text:
Theater der Klänge
On the 10th of May 1987, after an invitation of composer Jörg U. Lensing, from Düsseldorf, eight musicians, dancers and actors -all of them graduates of Essen's Folkwanghochschule- met with three artists from Düsseldorf (photographer, graphics-designer and a musician). It was in this meeting that the Theater der Klänge (Theatre of the Sounds) was founded. The objective of the founded ensemble was and still is experimenting with different styles of theatre work. In the latter, they attempt to involve music, dance and acting, as well as aesthetic creations using different forms of costumes, scenery, lighting and media, in order to put further different ways of expression together.
Additionally, the issue is finding combinations by which the various individual sections are not managed in isolation but supplement and influence each other on an equal standing. On one
hand, this takes place through the application of traditional theatre techniques whose synaesthesis is already established (i.e., Asian theatre forms, Commedia dell'Arte) and, on the other, through the use of modern art approaches (Bauhaus, Piscator). As a result of these mises-en-scène, progress is made using contemporary multimedia forms by means of computers, especially-developed software and sensors producing sounds and images on the stage.
All of this has resulted in a theatre form that characterizes the Theater der Klänge as a "multimedia integration theatre".
Five of the 10 founders of the Theater der Klänge are still active in the group. As time went by, new participants were integrated to the team on a permanent basis. Currently, the Theater der Klänge's basic staff is composed by seven people who have cooperated with each other for years and who incorporate invited actors as needs arise for the various productions. The fundamental issue in the Theatre's current working method is the diversity of the styles covered and the very cooperative development phase through which the topics selected by the main ensemble are converted into highly pleasing concrete theatre plays.
This is how dancers, actors and musicians work there for at least 3-4 months, along with the regisseur, the choreographer, the composer and, if necessary, with media artists, sharing experimental work on a daily basis. A 6-8-week phase involving experimentation, improvisation and development results in concrete concepts for the mise-en-scene, the choreography and the compositions, as well as for media image and soundscape. All of the above constitute the ground on which the whole stage production is based and the elements used to start with the rehearsals leading to the final production. Even though they are not separate from each other as far as the practice of different disciplines is concerned, the work performed in a single site results in an integrated multimedia production distinctly focused to musical theater.
Altogether, up to now, approximately 78,000 spectators have attended 476 presentations of the various plays performed by Theater der Klänge in 50 cities, including Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Rotterdam, Paris, Avignon, Tel Aviv and New Delhi. Additionally, there were TV presentations of the "mechanical ballet", which were watched by about 300,000 people. As a general rule, the ensemble presents a new production every year, which is staged in diverse scenarios in Düsseldorf where the space conditions for the respective projects are available.
As of 1997, the Theater der Klänge extended its work to other media and, since then, a book, four documentary videos and CDs with their stage music and two audio-books have been published. For the 2003/2004 period, the issue of two DVD?s has been scheduled.
The Theater der Klänge has continued financial support from the authorities of the City of Düsseldorf, of the Nordrhein-Westfalen community and of several cultural institutions. The ensemble has its own production and rehearsal facilities in Düsseldorf.


