintet."
About Membership and Early Purchasing
Contact Lorianne, our Membership Coordinator directly at 603-766-2176 or email@example.com or visit our website, www.themusichall.org, to become a member today.
Tickets go on sale to Music Hall members at noon on Saturday, March 16 and to non-members at noon Saturday March 30. Tickets are available at The Music Hall box office in the Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, over the phone at 603-436-2400, or on our website www.themusichall.org.
HD Broadcast at the Historic Theater: Great Expectations
Saturday, April 13, 2013 1 pm
Tickets: $22; $15 students
On sale to members Saturday, March 16; nonmembers Saturday, March 30
For the very first time, the Dickens classic Great Expectations has been staged in London's West End, and The Music Hall audience will be able to share the historic opening night experience. Although Great Expectations has been adapted for film on two separate occasions, once by David Lean in 1946 and most recently by Mike Newell, it has never been produced for The West End or Broadway, widely believed to be too difficult to translate to stage. However, this Jo Clifford adaptation, directed by Graham McLaren, has been universally acclaimed as a triumph on its sellout tour. The event was taped for broadcast on Thursday, February 7, 2013 and includes red carpet arrivals and behind the scenes footage. It is part of the global celebrations surrounding the 200th anniversary of Dickens's birth.
"[has]a dream-like fluidity that exposes some of the novel's concerns with a strong diagrammatic force." —The Independent, UK
HD Broadcast Series Sponsors: Tate & Foss Sotheby's International Realty; Maine Public Broadcasting Network; New Hampshire Public Television
Writers on a New England Stage: Joseph J. Ellis
Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 7:30pm, Historic Theater
Book: Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence ($26.95, hardcover, $24.30 advance voucher)
Tickets: $13, $11 members
On sale to members Saturday, March 16; nonmembers Saturday, March 30
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers and pre-eminent American historian Joseph Ellis returns to The Music Hall with his new book Revolutionary Summer, a revelatory portrait of a crescendo moment in American history. It is the summer of 1776, the most dramatic few months in the story of our country's founding. The 13 colonies came together and agreed to secede from the British Empire. At the same time, the British dispatched the largest armada ever to cross the Atlantic, which cruised off the coast of Staten Island in early July. The Continental Congress and the Continental Army were forced to make highly consequential decisions in reaction to events over which they had no control. In a brilliant and seamless narrative, Ellis weaves the political and military experiences as two sides of a single story, and shows how events on one front influenced outcomes on the other. Revolutionary Summer enlivens these familiar historical events with a compelling freshness.
"Ellis has made himself into a sort of bard of our early Republic" Miami Herald
"He is the Roger Federer of historians."—Forbes
"Ellis's style is discursively delightful....As his narrative unfolds, so do his conclusions."—The Boston Globe
Series Sponsors: Auger Building Company, Inc.; Piscataqua Landscaping Company Inc.; Popovers on the Square; RMC Research Corporation; Calypso Communications; Haunted Milk Design; New England Audio Tech
Intimately Yours: Terence Blanchard Quintet
Thursday, August 1, 2013, 7:30 pm, Historic Theater
Tickets: $32; $28
On sale to members Saturday, March 16; nonmembers Saturday, March 30
Catch the renowned jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard on his way to the Newport Jazz Festival! A hit with our audience at the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour, Blanchard returns to The Music Hall stage on what promises to be a sizzling hot summer night. After making a name for himself as a top-tier jazz trumpeter with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the New Orleans-based musician has gone on to enjoy a multifaceted career not only as a remarkable trumpeter, but also as a composer, arranger, and bandleader. A five-time Grammy Award winner, his film-score, soundtrack, and Broadway compositions include the music for George Lucas's 2012 film, Red Tails, the Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, and the film Cadillac Records. With nearly 50 scores to his credit, Blanchard is the most prolific jazz musician to ever compose for movies, including his long-time collaboration on all of Spike Lee films from Malcolm X to Mo' Better Blues. If you've seen a Spike Lee movie, you'll recognize the trademark trumpet of Terence Blanchard. In 2011, he was named Artistic Director of Jazz for University of Miami, and he was recently Jazz Creative Chair for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Don't miss his triumphant return to our stage!
