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Mirsayafi, 28, author of the cultural news blog, Rooznegar, died in
Prison officials said Mirsayafi had committed suicide, the
journalist's lawyer, Muhammad Ali Dadkhah, told the
Hissam Fairoozy, an inmate, told Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) that Mirsayafi had suffered from depression and had been taking antidepressant medications. Fairoozy, a physician, said that he was concerned about his fellow inmate's condition and had unsuccessfully sought to have prison doctors hospitalize him.
Mirsayafi's brother, Amirparviz, disputed claims that the
journalist suffered from depression. He told the
The government did not publicly disclose any details about Mirsayafi's death.
Mirsayafi, in an interview with HRAI after being sentenced, said he had been coerced into making a false confession. He said the court didn't specify the blog entries that it considered offensive. An unidentified Iranian blogger told the Times Online that the journalist's imprisonment may have been linked to an entry in which he questioned Iranian support for Hezbollah.


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Taharat Hamishpacha International/mikvah.org respects the privacy of our users and has developed this Privacy Policy to demonstrate its commitment to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy is intended to describe for you, as an individual who is a user of www.mymikvahcalendar.org or the services offered through www.mymikvahcalendar.com(collectively, the "Website"), the information we collect, how that information may be used, with whom it may be shared, and your choices about such uses and disclosures.
We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully when using the Website or transacting business with us. By using the Website, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please refer to the end of this Privacy Policy for information on how to contact us.
Information we collect about you
In General. We may collect personal information that can identify you such as your name and email address and other information that does not identify you. When you provide personal information through our website, the information may be sent to servers located in the United States and other countries around the world.
· Information about others. We may also collect and store personal information about other people that you provide to us. If you use the Website to send others (friends, relatives, colleagues, etc.) a product, information that may interest them or messages (such as invitations) through our system, we may store your personal information, and the personal information of each such recipient.
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· Information collected automatically. We automatically collect information from your browser when you visit our website. This information includes your IP address, your browser type and language, access times, the content of any undeleted cookies that your browser previously accepted from us (see "Cookies" below), and the referring website address.
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In general. We may use information that we collect about you to:
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Your choices about collection and use of your information
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We take appropriate security measures (including physical, electronic and procedural measures) to help safeguard your personal information from unauthorized access and disclosure. For example, only authorized employees are permitted to access personal information, and they may do so only for permitted business functions. In addition, we use encryption in the transmission of your sensitive personal information between your system and ours, and we use firewalls to help prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your personal information.
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Children's privacy
Our website is a general audience site, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13.
Visiting our websites from outside the United States
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Changes to this Privacy Policy
We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices and services. When we post changes to this Privacy Policy, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. If we make any material changes in the way we collect, use, and/or share your personal information, we will notify you by sending an e-mail to the e-mail address you most recently provided us in your account (if and when offered), profile or registration (unless we do not have such an email address), and/or by prominently posting notice of the changes on our website. We recommend that you check the Website from time to time to inform yourself of any changes in this Privacy Policy or any of our other policies.
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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our information-handling practices, please contact us by e-mail or postal mail as here
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user's computer for record keeping purposes. Cookies can be either session cookies or persistent cookies. A session cookie expires when you close your browser and is used to make it easier for you to navigate our website. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time.
Through the use of a cookie, we also may automatically collect information about your online activity on our site, such as the web pages you visit, the links you click, and the searches you conduct on our site. If accounts are offered, when you sign into your account, we may record your user or member ID and the name on your user or member account in the cookie file on your computer. We also may record your password in this cookie file, if you indicated that you would like your password saved for automatic sign-in. For security purposes, we will encrypt any usernames, passwords, and other user or member account-related data that we store in such cookies. In the case of sites and services that do not use a user or member ID, the cookie will contain a unique identifier. We may allow our authorized service providers to serve cookies from our website to allow them to assist us in various activities, such as doing analysis and research on the effectiveness of our site, content and advertising.
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We may allow third-parties, including advertising companies, and ad networks, to display advertisements on our site. These companies may use tracking technologies, such as cookies, to collect information about users who view or interact with their advertisements. Our website does not provide any personal information to these third parties, but they may collect information about where you, or others who are using your computer, saw and/or clicked on the advertisements they deliver, and possibly associate this information with your subsequent visits to the advertised websites. They also may combine this information with personal information they collect from you. The collection and use of that information is subject to the third-party's privacy policy. This information allows them to deliver targeted advertisements and gauge their effectiveness.
Web beacons (also known as clear gifs, pixel tags or web bugs) are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, and are used to track the online movements of web users or to access cookies. Unlike cookies which are stored on the user's computer hard drive, web beacons are embedded invisibly on the web pages (or in email) and are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
Web beacons may be used to deliver or communicate with cookies, to count users who have visited certain pages and to understand usage patterns. We also may include web beacons in promotional or other e-mail messages or newsletters to determine whether messages have been opened and acted upon. We also may receive an anonymous identification number if you come to our site from an online advertisement displayed on a third-party website.

subset: commoncrawl


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We Should Have Right to Challenge Gov. Aid to Religious Schools
Church-State Watchdog Group Expresses Disappointment With Obama Stance In Arizona Tuition Tax-Credit Case
The right of taxpayers to challenge public funding of religious education must be preserved, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told the U.S. Supreme Court.
The high court tomorrow will hear Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, a case that challenges an Arizona scheme that allows taxpayers to take a 100 percent credit for donations to school tuition organizations that fund religious and other private schools.
Under the controversial program, nearly 92 percent of the funds collected have gone for tuition at religious schools. The set-up is being challenged as a violation of church-state separation, but the case also raises issues of "standing" – the right to sue.
"Americans must have the right to go to court when tax money is diverted to religion," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "Now, some groups want to slam the courthouse door in our faces."
The Arizona program is supported by TV preacher Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice, Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Liberty Counsel, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Christian Legal Society and an array of other pro-voucher organizations like the Institute for Justice.
The religious school subsidy is also backed by the Solicitor General's Office at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lynn said he was disappointed to see the Obama administration side with right-wing groups in this case. Not only did the Justice Department argue in favor of the Arizona funding scheme, it advocated denying taxpayers' right to challenge the plan in court. Furthermore, the Solicitor General's Office requested and was granted 10 minutes to argue in favor of the plan during oral argument before the justices.
"It's a shame that the Obama administration has taken the wrong side in this case," Lynn said. "The Arizona scheme diverts scarce tax dollars to religious schools. There is no reason in the world for the administration to support something like that.
"I am even more disappointed that the Justice Department wants to block taxpayers from challenging schemes like this," Lynn continued. "Conservatives on the Supreme Court have been whittling away at Americans' right to challenge aid to religion. Now the Obama administration is encouraging them to go even further. It's inexplicable."
AU's brief, filed Sept. 22 in conjunction with the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation, urges the high court to protect taxpayers' rights to seek redress in court.
Tax credit plans, the brief asserts, must be subject to proper oversight through taxpayer lawsuits, since they are often open to abuse.
"If anything, contemporary fiscal politics suggest that the support of religion through tax credits is even more prone to abuse than is religious support through cash grants," asserts the brief. "Like most tax cuts, tax expenditures 'are subjected to considerably less congressional and popular scrutiny than are direct appropriations.'"
The AU brief was drafted by Americans United Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan along with attorneys Kurt Wimmer, Gregory M. Lipper, Charles Kitcher and Sarah M. Powell of Covington & Burling, LLP in Washington, D.C.
Since 1997, the Arizona program has diverted $349 million in public funds to private schools, with the vast majority of the money going to religious schools.
The program has been plagued with problems. For example, the plan allows parents to earmark donations for specific children. Since the law specifically bars parents from donating to pay for their own child's tuition, some parents have donated for a friend's child and vice-versa.
In 2009, two Arizona newspapers reported that much of the largess was going to well-off families – even though the program was pitched as a way to help poor and minority students.
According to the ArizonaRepublic, two out of every three scholarships in 2007 went to middle- and upper-class students who would have already been able to attend private schools without the tax-credit aid.