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Is Hedi Slimane's new collection for the house of Saint Laurent the right direction? Or in retrospect, was Fall 2013 the edge that Saint Laurent needs?
Click the arrows to see more images.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Is Hedi Slimane's new collection for the house of Saint Laurent the right direction? Or in retrospect, was Fall 2013 the edge that Saint Laurent needs?
Click the arrows to see more images.
85 comments
It was disappointing to me.
Agreed. The spirit of the Saint Laurent house has changed, but not for the better.
Xoxo! Cory
Really different to its origins.
Kisses from
i don't know what's hedi doing…
I'm loving the edge that Saint Laurent has been bringing. The mix of metallics and black is perfection.
What happened to old, classic and chic YSL?
I love Hedi Slimane as a designer for menswear but he doesn't grasp the woman's body in the right way > it's more tacky glam than edgy
le snooze
Yeah… so I hated the Fall collection, and it has now grown on me. So I'm going to wait it out and see whether this one will grow too… but it has less of a shocking effect, and really is a snooze…. like boring almost. It's harping on the same theme. You can shock once. But then you gotta move on, and outgrow that.
I really want to see him do some very masculine, chic womenswear, which would resonate with the YSL smoking kind of ideas.
But please, stop making those shiny one shouldered dresses, that look really cheap.
Slimane brought a new dimension to the house. First collection was the proof that he aimed to catch a different generation. With this one, he definetly designs for younger.
The" younger "can not afford his product.
Love the red dress in the third picture & love some of the colors used
What's different? It still looks like the YSL Woman has taken a wrong turn to Trashville. Has the man no respect for the house whatsoever? While separately the pieces are very wearable; the presentations of the models and individual looks are ridiculous and have nothing to do with the YSL Woman we all know and love. In Hedi's defence the shoes are amazing and perhaps that's his angle in this position; to create separate pieces that sell regardless of the mood and attitude of the house. Perhaps Nicholas Ghesquiere or John Galliano could be considered for the role?
While I think the hemlines might be a little short, even Tom Ford sent a model down the runway in a silk robe and bra thing in 04- ten years ago- and there's definitely been some stranger stuff. Clearly they picked Slimane to make a change in the design, and I think that grasping whatever the heck it is everything this YSL/Saint Laurent to stand for would take more than a season or two.
Besides, these pictures definitely show the "youngest" and shortest of the designs- there was some fantastic (and still a little sexy) suiting going on throughout the show.
Beautiful photos!
In love with the look with the green skirt, but I don't like the rest, to me is like a bad copy of '80s!
Oh no, it's Christophe Decarnin for Balmain all over again ! It's heart breaking to see another label that was build with passion by a designer that had an understanding of style and the female body. I mean of course YSL always had a way of being provocative, but always with a goal. I don't think I'm ready to see another fashion house going down the Cindy Lauper meets MCHammer road again… It's sad that fashion is back to cheap fabrics and one hit wonders…. it's just like seeing a five star restaurant turn into a fast food chain…. but I've already expressed what i think happened to Balmain on my blog, so I won't go into that here…
Hedi the 8Os are not cool anymore!
Actually Just because a look was pioneered in a certain time doesn't mean it dies with that time. The 80′s are just so romantic that I think we will never tire of them. In some ways its just getting going. Besides, it seems like people are having the need for something OTHER then the 40′s silhouettes everyone has been throwing down. I think this is EXACTLY what people will want. Right or wrong. I know a lot of women want to go short again with the skirts.
Romantic? You call these sequin incrusted, trashy things romantic? They look more like what girls on street corners would wear!!!
Honestly, this collection reminds me of the ghastly one in which Lindsay Lohan was the "artistic advisor" to Ungaro. And we know what happened there.
I love those metallic tones on every colors! Beautiful collection!
Further evidence that the wonderfully talented Hedi Slimane is the wrong man for YSL. Hedi deserves to be able to truly shine with his own (probably menswear) label under his own name and YSL deserves to rest in peace and he and his creativity be remembered with admiration and respect. This situation does a disservice to both great men.
Put, so perfectly.
Totally AGREE
Looks like a more expensive H&M… It's going to be over soon if they don't replace Hedi
Of course I'm not a 20 year old with the sensibilities of F21 and the money from god knows what.
Seriously, where is the skill, the drama, the beauty of YSL?
Sequins do not make a plebeian twist of polyester dramatic, anymore than lipstick does on a ….well, you know.
Not feelin' it.
I preferred the last collection….now. I didn't like it at the time. This collection seems…totally pointless. That 80s print one shoulder number is …sad. Like a pile of 80s cast-offs at the VOA. Depressing.
Yikes. This is horribly dated and uninspiring – you could buy the majority of these clothes at any club wear store. I resent the fact that people consider this "young," as I as a young person wouldn't wear the majority of these pieces.
…desol├®, the former collection promissed a much "wilder" direction (in the best sense), this is a forceless fiasco, ┬┤m sorry ┬┤cause respect Hedi so much!…
Pas facile apr├©s Yves… Les jeunes femmes d'aujourd'hui ├Ā Paris (je ne sais pour le reste) ont globalement une vision plus subtile et inventive de la f├®minit├®, moins premier,degr├® que ces silhouettes, je ne reyiendrais que les chaussettes lurex ds les petits escarpins ├Ā noeudnoeud . Heidi me semble plus fain├®ant que manquer de talent.
I liked his Spring 2013 collection and the grungy Fall 2013 was "meh" but this Spring 2014 is tacky. He wants us to relive the 80s right down to Michael Jackson's socks….I say no thanks!!!
OH YES, finally.
Hooray to the return of metallics! I love the 80′s metallic looks!
When everyone was wringing their hands over Alexander Wang taking over Balenciaga, this was the level of output I would've expected. Instead, Wang used the opportunity to showcase his maturing skills while taking the label to some new areas and balancing his ideas with the house. I was guarded but still hopeful when I saw YSL's F/W collection but now however, my optimism is gone. It's a shame that Slimane doesn't appear (in my eyes) to be a good fit at the house–he's certainly more than proven himself as a designer. I just don't see any hint of the Saint Laurent legacy and I'm sorry to say that at this luxury price point, everything looks very, very cheap.
Absolutely right Celia! Alexander Wang has proven himself an appropriate match for Balenciaga but Hedi is seemingly damaging and disrespecting the legacy of an age old company.
As with the previous SLP collections by Hedi I am noticing an overwhelming amount of comments regarding the price point of such trashy and cheap looking clothing. With regard to this an old friend once told me that most rich people don't have great taste. If that's the case perhaps SLP will be turning over even greater amounts than it did with Stefano at the helm. Stefano how we miss you!
True that while sometimes the rich don't always have…the most refined tastes, I would still expect to see some visual evidence of luxury. It's not as if the pieces in this collection are emblazoned with big YSL logos; another commenter pointed out that Tom Ford at Gucci certainly put out some very risque pieces–however, I will note that one of the many things Ford is able to do so well is to create very distinctively luxe clothing. A delicate leather trim here, an exceptionally beaded finish there, an especially sumptuous velvet or saturated silk, tailoring; a slit so precise that a degree more or less would be the defining factor between scandalous and pedestrian–all these things visually signal LUXURY–both in the craftsmanship of the garment and the thought behind the design. I have yet to see any hint of that kind of luxe here.
Have you ever actually seen any of the pieces in person? They are produced in the best factories in the world. The attention to detail and specifics are impeccable, and would not be the same without Hedi's eye. I can understand how seeing it all come down the runway at once, with such specific styling, can be off putting, but the clothes are spectacular on their own.
I don't think anybody is really referring to the quality of the craftsmanship of the clothes when they describe the collection as coming off as "cheap". Its mainly in reference to the combination of the styling with the hair and make up and the . The gold socks just render me speechless, there lacks a certain level of taste, class, elegance, ideas, innovation that one expects from a Parisian high fashion house that possesses such a strong legacy and heritage.
Whats the point of a well made strapless pink and black striped top or a bronze and orange snake skin skirt? How is that progressive in terms of design innovation? What is Hedi trying to say? If the answer to that question is that he's trying to convey a younger appeal, then why does he do it in such an obvious high-street topshop referential way? The only answer that presents itself is that he lacks imagination and so in that manner becomes a lazy designer, dare I say it…
Disappointing and a little tacky. It is truly a shame to take this once amazing fashion house down the wrong road.
Saint Laurent: simply the best!
Ouch. I think he nailed it last season with the hats, the long dresses, the chic bohemian. I was looking at images of St. Laurent with Betty Catroux and LouLou de la Falaise this weekend. Tres chic! I don't see that spirit here.
The disco minnies are starting to grow on me. I like it as a contrast to all the mid calf, flowy hippie crap. Its just like the boho and the harder more punk inspired thing taking yet another turn through the revolving door….that said Im not ready to do the disco ball boxy mini skirts just yet…come summer I might be.
This is couture?
I don't think its in the right direction. Granted, I'm biased because I liked Pilati but I remember Slimane being on point over at Dior Homme that his return was all the more disappointing for me when it didn't live up to my excitement. I've found the collections for Saint Laurent (the name change was stupid, by the way, but that's my two cents and I won't rant here) underwhelming and this one is meh. I think he should seriously look at the archives and remember that it's supposed to be about heritage/luxury first and youth second. Also, I completely second the comments that he needs to familiarize himself about female body/form!!
As a lot of people, I don't like this collection…
It's not so much my taste.
Well, many nice pieces but not great in total. Just like a bit of everything. No solid collection like that of Tom Ford for example.
Again too simple. I am not sure what is worse. Mr. Slimane not being able to understand the DNA of the house of Saint Laurent – or simply ignoring it.
The result is a travesty .
love the draping and the shiny golden color
Wow nice color. I like your dress color very much.
I thought Bill Gaytten collection for Galliano this season was awfully lack of the spirit of Galliano but in comparison to Slimane , it made Gaytten's collection looked so appealing.
It seemed Slimane reproduced the collection from archives of Joan Collin in Dallas soap opera, Ivana Trump and all the woman jet setters in the 70s and 80s. He had totally fail to translate the 80s glam to today edginess. This collection is so lack of story, let alone the sprit of YSL. The suits in this collection were far from the feeling of seduction and sensuality of YSL "Le Smoking " which he created in 1966.
Wang and Raf Simons could capture the spirit of the houses and put their own stamps on them but let us recognise the identity of the houses we know.
Who is he trying to sell this collection to ? Euro trash? It is so disappointing.
It looks to me a little bit like Barbie-style. I am not sure if this is good or bad.
Im very sorry to say this year i feel it looks very cheap compered to previous years. To many sparkles and not enough class
To quote the great Dolly Parton, " you have no idea how much it costs to look this cheap". Not only are these clothes derivative & trashy, they are extremely expensive. Perhaps Mr Slimane has more to say, but so far the mismatch between price tags/potential customers and clothes is too much. Some of the hagiographic press coverage of last season suggested that he is echoing YSL's own introduction of "youth" clothing such as jeans in the 1960s, but the difference then was that high end customers dressed formally. Now almost everyone dresses casually, & everything he has offered so far is widely available at every fast fashion shop. The real revolutionary challenge is to make more dressed up clothing light & modern for daytime. Perhaps Hedi Slimane should go back to his speciality of menswear & leave the future of womenswear to Raf Simons.
Same as lots of people here, I think this collection shows once again that Hedi Slimane isn't a good fit for SLP. At the moment I'm not optimist for the brand's years to come.
The problem may certainly be related to the fact that both the managing people and the creative ones at Saint Laurent are quite sure of themselves and don't care about what the general opinion is. They seem to be disconnected with the audience. Would be interesting that people working for SLP shared their vision here.
I wouldn't want H Slimane to repeat any of the YSL designs that belong to an era which was long gone. This is so now.
People are clearly forgetting that it's YSL that popularized ready-to-wear. Rive Gauche was made to reflect the people, make luxury accessible, at least aesthetically. It was the true voice of Parisian street style. When the first-ever boutique opened, in NYC, it was located far away from the major luxury design houses. That's the genius in a way of Slimane. He's getting back to those roots, inspiring with the familiar, getting away from the malarkey of unwearable, over-visioned apparel, while, from these comments, most others are trying to have him remake Saint Laurent Haute Couture. As mentioned by Tim Blanks, yes, there is a lack of creativity that is daunting/confusing/even maddening but we are all now a captive audience to his path.
This take is a total slap in the face to Ghesquiere who was NOT about democratizing fashion (the two don't see eye to eye for this reason, and Wang was hired to reel it all in for the public). He was being pressured by his house to make his clothes more accessible, but his vision was for a woman that would be, not for a woman that had been or now exists. This is where Slimane excels, getting back to Rive Gauche and though reflective of a time that's passed, there is a bevy of wearable goodies for us all!
…sorry , but it┬┤s pretty hard to see beyond the ( yet expensive) simply trashy and style-lacking…
i love it. but i do agree it lacks complications.
It seems like a lot of people didn't bother to look at the rest of the collection before posting a pithy comment.
Nice photography though! The power in their walks is incredible
Wonderful show!
The New Art of Fashion
There is grungy or edgy or pinky (Marc Jacobs in the 90′s) but this is just trashy
There is no message or apparent look in this collection. I don't see how one look relates to the next. I could not build a wardrobe with any of these pieces.
I love fashion photography Hedi Slimane and inspires me to create my fashion illustrations, but his work for YSL confuses me.
To much retro and to little designing in my opinion.
I think Hedi Slimane has made YSL feel like a collection for teenaged girls that are still exploring their style. I don't feel a point of view with any of his collections for YSL (or should I say Saint Laurent?) thus far.
I am quite happy after seeing most the shows and felt richer. Richer? Yes, because I do not want anything. Everything was so boring, Dries, Ann, Chanel, YSL etc. boring, boring.
I agree. Dries was v. dull and disappointing. Chanel was a mess. This YSL is not even worth commenting upon.
However, Rochas had a few dresses I wish I could afford. In particular, an ankle length silver dress with a wide skirt.
You are right! I had missed Rochas and all that brocade done in a casual way was very good!
Fall 2013 was amazingly cut, using some of the best materials including soft buttery leather, and that's why that collection cemented Mr. Slimane's position at YSL.
This collection, as others have pointed out, looks cheap and badly cut. When it looks bad on the models, how do you think it is going to look on you? I could spend ┬Ż+9,000 on something that looks like (and perhaps is) polyester, or I could go to Primark/H&M and get it for a fraction of the price.
The thing with Spring-Summer collections when you are trying to establish an edgier image (as Mr. Slimane is doing) is that Spring-Summer is usually much more difficult to 'wear' than Autumn-Winter. Many women gravitate towards being envelopped once the weather turns cold. They feel both comfortable and powerful in boots. Switching to skin-baring abd colours in the Spring can be an adjustment. Therefore (famous last words!) this SS2014 collection may be a somewhat harder sell for Mr. Slimane than his AW2013 one.
Claire, I agreed with your points of view…
I'm really pleased that the clothes do not translate as "cheap" as much as previous seasons, but the little gold socks paired with the shoes kill my soul, it just does not convey any sense of elegance or sophistication, or even basic good taste…
LOVED the last Fall collection.
I think this is an Interesting statement!
It's still in keeping with the "Rock n' Roll Studio 56″ part of YSL's personal life? and certainly Slimanes' love of indie rock esthetics.
I feel that some of the styles from the 80′s are 40′s glamour thru a 2nd hand store blender.
Again kinda indie Rock n' Roll…….
love every dress!
Saint Laurent was always about freedom and luxury and it's just still like ever! Every details are just amazing, from the detachable tag of a mohair wool scarf to a carton box, to a shape of a smoking or an internet website or a total collection! People must be blind to don't recognize his genius just exactly like Yves was! Congratulations Mister Slimane
totally boring, kind of expected and a bit trashy.. I did love the winter collection but somehow can't see this grow on me!
LOVE it..is an understatement ŌÖźŌÖźŌÖźŌÖźŌÖźŌÖź
beautiful super