"He plays the most coolly expressive trumpet in jazz, transmuting the instrument's repertoire of smears, growls, peeps and blasts into an astonishingly fluid language both luxurious and controlled."—Vanity Fair
"In certain circles Terence Blanchard may be best known as an accomplished film scorer and a newly established Broadway composer; around the jazz ecosystem he's known for his trenchant trumpet playing and for favoring a postbop sound informed by myriad sources."—New York Times
Intimately Yours Series sponsors: Jumpin' Jay's Fish Caf�; Portsmouth Chevrolet; Raka; 92.5 The River
Evening sponsor: Clear Eye Photo
About The Music Hall
The Music Hall is a performing arts center featuring curated entertainment from around the world in two theaters in its downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire campus - one, a landmark 1878 Victorian theater, the other the intimate Music Hall Loft around the corner, recently named "best performing arts venue" by Yankee Magazine and the recipient of the NH AIA award for design excellence. Acclaimed signature series bring top authors and artists to both stages, while HD broadcasts and independent film fill both screens. A radio show broadcast on NH Public Radio originates here. This dynamic arts center urges patrons to Explore + Learn via master classes, post film panel discussions, and matinees for children. An anchor cultural organization in this historic working seaport, The Music Hall is one of downtown Portsmouth's biggest employers and largest contributors to the regional economy: The Music Hall and its patrons contribute $7 million annually to the local economy through show and visitor related spending. Innovative in its outlook, the organization is community oriented and committed to making the Seacoast flourish. The Music Hall is 501c3 nonprofit managed by a professional staff with the assistance of a volunteer board. Though global in the scope of its artists and programs, The Music Hall operates independently with the support of 3,000 members, 300 business supporters and 40 community partners. Welcoming more than 100,000 patrons (including 20,000 children) each year from the tri-state area and beyond, The Music Hall is the region's center for the performing arts, literature and education…easy to get to, impossible to forget. www.themusichall.org
Just announced at The Music Hall ...
PORTSMOUTH -- On Saturday, March 16, Music Hall members will have first dibs on purchasing tickets for three special nights this spring and summer. Straight from the London Stage, an HD Broadcast of the beloved classic Great Expectations (4/13) celebrates the 200th anniversary of Dickens's birth; Pulitzer Prize winning author and pre-eminent historian Joseph Ellis takes the stage to talk about his much-anticipated new book Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence (6/25); and renowned New Orleans-based jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard visits with his acclaimed quintet en route to the Newport Jazz Festival (8/1).


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For 50 years, Slater and Gordon Lawyers has prided itself on providing great value to the Police Federation and an exceptional service to its members in personal injury, criminal, employment, defamation, family and wills, inheritance and welfare advice.
The information in this section of our website provides:
- basic legal guidance
- an overview of the legal services on offer to Federation members, and
- information on who you as a member need to contact in order to access them.
Services provided by SandG for members are either Federation funded, non-Federation funded (family law and wills trusts and estates) or value-added (services provided at no cost to members as a benefit of Federation membership).


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A man in China has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for running a US-hosted porn site as the Communist Party continues its crackdown on illegal content.
The Orwellian-sounding National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications announced to the state-run Xinhua news agency that Sheng Jiarong, of Qingdao city in eastern China's Shandong Province, was snared in an anti-smut raid in early 2011.
This piece of government propaganda, no doubt intended to serve as a warning to all those would-be porn purveyors in the People's Republic, claimed the authorities are getting better at sniffing out homegrown sites that use servers outside the country to host illegal content.
Jiarong's site was found to feature 703 pornographic pics, 99 videos and a whopping 9,111 erotic e-books. As well as facing a decade behind bars, Jiarong was apparently fined 20,000 yuan (£2,000).
Given that China has some of the strictest web censorship laws in the world and one of the most widespread and advanced content filtering systems to enforce those laws, Jiarong was on a hiding to nothing.
