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In the center of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, police dispersed opposition protesters Thursday with water cannons and tear gas.
Out in the suburbs, a growing number of newly arrived African statesmen – from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Sierra Leone's President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah – met with Kenya's two top leaders to help find a peaceful resolution to the ethnic violence that has killed more than 300 people since last week's disputed presidential vote.
And in their respective headquarters, populist opposition leader Raila Odinga and incumbent President Mwai Kibaki continue to dig in their heels and demand that their rival step aside.
Yet, amid the ethnic clashes, there are a few signs of hope that the crisis that followed Kenya's Dec. 27 national elections might be moving toward resolution.
The very fact that police used water cannons, rather than live ammunition as in the past, shows a restraint in the government's use of force. And the presence of potential mediators gives both leaders a face-saving way to soften their positions and seek middle ground, experts say.
"We want [Mr. Kibaki] to own up to the fact that the elections were not right, they were rigged, and even the chairman of the Election Commission Samuel Kivuitu [said] that they were rigged," says Najib Balala, an opposition member of Parliament. "So we must sit down and negotiate. We are ready to negotiate, if Kibaki and his people can admit the elections were rigged. So far they refuse."
This might seem like an impasse, but François Grignon, director of the Africa program for the International Crisis Group in Nairobi, sees them as a "display of strength" on the way to the negotiation table.
Signs of cooperation
"The government is on the defensive," says Mr. Grignon, and the fact that they used water cannons and tear gas and fired in the air shows that "the government knows it is being watched and it doesn't want to lose all political legitimacy. They don't want to be shown on international TV shooting at crowds holding green branches."
The opposition, despite its tough words, "has made a very strong appeal for mediation," says Grignon, and has even given up its previous demand that the president resign his post before beginning negotiations.
Both sides, in short, seem to realize the limits of their power, he says. "There is a growing feeling of a need for a caretaker government that could rule the country."
Kibaki appealed for calm Thursday, saying: "I am ready to have dialogue with the concerned parties once the nation is calm and the political temperatures are lowered enough for constructive and productive engagement."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Odinga Wednesday night and Kibaki Thursday, urging both of them to work toward a political solution.
Mr. Tutu met with Odinga Thursday and announced that the fiery leader was ready for the "possibility of mediation." Tutu also said he hopes to meet Kibaki.
Meanwhile, African Union (AU) chair Ghana worked the phones for a consensus among key African nations on a basis for mediation.
Working on a path to peace
It is still too early to tell what any negotiations will produce, but experts say that past political impasses give lessons for a possible path out of the present violence.
Ayesha Kajee, an elections expert and head of the International Human Rights Exchange at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, says that a road map to peace might look like this: Since parliamentary elections seem largely to have been carried off with fewer irregularities, the largest party in Parliament could be allowed to form an interim government for a limited period of time, in order to carry out the necessary tasks of government, such as running schools and health programs, and paying government salaries and contracts.
Will the African Union intervene?
In the meantime, Ms. Kajee says, the AU could be invited to send a fact-finding mission to study the Kenyan election results – a procedure that every AU member except Egypt has agreed to in the AU's new charter on elections and governance. Then the AU mission could be allowed to recommend whether to retally voter counts in disputed areas, hold new elections in disputed areas, or the most expensive option, hold new elections nationwide.
"Kenya is a country that can be an indicator for the political health of the entire region, so why not use this election as a test case," says Ms. Kajee. "It is certainly within the AU's interest and its mission to intervene in a case like this, especially in the name of ending ethnic conflict before it spreads."
Kenya's attorney general called Thursday for an independent body to verify the vote tally. But Wafula Okumu, an African security analyst for the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa, says that conducting a retally of the Dec. 27 results will be time-consuming and difficult, given that much of the documentation has either been doctored or has disappeared since election night.
"Just to tally one constituency would take a month, and to do it for the whole country would take 2-1/2 years," says Mr. Okumu. "We are far from the solution, but we are also running out of time.
"What is happening in Kenya is now affecting Uganda, southern Sudan, Burundi, and Rwanda," says Okumu, noting that arms are now starting to flow into Kenya from its neighbors, as ethnic communities and mere gangs prepare for the next round of fighting.
Tensions are also rising for Kenya's neighbors, who depend on Kenya's port of Mombasa to obtain fuel. The UN World Food Programme said Thursday that the violence was delaying key humanitarian supplies to war-torn countries in the region. "It is time for the AU, the East African Community, and the European Union to come in," Okumu says. "They have a stake."
• Muchiri Kioi contributed to this report.


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Gov. Jerry Brown says he won't do it. Attorney General Kamala Harris says she won't either. But now a newly elected county clerk in Southern California is raising his hand and officially asking a federal appeals court to allow him to defend Proposition 8.
Prop. 8 is a voter-passed initiative that bans same-sex marriage, and it is in the middle of a court fight. Right now, the 9th Circuit court is considering its constitutionality on appeal after a San Francisco judge ruled the law would violate the U.S. Constitution. One of the things the three-judge appeal panel is mulling over is whether the sponsors of the proposition have legal standing to step into the role normally held by the governor or lt. governor.
Imperial County Clerk Chuck Storey submitted a brief to the 9th Circuit Court this week claiming his participation as a defender of the initiative is both "appropriate" and "necessary." He says his duties as clerk will be affected by whether gay marriage is legal, and in that role, he says he wants to step in as an official party to defend Prop. 8 in the appeal.
Storey released a statement Friday that read in part, "I took an oath of office to uphold the California Constitution, and Proposition 8 is part of the Constitution."
Imperial County was part of the initial Prop. 8 trial, but because the person representing the county was a "deputy" clerk, the court said they didn't have the authority. Later an appeals court said if the person had been a "county" clerk, they "might have merit."
SInce Storey is a county clerk, his brief is asking that very question.
You can follow on the official legal developments of the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case at this link.

subset: commoncrawl


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University News
J.Q. Adams: 2011 DFL
February 4, 2011
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL -- J.Q. Adams, educational psychology professor in Western Illinois University's department of educational and interdisciplinary studies (EIS), will present the University's 2011 Distinguished Faculty Lecture on the U.S. Census and American identity.
Adams will deliver the lecture, "The U.S. Census: How Its Racial Categories Have Shaped American Identity," at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31 in the College of Fine Arts and Communication Recital Hall, located in Simpkins Hall, on the WIU-Macomb campus. He will address the WIU-Quad Cities campus at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 7 in Room 102.
"I will examine the historical context of the U.S. Census and the role its racial categories have played in shaping the way Americans think of themselves. From the first census in 1790 to the most recent census in 2010, the repetition of some identity categories and the temporary inclusion of new ones reflect uncertainty about who is to be considered white, non-white or something in between," Adams explained.
Through his presentation, Adams will also consider the work of the early census architects, the secretaries of state, whose role was to insure the accuracy of the census as well as its completion.
"I will also bring forth the influence media, science, religion and, most importantly, economics had on the social construction of identity in the early Republic and address the dynamic shifts in immigration patterns that influence the changing face and changing census categories of America today," he added.
Adams joined Western's faculty in August 1988. Before coming to WIU, he served as director of Minority and Intercultural Affairs at Joliet (IL) Junior College, and at Illinois State, where he was the director of the College of Education's Urban Education Program. He also was the community coordinator and team leader for ISU's Teacher Corps Project.
At Western, Adams regularly teaches "Multicultural and Social Foundations of Education," a required course for education majors. Among the graduate courses he teaches are "Implications of Diversity for Educational Leaders" and "Social Change and the Multicultural Aspects of School, " courses he helped create and implement.
Shortly after being appointed a faculty associate in WIU's Office of Faculty Development (now the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Research), Adams led a small group of faculty in the development and approval of a course in cultural diversity, "Group Diversity, CAS 210," which became a multicultural requirement in WIU's general education curriculum.
In the 1990s, Adams developed and taught "Dealing with Diversity," a 24-hour teleclass produced at Governors State University (GSU) and distributed through the PBS Adult Learning Service. The PBS Adult Learning Service also distributes the revised 2001 version of the course. Because of the success of the first two versions, a third has recently been produced and is currently being offered online through GSU.
Adams co-authored the grant, "Expanding Cultural Diversity in the Curriculum and in the Classroom," which the Illinois Board of Higher Education awarded Western annually for more than 10 years before adding the $50,000 to WIU's annual fiscal budget. Projects sponsored through the grant have included eight anthologies that Adams co-edited, more than 15 annual conferences he co-directed, and several video and DVD initiatives for which he served as researcher and on-screen instructor or interviewer. Adams' "Effective Strategies for Learning and Teaching about Diversity in the USA," a 10-hour course on DVD, offers an in-depth exploration and evaluation of the structure of society as it impacts schooling.
In addition, Adams co-directs Western's annual Dealing with Difference Institute, and he has led numerous cultural diversity workshops both on- and off-campus.
Adams received the 2009 G. Pritchy Smith Multicultural Educator Award from the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME and the WIU Provost's 2009 Excellence in Multicultural Teaching Award. In 2008, the College of Education at Grand Valley State College (MI) recognized his accomplishments through its Distinguished Alumni Leadership In Education Award.
Adams earned his bachelor's degree in social studies and psychology from Grand Valley State College, his master's degree in alternative education and psychology from Indiana University and his doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Western Illinois first presented an annual lecturer award in 1969 to honor an outstanding faculty member whose professional development in research or creative activity, teaching and service to the University represent the highest standards of the academic community. In 1998, the award was renamed the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (email@example.com)
Office of University Relations