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- Premier League
Boom! Van Persie energised by Van Gaal
Robin van Persie says he has a bond with Louis van Gaal that makes him more like a friend that a manager and claims his coaching approach is inspiring.
The Manchester United striker has been working with his new club manager at the Netherlands' pre-World Cup training camp and says that Van Gaal's fabled direct style is 'energising'.
Van Persie said: "We've had many great conversations over the past two years about football but also about other things. You don't have that bond with every coach
"He has a different approach to the other coaches I've worked under, but I like it a lot. He is very clear and honest - he says when something is good and when something is not good, but there is always room for discussion.
"He creates a very relaxed atmosphere, but he is typically Dutch: direct. Boom! He has only one aim, and that is to improve. I don't find that exhausting - I find it energising. Wonderful."
Van Persie has worked with Van Gaal since 2012, when the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss took charge of the Netherlands for the second time, and the pair quickly established a strong bond.
However, their relationship threatened to get off to a rocky start when, upon taking charge after Euro 2012, Van Gaal warned that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar would be preferred in attack as Van Persie had failed to deliver for his country.
"He didn't even rule out the possibility that I would be third-choice striker," Van Persie laughed in an interview with Sp!ts when asked about those remarks this week. "It was a great conversation. We only talked briefly about that situation - we spoke more about football generally. During that conversation, we got to know each other, because I'd never spoken to him before. From the first minute, things went very well."
Van Persie quickly reasserted himself in the Dutch line-up and, asked whether he thinks the coach was trying to get a reaction, Van Persie said: "Maybe. I don't know."
Van Gaal suggested in February that Van Persie was not enjoying life under David Moyes at Old Trafford but the striker is delighted with the new United boss' approach.
"Every training session is really intense," he said. "The coach is onto you every second. If you start flagging for even a moment, you'll get to hear about it. He's very direct with everyone, myself included.
"We don't do training sessions for two-and-a-half hours - they're usually an hour and 15 minutes or so - but they are incredibly intense. Everyone gets better. Every day, I see the level of all players improving."


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Watch the US Youth Soccer National Championships LIVE!
Multiple live broadcasts will be available for the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, on July 22-27 from the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. Read more.
US Youth Soccer National Championships schedule
The schedule is now available for the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships. #ROADtoMD
US Youth Soccer Regional Championships
The National Championships field of 96 teams is set after the four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships recently wrapped up. Check out recaps from each: Region I | Region II | Region III | Region IV | VIDEO
2014 FIFA World Cup
The U.S. Men's National Team saw its World Cup run end with a 2-1 loss to Belgium, continuing the tournament's run of great games. See why more people than ever are watching by checking out some of the top goals so far at the World Cup.
US Youth Soccer partners with Capri Sun
US Youth Soccer is pleased to announce a multi-year agreement welcoming Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Flavored Water Beverage as the Official Sponsor and Kids Ready to Drink Juice of US Youth Soccer.
Keep up with the 50/50 Blog!
US Youth Soccer recently began a new daily blog — The 50/50 Blog. It provides a good mix of soccer stories, videos and more each day, as well as some other fun and entertaining content. If you haven't seen The 50/50 Blog yet, you can check it out here. If you'd like to suggest content for the blog or have feedback on what you'd like to see, please email email@example.com.
Male and Female Player of the Month
US Youth Soccer is pleased to recognize the following individuals as July 2014 Players of the Month — Female: Ashley from Halifax, Pa.; Male: Brodie from Cordova, Tenn. Congratulations to Ashley and Brodie. You can click here to read about their accomplishments and service.
To nominate someone you think is deserving of being Player of the Month, read the criteria and fill out this form.
US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup
The teams and schedule are set for the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup. Get more information about event by checking out the Presidents Cup homepage.
Midwest Regional League teams qualify for 2014-15 US Youth Soccer National League
Several teams have earned their place in the 2014-15 National League via success in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League. Check out all of the qualifiers here.
US Youth Soccer Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Skills Challenge
The new partnership with Capri Sun includes the introduction of the US Youth Soccer Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Skills Challenge. Learn more about it here and be sure to check back for more information.
The US Youth Soccer Show | July 2014
The new episode premiered Saturday, July 5 at 8:30 a.m. ET on Fox Soccer Plus. Find out when to watch here. Can't wait to watch? You can watch the full episode online at any time.
The 10 best sites to look for scholarships
Is your child starting to look for college scholarships? Check out this article on hercampus.com that lists 10 websites to check out for potential financial aid.
The importance of sleep for a teen
See why getting enough sleep is important for your child and try to shoot for some of the recommendations to maximize performance. Read more.
How to be a good sports parent
The Washington Post's Mari-Jane Williams looks at some simple things to remember when heading out to watch your child play sports. Check it out.
Parenting Education
The Soccer Environment
Parenting Blog
Arrested Development | Keep your composure during youth sports and set a good example.
World Cup by the Numbers | A statistical look at the 2014 World Cup.
Soccer as a Social Force | Using the World Cup to promote good in society.
It's Hot Out There | Advice on staying hydrated in the hot summer months.
Stay connected with US Youth Soccer. We're on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Apply now for the US Youth Soccer National League
The deadline to apply for the 2014-15 US Youth Soccer National League is July 9. Make sure to submit your team's application here.
Understanding teen 'weirdness'
This Soccer America article by Dev K. Mishra looks at the psychology of a teen and how coaches can incorporate beneficial techniques in their coaching. Check it out.
College Coach Registration for the National Championships
If you're a college coach, make sure to register in the US Youth Soccer Event Management System to receive player profiles and information on the upcoming US Youth Soccer National Championships.
National Youth License Courses
There are National Youth License courses available this month. Check out locations and dates of future courses with this new interactive map.
Coaching Education
Good Sportsmanship
Coaching Blog
Kid-Focused, Coach Driven | A report on fostering leadership and enduring values.
Lopsided Match | Your team is up 5-0. How do you prevent the game from becoming too lopsided?
Best of Luck at Nationals from Nesquik
Nesquik wants to wish good luck to all of the teams participating in the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships! Remind your teams to stay hydrated and to Refuel with Nesquik low-fat chocolate milk to help restore exhausted muscles. LEARN MORE.
Benefits of Playing Multiple Sports
It's exciting to watch your children excel at the sports they love. Working hard toward a personal best or perfecting a specific technique is critical to success, but let's not forget that playing multiple sports can be tremendously beneficial in the long run. Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports has created a helpful tool that highlights some surprising and meaningful information on the benefits of playing multiple sports. We invite you to learn more at ResponsibleSports.com.
Stop by the Wilson Trophy booth at Nationals for a shot at prizes!
We want to congratulate all of the teams that will be advancing to the US Youth Soccer National Championships. We look forward to seeing some more great matches in Maryland. Be on the lookout for our Wilson Trophy tent. Stop by our booth and score a goal for your chance to win a cool prize!
US Youth Soccer Marketplace
US Youth Soccer recently launched Marketplace, which offers teams, coaches and players the ability to search for companies across the nation that offer the product or service they are looking to purchase. You can check out Marketplace by going to marketplace.usyouthsoccer.org.
Some recent vendors...
BelloGoal is soccer excitement on a table top. BelloGoal is a miniaturized soccer game with special features that brings excitement and unpredictability at it's best.
Interested in Advertising on Marketplace?
Take a minute to sign up for a listing on Marketplace to reach the youth soccer community. Sign up now!


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Look out, look out, for the man who came in with little fanfare and left just as unassumingly not too long after. For that brief hour or less, Mike Hadreas – performing as Perfume Genius – was laid bare for all, his music an intimate, knotted struggle. As in their recorded versions in his debut album Learning, the songs all sounded too short and ended too abruptly, drawing out each time an awkward pause before the applause. But Hadreas knows awkwardness well enough to let those moments linger, keeping the tension going with an audience probably more nervious than he.
As the opener, "Perry" was an apt introduction to the tormented world of Perfume Genius, of memories haunted and still raw. Captivatingly, Hadreas worked hard in each of the subsequent songs to present the dark as beautiful, with the deeply personal "Learning" and "Mr. Peterson" garnering the most unanimous response from a 100-strong crowd that was mostly appreciative but at times dumbstruck. For me, it was the brittle cry and grippingly bare piano of "Look Out, Look Out" that struck hardest, that unsettled wariness remaining even as the bar started to clear and the evening to close. – Dan.
mp3: Perfume Genius – Look Out, Look Out
The Perfume Genius gig at Blujaz was made possible by 4imaginaryboys. Learning is out now on Matador Records.