subset: commoncrawl


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http://www.tinyuid.com Purpose of Pi Kappa Lambda
The purpose of this Society is to provide an organization dedicated to the furtherance of music in education and education in music in colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning, which offer music degree programs in one or more fields.
The primary objective of the Society is the recognition and encouragement of the highest level of musical achievement and academic scholarship.
The Society is convinced that recognizing and honoring persons who have enhanced their talents by serious, diligent, and intelligent study will stimulate others to do the same.
shorten multiple urls for one website Historical Sketch
Since the aim of the educative process is the stimulation of the student toward the highest level of achievement within his or her capabilities, outstanding accomplishment should be accorded particular recognition.
In an attempt to provide such recognition, the Alumni Association of the School of Music at Northwestern University in 1916 appointed a committee to consider the feasibility of installing an honor society in the field of music. Serving on the committee were Carl Milton Beecher, Louis Norton Dodge, and Walter Allen Stults. As a result of their labors, Pi Kappa Lambda was granted a charter by the State of Illinois in 1918.
The first member was Peter Christian Lutkin, Dean of the School of Music at Northwestern University. His initials in their Greek equivalents were selected for the name of the Society: Pi Kappa Lambda. Dean Lutkin was issued key number one of the Society.
The course of the organization has been one of continuing expansion. Election to membership in Pi Kappa Lambda has been indicative of superior attainment in music, together with the personal qualifications pertaining to an outstanding exponent of the art.
For information about chartering a new chapter at your institution click here.
Conservatory of Music Capital University 1 College and Main Columbus, OH 43209 Telephone: 614.236.7211, FAX 614.236.6935 e–mail: Executive Director
Complete the information below...Prior to filling out the form below, download the new members registration form and complete all requested information. You will be asked to upload the completed file at the end of this automated form.You may also upload your Activities Forms.


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text:
Statement of
Frederick G. Streckewald
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs
(Income Security Programs)
Office of Disability and Income Security Programs
House Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Social Security
Hearing on
Employment Eligibility Verification Systems (EEVS)
June 7, 2007
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) role in helping to administer the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS). This system, formerly known as the Basic Pilot Program, allows employers to verify the employment eligibility information provided by newly hired employees.
Worksite enforcement is key to successful immigration reform, and a critical component of worksite enforcement is a strong employer verification system. The Administration supports—and proposals currently pending before Congress incorporate—mandatory participation in an employment eligibility verification system by all United States employers . We are pleased that you are holding this hearing today to discuss the impact of the expansion of EEVS on SSA, employers and their employees. We are keenly aware of the need to ensure that the system works the way it is intended.
The History of the Current, Voluntary System
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 required employers for the first time to examine worker documents to check the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. Ten years later, in 1996, Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which required testing three alternative methods of providing an effective, nondiscriminatory employment eligibility confirmation process; the current EEVS was one of the three methods.
The law required the voluntary EEVS to be implemented in a minimum of 5 of the 7 States with the highest estimated population of noncitizens not lawfully present in the United States . The five states were California , Florida , Illinois , New York and Texas .
In March 1999, Nebraska was added to assist employers in the meatpacking industry. Employers in those six states were also allowed to include their work sites located in other states. In 2002, Congress extended authorization for the system for an additional 2 years . In 2003, Congress again extended the EEVS and expanded the voluntary participation to include employers in all 50 States . The system will expire in 2008 under current law.
In December 2004, before the nationwide expansion, there were 2,924 participating employers. Today, t here are more than 17,000 employers participating in the EEVS at more than 77,000 sites, and participation is growing by more than 1,000 employers every month. As the number of participating employers has grown, so has the number of queries we handle. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, SSA handled approximately 980,000 queries; in FY 2006, we handled over 1,740,000. So far, in FY 2007, we have handled more than 1,800,000 queries, an increase of 96 percent over the same period last year.
The Process
Employers participate voluntarily and register with DHS to use the automated system to verify an employee's SSN and work authorization status. The employer inputs information into the system from the Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. DHS then sends this information to SSA to verify for all new employees that the Social Security number, name, and date of birth submitted match information in SSA records. For individuals alleging United States citizenship, SSA will also confirm citizenship status, thereby confirming work authorization. For all non-citizens, if there is a match with SSA, DHS then determines the current work authorization status. Within three to five seconds, through the system, DHS notifies the employer of the result; employment authorized, SSA tentative nonconfirmation, DHS verification in progress, or DHS tentative nonconfirmation.
Ninety-two percent of initial verification queries are confirmed within seconds. If SSA cannot confirm that the information matches SSA records or cannot confirm United States citizenship, DHS will notify the employer of the SSA tentative nonconfirmation. The employer must notify the employee of the tentative nonconfirmation in order to provide the employee the opportunity to contest that finding. If the employee contests the tentative nonconfirmation, he or she has eight days to visit an SSA office with the required documents to correct the SSA record. The employer must re-query the system to verify that the tentative nonconfirmation has been resolved.
SSA has a good ongoing working relationship with DHS. Together, we continue to work to improve upon the operation of the current system—to make it work more efficiently and more smoothly for employers and their employees. We have begun laying the groundwork to increase our capacity to handle substantially heavier volumes of verification transactions, as the voluntary program continues to grow. If Congress mandates the use of the system, these improvements will facilitate nationwide expansion.
Mandatory Participation
There are several proposals now pending in Congress that would require all employers in the United States to use the EEVS to verify the employment eligibility and identity of all new hires. The bills we have seen provide for some kind of phased-in approach to mandatory participation and require employers operating in the Nation's critical infrastructures to be the first participants. Some proposals also require employers to verify the employment eligibility and identity of their entire workforce and to periodically re-verify the work authorization status of individuals whose temporary work authorization is set to expire.
As I mentioned earlier, SSA and DHS are already working to lay the groundwork for broader employer participation in the current EEVS. Every year, approximately 60 million individuals start a new job. Therefore, we would expect mandatory participation to have a substantial effect on our Agency. It is vitally important that, when Congress makes a decision regarding the implementation of a mandatory program, we have adequate lead-time and resources. With these tools, we can effectively expand the EEVS and ensure that it works successfully without impinging on our ability to handle our other workloads.
SSA Records
SSA matches information submitted by the employer against the information in our Numident database, which houses the identifying information, including name, date of birth, and SSN of more than 441 million individuals. We have great confidence in the integrity of the Numident information. In fact, in a December 2006 report issued to Congress, SSA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) commended the accuracy of Numident information.
Of course, in any large system of records, there will be records that require updating or correcting. For example, the OIG found discrepancies in 4.1 percent of Numident records that might lead to tentative nonconfirmations and that 7 percent of naturalized citizens had not updated their Numident records to reflect their new citizenship status. In the administration of our programs, we update or correct our records at the time an individual applies for a replacement card, requests a change in the record—a name change, for example—or applies for a Social Security benefit. As part of the process to correct our records, we need to verify the identity of the individual whose records we are updating and the information we are adding to the individual's records. That is why virtually all of these changes are made during a face-to-face interview in our field offices.
One way we provide individuals the opportunity to review and, if necessary, correct their wage records is the annual Social Security Statement that goes to each worker 25 years or older. The statement provides individuals with an annual report of wages recorded. In FY 2006, SSA mailed approximately 145 million Statements.
Our current experience with voluntary EEVS shows that for every 100 queries submitted to the System, SSA field offices or phone representatives are contacted three times. As the number of participating employers increases, the number of related contacts with SSA will also increase. We anticipate that in a mandatory system the percentage of individuals coming to us will be higher than in the current voluntary system.
As you know, the Agency is currently facing substantial challenges in meeting the workloads of our core programs. With timely and adequate funding, we will be able to meet the demands of a phased-in approach to mandatory participation. We are grateful for your ongoing efforts to ensure the Agency has the funding it needs to accomplish its missions.
At SSA, we have a proven performance record and can and will do what we are called upon to do. The Administration supports a strong employer verification system as a critical element of a successful and comprehensive approach to immigration reform. As increasing numbers of employers participate in the current voluntary EEVS, and considering the even greater number that will participate if mandated by Congress, it is crucial that the tools and resources be in place to ensure that the system works efficiently and effectively and that the proper safeguards are built in to guarantee that United States citizens and work authorized noncitizens receive prompt confirmation of their work authorization status.
I want to thank the Chairman and members of the Subcommittee for inviting me here today. On behalf of SSA, I want to thank the Subcommittee for its continuing support for the Agency, for our mission, and for our dedicated workforce.
I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.


