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Monday, March 26, 2012
Authoritarian Parenting and Emotional Repression
Unfortunately, we have not always gotten along so well. Less than ten years ago, our relationship had been almost completely destroyed thanks to the authoritarian parenting techniques of the fundamentalist Christian homeschooling culture (in our case, it was Reb Bradley's Child Training Tips). Authoritarian parenting forced both of us into roles that we were not at all suited for, with tragic results.
For my dad, authoritarian parenting caused him to see our relationship as a power struggle; maintaining his authority was his biggest responsibility and highest priority. After all, if we were calling the shots in our own lives, we would become self-indulgent and lack internal self-control. That would lead us to more dangerous "worldly" teenage rebellion against our parents and God. So in order not to fail at parenting, my dad had to be hyper-vigilant against giving up power to us kids. What an insane amount of responsibility to put on one person! And how difficult to create a positive relationship with that kind of dynamic: it's impossible to mandate real respect and love! My dad began to crack under the pressure.
For me as a teen, authoritarian parenting very nearly reduced me to an empty shell of a person. I found that my opinions and emotions were sources of trouble and guilt. Anger or frustration--even just on my face--were signs of disrespect and lack of self-control. Questioning my parents' decisions or expressing different opinions, even on trivial matters, were signs of rebellion. Even the simple act of lifting my eyebrows could get me in trouble. In order to survive, I had to bury my negative emotions and try to become more passive and less opinionated.
In addition to guarding my facial expressions and speech against "disrespect" and "rebellion", I also had to hide many positive feelings. My parents' preferred method of discipline when I was in my teens was to take away privileges. Anything that I had shown happiness or excitement about was a likely target. So, to protect things I cared about, I tried to stay detached. One technique that helped me care less about something was to focus on the negative about it. Unfortunately, it was hard to rekindle my excitement once my negativity had extinguished it, but at least it was easier to deal with the feelings of helplessness and disappointment.
At the worst point in my relationship with my dad, I went for several years without my dad smiling at me even one time. He spent long hours at work or locked in his room and tried to avoid talking to me or looking at me when we passed. But still, every night, my mom made me find him to say, "Goodnight Dad, I love you," and stand there looking at the back of his head with no answer. Any time I protested this nightly tradition and expressed my hurt to my mom, she simply cautioned me not to let the "root of bitterness" spring up in my heart. So I did my best to bury my negative emotions, just like I saw my mom doing.
I was supposedly in the prime of my life, but I started to feel very old. My body was full of aches and pains, and I was constantly tired or dealing with a headache. Finally, at my mom's urging, I went to see a doctor. I was caught off guard when the doctor asked, "Do you think you're depressed?" "Oh my goodness, no!" I answered. When the doctor left the room, I burst into tears with no idea why. I finally decided that I must have been upset that my Christian witness was damaged since I wasn't showing Jesus' peace and joy on my face during my doctor's appointment.
Looking back, it's easy to identify that I was deeply depressed and incredibly emotionally repressed. But I didn't interpret it that way at the time. I saw my depression as "deep spiritual sensitivity" that came from my desire to be perfect. And I saw my emotional repression as "true love": by pretending I was never bothered and that I had no preferences, I thought I was being unselfish and putting the needs of everyone else before my own.
As I entered college and started to work through many of my social anxiety issues, I continued using the relational techniques that had helped me survive at home. I was passive; I went along with other people's ideas and goals; I had no strong opinions or desires of my own. I was just there, a non-factor, grateful to be included.
The real change for me came through developing my relationship with my boyfriend/husband. Our long conversations helped me work through my pent up emotions and discover my opinions. On many occasions, he waited patiently even for 20 minutes, silently walking next to me with his arm around my shoulders, so I could finally express a basic opinion or feeling. At some point, I came uncorked, and we now have an entirely different challenge as my opinions and feelings come flying from left and right! In time, I'll find balance.
Sorry, but I don't agree with ___.
I felt really sad when you ____.
I'd really rather ____.
I don't really enjoy ___.
In my opinion, ___.
These phrases may seem mundane to you, but to me they are priceless. Every time I use them, they remind me that I am a real and valuable person with my own identity, my own voice, my own choice. They make me feel empowered because I remember what it was like to try to live without them.
10 comments:
Hi! I just found your blog through Love, Joy, Feminism, and it's great stuff. One thing really stood out to me about this post:ReplyDelete
"My parents' preferred method of discipline when I was in my teens was to take away privileges. Anything that I had shown happiness or excitement about was a likely target."
My Christian mother used a very authoritarian style of parenting with me - though not, oddly, with my sister - and starting at about eight years old, she would take things away at what seemed like the slightest provocation. Books, music, going outside to play, anything that she knew I liked. I was never able to become TOO detached, though I did try, but what I mostly did was hide things - and even when I got to college, it was several years before I was able to stop compulsively hiding objects in my room (in case she came to visit, saw them, and got angry). Our relationship has improved quite a bit over the last couple of years, though, thank goodness.
Anyway, long ramble, but that just resonated with me.Replies
Thank you for sharing your experience Elise. It can take a long time after leaving authoritarian parents to really feel secure and in charge of your life, but it's so wonderful once you do. I'm glad you're experiencing that now as well!Delete
I just found your blog after looking up No Greater Joy Ministries to show my significant other the level of crazy that is prevalent in some of these groups. Your upbringing sounds a lot like mine. I have just recently put my parents in a time-out for their continued behavior towards me, my significant other, and my daughter, and since then I've noticed that I've started having emotions. Like...ridiculous emotions. I'm feeling an actual attachment to my daughter (not just a responsibility to her), and having very close feelings for my significant other. I've even started feeling attached to our pets! I turn 30 in two months and cannot BELIEVE that I have never felt these things before. Anyway, I really appreciate your blog thus far and it's helping me to feel like I'm not so alone. I don't know anyone else who was raised this way and got out in real life. Thank you for your story, and I can't wait to read more.ReplyDeleteReplies
Wow, that reminds me so much of conversations I've had with my SO. He grew up as a conservative Christian, or so he thought, haha, but he just can't believe some of this stuff either. Good for you that you're giving yourself the space you need to heal! If you haven't already been there, I really recommend a couple other sites of people who have come from similar backgrounds....they really helped me:Delete
Hey. I just bumped into your blog and surprisingly matched my feelings at this point. I am in an authoritarian parenting situation. been in it for 25 years now and i still live with my parents. A couple of years ago i dropped out of college. I had similar anxiety and problems expressing my opinions like you in campus. My father is the authoritarian one and my mother is a devout Christian and i think her belief has led her to the role of the enabler. My father is more or less a dictator. I have had to deal with A LOT of pent up emotions to the point of confusion. I was on anti-depressants for 6months but i don't think it helped. The person i was seeing was a psychiatrist and his ways of treating me revolved less around therapy and more on medz. These two years have been out of school have been a sort of self-searching and though i am confident i have made progress, i don't think i have fully recovered. It's hard to measure your own progress. I have read a lot on the effects of living under such conditions and its impact on childhood development. I have no doubt that i am a product of its effects. With this conscious knowledge, i hope to improve myself and get myself out of the numbing pain i have been under.ReplyDelete
I resume college in a month or two and thus will be living with my parents for at least the next two years. It's hard to believe but despite my age my parents(dad) still impose their views, opinions and directions on me with no regard to mine. Any contradiction on my part results in privileged being taken away such as my laptop. I should mention that i am an electronics and computer engineering undergrad. I have been a rebel for the better part of my adult life, got into alcohol and marijuana, so history isn't on my side.
My father came from a troubled family living in poverty and his dad died when he was very very young. My grandma, his mother, was strict and overbearing and would at times punish them by denying them food and kicking them out. I have ran away from home enough times ever since i was 7. Last year i moved out but moved back in after 6months. Mostly because i couldn't support myself any more. My mom arbitrated my coming back home.
To my point, having come to the realizations that i have, how do i continue to live through this in a way that i will not suffer any more and can actively pursue who i want to be and what i want to do with my life under my current situation?? I have had great success in my academics all through up until college when i think my pent up pain and emotions reached a critical level. I am ambitious and want to be successful. But, i always fear and in doubt. I perceive this to be my damaged confidence. I have trouble socializing unless am under the influence. Please, i would appreciate your take on this as you seem to have the benefit of retrospect.Replies
It takes a long time to find your true self and begin to feel confident. I started the process in my early twenties, and now I'm thirty and finally feel actually *good* most of the time. But I was only able to start making progress once I got out on my own, far away from my parents.Delete
Right now, you're really emotionally wounded, and you need a safe place to heal as soon as possible. I'm sure you know, it will be really really hard for you to heal while you're living with your parents, because your dad will keep adding to your injury.
A month or two before the semester starts--perfect! Now is the perfect time to look for a roommate or a room for rent near your school. Since you are 25, you will be able to qualify for more financial aid--the applications (such as the FAFSA) will not take your parents' income into account. Talk to a guidance counselor at your school about your situation and see what your options are. With the extra financial aid and a part-time job, you could finish school on your own and take your first step toward independence. It might take you a little longer to graduate, but you'll be in a much better place emotionally when you do, and more ready for life.
Besides your own mental well-being, you have a better chance of success at school and in your career if you get away from your parents. When they take away your laptop, they are showing that they don't mind sacrificing your future for the sake of keeping control of you. That is incredibly abusive.
I recommend checking if your school has a therapist at a reduced rate for students...mine did, and it was helpful for me when my old issues came back to haunt sometimes me at school.
I hope you discover, as I did, that there are many good people in the world, and that you are one of them! I wish you all the best.
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2013 at 2:23 AM
Praise the Lord, this story is another encouragement for me to boldly set myself free from intimidation and uncertainty. This also happens to me in the fact that my father is a typical conventional Asian parent and struggled with anxiety. This leads him to be overprotective to avoid bad things happen as the consequences. He s not just smashing down my opinion and disagreement while in conversation, but also limits my activity during childhood by giving warning in loud voice that even could scare a dog away. For example, prohibiting me cooking, going with friends, etc. This happened until I entered high school. Then i moved to another city and live with my brother who is also as authoritative as my dad. Worsely, he s kind of paranoid who seems to obsessed to finding my mistake and feels 'satisfied' to mock me or even throws things to release his anger. I lived with intimidation and terror, also afraid of leaving home and pressed down my hurt and pain instead. It shaped my personality to be passive, no self opinion and agree to everyone else idea. For more than 10 years I hd been living with emotional repression and always positive thinking of everything which actually I m not comfortable with. I burried all my questions and curiosity in search of pleasing other people. I also learn that i hd developed insecurity and withdrawal attitude. It affected my relationship with some of my best friends. However, during healing ministry seminar or church sermon, I leart blessing and curse, negative emotions, forgiveness, fruit of flesh and Spirit. I found myself up and down in dealing with repression and difficulty to speak up my mind to the people I disagree with until I learn the grace of God n commitment to give away bitterness and heartache to the cross and pray for healing. Thanks to my mom and friends who prayed for me and texted me encouraging verses. For these 2 weeks, I feel more comfortable with myself, less anxious, panic and more calm in pouring out my own idea and my reasons of disagreement to other people. Thank God for this precious gift of freedom, a surpassing peace that the world cant give. I believe when Jesus can heal me spiritually n emotionally, He also can heal anyone with emotional problems - because He is good, just and merciful.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 14, 2014 at 1:17 AM
I can't remember how I found this post, but it was the same for me. Except my parents both have severe anger issues, too, and so I grew up being screamed at basically very day, dad slamming his belt into walls and the counter screaming that he'll beat us until we can't bear to sit for a week and he'll kill us if we ever do XYZ again and putting his fist through drywall and stuff. My mom is just as bad anymore. I could never get away or get help because I was homeschooled and trapped inside all day.ReplyDelete
My parents destroyed me in ways they'll never know. I don't feel any love for them, and I don't think I can change that.
Hi Late bloomer, my story is quite similar to mister mic except that I even have a masters degree but feel stuck career wise. I had to move back home after uni. Although I schooled abroad, the parents supported me financially as I was an international student and this unfortunately gave room for them to control me over the phone and skype. I found my self in bad friendships (getting used and disrespected a lot but I didnt want to be lonely so I had to go along). I even have past boyfriends who still owe me thousands of pounds (that I've decided to let go of) because I was too weak to say no (I guess I was desperate). I got into smoking weed all day (and still do) but managed to do well in school to avoid suspicions. These days I just think of all the resources I've wasted but now that im back home, my parents are still driving me nuts. At my age (25), my curfew is 5 pm and I have very few friends. I spend most of my day ruminating on things ive done wrong and were done wronG to me. I dont enjoy anything anymore. Im just numb. I even fear that I currently resent and or hate my parents. Im just jealous of those that get to be themselves all the time. I was into singing and dancing but wasnt allowed to pursue them outside boarding school but now I dont even enjoy them anymore and just forcing my creativity. I was diagnosed with depression but my parents said it's my fault so I cant get a therapist. I suffer from chronic back pain but my father believes it's because I wont obey him (I should wear a sweater in 30 degrees nigerian heat). I just w9nder if I can ever grow from this but your story gives me a bit of hope. So thank youReplyDeleteReplies
I'm so sorry, so much of this sounds familiar :(. You've been diagnosed with depression, so it makes sense that you don't enjoy anything and feel numb most of the time right now. It also makes sense that you spend a lot of time thinking about the negative things in your life when you are depressed. I've been there.Delete
It's completely unacceptable and abusive that your parents are blaming you for your depression and your back pain and refusing to allow treatment. I really feel strongly that you can improve your life if you try again to move out of their house and also if you go behind their back to get the treatment you need. As a legal adult, there is no such thing as disobedience anymore. You have the right to make your own decisions, but you will feel like a disobedient child as long as you are living with your parents. Can you find a job that's enough to pay the bills while you keep looking for something better? And a housing situation with one or more roommates so that it's easier to afford living on your own? Or can you get financial assistance for more college (to broaden your job prospects), and see a college therapist at a discounted rate? (In the US, students can qualify for financial aid more easily once they are 25 because their parents' income isn't considered.) Or is there a relative or mentor/friend you can call on for help in getting out on your own, one who will be supportive of your need for treatment for depression?
I wish you the best of luck in re-discovering the creative and adventurous person you are deep inside, that's currently masked by depression.


