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Isaac Bashevis Singer once wrote, "There is only one little step from killing animals to creating gas chambers a la Hitler. For animals EVERYDAY IS A HOLOCAUST." About the same time the German Jewish philosopher Theodor Adorno made a similar point: "Auschwitz begins whenever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they're only animals."
TAKE HEED, and beware all religious leaders like THE POPE who eat animal flesh, or dairy products, or eggs while professing to be doing God's work.
Your sacrilegious deeds of openly condoning and supporting the completely unnecessary insidious cruelty, torture, and mass murder of God's precious creatures throughout the world make you guilty of the WORST kind of cardinal SIN.
Do religious leaders who have an affinity for devouring the flesh of animals REALLY BELIEVE that any God worthy of being worshipped would arbitrarily and cruelly authorize the worldwide HIDIOUS TORTURE AND MASS MURDER of precious and beloved animals so that hundreds of millions of misinformed and delusional humans are able to eat their flesh, dairy products or eggs?
Do religious leaders who use their throats as garbage cans and their stomachs as graveyards for the decaying flesh from God's precious beloved creatures REALLY BELIEVE that condoning and supporting the worst kind of torture and MASS MURDER of animals will be rewarded with kindness, love, and nirvana in their next life?
The Bible is filled with ambiguous scriptures *written by men* for the benefit of people, not defenseless vulnerable animals.
Deceptive self- serving verses that cleverly appeared in the Bible over 2000 years ago for the sole purpose of making it seem as though God authorized man to torture and murder precious irreplaceable animals in order to provide animal flesh, dairy products, and eggs for people throughout the world to eat.
ALL MIGHTY GOD, who created the heavens and the earth and all the creatures that dwell here, cannot be manipulated, and will not be a partner blind to false religious interpretations.
Because ALL ANIMALS GO TO HEAVEN AND MOST HUMANS GO TO HELL, and because there are NO factory farms or slaughterhouses in Heaven now might be a good time FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS to attempt to regain their covenant with God by changing their eating habits, and recommending to everyone in their congregations to do the same, or together suffer the ill-fated consequences of their DECEITFUL deeds.
Which may very well include eating FLESH in the slaughterhouses of HELL, where ONLY CANNIBALS ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE!!
BON appetite!!!
October 3, 2010 2:17 pm
Wonderful Auther Poletti thank you!
Laura permalinkOctober 10, 2010 1:56 am
I love this message: "ALL MIGHTY GOD, who created the heavens and the earth and all the creatures that dwell here, cannot be manipulated, and will not be a partner blind to false religious interpretations." The only thing I don't agree with is where you say the real God created ALL the creatures here. I believe the "god of the bible" is the source of only humanity, but also created by humanity, and is not the true God. I believe the real God, outside of any manmade bible, created the universe and the animals…all that is good and pure and natural. My belief is that Lucifer is the real God and will have his Day of vengeance against the evil of humanity and its "god." Uh-oh, I'm asking for trouble there. Or maybe you'll all ignore me, lol.
Name permalinkOctober 12, 2016 5:27 pm
really, so you just crawled out of a swamp or a monkey's butt?? Oh right the fake theory of evolution for dummies and anti-Creator! Go crawl back up the monkey's butt you came from! Remember, many perish, and they are those who think what this one thinks, but moreover, most are not of the Creator, they are of the Neanderthal esau, the red headed and blonde ASIANS who hide in Russia, scottland, Britain, ANGLAND, Ireland, wales, Scandinavia, just look at their AASIAN EPICANTHIC EYE FOLDS, they are the Chinese-albino's of cain who spread their seed and have MANY IDENTITIES and are behind ALL govn't and are the NWO of cain's whores, ROME IS paganism by the true founders, the Phoenicians and this they hide from you and the languages are all based on the Phoenician alphabet, just like we were told, they would twist and pervert the languages and they did!! Just look closely at the red/blonde/white haired people and you will see many still have the Asian eye fold! FACT, the seed of the sick and depraved minds are everywhere!
Mary Blackchurch permalinkJuly 17, 2011 11:01 am
There is no god but what is in your mind. Your mind is vegan (great!)..but the god of the bible is not great now was he ever vegan; in fact you've just shown how man has always created god in HIS image and not the other way around. He was written into history by horny men of the desert who were and still are hell bent on owning the land of Israel no matter the cost. And the cost has been very high for the children and people of Palestine. These men killed off all of humanity via their god in the Bible (Noah's Ark), his angel of death killed the firstborn sons of Egypt in an angry misdirected attempt to punish the doomed children's parents. (passover). He also called out two she bears to tear to shreds 42 youths that has called his "prophet" Elijah, "baldy". Do you need me to quote the scripture? Really? Because I will do it.
The god of the Bible asked that we put any animal that does not chew it's cud on the alter and slay it as a sacrifice to him. This is where the "Lamb of God" comes in during the New Testament. Jesus proudly gave himself this name. An unblemished lamb (perfect baby) was called for to appease YHWH, and Jesus came in the sequel to be the "Final lamb to the slaughter"…so as to "complete" the Old Law of YHWH. That law was to slaughter baby lambs. Read your Bible before you write about it. I am a Jew…don't even fuss with me on this one. Also, Jesus beat cattle and overthrew tables in another misdirected anger tirade when people were selling things outside of a temple (just a building). He said "How dare you make my father's house a den of thieves"..and took the cat-o-nine tails and beat the livestock. Then he had the fat gall (or so the writers said) to tell us to "forgive our enemies and be good to those who wrong us". Hypocrisy…the book is SHIT. Anyone who thinks otherwise has not read it. They simply have not read where Jesus commanded demons out of a man and threw them into a herd of pigs nearby, minding their own business, and the pigs then ran off a cliff into the ocean killing themselves.
@Laura, I do not believe in Luciferianism anymore than the "god" theory, but it would be nice if your theory was the true theory. Unfortunately it's not. Satan, Lucifer (angel of light)…come form the mythological Zatan. Not real.
This is it people. We make the world the change that no god could have because non exist. And if one does exist (certainly not the one who wrote the bible, qur'aan, tanakh, or torah, then who cares? What's the peek a boo game? What silly nonsense is that to play on your creation? No, there's no god. It's an archaic and foolish concept. Time to let it go
July 23, 2011 11:20 am
In my opinion since humans, not God, were responsible for writing all of the words of every religious faith, then men can be blamed for all of the disingenuous, self serving, thoughtless connotations written in the Bible that could not possibly have been authorized or ordained by God. Words that cleverly dismissed the immense value,importance, and absolute necessity of protecting every animal's life. The Bible is filled with ambiguous scriptures written by men for the benefit of people, not animals. This is why it is impossible to believe that any God worthy of worshipping has ever, or would ever, give the authorization to destroy precious irreplaceable animals and eat their flesh. There can be no bigger sin than the affectation and the manipulation of scriptures in the Bible to justify and satisfy the inherited and ageless human cravings to kill animals and eat their flesh.Take heed, a genuine loving and compassionate God can not be manipulated, and will not be a partner blind to false religious interpretations. Someday the demand for religious clarity regarding the precious lives of animals will persuade amenable religious leaders representing every faith throughout the world to deliberate and resolve obvious improprieties in the Bible. The prudent decision should finally be made to amend and or delete verses in the Holy Bible that insinuate God authorized or seemed to authorize any form of cruelty to animals because of the absolute bona-fide belief that almighty God would never condone, support,permit, or promote cruelty violence or the torture and premature death of billions of animals that are murdered in factory farms, slaughterhouses experimental laboratories, or by hunters.
August 1, 2011 10:23 am
YOU ARE 100% RIGHTS!https://ourcompass.wordpress.com/essays/god-is-a-vegan/#respond
Erika permalinkOctober 20, 2014 12:28 pm
There is quite a bit of manuscript evidence that the Levitical priesthood and the scribes twisted it and turned it into a LIE.
"'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?"-Jer 8:8
Go to the story of Moses, where the Israelites are tired of manna and long for the FLESHPOTS of Egypt, and God gave them quail but they were struck with plague while the meat was still in their teeth. They had biblical correctors living in the temple called SCRIBES who manipulated the texts, just like the orthodox church manipulated the texts to cover up the fact that the apostles were all vegetarian..according to the earliest church fathers.
The story of Jesus driving the "money changers"(in reality: procurers of animals for sacrifice), out of the temple, which got him killed.
Or Paul self professed Pharisee, eater of meat, who changed the gospel of Jesus into one of human sacrifice, and one that allowed the eating of animal flesh.?
The ebonites, who were the Jewish followers of Jesus? Most likely Hunted down, harassed, and exterminated by the blood cult orthodox Christians who were influenced by the blood cult of saducess, scribes and Pharisees.
There is evidence in apocryphal books and enough evidence in even the corrupted texts we have in our Bibles, plus the earliest church fathers who attest to this. The later orthodox fathers ) wrote that the vegan Christians were too numerous and they feared that their version of Christianity would not survive against it.
As far as there being no God..if someone came into your house, killed your pets and children, defecated in every room, and then got sick while gorging themselves in your pantry, was lying on the floor dying when you came home, and begged you to help them, would you oblige?
July 25, 2011 1:17 am
You are completely right. Did these people never read the bible or else are they in denial, deciding that "men" wrote the parts they don't like? The whole thing is racist, sexist, homophobic, and very anti-animal. There is no god, no goddess, and people need to grow up, get rid of their imaginary friends, and put away their ancient mythology storybooks to join the rest of us in the 21st century.
Lara permalinkFebruary 2, 2014 7:52 pm
Urgh, it's impressive that despite the first paragraph of this article quoting a pro-vegan Jewish writer and a Jewish philosopher, there's still someone in here that would manage to turn the comments section into a bigoted antisemitic hate platform about how these supposedly cursed people deserved all the crap that's been lobbed at them for the last 2,000-odd years. Congrats, Mary.
My family are Jews, are all passionately vegetarian/vegan, and you should probably keep your ignorance and hatred to yourself. Do you think all of Christendom are represented by the Westborough Baptist Church, and all Muslims are represented by the Taliban, or is it only my people who you think are represented by their extremists?
If you have any interest in dispelling your misconceptions, read about Reform Judaism and Jewish Renewal. (Odds of that happening are zero, I know.)
me permalinkJuly 24, 2011 3:50 pm
its not prudent to throw such a dangerous link about cannibals onto your blog, we are not free in our world and we are perhaps spied on , and i am upset that i clicked this link not knowing what it was, you really don't have to make such a point, anyone that doesn't know that flesh is murder is not going to be convinced by outlandish dramatization.
August 1, 2011 10:16 am
May 10, 2013 4:48 am
Hey there, You have done an excellent job. I'll definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I am sure they'll be benefited from this site.
February 21, 2014 11:23 pm
Talmud calls to the Vegetarianism! [And a bit about the Talmud itself]
CC permalinkMarch 31, 2016 4:34 pm
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in Hypocrisy: having their conscience seared with a hot iron: 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Erika permalinkApril 1, 2016 10:21 am
Is your church curing cancer? is it raising the dead?
Then it obviously is not doing the works of Christ and is not the real church.
"latter times" were literally the times BEFORE the fall of Jerusalem, which was around 70 AD.
Your New Testament has been heavily redacted Most of the Apostles were in fact Vegans..(and yes they were Jewish) attested to by the writings of the earliest church fathers, who actually believed that people eating animal flesh was one of the primary ways to become demonically possessed.
Why don't you check out the early Christian writings? (before it became a state religion, in America it is used to keep the serfs docile and obedient like it was in Rome, another empire)
"I am come to do away with sacrfices, and if you cease not sacrificing,
the wrath of God will not cease from you."
(Epiphanius, Panarion 30.16,4-5)
Until every cage is free! permalinkJuly 17, 2017 3:11 pm
Oh sure… God is "vegan" (LOL Read the bible please!)
Chronicles 29:21
And they sacrificed sacrifices to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings to the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel (…)
Chronicles 29:32
And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was three score and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
Exodus 12:21-27
21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
(I can post more if needed, but I would invite you to read carefully what the bible says. Keep loving animals but do not insert "god" in that: He (whoever he was) was a slayer, of people and animals)
July 21, 2017 8:14 am
Imagine what God Is thinking while God stands at the doorstep of every slaughterhouse in the World to witness millions of God's precious animals being tortured and murdered every hour of the day.
Golden permalinkJuly 28, 2017 7:16 pm
Who said its easy to make Heaven in Hell?
We are on the front lines of the war.
If we must eat flesh and blood then eat gators, snakes, and predators other then humans because many are deviced by things that can only be classified and labeled as evil.
Our herbivore friends are automatic lawnmowers and trail makers of this wild hell labeled Earth.
We need mongooses for the south and merecats for the desert areas as a example of importing and exporting our friends that eat snakes and scorpions.
There is more I have to say but it is sexual and probably inappropriate but allow me to say this, 69ing for world peace.
God bless.