A report from think tank the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences claimed in July that the number of websites in China almost halved during 2010, partly as a result of tighter laws on "harmful" content.
The authorities periodically get tough on pornography, internet fraud and other unacceptable online activities, most recently in November 2011 when they forced China's biggest tech firms to "strengthen self-control, self-restraint and strict self-discipline" online.
As was discovered last week though, Chinese citizens are free to talk about sex as long as they are 38-year-old virgins promoting abstinence until marriage. ®


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Employment and Volunteer Opportunities
Employment Opportunities
Click here to view Aria Health-Frankford's current job openings
(Note: you will be directed to the main Aria Health website.)
Volunteer Opportunities
Have you been looking for an opportunity to give something back to your community and gain personal enrichment at the same time?
The Volunteer Services Department at Aria Health-Frankford offers two service programs, one for students and one for adults. Each offers a unique opportunity to enrich your life experience while assisting others.
Below are some frequently asked questions that may help you learn more about volunteer opportunities available at Aria Health-Frankford.
How much time will I spend?
Most volunteers work at least four hours a week. Many volunteer assignments are flexible, and we make every effort to accommodate your schedule by offering day, evening and weekend hours.
What will I actually do for the Hospital?
There are choices open to you in patient service areas. Volunteers are needed to transport patients, deliver mail, flowers and newspapers, help patients with their meals, assist the nursing staff and provide patients with magazines and books. There are also choices open to you in non-patient areas, such as finance and office work.
Will volunteering cost me anything?
Only your transportation and uniform.
What type of areas might I work in?
Aria Health-Frankford offers variety of volunteer opportunities. If accepted, you can work in many areas and roles throughout the Hospital, including: clerical, gift shop, information desk, hospitality desk, medical records, nurse assistant, physical therapy, radiology, patient transport and food and nutrition.
What will I receive in return?
The satisfaction of helping others. In addition, the Hospital staff and patients appreciate the value of your gift of yourself. We express our appreciation in many ways, like offering:
- Free parking
- Wellness Center privileges
- Skills training
- Cafeteria vouchers
- Free health screenings
- Annual flu vaccinations
- Annual recognition luncheon
How can I apply for a volunteer position?
You can apply for the adult volunteer program by clicking here and you can print out a copy of the student volunteer application and corresponding forms by clicking here. You can also call Aria Health's Volunteer Department at 215-612-4170 for more information.


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I can not sleep! I am sitting motionless, completely still, listening to the rain falling hard outside my window. It feels as time ceased and I am lingering in a dark void.
Today was my final recital and I got my diploma with flying colours. Naturally I am overfilled by emotions, relief, happiness, love, pride, emptiness, nostalgia! It took me ten years to get here which is very little for that sort of thing but it is almost a third of my life and my entire adulthood! I can not stop thinking.. Well good, now what?
In one hand, I am a certified soprano, I could start a career and on the other I always thought that would be the end of the line for me! I was stretched too thin to get here and I kept pushing myself forward by thinking, just a little bit more, you can do it. I persevered but what I have not thought out, was the fact I do not want to quit! I do not care if I am not doing that professionally(I can not afford the time or the effort of that pursuit), but I just have to sing! When I perform I feel close to the Goddess, it is spiritual and it takes all I got!
I do not know how it is all going to work out timewise but ever since I came home I can not stop crying and that says something!! I will find the time! At the beginning of the year an operatic theatrical team asked me to join them, I think I will do that!
I was never good in dealing with endings, so I have to make it into a new beginning! Because I realised my musical side is not just something I can turn off!
Forgive my long rant, but you all know by now, you act as my extremely underpaid therapists!
About songs and endings
I can not sleep! I am sitting motionless, completely still, listening to the rain falling hard outside my window. It feels as time ceased and I am lingering in a dark void.