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Monique Lamoureux
Olympic Experience
- 2014 Olympic Winter Games, silver medalist
USA HOCKEY: Member of the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship (gold) ... Member of the U.S. Women's Select Team for the 2006 Four Nations Cup (2nd) ... Member of the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team for the 2008 Under-22 Series ... Two-time USA Hockey Women's National Festival participant (2008-09) ... Four-time USA Hockey Player Development Camp attendee (2004-07).
COLLEGE: As a Freshman (2008-09): Played for the University of Minnesota of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association ... Ranked third in the NCAA and first among rookies with 75 points (39-36) in 40 games ... Ranked second in the nation with five shorthanded goals and tied for third with eight game-winners ... Helped team to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four ... Was the only freshman to be named a top-10 finalist for Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ... All-WCHA First Team and WCHA Rookie of the Year selection ... WCHA scoring champion.
PERSONAL: Transferred to the University of North Dakota of the WCHA following her freshman year at Minnesota ... Graduated from Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) in 2008 ... Led team to the USA Hockey Girls' 19 & Under National Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007 ... Led the team with 134 points (82-52) as a senior in 2007-08 and helped Shattuck to a 53-3-1 record ... Ranked first on the team in 2006-07 with 135 points (85-50) ... Had 116 points (53-63) in 68 games in 2005-06 to place third on the team in points and second in goals ... Tallied 113 points (57-56) in 62 games in 2004-05 ... State runner-up with the Grand Forks (N.D.) Wheatkings Bantam A Boys' team in 2003-04 ... Earned a state championship with the Wheatkings Peewee A Boys' team in 2001-02 and was the state runner-up in 2002-03 ... Has four brothers, Jean-Philippe, Jacques, Pierre-Paul and Mario, and a twin sister, Jocelyne, who is also a member of Team USA ... Brother, Philippe, plays hockey in the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres system, and formerly played hockey for North Dakota and for Team USA in the 2004 Viking Cup ... Brother, Jacques, plays hockey for the Air Force Academy ... Brother, Pierre-Paul, is a student-assistant coach for the North Dakota hockey team, while brother, Mario, plays for the North Dakota hockey team and skated for Team USA at the 2006 Viking Cup ... Daughter of Jean-Pierre and Linda Lamoureux ... Father, Jean-Pierre, played hockey for North Dakota (1979-82).