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ROCHESTER — The Rochester Fire Department says it received more donations than it ever has during the fundraising process for this past year's annual toy bank project.
Fire Capt. Paul LaClair said with multiple local businesses pitching in, and with various department fundraising events, the department brought in more than $4,000 and provided about 700 Lilac City children with 2,100 toys through the Rochester Firefighters' Toy Bank program.
LaClair noted the achievement could not have been possible without the generosity of the community including the Paul Wentworth family of some of the local Dunkin' Donuts chains, who donated $500, along with the Rochester Rotary Club and the Holy Rosary Credit Union, who additionally each donated $500. Local restaurants Granite Steak and Grille along with Windjammers sold paper boots which customers could purchase with each meal for a $1 or whatever donation they chose, for a total of $2,000. Tara Estates Retirement Village annually donates enough toys to fill a pickup truck and other contributions came in from the Rochester Federation of Teachers, Rochester Toyota and Buffalo Wild Wings.
"We've already started shopping for next year," LaClair said. "We've been watching for sales so we can buy more with the money."
Other fundraising events held by the department over the last few months included the Soup, Chili and Chowder Fest, brought back by popular demand, a dance at the local Elks Lodge, a joint fundraiser with the Dover and Somersworth fire departments at Uno Chicago Grill and a "community night" at the Rochester Country Club, where a portion of the evening's earnings were donated to the toy bank drive.
For the future, LaClair said the station hopes to hold another dance and the fire department's Executive Secretary Cindi Potts, who assisted with the toy bank, said they will try to get more businesses to participate in the soup festival. She added "Santa Claus was a big part" of the donations this year.
Those seeking to make a donation to the annual toy bank may do so by sending checks to the Rochester Firefighters' Toy Bank at 36 Wakefield St. in Rochester.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Eiji-kun (talk)
|Date Created:
|Please feel free to edit constructively!
Critical Resistance Edit
Rogues do well, that is until they run into a critically immune foe, of which there are many, including the ever common undead and construct types. Yet it only makes partial sense, is precision damage not striking the enemy in weak points? While a zombie has no vital organs, it can still be crippled through a precise strike to certain parts of the frame. Even golems and plants have weak spots, even while lacking vitals. This rule replaces the normal critical immunity with the concept of critical resistance, a sort of required "damage reduction" which can be bypassed given the correct tools.
Below is a list of various types. When struck with the listed damage type, they are treated as being vulnerable to critical hits and precision damage, as aforementioned weapons are "super effective" against their monster type. Some exceptions may exist on a creature by creature basis. In general, a creature should only be completely immune of the creature in question is absolutely homogenous.
Construct: Criticals enabled via an adamantine weapon.
Deathless: Criticals enabled via an unholy or otherwise profane weapon.
Elemental: Criticals enabled by weapons with an opposing elemental type (Frost vs Fire Elementals, Shocking vs Earth Elementals, etc.)
Ooze: Criticals enabled by weapons with desiccation damage or ooze-specific weaknesses.
Plant: Criticals enabled by weapons with fire damage.
Undead: Criticals enabled via a holy or otherwise sacred weapon.
This variant rule was originally created by Nunkuruji on the Brilliant Gameologist Min/Max boards..
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Variant Rules


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Cottonwood Heights, UTHome Menu
Budget & Financial Reporting
The Finance department is responsible for sound fiscal procedures and efficient functioning of the City's financial activities. This process starts with annual long term planning and goals by the City Council and each department. The Finance department assists the City Manager and Mayor in preparing the annual budget for presentation and final adoption prior to the start of the new fiscal year.
Each year revenues and expenditures are reviewed and each line item is examined to determine future needs of the City. The city budget is prepared after careful contemplation of all predictable and unpredictable factors. Governmental funds are balanced as required by Utah Code Section 10-6-117.
Throughout the year, the Finance department carefully monitors actual transactions and prepares monthly reports for the City Council. With accurate records of all financial transactions, the Finance department closes the Fiscal Year and prepares the annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Statements which are audited by independent auditors.


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Immerse in an ECO-Tour and Experience Southwest Florida Islands by Boat
"Captain Brian Holaway is well versed in the intricacies of our unmatched locale. He can guide to and through a multitude of out-of-the way tidal creeks, bayous, keys and islands. More important is his passionate interest and respect for the region. With unique insights from his many explorations and his studies, not only does he identify the birds and wildlife that inhabit our semi-tropical watery land, but he explains their interconnectedness to their environment and each other. In addition, he shares the fascinating history of rugged people who came long before us: Florida Native Indians, the Calusa, the Spanish, the Cubans, early homesteaders, and the wisdom evident in the growth of their culture.
You will come away with great enjoyment and a new understanding of this beautiful place and its history."
Historian, Betty Anholt
Author of Sanibel's Story
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Culture and Shells In Southwest Florida
I had the opportunity to do a brief talk today on seashells and their significance to the culture of Southwest Florida. It's fun to show my passion for seashells and life on the water. Hope you enjoy the video. Capt Brian
Posted by Capt. Brian Holaway at 10:00 PM
2 comments:
Great video. Always fun to learn more about Florida shells, wildlife, history of the area, etc...
- Saturday, May 20, 2017
That was fascinating! Especially that the whelk beads were found as far away as Oklahoma!
- Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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DEAR ABBY: I have a close friend who is obsessed with selling "finds" on eBay. I often give her little items that she has mentioned she liked -- or outright asked for. I always thought she wanted to keep them for herself. Recently I saw some of the things I gave her for sale under her eBay account.
I am dismayed that she is taking advantage of my generosity to make a few bucks. No, she is not desperate. And no, I don't feel comfortable saying something unless it's clever and I won't appear to be jealous or petty. -- TRACI IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR TRACI: You don't have to say anything clever. What you should do is tell your friend that you were hurt when you saw the items she had requested up for sale on her eBay account. Period. And in the future, be a little less generous about providing stock for her retail venture.
DEAR ABBY: Over the years, I have seen many letters from soon-to-be-brides asking if they should include their husband's sister or other female friend in their bridal party, even if they don't know them. There is a solution.
This summer, I was honored to be the best man at the wedding of a close friend. He had a female friend, "Liz," whom he wanted in the wedding party. Liz didn't know the bride, so instead of having her be a bridesmaid, Liz was a groomswoman. She stood in photos with the groomsmen, and even wore a matching outfit -- a lovely gray dress with a red ribbon to match our gray suits and red ties. -- BEST MAN IN REDMOND, WASH.
DEAR BEST MAN: That is certainly an appropriate solution to something that shouldn't be a problem in the first place. Women have also occasionally served in the capacity of "best man." I'm glad you mentioned it.
DEAR ABBY: I have seen letters in your column referring to not being invited to children's birthday parties and the hurt that follows. It's amazing to me that some adults have also never learned the importance of being sensitive to the feelings of others.
We recently moved into an established neighborhood where a group of adults go on trips, out to dinner, etc. I am old enough to realize that my husband and I will not be invited to everything. But I am not "old enough" not to feel a stab of pain and isolation when group plans are discussed in my presence and we are not invited.
Somewhere along the line, people need to learn not to discuss group activities in front of those who are not included. No one wants to feel left out. -- NEWCOMER TO MINNESOTA
DEAR NEWCOMER: You've said it well. While I don't think the offenders are being deliberately cruel, if people would think before opening their mouths, a lot of hurt feelings could be avoided.
DEAR ABBY: I'm just wondering what you and your readers think about this: If you see your doctor only once a year (or less if you are well), but you have been going to that doctor for five years or so, should that doctor remember you? -- LOUISE IN ARIZONA
DEAR LOUISE: It depends on the volume of patients the doctor has in his (or her) practice. However, before seeing you, the doctor should certainly familiarize himself (or herself) with your file so you are not being seen "cold."
What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