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Just because the entire comic industry will more or less relocate to San Diego tomorrow doesn't mean there isn't a ton of new stuff on the stands — Locke and Key and Daredevil return, and Grant Morrison pens his treatise on superheroes.
First Issues
Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's new Locke and Key series Clockworks travels back to the Revolutionary War, where redshirts and supernatural nastiness are equally deadly. Mark Waid also starts a new Daredevil series that sees Matt Murdock reassessing his red pajama legacy.
DC's Retroactive line of one-shots has seminal comic creators writing new stories for DC characters as they appeared in the 1970s — Len Wein writes Batman, Cary Bates is on Flash, and Dennis O'Neil pens Wonder Woman. And yes, this is Wonder Woman during her I Ching phase, when she dressed like a mod and learned kung fu.
Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson helm a new Boys miniseries, Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker, which delves into the backstory of the team's ruthless leader. Another comic about an unhinged macho protagonist is Duke Nukem: Glorious Bastard, which coincides with the release of that much-ballyhooed video game nobody really liked. Finally, we have Criminal Macabre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide, which teams up Steve Niles' supernatural detective series with Eric Powell's brute monster smasher.
Other Releases
There are new issues of The Walking Dead, Witch Doctor, Invincible Iron Man, Batman: Gates of Gotham, DMZ, Hellblazer, and War Of The Green Lanterns: Aftermath.
Graphic Novels
Jonathan Ross' gangster vampire miniseries Turf is collected in hardcover, and Lou Reed (of all people) releases his interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven with Italian cartoonist Lorenzo Mattotti (preview here).
Fantagraphics also presently has an initiative to translate post-Tintin Franco-Belgian comics for English-speaking audiences, so they're releasing Maurice Tillieux's crime cartoon Gil Jordan, Private Detective: Murder by High Tide (preview here). 2000 AD is also releasing a collection of tales starring Judge Dredd's undead nemesis Judge Death: The Life and Death of.
Finally, it's not a graphic novel, but today Grant Morrison releases his 464-page treatise on superheroes and the comic industry Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human Not to be confused with Warren Ellis' recent superhuman-arms-race series Supergod, the book promises to be a mind trip from the man who met Animal Man and wrote Superman's Happy Ending Machine.
As usual, here's the list of everything being released to comic stores tomorrow, and you can find your nearest comic retailer here. Rock over Paradise Island, rock on Syldavia! Kord Enterprises — we put the "Bwahaha" in "Savings!"
Top Image from Invincible Iron Man #506 by Salvador Larroca.


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) -- Naftali Garber is sales and marketing coordinator of
Golan's Moving & Storage
, one of largest storage companies in Chicago. Garber became coordinator at the company's flagship office in Skokie, Ill., a little more than a year ago as the company began growing exponentially -- even nationwide. With that success and that of his own technology solutions firm,
Cook County Customs
, Garber has quickly become one of the area's most well-respected entrepreneurs. He offered us insight into how a local moving company expands:
How has Golan's become so successful in the Chicago market?
Competing with several other large companies in the area is no easy task when you factor in the amount of money spent on overhead costs and maintaining equipment. However, we are surprisingly well-equipped for such a small organization. The company utilizes 25 local trucks -- the kind of box trucks one can see driving through the streets of Chicago on any given day -- as well as five semi-trucks. This enabled us to pull in approximately $9.5 million in revenues in 2011.
Why did the company decide to expand to new markets?
When we realized just how many moving jobs were taking us out West last year, we decided to open a sales and operation office in Los Angeles. Now we find ourselves gaining the additional business needed to travel back and forth between the two cities for jobs, making long-distance trucking more profitable. Our L.A. sales department has proven sizable and efficient, coordinating 10,000 moves last year alone. In fact, as the number of moves increases, the department continues to grow in order to support higher demand. The most significant push has been to increase retail consumerism while working directly with individuals such as real estate agents and building managers, not simply end users. In the offseason, building a network of referral sources that can continue to recommend us to their target audience should pay off in higher profit margins later down the line.
What were the challenges of this expansion for the company?
Moving is always a difficult and challenging time. Despite the excitement of settling into a new home, the scheduling process, coordination efforts, packing and heavy lifting can prove extremely stressful. This anxiety is easily doubled when facing a cross-country move. Consumers may hesitate to want a stranger in their home -- touching, packing and moving all of their worldly possessions -- all the while attending to their families, booking flights or driving hundreds of miles. We try to make moving as easy as possible because our primary concern is to make the challenging task of relocating worry free for customers.
How have you addressed these challenges?
Addressing this challenge begins with a solid sales teams and fair pricing options. Moving rates are incurred by the hour, so we strive to provide the best, most efficient team to ensure that customers pay as little as possible. Maintaining regular inspection schedules
on our trucks enables us to meet seasonal demand, which in turn, allows us to employ a greater number of workers in their peak season, including movers with 10 or more years of experience.
What are your competitive advantages?
Our representatives argue that no job is too big or small. In a field where consumer complaints can run rampant, our positive customer feedback speaks for itself. This is particularly important because approximately 70% of our business is derived from referrals or repeat customers. Despite our efforts in advertising campaigns, it is our customer service and resulting client satisfaction that has truly taken our small business to unexpected heights.
This commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet guest contributor program. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of TheStreet or its management.


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MWC 15 Special
Is this backing-up the theory of Windows Phone 8-alike tablets? According the Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio which was brought-up by Reuters, Marko Ahtisaari, head of design at Nokia, has confirmed that he's working a third of his current time on a new Nokia tablet an is quoted with "We are working on it". According to Reuters and The Verge, he hasn't disclosed any further details, but given the fact that he's responsible for the software and hardware design, the amount of time he's dedicating to the Nokia tablet marks it out as a project well under development. The Verge continued that the most recent speculation are that Nokia's tablet in question is a 10", Qualcomm-powered Windows 8 slate.
Nokia Tablet Mockup Design by the::unwired
Keeping in mind Nokia's history and how badly it failed with its Booklet 3G, it makes most sense that Nokia is rather taking the Qualcomm SoC platform than the x86 platform since such a SoC platform is closer to its smartphone know-how than to a virtually non-existent PC know-how. Same for HTC which also failed badly with its x86-based HTC Shift. However, if smartphone manufacturers are using the SoC ARM Windows 8 platform instead of the x86 Windows 8 platform, it would also make a lot of sense for them to link these tablets closer to the Windows Phone 8 eco-system than to the Windows 8 eco-system since they could reuse their Windows Phone apps, including the use of the Windows Phone Marketplace for their tablets.
Recent rumors from the Mobile World Congress floor suggested that Microsoft will have two kind of tablet versions available: one linked closer to Windows Phone and one linked closer to Windows.
Cheers ~ Arne
Article Source
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Reports say two people are dead after a crash on U.S. 90A on Wednesday, and the accident brought traffic to a standstill.
KHOU-Channel 11 says the wreck happened at about 4 p.m. and involved three vehicles at the intersection with Cravens in Missouri City. A westbound white sedan crossed into the eastbound lanes and hit two cars, KHOU says.
U.S. 90A was shut down in both directions, KHOU and KTRK-Channel 13 report.
No further details are currently available.
For live traffic updates, go to chron.com/traffic
KHOU.com: 2 killed in 3 vehicle wreck on Highway 90 near Cravens in Missouri City
KTRK: Fatal three-vehicle wreck in Missouri City shuts down Hwy 90 in both directions


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DOVER — Nickolas Skaltsis has been released from the New Hampshire State Hospital and is being held at the Strafford County House of Corrections.
He is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing Thursday.
According to James Boffetti, senior assistant attorney general for Consumer Protection, Skaltsis was released Monday from the hospital. He has been a patient there since attempting suicide in October 2012.
Skaltsis wrote a letter to the court in March stating he was involuntarily committed for a year to the hospital. However, court documents from two weeks ago signed by his public defender, Carl Swenson, indicated the hospital had been or was then, working on a discharge plan.
When first charged, his bail was set at $300,000 personal recognizance, but was set to be converted to $300,000 cash-only once released from the hospital.
According to Boffetti, bail was converted Monday when he left the hospital.
Boffetti, and court documents, state Skaltsis does not have enough money to post bail, but if he can come up with $300,000 he can be released back into the community.
On Thursday, Skaltsis will be in Strafford County Superior Court for a bail hearing he originally requested to update the court on his health status, discharge plan and to amend his bail conditions.
A transport order was filed in court for Skaltsis, requesting he be transferred from his current location to the court for his 1 p.m. hearing on May 2 and then returned, unless otherwise ordered.
In January, when Skaltsis' bail was set, he did not have "the benefit of counsel," according to Boffetti.
While the state does not object to a hearing since Skaltsis now has legal counsel, they do not wish to reduce his bail.
Boffetti told Foster's last week that the reason for the hearing is because Swenson is looking to lower the bail so Skaltsis can be released.
Boffetti said Swenson has been "very cooperative." He said they have sent Swenson 4,000 pages of paperwork on the case.
"The court will ultimately decide what the appropriate amount of bail is," Boffetti said, adding that they do have concerns about Skaltsis.
Skaltsis was charged with 19 felony counts of operating a Ponzi scheme in January of this year. He raised $327,500 from local residents who invested in his real estate management company, who were told their money would be used to acquire, rehabilitate and manage property in Strafford County.
According to the Attorney General's office, Skaltsis is more than $1.2 million in debt. His wife, Lorraine Skaltsis, is currently in bankruptcy court hearings and court documents say she owes almost $2 million in liabilities. Court documents also indicate they both have no income at this time.
According to court documents signed by Boffetti, "The State asserted in its prior bail argument to the Rochester Circuit Court (in January) that the defendant is a flight risk and poses a danger to himself …"
Swenson continues to not return calls from Foster's in regards to Skaltsis.