subset: commoncrawl


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A woman is in critical condition and a man is in custody after a shooting in North Philadelphia.
Police say a 28-year-old woman was on 17th and Oxford around 7 a.m. when she was shot once in the back by an unidentified gunman. The woman was taken to Hahnemann Hospital where she is in critical condition.
Police say the 38-year-old man was taken into custody in connection to the shooting.
Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
Also on NBC10.com:
Car Bursts Into Flames After City Ave. Crash
Woman, 2 Kids Killed When SUV Crashes Into Tractor-Trailer
Father of Girl Killed in Fire: It's Unreal


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MUMBAI: India's 50 most frequently traded large-cap companies are likely to report the worst aggregate top line growth in two years in the quarter to March on lower spending by consumers, although operating margins have improved.
According to the ET Intelligence Group's forecast of these companies, which constitute the popular Nifty 50 Index, aggregate sales are expected to grow by 4% from a year ago while net profit will rise by 5%. Sales are likely to grow at the slowest pace in nine quarters. In the previous quarter, at 9.4%, revenue growth fell below 10% for the first time in two years.


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This is one of the recipes I just keep on making, but somehow I never posted about it. The idea came from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer, where she used a similar marinade for salmon kebabs on the barbecue. Over time I played with the ratio of ingredients until I thought it was perfect and nowadays I prepare this in seconds.
It's my favorite way to make Glazed Salmon and it gives the fish a gorgeous shiny gloss. It's basically just a marinade; delicious and intense in all his simpleness. It's the combination of the sticky honey combined with the deep, sweet and slightly sour pomegranate molasses and a touch of salty honey that makes this dish so good. It's something you can't make just once, it's just too delicious!
When I cook the salmon, I usually add the marinade the last minutes for a lick-your-fingers-good sauce.
Pomegranate molasses may not be in your cupboard yet, but I can really recommended it (not only for this dish: it's also delicious in salads, sprinkled over grilled vegetables, to give sauces an extra deepness or sweet bakes a nice touch).
Because of the Middle-Eastern flavor of the pomegranate, I like to serve this glazed salmon with some couscous. But I have to say it's equally good with some fried gnocchi (or any side for that matter)!


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Fitness Over Forty, a weekly series of video presentations targeting the increasing "over forty" population in East Texas, addresses health and fitness issues that are specific to men and women ages 25 to 54 and older... more »
Dr. David Di Paolo, radiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and nationally certified fitness trainer, hosts the series featuring UT Health Science Center medical professionals who inform viewers about the benefits of a healthy diet and active lifestyle... more »
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I just made a Add to circle badge form this page.So now i just want to detect that a user add me into their circle or not.
So is it possible to get a callback from this badge on users action just like we can get a callback from google plus one button.
If callback is not present yet then is their any good way to do that?


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Charles Edward (Doctor) MacNeil
Born In: Ottawa Brook
Born: May 27th, 1930
Passed on: January 19th, 2013
It is with great sadness today, we say goodbye to our respected brother, uncle and friend 'Charlie' at the Victoria County Memorial Hospital in Baddeck on Jan. 19, 2013, Charlie passed away with family members by his side following a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Ottawa Brook on May 27, 1930, he was the son of the late Mary Agnes (MacNeil) and Jim Alex MacNeil. Charlie left home at an early age in search for work which took him to Ontario and on to B.C. where lasting friendships were made and the many cherished memories which he shared with us through his stories. In 1969 he returned home to help run the family farm proudly driving his new dodge dart. He was employed part time on the C. Monty MacMillan ferry in Iona and also on the snowplow in the area until illness prevented him from working. He took great pride in the farm and spent countless hours cutting the grass. He spoke often about our family reunion in 2006 and how pleased he was about the number of family members that came out to celebrate his 80th birthday in 2010. In his pastime he enjoyed playing cards especially cribbage and auction, doing daily crosswords and was quite the avid dart and chess player.
Charlie is survived by sisters, Theresa Butts, Toronto, Catherine Campbell, Grand Mira, Katie (Art) Ley, Fredericton; brother, John Sidney (Mary) MacNeil, Westmount; sister-in-law, Margie MacNeil, Westmount and Marguerite MacNeil, MacKinnon's Harbour. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
He was predeceased by brothers, Michael James, Joseph Pius, John Archie, Duncan, Jimmy and a brother John in infancy, brothers-in-law, Alex Campbell and Bill Butts, sister-in-law Margaret (MacCluskey) MacNeil.
Charlie's family are honouring his wishes. There will be no visitation or service. Cremation will take place under the care of MacAskill's Funeral Home, Baddeck. Private family interment in Sacred Heart Cemetery, MacKinnon's Harbour. Donations in Charlie's memory may be made to the C.B. Cancer Patient Fund or the IWK Health Care Foundation which he faithfully supported.
Charlie had a phrase (toodle do) that he was known to use when he was on the way out the door. To you Charlie, from your family (toodle do) be at peace.


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I just registered for St. Patty's Day Dash & Bash 5k using Race Roster. Join me in this event by registering here – https://raceroster.com/3880?aff=4LEAJ
I am feeling good at this point. This will be my first race for 2015. Although I'll only be racing myself it still feels good to get back on the fitness kick.
How did I come to the decision to participate in this run. Well, I went out this morning and did my normal 5K.
This is pretty average for me. But I have found in the past that I am more motivated and inspired to go out and workout if I have a goal. So entering events is my motivation.
I searched for an event in my area and this one wasn't too close, as far as the date and it is right here in the quaint town I live in, which is perfect.
The event will be March 14th and starts at 8am. They claim it is a flat and fast 5K loop. I'll be the judge of that. Participants will get a race bib that has a chip in it for timing. I like timed events because I'm always in competition with myself.
The swag is a Tec shirts, green beer and a medal. I'm always down for beer. I love beer.
There is also a free run for the kids. So this is definitely a family event.
If you live in this area and want more info here it is Saint Patty's Day Dash and Bash
How do you feel about race events?