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Forever 21 shoppers are young, grabby and fast, zooming through the Beverly Hills store on heels, their fingers ripping clothes from racks like birds swooping for fish. This is the American fashion chain run as a family business, the chain that, thanks to its "pile very high, sell very cheap" operation, has been a phenomenal success, with profits (in 2008) of $135m despite the fact that nothing it sells costs more than $65. This is the chain whose founder, Do Won "Don" Chang, is worth $1bn; the chain that, having conquered America and the Far East, is this month finally coming to London.
"Florals, Festivals and Feminine," says 29-year-old marketing manager Linda Chang, the public face of the notoriously private family, pointing out trends as she strides among the bulging rails of playsuits and denim; her Chanel bag clangs against her Balmain-clad arm and Forever 21 jeans. There are fringed vests and one-shoulder dresses and slogan T-shirts, all under $20. "But it's not about prices. It's not a gimmick for us," says Linda. "It's about value."
Stretching over 45,000sqft, the Beverly Hills store feels vast and church-like, calm but for the customers, who rarely look at price tags before snatching down a dress, and who all emerge with swollen plastic bags. Standing outside, in the air-conditioned mall, they sigh. On YouTube, teenage girls upload their Forever 21 "hauls" – spandex tunics, jumpsuits, cocktail rings held too close to the camera; one of the most popular videos has had almost 2m views. Few bargain brands inspire such a following. And it's a brand that started humbly.
Don Chang and his wife Jin Sook (now the company's buyer) emigrated to California from South Korea in 1981, when he was 18. While working in an LA petrol station he noticed the most expensive cars were driven by fashion retailers. Three years later, blocks away from the one-bedroom flat where he eventually brought up his two daughters, Linda and Esther (now their creative director), Chang opened his first shop. "I feel truly blessed by Forever 21's success," he says today. "Forever 21 is my American Dream." While the business grew, with sales climbing from $35,000 to $700,000 in the first year, 11 stores opening within five years and a further 440 opening across the world to date, this shop, a half-hour drive (but a million dollars away) from the Beverly Hills store, remains the same. Where the Beverly Hills store is white and soaring, the Koreatown shop is dim-lit and jumbled. While still a working shop, it seems to exist as a museum for the brand, a period piece, a reminder of quite how far the family has come. The air-conditioning unit over the doors pumps through a steady smell of sweat; the carpet, once beige, is a mottled charcoal. Linda meets me by the counter. She recalls her dad giving her the tagging gun on Christmas weekend, when she was two, her job being to price up garments while he worked the counter. She giggles at the memory. And I ask, gently, why they don't clean the carpet. "It's almost historical," she says, sweeping it with her toe. "We want to keep the integrity."
The brand's integrity has been tested regularly, with various lawsuits seemingly being settled quietly out of court. In 2001 factory workers supplying Forever 21 called for a boycott until working conditions improved – an Emmy award-winning film, Made in LA, documented the protests. In 2007 Diane von Furstenberg filed a lawsuit against them for duplicating her designs, as did Gwen Stefani, Anna Sui and around 40 other labels, though for the record the family has never been found liable for copyright infringement. The company says its buyers simply trust their vendors not to copy other labels' designs. "I have in the past overly trusted people and was, in turn, let down by some," Mr Chang tells me in an early-morning email. "Since then I have learned the difference between putting faith into people and blindly trusting them."
"Their design is swathed in mystery," said professor of copyright law Susan Scafidi. "But it probably looks a bit like a crime scene, with the chalk outlines of the garments they're copying." In fact the Council of Fashion Designer's 2010 accessory designer of the year Alexis Bittar was delighted when he saw a version of his $295 lucite ring selling for $5.80 at Forever 21. He told Business Week: "I thought: 'Great! This is like declaring I'm someone to knock off.'"
This year Forever 21 threatened to sue blogger Rachel Kane for making fun of their clothes, a move that incensed online communities and was reported internationally as an example of intimidation by a big business. Last month, however, when the chain ignored her pleas, Kane fought back. "My attorneys and I will not permit Forever 21 to use silence as a strategic tool or intimidation tactic, particularly when the company stood idly by for over a year as I blogged about their design disasters," she wrote. "This is a dark defeat for MC Hammer pants, floral jumpsuits and blinged-out mini hats, but a joyous triumph for those who like to make fun of them. Which is pretty much anyone with eyes."