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Maileg Mega Maxi Bunny, 34 inches
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Extra outfits for the doll can be purchased here >
Maileg is an award winning Danish toy company founded in 1999 by Dorthe & Erik Mailil. Maileg's magical collection includes classic toys and holiday decorations with contemporary touch.Size: 34 inches
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If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your purchase, we gladly accept your returns within 60 days after you receive the item. Items must be returned to us in new, unused condition, and be in original packaging, with all tags attached. View complete return details. >


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Kim Kardashian has accepted the call to attend the Marine Corps Ball in North Carolina Thursday night.
"She was invited by one of the Marines who is a part of the planning committee for the event to attend as a special guest," a source tells E! News exclusively. "She's in production now, but was able to move things around and make the trip for this. She's really looking forward to it."
Kim Kardashian flashes massive ring
U.S. & World
Of course, Kardashian isn't the first celeb to agree to go to a Marine Corps Ball.
Both Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake did so last year when they attended similar functions in Greenville, N.C., and Richmond, Va., respectively.
--Reporting by Ken Baker
Copyright E! Online


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Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have created what they're calling the first human brain-to-brain interface
that allowed one researcher to control another's hand with his mind.
Though it's not exactly the "Jedi" mind trick, at first glance, the technology may seem a bit too mind blowing to comprehend. But one of the researchers who worked on the project -- Andrea Stocco, a research assistant professor in psychology at UW -- assured Design News in an email that it's not quite the stuff of science fiction, although he does jokingly call it a "Vulcan mind meld."
"For brain-to-brain technology to become a viable form of 'mind control,' the advances to be made in science and technology need to be so great that we cannot even imagine them at the present moment -- and we are not sure it would be possible at all," he told us. "So, we are not concerned about this application, although we feel that it is certainly positive to begin a discussion on this issue."
Stocco developed the interface with co-researcher Rajesh Rao, a UW professor of computer science and engineering and an authority in the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCI), which is part of the technology. The two first thought to develop the technology in 2011, but didn't have the time to fully embrace the project until last year, Stocco said.
Stocco explained the technology behind the Internet-based interface -- which allowed Rao to use his mind to control the movement of Stocco's hand to push the "fire" button while the two played a computer game on separate parts of the UW campus.
The technology has two basic parts -- a BCI that "reads" patterns of brain activity through an EEG cap placed on Stocco, detecting the onset of his intention to, in this case, move his right hand. The other part is a computer-brain interface machine that stimulates brain activity -- in this case, in the brain of Rao -- through a TMS machine, inducing electrical activity in neurons by targeting them with a magnetic field that rises and falls quickly.
This computer then communicates with a second machine, which processes the data in the opposite way. You can think of this magnetic field as a sort of 'magnetic pulse,' which can ultimately be directed precisely enough to 'stimulate' a specific part of the brain (the part that controls the hand). The targeted brain region then behaves much like its electrical impulse was generated by the brain itself, instead of being delivered artificially.
The use of the Internet for the communications protocol allowed the two parts of the interface to communicate in real time, Stocco said.
It takes only a few milliseconds for the signal to travel from one computer to the other, which are on different parts of the campus. In fact, the electrical signal travels faster over the Internet than over human nerves cells; we estimated that the slowest tract covered by the signal was the one from my brain to my hand. The two computers could be anywhere in the world: modern Internet connections are so fast that the signal from one brain would reach the second brain basically in real-time.


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LENEXA, Kan (Reuters) - A standoff between Hostess Brands Inc. and thousands of its bakery workers was heading for a showdown Thursday as both sides declared they would not bend and were set to accept the demise of the historic maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread.
The bankrupt company is on its last legs, according to management, and will ask a bankruptcy court on Friday for permission to liquidate unless workers at Hostess plants across the country return to work by 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Thursday.
Members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike November 9 to protest 8 percent pay cuts and other health care and pension concessions sought by the company.
The strike has severely hindered performance at about one-third of the company's 36 bakeries, company officials said.
"The significance is tremendous," said Lance Ignon, spokesman with Sitrick and Co., which is handling communications for Hostess. "If we don't have enough people go back to work today to ensure we can go back to full operations."
The bitter dispute pits the 82-year-old company against the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, whose members constitute about one-third of Hostess' nearly 18,000 employees.
While the company has said it must have significant labor concessions to continue to survive, the union has said the company must rescind the wage and benefit reductions.
Union President Frank Hurt said Thursday that the crisis is a "result of nearly a decade of financial and operational mismanagement" and said management was trying to make union workers the scapegoats for a plan by "Wall Street investors" to sell off Hostess.
The union said the private equity and hedge funds that control Hostess did not live up to promises to modernize plants and trucks but grew the company's debt while rewarding themselves financially.
Union members striking outside the Hostess bakery in Lenexa, Kansas on Thursday said wages and benefits had already been shaved substantially in the company's years of financial struggles and further concessions were not feasible. They blame poor management for the company's woes.
"We want to go back to work. But all I've done since I've been here is give," said 35-year-old Dan Carlson, who mixes dough in the Lenexa plant for $17 an hour and has worked with Hostess for six years. "We can't keep giving."
Many union leaders and workers have been holding out hope that some other company would step in to buy Hostess and operate the bakeries, but Hostess has said that is not a possibility.
"There is a perception among some of our employees that a white knight is going to come in. There is no white knight," said Ignon.
Hostess management said that if enough striking workers did not return to work by 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) the next day, the company would on Friday ask U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York, who oversees its Chapter 11 reorganization, for permission to shut down and sell assets.
Hostess said if it wins permission to liquidate, it will begin to close all operations as soon as November 20, two days before Thanksgiving, and fire all plant workers except those needed to prepare its facilities for sale.
Earlier this week, Hostess said the strike forced it to permanently close three of its 36 bakeries, costing 627 jobs.
The Irving, Texas-based company filed for protection from creditors on January 11, its second bankruptcy filing in less than three years. It operates 565 distribution centers and 570 bakery outlet stores, as well as the 33 bakeries. Hostess brands include Wonder, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Drake's, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita. The company has roughly 17,780 employees.
Hostess has already reached agreement on pay and benefit cuts with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, its largest union. The Teamsters have largely been honoring the bakery workers picket lines. But on Thursday the Teamsters called on the bakery workers union to take a "secret ballot" vote on a continued strike.
Ignon said that the deadline was "not hard and fast," and that board members would need to discuss the decision to liquidate following the expiration of the deadline.
Back on the picket line in Kansas, where workers huddled against a cold wind across the street from the Hostess plant, hopes for resolution were fading.
"We're all worried and scared," said 47-year-old Steve Blakey who has worked at Hostess for 27 years and planned to retire in two years.
"I don't want to lose my job. It's Christmas time," said 23-year-old Daniel Smith, who makes $11.64 an hour at the plant. "But if I have to take the cuts they're talking about I can get more from unemployment."
The case is In re: Hostess Brands Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-22052.
Editing by Andrew Hay


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Apart from some hormonal chin acne in the past, I never really had to battle with major acne issues. However, since last year, my skin condition started to deteriorate and suddenly, horrors of horrors, I was developing acne rather frequently.
It started with new areas that I never had problems with, such as cheek acne and now, I've to deal with jaw acne as well. I am quite certain that these were not a result of the products I'm using, but rather, because of some of my poor dieting habits – eating loads of chocolate – and late nights. But it looks like it's could be more than that. My skin has gone haywire and while it is dry on the outside, it's still very oily inside! So I'm most likely suffering a hormonal imbalance more than anything else.
So what exactly is hormonal imbalance and who is likely to be affected by this?
Hormone production can vary every month
Apparently, hormone imbalance is caused by too much estrogen in a woman's body, an excess which is not balanced by progesterone. It doesn't help that these hormones can vary every month, depending on factors such as ovulation, birth control, stress, nutrition and exercise. In addition, symptoms of hormone imbalance in women tend to increase as a woman ages and may begin as early as the late 20's. I believe child birth also affects our hormone production to a large extent.
Common symptoms of hormone imbalance
This explains why I suddenly develop skin allergies and acne, on top of having foggy thinking and worsened PMS. I've also become sensitive to what I eat and can't eat processed foods or diary products as they contain chemicals that can interfere with the production of the two important hormones. This was probably why I broke out so badly in the past week, after downing half a box of chocolates! Some other symptoms of hormone imbalance which I've yet to experience include depression, fatigue and anxiety, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections and incontinence, uterine fibroids, weight gain, water retention and bloating.
Online hormonal health profile test
I checked my hormonal health profile using an online resource and found out that I suffer from moderate symptoms of hormonal imbalance inspite of my efforts to make healthy choices. So I will need to get some medical attention before it becomes severe. Going forward, I have options of undergoing hormone replacement therapy or using alternative medicine to efficiently produce natural hormones and I can say with certainty that I will opt for the latter option. However, I have not decided what I will use so I can't recommend anything specific yet.
So do you know if you're suffering from hormonal imbalance? To find out, take the test from the free hormone health profile.