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''[[http://uncreation.comicdish.com Uncreation]]'' is an ongoing webcomic by Jamie Wright, aka Noontide. Set in a world being devoured by plague, it follows the conflict between two powers - the [[TheImmune disease-resistant mutants]] from the Order of the Pale Knights, and TheEmpire of humans they've been enlisted to protect.
''Uncreation'' boasts an odd combination of gritty art and humour, with visceral combat and an alien setting that is a far cry from the standard MedievalEuropeanFantasy.
!!This webcomic provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: Visarah
* AfterTheEnd
* BadassGrandpa: Vodimir
* BadassMustache: The Empire is composed of this.
* CoveredWithScars: Visarah, all over her torso and arms.
* {{Gorn}}
* HalloweenCosplay: Terenya in 2010, as one of the nurses from ''SilentHill''.
** And again in 2011, with Visarah and Terenya as ''WonderWoman'' and ''{{Supergirl}}'' respectively.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: The Centitrains, enormous centipedes with seats carved into their carapaces.
* HospitalHottie: Terenya is a medic. She's also blonde, doe-eyed and has [[BuxomIsBetter curves like whoa]].
* HotbloodedSideburns: Visarah is a rare female example.
* NaiveNewcomer: Dieter is totally out of his element when it comes to the Plaguelands.
* PunnyName: "Visarah" is a pun on 'viscera'.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: All the mutant characters, even though they're the protagonists.
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Scary shiny helmet goggles, in this instance.
* ShoutOut: Visarah's ''Manga/MaoDante'' backpack, seen here [[http://uncreation.comicdish.com/?pageID=75]], which also has a variety of GoNagai mecha pins.
** Visarah herself is confirmed to be named after Guts from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'', with her name being derived from 'viscera', the internal organs.
* SceneryGorn: More common than the actual {{Gorn}}.
* SlasherSmile: Visarah, Vodimir and the creature from chapter one.
* TheImmune: The mutants are immune to the plague and apparently resistant to most other infections.
* TheMedic: Terenya
* ThePlague: There are plague "storms" ravaging the continent that mutate those caught in them.
* ThunderboltIron: The Orrery is a device designed to pull meteors out of space, allowing them to be mined for this.
* UnusualEars: The mutant characters all have pointed ears, except for Vodimir who has none at all.


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How to make metal pulse like a beating heart
You gotta love it when science goes goth. Gallium, a silvery metal, can be made to pulse like a living heart when touched with an iron nail. Take a look at a robot's heartbeat, and find out how this metal heart works!


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Galletas de Huevo
July 5, 2009 | posted by Lars under bolivia, recipes
Our last night in Bolivia was spent with the Redekop family on Colonia El Palmar, a Low German-speaking Mennonite colony 100 kilometers from the Bolivia-Paraguay border. We had a very pleasant – albeit short – time with the family of eight; we hope that they are sharing the same sentiments. Suffice it to say that the visit was a bit of an intercultural experience (picture two sweaty, dirty guys in spandex walking their bikes down a dirt driveway at dusk to meet a family that knows hard work well, but knows it in overalls and cape dresses), but also that we found common ground quite quickly. ("You read about us in a Mennonite newsletter from Canada? No way!" The article was several months old, and they had just been talking about us recently, they said, and thought we must not be coming. Go figure.)
For breakfast, they shared coffee, fresh milk from their dairy cows, bread, and galletas de huevo – or filled egg cookies – with us before we all began our day's work. They were more than willing to share the recipe for the cookies with me, and we had a good time translating the handwritten card from German into Spanish. Though traditionally eaten for breakfast in the Redekop family, I would imagine that these cookies could be put on a dessert table without much complaint.
Galletas de Huevo (gayehtas de wayvo)
from the Redekop family, in the Bolivian Chaco
4 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c milk
2 c butter
2 T vanilla
2 T baking soda
3 t baking powder
6 eggs
flour & sesame seeds to taste
Place on baking sheets in 3″ circles and bake (at 350F-ish for 10ish minutes? They weren't sure. Until lightly browned).
Cookie Filling
2 c milk
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
Add cocoa to taste, if desired. Cook for 10 minutes in a saucepan; should thicken to a spreadable consistency.
Spread an ample layer (5mm) of creamy cookie spread on the bottom of one galleta and top with a second galleta to create a galleta sandwich. Makes one tubfull.


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Tackles bullying among boys by exploring the culture of toughness and silence boys live by. Targets need to be protected, absolutely, but rather than vilify bullies, The boy game looks to unpack the complex dynamics that propel some boys to bully and the majority to stand watching in silent conflict. The truth is boys desperately need a way to talk about the painful gender straitjacketing they are subject to in order to develop the resilience to stand up, be themselves and redefine masculinity in terms of emotional, tolerant strength.
Find it in the Media Library


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In addition to commuting, my friends and I like to take longer rides on our Dahon foldies and we usually do 30km to 40km when we meet.
We are not triathletes or training for the Tour De France, but we are fairly fit (we've been riding 3 to 5 times a week for 6 months now, in addition to the daily commutes). Heck, most of us don't even own lycra.
So it has been interesting to see reactions to our bikes. It ranges from amusement to almost disdain.
I've gotten remarks like "You rode here all the way in that small thing?" and "Your bike looks like a toy." and "Your bikes look gay."
Recently, this guy on a road bike overtook us. My friend was on a 9-speed MU-C9 and I was on a 7-speed Vitesse. We decided to not overtake him back because another friend of ours was on a 3-speed Curve and taking a little longer. But just for fun, we kept up with the roadie. I think he did not expect it, because there was this look of surprise each time he looked back and saw us still behind him, and not eating his dust.
It was a fun ride nonetheless, and we got some decent exercise too.
Do you foldie riders get this kind of reaction a lot?


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Images: TCM commander learns X-ray techniques [Image 2 of 5]
Photo by Senior Airman George Goslin
A X-ray is shown at the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group at Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 8, 2014. X-rays are used to detect bone fractures, find foreign objects in the body and demonstrate the relationship between bone and soft tissue. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman George Goslin)
This work, TCM commander learns X-ray techniques [Image 1 of 5], by SrA George Goslin, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.
Date Taken:01.08.2014
Date Posted:01.11.2014 07:22
Photo ID:1149117
Size:7.11 MB
Location:TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, KG


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Now who would have compelled you to come over here?
FYI, you can actually attach your images to your post to make it a little easier for people to see and navigate. I've taken the liberty of attaching your first image so that you can see how it will look.
Oh, and Welcome to the Guild PillBox! C&C will be coming soon.


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It makes me happy that even after awards season is over, Lupita Nyong'o is still rocking any red carpet she sets foot on.
The Oscar-winning actress looking absolutely stunning last night at the Marie Claire Fresh Face party. Lupita is just one of the 5 faces covering the May issue of Marie Claire, which focuses on up and coming women in Hollywood.
Lupita was joined by her fellow cover girls Kate Mara and Elle Fanning, although cover girls Emilia Clark and Elizabeth Olsen couldn't make last night's event.
Lupita was clearly giving everyone a run for their money in her Giambattista Valli dress. I love how fun and flirty it is. While Kate Mara's red Dior dress was pretty, it didn't wow me like Lupita's dress. And don't even get me started on Elle Fanning in that red Versace number. She looks like she's wearing a nightgown.
The ladies are clearly enjoying their Marie Claire covers. Lupita Instagrammed this photo last night with the caption, "Cover Girls. @marieclairemag #ElleFanning #KateMara"
Aww, how adorable. Launch the gallery to check out all the best photos from last night's party. Does Lupita have your vote for best dressed? Or does that go to Naya Rivera in her stomach-baring look? Sound off in the comments below!


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The for sale sign
Faith & Inspiration
I moved into my house 27 years ago, and the house across the street had already been in the same family for two decades. Last Friday, after half a century of uninterrupted ownership, the bungalow had a sign planted in front of it with the name and number of a real estate office.
Every "for sale" sign has a story behind it. Divorce. Death. Job relocation. Upward mobility. Downturning economy. Empty nesting. The modest little house across the street partakes of a few of these categories, though every demise is unique in its details.
I suppose the tale can be told from different perspectives. One is the immigrant narrative: A hard-working, self-denying tailor from Eastern Europe moves in with his equally no-nonsense wife (also a professional seamstress) and they raise two children. Though they know it not, their children will be more like the people of their new country than the people of their old country. A new ethic of quick wealth and comfort supplant the old ethic of gradual accumulation of wealth. Or a new ethic of marriage as Nirvana replaces the notion of marriage as work and patience.
The Bible teaches us the principle of gradualness. Righteousness is like a seed that works gradually, but sin is also a seed-like or leaven-like thing. It is a slow-creeping vine that in the end takes over like kudzu and smothers every living thing. Its early stages do not appear deadly or consequential.
The Bible also teaches us the principle of the internal preceding the external. Something can be bad for a long time before the problem erupts into the external world. Pastors or churches that make the scandal sheets were infected with moral rot for a long time before it surfaced and manifested publicly. By the time you see black mold on your living room wall, you may have to cut away some of the drywall because the spores grows inside the material, not just on the surface. The house of Jesus' parable that got washed away required a storm to destroy it, because it looked pretty good until the rains came.
Which brings us back to the forlorn single family dwelling across the street. How many years of one little rotten choice after another, one day after another, does it take to lose a house that has been proudly standing for some 50 years?