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Manuscripts Metadata
Copy the File:Ms template.xlsx Excel spreadsheet to the collection folder, Metadata subfolder on the S drive where you will be working. This spreadsheet lives in Digital Projects\Administration\TEMPLATES\ also, on the S drive.
(Guidelines for setting up spreadsheets are File:Db guidelines gen.docx and also in the TEMPLATES directory (db_guidelines_gen.docx).
Use the guidelines set forth by Mary Alexander File:Db guidelines.docx (also in the TEMPLATES directory: db_guidelines.docx); do not fill in Date ISO, Creator or Funding Information. See these guidelines for date formatting as well.
Some information to put into the spreadsheet will be found in the finding aid. The Manuscript number is the number of the collection finding aid you want to check. Look here [[1]] and match up the name of the collection this came from with the name of the finding aid, then check the number to make sure it's the same one.
If the finding aid is not online, check with Donelly Lancaster to see if there is one. If there is not, follow her instructions for the data that you would otherwise find there.
This data includes:
- Title
- Extent (include number of pages, also; not just number of items.)
- Date
- Collection number (this is the Manuscript number)
- Provenance (format as "Gift of ___, [year here]")
- abstract (read this -- if it does not apply to the item specifically, write a short description of the content of the letter.)
- biographical note
- scope note (read this -- if it does not apply to the item specifically, do not include)
- container information (box number, folder number)
From the letter itself:
- Dates
- sender
- recipient
- location of sender
- location of recipient (Google the county if necessary, fill in these in the LCSH format indicated)
- Number of pages (front and back)
- language


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Sonic 4 Wiki Guide
Welcome to the Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I wiki guide.[edit]
Dr. Robotnik -- oh fine, EGGMAN -- returns to torment Sonic in the awesomely retro Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The rotund villain is no pushover in his old age. Check out our video guide to some of Sonic's most brutal boss fights ever.
This wiki was automatically converted from the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Guide (Wii) guide at https://guides.ign.com/guides/31345/ and may require cleanup. Please help improve this wiki if you can, and remove this notice if appropriate.
Contributor Assistance[edit]If you're unfamiliar with editing our wikis, this simple How-to Wiki guide shows you how to get started. If you are unsure about something, do not hesitate to ask the staff or flag the page you are having trouble with (please don't forget to tell us about the problem or reason).
More Wiki Sections
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Robert Sapolsky: The Uniqueness of Humans
What can we learn from our similarities and differences in relation to other animals?
Robert Sapolsky has spent years learning about wild baboons—and from them. In this interesting and often amusing talk, Sapolsky explores the range of human uniqueness compared with other animals. What does it mean that we are not the only species that kills, but the only one that does so in such a detached way as pressing a button to direct a drone across the world?
Robert Sapolsky gave this talk in 2009 at Stanford University, where he is a professor of neurology and biology. He has written several books, such as Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping and Monkeyluv: And Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals.
Photo Essay: One photographer's take on the mystery of the wild, and our constant efforts to tame it.
Video: The Census of Marine Life reveals more than 6,000 potentially new species living in our oceans.


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|Coveting Legos in Alexanderplatz.
100 meters was the distance from our apartment, which we rented through airbnb, to the subway, our gateway to the rest of Berlin. But these 100 meters felt a little bit like hiking through a minefield in the Alps while simultaneously commanding two opposing armies comprised entirely of deaf and blind soldiers. There were constant fights over who got to push the button on the elevator! Who gets to put the money in the machine! Who gets to pull the ticket out of the machine! Who gets to validate the ticket! There was a constant race to be first – first to finish my pizza! First to get to the door and therefore earn the right to hold it open! First to finish peeing! First to wake up! There was the incessant measuring for fairness – he got more ice cream than I did! She got to hold the ipad last time! He got to go down the slide twice and I only did it once!
At one point when we had completely HAD it with the fighting, Ash and I declared NO ONE could push the button. It was the ADULTS TURN! And then before she could do it, I pushed her out of the way and ran for the button only to have her try to trip me so of course I had to put her in a headlock and when she bit me the whole thing dissolved into a slapping match that left us both black and blue and bleeding.*
I mean, where do the kids get this shit?
We made it to our spacious, minimal-decoration-=-less-to-break, apartment after our 100 meter journey that involved one poop in the park, one run-in with a drunk, a few narrowly avoided collisions on the bike path, one near foot amputation via street car, one very dumb illegal street crossing (adults take the blame for this one. Ok – I take the blame for this one.), one ten-minute pause to ogle a large billboard with cows walking by a nuclear reactor-size tub of chocolate ice cream, 15 minutes to pick dandelions growing next to the drunks and the poop, one adult-kid confrontation over whether or not they could go to the park RIGHT NOW before dropping off the heavy bags the moms were carrying, one five-minute break to stop and admire the "Starlight Express" poster in which every kid picked out their favorite costume and all declared that the girl on the top of the cake-like structure was the "chief of the poisonous ones" and was definitely the biggest badass. We picked up the keys from the owner, trudged up three flights of stairs and just – arrived.
|This is where my mom says, "What kind of crackhouse playground are you taking my grandchildren to anyway?"
The next day we had an agenda: an early start, a ride on the double decker bus to see a bit more of the city in a way that the kids would find entertaining, lunch in Mitte, a playdate with Luisa and Hugo and end up at the Street Food Market Hall in Kreuzberg.
The early start was the first casualty of the day. Thwarted by a snack and pee break that last two hours – BEFORE getting on the subway. The double decker bus was a hit for the first 20 minutes. Then they got restless. We got off around Zoo Station/Kudamm just minutes before Linnea's head started to rotate and Henry alienated us from not only the entire front of the bus but the driver, who bellowed into the mic, "SOMEONE MAKE THOSE KIDS SIT DOWN – NOW!!!" That was our cue to get off.
|The Lebanese Balloon Twister - available for hire.
The next day, we scrapped our museum plans and took the 12:30 train back to Hamburg. And to think I had originally thought we would then take a train from Berlin to Prague (4.5 hours) and then another local (3 hours) on to Cesky Krumlov in southern Bohemia. I can chalk that idea up to temporary insanity. Or a bottle of wine. More than likely the latter.
And the moral of this blog post is: travel with your kids, y'all. If you are visiting a city, try to balance cultural events and historic tours with playgrounds, trampolines, ice cream and jugglers. It's not easy. And you definitely won't see or do all of the things on your list. But it is worth it. Absolutely… At least that's what they tell me.
*The adult fight did not actually happen. I know, I know, it is totally plausible. But Ash and I are beacons of maturity, pillars of restraint.


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PRG runs the largest fleet of LED trucks and trailers in Europe in sizes from 16 sqm to 80 sqm. Of course we can also offer a wide variety of modular LED Systems for indoor and outdoor applications which can be built in any size and shape. Please give us a call if you need further information or have a look at our LED Systems section.
More information about our LED trucks