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Revenge 2×16 Sneak Peek #2 "Illumination" (HD)
Nine locks in House Husbands for season two
The Nine Network has commissioned a second series of its hit drama House Husbands only four weeks after its launch.
The series made its debut on September 3 and drew an audience of 1.37 million viewers nationally.
Significantly, it also ranked first in the 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54-year-old demographics, the three segments of the audience which soak up most of the advertising revenue.
In the following two weeks it has held onto much of that audience – with around 1.2 million viewers tuned in weekly.
That sustained weekly figure is far more important to Nine than the launch figure, as it signals there is an audience who have engaged with the show and will remain loyal to it.
Weaker programs launch to big numbers and then dissipate. Some shows lose up to half of their launch audience in the first year.
House Husbands is produced for Nine by Playmaker Media. It was created by writers Ellie Beaumont and Drew Proffitt.
It stars Gary Sweet, Firass Dirani, Gyton Grantley and Rhys Muldoon as four men who are the full- or part-time carers for their kids while their wives or partners work.
The series also stars Julia Morris, Anna McGahan, Natalie Saleeba and Tim Campbell.
House Husbands caps off a successful year for Nine who have spent the last half-dozen years playing catch up to rival Channel Seven.
They have a number of feathers in their cap this year, including Big Brother, The Block, The Voice and a successful London Olympics telecast.
But Nine's drama scorecard is less consistent.
Dramas which are based on true stories, such as Underbelly, Beaconsfield and Howzat! Kerry Packer's War do well for them, but fictional dramas have, in recent years, not done well on Nine.
Among recent attempts which met with mixed success are The Strip, Canal Road and Tricky Business. Other shows, such as Cops LAC and Rescue: Special Ops, delivered reasonable ratings but never won wide critical acclaim.
House Husbands appears to have reversed that trend, delivering solid numbers to Nine as well as a far more elusive prize: the approval of television critics.
"I couldn't be happier that Australian audiences have taken House Husbands to their hearts and made it the number one drama in the country," Nine's director of television Michael Healy said.
"I am thrilled to confirm a second series of House Husbands will go into production with the same acclaimed cast and crew."


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"Jamestown Native Photographer Awarded Burchfield Penney Art Center Residency" in the The Post-Journal
Monday, January 28, 2013
Frame of Mind
By Dusten Rader, The Post-Journal
Read more at post-journal.com.
The lens of a camera is akin to that of the eye, capturing moments one at a time, so that they may be immortalized and enjoyed by those who dare to look.
Jamestown native Janelle Lynch, who is an internationally recognized photographer, was recently selected for a residency with the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo.
According to Lynch, the residency, which begins in spring, will provide her with the opportunity to study and create work associated with watercolorist Charles Burchfield.
Although Lynch grew up in Jamestown, she was drawn away because she knew that there was a whole world waiting for her to explore and experience. While attending Jamestown High School, which she graduated from in 1987, she was a photographer for the school newspaper. She also studied foreign languages, such as French and Spanish, with a distinct intention of going abroad, she said.
"There was a whole lot else in the world that I wanted to get to know," said Lynch.
But, Lynch's exposure to photography occurred at a much younger age than high school. She recalls that her grandfather was an amateur photographer and that he collected camera equipment. So, photography was very much a part of her life at home because she lived with her grandfather, James "Jim" Cusimano, grandmother, Josephine Nicosia Cusimano, and her mother, Antoinette Lynch.
"He was always present, and so was his camera," said Lynch. "He also worked in a darkroom in Germany during the Second World War as a technician, so he brought that experience back home with him, but he really just took family pictures."
Lynch also recalls her grandfather working with a woman named Mrs. Siegfried, who was a portrait photographer that had a studio on Third and Main Street. Mrs. Siegfried photographed Lynch several times when she was young. Lynch said that one of her earliest memories, from when she was 3, was Mrs. Siegfried being under the cloth of her 4-by-5 large-format camera. Coincidentally, in her adult life, Lynch utilized a 4-by-5 large-format camera for a number of sets before upgrading to the 8-by-10 large-format Deardorff that she now uses to capture moments in time.
"It is a camera that Stephen Shore, one of my most important teachers, had been encouraging me to use since I graduate school," said Lynch. "I'm not a very technically oriented person and so I was frankly intimidated by it. But, I finally dared to begin using it in 2006, and it's the perfect fit for me after all. Like no other camera it really suits my personality in that because of its size, weight and fragility, and the cost of the film, it really insists on a very methodical, thoughtful, detailed approach. And, that, to a degree, defines my personality and how I approach my writing and life in general. So, it was a wonderful discovery after all."
When Jim passed away, he left behind all of his camera equipment, and Lynch found it in a leather suitcase when she was 7.
"It was all very secretive and I didn't share with anyone that I had found it," said Lynch. "I recall not knowing that I needed film. So, I was just trying to use the apparatus to take pictures, and that exploration didn't last very long. But, then my mother bought me my first camera when I was 10. It was a Kodak disc camera. The film was on a disc format and it rotated with each frame, and I used it at home to take pictures of family mostly. Curiously, they were my first pictures, and they were portraits, not ever of the landscape, which is all that I photograph now, and I don't photograph people now."
According to Lynch, during the process of earning her MFA in photography and related media from 1997-99, she decided to stop photographing people for professional work. Rather than photographing people, Lynch uses other subject matter in her pictures to represent humanity.
"In a more recent series from Spain, 'Riu Llobregat,' there are electrical poles and I used those to represent people," said Lynch.
In Lynch's "Donde Andaba" series from 2005, resilience and perseverance are represented by small plants growing through cracks in man-made landscapes.
"My work is about the landscape, the environment, the life cycle, remembrance and it's about me and my life experiences and concerns," said Lynch. "I think ultimately the reason I am able to find it, see it, capture it and convey it is because it is also something that defines me. It is those very qualities that made me want to leave home and go explore the world in the first place. That very ingrained need in me to continue to grow, pursue and struggle is something that drew me to the Mexican culture. I lived there for three years, and I made those 'Donde Andaba' pictures at the end of my stay. It's something that I found in the spirit of many people there in the developing world. They face many challenges; and I made that work partially because of my own life experience, but also because I was so inspired by some of the relationships that I formed there, and that tenacious spirit that I identified in that culture. This interest in the life cycle is based on early life experiences related to loss, realizing that there is a continuity, that there is loss, but then there is rebirth and life to be celebrated, enjoyed and embraced."
Lynch was selected for the Burchfield Penney residency by Anthony Bannon, director of Burchfield Penney Art Center, after writing a five-page proposal entitled "Spiritual Kinship: A Year with Charles Burchfield." In the proposal Lynch offered the following three questions for her written investigation: "What is the essence of our respective reverence for nature and of our relationship to light?"; "Why do we tend to imbue our subjects with anthropomorphic qualities rather than depict people?"; and "What explains our vehemence about protecting our creative freedom?"
"There is a sense of mutuality in terms of our interests and concerns," said Lynch. "It's a very lonely endeavor sometimes, so when I discovered his work I felt really for the first time that I wasn't alone as an artist with my vision, my interests, cares and concerns - in particular this very profound reverence for the natural world."
As a watercolorist, Burchfield embodied a celebratory aspect that allowed him to capture the natural world in a manner that Lynch said she feels as well. Also, his attention to light is something she finds unusual and is something that she shares with him. And, further, she identifies with his desire to protect his pure vision of art.
"In reading his journals I came to understand that early on he felt a very strong need to defend his vision - his creative freedom," said Lynch. "Early in his career he went to New York City, and although he was quite commercially successful, he did not buy into the art-world scene; rather he decided to reject it to preserve his pure vision as an artist. That is something I have struggled quite a lot with; as a younger emerging artist, how do I remain true to myself and at the same time become a part of this art-world that I want to be a part of, and I need to be a part of, if I'm going to make a living? Ultimately, his work and writings have enabled me to further embrace my own unique vision, regardless of the trends of the art-world, and a real need to believe in myself, in my vision and pursue it."
Watercolor and photography may be two separate mediums, and Burchfield's medium allowed for certain techniques that cannot be reproduced with photography, but Lynch said her work reflects his watercolor via metaphor. One technique she utilizes is apparent in the "Akna" series, which was the first body of work she did that was directly influenced by Burchfield.
"There might be some limitations with photography, but I don't feel it. I find other ways to photograph the subject matter," said Lynch. "With the 'Akna' series I employed a technique primarily used in portraiture, shallow depth of field, to photograph tree stumps as if they were portraits. There is a species of plant life called epiphytes and those semi-dead tree stumps are acting as a structural host to this new life. Epiphytes aren't parasitic, they just need a stable structure to attach themselves to, and they grow from there off the rainwater in the air. So, these stumps are acting as hosts to support this new life. So, I anthropomorphized the tree stumps through photography and named them after people in my life who served a similar nurturing role. I named two of them after my grandparents, Josephine, my grandmother, and Jim, my grandfather."
For more information about Lynch visit www.janellelynch.net or for information about the residency visit www.burchfieldpenney.org/artists/artist:janelle-lynch.