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Rhiannon DiClemente, Resident Blogger ('16, Temple University Beasley School of Law)
The number of women and girls raped in conflict worldwide is overwhelming —500,000 during the Rwandan genocide; 64,000 during the civil war in Sierra Leone; more than 40,000 during the conflict in Liberia; 60,000 during the war in former Yugoslavia—the list goes on. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, nearly 2 million women have been raped.
Rape is one of the oldest weapons of war, yet throughout most of history has gone unpunished—the spoils of war, collateral damage. Only in the past few decades has rape even been recognized as a crime of war. While the United States government has vowed to prosecute those who perpetrate sexual violence in conflict, it has forgotten one important thing—the victims.
Around the world, women and girls who are pregnant as a result of rape are unable to access the care they rightfully deserve. Why? A 40-year-old law named after a senator who led the crusade to reduce U.S. international aid to what he called "foreign rat holes" and compared abortion rights to the Nazi Holocaust—the Helms Amendment.
America's "foreign policy skeleton in the closet," the Helms Amendment prohibits that U.S. funds "pay for the performance of abortion as a method of family planning." But that's not all—Helms prohibits that aid recipients "motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions." Basically, groups receiving U.S. assistance (i.e. a lot) are prohibited from discussing abortion. In practice, the Helms Amendment has been implemented as a complete ban on abortion. To top it off—this is happening in countries where abortion is legal.
Let's be clear—rape, incest, and saving a woman's life are not family planning. Censoring free speech is a violation of human rights. Forcing women and girls to carry unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape is torture. The Helms Amendment is reproductive imperialism.
This politicizing and stigmatizing of abortion has devastating consequences in countries with struggling health systems and unwieldy maternal mortality rates. The lives of women and girls are not a political issue—they deserve better than this archaic, over-reaching, and paternalistic law. True justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict will only be a reality when women's voices are put at the center of our foreign policy agenda. We must ensure that victims have access to comprehensive post-rape health care, including access to safe abortion care.
At a June 2013 conference on ending sexual violence in conflict, Secretary of State John Kerry stated that "ending [sexual violence in conflict] is not just a personal priority, it is a priority of President Obama, the government of the United State[s] and our allies." He declared that sexual violence should be "banished to the dark ages and the history books." To that I say—if you're serious, send the Helms Amendment there too.


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For the modern scholar, ancient law offers many challenges and types of inquiry. First and foremost, of course, it demands to be studied for itself, as a legal system of a society: how are problems adjudicated, what is to be done in the case of theft, what is the nature of property rights, and so forth? Second, it is a record of the socioeconomic system of that society: what are the social classes, who holds the property and how, what are the economic concerns addressed by the laws? Third, it presents questions of intellectual history: where did a given law come from, what is its relationship to other legal systems, what if any is the inner development within that society itself? And above all, it is an intellectual mirror of the philosophical principles of a given society. Through a culture's laws, we can see its values and some of its basic ideas about the world. Sometimes, our only access into the mind-set of a culture is through its laws. This is the case with sex in the Bible.
Sex is inherently problematic. At once cultural and physical, it defies categorization. In pagan religions there is a mystique, expressed through the sacred marriage ritual, in which sex has an important role in the bringing of fertility. The sacred marriage also gave rise to songs and poems that provided for the expression and celebration of sexual desire in a religious setting. Furthermore, the goddess of sexual attraction imparts a divine aspect to erotic impulse and a vocabulary to celebrate it and to mediate and diffuse the anxieties it may engender.
* For previous studies see Cosby, Dubarle, Larue, and Perry. This essay is
based on my forthcoming book, In the Wake of the Goddesses (The Free Press:
Macmillan, 1989).