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Father Laurence and the WCCM Community join our brothers and sisters in Thailand in praying that the violent civil unrest in their once peaceful country is resolved soon, and without further loss of life. We know that the meditation practice and the mantra will carry the Thai community through this difficult time, and we invite meditators to share their contemplative response to the situation. Please send comments for posting on the Peace & Justice pages to email@example.com.
From: Na Tasukon firstname.lastname@example.com
Dear Friends,
I thought I would take this example to update you all on what's happening in Thailand.
Firstly, I am fine and safe as I live in a different part of the city, a fair distance from where these clashes are happening. However, the violence is indeed located in the very heart of Bangkok's prime financial and commercial district.
It is strange for someone like me now, having lived nearly my entire life abroad and immersed in international media, always wondering about the violence and devastation I saw on TV in other countries, wondering as to what people were enduring in this or that faraway country. I have seen rocks being thrown in the middle east, explosions in africa and riots in central america. I always said to myself 'how awful'.
I always thought quietly, 'look at that authoritarian govt. cracking down on the people'. I believed naively that when I read an article in the New York Times or saw coverage on CNN or the BBC that these were experts in news coverage that they would be providing the most impartial in providing accounts of what was actually happening. I also thought that at the least, I could determine for myself what was probably the fair opinion to have, or how to analyze what was happening in these faraway place.
Well now I am not only living in one of those faraway places, I am finding myself at the center of what is now front page news on TV and Online around the world. That my wonderful city Bangkok has now become a heavily embattled war zone, and that my country seems to be on the verge of tearing itself apart and plunging into civil war.
Yes, it is safe to say that I wouldn't be involved in any of this political mess, but I feel at least I can play a small part in helping my friends to know how I felt about what is going on here in Thailand. Now, many of you only see scenes of tires burning, 'protesters' huddling behind one another after having been subjected tear gas, and these silhouettes of individuals wearing Che Guevara T-Shirts waving Thai flags against a backdrop of flames and smoke. I am sadly disappointed that these are the images being shown to portray a battle against the rich and poor.
A battle that has been created for the political gain of individuals in this country who have bought their own personal greed to the streets of Bangkok. A battle that has now cost our country dozens of lives, affect thousands of others and cost our city tens of billions of Baht.
I know in situations like this there is a complex and interwoven tapestry of political infighting. I am not claiming that the current Thai administration and military consist of only higher minded leaders and are free of corruption, but what I do know and believe with every fiber of my body is that those people you see on TV claiming to be fighting a just cause for the poor of Thailand, are most certainly NOT what they claim to be. They are terrorists in every way you can classify them.
Their leaders are a cabal some of the most notoriously corrupt political cronies this country has ever seen, and they have led thousands of people, many women and children to be positioned now in a place where their very lives are in danger. If you have been following the extensive amount of information that has been pouring out of this situation, you will be shocked at how deep this situation runs well beyond what is happening now on the streets of Bangkok. What it comes down to is not a battle again rich vs. poor. It is about the greed of one man Thaksin Shinatwatra (the former PM of Thailand), and how his failure to advance his own personal goals has been used as the launching ground for a movement that has now taken a life of its own, spelling disaster for Thailand.
I believe the majority of this country have tried our best to be patient in support the government's myriad ways in attempting to deal with these protesters. Do we agree with what we see as protracted inaction and costly hesitation? No. Much to the dismay of many us actually, we feel this government has been too lenient, too 'by the book', announcing in minute details daily what their every action will be. The protesters have taken advantage of this in every way and worst of all they have been allowed to heavily fortify themselves into the heart of this city.
This fortification of tires, barbed wire, broken glass, bamboo and is not to be underestimated. What it means in that no anti-riot equipment will be effective in use for crowd dispersal. Which is more or less the limits of how the army wishes to contain their actions. You need war equipment to get past these barricades. But how will that look? How many hundred if not thousands of lives will be lost if/when that happens.
We have been frustrated to no end as we watched these people take our city hostage, vandalize our lives, point their fingers at us as the source of their injustices and now claim that the government is being unfair and heavy handed in dealing with them.
When the government wanted to negotiate (against the better wishes and judgement of many of its supporters), the protesters mocked the offer, made ridiculous demands and did their very best effort to grand stand and behave as if they had a right to demand more. They hijacked our lives and now they think they have the moral high ground. I cannot tell you how depressing it is to watch this being played out on the international stage and if infuriates me that now these protesters are appealing for 'international intervention' to save their lives.
As you all know, my friends, I went to the same schools you did, lived the same lives you did, and have been brought up in the same open democratic existences as you did. I can tell you that these people who are running rampant on the streets of this city do not know anything about what it is they are staking a claim to. The democracy they are screaming for is exactly what is being destroyed right now. The hatred against the poor is exactly what is being generated as they cry for 'freedom' with a molotov cocktail in their hand.
Any one of you who have ever been to Thailand would know we have one the most open and colorful democracies in South East Asia. Are we mature in our political arena? Not by a long way. Corruption? Yes. Systematic discrimination again poor rural people? Never has that existed in this country. I would like to point out that many of the wealthiest families in this country started from zero less than a generation ago. If ever there was a land of opportunity and hope, this country has symbolized that more than any other in the Asian region.
Think for a moment, if 10,000 - 20,000 thousand people took hostage a part of your city. Say Trafalgar Square, Times Square, Place de la Concorde, Ginza, Connaught Place, Daley Plaza, etc... If you happen to be living near these areas, your car would be searched just to get in and out of your home, you would be seen as a threat just walking on the street. You would have make shift toilets and showers set up on your lawns, your electricity siphoned off to power container units used as meeting rooms and every day, 24 hours on hundreds of loud speakers you would hear hatred and vitriol being broadcasted on a makeshift stage listing the thousands of 'wrongs' again the poor by the so-called leaders of this movement.
Claiming that if they were back in 'power' -- and this is key point. That they would right the wrongs. They would get rid of the current system that blocks the 'wealth' from reaching 'them'. They would eliminate the 'elites' that run this country. I find it ironic that the thousands of the rural 'poor' rally around a billionaire who claims he is one of them. That's the real reason my friends. As always in this world, people fight for money and power. Now imagine this has been happening in front of your house for a MONTH and HALF. Trust me, you would feel that efforts the government are doing now to clear them out are probably not enough, and should have been done a long time ago.
If you saw these people burning tires in front you, screaming for their fellow protesters to 'kill the soldiers' and then point to you with hatred, what would you do? These aren't protesters. They are people who want only to instill fear. We've all seen Rwanda haven't we? What happened in that country as millions of people were killed due to the political manipulation of deep seeded divisions in a country. These protest leaders have been shouting on stage that if the government does not give in to their demands, they will make Thailand into a place that pales in comparison to what happened in Rwanda.
I ask you who would make such insane and dangerous claims? What goes on in the minds of people like this? Why is it that the international media not ask these questions. It can't be for lack of information, because any 5 year old who watches the news in this country can see it. What worries me is that the hand full of international journalists stationed here are applying what they see in other countries and making dangerous assumptions about the political and social situation in Thailand.
The tragedy is once it rolls out on CNN, millions of opinions are formed instantly. An therein lies the the danger. It is safe to say that both the protesters and the government have made mistakes against one another that will be difficult to overcome. But please do not misunderstand this situation as a battle again the rich and poor or even a fight for democracy.
This is a battle about money and power. And always, as everywhere else in the world, it is the innocent people who have to pay the price. So the next time you see the news my friends, and some gung-ho reporters gives his opinion on what he sees as frightened protesters fighting for their lives with what little they have... I tell you that those people could have easily walked out and gone home and none of this would have had to happen.
I just wanted to let you all know I'm all right, but also I wanted to give you my take on what is happening. It's a lot to comprehend but at least I said my small part to help set the record straight. Spread the Word.
So keep your fingers crossed and I hope this ends soon.