text:
Monday, April 27, 2009
Memory Monday: Running Away
My career as an escape artist must have started soon after I learned how to walk. I remember when we lived in our house in Cabazon, California (talk about desolate…) that I crawled out of my crib one day. I must have managed to do it without cracking my skull open. If my memory does not deceive me, the incentive was to get to my fluffy new robe, which was white and had a pocket into which I could slip the first present I ever remember getting – a box of eight Crayola crayons. New, pointy crayons with that new crayon smell.
Later, when we had moved to Lankershim Street in Highland for the first time, I must have hit that toddler age when I liked to do something naughty over and over again – and that was to escape out the front gate (no challenge; it was usually open) and start running off down the street. Of these attempts I do not actually have a direct memory, but I remember my mother and my Uncle Bill telling the story many times of how I would shoot out the front and then head out as fast as my legs would carry me until long-legged Uncle Bill would catch up to me in a few strides. He would then pick me up, with my short legs still pumping the air, and I would giggle insanely at how daring I had been and how useless his efforts at keeping me in the yard would be. I believe my older brother Don also indulged me in this game a few times.
The final escape effort I remember must have taken place when I was four or five, not too long before I started school. My mother had taken me with her when she went downtown to pay bills (does anyone else remember bills being taken care of this way, instead of through checks sent by mail?). We must have gone into the office to pay the utility bill and it must have been an awfully boring place. My scheme was to quietly duck out the door, look around, and then sneak back in. But I did something stupid. As I left, I did not look back to get a picture in my mind of what the door looked like. I don't think I got very far before I realized that I hadn't a clue how to get back to my mother. The next part is a bit fuzzy, but since I was terribly shy at that age, I must not have gone to ask an adult for help; rather, I suspect that the kind lady in the movie theater office must have noticed me looking frightened and lost. I do remember her picking me up and putting me on the counter and feeding me Jujubes. Things were looking up. Someone must have been sent to locate my mother, because she showed up shortly afterwards. That's where the memory ends, because the memory of those delicious Jujubes have just erased everything else.
That was probably the last Great Escape. I gradually became aware that I did not have the greatest sense of direction, and this inhibited my adventurous spirit for a number of years. I was actually over thirty years old before I learned how to drive, so intimidated was I at the prospect of being able to find my way around. But shortly after learning how to drive (you can find the description at The Graveyard Rabbit of Northern Virginia – it happened in a graveyard!), I made a great discovery: maps are our friends. No, not TomTom, or Garmin, or any of those things. Maps.
So now my middle-aged mind wanders to … escapes. Not Great Escapes. Not total escapes from real life and real responsibilities. But little escapes. Escapes to small, unpretentious towns … towns I have never been to before … like the towns my ancestors lived in.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, for these escapes, I plan on having my husband accompany me. He has a great sense of direction. And he likes to run away, too.
5 comments:
Greta, I love your Memory Monday post they are so much fun. You may have been shy but you were brave, I was VERY shy but never brave enough to leave my mother's side to explore. I enjoyed your post about learning to drive. I even took my daughter to a cemetery near us to drive a little, she is so afraid of learning to drive. She turned 18 in Jan. She will start college in the fall and that will be downtown and she plans to live at home so as her dad and I see it she really needs to learn to drive SOON!ReplyDelete
Hi Harriet,ReplyDelete
My older daughter turned 19 in January and is finishing up her freshman year in college. Thank goodness she did finally learn to drive, but she didn't get her license until her senior year in high school, unlike most of her friends.
I missed out on taking Driver's Ed in high school, then didn't need to drive and couldn't afford a car anyway through graduate school, then just dragged my feet after that.
Good luck to your daughter with the driving!
Greta-I so enjoyed this post-very well written-and entertaining. You were quite the dare devil-running away every chance you got. I was too scared to get far away from Momma's skirts at that age.ReplyDelete
Thanks, Tipper. I don't know what it was that made me think escaping was so much fun. It certainly didn't presage any teenage rebelliousness.ReplyDelete
Greta, love this post...There must be something about being shy yet adventurist because I, too, was a shy but Great Escapist. I know I gave my mother more than a few grey hairs. [My kids have paid me back, tho'.] I started at age 2! I'm just so-so shy now, but I still love to escape!ReplyDelete


text:
Virtual Oil Well Game
This resource received an Accept or Accept with minor revisions rating from a Panel Peer Review process
These materials were reviewed using face-to-face NSF-style review panel of geoscience and geoscience education experts to review groups of resources addressing a single theme. Panelists wrote reviews that addressed the criteria:
- scientific accuracy and currency
- usability and
- pedagogical effectiveness
- Accept
- Accept with minor revisions
- Accept with major revisions, or
- Reject.
Following the panel meetings, the conveners wrote summaries of the panel discussion for each resource; these were transmitted to the creator, along with anonymous versions of the reviews. Relatively few resources were accepted as is. In most cases, the majority of the resources were either designated as 1) Reject or 2) Accept with major revisions. Resources were most often rejected for their lack of completeness to be used in a classroom or they contained scientific inaccuracies.
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Mar 10, 2005
This material was originally created for Starting Point:Introductory Geology
and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.


text:
Kim Kardashian is all hot and bothered by a new porno about to hit the market -- but not in the good way.
Sources tell TMZ the entire Kardashian family is "taking legal action" against Hustler Entertainment after learning about the XXX spoof of their reality show which the smut peeps creatively titled, "Keeping it Up For the KardASSians."
We're also told the people at E! Entertainment are also considering their legal options -- it might be because the signature "whistly theme song" in the porno sounds awfully similar to the one in the show.
FYI -- Kim also took legal action when the porno that she actually starred in came out back in 2007 -- but nothing ever came of that ... so to speak.
See Also
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If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world but I am sure we would be getting reports from hell before breakfast.
William Tecumseh Sherman quotes (American Civil War General and a major architect of modern warfare. 1820-1891)
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|Preston Hudson
Hi everyone. I have seen some conflicting information concerning faction missions and I am hoping to clear this up for good. I am aware in the season 0-2 scenarios, if two different factions get the same mission and one of those players completes the faction mission it is considered complete by both factions. Would both players get the PP or just the player completing the faction mission?
Would this apply if there were more than one member of the same faction at the table and only one of them actually completes the faction mission?
Would the application of the faction mission PP be a GM call if the other member of the faction was working on the overall mission completion and the faction mission was completed by another within the faction?
Thanks in advance for the responses.
Most missions can only be done once(like convice so and so to do this or pass x to Y) so it really doesnt matter who did it as long as it was completed. In the case of older scenarios where shadow lodge and cheliax might be technically differant factions, in the older scenarios just treat them as if they are in the same faction.
Faction missions: If completed by anyone, the members of the relevant faction gain the PP for completion. Note that, between being able to ask for help on non-secret missions, and some missions being completed by action X during encounter Y, sometimes a faction mission can be completed without anyone from the faction being present.
|Lily Orlovsky