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The First District County Court of Appeals heard arguments over the city's parking plan and emergency clause powers today, with both sides making similar arguments as before
— except this time the city acknowledged it will probably have to move
forward with layoffs because the city only has a few weeks remaining
before it has to balance the budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins
July 1. The city claims it can use emergency clauses to expedite
legislation, such as the parking plan, by eliminating a 30-day waiting
period and the possibility of a referendum, but opponents argue the
wording in the City Charter doesn't justify terminating referendum
efforts. If courts side with opponents, the city's plan to lease its
parking assets to the Port Authority, which CityBeat covered here, will likely appear on the ballot in November, forcing the city to lay off cops, firefighters and other city employees instead of using the parking plan to help balance the budget.
It's looking more and more likely that Cincinnati Police Chief James Craig will take the top police job in Detroit, despite Cincinnati officials asking Craig to reconsider. Previously, Councilman Charlie Winburn, the lone Republican on City Council, pushed city officials to do more to encourage Craig to stay, but City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. said Craig's motivations may be personal because his family resides in Detroit, a city that is in desperate need of a turnaround.
Ohio's tea party groups are preparing to either split from
the Republican Party or punish Republican leaders for recent actions,
according to The Columbus Dispatch. Tea party groups have been particularly upset with Gov. John Kasich's endorsement of the Medicaid expansion, which CityBeat covered in further detail here and here,
and Ohio Republicans' election of Matt Borges, who once lobbied for a
gay rights group, as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. Since the
2010 elections, tea party groups have kept political footholds in some
areas, but they have consistently lost favor with voters.
In case you missed it, here was CityBeat's news coverage for the current week's issue, which went online late because of Internet issues:
A portion of the Ohio House budget bill would make it more difficult for out-of-state students to vote in Ohio by forcing public universities to decide between extra tuition money and providing documents that students need to vote. Republicans say the rule is meant to lower tuition and prevent out-of-state students from voting on local issues they may know little about, but Democrats, backed by university officials, say the rule suppresses college-going voters, who tend to support Democrats over Republicans.
Ohio Senate President Keith Faber said there is no substantial Republican support in the Ohio House, Ohio Senate or governor's mansion for so-called "right to work" legislation. The lack of support for the anti-union laws, which prevent unions and employers from making collective bargaining agreements that require union membership, may be linked to 2011's voter rejection of Senate Bill 5, which would have limited public unions' collective bargaining and political powers. S.B. 5 was one reason unions, including the Republican-leaning Fraternal Order of Police, supported Democrats in 2012.
Despite security concerns in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon, Sunday's Flying Pig Marathon had a record 34,000 participants.
Ohio gas prices are trending up this week.
Now on Kickstarter: Genetically modified plants that glow.
As Ohio debates the Medicaid expansion, a new study from Harvard researchers revealed access to Medicaid in Oregon led to better mental health outcomes and reduced financial strain, but no short-term gains were found in physical health outcomes.
The study, which was released Wednesday by The New England Journal of Medicine, had its most positive findings in mental health outcomes, with Medicaid recipients showing 30 percent lower rates of depression in comparison to people without health coverage. Medicaid recipients had a rate of depression of 21 percent, while those without coverage had a rate of 30 percent.
But the gains did not apply to physical health outcomes. When looking at cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, there was no significant difference between Medicaid recipients and people without coverage. The three measures were chosen because they typically reveal better health results within two years and they're easy to obtain.
Still, the study doesn't rule out the possibility of long-term gains. The study found increased rates of diabetes detection and management, which could lead to better physical health outcomes in the future.
Medicaid enrollment also reduced financial strain, allowed patients to use more preventive services and nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenses, according to the study.
The study was conducted by looking at Medicaid recipients in Oregon, which enrolled 10,000 people into Medicaid out of nearly 90,000 applicants through a lottery approximately two years ago, giving researchers the first major randomized pool of Medicaid recipients to study.
A previous study from Harvard researchers, including the lead author of the Oregon study, found that Medicaid expansions improved mortality rates, coverage, access to care and self-reported health. That study looked at three states that expanded Medicaid and compared them to neighboring states that did not.
The Oregon study comes at a time when legislators are debating whether Ohio should use federal funds to expand its Medicaid program. Even though Republican Gov. John Kasich supports the expansion, Republican legislators say they're concerned the federal funds will eventually dry up, leaving the state to find a solution for hundreds of thousands of new Medicaid enrollees. Democrats are joining Kasich in supporting the expansion, with Ohio Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney recently calling it a "no-brainer."
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio found the Medicaid expansion would insure nearly half a million Ohioans and save the state money in the next decade.
The budget bill that recently passed the Republican-controlled Ohio House would forgo the Medicaid expansion while leaving room to consider further Medicaid reforms down the line ("The Chastity Bunch," issue of April 24).
City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. released a memo yesterday detailing how the streetcar project's $17.4 million budget gap could be fixed by pulling funds from various capital projects and issuing more debt, upholding a promise he made at a contentious City Council meeting Monday.
The five-page memo says none of the proposed capital funding sources can be used to balance the city's $35 million operating budget deficit because of limits established in state law, which means the streetcar project is not being saved at the expense of cops, firefighters and other city employees being laid off to balance the operating budget.
"Neither Capital nor TIF funds can be used to help with the operating budget deficit that the City is facing," the memo reads. "They are separate sources of funds and by State Law, cannot be used for operating expenses like police and fire personnel."
At least $5.4 million would be temporarily pulled from the $10.6 million planned for the Music Hall renovation project, but the redirected Music Hall funds would eventually come back in capital budgets for fiscal years 2017, 2018 and 2019. City spokesperson Meg Olberding explained in an email that moving funds around would not hinder the Music Hall project.
"The use of $5.4 million of Funds set aside for Music Hall this year is money currently sitting in a fund for this year that will not be needed this year," she wrote. "Funds for Music Hall will not be needed until 2016, the agreed upon deadline for fundraising for the Music Hall renovation with the Music Hall Revitalization Company. Therefore, the City is still keeping its commitment to Music Hall, while also advancing the streetcar project."
About $6.5 million would be taken from infrastructure projects surrounding the Horseshoe Casino, including funds that would otherwise go to lighting the trees along Reading Road and a study that would look at adding a turn lane from Reading Road. The memo acknowledges the trade-off, but it also justifies the redirected spending: "However, since the Streetcar passes within two blocks of the Casino Site, it is a project within the Casino Area that both benefits the TIF District and the Casino."
The memo also recommends pulling $400,000 that was originally set for traffic signal replacement, which would be used for the traffic replacement component of the streetcar project.
Another $500,000 would come from funding currently set for water main relocation and replacement. The memo says the water main funding is simply Water Works' share: "Of the $21.7 million cost overrun for the Streetcar project, approximately $1 million was for water main relocation (and) replacement work. Water Works' share of this is $0.5 million."
The remaining $4.6 million would come from the city issuing general capital debt, which would be paid back through a small portion of the income tax that is established in the City Charter for permanent improvement purposes. The memo acknowledges this would cost other economic development and housing projects $340,000 a year over the next 20 years, but it claims the funding is justified because the streetcar project is a permanent improvement project.
The memo outlines other vague capital funding options that could be used to balance the budget, but Dohoney does not explicitly recommend them.
The memo also leaves open the possibility of future sources of funding, including $15 million that could be opened up if the city prevails in court against Duke Energy over who has to pay for moving utility lines to accommodate streetcar tracks — but this was money that was originally supposed to go to neighborhood development projects — and the sale of remaining city-owned land at the Blue Ash Airport.
City Council still has to consider and approve the memo's recommendations for them to become law.
A survey released April 29 found Ohio schools are making cutbacks in response to budget cuts previously approved by Republican Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature.
The 15-question survey from left-leaning Policy Matters Ohio, which received responses from 42 percent of the state's K-12 school districts in 82 counties, found 70 percent of Ohio schools made cuts for the ongoing 2012-2013 school year, 82 percent cut positions, 84 percent reduced or froze compensation and 62 percent expect budget shortfalls next year if the state doesn't increase funding.
"Long-term investment in education is the best way to build opportunity for Ohioans," said Piet van Lier, education researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, in a statement. "Instead, Ohio's cuts to school funding have forced schools to get rid of staff, reduce pay, cut materials and increase class sizes."
The survey found the cuts have led to a reduction in
education quality, with 43 percent of Ohio schools reporting larger
class sizes, 23 percent reporting less course options, 57 percent
cutting materials, supplies, textbooks or equipment for the 2012-2013
school year and 22 percent reducing extracurricular activities or introducing pay-to-play for them.
Policy Matters and Innovation Ohio, another left-leaning think tank, previously found Kasich's 2012-2013 budget slashed education funding by $1.8 billion.In his latest budget proposal, Kasich proposed increasing education funding, although in a way that disproportionately benefited wealthier school districts ("Smoke and Mirrors," issue of Feb. 20). Since then, the Ohio House passed its own budget bill that rejects Kasich's proposal and increases overall school funding in a more equitable way.