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So I'm beginning my new Icar campaign this September and I'm really excited! I've started a new setting document (it's really rough right now) for the players to read and get thinking about their characters. It's really rough (and hosted on Google docs).
You can grab it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ThEb ... sp=sharing
Big challenge
Going into deep space without hitting cliche left, right and centre is really hard. I'm going to be reusing a lot ideas I couldn't justify in my last couple of campaigns. To bind all the events together, I need the player characters to be well fleshed out before they get into deep space because the players will need to understand their character. It's all very well being shown a crazy blob that eats cities but unless you know the sort of character you are, you won't know how to react.
In more familiar settings, it's fine to think-out the character as you go but here the players will need some guidance from their own back story.


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Get ready for the New Year in style
New Year's Eve is approaching and the biggest party is upon us. And it obviously requires the right outfit. If you're not going to a theme party or are imposed a dress code by your host, you are free to wear your most stylish New Year outfit. But it can be difficult to navigate the many options you have and therefore we have collected a number of style tips that you can't go wrong with.


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Photo: ECB
Today, the ECB elected to leave the euro area's benchmark refinancing rate unchanged at 0.75 per cent and the deposit rate unchanged at 0.5 per cent.
The biggest questions ECB President Mario Draghi had to face at the press conference following the release came on three fronts: the surging euro exchange rate, Ireland's plans to liquidate nationalized bank Anglo Irish, and the Monte dei Paschi scandal engulfing Italian politics in the run-up to their national election in a few weeks.
After perhaps unwittingly sparking a big run in the euro at his last press conference, Draghi took the opportunity today to emphasise on multiple occasions that the ECB's monetary policy stance remained "accommodative."
Draghi took the opportunity to address the exchange rate directly in his opening statement, saying, "Risks to the outlook for price developments continue to be seen as broadly balanced over the medium term, with upside risks relating to higher administered prices and indirect taxes, as well as higher oil prices, and downside risks stemming from weaker economic activity and, more recently, the appreciation of the euro exchange rate."
When the Q&A began, the first question was about the ECB's stance on the euro's appreciation. Draghi replied that the recent appreciation in the exchange rate is a sign of confidence in the euro, but that the central bank would certainly want to see if the appreciation, if it remains sustained, will alter their forecasts for price stability.
Draghi said the ECB would update their forecasts next month, so they might find out then.
"In the mean time, we will maintain our accommodative stance," he concluded.
Another important question concerned the repayment of super-cheap loans known as LTROs, offered by the ECB to euro-zone banks during the height of the euro crisis. In recent weeks, the banks have gotten the first opportunity to repay, and these repayments have helped drive the euro and short-term market rates higher in the currency area.
The fear is that excess liquidity would continue to shrink in the euro area as banks repaid the loans, resulting in a de facto tightening of monetary policy.
Draghi said that excess liquidity should remain well above 200 billion euros. He also said he wouldn't make too much of the increase in EONIA (a market interest rate for bank funding) we've seen recently because it may be due to a variety of factors including structural changes as certain banks repay LTROs and return to the market.
All of these comments helped send the euro about a penny lower against the U.S. dollar during the presser.
The other topic that dominated the discussion was the Irish government's plan – announced yesterday – to liquidate nationalized bank Anglo Irish in order to lessen Ireland's debt burden to the ECB.
Several speculated that the ECB may have discussed whether they would approve of the deal at this morning's meeting of the Governing Council.
However, Draghi repeatedly pushed back at questions on the Ireland situation, referring reporters back to the Irish government and Irish central bank, saying it was in their hands at the moment.
"I can only say today that we took note of this," said Draghi, referring to the Irish government's plan.
Below is a live blog of the presser.
8:34 AM ET: Mario Draghi is late.
8:38: Draghi is taking the stage.
8:38: Draghi: Inflation has eased in recent months, inflation to fall below 2% in coming months. This allows our monetary stance to remain accommodative.
8:40: Draghi: The euro area is set for a weak economy in the first half of 2013. The euro economy should recover gradually, and monetary policy will support this.
8:43: Draghi: The risks for the euro area continue to be on the downside and include weaker than expected domestic demand and exports, slow implementation of euro area reforms.
8:45: Draghi: Risks to stable prices remain broadly balanced – one downside risk is the recent appreciation of the exchange rate.
8:50: Q&A begins. Full text of opening statement here.
8:51: First question is about the Anglo Irish deal. Can ECB confirm? Second question: what is the ECB's take on the recent appreciation in the euro?
8:51: Draghi: There wasn't a decision to take on Anglo Irish. The Governing Council unanimously took note of the Irish operation, and you can check with the Irish government for details. "I can only say today that we took note of this."
8:51: Draghi: The recent appreciation in the exchange rate is a sign of confidence in the euro. We will certainly want to see if the appreciation, if it remains sustained, will alter our forecasts for price stability. In the mean time, we will maintain our accommodative stance.
8:54: Were last night's developments over the Anglo Irish deal choreographed with the ECB?
8:54: Draghi: "I wouldn't speak of choreography." Reiterates that the Governing Council took note of Ireland's actions.
8:55: Next question regards LTRO repayments: what is the ECB's read of it? Also, regarding calls from French President Francois Hollande for a managed exchange rate, what do you say to that?
8:56: Draghi: If you look over the last six months, we've certainly had significant improvement "on the financial side of the economy." Bank financing is up 65 per cent year-over-year. 55 per cent of total sovereign issuance in this month has come from non-core countries. Last year, 93 per cent was only coming from core countries. TARGET2 balances continue to improve. Repayment of LTRO is a sign of confidence which simply says that many banks used LTRO for precautionary reasons. Non-bank and corporate funding is also having a good season. The cost of protecting against inflation and deflation has gone down. The situation remains fragile, as evidenced by weak credit flows. SMEs that have to finance themselves via banks continue to face strained credit conditions. On Hollande, we should always remember that the ECB is independent.
9:02: Next question: Are you ready to counter any increase in market rates with a cut in the main refinancing rate? Also, at what level of excess liquidity would you expect there to be more pressure on market rates?
9:03: Draghi: As I said, our monetary policy stance is accommodative and our overnight rates remain close to zero. On the second question, I said before that excess liquidity should remain well above 200 billion euros. I would make too much of the increase in EONIA we've seen recently because it may be due to a variety of factors. Some of it may be structural as certain banks repay LTROs.
9:05: Question on Monte dei Paschi. If the derivatives scandal were revealed in 2011, when it took place, some may say it would have affected your chances for the ECB presidency. How would you respond?
9:06: Draghi: The Bank of Italy has had a detailed account of the Monte dei Paschi story on their website for over a week. The IMF has publicly stated that their preliminary view is that the Bank of Italy took appropriate action.
9:09: Next question: Does the ECB still have to sign off on ELA for Ireland every fortnight, or is there a fundamental change in the way the Irish government is proposing to handle the debt?
9:10: Draghi: One thing I can add on Ireland is that there is no more ELA, so that is a positive step. However, this is entirely in the hands of Ireland and the Irish central bank.
9:19: Next question: Is the Monte dei Paschi scandal a warning sign that the central bank is not the best regulator for euro zone banks? Also, the exchange rate affects the real economy. So, what is wrong with targeting it?
9:20: Draghi: The Governing Council is already convinced that it is taking actions compatible with price stability and job creation. "We are not doing the exact same things as the U.S. Fed in America," but our stance is accommodative. We remain with the question of why credit growth is so subdued in light of what we've done. This fragmentation between financing conditions for large corporates and SMEs will have to be looked at as well. We will do everything within our mandate to get credit flowing again. Regarding the Monti dei Paschi question, I disagree. However, it highlights the importance of separation between supervisory powers and monetary policy.
9:25: Next question: Are there any lessons to already be learned from Monti dei Paschi?
9:26: Draghi: I think removal of bank leaders is an essential power bank supervisors must have. Having more powers would have helped – although, when you have to deal with frauds, you never know.
9:27: Next question for Mario Draghi: Was the interest rate decision unanimous? Also, what is your take on currency wars?
9:28: Draghi: Decision was unanimous; there were "hints and discussions" about how to improve financial conditions. Draghi says FX fluctuations aren't deliberate, but if they are, it will need to be discussed at the upcoming G20 meeting.
9:32: Final questions. What impact would you expect repayments to have on the Irish bond market? Why did it take so long for an agreement to be reached?
9:34: Draghi: No agreement has been reached; we simply took note.
9:35: Press conference is over.
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Grab Your Atlas
This story appears in the March 2001 issue of Entrepreneurs Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe »
In 1998,the two owners and sole employees of Mindless Reaction decided it was time to think big. Bigger, at least, than the 12 T-shirts they'd designed in their garage over the past two years and sold to family, friends and local Huntington Beach, California, surf shops. As the company's booth became a popular stop at trade shows and stores nationwide began clamoring for more of their products, high school pals Marcus Avritt, Rudy Senteno and Keith Mallos realized their passion for riding the waves and looking good doing it had the potential to turn terrific profits-not just at home, but in international markets thirsty for products with American cachet.