text:
Suriname Population: 585,824NO VISITORS FROM HERE YET!
Back to Flag Counter Overview
|First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE was reelected unopposed in 2015.
Smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast
|Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
|Geographic coordinates:
| total: 163,820 sq km
land: 156,000 sq km
water: 7,820 sq km
Size comparison: slightly larger than Georgia
|Land Boundaries:
|total: 1,907 km border countries (3): Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km
|386 km
|Maritime claims:
| territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
|tropical; moderated by trade winds
|mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
|Elevation extremes:
|Natural resources:
|timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
|Land use:
| agricultural land: 0.5% arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0.1% forest: 94.6%
other: 4.9% (2011 est.)
|Irrigated land:
|570 sq km (2012)
|Natural hazards:
|Current Environment Issues:
|deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
|International Environment Agreements:
| party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|^Back to Top
| noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese
|Ethnic groups:
|Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
|Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
|Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
|585,824 (July 2016 est.)
|Age structure:
| 0-14 years: 25.15% (male 75,088/female 72,261)
15-24 years: 17.46% (male 52,129/female 50,141)
25-54 years: 44.36% (male 132,334/female 127,562)
55-64 years: 7.16% (male 20,564/female 21,394)
65 years and over: 5.86% (male 14,848/female 19,503) (2016 est.)
|Dependency ratios:
| total dependency ratio: 50.8%
youth dependency ratio: 40.4%
elderly dependency ratio: 10.4%
potential support ratio: 9.6% (2015 est.)
|Median age:
| total: 29.5 years
male: 29.1 years
female: 29.9 years (2016 est.)
|Population growth rate:
|1.05% (2016 est.)
|Birth rate:
|16 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
|Death rate:
|6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
|Net migration rate:
|0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
| urban population: 66% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 0.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
|Major urban areas - population:
|PARAMARIBO (capital) 234,000 (2014)
|Sex ratio:
| at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
|Maternal mortality rate:
|155 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
|Infant mortality rate:
| total: 25.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
|Life expectancy at birth:
| total population: 72.2 years male: 69.8 years
female: 74.8 years (2016 est.)
|Total fertility rate:
|1.95 children born/woman (2016 est.)
|Contraceptive prevalence rate:
|47.6% (2010)
|Health expenditures:
|5.7% of GDP (2014)
|Hospital bed density:
|3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)
|Drinking water source:
| improved:
urban: 98.1% of population
rural: 88.4% of population
total: 94.8% of population
urban: 1.9% of population
rural: 11.6% of population
total: 5.2% of population (2015 est.)
|Sanitation facility access:
| improved:
urban: 88.4% of population
rural: 61.4% of population
total: 79.2% of population
urban: 11.6% of population
rural: 38.6% of population
total: 20.8% of population (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|1.08% (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|3,800 (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|100 (2015 est.)
|Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
|26.1% (2014)
|Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
|5.8% (2010)
|Education expenditures:
| definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 96.1%
female: 95% (2015 est.)
|Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
| total: 15.3% male: 11.6%
female: 21.7% (2013 est.)
|^Back to Top
|Country name:
| conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
etymology: name may derive from the indigenous "Surinen" people who inhabited the area at the time of European contact
|Government type:
|presidential republic
| name: Paramaribo
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
|Administrative divisions:
|10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
|25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
|National holiday:
|Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
|previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987; amended 1992 (2016)
|Legal system:
|civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009
|18 years of age; universal
|Executive branch:
| chief of state: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly; president and vice president serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held on 25 May 2020)
election results: Desire Delano BOUTERSE reelected president; National Assembly vote - NA
|Legislative branch:
| description: unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - NDP 45.5%, V7 37.2%, A-Com 10.5%, DOE 4.3%, PALU .7%, other 1.7%; seats by party - NDP 26, V7 18, A-Com 5, DOE 1, PALU 1
|Judicial branch:
| highest resident court(s): High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the High Court; judges appointed for life
subordinate courts: cantonal courts
|Political parties and leaders:
|Alternative Combination or A-Com (a coalition that includes ABOP, KTPI, PDO) Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Celsius WATERBERG] Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Winston JESSURUN] General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK} National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE] National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND] Party for Democracy and Development or PDO [Waldy NAIN] Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD] Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA] People's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO] Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU [Jim HOK] Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN] United Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI] Victory 7 or V7 (formerly the New Front for Democracy and Development or NF) (a coalition including NPS, VHP, DA91, PL, SPA) [Chandrikapresad SANTOKHI]
|Political pressure groups and leaders:
|Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE] Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE] Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]
|International organization participation:
|ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|National symbol(s):
|royal palm, faya lobi (flower); national colors: green, white, red, yellow
|National anthem:
| name: "God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname)
lyrics/music: Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY
note: adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893 and contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo
|Diplomatic representation in the US:
| chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sylvana Elvira SIMSON (since 1 September 2015)
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
consulate(s) general: Miami
|Diplomatic representation from the US:
| chief of mission: Ambassador Jay N. ANANIA (since 1 October 2012)
embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address: US Department of State, PO Box 1821, Paramaribo
telephone: [597] 472-900
|^Back to Top
The economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil, gold, and alumina accounting for about 85% of exports and 27% of government revenues, making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. Economic growth has declined annually from just under 5% in 2012 to 1.5% in 2015. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. As a result of these measures, inflation receded to less than 4% in 2015. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government's reliance on revenue from extractive industries will temper Suriname's economic outlook, especially if gold prices continue their downward trend.
|GDP (purchasing power parity):
| GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.547 billion (2016 est.) $9.188 billion (2015 est.) $9.216 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
|GDP (official exchange rate):
|GDP (official exchange rate): $4.137 billion (2015 est.)
|GDP - real growth rate:
|-7% (2016 est.) -0.3% (2015 est.) 1.8% (2014 est.)
|GDP - per capita (PPP):
| GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,200 (2016 est.) $16,500 (2015 est.) $16,500 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
|Gross national saving:
|57% of GDP (2016 est.) 51% of GDP (2015 est.) 62.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
|GDP - composition, by end use:
| household consumption: 65.4%
government consumption: 15.2%
investment in fixed capital: 16.2%
investment in inventories: 26.5%
exports of goods and services: 43.7%
imports of goods and services: -40.5% (2016 est.)
|GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
| household consumption: 65.4%
government consumption: 15.2%
investment in fixed capital: 16.2%
investment in inventories: 26.5%
exports of goods and services: 43.7%
imports of goods and services: -40.5% (2016 est.)
|Agriculture - products:
|rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products
|bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
|Industrial production growth rate:
|-2% (2016 est.)
|Labor force:
|165,600 (2007 est.)
|Labor force - by occupation:
| agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 19.5%
services: 69.3% (2010)
|Unemployment rate:
|8.9% (2014 est.) 8.5% (2013 est.)
|Population below poverty line:
|70% (2002 est.)
|Household income or consumption by percentage share:
| lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
| revenues: $469.9 million
expenditures: $664.3 million (2016 est.)
|Taxes and other revenues:
|11.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
|Fiscal year:
|calendar year
|Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|Inflation rate (consumer prices): 39% (2016 est.) 3% (2015 est.)
|Current account balance:
|-$174 million (2016 est.) -$808 million (2015 est.)
|$1.699 billion (2016 est.) $1.666 billion (2015 est.)
|Exports - commodities:
|alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
|Exports - partners:
|Switzerland 21.8%, UAE 14.5%, India 13.9%, Belgium 9.7%, US 8.9%, France 8.1%, Canada 6.6% (2015)
|$1.914 billion (2016 est.) $1.973 billion (2015 est.)
|Imports - commodities:
|capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
|Imports - partners:
|US 26.8%, Netherlands 14.3%, China 12.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.4%, Japan 4.8% (2015)
|Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|$330.2 million (31 December 2015 est.) $625.2 million (31 December 2014 est.)
|Debt - external:
|$1.235 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.15 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
|Market value of publicly traded shares:
|Exchange rates:
|Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar - 6.172 (2016 est.) 3.4167 (2015 est.) 3.4167 (2014 est.) 3.3 (2013 est.) 3.3 (2012 est.)
|^Back to Top
|Electricity - production:
|2.1 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - consumption:
|1.9 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - exports:
|0 kWh (2013 est.)
|Electricity - imports:
|0 kWh (2013 est.)
|Electricity - installed generating capacity:
|400,000 kW (2014 est.)
|Electricity - from fossil fuels:
|54.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
|0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
|45.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from other renewable sources:
|0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Crude oil - production:
|17,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
|Crude oil - exports:
|0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Crude oil - imports:
|0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Crude oil - proved reserves:
|88.97 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
|Refined petroleum products - production:
|19,120 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - consumption:
|17,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - exports:
|12,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - imports:
|10,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - production:
|0 cu m (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - consumption:
|0 cu m (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - exports:
|0 cu m (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - imports:
|0 cu m (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - proved reserves:
|0 cu m (1 January 2011 es)
|Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
|2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
|^Back to Top
|Cellular Phones in use:
|total: 991,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 171 (July 2015 est.)
|Telephone system:
| general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 185 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)
|Broadcast media:
|2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)
|Internet country code:
|Internet users:
|total: 248,000 percent of population: 42.8% (July 2015 est.)
|^Back to Top
|55 (2013)
|Airports (paved runways):
| total 6
over 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2013)
|Airports (unpaved runways):
| total 49
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 45 (2013)
|oil 50 km (2013)
| total 4,304 km
paved: 1,130 km
unpaved: 3,174 km (2003)
|1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2011)
|Ports and terminals:
|major seaport(s): Paramaribo, Wageningen
|^Back to Top
|Military branches:
|Suriname Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (2010)
|Military service age and obligation:
|18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012)
|^Back to Top
|Transnational Issues
|Disputes - International:
|area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UN Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitration to resolve the longstanding dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
|Illicit drugs:
|growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
|^Back to Top
Back to Flag Counter Overview
Source: CIA - The World Factbook


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Lanvin Creates Bubblegum Macarons For Laduree
Perfect Pairing: Lanvin Creates Macarons With Ladurée
Perfect Pairing: Lanvin Creates Macarons With Ladurée
Around the time editors and buyers alight on Paris Fashion Week, Lanvin will introduce a special box of bubblegum-flavored macarons at Ladurée.
Alber Elbaz himself created doodles for the box the confections will be sold in, which captures the playfulness of women of all ages enjoying the sweets.
Real women will have to wait until Sept. 25 to buy the multicolored confections in Paris. Ladurée's stores in New York, Great Britain, and Japan will start selling them on Sept. 28. The rest of the world will have to wait until Oct. 1 to savor the treats.
For now, a look at the whimsical packaging here in the gallery.
Photo courtesy of Ladurée.