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How Sugar Leads to Toxic Glycation
By Michael A. Smith, MDWe've all heard it many times by now - the consumption of refined sugar is killing people.
And it's true. As a matter of fact, I often refer to sugar as the "American diet culprit" — a statement that I stand behind 100%.
But how exactly is sugar harming us? Or let me ask it this way: What is sugar really doing to our cells and tissues that is so very harmful?
Below, we'll answer this by investigating the pathological reaction involving sugar. We'll also explain how you can prevent it from happening to you, naturally.
Sugar Reacts to Cause Dangerous GlycationFirst off, sugar is very reactive … chemically speaking. It readily combines, or reacts, with cell-surface proteins and fats. This reaction is called glycation and it's not a good thing at all.
Every molecule of protein and fat in your body has a distinct structure and form. If the structure or form is changed, even just slightly, the result can be complete dysfunction of the protein or fat.
We call this the "structure-function" relationship of molecules. The need for a specific structure to perform a function can easily be envisioned if we think about the way a key has to fit into a lock.
In fact, the "lock and key" model in biochemistry is used to describe the need for a perfect match between a protein enzyme and its binding site. In another example, think about it on a more grand scale.
Look at your hand. It has a very detailed and specific structure to it. Crushing your hand in an industrial accident and breaking all of your fingers, changes your hand's structure.
In a "crushed" form, your hand cannot function as a hand. Your hand has lost its "structure-function" relationship.
Sugar Destroys Structure-Function RelationshipsThe same is true for proteins and fats on the surface of your cells. When sugar reacts with a surface protein, say a receptor for a hormone, it changes the receptor's structure and ultimately its function as a specific hormone receptor.
What does this mean to the cell? Well, the hormone, which carries a specific message for the cell, can no longer pass on its message. And keep in mind that the hormonal message could very well be essential for the cell's function and survival. And that's just one example.
Destroying the structure of a cell-surface protein or fat through glycation will destroy its function. The cell membrane becomes damaged and the cell dysfunctions. This inevitably is followed by tissue damage, organ failure, and organism death.
Bottom-line: Too much sugar undergoes a dangerous reaction called glycation. So let's take a look at some ways of preventing it.
Carnosine Sacrifices Itself to Protect Your CellsCarnosine is a unique small protein, called a dipeptide, which can interfere with the glycation process.1,2 It probably protects against glycation in two ways.
First, it may, in a sense, "sacrifice itself." Instead of sugar reacting to critical cell proteins, it will attack supplemented carnosine instead. I like to call it the glycation martyr.
Secondly, carnosine seems to have an ability to help "unfold" (return to normal) the structure of glycated proteins. In a laboratory study, researchers showed that glycated alpha-crystallin (a protein) unfolded and returned to normal structure after carnosine was added.1
Supplementing with 1 gram a day of carnosine may help people with sugar issues reduce the amount of glycation their cells and tissues experience.
Benfotiamine Manages Normal Sugar ReactionsAnother way to prevent glycation is to make sure sugar undergoes normal metabolism — meaning it's used properly for energy or safely stored away for later use. This is where benfotiamine comes into play — a fat soluble form of vitamin B1. It can help ensure sugar is correctly metabolized.3
Benfotiamine is a co-factor for the enzyme transketolase — which is critical to blood sugar metabolism. In a landmark study, it boosted healthy transketolase activity in cell cultures. The result was activated glucose metabolism, resulting in healthy blood sugar levels and less sugar available for glycation reactions.3
The researchers concluded that benfotiamine could help inhibit advanced glycation reactions, maintain healthy endothelial, retinal, kidney and nerve cell function.
Special Forms of B6 Inhibit GlycationSub-forms of vitamin B6, like pyridoxamine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, have been shown to protect critical cellular fats and proteins against glycation reactions.4
They probably work similar to benfotiamine by helping our cells manage sugar better and stopping glycation early on, before too much damage occurs. In any case, research has clearly shown that supplementing with them can minimize glycation reactions.
A team of biochemists at the University of South Carolina, for instance, were able to show that these sub-forms of B6 trap reactive metabolites formed during the initiation of glycation. They then chaperone them harmlessly into the urine before too much damage occurs.5
Sugar – How Sweet It Isn'tSo here's the takeaway: Sugar is not a sweet, innocent compound. It's highly reactive and can cause great structural damage to critical proteins and fats. Once structurally damaged, these proteins and fats cannot function properly.
So what can you do to protect yourself? First, start off by eating less sugar. Then, also consider supplementing with the triad of anti-glycation nutrients mentioned above — carnosine, benfotiamine and special forms of vitamin B6.
- Arch Biochem Biophys. 2004 Jul 1;427(1):110-5.
- Exp Gerontol. 2009 Apr;44(4):237-42.
- Nature Med. 2003 Mar;9(3):294-9.
- J Lipid Res. 2006 May; 47(5): 964-74.
- J Biol Chem. 2003 Oct 24;278(43):42012-9.


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Affirmative action heading for a Texas showdown
By MICHAEL KIRKLAND
Published: April 29, 2012 at 3:30 AM
WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) — If you think all the politically controversial cases all have been exhausted this term at the U.S. Supreme Court, think again — the challenge to affirmative action to be heard sometime next term promises to be a real gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
The justices agreed in February to take another look at affirmative action in college admissions in a case involving the University of Texas. The challenge should be heard sometime after the new term begins on the first Monday of October.
But the debate has been a long time brewing, ever since two landmark cases in 2003.
Then, like now, the court was divided into a conservative bloc and a liberal bloc. But unlike then, when Justice Sandra Day O'Connor sometimes joined liberals and more often joined the conservatives, today's court is driven by a consistent 5-4 conservative majority.
One of those rulings in 2003 restricted the way the University of Michigan used affirmative action to choose undergraduate applicants.
One approved in a narrow way the method the university's law school uses affirmative action to choose applicants.
In Gratz vs. Bollinger, the high court ruled 6-3 that the university's admissions guidelines were unconstitutional. The guidelines used a number of factors to evaluate an undergraduate applicant, assigning a numerical value to each factor.
Those scoring above 100 were considered eligible to fill the limited number of slots. However, minorities automatically received a 20-point bonus.
Two white students who normally would have been admitted but weren't challenged the policy in court.
The prevailing opinion written by Chief Justice William Rehnquist said, "Because the university's use of race in its current freshman admissions policy is not narrowly tailored to achieve [the school's] asserted interest in diversity, the policy violates the equal protection clause" of the 14th Amendment.
The other University of Michigan case, Grutter vs. Bollinger, was handed down the same day with O'Connor joining four liberals to form the five-member majority for a decidedly different result.
In Grutter, the university's law school chose applicants based on a number of factors, including race, but gave no numerical weight to race
Instead, the law school tried to achieve a "critical mass" of students, black and Native American, who might otherwise not be included.
Again, the policy was challenged by a white student who was qualified to be admitted to the law school but wasn't.
O'Connor's narrow majority opinion said, "The law school's narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body is not prohibited by the equal protection clause."
She said the law school's policy survived even strict scrutiny, the toughest of three levels of scrutiny used by the courts (the lower levels are "reasonable review" and "intermediate review").
But, she warned, racial preferences could not last forever: "It has been 25 years since Justice [Lewis] Powell first approved the use of race to further an interest in student body diversity in the context of public higher education" in 1978's Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke. "Since that time, the number of minority applicants with high grades and test scores has indeed increased. … We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today."
The new case challenging affirmative action, which still has to be scheduled for argument next term, is the direct progeny of Grutter.
In the new case, more than three-fourths of freshmen enroll at the University of Texas under a state law that gives automatic admission to students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. For the rest, the school considers a number of factors, including race.
Two white students denied UT admission under the policy challenged it in federal court.
A three-judge appellate panel upheld the admissions policy, and the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative in the country, refused to rehear the case by a vote of 9-7.
The majority said UT's admissions program was "narrowly tailored," as required by the 2003 Supreme Court precedent.
The new case accepted by the high court was brought by Abigail Fisher, one of the two white students, who applied to the school in 2008. Fisher was not entitled to admission under the Top 10 Percent Law, but her academic credentials exceeded many of those of non-Top 10 students who were accepted, her petition said.
Even the appeals court opinion in the UT case warned that affirmative action cannot last forever.
"A university may decide to pursue the goal of a diverse student body, and it may do so to the extent it ties that goal to the educational benefits that flow from diversity," the opinion said. "The admissions procedures that UT adopted, modeled after the plan approved by the Supreme Court in Grutter, are narrowly tailored — procedures in some respects superior to the Grutter plan because the university does not keep a running tally of under-represented minority representation during the admissions process. We are satisfied that the university's decision to reintroduce race-conscious admissions was adequately supported by the 'serious, good faith consideration' required by Grutter. Finally, it is neither our role nor purpose to dance from Grutter's firm holding that diversity is an interest supporting compelling necessity. Nor are we inclined to do so."
In a "specially concurring" separate opinion, U.S. Circuit Judge Emilio M. Garza said he joined in the prevailing opinion because it adhered, as it should, to the Supreme Court's majority opinion and precedent in Grutter.
But Garza used his separate opinion to attack the Grutter ruling root and branch, foreshadowing some of the argument that may be used in the new Supreme Court case next term.
"The idea of dividing people along racial lines is artificial and antiquated," Garza wrote. "Human beings are not divisible biologically into any set number of races. A world war was fought over such principles. Each individual is unique. And yet … governmental decision-makers are still fixated on dividing people into white, black, Hispanic and other arbitrary subdivisions. … When government divides citizens by race, matters are different. Government-sponsored discrimination is repugnant to the notion of human equality and is more than the Constitution can bear."
Even more ominous for the survival of affirmative action is the changed arithmetic at the Supreme Court.
From the outset, liberal Justice Elena Kagan has recused, or withdrawn, from the case, reducing the liberal bloc to three.
In Grutter, Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the three conservatives, the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas, in dissent, but also wrote separately. "Preferment by race, when resorted to by the state, can be the most divisive of all policies," Kennedy wrote in 2003, "containing within it the potential to destroy confidence in the Constitution and in the idea of equality."
Now the balance has shifted on the high court. Some of the justices who made up the Grutter majority and dissent have gone, but the conservatives have emerged triumphant.
O'Connor, of course, is gone, retiring in 2006. To make up the Grutter five-member majority, O'Connor, a moderate conservative, was joined by liberal Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.
Souter and Stevens are retired, succeeded by liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Kagan for a wash.
Rehnquist died in 2005, to be succeeded by Chief Justice John Roberts, another reliable conservative. Scalia, Thomas and Kennedy remain on the court.
But O'Connor was succeeded by Justice Samuel Alito, another consistent hard-line conservative in the Rehnquist mold.