The next morning, at Forever 21's downtown headquarters, where an all-day cafeteria supplies free meals for staff and a sign on the door yells "We make it happen!", I ask Linda about the brand's plans to prevent future legal problems arising. "We've never settled," she says of the label's lawsuits, making unquivering eye contact. "We're not manufacturing goods ourselves," she clarifies – they use third-party manufacturers – "and we've put legal procedures in place [to avoid breaching copyright]. On in-house designs, our influences are always stated." How does she feel about the internet uproar following their threat to Rachel Kane's blog, WTForever21? "Y'know?" she begins, smiling tightly, "any conversations had about us are welcome. They've all helped us grow."
Liability is one cost of producing such fast fashion – Mrs Chang, as staff (including Linda and Esther) call her, reviews 400 new designs a day. "People think fast fashion is the same as throwaway fashion, but we do high fashion, fast," says Linda. "There's a difference in quality. And we have procedures in place to stay ethical." She is obviously well-versed and passionate about her work, work that stretches over her life like clingfilm. "The great thing about this being a family business is that we all care so much. The stressful thing is that my mum and dad are also my bosses. I don't have a personal life. We don't stop. We talk about business over dinner. We go on mission trips [to Afghanistan, India and Pakistan] instead of vacations."
Her parents, who are born-again Christians, go to church at 5am every morning. Mrs Chang has been quoted as saying that when they came to America she went to the top of a mountain to pray – God told her she should open a store. Today, Mr Chang is famous for keeping a Bible open on his desk, and the bottom of every Forever 21 carrier bag reads "John 3:16", the core Christian message. Does their Christian faith jar with the ethics of selling fast fashion? How will British customers feel about the brand's religious tilt? "There is no religious tilt," answers Linda firmly. "The faith of the founders is separate to the brand – the bag is simply a statement of faith."
But this is a country where many are cynical about religion – how will we react to a Bible verse being served with our beaded boob tube? Verdict's retail analyst Sarah Peters is undecided. "Religion? This is new for the UK's high street – we've never seen it before, but I don't think customers will pay it too much attention. Nothing matters if they like the clothes."
While Peters says their US success is down to low prices and a high turnover of stock, she thinks it will be trickier for Forever 21 to establish itself in the UK. The acquisition of its new flagship store, an old HMV, on London's Oxford Street (leased for nearly £14m) is a good move, she believes, but "the value market is growing at a slower rate in the UK than in the US, so it might have trouble. Primark dominates the sector, while with New Look and H&M there's some tough competition." Could this be the brand to topple Primark?
Linda walks me slowly back to the lobby, under the exposed pipes and triple-height ceiling, past the counter selling Forever 21 umbrellas, hot sunlight making triangles on the floor. One day she will run this $3bn chain. I ask her how she feels about the prospect, and again she holds my gaze, this time softly. "Sometimes I do feel… overwhelmed," she says.
• The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday 24 July 2011. "Meet the Changs. They want to dress you" announced that the fashion chain Forever 21 "is about to open its first store in Britain", overlooking the branch that opened in Birmingham Bullring last November. Apologies.


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Summers are hot, averaging over 30°C (86°F) in the daytime, however, due to low humidity levels in eastern Turkey, temperatures are much more comfortable than a humid place. At nights it is common even in the hottest month of the year (August) for temperatures to drop to 12°C (53°F), so be sure to take at least a cardigan, if not something that would keep you warmer. Winters are very cold with temperatures mostly below -5°C (23°F), so take clothes to keep you warm and comfortable.
Get in[edit]
By train[edit]
Normally theVangölü Ekspresi ("Lake Van Express") departs from Istanbul's Asian station (Haydarpaşa) twice a week on Mondays and Fridays at 10:55PM and arrives in Tatvan station after a 40-hr journey, on Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:17PM. This train also calls at a number of cities and towns across Asian Turkey, including Eskişehir, Ankara, Kayseri, Sivas, Malatya, and Elazığ among others. Inter Rail pass is accepted in this train. However, as the rail line east of Istanbul is closed, the Vangölü Ekspresi operates only between Ankara and Elazig.[1] See Turkish railway authority's website [2] for detailed information.