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It's about time we all took stock of playwright Marie Jones' achievements. She's one of the few Irish playwrights whose works have consistently been staged back to back on Broadway and New York City's main stages over the past three decades.
Audiences adore her bitingly funny scripts because they come straight from the lived experience of her instantly recognizable subjects – the North's working class, and usually Belfast's.
In particular no other playwright in recent years, with the exception of Geraldine Hughes, has put the scalding wit and wisdom of Belfast's women on a New York stage as successfully as Jones does. Her characters leap to life with all the immense inner spirit and humor of the people of her home city.
So it's a pleasure to see that the skills that made Jones famous are fully evident in her new play Fly Me to the Moon, which is being staged at the 59East59 Theatre as part of the 1st Irish Theater Festival.
Jones introduces to community care workers Francis and Loretta who look after 84-year-old Davy, a lonely old man who lives for his Frank Sinatra records and his modest weekly bet on the horses.
But when Davy dies unexpectedly the two cash strapped ladies are faced with an awful choice, will they cash in his pension and collect his unexpected race winnings? How far are they prepared to go for a little windfall that apparently hurts no one?
It's a fun premise, and it's fun to watch these two thoroughly decent women agonize and interrogate each other over their unexpected good fortune, which has come to them in the most unfortunate manner.
In other hands this play would probably be a farce, with the playwright piling on the unforeseen consequences for their dubious if well-intentioned decision. But Jones knows the community she is writing about intimately, and she mines the play's premise to tell hard truths about hard times. While we're laughing she pulls the rug from under us.
"He never won any more than a couple a quid, but that was his life…all he had…his newspaper, the horses, memories of singing along with Frank Sinatra and a life of misery… he's better off dead in my opinion."
For all its surface humor, and there is more than enough to make this a hilarious night out, Fly Me to the Moon tells desperately sad truths about difficult lives.
As Loretta actress Tara Lynne O'Neill has a lovely sulky presence that looks worn down by the endless drudgery of her home life, and Katie Tumelty as Francis is a whirlwind of regret and opportunism that you cannot take your eyes off. We laugh at these ladies but we come to care for them too. It would be impossible not to, knowing how hard they work for the pittance they're paid.
The paranoia that sets in as the women start imagining the consequences for their actions is the most telling and hilarious part of the play. In their hearts neither Francis nor Loretta believe they deserve to do well, anywhere, ever. They just don't possess the sense of entitlement that the well off do. That's why they start anticipating their comeuppance before it even arrives.
"For me as a writer it reflects my community now," Jones tells the Irish Voice. "These two women are community care workers, which means they are the lowest paid, but they still have amazing heart and dignity.
"The opportunity they encounter forces them to do something that goes against their whole grain and that spirals out of control. Because they are powerless people in their daily lives they actually don't know what to do."
The idea of the play came to Jones from someone who she knew who actually did what the women in the play do. The consequences weren't the same, but her crisis of conscience was.
"What have I just done, she asked herself," Jones says. "Her conscience scalded her. What she decided was just to get rid of the cash as soon she could. I remember vividly deciding that this was a story to do. We started out with just the title and the idea and it took off from there."
It's the strongest new play, and the funniest, I have seen yet in the 1st Irish Theatre Festival. This is one flight you don't want to miss.
For tickets call 212-279-4200.


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Engaging with the greater Hartford community is one of the Law School's core missions. Students, faculty and staff are involved in a variety of public service projects beginning at Orientation. In 2013, the Law School partnered with Hands on Hartford and Elizabeth Park to provide support services aimed at homelessness, park maintenance and school clean up. Our student organizations have developed relationships with local organizations and have provided thousands of pounds of clothing, food, sneakers, coats and school supplies to non-profit agencies.
Students can engage in the following volunteer opportunities:
H.E.L.P., the Homeless Education and Legal Project, matches students with attorneys to provide legal assistance to the homeless population in Hartford.
International Refugee Assistance Program is designed to provide legal assistance to displaced Iraqi refugees in Connecticut.
Keep the Power On Clinic is a clinic operated by the Center for Children's Advocacy. Students are trained and paired with attorneys to provide assistance to individuals and families who have lost their utilities.
Small Claims Workshop was developed by two students and the office of the commissioner of consumer protection. The workshop provides guidance for individuals representing themselves in the small claims process in Connecticut.
If you are interested in taking part in any of the activities on campus please contact the appropriate student organization or the Student Affairs Office.
DISCLAIMER: In assisting students we are not acting as your attorney. THEY DO NOT REPRESENT YOU.
USER AGREEEMENT: By use of this website and the associated informational sheets, you agree that UConn School of Law has not undertaken to provide you with legal advice, is not providing you with legal advice and that no attorney client relationship of any kind is intended or created between you and the UConn School of Law.


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You may think you're an ultimate film fan, and that you spend an impressive chunk of your time watching movies, nay, studying them, soaking them in, breathing them, but ponder this: Could you create an entire feature that employs over 450 clips from other movies? And have it form a story arc that makes sense?
Perhaps none of us, even the most dedicated cinephiles, has that astounding ability up our popcorn butter-stained sleeves. But György Pálfi has done just that.
The Hungarian filmmaker created "Final Cut -- Ladies And Gentleman," an 84-minute film told through clips from over 450 other films. Set to screening at The Cinefamily's Silent Movie headquarters on Fairfax, "Final Cut" is "the culmination of three years' worth of editing."
Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Chan are just two of the actors you'll see cameo in the nearly hour-and-a-half flick, a work that roams the decades of filmdom, alighting on every time and a host of genres. And, yes yes, there is a story to be found within the clips, a "single flowing arc," per Cinefamily.
Hmm. This sounds like this concept could inspire a screenwriter. Has the movie industry been telling a single story all along, via hundreds of films, and we didn't even know it?
Scribes, get typing.
The movie will run on select nights from Friday, Oct. 4 through Thursday, Oct. 10.
Would this not be an interesting double feature with "The Clock"? Of course that film, which periodically screens at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, does run 24 hours. But artist Christian Marclay's film is indeed a kindred spirit to "Final Cut -- Ladies And Gentlemen" in that it uses hundreds of clocks and watches to tell the current time from hundreds of different films.


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One of the best ways to prevent overweight and obesity in your child is to improve the eating and activity levels of your entire family. Learn how to help your child make healthy choices.
Review Date: Tuesday, December 01, 2015
National Health Information Center - NHICU.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Use this calculator for children and teens, aged 2 through 19 years old, to calculate the body mass index for a child or teen.
Review Date: Monday, April 06, 2015
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity - DNPAO, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
This fact sheet discusses childhood obesity, including health risks, diagnosis, and treatment. Tips are provided for parents to help establish healthy eating patterns.
Review Date: Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Obesity Society
Eating well and being physically active are key to your child's well-being. This site provides tips for parents to help their child—and the whole family—learn healthy eating and physical activity habits.
Review Date: Monday, May 11, 2015
NIH Weight-Control Information Network, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Healthy eating and physical activity habits are key to your child's well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little can lead to overweight and related health problems that can follow children into their adult years.
We Can! is a national program designed for families and communities to help children maintain a healthy weight. The program focuses on three important behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time.
Review Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014
NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - NHLBI
Read about problems associated with childhood obesity.
Review Date: Wednesday, February 01, 2012
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By Art Lander Jr.
Frankfort, KY. – The heat of summer is a good time to begin thinking about fall plantings to benefit wildlife.
Winter wheat is a top choice for a fall crop because it is readily eaten by deer and wild turkey and is an excellent nurse crop for clover. Winter wheat is typically planted Aug. 15 through Oct. 31.
Broadcast wheat seed with a hand-crank spreader and rake or disk it under.
"I recommend planting clover at the same time you plant the wheat," said Joe Lacefield, a private lands wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "The clover will take root over the winter and come on the next spring as the wheat starts to die back."
In tobacco country, winter wheat has been the cover crop of choice to the benefit of wildlife. High in protein and easily digestible, winter wheat provides high quality green forage which is especially attractive in the late season.
Lacefield said one way to prepare a site is to mow, then apply herbicide when the re-growth starts.
"After the weeds have died back, then till the area before planting," said Lacefield. "Ideally, you want to time the planting of your winter wheat and clover seed in anticipation of rain."
Another site preparation option is tilling or mechanical cultivation whenever the plot is dry over a period of time leading up to planting. Tilling uproots grass and weeds and loosens the soil.
Plots should be located on a level spot with decent soil fertility and full sun a majority of the day.
Winter wheat grows best when the soil has a pH of 5.8 to 6.5. Use a soil test to measure the nutrient levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) as well as the acidity of the soil. Soil test kits are available at most farm stores. Follow directions carefully.
If fertilizer needs to be added to your plot, consider using 10-10-10, a formulation commonly available in 50-pound bags. Both fertilizer and agricultural lime are available in pellet form, for easy application with a hand-crank spreader. Lime improves water penetration and the uptake of nutrients of plants growing in acidic soils. Don't skimp on the amount of lime that is recommended. Low pH is usually an issue with soils in Kentucky.
Two excellent plot locations are the edge of a field or an existing woods opening that deer or turkey are already using. Your tree stand or ground blind should be within easy shooting range and downwind of the plot.
Lacefield suggests planting Ladino or white clover in shaded, woodland openings. Red clover seems to do better in open fields with full sun, growing well on the warm weather days in September and October. Red clover grows taller than white clover and is less impacted by weeds, but all stands of clover need periodic mowing to thrive.
This perennial cool-season legume helps increases soil fertility and provides an almost year-round source of high quality forage for wildlife. An established plot of clover starts growing in the early spring and lasts until it is killed back by the heaviest frosts of late fall.
Author Art Lander Jr. has been writing about the outdoors since the 1970s. He is a staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine.
Media Contact: Art lander 1-800-858-1549, ext. 4414