"There was never a doubt," says company president Avritt about whether Mindless Reaction would be a global success. "We were living in Huntington Beach where a lot of successful clothing companies came from, and we knew everybody in the industry. Maybe it was just inexperience or youth. We just kind of dove in headfirst and never looked back."
Almost immediately after Mindless Reaction began its big domestic push, international distributors came knocking on the door of the company's tiny 2,000-square-foot office. But the young entrepreneurs knew if Mindless Reaction was to reach its multimillion-dollar international potential, they had to first firmly establish their brand throughout the Unites States, and second create a careful global business plan. "We didn't want to move into [international markets] too fast," says Mallos, executive vice president. "We wanted to get more established domestically before we went overseas. Our domestic business really drives the rest of our business. The brand needs to be popular here or it won't be popular there." Perhaps, but would the international marketplace be willing to wait?
Catherine Roberts is a freelance writer in Ocala, Florida.
Getting Started
Establishing the Mindless Reaction brand in the United States took big money, smart marketing strategies and lots of late nights at the office. Expanding the brand was the company's first step. Creating surfwear alone would not take Mindless Reaction to the top, the owners decided-the market was saturated with surfwear companies that were already household names and had millions to spend. After reconfiguring the clothing line to what Senteno calls "Grand Lifestyle" (higher-scale clothing that reaches beyond the surf category) and changing the logo to make it more globally recognizable, Senteno felt the brand was ready. "We definitely have more freedom in design and more freedom in marketing [with the expanded line]," says Senteno, the company's sole designer.
Mindless Reaction began to advertise heavily in top magazines catering to men in general and surfers in particular, such as Detour and TransWorld Surf. Then they took to the road, hitting any and every trade show within a reasonable distance. "We wanted to show people by our marketing, our advertising and our product who we were," Mallos says. "Big trade show booths, solid advertising across the board for an entire year-people just saw us come out as a major player."
Indeed, image can be everything when trying to attract both domestic and international attention, says Frank Penski, a partner at New York City law firm Nixon Peabody LLP. which specializes in international dispute resolution. "Why is somebody from Europe going to look at this product and say, 'That's the one I want to sell'?" asks Penski, who assists business owners with international law and overseas deals. "It's the different way the thing is being marketed, the packaging it's in, the image it creates to this person coming [from overseas]."
The success of the trade shows and abundant advertising sent domestic business booming nationwide as the company landed such high-profile clients as Fred Segal, Limbo Lounge and Ron Jon Surf Shops. Mindless Reaction was finally ready to open the door and step onto the international fashion scene.
Lawyers And Trademarks
Don't leave the States without 'em.
When the time's right to head overseas, don't just think profits-think protection. Trademark protection, that is. "The first thing to do before you go international is get lawyers who understand your market, have dealt with other companies and can hold your hand," Mindless Reaction president Keith Mallos instructs.
Mindless Reaction learned this important lesson the hard way. Last year when the owners decided to expand into surf-crazy Australia, they were shocked to find their product was already being sold there. At one of the U.S. trade shows, Mallos explains, a thief liked what he saw in Mindless Reaction so much that he took the product and its logo into Australia as his own. "We had to buy it back," laments Mallos.
It was an expensive lesson for the eager young entrepreneurs steering Mindless Reaction. According to Frank Penski, a partner at New York City law firm Nixon Peabody LLP who specializes in international dispute resolution, the mistake was in not getting the trademark registrations completed for each country they were interested in selling to as the brand became popular.
"The price of getting [a trademark] back can be high," says Penski. "People make a living off it-not just stealing the trademark but also stealing people's ideas." In some countries, he adds, you can never get a stolen trademark back.
"Trademarking is the key," echoes Mindless Reaction designer Rudy Senteno. "Protect your brand, and don't let it out. Protect it as if it was your child."
Finding Capital
Now came the hard part: finding the financial backing to make their international quest as successful as their domestic one had become. "There's not much room for a small company with limited finances," Mallos says, adding that the big powerhouses in any industry can move anyone out of the market who lacks the monetary support.
For the three owners of Mindless Reaction, it proved helpful to have friends in high places. All they had to do was look in their high school yearbook or drive past their favorite teenage surfing spot. Former school chums and surfing buddies were then $6-million-per-year Atlanta Braves left fielder/first baseman Ryan Klesko (now on the San Diego Padres) and his business partner, Richard Spear. Klesko and Spear joined the company as co-owners in 1999 when their holdings company purchased a share of Mindless Reaction.
But financing isn't the only thing the new partners brought to Mindless Reaction. "We use [Klesko's] status to help promote the brand," says Mallos. Who says Klesko talks up the brand to fellow players. "His exposure is incredible."
Making Connections
Flush with expansion capital, and with international distributors begging for a chance to sell Mindless Reaction, the owners decided which country to hit first: Japan. "It wasn't that we said, 'We've got to get to Japan first.' [It was] the way they supported and pushed the brand. We found a distributor who would control our distribution properly, work well with us and put a good deal together."
Finding the right company to sell their product was a long process, but the parners finally signed an exclusive three-year deal with World Style in Osaka after nearly a year of interviews with potential distributors. "You can't just sign a deal with them, send a product and then never hear from them again-because your product [could end up] in Kmart in Japan, and that's not where we want to be. It'll ruin your brand," Mallos says. "If you ruin your brand internationally, you'll ruin your brand domestically.
"You've got to train [distributors] and teach them and learn about their markets," Mallos says. "We need to make sure they're an extension of Mindless Reaction because the brand needs to be portrayed the same through everyone's eyes."
Penski agrees that a distributor can make or break your chances of success overseas. He advises answering the following questions before signing on with international distributors:
1. Are they going to put up
the money, or are you?
2. How big a staff do they have?
3. How good are their contacts?
4. What kind of stores will they put your product in?
5. Will they buy your products, or will the product be on consignment?
6. Who will be responsible for shipping, transportation and orders?
And that's is just the beginning, Penski stresses.
Business owners should be aware of different traditions outside the U.S. and understand that a distributor may not be able to follow your instructions to the letter. "You have to be careful with trying to get people in foreign countries to do things your way unless you know it's an acceptable way to do them," he says. "A lot of times what works here may not work there. In the U.S. sometimes you see banners and lights and flashy displays all around stores; in Europe, that could be a sign of cheap goods. You have to be attuned to what the situation is."
You can never control everything that happens to a product overseas, which is why Avritt says he visits Japan two to three times a year. World Style returns the favor with visits to California four to six times a year. "Get your passport, and try the sushi," Mallos laughs, adding: "You have to be over there. [Avritt] deals with the Japanese, goes to every store, sees where they're selling [the product], sees what kind of clients they have, what other brands are around, and makes sure it's merchandised right in the stores."
|Spread It Around
Top 5 qualities to look for in an international distributor
Finding the right person to handle your product overseas is a bit like finding the right baby-sitter. If a company's management forgoes their homework and trusts the first distributor who seems interested, it can ruin the product both internationally and domestically. Frank Penski, a partner at the New York City-based law firm Nixon Peabody LLP specializing in international dispute resolution, offers these five tips for choosing the right international distributor:
1. Make sure the distributor is on solid financial ground. "That's where the biggest problems come in," says Penski.
2. Choose a distributor who is honest and respected. If you've got a guy who has bee convicted of crimes, you are bound to have problems. Ask contacts for resumes and references.
3. Visit the company in person. "I have a client who hired a guy to do something for him in Australia and come to find out, he gave him an address that didn't exist," says Penski. "He had business cards printed and everything. The guy was a complete fraud, and he was an American. Go over and see who you're doing business with."
4. Find out the company's track record. Says Penski, "Has he distributed other products like this, and how did they turn out? Look at other products he has put on displays for other vendors." And check with the vendors to see if they're happy with the arrangement.
5. Look for a company that has similar values to yours. "Where Americans sometimes gets in trouble is hiring guys that discriminate against women or minorities, or have some cultural biases against some of the things you want," says Penski. "You need to get somebody who is acquainted with the culture but does it your way and is willing to work with you as your helper."
What Lies Ahead?
With the World Style deal in Japan already a year old, Mindless Reaction is now in negotiations with distributors in Europe, Canada and Australia. Though Mallos and his four co-owners prefer not to divulge sales numbers for their privately held company, they reveal the company is a multimillion dollar venture and that the coming year will be a busy one both domestically and internationally. In October 2000, Mindless Reaction moved into a 5,000-square-foot warehouse to help prepare for the expansion of its line to inlcude a women's sector. "That's just a natural growth progression," Senteno says. "We're not looking to be a mom and pop surf company," Mallos concludes. "I think for anybody in business, their mindset has to be growth. If it's not, then what are you doing?"
If the five young owners continue to show the business sense and patience they've used to bring Mindless Reaction so far in only two years, this small but rapidly growing company may be the one to watch as its brand continues to take more rack space away from the top household names in the industry in stores throughout America and overseas.