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Annual Retiree Appreciation Day at Fort McCoy
This is a must event for men and women of all military branches of service who have retired or are about to retire from service to our country Continue reading
Open Discussion about PTSD, Depression and Families in Crisis
VA to Expedite Claims Decisions for Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it is implementing an initiative to expedite compensation claims decisions for Veterans who have waited one year or longer. Effective today, VA claims raters will make provisional decisions on the oldest claims in inventory, which will allow Veterans to begin collecting compensation benefits more quickly, if eligible. Veterans will be able to submit additional evidence for consideration a full year after the provisional rating, before VA issues a final decision. Continue reading
Vets for Vets is proud to announce Dr. Lorry Fenner as our next guest speaker!
Dr. Lorry Fenner, a retired Air Force Colonel who now works for the National Defense University in Washington DC, will be coming to Madison on the 18th of April to give her case supporting the inclusion of women in the combat arms of the military. The purpose of her lecture will be to spark thoughtful, academic discussion on the topic and allow listeners to come to their own conclusions on the matter. Continue reading
Women Veterans Expo 2013
Women Veterans Expo 2013 – April 27 & 28, 2013 Continue reading
Veterans Town Hall Meeting
Veterans Town Hall Meeting, March 23, 2013, Madison Continue reading
Veterans Town Hall Meeting
Veterans Town Hall Meeting, March 23, 2013, Madison Continue reading
Women Veterans Week – CAMP AMERICAN LEGION
Please join us for the third annual Women Veterans Week at Camp American Legion. Continue reading
Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay to be Site of Veterans Job Fair
National Guard members, reservists and their spouses who are seeking employment, looking for a better job, or need benefit information, should register and attend this event. Organizers are also looking for those employers to participate who want quality, hard working, dedicated and proven individuals. There is room for approximately 140 employers and service providers to register and attend this 5 hour career fair. The Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay was selected this year for one of the 100 Veterans Mega Career Fairs sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Department of Labor and other partners. We anticipate that a wide variety of Wisconsin and National employers will be attending along with various federal and state agencies. There is no cost to employers or those who attend this great event. In addition to the hiring fair, during this time we will be presenting six different types of employment preparation training workshops. Keep an eye right here for more information, and get yourself (or your business) registered today!
Women Veterans Retreat
We believe we have a great program to offer women veterans with super events and activities. We need those registrations to start rolling in! If you cannot make the deposit at this time, it is OK…register and we will work the finances as we go. It is more important for us to have a decent headcount. Continue reading


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NEW YORK -- NFL greats Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk are appearing in a public service announcement in favor of gun-law reforms.
The spot released Friday is paid for by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which was founded by New York City's Michael Bloomberg and Boston's Thomas Menino. A solemn Smith speaks into the camera: "For the children of Sandy Hook Elementary." Then Tomlinson adds, "Demand a plan."
Faulk says later: "It's time for our leaders to do something."
Mayors Against Illegal Guns says on its website that it "advocates for common-sense measures that will close deadly gaps in our gun laws and make sure law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to detect and deter gun trafficking."
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press


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6lemieux6 wrote:huhh, im planning a trip now from europe, who can say when PO-s start, can I get 2 games if im there from 16-20? would that be a good choice?
I think they should start Wednesday 4/16. So who knows exactly when the Pens first game will be, but I'd say your odds aren't bad. Especially if you have a late flight on Sunday.


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A. D. Players to Present Houston Premiere of THE FIRST CHURCH OF TEXACO, Opening 2/15
Managing Director Ric Hodgin confirmed today that A. D. Players will present the Houston Premiere of the romantic comedy The First Church of Texaco by award winning writer and director Andrew Librizzi.
Originally written for the Desert Bloom Theatre in Dallas, founded by Librizzi, The First Church of Texaco has since been produced throughout the United States.
Stanton Presley is a CEO who mysteriously relocates his headquarters to an abandoned Texaco station in Blessing, Texas and hires local librarian Alice as his secretary. But he gets more than he bargained for in Alice, and his plans are hilariously upset when small town gossip and crossed telephone lines lead to his ordination as the "pastor" of a new church. This campy, fun-filled romantic comedy is all about losing a fortune, finding a treasure, and winning an Emmi on the highway of life.
"I love that this is a story of people who quit trying to keep up appearances and become who they are," said Director Jennifer Dean (Charley's Aunt, Leaving Iowa). "The play is funny, and I fell in love with the characters, but the play resonated with me on an even deeper level."Librizzi will be present at A. D. Players Grace Theater for opening night, February 15th, and will participate the following night, February 16th in a talk back session with the audience, following the play.
Andrew Librizzi is an award winning playwright and screen writer based in Dallas, Texas. His new feature film Beyond the Farthest Star will be released for theaters later this year. In 1995, Mr. Librizzi found the Desert Bloom Theatre in Dallas where he wrote and directed a number of romantic comedies including The First Church of Texaco, The Boxer's Garden, and Peanut Butter and Tofu on Jewish Rye which have since been produced professionally throughout the United States and Canada. His first feature film Holding On won an international award at the Houston Worldfest Film Festival. Other Film and TV work includes directing the television pilot of Texas Tales and Legends starring Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure, One Tree Hill, and No Country for Old Men), and writing and directing the short film Still Born (nominated for 11 awards in the 168 Film Festival, and finalist at the Damah Awards and Seoul Film Festival. Additionally, Mr. Librizzi has received a number of industry awards for his work including five Tellys and two Communicator Awards.
The cast of The First Church of Texaco includes Ric Hodgin as Stanton Presley, Christy Watkins as Alice Mann, Blake Weir as Brad, and Bethany Eggleston (guest artist) as Emmi.Tickets to The First Church of Texaco may be purchased online at www.adplayers.org, at the A. D. Players Box Office, 2710 W. Alabama, or by calling 713-526-2721. Ticket prices are: Previews: $15; Wednesday - Sunday: $32 - $41. Group, student, and senior discounts are available.


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Hi, I am a new member and need some advice please.
My uncle purchased a Prelude 2.0 Si 4WS 1989 since new. He's kept it in amazing condition and been sitting under cover for some time. He's finally contemplating letting it go.
What you be a good fair price to sell for this model?!
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Cheers Dave


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Green is everywhere right now. The colour green is apparent in the great botanic wave that we see from all sides at the moment. From fashion and furniture, to cafés and public spaces. In our popular Napoli fabric range we are introducing a new lush forest green displayed here on our Cenova sofa, but it is of course available for all the BoConcept sofa systems.
`Green nuances freshen up your home. Use the green tones on decorative accessories and fabrics or as an accent colour on a wall´, advises Collection Manager, Christine Thorsteinsson.