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A television boss was jailed for three years today for laundering at least half a million pounds from a crash-for-cash insurance scam.
Mohammed Ferdhaus admitted benefiting by at least £500,000 as a result of the scam operated by his brother, Mohammed Samsul Haque.
Ferdhaus, 40, of Brentwood, Essex, founded Channel S, a satellite television station for Britain's Bangladeshi community.
Between 2005 and 2008 at least 124 claims were made by individuals linked to Motor Alliance, a company run by Haque.
After he was given his sentence, Ferdhaus grinned, gave a thumbs up and said "see you soon" to his supporters in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court, before he was led away from the dock by a security guard.
Haque and five other men were sentenced in October 2011 following the Metropolitan Police's Operation Scarp.
The total loss to the insurance industry was £1.9 million. Of that sum, £1.17 million was paid to Motor Alliance, at least £500,000 of which was transferred to Ferdhaus or companies controlled by him.
Ferdhaus, who is also known by the first name Jay, pleaded guilty to money laundering on what would have been the first day of his trial in July last year.
In 2008 he was jailed for 18 months at Croydon Crown Court for conspiracy to defraud.
Judge Anthony Pitts, passing sentence today, noted that Ferdhaus committed the money laundering whilst on bail awaiting his previous trial.
In relation to the latest scam, he said: "You were not charged with complicity in that conspiracy but you were very close to it nevertheless.
"Samsul Haque was your younger brother, you owned Prestige Auto Group and the evidence showed there was a very close connection between Prestige and Motor Alliance in a number of ways."
Mr Pitts said Ferdhaus "knew very well" that the money he was laundering came from the crash for cash fraud.
In mitigation, Mark Milliken-Smith QC said his client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after being kidnapped and beaten in May 2011.
He told the court that if he was jailed "there is real risk he'll suffer in a way which is far out of proportion with the criminality in this particular case".
The judge accepted that the defendant was "very well respected in your community", but ordered that "an immediate custodial sentence of some length must be passed".
Ferdhaus, of Prettigate Farm, Brentwood, was also banned from being a company director for 10 years.
He is the final man to be jailed under Operation Scarp.


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Thomas Cznarty thinks he has directed a riveting documentary, "After The Sweat Dries,'' on the lives of former Knicks player Ray Williams and Seton Hall men's basketball assistant coach Shaheen Holloway. Now Cznarty's trying to deliver it to a mass audience.
Thomas Cznarty thinks he has directed a riveting documentary, "After The Sweat Dries,'' on the lives of former Knicks player Ray Williams and Seton Hall men's basketball assistant coach Shaheen Holloway. Now Cznarty's trying to deliver it to a mass audience.
Cznarty, a SUNY New Paltz professor and Town of Newburgh resident, is trying to raise funds in order to sell it. He needs about $10,000 to acquire the rights to various footage in the documentary.
"I think that there's a buyer out there for this documentary,'' said Cznarty, whose out-of-pocket expenses have totaled about $6,000. "Both stories are very compelling.''
Cznarty's challenge is similar to a book author securing a publisher. His subjects certainly have led interesting lives.
Williams, known as "Sugar Ray,'' played for six NBA teams, including the Knicks and Nets, from 1977-87. He encountered severe financial problems after playing, filing for bankruptcy in 1994 and only a couple years ago living out of his car in Florida.
Williams, chosen 10th overall in the 1977 draft, eventually got a job in his hometown of Mount Vernon in Westchester County as a recreation specialist. He got back with a former girlfriend, Linda Crawford, and they were married in 2011.
As he turned around his life, Cznarty said, Williams was diagnosed with cancer last year. He endured six months of chemotherapy.
"He's rebounded strong,'' Cznarty said.
Holloway, out of Jamaica, Queens, averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 assists as a standout guard for Seton Hall from 1996-00. He averaged 13.2 and 5.6 assists as a senior, but a broken ankle against Temple in the second round of the NCAA tournament stalled his progress after the season. Holloway went undrafted and wound up playing professionally in Europe.
He had just signed a two-year contract to continue playing in Germany in 2005 when Holloway came home. His daughter, Shatanik, whom Holloway fathered at 15, was struggling in school. Holloway wanted to be a greater influence in Shatanik's life. She is now a student at Seton Hall.
Holloway got into coaching and has risen through the ranks to become Kevin Willard's top assistant at Seton Hall.
Cznarty's theme is: "what it takes to make it to the big show and what happens afterward.'' His vision is to see the documentary become the first of 10-12 episodes with a similar focus on different athletes.
He got hooked up with the players first through good friend George Frazier, founder of Newburgh-based Hoops Express, a program offering kids opportunities through academics and athletics. Frazier set up Cznarty with Kevin Loder, vice president of the NBA Retired Players Association and a former NBA player, who knows Williams and Holloway.
Twitter: @th_KevinGleason


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Pub Quiz
Pub Quiz
Donnerstag | 11. Oktober 2018 | 21:00 Uhr
Hello Quizzers, get your thinking caps on, grab a team and come and get nice and cozy in our pub for an evening of fun! We open the doors at 6 pm and serve nice, cold Guinness on tap!
Make sure to arrive early as space fills up fast. If you don't have a team, fear not as we'll team you up 🙂


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Day 5 Haydock to Penrith
Day 5 did not start well, despite the 'Eye of the Tiger' wake up call. We were sodden, from the moment we started it was literally pouring down our faces, we could barely see. My feet were swimming in my shoes despite the 'waterproof' overshoes and my hands were swimming in my apparently 'waterproof' gloves. We were all head down trying not to drown as we made our way through Wigan and Preston being pummelled by the torrent and sprayed by puddle plunging cars and buses. I was back to 'What am I doing?' for the first hour and dreaming of hot baths, hot chocolate and a cosy ride in the broom wagon. I had come this far and I really did not need to be putting myself through this. So having accepted that at some point today I would probably get off my bike, I just decided to keep going to see how long I could endure. It was pretty unbearable but eventually, the unbearable really can become normal and soon I could hardly notice the rain lashing down. I realised that, in those immortal words of Four Weddings 'I am so wet, I can't get any wetter' and bizarrely I began to enjoy myself. Strange, I know, it must be the Scottish blood in me but I think I came out the other side and started to enjoy the challenge, amazed and pleased that I could laugh at this and just keep going. I did have a secret weapon up my sleeve though. My friend Joe was waiting with coffee at the first pit stop and I think that may have saved the day. When we swung in to the Garden Centre pit stop and saw Joe standing with his thermos of hot steaming coffee, we could have (and I think may have) all kissed him!
Sadly, we lost Lou at the first pit stop to a bad knee, the cold and wet exacerbating her injury. Next to fall was Kelly who succumbed to early stages of hypothermia and surprisingly wasn't the only one that day. Our group was now down to just 3.
Having warmed up a bit, dried off a little courtesy of the hand drier in the loos and consumed the life saving coffee, we were off again. Gradually the day did dry out but not until it had dumped another few tonnes of rain on us. There were many soggy riders just wanting the day to end but the best scenery of the trip so far began with a 9 mile climb of Shap Fell. The advantage of being slightly speed challenged was that by the time we started to climb Shap Fell, the weather was beautiful and the views breathtaking. It was quite a slow and steady slog to the top but, rewarded with stunning views of the Lake District on all sides, spirits were lifted high for the last run into Penrith.
The crew on the other hand were having a complete nightmare. There had been a flash flood at our camp in Penrith and the ground was soaking wet. Some of the trucks couldn't get onto the site, only half the showers were in place, which of course made for long queues as cold, wet riders waited for their longed for hot showers. Sections of the camp had to be cordoned off and the floor of the chill out tent seemed to be boasting some sort of water feature. Amazingly though, they pulled it all together and somehow managed to pitch 500+ tents, feed us well and keep us from drowning in our sleep.
James Cracknell's comments on the day can't actually be printed but safe to say he didn't much enjoy being rained on for 6 hours. The bronze medal winning rower Alex Partridge congratulated us on a character building day and Tim Reddish was there also to congratulate us on passing the half way mark. I think today was the day that I started to think that if I could get this far and survive a day like today with a smile on my face, then I might, just might, make it.
All that was left was for head of Threshold events Nick Tuppen to carry out his daily, unenviable job of relating the following day's weather to us and cover any health and safety issues. He signed off with the reassurance that we would all sleep well tonight due to the gentle sound of lapping water outside our tents....a joke lost on the many who had decided to decamp to the Penrith Holiday Inn....why hadn't i thought of that?