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Using fMRI scanning, researchers have found that the region of the brain associated with introspective thought is also accessed when inferring the thoughts of other people who are similar to oneself. However, this is not the case when considering those who are different politically, socially, or religiously.
Published in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study was led by Adrianna Jenkins, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, with Jason Mitchell, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard. Jenkins and Mitchell's co-author was C. Neil Mcrae of the University of Aberdeen.
"Our research helps to explain how and when people draw on their own inner experiences to make inferences about the experiences of others," says Jenkins. "The findings suggest that the part of the brain that is responsible for introspection also helps us to understand what other people might be thinking or feeling. But this primarily seems to be the case for people who we perceive to be similar to ourselves."
Psychologists have not fully understood how it is that we make numerous, and often accurate, inferences about others' thoughts and feelings. Some have theorized that we use aspects of our own experience to model the thoughts of others, while another theory posits that we acquire a knowledge base from observations and societal rules that guides our understanding of others' mental states.
This study suggests that both processes may be used in different contexts. We may only use ourselves as a basis for understanding others when we have reason to believe our own minds and experiences are sufficiently similar to those of the other person.
Previous research has shown that the region of the brain associated with self-introspection, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC), is also associated with understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.
Jenkins and colleagues tested whether individuals are more likely to access this self-referential region of the brain when considering the thoughts of a similar person or someone who is different. They used fMRI scans to examine brain activity when individuals were asked about their thoughts or feelings regarding an everyday experience, and what they imagine that another person might think or feel about a similar everyday experience.
The study involved 13 students, both graduate and undergraduate, from colleges and universities in the Boston area, who identified themselves as politically liberal at the end of the study.
At the beginning of the study, the subjects were shown photographs of two unfamiliar individuals, and then read a brief descriptive paragraph about each. One individual was described as a student at a college in the Northeast, with liberal political and social attitudes, and one as a conservative, fundamentalist Christian at a large university in the Midwest.
The students were then asked a series of questions about their own thoughts or feelings, and the thoughts or feelings of the liberal or conservative individual. The questions pertained to everyday experiences such as, "How much do you enjoy doing crossword puzzles?" or, "How likely is it that he would get frustrated while sitting in traffic?"
By examining the brain's activity in the vMPFC, the researchers were able to see that the individuals used a similar thought process when considering their own reactions to the questions, and the reactions of the individual that was identified as a liberal college student in the Northeast. However, the researchers did not see similar activity in this region of the brain when the subjects were considering the thoughts and preferences of the conservative, Midwestern students.
According to Jenkins, it's possible that we rely on our own perspective to assess the potential thoughts and feelings of people who we think are similar, while we may make inferences regarding the thoughts of dissimilar others based on a different process.
Further research will examine whether it is possible to manipulate this effect, and utilize the more introspective thought process when assessing the feelings of dissimilar others.
A forthcoming study in Psychological Science, led by Daniel Ames with Jenkins, Mitchell and Mahzarin Banaji, professor of psychology at Harvard, considers whether or not the application of this self-referential thought process is immutable. The results of this study suggest that when an individual assumes another's perspective, in this case by writing a short essay from the perspective of another person, he or she is more likely to later use the vMPFC region of the brain when later making inferences regarding that person's thoughts or feelings.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, National Center for Research Resources, the Mental Illness and Neuro-science Discovery Institute, and a Royal Society-Wolfson Fellowship.


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You may have noticed that I have a thing for trying new ingredients in my cooking and for trying old ingredients in a new way. Sometimes they can be a bit 'alternative' (as you may recall the case of Chocolate Tagliatelle or the Whipped Berry Rye Porridge), and sometimes not so out of the ordinary - just ingredients I haven't experimented before. I also have a thing for re-making old favourites with a healthier twist. This pasta dish is one of those experiments!
I am all for trying different alternatives to ordinary pasta (as I'm not a big fan of it), and there are definitely many options available! To name a few, there's brown rice pasta, gluten-free pasta, quinoa pasta... and black bean pasta! Have you ever tried black bean pasta? I was quite excited to find organic black bean spaghetti in my local super market and couldn't wait to try it out. Turns out it is filled with protein (as you would expect) and it is also really tasty! This will no doubt be my new favourite as a pasta-alternative!
I am so excited about this recipe and it is not hard to guess why. It has so many ingredients I really love: roasted pumpkin, lemon, pine nuts and of course feta cheese which I seem to have a "I will never get tired of eating feta"-relationship with. So next time you go shopping for pasta, have a go at the black bean spaghetti, I promise you won't be disappointed!
300-400g pumpkin, cut into small chunks
1 punnet (200g) cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
dried rosemary
200g black bean spaghetti
pinch of sea salt
1 tbs olive oil
2 big handfuls baby spinach, washed
150g reduced fat feta cheese
a few tablespoons pine nut kernels, toasted
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
100ml extra virgin olive oil
black pepper, extra
Preheat oven to 180C. Place the pumpkin, tomatoes and garlic on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and rosemary. Toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is just cooked through (you can take the tomatoes out earlier if they look like they're getting too soft). Leave to cool slightly.
Cook the black bean spaghetti according to the packet instructions (6-8 minutes in a boiling water with pinch of sea salt and olive oil). Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the spinach and toss well. Add the pumpkin and the tomatoes and fold to combine.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, half of the lemon juice and the lemon zest in a bowl and whisk to combine. Season with black pepper. Drizzle the salad dressing on the dish and fold to combine.
Crumble the feta cheese on top, sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve warm.


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan fired offensive coordinator Al Borges Wednesday following a feast-or-famine season in which the Wolverines struggled to run the ball and protect their quarterback.
Michigan went 7-6 and finished 86th in the nation in total offense. The Wolverines scored 41 points in both a win over Notre Dame and a near-upset against Ohio State — but their offensive line looked overmatched in losses to Michigan State and Nebraska as Michigan fell well off the pace in the Big Ten race.
"Decisions like these are never easy," coach Brady Hoke said. "I have a great amount of respect for Al as a football coach and, more importantly, as a person. I appreciate everything he has done for Michigan football for the past three seasons."
A message was left with Borges seeking comment.
Borges was one of several assistants who came with Hoke from his previous staff at San Diego State. Hoke took over at Michigan after the 2010 season and led the Wolverines to the Sugar Bowl in his first year. But they dropped to 8-5 in the 2012 season and disappointed in 2013.
Quarterback Devin Gardner had his moments, but the Wolverines averaged only 3.3 yards per rush this past season while rotating a slew of interior offensive linemen.
Michigan was tackled for a loss 114 times this season, the most in major college football. The low point was probably back-to-back losses in early November against Michigan State and Nebraska. Against the Spartans, Michigan gave up seven sacks and finished with minus-48 yards rushing, the worst output in the program's history.
The following weekend, the Wolverines rushed for minus-21 yards against Nebraska, allowing seven more sacks.
Gardner's lack of consistency wasn't all that surprising, since he rarely had time to throw behind a handful of inexperienced linemen. He also didn't have the luxury of a running game that defenses had to respect.
Gardner didn't play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl because of a toe injury. Shane Morris replaced him, and Michigan lost 31-14 to Kansas State.