text:
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clif's wujo...
a series of audio discourses....
torrent files kindly supplied from holland
Now hosting wujo's on our server, so be kind, once downloaded, easily shared.
(right click on link, chose 'save as' to download)
E56 - June 9, 2012 knees and houses and ip tunnelling
E55 - June 2, 2013 Hooray!
E54 - May 25, 2013 thank you for the opportunity to serve. With respect, onegaishimas.
E53 - May 17, 2013 quavers, earthquakes, Popo, Mexico City, data, gce, no fear
E52 - May 11, 2013 Don't Cry (for me), woo woo...what IF the global coastal event happens?
E51 - May 4, 2013 All global coastal event narrative discussion - 1.4 hours
Post Scriptum: Yes, if the planet holds together, i expect bitcoin to test 60 FRNS, and rapidly escalate toward, and past 1000 FRNs..
E50 - April 20, 2013 gce deterministic mode, data pressure, greater context, next temporal markers
E49 - April 14, 2013 - gce,data holes, ddos warfare, algorithmic texts, bitcoin, batshit crazy GUS, silver/gold, mine slide, weather, bank failure, social unrest
E48 - April 12, 2013 - crows, venery, murders, bitcoin, cathy, healthcare, astrology, language, ed dames killshot, reductionism, synergy, SOCs
Big Thanks to all y'all who helped with cathy!
E47 - April 8, 2013 - chaotiques, bitcoin, social disorder, narratives, things that gain from disorder
E46 - April 3, 2013 - Bitcoin primer
E45 - April 1, 2013 - Cyprus, dollar, data holes, Bitcoin, a few wild rants, more random insults....
E44 - March 30, 2013 - mysogi wave
**** note: mostly to new age guys....where were all the channellers, and psychics a year ago? were they telling you about bitcoin when you could have gotten in at $5 FRNs each? Hmmmmm....don't seem to recall any o'them boys say'n sheeit about bitcoin....but then again, maybe their telepathic space alien sources are to blame.....not the falible human agent...right? Well...good excuse anyway. Want to see what i was saying a year ago? Scroll down to bottom of page....and please note that even then, a year ago, i wanted no more than half a bitcoin even when they were only 5$ each. The point all along, this whole last year, has been for YOU to obtain bitcoins....for your future. One last note. It is my thinking that bitcoins are cheap at 150 $fns each....and $90? even cheaper....
E43 - March 25, 2013 - Bitcoin, coinbits, RMH, Bitcoins.
E42 - March 23, 2013 - Apologies to Percy Bysshe Shelly, and the listener...The Masque of Anarchy (redone)
E41 - March 16, 2013 - haboo, nummo, annunaki - salish creation stories
E40 - March 11, 2013 - gce data, data screw up, time wrinkle
E39 - March 5, 2013 - sinkholes, chemtrails, time changes.
E38 - February 27, 2013 - Chemtrails, earthquakes, disinfo, flu, bad salts
Got BitCoins?
E37 - February 22, 2013 - First Aid, Courtney Brown conversation, expedition thinking
E36 - February 20, 2013 - Meteors, Courtney Brown/FarSight.Org, Gold/Silver, DA14, Thrive
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address above... and note the new BitPay (paypal-like only with bitcoins) emerging and that Bitcoins are now worth as much as silver.
E35 - February 15, 2013 - DA 14 - reports from Russia, DA 14, short and focused.
E34 - February 9, 2013 - notes - GCE, Thrive, TPTB, Drive-in-movie spaceships, R&D,Heliocentric debunked....
E33 - February 2, 2013 - chemies, astragalus root, timelines bogus, time, global coastal event, farsight.org experiment
E32 - January 23, 2013 - challenge, armed revolt, discipline, earth changes, who you gonna call?
E31 - January 20, 2013 - temporal markers, silvertards, first nations+ new electrics, chemtrails + tonics
clifswujo jan 20 2013 silvertards
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address above... and note the new BitPay (paypal-like only with bitcoins) emerging.
E30 - January 13, 2013 - meditative self healing, global coastal event descriptors
clifswujo jan 13 2013 meditation..
E29 - January 5, 2013 - New electrics, irradia couple, algae...about 35 minutes
clifswujo jan 5 2013 new electrics
alternate download: djsadu's place
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address above...
Or for $2 (two US federal reserve digidollars via paypal to cover the costs of the process...at the buy now button below.
E28 - January 1, 2013 Little bloop, chakras, mudras (about 44 minutes)
E27 - December 6, 2012 complexity, derivatives, little bloop vs. big bang
E26 - December 4, 2012 chakras
E25 - November 25, 2012 Drunvalo, crusties, world gov't & UN, arrest papers for Jamie Diamon.
E24 - November 21, 2012 - World Government of World Citizens, nation-states, mass-arrests, TEOTWAWKI and dual think, errata.
E23 - November 18, 2012 - Disgusting pedos, war, gaza, silver, earthquakes, banks, succession, pu in pnw, 40 acres for $5300, teases on next wujo, nearly an hour.
E22 - November 10, 2012 - news, Dr Bhat, mudra, planet expansion, food body, Mood Cure, RMH's, Vedic Math - a bit over an hour.
E21 - October 14, 2012 - stonebooks update, gold/silver temporal markers, scandals, confusion/elections, grass soup, walking fit versus walking fat. 1hour
E20 - October 8, 2012 - temporal marker extreme, important interview, chemtrails, evidence via absence, quirky personalities, tavistock/gulpers, he who must not be named. 48 minutes.
E19 - September 13, 2012 - Earthers are easy!- 40+ minutes *those into the 'mysteries of The number' will note the episode number and the subject....entirely planned by universe, not i. Also note this is bound to offend the religious, the nebish, GuLPrz, and tavistock, CFR and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt...and most people of 'faith'...fair warning.
E18 - September 3, 2012 - Complexity, clues, burning banker butts - 50+ minutes
E17 - August 11, 2012 - Apology to physcians, matterium, shishona, matter, mastery, time, universe, and pie. 56 minutes
E16 - August 9, 2012 - Time discussion, tavistock/CFR as pulse points, Kali Yuga, Ze Good News - 52 minutes (too long i know)
E15 - July 23, 2012 - Confirmation from RV experiments - 40 minutes
E14- July 10, 2012 - Oyster larva, spirograph, atoms, stream, kalapas, energy, interstellar boundary, global coastal event, Fukushima, radiation, more - 41 minutes
E13 - June 16, 2012 - now we know - disaster dates, and how applicable, and validated for early 2013 - LISTEN, and then, validate, and if you accept, Take Action while there is time!
E12 - May 31, 2012 -Meditation techniques (about 40 minutes)
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address above...
E11 - April 20, 2012 - Deep Woo and Dark Dread, bot update, loooong (50+ minutes).
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address below...
E10 - April 16, 2012 - Fukushima, closed time like loops, data update
E9 - April 8, 2012 - How to find work, re-thinking the process * (second of the day).
E8 - April 8, 2012 - ALTA update, JIT, aquaponics (35 minutes)
E7 - April 3, 2012 - ALTA update, revolution archetype, wilcock/fulford (brief update at about 15 minutes).
E6 - March 31, 2012 - Alex Jones Rant, Prometheus, Nummo
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins (an End the Fed strategy) and use the address below...
E5 - March 29, 2012 - Release language waves, COP training, Unknowing.
E4 - March 24, 2012 - The Grand Penis Conspiracy (warning...bound to offend, adults only...)
<- this is an icon, not a button, read up on bitcoins and use the address below...
E3 - March 20, 2012 - Bitcoin, Thrive, Temporal markers - money + riots in usa, and Deep Woo....
E2 - March 18, 2012 - ALTA process (web bots) update - notes on servers, early data entity tops.
Audio file over 30 minutes.
E1 - March 16, 2012 - First in a group of discourses on meditation. Today, outlines, goals, benefits, some cautions, and some points to research.
Audio file of about 40 minutes. Please set up a torrent if you can. Having a hell of a time punching through 4 firewalls, and 6 background processes. Thanks.
if this episode of clif's wujo was of value, you may donate via bitcoin at this address.
E0 - March 14, 2012 - Radiation and its effects on humans. Some thoughts to place it in context. (also a trial run of this process).
This is an audio file (mp3) of 40+ minutes of discussion about radiation and its impact on the rest of our lives. Some methods of remediation/adaption are discussed.
This file is available free on torrents. Please seed if you have the capacity.
Or for free (actually paid for by our bandwidth charges...so go easy) from the button below.
Or for $2 (two US federal reserve digidollars via paypal to cover the costs of the process...at the buy now button below.
or if this episode of clif's wujo was of value, you may donate via bitcoin at this address. No more than half a bitcoin please.
posted March 13, 2012 by clif high


text:
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text:
August 29, 2011
Jennifer Nutt
Theme: So sue me! — Each theme answer is a familiar phrase in which the last word can mean something filed in a court of law.
Theme answers:
- 16A: *Not animated, in filmmaking (LIVE ACTION).
- 23A: *Like replays that reveal bad calls (SLOW-MOTION).
- 49A: *One who can't function under stress (BASKET CASE).
- 10D: *Ineffective executive (EMPTY SUIT).
- 33D: *Hunk or babe's attribute (SEX APPEAL).
- 59A: Where the ends of the starred answers are filed (COURT OF LAW).
Smooth solve this morning. Considering that I've worked in law firms most of my adult life, it took me far too long to figure out this theme. In my defense (see what I did there?), I only worked in litigation for a very short time, so the Perry Mason stuff isn't exactly right there in the front of my brain most days. I hope BASKET CASE was the seed entry for this puzzle, because it's awesome. EMPTY SUIT is also really nice and SEX APPEAL adds a little, um, sex appeal to the grid.
Other favorites for me include:
- 21A: Disco dance (HUSTLE). Can you see a reference to this dance without hearing a bunch of guys yelling "Do the hustle!" at you in your head? I can't.
- 66A: Online business review site (YELP). I've just recently discovered YELP and it's been super helpful. So far, we've used YELP to find a moving company and a mechanic and we haven't been disappointed.
- 14D: Rascal (SCAMP). I don't know what it is about these types of words (also scoudrel and … I can't think of the others right now) but I love them. They sound old-timey and highfalutin' and, well, perfect.
- 30D: Central Washington city (YAKIMA). I'm sure YAKIMA is a beautiful city but I don't think I could live somewhere whose names brings to mind a cat coughing up a hairball. But maybe that's just me.
- 13A: Lake into which Ohio's Cuyahoga River empties (ERIE).
- 39A: Doves' homes (COTES).
- 65A: Movie lioness (ELSA).
- 6D: Quarterback Manning (ELI).
Everything — 1A: Cookie holders (JARS); 5A: Baseball feature (SEAM); 9A: What gears do (MESH); 13A: Lake into which Ohio's Cuyahoga River empties (ERIE); 14A: Alabama march site (SELMA); 15A: Austen novel (EMMA); 16A: *Not animated, in filmmaking (LIVE ACTION); 18A: Rotating cooking rod (SPIT); 19A: Grassland (LEA); 20A: Plunked oneself down (SAT); 21A: Disco dance (HUSTLE); 23A: *Like replays that reveal bad calls (SLOW-MOTION); 27A: "Affirmative!" ("YES!"); 28A: Traveler's guide (MAP); 29A: Dental fillings (INLAYS); 31A: "A Doll's House" playwright (IBSEN); 34A: __ noire: literally, "black beast" (BÊTE); 35A: Enveloping glow (AURA); 38A: "I __ Pretty": "West Side Story" song (FEEL); 39A: Doves' homes (COTES); 40A: Do-it-yourselfers' buys (KITS); 41A: __-Coburg, Bavaria (SAXE); 42A: Like speaking (ORAL); 43A: Wee parasites (MITES); 44A: Word with power or reactor (ATOMIC); 46A: "Casablanca" pianist (SAM); 47A: iPhone download (APP); 49A: *One who can't function under stress (BASKET CASE); 53A: Mealtime lap item (NAPKIN); 55A: "That feels great!" (AAH); 56A: Org. issuing many refunds (IRS); 58A: Garden of Eden's __ of life (TREE); 59A: Where the ends of the starred answers are filed (COURT OF LAW); 63A: Emblem of authenticity (SEAL); 64A: Proverbial waste maker (HASTE); 65A: Movie lioness (ELSA); 66A: Online business review site (YELP); 67A: Cut with acid (ETCH); 68A: Medvedev's "no" (NYET); 1D: Come together (JELL); 2D: Astrological Ram (ARIES); 3D: Opponent (RIVAL); 4D: "Get it?" ("SEE?"); 5D: Spat (SET-TO); 6D: Quarterback Manning (ELI); 7D: __, amas, amat ... (AMO); 8D: Ways to get under the street (MANHOLES); 9D: Army meal (MESS); 10D: *Ineffective executive (EMPTY SUIT); 11D: Look happy (SMILE); 12D: Can't stand (HATES); 14D: Rascal (SCAMP); 17D: Nile dam (ASWAN); 22D: Italian "a" (UNA); 24D: Brunch staple (OMELET); 25D: Neckwear pin (TIE TACK); 26D: Santa Clara chip maker (INTEL); 30D: Central Washington city (YAKIMA); 31D: Uncertainties (IFS); 32D: Actress Arthur (BEA); 33D: *Hunk or babe's attribute (SEX APPEAL); 34D: '90s Russian president Yeltsin (BORIS); 36D: Numbered hwy. (RTE.); 37D: Barnyard brayer (ASS); 39D: Old buffalo-hunting tribe (COMANCHE); 43D: Like a he-man (MACHO); 45D: Kimono accessory (OBI); 46D: One of 50 (STATE); 47D: Unable to sit still (ANTSY); 48D: City of Light, in a Porter song (PAREE); 50D: Mars neighbor (EARTH); 51D: Goofy (SILLY); 52D: Wipe off the board (ERASE); 54D: Brown seaweed (KELP); 57D: Whack (SWAT); 60D: Cheerios grain (OAT); 61D: Trojans' sch. (USC); 62D: Quagmire (FEN).