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an invisible (infrared) pulsed laser beam transmits a liquid (water) and is ablating a solid (gold) releasing stable nanoparticles (positively charged gold nanoparticle with negative solvatisation zeta potential) .
Views: 1455
I am working on my course project titled " Laser induced assembly of gold nano particles into colloidal crystals". We are synthesising gold nano particles by nanopulsed laser(Nd-YAG second harmonic) ablation. How Laser parameters - wavelength,pulse width,fluence,repetition rate,scanning time affects the size and efficiency of the nanoparticles and which are the values for these factors to get maximum efficiency? we need to get nanoparticles have an average size less than 20nm.please help me.
nice video of LAL
@ NANOSTROM, @ Phanjom:
No, this method is well established. It first reported in 1993. Now, we are a big community, with about 2 articles published per week. A summary on this can be found here:
Barcikowski, S.; Devesa, F.; Moldenhauer, K.: Impact and structure of literature on nanoparticle generation by laser ablation in liquids. In: Journal of Nanoparticle Research 11 (2009), Nr. 8, S. 1883–1893
Weblink: http://www.springerlink.com/content/lu07w038475086l4/
DOI: 10.1007/s11051-009-9765-0
In this video, a high-power picosecond laser was applied for this laser-based colloid synthesis for the first time. This allows to work in water or organic solvent at producttivities up to 1.3 g/h:
Bärsch, N.; Jakobi, J.; Weiler, S.;Barcikowski, S.: Pure colloidal metal and ceramic nanoparticles from high-power picosecond laser ablation in water and acetone. In: Nanotechnology 20 (2009), Nr. 44, 445603
Open access: http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/20/44/445603/pdf/nano9_44_44560...
Moreover, under appropriate conditions, the nanoparticles can be fabricated also with nanosecond-pulsed laser in gram scale.
Sajti, C. L.; Sattari, R.; Chichkov, B. N.;Barcikowski, S.: Gram Scale Synthesis of Pure Ceramic Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation in Liquid. In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114 (2010), Nr. 6, S. 2421–2427
Weblink: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp906960g
DOI: 10.1021/jp906960g
Is this a newly discovered phenomenon? Can someone clarify?
Also, how about heat (entropy) generated by Laser beaming? Does it raise temp. of water?
Where can we get more information on this
Hello Sir,
Its amazing...May i get to know more about it....
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Message Board
Allen Barra Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Barra has written!
Author Barra's Book Reviews
Inventing Wyatt Earp: His Life and Many Legends
A lot has been written over the years about the life of Wyatt Earp, both legend and fact. Barra shows what he believes where legend may be fact and known facts to border on legend or be the fanciful imagining of those who loved the Wild West. The tale begins in Monmouth, Illinois where Wyatt was born in 1849, dispelling any myth of Earp either being born in a log cabin or on a ranch. He was just a plain ordinary boy who lived in a plain ordinary house wi...


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Senior Lecturer of Writing
Ayla Moore has been teaching in the Writing Program since 1996. She loves teaching FLC students and enjoys witnessing the moment when they go from not knowing something to knowing it. She is a strong supporter of the FLC Essay Contest and several of her students have been awarded prizes in the competition.
Ayla has been the faculty advisor for several student clubs like the FLC Pinheads (the telemark skiing club), the Juggling Club, and the Ice Hockey team. She is the current coordinator for FLC Learning Communities, an interdisciplinary, theme-based approach to learning for new students.
She is an avid telemarker, rafter, ice hockey player, and runner. She is married, has two daughters and lives in Durango. Her topics of interest include studying the purposes of a liberal arts education, environmental ethics and the revitalization of the commons, and Eros, or romantic love.
Office: Jones 126
Phone: (970) 247-7006
Email: email@example.com


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2007 News Releases > December 2007 > New professor to lead missions center, Kenya Campus
New professor to lead missions center, Kenya Campus
PLAINVIEW – Wayland Baptist University has taken a huge step in developing a new initiative within its department of religion and philosophy, announcing the hiring of Dr. Richard Shaw as director of the Wayland Mission Center.
The Wayland Mission Center is an initiative set into motion in response to students' interest in mission work.
"We have had students indicate a large interest in missions," said Dr. Paul Sadler, chairman of the Division of Religion and Philosophy. "We have wanted for some time to add a larger mission component to our curriculum. In adding Dr. Shaw to our faculty we have responded to the desires expressed by our students."
Shaw will develop curriculum for the new center as well as serve as an assistant professor of religion and dean of Wayland's Kenya campus. Shaw's goal in developing the curriculum is to incorporate all disciplines of study into a mission emphasis.
"Religion and theology is very important. But in terms of business, in terms of fine arts, in terms of education, all of that informs mission in a very important way," Shaw said.
Shaw said the desire is for the Wayland Mission Center to become not only a place of training and education for students, but also a center of missions for West Texas and the surrounding areas, including New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado.
"It goes back to the dream of becoming a world mission center," Shaw said. "(A place) where churches and youth groups, student groups, lay people or whoever can have training and orientation whether it is for career missions or short-term missions."
Shaw brings a wealth of experience to the field, having served as a missionary overseas for 12 years with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. Shaw and his wife, Martha, served in 53 different areas of ministry including church planting, transformational development work, installing sewage systems, water purification, working with orphaned children, teaching and much more. Shaw also worked with the United Nations, serving as a human rights advocate and working with women, children, prostitutes and people with HIV and AIDS.
While Shaw said he has a passion for mission work, it was while working on his Ph.D. at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ken., that he discovered a passion for teaching. After planting several churches in Albania and training their leaders to become true pastors and missionaries, Shaw knew that if he returned to that field, those leaders would expect him to resume control of the congregations.
"I was convicted that would be a mistake," he said. "While I have been Albanianized in many ways, I will never be an Albanian. They are. They understand what it is to have been a Muslim and to have come to faith in Christ. They are truly better missionaries than I would ever be because they are indigenous people."
As he completed work on his Ph.D. Shaw received word from a friend that Wayland was seeking to fill the position of mission director. A native of Santa Fe, N.M., he had no desire to move to the windy, dry West Texas area, but as time passed the opportunity began to appeal to him.
"I had quite a few options," he said. "But the Lord kept drawing me back to Wayland and it was the only position that incorporated both missions and teaching. I realized, during the interview with (WBU Provost Dr. Bobby) Hall that this was the right place for us."
Shaw and his family moved to Plainview in November where he began work on the curriculum. Shaw will officially start teaching classes in the spring semester and he has already planned his first overseas, on-site, study opportunity for students and others who are interested. Shaw will be leading a group of students to the Balkans in May where they will study, learn and work with Muslims in the mission field. Students will receive class credit for the trip. The trip is also open to people who aren't looking for course credit, but want to be a part of the experience. Travel expenses cost approximately $2,200 per person. Anyone interested can contact the Department of Religion and Philosophy at 806-291-1160. In July, Shaw will lead a group of students on his first trip to Kenya.
Shaw and his wife have two children living at home -- Benjamin, 9, and Grace, who is 7 -- and two older children: Faith, a student at Asbury, and James, who just graduated from Baylor.