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I have recently returned from a holiday in Nepal, Tibet and Myanmar. The overall experience was amazing. Whilst away on holiday I recommended Lumle to several people. The level of service with this company is incomparable. We were amazed to be called by Narayan 4 times whilst we were on holiday, checking to make sure that everything was OK. That's what I call a special service. We were met at the airport and taken to our hotels and driven back when leaving. We had English speaking guides everywhere we went to. When we arrived at our hotel in Kathmandu we were given a large travel holdall which came in very handy after my suitcase got badly damaged. I came across Lumle Holidays by accident but I am so glad I did. I will definitely be booking with them again and would encourage anyone else to do so. A very BIG thumbs up to Lumle Travel and Narayan !!!!!!
tj0nes123 Visited In September 2016
Narayan arranged a fabulous unique honeymoon package for me and my husband Gulshan. He had arranged a unique package experience in Kerala. From an overnight stay in a houseboat in Alleppey to a…read more
First trip to India, great advise and great customer service in the UK. We could not fault, the advise and service we received during the booking process, the recommendations of what to see and…read more
very impressed with the organisation of the trip-really enjoyed my experience in Vietnam. Also impressed with Narayan and the team-very quick to answer any questions I would have about the tour and…read more
Myself and 4 friends boked a 2 week holiday to Cambodia and Vietnam. Narayan, the proprietor was very patient with us as we weren't all travelling from the UK. He organised everything. Holiday was…read more
Just returned from this trip, had great time and Narayan and team couldn't have been more helpful, the excursions arranged were really interesting.The only thing I would pick up on would be the…read more
Great from start to finish. Narayan could not have been more helpful in the run up to the holiday and the representatives in Vietnam were all so helpful and everything was well organised. We saw so…read more
Narayan at Lumle Travel was excellent at offering advice on our trip and answering any queries or worries we had, even on his day off! Nothing was too much trouble for him. The tour itself went off…read more
We are just back from a 2 week tour of India booked through Lumle Holidays. We had an amazing trip and went from Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Pushka - Udaipur and then finally down to Goa…read more
We had a wonderful two weeks tour of northern India,Narayan was so helpful with plenty of advice before our holiday he also rang us twice during our time in India which was very reassuring.…read more
the holiday was absolutely fabulous. The tour guide and driver were brilliant and pulled out all the stops to ensure that we saw as much as possible, laying on additional visits for us on our free…read more
One word! Amazing, Great friendly people, Great places to visit, Cultural, educational. Everyday brings a new experience. ChurchSpa Visited In September 2016read more
Myself and a friend, both aged 23, organised a trip to Nepal with Lumle. Right from the start of organising the holiday Narayan, the company owner who is also Nepalese, was incredibly helpful and…read more
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During the Second World War, the Nazis proactively and systematically confiscated hundreds of thousands (some estimates say 600,000) of works of art in Europe. These objects were stolen, or in some cases the owners were forced to sell them at a low price, by agents of the Third Reich from the time they gained power in 1933 to the end of the war in 1945. After the war, the allied forces, through the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Commission of the U.S. Army, with the help of U.S. museums and scholars, made great efforts to return these stolen and displaced objects to their countries of origin. Many eventually were restituted to their original owners. Even so, whether through auctions, dealers, or as gifts and bequests, museums may have unknowingly acquired works that had been confiscated by the Nazis, and for which proper restitution had not been made to the original owner or heir. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 works of art remain unaccounted for; some undoubtedly have been destroyed.
Charles P. Parkhurst (OC '38), director of the AMAM from 1949-62, was one of the U.S. Army "Monuments Men" responsible for restoring art displaced during the 1933-45 period to its rightful owners, and the AMAM strives to continue his legacy through attentive provenance research on works in our collection. (For more information on Parkhurst and his efforts in restitution, conservation, and museum reaccreditation, click here.)
Today there is an increased awareness of the issues surrounding works of art that were stolen, looted, or that otherwise illicitly changed hands in Europe during the Nazi era. Museums are addressing the ethical questions and challenges that may arise regarding the prior ownership of works acquired during or after these years. In many cases ownership history is incomplete, or the available information may be inaccurate. Many documents and inventories that would enable scholars to investigate the past ownership and movement of works in Europe have only become available in recent years. As a member institution of the American Association of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), the Allen Memorial Art Museum is committed to examining the provenance of works in its collection to determine whether any may have been subject to theft, looting or improper transactions. In 1999 the AAM published its "Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects during the Nazi Era". In accordance with these and with other procedures established by the AAM, the AAMD (in position papers and reports of 1998, 2001 and 2007) and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States, the AMAM has created an online database of European paintings and works in other media that have gaps in their 1933-45 provenance.
Click here, AMAM 1933-45 Provenance List, for European paintings (oil-based media on canvas, wood panel or paper) in the AMAM collection that have gaps in their provenance between 1933 and 1945 and that were or may reasonably have been in continental Europe between those dates. It is important to note that a gap in provenance or change in ownership does not necessarily mean that the work was stolen or seized. In the majority of cases it reflects incomplete or inadequate record keeping by previous owners. Research on the history of ownership is a continuing process, and not all of the AMAM's collection has yet been assessed. New information about our European works during this period will be disclosed as it becomes available. Information is also disclosed on the Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal database, a searchable registry developed by the AAM of works in United States museums created before 1946 and that changed hands or might reasonably have been in continental Europe from 1933-45.


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It's that time of year again... time for CTN-X! I am really burned out on Cons in genral, which is why I haven't been to APE, WonderCon or sold anything at Comic Con in recent years. However, CTN-X is just so awesome that I gladly made an exception. Think of it as the Comic Con for the animation industry, only with 1/100th of the crowds, attendees with better hygiene and you are actually able to approach and talk to legends in animation. Last year I bumped into Don Hahn, Glen Keane, Glenn Vilppu and Don Bluth all in the same day. You can't argue with that! I also met a ton of awesome new friends and am looking super forward to reconnecting with everyone there.
I will be exhibiting my wares at table 39 in the back of the main hall. I have a couple of new prints and I've finally broke down and have started taking commissions for felties. I will have a few felties on display at my booth as samples for what I can do :)
Now, it wouldn't be a true expo for me if I wasn't riding waves of self doubt, anxiety and general fussiness followed by giddiness, confidence, excitement and then back around to the self doubt, so here is a doodle I did during one of the self-doubt phases. To answer Doodle-Steph's own question, it's never a waste of time, even if I feel out-classed by the talent that surrounds me. Last year I came back from the Expo energized and inspired and I expect this year will be every bit as good :)
In other news, I have a few felt pieces in the works for the Soft Serve show at OH NO! DOOM in Chicago. Here's what I have so far (don't wanna give away the surprise, but there will be tentacles involved when all is said and done!), and the poster which features an awesome monster cone by Chelsea Bloxsom!
See you guys at CTN!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
5 comments:
- Unknown said...
Are you wasting your time?!?!!
Hell no!
You're super talented, I wish I could make down there to say hello and check out the work that hasn't made it on the blog.
- Renee Kurilla said...
Weeee! I will totally stop by your booth and say hello! If I ever make it to California... I've been delayed in NY for 5 hours...hmph.
Can't wait to se ya!
- MB Thomas said...
You certainly did not waste any time. You gave a lot of excellent feedback to young artists including me. Thank you so much, and I hope to see you again, next year.
- Jason Pruett said...
It was great to be at the table next to you.
- Megan Nicole Dong said...
It was nice to meet you at CTN-X! And thanks for the cuttle-pug!!
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Obesity is more common in African Americans than in other ethnic groups. But when it comes to black people and weight, that's where the agreement seems to end. Is food the culprit? Is exercise the solution? Is there even a real problem to begin with, or should we be focusing on health — or even self-acceptance — rather than the number on the scale?
Against the backdrop of the first lady's mission to slim down the nation's kids, black celebs getting endorsements after shedding inches and a booming weight-loss industry, The Root will publish a series of interviews with medical professionals, activists and fitness enthusiasts that reveal the complexity of this issue and the range of approaches to it.
For the fifth in the series, The Root talked to Danielle Moodie-Mills, the National Wildlife Federation's senior manager of environmental-education campaigns, who recently wrote an essay for this site on connecting children to nature for the benefit of their health and well-being. She says the epidemic behind the obesity crisis is that people simply aren't taking their kids outside anymore.
Read the rest of the interviews in the series here, and check out the rest of The Root's obesity coverage here.
The Root: According to the latest statistics, African Americans are 1.5 times as likely to be obese as whites. What's going on, from your perspective, with black people, obesity and overall health?
Danielle Moodie-Mills: About 80 percent of our population lives in urban areas right now, and that's probably increasing. And we know generally that in urban areas, a lot of things happen that may preclude people from going outside. There may not be a park near their house or a natural green space, for example.
There is a recent study that came out that says that school is cutting recess across the board. With the advent of the No Child Left Behind policy in 2001 and the subsequent amendments to that, we got into the mentality of teaching to the test, and saying teachers needed more time to do that. Where is that time going to come from? It's going to come from P.E. and recess.
Unfortunately, the lower-performing schools that are being targeted by these cuts are also high-racial-minority schools. So those students are the ones [who are] less likely to get outside and get exercise. That to me sounds like prison, and that's what we're asking 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds and 9-year-olds to do. Don't we believe the outdoors is for everyone?
TR: When it comes to African Americans and obesity, what is the biggest myth or misunderstanding?
And then there are all of these stereotypes that we put on people who are overweight, especially African Americans who are overweight. It's like, "Oh, I'm big and beautiful and sexy," when you're talking about adults, and when you're talking about kids, it's, "Oh, they're just big-boned." I've heard that, I read that. And, it's like, did they seriously just put that in print? Because it just feeds into an unhealthy stereotype — a stereotype, frankly, that's killing us as a community.
TR: If you could make just one suggestion for people to implement in their daily lives with respect to weight and health, what would it be?
DMM: It would be to get outdoors and to get moving. The first lady has talked about "Let's move," even if moving just means getting up during a commercial to start moving or just going for a walk outside. Because you can't tell a sedentary person, "Let's go for a hike" or "Let's go for a 5K run." That's the quickest way to want to burn somebody out. Start with, "Let's go out for a walk around the block."
And a part of getting people in touch with their health is recognizing the importance of the outdoors and realizing how inexpensive it is. People are spending a lot of money on health care needs, on diabetes medication, on heart medication. We're seeing kids younger and younger developing adolescent diabetes.
We can be outside; we can grow a little tomato in a pot, if we don't have access to a garden. It's about getting everybody in touch with all five of their senses and the environment that nature provides, and encouraging people to get out there and move when they're out there. It's about taking little steps. And you know what? Gym memberships: really expensive. Medication: really expensive. The outdoors: free. Walking: free.
Finally, kids who are so used to being entertained with a screen need to be reintroduced to how to play. We have a campaign called "Be Out There," which essentially teaches parents how to get their kids outdoors.
TR: What cultural and historical or psychological issues make the black community's relationship with weight and health unique?
DMM: We've had unique relationships with the medical profession. Historically, we have not trusted medical professionals, and this goes back to Tuskegee and testing that was done without our knowledge. And so you kind of learn to not go, until something is truly, truly wrong with you. And at that stage, sometimes it's too late.
But there are small steps that can be made — because we are an outdoor people. Our culture has kind of been based in being in the outdoors and enjoying one another … we just need to get back to that. Get back to that space when we're fishing and gardening, and hanging out and really enjoying each other and nature the way that we used to, and not be held up in our homes anymore.
Next: Celebrity chef Aaron McCargo.
Jenée Desmond-Harris is The Root's staff writer.
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