text:
Virginia Satir
American psychotherapist & non-fiction author
Virginia Satir (26 June 1916 – 10 September 1988) Psychotherapist, family therapist, co-founder of the Mental Health Research Institute (MHRI) in Menlo Park, founder of the International Human Learning Resources Network (IHLRN; originallythe "Beautiful People") in 1970, and The Advanta Network in 1977; born Virginia Pagenkopf.
|This article about a psychologist is a stub. You can help Wikiquote by expanding it.
- Why Family Therapy...because it deals with family pain. you
- Conjoint Family Therapy: A Guide to theory and technique (1967)
- A growing body of clinical observation has pointed to the conclusion that the family therapy must be oriented to the family as a whole.
- Conjoint Family Therapy: A Guide to theory and technique (1967)
- I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand and touch another person. When this is done, I feel contact has been made.
- Brief biography at Webster University
- I have often thought had there been somebody like me around, something might have been able to be done. I also think I don't see how I could have done what I've done in the world had I been married. And when I decided-because I've been on the verge of marriage many times-I said no, because if I wanted to roam the globe like I did, it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to me, it wouldn't be fair to the people. At the point, I really feel it was a kind of destiny because I've been able to get to places. There are some people in the world who have other jobs to do.
- Brief biography at Avanta.net (1999)
- To all my friends, colleagues and family: I send you love. Please support me in my passage to a new life. I have no other way to thank you than this. You have all played a significant part in my development of loving. As a result, my life has been rich and full, so I leave feeling very grateful.
- Brief biography at Avanta.net (1999)
- We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.
- Magic Touch: Six Things You Can Do to Connect in a Disconnected World., Forbes, 18 Jan 2011.
External linksEdit
- Brief biography at Avanta.net
- Brief biography at Webster University


text:
President Obama is expected to "announce" his "new" Afghanistan strategy Friday - the traditional Washington day for burying things. But there aren't likely to be many surprises. The Administration has been dribbling details out to the news media, and what has been foreshadowed includes: more troops, more civilians, narrower goals; a renewed concession, perhaps, that there is no military solution.
It is widely recognized that sending more people - whether soldiers or civilians - is very unlikely in itself to change anything fundamental, because the order of magnitude is wrong. The United States has not been, is not, and almost certainly never will be willing and able to commit the resources which would be necessary to transform Afghanistan into a peaceful "democracy" according to the present policy. The most that could be plausibly hoped for is that additional resources would help make a new policy work: a new policy based on a fundamental, political shift in US policy, including accommodation with the bulk of the political forces now backing Afghanistan's various insurgencies.
And therefore, it matters little in the big scheme of things, how many new troops President Obama announces. If there is no real change in policy, new troops won't accomplish anything. If there is a real change in policy, any success will be due much more to the policy change than to the "troop surge" under the cover of which the policy change takes place.
What finally matters are the answers to four questions that are only now beginning to be asked.
1. Will the United States support political negotiations between the Afghan government and leaders of Afghanistan's insurgencies?
It's wonderful that President Obama supports outreach to "moderate Taliban" and "low-level fighters" and insurgents that are "only fighting for money." But that's not going to end the war. A narrow, circumscribed understanding of "reconciliation" was already the Bush policy. Outreach to "moderate Taliban" will only make a significant difference if it turns out to be the "camel's nose under the tent" for a broader process of political engagement that draws in leaders of Afghanistan's insurgencies and the political forces backing them.
"Support" is fundamentally different from "tolerate": talks between Afghan officials and insurgent leaders are already underway; the U.S. can't stop them from taking place and isn't trying to. But the U.S. can ensure that such talks can't accomplish anything meaningful, by refusing to cooperate. Just as any meaningful peace process is going to eventually result in guarantees by insurgent leaders not to engage in, support, or facilitate military operations inside or outside of Afghanistan, so any meaningful peace process is eventually going to result in binding constraints on U.S. military operations and detentions. The Afghan government, at present, has almost no control over U.S. military operations and detentions. So for talks to be meaningful, the U.S. has to cooperate.
Western officials have conceded that it was a mistake to exclude leaders of the former government from the post-2001 political process in Afghanistan. It's long past time to correct this mistake.
2. Is the United States prepared to discuss its long-term intentions in Afghanistan?
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As was previously the case in Iraq, it's currently an article of dogma that you're not allowed to say the words "timetable" or "timeline." (Although Reps. Lee, Waters, and Woolsey appear to have recently broken the taboo.) There's no good reason for this situation to continue. In the case of Iraq, "timetable" moved from "unthinkable" to "commonplace" to "provision of signed agreement."
Similarly, there's been almost no discussion of "permanent military bases," in contrast to Iraq, where critics of the war - Iraqi and American - put the Bush Administration on the defensive, early and often, on this key point.
The sooner the idea of a total withdrawal of US military forces from Afghanistan at some point in the future becomes an allowed topic of discussion, the sooner greater space will open for negotiated solutions, since it is widely conceded that the most important motivation for the insurgencies is the presence of foreign troops.
3. Is the United States prepared to relax the political constraints it has previously imposed on Afghan negotiations?
A standard formulation has been: "we support reconciliation with insurgents who are prepared to accept the Afghan Constitution." There is nothing sacred about the Afghan Constitution. If changing the Afghan Constitution would help end the war, then changing the Afghan Constitution should not be ruled out of consideration. If someone says, "I'm not going to stop fighting until the Afghan Constitution says that Western music is against Islam," then, if you wish, you can say, ok, keep fighting. But there's no good reason to rule proposed changes as out of bounds for discussion. Indeed, there are two specific reasons for considering changes to the Afghan Constitution: one, supporters of Afghanistan's insurgencies were excluded from the process that produced it; two, the present Constitution enshrines elements of centralization which are widely considered key obstacles to effective local governance and stability.
4. Is the United States prepared to address the political roots of Pakistan's relationship with the Afghan insurgencies?
U.S. officials are regularly quoted saying that the insurgencies in Afghanistan cannot be effectively addressed without addressing the support these insurgencies draw from Pakistan, including from elements in Pakistan linked to the Pakistani military. But discussions of the role of the Pakistani military are generally limited to exhortations to the Pakistani government and military to "do more" to confront insurgents, without addressing the motivations for the Pakistani government and military to "do less," even though it is conceded that powerful elements in Pakistan see their relationships with insurgent groups as essential elements of national self-defense in their long confrontation with India.
But if you recognize the importance of that, then you should aggressively pursue two things that the U.S. is not doing now, or is doing too little, too timidly and too slowly: one, you would try to help elements of the Pakistani state that are linked to insurgent groups use those relationships to pursue political solutions, so those Pakistani players could cease playing a destructive role without losing their chits; two, you would be aggressively using your influence to resolve Pakistan-India conflicts, so as to reduce the motivation for those elements in Pakistan to maintain those kinds of chits.
But to really pursue that last point would mean that you would have to end the taboo against talking about Kashmir, and that might well annoy India, which generally regards Kashmir as "nobody else's business." It's tempting before reflection to think that "we have enough problems," but as Obama Administration officials have recognized, the problem of Kashmir and Pakistan's relationship to Afghanistan are inextricably linked, and if assertive US leadership towards India-Pakistan peace might save the lives of American soldiers in Afghanistan, wouldn't it be worth pursuing?