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Futures are down in light trading ahead of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, where the economy will take center stage.
Dow Jones industrial futures are down 4 points to 13,920. The broader S&P futures have lost 1.1 points to hit 1,512. Nasdaq futures are down 4.25 points to 2,766.25.
The unemployment rate ticked up a tenth of a point to 7.9 percent last month and though job growth continues, Obama is expected to introduce new job proposals in an attempt to accelerate the economic recovery.
On Tuesday, Coca-Cola said that profit rose 13 percent and global sales volume rose 3 percent, outpacing its flagship U.S. market, which rose 1 percent.
Many investors are awaiting the release of January retail sales numbers, which are due on Wednesday.


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The crucial information you need to secure a reliable loan modification and save your home
Behind on your mortgage payments? Worried about losing your home? Don't panic. Loan Modification For Dummies gives you the reliable, authoritative, easy-to-understand guidance you need to apply for and secure a loan modification that lowers your monthly house payment and keeps you in your home.
This practical, plain-English guide leads you step by step through the loan modification process, from contacting your lender to applying for a loan modification, evaluating the lender's initial offer, and negotiating a modification that lowers your monthly payment while helping you catch up on any past-due amounts. You'll learn how to communicate with your bank or loan servicer, recognize and avoid loan-modification scams, and find a knowledgeable loan modification specialist, if you choose not to do it yourself.Advice on determining whether you're likely to qualify for your lender's loan modification program Guidance on preparing and submitting a loan modification application that improves your chances of success Helps you figure out a monthly payment you really can afford Tips on modifying your loan even when you owe more than your home's current market value Negotiation advice for securing the best possible terms and lowest monthly payment Resources for contacting your lender, obtaining free or affordable third-party assistance, and getting government agencies on your side
Read Loan Modification For Dummies and start saving your home today.


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Pest Control Dusters
B&G IPM Case (Case Only)
This B&G IPM Case is a heavy duty case for carrying all of your Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools. Use it to organize all your IPM application tools so you'll not only look like a professional, but work like one, too!Learn More
Starting at: $220.00
Dustick Duster allows you to get dust or an aerosol in hard to reach areas without the danger of using a ladder. Use The Dustick Duster to control yellow jackets, carpenter bees, and hornets. They can make their nests in inaccessible areas such as under shingles, under sliding, around gutters, soffits, around shutters and other high locations.Learn More
$12.50Optional Extension/Deflector puts dust under hard-to-reach areas that require an angle to dust.
It attaches around the end of the Dustin Mizer and \"deflects\" the dust 90 degrees in any direction you want. Learn More
Starting at: $44.50
This garden duster is easy to use with insecticide or garden dusts. The Dustin Mizer Duster will dust uniformly throughout an attic or crawl space, propelling dust 20-30 feet. Dustin Mizer may be used to dust plants and shrubs too.Learn More
$39.05 As low as: $37.10
The Gotcha Sprayer Pro Adaptor is an adaptor to put on the end of an extension pole to spray an aerosol or dispense a dust for hard to reach areas. It is designed for daily use by a professional exterminator. Typical applications are for carpenter bee holes, wasp and hornet nests, dusting tall fruit trees and dusting gardens. With this adapter you can reach areas without ladders, reducing falling risks. It also has an adjustable angle so you can use it to apply dust without bending or climbing.
A standard threaded extension pole found at home and garden centers will fit.Learn More
Starting at: $159.55
The B&G Versaduster 110V is designed for a wide variety of treatments requiring a power duster. This duster can be used with a wide variety of dusts or granulars. Typical uses range from bed bug treatments to cockroach treatments in commercial kitchens. It can be used as a stand alone system with a portable compressor or as an attachment used with the compressors in the B&G Portable Aerosol System or of the VersaFoamer 4000 System.
Click here for Versaduster with compressor: B&G Versaduster 110VLearn More
B&G's Electric Duster M2250, ideal for treating the biggest of jobs.It's the perfect tool for dusting large volumes of insecticide dust in areas such as attics, crawl spaces, and other favorite hiding places of roaches, ants, silverfish, carpenter ants, and termites.Learn More
This B&G duster holds up to 3 pounds of dust or granules (such as Delta dust, Drione, Timbor, Boric Acid, etc), and features a large 3.5" opening for easy filling. Allows user to direct output accurately, adding a static charge to dust particles, making them adhere to surfaces better.
The black void attachment is not included.
B & G Long Reach Dust-R 1153-G with three 14" extensions permits dusting in hard to reach areas. The extensions also provide static charge to the dust, enabling the dust/powder to stay in a place where you dusted. This type of duster is ideal for crawl spaces, attics, or any difficult to reach location such as wasps nests. It holds two quarts of dust.Learn More
$117.50B&G Mini Dust-R (1151-M) holds 1/2 lb. of dust, or 7 oz. of granules. The B&G Mini Dust-R comes with a large opening for easy filling and emptying. It comes with a variety of extensions and tips. The B&G Mini Dust-R hand duster is designed for dusting small areas such as wall voids, cracks& crevices, small attics and attics. The B&G Mini Dust-R may be used to apply dust or granules for dusts such as JT Eaton's Boric Acid, Delta Dust, Pyganic Dust, Timbor, ect. The B&G Duster is simple and easy to use: simply fill the duster, shake it and push the air tube manually to dust. Learn More
$33.40 As low as: $29.95
The Puffy D Bulb Duster has a thick, pliable rubber body with a metal top and brass tip, it is manufactured for years of repeated use.
It holds up to 14 oz of dust or fine granules. It includes a 12-inch brass extension and curved tip and a convenient plastic tunnel for filling it with a dust. Remove the extension if not needed.Learn More


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Judge sentences Madison Co. man to 60 years for child porn
A federal judge has sentenced a 67-year-old Madison County man to six decades in prison for producing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Connor Eldridge said that under the terms of the Monday sentencing, James Hanna of Japton would be under lifetime supervised release if he ever does go free from prison.
Prosecutors say Hanna victimized children as young as 13 and produced images of at least six different minors. Hanna pleaded guilty in January to two counts of producing child pornography.
Madison County sheriff's deputies investigated reports that Hanna engaged in inappropriate conduct with two minors and photographed them. Armed with a search warrant, deputies seized computers and cameras from Hanna's home. Officials say the equipment contained sexually explicit images of children.