But Policy Matters says the increases aren't enough. Its analysis found school funding is failing to keep up with inflation, with 2015 funding projected to fall $1.2 billion short of what funding would have looked like if it had kept up with 2006's inflation-adjusted levels.
"Neither Gov. Kasich nor the Ohio House have adequately addressed the needs of Ohio's schools in their budget proposals," van Lier said in a statement. "The Senate must now lead the way in crafting a stronger, more predictable funding system for the next two years and beyond."
Cincinnati Public Schools said state funding cuts were one reason the school district needed Cincinnati voters to approve a school levy in 2012 ("Battered But Not Broken," issue of Oct. 3). The levy, known as Issue 42, passed in the November election.
Innovation Ohio previously found Kasich's budget cuts have led to levies all around the state, effectively increasing local taxes by $1.3 billion since May 2011.
"By cutting taxes primarily for the wealthy at the state level, Gov. Kasich and the Republican-controlled legislature have merely pushed the need for tax increases down to the local level," said Janetta King, president of Innovation Ohio, in a statement.
Kasich spokesperson Rob Nichols previously told CityBeat that the cuts were necessary to balance the budget, as required by state law. "The reality is we walked into an $8 billion budget deficit," he said. "We had to fix that."
Convening in packed City Council chambers today, Cincinnati officials discussed the costs and benefits of the streetcar project in light of a $17.4 million budget gap revealed by the city administration on April 16. City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. said the project could and should be saved, but a minority of public speakers and some City Council members did not seem convinced.
To balance the budget
gap, Dohoney said the city would have to pull funds
from multiple sources. He said he will offer specifics in writing
tomorrow, which invoked verbal disappointment from officials who were expecting details at the meeting.
"I'm disappointed in this presentation," said Councilman Chris Smitherman. "We're here today to hear how we're going to pay for it."
The meeting, which was
called by Democratic Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls shortly
after the budget shortfall was announced, covered a presentation from Dohoney, comments from public speakers and City Council
questions to Dohoney. Despite expectations prior to the meeting, no specifics were given for closing the budget gap even after extensive questioning.
Dohoney did reveal the price tag for halting the streetcar project: $72 million. According to Dohoney, the project has already cost the city $19.7 million, and the city would have to spend another $14.2 million in close-out costs. Another $38.1 million in federal grants would have to be returned to the federal government.
Dohoney added that terminating the project would also reduce faith in Cincinnati's competitiveness and ability to take on big development projects.
The budget gap was originally $22.7 million, but the city administration identified $5.3 million in potential cuts. Dohoney said further cuts would "alter the scope" of the project and push it into a "danger zone."
The budget gap is a result of construction bids coming in $26 million to $43 million over budget. The lowest bid from Messer Construction, which came in $26 million over budget, has already expired, but Dohoney said the company is still willing to work on the streetcar project.
The city could rework the request for proposal for construction bids, but Dohoney said city officials and third-party experts agreed it's unlikely that would effectively lower costs.
Throughout the meeting, streetcar opponents argued that the cost of the project is too high and the budget shortfall is proof the program is unsustainable.
Most of Dohoney's presentation focused on the streetcar's purpose. He said the streetcar would help drive
economic and population growth, which would then bring in more tax revenue to
help balance the city's operating budget. That would represent a turnaround for Cincinnati, which has been steadily losing population since the 1950s during a period that has
coincided with disinvestment, urban flight and the dissolution of
the city's old streetcar system.
Throughout his presentation, Dohoney cited multiple examples and studies that found streetcars can help grow local economies. He said the city has not pursued the streetcar because "it's a cool thing to do," but because it follows the expert advice given to city officials about what's necessary to compete with other cities.
Dohoney's argument was previously supported by HDR, which the city hired to do an economic impact study in 2007. HDR found major benefits to connecting Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District, including travel cost savings, increased mobility for low-income individuals and economic development that would spur rising property values. The HDR study was entirely supported and echoed by a follow-up assessment from the University of Cincinnati.
Some critics have argued that the study is outdated because it was conducted before Over-the-Rhine's recent revitalization, but Dohoney said there are still several hundred vacant buildings in the area, particularly north of Liberty Street.
The project has faced continued opposition from Democratic mayoral candidate John Cranley, Republicans and the conservative Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST). They say the project is too expensive and they're skeptical of the economic growth being promised by city officials.
Opponents of the
streetcar have so far put the project on the ballot twice, but Cincinnati voters rejected the referendum efforts. Still, the streetcar may be on the ballot
again this year through the 2013 mayoral race between Democrats Cranley and Qualls ("Back
on the Ballot,"
issue of Jan. 23). Cranley opposes the streetcar, while Qualls supports it.
The streetcar project was originally supposed to receive $52 million in federal funds through the state government, but Republican Gov. John Kasich pulled the funds after he unseated Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.
Beyond the financial cost, Dohoney pointed out Kasich's decision raised concerns about the project's feasibility among previous supporters, leading to more hurdles and delays. He said Duke Energy in particular began stalling efforts to move utility lines to accommodate for streetcar tracks because the company grew weary of the project's prospects.
Duke's reluctance led to a conflict with the city over who has to pay to move utility lines — a conflict Duke and the city agreed to resolve in court. While the court battles play out, the city set aside $15 million from the Blue Ash Airport deal to move utility lines, but city officials say they will get that money back if the courts side with the city.
The city originally expected $31 million in private funding for the streetcar project, but those expectations were dampened as a result of the Great Recession, which forced local companies to scale back private donations.
John Deatrick, the current project manager for The Banks, previously told CityBeat that it's normal for large projects to deal with multiple hurdles. Deatrick, who the city wants to hire to manage the streetcar project, said, "Any time you try to build something — even out in the middle of a corn field — you're going to have unexpected, unanticipated issues. ... These things happen, and that's what project management is all about."
Dohoney said the current phase of the streetcar project is only a starter line between Over-the-Rhine and Cincinnati's business district, but city officials are already planning for a second line that would run up to the University of Cincinnati and hospitals in uptown. If Dohoney's vision for the project were completed, streetcars would run on multiple lines all around the city, ranging from the Cincinnati Zoo to The Banks.
The streetcar budget debate comes amid another debate regarding a $35 million deficit in the city's operating budget. Some streetcar opponents have tried to link the two issues, but the streetcar is funded through the capital budget, which cannot be used to balance the operating budget because of legal and traditional constraints.
Mayor Mark Mallory announced in a memo today that he will not be following through with previously planned salary raises for his staff, citing poor morale in light of recent — but misleading — press coverage. But the rest of his budget plan will remain.
Mallory explained his reasoning in a statement: "I am rescinding the raises that I gave my staff and returning all salaries to the previous levels. Although the changes that I made in my office structure resulted in a saving of $66,000 to be used in next year's budget, I realize that the perception has had a negative effect on the morale of other City Employees.
"I am the biggest promoter of the public servants who choose to work for the city, both on my staff and in all City Departments. I don't want to see anyone lose their job. I have been successfully fighting to prevent layoffs throughout the recession. I supported the parking plan because it will ensure that no city employees lose their job. I plan to continue to fight for City Employees and to do everything that I can to minimize the reductions to our City Workforce. Every job that we save is a win for our community."
The announcement comes after a misleading report from The Cincinnati Enquirer sparked public outrage. The Enquirer's original report neglected to say that the overall budget plan would save the city $66,000 for the year and $33,000 during the mayor's remaining time in office. CityBeat covered Mallory's budget changes and The Enquirer's misleading report here.
For this week's cover story, CityBeat analyzed the Ohio House budget bill that would defund
Planned Parenthood, fund anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers and forgo the
Medicaid expansion in favor of broader reforms. The bill passed the Republican-controlled Ohio House last week, but it still needs to be approved by the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate and Republican Gov. John Kasich. Ohio Senate President Keith
Faber announced yesterday that the Ohio Senate will not move forward
with the Medicaid expansion — a sign the Ohio Senate is agreeing with the Ohio House on that issue.
Facing the recent wave of deadly gun attacks around the nation, some moms have banded together to demand action. Moms Demand Action is using its political clout to push gun control legislation at a federal level, but it's also promoting grassroots campaigns in cities and states around the nation.
Contrary to The Cincinnati Enquirer's "exclusive" story, the mayor's office is actually shrinking its budget by $33,000 between July 1 and Dec. 1 despite plans to give some employees raises. The mayor's office says the raises are necessary because the employees will be taken a bigger workload to make up for reduced staff levels, but the budgetary moves will save money overall. Originally, The Enquirer reported the raises without noting the savings in the rest of the budget plan, inspiring a wave of angry emails from readers to the mayor's office through The Enquirer's "tell them what you think" tool.
This week's commentary: "Streetcar's No. 1 Problem: Obstructionism."