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The small pail measures 7-1/2" high by 8" diameter and holds up to 4 litres (1.06 U.S. gallons) of material.
For greater storage capacity, the large pail measures 8-1/2" high by 9-1/2" diameter and holds up to 6 litres (1.6 U.S. gallons).
Each includes a lid and a stainless-steel carrying handle. Just needs a quick rinse to clean.
An excellent quality product.


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Next month, Philly psych-pop band Circadian Rhythms will release their latest EP, A Passing Thought, and the first single is totally catchy. It's called "In The Flowers," and it features a vibrant horn section, a breezy dance tempo and a retro feeling. Check out the song below, and catch the band at Bourbon and Branch on July 25 with Laser Background and Hello Shark. Information for the show can be found here.
- Categorized Under:


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LONG BEACH – The California State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved capping salaries for new presidents following a public outcry last year over a campus president's pay package.
The new policy will cap salaries for newly hired university presidents at $325,000 or no more than 10 percent above what their predecessors made. The base salaries are paid by state taxes.
The board's subcommittee on presidential pay approved the policy, followed by the full board's unanimous approval in its regular meeting at the CSU Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach.
The meeting was far calmer than the last time the board met in November for a tuition hike vote, when protesters clashed with campus police. However, there was a visible police presence at the building's entrance Wednesday.
CSU Board Chairman Herbert Carter said the policy will provide potential campus presidents, policymakers and the public with reasonable expectations for presidential salary levels.
"Our continued goal is to recruit and compete for the best leadership possible, but also within articulated budget guidelines," Carter said.
Trustees are searching for five new presidents in the 23-campus system. The new policy will be implemented as the board makes its presidential selections, officials said.
The issue of presidential compensation came to a head last year when trustees approved a $400,000 compensation package for San Diego State President Elliot Hirshman. In the same meeting, trustees also voted to raise student tuition by 12 percent.
Hirshman's pay package, which includes a $350,000 salary plus a $50,000 supplement from the San Diego State Foundation, is $100,000 more than what his predecessor made.
The move caused a public outcry and prompted state legislation meant to limit CSU presidential salaries. State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, who introduced Senate Bill 959 to cap CSU salaries, commended the board's actions on Wednesday.
The changes are "significant reforms that will help rationalize CSU executive compensation decisions," said Lieu, who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Under the new policy, the CSU system will use a guideline that considers the salaries of presidents at similar universities, a candidate's reputation, and length and depth of experience.
Previously, CSU presidential compensation was determined using a list of comparable salaries at other universities compiled by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. CSU officials said the list, used for 20 years, was "outdated" and included presidents with salaries as high as $2 million.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the median total compensation for presidents of public colleges was $375,442 in the 2009-10 school year. Total compensation includes the amount of base pay, bonuses and deferred compensation a president actually collected in the fiscal year.
Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee topped the list, earning more than $1.3 million in total compensation.
The average base pay for CSU presidents ranges from $258,680 to $350,000, plus housing or an annual housing stipend ranging from $50,000 to $60,000. Three presidents also earn annual supplements from campus foundations.
CSU Chancellor Charles Reed earns $421,500 a year, in addition to housing and a $30,000 annual supplement from the CSU Foundation.
email@example.com, 562-499-1305, http://twitter.com/KellyPuentePT
What they earn
Annual salaries and perks for some CSU presidents.
Cal State Long Beach
$320,329, housing provided
Cal State Dominguez Hills
$295,000, housing provided
Cal State Fullerton
$295,000, housing provided
Cal State Los Angeles
$325,000, plus a $60,000 housing stipend
Cal State Northridge
Housing provided


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Monday, April 19, 2010
Memory Monday: Lost Things
I have lost many things during my life, some through my own fault, some not. What surprises me at this point in life is not how much regret the loss of these things has caused, but how little.
Some things that were once precious to me were lost through deliberate or inadvertent carelessness. As an experiment I once buried a beloved stuffed bunny rabbit. In college I washed a treasured patchwork quilt sewn by my grandmother in cruel commercial washing machines; the resulting ragged heap I dismissed as a hopeless case and threw out.
Many things were lost in numerous moves when I was young. It was as though a part of my life was being continually peeled away, not like excess off the top, but cut from deeper, more dearly held layers of my life. Most of my childhood toys disappeared. Where is the toybox my father made for me? By the time we moved to Texas, there were no dolls left, except for my poor put-upon, hair-ratted-to-death Barbie doll and her fab early-1960s clothes (the black torch singer outfit was to die for), and Mom sold her off with any other stray toys that were left (not that I blame her), with the sole exception being my Spirograph.
Only one of my pre-college books is left: The 1965 Webster's New Twentieth Century Unabridged Dictionary given to me by my mother.
There were many things that got lost when I had to quickly clear out Mom's apartment after she died. Years later, two of my cousins kindly sent me personal items that my aunt had recovered after my not-so-thorough sifting through Mom's things. One was my old scrapbook from junior high school and high school.
Other things have been lost in a rush to get things done, to attend to business, while what I thought were "minor details" were ignored and their significance only remembered when it was too late.
There was an old photo album, one of four I inherited from my mother; it was outsized and not easily stored on a shelf with the other three. Once, when my Aunt Joy came to visit in the 1990s, I took it out to show her some photos and have her identify some of the people in them. After she left, I must have carelessly set it aside (this was before my obsession with genealogy had truly taken root). Many hours have been spent searching for that album.
I was very lucky in later years, after I had let physical distance lead to loss of contact with relatives, that my cousins began to get back in touch with me. The contact became even more frequent after the genealogy bug hit. Gradually, through letters, e-mails, and Facebook we caught up with one another and traded memories and scanned pictures. With few exceptions, my cousins and I are now the "oldest" generation – the keepers of the memories - in our families. I sometimes wonder whether my search for "lost" and "orphan" relatives is an attempt to make up for every stupid thing I've done, every chance I've thrown away, every connection I've thoughtlessly sundered.
In the midst of the accumulated junk of the last 30 years of my life, things that I am trying to pare down to a minimum, which of the lost items of my past do I truly regret?
Just two – Grandma's quilt and that old photo album. The rest of the things must not have been that essential, and their loss just makes the few items I have managed to hold on to even more precious.
That quilt will always haunt me, and I am still searching for that photo album.
8 comments:
I really enjoyed this post. It made me think about a chance I turned down which I will always regret. My Great Uncle asked if I wanted his wife's slides, projector and screen. I turned him down because I didn't think I had room. His wife took MANY family pictures which she had on slide with her MANY MANY vacation slides. After he died much too late I asked about these and an Aunt had thrown them away without going through them (she didn't know who all the people were and there were far to many of them).
Forever Lost Family Treasures!!
A great reminder to us all, Greta, to be diligent in protecting those items that come down to us from our family members. I loved your post. And my heart cries for that old quilt ~ I remember there was one my grandmother Gailey made that was in so many shredded pieces, we made little Santa bags out of some of it to place on wooden handmade Santas. We gave one to all of our kids.ReplyDelete
I had a Spirograph, too! (and wish I still had it)ReplyDelete
I loved this post Greta because I can relate to a lot of what you said and I too had a Spirograph that I had completely forgotten about until I saw your picture. I don't know how I could have forgotten it...I played with it for years!!ReplyDelete
Greta, is it possible that your aunt has the scrapbook? I sometimes loan things and forget that I did....ReplyDelete
Harriet - You know, I think what we need is a time machine. Then we could go back in time to tell our heedless younger selves what a stupid thing we were doing!ReplyDelete
Judy - At least your grandmother Gailey's quilt survived in a different form. It would have been worth saving just the rags that were left of my grandmother's quilt. Sigh...
Miriam - Now that I think of it, if I were to have just one toy that survived, the Spirograph is a good one because I can still play with it. (Though I still have problems with the circles slipping off the pegs.)
Sharon - My daughters were actually kind of in awe that I had a toy like this, so I guess some of my youthful dorkiness was redeemed in their eyes.
Nancy - Unfortunately my Aunt died a while back. She came out from California to visit, so I'm pretty sure she didn't take it back, and I think I remember trying to match my scribbled notes to the pictures after she left. I'm hoping that it did something like slip under a heavy dresser (I plan to do some heavy cleaning around the dresser as an excuse to get my husband to move it.)
Oh Greta, I hear you on this one. As a little girl I had been given a coin purse by my paternal grandmother - it was one of those metal linked one's from the '30s. I was only 9 when it was stolen from my desk at school. Just a few years back I bought a similar one for myself from an antique store, but it'll never be the actual one! It's tough!! :-)ReplyDelete
Leah - I had forgotten about some things that I have made those "replacement purchases" for! What a strong hold some things have on us!ReplyDelete