text: TV Player Report (beta) w/e 7 Feb 2016 16 February 2016 View this week's TV Player report. The TV Player Report is the first joint-industry, audited measure of online TV viewing that is being designed to meet the evolving needs of the UK television and advertising industry. The report is BARB's first publication of data for viewing that takes place on laptop/desktop PCs, tablets and smartphones. It focuses on activity at a device level, rather than a person level. The viewing data are generated by a sophisticated online TV measurement system developed by Kantar Media. BARB is introducing the TV Player Report in beta as further developments are needed so that it is a comprehensive report into online TV viewing. The report currently includes data from the following TV players; All 4 (Android app, Apple iOS app and Website player), BBC iPlayer (Android app, Apple iOS app and Website player), ITV Player (Android app, Apple iOS app and Website player), Sky Go (Apple iOS app), UKTV Play (Website player) and UTV Player (Website player). Data from SkyGo include viewing to all broadcasters available through this TV player. Other TV players and platforms are currently being audited and will be added to the report in the coming weeks. This on-going development will allow BARB customers to build their understanding of online TV viewing at a time of extraordinary innovation and growth in platforms, channels and viewing devices. These data will sit alongside data from BARB's panel of over 11,500 people in 5,100 homes. The TV Player Report is the first output from Project Dovetail, which is at the heart of BARB's development strategy to deal with increasing fragmentation. Its aim is to deliver a hybrid TV measurement service which harnesses the power of device-based data that provide granular measurement of viewing sessions, with panel data that provide trusted evidence on who is watching. Key facts: The latest report shows that total time for viewing on audited online TV players was 755 million minutes during week ending 7th February. Programme data are currently available for on demand viewing only. The most watched programmes during the week ending 7th February include Silent Witness, The Great Sport Relief Bake Off and Call the Midwife. See the latest report for full details. A new metric has been developed to determine the popularity of online TV programmes. Average programme streams takes into account the number of devices that started to watch a programme and also the length of time that the programme was watched. Average programme streams represents the average number of devices watching across the duration of the programme. This is analogous to the average audience numbers that our customers often use, although average programme streams is a measure of the number of devices that are used to watch, rather than a measure of how many people are watching. The metric has been approved by JICWEBS[1]. BARB is working on further developments that will enable it to report: average programme streams for online TV that is watched live total time spent watching on demand programmes by originating channel, and consumption of online TV advertising. Like any BARB data, the TV Player Report needs to be based on gold standard measurement techniques. ABC, the industry-owned audit watchdog, has been commissioned to audit the implementation of the system. This provides reassurance that the data do not include non-human traffic, often referred to as robots, among other things. James Purnell, Director of Strategy & Digital at BBC, said: "The BBC welcomes BARB's extension to include a gold standard measure of online viewing. We believe it is vital to capture how people are now viewing on whatever device they choose and this is a big step towards that goal. We also look forward to BARB's future planned developments in this area which will ultimately help us to fully understand the complete picture and so enable us to optimise the value we deliver for different audience groups." Tom George, Chair of the IPA Media Futures Group and Chairman of UK and Northern Europe at MEC, said: "The whole industry welcomes this important and exciting development. It will bring additional answers in the continuing search for accountability of investment and provides one of the first keystones in understanding online content viewing in the UK." Justin Sampson, Chief Executive at BARB said: "It's great that BARB is starting to report the level of online TV audiences. The TV Player Report bears testimony to the industry's commitment that BARB works towards a comprehensive measurement of viewing to television and video content, regardless of the delivery platform." See our frequently asked questions. Read more about BARB's strategy. [1] JICWEBS is the industry body responsible for the development of standards in measuring online media performance


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Moderator: MudBug
pmnewlon wrote:Good afternoon 450BM folks! After finding this site via a comment in this thread I am glad to be here!
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/show ... 31&page=10
Not new to handloading (30+ years) but new to working with cast bullets in "uncharted" territory - that is, I've always been able to find exactly what I need in one loading manual or another.
Thanks for the add and the effort you put into running the site!
Fin 450 wrote:Hello and thanks for the add. From Finland and ordered today my first Ruger 450 bushmaster, think i will get it in februari 2018. Going to hunt moose with the 450 next season. Also planning to convert one of my sako 308 to 450. Have a great hunting season everyone!
meistermash wrote:Hello new friends.
After looking for 450 info I have been lurking here.
I thought self, I don't need another gun forum to be on.
Well, I was wrong. There is an impressive amount of knowledge on here.
Stuff I've never heard of. Reloading practices I've never tried. New calibers in the ar platform.
So hello and thank you for providing a good knowledgeable forum.
propwashP47 wrote:hello the camp. I smelled your coffee up on the trail.if can you spare a cup? what is that rife I am packing? why its a GLFA 20 in 450 bushmaster with a 18 in ultra slim m lock rail and a LUTH M3 stock . yes its heavy right it 12 lbs. with the n/v and ir red dot, ir laser, 3 rounds in the mag. no it was not hard to build if you don't count 6 missing take down springs and detents. I hope to getting on some good hog hunts this coming year. thanks much for the cup and glad to met ya.
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Health workers should take advantage of significant life events among the middle-aged to get them to be healthier, new NHS guidance suggests.
People whose children are leaving the nest, those who are going through the menopause, or taking retirement should be targeted to be encouraged to be fitter and to stop harmful behaviours, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.
"These are times when people may consider adopting new healthy behaviours," according to a new draft guideline from Nice, which sets out best practice for the health service.
Health professionals should spot those who are going through these life-changing events and encourage them to stop smoking, become more active, drink less, eat healthier and maintain a healthy weight, Nice said.
The draft guidance also states that more must be done to tell the general public that becoming ill is not an inevitable part of ageing.
The Government, Public Health England and NHS England should run campaigns to highlight factors that could reduce a person's risk of developing dementia or becoming ill in later life.
"Ill health in old age is not inevitable," the draft guideline states.
"The risk of developing dementia, disability and frailty can be reduced and, for some, it can be prevented altogether or delayed - and the severity of the conditions reduced.
"Smoking, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, poor diet, and being overweight or obese are risk factors for dementia, disability and frailty.
"The earlier in life that healthy changes are made, the greater the likelihood of reducing the risk of dementia, disability and frailty. But it's not too late to start making changes if you are already in mid-life."
Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at Nice, said: "This new draft guideline aims to help people to prevent or delay dementia, disability and frailty in later life by promoting mid-life changes.
"This includes encouraging people to stop smoking, become more physically active, drinking less alcohol, eating healthily, and maintaining a healthy weight.
"Everyone now understands that smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being inactive or overweight can seriously damage your health, but what many people don't realise is that these factors also increase the likelihood of them developing dementia.
"But what is really clear from the evidence we looked at is that people who become more active, even when they are a bit older, are far less likely to develop dementia; they are also less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and cancer.
"Obviously the earlier in life that healthy changes are made the better, but it's never too late to start."
The piece of work, which has been put out to consultation, also sees Nice comment on the plain packaging for cigarettes debate.
It calls on the Government to "remove remaining opportunities for tobacco promotion, such as packaging, and film and other media portrayals of smoking".
The Department of Health recently published a consultation on the introduction of standardised packs for tobacco products which will conclude in August.
Tim Parry, head of external affairs at the charity Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Research suggests that lifestyle choices in mid-life could have important knock-on effects for health in later life, including brain health.
"With research suggesting that a third of cases of Alzheimer's could be prevented, we need to see concerted efforts to develop better ways to encourage healthy living across the population.
"The period of mid-life can often bring many changes for people and can be a time for people to reflect on their own health. There have been mixed messages about what may or may not affect dementia risk later in life and it can be hard to know what lifestyle choices may hold the greatest benefits.
"It is promising to see Nice developing guidelines to give people the best information about how to stay healthy."
Dr Alison Cook, director of external affairs at the Alzheimer's Society charity, added: " When you get to your 50s and 60s there are some big life changes happening such as children leaving home or retirement which can be good prompts to have a rethink about changing the way you live.
"Whether you decide to change your diet or just walk for 20 minutes a day, everyone can improve their chances of avoiding dementia. Making good choices later in life is critical."