At the NAACP meeting today, members will ask independent Councilman Chris Smitherman to step down from his leadership position. The disgruntled members told The Enquirer that Smitherman, who is an opponent of the streetcar and often partners up with the conservative Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST), is using the NAACP for his "personal and political agenda," not civil rights. Smitherman told The Enquirer to focus on the legitimate work of the NAACP instead of a potential coup that he says isn't newsworthy. Smitherman will not allow media into today's NAACP meeting.
City Council unanimously passed a resolution yesterday to oppose anti-union laws that are misleadingly called "right to work" laws. The laws earned their name after a decades-long spin campaign from big businesses that oppose unions, but the laws' real purpose is weakening unions by banning collective bargaining agreements that require workers to join unions and pay dues. The City Council resolution has no legal weight; it simply tells higher levels of government to not pass the anti-union law.
Metro's budget would need to increase by two-thirds to implements the bus and public transportation agency's long-range plan, which would add rapid transit lines, other routes and sheltered transit centers with more amenities.
Two Cincinnati economic entities are getting federal funds: The Cincinnati Development Fund will get $35 million to invest in brownfield redevelopment, nutritional access and educational improvements, and Kroger Community Development Entity will get $20 million to increase low-income access to fresh and nutritional foods and fund redevelopment projects.
As expected, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald officially announced yesterday that he will run for governor against Kasich in 2014.
Kasich appointed former State Rep. John Carey to head the Ohio Board of Regents, which manages the state's public university system. Carey says his biggest goal will be to better align higher education opportunities with jobs that are available in Ohio.
Sen. Sherrod Brown is unveiling a bill that would effectively break up the big banks by imposing strict capital limits and other rules. CityBeat wrote about Brown's efforts here.
In a blog post yesterday, Rep. Steve Chabot, a Cincinnati Republican, criticized President Barack Obama for not calling the Boston bombers "Islamic jihadists." Public officials typically do not publicly jump to conclusions in the middle of an ongoing investigation.
A new app gives you an automatic nose job.
Researchers are developing a solar dish that produces electricity and fresh water at the same time.
of Mallory's staff obtained raises because they will be taking up the
former duties of Ryan Adcock, who left earlier in the month to help lead
a task force on infant mortality and will not be replaced.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the raises earlier today, but the story at first did not mention that the budgetary moves will ultimately save the city money. The "Enquirer exclusive" includes a "tell them what you think" section in which citizens can email the mayor's office and copy Enquirer editors. The story was later updated to include the overall savings, though The Enquirer posted a separate blog titled, "Mallory getting an earful on raises," which was a collection of angry emails to the mayor based on the original version of the story.
CityBeat acquired a memo written by Mallory that outlines the rest of the plan, which will produce savings: "I will not replace Ryan Adcock on my staff. Instead, I have divided his responsibilities among my remaining staff. In addition, I will not hire the two part-time staffers that I had considered hiring. The additional work in the office will be supplemented by unpaid interns.
"In addition, I have enacted internal savings in order to return $20,000 from my FY 2013 office budget to be used for the FY 2014 city budget. Finally, in preparation of the Mayor's Office Budget for FY 2014, I am reducing my office budget by $33,000 for the remaining 5 months of my term."
spokesperson Jason Barron says the mayor will also not be replacing
staff that leaves from this point forward, which could produce more
savings down the line.
Shawn Butler, the mayor's director of community
affairs, was given an 11-percent raise; Barron, the mayor's
director of public affairs, was given a 16-percent raise; and Arlen
Herrell, the mayor's director of international affairs, was given a
20-percent raise. Adcock also obtained a 20-percent raise briefly before
leaving, which Barron described to CityBeat as a budgetary technicality.
Since Mallory is term-limited, Barron says the savings will only apply to Mallory's remaining five months. The mayor who replaces Mallory in December will decide whether to keep or rework Mallory's policies.Last year, Barron was paid $66,144 in regular pay, Butler was paid $71,349, Herrell was paid $59,961 and Adcock was paid $66,049, according to the city's payroll records. But Barron explained that those numbers were higher because last year happened to have an extra payday. Under normal circumstances, Barron is paid $62,740 a year, Butler is paid $67,760, Adcock was paid $62,740 and Herrell is paid $62,031.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld is asking Cincinnatians to take part in the Greater Cincinnati Day of Fasting today and put off lunch to help support the Freestore Foodbank. Sittenfeld's office said in a press release that the event will allow participants to "experience a small measure of the hunger that is a part of many people's daily lives." There will be a ceremony for the event at noon in Fountain Square, where participants will be able to donate to the Freestore Foodbank.
March was another decent month for jobs in Cincinnati, with the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate dropping to 7.5 percent, down from a revised 7.9 percent in February and 8 percent in March 2012. Michael Jones, research director at the University of Cincinnati Economics Center, says most of the job growth is attributable to Cincinnati's growing health care services, but manufacturing has also provided a local boon.
An anonymously posted video questions the legitimacy of some parking plan referendum petitions, but so far no formal challenges have been filed against the referendum effort. Even if somebody were to file a challenge, Hamilton County Board of Elections Chairman Tim Burke says it would required a lot — nearly 4,000 signatures — to halt a referendum: "Because they are so far over, there's going to have to be more evidence by any petitioner that there are problems well beyond those five or six sights shown in the video."
There is now a local effort to embrace the Cincinnati Preschool Promise, a private-public partnership that would get more local children in preschool. The current goal is to get 25 to 50 children in preschool in a pilot program this fall. Studies show preschool is one of the best investments that can be made for the economy in the long term. Local preschool services were recently cut as a consequence of federal sequestration, a series of across-the-board federal spending cuts that began March 1.
UC President Santa Ono is recommending the school freeze in-state tuition for the next school year — a measure the UC Board of Trustees will consider in June. Ono also said he will not take a salary increase or bonus for the next two years, and he is asking the school to sell the presidential condo and use the money to pay for scholarships.
While testifying to legislators reviewing his two-year budget request, State Treasurer Josh Mandel said his office has been targeted by cyberattacks, and the technology currently available to his department is not good enough to hold off the attacks.
Humana will hire 60 people for its customer service center in downtown.
Brain cells will control the power plants of the future.
In a press release, Mayor Mark Mallory proclaimed today Zips' Cafe Day because the restaurant is finally adding bacon to its cheeseburger lineup.
An amendment in the Ohio House budget bill last week would make it so universities have to decide between providing voting information to students or retaining millions of dollars in out-of-state tuition money. The amendment would make it so universities have to classify students as in-state — a classification that means lower tuition rates — when providing documents necessary for voting. Republicans claim the measure is "common sense" because anyone voting for Ohio's elections should be an Ohio resident. But the amendment has provoked criticism from Democrats and universities alike, who say universities are being thrown into the middle of a voter suppression scheme.
An analysis from left-leaning Policy Matters Ohio found the tax plan currently working through the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature favors the wealthy. The analysis also claimed there's little evidence the across-the-board tax cuts suggested would significantly help Ohio's economy. The plan still needs to be approved by the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate and Republican Gov. John Kasich.
Council members are asking Cincinnati Police Chief James Craig to remain in Cincinnati instead of taking a job in Detroit, but City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. didn't seem convinced that much can be done. Dohoney said Craig's hometown is Detroit, a city that has suffered in recent years as the local economy has rapidly declined.
Democratic Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald is running for governor, and he will make Cincinnati one of his first stops
for his campaign kick-off tour. FitzGerald is challenging Republican
Gov. John Kasich in 2014, who has held the governor's office since 2010. A recent poll found Kasich in a comfortable position with a nine-point lead on
FitzGerald, but many respondents said they don't know enough about
FitzGerald to have an opinion on him.
Greater Cincinnati home sales hit a six-year high in March, with 2,190 homes sold. The strong housing market, which is recovering from a near collapse in 2008, is widely considered by economists to be a good sign for the overall economy.
But Ohio's venture capital investments dropped to a two-year low, according to data from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.
The Ohio EPA and Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District are partnering up to provide a $250,000 grant to help purchase equipment to screen, clean and sort glass — an important part of the recycling industry.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld is asking Cincinnatians to forgo lunch on April 24 to take part in the Greater Cincinnati Day of Fasting. The event will let participants "experience a small measure of the hunger that is a part of many people's daily lives," according to a press release from Sittenfeld's office. Participants are also being asked to donate money to the Freestore Foodbank. A ceremony for the event will be held on April 24 at noon in Fountain Square.
The U.S. Senate is moving toward approving bill that would allow states to better enforce and collect online sales taxes.
Mars One is calling all applicants for a mission to colonize Mars in 2023.
The sport of the future is here: combat juggling:


text:
In a bid to woo the youth, Naveen Patnaik Monday released the list of 15,000-odd plus-two pass students who would get free laptops from August 15. Of the 15,235 who would get laptops, 5,088 belong to tribal and Dalit category.
In April, Patnaik had unveiled the Youth Policy under which he announced distribution of laptops to meritorious students to bridge the digital divide between students. The laptop distribution would start at BJB College of Bhuba-neswar. The distribution of free laptops would begin simultaneously in all the 30 districts.
In the first phase, 3,750 laptops will be distributed among meritorious students on August 15. The entire process will be completed by September, said higher education minister Badri Narayan Patra.