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I love this stamp by Hannah Davies/Impression Obsession and used it to make our cards to our family this year.
I stamped the stocking twice onto linen card stock and layered it on 3d foam pads.
I tried it in different colour combos. Red on black. And black on red.
And a bit of pink too.
Not long till the big day now!
Tracey x


text: The moment Sandra Ross held her first romance novel when she was ten, she knew she was going to write romance. At thirty now, a prolific reader and a freelance writer, she's since then expanded her preferences from just romance to romance with a dash of now trending sub-genres—paranormal , fantasy, sci-fi even, and erotica. She loves challenging herself and would write on a dare. On a normal day, she would be found in her herb garden collecting spices for her kitchen or ingredients for her potions; in her huge eclectic Provencal kitchen with the big modern oven cooking pots and pans of food for her family of one husband and three kids (an ardent daughter and two boisterous sons) that'll probably last for weeks; in her library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and an e-reader in her hands as she reads the latest erotic hit; or scribbling pages upon pages of different erotic lifestyles, searching for the one that feels like it was inspired by just the right mix of passion, story line, and sex. Aside from these activities, the rest of the time she'd be found in front of her laptop typing the latest Sandra Ross concoction for her readers.


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NORRISTOWN - A Royersford woman will be joining her paramour behind bars after she admitted to trying to smuggle cocaine into prison for her inmate boyfriend.
Laura Jean Odell, 52, of the 200 block of Main Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11 ½-to-23 months in the county jail after she pleaded guilty to a felony charge of contraband, providing controlled substance to inmate, in connection with the November 2010 incident at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford in Skippack.
Judge William R. Carpenter also ordered Odell to complete three years' probation after she's paroled from jail, essentially ensuring Odell will be under court supervision for about five years. Odell, who is eligible for the jail's work release program, must report to the jail on March 5 to begin serving the sentence.
An investigation of Odell began about 3 p.m. Nov. 8, 2010, when state police at Skippack went to the state prison for a report of a visitor possessing drugs. Prison officials told police that Odell arrived at the prison at 9 a.m., requesting to see an inmate who was her boyfriend at the time.
Odell met with her inmate boyfriend in the prison's visiting room and during that meeting prison officials became suspicious that Odell was in possession of illegal drugs, according to the arrest affidavit. Prison officials then escorted Odell to the prison's 'search room,' court documents indicate.
During a search of Odell, prison officials removed three clear bags of cocaine from her right front pocket.
'Odell admitted to attempting to provide the drugs to her boyfriend…,' state police Trooper Peter Hulayew Jr. alleged in the criminal complaint.
A field test of the substances revealed a positive result for the presence of cocaine, court documents indicate.
Follow Carl Hessler Jr. on Twitter @MontcoCourtNews


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My menopause began when I was 50 and I held out for four years. I suffered very frequent (and by no means trivial!) hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness which caused tears if I so much as washed myself, complete loss of libido, severe depression, panic attacks, weight gain and heavy hair loss.
I tried every natural remedy suggested - evening primrose oil, vitamin E, high-potency vitamin B, herbs, acupuncture and two years of homoeopathy. I eliminated dairy and wheat. I even had my thyroid checked.
Despite all this, my symptoms persisted and got worse. In desperation and feeling almost suicidal, I saw a doctor, who prescribed HRT. Within two weeks, I was a changed woman. It was as if a magic wand had been waved.
I have now been on HRT for 16 years and, at the age of 70, I am fit, healthy and active. I have had no side-effects. I am aware of the possible risks of HRT, but I believe that quality of life is more important that 'quantity'.
HRT has enabled me to exchange what seemed likely to be 16 years of misery for 16 years of health, fitness and happiness. I only wish I had gone on HRT earlier and not thrown away four years of my life. - Name and address supplied


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Xerox Magenta toner cartridge. Equivalent to Oki 44318606. Compatible with Oki C710, C711. Colour toner page yield: 11500 pages, Printing colours: Magenta, Quantity per pack: 1 pc(s)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Marco Rubio is taking center stage as Republicans search for a new leader.
In the nearly 100 days since President Barack Obama won a second term, the Florida senator has made calculated, concrete steps to emerge as a next-generation leader of a rudderless party, put a 21st-century stamp on the conservative movement and potentially position himself for a presidential run.
The bilingual Cuban-American lawmaker has become Republicans' point person on immigration and he pitches economic solutions for middle-class workers. He is an evangelist for a modern, inclusive party that welcomes more Hispanics and minorities, but says Republicans must stay true to their principles.
"In a way, he's trying to save us from ourselves," says Al Cardenas, the chairman of the American Conservative Union who gave Rubio his first job in politics, as a South Florida field staffer during Kansas Sen. Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. "He gives us comfort against the naysayers who say we need to change our basic beliefs to attract a wider audience."
RELATED: Rubio's family may move to DC
Rubio will give the Republican response to Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday. Rubio advisers say his rebuttal will offer economic prescriptions for a sluggish economy and try to counter what they call Obama's government-centered economic approach.
The speech comes as demand for the 41-year-old son of immigrants has soared and the party has tried to recover from significant electoral losses and map out a path ahead.
Call it the "it" factor. Time magazine just splashed Rubio on its cover, anointing him "The Republican Savior." Rubio, a Catholic, responded on Twitter: "There is only one savior, and it is not me. (hash)Jesus". He shrugged off the label during an interview with The Associated Press: "I didn't write the cover. I wouldn't have said it if I wrote it."
"There are no saviors in politics," he said.
The former Florida House speaker has been on a Republican rocket ship since 2010, when he knocked off Gov. Charlie Crist in a Senate race that showed the tea party's clout. He introduced presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the Republican National Convention last year and attended dozens of rallies and fundraisers for the GOP ticket during the campaign.
His rise draws comparisons to Obama, who moved from Illinois senator-elect to Democratic presidential nominee within four years. Both win accolades for their oratory skills and sought a lower profile at the start of their Senate careers.
Like Obama did for the Democrats, Rubio evokes a new generation for Republicans, as comfortable talking about hip-hop music as health care. In a recent interview with the online news organization BuzzFeed, he discussed at length the rap music of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., something that would have been unimaginable coming from Romney.
RELATED: Opinion: Rubio cornered on immigration
Since November's pummeling, Rubio has taken a series of public and private steps to raise his already high profile and create the political, organizational and message framework he'd need should he decide to seek the White House.
On election night, Rubio promoted "upward mobility policies" and counseled Republicans to renew their pitch to people from minority and immigrant communities. He made a quick trip to Iowa in mid-November for GOP Gov. Terry Branstad's birthday party, which placed him before influential party activists in the important electoral state. Branstad lauded Rubio as the "kind of inspirational leader that's going to help point us in the right direction."
In December, Rubio said Republicans needed to attract voters from all economic backgrounds, invoking his late father, who worked as a hotel bartender. People like that are not "looking for a handout" but conditions to help them reach the middle class, Rubio said at the Jack Kemp Foundation dinner.
Behind the scenes, Rubio has bolstered his political action committee, Reclaim America PAC, to help him raise money, elect fellow Republicans and essentially create a campaign-in-waiting. Terry Sullivan, a trusted aide with deep ties to the early primary state of South Carolina, has moved over to work full time at the organization, and Rubio hired Dorinda Moss, a leading GOP fundraiser, to be its finance director.
RELATED: Sen. Marco Rubio outlines his immigration reform plan
Rubio, who took hard-line positions on immigration policy such as branding Sen. John McCain's proposal in 2010 a form of amnesty, has shifted gears on the issue. He spent months meeting with different groups in the debate before releasing a set of principles with fellow senators that pairs increased border security with a possible path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Mindful that "amnesty" remains a dirty word in the GOP and that many still flinch at immigration changes approved under President Ronald Reagan, Rubio courted conservative talk-radio hosts and news outlets to head off criticism. Early on, he won positive reviews from powerful conservative media personalities.
Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity offered praise for his approach. Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh called Rubio's ideas "admirable and noteworthy," a tag line that could turn into a handy defense in a Republican primary.
Rubio has had detractors, too.
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter said Rubio's plan would allow undocumented immigrants to live and work in the U.S., essentially jumping ahead of those who have waited in their own countries to immigrate to the U.S. legally. Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, called Rubio "naive."
Indeed, the focus on immigration could be a boon or a bust for Rubio. If he rallies Republicans behind a plan that offers some resolution, he could be connected to a big legislative victory. But if the plan draws the wrath of Republican activists, it could hinder his ability to seek the big prize in 2016.
"I really believe that if I do the best job I can in the Senate," Rubio told BuzzFeed, "then in a couple of years I'll be in a position to make a decision about whether I want to run for re-election, leave politics and give someone else a shot or run for some other position."
Associated Press writer Christine Armario contributed to this report from Miami.