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ST. CLOUD - As a crisp breeze descended on Apollo High School Wednesday night, state Sen. Tarryl Clark walked beside the football field, meeting fans lined up for the annual showdown between two rivals.
St. Cloud Tech left hours later with yet another in a string of victories over Apollo -- hardly the underdog story Clark is gunning for in her race to unseat Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann.
The two women have outspent every U.S. House race in the country to woo voters in the Sixth Congressional District. In her two terms, Bachmann has transformed herself from an insurgent state senator into a conservative firebrand with a national reputation and a fearsome campaign war chest. Clark, a mainstream Democrat, must try to peel off independent voters while combating what appears to be growing Republican momentum nationwide.
"Michele really speaks the way I like somebody in politics to speak," said Mary Bzdok, a mother of 10 children having a document notarized at a law firm in St. Cloud. "She sticks to a point."
Others are less enthralled with Bachmann's blunt, combative style of politics. Throwing a tennis ball to a yellow Labrador outside her house in Woodbury, Victoria O'Hare says Bachmann's comments "drive me crazy."
A Clark supporter, O'Hare said that "I believe pretty strongly that [Tarryl] will reverse the negativity that Michele Bachmann has brought to this state."
The Sixth District, which spans from St. Cloud to Anoka and Woodbury, has consistently voted Republican, although Bachmann's support fell below 50 percent in 2008. Her last Democratic challenger, former state Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg, lost by three points. Unknown independent candidate Bob Anderson grabbed 10 percent of the vote. Anderson, a dentist, is running the same low-key, low-budget campaign this year.
Small towns and rural areas across the district have proven a stronghold for Bachmann in past elections.
That puts population centers like Blaine squarely in the cross hairs. With a slight Democratic tilt in the last election, Blaine is a working-class suburb flush with independents -- one of a cluster of towns in Anoka County that helped propel long-shot gubernatorial candidate Jesse Ventura to victory in 1998. Clark's campaign says the county is central to its victory strategy. Tinklenberg lost Anoka County by 5 percentage points.
"We want to be everywhere, all the time," said canvasser Ashleigh Leitch, rapping on a door in Blaine while armed with an iPhone that helped her suss out independent voters. She tailors her speech to voters' interests, commenting to one elderly woman, "You can't have a conversation with a mailer or with an ad on TV."
Clark said the direct voter contact is "a big part of what we're doing that's different."
Standing in the night chill of the football stadium's parking lot, Clark said of voters: "We're finding them. We're going back and talking to them, making sure we're listening to them."
Bachmann on Friday said she is "really optimistic" about the election and unperturbed by Clark's efforts to make inroads in Anoka. "My mother still lives in Anoka with my stepdad. I graduated from Anoka High School. So that's my backyard," Bachmann said.
The most common complaint in Bachmann's backyard? Too many negative ads -- from both candidates.
"Why don't they talk about what they're going to do and not slam each other?" asked Jim Sweno, standing on his porch in Blaine. "It's disgusting."
Heavy infusions of national cash have made this the costliest U.S. House race in the country, more than every other House race in Minnesota combined. Bachmann and Clark have inundated the airwaves with ads and swamped voters' mailboxes with literature.
$2 million in two weeks
Bachmann's spending has increased exponentially in the last days of the race. On Friday, her campaign reported spending more than $2 million in just two weeks. That's more than most House candidates spend in an entire election.
St. John's University political scientist Kay Wolsborn said Bachmann's enormous resources and strong Republican get-out-the-vote operations give her an advantage heading into Election Day. "She's a hard one to beat," Wolsborn said, while noting that Clark's strong presence in the district and political experience could help her surpass previous challengers.
Bachmann has focused her attacks on Clark's fiscal record in the Legislature, particularly a "signature" vote this spring to raise income taxes as a way to balance the state's budget. Her latest ad portrays Clark carved in stone on "Mt. Spendmore," nestled among the likenesses of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
"I think she thinks she's running against Nancy Pelosi or the president or Harry Reid or something," said Clark, who was once a spokeswoman for the Senate DFL caucus. Bachmann argues that her message focuses on those lawmakers because she believes Clark would vote in line with Pelosi if she reached Washington. "It's important that the people of this district know that there is a very clear choice between the two candidates," Bachmann said.
For her part, Clark jabs frequently at Bachmann's national campaign appearances and lack of attention to her own district. She also has hit Bachmann for wanting to alter Social Security and challenged her to cut her office budget.
Final weeks
After lobbing grenades at each other for months, Bachmann, Clark and Anderson are slated to appear in the first of three debates on Tuesday.
Bachmann proved that a lot can change in the final weeks of the campaign when her "anti-American" comment in mid-October of 2008 garnered national attention and injected Tinklenberg's campaign with a torrent of last-minute cash.
Tinklenberg campaign manager John Wodele said their internal polling showed them ahead by about 3 points until the last week of the race. "She really moved those polls in the last week."
In Lake Elmo, voters like Roger Schrade say Democrats only want to defeat Bachmann "because she's standing up and saying, 'Hey, time out, we can't spend money we don't have.'"
Schrade's lawn features a 6-foot-long Bachmann sign, which replaced a smaller one they were planning to give him. "I said, the bigger the better."
Eric Roper • 612-673-1732


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One use for this option can be to stop your kids from watching too much TV by making sure that they are not watching it when they are not supposed to.
To enable this just follow these easy steps:
- go to Devices pane
- double-click on the device you wish to block temporarily to brings up its properties
- go to Access Control tab in the device properties
- tick the "Block device during the following hours" and set the hours
- click OK to apply
The above is yet another feature aimed at making your DLNA streaming experience better and easier. Enjoy!


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|Find the best surf spots
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Datum: WGS84 [ Help ]
Latitude: 8° 27.387' N
User rating (7)
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1 1/2 hours from panama city, north of San Carlos -- Riomar,
DistanceTake a car
WalkInstant access (< 5min)
Easy to find?Easy to find
Public access?Public access
Special accessDon't know
Wave qualityRegional Classic
ExperienceAll surfers
FrequencyDon't know
DirectionRight and left
BottomReef (coral,sharp rocks etc..) with sand
Normal lengthNormal (50 to 150m)
Good day lengthNormal (50 to 150m)
Good swell directionSouthWest
Good wind directionNorth, NorthWest, West, NorthEast
Swell sizeStarts working at Less than 1m / 3ft and holds up to 3m+ / 10ft+
Best tide positionLow and mid tide
Best tide movementRising and falling tides
Week crowdEmpty
Week-end crowdFew surfers
- Rocks
Surf better from low to high tide, walk the beach, park at Riomar surf camp(no charge),if you park at hotel riomar$10. locals ok
Uncrowded easy fun wave, close to the city, more breaks in the same area.
It was fun and easy to get to, Curren likes this spot i hear.
Author: Anonymous Contributors (2) They surfed this spot ! (22)
No video available
|Ningún viaje de surf
By Anonymous , 20-12-2008
Lets be real - Ive been surfing for the whole of my life, surf camps in general are beat down, but serve a purpose, great for a first trip, till you learn a better way for yourself, I stayed down the street from this one at a hotel, walked over and surfed, great wave, large crew though on the weekend. I never made it north of hear, I understand once out of the bay, it gets really good and much more consistant, Panama in my opinion is much nicer than CR, people are great, roads are awesome. Car rental is honest and good. Waves are similar. Rented a brand new longboard from the Dentist(Shop) in the city, great deal. 120 all week, easy scene to drop in on...
By alfred , 06-11-2007
well then GO TO TEH DECAMERON A RENT A VAN! - i was reading all this comments and i don´t know what are you looking for? Go rent a van a stay at the Decameron, or, go camping or don´t go anywhere!, when people complain about prices and that it´s certainly because they have no money, spend some thousands and surf some waves if ther is a swell, if not, then you are an apprentice or a beginner into surf and traveling!
By jwm , 20-04-2007
The truth comes out - Alan's response about the food was that I ordered after 9 pm. Wrong! At my size/metabolism I rarely eat past 7! I realize that it's another country where things operate slower and certain things aren't available. I am not a picky eater and I don't demand "kiss your ass american" service, but we've all gotta eat! I was put in a position where the staff made me feel as if I was burdening them when I ordered food. Avoid this place.
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ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at email@example.com.
- Arizona State University
- Rogers, Rodney
- 1 Marshall, Kimberlt
- 1 Ryan, Russell
- 1 Snavley, Ashley Nicole
- 1 English
- 1 Public
- Interdisciplinary
- Art criticism
- 1 Art
- 1 Dupre
- 1 Music
- 1 Organ
- 1 Performing arts
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
By studying of a piece of music paired with specific artwork from the time and place of its composition, one can learn more about the character and artistic merits of both the art and music, as well as their relationship to the culture in which they were created. It is the purpose of this paper to examine one specific idea within this vein of interdisciplinary study. This study explores the presentation of American visual art from the 1920s alongside Dupré's Variations sur un Noël, Op. 20. This correlation provides a platform for deeper insight into the composition. The sights and …
- Contributors
- Snavley, Ashley Nicole, Marshall, Kimberlt, Rogers, Rodney, et al.
- Created Date
- 2014


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Heidi Montag: Transformers 3 Audition
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt perfect their shooting skills with a trip to the American Defense Enterprise's shooting range on Wednesday (May 26) in Los Angeles.
The 23-year-old Hills star posted a 30-second video clip of her shooting skills on her Facebook page, trying to land a role in Transformers 3.
In the video, Heidi turns to the camera and says, "This is for you, Michael Bay," before moving around a firing range hitting targets from just a few feet away. Watch it below!
Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is currently the frontrunner to play Shia Labeouf's love interest.
Heidi Montag: Transformers 3 Audition
10+ pictures inside of Heidi Montag's Transformer's 3 audition…


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kerrynb brauchte ein neues Print oder Verpackung Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 16 Designs von 7 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
A4 poster encouraging people to take crisis cards from attached unit re: problem gambling
3rd Place
transforming lives - building communities
Desired Style:
you choose
Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
We need an A4 poster to go in snap-frames which will be mounted in bathrooms at shopping centres, restaurants, cafes etc... The frame will have a business card holder containing a free crisis card (sample/draft attached). These cards contain 24 hr crisis line phone numbers on the inside but have a colourful exterior with buy one get one free type offers from local entertainment/3rd place venues eg.. to encourage people to go out and socialise in places without poker machines.The message we are trying to get across on the poster is:when was the last time you had fun with friends as opposed to engaging in isolating poker machine gambling.we are thinking - a poignant picture of unisex person sitting at poker machine, looking lonely...not having fun with their friend the poker machine....shadows of other people .....lonely in a crowd.... (probably greyscale)Then colour - The alternative.... 3rd Places (1st being home, 2nd being work, 3rd is the place we go to socialise).....food, fun, friends...active involvement.the poster should have minimal text but a strong encouragement of social activity with other people - not machines, however, some small amount of text may be helpful and below is some of what we have toyed with:+Lonely? Everybody needs a place to relax and experience social interaction with others.+3rd Places are important for our health and wellbeing+Without 3rd Places people can become lonely which often leads to unhealthy behaviours like gambling, alcohol and drug addictions+3rd Places can be anywhere that people congregate but are often cafes, restaurants, markets, neighbourhood houses, sporting venues and churches.+To find a 3rd Place that is right for you it is important to try and visit as many different places as you can.+Chrysalis Insight Inc is helping connect people with places _ just look for this logo at participating venues+If your social interaction with 'real' people has been replaced by a 'relationship' with a poker machine please take a card from the dispenser and visit one of the 3rd Places on the back of the card. +These special two for one offers give you the opportunity to take a friend or make a friend. The only must have's are the 3rd Place logo - attached (let me know if you need better/different file) and text: an initiative of Chrysalis Insight Inc ABN: 63403473841 http://www.3rdplace.org.au Also - space for project sponsors logo about 300px x 50px.