There is also another train from Elazığ, passing Muş on the way, which operate at least once weekly. It arrives at Tatvan at Tuesday evenings.
Train station is in the upper part of the town (northwest of downtown), about 20 minutes walk away from the town centre. It's off the main highway to Bitlis, but its entrance is not immediately visible from the road because of some buildings and trees inbetween—you may have to ask around.
The station lies at the end of a spur line—the main line normally heads straight to the train ferry harbour. All passenger trains to the area do make the de-tour and call at the station, though.
By boat[edit]
Train ferries connect Tatvan with Van, a rather large city located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. These ferries accept pedestrian passengers whether they have a connecting train ticket or not. It takes four hours to cross the lake. If coming from the town center, ask the dolmus driver for "ferryboat".
Ferries crossing the lake depart every day from north of the town center at ~07:00, ~12:00 and ~19:00 (5 TL) (as of June 2012).
By car[edit]
A wide highway which is in a very good condition connects Tatvan with the city of Bitlis lying 20 or so km inland from the lake. In the other direction along the lake the city of Van is 140 km away.
By bus[edit]
Town's small otogar (bus station) is located on the highway to Bitlis, north of downtown, about half an hour's worth of walk from town centre, and not very far from the train station. Dolmuşes are also available to the centre. However, most inter-city bus companies have offices in town centre, too. In fact, most otogar offices are open only during day hours, with most companies prefering to use central offices during the night, which are far more convenient during the day hours, too.
There is at least one daily bus to town from Batman (15 TL, 3.5h), and Diyarbakır. Frequent bus services from Van (20 TL, 2h), i.a. by Vangölü company. There are dolmus from Bitlis.
Get around[edit]
See[edit][add listing]
Tatvan itself is not renowned for its historical or natural gems as it is rather a bleak town of mostly new, concrete development. It mainly serves travellers as a jumping off point to sights further afield.
Do[edit][add listing]
Buy[edit][add listing]
Eat[edit][add listing]
Drink[edit][add listing]
Sleep[edit][add listing]
A handful of hotels are located in the town centre along, or just off, the main street (near the post office). Most are clearly sign posted. Most single rooms cost between 40-90 TL. The only truly budget option is Gayda Otel. Altilar Hotel is now closed.
The telephone code of Tatvan is 434 (+90 434 when calling from out of Turkey).
There are numerous internet cafes dotted along the main street in the town centre (some more modern than others) costing 1.50 or 2 TL/hour. There is one just upstairs from office of Van Gölü Seyahat bus company in town centre, open till late at night and very convenient if you're looking into spending your time until your departure.
Get out[edit]
By (mini)bus
By train
Trains to Istanbul depart twice weekly - only on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:10AM. If you happen to miss the train of the day, nearest station is in Batman - which has trains to Istanbul the following day (i.e. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Trains also depart from Batman in the morning (around 9AM). Van Gölü Seyahat has a night bus (at midnight) from Tatvan to Batman which costs 15 TL/person/one-way, arriving at Batman's otogar around 4:30AM. Walking otogar to train station take about one to one-and-a-half hour in Batman. Alternatively, you can take buses to Istanbul directly from Tatvan, but they cost more than double (70 TL/person/one-way) of what the train costs (about 30 TL/person/one-way).
By ferry
Ferryboats leave for Van from Tatvan's "Vangölü Feribot" pier. Schedules can be quite irregular. Usually ferries leave when trains cross the lake. If you speak some Turkish you can call at the TCDD station, Tel. +90 434 827 80 40 [3]. Otherwise ask at your guesthouse to call there.
External Links[edit]


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Clarke's CTJ3000G heavy duty trolley jack is designed specifically for use in professional garages and workshops. This jack's features include a single piece hydraulic unit for maximum reliability, heavy...
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