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Fall 2011 Convocation Speech
"50th Anniversary — Challenges and Opportunities"
President Ruben Armiñana
Welcome to the fall semester of the 2011-12 academic year. I particularly want to welcome the new students, faculty and staff who have joined us for the first time. You have made a wise decision that will have a significant and positive impact upon the rest of your life. I am especially pleased to welcome the new Provost and Academic Vice President, Dr. Andrew Rogerson, who has come to us from California State University, Fresno where he was the Dean of Science and Mathematics. Andrew has been with us for only a month and I am delighted with his grasp of the issues facing the University and his positive attitude toward achieving excellence. There are two things that people have commented about him: one is that he, too, has an accent, Scottish brogue, described by some as "sexier than Ruben's," and second that his mode of transportation, motorcycles, occupies less space than mine.
This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of this University. In the fall of 1961, classes taught by 20 full-time faculty began for 274 students in leased buildings in Rohnert Park. On September 22, 1961, Chancellor Glenn Dumke presided over the formal dedication of Sonoma State College led by President Ambrose Nichols. It would take five years before the college moved to its present and permanent location on East Cotati Avenue with 1,425 students.
Much has happened during these 50 years. We now offer a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs to almost 8,400 students, many of them living on campus and coming from all over California and from other states and nations. We have a well-deserved reputation for excellence that makes us one of the most attractive campuses in the California State University. We are an integral part of the community that we serve well. And more importantly, every year we graduate more than 2,000 students who are well educated and prepared to meet the challenges of the economy and community. In other words, we fulfill our mission.
The road travelled during these past 50 years has gone through peaks and valleys with bumps and controversies along the way. Upon reflection, it is what is expected from the process of creating, building and transforming an academic institution especially during turbulent economic and social times. We reflect the tensions that exist in society and that change is hard and difficult. We have become a more mature institution proud of its past but focused on the future. We are a unique university characterized by being a comprehensive university with deep roots and commitment to the liberal arts and sciences education.
While Sonoma State University has had its share of economic difficulties created mostly by the enormous volatility of the support it receives from the State of California, I believe that this year is much more serious and injurious. Simply put, the consequences of neglect of higher education in California is having a highly detrimental effect for the present and future of this state and its people.
A recent report of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy of the California State University, Sacramento entitled "Consequences of Neglect: Performance Trends in California Higher Education," (July 2011) points out that, "California lawmakers have found it increasingly difficult to protect the state's investment in its colleges and universities over the last decade despite the growing evidence that the state needs far more of its citizens to earn postsecondary credentials." Additionally it points out, "This report demonstrates the consequences of resting on reputations and policies of yesteryear. California is nowhere near a leader on the measures of higher education performance." The report ascertains that "California ranks 50th among states in total funding per student." Finally, it concludes that, "California must regain the purposeful approach to higher education that it modeled over 50 years ago with the Master Plan for Higher Education."
Governor Jerry Brown signed an approved-by-Democrats-only budget after months of unsuccessful efforts to garner Republican legislative votes for the extension of three taxes. Despite the governor's pledge to balance the budget without gimmicks, the adopted budget relies on a $4 billion windfall that seems less plausible after tax revenue results from last month. The budget, like many in the past, is loaded with shaky assumptions such as a multi-billion dollar raid on local redevelopment agencies which is being resisted in the courts; a $150 fee on rural homeowners for firefighting which is subject to a referendum; $200 million collection for sales taxes from internet sellers which most probably will be the subject of a negative proposition in the next election; and the reduction of medical services to the poor which needs a waiver from the Federal government. Columnist Dan Walters has commented that, "Brown did exactly what his most recent predecessors did when faced with an unbalanced budget—closed the gap with gimmicks that he knew would likely fall apart. Or as former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was fond of saying, he merely kicked the can down the road." (Sacramento Bee, August 10, 2011)
From its beginning draft, the 2011-12 budget contained a $500 million reduction to both the CSU and UC. Despite the efforts of many people to have the Legislature and the Governor consider higher education an investment priority and reduce the size of the cuts, this enormous amount did not change during the budget process. As a matter of fact, when the extension of taxes collapsed, the cuts increased by $150 million for a total of $650 million for the CSU—and the same amount for the UC. This is a 23% reduction in support from the previous fiscal year. Like some of you, I also heard many words of support for higher education and the students from our representatives at the Capitol but when it came time? to vote for these devastating cuts, the good words evaporated.
The $500 million cut to the CSU meant a 2.4% reduction in enrollment targets, denying access to 10,000 qualified students and a 10% fee increase. The rest of the cuts and mandatory costs were passed directly to the campuses, meaning $8.9 million for Sonoma State University, or 16% of our previous General Fund allocation. The additional reduction of $150 million to the CSU resulted in a second tuition increase of 12% more or an additional $294 per semester. One-third of all fee increases is set aside for financial aid which allows our neediest students, about 40% of all the students, to not see an increase in their tuition costs.
These cuts mean that the students are paying more for less as we have had to cut classes, make classes larger, and re-structure services at all levels of the University. In many instances we have eliminated vacant positions and are not replacing employees who leave due to retirement or another job action. We are in the process of making difficult administrative reorganizations and consolidations outside Academic Affairs that are needed to save money and to prevent layoffs of permanent employees. All expenses are scrutinized since we have so much less funding to do what we need and should do. The sacrifices that we are asking of all employees are significant and much appreciated. Despite all of these measures, we have hired 14 new tenure-track faculty who will be introduced later.
Our enrollment target for this year is 7,450 FTES for California residents and we are confident that we will meet or even exceed it by a little. Our freshmen class is the largest in our history with about 1,800 students. We are a very popular campus and the number of applications exceeds 10 for each available spot. As per the instructions from the Chancellor's Office we are accepting applications for the spring semester especially those from the local community colleges.
I mentioned earlier that the final approved budget included a series of triggers to be pulled if additional revenues do not materialize. For the CSU it means another $100 million cut in mid-year if the additional revenues fall short of $1-$2 billion. This major reduction seems highly probable since the July tax revenues fell $539 million below projections. Personal income, sales and corporate taxes were 10% below projections and the recent news of the slow economic recovery, continued high unemployment, economic stresses in many European countries, and the recent volatility of the stock market give further concern about the economic deterioration affecting California whose revenues rely so heavily on income and capital gains taxes from the wealthy. I am increasingly pessimistic that the trigger will be pulled and SSU's share of the CSU's $100 million is about $2.3 million, an amount very difficult to generate from further local savings beginning in January and for only six months. As I told a fellow CSU president and he concurred, "Our backs are against the wall without a millimeter to spare."
Despite the challenges we confront on our 50th anniversary there is much good to celebrate. Foremost is our faculty, staff and administration's commitment to our students and their education. We are good at providing an excellent education that makes our graduates most competitive for the world of graduate and professional education and work. We involve our students in research as evidenced in two recently announced grants in the School of Science and Technology: one for almost $1 million for five years to improve the long-term retention rates of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by providing inquiry-based educational experiences for them; and a $300,000 NSF major research instrumentation grant to bring a high-power nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to enhance the study of the physical and chemical properties of molecules. Examples like these are available in each of our schools.
We have admitted the largest EOP cohort in our history, 250. The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall at the Green Music Center will be completed by the end of this year and the Center's lawn next year. Construction of the student center begins this academic year. There are so many achievements that it will take all morning to name them, but each and every one is important and essential in meeting our mission.
As we enter our next decade Sonoma State University continues to be a work in progress; that is what education means: a process of continued learning, discovery, growth, and transformation. We should keep honing our particular identity, the combination of the characteristics of a comprehensive university with the emphasis in the liberal arts and sciences education. The challenges are significant but the prospects for a distinguished future based on the excellence of education are even greater.
Best wishes for this new semester.


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Blood Transfusion and Donation
Blood Transfusion and Donation
Every year, millions of people in the United States receive life-saving blood transfusions. During a transfusion, you receive whole blood or parts of blood such as - Red blood cells - cells that carry oxygen to and from tissues and organs - Platelets - cells that form clots to control bleeding - Plasma - the liquid part of the blood that helps clotting. You may need it if you have been badly burned, have liver failure or a severe infection.
Most blood transfusions go very smoothly. Some infectious agents, such as HIV, can survive in blood and infect the person receiving the blood transfusion. To keep blood safe, blood banks carefully screen donated blood. The risk of catching a virus from a blood transfusion is low.
Sometimes it is possible to have a transfusion of your own blood. During surgery, you may need a blood transfusion because of blood loss. If you are having a surgery that you're able to schedule months in advance, your doctor may ask whether you would like to use your own blood, instead of donated blood. If so, you will need to have blood drawn one or more times before the surgery. A blood bank will store your blood for your use.


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HOSTING & DOMAINSAt Zorin, we believe it is more valuable for you to have one organization that can take care of all your web site needs. We offer plans to make it easy for you so you don't have to think about all the issues and decisions that go into producing a web site, and related services that may be required.
Not only do we take the steps necessary to get your site on the Internet, but we provide many services you don't get with some other web site companies.
Some of the support services we provide:
- Automated backups, to make sure your data is always safe
- Web site monitoring, to make sure your site is always operating properly
- Domain monitoring, to make sure your domain name(s) are available and let you know when they will expire.
- System rotation, keeping your web site on recently built web servers
Whatever type of web site you need, and whatever your comfort level working with on-line systems, we have a plan that will be right for you.
- Low cost offerings for sites with a few pages up to sites with ten pages
- We support popular content management tools such as Joomla, Drupal
- You can use dynamic web systems like Mason, popular with web designers
- We offer our own web site automation software for full control and efficiency